Monthly Archives: October 2017
PIX Flix Spotlight On The Board: The Princess Bride
In a 2013 interview, Mandy Patinkin confessed that his favorite line in The Princess Bride is not the immortal words of his character, Inigo Montoya: “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you keeled my father, prepare to die.” Rather, Patinkin’s favorite quote comes from the end of the story, when the heroes are escaping the castle, and Inigo prepares to jump from the window to ride off on one of four magnificent white horses. He pauses and says to Wesley: “I have been in the revenge business so long, now that it’s over, I do not know what to do with the rest of my life.”
To Patinkin, this is what it is all about. “The purpose of revenge is completely worthless and pointless and the purpose of existence is to embrace our fellow human being … and turn our darkness into light.”
In today’s world of cynicism, political strife, and discord, Patinkin’s words were never truer. I own multiple copies of The Princess Bride and have seen it, beginning to end, at least 30 times, and yet, if I happen upon it while channel surfing, I immediately stop and luxuriate in the perfection of this movie. It is a classic. A movie that knows what it is. Perfectly cast, beautifully filmed, heartwarming, irreverent, hilarious, and imminently quotable, The Princess Bride is like a warm fuzzy blanket on a cold day.
The beauty of this film is that it is familiar and fresh all at the same time. The story lines are ones we know: a grandfather spending time with his grandson; a son avenging his father; miracles; and, of course, true love. But the movie is intertwined with such joy, humor and unexpected quips, that it surprises and never gets old. No matter our age, gender, background, or mood, The Princess Bride is always the perfect fit.
I first saw The Princess Bride the year it was released (1987). Just a year out of college, it charmed me and made me laugh. Years later, I introduced it to my soon-to-be-husband who immediately fell under its spell. When our children came along, it became a family night favorite and, as they have grown, the jokes have become funnier, the subtle humor more appreciated and the lines more quotable. On more than one occasion I quoted Miracle Max as they headed out of the house “Have fun stormin’ the castle!”
When released, The Princess Bride was not a blockbuster hit. It wasn’t until release on VCR that it truly hit its stride and became popular. It is now universal. Test this yourself. Ask people you know what their favorite line is from The Princess Bride. You will be hard-pressed to find someone that doesn’t have a quote or who hasn’t seen the film. In a 2012 interview in New York Magazine, Patinkin said that his most famous line from gets quoted back to him by at least two or three strangers every day of his life. Patinkin told the interviewer that he loves hearing the line and he also loves the general fact that he got to be in “The Wizard Of Oz of our generation.” What an apt description. Like The Wizard of Oz, The Princess Bride is a celebration of storytelling! So let’s celebrate its 30th anniversary at the Waukesha Civic Theatre’s PIX Flix on Monday, November 13, 2017 – 6:30 pm.
What’s MY favorite quote? Meet me at the Theatre on the 13th, and I’ll let you know!
Jane Klett
Board Director
Cramer’s Corner: A Regional Premier!
If You Loved Les Miserables …
You MUST See The Hunchback Of Notre Dame!
History is being made at WCT! A premier, presented by almost 70 creative members of our community (including a live, 14 piece orchestra), a set that has to be seen to be believed, costumes, lighting, sound, and props that rival anything we have presented … a show YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS!
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame, the second Mainstage show of the season, opens this Friday, October 27, and runs through November 12. A Milwaukee area premier, this musical drama from the creators of Godspell, Pippin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty & The Beast, and Wicked, is based on Victor Hugo’s famous novel and the beloved classic Disney film. This production is darker than the Disney film and not recommended for younger children. Parental discretion is advised, and we recommend only ages 12 and up attend.
The show features a production staff of 17 led by one of WCT’s favorite directors, Mark E. Schuster, a cast of 20, a cathedral choir of 17, and a live orchestra of 14. That’s right … nearly 70 incredibly talented people from our community are bringing this amazing story to life on our stage! We have FIVE Pay What You Can performances during the run. October 28 at 7:30 pm, November 5 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm, November 9 at 7:30 pm, and November 11 at 2:00 pm. Click here for more information or to order tickets.
With the holiday season right around the corner, consider giving the gift of theatre to your friends, family, co-workers … or yourself! Gift certificates are a great idea, or you could give a Festive Flex Four For $64, for sale October 26-December 31, with a 40% Savings off our adult ticket price.
