Archives: Shows

Broom Street Theater is proud to present The Nails, written by Doug Reed (“The Lamentable Tragedie Of Scott Walker”, “Nottingham!”) and directed by Rob Matsushita (“900”, “Civil”) . This is a fast-paced corporate fairy tale about love, business, and dismemberment. Also, talking animals.

One cold night, Kella Winter is tossed from her home into a frozen wasteland with only a toy penguin named Xylorc to keep her company. Desperate for shelter, she takes a job with The Corporation – a company entirely composed of talking animals. She fights to keep her mind and body together among evil walruses, sentient copiers, and a vengeful Alexander Graham Bell from an alternate dimension.

It’s Lewis Carroll with a desk job. It’s Aesop on acid.

The cast of The Nails features a number of longtime Madison stage favorites including Caitlin Robb as Kella Winter, Damon Butler as Xylorc – her stuffed penguin, and Sam White as Ralph Waldo – the walrus from Accounts Receivable who makes their lives miserable.

Rounding out The Corporation are Kate Boomsma as Sandra the Swan, Andrew Miller-Rhoads as John The Badger, and Emmaline Friederichs as Ernestine the Sphinx. Meanwhile, in an alternate dimension, Donnonvan Moen as Blackbeard and Benjamin Otto as Alexander Graham Bell work out the problems in their complicated relationship.

The Nails will run at Broom Street Theater at 8pm April 24th until May 16th. Tickets are $11.00.

This dark, dreamy musical is the culmination of Broom Street Theater’s 45th Anniversary season. Three childhood friends, one with extraordinary powers, find themselves trapped in a place where time seems to stand still and the only way out is unthinkable. Traveling on a twisted timeline, Held follows the three as they struggle to grow within the bonds of lifelong friendship and discover what really holds them together. A piano, a cello, and an upright bass accompany the cast through a poetic script and nine hauntingly beautiful original songs.

Held is an original musical created by Kelly Maxwell (book and lyrics) and Meghan Rose (music). It is Maxwell’s directorial debut. These two women have been collaborating musically since 2008 with their band Little Red Wolf (Isthmus Favorite New Band 2009, Madison Magazine Alt/Indie Bronze 2015 ) and theatrically since 2014, when Rose was the Musical Director and Maxwell played the lead role in a wildly successful production of Xanadu: the Broadway Musical at the Bartell Theatre (nominated for 19 Bartell Theatre awards, of which Rose won for Best Music Direction and Maxwell for Best Lead Actress in a Musical).

They first teamed up to write for the stage in April, 2014 for Are We Delicious? Musical Fantasy (http://www.isthmus.com/isthmus/article.php?article=42644) . That project resulted in a 5- minute musical called I Have To, which was the inspiration for Held. They have spent the past year developing the story, the characters, the music, and the world of the show. With just three actors, three musicians, and nine original songs by Meghan Rose, whose songwriting has been called “Smart, strong, poised, delicate and roaring” (Rick Tvedt, Local Sounds Magazine), Held tells a poignant story of childhood friends growing apart in a world where reality is fluid and time can stand still. Presented in Broom Street Theater’s intimate space, Held promises a powerful evening of original musical theatre.

The cast of Held:

Sarah Streich as Mera

Patrick Chounet as Bardo

Erin McConnell as Korin

The orchestra:

Meghan Rose – Piano

Jake Ripp-Dieter – Upright bass

Kristen Brenner – Cello

Directed by Kelly Maxwell, Music Direction by Meghan Rose

Lighting design by Phil Koenig, Sound Design by John Feith

ELEVEN PERFORMANCES:

Friday, May 29-Saturday, June 20

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm

Tickets $11, available at Brown Paper Tickets

Online Sales end at 6PM day of show. Some tickets may still be available at the door.

Pudding is a simple little post modern romantic comedy about fame, loneliness, obsession and dessert.

In it, a driven young woman attempts to take control of a reclusive middle aged widower’s life.

Buy tickets for Pudding

In the country of Proper, people are given a future path upon birth, a fate from which they mustn’t stray; otherwise, they are declared fateless and forced into camps. When a genderless individual with a mysterious past lands in one of these camps, the corrupt scramble to maintain order. Knowledge will set the fateless free, if only they have the courage to bite the apple.

A political thriller about free will and social injustice, Bite the Apple opens Friday, August 14th and runs Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through September 5th.

Written and directed by: Malissa Petterson
Musical director: Meghan Rose
Choreographer: Simone LaPierre
Stage manager: Matthew Viktor Petterson
Starring:
Alex Brick
Heather Jane Farr
Morganna Grim
Donnovan Moen
Jordan Apollo Pulley
Heather Renken
John Siewert
Alyssa Stowe

Broom Street Theater is located at 1119 Williamson Street, Madison, WI. House opens fifteen minutes prior to curtain. To reserve tickets, please call 608-244-8338 or go to bstonline.org/reserve.

We’ll see you in Proper!

Invasion of the Jesus Snatchers, a hilarious new screwball comedy from Madison playwright Brian Wild, is a funny and twisted take on the classic horror films of the 1950’s, inspired by the life and works of Televangelist, Pat Robertson.

Set in modern times, Doctor Hildy Peters, a successful psychiatrist with a flair for being a bit too honest, is called home from a conference when some of her patients start acting a bit peculiar, and finds herself in the middle of a strange and ever-growing web of mystery and intrigue.

Accompanied by her friend, Jack, Hildy watches as patients and family inexplicably change overnight, unaware that the evil Pat Robertson’s master plan for world domination may be the reason for everyone’s peculiar behavior.

Fast paced and funny, Invasion of the Jesus Snatchers is as witty as it is smart, and promises to be a great evening of theatrical mayhem as only Broom Street Theater can offer.

Invasion of the Jesus Snatchers by Brian Wild will run at Broom Street Theater at 8pm September 18th until October 10th. Tickets are $11.00.