From the author of LEND ME A TENOR and MOON OVER BUFFALO comes a fancy-free frolic about two down-on-their-luck actors who take a big chance to earn a buck. Jack and Leo have hit the skids acting "Scenes from Shakespeare" on the Moose Lodge Circuit in Amish country. When they hear that a local old woman is about to pass away and leave her fortune to her two long lost nephews, they decide to pass themselves off as the lost boys. But when they find out that the missing nephews are actually missing nieces, Jack and Leo exchange their tights and codpieces for pantyhose and girdles.
Plus, new this season, join us for Kroupa's Fish Fry Friday in our Studio Theater prior to our final Friday performance during the run of LEADING LADIES! Elm Grove's own Kroupa's Family Cafe and Catering serves up a delicious fish fry for an affordable price, and The Playhouse finishes off your night with a super show! It's a great night of dining and entertainment that won't break the bank. (Call our Box Office at (262)782-4430 to reserve your spot for Fish Fry Friday today!)
Run Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
TimeOut's review
Posted by Julie Mchale at http://www.gmtoday.com/timeout/reviews/topstory143.asp
is a great review of Leading Ladies.
Good work all!
Oh my!…. what a weekend!! We knew this show would make audiences laugh, but we were not prepared for wave after wave of almost hysterical laughter! We were bouncing with glee backstage to hear it!
Opening night was unbelievable, with probably the most receptive audience that I have ever heard. They joined in on the moose call, applauded spontaneously in the middle of several scenes, and audibly and without volition voiced their approval and/or disapproval of several of the characters with "oohs" and "ahs". BLESS THEM! It was just plain fun!
All actors realize that the audience reaction is what spurs them to better performances… and our cast rose to the occasion with a super performance. It was as though an electrical charge was passing between the audience and the stage and moving both the audience and the actors to greater intensity in their actions and reactions. It was a wonderful exchange with everyone benefiting.
The other three audiences and hence, performances of the weekend were a tiny bit more low key… but still thoroughly satisfactory. A good time was had by all. The lesson here? If you are in the audience and have the urge to laugh or cry or react emotionally … it's okay. It is even more than okay - it will add to the experience for everyone!
Here's some pictures from the show to let you in on some of the fun.
Unsung Heroes Backstage
Posted: 06/03/2010 10:42am
In theatre, there are always unsung heroes, who get very little public credit. Two on this show, among others, are husband and wife, Scott and Merry Jaeger. In the program, they are simply listed as props coordinators. In reality, they are an indispensable part of the team. Besides gathering and preparing the necessary props, they are also serving as stage hands, moving furniture, and opening and closing the curtain. (They can be seen for a few minutes in dim light setting up the party scene as "caterers".)
So instead of working three to six performances per show, as is usual for props crew members at the Sunset, this requires them to be there for every performance. And best of all, they do it responsibly and cheerfully! A rousing round of applause for Scott and Merry and for all backstage volunteers in theaters everywhere!
Check out the video featuring Scott and our props shelves.
It Takes a Village to put on a Play
Posted: 05/26/2010 1:15pm
Lots of cleaning up of scenes at Tuesday night's rehearsals… taking care of details… adjusting blocking… finding our way to spots for curtain calls …tangoing (tangoing? dancing the tango!)… pretty basic stuff done at a steady pace. And specifically for me, learning to hit someone with a cane without causing undue pain! Need to work at that.
In other areas work went on as well. Upstairs, work was progressing on the set, and the costume shop which is directly next to the rehearsal hall was busy! Rey Dobeck, our guest designer, who has worked at the Milwaukee Rep for many years, was having actors try on costume pieces, checking for needed alterations, and making notes about what still needs to be done, while Pat Boeck and Paula Kroening were busily sewing and hemming. Pat, who has been our resident volunteer costume person for a number of years, is stepping back from being the leader but continues to help out. Paula has come on board over the past few years and has become a regular. Take a peek at this busy threesome! Couldn't get them to say much though, especially Pat, maybe because she had a mouthful of pins!
When Did This Turn Into Dancing With the Stars?
Posted: 05/18/2010 11:39pm
Monday's rehearsal was spent learning the tango scene from Act II. Now when I read the script, I knew there was a dancing scene, and I figured, "Hey, no problem. I can dance a tango." But I didn't realize this was going to be a choreographed production number! I am afraid I will end up looking like Kate Gosselin (let's take a look at Kate performing some of her better moves, shall we)!
So, we begin. We have all had one rehearsal already to learn the basics, and now we are going to put it all together. Well... mostly together. Well... some of us more together than others. Melissa Bloch - Meier , our choreographer is patient, persistent and… well… KIND.
I am paired with Duncan (Jeff Anderson); Butch (Dan Myers) and Audrey (Chelsey Peterson) are a couple, and Doc (Gene Schuldt) and Stephanie (Matthew Patten) make up the third unique combination. We dance, we laugh, we discuss, we laugh, we dance some more, and by the end of the rehearsal, some of us ache. But we accomplish what we set out to do! Here is a peek at some of the process.
