Competitions & Awards
Long and Short of It: A Night with Colin and Paula Cabot
Milwaukee, WI (Nov. 18, 2009) ... The Long and Short of It: A Night with Colin and Paula Cabot will open for a limited run at the Studio Theatre of the Broadway Theatre Center with a special New Year's Eve performance. The show pays homage to 50 years of artistry, entertainment and hijinks at the Skylight Opera Theatre, where the Cabots met, performed and worked for many years. Paula and Colin promise a combination of personal memories, widely loved music, and surprise guests to mark the Skylight's 50th Anniversary Season. Each of the 10 performances will have a different twist.
For longtime Skylight fans, The Long and Short of It is a unique chance to revisit familiar songs and voices from the Skylight during the '70s, '80s and '90s -- a time during which the Cabots became introduced to the Skylight and went on to make their marks there.
For the uninitiated, The Long and Short of It is an opportunity to hear music that cuts a wide swath through the songbook the Skylight has used over the years, from opera to old standards, Gilbert and Sullivan to Cole Porter, Brecht and Weill to Johnny Mercer.
Paula Cabot made her Skylight debut as Paula Dewey in the title role of Oh Kay! She went on to appear in numerous Skylight productions, among them Polly in The Threepenny Opera, Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, the ingénue in The Cocoanuts, and Amalia Balash in She Loves Me. Her stage work has taken her across the globe, including the Body Politic Theatre in Chicago and the York Theatre and Musical Theatre Works in New York. Dramatic roles include Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire, Billie Dawn in Born Yesterday, Honey in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Jackie in Hay Fever and Gert in Lost in Yonkers, among many others.
Colin Cabot began his association with the Skylight Opera Theatre in 1974 as assistant to Managing Director Clair Richardson. In 1977 he worked with Gian Carlo Menotti at the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy. He returned to the Skylight as Managing Director the following year, at which point he devoted his time to planning and raising money for the creation of the Broadway Theatre Center. Colin's family gave the lead gift that named the theater, which opened in the fall of 1993. Colin remained as Managing Director until 1989 and also served as Interim Artistic Director for two months in 2009.
Colin described himself as "alternatively flattered, overwhelmed, reluctant, eager, and reluctantly enthusiastic to return to the Skylight" to perform in tandem with Paula, his favorite Skylight performer, "in front of the most wonderful audience in the world."
Please see the attached Q&A with Colin Cabot for more information and some fun facts about the Skylight's 50 years.
Cast/Crew
Colin........................F. Colin Cabot
Paula........................Cabot, Paula
Stage Director..........Theisen, Bill
Bill Theisen
Bill Theisen, Artistic Director of the Skylight Opera Theatre, made his professional theatre debut at the Skylight in 1981 and began his tenure as Artistic Director in 2004. He has directed over 100 productions for theatre and opera companies from coast to coast. Recent directing credits include The Pirates of Penzance for Santa Fe Opera as well as the Skylight and Virginia Opera, Showboat for Gateway Playhouse, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris for the University of Iowa, The Fourth Wall for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Sweeney Todd for Cleveland Opera, A Little Night Music for Carnegie Mellon University, The Gondoliers for Seaside Music Theatre, Seussical for First Stage Children's Theater, The Magic Flute for Virginia Opera and The Mikado for Opera Carolina. Skylight directing credits include The Barber of Seville, La Boheme, Souvenir, Patience, South Pacific, The Tragedy Of Carmen, Animal Crackers, The Mikado, The Spitfire Grill, H.M.S.Pinafore and the world premiere production of Over The Moon With Gilbert and Sullivan.
Bill works frequently on the university level as a Guest Director and Lecturer. He served as the Director of Opera at the University of Iowa and has continued that relationship for the past 12 years. Other university credits include Carnegie Mellon University, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Florida State University, Portland State University, Manhattan School of Music, Utah State University, Northwestern University, NYU and St. Ambrose University, where he also serves on the advisory committee to the theatre department.
Bill was the Artistic Director of the Capitol Center for the Performing Arts in upstate New York and is an adjudicator for arts programming on PBS.
