Memorial Day is a time to honor those who gave their lives in military service to our country, but it wasn't always that way.  The tradition began after the Civil War, for honoring soldiers of both sides who had died.  After World War I, the tradition was changed to honor all those Americans who died fighting in any war.  It was officially made a holiday in 1971, giving us the three day weekend that has come to be associated with the beginning of summer, store sales, and barbecues.  In recent years, communities have returned to the roots of this holiday, and it has regained some of the solemn feel of its origins.  Oz has several parades and ceremonies to attend -- here are the details:

Fredonia  The Warren Kane American Legion Post 410 will hold a ceremony at Veterans Park at 9 a.m., with a flag raising and the playing of taps by area students. This year's guest speaker will be Russ Saueressig, a member of Post 410, and the program will also include a performance by Matthew Baughman, NOSD bands, and other youth organizations.

Belgium  Memorial Day will begin with Mass at 8 a.m. at St. Mark's Lutheran Church at 200 Park St.  The parade begins at 10:30 a.m. on Main St. at East Lane, followed by a program at Community Park at 11 a.m., located at 106 Beech St.  A cookout will be held afterwards by the American Legion Melvin Wester Post 412, with free beer, soda and water.

Saukville  The Landt-Thiel American Legion Post 470 will have a prayer service at the Union Cemetery on South Main St. in Saukville at 8 a.m., and the parade begins at 9 a.m. from nearby Riverside Park and ends at Veterans Park on East Green Bay Ave.  for a ceremony.  Lunch will be served following the ceremony at the Legion Post at 601 S. Dekora St.  

Port Washington  The parade begins at 10:30 a.m. near City Hall, and continues to Veterans Park on the lakefront for a program, where the Port Washington High School Band will play patriotic songs.  The Van Ells-Schanen American Legion Post 82 will provide soft drinks and ice-cream to children following the program.

Grafton  The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at the Grafton American Legion Rose Harms Post 335 and continue to Veteran's Memorial Park for a ceremony. A free luncheon will be served at the Legion Hall following the ceremony.  

Cedarburg  The parade begins at 9 a.m. at the corner of Bridge St. and Washington Ave, followed by a ceremony and reception at the Peter Wollner Post 288 at 10 a.m., located at W57 N481 Hilbert Ave.  

Mequon/Thiensville  The parade begins at 10 a.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, and continues to Mequon City Hall for a ceremony.    An observance and free will lunch will follow at the Howard J. Schroeder American Legion Post 457's Clubhouse located at 6050 W. Mequon Road.

Happy Memorial Day, everyone.

By Mary Boyle

Bard & Bourbon Theatre Company has been bringing drunk Shakespeare to Milwaukee's audiences since 2015 and, if you're a fan of the Bard, it's really an interesting way to experience his work.  While the production is as fully staged as any other company's work, one actor takes a turn each show to do their part while taking shots of bourbon, given by their fellow cast members, throughout the performance.  While every performance is always unique, even across the normal run of a show, the drunk factor adds a tremendous variable, as well as a great element of fun, to these performances.  Many of Shakespeare's works contain at least one drunk character, including The Tempest, which B&B will perform at the Tenth Street Theatre through May 27th but, just to make it more interesting, it rarely the drunk that is the drunk!

The Tempest is the story of Prospero (Joel Kopischke) who, along with his infant daughter, Miranda (Rayne Kleinofen), were banished to sea when Prospero's brother, Antonio (Maggie Marks), stole the Dukedom with the help of the Alonso, the King of Naples (Victoria Hudziak) and the King's brother, Sebastian (Gabriella Ashlin).  Prospero and Miranda land on an island inhabited only by the spirit, Ariel (Grace DeWolff) and a human-like creature named Caliban (Ashley Retzlaff), who become servants to the now wizard-like Prospero.  Many years have passed when Prospero senses his enemies are near to the island and, plotting revenge, he whips up a storm that tosses them unto his shore, separating the King's son, Ferdinand (Rick Bingen), from his father, Sebastian, Antonio, and the gentle old Gonzalo (Ashley Retzlaff), and sending the drunkard, Stephano (Ro Spice-Kopischke), and the fool, Trinculo (Madeline Wakley) into Caliban's path, thus setting the stage for Prospero's revenge.

