FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Cindy Moran, Public Relations Director, 414-224-1761 May 10, 2007 MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER PROUDLY Artistic Director Joseph Hanreddy has announced Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s 2007/08 season for the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, Stiemke Theater and Stackner Cabaret. The upcoming season is a captivating collection of plays that range from romantic classics like CYRANO DE BERGERAC, to the Broadway award-winning play DOUBT, to the Stackner Cabaret all-time favorite, HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP. The Quadracci Powerhouse Theater will begin with a full-scale staging of one of the theaters most beloved and affecting works, CYRANO DE BERGERAC, directed by Sanford Robbins. For over a century this soaring story of passion, honor, romance and the heartbreak of unrequited love has celebrated the optimism and resilience of the human spirit like no other. Resident Acting Company Member Lee E. Ernst will play the title role of the romantic swordsman/poet. Following this celebration of grand heroic gesture will be the most acclaimed Broadway play of the 21st century, John Patrick Shanley’s DOUBT. Cunningly and intelligently written, DOUBT poses provocative moral questions when a strong-minded nun suspects a priest of having an inappropriate relationship with a student. DOUBT will be directed by returning favorite Rep director, J.R.Sullivan. Resident Actors Laura Gordon and Brian Vaughn square off in the two principal roles. THE NORMAN CONQUESTS, a hilarious three-play romp, comes to the Quadracci Powerhouse this holiday season. The hysterical absurdity of this play sets itself during a quiet weekend in the country, but turns chaotic when Norman, a charming assistant librarian, schemes to take a holiday with his wife’s sister. Resident Acting Company Member Gerard Neugent will play the title role alongside fellow members Lee E. Ernst, Laura Gordon, Deb Staples and Torrey Hanson. The next half of the season begins with David Mamet’s GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, directed by Kate Buckley. Ms. Buckley returns to The Rep after having directed this season’s critically-acclaimed production of FROZEN. Harrowing, moving and amusing, the play stands up as one of America’s most truthful and insightful works about commerce and contains some of Mamet’s most corrupt, indelible characters. American Player’s Theatre veteran James DeVita will join The Rep as the prince of salesmen, Ricky Roma, and Rep Resident Actor Peter Silbert will play Shelly “The Machine” Levine, whose number one goal is to “Get them to sign on the line that is dotted!” THE NIGHT IS A CHILD, a fascinating new play by Charles Randolph-Wright, will be the fifth production in the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater. Harriet, a mother who lost her son in a horrific act of violence, runs away from home to find respite and courage in her “dreamland,” Brazil. Mixed with fantasy and realism, and fueled by the lilting sounds of Brazilian Sergio Mendes, this glorious new drama takes us on a journey of discovery, forgiveness and understanding in the land of the samba. Resident Actor Lanise Antoine Shelley will be featured in this production. The sixth and final production in the 07/08 Quadracci Powerhouse Theater season will be Jeffrey Hatcher’s ARMADALE. Mr. Hatcher is the author of past Rep productions WORK SONG and THE TURN OF THE SCREW. This tale of deception, inherited curses, romantic rivalries and murder is a world premiere adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ sensational Victorian novel. Brian Vaughn will play the title role of the rich, charming and all-too-trusting Allan Armadale, and Deb Staples will scheme to undo him as Lydia Gwilt. Edward Albee’s inventive and highly engaging comic fantasy, SEASCAPE, will kick off the 07/08 Stiemke Theater season. This play centers on the unexpected meeting of two couples on a deserted beach: an older, on-the-verge-of-retirement couple and a younger, still evolving couple. Rep Resident Company Member Laura Gordon will direct this production and will feature Resident Company Members James Pickering and Mark Corkins. The Stiemke Theater’s second production, ENCHANTING APRIL, is a delightful story set during post WWI that features a pair of conventional English wives, with conventionally inattentive English husbands, who work up the gumption to escape the dreary London winter by renting a wisteria-laden villa in Portofino. This uplifting tale of love, hope and rejuvenation is a perfect fit for the talents of The Rep’s Resident Company and will feature Laura Gordon, Deb Staples, Rose Pickering, Brian Vaughn, Gerard Neugent and Torrey Hanson. The Stiemke season will close with the all-too-seldom produced ENDGAME. Samuel Beckett’s post-modern theatrical masterpiece takes a biting look at the end (and beginning?) of the world through the eyes of Hamm and Clov and reminds us that life is forever cyclical. Lee E. Ernst, Mark Corkins, Laura Gordon and Torrey Hanson are excited to work again with acclaimed Irish director Ben Barnes, who has directed recent shimmering productions of