Strollers Theatre
Kiley Hearn
Love Is in the Air by , running the next two weekends at the Bartell Theatre, covers every angle. "It's about various kinds of love," says director John-Stuart Fauquet, who is a graduate student in the UW-Madison Department of Theatre & Drama. "Love gone wrong, love that is good, love that is funny, love between sisters, mothers and daughters."
Love hurts in show's first half and triumphs in the second. "We joked that we should have a therapist at intermission to help people work out their issues," Fauquet says.
Fauquet drew the songs from a wide range of musicals, going all the way back to the 1930s: "Married," from Cabaret; "Gimme, Gimme," from Thoroughly Modern Millie; and "Still Hurting," from The Last Five Years, among others.
Patrick Christians provides the musical accompaniment, and the songs are performed by Bonnie Balke, Meghan Randolph, Andrew Rusch, Jeremy Sonkin and Kiley Hearn.
To flesh out the theme, Love Is in the Air features readings between the songs by Karen Saari and R. Peter Hunt. We'll hear love letters from Beethoven, Dylan Thomas and Christopher Reeve; a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay; and an excerpt from Romeo and Juliet (the balcony scene -- what else?). Catered hors d'oeuvres and champagne at intermission, all part of the ticket price, should make for a romantic evening at the theater.
Along with being a treat for lovers, the production is a fundraiser for Strollers Theatre. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Love Is in the Air runs at the Bartell Theatre on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., February 6-14. Call 608-661-9696, ext. 2. to reserve tickets or for more information.