Colin Cabot
Colin Cabot grew up in New York City and Glynwood Farm in the Hudson Highlands, and was educated at St. Bernard's School, Groton School, Harvard College and the Harvard Business School (although he did not receive an MBA ... an interesting story). He worked in the arts for more than 20 years, most of them in Milwaukee.
He began his association with the Skylight Opera Theatre in 1974 fresh out of graduate school, as assistant to Managing Director Clair Richardson. In 1977 he worked with Gian Carlo Menotti at the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy. He returned to the Skylight as managing director the following year and remained in that capacity until 1989. Upon his return, he devoted his time to planning and raising money for the creation of the Broadway Theatre Center. Colin served as project supervisor, design arbiter, and fundraiser for the new facility, which created a new home for the Skylight Opera Theatre, the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, and Theatre X. The $5.9 million project involved both adaptive reuse of an existing six-story warehouse building and new construction. Opened to the public on time and on budget in October 1993, it includes a 375-seat baroque opera house, a 99-seat studio theatre, and shops, offices, and rehearsal spaces for the tenant companies.
Colin's tenure at the Skylight included many roles, among them Managing and Artistic Director. He performed as actor, music director and stage director with not only the Skylight but also the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, the Body Politic Theatre in Chicago and Theatre X (including a tour to the Toga International Theatre in Japan). From 1989 to 1992, he served as Chairman of the Fine Arts Department of the University School of Milwaukee, teaching courses in Shakespeare, European Art History, and Music. He produced James Valcq's Zombies from the Beyond, which opened to critical acclaim in 1995 Off-Broadway in New York.
In addition to his work on and for the stage, Colin has developed and executed budgets for non-profits and has been a member of both Actors' Equity Association and the American Federation of Musicians. He has served as co-chair of several capital campaigns and on several non-profit boards of directors.
In 1997 he and his wife, Paula Cabot, moved to rural New Hampshire to begin a career in historic preservation and environmental conservation. Though deeply immersed in issues surrounding regional sustainable farming, he found time to return to the Skylight as Interim Artistic Director in the summer and fall of 2009.
He is honored to grace the boards of the (much in need of improvement) Studio Theatre in the aforementioned Broadway Theatre Center, and would like it to be known, by the way, that it doesn't always have to be called the Broadway Theatre Center -- the naming opportunity is still available.
Paula Cabot
Paula Cabot was brought up in college towns around the United States. She spent two wonderful years at a missionary school in India, and was encouraged by her family to sing at a young age. She was educated at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., and Kalamazoo College, and received her Master of Fine Arts degree in acting from Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory at Sarasota.
She has been seen on stages in Florida (Asolo Theatre), Chicago (Body Politic Theatre) and New York (York Theatre, Musical Theatre Works). She has appeared in 20 roles at the Skylight, and became a familiar presence in Milwaukee through appearances with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, the Back Room in Wauwatosa, and even Café Melange with the John Schneider orchestra.
Her various musical roles have included Cunegonde in Candide, Polly Peachum in The Threepenny Opera, Liza Elliott in Lady In The Dark, Anna Held in Tintypes, Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, Molly Gray in Girl Crazy, the Baker's Wife in Into the Woods, the ingénue in The Cocoanuts, and Amalia Balash in She Loves Me.
She has also played Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire, Billie Dawn in Born Yesterday, Honey in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Jackie in Hay Fever, Gert in Lost in Yonkers, Jessie Mae in Lost in Yonkers, Olive in Voice of the Turtle, Henrietta in Smash, and several characters in The Apple Cart and Mere Mortals.
Paula also appeared in concert versions of The Mikado (as Yum Yum), The Music Man (as Marian Paroo) and My Fair Lady (as Eliza Doolittle) with the Milwaukee Symphony, where she also appeared in programs featuring the music of Frank Loesser, Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein.
In 1992 and 1993 Paula was part of a five-person performing group sent to Central and South America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East under the auspices of the USIS/USIA and the Skylight Opera Theatre. The tour visited 13 countries in quick succession performing a program called Broadway Cabaret.
When she isn't appearing in "legitimate" venues she has been known to dabble in pop singing and jazz in smoky dives -- and has a closet full of slinky dresses to prove it. She also has appeared in cabaret both in Milwaukee and at the Lyric Opera Cleveland where she performed a solo cabaret evening "I Don't Think I'll Fall In Love Today" with pianist/arranger Jack Forbes Wilson.