A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY and TRANSLATIONS at The Rep. Next season the Stackner Cabaret will feature four fun and varied musical treats. Faithful Cabaret collaborator Roger Bean is working on LIFE CAN BE A DREAM, set in the doo-wop era of the mid-’50s, a fertile, pre-British Invasion time in American music when The Teenagers, The Moonglows, The Chords, The Platters, The Heartbeats and The Crew Cuts all sang with a pure sound and universal lyrics about love that came in three flavors: unrequited, lost and found. The ever-welcome Carolynne Warren will light up the holidays with an all-new show, CAROLIN’ CAROLYNNE’S COMIN’ TO TOWN. This show is full of rollicking tunes and a delightful cast of kooky characters will be performed by a one-of-a-kind entertainer! Kevin Ramsey’s GRAFTON CITY BLUES will light up the Stackner Cabaret for the third production for the 07/08 season. The setting takes place in Grafton, Wisconsin, where from 1929 to 1932 Paramount Studios cut some of the finest blues records ever made by artists that included Louis Armstrong, Ma Rainey, Alberta Hunter and Lawrence Welk. To cap off the Stackner season, audiences are going to shake, rattle and roll with the return of the Stackner Cabaret’s #1 hit show of all time: HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP. Staying faithful to a three decade-long tradition, The Rep will once more perform the uplifting and ageless tale of the triumph of grace and goodness in A CHRISTMAS CAROL. The production features not only Dickens’ magical story, but beautifully sung arrangements of the most affecting music written for the season. This year, Resident Acting Company Member James Pickering will be revisiting the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. The classic and beloved Christmas tale will once again take place in the beautifully restored Pabst Theater. Subscriptions to the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater (6 plays), Stiemke Theater (3 plays) and Stackner Cabaret (4 plays) range in price from $42 to $300. Flex Passes, good for six admissions to any Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, Stiemke Theater or Stackner Cabaret performances are available for $291 (valid any time) and $222 (valid Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday). Subscriptions are now available at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater Ticket Office, 108 E. Wells Street, or by phone at 414-224-9490. Single tickets for the 07/08 season will go on sale Monday, August 20. For more information, or to receive a free brochure, call The Rep Ticket Office. Information and subscription sales are also available on The Rep’s Web site at: milwaukeerep.com. Subscriber Benefits
Priority on tickets to A CHRISTMAS CAROL
SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION SERIES Theater Thursdays Early Bird Tuesday Smoke-Free Sunday Matinee Family Sunday Matinees Audio-Described Performance Interpreted Performance Captioned Theater Performance Milwaukee Repertory Theater 07/08 Season Quadracci Powerhouse Theater CYRANO DE BERGERAC Previews: September 5 – 6, 2007 What is this thing called love? For over a century this soaring story of passion, honor, romance and the heartbreak of unrequited love has celebrated the optimism and resilience of the human spirit like no other. Resident Acting Company member Lee E. Ernst will take on the title role of the flamboyant swordsman and poet in a production that brings the full epic sweep of Rostand’s vision of courtship in the age of chivalry to the Quadracci Powerhouse stage. DOUBT Previews: October 17 – 18, 2007 Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and four Tony Awards, including Best Play. A strong-minded nun in a Bronx Catholic school suspects a charismatic priest of having an inappropriate relationship with a student. Is Sister Aloysius’ relentless quest to expose Father Flynn a search for the truth – or a personal vendetta? DOUBT is a cleverly written, gripping story with twists that will keep you enthralled to the final moments. THE NORMAN CONQUESTS Previews: December 2, 5 & 7 2007 This hilarious three-play romp makes its highly-anticipated return to The Rep this holiday season in an all-new production! A quiet weekend in the country turns to havoc when Norman, a charming assistant librarian, schemes to take a holiday with his wife’s sister. The wild antics of Norman and his oddball in-laws will have you in hysterics, whether you view them from the dining room, the sitting room or the garden. (Note: Season subscribers will see one of THE NORMAN CONQUESTS three plays as part of their 6-play season package. A subscriber offer with extraordinary savings will be available beginning in August.) GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS Previews: January 30 – 31, 2008 “Get them to sign on the line that is dotted!” That’s what life is all about for the salesman in David Mamet’s harrowing portrait of American capitalism at its most brazen. Before Survivor, and before The Apprentice, there was Ricky Roma and Shelly “The Machine” Levine, struggling to win respect on the job and to earn their keep in a cutthroat world. