It's been a busy, busy month and it's about to get even busier. Six shows open this weekend . . . here's a quick look at what's new in and around the stages of greater Milwaukee in and around the Autumnal Equinox:
Actually, due to Boulevard Theatre's characteristically distinctive schedule, their first show of the new season opened last evening. Life (x) 3. This particular foray into intimate social affairs tells the same story of the same four people trying to get through an uncomfortable evening in three different ways. There is a theory which states that there are an infinite number of variations on any moment existing out there in the ether of parallel dimensions. (My wife still feels kind of weird about what might have happened to her had she locked her keys in the car years ago.) This play covers a little bit of that. It's the same situation played out in triplicate--if things are done in three different ways, how do people relate to each other? The premise universal to all: two couples get together for a dinner date. It's a fun premise that should be even more fun in the intimate space of the Boulevard Theatre. Rahcel Lewandowski and Jamieson Hawkins, who have appeared in a number of shows over the past few years are joined by relative newcomers JoeDrilling and Siddhartha Valicharla. (This is Drilling's Boulevard debut. Varlicharla showed-up in Premiere and Almost, Maine with the Boulevard before.)
Boulevard's Life (x) 3 runs through October 14th at Boulevard's space on 2250 South Kinnickinnic. For tickets, please call 414-744-5757.
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Youngblood Theatre presents [SIC].
The company continues its unstated mission to use every square inch of space that isn't an established stage continues as it brings this one to Bucketworks on 706 South 5th Street. The title of Melissa James Gibson's play comes from that subtle little textual announcement that whatever happens in the accompanying text is transcribed exactly as it had appeared. And so everything in this play is an attempt to show people verbatim. Three people to be precise. Sounds like a fun exercise if handled right. If it's NOT handled right, it might end up coming off as unpalatably experimental as Warhol's A: A Novel. Gibson's not looking to show an unedited day in the life of three people so much as she's looking to show three people with all of their inconsistencies at that point between college and the rest of one's life when things are very uneven. At least, that's what I'm getting from it right now. An actually review of the actual performance will run here tomorrow.
All stuffy background material aside, this looks like a fun group of people to hang out with for the better part of 90 minutes with no intermission. Tess Cinpinski has a poise and grace about her in flawed roles that's fun to watch. Benjamin James Wilson is a writer who also acts--an actor who also writes. There's an interesting kind of dynamic seeing that play out onstage. Talking to the man offstage, I always sensed that he should perhaps be directed back to the stage at some point, so his addition to the cast here should be enjoyable. Not quite as familiar with the rest of the cast, which includes James Boylan, Anna Figlesthaler and Matt Koester. Jason Economus directs. Economus made memorable turns onstage before as an actor, most notably in Bialystock and Bloom's production of Zoo Story some time ago. The man clearly has a clever grasp of character work present onstage. It'll be interesting seeing a cast that he's directed work its way through this piece, which is part comedy and part drama.
Youngblood's staging of [SIC] opens tonight and runs through October 5th. For ticket reservations in advance, visit Brown Paper Tickets.com.
Also opening tonight: the premiere of Dale Gutzman's A Man Like Hong Kong. David Roper plays a secret agent whho has been ordered to kill another secret agent. The only catch: the secret agent he's been ordered to kill is himself. He's a double agent, you see . . . hopelessly couple, but it should be a lot of fun. The show runs September 20th through 30th in the intimate space of the Off The Wall Theatre on 127 East Wells Street. For ticket reservations, call 414-327-3552.
Skylight Music Theatre opens its season this weekend as well. The Sesame Street for Adults musical Avenue Q. can be a lot of fun. Skylight has found a great cast for it including Kate McCann, Tiffany Cox, Rick Pendzich and Alison Mary Forbes. Hard to believe that the musical in question has already been around for a little less then a decade . . . but given that there's a song in there about a mix tape and there are various other slightly older cultural references in there, I guess it makes sense.
The puppets used 9 years ago are the puppets that are used now. Recently Jogn Tartaglia, who originated the roles of Princeton and Rod visited the Skylight cast and spent 3 days with them giving them workshops on working the puppets. This is one of those musicals that inspires that kind of dedication. It's a fun show with a lot of fun characters. (My personal favorites are the Bad Idea Bears.) If you're from Generation X and you haven't seen this one, it's worth going. This is one of those iconic stage shows that helps define an era of musical theatre. It's well worth checking out.
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Skylight's production of Avenue Q opens Friday and runs through October 14th at the Broadway Theatre Center. For ticket reservations, visit the Skylight online.
Also opening tomorrow, Whitefish Bay's venerable community theatre group The Bay Players will be opening their production of the Marc Camoletti comedy Boeing Boeing. The '60s bedroom farce about a man involved with many women has always been popular, but a recent 2008 Broadway production generated a few awards…including one for Whitefish Bay native Mark Rylance. Here the Bay Players do their tribute to mid-twentieth-century farce in a production with a full cast directed by Raymond Bradford.
The Bay Players' Boeing Boeing runs September 21st through 29th at Whitefish Bay High School Auditorium on 120 East Fairmount Avenue. For more information, call 414-299-9040.
Also opening tomorrow night is Reconstructing Grimm's first live-action play. The dramatic photo project finds live performance in an all-new Sherlock Holmes start written by director/costumer Liz Shipe. At only 9 performances, ticket sales have been brisk for Grimm's first play. A couple of performances have sold out. The audience acts as the Baker Street Irregulars who end up helping Holmes through another mystery. That's Michael Tranyor in costume in the title role above.
Sherlock Holmes and the Most Irregular Tea Party runs September 21st through October 14th. For ticket reservations in advance, visit the Brumder Mansion online.
NEXT WEEK: uhh . . . six or seven shows open up next week. Wow. Welcome to the new theatre season. . .