Since 1997 Paula and her husband, Colin Cabot, have lived in rural New Hampshire where they run a farm and pursue their interests in historic preservation and environmental conservation. Sharing the farm with them are two dogs, Vivie and Toby; two cats, Maxfield and Milo; four sheep; seven chickens; three oxen; and a pair of work horses. Paula is honored to be again gracing the boards of the Studio Theatre in the Broadway Theatre Center.
An Annotated Q&A with Colin Cabot
Colin Cabot officially left the Skylight Opera Theatre in 1997 to run a farm in rural New Hampshire with his wife, Paula Cabot. But his connections to Milwaukee have remained strong, and in December he'll return to partner with Paula in an original revue that marks the Skylight's 50th Anniersary Season. The show, titled The Long and Short of It, recollects theatrical memories and revisits musical moments from the couple's Skylight past. In between blacksmith workshops and late-harvest chores on the farm, Colin took some time to answer a few questions about the show.
How long has it been since you and Paula were on a Skylight stage together?
"The June 1997 Skylight Night. Before that, we both appeared together in the Fledermaus Gala at the Pabst Theater celebrating the Skylight's 30th anniversary. Before and in between I confined myself to directing and producing so I can safely say that we never did a scene together in public."
Can you give us some sense of what we can expect from The Long and Short of It?
"Medleys of songs that Paula sang in Milwaukee at the Skylight, songs by Stephen Sondheim, a Harold Arlen medley, a cycle based on the short and not so happy life of an ingénue. Everything from Gilbert & Sullivan to Wicked."
Has it been easy to agree on the selections and, when not, who usually wins?
"I don't really have a say because I'm too busy working on the farm and we both agreed to throw out the draft we worked up while on our trip to New Zealand via freighter from Long Beach last January. And besides, Paula always wins ... which reminds me of an old piece of doggerel by Ogden Nash which a friend gave us when we got married: "To keep your marriage brimming, / With love in the loving cup, / Whenever you're wrong, admit it; / Whenever you're right, shut up."
Any particular memories that have snuck up on you as you've embarked on preparations for this show?
"Too many memories! (Sounds like the title to a Stephen Sondheim song.) Every now and then I get goose bumps listening to Paula sing and remember how exciting it was to be in the room when she and countless other Skylight performers did their thing."
Say I'm a person who doesn't particularly know anything about the Skylight or care about its history. Why might I want to buy a ticket anyway? "Because Paula sings like an angel, and the bar will be open after the show. And it'll be really short."
Will there be dancing girls?
"YES. Every night will feature guest appearances from old friends. These performers will sing and dance their hearts out every performance. And all for free. Tap dancing, especially, will be featured and perhaps a version of "America" from West Side Story recreated by the original shark girls (Paula, Carol Greif, and Elaine Parsons) -- with crutches and walkers."
A Guide to Q&A References for the Uninitiated
Arlen, Harold: A songwriter behind many hits of the 1930 and '40s, he's perhaps best known for writing the score to The Wizard of Oz. The Skylight's upcoming production (March 12-April 4) of A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine features his music.
Fledermaus: Short for Die Fledermaus (The Bat), an operetta composed by Johann Strauss. It was performed during the Skylight's first season in 1959-60, and has since been produced four more times on Skylight stages: seasons 1969-70, 1976-77, 1988-89 and 1995-96.
Gilbert & Sullivan: The very first Skylight production was a Gilbert & Sullivan revue in 1959, and the Skylight's 50th Anniversary Season will pay homage to that moment with An Evening with Gilbert and Sullivan, May 29-June 10, 2010. Over the years, shows by the famous Victorian-era comic-opera team have been the most-performed works in the Skylight's repertoire: 52 in all, including revues. (We'll spare you the entire list, but you can find it at SkylightOpera.com.) Greif, Carol: a.k.a. Carol Greif Schuele, a vocalist who will appear as Mrs. Pavlenko in the Skylight's upcoming production of A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine. She has appeared in many Skylight productions, most recently as Lady Ella in the 2006-07 production of Patience. A Whitefish Bay resident, she's also well known for performances with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, and more.
