“We’re reminding the audience to question why war exists, why are we sending young people to war, whose responsibility is that and when is that going to end?” says Stage Director Ray Jivoff of Skylight Music Theatre’s final Cabot show, Hair. These overriding topics of conversation—freedom and revolution—have been Skylight’s foundation for the season and both Jivoff and Hair’s Music Director Viswa Subbaraman are excited to share the show because of its significant impact on musical theater and the unique way it conveys revolution in 20th-century America. “The show is very contemporary and speaks to audiences today,” says Jivoff. “We’re still sending young men and women to war and we’re still struggling with racial issues, sexual issues and fulfilling our own destiny. All of those things people are still struggling with and that’s what Hair is about.”
Hair runs May 16-June 8 in the Broadway Theatre Center’s Cabot Theatre, 158 N. Broadway. Show contains brief nudity. For tickets, call 414-291-7800 or visit skylightmusictheatre.org.
Theatre Happenings:
Closing out Off the Wall Theatre’s season is Dale Gutzman’s Giovanni: The Loves and Legends of Don Juan—a show created of snippets and incidents from more than a dozen versions of Don Juan legends. Come see this exciting original work May 15-25 at 127 E. Wells St. For tickets, call 414-484-8874 or visit offthewalltheatre.com.
Sunset Playhouse’s bug in a rug Children’s Theater presents an adaptation of the well-known nursery rhyme “Hey Diddle Diddle.” In this version, the fiddle-playing cat helps out the gravity-defying cow who is trying to overcome her fears and pressure from the teasing dog. Hey Diddle Diddle runs May 15-17 at 800 Elm Grove Road. For tickets, call 262-782-4430 or visit sunsetplayhouse.com.
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Shakespeare’s story of star-crossed lovers will be performed by First Stage on Friday, May 16, and Saturday, May 17, as part of the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest’s national program Shakespeare for a New Generation. Both shows will take place in the Rosa Parks Auditorium on the campus of Golda Meir School, 1615 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. For tickets, call 414-267-2961 or visit firststage.org.
Racine Theatre Guild takes us back to 19th-century revolutionary France with their next show, Les Misérables. Rightfully the world’s longest-running musical, Les Mis’s moving storyline features many powerful musical selections, including “One Day More,” “Do You Hear the People Sing” and “On My Own.” The show runs May 16-June 1 at 2519 Northwestern Ave. For tickets, call 262-633-4218 or visit racinetheatre.org.
