Robby McGhee has been very, very busy. A regular comedic performer with T.I.M. (The Improvised Musical), McGhee has also busied himself with a variety of other comic projects as well as a trip to New York with The World’s Stage Theatre to perform in an intimate musical theater show. Now he’s working with puppets.
McGhee’s The Burden of Being is a puppet musical about a monster named Aaron. He’s one of the only monsters in the town where he’s growing up. Like anyone who feels outcast, Aaron has worked overtime to achieve success. He’s graduating high school as the class valedictorian. Just as he feels he might be achieving some sense of success, there are those at home that cause him to consider what he might have been taking for granted. Evidently it’s a puppet comedy that covers some pretty serious ground including love, loss and the choices made over the course of a lifetime.
The premiere piece written by McGhee is going to be a challenge to mount. It’s difficult enough getting the subtle nuances of serious comedy to the stage in musical format. Throw in the fact that it’s a puppet musical in an intimate studio theater space and McGhee is clearly tackling a huge challenge.
Robby McGhee’s The Burden of Being runs Aug. 15-31 at the Alchemist Theatre. For tickets, visit alchemisttheatre.com.
Theatre Happenings
The American Players Theatre opens its final outdoor show of the summer season this week with its staging of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, Aug. 9-Sept. 28 in Spring Green. For tickets, call 608-588-2361 or visit americanplayers.org.
Stay on top of the news of the day
Subscribe to our free, daily e-newsletter to get Milwaukee's latest local news, restaurants, music, arts and entertainment and events delivered right to your inbox every weekday, plus a bonus Week in Review email on Saturdays.
