Stoughton Opera House Arts and Culture Guide 2011-12

2011 12 Arts & Culture Guide

Richard Thompson October 2, 2011

Performance Schedule Inside

There’s Always Something Entertaining in Stoughton.

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2012

2011

11 12 Event Calendar

Sponsors:

ARTIST Crystal Bowersox Nanci Griffith George Winston Warren Nelson & the Nelson Outfit Richard Thompson The Dixie Doodlers Steven Wright William Elliott Whitmore Back to the Country Revue with Bill Malone Justin Townes Earle Carolina Chocolate Drops Drakula: The Performance Blind Boys of Alabama with Sara & Sean Watkins Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band

DATE September 16 September 22 September 30 October 1 October 2 October 6 October 7 October 8 October 14 October 15 October 21 October 28 & 29 November 4 November 5

TIME 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 3:00 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm

PAGE 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10 11

The Amazing Acro-Cats

November 6

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John Scofield Quartet UW Russian Folk Orchestra Darrell Scott Alison Brown Quartet

November 10 November 11 November 12 November 13

1:00 pm 3:00 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm

Maggie Mae’s Country Christmas

November 17

3:00 pm 7:00 pm

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Guy Clark Blake Thomas Ruth Moody Band Playtime Productions Lou & Peter Berryman Santa Claustrophobia Stoughton Chamber Singers Dancing & Singing An evening with Pokey LaFarge & the South City Three Holiday Concert by Stoughton Festival Choir & City Band Harmonious Wail Martin Sexton Disney’s Aladdin Jr. presented by Fox Prairie Elementary Xtring Quartet Lizz Wright Preservation Hall Jazz Band Jeffrey Foucault Author Michael Perry: Clodhopper Monologues: Part Two! Riders in the Sky Presto! John Measner Magic Show An Evening with Jake Shimabukuro Junior Brown

November 18 November 19 November 20 Nov/Dec TBA December 2 December 4 December 10 December 11 January 20 January 21 February 8 & 9 February 11 February 17 February 18 February 25 March 1 March 3 March 4 March 9 March 10

7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 2:00 pm 7:30 pm 4:00 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 6:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 1:00 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm

14 14 14 15 15 16 16 16 18 18 19 19 19 20 20 21 22 22 22 23

Jason Petty: Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes

March 20

3:00 pm 7:00 pm

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The Seldom Scene An Evening with Dar Williams Alex DeGrassi: The Story of Floating Weeds Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks Del McCoury Band The Fred Eaglesmith Traveling Show featuring The Fabulous Ginn Sisters Wingra Woodwind Quintet The Pines The Music of George Gershwin with The Spectrum Brass Quintet Opera for the Young: Hansel & Gretel with Kegonsa Elementary students PlayTime Productions—Date/Time TBA Michael Hecht: The Magicians of Light: Edison, Tesla, and Van Gogh Tony Rice Unit

March 22 March 23 March 24 March 30 March 31 April 13 April 15 April 20 April 21 April 22 April/May TBA May 2 May 4

7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 7:30 pm 1:30 pm 7:30 pm 1:00 pm 7:30 pm

24 24 26 27 27 28 28 28 29 30 30 30 30

St. Anns Drama Department

Fri, May 11 Sat. May 12

7:00 pm 1:30 pm

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An Evening with The Kruger Brothers Stoughton Chamber Singers Music for the Evening Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society

May 24 June 2 June TBA

7:30 pm 7:00 pm 7:30 pm

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Opera House Policies: Page 36

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Page Street Pizza

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Reflections More than a century of songs and stories remain vibrant and alive within the Opera House.

We are truly indebted to those who came before us for their foresight in preserving this treasuretrove of dreams.

We are privileged to have the opportunity to gather in the Opera House with friends from near and far and share in so many wonderful moments. Each season we search for an interesting mix of performers to entertain and enlighten our audiences. We know that you and the performers find that the warmth and excellent acoustics of the Opera House are just part of the reason so many of you return year after year.

We also thank our sponsors, volunteers and all the Friends of the Opera House. Without the support of our many friends, the continued health and success of the theater would simply not be possible. As Bob Dylan wrote, “I’ll let you be in my dream if I can be in yours.”

STOUGHTON FLORAL

You name it, we deliver!

STOUGHTON FLORAL 168 E. Main Street (608) 873-6173 or (866) 595-6800 Mon–Fri 8 am–5:30 pm, Sat 8 am–3 pm

See you at the show!

William Brehm, Director

For over 40 years, Stoughton Floral has supplied area residents beautiful flowers.

We have gifts for every occasion; weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries.

Christina Dollhausen, Event Coordinator

www.stoughtonfloral.com

Kid-Friendly Events

When you see this hand symbol next to a show, the kid in your life—or the kid inside you—won’t want to miss it! Free admission for lap sitters (age 3 and under).

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Daily Specials Lunch 11am • Dinner 5pm • Sunday Breakfast 8:30am-11:30am Banquet & Party Facilities Available.

3097 Sunnyside Street, Stoughton • (608) 205-9300 www.springersonthelake.com 4

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Bring your group: Everything from bank bus groups, to Red-Hatters, to senior groups, to mystery tours, to field trips, to alumni gatherings. We are committed to providing you with engaging entertainment to make your trips to the Stoughton Opera House unforgettable experiences. All SOH events are able to accommodate groups.

As a group you’ll enjoy: Best seats available.

Ticket discounts for groups of eight or more and free, convenient bus parking.

Book your group: Contact Event Coordinator Christina Dollhausen at (608) 646-0019 or email her at cdollhausen@ci.stoughton.wi.us.

Quality Inn & Suites provides full-service amenities including: • • • • • • •

Free Hot, Fresh and Healthy Breakfast Free Local Calls Free WIFI in rooms Free Premium Cable with HBO, CNN, ESPN Indoor Heated Pool and Hot Tub In-Room Coffee, Hair Dryers, and Full size Ironing Boards Large Work Desk and Shower With Massage Shower Head

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More Than You Expect At Great Value!

Top 10 reasons to shop Yahara River Grocery Co-op 1. High quality, whole foods including fresh produce, meat and dairy 2. Focus on locally grown and organic 3. Full grocery line 4. Complete refrigerated and frozen sections 5. Broad selection of bulk goods, herbs and spices 6. Wisconsin craft beer and wine 7. Wellness products including body care and nutritional supplements 8. Friendly service that makes you want to come back 9. In-house bakery and deli items made fresh daily 10. Catering for parties and events

Everyone welcome!

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Shop local, support local.

229 E. Main St. • Stoughton, WI 608-877-0947 • www.yaharagrocery.coop MON – FRI 9 am to 7 pm SAT – SUN 9 am to 6 pm

Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

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Stoughton Opera House: 2011 2012 Season Your Seat is Waiting . . .

Fall Season 2011

Crystal Bowersox Fri, Sept 16 • 7:30 pm

Her humble beginnings and passion for music have driven the 26-year old Crystal Bowersox to become one of the most recognized young voices and up and coming singer/songwriters in America, and soon, beyond. Crystal’s emotive folk-rock-country style was catapulted from the seedy bars, cramped coffeehouses and cavernous subway tunnels of Chicago to millions of homes across America when she placed second on last year’s season of American Idol. Setting the self-taught songstress apart from other contestants was her downto-earth presence, her old soul of a voice, and her natural musicianship. These qualities and so much more makes her one of the most memorable Idol alumni of all time.

Lovingly referred to as Mama-Sox, Crystal describes music as her therapy: “a ventilation for [the] soul.” While Bowersox doesn’t have any formal singing training, she’s had a lot of experience. At the age of ten, her Mom would take her out on the town, so she could hear the musicians play. Not long after she began performing around her hometown under the wings of her “gray haired rock stars.” At 17, Crystal packed up and moved to the big city and in a few short years she was chosen by the cultural affairs committee to represent Chicago on a small cafe world tour which included the United Kingdom, Mexico and Turkey.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see Crystal on her debut national tour performing rootsy old favorites and songs from her first studio release Farmer’s Daughter. The album chronicles her personal experience of dealing with a dark childhood, to finding love and happiness as a young woman and everything in between. www.crystalbowersox.com

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Nanci Griffith

Thurs, Sept 22 • 7:30pm Tender, lilting, and poetic is the voice of Nanci Griffith. That voice is one of the crown jewels of folk music; from indie-folk to country to Americana, her Grammy Award-winning songwriting has blended the social, political and confessional side of tradition into hit tunes.

Nanci Griffith got an early start on her path to performing and songwriting. At the age of 6 she began to write songs. While she doesn’t remember many of her earliest songs, she does recall that “the first original song my mother commented on…was a song about Timothy Leary.”

Then at the age of 14, when a campfire turn at the Kerrville Folk Festival caught the ear of singer-songwriter Tom Russell, she was on her way.

Griffith remains well known for several classic folk-radio staples, most especially Love at the Five and Dime, a 1986 signature song that Kathy Mattea made popular, and From A Distance, a Julie Gold tune which hit #1 in the UK, and would go on to make millions for Bette Midler.

But even if she has never truly made more than a short-lived splash for her own performance of her own songs, she continues to merit well-deserved praise, both as a songwriter’s songwriter and interpreter of the songs of others. Her 1993 album Other People, Other Rooms is an homage to her major influences, and features her versions of songs

by Townes Van Zandt, Emmylou Harris, Woody Guthrie and others The album was a major success for Griffith, both critically and commercially, and earned her a Grammy in 1994 for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Nanci Griffith is beloved for her intimate, unpretentious live performances, her songwriting skills, and warm presence. With a career marked by a beautiful voice, brilliant songwriting and uncommon emotional commitment means we are lucky to be graced by her talent and wisdom…Welcome to the Opera House, Nanci! www.nancigriffith.com

George Winston Fri, Sept 30 • 7:30pm

You can hear Montana in the piano of Grammy-winner George Winston—the open space, the stillness, the wild scents on the wind. Though several decades removed from his Montana boyhood, Winston still clearly recalls the feel of each of the four seasons up in the north country, and those sense memories continue to animate his compositions and performances. They’ve long since been interwoven with a world of musical and geographical influences—from New Orleans pianist Professor Longhair to Hawaiian slack-key guitarist Gabby Pahinui, from jazz pianist/composer Vince Guaraldi to The Doors, James Booker, and Henry Butler, as well as Dr. John and Jon Cleary.

George Winston plays in three piano styles: what he calls melodic folk, New Orleans R & B and stride. He started out on organ back in 1967, but it was recordings of the great stride pianists of the ‘20s and ’30s that moved him to the piano, where he found the sound he was looking for. Winston produces deliciously round, shimmering, bell-like tones that make the piano vibrate with pleasure. With a sensitive ear to nature’s cues and his empathic connection to particular musicians, Winston has forge an unmistakable sound on the piano that can be serene and startling all at once.

Winston’s solo piano concert will consist of pieces from his melodic seasonal recordings, Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts® pieces, New Orleans R&B piano, stride piano, songs by The Doors and much more, including pieces from his newest CD, Love Will Come—The music of Vince Guaraldi, Volume 2.

George Winston may play alone, but he embraces the wider world as a tireless advocate for the hungry. Every Winston concert supports a local organization that provides food to those in need. * Please bring an item of non-perishable food to the concert to benefit the Stoughton Food Pantry. Collection bins will be located at the Opera House.* www.georgewinston.com

Warren Nelson & the Nelson Outfit Sat, Oct 1 • 7:30pm

Warren Nelson is a self-described “song and chance man.” This is your chance to hear why readers of Wisconsin Trails Magazine voted him “Wisconsin’s Best Folk Musician.”

Poet, songwriter, musician, previous Tent Show Radio host, master entertainer and Big Top co-founder, Warren Nelson leads his outfit in a performance that is a true delight as he dips into his song and story bag for material from his show business career of over 45 years. His unique humor and wit and his wonderful original songs and stories have delighted audiences of all ages for decades.