Our fourth and fifth PIX Flix films of the season are Back To The Future on Monday, October 30, and The Princess Bride on Monday, November 13, both films at 6:30 pm. Join Marty McFly and Doc Brown in this blast from the past … er … future … er … you know what I mean. Starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and more! And it is the 30th anniversary of The Princess Bride, which has become a verified classic, and one of the most quotable films of all time. Starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Wallace Shawn, Andre The Giant, Chris Sarandan, Christopher Guest, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, Peter Falk, Fred Savage, and more.
All PIX Flix tickets are $5.00, or groups of ten or more for $4.00 each. And of course we have concessions available, including soda, water, beer, wine, cookies, beef sticks, and … wait for it … POPCORN! Click here to buy tickets.
We are partnering with Waukesha Reads and presenting Mike Earp, retired U.S. Marshal, descendant of Wyatt Earp and author, as he speaks about the U.S. Marshal Service -including stories from his own career and what it was like to be a marshal during the time period of True Grit. Join us on November 2 with a social hour and book signing from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, and the presentation at 7:30 PM. Tickets are FREE!
Auditions for The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged) will be held on Monday and Tuesday, November 6 and 7, 7:00 pm both nights.
Share Your Heart! Heart of Canal Street is Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s signature community program. Half of each $3 or $7 Canal Street Bingo game purchased goes to the Heart of Canal Street fund, which totaled more than $1.1 million last year and provided funding to children’s charities in southeastern Wisconsin. Waukesha Civic Theatre is in the running to be a 2017 charity. Help give the gift of a promising future by playing now through December 14. Visit paysbig.com/heart.
Our first of three distinctly different Wisconsin Philharmonic Chamber Concerts will be presented on November 14 at 7:30 pm. The Cadance Chamber Players present a collection of music through time for flute and strings. This diverse program features Mozart’s Flute Quartet No. 1 in D Major and Aaron Copland’s Two Threnodies for flute and string trio, as well as Pres-ent for flute and cello by contemporary composer Efrain Amaya. The concert will also include music of Figorello, Dohnányi, and Villa-Lobos. The Cadance Chamber Players are an affiliate of Cadance Collective, a Milwaukee-based music and dance collaborative ensemble creating original performance pieces for the stage. Click here for more information or to buy tickets. If you are interested in the Tremendous Trio package call the box office to see all three concerts and SAVE 19%.
Waukesha Civic Theatre is looking for volunteers to participate in the Waukesha Christmas Parade on Sunday, November 19. If you are interested please click on this link to sign up: 2017 Waukesha Christmas Parade. If you have any questions please contact Phillip Alonge at ushercoordinator@waukeshacivictheatre.org.
Registration is open for our A.C.T. Winter and Spring Sessions, including Star For A Day, a one day camp on November 22.
Get up, get out, and #ShopSmall on November 25 during Small Business Saturday. Celebrate #SmallBizSat with us!
This year, on Tuesday, November 28, 2017, we are part of a call to action that will change the calendar and help make history. We are celebrating a day dedicated to giving ‐ when charities, families, businesses, community centers, students, retailers, and more will all come together for #GivingTuesday – a movement to celebrate giving and encourage more, better, and smarter giving during the Holiday Season that we are proud to be part of. As a non-profit organization, Waukesha Civic Theatre relies on community contributions to raise approximately 35% of our operating budget. There are many ways that you can support the Waukesha Civic Theatre. We would like to encourage our patrons, friends, and fans to kick off the giving season on #GivingTuesday by making a donation to Waukesha’s Cultural Cornerstone, the Waukesha Civic Theatre.
Our current featured artist in the Waukesha State Bank Art Gallery is Patricia Gilman Graham.
Are you interested in helping WCT make decisions about everything we do? Join A Committee and get involved. We have lots of great committees to choose from: Education and Outreach, Finance and Facility, Fund Development, Fundraising Events (Gala), Governance, and Marketing.
Our Play Advisory Committee and Board Of Directors have completed the selection process for our 62nd Season and we are thrilled to announce that we will be producing these shows in our 2018-2019 Season, starting in September 2018:
The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940
Billy Elliot The Musical
Candy Cane Tales And Holiday Carols
The Underpants
The Giver
Thoroughly Modern Millie
But Why Bump Off Barnaby?
