Milwaukee Rep's Newsletter PROLOGUE - Spring 2008 by David Anderson

Prologue

News Magazine & Show Guide

Spring 2007/08

ARMADALE By Jeffrey Hatcher April 23 – May 25, 2008 Quadracci Powerhouse Theater Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex Also in this issue . . . Hula Hoop Sha-Boop • Stackner Cabaret Now – May 25, 2008 Another Midsummer Night McGivern • Stiemke Theater May 28 - June 22, 2008 rector Joe Ha Hanreddy’s Artistic Director eason Announcement An 2008/09 Season

MILWAUKEE

MESSAGE FROM THE REP’S MANAGING DIRECTOR There’s something in the air. First, there’s the fact that the air itself is slowly getting warmer with the days of a well-earned approaching spring season. Then there’s the disappearance of the shroud of frozen precipitation that has covered the ground and the gradual reappearance of flowers and the leaves on trees. It’s a great time of year to be in Wisconsin. But that’s not all that’s new, or all that’s great . . . The Rep is in a “new” mode as well. The Quadracci Powerhouse stage has been graced with the presence of the first productions anywhere of two new plays – the stunning THE NIGHT IS A CHILD and now the sensational ARMADALE. Although they are very different plays, it’s deeply gratifying to be able to develop these plays and put them on stage for you to enjoy. I hope that you have taken the opportunity to see them both. In the “great” category comes our current production in the Stiemke Theater. It’s our entrance into the world of ENDGAME and playwright Samuel Beckett’s wondrous use of language in exploration of life’s beginnings and endings. The play features Rep Resident Acting Company members Mark Corkins, Lee Ernst, Laura Gordon and Torrey Hanson delivering subtle and nuanced performances well-suited to the intimacy of the Stiemke Theater. The Rep’s Stackner Cabaret celebrates spring with the return of the most popular show in the venue’s history, the effervescent, ever-entertaining romp, the cleverly named HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP. If you remember the music of the ’50s and ’60s, you’ll love this show. If you don’t remember the music of the ’50s and ’60s, you’ve either lived a

little too much of the ’60s lifestyle, or you’re a little younger. In that case, you’ll also love the show as you get acquainted or reacquainted with the time when songs still had a strong melody, and the highest praise was, “Uhhh, Dick, it’s got a beat, and I can dance to it. I’ll give it an 85.” The Rep is very pleased to once again welcome Mr. John McGivern to our stages, this time to the Stiemke Theater. He’ll be doing his hit show from last summer, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT McGIVERN, with some material that’s new to this version. ANOTHER MIDSUMMER NIGHT McGIVERN is an evening where John will – as he always does – have you laughing frequently. You’ll have a great time remembering with John the days of Wisconsin summers gone by. I hope you have enjoyed all the plays that you’ve seen at The Rep this season. (If for some reason you haven’t made it here yet, there’s still time. Go to milwaukeerep.com or call us, buy a ticket and fix that dreadful oversight!) For those of you who are Rep season ticket holders, a sincere thank you for remaining in the ranks of those who support the kind of entertainment that The Rep offers. Now is the time of year that we ask you to renew your subscription for next season. For our part, we promise that we’ll provide the very best entertainment with the special and distinctive flair that only Rep productions can offer. I hope that you’ll be able to join us for another season of plays. We’ll look forward to seeing you at The Rep! Timothy Shields Managing Director

PROLOGUE • Volume 3. Issue 4. • 414/224-1761 • milwaukeerep.com Published quarterly by Milwaukee Repertory Theater. An ARTSscene Publication Call Marcus Promotions, Inc. for Advertising Opportunities 414-344-3336. Artistic Director Managing Director Editor Photography

Joseph Hanreddy Timothy J. Shields Cindy E. Moran Allan Knox Jay Westhauser

Editorial Staff David Anderson Kristin Crouch, Christina DeCheck Sandy Ernst, Brent Hazelton Amy Richter

ARMADALE By Jeffrey Hatcher April 23 - May 25, 2008 Quadracci Powerhouse Theater A world premiere adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ sensational Victorian novel. A deathbed bequest leads to the most gripping of intrigues in this tale of deception, inherited curses, rivalries and murder.

Deborah Staples

World orld Premiere!

Larry Deckel and John Leicht Musical Arrangements by Larry Deckel andand John Tanner Vocal Arrangements by John Tanner

By L a r r y

el John Leicht Deckel,

Now – May 25, 2008

John Tanner

Season Sponsor

Stackner Cabaret Buy tickets online at milwaukeerep.com or call 414-224-9490.

Get those Poodle skirts ready! Audiences are going to shake, rattle and roll with the return of the Stackner Cabaret’s #1 hit show of all time.

Buy tickets online at milwaukeerep.com or call 414-224-9490.

Q UA D R ACC I P OW E R H O U S E T H E ATE R

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A GRIPPING TALE OF DECEPTION AND INTRIGUE To Mr. Collins belongs the credit of having introduced into fiction those most mysterious of mysteries, the mysteries which are at our own doors. –Henry James foreshadowing dream that leads one of them to believe he will be murdered and the scheming plans of Miss Lydia Gwilt, arguably the first modern femme fatale.

