Wicked, the musical, whizzes into town this week, and bringswith it 450,000 pounds of equipment and a company of 55 people. The personnelinclude cast, production managers, stagehands and other backstage support. Byfar the biggest production imported this season, the show will feature anorchestra of 20 pit musicians, nine of them hired locally.
“The Uihlein stage of theMarcus Centermust be completely stripped of lights, curtains and every other movable fixtureto make room for Wicked,” says Heidi Lofy, vice president of sales &marketing at the Marcus Center. “The load-in willemploy nearly 100 workers, most of them local hires, working in 12-hour shiftsto ready the show for the July 14 premiere. The only other imported productionthat comes close to this is Phantom oftheOpera, when the steelstructure of the hall needed to be reinforced to support the show's chandelier.”
The trucks arrive onMonday morning, and the sets, props and costumes are unloaded and ready to goby Wednesday evening's performance. There are so much backstage requirementsthat the Todd Wehr stage, normally the home of First Stage Theater, is draftedinto use as a dressing and costume room. The exterior of the building will alsobe transformed, with a month of green lights reflected upon the Marcus Center'stravertine marble.
The company will remainin Milwaukeefor four full weeks, a financial benefit for the city through rented hotelrooms, cars and restaurants. Wicked arrives from Houston,and then packs up for Columbusin mid-August.
During the run, the Marcus Centerhas arranged a “Community Day” where 200 low-income kids will receive ticketsto the July 15 matinee and meet with the cast following the performance. Also,members of the Wicked cast will open a Brewers game with the nationalanthem.
The MarcusCenter is a non-profit entity of Milwaukee County. “We offer the Broadway series asa way to subsidize affordable rent to our resident groups such as the MilwaukeeSymphony, Ballet and Florentine Opera,” says Lofy.
Plans are underway toschedule the 2011/12 Broadway line up. Explains Lofy, “Next season we will havearound 20-25 shows from which to choose. Naturally, everything depends onavailability. Not every show that plays the Great White Way goes on the road, as only20% of Broadway productions recoup their start-up costs. For those shows thatare considered financially viable for touring, a cast is selected and a basictravel itinerary is planned. This year we really wanted to offer In theHeights, but the show's availability and our schedule didn't mesh. We alsolooked at bringing TheAddams Family, but both the New York and the Chicagoproductions garnered tepid reviews. When planning a season, we also considerwhat has already played in Milwaukee,the content, and of course the quality of the show.”
As for this currentseason, everything is set in stone. Young Frankenstein is the seasonopener in November, an impressive production with big sets. Following isa Milwaukeefavorite, and the ultimate feel good musical, Mamma Mia. “This is thefifth time we are presenting Mamma Mia, and every seat will sell out,”says Lofy. ” This is the one show where people come back year after year.” Next is Hair, a production that started in New York Central Park,transferred to Broadway and is now touring the country. “It's a great show, onethat the audience is encouraged to participate both on stage and off,” saysLofi. A new production of Les Miserables,fresh from London,follows.
Fiddler on the Roof plays the Marcus Center in June. This willbe the first time that Fiddler will be presented on the Marcus Broadwayseries, though it is a classic musical where almost every song is beloved bythe audience.
Finally, Jersey Boys,the musical featuring the sounds of the original boy band of Frankie Valli andthe Four Seasons, will be presented for an extended four week run.
“It's such an amazingshow. It is told and staged in a very innovative way with a superb cast,”adds Lofy.
There is a caveat whenpurchasing tickets for the Broadway series in Milwaukee. Buy tickets only through the Marcus Centeror TicketMaster. “These shows are selling out, and some may purchase faketickets at inflated prices from scalpers or auction sites. We feel forthese people, especially when they arrive at a sold out show with a child,there isn't much we can do for them” says Lofy.
Wicked!