Even without added drunkenness, The Tempest is a play full of humor, so it works very well with the addition of a random drunk.  Directed by Samantha Martinson, who has also been an actor with B&B, the production is well-cast, with B&B favorites Joel Kopsichke, Grace DeWolff, and Ashley Retzlaff delivering strong performances, and newbies Rayne Kleinofen, Victoria Hudziak, Gabriella Ashlin, and Ro Spice-Kopischke making valiant debut performances.  Rick Bingen is particularly fun as Ferdinand, even sober - I'd love to see him as the drunk!  The Tenth Street Theatre is the perfect place for this type of production: casual and intimate.  This show has a limited run; if you're looking for a fun time, run out and see it while you can!

The Tempest runs through May 27th at the Tenth Street Theatre, located at 628 N. 10th St. in downtown Milwaukee.  Tickets are only $18 ($15 for Students, Seniors, Military or Artists) and may be purchased at www.BardAndBourbon.com or at the door.  To keep on top of their season, follow Bard & Bourbon on Facebook:
 www.facebook.com/pg/BardandBourbon/ 

 
The Saukville Area Historical Society will once again host the 2nd Annual Crossroads Rendezvous Historical Reenactment at Peninsula Park May 17-19, where reenactors from across the Midwest, representing various people of the Fur Trade Era in Wisconsin from 1750-1840, will create a “Living History Experience” for all ages.
 
The popular event, which the SAHS ran from 1991 – 2006, returned in 2018 thanks to new organizers, and fellow historical reenactors, Mary Boyle and Sara Dahmen of Port Washington, who were wishing for an event to attend closer to home.
 
“We wanted an event in our own community, and we thought it would be easier to work with something that people were already familiar with, rather than reinvent the wheel,” Boyle said.  “Several of the original organizers were still with the Historical Society, and they were so welcoming and instrumental in getting the event restarted.”
 
Last year, over 500 area students participated in the School Day and over 2,000 visitors attended throughout the weekend, making for a very successful inaugural event that raised over $2,600 for the Saukville Area Historical Society, as well as money for Boy Scout Troop 840, which served food for the event.  Organizers expect the camp to double in size this year, and hope that the visitor count will double, as well.
 
“With an outdoor event, you’re always subject to the weather, and we had a very cold and rainy Saturday and Sunday morning last year,” said Dahmen.  “Not only that, we had very little time to put the event together, and a tiny budget.  The budget didn’t improve much for this year, but we had time on our side to reach more people.  With a little luck, the weather will be better for us, too.”
 
Friday, May 17, is the School Day from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.  While the public is allowed, the day is geared towards area students and homeschoolers.  Stations are scattered throughout the camp where children can try their hand at 18th Century Games, join the French Marines or British Militia, speak with a voyageur, look at actual 18th Century artifacts, and observe tradesmen such as blacksmiths, tinsmiths, silversmiths and woodworkers, as well as other activities.  New this year, and just for the School Day, is Wisconsin Folk Singer David HB Drake, who will perform a variation of his “Gather by the Waters” presentation at 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m., and Riveredge Nature Center, who will offer canoe paddling lessons (on land), as well as a look through a microscope at what resides in the Milwaukee River, which runs around the park.
 
The weekend is open to the public, and visitors are encouraged to park at U-Haul Moving & Storage, located at 835 E. Green Bay Rd. in Saukville, and take the shuttle to the event, as there is only limited disabled and motorcycle parking on site.  Saturday hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., with Opening Colors at 10 a.m., Mini-Militia and Marine Drills for kids at 11 a.m., a Kid’s Tactical at 2:30 p.m., 1776 Drilling with Lauzun’s Legion at 4 p.m., and more.  Sunday hours are 10 a.m – 4 p.m., with Opening Colors at 11 a.m., an F&I Tactical at 1 p.m., a Cannon Demo at 2 p.m., and more.

Also new this year is a collaboration with the Ozaukee County Historical Society and their 5th Annual WWII Event, Metz: The City That Wouldn't Surrender, at Pioneer Village in Saukville, which takes place the same weekend as the Crossroads Rendezvous.  Programs for each event will offer $1 off an adult entry to the other event, so hang on to those programs!
 
