First Stage

First Stage might be for little audiences, but there’s no denying this children’s theater company is a big deal in the city. Their current season’s got nine full productions on its slate – more than almost any other theater in Milwaukee – for kids aged anywhere from pre-school to high school, and further shows off by casting both adult and age-appropriate young actors in all its shows. And to top it all off, this year marks artistic director Jeff Frank’s 10th year in charge of the company.

Frank, who originally joined first stage as their education director in 1996, isn’t one to look back at the past, though. He says he didn’t even realize the anniversary had rolled around until he got an invite to Milwaukee Ballet director Michael Pink’s 10th anniversary season finale this spring and realized he’d taken the job the season afterward.

Instead, Frank’s looking forward: broadly, to their 30th anniversary season (3 years away, but he’s already making plans for it) and more specifically, to whatever play’s rolling on stage soonest. “People ask me all the time, ‘What was your favorite play to work on?’ And generally my answer is ‘the next one,’” Frank said. “You have to fall in love with the shows you’re working on. There’s no other way around it.”

So while Frank expresses some residual love for A Midnight Cry – one of the first plays commissioned in his tenure as artistic director, and getting a remount as one of First Stage’s many productions this year – it’s safe to guess his new favorite play is Shrek the Musical, opening Friday at the Todd Wehr Theatre.

It’s a name that should sound more than a little familiar, thanks to the Dreamworks film the formerly on-Broadway musical is based upon; Frank says choosing an adaptation audiences will recognize has been a good strategy over the years, also reflected in their staging of Big the Musical last year. “We used to start our season in the middle of September and that was hard – people were just getting started, just getting back [to school]. So we pushed the start date back into October. But I always feel it’s great to start the season with something that – like Big, like Shrek – gets us excited about starting off the season.”

First Stage’s production is itself an adaptation of the original musical, written by David Lindsay-Abaire with music by Jeanine Tesori, designed specifically for young audiences. Its first iteration was presented by Kansas City’s Coterie Theatre, where Frank saw the production and decided he wanted to bring it back to First Stage – with some appropriate adjustments.

“They had their priorities for the piece a little bit different than ours,” Frank said. Hoping to present an adaptation that closer reflected his vision for the show, he got in touch with Lindsay-Abaire and Tesori and convinced them to work with him on a new version. “I wanted to put a couple of the ballads back in that had gone away completely … truncated, maybe shaped a bit different in places. I wanted Shrek’s heart and pain and journey to be more clear; without the ballads being there, that was more difficult.”

Frank says working with Lindsay-Abaire and Tesori has truly elevated the production, their extended discussions helping him understand it all the better. As an example, he points out “I Think I Got You Beat,” a song of one-upmanship that Frank says devolves into a “farting and belching extravaganza.” He’d planned to cut it, but changed his mind after talking to Lindsay-Abaire.

“He said, ‘Jeff, it’s there because it’s hilarious, but more importantly, that sequence needs to stay because Fiona provides Shrek an opportunity to discover the hero inside him and that moment is a part of Shrek’s opportunity for Fiona to celebrate the ogre inside her.’” Frank said. “So what seemed, at first glance, to be sort of extraneous potty humor really has a critical role.”

There’s another eight shows that’ll be Frank’s next favorite show, but he and First Stage’ll be tangentially involved in a few more this season – 20, to be precise. Due to the success of their adaptation of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer last season, Frank says, 20 cities across the country will be presenting First Stage’s version to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original TV special, with Frank directing one production at Emerald City Theatre in Chicago.

“It’s huge, but very exciting,” Frank said, adding that part of his involvement with Emerald City includes bringing the First Stage tradition of age-appropriate casting with him. “We’re not going to come down to Chicago if we’re not going to be us in Chicago. … It’s the First Stage brand and we have to be who we are.”

