Author Archives: Waukesha Civic Theatre
PIX Flix Spotlight On The Board: Ghostbusters
Who you gonna call? “Ghostsmashers.”
Well, I don’t know about you, but I am sure glad the original title didn’t stick for Ghostbusters. Who could forget the classic 1984 comedy featuring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis, of which Aykroyd conceived and later rewrote with Ramis. From the moment you hear the Ghostbusters theme song, which reached number one on the Billboard charts for three weeks straight, and see the iconic Ghostbusters logo, the movie grabs your attention and the characters keep you engaged with the story and make you smile with their witty comedy.
I remember being a teenager at the time and this being one of the most talked about comedies of the time. The movie was originally intended for an adult audience but the cast and crew were shocked to find that children were loving the film for its fun fantasy adventure of scientists battling supernatural threats with their innovative technology to track down and capture the ghosts and ghouls. This lead to a continuation of Ghostbusters as a successful 80’s Saturday morning cartoon then leading to the sequel in 1989 with the same beloved cast as the first.
So head on over to Waukesha Civic Theatre and grab your bag of popcorn on Monday, October 8 at 6:30 pm for some ghoulish delight from a great cast of characters. You will definitely get your fill of laughs, suspense, and heroic moments. There is even a love to hate antagonist figure that adds additional drama to the overall all battle of the rather unorthodox heroic Ghostbusters. Please get the word out and make our showing of Ghostbusters the highest-grossing PIX Flix film of all time just like Ghostbusters was the highest-grossing comedy of all time (until it was topped by Home Alone).
Rich Johnson
Treasurer
Board Of Directors
MAD Corner: The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940
Sixty-Two Amazing Years. Wow! Since its very modest beginnings in 1957, WCT has produced more than 500 shows and continues its long-standing tradition as Waukesha’s first choice for quality live entertainment. According to the American Association of Community Theatres, there are over 7,000 community theatres in the nation, and only 100 of them are on record of having survived for 60 years or more, so WCT is in a very elite group of theatres.
I can’t believe I am starting my sixteenth season with the Waukesha Civic Theatre. My, how time flies when you’re having fun! It has been a pleasure and an honor to work in this beautiful facility for this incredible organization and with this amazing community, and I look forward to many more seasons of high quality live entertainment.
We are kicking off our 62nd season with a comic mystery, combining two genres that our audiences and our actors love to love. They’re fun to watch, they’re fun to be in, and they’re fun to direct. And The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940 fits the bill. Sit back, relax, and let us stimulate your cerebellum and tickle your funny bone at the same time. Have fun!
See you at the Theatre!
John Cramer
Managing Artistic Director
Director’s Note: The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940
If you like mysteries, you are probably fond of sifting through red herrings (“clues” that are planted just to mislead). If so, The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940 is the show for you. The red herrings begin even with the title. (Did you think you were going to see a musical? Red Herring!). Although there are a few catchy numbers, this show is not a musical at all. Instead, the concept of a trying out a new musical is a red herring for the actor-characters who believe they are auditioning for the production. And that’s just the beginning!
The clues—real and not so real—in this show will keep you guessing. Are there actual police present? How many? Are they trying to catch “The Stage Door Slasher” or a Nazi saboteur—or
both? Is Eddie really a (very struggling) comedian or a fledgling detective? Is Elsa a slightly ditzy hostess or a murderer on the loose? Is there one Helsa—or two—or three? And, in the midst of the murderous mayhem, is there romance in the air? In another two hours, you’ll know all the answers.
Thanks to the cast for hard work, good humor, and willingness to take chances. Special appreciation to the non-applauded production staff: Scott P. and Jeff for our secretive set, Sharon and Ellen for classy costumes, Scott F. and Keith for audible and electric effects, Matt for his creative compositions, Christopher for our frantic fights, Meghan for deft dialects, and Katie for her magnificent managing. A theatrical production does, indeed, take a village.
It’s a mystery. It’s a comedy (please do laugh!). And it’s just meant to be fun. So, stay awake and sift through those red herrings, but do relax and enjoy!
Thanks for supporting the arts!