The Crossroads Rendezvous is hosted by the Saukville Area Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) organization, and made possible through a Tourism Grant from the Saukville Chamber of Commerce, as well as the generous sponsorship of these local businesses:  Port Washington State Bank, Charter Steel, FPZ, Inc., Backwoods Tin & Copper, U-Haul Moving & Storage, Riversedge Restaurant, The Paperie, Mueller Heating & Cooling, and Saukville Feed Supply.

By Mary Boyle

Helen Keller was born almost 140 years ago in Alabama.  At the age of 18 months, she was stricken with an illness that took away both her sight and her hearing, thrusting her into a world of complete darkness.  While there were schools for the blind, and braille had been invented 56 years before Helen was born, there was little known about how to help a person who was both deaf and blind.  Luckily, Helen's parents were people of means, and they were able to find for a teacher for Helen when she was just 6 years old.  Annie Sullivan, who was just 20 years old, herself, was able to finally give Helen the gift of communication.  Helen wrote of this transformation at length in her autobiography, The Story of My Life, published in 1903, which the playwright William Gibson used as a basis for his Broadway production in 1959.    ​Fifty years later, Helen's story is still touching audiences, still incredibly relevant, and the perfect production to end the First Stage Young Company season with.  Don't miss your opportunity to see The Miracle Worker. 

Directed by the amazing Matt Daniels, who is also the Director of Young Company, the award-winning training program for advanced high school actors at First Stage, The Miracle Worker is not only a testament to the human spirit, but a reminder that all people, regardless of their abilities, have value and deserve a chance to reach their potential; that our greatest teachers can be found in those we least expect; and, that good communication can overcome almost any obstacle. 

The Young Company cast for The Miracle Worker includes: Jennie Babisch as Annie Sullivan; Meghan DeRoche as Kate Keller; Eloise Field as Anagnos/Belle; Addy Grace as Percey/Doctor/; Kyra Mathias as Viney/Martha/; Ashley Nord as Helen Keller; Mathilde Prosen-Oldani as James Keller; Gabe Smith as Captain Keller; and, Chloe Winney as Aunt Ev.

While most people know the story of a deaf and blind girl who learned to communicate, Daniels insists that one of the best parts of the story is what most people don't know.  "Helen Keller went on to be the first deaf-blind person to graduate from college.  She went on to a life of social activism, including co-founding the American Civil Liberties Union, fighting for worker's rights, working tirelessly for the American Federation of the Blind, and acting as America's first Goodwill Ambassador during WWII.  She was friends with mark Twain, Albert Einstein, and Eleanor Roosevelt.  She learned several languages, including their braille counterparts, received six honorary doctorates, and fought for humanitarian causes until she dies in 1968."

Imagine what may have happened if Helen's parents hadn't believed in her ability to learn?  If they hadn't fought for her and given her every opportunity?  If they had let their prejudices against Annie Sullivan's age or the fact that she was Irish and from the North stop them from hiring her?  What if all of the people in Helen's life underestimated and undervalued her because of her deafness and blindness?  The world would be a very different, and much darker, place.

Not only is this a classic production that everyone should see, the Young Company does a phenomenal job with it; they have never failed to impress me, and I will continue to insist that their productions are some of the best theatre in Milwaukee at an incredible value.  Don't miss your chance to see this.

THE MIRACLE WORKER runs May 10 – 19, 2019 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, located at 325 W. Walnut Street in downtown Milwaukee. Tickets are $14 and may be purchased online at www.firststage.org or through the First Stage Box Office at (414) 267-2961. Performance runtime is approximately two hours and twenty minutes, which includes two intermissions. Suggested for families and young people ages 12+.

