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Curtain Goes Up On Local Theater Season
by Bob
Lowe
September 16, 2005
Summer
is fast fading. The crisp chill of fall is in the air.
The NFL regular season is underway. Are you ready for some
... theater?
That’s
right. In addition to the start of the National Football
League season, September also is the time local theater
companies unveil their upcoming Broadway shows, concerts,
comedic performers, dance troupes, choral offerings and symphonic
productions for the season. After all, with the weather getting
colder, many area residents head indoors to find entertainment.
Following are some of the offerings on local stages:
FOX CITIES PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, APPLETON
Comedian George Carlin is the lead-off heavy hitter at
the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton. The sharp-tongued
comic will put on shows at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the
PAC. Tickets are $48. Call 920-730-3760 for reservations.
The Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 2005-2006
season at the PAC with a performance featuring violinist
Miriam Fried at 7 p.m. Oct. 1.
Other
concerts for the Symphony season include performances with
bass trombonist Chris Brubeck (Oct. 21), The Nutcracker
(Dec. 2 & 3), Lawrence University pianist Michael Kim
(Jan. 27), cellist Deanna Talens (March 4) and "Ellis
Island: The Dream of America" (April 29-30), which will
involve an innovative multimedia format featuring actors
and projected historical images from the Ellis Island archives.
Patrick
Cassidy heads a Broadway lineup in the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim
Rice production of "Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat" Oct. 4-9 at Thrivent Financial
Hall. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $34-$64.
The
PAC’s Arts Alive! season, which this year promises
to bring "thrills and chills," begins at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday Oct. 11, with Opera Verdi Europa’s "Barber
of Seville," Rossini’s famous comic opera about
two suitors trying to win the heart of beautiful Rosina.
Tickets are $25-$35.
Next
up will be Wisconsin’s\ American Players Theatre,
which will bring its production of "Macbeth" at
7:30 p.m. Oct. 14. Tickets are $25.
The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra will take to the stage at 7:30
p.m. Saturday Oct. 15. A dance floor will be set up in front
of the stage, allowing for a limited number of couples to
dance to the big band tunes of the WWII era. Tickets are
$18-$28.
The final show in the series is the second annual Fox Cities
Choral Festival at 7 p.m. Oct 25. More than 150 students
from Appleton High School-East, Hortonville and Neenah will
showcase their vocal talents before being led in a breathtaking
finale by guest conductor James Rodde from Iowa State University.
Tickets are $9 and $12.
The St. Olaf Orchestra will make an appearance at Thrivent
Financial Hall at 3:30 p.m. Sunday Oct. 16. Tickets are $10-$20.
Because
of an illness in his family, actor Hal Linden has pulled
out of the touring production of "Tuesdays With
Morrie," set for the PAC Nov. 8-13. Replacing him will
be Harold Gould, who has appeared in such movies as "The
Sting" and the TV series "Rhoda." Pop pianist
Lorie Line and her Pop Chamber Orchestra will present "My
Favorite Things" holiday concert at 8 p.m. Saturday
Nov. 19. Tickets are $29 to $49.50.
The
PAC also announced that two of Broadway’s most
popular shows, "Rent" and "Cat", will
be coming to the PAC next year. "Rent" will be
presented Feb. 24-25 and "Cats" is booked for May
2-7. Other upcoming shows in the Signature Series Broadway
schedule are "Little Women" and "Annie." In
addition to "Rent," the Spotlight Series package
also includes "Stomp" and " Riverside."
For more information, go to www.foxcitiespac.com.
WEIDNER
CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, GREEN BAY Calling its upcoming
2005-2006 season "diverse and adventurous," the
Weidner Center is presenting three new touring musicals developed
specifically for local audiences and a long list of other
exciting comedy, concert, theater, family entertainment and
world music events.
"The Weidner Center is stepping up its customer service
with the launch of a new ticketing system to increase efficiency
and make it even easier for customers to receive the personal
attention they deserve," said Joi Brown, general manager.
The Siegel-Schwall Blues Band will perform at 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 15-17 in the Fort Howard Hall Cabaret. A special matinee
performance is schedule for 4 p.m. Saturday at the Jr. Blues
Club. Tickets are $28 for the cabaret show and $12 for the
blues. Call 1-800-328-8587.