And of course we are already four months into our 61st Season, with Season Tickets and individual tickets on sale now, so please join us for some great entertainment!
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
The House Without A Christmas Tree
The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged)
Clue: The Musical
Wait Until Dark
Father Knows Best
We also have our season ticket package for our Wisconsin Philharmonic Chamber Series (the Tremendous Trio).
Individual tickets for our Random Acts Of Entertainment, Education And Outreach shows, and Fundraising Events are on sale now!
Wisconsin Philharmonic Chamber Concerts
Joel Kopischke’s I Got Yule, Babe
The Four Guyz In Dinner Jackets
A.C.T. Combat Boot Camp
Singin’ In The Rain JR.
A.C.T. Live!
My Funny Valentine
Darn Yankees
Spring City’s Wild Card Saloon
A.C.T June Summer Showcase
Our PIX Flix Film series is also on sale now, including our new group rate!
Back To The Future
The Princess Bride
It’s A Wonderful Life
Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Dirty Dancing
The African Queen
Apollo 13
Rear Window
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
And the artists that will be featured in the Waukesha State Bank Art Gallery in our lobby will be:
Patricia Gilman Graham
Christian Education Leadership Academy
Waukesha South High School
Jack Pachuta
Manuel Alvarez Bravo, Nicolas Murray, and Edward Weston
The League Of Milwaukee Artists
And don’t forget about all the ways to save on quality, live entertainment. WCT’s Ticket Promotions can’t be beat!
Super Six Subscription Package – Save 26%
Fabulous Flex Pass – Save 22%
Festive Flex Four For $64 – Save 40%
Perfect PIX 3 – Save 19%
Tremendous Trio Package – Save 19%
Subscriber Rate – Save 22 to 31%
Group Rate (Ten Or More Tickets) – Save 22 to 31%
Educational Group Rate (Ten Or More Tickets) – Save 31 to 63%
Student / Senior (60+) / Military Rate – Save 11%
Student Rush – Save 50%
Terrific Tickets – Save 50%
Pay What You Can – Name Your Own Price!
All subscribers also receive the Subscriber Benefits Card with discounts at 18 downtown Waukesha restaurants. And your ticket stub can save you money too!
Thank you to all of the generous donors that have supported us so far this season. If you would like to donate, you can choose from any number of ways you could help us not only maintain, but thrive, as Waukesha’s Cultural Cornerstone.
Please Consider Giving …
* A gift to our Operating Fund
* A matching gift through local sponsoring business employers
* A gift that will last a lifetime through your Will or Estate Planning
* A gift by donation to CARS
* A gift by shopping through Amazon Smile
* A gift by purchasing something on our Amazon Wish List
* Choose WCT as your Thrivent Choice charitable organization
* Become a Sponsor of outstanding performances and educational programs
Join WCT’s Text Club to receive exclusive offers and updates! Text WCT to 51660.
On a personal note, my son Jude will be appearing as Deputy Governor Danforth in The Crucible at WSHS, with performances on November 10-11.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and I’ll see you at the theatre!
John Cramer
Managing Artistic Director
Director’s Note: The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
Thank you for joining us.
I’ve been a lover of the theatre for more than three quarters of my almost 50 years here on Earth. At a young age, I was enthralled by the storytelling and the magic that happened on stage. I was also raised Catholic, and I think that a big part of my love for the theatre came from my time spent in church – the music, the pageantry, the storytelling, the grand design of the space and even the smells took me to another world. Theatre does the same thing. This show is an amazing combination of the two for me!
The classic story by Victor Hugo and this version made popular by the Disney animated motion picture asks us to consider the idea – What makes a monster and what makes a man? It raises many questions – is the lonely, deformed hunchback the monster or is it the pious, God-loving Archdeacon? Which one is truly ugly on the inside? Does the outside matter? Can we see beyond physical deformity to the person beneath the surface?
Ultimately, we are all human.
