URINETOWN
Music & Lyrics by Mark Hollman
Book & Lyrics by Greg Kotis
August 4 – 20 on the MainstageDirected by Anna Grey Hogan
Music Direction by Kimberly Souther
Choreographed by Geri Carlson Sauls
In the not-so-distant future, a water shortage caused by a 20-year drought has led to a government ban on private toilets and a proliferation of paid public toilets, owned and operated by a single megalomaniac company: the Urine Good Company. If the poor don’t obey the strict laws prohibiting free urination, they’ll be sent to the dreaded and mysterious “Urinetown.” After too long under the heel of the malevolent Caldwell B. Cladwell, the poor stage a revolt, led by a brave young hero, fighting tooth and nail for the freedom to pee “wherever you like, whenever you like, for as long as you like, and with whomever you like.” A brilliant satire modeled off the plays of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, URINETOWN is a wickedly funny, fast-paced, and intelligent comedic musical romp.
CONSTELLATIONS
By Nick Payne
September 29 – October 15 in the Cellar
Directed by Karen M. Dabney
Suppose that life exists in a multiverse — a set of parallel existences that contain infinitely different futures. The possibilities in our lives are, quite literally, endless. Every possible event that could happen, does happen, in one universe or another. And if two lovers meet — are drawn together in every version of existence — every possible happy ending and heartbreak that could befall them, will. Marianne, a physicist, and Roland, a beekeeper, meet at a party. They hit it off and go for a drink. Or perhaps they don’t. They go home together, or maybe they go their separate ways. Perhaps Marianne is engaged to someone else, perhaps Roland is. Maybe she breaks his heart, maybe he breaks hers. Perhaps they come together and their love story can finally take root and grow, or perhaps it will be tragically cut short. Nick Payne’s beautiful play, CONSTELLATIONS, explores how even the smallest change in our lives can dramatically alter the course we take. It is a spellbinding exploration of love, science, quantum theory, and infinite possibility for heartbreak…or for hope.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Charles Dickens
Adapted & Directed by John Holdren
November 17 – December 17 on the Mainstage
Over the course of one wintry Christmas Eve night, miserly businessman Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, as well as the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future. These spectral encounters bring him to discover the limitations of his life and beliefs as he learns the true meaning of Christmas spirit. In an exciting new adaptation by John Holdren, Charles Dickens’ festive tale of redemption and compassion is not only of the most loved stories ever written, but a cherished holiday tradition for the whole family.
ZINK: THE MYTH, THE LEGEND, THE ZEBRA
By Cherie Bennett
February 2 – 11 in the Cellar
A TAP Production
Director Mentorship by Steven Reid
Commissioned by First Stage Milwaukee, ZINK is about true courage in the face of unpredictable predators. Imaginative, funny, and heartbreaking, it’s the story of the relationship of Becky, a lonely pre-teen girl with leukemia, to her guardian-angel herd of zebras. The zebras range from street-smart Ice Z to grandfatherly Papa Zeke, effete Zilch to endearing Shlep, a furry green monkey sure that he is actually a zebra. From them, Becky learns about Zink, a mythical polka-dotted zebra, once an outcast but later a hero with the most courage and biggest heart. Becky’s health worsens and she zaps back and forth between her real life and the zebra world until the shattering, breathtaking, and uplifting conclusion.
ANYTHING GOES
Music & Lyrics by Cole Porter
Original Book by P.G. Wodehouse & Guy Bolton and Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse
New Book by Timothy Crouse & John Weidman (2022 Revision)
March 8 – 31 on the Mainstage
Directed & Choreographed by Geri Carlson Sauls
When the S.S. American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention head out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true love – proving that sometimes destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, a comical disguise, and some good old-fashioned blackmail. This classic musical has been updated with a fantastic new book (2022), but ANYTHING GOES still features Cole Porter’s most joyful score, including “I Get A Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top,” and, of course, the show-stopping title song. After more disguises, ploys, confessions, mistaken identities, and marriage proposals, all done to toe tapping music, how will everything work out? Who knows? Anything goes!
MOTHERHOOD OUT LOUD
Written by Leslie Ayvazian, Brooke Berman, David Cale, Jessica Goldberg, Beth Henley, Lameece Issaq, Claire LaZebnik, Lisa Loomer, Michele Lowe, Marco Pennette, Theresa Rebeck, Luanne Rice, Annie Weisman & Cheryl L. West
Conceived by Susan R. Rose & Joan Stein
May 3 – 19 in the Cellar
Directed by Devynn Thomas
Conceived by Susan R. Rose and Joan Stein, MOTHERHOOD OUT LOUD was written by a collection of noted American playwrights who reveal, with illuminating insight, the humor, raw emotions, and rocky roads we experience in life. What results is a joyous, moving, hilarious, and altogether thrilling theatrical event. Utterly unpredictable, MOTHERHOOD OUT LOUD shatters traditional notions about parenthood, unveils its inherent comedy, and celebrates the deeply personal truths that span and unite generations. You don’t have to be a mother to relate to and enjoy this play – you just have to know a mother…or have seen one in the wild.