Skylight Night: The company's annual fund-raising gala, which once was held outdoors under a tent but has now moved into more civilized quarters. The 50th Anniversary Gala was held at the Pfister Hotel Oct. 23, 2009. Shark girls: A reference to West Side Story, the iconic Leonard Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim musical that portrayed rival gangs called the Jets and the Sharks. The Shark girls had some fabulous numbers, which the Skylight staged during its 1987-88 production.
Sondheim, Stephen: Pulitzer-Prize-winning composer and lyricist. The Skylight has staged seven Sondheim shows: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, 2000-01; Sweeney Todd, 1986-87 and 1996-97; A Little Night Music, 1995-95 and 1982-83; Into the Woods, 1992-93; Pacific Overtures, 1989-90. In addition, Side by Side by Sondheim was performed in 1985-86 and West Side Story (Sondheim's lyrics) in 1987-88.
West Side Story: The iconic musical that updates the story of "Romeo and Juliet" by moving it to mid-1950s New York, with music by Leonard Bernstein. The Skylight's production was staged during the 1987-88 season. (See also Shark girls, Stephen Sondheim.)
### Skylight Opera Theatre is a nationally recognized producer of the full-spectrum of Music Theatre. The Skylight is proud to be a cornerstone member of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), which provides major annual financial support. Through community support of the United Performing Arts Fund, UPAF Member and Affiliate Groups are able to provide education and outreach to over 400,000 children, provide over 2,000 live performances and reach over 1,000,000 people every year. When everyone supports the arts through UPAF, they help our local economy, improving education and strengthening outreach programs to the disabled and elderly - all while adding culture to their own life. Support of UPAF is critical to UPAF Member Groups' ability to continue to offer exceptional live performances, award-winning education and outreach programming and substantial economic impact to our region. To learn more about UPAF or to donate, go to www.upaf.org.
The Skylight is supported in part by grants from the NEA, Wisconsin Arts Board, the City of Milwaukee Arts Board, and CAMPAC. The Skylight is a member of OPERA America; Visit Milwaukee; Historic Third Ward Association; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin; Theatre Wisconsin; Cultural Alliance and a cultural partner of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's Arts in Community Education (ACE) Program. This theater is an equal opportunity employer. Except in plays where race itself is an issue, casting is decided based on ability, not race.
New Grant Announcement
Greater Milwaukee Foundation: Mary L. Nohl Fund in support of Stories That Sing and TeenWrites
###
For longtime Skylight fans, The Long and Short of It is a unique chance to revisit familiar songs and voices from the Skylight during the '70s, '80s and '90s -- a time during which the Cabots became introduced to the Skylight and went on to make their marks there.
For the uninitiated, The Long and Short of It is an opportunity to hear music that cuts a wide swath through the songbook the Skylight has used over the years, from opera to old standards, Gilbert and Sullivan to Cole Porter, Brecht and Weill to Johnny Mercer.
Paula Cabot made her Skylight debut as Paula Dewey in the title role of Oh Kay! She went on to appear in numerous Skylight productions, among them Polly in The Threepenny Opera, Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, the ingénue in The Cocoanuts, and Amalia Balash in She Loves Me. Her stage work has taken her across the globe, including the Body Politic Theatre in Chicago and the York Theatre and Musical Theatre Works in New York. Dramatic roles include Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire, Billie Dawn in Born Yesterday, Honey in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Jackie in Hay Fever and Gert in Lost in Yonkers, among many others.
Colin Cabot began his association with the Skylight Opera Theatre in 1974 as assistant to Managing Director Clair Richardson. In 1977 he worked with Gian Carlo Menotti at the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy. He returned to the Skylight as Managing Director the following year, at which point he devoted his time to planning and raising money for the creation of the Broadway Theatre Center. Colin's family gave the lead gift that named the theater, which opened in the fall of 1993. Colin remained as Managing Director until 1989 and also served as Interim Artistic Director for two months in 2009.
Colin described himself as "alternatively flattered, overwhelmed, reluctant, eager, and reluctantly enthusiastic to return to the Skylight" to perform in tandem with Paula, his favorite Skylight performer, "in front of the most wonderful audience in the world."
Please see the attached Q&A with Colin Cabot for more information and some fun facts about the Skylight's 50 years.