Warren leads an ensemble of incredible musicians to deliver a great variety of musical styles… folk to bluegrass to swing to blues to pop to country to boogie woogie…showcasing the band members to produce a show that raises a good time and celebration of being alive one song at a time. Included in the Nelson Outfit, along with Warren’s guitar, vocals and storytelling are: Andy Dee (guitar, dobro ..anything with strings), Cal Aultman (bass), Otis McLennon (harmonica and vocals), Rowan Nelson-Ferris (banjo and guitar). www.warrennelson.com

Richard Thompson

Sun, Oct 2 • 7:30pm Once Richard Thompson steps onto the stage at the Opera House, there’s no telling what might happen from that point onward. Ever unpredictable, the legendary British singer-songwriter-guitarist keeps things fresh by surprising even himself. “I try to strike a balance between what I think the audience would like to hear and what I would like to play,” he says. “And amazingly, there is an overlap.”

Fortunately for this versatile artist, Thompson’s loyal followers are unusually accepting and open-minded. Part of the reason Thompson can get away with what he does is because he’s always been something of a cult artist, albeit one with a rather sizable following—even if he’s never sold mass quantities of his records.

At any given performance, Thompson is likely to draw from his extensive solo catalogue, which he’s been amassing for some four decades. Or he might break out a 13thcentury folk song or an ABBA cover. He also might—or might not—dig into the songs he penned for the groundbreaking folk-rock group Fairport Convention between 1967 and 1971.

Thompson is an Iconic British folk legend as well as one of the world’s most critically acclaimed and prolific songwriters, so whatever he pulls out of his gigantic bag of songs, it’s pretty much a given that a Richard Thompson performance will be uniformly excellent and utterly unique. www.richardthompson-music.com

Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

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Dixie Doodlers Dixieland Band

Thur, Oct 6 • 3:00pm Matinee

Dixie Doodlers may be a funny name for a top rated 1920s style Jazz Band, but there’s no doodling around when the Dixie Doodlers perform, work, record or practice. For over 10 years these musicians have created music with bright melody, awesome harmony and an energetic rhythm, surely to put a smile on your face and get those feet a tappin’.

There is always something new with a kazoo, improvising with a washboard or 13-note tonette. The Doodlers’ are talented multi-instrumentalists who love to entertain. They also perform in other musical groups from restaurant bands to classical ensembles, jazz groups to theatrical pit orchestras. Don’t miss an afternoon with the Dixie Doodlers—this music is infectious and the fun is contagious! www.my.execpc.com/~regent/dd.htm

Steven Wright

Friday Oct • 7:30pm Steven Wright Biography: I was born. When I was 23 I started telling jokes. Then I started going on television and doing films. That’s still what I am doing. The end.

Dry, wry and hilariously monotone, master of the deadpan nonsequitur, Steven Wright will unleash a torrent of ironic and hysterical thought-provoking one-liners in the quirky stand-up style that has become his trademark. Wright holds the number 23 spot on Comedy Central’s list of 100 greatest comedians of all time. He also claims two Grammy-nominated CDs, an Oscar-winning short film, and has been credited with single-handedly and unintentionally launching the altcomedy scene.

Wright will keep the audience in stitches with random observations on everything from baby monitors as a form of wiretapping to his addiction to placebos. He released two albums: I Have a Pony in 1985 and I Still Have a Pony in 2007. www.stevenwright.com

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Back to the Country Revue Featuring Bill and Bobbie Malone, the Kristy Larson Honky Tonk Trio, and Richard Wiegel

Fri, Oct 14 • 7:30pm

William Elliott Whitmore Sat, Oct 8 • 7:30pm

With a voice that sounds like the reincarnation of an old gospel preacher from the 1920s and a fascination with sin, death, and redemption to match, William Elliott Whitmore is one of the most unique artists to emerge on the Americana scene in years.

The rare virtue of William Elliott Whitmore’s songs is that they could have just as easily been sung in the desperation of a Hooverville during the Depression or in an uplifting choir of a 19th century rural congregation or marching on Washington in the 1960s.

His timelessness and universality is both an allusive gift and a testament to his craft.

The son of a farmer and raised on a horse farm on the banks of the Mississippi River outside of Keokuk, IA, Whitmore’s songs have a stark universality that is sketched out with minimal instrumentation, usually just a banjo or guitar and a smattering of percussion.Whitmore is rumored to have gotten his start in the music business by working as a roadie for Iowa hardcore band Ten Grand, famous for their fast and furious 20-minute sets, and Whitmore frequently stepped in with his songs to fill out the time.

His voice is the one Tom Waits has been after for years (imagine a cross between Captain Beefheart and Dock Boggs), and his folk- and blues-inflected songs feel like they’ve been left out in the rain for months, weathered and tightened to the snapping point.

William Elliott Whitmore is one of the most interesting contributions to today’s diverse collection of musical ingenuity. Don’t miss the opportunity to catch his live performance - they are of the caliber to leave one completely stunned in silence. www.williamelliottwhitmore.com

Country music is one of America’s most vital cultural expressions. It’s styles, songs and sounds are in fact heard around the world. Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, Merle Travis, Bob Wills, Hank Williams, and Patsy Cline are just a few of the influential artists who have shaped its legacy and bequeath its traditions to modern generations.

Back to the Country Revue is designed, above all, to entertain, but also to pay tribute to those performers and others, and provide some historical context for their songs and distinctive contributions.

Six of Madison’s finest roots musicians will take you on this journey through much of the music’s history in a performance filled with melody and memories. Artists include consummate finger-style guitar player, singer, and songwriter Richard Wiegel; WORT’s guitar playing radio host and premier country historian Bill Malone and his mandolin playing wife Bobbie Malone and the Kristy Larson honky tonk trio, a group known for its vocal instrumentation of steel guitar, violin, mandolin and string bass. You’ll enjoy the breadth and depth of this presentation, whether you’re already an old fan or you’re being introduced to country music.

Justin Townes Earle

Sat, Oct 15 • 7:30pm There’s a certain expectation for the son of Steve Earle, one of America’s great protest singer-songwriters, and Justin Townes Earle delivers.

Justin Townes Earle is an anomaly.

He’s both welcoming and deadly serious. He’s Nashville North, all set up in lower Manhattan now, just like his hero Woody Guthrie, with twang and charm intact.

That hard working earnestness has paid off, to say the least. Justin won the Best New and Emerging Artist at the 2009 Americana Music Awards. His record, Midnight at the Movies, was named one of the best records of last year by Amazon. Since his debut in 2008, Earle has performed at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Fest, the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and appeared on “A Prairie Home Companion.” GQ Magazine named him one of the 25 best dressed men in the world in 2010. He also appeared on HBO’s Treme with his dad, on whose Grammy Award-winning Townes record Justin also guests.

The music Justin makes is not a wall of sound produced to the rafters. It’s rockin’ and reelin’ at times, sweet and slow at others—and it’s great. Justin Townes Earle is a man beyond eras. Like good fried chicken, a well-cut suit and a handmade guitar, there’s heaven in beautifully crafted simpler things. www.justintownesearle.com

Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

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“The Carolina Chocolate Drops are the hottest thing to hit the old-time music community in decades.”

Blind Boys of Alabama

with special guest Sara & Sean Watkins (of Nickel Creek) Take the High Road tour

–Karen Michel, NPR

Fri, Nov 4• 7:30pm

Carolina Chocolate Drops Fri, Oct 21• 7:30pm

Fresh off a recent win at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards for Best Traditional Folk Album, The Carolina Chocolate Drops will make their first appearance on the Opera House stage. The band modifies and preserves the traditional fiddle and banjo music of the Piedmont, recently adding two new members — multi-instrumentalist Hubby Jenkins and beatboxer Adam Matta — to its continually evolving sound.

The young group came together when members Rhiannon Giddens and Dom Flemons and original fiddler Justin Robinson met at the 2005 Black Banjo Festival in Boone, N.C. The group’s first album, Dona Got a Ramblin’ Mind, was released in 2006 to wide acclaim, and in 2008, the Drops were invited to appear at the Grand Ole Opry. Their Grammy-winning Genuine Negro Jig was released in 2010 and featured traditional songs as well as string band treatments of modern tunes like their crowd pleasing cover of Blu Cantrell’s “Hit ‘Em up Style.”

The Carolina Chocolate Drops have their feet firmly planted in the legacy of African-American musical history and can deliver an amazing live performance -- shifting from gospel to blues and jazz to a more rural-based old-timey sound. Their music doesn’t attempt to replicate the past but rather to absorb it and regenerate the music as something alive in today’s world. www.carolinachocolatedrops.com

Drakula: The Performance

Stage Works Projects, Inc. Fri, Oct 28 & Sat, Oct 29 • 7:30pm This critically acclaimed, original production is a fusion of dance and drama that heightens the suspense and seducation of Bram Stoker’s classic novel. All the familiar characters are here ...

Lucy, Mina, Van Helsing, Harker, Renfield ... plus gargoyles and vampire brides. Celebrate Halloween with this spellbinding production. For tickets call: Stage Works at 608-873-0717. www.stoughtonperformingarts.com

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Gospel legends The Blind Boys of Alabama will be joined by acclaimed Americana singer/songwriter and musicians Sara & Sean Watkins as they explore the deep and vital connection between country and gospel music. The Blind Boys have an uncanny ability to combine the evocative power of gospel with elements of pop, country, blues, and even rock, creating a new kind of spiritual music that is both widely accessible and uniquely their own. For over 60 years, the Blind Boys have thrilled audiences across the globe, notching five Grammy awards and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, an induction into The Gospel

Stoughton Village Players ANNOUNCES ITS FABULOUS 2011-2012 SEASON AND IN

OCTOBER CELEBRATES ITS 100TH PRODUCTION

October 2011

The Beloved Musical

March 2012

The Classic Broadway Hit Music Hall of Fame, White House performances under Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama, and intriguing collaborations with such artists as Ben Harper, Lou Reed, Tom Petty, Peter Gabriel, Bonnie Raitt, and many, many more. The Blind Boys’ live shows are roofraising musical events that appeal to audiences of all cultures, as evidenced by an international itinerary that has taken them to virtually every continent. www.blindboys.com

Stoughton Village Players Theater 255 East Main, Stoughton WI 53589

Founding members of the Grammy Award winning bluegrass group Nickel Creek, siblings Sara & Sean Watkins have established themselves as highly gifted musicians and songwriters. With Sara playing the fiddle and Sean on guitar, both have talents that have lent themselves to successful solo careers. www.sarawatkins.com www.seanwatkins.com

For more information on: Show dates; Buying tickets; Auditions; Membership; and More, see our web site at:

StoughtonVillagePlayers.org

May 2012

An Original Comedy For:

Syttende Mai

“…here to make life a lilttle sweeter.”

Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band Sat, Nov 5 • 7:30pm

What do Bill Monroe and Jerry Garcia have in common? Peter Rowan... that’s what! Peter is a legendary songwriter with a Grammy-award winning career spanning over five decades. From his early years playing with bluegrass patriarch Bill Monroe, and following his stint in Old & In the Way with Jerry Garcia, Rowan has built a devoted, international fan base. His time-honored compositions include songs such as “Panama Red,” a subsequent hit for the New Riders of the Purple Sage, “Moonlight Midnight”, “ In The Land of the Navajo” and “Lonesome L.A. Cowboy.”

Peter will be backed by his veteran touring band featuring Jody Stecher, Keith Little, and Paul Knight. The Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band released “Legacy” last fall and received a 2011 Grammy Nomination for Best Bluegrass Album of the year. It is a compelling set of songs that reaffirms Rowan’s stature as an unsurpassed master of the music’s ‘ancient tones’ and its ‘modern forms’.