Deborah Staples

The Rep’s final Quadracci Powerhouse production for the 2007/08 season will be the world premiere of Jeffrey Hatcher’s adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ 1866 novel, Armadale. Collins, the British sensation novelist and pioneer of detective fiction, is perhaps best known for his popular novels The Woman in White (1860) and The Moonstone (1868). The latter novel is often regarded as the first true detective novel. Armadale, Collins’ longest novel, is also his most intricately plotted and concerns two generations of the Armadale family. This captivating tale is told through a labyrinth of events including deathbed confessions, secret identities, betrayed confidences, stolen lovers and cold-blooded murder. The plot involves two young men who are both named Allan Armadale, the 8

Sensation novels, an enormously popular but controversial genre, sprang from the vast transformations England experienced during the middle of the 19th century. As a booming, industrialized society, average citizens could suddenly find themselves the owners of great wealth, while others quickly succumbed to poverty and crime. It was a time of intense growth, as well as destruction, and all the worst passions and excesses that came along with it. The Victorian crowds, accustomed to the straight-laced and prudish moral climate of the nation, clamored for news of things wicked and outrageous. Working and middle-class Victorians demanded a type of novel that would be as compelling as the scandalous headlines it competed with at newsstands, one that would be able to keep its readers in suspense, eager to buy the next installment of the story. Cheap, serialized magazines, known popularly as the “Penny Dreadfuls,” fed the prurient interest in gossip, scandal and all things morbid. Though linked in theme and plot device to the exotic and castle-filled tales of earlier Gothic lore, Collins’ sensation novels went beyond the Gothic to uncover the strange and surprising within ordinary, domestic lives, the “mysteries which are at our

Q UA D R ACC I P OW E R H O U S E T H E ATE R own doors.” These shocking fictions peeked beneath the surface of ordinary English households to find a sinister reality beneath the surface of the prim Victorian exteriors. The “dark plots” of sensation novels, according to critic Matthew Sweet,

. . . were hatched in contemporary country manors and on brand-new suburban housing developments. They described an England full of murky possibilities, in which – for instance – a respected baronet might incarcerate his wife in a private lunatic asylum for financial gain; a seemingly-virtuous young lady might attempt to kill her husband by pushing him down a well; a newly-wed woman might celebrate her honeymoon by offering her spouse a glass of poisoned lemonade. Evermore the one for defying the strict Victorian sexual mores and social codes, Collins aimed to shock and thrill his readers with the extraordinary workings of ordinary lives. Sweet suggests the palpable physical effects with which a Collins’ novel so masterfully disconcerted his readers:

It offered jittery pleasures, somatic shocks – effects which worked upon the bodies of its readers. It aimed to sensationalize them – to make them catch their breath, their hearts beat faster, their eyes move more feverishly over the page. It aimed to inspire what Wilkie Collins’ friend, Edmund Yates, called “the ‘creepy’ effect, as of pounded ice dropped down the back.”

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ARMADALE By Jeffrey Hatcher Based on the novel by Wilkie Collins PERFORMANCE INFORMATION Previews: April 23 & 24 April 25 – May 25, 2008 Tickets: $9.00 – $56.00 CAST LIST Marybeth Gorman, Michael Gotch, Gerard Neugent◆, James Pickering◆, Rose Pickering◆, Steve Pickering, Peter Silbert◆, Deborah Staples◆, Emily Trask, Brian Vaughn◆ ◆Member

of The Rep Resident Acting Company THE REP IN DEPTH Join us for The Rep In Depth, our lively, informative half-hour talk which starts 45 minutes before every performance in the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater. Actor Marybeth Gorman will lead this Rep In Depth. Made possible in part by the generous support of:

Come join us in the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater as we bring this deliciously lurid and delightfully deceptive tale to life on stage! Kristin Crouch Literary Director

ST I E M K E T H E ATE R

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ST I E M K E T H E ATE R

ANOTHER MIDSUMMER NIGHT McGIVERN

ANOTHER MIDSUMMER NIGHT MCGIVERN

John McGivern

That was our first collaboration, and there have been many since, including several incarnations of FULLY COMMITTED, THE SANTALAND DIARIES and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT McGIVERN, as well as THE ODD COUPLE, A VERY MERRY McGIVERN, and most recently, WINTER TALES. Over the years and projects, we’ve developed a rich creative relationship. I’ve come to really understand and appreciate John’s creativity – his unique process and his remarkable talent. And he has come to trust my feedback on his writing as well as his performing. Together, I think we’ve brought a more heightened theatricality to his solo work and created a couple of shows that have a lovely dramatic arc.

I first met John McGivern in the Stackner Cabaret on a night in October of 2000. At the time, I was The Rep’s Associate Artistic Director and John was visiting from LA, renting the Stiemke Theater for a weekend to perform an evening of his stories. He invited me to come see his show, which I did. And the next day I spoke to both Joe Hanreddy and Tim Shields about this hilarious and talented storyteller from Milwaukee who I thought we should get involved at The Rep sometime.

So how does one describe John’s talent? It’s an understatement to call him funny. And he’s truly a big-hearted person, with the ability to touch an audience and make them laugh in turn. But what often impresses me most, is John’s ability to ride the energy of an event, reading an audience and responding with great dexterity. Of course, he’s often performing and composing simultaneously. So he knows where a story is going, but he’s more or less rewriting the text every time he performs.

A year and a half later, John had moved back to Milwaukee and I offered him the role of a saucy servant in LOVERS & EXECUTIONERS, a modern update of a 17th-century French play. He wasn’t always comfortable with the pseudo-period poetry, but John’s performance was a riot, including a comic coda where he improvised with a miniature scaffold and doll outside the jail cell where his master (played by Jonathan Smoots), was nervously awaiting the hangman. It was as funny a moment in the theater as I can remember.