Cast/Crew
Colin........................F. Colin Cabot
Paula........................Cabot, Paula
Stage Director..........Theisen, Bill
Bill Theisen
Bill Theisen, Artistic Director of the Skylight Opera Theatre, made his professional theatre debut at the Skylight in 1981 and began his tenure as Artistic Director in 2004. He has directed over 100 productions for theatre and opera companies from coast to coast. Recent directing credits include The Pirates of Penzance for Santa Fe Opera as well as the Skylight and Virginia Opera, Showboat for Gateway Playhouse, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris for the University of Iowa, The Fourth Wall for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Sweeney Todd for Cleveland Opera, A Little Night Music for Carnegie Mellon University, The Gondoliers for Seaside Music Theatre, Seussical for First Stage Children's Theater, The Magic Flute for Virginia Opera and The Mikado for Opera Carolina. Skylight directing credits include The Barber of Seville, La Boheme, Souvenir, Patience, South Pacific, The Tragedy Of Carmen, Animal Crackers, The Mikado, The Spitfire Grill, H.M.S.Pinafore and the world premiere production of Over The Moon With Gilbert and Sullivan.
Bill works frequently on the university level as a Guest Director and Lecturer. He served as the Director of Opera at the University of Iowa and has continued that relationship for the past 12 years. Other university credits include Carnegie Mellon University, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Florida State University, Portland State University, Manhattan School of Music, Utah State University, Northwestern University, NYU and St. Ambrose University, where he also serves on the advisory committee to the theatre department.
Bill was the Artistic Director of the Capitol Center for the Performing Arts in upstate New York and is an adjudicator for arts programming on PBS.
Colin Cabot
Colin Cabot grew up in New York City and Glynwood Farm in the Hudson Highlands, and was educated at St. Bernard's School, Groton School, Harvard College and the Harvard Business School (although he did not receive an MBA ... an interesting story). He worked in the arts for more than 20 years, most of them in Milwaukee.
He began his association with the Skylight Opera Theatre in 1974 fresh out of graduate school, as assistant to Managing Director Clair Richardson. In 1977 he worked with Gian Carlo Menotti at the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy. He returned to the Skylight as managing director the following year and remained in that capacity until 1989. Upon his return, he devoted his time to planning and raising money for the creation of the Broadway Theatre Center. Colin served as project supervisor, design arbiter, and fundraiser for the new facility, which created a new home for the Skylight Opera Theatre, the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, and Theatre X. The $5.9 million project involved both adaptive reuse of an existing six-story warehouse building and new construction. Opened to the public on time and on budget in October 1993, it includes a 375-seat baroque opera house, a 99-seat studio theatre, and shops, offices, and rehearsal spaces for the tenant companies.
Colin's tenure at the Skylight included many roles, among them Managing and Artistic Director. He performed as actor, music director and stage director with not only the Skylight but also the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, the Body Politic Theatre in Chicago and Theatre X (including a tour to the Toga International Theatre in Japan). From 1989 to 1992, he served as Chairman of the Fine Arts Department of the University School of Milwaukee, teaching courses in Shakespeare, European Art History, and Music. He produced James Valcq's Zombies from the Beyond, which opened to critical acclaim in 1995 Off-Broadway in New York.
In addition to his work on and for the stage, Colin has developed and executed budgets for non-profits and has been a member of both Actors' Equity Association and the American Federation of Musicians. He has served as co-chair of several capital campaigns and on several non-profit boards of directors.
In 1997 he and his wife, Paula Cabot, moved to rural New Hampshire to begin a career in historic preservation and environmental conservation. Though deeply immersed in issues surrounding regional sustainable farming, he found time to return to the Skylight as Interim Artistic Director in the summer and fall of 2009.
He is honored to grace the boards of the (much in need of improvement) Studio Theatre in the aforementioned Broadway Theatre Center, and would like it to be known, by the way, that it doesn't always have to be called the Broadway Theatre Center -- the naming opportunity is still available.
Paula Cabot
Paula Cabot was brought up in college towns around the United States. She spent two wonderful years at a missionary school in India, and was encouraged by her family to sing at a young age. She was educated at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif., and Kalamazoo College, and received her Master of Fine Arts degree in acting from Florida State University/Asolo Conservatory at Sarasota.