About First Stage

First Stage is one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families. First Stage touches hearts, engages minds and transforms lives by creating extraordinary theater experiences through professional theater productions that inspire, enlighten and entertain. Its Theater Academy, the nation’s largest high-impact theater training program for young people, fosters life skills through stage skills and serves over 2,100 students each year. As Wisconsin’s leader in arts-integrated education in schools, First Stage’s dynamic Theater in Education programs promote literacy, character building and experiential learning throughout the curriculum, serving over 20,000 students each year. First Stage was selected to participate in the Partners in Education program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (2012), and was the recipient of the Milwaukee Business Journal’sEureka Award, recognizing creativity and innovation in business, education and the arts for its Next Steps program for students on the autism spectrum (2013, 2015). First Stage is a member of TYA/USA, the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, the Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education, Milwaukee Arts Partners and is a cornerstone member of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF).

By Mary Boyle

Every now and then, a new theatre company pops up in Milwaukee, supported by larger, incubating theatre, and one of the latest is Lemonade Theatre Productions.  Utilizing the Next Act Theatre in downtown Milwaukee, Lemonade offers up the first production of their 2019/2020 season, The Odd Couple: Female Version.  

Set in the mid 80's, The Odd Couple: Female Version is Neil Simon’s revision of his hugely successful 1965 play, The Odd Couple.  The play sparked the 1968 film starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, which then sparked the television show starring Tony Randall and Jack Klugman from 1970-1975.  Simon, who passed away at the age of 91 last August, holds the record for receiving the most combined Oscar and Tony nominations, and is also remembered for his other hit plays, Barefoot in the Park, Biloxi Blues, and Lost in Younkers.

Directed by Jessica Betts, this version of The Odd Couple really is just like the popular sitcom, but with women.  Olive Madison (Brittany Ann Haut), a divorcée with a successful career, now lives alone in her New York City apartment.  Though she's no Betty Crocker (the place is a mess and the food isn't edible), it's the place where Olive's group of friends (Michelle White as Sylvie, Marina Dove as Mickey, Sheng Lor as Renee, and Megan Harington as Vera) meet for Trivial Pursuit night once a week. When one of the friends, Florence Unger (Carrie Johns), doesn't show up for the game, they know something is wrong.  Sure enough, Florence's husband of 14 years wants a divorce.  Olive, wanting to help her friend and thinking it might be nice not to live alone, invites Florence to live with her,  but Florence's obsessive cleanliness and dedication to domestic arts might be more than Olive can take.  When Olive organizes a double-date with the Costazuela brothers, Jesus (Jesse Kaplan) and Manolo (Dennis Lewis), immigrants from Spain who reside in the same building, the wrong type of sparks start to fly.

Although the production is light and fun, especially if you're old enough to remember the 1980's, there's a reason this play didn't hit it off the way the original did: it just doesn't work quite as well, nor is it quite as believable, with women. Haut and Johns are well cast as the odd couple, but it's Kaplan and Lewis as the Costazuela brothers who are complete scene-stealers and get the most laughs.  While the production is lighthearted and fun, it's a bit rough around the edges, mostly due to some awkward scene changes.  For the most part, the play feels like being the studio audience for a taping of a sitcom which, if you had any experience with the first versions of The Odd Couple, is about what you would expect.  Nonetheless, Lemonade Theatre's first offering is an amusing, entertaining, and affordable way to spend a couple of hours of your time.

The Odd Couple: Female Version runs through May 12th at Next Act Theatre, located at 255 S. Water Street in Milwaukee.  Tickets may be purchased by  calling (414) 278-0765, or online at nextact.org, as well as at http://www.lemonadetheatre.com under the "Box Office" tab.  Lemonade Theatre Productions is also running a special for Mother's Day: Buy One Get One Free when you enter the code "LOVEMOM" at nextact.org for the Mother's Day show, good for up to 4 tickets!

Reprinted with permission.  Originally published in the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

By Sari Lesk

Allison Hayden said she is tired of people not talking about the Holocaust when they re-enact World War II.

Hayden, an Israel, education and Jewish Community Relations Council program specialist at the Milwaukee Jewish Federation, is a hobbyist re-enactor. As a pastime, she combines her passions for performing and history to educate people on subjects they may not have learned about.

Hayden typically participates in a re-enactment of the 7th Banija division, a Yugoslavian unit from World War II. But for an upcoming event, she and her friends are branching out to tell a lesser-known story.

For a May event at Pioneer Village in Ozaukee County, Hayden is participating in a re-enactment of the Bielski brigade.