For instance, for our two most recent collaborations, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT McGIVERN and WINTER TALES, the script was never fully written down. We worked from rough outlines and John incorporated new ideas and my feedback on the fly. To many actors, this lack of a definite script would be terrifying – a high-wire act with no net. But it’s John’s element. It allows him to ride the moment and to stay fluid – to develop the piece and his performance based on new creative impulses and audience responses. And so the stories really come into their own in performance,

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By John McGivern PERFORMANCE INFORMATION Previews: May 28 & 29 May 30 – June 22, 2008 Tickets: $23.50 – $43.50 CAST LIST John McGivern

often a week or two into the run. Usually by then, John has settled into a fairly consistent text. But still, there are always variations, developments and improvements. It’s like narrative jazz, only funnier. Finally, I think John’s tremendous success is a measure of his special gift for reviewing his own experiences and recounting them in ways that entertain us, yet also resonate with our memories, our families and our childhoods. We’re amused by how the stories are told, but we’re also struck by their familiarity. So he becomes a kind of comedic Common Man. He translates his life for us – his adventures and discoveries, his hopes and fears and growing pains, and the virtues and foibles of the people around him – recasting them all in a funny, familiar and affectionate light. And, somehow, he keeps his voice and vision fresh and sincere. Aside from the laughs, that’s why we keep listening. So this is John’s celebration of summer – a journey through his childhood summers from Memorial Day to the onset of fall. It will make you laugh and touch you, and it will almost certainly remind

you of those long gone days and nights when school was out and you were, oh, so very young. It’s a pleasure to bring John McGivern back to The Rep. Edward Morgan Director 11

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ADVENTUROUS, AMBITIOUS, ECLECTIC – A LOOK AT THE REP’S 2008/09 SEASON Treasured masterpieces in inspiring, intelligent and imaginative productions, discoveries of neglected plays from our American theater heritage that resonate with the thoughts and concerns of today and audacious, brave, ingenious new works by the contemporary theater’s most outstanding new talents, will all be part of The Rep’s 2008/09 Quadracci Powerhouse season.

exhilarating theater that abounds with unexpected plot twists, stunningly beautiful poetry, quirky humor and extraordinary depth and insight. EURYDICE is a perfect match for the talents of Jonathan Moscone, the Artistic Director of the California Shakespeare Theater, who is a winner of numerous awards for his brilliantly inventive productions.

2 0 0 8 / 0 9 S E A S O N A N NO U N C E M E N T ( c o n t . ) South. The white director of the play needs to unite his mixed-race cast into a functioning ensemble, but when the difficult dynamics of the rehearsal hall begin to upstage rehearsals, Wiletta has to weigh the price of airing her convictions, suffering in silence or losing the job as well as being labeled “difficult” which translates as “unemployable.” In a real “life imitates art” twist, following the Off-Broadway success of TROUBLE IN MIND, Childress was offered a Broadway production – provided that she make changes in the script that she felt compromised the play. Childress refused and the play has rarely been seen since. TROUBLE IN MIND was startlingly ahead of its time and is long overdue to be seen and appreciated. Timothy Douglas, the director of our recent productions of GEM OF THE OCEAN and THE NIGHT IS A CHILD, brought the play to our attention and will direct. Key roles will be played by Resident Acting Company Members Jim Pickering and Lee Ernst.

The events of THE BLONDE, THE BRUNETTE AND THE Joe Hanreddy In STATE OF THE UNION, VENGEFUL REDHEAD are set Howard Lindsay and into motion when Rhonda (the redhead) Russel Crouse’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play receives a call from her husband, Graham, from 1945, the Republicans are grooming saying he’s leaving her. Then her neighbor their dark horse candidate, aeronautics and best friend, Lynette (the brunette), tells tycoon Grant Matthews, for a run for the her that she’s seen Graham with a woman White House. In order to be a viable candiwho runs a discount jewelry store in the date, Matthews needs the support of his local mall (the blonde). Rhonda rushes off estranged wife, who has been brought in as to confront her rival and the resulting tussle a campaign prop. UNION provocatively escalates into an exchange that ends cataexplores the relationship between political strophically. Like ripples radiating from a and private integrity as the couple work to stone dropped in a pond, the repercussions reconcile their marriage and individual conaffect many lives in ever-expanding, convictions in a vortex of political ambition, centric circles. The genius of the play is backroom bargaining, party bosses and spe- twofold: not only is this seven-character cial interest groups. We’ll be playing this play conceived as a brilliant tour de force production against the backdrop of Election for a single actress – I’ll be directing ’08, giving special resonance to the conflicts Deborah Staples as the title characters, plus at the heart of the story. STATE OF THE four more – but, what seems on the surface UNION is an ideal marriage with our to be a tabloid tale of betrayal and revenge, Resident Acting Company and virtually the evolves into a deeply moving and multientire ensemble will be cast in the season layered journey towards understanding and opener. acceptance.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Jane Austen’s charming, sharp and heartrending novel, Pride and Prejudice, contains some of the most memorable characters and perfect sentences in the English language. It chronicles the labors of the Bennets to find rich husbands for their five dowerless daughters and charts the turbulent courtship between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. We’re hard at work to create a stage adaptation of Pride and Prejudice that will include “every impertinence – every wounding provocation – every teasing smile – every spur – every shock that has led them to this moment when they will be united.” Rep Resident Actors Laura Gordon, Jon Daly, Brian Vaughn, Gerry Neugent and Rose Pickering will play major roles.

