The Hello Girls

The Hello Girls is a musical based on the novel Switchboard Soldiers by Madison’s own Jennifer Chiaverini. Its heroes are women who entered the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War I to work as telephone operators, putting through calls, translating French and English and keeping highly classified information secret — during a bloody war and a pandemic. The story follows them home, where they needed to battle for the right to vote. It debuted Off Broadway in 2018; the score is reminiscent of the stirring notes of Les Miz, upbeat World War I morale tunes like “Over There,” and even (a bit anachronistically) the harmonies of the World War II-era Andrews Sisters. This Four Seasons Theatre production shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday and at 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

7:30 pm Thursday-Friday and 2 pm Saturday-Sunday. $38-$25.

media release: From New York to Paris, from ragtime to jazz: The Hello Girls chronicles the story of America’s first women soldiers in this new musical inspired by history. These intrepid heroines served as bilingual telephone operators on the front lines, helping turn the tide of World War I. They then returned home to fight a decades-long battle for equality and recognition, paving the way for future generations of women in the armed forces.

Commissioned and premiered by NYC’s Prospect Theater Company, The Hello Girls celebrated the centennial of these groundbreaking women in its Off Broadway debut in Fall 2018, and was nominated for both Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle Awards. 

Four Seasons Theatre showcases local talent onstage and backstage in venues across Madison and produces over 20 outreach performances at libraries, senior centers, and schools each year. It all started with conversations in Fall 2004 and an initial co-production of Ragtime with Middleton Players Theatre in Summer 2005. Since then, Four Seasons Theatre has produced over 57 shows and featured the work of thousands of Madison theater artists – actors, singers, musicians, designers, directors, stage managers, and technicians – on stages across the city. And, under the leadership of  Producing Artistic Director Sarah Marty, the company has thrived, meeting the dual bottom-line of producing mission-driven work while being financial sustainable.

Four Seasons Theatre is proud to partner with the Wisconsin Veterans Museum for preshow lectures for THE HELLO GIRLS.  The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is dedicated to the people of Wisconsin who served in the armed forces and honors and affirms the role of all veterans in shaping Wisconsin military history and that of the nation. The Wisconsin Veterans Museum is an educational activity of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs.  Learn more and make a plan to visit.

Thursday 2/22 at 6:30 pm and Sunday 2/25 at 1 pm

Kevin Hampton is Curator of History for the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. With a BA in History and Education from University of St. Thomas, Hampton is the true embodiment of public humanities work - sharing research and items from museum archives with others through community engaged programming.  In addition to curating exhibits that share the stories of Wisconsin veterans, he leads outreach programs and lectures across the state.  He is the lead curator for the current temporary exhibit at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum - Souvenirs of Service: The Things They Kept.

Thursday 2/29 at 6:30 pm and Sunday 3/3 at 1 pm

Jennifer Van Haaften is the Assistant Director at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum. She has been in the history museum profession for over 25 years. Her career spans Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin and includes museum education, living history, collections, and focusing on visitor experience and brand. She has a BA in history from the University of Northern Iowa, an MPhil from the University of Manchester and received museum training through Eastern Illinois University’s Historical Administration program.