All in all, it’s an exciting time for First Stage. Other companies might relish the time on top, but like I said, Jeff Frank’s not the kind of artistic director who looks backward. “You just try to keep getting better. You’re finding better stories to tell and you get better at what you do. … It’s a journey of how you continue to work on your craft and find the things you can do. You can’t get complacent.”

Shrek the Musical opens Friday, Oct. 11, and runs through Nov. 17. Tickets are $12 to $32, and can be purchased at (414) 267-2961 or their online box office.

For more information on the rest of First Stage’s 2013-14 season, just read on; we’ve got breakdowns of everything from First Steps to Young Company to the five other mainstage shows.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson
Dates/Recommended Ages: Nov. 29 – Dec. 29, Todd Wehr Theatre; ages 4 and up
Synopsis: Beth Armstrong and her whole town are horrified when her classmates, the rowdy, irreverent Herdman siblings, hijack the annual Christmas pageant, but they surprise everyone when they make it the “best Christmas pageant ever.”
Production Notes: This is the eighth time First Stage will present this infamous holiday tale, and once again they’ll be giving it the ‘80s setting and aesthetic that characterized their 2009 production. Frank directed that one, but he’ll pass the reins to Jeff Schaetzke this year.
Jeff’s Thoughts: “The piece works for me because it is so funny, and the ‘80s references and the ‘80s music really reinforce that funny sense of nostalgia. So when we get to the second act, and the Herdmans discover – especially Imogene – the true meaning of Christmas, our hearts are so open because we’ve been laughing so much that it’s really profoundly and unexpectedly moving for people.”

 

Maul of the Dead, by Mitch Brian
Dates/Recommended Ages: Dec. 6-8, Milwaukee Youth Arts Center; ages 13 and up
Synopsis: Black Friday gets even worse when a zombie rampage forces six strangers to work together to survive, in this satirical horror story that still serves as holiday fare, however unorthodox.
Production Notes: Desi Rosas and Jennifer Adams will co-direct this Young Company production, featuring the high school students of the college-level training program.
Jeff’s Thoughts: “This is an effort, with the Young Company, to continue their college-level training and performance opportunities, but also then to provide shows for teen audiences that they think might be fun and exciting. And there’s nothing bigger than zombies right now.”

 

A Midnight Cry: The Underground Railroad to Freedom, by James DeVita with music by Josh Schmidt and additional arrangements by Sheri Williams Pannell
Dates/Recommended Ages: Jan. 10 – Feb. 9, Todd Wehr Theatre; ages 9 and up
Synopsis: Inspired by the true story of a young slave’s escape to the North in the pre-Civil War period, A Midnight Cry follows Lida Anderson, a girl who takes a chance on the Underground Railroad and the hope of freedom.
Production Notes: A Midnight Cry was first produced at First Stage 10 years ago, and several members of its cast and crew (including Williams Pannell and actors Todd Denning and Michael Torey) will return as well. The revival will feature an expanded roster of young actors, however.
Jeff’s Thoughts: “We had the idea, the inspiration from Caroline Cole, and her journey from slavery into Wisconsin, into Milwaukee and eventually through Detroit and to freedom in Toronto. It was really a powerful process of creation in the ways that we found to integrate music, and the live musicians being a part of that presence. … [Adding young performers] is going to deepen the impact even more, of what is a hard journey but ultimately one that is filled with hope and light.”

 

The Cat in the Hat, based on the book by Dr. Seuss, originally produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain
Dates/Recommended Ages: Jan. 25 – March 2, Milwaukee Youth Art Center; ages 3 to 6
Synopsis: The Cat in the Hat and his responsible rival the Fish retell Dr. Seuss’ beloved tale of home-alone antics, in a production specifically designed for extra-young audiences.
Production Notes: The Cat in the Hat, starring First Stage alumnus Chris Feiereisen, is part of First Stage’s First Steps initiative, an occasionally interactive introduction to theater.
Jeff’s Thoughts: “The Todd Wehr is a very intimate theater, but it still can be daunting for a 3- or 4-year-old to walk into. We wanted to come up with plays that were a little shorter, which would serve that audience but would still be entertaining for adults, by putting them in a venue where we seat 115 and change the configuration, change the time and keep the house lights up all the time. And it took off right away.”