Sarah Ruhl is one of America’s most creative and promising playwrights. We produced Sarah’s whimsical and warmhearted THE CLEAN HOUSE a couple of seasons back and are eagerly looking forward to engaging with her luminous and exquisitely soulful EURYDICE. On the day Eurydice is to marry her true love, Orpheus, a fateful misstep sends her plummeting aboard a waterlogged elevator to the surreal depths of the underworld. Orpheus undertakes a rescue mission to retrieve her by charming the gods with his sweet music. A contemporary tale of loss and unconditional love, EURYDICE is

The Quadracci Powerhouse season will conclude with Anton Chekhov’s THE CHERRY ORCHARD. This hilarious and heartbreaking play takes place in a country home with a glorious past, now filled with an enchanting family on the verge of financial ruin and completely incapable of realistically confronting the consequences of their inaction. THE CHERRY ORCHARD is one of the true treasures of the world theater and it has never spoken to me as clearly and compellingly as it does in the context of issues facing millions of American families in 2008. Our production will be directed by one of

TROUBLE IN MIND, Alice Childress’s fiercely funny and affecting backstage drama was an Off-Broadway hit in 1955. The story centers on Wiletta Mayer, an African- American actress with a quick sarcastic wit honed via a successful but frustrating career playing mammies, maids and menials named after jewels (Ruby, Opal, Crystal . . .) or flowers (Tulip, Petunia, Chrysanthemum . . . ). TROUBLE opens on the first day of rehearsals for a Broadway-bound play titled CHAOS IN BELLEVILLE. BELLEVILLE endeavors to expose harsh truths of racism in the old

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our most valued collaborators, Ben Barnes, who has recently directed productions of A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY, TRANSLATIONS and, most recently, ENDGAME. THE CHERRY ORCHARD is a play utterly reliant on effortless ensemble acting and Ben’s suggestion to direct was accompanied by a vision of the casting that included Resident Acting Company Members in 11 of the play’s 15 primary roles. The new season for the Stiemke Theater is one the most eclectic, innovative and theatrically exciting series that we’ve ever produced. We’ll start with an acclaimed recent Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning play, then create an hilarious and timeless Italian classic directed by one of Europe’s most acclaimed directors working with the Resident Acting Company and finish with a spectacular and resonant new play about legendary fighter Joe Louis that will feature an environmental staging. We’ll start the Stiemke season with I AM MY OWN WIFE, a recent Broadway success based on the true story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, a transgendered German antiques collector, and how she survived the repressive regimes of the Nazis and the Communists to be eventually awarded Germany’s highest civil award. The play offers a single actor the opportunity to play some 40 roles. Michael Gotch, who can be seen in our current production of ARMADALE, will take on the roles. February is an apt time of the year for stories of love and courtship and great timing for MIRANDOLINA, THE MISTRESS OF THE INN – a classic, riotous battle of the sexes by Carlo Goldoni. Our last Goldoni escapade was the joyful romp SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS. In this more intimate and character-driven play, sharp-witted Mirandolina is a gracious hostess and a successful independent businesswoman who is lusted after by every guest in her inn but one – a confirmed misogynist. Mirandolina vows to teach him a lesson by making him fall in love with her. European master director László Marton will return to The Rep to direct the Resident Acting Company led by Deborah Staples and Brian Vaughn. The main event of Stephen Drukman’s poetic and brilliantly theatrical IN THIS CORNER

Continued on page 14 13

2 0 0 8 / 0 9 S E A S O N A N NO U N C E M E N T ( c o n t . ) is a series of bouts between American boxing icon Joe Louis and his German opponent Max Schmeling. Schmeling had the tough luck of being a celebrated athlete during Hitler’s Third Reich where the Fuhrer, with his theory of Aryan superiority, had a strong stake in Schmeling’s success. On this side of the Atlantic, in a nation gearing for war, Louis dealt daily with racial bigotry, and his success in the ring saddled him with the additional burden of fulfilling the desire of a nation to cast him as an inspirational American example. IN THIS CORNER is a resonant, rich and rewarding play staged completely in the confines of a boxing ring. We have a series of outstanding musical and comedic treats lined up for the Stackner Cabaret. The ever-popular and mellifluous Jimi Ray Malary will team up with local jazz favorite William Knowles to perform the romantic standards of Jerome Kern, Rogers and Hart and George and Ira Gershwin in the appropriately titled ISN’T IT ROMANTIC. GREATER TUNA is a hilarious comedy tour de force for two actors that skewers, satirizes and celebrates small town life in Tuna, Texas. Rep favorites Gerry Neugent and Lee Ernst will be featured. Man’s best friends have their day in DOGPARK: THE MUSICAL – a premiere production from the imaginations and songwriting genius of Jahnna Beecham, Malcolm Hillgartner and Michael Hume who created CHAPS! and THEY CAME FROM WAY OUT THERE. Kevin Ramsey, the man behind this year’s Stackner Cabaret smash hit, GRAFTON CITY BLUES, will complete the Stackner season with a musical tribute to his hometown of New Orleans with a pastiche of jazz, zydeco and Dixieland titled FIRE ON THE BAYOU: A MARDI GRAS MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA. So – that’s the lineup. It’s an adventurous, ambitious, intelligent, eclectic collection of works that are a workout for the mind, the emotions and the soul. Our artists are excited and eager to engage with these astonishing works and hope you’ll join us as subscribers in one or more of our theaters. All the very best, Joe Hanreddy Artistic Director

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THE REP’S 2008/09 SEASON QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE THEATER STATE OF THE UNION By Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse September 16 – October 12, 2008 EURYDICE By Sarah Ruhl October 28 – November 23, 2008 THE BLONDE, THE BRUNETTE AND THE VENGEFUL REDHEAD By Robert Hewett December 9, 2008 – January 4, 2009 TROUBLE IN MIND By Alice Childress January 20 – February 15, 2009 PRIDE AND PREJUDICE from the novel by Jane Austen March 3 – March 29, 2009 THE CHERRY ORCHARD By Anton Chekhov April 14 – May 10, 2009 STIEMKE THEATER I AM MY OWN WIFE By Doug Wright September 10 – October 5, 2008 MIRANDOLINA By Carlo Goldoni January 28 – February 22, 2009