Frollo makes it clear early on that he despises all Gypsies. His hatred for them seems to drive his every move. Does any group of people deserve to be hated simply because of who they are or where they come from? Can a race justifiably be universally condemned? Doesn’t everyone deserve to be treated equally and fairly? Esmeralda challenges Frollo’s thoughts and awakens something in the Archdeacon that he’s never faced before. Opening ourselves up to one person could literally change our lives. This show will hopefully make us all think about “what side” we’d rather be on – the judge or the judged, the lover or the loved, the monster or the man. If theatre can entertain us AND make us think, then I think it is most effective.
I hope you enjoy the fruits of the labor of a truly incredible group of people. I am so very lucky to have the chance to work with these amazing performers, musicians and design team. They are all top notch and I thank them for sharing in this vision. I do what I do to work with folks like you!
May you be filled with more of Heaven’s Light and less Hellfire. Celebrate the good in your life. Accept and encourage. Take a chance. Stand up for what you believe. Love.
Enjoy the show!
Mark E. Schuster
Director
The Waukesha State Bank Art Gallery Presents: Patricia Gilman Graham
Artist’s Statement:
I remember planting seeds as a child, kneeling in the earth; the wonder of that experience has been with me all my life. That a speck of a seed, given soil, water and light, could become a beautiful flower, was an event too marvelous to comprehend. My response to this miracle of nature and of life was, and is, wonder, anticipation, joy and ultimately, reverence. This is what I try to express and celebrate in my art.
In my painting I attempt to reflect intimately my impressions of living things or the parts of living things that metaphorically suggest the whole in celebration of being.
Others of my paintings are about seeds. The seeds represent existence before being. I saw them in my mind’s eye and wanted to put their potential in a mysterious yet nurturing and allowing environment.
There are two other variations in my latest work. One takes the form of elongated organic “cone” shapes. The cone is open at one end and may be viewed with the wide part either up or down, suggesting the unity of birth and death, beginning and ending and beginning again…..
The other theme I call “duo”. These forms are two halves of a whole. They are opposing yet complementary – one could not exist without the other. My experience is that our lives are dichotomous. There is our inner world which we share as spiritual beings and there is the outer world which we learn about and must live in – the eternal and the temporal experiences. To unite the two experiences, to allow them to sing in harmony, if you will, is to generate light, love and compassion.
If the viewer can sense something familiar, something elemental and reassuring finally, in contemplating the images I suggest, then I think my work has some worth.
I use the softest, finest quality pastels available and soft cotton paper which accepts and absorbs multi-layers of color. My fingers are my brushes.
Biography:
I have been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember. During my 31 year career in art education with Milwaukee Public Schools and UW-Milwaukee I explored many different media with my students.
My work has been exhibited in Wisconsin and in the San Francisco Bay Area and may be found in private collections throughout the country.
In my most recent work I am employing acrylic paint, brushing this medium on canvases from small to large. Occasionally I choose watercolor on paper for its freedom and transparency.
However, that which compels me to express does not change. My paintings continue to be my response to the natural world, every component of which is alive, constantly rhythmically and harmoniously moving and changing in response to some mysterious consciousness of the unity of life.
The subject of much of my latest work is landscape, various places at different moments during all seasons.
I can only attempt to describe what my paintings are about; ultimately, they must speak for themselves.
Meet The…Office Manager!
Floyd the Flamingo, local celebrity and COO (Chief Office Ornithologist) of WCT recently sat down with the Office Manager, Meghan Hopper.
Floyd: Hi Meghan! I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to chat with you. Given my recent stage roles, it’s been pretty busy for me here in the office. How did you get involved here at WCT?
Meghan: I used to usher here when I was in high school. I joined the marketing committee a few years ago, and I’ve been slowly getting more involved ever since! I also used to work in the box office and as a house manager for a while, but I switched over to being the Office Manager in August, 2015.
Floyd: Are you originally from the Waukesha area?
Meghan: I was born in Dearborn, Michigan, but I moved here when I was fourteen and attended Waukesha North High School. After that, I went to UW-Eau Claire where I majored in English Education and minored in Theatre Education.
Floyd: Will we ever see you on stage, or just in the office?
Meghan: I was in Fawlty Towers here a couple of seasons ago, but you probably won’t see me onstage too much. I prefer the backstage side of things – I’ve directed two Miscast cabarets here and I also wrote a script for Combat Theatre. So don’t watch for me onstage, but watch for my name in the playbill!
Floyd: What do you like to do in your spare time? Any hobbies?