If you are looking for a genuine, zero-frill, honest-to-roots, feel-good night of musicianship and three to four part vocal harmonies, the Peter Rowan show at the Opera House is for you. These guys care deeply about this music and that commitment shines through with each and every song. www.peter-rowan.com

Bakery • Deli • Retail • Wholesale

Bakery Hours: Mon–Fri 5:30 am–5:30 pm Sat 5:30 am–5:00 pm Sun 7:00 am–Noon 243 E. Main Street Stoughton, WI 53589 #873-3073 fax #873-7586 bakeryadmin@fosdalhomebakery.com

Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

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The Amazing Acro-Cats Sun, Nov 6• 1:00pm & 3:00pm

Gather the family and see the Amazing Acro-Cats live and in purr-son at the Opera House. This one-hour show contains some of the most amazing feline feats you will ever see, including cats that ride skateboards, ring bells, push carts, turn on lights, walk a high wire, jump through hoops and more! For the grand finale, there is an all cat band called “The Rock Cats” which consists of a terrific trio of cats that plays guitar, drums and piano to their own unique style of music.

The Amazing Acro-Cats are celebrated internationally and have appeared on numerous national television shows, including TMZ, The Tonight Show and Animal Planet, as well as films, commercials and print advertising campaigns. Popular with cat lovers of all ages, Purr-formances are known to sell out, so get your tickets early. www.circuscats.com

John Scofield Jazz Quartet featuring Michael Eckroth, Ben Street & Greg Hutchinson Thur, Nov 10 • 7:30pm It is a rare artist that can play more than one style of music with true fluency, virtuosity and sincerity.

John Scofield can and he has been proving this for years. Possessor of a very distinctive rock-oriented sound that utilizes overdrive, Scofield is a masterful jazz improviser whose music falls somewhere between post-bop, fusion, and soul jazz.

Scofield began recording as a leader in the late 1970s, establishing himself as an influential and innovative player and composer. His recordings, many already classics, include collaborations with contemporary favorites like Pat Metheny, Medeski, Martin and Wood, Bill Frisell, Government Mule and Joe Lovano. Well known and highly acclaimed is his tenure with Miles Davis.

His bandmates help Scofield create a tight unit. The pianist, Michael Eckroth plays in latin and jazz bands all over New York City and teaches and arranges. Ben Street, the bass player, is highly respected for his tenures with Kurt Rosenwinkel, David Sanchez and others and he has a perfect temperament as a bassist. Greg Hutchinson quickly became known as a young phenom in the jazz community, sharing the stage with Betty Carter and Ray Brown while still in his early 20s. His experience and technique make him one of the most exciting musicians to watch and hear. He has the creative power to not only nurture, but challenge the very art of drumming.

With this stellar line up of Scofield´s current Jazz Quartet, this concert is something that will be remembered for years to come. It will take listeners on a journey of forward thinking compositions and captivating improvisations. www.johnscofield.com

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UW Russian Folk Orchestra Fri, Nov 11 • 7:30pm

The University of Wisconsin Russian Folk Orchestra will present a concert of Russian and other East-European folk music performed on authentic Russian folk instruments, balalaikas and domras.

The roots of folk music in Russia lie deep in pagan traditions of Slavonic tribes and many other nationalities. Indeed, songs accompanied all activities of the Russian people and were a counterpart of the mental and emotional spheres of their life.

The Russian people were born, married and buried with songs.

“Russian folk songs are a living history of the Russian people, rich, vivid and truthful, revealing their entire life,” wrote the great Russian writer, Nikolai Gogol (1809-1852).

The Orchestra was formed in 1997 by Victor Gorodinsky, the University of Wisconsin Slavic Studies librarian. Over the years, the ensemble has grown to the membership of 40 musicians. The Orchestra has several recordings and is currently working on a new CD. The program will consist of various Russian and other Slavic folk tunes, songs, ballads, waltzes, etc. Most likely, there will be a vocal soloist. www.russorch.wisc.edu

“Scofield’s exercise of unconventional playing embraces the kind of musical exploration that drives jazz forward with optimism.”

–All About Jazz

Darrell Scott

Sat, Nov 12 • 7:30pm Underrated is the best word to describe Darrell Scott and even that is an understatement. Much of the commentary about Scott’s career has focused on the songs he’s written that have been recorded by famous names and voices – those known in music industry parlance as “artists.” But then there’s the actual word artist, whose definition has nothing to do with radio hits and red carpets. We refer of course to those who create artifacts of aesthetic and intellectual contemplation and wonder, built from experience, skill, reflection and emotional intent. That’s an artist. And that, at the end of the day, is Darrell Scott.

Darrell is on his way to the Grammy Awards (again). This time for his latest CD and also his work with that Robert Plant on his Band Of Joy album. Not only was he featured in Band of Joy, if you’ve been to the Robert Plant/Band Of Joy show you know that Darrell does a few of his own numbers backed by Robert Plant. He has written more hit songs that we have fingers and toes to count. Rolling Stone said he is like “matching Guy Clark & Bruce Springsteen at their finest”.

Darrell Scott has written hits for the Dixie Chicks, “Long Time Gone” and “Heartbreak Town,” Travis Tritt “Great Day To Be Alive,” Sara Evans’“Family Tree,” Garth Brooks’“When No One’s Around,” and Patty Loveless and Brad Paisley song “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive,” and 45 other artists. Scott also plays almost anything with strings and has toured with Guy Clark, Sam Bush, Tim O’Brien, and recorded with Randy Travis, Trisha Yearwood, Kate Rusby, and Steve Earle.

He’s a great player — that’s been his bread and butter for years — but the soulfulness and strength of his singing and songwriting will catch you off guard and not let you go. .Don’t miss out on this one folks. www.darrellscott.com

Alison Brown Quartet

Sun, Nov 13 • 7:30pm

Alison Brown, a champion banjo player of the highest caliber, has pushed banjo playing far beyond its familiar Appalachian settings into new musical territory with a rich, exquisite blend of bluegrass, jazz, Celtic and Latin influences that has been described as simply jaw-dropping.

Her first appearance at the Grand Ol’ Opry was as a teenager but music took a back seat to education while she got a degree from Harvard followed by an MBA from UCLA. After a couple of years as an investment banker, she got back into music playing banjo with Alison Krauss and Union Station and then as musical director for Michelle Shocked in the early 90s.

This experience led Brown to develop her own music, a merger of bluegrass with jazz and folk idioms, bringing to mind the fusion styles of Béla Fleck and David Grisman. In 1995, she and her husband Garry West founded Compass Records. She is joined with her quartet for a concert of truly American roots music by four impeccable players who are top-notch artists in their own right. www.compassrecords.com/alison-brown

Maggie Mae’s Country Christmas Thur, Nov 17 • 3:00 & 7:00pm

Maggie Mae, a home-grown talented country singer/Nashville recording artist from Oxford, Wisconsin, has a dedicated following and wins over fans every day with her entertaining style of country music and yodeling.

She is becoming one of the biggest Midwestern names in pure country music. She is a regular performer on RFD TV’s “Midwest Country Show” on Saturday nights (on Direct TV and Dish Network), which has made her a familiar face in millions of homes across the country.

Maggie Mae’s instant rapport with the audience and her enthusiasm throughout her shows guarantee enjoyment not only by country music fans but also for anyone else who just loves good music. To date she has recorded 6 albums, with plenty of toetapping and yodeling songs that will make you smile.

Maggie Mae and her band Heartland Country travel and perform at theaters, dances, fairs, festivals and many other events. Folks have been traveling from across the country to see her shows.

Christmas comes a little early this year in Stoughton – because when Maggie Mae is in town, there is plenty of Holiday cheer to throw around! ... Get your tickets early, this one will likely sell out. www.maggiemaecountry.com

Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

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Guy Clark

Fri, Nov 18 • 7:30pm There’s something about Guy Clark’s songs that make them seem like old friends, even when you hear them for the first time. This Texas singer-songwriter is a master songwriter and a national treasure. We can picture, a century from now, some music historian digging through the mountains of compact discs from the final quarter of the 20th Century — tons of trite, disposable cookie-cutter pop, country, rock and schlock — wearily putting on a Guy Clark disc and weeping in ecstasy.

Guy has been a major influence on a whole generation of country/folk singer-songwriters, including Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith, and his songs have been covered by the likes of Johnny Cash. He has, after all, been crafting masterful poignant melodies and insightful lyrics for nearly four decades, songs like “L.A. Freeway,” “Desperados Waiting For A Train,” “The Randall Knife,” and “Texas, 1947.” Tough, bare-boned and dryly sentimental, his beautiful songs reflect...an old-fashioned masculinity that emphasize honesty and integrity. With little more than a guitar and a poet’s ear for a well-honed phrase, Guy Clark can tell stories that’ll make you laugh, cry, chuckle and sigh. He seems to see things that are so obvious that everyone else misses them, catching those tiny flashes of reality and then shoots them to your heart. At the end of each song, you will find yourself shaking your head in awe at the sheer art of his craft.

Guy will be joined on stage with traveling troubadour and long-time friend, Verlon Thompson. www.guyclark.com

“Storyteller with supreme confidence… a familiarity and warmth that paints the mental picture with Monet-like quality.”

–Twin Cities Daily Planet

Blake Thomas Sat, Nov 19 • 7:30pm

Blake Thomas is no stranger to country music.

Flatlands (2008), his third studio release, was picked by the Isthmus as “country album of the year,” and The Village Voice (NYC) claims that it “ought to become the Midwest’s national anthem.” Thomas, born in Minnesota, literally worked his way up from the bottom when, at 19, he moved east and began his career busking in the subways of Boston. He spent the following years traveling, grinding through the club circuit and honing his craft while sharing the stage with Leon Russell, Greg Brown, Pieta Brown, Peter Mulvey, The Honeydogs, Holly Golightly, Ben Taylor, Tom Russell, Jon Dee Graham & others.

With a mix of blues, rock and folk, this singer/songwriter captured the MAMA for both the Best Male Vocalist (2005) and the Best Folk/Bluegrass/Americana Artist & Album (2006). Though it would be easy to lump Thomas into the hundreds of Midwestern country singers, his lyrics will have you begging to differ. Upon hearing his music, it quickly dawns on you that Blake Thomas’ music is not to be read about, but experienced. Blake will be joined on stage by a full band made up of some of the Midwest’s finest musicians. www.blakethomasmusic.com

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www.stoughtonoperahouse.com

Ruth Moody Band

Solo Project for soprano of the Wailin’ Jennys Sun, Nov 20 • 7:30pm Although best known for her work as the soprano and principal songwriter with The Wailin’ Jennys, Ruth Moody is an artist of exceptional depth and grace in her own right. Critics have lauded her ethereal vocals, impressive multi-instrumentalism (she plays guitar, banjo, accordion, piano, and bodhrán), and her talent as a songwriter.

Ruth Moody is a Juno Award winning songwriter from Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Founding member of the internationally renowned, Billboard-charting trio The Wailin’ Jennys and former lead singer of the Canadian roots band Scruj MacDuhk (the band that would later become The Duhks), she has made numerous critically-acclaimed albums, and has appeared more than a dozen times on the national radio show A Prairie Home Companion.

Ruth was a finalist in the USA Songwriting Competition and was recognized by the International Songwriting Competition for her song One Voice, which has gone on to be a signature song for The Wailin’ Jennys. It has been covered by countless artists and has been performed in concert halls, churches and schools throughout the world. Ruth’s recent release of her solo album The Garden is a sparkling collection of songs and sounds that is an exquisite showcase of Moody’s angelic voice and maturing song-craft.

The Jennys are one of today’s best folk harmony groups, but Ruth Moody in concert will show that she is just as appealing in her own musical context. Her songs are timeless, universal, and exceptionally well-crafted, all sung with an intimacy and honesty that is unmistakably all her own. www.ruthmoody.com

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PlayTime Productions

Nov/Dec TBA

For almost two decades, Playtime Productions Children’s Theatre has been delighting audiences with its creative and spirited renditions of classic tales. When performed by Playtime Productions, each of these endearing stories is retold with an eye to the present, always with a twist and many a surprise.

www.playtimeproductions.org

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Lou & Peter Berryman

Seeing is Believing...