Carol Dolphin 🐬
Director
Cramer’s Corner: Here We Go … Our 62nd Mainstage Season Is Underway!
Our first Mainstage show of our historic 62nd season opens on Friday, September 14 and runs through the end of the month. The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940 is a clever, funny mystery. It is NOT a musical, but it IS a comedy.
Our third PIX Flix film of the season is Singin’ In The Rain on Monday, September 17 at 6:30 pm. This film came in at the number one spot in our PIX Flix survey, so don’t delay…get your tickets NOW! This classic musical stars Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, Cyd Charisse, 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 POPCORN from Pop’s Kettle Corn!
Our Academy at Civic Theatre fall session will start September 24th. Registration is open for all our great theatre arts education offerings through June 2019.
Our current featured artist in the Waukesha State Bank Art Gallery is Carolyn Larkin through October 9.
We still have room on our bus to see Dear Evan Hansen in Chicago on February 27, 2019. If you are interested and want more information about either of these trips, let me know and I can send you the details.
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: Art Gallery, Diversity, Education and Outreach, Finance and Facility, Fund Development, Fundraising Events (Gala), Governance, Marketing, and Play Advisory.
Our 62nd Season subscription packages, individual tickets, and group sales are all on sale now. Join us for all of our Mainstage shows, Random Acts Of Entertainment, Education & Outreach shows, PIX Flix Films, and Fundraising Events.
Our Mainstage Season includes:
The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940
(Directed By Carol Dolphin)
Billy Elliot: The Musical
(Directed By Mark E. Schuster)
Candy Cane Tales And Holiday Carols
(Directed By John Cramer and Kelly Goeller)
The Underpants
(Directed By Phil Stepanski)
Thoroughly Modern Millie
(Directed By Jim Padovano)
The Giver
(Directed By Katie Lynne Krueger)
But Why Bump Off Barnaby?
(Directed By David Kaye)
Our Random Acts Of Entertainment, Education And Outreach shows, and Fundraising Events include:
DISABILITY: The Evolution
Waukesha Reads
You’ve Got A Friend
An Evening Of Holiday Tales With John McGivern
Joel Kopischke’s I Got Yule, Babe
Comicality
A.C.T. Combat Boot Camp
Waukesha STEM Academy’s Fame JR.
A.C.T. Live!
My Funny Valentine
The Wizard Of Oz Unplugged
The Shamrock Shindig (A Gaelic Gala)
Our Favorite Things
Miscast
A.C.T. June Summer Showcase
Our PIX Flix Film Series includes:
Singin’ In The Rain
Ghostbusters
North By Northwest
Muppet Christmas Carol
To Kill A Mockingbird
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner
The Sting
Field Of Dreams
Camelot
Grease
And don’t forget about all the ways to save on quality, live entertainment. WCT’s Ticket Promotions can’t be beat!
Mainstage Season Ticket – Save 33%
Flex Pass Membership – Save 22%
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%
Senior (60+) / Military Rate – Save 11 to 15%
Teen Rate – Save 15 to 33%
Child Rate – Save 31 to 44%
Terrific Tickets – Save 50%
Pay What You Can – You Name Your Savings
All subscribers also receive the Subscriber Benefits Card with discounts at 17 Downtown Waukesha restaurants. And your ticket stub can save you money too! Please consider visiting our Community Partners: People’s Park & Plowshare Fair Trade Marketplace!
Thank you to all of the generous donors that have supported us every 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 to our Curtain Call Club
* 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
On a personal note, my daughter Elena has started her junior year at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, and my son Jude has started his senior year at Waukesha South High School. I’ll keep you informed if they get cast in any shows throughout the year. And Doug Jarecki and I are going to be performing Doug’s show ‘Twas The Month Before Christmas at Vogel Hall November 28-December 2.
See you at the theatre!
