The 2019 Year of Theater in Review — Madison Edition
‘Tis the season for making lists and taking stock of the past 12 months. As usual, this is the time when I look back wistfully at the live performances I’ve been lucky enough to attend in the Madison area in the past year. Here are the moments that had the most impact on me.
Best reinvention of a classic: A three-way tie — A Doll’s House,
Romeo + Juliet, and Life Sucks!
A Doll’s House, American Players Theatre
It’s no surprise that APT knows how to breathe life into dusty classics, but the production of the often melodramatic Ibsen chestnut A Doll’s House was simply stunning. From the thoughtful direction to the gorgeous set and costumes to the heart wrenching portrayals by Nate Burger, Kelsey Brennan and Marcus Truschinski, I will never think about this play the same way again.
Romeo + Juliet, Theatre LILA
Another canonical work that has been done with hundreds of updates and variations (including as operas, movies, cartoons and ballets), this magical production had a bilingual script and a doomed love story that revolved around a same sex-couple. Aesthetically astonishing and emotionally true, it was a testament to Shakespeare’s relevance and the poetic conclusion that “love is love is love is love.” (Disclosure: I do marketing and publicity for Theatre LILA, but had no creative role in this production.)
Life Sucks! Forward Theater Company
In Aaron Posner’s interpretation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, a lot of middle-aged white people wallow in the misery of lost love, unrealized ambitions, the specter of death and the absurdity of life. The Russian classic is thoroughly modernized and energized in this take, which Forward Theater brought to life with delightful whimsy and irreverence, along with an all-star cast. Directed by artistic director Jennifer Uphoff Gray, the production emphatically did not “suck.”
Best tiny cast musical: Murder Ballad, Music Theatre of Madison
Small-scale musicals can sometimes feel like a let-down, simply because they compete for attention with Broadway blockbusters with enormous casts. And there is something thrilling about seeing a stage full of people all singing and dancing their hearts out. But Music Theatre of Madison’s production of the rock chamber musical Murder Ballad proved that a very small cast — a classic love triangle plus one — could also provide a thrilling and visceral tragic tale. There are no kick lines here — who needs ’em? The modern ballads, love duets and emotionally raw, confessional solos filled the evening, and the space at the Brink Lounge, completely. Kudos to Amanda Rodriguez, Andrew Lonsdale, Hannah Ripp-Dieter and Sean Anthony Jackson for the small but mighty show.
Best marriage of singing and dancing: On the Town, Capitol City Theatre
Cleverly conceived by director/choreographer Josh Walden and beautifully executed by members of the Madison Ballet and professional veterans of Broadway and regional stages, this production of On the Town compensated for the show’s paper-thin plot by performing each scene, song and dance number with exceptional artistry. Beyond the individual talent of the leads, the show succeeded on director Walden’s ambitious and inventive choreography, and stylized approach to the chestnut of a musical.
Best Ceili band, spawned by a classic: She Stoops to Conquer, American Players Theatre
This year, APT infused several outdoor productions with original music performed live. In She Stoops, a motley crew of servants showed off their hidden talents, as a traditional pub band called Tony Lumpkin and the Bumpkins, playing rollicking drinking songs. The talented ensemble included Michael Goldstein, Jennifer Vosters, Tim Gittings, Noah Yaconelli and Rasell Holt, playing violin, guitar and bodhran (Celtic drum), all backing up vocals by Josh Krause. Xavier Roe also frequently joined them in post-show performances as a drunken backup singer. What could have been throw-away moments in the show became high points that were so popular, crowds gathered after the show to hear the band continue to play.
Most magical prop: white scarf, Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical, Children’s Theater of Madison
Matilda was stuffed with amazing scenes, from flying acrobats, to kid-powered telekinesis, to students masterfully outsmarting their tyrannical headmistress. But the moment several stories collided to completely break the audience’s heart was a silent reveal of a delicate white scarf, pulled slowly out of a special keepsake box. In a colorful, tuneful, raucous musical, that prop took our breaths away.
Fewest words per minute: Small Mouth Sounds, Madison Theatre Guild
What if the true path to inner calm and enlightenment is through silence? This was the question facing six troubled souls who signed up for an intense meditation and healing session in a rural retreat in Bess Wohl’s play. Virtually the entire play was a series of charades as characters struggled to communicate and make connections. It was an unforgettable — and quiet — night at the theater.
Most words per minute: Hamilton, Overture Center
The songs in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s magnum opus don’t just sound fast, they are fast. At 144 words per minute, for a grand total of 20,520, audiences definitely get their money’s worth, both in the amount of content and its delivery. Sing it with me as fast as you can: “If Washington isn’t gon’ listen to disciplined dissidents, this is the difference: This kid is out!”
Most defiant speech in a storm: David Daniels on the opening night of Twelfth Night at APT
The only time I have ever been to a rained-out show at APT was the opening night of the first show this season, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. And while I have seen many actors do battle with the unpredictable Wisconsin elements onstage in Spring Green (bats, bugs, bitter cold and punishing heat), I have never seen an actor so determined to carry on with the show than Daniels, as he played the stuffy and pompous Malvolio. In driving rain that ran down his face in rivulets, he persevered, projecting to the back of the house with steely resolve until the show was finally called on account of horrific weather. It was a sight to behold.
Most inventive staging: Men on Boats, Strollers Theatre
Director Sean Langenecker took a lot of creative risks with this immersive production of Men on Boats, inviting the audience up on stage to see a moment in 19th century history through an entirely new lens. Reimagining John Wesley Powell’s perilous journey mapping the Green and Colorado rivers, the all-female cast navigated waterfalls, rushing rivers, mountains and even the Grand Canyon by painting scenes with words, sparking the audience’s imagination and using every part of the Drury Theatre in a startling new way.
Most engaging sports recaps: Someone to Watch Over Me, Two Crows Theatre Company
What do you do when you’re confined to a dark cell for years at a time as a political prisoner? You remember everything, according to this stark but transformative production by the newer Spring Green theater company. Watching the inmates struggle to stay sane and connected with the real world by reconstructing tennis matches, horse races and other thrilling sports events was sad and glorious.
Most effective use of absorbent materials: SpongeBob The Musical, Overture Center
The incredible choreography done with actual, glow-in-the-dark kitchen sponges sent my love for this unorthodox, hyper-creative musical over the edge.
Biggest missed opportunity: Overture Center’s disastrous handling of community conversations around Asian stereotypes in The King and I and Miss Saigon, which were programmed back to back.
Broadway tour that was totally worth waiting for: Hamilton, Overture Center
Yes, it really was worth the wait, the money and the hassle to get tickets to see this cast and be “in the room where it happened.” Hamilton isn’t “just a moment, it’s a movement” and it was thrilling to see such heaps of talent on one stage, revolutionizing the American musical. The fact that so many younger audiences are obsessed with the show is also a very good sign.