“If you want to accurately talk about history, you need to talk about all aspects, and you really need to talk about the Holocaust,” she said. “It can’t be ignored anymore in the re-enacting community, because it’s leading to a generation of people who don’t have as much Holocaust knowledge.”

The Bielski brothers created a family camp in the forest of Western Belarus, according to Yad Vashem. They created their partisan unit after their parents and other relatives were killed in a massacre of about 5,000 Jews in 1941, and went on to save about 1,200 Jews.
“I hear a lot of people say, ‘Well why did the Jews just let themselves get murdered in the Holocaust? Why didn’t they do anything to fight back?’” Hayden said. “I’ve always tried to be like, ‘No, they did fight back. There was a lot of resistance.’ But I feel like it’s never represented at re-enactments.”

Hayden is creating the impression with Daniel Palama, who founded their original 7th Banija unit. Palama, who has a degree in Holocaust studies, said his research shows the Bielski brigade became so organized that its village included a synagogue, schools and a hospital.

Palama said he wants people to learn from this re-enactment how a culture was lost as people were displaced from their homes – an issue he said is mostly skirted around in World War II re-enactments.

He also said the re-enacting community needs “a narrative that helps to make things much more complex than just the black-and-white of it being G.I. Joe versus Jerry from Bavaria.”

Hayden and Palama said they will create a camp with Jewish antiques for this impression, including prayer books, along with Russian and Polish Jewish books. In addition to being available throughout the day to talk with visitors, their unit is creating a formal presentation, they said.

Hayden said she hopes people will better understand the Jewish experience during the Holocaust.

“There was a sense that the Jews weren’t going to go down without a fight, and that Jewish life was present and precious,” she said. “Despite the best efforts of the Germans and their collaborators, they could escape, and they could move on and they did fight back. They didn’t just roll over to their deaths, as I’ve heard some people say.”

* * *
The Ozaukee County Historical Society Holds its 5th Annual WWII Event
The year is 1944 and the city is Metz, France, a city located in northeast France that had previously fallen to Germans in 1940 and was annexed to the Third Reich. The Allied forces of France, with its heavy fortifications, became an important focal point for the Germans to mount a defense to contain the advancing U.S. Third Army. The battle for Metz, France lasted from September until the end of November in 1944, with heavy causalities. The last isolated forts of Metz did not surrender until well into December 1944.
On Saturday and Sunday, May 18-19, the Ozaukee County Historical Society and the 1st Allied Airborne Living History Re-enactors will transform Ozaukee County Pioneer Village into a European Village in the midst of World War II. Get ready to step back in time and experience, first-hand: “Metz: The City That Wouldn’t  Surrender”.
​
Attendees can expect to see the military encampments of U.S., German and French units, to name a few. They will see the Veteran’s Military Museum military vehicles on parade, plus demonstrations, uniforms, artifacts and weaponry of the time. They will visit a French café, a USO canteen in a 1907 railroad station and the Metz field battles.
A special USO style dance is held on Saturday at 7:00PM in the Village Hall featuring wartime favorites and the music of the forties by one of Milwaukee’s best swing band, Swing Nouveau. The re-enactors and USO girls will wear the dress-best to entertain the public, as well. Come listen to the music and attend the dance for only $8.
The event runs from 10AM to 5PM on Saturday and 10AM to 3PM on Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for students (13-17) and Seniors and $5 for all veterans and children 5-12. World War II veterans and small children (under 5) are free. Wrist bands will be provided, so those who attend can see the encampment during the day on Saturday and come back for the dance in the evening, at no additional cost. Food and beverages are available both days. Pioneer Village is located at 4880 Highway I in the Town of Saukville. Go to https://www.ochs.co.ozaukee.wi.us/events for event schedule and further details of the event.

Over 100 years ago (in 1914, to be exact), President Woodrow Wilson made Mother's Day an official holiday.  As one might guess, it didn't take long for restaurants, florists, and confectioners to get in on it.  In fact, the woman who campaigned for the holiday, Anna Jarvis, was so disgusted by the commercialization of the holiday that she spent the rest of her life fighting to remove it from the calendar.  Of course, Mother's Day is here to stay, so if you're going to spend your money, you may as well do it locally, and there are plenty of good restaurants, florists, and confectioners in Oz to choose from, as well as other special offers from local businesses and organizations!

