Wed, 3 June 2015
Spirits to Enforce
By Mickle Maher
Directed by Ned O'Reilly and Sara Beth Hahner
Twelve superheroes in their everyday guises hold a telethon to raise money for a production of The Tempest. The complex natures of heroism and villainy are comically explored through overlapping dialogue, unrequited love, and empathy for the everyperson in this literate, funny, moving play by Chicago playwright Mickle Maher. Produced by the folks who brought you Beta Blockers in February, the play will be performed, barnstormer style, at The Goodman Community Center in Madison, Firefly Coffee House in Oregon, Watertower Chop House in Sun Prairie, I'm Board Game Store in Middleton, and Tapit/New Works in Madison. Some venues will offer beverage service and light fare. See leftofleftcenter.com for more details.
Produced by Left of Left Center.
Performances: June 5-14, 2015
Performance Times:
- FRIDAY JUNE 5 7:30 pm Goodman Community Center, 149 Waubesa Street, Madison
- SATURDAY JUNE 6 7:30 pm Firefly Coffeehouse, 114 N Main Street, Oregon
- FRIDAY JUNE 12 7:30 pm Watertower Chop House, 109 W Main Street, Sun Prairie
- SATURDAY JUNE 13 7:30 pm I’m Board game store, 6917 University Avenue, Middleton
- SUNDAY JUNE 14 3:00 pm Tapit/New Works, 1957 Winnebago Street, Madison
Ticket Prices: $10 suggested contribution
Call 608-617-4917 or visit http://www.leftofleftcenter.com/tickets for reservations or more information.
Direct download: Spirits_to_Enforce.mp3
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:00am CDT
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Wed, 27 May 2015
Held
Written by: Kelly Maxwell & Directed by: Kelly Maxwell
Playing: May 29 - June 20
 This dark, dreamy musical is the culmination of Broom Street Theater’s 45th Anniversary season. Three childhood friends, one with extraordinary powers, find themselves trapped in a place where time seems to stand still and the only way out is unthinkable. Traveling on a twisted timeline, Held follows the three as they struggle to grow within the bonds of lifelong friendship and discover what really holds them together. A piano, a cello, and an upright bass accompany the cast through a poetic script and nine hauntingly beautiful original songs.
Held is an original musical created by Kelly Maxwell (book and lyrics) and Meghan Rose (music). It is Maxwell’s directorial debut. These two women have been collaborating musically since 2008 with their band Little Red Wolf (Isthmus Favorite New Band 2009, Madison Magazine Alt/Indie Bronze 2015 ) and theatrically since 2014, when Rose was the Musical Director and Maxwell played the lead role in a wildly successful production of Xanadu: the Broadway Musical at the Bartell Theatre (nominated for 19 Bartell Theatre awards, of which Rose won for Best Music Direction and Maxwell for Best Lead Actress in a Musical).
They first teamed up to write for the stage in April, 2014 for Are We Delicious? Musical Fantasy (http://www.isthmus.com/isthmus/article.php?article=42644) . That project resulted in a 5- minute musical called I Have To, which was the inspiration for Held. They have spent the past year developing the story, the characters, the music, and the world of the show. With just three actors, three musicians, and nine original songs by Meghan Rose, whose songwriting has been called “Smart, strong, poised, delicate and roaring” (Rick Tvedt, Local Sounds Magazine), Held tells a poignant story of childhood friends growing apart in a world where reality is fluid and time can stand still. Presented in Broom Street Theater’s intimate space, Held promises a powerful evening of original musical theatre.
Friday, May 29-Saturday, June 20
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm
Tickets $11, available at Brown Paper Tickets
Advance Tickets for Held can be purchased at Brown Paper Tickets
Direct download: Held.mp3
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:00am CDT
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Wed, 20 May 2015
Work the Act
By Danielle Dresden
Directed by Francisco Torres
Catskill humor meets performance art in this new comedy by Danielle Dresden for TAPIT/new works Ensemble Theater's 30th anniversary season. After a series of comic mishaps get them fired from a gig at the Holiday Inn in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, the Rolling Bag Players try to pass themselves off as an avant-garde theater troupe. Their new show -- "Take the Spanish Civil War... Please!" -- is a raging success, but the players are dissatisfied. They jump at the chance to return to their honest, baggy pants roots and perform as themselves once again.
Produced by TAPIT/new works Ensemble Theater at TAPIT/new works Studio Theater, 1957 Winnebago Street, Madison
Performances: May 28 - June 7, 2015
Performance Times:
Thursday, May 28, Friday, May 29, Saturday, May 30, 7:30 PM
Friday, June 5, Saturday, June 6 (both at 7:30 PM)
Sunday, June 7, 3:00 PM, Performance and Gala Reception following with food.
Ticket Prices: $20 General, $17 Students. June 7th Gala, $30 General.
Call 608-244-2938 for reservations or more information.