She has been seen on stages in Florida (Asolo Theatre), Chicago (Body Politic Theatre) and New York (York Theatre, Musical Theatre Works). She has appeared in 20 roles at the Skylight, and became a familiar presence in Milwaukee through appearances with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, the Back Room in Wauwatosa, and even Café Melange with the John Schneider orchestra.
Her various musical roles have included Cunegonde in Candide, Polly Peachum in The Threepenny Opera, Liza Elliott in Lady In The Dark, Anna Held in Tintypes, Josephine in H.M.S. Pinafore, Molly Gray in Girl Crazy, the Baker's Wife in Into the Woods, the ingénue in The Cocoanuts, and Amalia Balash in She Loves Me.
She has also played Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire, Billie Dawn in Born Yesterday, Honey in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Jackie in Hay Fever, Gert in Lost in Yonkers, Jessie Mae in Lost in Yonkers, Olive in Voice of the Turtle, Henrietta in Smash, and several characters in The Apple Cart and Mere Mortals.
Paula also appeared in concert versions of The Mikado (as Yum Yum), The Music Man (as Marian Paroo) and My Fair Lady (as Eliza Doolittle) with the Milwaukee Symphony, where she also appeared in programs featuring the music of Frank Loesser, Cole Porter, Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein.
In 1992 and 1993 Paula was part of a five-person performing group sent to Central and South America, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East under the auspices of the USIS/USIA and the Skylight Opera Theatre. The tour visited 13 countries in quick succession performing a program called Broadway Cabaret.
When she isn't appearing in "legitimate" venues she has been known to dabble in pop singing and jazz in smoky dives -- and has a closet full of slinky dresses to prove it. She also has appeared in cabaret both in Milwaukee and at the Lyric Opera Cleveland where she performed a solo cabaret evening "I Don't Think I'll Fall In Love Today" with pianist/arranger Jack Forbes Wilson.
Since 1997 Paula and her husband, Colin Cabot, have lived in rural New Hampshire where they run a farm and pursue their interests in historic preservation and environmental conservation. Sharing the farm with them are two dogs, Vivie and Toby; two cats, Maxfield and Milo; four sheep; seven chickens; three oxen; and a pair of work horses. Paula is honored to be again gracing the boards of the Studio Theatre in the Broadway Theatre Center.
An Annotated Q&A with Colin Cabot
Colin Cabot officially left the Skylight Opera Theatre in 1997 to run a farm in rural New Hampshire with his wife, Paula Cabot. But his connections to Milwaukee have remained strong, and in December he'll return to partner with Paula in an original revue that marks the Skylight's 50th Anniersary Season. The show, titled The Long and Short of It, recollects theatrical memories and revisits musical moments from the couple's Skylight past. In between blacksmith workshops and late-harvest chores on the farm, Colin took some time to answer a few questions about the show.
How long has it been since you and Paula were on a Skylight stage together?
"The June 1997 Skylight Night. Before that, we both appeared together in the Fledermaus Gala at the Pabst Theater celebrating the Skylight's 30th anniversary. Before and in between I confined myself to directing and producing so I can safely say that we never did a scene together in public."
Can you give us some sense of what we can expect from The Long and Short of It?
"Medleys of songs that Paula sang in Milwaukee at the Skylight, songs by Stephen Sondheim, a Harold Arlen medley, a cycle based on the short and not so happy life of an ingénue. Everything from Gilbert & Sullivan to Wicked."
Has it been easy to agree on the selections and, when not, who usually wins?
"I don't really have a say because I'm too busy working on the farm and we both agreed to throw out the draft we worked up while on our trip to New Zealand via freighter from Long Beach last January. And besides, Paula always wins ... which reminds me of an old piece of doggerel by Ogden Nash which a friend gave us when we got married: "To keep your marriage brimming, / With love in the loving cup, / Whenever you're wrong, admit it; / Whenever you're right, shut up."
Any particular memories that have snuck up on you as you've embarked on preparations for this show?
"Too many memories! (Sounds like the title to a Stephen Sondheim song.) Every now and then I get goose bumps listening to Paula sing and remember how exciting it was to be in the room when she and countless other Skylight performers did their thing."
