Category: Youth Theater

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First Stage’s Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, The Musical, Reigns Over The PAC!

Silvia Stoeger in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEERTM: THE
MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

If you aren’t quite in the holiday spirit as you approach the Marcus Performing Arts Center, you will be by the time you reach the lobby, if like me, you find yourself climbing the stairs to the Todd Wehr Theater among youngsters quietly singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer to themselves…

And once inside, the room was electric until the lights went down and an immediate hush fell over the crowd in anticipation. And it was as near a full house (just a handful of empty seats) as I have ever experienced at the Todd Wehr so this silence from the young crowd here was amazing. This is the magic of First Stage, it engages the young audience in a big way but it entertains the entire family.

We all know the basic Rudolph story from the popular song. But Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, the Musical has more story to tell! And we get some help keeping up with the plot via the narrator, Sam the Snowman, depicted by James Carrington. What a voice! What a presence on stage! Although Rudolph is our focus and hero, this story wouldn’t be as clearly told without Carrington’s portrayal of Sam.

David Flores (center) and cast in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED
REINDEERTM: THE MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

As my long time readers and fans of First stage already know, the large musicals that First Stage presents at the Marcus are anchored by a few adult actors in pivotal roles and then two casts of young actors who rotate from presentation to presentation. So for Rudolph, we have the Silver Cast and the Gold Cast. You can find a complete cast listing here or here so if you know someone acting at First Stage you may want to consult the cast listings before ordering tickets. So, we do have two Rudolphs: Gwen Madson in the Silver Cast and Sylvia Stoeger in the Gold Cast. I saw the Silver Cast perform at the 1 P.M. matinee on December 1st.

So on with our story. We first meet Rudolph shortly after his birth as his mother proudly introduces him to his father Donner. All is joy and happiness until Rudolph’s nose starts to shine bright red. As Donner says, you could even say it glows. But it brings on great consternation between Donner and Santa. Eventually, Donner devises a nose mask to cover his nose. And as he grows, he eventually joins the other young bucks in reindeer games…essentially training under the watchful eye of Coach Comet. You know who that is, right? Well, despite being the longest and most successful flyer amongst the trainees, once his mask falls off, Comet banishes him from any reindeer games.

And just across Santa’s North Pole, the elves are making toys for Christmas. And elves love making toys and are making quick work of their tasks. Well, all except Hermey who doesn’t like making toys, for which he is ridiculed by his elfin peers. Hermey wants to be a dentist and he gets laughed at for that as well.

Zach Thomas Woods (left), Tim Linn (center), and cast in RUDOLPH THE
RED-NOSED REINDEERTM: THE MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Feeling ostracized, Hermey and Rudolph run away from their respective groups and team up and leave town. So of course they get lost and get into trouble. And they are threatened by the Bumble, a great snow monster who is able to track them via Rudolph’s nose. They meet Yukon Cornelius, played by adult actor Zach Woods (he also plays Comet). Woods plays a flamboyant over the top unsuccessful prospector looking for silver and gold in the Yukon. The three of them team up to overcome the Bumble and then make their way home.

And everyone back home is missing them and looking for them and they all arrive just in time for Rudolph to save Christmas by leading Santa’s sleigh with his red nose!

Now, be in your best voice because you are going to want to sing along with the cast as they sing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer for the grand finale. I mean it, you will be wholly ready to give yourself to the moment.

(left to right) Zach Thomas Woods, Silvia Stoeger, and Maryn Davis in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEERTM: THE MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Some very special mentions here. There are a number of actors dressed entirely in white who hide around the set and move the snow banks, ice bergs, and pine trees. But their most important function is to operate and voice the many puppets that populate the North Pole. There is a seal, a pair of owls, another pair of birds, squirrels, a raccoon, and of course the Bumble. But the Bumble is more than life size and inhabited by Timm Linn who controls his eyes and mouth. But the Bumble’s arms are controlled by a pair of actors in white.

And I am guessing the first day of rehearsal for the elves is learning to float around the stage in their special shoes with the long curled toes.

And one last feature of every First Stage play: the talk back afterwords. This is a ten minute feature where the audience members can ask questions about the play or set or costumes or whatever and the cast will take turns answering. This week we learned that the musical is based on the animated film from 1964, that Sam is made out of foam and James Carrington is sitting on a chair attached to the costume’s floor and is wheeled about the stage. And that the choreography back stage…moving on and off stage…and moving to new entrance points is more important than the choreography on stage. So make sure you stay for the talk back.

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, the Musical runs from now through December 29, 2024. But don’t put off getting your tickets, it is a very popular show. Rudolph runs about 75 minutes and there is one intermission. It is recommended for ages 3 to 12, but I think the top age limit is unlimited! Tickets can be ordered here. There are some special days during the run, so check the link here to see what and when.

And Extra Credit Reading: The Digital Playbill!

And in case you need some help: Lyrics for Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

Based on the animated television special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and the stage production directed and conceived by Jeff Frank and First Stage. Directed by Jeff Frank.

J.T. Backes (left) and cast in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEERTM:
THE MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

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First Stage Opens Their New Season With Pete The Cat ~ Meee-ow!

Settling into my seat in the Todd Wehr Theater and seeing the inviting set, wildly painted stage floor, and the spot lights all ready to perform, you can’t help but feel a bit of excitement and anticipation for the new First Stage season. And you could feel it in the crowd as well as the sound of youthful voices eventually drown out the pre-show soundtrack. The young audience was ready for a show, and First Stage delivered.

Are you ready to rock?