Next
are Natalie MacMaster and Sam Bush, who will appear at
7:30 p.m. Sept. 24. Tickets are $24-$39. Cary Hoffman will
present his one-man show, "My Sinatra: The Songs
and The Stories," at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Thursday
Sept. 29, with songs such as "Under My Skin," "Luck
Be A Lady" and "World on a String." Tickets
are $20 to $31.
Khaki
King, a solo guitarist/composer, will perform at 7:30 p.m.
Friday Sept. 30 at the Fort Howard Hall Cabaret. Tickets
are $28. The Parsons Dance Company will be presented at
7:30 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 4 in the Weidner’s main auditorium.
Concert
pianist Awadagin Pratt will perform with the Green Bay
Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Saturday Oct. 8. Tickets
are $22 to $40. "Blast!," comprised of 37 brass,
percussion and visual performers, is booked for 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday Oct. 12. Tickets are $29 to $45.
Celtic Woman, a 5-member Irish vocal ensemble, will perform
at 7:30 p.m. Thursday Oct. 20. Tickets are $39-$49. The 16-member
New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of trumpeter
Irvin Mayfield, takes to the stage at 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Oct. 22. Tickets area $20-$31.
Wayne
Brady, one of the funniest actors on TV who does hilarious
improvisational antics, is booked for 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Oct. 29. Tickets are $46 to $57. Roald Dahl’s
Willy Wonka will bring the delightful musical featuring live
actors and puppets at 4 p.m. Nov. 13. Tickets are $12-$19
for adults, $9-$13 for children 13 and under.
TV
actor Ed Asner ("Lou Grant"), James Cromwell
and Marsha Mason will be interviewed by the Weidner Center
executive director David Fleming in "Stories With the
Stars of L.A. Theatre Works" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday Nov.
17 in the Fort. Howard Hall. Tickets are $20. The trio also
will appear in "The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial" at
7:30 p.m. Saturday Nov. 19. Tickets will range from $28 to
$41.
The
group known as "Four Bitchin’ Babes" will
perform at 7:30 p.m. Sunday Nov. 20, in a "Women’s
Night" show during the hunting season.
Sandy
Wilson’s "The Boy Friend," directed
by Julie Andrews, will present the spoof of 1920s musical
comedy at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday Nov. 29-Dec. 4, with a
2 p.m. matinee. Tickets are $38-$61.
Jazz
vocalist Dianne Reeves will be featured in a "Christmas
Time Is Here" concert at 7:30 p.m. Sunday Dec. 11. Tickets
are $22 to $35. Anne Murray, a world-class singer who has
sold more than 40 million recordings, will headline the "What
A Wonderful Christmas" show scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday Dec. 12-13. Tickets are $47 to $60.
Nebraska
Theatre Caravan will present "A Christmas
Carol," at 7 p.m. Thursday Dec. 15. Tickets are $20
to $31. "A Scottish Christmas," featuring award-winning
fiddler Bonnie Rideout, is set for 7:30 p.m. Sunday Dec.
18. Tickets are $22 to $35. Lorie Line and Her Pop Chamber
Orchestra appear at 8 p.m. Friday Dec. 23. Tickets are $29
to $49.50.
Also
scheduled at the Weidner is "Sex and the Second
City" (Jan. 10-15); Eileen Ivers, the preeminent exponent
of the Irish fiddle (Jan. 19); American Indian Dance Theatre
(Jan. 26); "Clifford the Big Red Dog, Live!" (Jan.
29); The Will Rogers Follies (Feb. 7-12); King’s Singers
(Feb. 14); Rani Arbos and Daisy Mayhem (Feb. 16); Peking
Acrobats (Feb. 18); The Three Musketeers, presented by the
Acting Company (Feb. 19); acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma (March
2); Arlo Guthrie’s Alice’s Restaurant 40th Anniversary
Massacree Tour (March 3); The Ten Tenors (March 11); jazz
violinist Randy Sabien and guitarist Mike Dowling (March
17); Jimmy Bosch with the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra under
the direction of Bridget Michaele-Reischl (March 25); Charlie
Ross’s "One Man Star Wars Trilogy" (March
28); "An Evening with Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood" (April
8); Peter Mulvey (April 13); "Animal Farm, a musical
with puppets by George Orwell. (April 23); Mark O’Conner’s
Appalachia Waltz Trio (April 29) and "Vamps: An Evening
With Bebe Neuwirth" (May 6). For information, visit www.weidnercenter.com.