Meghan: I like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain.
Floyd: If you could be any bird, what kind would you be? Why?
Meghan: I would be a peregrine falcon, because I like saying the word “peregrine.” Also, they’re the fastest creatures on earth!
Floyd: What’s one thing you think people should know about you?
Meghan: People in the office probably get annoyed at how much I talk about podcasts. They just don’t understand. Podcasts are great.
Floyd: It’s not just people in the office, Meghan.
PIX Flix Spotlight On The Board: Back To The Future
Gotta get back in time…
What were you doing in 1985? And if Doc Brown pulled up in a DeLorean right now, would you go back?
Back To The Future was the highest-grossing film that year, and remains one of my favorite movies. Who can forget Marty, Lorraine, George, and Biff? Huey Lewis in an adorable cameo role? A space alien who likes Eddie Van Halen? And a young, confused Calvin Klein?
Join me at the PIX to relive this classic comedy about time travel, rock and roll, and young love on the big screen.
Your popcorn is on me if you say “You’re my density!” at the concession stand. See you at the PIX!
Angie Penzkover
Board Director
Past President
Meet The…Box Office Supervisor!
Floyd the Flamingo, local celebrity and COO (Chief Office Ornithologist) of WCT recently sat down with the new Box Office Supervisor, James Boylan.
Floyd: How did you get involved here at WCT?
James: As an actor. I was cast as Robert Westerby in Busybody back in 2012.
Floyd: Are you originally from the Waukesha area?
James: Yes. I grew up in Brookfield. My wife and I currently reside in Delafield.
Floyd: Will we ever see you on stage, or just in the box office?
James: Absolutely! I love performing on the stage!
Floyd: What do you like to do in your spare time? Any hobbies?
James: Acting, hiking, and traveling
Floyd: If you could be any bird, what kind would you be? Why?
James: Penguin. They’re cool!
Floyd: What’s one thing you think people should know about you?
James: I am the proud uncle of 12 nieces and nephews and 3 great-nephews!
Waukesha Has True Grit!
October is almost here and, to me, that means just one thing— it’s time for Waukesha Reads! This year, Waukesha will be reading the great Western novel True Grit. Charles Portis wrote True Grit in 1968, forever giving readers the independent and sassy Mattie Ross and the one-eyed, surly U.S. Marshal, Rooster Cogburn. If you have not already been introduced to this remarkable novel, then you are in for a treat!
It is the goal of Waukesha Reads to unite the community through great books. This program offers citizens the opportunity to read, discuss and explore the themes of a single book with other readers in the community. Through this program, some people will discover the joys of reading for the first time, while others will be reminded of the pleasures of a great book. Everyone will benefit from sharing the literary experience with their fellow community members.
Why read? Growing evidence illustrates that regular reading boosts the likelihood of academic and economic success, awakening a person’s social and civic responsibility. Reading for pleasure is associated with positive personal and social behaviors, both of which impact our community for the better. Simply put, books change people, they change lives and they make us better neighbors. This is why the Waukesha Reads partners feel passionately about reading and its promotion in the community. Reading is the gateway to lifelong learning, personal opportunities and success.
Waukesha Reads would not happen without the support of the community and our local partners. It is this cooperative nature that has made our program such a success over the past eleven years. Partners such as educational institutions, art centers, nonprofit organizations and other area businesses have all jumped at the chance to be a part of Waukesha Reads because they understand the value of promoting literacy in our community. By working together, we reach out to Waukesha’s diverse population, in a variety of traditional and nontraditional ways, to help encourage all citizens to participate. It is our goal that the Waukesha Reads program will bring people together, inspire reading, promote discussion and ultimately strengthen our community.
I hope that you will pick up a FREE copy of True Grit this year, and that you will make it a priority to participate in this citywide event. Whether this is your first Waukesha Reads, or your eleventh, you will undoubtedly find a program or a discussion that catches your eye. Perhaps it will be our (FREE!) keynote speaker, Mike Earp, at Waukesha Civic Theatre on November 2? Waukesha Public Library, and our Waukesha Reads partners, would love to see you there! Books and full event calendars are available at Waukesha Public Library. The calendar is also available online. Happy reading!
Kori Hall
Head of Program Development & Community Engagement
