|
WAUKESHA -
Another year, another fabulous array of musicals, dramas,
comedies and historical pieces throughout the Milwaukee-area
theater circuit.
There were
so many musicals beautifully delivered that I can’t choose
the gold medal winner.
The
Skylight Music Theatre is responsible for four smash hits:
“Sunday in the Park,” “Daddy Longlegs,” “Avenue Q”
and lastly, “The Sound of Music,” which sold out for eight
weeks. Was it because this is Bill Theisen’s swan song year
as the theater group’s artistic director that the quality of
their productions reached the apex?
Perhaps. We shall certainly miss his abilities. All
four productions were utterly gratifying. The best Broadway
shows to come to town were “Mary Poppins” and “Billy
Elliot” at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.
Several
community theaters also reached a level of unusual excellence
in the musical department. The Waukesha Civic Theatre’s
“Miss Saigon” was jaw-dropping, and the small independent
Milwaukee Opera Company did an outstanding job with Gilbert
and Sullivan’s “Iolanthe.”
The First
Stage Children’s Theatre thrilled every age group with
“Big.” Several other deserving shows that were more
musical revues than musicals were the Lake Country Players’
“Songs for a New World” and The Fireside Theatre’s
“Viva Las Vegas.”
For
dramas, the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre had two productions that
transfixed us: “Bus Stop” and “Collected Stories.” The
Renaissance Theatre’s outstanding lineup was led by
“Honour” with “Neat” running a close second.
The
Milwaukee Repertory Theater explored female sexuality in the
controversial “Next Room,” and The Boulevard Theatre’s
best was “The Cowboy vs. the Samura,” an interesting take
on ethnic stereotypes.
The Next
Act Theatre’s best dramas were “Vigil” and “One
Time,” both dealing with the complexity and risk-taking
factors in relationships. “The Chosen” and “Veronica’s
Position” are my picks from In Tandem Theatre. Both were
thought-provoking, revealing different points of view on love,
religion, art and politics. I can’t forget Carroll
University’s student-directed production of “The Shape of
Things” or the Lake Country Players’ sizzling rendition of
the classic “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” Both difficult works
and brave choices for amateur actors.
Some
theaters enlightened us about some historical events or
personages. The Windfall Theatre presented “Wittenberg,”
which was a lively, fascinating dialogue among Martin Luther,
Faust and Hamlet with their clashing points of view. They also
did a gritty rendition of “The Assassins,” a Sondheim
piece that looked at all the men or women who attempted or
succeeded in killing a president. The Waukesha Civic
Theatre’s “The Miracle Worker” reminded us of the
seemingly impossible task that Anne Sullivan faced by Helen
Keller as she proceeded to free her from her restricted world.
The Milwaukee Rep poignantly revived the horror of the
Nazi-Jewish problem in “Diary of Anne Frank.” “Irena’s
Vow” that was produced by the Acacia Theatre also told a
true story of a brave woman who risked her life trying to hide
Jewish people.
The
American Players’ “Shakespeare’s Will” gave us a
different take on Shakespeare. It wasn’t Shakespeare the
dramatist, but Shakespeare the husband, an astounding
one-woman show. Carroll
University’s “The Laramie Project” highlighted the true
story of the killing of a homosexual and the community’s
reaction to the shocking event. It was extremely
well-executed.
Some shows
were hard to classify. “Things That Go Ding” at Skylight
was a percussive feast. I must also mention two comedies that
were delightfully done: the Sunset Playhouse’s “Greater
Tuna” and the Lake Country Players’ production of
“Stuck.” Both very clever stuff. The West Allis Players
did an original show, “In Lieu of Flowers,” which was
memorable. And lastly, both stories of Scrooge, “A Christmas
Carol” at the Pabst and the one at Fireside called
“Scrooge the Musical,” were excellent.
So
that’s my best of the best for 2012. They were hard choices
to make when there are so many quality productions in all our
theaters, whether they be college, community, small or large
professional troupes.
I hope
you’ll join us for some of the upcoming shows in 2013. See
you there.
|