Santa Claustrophobia Fri, Dec 2 • 7:30pm Love the holidays but feel overwhelmed? You may have Santa Claustrophobia! Get relief at Lou and Peter Berryman’s Nondescript December Concert.

UNINTERESTING DOOR PRIZES! EVERYDAY COOKIES! NO HOLIDAY MUSIC! COLORLESS STAGE DECORATIONS! Lou and Peter Berryman are musical humorists who have delighted nationwide audiences for more than twenty years. Frequent comparisons to Tom Lehrer, Flanders and Swann, and Burns and Allen notwithstanding, these two are originals, blending Midwestern culture with intelligent observation in a whimsical and wonderfully accessible performance. They have produced twenty albums and three song books of their original and hilarious, quirky, yet oddly profound songs, and have toured the US and Canada to rave reviews. Berryman songs have been sung around the world, by a legion of professional musicians, including Peter, Paul & Mary, Peggy Seeger and Garrison Keillor, as well as shower singers everywhere. They have appeared numerous times on such national programs such as A Prairie Home Companion and NPR’s Weekend Edition. www.louandpeter.com

Eye exams, contact lenses, Go Somewhere Where They Care. and great looking eyeglasses Where You Come First.

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Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

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Stoughton Chamber Singers Singing and Dancing Sun, Dec 4 • 2:00pm

Sat, Dec 10 • 7:30pm

In the earliest history of music, singing, dancing, and playing instruments were almost always simultaneously involved in musical entertainment and performance. These three aspects of music began to become separate disciplines during the Rennaisance. The Stoughton Chamber Singers will present a choral performance that includes dance pieces, songs about dancing, songs in dance forms, and compositions just for singing. The origin of the word carol refers to an ancient circle dance.

Some early Christmas Carols were meant to be danced to, so several carols will be included on the program.

Victorian Holiday Weekend StageWorks PROJECTS

presents

December 3, 2011

Stoughton High School Auditorium 1:30 pm & 7:30 pm Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party following 1:30 pm matinee

Tickets: 608-873-0717 Ballet $14 • Tea Party $9

We Create Futures Music • Dance • Drama • Poms

Stoughton Center for the Performing Arts 515 East Main St, Stoughton WI 53589 608.873.0717 scpa@chorus.net www.stoughtonperformingarts.com

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An Evening with Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three

www.stoughtonoperahouse.com

It will be like you have been transported back in time when Pokey and his band take the stage at the Opera House. Pokey LaFarge writes and performs original music from the days when 78s ruled the record player. The music is honest and infused with respect for the era he loves — particularly the ‘20s and ‘30s. You can’t help but be taken aback from this bands creative mix of early jazz, string ragtime, country blues and western swing. LaFarge’s music rings true and fine, making him one of the most innovative of all the purists performing American roots music today. It’s wonderfully infectious, and all laid down in front of a big, big swingin’ beat.

LaFarge uses his booming voice as an instrument with an incredible range; above his parlor guitar one moment he shouts a line and the next he croons. And while his music may be a fitting soundtrack to R. Crumb’s comics, don’t dare to call it “old-timey.”

Lafarge’s extraordinary blend of raw talent and refined, idiosyncratic charm turns reviewers into poets as they attempt to label his timeless one-of-a kind sound. www.pokeylafarge.net

Stoughton Festival Choir and City Band Holiday Concert

Sun, Dec 11 • 4:00pm The holidays have never sounded so sweet! Both the City Band under the baton of Roger Gohlke and the Festival Choir conducted

by John Beutel will dazzle with a variety of sacred and secular music, plus a carol sing-along. Freewill donation at the door.

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Believe • Create • Inspire Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

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Stoughton Opera House: Spring

2012

Martin Sexton Sat, Jan 21 • 7:30pm

Harmonious Wail

Fri, Jan 20 • 7:30pm For the last 20 years, Harmonious Wail has seamlessly blended an eclectic array of styles – Django Reinhardt inspired jazz, Eastern European gypsy swing, American jazz standards, and contemporary folk – to create their own distinctive sound making them one of the Midwest’s top jazz outfits.

The Wail is made of mandolin, guitar, bass, and killer female vocals with snare (cardboard box) percussion. The intoxicating arrangements and the shear joy Harmonious Wail brings to every performance is downright addictive. Powerful and provocative, this is dense and pleasing music well played. The Wail consistently receives excellent responses from audience members and reengagements from presenters.

Go on. Find yourself feeling curiously lucky as you get blown away by this hardcharging, heart-pumping, eternally-uplifting quartet as they hit the Opera House and leave convention in their wake. This is no ordinary band. Prepare to be Wailed. www.wail.com

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www.stoughtonoperahouse.com

Martin Sexton has a small army of devoted fans who spend a lot of time wondering why Martin Sexton isn’t world-famous – which isn’t unusual when it comes to musicians who aren’t world famous, but Sexton’s fans have more of a point than most. He has a sharp songwriter’s eye, he’s a gifted instrumentalist, and he has one of the supplest, most versatile voices in rock ‘n’ roll – seriously, why isn’t this guy world-famous?

Self-taught guitarist and singer Martin Sexton has synthesized his experiences and imaginings into rootsy Americana for more than two decades now. He is famed for his live performances and his expressive and versatile singing as he effortlessly blends the sounds of folk, soul and occasionally, gospel into one entertaining package.

He first built a following in Boston, where he did stints at coffeehouses and hawked his self-produced, self-released debut, In the Journey. His acclaim grew, and drew the attention of other noteworthy artists—John Mayer, Peter Frampton and Paul Newman have all sung Sexton’s praises. He’s opened for Art Garfunkel, Jackson Browne and John Hiatt, among others, and continues to tour, record and win over fans with his bluesy folk-rock and his animated, excellent live performances. Since then, his continual success through his diversity infiltrates many musical worlds – ranging everywhere from Jam Cruise to Denver’s Mile High Fest to Mayercraft Carrier to Carnegie Hall. His songs are featured in film and television including recent placements on NBC’s Scrubs and Showtime’s hit series Brotherhood.

With his spirited guitar picking and soulful vocals, an evening with Martin Sexton is like a cross-country tour of the American musical vernacular and will stay with you as one of your most memorable concerts for years to come. www.martinsexton.com

“Martin Sexton is ripe with raw, expansive talent.

His voice comes in a hundred impossible shades. His songs are sweet and spirited and soulful.”

--Boston Globe

Xtring Quartet World Chamber Music

Sat, Feb 11 • 7:30pm

Disney’s Aladdin Jr.

Fox Prairie Elementary Wed, Feb 8 & Thurs Feb 9 • 6:30pm Welcome to Agrabah, City of Enchantment, where every beggar has a story and every camel has a tail! Fox Prairie Elementary hits the stage will all your favorite characters, including Aladdin, Jasmine, and of course, the Genie. Filled with magic, mayhem, and flying carpet rides, audiences’ spirits will soar with excitement. Most of all, the tuneful, Academy award-winning score with songs including A Whole New World and Friend Like Me will certainly make this musical a favorite for many years to come! Directed by Paul Otteson.

In between the folk and the classical styles there are worlds of exquisite sounds as diverse and intertwined as our own human genes. The Xtring Quartet explores the sounds and expressions of Latin American musical traditions that fit their unique string instrumentation of bandola, mandolin, violin, tiple, guitar and bass. Currently, the quartet is exploring music from the Andean region of Colombia. A history of tragedy and triumph, mistakenly called “Inca Music”, the music of the Andes is the product of centuries of cultural and ethnic intermixing.

All four musicians share a deep knowledge of Latin American musical expressions - from composing, to performance, to education - they play their own arrangements of traditional music by well-known Colombian composers from the 19th century to the present as well as their own compositions set in Colombian Andean musical styles.

Xtring Quartet’s music has the ability to take you out of a cold Wisconsin winter and into the depths of the Andes endless valleys, to the peaks and glaciers of untouched mountains and to the greenest of rainforests. www.xtring.com

Lizz Wright

Thur, Feb 17 • 7:30pm It’s a rare thing when an artist’s live show surpasses her recordings, especially in today’s music industry of marginally talented, packaged performers. But Lizz Wright does just that live in concert. Her natural, beautiful alto voice, which is wrapped up in a beautiful spirit, has established her as one of the jazz world’s most celebrated rising stars.

She hasn’t yet broken out commercially in a big way, but singer Lizz Wright has long seemed poised to follow in the platinum-selling, Grammy-festooned footsteps of Tracy Chapman, Norah Jones and other contemporary singers who infuse elements of blues and folk music with jazzy, smoky soul. But make no mistake: Wright is not a ‘sound-alike’ – she has a unique, blues- and gospel-tinged jazzy sound and style all her own. With her kittenish presence on stage — part ingenue and part femme fatale — the 31 year old Wright sings with a sense of knowing and intimacy that surpasses her age.

Like so many vocal greats, Lizz Wright began her singing in the church and her musical tastes blossomed early on. Her father served as the pianist and musical director at the local church, and he encouraged his daughter to absorb the soulful dispositions of classic hymns. She first came to national attention in 2002 when she performed in a series of Billie Holiday tribute shows. Since then, she’s released Salt (2003), Dreaming Wide Awake (2005) and The Orchard (2008), and most recently Fellowship (2010) which have all come to be critical and fan favorites.

Lizz Wright is a beautiful songbird with a crystal clear alto voice that effortlessly floats across notes like a soft summer breeze wafting through the night. Having the opportunity to witness a live concert by her and her talented back-up band is a pleasure not to be missed. www.lizzwright.net Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

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“The past and promise of American music…”

–Rolling Stone Magazine

Jeffrey Foucault

Sat, Feb 25 • 7:30pm

Preservation Hall Jazz Band Sat, Feb 18 • 7:30pm

It only takes a few opening notes for the iconic Preservation Hall Jazz Band to transport listeners to 1950’s New Orleans. With a multigenerational line up that consists of a cross section of seasoned players and younger instrumentalists, the Preservation Hall Jazz band is one of most entertaining and historically exciting bands you are likely to see in these modern times.

The band is named after Preservation Hall in New Orleans - the building (circa 1817) has served as a watering hole, art gallery, concert hall, and living museum over the years – but it really all started in 1961 when musical husband-and-wife team Alan and Sandra Jaffe, decided that unless somebody did something to preserve the music of New Orleans, it would disappear into the world of rock ‘n’ roll. So, with little fanfare, they founded Preservation Hall. From its humble beginnings as the site of a weekly jam session among friends, Preservation Hall has grown to become one of the most famous “pure” music venues in New Orleans, offering no drinks, no air conditioning, no frills: just music. Out of this purity, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band was formed and went out on constant tours, spreading the joy of New Orleans jazz around the world.

The founding members of The Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s played with the likes of Jelly-Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Buddy Bolden & Sweet Emma Barrett---these legendary artists and dozens of others passed on the lessons of their music to a younger generation who now follow in their footsteps, like the current lineup. Now, under the leadership of founding members’ son, Ben Jaffe, the legacy continues with a deep reverence and consciousness of the Dixieland Jazz tradition that started over 50 years ago.

Whether performing at Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center, on Saturday Night Live or at Bonaroo Music Fest, for the King of Thailand or at your Stoughton Opera House, this music embodies a joyful, timeless spirit that in a way can make audiences feel that the saints are really marching in. www.preservationhall.com

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www.stoughtonoperahouse.com

Jeffrey Foucault grew up in Wisconsin, becoming serious about music at age 17, borrowing his father’s guitar. He admits to his having stolen a copy of the late Townes Van Zandt’s Live and Obscure from a friend, which no doubt opened a path to his singersongwriter approach.

Foucault attended University of Wisconsin at Madison, but ended up quitting school to work as a farm-hand and carpenter, and during that time took to writing songs. After travelling around for while, he settled in Fort Atkinson, WI, where he performed regularly at the Café Carpe coffeehouse. In 2001 Foucault released his critically acclaimed debut album, Miles from the Lightning. He has attracted critical and fan attention, and has toured with such well-known artists as Chris Smither and Gillian Welch. He also has performed as part of a trio of singer-songwriters called Redbird with Peter Mulvey and Kris Delmhorst.

