The show opens with aretelling of a folk tale from Genesis as seen through the eyes of Mark Twain inThe Diary of Adam and Eve.Luke Leonhardt plays Adam to GeorginaMcKee’s Eve in a musical short also featuring the talented David Flores in therole of the snake. The three actors take center stage in the other two storiesas well, which feature a prisoner given a rather strange “Let’s Make aDeal”-typescenario in The Lady or the Tiger and the story of achimney sweep who dreams of being an actress in Hollywood in Passionella.
The central cast of Leonhardt,McKee and Flores showcases three different talents. Leonhardt is a remarkablypoised leading man with a flair for comedy. McKee, who appeared in a shortsprogram with In Tandem last year, has shown considerable talent for both dramaand comedy since she started appearing in Milwaukeeproductions. And Flores’ unique theatricalcharisma is no stranger to intimate stages like the Tenth Street Theatre.
The production looks toadd a fresh touch to the 43-year-old musical with new interstitial scenes writtenby playwright Neil Haven. Haven weaves a story about the fairy-tale nature ofthe three musical shorts as a father and mother tell their daughter stories totry to get her to sleep.
TheApple Tree is a collaborative projectwith UW-Milwaukee’s music, theater and dance departments. Ten students are setto form a chorus and play small roles in the production. This collaborationwill provide an opportunity for some very talented students to work withprofessional actors. The students, who have been preparing as understudies forthe major roles, will be featured in those roles in a specially discountedperformance Monday, May 3.
In Tandem’s productionof The Apple Tree runs April 30through May 16 at the Tenth Street Theatre.