Port Washington  
Twisted Willow is serving up a special brunch menu from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring a build your own Bloody Marys and Mimosas, as well as a special menu through 7 p.m. that any Mom would love, including a special menu for kids.  Eating gluten-free?  There are good options on all of the menus!  Reservations are suggested -- call (262) 268-7600.  
Newport Shores serves brunch from 9:30-2:30, with a special Mother's Day dinner Menu from 3:30-9 p.m. featuring lobster tail, prime rib, fresh seafood and more.  Brunch is $15.95 for adults, $7.95 for children under 12 and $4.95 for children under 6 (children under 2 are free).  Make your reservations by calling(262) 284-6838.

Seven Hills Pub & Grille's Lepanto Banquet Hall will serve Mother's Day Brunch from 9:30-2:30.  Located inside the Country Inn and Suites, and run by the same owners as the Prime Minister in Thiensville, they offer an All You Can Eat Brunch every Sunday.  Reservations are appreciated by calling (262) 284-4691.

If you're looking for chocolates in Port, Chocolate Chisel has a wide variety of milk and dark chocolates to choose from, as well as chocolate dipped strawberries (pre-ordering is recommended). You could also try CoCa LeNa for treats, cards and gifts. Jewelry can be found at Sharbuno Jewelers.  

Belgium
Kids can make a special gift for moms at Willoway Farm's Kids DIY on Saturday, May 11th.  Children 4 and up can paint a vase, go for a walk on the farm while it dries, then select blooms for a very special bouquet for mom!  $25/child.  Registration required.

Saukville/Newburg
Messina Italian Restaurant has Beef Wellington as their Mother's Day dinner special from 4-8 p.m.  Be sure to mention it when you make your dinner reservations at (262) 284-6764.   

No No's has brunch from 11:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.  For reservations, call (262)675-6960.

For flowers, try Lighthouse Florist in Saukville.

​~Tenneva Jordan


​Grafton 
Flannery's at Fire Ridge in Grafton has Brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Adults are $21.99, and kids 10 and under are $8.99, while children under 6 are free.  Reservations are required; call (262) 375-2977.  
​
The Bloomin Olive is where to go for flowers in the Grafton area, and Sweet Trio has all the sweet treats mom might want.

Mequon 
Mr. B's, A Bartolotta Steak House, has a Brunch Buffet from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for $41.95 adults, and $17.95 for kids 12 and under, and includes a glass of champagne, mimosa, or orange juice.  A Bloody Mary Bar is available, as well as gluten-free options.  Call (262) 518-5500 to make reservations.  

Cafe 1505 is serving brunch from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. , with each seating lasting an hour and 15 minutes. Bubbles and Bloodys are on the menu, along with a special menu for kids.  Reservations are required -- call (262) 241-7076).

​A Floral Affair is the place to go for blooms ​and Get Happy is the place to get chocolate or candy.

Cedarburg
Brandywine is serving a beautiful Mother's Day Brunch from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., as well as lunch favorites.  Reservations are accepted only by phone at (262) 618-4683.

The Stilt House in Cedarburg will be having specials all day, along with a free "mom"osa and flower for each mom. 

The Shops of Cedar Creek Settlement are having a special Mother's Day Weekend, the 11th and 12th, featuring treats, prizes, specials, samples, wine tastings and live entertainment just for mom!

There's always a special caramel apple from Amy's Candy Kitchen or classic candies from Ashley's Confectionery to make mom's day, and flowers from  Rachel's Roses.

If Mom is an outdoorsy type, she may prefer a hike at Lion's Den Gorge in Grafton, Sauk Creek Nature Preserve in Port, Harrington Beach in Belgium, or a special hike for Moms, such as the Mother's Day Wildflower Hike at Riveredge.  

Happy Mother's Day to all from Ozaukee Living Local!