Over the course of a nearly ten-year, seven-album recording career, the southeastern Wisconsin-bred’s repertoire is pure Americana poetry. His lyrics are beautiful and thought provoking, and his haunting music gets you in the ears and in the gut. A Jeffrey Foucault performance is a must see for anyone who truly enjoys American music. www.jeffreyfoucault.com

Author Michael Perry

Clodhopper Monologues—Part Two Thur, March 1 • 7:30pm Armed with a truckload of new stories, author, humorist and amateur pig farmer Michael Perry returns with an updated version of his popular Clodhopper Monologues. He takes to the stage with a microphone and a passel of stories that range well beyond the pages of his books. Whether discussing vicious chickens, homeless guinea pigs, long underwear for ladies, or getting your feelings hurt by the New York Times, Perry moves easily from the heartfelt to hilarious in an easygoing performance come have called “country stand-up.”

Mr. Perry is known for his bestselling memoirs Population 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time and Truck: A Love Story, the essay collection Off Main Street, and the memoir Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting. Perry has written for Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, Outside, and Salon.com, and is a contributing editor to Men’s Health.

His essays have been heard on NPR’s All Things Considered, and he has performed and produced two live audience recordings (I Got It From the Cows and Never Stand Behind a Sneezing Cow). Perry lives in rural Wisconsin, where he remains active with the local volunteer rescue service.

Michael Perry is wildly popular, so get your tickets early! www. sneezingcow.com

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2300 US Highway 51-138, Stoughton www.stoughtonswac.com Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

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“Presto!”

John Measner Magic Show

Sun, March 4 • 1:00pm

Riders in the Sky Sat, March 3 • 7:30pm

For thirty years Riders In The Sky have been keepers of the flame passed on by the Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, reviving and revitalizing the genre.

And while remaining true to the integrity of Western music, they have themselves become modern-day icons by branding the genre with their own legendary wacky humor and way-out Western wit, and all along encouraging buckaroos and buckarettes to live life “The Cowboy Way!” Riders in the Sky consists of Ranger Doug, the lead singer and guitar; Woody Paul, on fiddle and vocals; Too Slim on string bass and Joey Miskulin on accordion. The group was formed in the mid- ‘70s. Formerly, Ranger Doug was a member of Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys. Woody Paul played with Loggins Messina, and Too Slim was a member of Dickey Lee’s band in addition to being a songwriter. They used to play gigs at a Nashville nightclub and later that led to a slot on Tumbleweed Theater on cable television’s Nashville Network (TNN). In the mid 90’s “Cowpolka King” Joey Miskulin joined the band, on accordion. Riders In The Sky are stars of the stage, screen, the Grand Ol’ Opry, National Public Radio, XM Satellite Radio, Saturday morning TV, and are the only exclusively Western artist to have won a Grammy Award. They truly are “America’s Favorite Cowboys! www.ridersinthesky.com

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www.stoughtonoperahouse.com

The John Measner Magic Show is family entertainment at its best. John has been delighting and amazing audiences of all ages for over 25 years as he casts a magical spell with live animals (doves and a toy poodle), music and comedy.

He also invites volunteers to share the spotlight and assist in the wonders of magic.

Grand Illusions are created when John Measner brings his assistant to perform such popular requests as the Floating Lady, Houdini’s Metamorphosis and original illusions. Strolling entertainment such as close-up magic, stilt walking and balloon creations are also part of his repertoire.

John has performed at festivals, colleges, theaters and corporate events throughout the U.S. and China. He has appeared on Chicago’s “Bozo Show”, cable TV, WGN and ABC news and is a regular at Chicago’s Navy Pier.

With a little bit of mystery and a whole lot of fun – “PRESTO!” You and your family and friends will have made magical memories that will last long after John Measner’s performance has ended. www.jmmagic.com

An evening with Jake Shimabukuro Fri, March 9 • 7:30pm

It’s rare for a young musician to earn comparisons to the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis.

It’s even harder to find an artist who has entirely redefined an instrument by his early thirties. But Jake Shimabukuro (she-ma-boo-koo-row) has already accomplished these feats, and more....

If you’ve ever thought of the ukulele as a simple instrument or even a type of toy instrument, the playing of Jake Shimabukuro will shatter that illusion. Renowned for lightning-fast fingers and revolutionary playing techniques Jake is regarded as the world’s foremost ukulele player.

His virtuosity is demonstrated in his tour-de-force concerts that blend jazz, blues, funk, classical, bluegrass, folk, flamenco, and rock. While the Hawaiian musician has been performing and recording since the late 1990s, with numerous albums to his credit, a ubiquitous YouTube video of Shimabukuro performing George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” raised his profile considerably. In the years since that YouTube clip aired, Shimabukuro has performed with the likes of Jimmy Buffett, Bela Fleck, Bette Midler, Yo-Yo Ma, Cyndi Lauper and Ziggy Marley. He’s played on shows like “The Late Show with Conan O’Brien,”“The Today Show” and “Last Call with Carson Daly,” as well as NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “World Café.” Live, he’s landed slots on the Monterey and Playboy Jazz Festivals, performed at the Google campus and the influential TED conference, and played in front of the Queen of England at a benefit show.

Despite the success, Jake remains humble and admittedly “awestruck” by how his love of the uke has propelled him to such great heights. For that, he gives full credit to the instrument he’s played with a passion since he was 4. “The ukulele is the instrument of peace,” he says. “And if everyone played one, the world would be a better place.” www.jakeshimabukuro.com

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Junior Brown

Fri, March 10 • 7:30pm Junior Brown is back in town and just like last season, will likely knock your socks off!

“A lot of people tell me they don’t like country music, but they like what I am doing,” says Junior Brown. “I hear that line more than anything else,” which is ironic because a couple of licks is all it takes to erase any doubts concerning Junior’s stylistic allegiance. His music combines the soul of country and the spirit of rock n’ roll.

Following years as Austin’s best-kept secret, then a few more as the town’s one must-see act for visiting musicians and label heads, Junior Brown and his music have since found an audience far beyond the Lone Star border. Junior’s first two albums 12 Shades of Brown and Guit With It have helped establish him as a crowd favorite from Texas roadhouses to the hippest clubs of New York City and Europe. There’s usually a wide-eyed look accompanying one who witnesses Junior’s unique instrumental prowess for the first time…or the second, or third, for that matter. Junior invented his own guitar, one that combines the standard 6-string guitar and the steel guitar. He calls it the “guit-steel.”

Junior Brown is a singer and demon guitarist whose raucous blend of Western swing, honky tonk, electrified Bakersfield country, and rock & roll made him the toast of Austin and then the world. Factor in his rumbling, strikingly deep baritone voice, and you’ve got a true original; an artist who’s a sensation in country music and the fringier Americana circles. www.juniorbrown.com

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(608) 877-4400 Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

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The Seldom Scene Jason Petty’s Hank & My Honky Tonk Heroes Tues, March 20 • 3:00pm & 7:00pm

Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes, a musical revue, is an unforgettable live show which turns back the clock 50 years to experience the sounds of Hank Williams, his heroes and those he influenced. Star Jason Petty, a veteran actor and singer, began portraying the country music legend in 1996 in Nashville and Branson, Missouri. Now he appears nationally to enthusiastic, sold out houses.

He’s received rave reviews from all major critics including The New York Times, Variety, and Rolling Stone and won the Obie Award for Outstanding Actor for his Hank tribute.

Petty and his authentic country four-piece band recreates such Williams’ hits as I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry, Your Cheatin’ Heart, Hey Good Lookin’ , Kaw-Liga, Cold Cold Heart, Lovesick Blues, You Win Again and many more. The New York Post stated, “At times it seems as if Petty is not just offering an impersonization of Williams, but channeling his ghost. He does a remarkable job of rendering Williams’ famous melodies with the silky warble and sob that recreate their touching simplicity.” Petty also pays tribute to those who influenced Hank and those Hank influenced. Some of these artists include: Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb, The Carter Family, George Jones, Webb Pierce and more.

Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes will make you smile, make you cry, and make you clap your hands and stomp your feet with excitement. Don’t miss Jason’s award-winning performance as he brings Hank’s music back to life in these insightful, energetic shows. Hank And My Honky Tonk Heroes is a must-see for all country music fans! www.jasonpetty.com

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www.stoughtonoperahouse.com

Thur, March 22 • 7:30pm

Since its inception almost forty years ago, the Seldom Scene has thrived on playing bluegrass a little differently than everyone else. If other bands used a fiddler, the Seldom Scene used a Dobro; if others relied on old standards, they played rock classics like JJ. Cale’s After Midnight. Through skilled musicianship and an urban approach to bluegrass, the Seldom Scene has become one of the most influential—if not the most influential—bluegrass band of their time.

After losing their founder and leader John Duffey to a heart attack in 1996, the group disbanded. Banjo player Ben Eldridge, in whose basement the band first formed in 1971, reformed the group. He was joined by former guitarist-turned mandolin player Lou Reid, and the band began performing live again and recorded its return album, Scene It All, in 2000. The band currently consists of Dudley Connell (guitar/lead vocals), Ben Eldridge (banjo), Lou Reid (mandolin/tenor vocals), Fred Travers (dobro/lead vocals) and Ronnie Simpkins (bass/baritone vocals).

In 2008 The Seldom Scene was recognized with their third Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album for their 20th and latest release, SCENEchronized.

The Seldom Scene continues to garner both critical acclaim and adoration from a legion of fans, emerging at the forefront of progressive as well as traditional bluegrass bands, continuing to amaze fans and to influence future generations of musicians. With their masterful musicianship and powerful vocal harmonies this legendary five-piece bluegrass band is a must see live in concert! www.seldomscene.com

An Evening with Dar Williams Fri, March 23 • 7:30pm

Dar Williams makes music that is both easy on the ears and gentle for the soul.

Her 20 year career has been full of understated goodness. Without much fanfare—albeit eleven studio albums, a critically acclaimed collaboration with Richard Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky (Cry Cry Cry), two books of young adult fiction, and countless tour dates—she has crept her way into the hearts and souls of a rather large audience. She has been described as a synthesis of the Indigo Girls, Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez; in fact, Joan Baez has performed with Dar Williams, as has Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin and Pete Seeger.

Dar is a gifted performer and songwriter. Her lyrics are funny, sharp, lively and fresh, yet they include thoughtful insight into life, the environment, gender and other complex issues. She is captivating to watch and has a way of opening herself that makes the space in between feel safe. Between each of her brilliant songs, Dar has an innate ability to share personal stories with an endearing sense of humor and vulnerability. Through each song and anecdote, there’s a unique sense of friendship that begins to develop between Dar and her audience.

Dar Williams certainly has a body of work that offers abundant evidence that she is one of the best singer/songwriters to come out of the contemporary folk scene in the past two decades, and her material -- heartfelt, soul-searching, and often witty and full of fascinating detail -- is exactly why the packed houses turn out again and again to experience Dar Williams. www.darwilliams.com

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Alex Degrassi: A Story of Floating Weeds Sat, March 24 • 7:30pm

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A Story of Floating Weeds is one of the most successful and critically acclaimed films by the legendary Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu. “Floating Weeds, drifting down the leisurely river of our lives,” has long been a favored metaphor in Japanese prose and poetry and, in this 1934 film, it refers to a group of traveling actors who seem to be drifting aimlessly, carried by currents beyond their control.

The silent film comes to life with Grammy nominated Alex de Grassi’s original acoustic guitar score based on a pentatonic blues motif that also suggests the sound of the koto, a Japanese harp-like instrument. Separate musical themes assigned to each of the five central characters combine and clash as the drama unfolds and the characters’ lives become inextricably entwined.