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THE RETURN OF HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP (Or How to Develop A Show About The Fifties When Your Very Consciousness At The Time Was About As WellDeveloped As An Amoeba’s.) The Fifties Era, historically portrayed as a sleepy set of years when America rested after war, was actually laced with vital events and issues. To wit, the McCarthy hearings, the U-2 incident, the maturation of the Cold War, the birth of the space race, the awakening of the Civil Rights movement . . . None of these things are really covered in HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP. Otherwise we would have called the piece HANG ON TO YOUR HATS FOLKS, FOR THERE WAS MORE TO COME. We wanted to cover something else. Some music. Some recollections. A

time when the Baby Boomers and their parents shared life. Now, rumor has it that John Dillon, [The Rep’s former Artistic Director], who is just a wee bit older than I am and who actually, in a post-puberty sense, lived through the era, had the initial idea for the show. “Hey,” John said, “let’s do a Fifties thing.” And everybody at The Rep, who are also mostly Fifties postpuberty folk, went, “Yeah, great songs (true), great era (even more true). Let’s do it.”(We did it.) Then they asked me to participate. Well, having been born in July of 1949, I could definitely claim to have lived through the period, in so far as my life at the time revolved around peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,

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IN THIS CORNER By Steven Drukman April 8 – May 3, 2009 STACKNER CABARET ISN’T IT ROMANTIC . . . By David Koch September 5 – October 26, 2008 GREATER TUNA By Jaston Williams, Joe Sears & Ed Howard November 7 – December 28, 2008 DOGPARK: THE MUSICAL By Jahnna Beecham, Malcolm Hillgartner & Michael J. Hume January 2 – February 22, 2009 FIRE ON THE BAYOU: A MARDI GRAS MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA By Kevin Ramsey March 6 – April 26, 2009

Jane Noseworthy, Mo Brady, Lenny Banovez and Kelly Kunkel in The Rep’s current production of HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP.

STAC K N E R C A B A R E T ( c o n t . )

THE REP Hula Hoops, Yo-Yos, Sputnik, Three-D glasses, Smell-O-Vision and music. Lots of music. Great music.

Jane Noseworthy and Kelly Kunkel.

Saturday morning cartoons and, seeing as how I grew up in Racine and came to Milwaukee often, the Braves. So, as a bunch of us at The Rep gathered around to collect our collective recollections, a very simple thought bubbled its way up through my consciousness and delivered a simple truth. It was this: The Fifties began in Milwaukee in 1957 with Adcock at First Base, Schoendienst at Second, Logan at Short, Mathews at Third, Covington in Left Field, Bruton and Pafko sharing Center, some kid by the name of Aaron in Right and Crandall at Catch. Spahn pitching and Fidgety Lew Burdette blankin’ the Yanks in Game Seven. Simple and clear. That was the Fifties.

This (the music) presented a problem. I’m about as musical as a block of concrete. Fortunately, the driving force behind the piece that you will see was Larry Deckel. Larry [was then] The Rep’s Resident Director, but he was also a walking discography of Fifties music. Dion speaks to him. Better yet, Larry’s a musician and can actually play the piano. This helped. In fact, this helped to the extent that Larry has squeezed 77 Fifties songs, in some way, shape or form, into this thing we’re calling HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP.

It’s not MTV and it’s not PBS. It’s HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP. Fun, lots of music and remembrance. All in a fast 75 minutes. Come and join us. See it, hear it, tap your fingers on a Cabaret table (yup, we’ve got finger dancing in the show). But mostly, enjoy. If you are having any gripes with something we’ve left out, send them care of: Larry Deckel at The Rep. It’s really all his fault. If you like the piece, send rave notices to me.

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HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP Written by Larry Deckel and John Leicht Musical Arrangements by Larry Deckel and John Tanner Vocal Arrangements by John Tanner PERFORMANCE INFORMATION Now – May 25, 2008 Tickets: $27.00 – $40.00 CAST LIST Lenny Banovez, Mo Brady, Kelly Kunkel, Jane Noseworthy

Thanks. See you there.

One night, while Larry and I were futzing around with the piece over dinner at Ma Fischer’s, we came up with a couple of initial titles. I liked two of them: GREEN M&M’s (those in the know will know what that means), and IT MUSTA BEEN THE MEATLOAF.

John Leicht Co-author

Generously sponsored by

(This article originally appeared in the spring edition of Prologue during the 1990/91 season.)

Some saner people at The Rep ixnay-ed these titles as a bit esoteric. Someone (Ed. note: that someone was Fran Serlin-Cobb, The Rep’s Marketing/PR Director at the time) said HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP – and a show was born. Or, at the very least, we had a title. But now Larry and I had to make a decision. When, in fact, did the Fifties take place?

Thus, it was that, shortly after that group meeting, Larry Deckel (more on him later), and I headed for the catacombs of Life magazine.

After exhaustive analysis over yet another bowl of soup at Ma Fischer’s, we came to the conclusion that the Fifties lasted from 1953 to 1962-63 or thereabouts. This has since been verified by historians. Trust us.

Thus, HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP shapes up as a mindless, yet mindful, musical and retrospective romp through the Fifties. Something the Fifties was, but wasn’t.

Which reminds me.

I was informed that, perhaps, the piece should include the whole era. All of the Fifties. Fifty states. National perspective. That sort of thing.

And it call came stumbling back . . .