 

Anatole, book and lyrics by John Maclay and Lee Becker, music by James Valcq, adapted from books by Eve Titus
Dates/Recommended Ages: Feb. 21 – March 16, Todd Wehr Theatre; ages 3 and up
Synopsis: Anatole follows a mouse who discovers the city has a low opinion of his kind, and sets out to redeem their reputation by saving a cheese factory, only to have his efforts thwarted by the appearance of a cat.
Production Notes: This world premiere musical is assembled from two different stories by Titus, Anatole and Anatole and the Cat. Composer Valcq is best known in the world of grown-up theater for his work on The Spitfire Grill, but he, Maclay and Becker previously collaborated at First Stage on How I Became a Pirate back in 2009.
Jeff’s Thoughts: “Anatole is reminiscent of Ratatouille and Desperaux and all these sort of mouse-heroes that have come through the years. There’s an inherent popularity that is there. … When you look at picture books like Anatole, they’re often going to gravitate toward a musical, because it’s a way to expand the art and the heart of what’s on the page when there are so few words to start with.”

 

Crash, by Y York, adapted from the novel by Jerry Spinelli
Dates/Recommended Ages: March 28 – April 13, Todd Wehr Theatre; ages 8 and up
Synopsis: “Crash” Coogan, a middle-school football player and bully, has his world tumble around him when his grandfather has a stroke, and finds himself forced to reconsider his entire life with the help of his former best friend and neighbor.
Production Notes: Crash’s writer/adaptor, Y York, also wrote Don’t Tell Me I Can’t Fly, the Della Wells-inspired play that opened First Stage’s Wisconsin Cycle.
Jeff’s Thoughts: “There’s a lot of people who say, ‘We have to figure out this bullying thing, so let’s write a play to solve it.’ This play is not going to solve bullying, but it’s going to open up people’s eyes and give them insight into perspectives on how these things evolve and might evolve, and the consequences of the choices we make.”

 

Nancy Drew and her Biggest Case Ever, by Jeff Frank and James Maclay, based on the books by Carolyn Keene
Dates/Recommended Ages: May 2 – June 1, Todd Wehr Theatre; ages 7 and up
Synopsis: Teenage detective Nancy Drew faces her greatest challenge yet: a tangled mess of stolen heirlooms, missing fortunes and a mysterious stranger.
Production Notes: Frank and Maclay will be crafting this world premiere show out of a variety of classic Nancy Drew stories. It will heavily feature the various forms of puppetry First Stage has pioneered in recent years, including the use of koken stagehands to manipulate props and actors.
Jeff’s Thoughts: “Part of what John and I did is read the first 25 original novels, searching for the action sequences that we loved, and then linking together two of the books for the major plot points. … It was the right show to balance our season, and I felt confident that we’re going to be able to do it. The way we tell the story is going to be as exciting as the story itself.”

 

Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare
Dates/Recommended Ages: May 16-17, Golda Meir School; ages 12 and up
Synopsis: Two children from rival houses meet and fall in love, in Shakespeare’s quintessential romantic tragedy.
Production Notes: First Stage’s production of Romeo and Juliet is supported by a $25,000 NEA Shakespeare-focused grant, which Frank says will be funneled into creating interactive workshops for high school students taught by First Stage instructors. John Maclay has edited the work down to 75 minutes, focusing on the integral elements of Romeo and Juliet’s romance and the war between the Montagues and Capulets.
Jeff’s Thoughts: “Romeo and Juliet really represents a culmination, of the amazing Shakespeare training that happens with the Young Company specifically and these years that they’ve gone to the Utah Shakespeare Festival. … It’s an opportunity for us to do a Romeo and Juliet and have actual 16-year-olds playing those parts. With the skill to do it.”