9 to 5 The Musical, featuring music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick, comes to the Racine Theatre Guild this week.
Theater
The Miracle Worker
Six-year-old Helen Keller has been blind and deaf since infancy, trapping her in a silent world of darkness. Enter Anne Sullivan, the teacher who, through determination, grit and love, is able to overcome immeasurable odds and find the key to unlock Keller’s sensory-starved world. The Miracle Worker is a Tony Award-winning three-act play by William Gibson based on a true story that explores the essence of dignity, hope and how people can fulfill their true potential despite the most adverse of circumstances. Suggested for families and young people ages 12 and up, this First Stage production profers important life lessons for young and old alike.
May 10-19 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, 325 W. Walnut St. For tickets, call 414-267-2961 or visit firststage.org.
9 to 5 The Musical
Fed up with having to work for a “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot,” three female office workers—Violet (Kara Ernst-Schalk), Doralee (Kimberly Gibson) and Judy (Dana Roders)—bond over their shared disgust and concoct a plan for revenge. After they accidentally kidnap their boss, they decide to makeover their office into a place where all of their coworkers can thrive. This is a stage musical adaptation of the hit 1980 film 9 to 5 starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton. 9 to 5 The Musical features music and lyrics by Parton and book by Patricia Resnick, who co-wrote the original film.
May 10-26 at the Racine Theatre Guild, 2519 Northwestern Ave. For tickets, call 262-633-4218, visit racinetheatre.org, or visit the box office 90 minutes prior to each performance.
Classical Music
Mendelssohn and Schoenberg
Frankly Music wraps up its season with two chamber music powerhouses and, in so doing, welcomes several guest artists from the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra as well as renowned cellist Lynn Harrell. The two works on the program are the Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20, by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-’47) and Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4, by Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951).
The Octet, Op. 20, was composed in 1825 as a birthday gift for Mendelssohn’s friend and violin teacher, Eduard Ritz. Completed in a mere three weeks, it is considered his earliest important work. Schoenberg’s Op. 4 was inspired by Richard Dehmel’s poem of the same name and the composer’s strong feelings for Mathilde von Zemlinsky, whom he would later marry.
Sunday, May 13, in Schwan Concert Hall, Wisconsin Lutheran College, 8815 W. Wisconsin Ave. For tickets, call 414-443-8802 or visit franklymusic.org.
More To Do
The Realistic Joneses
In The Realistic Joneses, acclaimed New York playwright Will Eno has crafted a quirky comedy where older, ailing Bob (David Ferrie) and loyal, exhausted wife Jennifer (Sandra Hollander) meet their new, younger neighbors: very unorthodox John (Matt Specht) and his intriguing wife Pony (Ericka Wade). They all share the surname “Jones” but, as they come to find out, much more, too. This concert reading (directed by Boulevard Theatre’s artistic director and founder Mark Bucher) is an enriched artistic experience, with a more emotionally heightened approach than typically seen in standard readings. May 9-18 at Plymouth Church, 2717 E. Hampshire Ave. Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets.
American Girl Live
In American Girl Live, a new, original musical celebrating the power of girls and the strength of friendship, audiences join five young campers and their fearless counselor at Camp American Girl, an overnight camp in the North Woods. Overcoming fears and obstacles along the way to having the summer of their lives, these brave youngsters rely on wisdom and advice delivered by Rebecca, Maryellen, Julie, Nanea, Luciana and Melody—the beloved “American Girl” dolls they’ve brought along to camp—who inspire audiences in surprising and delightful musical numbers, each reflecting their historical eras. May 14-19 in the Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, call 414-273-7206 or visit marcuscenter.org.