STAC K N E R C A B A R E T ( C O N T . )

Lenny Banovez, Kelly Kunkel, Mo Brady and Jane Noseworthy in The Rep’s current production of HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP. Photos by Jay Westhauser.

A N N UA L G A L A

PERFORMANCE CALENDAR

THE REP T U ES DAY

THE REP’S 2008 UNFORGETTABLE ANNUAL GALA

Join The Rep’s Board Members and Resident Acting Company, as well as guests and friends, for The Rep’s 2008 Unforgettable Annual Gala taking place Saturday, May 31, in the Patty and Jay Baker Theater Complex.

Our evening ends with an intimate performance by Jimi Ray Malary accompanied by William Knowles. Jimi Ray Malary is the velvet-voiced star of the Stackner Cabaret’s KING OF COOL: NAT Our event begins with an elaborate KING COLE, silent auction ELLINGTON: sponsored by THE LIFE AND M&I Wealth MUSIC OF THE Management. DUKE and JAZZ The auction will ROYALTY. Jimi take place outand William side of the will perform a Stackner selection of Cabaret and will some of the feature more greatest songs Unforgettable of all time items than ever including Our before. Don’t be Love is Here to outbid on a Jimi Ray Malary and William Knowles in The Rep’s Stay, It Don’t memorable 2005/06 Stackner Cabaret production of Mean a Thing, week in a condo ELLINGTON: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF THE DUKE. and, of course, in Beaver Creek, Unforgettable by Nat King Cole. Colorado – complete with ski lessons and lift passes. Then there’s our bathroom renovation package (a sink, a vanity Set the stage for an evening that will be incredible – request an invitation and the design). You will also be able from Lindsay Rocamora in The Rep’s to find the items that every Rep lover Development Department by calling 414remembers. Perhaps this year you will buy the chaise lounge from ENCHANTED 290-5347. Tickets to this year’s gala are $250 each. Corporate tables are $4000, APRIL or test your acting skills opposite for a table of eight. Valet parking will be Jim Pickering with a walk-on role in A included. M Magazine is the Media CHRISTMAS CAROL. All proceeds go to Sponsor. support The Rep’s artistic programs. After the auction, join us center stage and stage left in the Quadracci

Don’t miss out – Saturday, May 31 will be an Unforgettable evening!

APRIL

Powerhouse Theater where our designer will create an incredible atmosphere. Scott Shully of Shully’s Catering and Events has a wonderful and creative menu planned that is sure to be as memorable as it is delicious. Indulge in Omanhene chocolate for a dessert that you will never forget!

7:30 CHILD

T H URS DAY

F RI DAY

8:00 CHILD

SAT UR DAY 4:00 & 8:00 CHILD

2:00 (SF)(FS)& 7:00 CHILD

7:30 END

7:30 (A) (TB) END

8:00 END

4:00 & 8:00 END

2:00 & 7:00 END

7:30 HULA

8:00 HULA

4:00 & 8:00 HULA

2:00 & 7:00 HULA

7:30 (A) (TB) CHILD

1:30 & 7:30 CHILD

7:30 END

8:00 CHILD

8:00 END

7:30 HULA

8:00 END

4:00 & 8:00 END

7:30 HULA

8:00 HULA

4:00 & 8:00 HULA

1:30 (B) & 7:30 ARMA

24 7:30 (P) (A) ARMA 25 7:30 HULA

8:00 (O) ARMA

8:00 HULA

2:00 & 7:00 HULA

7:30 (TB) END

7:30 (P) ARMA

2:00 (C) CHILD

2:00 (I) & 7:00 END

4:00 & 8:00 HULA

7:30 END

4:00 & 8:00 END

8:00 HULA

4:00 & 8:00 CHILD

7:30 HULA

7:30 HULA 7:30 ARMA

7:30 (TB) END

7:30 HULA

7:30 (I) CHILD

4:00 & 8:00 ARMA

2:00 (SF) & 7:00 END 2:00 & 7:00 HULA

27 2:00 & 7: 00 ARMA

4:00 & 8:00 HULA

2:00 & 7:00 HULA

7:30 HULA

29 7:30 (P) MID

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

31 8:00 (O) MID

7:30 (P) MID

TH URSDAY

4:00 & 8:00 MID

F RIDAY

S AT URDAY

SUNDAY

2:00 MID

19 7:30 MID

7 8:00 MID

20 7:30 MID

8 4:00 & 8:00 MID

8:00 MID

7:30 MID

6 7:30 MID

7:30 MID

2:00 MID

15 4:00 & 8:00 MID

2:00 MID

21 8:00 MID

4:00 & 8:00 MID

2:00 MID

(P) = Preview (O) = Opening Night (B) = Bus Matinee (TT) = Theater Thursday (TB) = Talkback (FS) = Family Sunday Matinee & Smoke-Free Sunday Matinee (SF) = Smoke-Free Sunday Matinee (A) = Audio Description (I) = Interpreted (C) = Captioned Theater QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE THEATER: CHILD = THE NIGHT IS A CHILD, ARMA = ARMADALE STIEMKE THEATER: END = ENDGAME, MID = ANOTHER MIDSUMMER NIGHT MCGIVERN

SUNDAY

6:30 END

7:30 CHILD

6:30 HULA

1:30 & 7:30 END

JUNE

Unforgettable in every way And forever more, that’s how you’ll stay That’s why, darling, its incredible That someone so unforgettable Thinks The Rep is unforgettable too!