John Cramer
Managing Artistic Director
jcramer@waukeshacivictheatre.org
262-547-4911 ext. 113 office
The Waukesha State Bank Art Gallery Presents: Carolyn Larkin
Carolyn enjoys painting out of doors throughout the year in Wisconsin. She grew up in Virginia and spent much of her time in the coastal area of Virginia and the mountains of West Virginia. She started painting when she moved to this area thirty years ago at the Milwaukee Museum of Art. Before moving here, she studied design, drawing and printmaking at the University of Texas Austin. She has continued to study with various local artists. Artists such as Joaquin Sorolla, John Singer Sargent as well as the French and Russian impressionists inspire her sense of color and brushwork.
2018 Galleries/Shows/Competitions
First Brush with Spring, New Harmony Indiana
“Botanicals”, Gallery of Wisconsin Art, West Bend Wisconsin
ESI Environmental Systems Inc, Brookfield Wisconsin
Cedarburg Plein Air, Cedarburg Wisconsin
Jefferson Plein Air, Jefferson Wisconsin
Elm Grove Garden Tour Elm Grove, Wisconsin
Door County Plein Air Quick Paint, Fish Creek Wisconsin
Wisconsin State Fair, West Allis Wisconsin
Paint the Point, Mineral Point Wisconsin
Pewaukee Plein Air, Pewaukee Wisconsin
Taliesin Plein Air, Spring Green Wisconsin September 16-22, 2018
Paint the Town, Northbrook Illinois September 26-30, 2018
Bluff Strokes, Dubuque Iowa Ocotober 9 – 15, 2018
Recent Awards
Cedarburg Plein Air second place Quick Paint 2017
Education
B.S. Nursing, University Virginia
University Texas Austin, art and architecture
PIX Flix Spotlight On The Board: Singin’ In The Rain
AT RISE
(A hospital room somewhere in Brookfield, WI. 4 A.M. The sound of a baby wailing takes over the scene. The exhausted mother swaddles her son and does the only thing she can think of. She sings)
Mother: For I’m content the Angels must have sent you / And they made you just for me
That very clueless mother was me. The screaming child was my miracle baby. Bleary eyed and overwhelmed, I don’t think I would have been able to tell you my name had you asked. But those lyrics, so perfect for that moment, didn’t just comfort my son. It comforted me.
That is one of the reasons I love the PIX Flix series. The movies shown aren’t just movies. They are the movies that shaped our culture. Movies that make us cry, laugh and occasionally sing. And for me, no movie does this better than Singin’ in the Rain. Full of catchy songs, this movie isn’t just another musical rom-com. It is also the ultimate buddy movie with Donald O’Connor’s Cosmo Brown making us laugh as the OG “ride or die” friend to Gene Kelly’s Don Lockwood.
You will laugh.
You will cry.
You will want to sing along.
What you won’t want to do is miss this one.
See you at the PIX on Monday, September 17th!
Dawn Pelej
Board Director
Cramer’s Corner: He’s A What? He’s A What? He’s A Music Man!
We have four more performances of our summer A.C.T. production, The Music Man JR., August 3-5. Click here for more information or to order tickets.
Our A.C.T. August Summer Showcase starts on Monday, August 6, and we still have room for more students. Click here for more information or to register. And don’t miss the showcase performances on Saturday, August 18, at 10:00 am and 1:00 pm.
Our second PIX Flix film of the season is Mary Poppins on Monday, August 13 at 6:30 pm. Join us for this whimsical classic musical starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, Glynnis Johns, 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 POPCORN from Pop’s Kettle Corn! Click here to buy tickets.
Our A.C.T. Lights! Camera! Action! class will be held August 20-24, and our fall session will start September 24th. Click here for information on all of our great theatre arts education offerings.
Our current featured artist in the Waukesha State Bank Art Gallery is Vanessa Johanning through August 27.
We still have room on our bus to see Dear Evan Hansen in Chicago on February 27, 2019. If you are interested and want more information about either of these trips, let me know and I can send you the details.
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 62nd Season season tickets, individual tickets, and group sales are all on sale now. Join us for all of our Mainstage shows, Random Acts Of Entertainment, Education & Outreach shows, PIX Flix Films, and Fundraising Events.