Ozu’s straight-cut, mosaic style of filmmaking and his use of low camera angles, supported by de Grassi’s inventive use of a wide range of sonorities and extended guitar techniques, make for larger-than-life characters and give this timeless tale a contemporary edge.

A Story of Floating Weeds revolves around the lovable ne’er-do-well character of Kihachi, the head of an itinerant acting troupe visiting a small town where he fathered a son years before. The son does not know that Kihachi is his father, but the leading lady of the troupe— Kihachi’s mistress—finds out and plots her revenge…

He has twice been commissioned by the New York Guitar Festival to compose and perform live scores for the festival’s Silent Films/Live Guitars series. Festival director David Spelman says “Alex de Grassi is a treasure… his technical wizardry as well as his vibrant and poetic music-making make him one of the most distinctive steel-string guitarists performing today.” www.degrassi.com

Del McCoury Band Sat, March 31 • 7:30pm

Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks Fri, March 30 • 7:30pm

For over 40 years, Dan and the Hot Licks have blazed a trail across the Americana horizon, working with and influencing legendary artists including Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Bette Midler, Brain Setzer, Willie Nelson, and Jimmy Buffett, among others. Three-time cover personality of Rolling Stone magazine, Dan Hicks may be one of the wittiest musicians around, and when he sashays on stage backed by his effervescent Hot Licks, you will know why he’s one of the most innovative definers of roots music that America has to offer. His performances and albums have earned him a reputation as being a true original with his signature eclecticism and humor and as the originator of lively “folk jazz,” Hicks blends the best parts of jazz, gyspy swing, bossa-nova and country into his own unique style that fellow rocker Tom Waits calls “fly, sly, wily, and dry.”

Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks will unleash a set list of genre-spanning tunes, including his classics “I Scare Myself”, “Canned Music” and “How Can I Miss You When You Won’t Go Away?” With Dan Licks and the Hot Licks irresistible sense of rhythm, hip lyrical styling, laid-back vocalizing and infamous on-stage wit, they are sure to put on a dynamic performance that will turn those who hear him into fans for life. www.danhicks.net

Vince Gill says it simply and maybe best in summarizing Del’s appeal…”I’d rather hear Del McCoury sing ‘Are You Teasing Me’ than just about anything.”

The Del McCoury Band is a world-class bluegrass ensemble that performs original and traditional compositions with eloquent harmonies and “ferocious, purebred musicianship” (USA Today). Holding more than 30 trophies from the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards (including nine for Entertainer of the Year) and multiple Grammy® Awards, they’re the most honored group in bluegrass history, earning the acclaim of music industry colleagues ranging from pop star Björk to jam band favorites Phish. Their fans are equally diverse and unanimously passionate, filling venues from Carnegie Hall to the Grand Ole Opry (as well as filling the Opera House 4 years in a row!)

Del McCoury has been a bluegrass star since joining Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in 1963. This spring, bluegrass veteran Del McCoury celebrates 51 years in the music business! With his trademark high tenor sounding as distinct and sharp as ever, McCoury shows no signs of slowing down. Alongside sons Ronnie McCoury on mandolin and Rob McCoury on banjo, Jason Carter on fiddle and Alan Bartram on bass, The Del McCoury Band are known as some of the finest bluegrass instrumentalists of their generation. www.delmccouryband.com

“So few truly original figures exist in pop music that Dan Hicks should be a national treasure.”

– San Francisco Chronicle

Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

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The Fred Eaglesmith Travelling Show

“Imagine a duet with Tom Waits and Woody Guthrie… If you’re missing out on Fred Eaglesmith… you’re really missing out,”

featuring The Fabulous Ginn Sisters Fri, April 13 • 7:30pm

An award-winning and music-atuer of the highest order, Fred Eaglesmith has forged a singular and distinctive legacy with his songs, recordings, live performances, achievements and impact unlike that of anyone else in contemporary music. And done so as a fiercely independent and original artist through the sheer power of the music he creates.

Eaglesmith’s music has been described by reviewers as a “blend of aching country and barroom rock” and a “mixture of hard-edged honky-tonk balanced between rock’n’roll and early ‘60s country music.”

His dynamic live shows are “exactly like the sort of music you dream of hearing in some crowded, hot, beery bar near closing time… a truly timeless brand of primitive rock’n’roll,” says Amazon.com. Eaglesmith is also known as a between-song raconteur whose pointed and illuminating storytelling and comedic skills are as sharp as his songwriting.

Eaglesmith has won a Juno award - the Canadian Grammy – records his own music in his own studio and has had his songs covered by Toby Keith, Cowboy Junkies, Kasey Chambers, Todd Snider and Dar Williams, among others, and featured in films by Martin Scorsese and James Caan - who consider him one of the stellar musical and lyrical talents of our day.

Fred Eaglemsith has a large cult following called “Fred-heads” and is one of Canada’s most revered veteran road warriors. His most recent release, Cha Cha Cha, is his 18th album, and it percolates with the primal beats, grooves and vibe of rock ’n’ roll. www.fredeaglesmith.com

Wingra Woodwind Quintet

Sun, April 15 • 4:00pm Established in 1965, the Wingra Woodwind Quintet has maintained a tradition of artistic and teaching excellence. Wingra has earned a reputation as a most accessible and dynamic ensemble. Their repertoire balances traditional literature with the contemporary and their programming of cross-cultural music has become a focus for many of their concerts.

Describing their debut at Carnegie Hall, New York Times critic Peter Davis stated, “The performances were consistently sophisticated, sensitive, and thoroughly vital.” The Wingra Quintet has been featured at meetings of the Music Educators National Conference, the Music Teachers National Association and the International Double Reed Society. The ensemble has held residencies at many university campuses, combining performance and master classes.

Wingra’s music can be found on the Golden Crest, Spectrum, and School of Music labels, as well as on an educational video entitled Developing Woodwind Ensembles.

Wingra’s enthusiasm for performance and teaching makes it an ensemble for every generation and every audience. Its faculty artists include Stephanie Jutt, flute; Marc Fink, oboe; Linda Bartley, clarinet; Marc Vallon, bassoon; and Linda Kimball, horn. www.music.wisc.edu/wingra-woodwind

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–The New Yorker

Having notched out a place for themselves with their remarkable sibling harmonies and considerable knockabout charm, Austin, Texas roots vocal-duo, the Fabulous Ginn Sisters, continue to surprise and entertain audiences with their energetic live shows. Although the Ginns have been performing since their youth, Tiffiany and Brit Ginn, credit Eaglesmith’s tutelage with helping them to both further define and expand their sound. No Depression hails “their head-spinning harmonizing” of these “confidant, soulful vocalists who sing every song like their family’s honor depended on it.” www.theginnsisters.com

The Pines Fri, April 20 • 7:30pm

The music they make is: earthy, stalwart, tender, haunting, true and lasting... just like, well.. Pines.

In a world swimming in singer/ songwriters, it’s difficult to rise above the masses and create a unique sound that captures ears and stimulates the mind. The Pines, nevertheless, are doing just that. The grooves they produce are textured and atmospheric that construct a musical landscape that can “make you feel happy and sad almost simultaneously.”

David Huckfelt and Benson Ramsey (son of Bo Ramsey) are both strong writers and musicians, with distinct voices that truly complement each other. Their edgy mix of original songwriting, inventive arrangements, and raw blues-groove makes them a powerful young force in American roots music. The Pines have shared the stage with some of the biggest names in music including Mason Jennings, Iris DeMent, The Holmes Brothers, Split Lip Rayfield, Jolie Holland, The Arcade Fire, and Spider John Koerner.

The show at the Opera House features their all-star Minneapolisbased band, which will include acclaimed drummer J.T. Bates (Michel Portal, John Gorka), jazz bassist James Buckley (Ed Harcourt, Daniel Johnston, Dosh) and Benson’s brother Alex Ramsey on keyboards…with the Pines returning to the Opera House stage, we guarantee a mesmerizing and memorable evening. www.thepinesmusic.com

Spectrum Brass Quintet presents

Who Could Ask for Anything More?

–an All-Gershwin Revue Sat, April 21 • 7:30pm From the exciting start of Gershwin Overture: Strike Up the Band, to the culminating I Got Rhythm, the Spectrum Brass performance celebrating all things Gershwin will find yourself standing in ovation before intermission and after the final note. The Spectrum Brass Quintet delivers it all in one mind-blowing package playing songs from “Porgy and Bess,” “Crazy for You” and other Broadway shows. You will also hear favorites like It Ain’t Necessarily So, Embraceable You, Summertime, I Got Plenty of Nothing, and The Man I Love.

With a first half suited for the Symphony Hall and a second half perfect for a night on the town, this show promises a wonderful evening of music that will create lasting memories for years to come.

Committed to creative collaboration, the Spectrum Brass Quintet works with innovative performers to enrich and enliven the chamber music experience. Their performance at the Opera House will include trumpeters Scott Thornburg and Brian Buerkle, French hornist Eric Reed, trombonist John Rutherford, tubist Jacob Cameron, drummer Alex Trajono and features soprano Elizabeth Stoner and pianist Anthony Patterson.

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience a brass quintet that commands the stage with power and grace, a concert pianist displaying dazzling virtuosity, and a soprano sweetly singing heartfelt songs….. now, Who Could Ask for Anything More? www.spectrumbrassquintet.com

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Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

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Hansel & Gretel

Opera for the Young with Kegonsa Elementary Sun, April 22 • 1:30pm Does that little house look good enough to eat? BEWARE! Opera for the Young’s adaptation of Engelbert Humperdinck’s masterpiece, Hansel & Gretel featuring professional Opera Singers and Kegonsa Elementary students, will enlighten kids of all ages about bravery, love, magic and the triumph of good over evil as a brave sister and brother outwit a mean old hag. This entertaining and unforgettable fairy tale-turned opera teaches lessons of ingenuity and courage. In the end, the two children save the day for others as well as themselves.

Opera for the Young brings live, professional opera to audiences with their annual Fall and Spring tours. All productions are fully staged, sung in English and adapted especially for kids. Each year OFY brings opera to more than 75,000 children. Winner of the Marvin Rabin Youth Arts Award, OFY focuses on educating children about the value and beauty of the arts. www.operafortheyoung.org

PlayTime Productions April/May TBA

For almost two decades, Playtime Productions Children’s Theatre has been delighting audiences with its creative and spirited renditions of classic tales. When performed by Playtime Productions, each of these endearing stories is retold with an eye to the present, always with a twist and many a surprise. www.playtimeproductions.org

Michael Hecht presents

The Magicians of Light: Edison, Tesla, and Van Gogh Wed May 2 • 1:00pm

Light is at once both obvious and mysterious. Join local literary and visual artist Michael Hecht as he gives a talk about these artists and scientists of how they used and affected ‘light’. Opera House Benefit – Free-will donation at door

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www.stoughtonoperahouse.com

Tony Rice Unit

Fri, May 4 • 7:30pm Tony Rice is one of the greatest acoustic guitar players of all time, yet he’s virtually unknown outside bluegrass music. He’s a genius, a mystery… a legend in his own time.

Raised in Southern California, Rice inherited his musical skill from his father, who was heavily influenced by bluegrass groups, including the Dillards and the Kentucky Colonels, which featured influential guitar picker Clarence White. As a member of J.D. Crowe’s New South in the early ‘70s, along with Ricky Skaggs and Jerry Douglas, he continued to promote a new approach to the music of the hill country. After meeting imaginative mandolin player David Grisman during a jam session in 1975, Rice returned to CA and helped to form the David Grisman Quintet. After 5 years, Rice then armed a bluegrass supergroup, the Bluegrass Album Band.

Rice’s albums as a soloist and with his band, the Tony Rice Unit, have ranged from the jazz-tinged Mar West, which included bluegrassstyle treatments of tunes by Miles Davis and John Coltrane, to singer/ songwriter-oriented albums, including Cold on the Shoulder, Native American, and Me & My Guitar, which featured his virtuosic guitar picking and soulful vocalizing of songs by Ian Tyson, Phil Ochs, and Gordon Lightfoot. The most recent venture is an autobiography that looks deeper into the life of Tony, this living legend, Still Inside: The Tony Rice Story. Well worth the read.

