A Year with Frog and Toad presented by Marquette Theatre
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, a comedic play by Christopher Durang that won 2013’s Tony Award for Best Play, headlines this week’s theatrical show openings.
THEATRE:
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Vanya and Sonia are brother and adopted sister living fairly uneventful lives—both are single and they live together. Their sister, Masha, owns the house but doesn’t live with them. When she arrives for a rare visit toting a much younger new boyfriend (Spike), the always-present family dysfunction gets turned up by several notches. Several themes in the play are derived from the prolific and legendary Russian author and playwright Anton Chekhov—including the names of the three siblings, a cherry orchard setting and the shaky future of an ancestral family home.
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is a comedic play by Christopher Durang that premiered in New Jersey in September 2012 and went on to win the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play after a run on Broadway. Starring Bill Vought, Tina Paukstelis, Amy Hanson and Matt Rangel in the respective eponymous roles, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is 2018’s first show by the Racine Theatre Guild. (John Jahn)
Jan. 12-28 at the Racine Theatre Guild, 2519 Northwestern Ave. For tickets, call 262-633-4218 or visit racinetheatre.org.
A Year with Frog and Toad
Based on Arnold Lobel’s charmingly written and illustrated children’s stories, A Year with Frog and Toad premiered in 2002 as a musical play with music by Robert Reale and book and lyrics by Willie Reale. The plot follows two unlikely amphibian pals—a jovial frog and a somewhat dour toad—as they both awaken from winter hibernation and embark upon a new year with their fellow woodland critters. The delightful, family friendly and intimate musical is a staple of community production companies nationwide.
Speaking to marquettewire.org about the university’s upcoming production of A Year with Frog and Toad, Marquette Theatre Director Jamie Cheatham explained, “Our theater for young audiences show is a push-and-pull story about a close friendship between a friendly frog and a crazy toad. They have differences that make their friendship work.” (John Jahn)
Jan. 14-28 at Helfaer Theatre, 1304 W. Clybourn St. For tickets, call 414-288-7504 or visit marquette.edu.
MUSIC:
“Transcendent Voyage”
Milwaukee Musaik’s next concert’s title refers to voyages of the human mind that, when deeply felt and profoundly experienced, can lead to a feeling of transcendence. An octet of instrumentalists—performing on violins, viola, cello, flute, English horn, clarinet and harp—will help transport their audience members into the conceptual voyages of five different composers from far and wide and from very different eras of music.
The most “standard” work on the program is the Trio Sonata in A Minor for Flute, Violin and Continuo by Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)—the sounds and musical style of which will, at the very least, transcend time by conjuring the Baroque. There’s also Rêverie Orientale for Clarinet and String Quartet (1886) by Alexander Glazunov, which recalls the exotic nature of the East. More contemporary works scheduled are In Memoriam (1916) by Arnold Bax, Angels in Flight (1987) by Marjan Mozetich and Visions and Miracles (1997) by Christopher Theofanidis. (John Jahn)
Monday, Jan. 15, at Helen Bader Hall of the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, 1584 N. Prospect Ave. For tickets, visit milwaukeemusaik.org.
MORE TO DO:
Constellations
All-In Productions here presents what they describe as “a spellbinding romantic journey” by Nick Payne that “begins with a simple encounter.” However, Constellations then moves inexorably into the realm of the mysterious and otherworldly, “delving into the infinite possibilities of their relationship and raising questions about the difference between choice and destiny.” Jan. 12-20 at the Tenth Street Theatre, 628 N. 10th St. For tickets, visit allin-mke.com.
Oedipus Rex
A once glorious city-state, Thebes, has seen a plague sweep through its citizenry who are increasingly desperate for a savior. Into those sandals steps young Oedipus, and an amazing journey full of gods and men ensues. The tale is timeless; it all began with ancient Greek mythology, from which emerged Sophocles’ play, an operatic oratorio by Igor Stravinsky and feature films from 1957 and 1967. Jan. 12-20 by Voices Found Repertory performing at the Arcade Theatre of the Underground Collaborative, 161 W. Wisconsin Ave. For tickets, visit brownpapertickets.com.
(title of show)
No, we did not forget to enter the show’s title before posting this; (title of show) is the title of the show! Two fraught writers labor to meet a rapidly approaching deadline for submissions to a new musical theater festival. It’s essentially an anxious, creative journey that begins with just the pair of writers but eventually includes the support and help of several of their friends as well. (title of show), a veritable love letter to the whole genre of American musical theater, received a 2009 Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a Musical. Jan. 11-20 by Greendale Community Theatre in the Henry Ross Auditorium of Greendale High School, 6801 Southway. For tickets, call 414-817-7600 or visit greendaletheater.org.