Our Mainstage Season includes:
The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940
(Directed By Carol Dolphin)
Billy Elliot: The Musical
(Directed By Mark E. Schuster)
Candy Cane Tales And Holiday Carols
(Directed By John Cramer and Kelly Goeller)
The Underpants
(Directed By Phil Stepanski)
Thoroughly Modern Millie
(Directed By Jim Padovano)
The Giver
(Directed By Katie Lynne Krueger)
But Why Bump Off Barnaby?
(Directed By David Kaye)
Our Random Acts Of Entertainment, Education And Outreach shows, and Fundraising Events include:
A.C.T. August Summer Showcase
disABILITY: The Evolution
Waukesha Reads
You’ve Got A Friend
An Evening Of Holiday Tales With John McGivern
Joel Kopischke’s I Got Yule, Babe
Comicality
A.C.T. Combat Boot Camp
Waukesha STEM Academy’s Fame JR.
A.C.T. Live!
My Funny Valentine
The Wizard Of Oz Unplugged
The Shamrock Shindig (A Gaelic Gala)
Our Favorite Things
Miscast
A.C.T. June Summer Showcase
Our PIX Flix Film series includes:
Mary Poppins
Singin’ In The Rain
Ghostbusters
North By Northwest
Muppet Christmas Carol
To Kill A Mockingbird
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner
The Sting
Field Of Dreams
Camelot
Grease
And don’t forget about all the ways to save on quality, live entertainment. WCT’s Ticket Promotions can’t be beat!
Mainstage Season Ticket – Save 33%
Flex Pass Membership – Save 22%
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%
Senior (60+) / Military Rate – Save 11 to 15%
Teen Rate – Save 15 to 33%
Child Rate – Save 31 to 44%
Terrific Tickets – Save 50%
Pay What You Can – You Name Your Savings
All subscribers also receive the Subscriber Benefits Card with discounts at 17 downtown Waukesha restaurants. And your ticket stub can save you money too!
Thank you to all of the generous donors that have supported us every 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 to our Curtain Call Club
* 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
I’ll see you at the Theatre!
John Cramer
Managing Artistic Director
PIX Flix Spotlight On The Board: Mary Poppins
I love the penguins. There, I said it. How could you not? They are as enamored with Mary as we are and can hardly contain their joy at being around her. Soon we will have a sequel to Mary Poppins, starring none-other than Lin-Manuel Miranda, and I have read that the penguins will be back! This makes me happy. It makes me happy that Disney is working to stay true to the whimsy and joy that is Mary Poppins.
I grew up on this movie, it was released the year I was born, no I won’t tell you which year that was, and I remember being spellbound as Julie Andrews (the ONLY Mary Poppins there will ever be for me) and Dick Van Dyke frolicked around, above and literally IN the streets and sidewalks of London. It introduced me to the city of London, and to this day, it is my favorite city in the world!
Mary Poppins received a total of 13 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture – a record for any other film released by Walt Disney Studios – and won five; Best Actress for Andrews, Best Film Editing, Best Original Music Score, Best Visual Effects, and Best Original Song for “Chim Cher-ee”. In 2013, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. Mary Poppins is widely considered to be Walt Disney’s crowning live-action achievement, his only film to gain a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars in his lifetime. (Thank you, Wikipedia, for that entire last paragraph.)
But it isn’t just the music and the visual effects that make this a must-see on the big screen. The story addresses a range of situations and emotions relevant in today’s world: Parents distracted by careers, social activism, the need for civility and manners and so much more. But unlike productions and movies of our current day, Mary Poppins doesn’t preach, nor does her main character apologize, cajole or bully.
Tie this together with a spoonful of sugar and you have a classic that should not be missed. Take a break from the summer heat, enjoy the beauty of the cool dark theater with your family and brush up on your non-sensicality. It is time to come see Mary Poppins – August 13 – 6:30 P.M.
Jane Klett
Board Director
The Waukesha State Bank Art Gallery Presents: Vanessa “Kiki” Johanning
Vanessa “Kiki” Johanning is an international full time Mixed Media Artist with more than 20 years’ experience in the creative world. She loves to find the sparkle in your eye while embellishing every surface of life!
With her own company as a Landscape Designer, she was creating with bright flowered gardens all across the country. She then moved on to Painting, sewing… creating… and re-making everything she could get her hands on…and doing it all with a giggle…!
