One of many musicals toopen locally this summer is SoulsticeTheatre’s production of Chess. Originally released as a conceptalbum in 1984, Chess was first stagedin London in’86. Not your typical Broadway musical, the story is an emotionally heavy rockopera about a pair of Russian and American chess masters who play against eachother on and off the board.
Soulstice Theatre’sproduction of Chess runs July 29-Aug.14 at the Marian Center for Nonprofits.
Those looking forsomething lighter have multiple options to choose from in the next few days.
Boulevard Theatre becomes the first local company toopen its 2010-2011 season as it presents Fourplay:Four Comedies of Seduction. The four one-acts open Boulevard’s25th-anniversary season with light romantic comedies from John Patrick Shanley (whowrote the acclaimed drama Doubt),Elaine Jarvik, David Ives (a brilliant, Chicago-based comic writer) andlegendary playwright Harold Pinter.
Boulevard Theatre’s Fourplay continues through Sept. 5.
The Milwaukee Comedy Festival arrives earlier than usual this year, andprovides one last opportunity for audiences to see a show in the soon-to-closeOff-Broadway Theatre. Beginning July 29, the “largest comedy event in Wisconsin” continues atradition that’s been running for a half-decade now. Local sketch and improvgroups Broadminded, Meanwhile and LeeRick join festival favorites like Chicago’s Dirty Water and Minneapolis’ Police Cop Detective P.I.
In addition to thesefamiliar groups, the festival will highlight the stand-up work of Tyler Kroll,Beth Lewinski, Alex Grindeland and more. The Milwaukee Comedy Festival endswith the customary teen comedy Sunday, which will be dominated by local groupssuch as Organized Chaos, After School Special and Falcon Improv.
New this year will beimprov comedy workshops by Tim Higgins, Bo Johnson and Nathan Melcher, amongothers, as Milwaukeeans get a chance to learn some of the craft from the pros.
The fifth annualMilwaukee Comedy Festival runs July 29-Aug. 1 at the Off-Broadway Theatre.
