Matthew Murphy
Jon Jon Briones in a scene from MISS SAIGON.
Overture Center’s audiences across southern Wisconsin have a lot to look forward to in the coming months. With the retirement of President and CEO Ted DeDee set for May, the performing arts center will welcome a new leader to the helm. And just in time for the annual celebration of high school student productions across the state, the Tommy Awards will get a makeover and a new name (shedding the name of accused sexual harasser Tom Wopat). But most important for the average theater-goer, the announcement of the 2018-2019 season provides an exciting sneak peek into the performances in store over the next year. The season has everything from big Broadway shows to silent movie classics, internationally known musicians to comedians, and a few shows that simply defy classification. Of the nearly 100 performances that Overture books into its halls, here are some that are new or noteworthy, that ticket buyers won’t want to miss.
Hooray for Broadway
We’re a long way from the bright lights of the theater district in New York City, but thanks to Overture’s Broadway Series, we do get to see some of the big hits — and exciting revivals — in the national tours that crisscross the country.
Madisonians will be the first in the state to see the irreverent comedy Something Rotten! Set in 1595, the story features two brothers who are desperate to make it in show business, but can’t find a way to compete with the great William Shakespeare. Then they invent the musical. Jazz hands, kick lines, snippets of many familiar musicals — and hilarity ensues.
It’s a long way from the traditional holiday show, but consider bringing the fam to see Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical version of the hit Jack Black film, School of Rock. Playing here Thanksgiving week, it’s a fun and funny story of a reluctant substitute teacher turning his straight-A students into a wicked cool rock band. Just seeing the multi-talented young musicians will be worth the price of admission.
And now for the blockbuster. Making its first and only stop in Wisconsin, Miss Saigon and its famous helicopter will be landing at Overture. Freshly refurbished by Cameron Mackintosh, it’s an even flashier version of the doomed romance between a young Vietnamese woman and an American G.I.. Set in 1975 just as Saigon is falling, it’s jam packed with spectacle and features a 42-person cast, which makes for some incredible stage pictures. The show, written by the pair who penned Les Miserables, is based on the opera Madama Butterfly, complete with the tropes of Westerners as saviors and cads. But the music is stunning.
Must-see music
Broadway darling Bernadette Peters was supposed to perform a concert at Overture last fall, but was unexpectedly called away to join the cast of Hello Dolly, post Bette Midler. So she double pinky swore she’d be back this season to make it up to her disappointed fans. True to her word, the three-time Tony Award recipient is set to dazzle Madison audiences with an evening of her greatest hits.
Another music legend, the eldest member of the Marsalis musical family, will bring his saxophones out for a night of incredible jazz in An Evening with Branford Marsalis Quartet.
And for those who cannot get enough of the Swedish supergroup of yore, ABBA, don’t miss ABBA Mania from London’s West End, a tribute group that will make you forget all about Mamma Mia for a season. Other sound-alike shows on the roster include The Simon & Garfunkel Story, and The Greatest Love of All: The Whitney Houston Show.
The funniest of them all
I’ve seen a few comedians at Overture over the years, but the show where I thought my face would seize up from laughing so much was Whose Live Anyway?, featuring the unscripted geniuses from TV’s Whose Line? I’m delighted to say that the completely improvised 90-minute show of games, scenes and songs is coming back this year, starring Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis, Joel Murray and Bob Derkach.
Getting Tickets
Becoming a subscriber or renewing a subscription is the only way to secure seats right now for the 2018/19 season. But keep an eye out; single tickets will go on sale throughout the season, based on availability.