Tony is backed by a tremendously talented band. Picker and singer Josh Williams, rhythm guitarist and brother Wyatt Rice, master fiddler Rickie Simpkins, and Bryn ‘bass lady’ Davies hone in on Tony’s musical vision and style and the music they make playing together is pure magic. www.tonyrice.com

St Anns Drama Department

Fri, May 11 • 7:00pm and Sat, May 12 1:30pm St Ann’s Drama Club has been delighting audiences of all ages with their colorful musicals at the Opera House. Past performances include Willy Wonka Jr, Alice in Wonderland and Beauty and the Beast. Keep and eye out for this year’s theme, as it is an end of school year treat for the whole family. Call St Ann’s school for ticket information (608) 873-3343

Stoughton Chamber Singers Sat, June 2

An Evening with The Kruger Brothers

Poets and composers have often written words and music about the peacefulness , fearsomeness, and the mystery of evening and the night, This performance will feature music from vespers, music about the stars, the moon, lullabys, romance, creatures of the night and the mysterious unknowns of the approaching darkness. Come join the Stoughton Chamber Singers to hear a wide variety of choral music that celebrates a daily occurence, the evening and the night.

Thursday May 24 • 7:30pm

“Move over Bela Fleck” and “Best concert ever!” were two of many favorable comments we heard last spring when the Kruger Brothers performed at the Opera House. They’re three of the most creative, spiritually minded, musically gifted, soul enriching and life affirming musicians that have ever come down the pike.

Originally from Europe, now living in North Carolina, they were first introduced to American audiences in 1997 and quickly caught the attention of fans and the music industry alike. Switzerland’s Kruger Brothers’ banjo player Jens and guitarist Uwe have been celebrated throughout the world for their musicianship, clever composition and engaging stage presence. But, they also posses a powerful alter-ego trump card that shows off their impressive classical chops, allowing the Krugers to straddle the worlds of traditional European music and the American roots culture.

As a result, the trio has been a crowd favorite at famous festivals like Doc Watson’s Merlefest and prestigious events like the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards. They have also collaborated with luminaries like Willie Nelson, Bela Fleck, Alison Brown, Doc Watson, Gillian Welch and the late Bill Monroe.

When you listen to the music of the Kruger Brothers, you can’t help but be amazed by the depth of their artistry. Some call them “Jazz”. Some call them “Classical”. Some call them “Bluegrass”. They are all right. Experience what happens when these innovative and soulful world-class virtuosos put on a musical performance is not to be forgotten. www.krugerbrothers.com

Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society June TBA • 7:30pm

Call BDDS directly for ticket information: (608) 255-9866 www.bachdancinganddynamite.org

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When you need medical care, you have the power to choose where you’ll be treated. Consider discussing Stoughton Hospital with your physician.

You’ll enjoy the warm, personalized service and care of our physicians, nurses and staff and benefit from our advanced technology. Best of all, there’s no need to travel far. It’s no wonder Stoughton Hospital consistently ranks above the 90th percentile in patient satisfaction.

We accept a wide variety of health plans, including Medicare, Dean Health Plan, Group Health Cooperative, Physicians Plus, Unity, The Alliance, United Healthcare and many other insurance providers. Please check with your individual plan regarding coverage of services at Stoughton Hospital.

Discover why Stoughton Hospital has been a trusted neighbor for more than 100 years, consistently providing care that’s worth asking for.

900 Ridge Street | Stoughton, WI 53589 608-873-6611 S T O U G H T O N H O S P I TA L . C O M

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FRIENDS OF STOUGHTON OPERA HOUSE

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS In Memory of Eda Lamos In Memory of Shirley Bickley In Memory of Lorraine Ward Larry & Julie Mitbo

PRODUCERS In Memory of Erwin Stensaas Merlin & Anita Lebakken In Memory of Judy Vorndran Carol & Ross Scovotti Robert Badeau Spencer & Valli Warren Mary & Robert Bennett

Mary-Carel & Henry Verden I-K-I Manufacturing Company Stoughton Packaging Corporation

DIRECTORS

AMBASSADORS

Katherine Christenson Nancy & Gary Holloway Gordon & Anna Kopke Don & Carol Wahlin SHS Class of ‘56

Class of 1950 Richard & Jean Asleson Bob Batyko Laurene Bratvold

Bill & Sherry Cress Richard & Diane Halom Patricia Holtan Betty J Hull

Don & Kathy Miner The Nordic Company Tom & Laurie Stoehr Steven & Kristine Vaughn

Sharon Welsch Genevieve Wilberg Lloyd & Tina Withers Nora Ylvisaker

PARTNERS In Honor of ‘Weekenders Social Club’ In Memory of Juliet Johnson Dooley In Memory of Timothy N. Fast In Memory of Odvar Haug In Memory of Alvar Olson In Memory of Sarah Pleggenkuhle-Pennewell In Memory of Harlow Wright Tom Anderson Myra Andreassen Mark Asleson Steve & Pam Barnes John Beutel Sharon Beckman & Ron Pile Trish Brehm Mary Buchholz Robert & Joann Brunsell Jim & Arlene Burke Fritz & Laurine Carstens Thomas & Kathleen Czynszak Darryl & Nancy Dahm Jeff & Mary Davis Kay & Leslie Davis William & Nancy Davis Erica & Adam Dial Sheryl Diermyer Ron & Lou Ann Ellingson Elaine Emkow

Kittie & Chuck Endres Jon Erickson Richard & Mary Lou Fendrick John & Janet Finney Wilma Furseth Gerry Graffin Ron & Joann Grimm Roger & Cyndi Gullickson Linda & Rodger Hansen Williard Hanson Richard & Carol Heacox Gerard Healy Don & Cheryl Heiliger James Heitman Perry & Pat Hellum Tom & Suzanne Hotter Homer Howard Helen Johnson Mary Louise Keller Eda L Lamos Olaf & Rebecca Lunde Sandra Maerz Felipe & Monita Manalo Lawrence & Shirley Mandt Margie Martin Diane & Dan Matson

Georgiann & Peter McDonald Amy & Tom McFarland Rick & Joan McLaughlin Marilynn Miller Dan & Erica Moeser Dick Morrissey Nancy & David Nedveck Tom & Carol Novak Cress-Olson-Holzhuter Home Ruth Mary Olson Kathleen Oswald Sharon Owen Deb & Randy Padfield Ruth Paulson Nancy & Wayne Paulson Thomas Pellett Charlie Peters Jeff & Vicki Raymond Dan & Mary Ramsden Julie & Brian Ramsden Tim Reilly Timothy Reilley & Janet Nelson Bob & Jean Ristau Desi Rohling Trevor & Roberta Rush Pauline & Ted Schnese

Jeanne & Edward Schultz Jim & Mary Severson Christine Schelshorn & Jim Danky Jim Schelshorn Nancy Scovotti Jim & Mary Severson David & Peggy Sharpe James & Deloris Skiles Evelyn L. Stingley Trust Gale A. Stone James & Erma Sundby Ursula Thomas Cliff & Barb Tomas Craig & Peggy Thompson Joyce Tikalsky / John Hallinan Richard & Ruth Took Norm & Linda Venden Lori & Peter Vogel Marvin & Grace Wagner Don & Carol Wahlin Jan & Jahn Witzel Woodland Studios Bill & Mary Zimmerman SHS Class of ‘37 SHS Class of ‘38 The Actors Factory

Plus many who gave at the Patron and Friend level. Thank you!

Become a Friend of the Opera House! Call (608) 877-4400

W

We get by — with a little help from our Friends hen you become a Friend of the Stoughton Opera House, your donation helps to ensure success for our beautiful facility — through programming and continued maintenance. Your support also helps to keep ticket prices affordable for all our patrons. As other sources of revenue are declining,

now is a perfect time to become a Friend of SOH. If you are already a Friend, please consider increasing your donation. Your donation is tax-deductible!

Membership Levels

Friend — $25 Patron — $75 Partner — $100

Ambassador — $250 Director — $500 Producer — $1,000

Executive Producer — $1,500

Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

33

Stoughton Opera House— Timeline of Growth • 1900–1901 City Hall constructed. “City Auditorium” opens to the public.

• 1950–1955 In decline, the Opera House is closed to the

public.

• 1961 Amidst questions of structural integrity, the original clock tower is removed.

• 1980–1983 Debate rages over whether the entire building is worth saving.

• 1983 Citizens form the Friends of the Opera House to fund restoration.

• 1988 Enabled by $105,000 in private donations, a new clock is installed on the tower.

• 1990 An additional $74,000 in donations funds the addition of an enclosed fire stairwell.

• 1992 Radiators replaced by central heating and air conditioning.

• 1992–2000 Opera House restoration underway.

- Balcony reinforced.

- Modern dressing rooms constructed.

- Main entrance restored.

- Elevator installed.

- Walls replastered and painted.

- Gold leaf fleur-de-lis and scrolls restored.

- Embossed metal ceiling restored and highlighted.

- Original chandelier upgraded with modern wiring, lamps, and tulip bowls.

- All woodwork restored.

- Aisles widened.

- New carpet installed with embedded light tracks.

- Original curtain restored.

- Modern light, sound, and intercom systems installed.

• 2001 The Stoughton Opera House grand reopening.

Photos: Above right: The cast of the 1910 Junior Class Play, The Deacon’s Second Wife, posed for a photograph.

Center right: The Senior Class Play, A Pair of Sixes, delighted a packed house on May 23, 1924.

Lower right (left to right): Bill Lustgarten varnishing the office floor. Volunteers helped paint the opera house balcony.

Restoration Coordinator John Vorndran and his wife Judy with the restored chandelier and refinished seats. Photos: Henry Koshollek/ Capital Times.

2001

1950 OPEN

RESTORATION

1983

1900

34

CLOSED

www.stoughtonoperahouse.com

OPEN

Where everything is on Course.

PUBLIC GOLF & DINING

“Inquire about our package plans” Challenging 27 Hole Golf • Fully Pro Shop Driving Range • Challenging 27 Hole Golfstocked • Fully stocked Pro• Shop • Driving Range • Cart & Club RentalsSwimming • New Outdoor Pool Cart & Club Rentals • New Outdoor Pool Swimming • Lodging AvailAvailable • Sunday Brunch • Fine Dining & Cocktails able •• Lodging Sunday Brunch • Fine Dining & Cocktails • Serving Lunch and • Serving Lunch and Dinner Specials • Outstanding Salad Bar Dinner Specials • Serving Choice Steaks, Seafood & Pasta • Serving: Choice Steaks, Seafood & Pasta

DISCOVER THE UNEXPECTED PLEASURE IN DINING Award-Winning Wine List

Call For Reservations & Tee Times (608) 884-8484 www.coachmans.com

Achieving great things for our community

Stop by Culver’s after the show and treat yourself to something even better than ice cream, our smooth, creamy frozen custard that’s made fresh throughout the day.

It’s enough to make anyone fee like a star.

www.culvers.com Opera House Special! BOGO! Buy one Medium Sundae ...

get one FREE!

Willy West: 6825 University Ave., Middleton • (608) 284-7800 Willy East: 1221 Williamson St., Madison • (608) 251-6776 open 7:30am–9:30pm daily • www.willystreet.coop

When a group of people comes along who have the courage and vision to turn dreams into reality, they make the future bright for everyone.

Stoughton Opera House, we celebrate your achievements.

911 W. Main St. • Stoughton • 608-873-7202

BLAST: WILLOW CREEK bacon, lettuce, avocado, sprouts, ovenroasted turkey, tomato & chipotle mayo ON SOURDOUGH

wellsfargo.com © 2011 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved.