Irony
Posted: 05/15/2010 10:50pm
Hmmmm...we are actors who love what we do, here "slaving" night after night in rehearsals in order to turn out something which will entertain our audiences, and WHAT does one of our characters have to say about theatre? Watch the rehearsal video clip as the Reverend Duncan Wooley (Jeff Anderson with Jacqueline Gosz) says.....
More Than Just Learning Lines!
Posted: 05/11/2010 5:20pm
To actors, "blocking"has nothing to do with football; it means deciding where you are going to be when you say a line, and where you will move to during a scene and everything to do with your actions on stage. Sometimes that's easy to figure out and sometimes it's not, especially when a large prop is involved. Last Saturday's rehearsal was a case in point. The scene takes place in a small train compartment and involves a large suitcase which is necessary to the plot. After a rather lengthy discussion of where to put the suitcase - and when - and a few trial runs, this tentative blocking was the result. No guarantee that this will work on stage when the time comes.... but a good start. Watch the footwork from Matthew Patten (the dark haired actor) and Spence Mather (the light haired actor)!
Trying to Confuse an Old Lady?
Posted: 05/06/2010 8:54pm
I have a relatively small part in this show so spend a lot of time just observing, even though our director Mark Salentine has thoughtfully arranged the schedule so none of us have to spend a whole evening at rehearsal if we are only needed for part of it. But, even with the script in hand, I can get confused. Our dynamic duo, Matthew Patten and Spence Mather, change back and forth from "Jack" to "Stephanie" and from "Leo" to Maxine" at a furious rate. Would be easy on TV or in a movie, but here it is surprising and amazing... one of the joys of live theatre... and just wait until it involves costumes!
Also had the rare pleasure tonight of watching Gene Schuldt attempting to seduce Mathew... or was it the other way around? And exactly what was going on behind that screen? Stay tuned!
Read Through of LEADING LADIES
Posted: 05/03/2010 7:51am
There is always that feeling of excited anticipation and a little apprehension before the first read through. How will it turn out? As people introduce themselves, I listen intently and speculate. It looks like a good mix, but since Mark Salentine (our director) runs partially closed auditions, you only get to hear the people with whom you audition. There is still the question, will this cast "play nicely" together?
I have been on stage before with Matthew Patten and Gene Schuldt, I have seen Jeff Anderson, Jacque Gosz and Spence Mather perform, and the two newcomers to the Sunset, Dan Myers and Chelsey Peterson, look eager and pleased to be here. When, fueled with pretzels and Twizzlers, we start reading, it becomes clear... okay! If good acting can make a show, then we have a winner! Hmm, scary thought...I may be the weak spot here - will have to step it up to everyone else's level, but that's a good thing!
I leave you with one last question to consider. Why was Rey Dobeck, our costume designer, checking to see if Mathew has chest hair?
Expectation-LEADING LADIES
Posted: 04/28/2010 3:04pm
Introducing our guest blogger for our upcoming production of LEADING LADIES, Inge Adams (she's the one in the chair with the nice "smile"). Here's what Inge has to say today:
First read-through for LEADING LADIES is Sunday afternoon... finally! Auditions were the second week in March.. and that seems like a lo-o-o-ng time ago. Looking forward to rehearsals, because from the people I know in the cast they should be lively! I hope to blog my way through until the show opens and maybe past.... so stick with me.
My part, besides being official blogger for the show, is that of the crochety old lady...again! But this old lady is rich, on her feet (rather than in a wheelchair) and in full possession of her faculties. That's a step in the right direction! So stick with me and I will keep you posted on our progress.
Cast of Characters (In order of appearance)
Meg Snider......Jacqueline K. Gosz
Rev. Duncan Wooley......J.W. Anderson
Doc Myers.....Gene Schuldt
Leo Clark......Spencer Mather
Jack Gable......Matthew J. Patten
Butch Myers/Frank......Daniel Myers
Audrey......Chelsey Peterson
Florence Snider......Inge Adams
Production Team
Director......Mark Salentine
Dance Choreographer......Melissa I. Bloch-Meier
Fight Choreographer......Gene Schuldt
Stage Managers......Jenifer Allen, Lukas Condie
Set Designer/Technical Director......J. Michael Desper
Lighting Designer......Marty Wallner
Costume Designer......Rey Dobeck
Costume Assistant......Sovannra Yos
Dressers......Jacquelyn Ranallo, Lena Tomaszek
Wig Master......Anthony Mackie
Sound Designers......Jan Pritzl, Mark Salentine
Properties Coordinators...... Merry and Scott Jaeger
Lots of cleaning up of scenes at Tuesday night's rehearsals… taking care of details… adjusting blocking… finding our way to spots for curtain calls …tangoing (tangoing? dancing the tango!)… pretty basic stuff done at a steady pace. And specifically for me, learning to hit someone with a cane without causing undue pain! Need to work at that.
Introducing our guest blogger for our upcoming production of LEADING LADIES, Inge Adams (she's the one in the chair with the nice "smile"). Here's what Inge has to say today:
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