I love listening to old radio. It’s an interesting bit of trivia: back in 1943, NBC debuted a show sponsored by Pabst Brewing Company called Blue Ribbon Town. Hosted by Groucho Marx, it was set in a fictional town. Glance around online and you can find an episode recorded live in Milwaukee in February of 1944. There’s a picture of Groucho hoisting a rather large beer stein at the Pabst Brewing Company in 1944.
Over 70 years later, Cabaret Milwaukee will be staging the third in its retro-old time radio shows right there at the Best Place Tavern in the old Pabst Brewery. The show is set during 1943 when Blue Ribbon Town premiered. They recently announced the cast for the third episode in the series, which includes a number of actors who are as good with drama as they are with comedy, which is absolutely necessary for the right mood for a retro-themed show like this. It needs to be taken seriously with an understanding that contemporary audiences are also going to find humor in it. That balance is incredibly tricky to manage, but actors like the Villa Terrace’s Michael Keily and Variety Hour Happy Hour’s Nick Firer have shown an ability to manage both drama and comedy with admirable poise. There are a number of other promising names in the cast including Alice Wilson, who is no stranger to early 20th century retro having been a part of the M.U.T.E.s live silent film troupe in the past. It’s nice to also see Julianne Frey, Hayley SanFillippo and Sarah Ann Mellström as The Klatter Sisters.
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The Jealous Revolver Episode 3 runs Feb. 11 - 14 at the Best Place Tavern in the Historic Pabst Brewery aon 901 W. Juneau Ave. For ticket reservations, visit Brownpapertickets.com.