By Mary Boyle

After 21 years, 88 productions, and 1,599 performances, In Tandem Theatre announced recently that this season will be their last fully-produced season at their unique venue, the Tenth Street Theatre.  This is sad news in our local theatre world.  Chris and Jane Flieller have filled a very specific, under-served role, providing quality, affordable, accessible theatre to Milwaukee audiences, as well as affordable theatre space and assistance to young companies and performers.  Luckily for all of us, they're going out on a very high note with a show that has In Tandem written all over it:  The Fabulous Lipitones.

The Fabulous Lipitones are a Barbershop Quartet from Ohio who lose their lead singer in the midst of the regional competition.  While it may be sympathy that won them the regionals, the remaining three members, Phil (Steve Koehler), Howard (Nathan Marinan), and Wally (Rick Pendzich), now have a shot at winning the National Competition -- if they can find a new member in time!  By sheer chance, they overhear a man singing beautifully in the background of a phone call.  They don't hesitate to invite "Bob" (Ethan Brittingham) to audition, but when their potential new member arrives, he isn't at all what they were expecting.  

Written by John Markus and Mark St. Germain, with music by Randy Courts, The Fabulous Lipitones is non-stop funny, while also containing some very serious social commentary about immigration, racism, and the power of music to bring people together.  Koehler, Marinan (Scrooge In Rouge,  Into the Woods), and Pendzich (The Glass Menagerie, Hairspray) are regulars on the In Tandem stage, and other Milwaukee stages, for good reason: these guys can act and sing really well.  Ethan Brittingham makes a spectacular In Tandem debut, and has remarkable chemistry with his fellow actors; in fact, this may be one of the best cast shows I've seen this season.  

Directed by Jane Flieller, with Musical Direction by David Bonofiglio and Choreography by Adam Estes, this production has that "theatre for regular people" feel that In Tandem has become known for, yet has more potential cultural impact than an award-winning, serious documentary could ever hope for precisely because of its accessibility.  This type of production is exactly how theatre can change the world, and that is not an understatement; don't miss this show, or your chance to witness the epitome of what In Tandem Theatre stood for in Milwaukee theatre.

The Fabulous Lipitones runs through May 19th at the Tenth Street Theatre, located at  628 N. 10th Street in downtown Milwaukee.  Tickets may be purchased by calling the theatre box office at (414) 271-1371 or visiting www.InTandemTheatre.org.

About In Tandem Theatre
In Tandem Theatre, a 501(c)3 non-profit was founded in 1998 with the commitment to produce exciting, innovative and professional live theatre. The company presents creative and eclectic programming that enlightens, inspires, provokes and entertains a diverse audience in an intimate atmosphere. Its name, In Tandem Theatre, reflects the connection between audience and actor, the audience and the written word – an intimate experience obtained when live audiences are engaged in strong storytelling.

 
By Mary Boyle
 
The story of Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie is one of the most beloved children’s stories of all time.  Countless versions of it appear across all manner of media, yet there always seems to be room for more, and the story, itself, never gets old – just like the boy it is named for.  First Stage has chosen to end its Main Stage season with yet another version of this timeless classic, adapted for the stage by Patrick Flynn, in which the story remains unchanged, but the main character of the play has been switched to that tiny little fairy that everyone loves:  Tinker Bell!
​
Directed by Jeff Frank, this delightfully sweet and magical little production is sure to be a hit with anyone who has ever loved fairies or pirates (and, really, who doesn’t?).  Tinker Bell (double-cast as Meguire Hennes and Chantae Miller) is the sassy star of this show, and though the story we all love is largely unchanged, it’s told completely from her perspective, with a little help from the pirate, Smee (Chris Klopatek), and the other female in Peter’s life, Wendy (double-cast as Elisheva Scheuer and Paige Landrum).  

Originally written for the stage, the role of Peter Pan has often been played by a woman, and First Stage adheres to that tradition, with the role of the boy who refused to grow up being played by either Anna Fitzsimmons or Luca Batory.  Many of the lost boys (and there are a few more added that you won’t read about in the original story) are also played by girls, with Wendy’s brothers, John (double-cast as Carson Pressley and Rohan Singh) and Michael (double-cast as Jack Cooney and Liam Eddy), mixed into the crew.  Of course, you can’t have any Peter Pan story without his arch nemesis, Captain James Hook (Ryan Schabach), and a good-sized band of pirates help to round out a proper fight in Neverland.