You’re probably familiar with The Three Little Pigs and no matter the cultural variation—be it with pigs and a wolf, rabbits and a fox, or ants and a spider—the story is adored by children around the world. Coming to First Stage is George Stiles and Anthony Drewe’s musical retelling of the fairytale. Sheri Williams Pannell, director of The Three Little Pigs as well as First Stage’s dramaturge and lead teacher of the Theater in Education program, says, “We want to create some new memories. The language is the same, it’s the same old story, but it’s in a new time and place. We wanted to place it in Milwaukee. Audience members will look at the art and see that which is familiar: iconic images of growing up in this city.”
Sarah Hunt-Frank created these scenes and images for the stage and Zenon Castillo, a graffiti artist from the nonprofit TRUE Skool, realized them with vibrant graffiti art. The music, Williams Pannell says, combines elements of hip-hop, R&B and Broadway musical, and the sound effects created by sound designer Erin Paige will be reminiscent of cartoon sounds that many parents will recognize and appreciate.
In addition, homage is paid to the nonprofits Alice’s Garden and Growing Power. “I won’t give away the ending—which is different depending on the version—but it’s a joyful and clever telling of the tale,” says Williams Pannell. “I hope that sharing these familiar stories will encourage parents and grandparents and caregivers of little ones to read aloud these favorite stories. We’d like to revive that trend of sharing these stories with our children.”
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The Three Little Pigs runs Nov. 1-23 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center’s Main Stage Hall, 325 W. Walnut St. For tickets, call 414-267-2961 or visit firststage.org. As part of the First Steps series, the show will be adapted into a sensory-friendly format specially designed for children with autism and their families Saturday, Nov. 15 at 3:30 p.m.
THEATRE HAPPENINGS:
■ George A. Romero, co-writer and director of the 1968 film Night of the Living Dead, probably had no idea that his movie would be a starting point for “living dead”—now known as zombie—cult classics that have skyrocketed in popularity during the 21st century. Angry Young Men Ltd. puppetry and performance troupe will pay tribute to the film one last time with their final showing (ever) of their PG-13 Night of the Living Dead—The Puppet Show, Thursday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m., at the Oriental Theatre, 2230 N. Farwell Ave. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the box office. For more information, visit facebook.com/angryyoungmenltd.
■ Memories Ballroom Dinner Theater brings to stage Londos D’Arrigo’s new comedy Harris Cashes Out! We follow Harris Wellborn—a down-on-his-luck elderly man who wrote an off-Broadway flop 40 years ago but still dreams of making it on the big stage—as he gets caught up in a devious plan by a couple that lives down the hall trying to cash in on Harris’ past. Show runs Oct. 31-Nov. 9; for tickets, call 262-284-6850 or visit memoriesballroom.com.
■ Ever been bitten by a werewolf cub? Harry Pete is in The Werewolf’s Curse of Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow and now he’s trying to find a cure so he stops sprouting hair and craving raw meat when there’s a full moon. This supernatural comedy put on by Racine Theatre Guild includes seven villagers played by one quick-changing actor. Show runs Oct. 31-Nov. 9 at 2519 Northwestern Ave., Racine; for tickets, call 262-633-4218 or visit racinetheatre.org.
■ Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum presents the Milwaukee premiere of Katie O’Regan’s The Dream Café Musical!, set at Rhymeington, Wisconsin’s Dream Café & Spa, a place where lovers, dreamers, workaholics and many others come to heal. The show, which runs Nov. 13-30 at 2220 N. Terrace Ave., is dedicated to Julie Wichman, a creative spirit and former managing editor at the Shepherd Express, who lost her life to cancer in 2012. For tickets, call 414-278-8295 ext. 5 or email asteinbach@cavtmuseums.org.