Say I'm a person who doesn't particularly know anything about the Skylight or care about its history. Why might I want to buy a ticket anyway? "Because Paula sings like an angel, and the bar will be open after the show. And it'll be really short."
Will there be dancing girls?
"YES. Every night will feature guest appearances from old friends. These performers will sing and dance their hearts out every performance. And all for free. Tap dancing, especially, will be featured and perhaps a version of "America" from West Side Story recreated by the original shark girls (Paula, Carol Greif, and Elaine Parsons) -- with crutches and walkers."
A Guide to Q&A References for the Uninitiated
Arlen, Harold: A songwriter behind many hits of the 1930 and '40s, he's perhaps best known for writing the score to The Wizard of Oz. The Skylight's upcoming production (March 12-April 4) of A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine features his music.
Fledermaus: Short for Die Fledermaus (The Bat), an operetta composed by Johann Strauss. It was performed during the Skylight's first season in 1959-60, and has since been produced four more times on Skylight stages: seasons 1969-70, 1976-77, 1988-89 and 1995-96.
Gilbert & Sullivan: The very first Skylight production was a Gilbert & Sullivan revue in 1959, and the Skylight's 50th Anniversary Season will pay homage to that moment with An Evening with Gilbert and Sullivan, May 29-June 10, 2010. Over the years, shows by the famous Victorian-era comic-opera team have been the most-performed works in the Skylight's repertoire: 52 in all, including revues. (We'll spare you the entire list, but you can find it at SkylightOpera.com.) Greif, Carol: a.k.a. Carol Greif Schuele, a vocalist who will appear as Mrs. Pavlenko in the Skylight's upcoming production of A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine. She has appeared in many Skylight productions, most recently as Lady Ella in the 2006-07 production of Patience. A Whitefish Bay resident, she's also well known for performances with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, and more.
Skylight Night: The company's annual fund-raising gala, which once was held outdoors under a tent but has now moved into more civilized quarters. The 50th Anniversary Gala was held at the Pfister Hotel Oct. 23, 2009. Shark girls: A reference to West Side Story, the iconic Leonard Bernstein-Stephen Sondheim musical that portrayed rival gangs called the Jets and the Sharks. The Shark girls had some fabulous numbers, which the Skylight staged during its 1987-88 production.
Sondheim, Stephen: Pulitzer-Prize-winning composer and lyricist. The Skylight has staged seven Sondheim shows: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, 2000-01; Sweeney Todd, 1986-87 and 1996-97; A Little Night Music, 1995-95 and 1982-83; Into the Woods, 1992-93; Pacific Overtures, 1989-90. In addition, Side by Side by Sondheim was performed in 1985-86 and West Side Story (Sondheim's lyrics) in 1987-88.
West Side Story: The iconic musical that updates the story of "Romeo and Juliet" by moving it to mid-1950s New York, with music by Leonard Bernstein. The Skylight's production was staged during the 1987-88 season. (See also Shark girls, Stephen Sondheim.)
### Skylight Opera Theatre is a nationally recognized producer of the full-spectrum of Music Theatre. The Skylight is proud to be a cornerstone member of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), which provides major annual financial support. Through community support of the United Performing Arts Fund, UPAF Member and Affiliate Groups are able to provide education and outreach to over 400,000 children, provide over 2,000 live performances and reach over 1,000,000 people every year. When everyone supports the arts through UPAF, they help our local economy, improving education and strengthening outreach programs to the disabled and elderly - all while adding culture to their own life. Support of UPAF is critical to UPAF Member Groups' ability to continue to offer exceptional live performances, award-winning education and outreach programming and substantial economic impact to our region. To learn more about UPAF or to donate, go to www.upaf.org.
The Skylight is supported in part by grants from the NEA, Wisconsin Arts Board, the City of Milwaukee Arts Board, and CAMPAC. The Skylight is a member of OPERA America; Visit Milwaukee; Historic Third Ward Association; Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin; Theatre Wisconsin; Cultural Alliance and a cultural partner of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's Arts in Community Education (ACE) Program. This theater is an equal opportunity employer. Except in plays where race itself is an issue, casting is decided based on ability, not race.
New Grant Announcement
Greater Milwaukee Foundation: Mary L. Nohl Fund in support of Stories That Sing and TeenWrites
###
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