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Contains Adult Language. THE NIGHT IS CHILD Previews: March 12 – 13, 2008 Harriet, a mother who lost her son in a horrific act of violence, runs away from home to find respite and courage in her “dreamland,” Brazil. Mixed with fantasy and realism, and fueled by the lilting sounds of Brazilian Sergio Mendes, this glorious new drama takes us on a journey of discovery, forgiveness and understanding in the land of the samba. ARMADALE Previews: April 23 – 24, 2008 A world premiere adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ sensational Victorian novel. A deathbed request leads to the most gripping of intrigues in this tale of deception, inherited curses, romantic rivalries and murder. In the center of it all is the mysterious and beautiful Lydia Gwilt, one of the most hardened, and most fascinating, female villains in literature. Stiemke Theater Edward Albee’s SEASCAPE Winner of Pulitzer Prize for Drama, this comic fantasy centers of the unexpected meeting of two couples on a deserted beach. The older couple are long married and on the threshold of retirement. Their counterparts are much younger and still evolving. Discover the lighter side of the writer of WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?, A DELICATE BALANCE and THE GOAT, OR WHO IS SYLVIA? ENCHANTED APRIL Previews: February 8 – 9, 2008 Chilly and rain-soaked London in the aftermath of WWI is as cheerless and grey to Rose and Lotty as their musty marriages. What better remedy than arranging a “ladies only” holiday to a sunlit, flowering Italian villa perched above the Mediterranean? This uplifting tale of love, hope and rejuvenation is sure to delight. ENDGAME Previews: March 21 – 22, 2008 Within the death of one thing is the birth of another. Samuel Beckett’s post-modern theatrical masterpiece takes a biting look at the end (and beginning?) of the world through the eyes of Hamm and Clov and reminds us that life is forever cyclical. A CHRISTMAS CAROL Preview: November 23, 2007 – 2:00 p.m. For 32 years, A CHRISTMAS CAROL has been Milwaukee’s best-loved family tradition and longest-running holiday production! This highly acclaimed production combines traditional Christmas carols, magnificent costumes, and memorable characters with Dickens’ timeless Christmas tale. Rep Resident Company Actor Jim Pickering returns to the role of Scrooge. Don’t miss this Milwaukee favorite that is sure to be a memorable holiday experience for the whole family! LIFE COULD BE A DREAM In a long line of Stackner Cabaret hits, (WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE?, THE ANDREWS BROTHERS, LANA MAE’S HONKY TONK LAUNDRY, THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES, WINTER WONDERETTES, THAT’S AMORÉ, DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL! and ROUTE 66), Roger Bean returns with another sure-fire hit musical comedy. This one's a ’50s doo-wop musical romp. CAROLIN’ CAROLYNNE’S COMIN’ TO TOWN Preview: November 9, 2007 Stackner favorite songstress Carolynne Warren is back in town and coming to the Cabaret over the holiday season. You won’t want to miss this show full of rollicking tunes and a delightful cast of kooky characters all brought to you by a one-of-a-kind performer! GRAFTON CITY BLUES Preview: January 11, 2008 In Grafton, Wisconsin, during the time of the Great Depression, there was a small recording studio in an old chair factory. Louis Armstrong, Alberta Hunter, Lawrence Welk and even Jimmie O’Bryant’s Famous Original Washboard Band recorded folk, gospel and blues music for Paramount Records in that studio. This exuberant musical celebration of the popular music of the time is sure to enchant and entertain. HULA HOOP SHA-BOOP Preview: March 14, 2008 Get those Poodle skirts ready! Audiences are going to shake, rattle and roll with the return of the Stackner Cabaret #1 hit show of all time. Featuring over a decade of favorites, this fun-loving, sock-hopping blast from the past will be the hottest ticket in town! SPECIAL BONUS PRODUCTION – Stiemke Theater THE BACHELORS January 15 – 27, 2008 Two thirty-something bachelors inhabit a cave-like apartment in Madison, Wisconsin basking in a blissful state of extended adolescence. One night, they innocently order out for pizza, never expecting the delivery girl is the reincarnation of a woman they both wronged in a previous lifetime. Welcome to THE BACHELORS. This entertaining musical is the final installment of a musical trilogy that includes GUYS ON ICE and LUMBERJACKS IN LOVE. All three musicals center on men who live in a state of suspended adolescence. Why grow up when you can hang out with your buddies in a fish shanty or lumber shanty or bachelor pad? In all three musicals, an idyllic bachelor world is threatened by the twin evils of love and responsibility. THE BACHELORS will go on tour from January 31 – March 2 in these cities: Baraboo, Wausau, Manitowoc, Stoughton, Wisconsin Rapids, Eau Claire, Ladysmith, Eagle River, Oshkosh, Hartford, South Milwaukee, La Crosse, Cedarburg, Madison and Platteville. For more information about THE BACHELORS tour go to: www.milwaukeerep.com/season/bachtour/ TO ORDER 07/08 SEASON TICKETS OR FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL THE REP TICKET
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