Direct download: Work_the_Act.mp3
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:00am CDT
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Wed, 13 May 2015
Broom Street Theater is proud to announce the creation of a new feature of our theater experience: Broom St. Late Night!
Broom Street Late Night is a new series of shows that take place after our main stage shows. These shows are a bit darker, have a sharp edge and a visceral experience. The criteria given to the writers for each show is that they are one hour or less, have a small cast and little or no set. These are limited runs and will only have 6 to 8 performances.
Our Late Night Season contains 3 shows:
The Point of it All – Written by Dan Myers
Boogie After Dark – Written by Rob Matsushita
Basic Help – Written by Ben Clawson
Our first show, The Point of it All, opening April 30th, will run after Doug Reed’s "The Nails" for 8 performances.
The Point of the All is a very dark look into the lives of those caught in the grip of addiction and just how often the things we do for love are often the same things that we are driven to by that disease. A young couple with big dreams discovers that their reality is paid for in the cost of their addictions.
This show features: Alissa Taylor, Bob Moore, John Jajewski, Luke Kokinos and Sara Beth Hahner. Written and Directed by Dan Myers.
Also, during the run, the pre-show show music will be performed by Meghan Rose. Ticket Prices are 9$. If you see both shows, Tickets are 16$.
Direct download: BST_Late_Nite.mp3
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:00am CDT
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Wed, 6 May 2015
Are you ready to ROCK!
Are We Delicious? Musical Rebellion will CRUSH IT
Five righteous Madison rock gods join five outrageous Madison singer/performers for a rock-solid hour of giving it to THE MAN
Can you HANDLE IT?
Where: High Noon Saloon, 701 E. Washington, Madison
When: May 12 & 13 @ 7:00 pm
Admission: $12, cash only
Reservations: http://www.growingshows.com/reservations/
Running time: one hour with intermission
Are We Delicious? is an ensemble of Madison writer/performers/musicians who conceive, write, rehearse and perform an original one-hour show of short plays *and musicals* in a single week. Everyone writes, everyone acts, *everyone sings, everyone plays* and no one can rest until *the upholstered prison of our oppressive society is a SMOKING RUIN*.
Direct download: AWD_MR.mp3
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:00am CDT
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Wed, 29 April 2015
Death Of A Salesman
By Arthur Miller
Directed by Christopher Wolter
“Death Of A Salesman” shares a rightful place on the top rung of the canon of classic American plays and this new production of the play seeks to re-imagine Arthur Miller's unflinching look into the heart of the American Dream for a contemporary audience.
Willy Loman's journey is a painful one, that of an aging salesman and father at the end of his road. Plagued by his own mind and his inability to reconcile his bitter reality with his lofty dreams, Willy struggles against all odds to hold onto dignity in a world which has cast him aside.
In an era supposedly free from ideology, "Death of a Salesman" is more necessary than ever. It is a play about a dream, a dream which we experience as our greatest freedom, yet for the vast majority of us is nothing but a bitter burden, and ultimately, a cruel lie.
Produced by Strollers Theatre at Bartell Theatre's Evjue Stage, 113 E. Mifflin St., Madison
Performances: April 24 - May 16, 2015
Performance Times:
Friday, April 24, 2015 - 7:30pm
Saturday, April 25, 2015 - 7:30pm
Sunday, April 26, 2015 - 2:00pm
Thursday, April 30, 2015 - 7:30pm
Friday, May 1, 2015 - 7:30pm
Saturday, May 2, 2015 - 7:30pm
Wednesday, May 6, 7:30 PM
Thursday, May 7, 2015 - 7:30pm
Friday, May 8, 2015 - 7:30pm
Saturday, May 9, 2015 - 7:30pm
Thursday, May 14, 2015 - 7:30pm
Friday, May 15, 2015 - 7:30pm
Saturday, May 16, 2015 - 2:00pm
Ticket Prices: $20 General, $15 Strollers Members/Students/Seniors
Call 608-661-9696 for reservations or more information.
Direct download: Death_of_a_Salesman.mp3
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:00am CDT
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Wed, 22 April 2015
The Nails
By Doug Reed
Directed by Rob Matsushita
Broom Street Theater is proud to present The Nails, written by Doug Reed ("The Lamentable Tragedie Of Scott Walker", "Nottingham!") and directed by Rob Matsushita ("900", "Civil"). This is a fast-paced corporate fairy tale about love, business, and dismemberment. Also, talking animals.
One cold night, Kella Winter is tossed from her home into a frozen wasteland with only a toy penguin named Xylorc to keep her company. Desperate for shelter, she takes a job with The Corporation - a company entirely composed of talking animals. She fights to keep her mind and body together among evil walruses, sentient copiers, and a vengeful Alexander Graham Bell from an alternate dimension.
It's Lewis Carroll with a desk job. It's Aesop on acid.
The cast of The Nails features a number of longtime Madison stage favorites including Caitlin Robb as Kella Winter, Damon Butler as Xylorc - her stuffed penguin, and Sam White as Ralph Waldo - the walrus from Accounts Receivable who makes their lives miserable.
