As the opening night crowd at Maine State Music Theater (MSMT) took their seats for the premiere of “Ghost the Musical” June 9, one question was on everyone's mind: how? How are they going to do it? We needn't have given it a thought. Special Effects/Lighting Designer Paul Black delivered on the otherworldly atmosphere and the cast, under the direction of Mark Robin of the Fulton Theater in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, tell this beloved cinematic love story through acting and song that will rock your cosmic socks off! This MSMT co-production with the Fulton features the same 10-member cast and set that closed in Lancaster in early May.

Both the musical and the original screenplay for the 1990 film “Ghost” were written by Bruce Joel Rubin, so no plot changes. Essentially the film has been pared down to this fantasy love story's essence about the power of love. Bringing it all to life is this dynamite professional ensemble cast.

Sam Wheat (Gregg Goodbrod) and Molly Jensen (Liz Shivener) purchase their first home — a third floor loft in Brooklyn. Sam is a professional banker who tries to keep a little distance between himself and Molly out of fear; fear of declaring his love in case they should fall apart. Molly is a potter/sculptor about to have two sculptures in what will be her first real art show. Molly is frustrated and hurt by Sam's inability to say “I love you.”

On their way home one night they become mugging victims. Sam is shot and dies. Or, his physical body dies, Sam stays with Molly, as a ghost, watching her grieve but wanting nothing more than to come back. To live. To love her.

At the hospital, ghost Sam has an encounter with another ghost (Billy Clark Taylor) who tells Sam he's got to accept it. He's dead. Taylor is fabulous singing, “You Gotta Let Go Now,” and as the conversational ghost explaining Sam is between two worlds right now.

While wandering the streets, Sam discovers a psychic, Oda Mae Brown (E. Faye Butler), arriving as she and her sister/assistants (Janelle McDermoth and Linnaia McKenzie) are taking a woman for all she's worth. Sure it was all fun and games until the “real,” honest to goodness ghost showed up making snide comments about her “gift.” And Lord have mercy — Oda Mae hears every word and she doesn't want to. No sir.

“Are You A Believer,” sung by Oda Mae (the former not-so-psychic turned temporary psychic/medium) and her sisters, brought down the house. Butler brings down the house with her combined strength of presence, voice and comedic timing. I'd love to see her in a one-woman show. You just don't want her to leave the stage. Truth be told, Butler absolutely kills it as Oda Mae. Kills it.

Another actor proving Constantin Stanislavski's (Russian actor) point of view, “There are no small parts, only small actors,” is the character called Subway Ghost, played artfully by Kyle E. Baird. Baird's intensity as the ghost of a man pushed onto the subway tracks is palpable and he thrusts his anger about his death on Sam who is trespassing on his subway car. The scene in which Sam returns to learn how to move things like Subway Ghost, in order to help save Molly from Carl Bruner (Mike Backes), Sam's banking co-worker and so-called friend, had the audience's full attention. Bravo Mr. Baird.

Ceasar F. Barajas plays Willie Lopez, Sam's murderer hired by Carl. Willie and Carl are in deep with some drug dealers and Carl needs the codes to Sam's accounts (which total $10 million) to pay them off and get the hell outta Dodge.

The afterlife scenes in which Willie and Carl get their comeuppance are masterfully done with smoke, red flashing lights, unseen beings attacking them until they fall to the ground only to be dragged by the feet into hell's abyss.

Shivener (Molly) and Goodbrod (Sam) have a wonderful connection on stage and communicate their love for one another playfully and tenderly. Their voices harmonize beautifully.

In the song “Here Right Now” Molly tells Sam he needs to stop projecting into the future and just be where they are as they are. “Three Little Words” is Molly's appeal to Sam to say he loves her. Sam responds by saying he says it to her every day in everything he does.

The love story of Molly and Sam is pivotal to the musical. If the actors portraying them couldn't convince the audience of that love, the show would fall flat — despite the brilliance of Butler.

And, those last four minutes folks, those precious love-filled minutes Molly can see and hear Sam before he has to go into the light … cue the waterworks.

It's like Sam says to Molly after looking into the light, “It's amazing, Molly. The love inside — you take it with you.”

And after the final curtain call, audiences will take something with them as well: the residual visuals of another most satisfying experience at the Maine State Music Theater.

They did it! Again!

The east coast premiere of “Ghost the Musical” runs through June 25. For tickets and information, visit www.msmt.org.