The Cabinet, the Captain, the Heir, and the King

The Cabinet, the Captain, the Heir, and the King

All of the protagonists of our four musical offerings this season are masters of their domain. - The cabinet rules over Winneconne- The captain over the sea - The heir of a farm decided by fate - The king–the father of three.

With two world premieres and two remounts, we have a great variety to offer this season. And once again, our musicals all have Wisconsin connections.

Secede, you say? We Like It Where? celebrates ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Written by Corrie Beula Kovacs and Stephen Kovacs, it is based on the true “mouse that roared” story of the town of Winneconne’s brief secession from Wisconsin. The touristdependent town is left off the 1967 state highway map, and the locals take action. They come up with a clever publicity stunt, uniting their community and making world news in the process.

The husband-and-wife writing team has been hard at work researching Winneconne's hilarious history. Two of the characters from the show, Jan and Russ Meerdink of Neenah, have been inspiring resources, providing a first-person account of the events that took place more than 50 years ago. Turns out that Tim and Sue Stone, super fans of Northern Sky Theater, lived in the area and knew C. O. Rogers, Jim Coughlin and Bill Schlapman, all characters in the play. Those roles will be played by Alex Campea, Bill Theisen, Doc Heide, and me (Jeffrey Herbst). Doc and I are going to share the role of Schlapman, each taking two performances a week. Lachrisa Grandberry returns to take on the seceder-in-chief, Vera Kitchen, and Corrie will originate the role of Dottie, the wife of the governor, played by Doug Mancheski. Jamie Mercado, Isaiah Spetz, and Emily Brandt will round out the cast. The latter three will also be production interns.

Molly Rhode will direct, Alissa Rhode will be musical director, and Dennis Johnson will provide arrangements for the sixties-era music. John Lewis and Colin O’Day will fill out the pit band on guitar and percussion. Karen Brown-Larimore will design the costumes, Lisa Schlenker the set, Ben Werner the sound, Neen Rock the props, and Bryce Foster the lights. Shawn Galligan and Lisa Mion will be on hand as part of our super stage management team. Stewart Dawson, as always, will swing a hammer and buzz a saw to realize Lisa’s design.

Captain, My Captain! Windjammers makes its second voyage to the stage since its premiere in 2013. Written by Robin Share and Clay Zambo and inspired by tales and tunes of 19th century Great Lakes sailors, Windjammers is a coming-of-age-tale of courage and adventure amid high waves, fresh air, legend, and song. It was the first show to come out of our ongoing collaboration with New Musicals, Inc. (NMI) in Los Angeles. Subsequent shows have included When Butter Churns to Gold and Oklahoma in Wisconsin. We currently have two more works in the hopper from teams associated with NMI, including another with Robin Share.

Chase Stoeger and Doug Mancheski will recreate their roles in Windjammers. Newcomers in the cast are Doug Clemons (returning from last year), Jamie Mercado, Lachrisa Grandberry, Mikayla Locke, Mari Duckler, and Hayden Hoffman. The latter three will be our remaining intern crew. Hayden is currently a student at Gibraltar, making him another local hire, along with Isaiah Spetz. Clay Zambo has signed on to be music director for the show and will be in residence with us through the rehearsal period. As original musical arranger, he will oversee our pit and get us back up to speed with using one of our keyboards to create a lake and storm soundscape. Molly Rhode was the director in 2013. I will direct the show this year using Molly’s original staging. Dave Alley will provide sound and lighting design. I have loved this show from the first time I heard it read aloud when I visited NMI in Los Angeles and am looking forward to sharing it with our appreciative Northern Sky audience.

A Change in the Heir. Back by popular demand for a second summer is Dairy Heirs, written by Joel Kopischke, Eva Nimmer, and Alissa Rhode. It is a “modern-day family farming moo-sical” comedy full of cheesy puns and singing sibling duos. A sister and brother wrestle over the future of the family farm–a decision that affects the fate of neighbors, new loves, ex-loves, two quirky farmhands, and one extraordinary bovine. The cast will remain the same as last year, with the exception of the role of Elsie. This year, Corrie Beula Kovacs, will take on that role, in addition to managing her considerable responsibilities with We Like It Where? Corrie returns to Northern Sky after first appearing in Packer Fans from Outer Space in 2003, then returning for the fall run of The Bachelors in 2014. Alissa will oversee the band, once again made up of the actors going between the stage and the pit in true Northern Sky fashion.

The fall season features an original musical in the Gould Theater at our brand new Creative Center, with an extended run through the end of October.

Lambeau Kingdom. Dad's Season Tickets, written by Matt Zembrowski, is a nostalgic musical celebration of family, folly and the Green Bay Packers. Matt has fashioned his tale with inspiration from Shakespeare’s King Lear. Frank Kosinski (Lear) has three grown daughters, only one of whom will inherit Dad’s treasured Packer season tickets. Old rivalries surface as the sisters try to prove who is most deserving. The sisters soon learn that family isn’t everything; it’s the only thing. Matt, a one-man musical theater writing machine, returns after writing Doctor, Doctor! for Northern Sky. Matt is one of the few people brave (foolhardy?) enough to take on all three elements of a musical–book, lyrics, and music. We have a terrific cast lined up for the fall. Kelly Doherty, Doug Mancheski, and Chase Stoeger have all been with the show from the first reading and will create the roles they’ve read and workshopped over the past couple of years. Ray Jivoff, who is stepping down as artistic director of Skylight, will create the role of Frank. This will be Ray’s first foray with Northern Sky.

When we first read a draft of Dad’s Season Tickets, we knew instantly that it would be a perfect fit for Northern Sky. As our capital campaign took off, and the dream of having our own indoor theater became a reality, we were determined to make Dad’s Season Tickets our premiere show in the Gould Theater. Amazingly, we are planning for our first day of rehearsal on August 5th in the new theater. It’s rather surreal to be working on a show that’s never been done before in a space that is still very much being built. So much newness is terrifyingly exhilarating.

We hope you can join us at the park amphitheater or at the Gould Theater—our own duo domain under the Northern Sky.