6:30 (TB) CHILD

W ED N E S DAY

STACKNER CABARET: HULA = HULA HOOP SHA- BOOP

G E T I N VO LV E D TALKBACKS Talkbacks (post-show discussions) for ARMADALE follow the evening performances on Sunday, May 4, 11 and 18. THE REP IN DEPTH Join us for The Rep In Depth, a lively, informative half-hour talk, which starts 45 minutes before every performance in the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater and Stiemke Theater. (Please note: there will be no Rep In Depth for ANOTHER MIDSUMMER NIGHT McGIVERN.) It’s free, and you can drop in anytime during the course of the talk. This popular series is sure to enhance your theatergoing experience with background information about the play you are going to see. Come and join all the other audience members who enjoy this free educational event! REP PROP AND COSTUME GARAGE SALE Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Prop and Costume Garage Sale will take place on Saturday, May 3 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm in The Rep’s Paint Shop. Items to be sold will include costume pieces, props, furniture and set decoration from such Rep favorite productions as MARY STUART (large decorative fabric ground cloths), BORN YESTERDAY (Zebra striped pouffe, anyone?), SAM COOKE, KING LEAR (thrones and large tapestry map), THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE (scrim portraits), WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE? (’60s repro couch and end tables), THE NIGHT IS A CHILD (wicker chairs), THE NERD (bar and coffee table) and ENDGAME (two bottomless 110 gallon oil drums). Payment by cash or check will be accepted. All purchases are cash and carry, and must be removed from The Rep by the end of the day. Get there early! PLAY READINGS AT BEAUTIFUL TEN CHIMNEYS ESTATE Ten Chimneys Foundation and Milwaukee Repertory Theater continue the fourth season of their highly-acclaimed collaboration The Plays of Lunt and Fontanne: Play Readings at Ten Chimneys. Featuring The Rep’s Artistic Intern Company, the series gives audiences an opportunity to enjoy some of the 20th century’s most successful plays – at the estate of the actors who made them famous. The final reading for this season is ARMS AND THE MAN by George Bernard Shaw on May 12, 2008, at 7 pm. $15 advanced registration or $20 at the door. Call 262-968-4161, extension 500, to reserve seats and for further information.

THE REP 2008 ANNUAL REP RAFFLE The Friends of The Rep are excited to present The 2008 Rep Raffle. For the past 16 years, The Friends have offered an assortment of prizes that give you the opportunity to choose your own prize by dropping your ticket into the Raffle Prize Box of your choice. Some of the great prizes this year include: • COOKIES ON THE WING: two round-trip tickets on Midwest Airlines anywhere Midwest flies domestically. • A PRIVATE AFFAIR: you and three guests will have the pleasure of joining Rep Resident Acting Company Member Laura Gordon and her husband, actor Jonathan Smoots, for dinner, prepared for you in a private home. • OUT AND ABOUT: tickets to the following enriching organizations: The Eisner Museum, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Public Museum, Villa Terrace, Pabst Mansion and Next Act Theatre. • CYRANO’S ETERNAL TRIANGLE: using fabrics from CYRANO DE BERGERAC, Costume Shop First Hand Rey Dobeck has crafted a stunning quilt. • ARIZONA WINTER RETREAT: a one-week stay in Scottsdale, near tennis, golf and a pool.

B A S I C I N FO R M AT I O N TICKET OFFICE: 414-224-9490 TICKET OFFICE FAX: 414-225-5490 ADMINSTRATIVE OFFICE: 414-224-1761 FAX: 414-224-9097 WEBSITE: milwaukeerep.com SINGLE TICKET PRICES Quadracci Powerhouse Theater: $9.00 – $56.00 Stiemke Theater: $23.50/$33.50/$43.50 Stackner Cabaret: $27.00/$32.00/ $35.00/$40.00 REP TICKET OFFICE HOURS Monday – Friday: Noon – 6 pm Saturday – Sunday: Noon – 6 pm Window service is available until curtain time. DISCOUNTS FOR STUDENTS AND SENIOR CITIZENS Receive $2 off any seat bought in advance or purchase half-price “rush tickets” 60 minutes prior to curtain. Offer valid for QUADRACCI POWERHOUSE and STIEMKE THEATER performances only. Proper identification is required. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts. GROUP DISCOUNTS For more information on The Rep’s Group Discounts, please contact The Rep’s Ticket Office at 414-224-9490 and ask for Lisa Bonack, Group Sales Coordinator.

• COVERING THE COURSE WITH JIM AND LEE: you and a guest will play golf with Rep Resident Acting Company Members Lee Ernst and Jim Pickering. • HAVE A BALL!: golf clubs, golf bag, golf video, tickets to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Marquette Golden Eagles, outdoor games and lots of sports balls. Look for the costumed actors before and during the intermission at ARMADALE. Tickets can be purchased for $5.00, 6 for $20.00 or 20 for $50.00. Buy Rep Raffle Tickets and help support The Rep!

PARKING Located within the Milwaukee Center complex is an underground parking structure operated by InterParking. Enter off East Kilbourn Avenue or North Water Street, park, and then take the elevator to M or 2 for seating in the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater or Stackner Cabaret, and to G for the Stiemke Theater or Rep Ticket Office. Patron Parking Passes for the Milwaukee Center Parking Garage are available in the Quadracci Powerhouse and Stiemke Theater lobbies for $6.50.

A NOTE TO SUBCRIBERS – WE NEED YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS!

WINE AND CHOCOLATE BAR AT INTERCONTINENTAL Indulge in something sinful at the InterContinental Milwaukee Chocolate Bar located in CLEAR. Decadent chocolates from around the globe prepared for you personally by our chef. It’s the perfect compliment to a cocktail. The hours of the Chocolate Bar are 7 pm – 12 am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Please remember to provide The Rep’s Ticket Office with your current e-mail address if you haven’t done so already. You can call the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490 or, better yet, e-mail them at tickets@milwaukeerep.com with your address. Your current e-mail address greatly assists us in our ability to communicate with you about your subscription, Rep news and other Rep special offers. The Rep does not sell its e-mail list.

