Skylight Music Theatre presents: NOISES OFF

By Mary Boyle

When looking for humor, it’s hard to beat a good old fashioned farce.  From stage to screen, it’s a format we all know well (even if we don’t know the technical term) for a comedy that involves multiple doors, physical stunts, and a play on words.  Though a farce can seem exaggerated or silly, getting it right is exceedingly difficult because the actors must remain serious in the face of extreme ridiculousness; furthermore, the timing must be impeccable.  English playwright Michael Frayn made an important discovery while watching a performance of a farce he had written from backstage: the play was even funnier from behind.  This discovery led to Frayn’s biggest hit – a standard British farce with a brilliant play-within-a-play twist that is seen from both sides of the stage.  This season, Milwaukee’s Skylight Music Theatre takes this production to a whole new level by adding live music and an incredibly talented cast and crew for the much anticipated NOISES OFF.

“Noises Off” is a stage direction in theatre that means no sound should be coming from offstage, but this group of actors are definitely struggling to keep it down.  We meet our cast in the midst of their final dress rehearsal, but Director Lloyd Dallas (Matt Daniels) is at his wit’s end trying to get to the play’s end because his actors and crew are a mess.  Dotty Otley (Linda Mugleston) can’t remember her lines or when and where to put her plate of sardines, Gary Lejeune (Max Christian Pink) is besotted by Dotty and couldn’t finish a sentence clearly to save his life, Brooke Ashton (Becky Cofta) is besotted with the Director and doesn’t seem to have room in her head for much else, Frederick Fellowes (Jake Horstmeier) decides it’s a good time to question the motives of his character, Belinda Blair (Jenna K. Vik) is busy keeping tabs on all of the inside drama, and Seldson Mowbray (Joel Kopischke) can’t stay sober long enough to catch his cue.  Meanwhile, the all-around stagehand, Tim Allgood (Alexander Johnson), hasn’t slept in over 48 hours and the stage manager, Poppy Norton-Taylor (Emma Knott), seems to be having a nervous breakdown.  The outlook isn’t good for this production that is scheduled to make a tour of Great Britain, and that’s just what’s happening on the stage.

Traditionally, Skylight has only performed musicals; in fact, this is their very first play.  Director Michael Unger, who considers NOISES OFF to be the “funniest play ever written,” figured out a loophole to bring this hilarious production to the beautiful Cabot Theatre by adding music to it.  The music is all by Combustible Edison, an early 90’s neo-lounge music band inspired by the likes of Henry Mancini.  Music Director Kurt Cowling leads the brilliant house band, The Sardines, with beautiful vocals by Leah Gawel both in the beginning of the production and between acts, giving a fun cabaret feel to the show.  The music is not essential to the play but makes for great entertainment during intermission.

Nominated for several Tony Awards and winner of Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards, NOISES OFF was made into a film in 1992 starring Carol Burnett and Michael Caine.  Skylight’s production brings together some of Milwaukee’s finest actors with a big name from Broadway: Linda Mugleston, who is fresh from a tour of Music Man starring Hugh Jackman; however, the talent doesn’t stop there.  The ingenious set design by Tony and Olivier Award-winning scenic designer Todd Rosenthal, which allows the audience to truly see what’s happening backstage, takes the production next level.  

The entire cast, with the exception of Mugleston and Alexander Johnson, who has regularly been seen at Door Shakespeare but who is new to Skylight, has worked with Skylight before.  Matt Daniels and Max Christian Pink, both recently seen together in Titanic The Musical with The Rep, are normally cast in quite serious roles, so it was fun to see them in a comedy.  Pink, in particular, bears the brunt of most of the physical comedy of the play, which includes a spectacular fall down a staircase, and though he has been seen for many years on Milwaukee stages as a young performer, his talent is undeniable as an adult actor.  The overall talent level of this cast was just astounding.  I have seen one other farce on the Cabot stage, which was Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s production of Unnecessary Farce in 2019, and I thought that was the funniest show I had ever seen, but Michael Unger may just be right about this one.  One thing is for certain: if you’re in need of a good laugh, NOISES OFF is just the ticket.

NOISES OFF runs through April 2nd at the Cabot Theatre in the Broadway Theatre Center, located at 158 N. Broadway in Milwaukee’s historic Third Ward.  Tickets may be purchased at https://www.skylightmusictheatre.org/ or by calling the Box Office at (414) 291-7800.  This show is recommended for ages 10 and up.

Special Events

Skylight Insights. In-depth discussions about the background of each production with Artistic Director, Michael Unger, and special guests take place one hour before all Wednesday and Sunday performances.
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ASL Performance. Noises Off will be interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL) on Thursday, March 30 at 7:30p.m. To purchase tickets for this performance, email tickets@skylightmusictheatre.org or call Skylight Music Theatre's Box Office at (414) 291-7800. Mention ASL performance for seating in the appropriate section. Supported by UPAF Connect.
 
About Skylight Music Theatre
Founded in 1959, Skylight is Milwaukee’s professional Equity music theatre company and the largest employer of Wisconsin actors in the state.  We are Milwaukee’s Home for Music Theatre--the only professional Milwaukee arts company devoted solely to music theatre.  Skylight produces the full breadth of music theatre, ranging from blockbuster Broadway musicals to reimagined operas, and from exciting world premieres to contemporary off-Broadway hits.  Skylight’s mainstage home is the Cabot Theatre in the Broadway Theatre Center, which was built by Skylight in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward in 1992.  Considered to be one of Milwaukee’s most beautiful theatres, the Cabot Theatre is based on the design of an 18th-century French opera house.   With just 350 seats, it offers audiences great views of the action onstage. Skylight Music Theatre marks its 63rd season in 2022-2023.  Skylight Music Theatre is a proud Cornerstone Member of the United Performing Arts Fund.