Member FDIC. 121945 06/11

TASTY LUNCH OPTIONS DAILY! Daily menu, including our new sandwiches, at willystreet.coop/deli.

Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

35

Opera House Policies

The house opens at least one-half hour before the curtain. Parents should exercise discretion in deciding which events are appropriate for children (aisle seats are recommended). Regardless of age, a seat must be purchased for everyone attending an event, unless otherwise noted. Programs and events are subject to change without notice.

Patrons arriving late will be seated at a suitable pause in the performance.

Accessibility Patrons with special needs should call the Box Office for information on handicap parking, wheelchair seating, audio amplification headsets, and other special services. Signed interpretation (pending availability of interpreters), braille, and large-print programs are available if requested three weeks in advance.

Facility/Wedding Rental The Stoughton Opera House is available for rental to individuals, corporations, and community organizations for weddings, conventions, meetings, concerts, and recitals.

For more information or to book your next event, call our Event Coordinator at (608) 646-0019 or email her at cdollhausen@ci.stoughton.wi.us.

Box Office Information The box office is open Mondayâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; Friday 9 amâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;4:30 pm. Open 90 minutes prior to curtain, 30 minutes after performances. Summer hours may vary. Individual and group guided tours are available by appointment by calling (608) 877-4400.

36

www.stoughtonoperahouse.com

Stoughton Opera House Order Form 11 12

www.stoughtonoperahouse.com — (608) 877-4400

Step One—Select Single or Series Tickets PAGE

Online ticketing now available at www. stoughtonoperahouse.com Save when you order three or more shows.

ARTIST

DATE

6

Crystal Bowersox

September 16

6

Nanci Griffith

September 22

7

George Winston

7 7

TIME

QTY

TICKETS

SERIES

7:30 pm

$35

$33

7:30 pm

$45

$43

September 30

7:30 pm

$30

$28

Warren Nelson & the Nelson Outfit

October 1

7:30 pm

$25

$23

Richard Thompson

October 2

7:30 pm

$45

$43

8

The Dixie Doodlers

October 6

3:00 pm

$15

$13

8

Steven Wright

October 7

7:30 pm

$45

$43

9

William Elliott Whitmore

October 8

7:30 pm

$15

$13

9

Back to the Country Revue with Bill Malone

October 14

7:30 pm

$20

$18

9

Justin Townes Earle

October 15

7:30 pm

$35

$33

10

Carolina Chocolate Drops

October 21

7:30 pm

$35

$33

10

Drakula: The Performance

October 28 & 29

7:30 pm

10

Blind Boys of Alabama with Sara & Sean Watkins

November 4

7:30 pm

$35

$33

11

Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band

November 5

7:30 pm

$30

$28

12

The Amazing Acro-Cats

November 6

1:00 pm & 3:00 pm

$10

$8

Call StageWorks Projects for tickets (608) 873-0717

12

John Scofield Quartet

November 10

7:30 pm

$40

$38

12

UW Russian Folk Orchestra

November 11

7:30 pm

$15

$13

13

Darrell Scott

November 12

7:30 pm

$25

$23

13

Alison Brown Quartet

November 13

7:30 pm

$25

$23

13

Maggie Mae’s Country Christmas

November 17

3:00 pm & 7:00 pm

$20

$18

14

Guy Clark

November 18

7:30 pm

$30

$28

14

Blake Thomas

November 19

7:30 pm

$15

$13

14

Ruth Moody Band

November 20

7:30 pm

$25

$23

$20

$18

15

Playtime Productions

Nov/Dec TBA

7:30 pm

15

Lou & Peter Berryman Santa Claustrophobia

December 2

7:30 pm

16

Stoughton Chamber Singers Dancing & Singing

December 4

2:00 pm

16

An evening with Pokey LaFarge & the South City Three

December 10

7:30 pm

16

Holiday Concert by Stoughton Festival Choir & City Band

December 11

4:00 pm

18

Harmonious Wail

January 20

7:30 pm

$20

$18

18

Martin Sexton

January 21

7:30 pm

$30

$28

19

Disney’s Aladdin Jr. presented by Fox Prairie Elementary

February 8 & 9

6:30 pm

19

Xtring Quartet

February 11

7:30 pm

$20

$18

19

Lizz Wright

February 17

7:30 pm

$30

$28

20

Preservation Hall Jazz Band

February 18

7:30 pm

$40

$38

20

Jeffrey Foucault

February 25

7:30 pm

$25

$23

21

Author Michael Perry: Clodhopper Monologues: Part Two!

March 1

7:30 pm

$15

$13

22

Riders in the Sky

March 3

7:30 pm

$35

$33

22

Presto! John Measner Magic Show

March 4

1:00 pm

$10 $8 ages 5 & under free

22

An Evening with Jake Shimabukuro

March 9

7:30 pm

$25

$23

23

Junior Brown

March 10

7:30 pm

$25

$23

Suggested group-friendly events. *A group is 8 or more—call for group rate.

TOTAL

(continued on reverse)

$5 at the door

$20

$18

Free-will at the door

Free-will at the door

A – Subtotal:

Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

37

Stoughton Opera House Order Form

Online ticketing now available at www. stoughtonoperahouse.com

Step One—Select Single or Series Tickets

Save when you order three or more shows.

11 12 PAGE

www.stoughtonoperahouse.com — (608) 877-4400

ARTIST

DATE

TIME

QTY

24

Jason Petty: Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes

March 20

3:00 pm & 7:00 pm

24

The Seldom Scene

March 22

7:30 pm

$30 to Stoughton. $28

24

An Evening with Dar Williams

March 23

7:30 pm

$30

26

Alex DeGrassi: The Story of Floating Weeds

March 24

7:30 pm

27

Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks

March 30

7:30 pm

27

Del McCoury Band

March 31

7:30 pm

$30 Restaurant $28 along $35 Hwy 51 $33 (just outside

28

The Fred Eaglesmith Traveling Show with The Fabulous Ginn Sisters

April 13

7:30 pm

$25 Stoughton) $23 for

28

Wingra Woodwind Quintet

April 15

7:30 pm

28

The Pines

April 20

7:30 pm

$20 an evening $18 show. $20 $18

29

The Music of George Gershwin with The Spectrum Brass Quintet

April 21

7:30 pm

Yahara

SINGLE

SERIES

TOTAL

$25 Map from $23 Madison

Following Hwy 51.

$28 $25 Stop at $23Halverson’s

Coachman’s

River

dinner before

$35

$33

30

Opera for the Young: Hansel & Gretel with Kegonsa Elementary

April 22

1:30 pm

$5 per family at door

30

PlayTime Productions - date/time tba

April/May TBA

7:30 pm

$5 at the door

30

Michael Hecht: The Magicians of Light: Edison, Tesla, and Van Gogh

May 2

1:00 pm

Free-will at the door

30

Tony Rice Unit

May 4

7:30 pm

30

St. Anns Drama Department

May 11 May 12

7:00 pm 1:30 pm

31

An Evening with The Kruger Brothers

May 24

7:30 pm

31

Stoughton Chamber Singers Music for the Evening

June 2

7:00 pm

$5 at the door

31

Bach Dancing and Dynamite Society

June TBA

7:30 pm

Call BDDS for tickets (608) 255-9866$

$30

$28

Call St. Anns for tickets (608) 873-3343

$25

$23

B – Subtotal:

Suggested group-friendly events. *A group is 8 or more—call for group rate. (shows from reverse side)

A – Subtotal: A&B – Ticket Total:

Step Two—Check Off Your Seating Preference:

Main Floor

Balcony

Box Seats

Step Three—Become a Friend of the Opera House Friend–$25

Partner–$100

Director–$500

Patron—$50

Ambassador–$250

Producer—$1,000

Step Four—Complete/Submit Your Order Payment:

Check

VISA

Card #:

MasterCard Exp. Date:

Name:

No, Thank you C – Subtotal:

Ticket Sales Total (A&B) $ Membership Total (C) $ Ticket Service Fee $

4.00

Grand Total $

MAIL/DELIVER TO: Stoughton Opera House

Address: City:

State:

Phone (day):

Phone (cell):

Signature:

Zip:

381 E. Main Street, Stoughton, WI 53589 BOX OFFICE: (608) 877-4400 • FAX: (608) 873-0875 EMAIL: operahouse@ci.stoughton.wi.us *Include your email & cell # to receive newsletters and show updates.

Please sign me up for SOH email newsletter & text alerts: We promise we will never sell your info to anyone.

38

Executive Producer–$1500

www.stoughtonoperahouse.com

Opera House Policies: Page 36

Madison

Monona

Madison

Monona

Lake Waubesa

Madison

MN

McFarland

Monona

AB Lake Waubesa

90

51 Lake Waubesa

39

MN

McFarland

MN

McFarland

AB

B

AB

90

AB Lake Kegonsa

39 90

51 51 AB

Stoughton

B B

N 51 AB Lake Kegonsa B Lake Kegonsa

Page Street

er Yahara Riv

N 138

Hwy 51 to Madison W. Main Street Hwy 51 to Madison

Page Street

er Yahara Riv Water Street

51

B

N

Hotels Stoughton Inn—873-0330, 1124 W. Main Street

51 Stoughton

138

51

Quality Inn and Suites— 51

877-9000 660 Nygaard Street

Coachman’s Golf Resort —

ver

Parks

Fourth Street Fourth Street Fifth Street

I To

4

/9

90

Fifth Street Fifth Street

Sixth Street

Parks Historic Arts Parksand Shopping District

North Street

To Mandt Park

North Street

E. Main Street

Forrest Street Fourth Street

Washington Street

Washington Street Washington Street

W. Main Street

E. Main Street

To Mandt Park

Food

North Street

E. Main Street W. Main Street

Jefferson Street

Jefferson Street Jefferson Street

Forrest Street

884-8484, 984 CTH A, Edgerton Janesville

Cheesers—873-1777

183 Janesville

E. Main Street

Coachman’s Golf Resort Janesville

—884-8484 984 CTH A, Edgerton Food Public Parking Lots Culver’s—873-6635 Food 916 Nygaard Street Historic Arts and Shopping District Historic Arts and Fosdal Home Bakery Stoughton Shopping District (lunch only) 873-3073 Opera House Public Parking Lots 243 E. Main Street Public Parking Lots Halverson’s Restaurant Stoughton —873-3001 Chamber of Stoughton Commerce 1965 Barber Drive Opera House Stoughton Opera House JL Richards—835-9188 B&B and Hotels 668 Janesville Street, Oregon Stoughton Chamber of Page Street Pizza—877-8500 Stoughton Commerce Chamber of 971 N. Page Street Commerce B&B and Hotels Pour House—877-1747 B&B and Hotels 121 E. Main Street

Springers of Lake Kegonsa—205-9300 3097 Sunnyside Street

Willy Street Co-op Madison—251-6776

4

/9

90

I To

/9

90

I To 4

Sixth Street

51

If you are looking for lodging or restaurants for before or after the shows, we encourage you to visit these fine establishments who support the Stoughton Opera House by advertising in this guide!

Restaurants

Divison Street Forrest Street

To Mandt Park

138

138

Yahara Riv er Yahara Ri

Water Street Divison Street

Divison Street

51 51

Stoughton

hara Ri Ya138 ver Hwy 51 to Madison

er Yahara Riv

138

Stoughton

51

B

Page Street

Water Street

39

Sixth Street

1221 Williamson Street Middleton—284-7800 6825 University Avenue

Yahara River Grocery Cooperative—877-0947 229 E. Main Street

Back cover Opera House photo courtesy John Rindahl / Archer Photography

Stoughton Opera House Box Office: (608) 877-4400

39

Your seat is waiting.

The stage is set and the lights are on but one key element is missing — You.

The meticulously restored Stoughton Opera House is one of Wisconsin’s premiere live music theaters and the 2011–2012 season includes so much more! See legendary performers in the intimate atmosphere of an era gone by.

Southern Wisconsin’s most charming theatre www.stoughtonoperahouse.com