THE REP ACCESS SERVICES Please contact The Rep Ticket Office to request Access Services, 414-224-9490. DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING SERVICES: A sign language interpreted performance is scheduled for ARMADALE on Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 7:30 pm. A Captioned Theater performance is scheduled for ARMADALE on Sunday, May 25, 2008 at 2:00 pm. A script synopsis is available for those patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing and would like to read it prior to attending a performance. If you would like to receive the synopsis, please call 414-224-1761. The Quadracci Powerhouse Theater and the Stiemke Theater are equipped with an infrared listening system, which ensures clarity of sound from any seat in the house. If you would like one of the listening devices, please stop at the House Manager’s desk to check out a headset prior to watching your performance. BLIND OR LOW VISION SERVICES: Audio-described performances are scheduled for ARMADALE on Thursday, April 24 at 7:30 pm and Tuesday, May 20 at 7:30 pm. Audio description is the art of talking pictorially to make the arts accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. A cassette describing the visual elements and plot line of the productions are available at no cost to our patrons. Please call William Newcomb at 414-290-5717 to make reservations for either of these audio-described performances or to receive the tapes. Large print programs are available in the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater or Stiemke Theater by asking any usher. All Rep theaters are wheelchair accessible.

PROLOGUE IS GOING DIGITAL! With the start of the 2008/09 season our Prologue publication is going digital. Look for the new online version of the publication with the start of next season. The Prologue online version will feature exciting new content. Please remember to provide us with your e-mail address so we can send Prologue to you via e-mail. Thank you!

dining entertainment guide Brew Pub L

A U K E E

•

DELAFIELD 3191 Golf Rd. 262-646-7878

MILWAUKEE 1101 N. Water St. 414-272-1195

A F I E L D

•

German

Famous Friday Fish Fry 1034 North 4th Street 414-276-4844

SUNDAY BRUNCH 10am - 3pm WATER STREET BREWERY - 1101 N. Water St., 414-2721195; 3191 Golf Rd., 262-646-7878. Milwaukee’s brew pub since 1987. Featuring freshly brewed beer, appetizers, sandwiches, and nightly entree specials. A variety of seasonal and specialty beers brewed on premises in the downtown theatre district. Open daily 11 a.m. Friday Fish Fry www.waterstreetbrewery.com

HISTORIC TURNER RESTAURANT - 1034 N. 4th St. 414-276-4844. Located in an 1883 historic landmark. Serving Classic American and German specialties. Famous Friday Fish Fry. Take-out and banquet facilities available. Located across from the Bradley Center. www.historicturner.com ★ ☎ -

Casual Italian

Irish

Weekend Brunch 10am - 3pm Saturday & Sunday

801 N. Jefferson 190th & Bluemound Rd. Milwaukee Brookfield 414-273-4224 262-784-4275

LOUISE’S TRATTORIA - 801 N. Jefferson, 414-273-4224; 190th & Bluemound Rd., 262-784-4275. California-style specialty pizzas, freshly made pastas, and foccacia breads, all baked on premises. Take-out and delivery available. Open daily 11 a.m. www.louiseswisconsin.com

TRINITY THREE IRISH PUBS - 125 E. Juneau Ave., 414278-7033. A Trio of Irish Authenticity. Featuring traditional irish fare such as hand carved corned beef sandwiches, Irish stew, and steamed mussels. Weekend Irish Breakfast served 10am-3pm. www.trinitythreeirishpubs.com

Fine Dining

Mexican

KIL@WAT - 139 E. Kilborn Ave., 414/291-4793. With a menu as unique as the decor, Kil@wat delivers an experience defined by abundant choices of good food served in a setting that radiates relaxed style.

before or after the show For advertising opportunities, call 414.344.3336.

Feeling Young is Staying Young Chiropractic Massage Yoga

Traditional Mexican Food Great Margaritas downtown

places to wine & dine

Rejuvenate and Revitalize

1122 N. Edison St. • Milwaukee (414) 223-1122 RUDY’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT - 1122 N. Edison St. Milwaukee, 414-223-1122. Since 1985, Rudy’s has served fresh, authentic Mexican food in Milwaukee. Popular menu items include fajitas, chuletas, tacos, and enchiladas. A selection of premium margaritas made with a number of top-shelf tequilas complement the menu. www.rudysmexican.com ★ ☎ -

Energy Balancing Cranial-Sacral Organ Support Kinesiology

213 W. Wisconsin Ave. Pewaukee, WI 53072 262.695.0022 • www.drtad.net

W W W. F O O T L I G H T S . C O M

Accepting most insurance plans Dr. Tad Diciaula

KEY: ★=Late Night Kitchen

☎=Pre-show Reservations c =Shuttle =Live Entertainment -=Late Night Dessert Menu

STRESS RELIEF • NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING • DETOXIFICATION PROGRAMS 23

• 55 undergraduate majors

• Graduate degrees and e-learning • Adult education

Concordia University Wisconsin 12800 North Lake Shore Drive, Mequon, WI 53097 Toll-free: 1.888.700.8336, 262.243.4300 www.cuw.edu

H I G H E R

L E A R N I N G .

G R E A T E R

. D S A R R E W

milwaukeerep.com

For most Concordia University Wisconsin students it means a transformation that prepares them for lives of service to Christ in the Church and in the world. Discover what a CUW education might mean for you.

Milwaukee Repertory Theater Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex 108 East Wells Street Milwaukee, WI 53202

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