MEYER THEATRE, GREEN BAY
A
musical comedy about women going through a midlife crisis,
adventures around the world with a computer whiz and a
Christmas take on "Late Night Catechism" are
among the shows booked for the Meyer Theatre, 117 S. Washington
St., in downtown Green Bay.
The
seven shows are "We’re Still Hot! – The
Musical," set for 7:30 p.m.
Sept.
27-Oct. 1 and 3 p.m. Oct. 1; "Four Stand Up
Dads," 7:30 p.m. Oct.
28; "Googlewhack Adventure" set
for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8-12, with a 3 p.m.
performance
at 3 p.m. Nov. 12; "Sister’s Christmas
Catechism," 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6-10 and 13-17; Chris Botti,
8 p.m. Jan. 19; "The Wonder Bread Years," 7:30
p.m. April 4-8, plus 3 p.m. April 8 and "NEWSical The
Musical," 8 p.m. May 4-6.
Season
tickets for the seven shows can be purchased for $199 or
$125 for a "Pick 4" package. The deadline
date for orders is Sept. 27.
Reservations can be made by logging into www.ticketstaronline.com or
by calling Ticket Star by phone at 1-800-895-0071.
GRAND OPERA HOUSE, OSHKOSH
The
Grand Opera House kicks off its fall season with the American
Players Theatre presentation of "Falstaff:
Anatomy of a Character," at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday Oct.
12. Tickets are $10 for students and $12.50 for adults.
The
Glenn Miller Orchestra is slated for two performances at
2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday Oct. 15. Tickets are $20-$32.
This will be followed by "The Mystical Arts of Tibet" at
7:30 p.m. Wednesday Oct. 26, with tickets going for $18-$29.
"A Grand Night In Italy," featuring
Andy LoRusso and soprano Joyce Andrews, will put on a special
performance with cocktail and food at the Reeve Memorial
Union Ballroom at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh at
6:30 p.m. Saturday Oct. 29. Tickets are $75 each or $700
for a table of 8 (higher packages are also available).
Jim
Moore and his high-energy Animal Band is booked for 2 p.m.
Saturday Nov. 19. Tickets are $9 to $21. Dougie MacLean,
the Scottish superstar fiddler, will appear in concert at
7:30 p.m. Sunday Nov. 13. Tickets range from $15 to $28.
Steffon Harris & Blackout will take to the stage at 7:30
p.m. Thursday Dec. 1. Tickets are $25-$38.
The
Eclectic Arts Ensemble, Inc., will present "A
Christmas Story" at 7:30 p.m. Friday Dec. 16, 2 and
7:30 p.m. Saturday Dec. 17 and 2 p.m.
Dec.
18. Tickets are $9 to $18. Missoula Children’s
Theatre will present "Robin Hood" at 3 and 7 p.m.
Jan. 14, with tickets selling for $9-$13.
The Special Consensus, a four-member acoustic bluegrass
band, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27. Tickets are $15
to $28.
Also
coming up are Windwood Theatricals National Tour of "I
Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change," (Feb. 17-18,
2006); Comedy and Pet Theater With Gregory Popovich (March
10), Aoife Clancy (March 18), Capitol City Opera presentation
of Mozart’s "Cosi Fan Tutte" (March 31),
The Alley Cats doo-wop group (April 29), the Smothers Brothers
Show with special guest Yo-Yo Man (May 6) and Mad Chad Taylor, "The
Evel Knievel of Comedy" who performs with three running
chain saws (May 13).
FINE ARTS THEATER, MENASHA
The University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley in Menasha has announced
three productions for the 2005-2006 school theater season.
"The Diviners" by
Jim Leonard, Jr., is a story set in the Depression era
about a young boy with the gift of divining and a preacher.
Performances are set for Nov. 10-12 and 17-19.
"Love! Valour! Compassion!" by
Terrence McNally is a stage reading that explores love
relationships among eight men over the course of three
summer weekends at a Dutchess County farmhouse. The show,
meant for mature audiences, will be Feb. 9-12.
"Assassins," by
John Weidner and Stephen Sondheim, is a musical about the
meeting of nine people from different historical periods
who assassinated or wished to assassinate an American president.
Show dates are Feb. 9-12. Tickets are $9 for adults $7
for students and $5 for UW-Fox students. All performances
will be in held in the Fine Arts Theatre at UW-Fox Valley,
1478 Midway Road, Menasha. Call 920-832-2647 or e-mail
srabideau@uwc.edu.
For
comments or questions, contact boblowe@juno.com or
by phone at (920)-731-4603.
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