Being a passionate collector of embroidered doilies, antique Journals, and experiences, she creates daily at her wonderful three Art studios in Wisconsin. She has been Represented by several galleries in the Midwest. A published Designer, Art Event Teacher, and a licensed products maker, you will love her happy style. Kiki loves to help you learn the understanding and feeling the Freedom of Expression in Creating.
Vanessa Johanning
Cramer’s Corner: WCT’s 62nd Season Kicks Off With Some HOT ENTERTAINMENT!
Our first PIX Flix film of the season is Cat On A Hot Tin Roof on Monday, July 9 at 6:30 pm. Join us for this Tennessee Williams classic starring Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, Burl Ives, Jack Carson, Madeleine Sherwood, Judith Anderson, 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 POPCORN from Pop’s Kettle Corn!
Our summer theatre arts education program has a fantastic performance to look forward to. The Music Man JR. will perform July 27-August 5.
I am also offering beginner-to-intermediate Tap Dance Classes over the summer. We have already started, but have 13 more 75-minute sessions from July 2 through August 21. You can pay as you go, one class at a time, or pre-pay for five or ten sessions. If you have questions, please let me know!
Our current featured artist in the Waukesha State Bank Art Gallery is Vanessa Johanning through August 27.
We still have room in our New York City Theatre Adventure October 11-14, 2018, but you need to book it NOW. The deadline has been extended to July 13. We also still have room on our bus to see Dear Evan Hansen in Chicago on February 27, 2019. If you are interested and want more information about either of these trips, let me know and I can send you the details.
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 62nd Season season tickets, individual tickets, and group sales are all on sale now. Join us for all of our Mainstage shows, Random Acts Of Entertainment, Education & Outreach shows, PIX Flix Films, and Fundraising Events.
Our Mainstage Season includes:
The Musical Comedy Murders Of 1940
(Directed By Carol Dolphin)
Billy Elliot: The Musical
(Directed By Mark E. Schuster)
Candy Cane Tales And Holiday Carols
(Directed By John Cramer and Kelly Goeller)
The Underpants
(Directed By Phil Stepanski)
Thoroughly Modern Millie
(Directed By Jim Padovano)
The Giver
(Directed By Katie Lynne Krueger)
But Why Bump Off Barnaby?
(Directed By David Kaye)
Our Random Acts Of Entertainment, Education And Outreach shows, and Fundraising Events include:
The Music Man JR.
Br!NK New Play Festival
A.C.T. August Summer Showcase
DISABILITY: The Evolution
Waukesha Reads
You’ve Got A Friend
An Evening Of Holiday Tales With John McGivern
Joel Kopischke’s I Got Yule, Babe
Comicality
A.C.T. Combat Boot Camp
Waukesha STEM Academy’s Fame JR.
A.C.T. Live!
My Funny Valentine
The Wizard Of Oz Unplugged
The Shamrock Shindig (A Gaelic Gala)
Our Favorite Things
Miscast
A.C.T. June Summer Showcase
Our PIX Flix Film Series includes:
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof
Mary Poppins
Singin’ In The Rain
Ghostbusters
North By Northwest
Muppet Christmas Carol
To Kill A Mockingbird
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner
The Sting
Field Of Dreams
Camelot
Grease
And don’t forget about all the ways to save on quality, live entertainment. WCT’s Ticket Promotions can’t be beat!
Mainstage Season Ticket – Save 33%
Flex Pass Membership – Save 22%
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%
Senior (60+) / Military Rate – Save 11 to 15%
Teen Rate – Save 15 to 33%
Child Rate – Save 31 to 44%
Terrific Tickets – Save 50%
Pay What You Can – You Name Your Savings
All subscribers also receive the Subscriber Benefits Card with discounts at 17 downtown Waukesha restaurants. And your ticket stub can save you money too!
Thank you to all of the generous donors that have supported us every 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 to our Curtain Call Club
* 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
Happy Independence Day!
I’ll see you at the Theatre!
John Cramer
Managing Artistic Director
jcramer@waukeshacivictheatre.org