Rounding out The Corporation are Kate Boomsma as Sandra the Swan, Andrew Miller-Rhoads as John The Badger, and Emmaline Friederichs as Ernestine the Sphinx. Meanshile, in an alternate dimension, Donnonvan Moen as Blackbeard and Benjamin Otto as Alexander Graham Bell work out the problems in their complicated relationship.
Produced by Broom Street Theater at Broom Street Theater, 1119 Williamson Street, Madison
Performances: April 24 - May 16, 2015
Performance Times:
Friday, April 24, 2015 @ 8:00PM
Saturday, April, 25 2015 @ 8:00PM
Thursday, April, 25 2015 @ 8:00PM
Friday, May 1, 2015 @ 8:00PM
Saturday, May 2, 2015 @ 8:00PM
Thursday, May 7, 2015 @ 8:00PM
Friday, May 8, 2015 @ 8:00PM
Saturday, May 9, 2015 @ 8:00PM
Thursday, May 14, 2015 @ 8:00PM
Friday, May 15, 2015 @ 8:00PM
Saturday, May 16, 2015 @ 8:00PM
Ticket Prices: $11, $9 discounted tickets
Call 608-244-8338 for reservations or more information.
Direct download: The_Nails.mp3
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:00am CDT
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Wed, 15 April 2015
My Life is a Sitcom
By Rob Matsushita, Karen Saari, Sunny Schomaker
Directed by Karen Saari
People were asked to enter submissions telling why some aspect of their life may just be great sitcom fodder. Writers chose the top two premises and have written original sitcoms based on them. Composer Andrew Rohn (VO5, Walmartopia) is composing theme songs for each.
The two shows within "My Life is a Sitcom" are “Palmer.” written by Rob Matsushita, about a local cabbie who plays in the Madison Gay Hockey Association. The second is “Band for Life,” by Karen Saari and Sunny Schomaker, about local disco band VO5 as the members juggle the music scene, families and day jobs.
For more information, Karen Saari via e-mail at brokendartplayers@yahoo.com.
Produced by Broken Dart Players at Brink Lounge, 701 East Washington Suite 105, Madison
Performances: April 16-17, 2015
Performance Times:
Thu. April 16 @ 7:30 p.m.
Fri. April 17 @ 7:30 p.m.
Ticket Prices: $15 at the door. Or purchase online at thebrinklounge.com
Call for reservations or more information.
Direct download: My_Life_is_a_Sitcom.mp3
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:00am CDT
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Wed, 1 April 2015
Deliciously Queer
Directed by Suzan Kurry, William Bolz, Dana Pellebon & Sean Langenecker
StageQ, Inc., partners with the creators of Are We Delicious? to present Deliciously Queer, a show written and staged in a mere 7 days. Deliciously Queer will feature pieces inspired by two compelling subjects in the queer experience: Coming Out and Commitment. Who doesn’t have a coming out story or an opinion about commitments in the queer community? Join us to see how those stories come together, unfold, and simply make you laugh.
Delicious Ensemble Theatre is a simple, exhilarating ensemble theatre project where a small group of daredevil writers and performers conceive, write, rehearse, and perform an original one-hour show of short plays in a single week. Everyone writes, everyone acts, and no one can rest until the final curtain!
Produced by StageQ at Bartell Theatre's Evjue Stage, 113 E. Mifflin St., Madison
Performances: March 22 - April 11, 2015
Performance Times: TBA
Ticket Prices: TBA
Call TBA for reservations or more information.
Direct download: DQ.mp3
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:00am CDT
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Wed, 25 March 2015
Bare: A Pop Musical
By Jon Hartmere, Jr and Damon Intrabartolo
Directed by Steve Noll
"Bare" is a rock musical with a book by Jon Hartmere, Jr. and Damon Intrabartolo, lyrics by Hartmere and music by Intrabartolo. The story focuses on two gay high school students and their struggles at their private, Catholic boarding school. The show has been compared to Spring Awakening or Rent with a modern rock score and dealing with issues such as sexual identity, drug abuse, teen suicide and self-image.
Produced by Mercury Players Theater at Bartell Theater's Drury Stage, 113 E. Mifflin St. , Madison
Performances: March 20 - April 7, 2015
Performance Times: Thu: 7:30pm, Fri & Sat 8pm, Sun (March 29) 2pm
Ticket Prices: $20.
Call 608-661-9696 for reservations or more information.
Direct download: Bare.mp3
Category: general
-- posted at: 7:00am CDT
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This dark, dreamy musical is the culmination of Broom Street Theater’s 45th Anniversary season. Three childhood friends, one with extraordinary powers, find themselves trapped in a place where time seems to stand still and the only way out is unthinkable. Traveling on a twisted timeline, Held follows the three as they struggle to grow within the bonds of lifelong friendship and discover what really holds them together. A piano, a cello, and an upright bass accompany the cast through a poetic script and nine hauntingly beautiful original songs.