American Folklore Theatre
Announces 20th Anniversary Season
2010 Summer Season to Feature
Life on the Mississippi, Bone Dance,
and Cheeseheads, the Musical
Critically acclaimed
American Folklore Theatre in Door County has announced its 2010 summer season,
which will run from June 16 until August 28. This summer, the theatre will
celebrate its 20th Anniversary of "theatre under the stars" at the
outdoor AFT Amphitheatre in Peninsula State Park. The summer season will
include a world premiere musical -
Life
on the Mississippi, a reprise of last summer's smash hit -
Cheeseheads, the Musical, and the AFT
audience favorite -
Bone Dance, last
seen on the AFT stage in 2005.
Life on the Mississippi will take audiences on
a journey with young Samuel Clemens as he leaves his home in Hannibal, Missouri
to be a cub pilot on a Mississippi steamboat in 1858. With this production, American
Folklore Theatre welcomes newcomers Douglas M. Parker and Denver Casado to the
AFT playwriting family. Douglas (book/lyrics) and Denver (music) have taken
Mark Twain's book
Life on the Mississippi
and fashioned a heartfelt coming of age story. Follow Sam Clemens as he
navigates his way through steamboat piloting, love and romance, and unforeseen
challenges on the way to becoming the writer, Mark Twain.
Life on the Mississippi plays Mondays at 8 p.m., Wednesdays at 6
p.m., and Fridays at 8 p.m. starting Friday, June 18th, with a
special opening performance on Wednesday, June 16th at 8:30 p.m.
Cheeseheads, the Musical, billed as a "modern
day dairy-tale with a lotto heart," revolves around the lives of fellow workers
at Schnaybel's Famous Cheese, a family-owned factory set in Sheboygan, WI.
Their beloved founder has passed away and there are rumors the factory may be
shut down. With typical Wisconsin good humor, the workers carry on while
keeping their fingers crossed that something better will come their way.
"Dave Hudson and Paul
Libman's wildly popular show literally had people leaping from their seats to
state out loud and proud, 'I'm a Cheesehead!' It truly is a testament to a
show's success when we decide to bring it back for a second season in a row,"
said Artistic Director, Jeffrey Herbst.
The veteran writing team of Hudson and
Libman has also authored
A Cabin with a
View,
Muskie Love, and
Main-Travelled Roads for AFT, and are
recipients of the prestigious Richard Rodgers Award for Musical Theatre.
Cheeseheads, the Musicalis a touching
and joyful Wisconsin "gouda-luck fable," sure to delight families and fans of
all ages. It will play on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 6 p.m., with a
special opening performance on Thursday, June 17th at 8 p.m.
Bone Dance, created by Artistic Director
Jeffrey Herbst, is a funny and frightening musical carnival of mystical ghost
stories gathered from campfires around the world. Originally presented in 1995,
Bone Dance played to record crowds at
Peninsula State Park. Ralph Lee, master puppet designer from New York, will be
augmenting his creations from the 2005 production with new creatures as the
ghosts, goblins, and skeletons repossess the AFT Amphitheatre.
"This show is scary,
funny, and even touching - sometimes all at once. But," creator Jeffery Herbst
adds, "kids should not be afraid to
bring their parents."
Bone Dance will
play Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m., Thursdays at 8 p.m., and Saturdays at 8:30 p.m.
beginning on Wednesday, June 23rd.
This year's company will
feature AFT veterans Doug Mancheski, Lee Becker, Doc Heide, Jeffrey Herbst,
Chase Stoeger, Molly Rhode, and Pamela Niespodziani. Joining them will be Door
County actors Chad Luberger and Mark Moede, local musicians Lynn Gundmundsen,
Pat Judy, and Craig McClelland, and newcomers Alissa Rhode, Michael Birr, Jolyn
Sherman, Bobby Johnson, Kelliann Kary, Sean Smith, and Chuck Larkin.
Tickets are $18 for
adults, $8 for teens, and $5 for children. All prices include sales tax.
Tickets will go on sale April 15th in the AFT box office at the Green Gables
shops in north Ephraim, via phone at (920) 854-6117, and online at www.FolkloreTheatre.com. All summer performances take place
under the stars in the stunning amphitheatre at Peninsula State Park.
Audience members should
also stay tuned for information about the return this coming fall season of
Guys & Does, "the deer hunting
musical that promises more bang for the buck," written by Frederick Heide and
Lee Becker with music by Paul Libman.