This isn’t the first time (and probably not the last time) that this grandfather wasn’t familiar with the character or backstory being enacted on stage. But from experience, I knew that wouldn’t prevent me from getting into the story and enjoying the show. But Pete The Cat is a rock and rollin’ street cat with a little combo behind him consisting of a toad and a platypus. And they love to jam in backyards well into the night, until the cat catcher finally catches up with Pete and sentences him to a week of being a ‘house cat’. And of course neither Pete nor the family who adopts him knows quite what to expect…and that’s where the story and the adventures begin!

Cool Cast: Photos courtesy of First Stage Theater. Photographer: Paul Ruffolo.

Did I forgot to mention that this is a musical. It is a boisterous rollicking musical from beginning to end with song and choreography that absolutely appeals to the 3 to 12 age group that Pete The Cat is recommended for. The youngsters in the audience paid rapt attention to the action and happily bounced up and down in their seats to the music. And even those of an older timbre will find themselves laughing and tapping their toes at the merriment in front of them.

First Stage musicals are usually anchored by an adult actor or two and there are three adult actors in Pete The Cat. A very agile and engaging Ethan Smith plays Pete. He has all of the rock star moves needed to be a jammin’ cat and all of the other cool nuances you’d expect from a loving and devoted cat…well once he gets past the point that he’s now a house cat!

Todd Denning and Ethan Smith as Pete: Photos courtesy of First Stage Theater. Photographer: Paul Ruffolo.

Tori Watson is poetry in motion as she moves from the mother in the Biddle household, to the second grade teacher in Jimmy Biddle’s class, and a roadie!! Watson has a great voice on top of a fluid feel for the choreography that enhances the story and music. And then Todd Denning, a very popular actor at First Stage, plays opposite Watson as the dad, the cat catcher, a roadie, AND a shark! Denning too has a native feel for the choreography and is a smooth and mellow presence as dad!

left to right, back row: Tori Watson and Todd Dening, front row: Jillian Vogedes and Juan Ramon Andrade Escobedo. Photos courtesy of First Stage Theater. Photographer: Paul Ruffolo.

And if you have been following my comments on First Stage over the past few years, you will remember that there are two youth casts for these bigger productions at the Todd Wehr. And Pete The Cat is no different…the casts are the Cool Cast and the Groovy Cast. I saw the Groovy Cast at the Sunday matinee.

Juan Ramon Andrade Escobedo is Jimmy Biddle, a very clean and neat freak and of course a cat in the house violates all of his personal rules. But Escobedo and Watson bond in this work as their characters become best friends…by overcoming some obstacles that Pete has essentially caused. Escobedo really brings home the feeling of frustration when his plans originally go awry but moving to a quick acceptance when he realizes that everyone else has got his back. Well that and the magic sunglasses. His foil here tends to be his sister, Olive Biddle, played by Jillian Vogedes. Vogedes is just full of energy and excitement and for me is just the perfect Olive!

left to right: Ethan Smith, Elliot Lippman, Jillian Vogedes, Juan Ramon Andrade Escobedo, and on drums! Cole Sison. Photos courtesy of First Stage Theater. Photographer: Paul Ruffolo.

Two other characters that help open the story and then solve Jimmy’s little crisis are Grumpy Toad, the drummer in Pete’s combo and played by Cole Sison…and then last but not least, Elliot Lippman as Gus the Playpus, the hard rocking bass player. But again, depending on which day you attend you may experience a different set of youth cast members. But from my experience, you won’t be disappointed!

left to right: Tori Watson, Ethan Smith, Ryan Stepanski, Allyson Lindberg, and Todd Denning. Photos courtesy of First Stage Theater. Photographer: Paul Ruffolo.

This play is recommended for young people from age 3 to 12 and of course everyone older who loves theater. It runs about 55 minutes with no intermission and the music, dancing, action, and story will keep 3 year olds engaged for the whole time…guaranteed! And how director/choreographer Bree Beelow managed to fill all of those shoes and put together such a smooth and fulfilling show is a marvel!

Hey, watch the tail

Pete The Cat runs at the Todd Wehr Theater in the Marcus Performing Arts Center through November 3, 2024. For more information and to order tickets, click here!

Extra Credit Reading: PLAYBILL!

As Mona Lisa, Julia Jordan Schloemer. Photos courtesy of First Stage Theater. Photographer: Paul Ruffolo.
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Escape From Peligro Island, A Create Your Own Adventure Play @ First Stage!

Those of you who have followed my comments on the offerings from Milwaukee’s First Stage Youth Theater know that many of their presentations feature alternating casts. So your experience may differ from mine in significant ways.

But with Escape From Peligro Island, First Stage and Playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer have designed a unique experience into the script for each and every audience. You are guaranteed a different experience to mine. And how do they accomplish that? Well at significant plot points, the audience is offered alternative choices and they get to vote on which path to travel…so each audience member receives a Card Of Destiny as you enter the theater and you can vote for your preferred alternative by holding up your card, showing the Pink side or the Green side. And the cast heads off in the selected direction! So from one performance to the next, you will never get the same show. Escape From Peligro Island is a thing of wonder and adventure! Awesome.

And yes, Escape From Peligro Island, does feature two casts, The Destiny Cast and The Chance cast. The two casts share two adult actors, Matt Daniels and Shammen McCune who play multiple roles and I am guessing those roles differ depending on the election of the audience.

Charlie Cornell as Callaway Brown foreground and Matt Daniels, Photo Courtesy of First Stage, Paul Ruffolo photographer.

The initial story will be basically the same…the one named character is Callaway Brown…and Callaway remains a constant throughout but it is his adventures that we are determining. Almost immediately, while traveling from his mother’s home to visit his father many miles away, Callaway experiences a weirdo in the airport’s waiting area who proves to be an eerie enigma who quickly runs off leaving Callaway with a mysterious box and the wrong airplane ticket…and we make our first decision and launch poor Callaway off on his big adventure.

Now, I can’t actually give the story away because it will travel hither and yon depending on you…but Kruckemeyer must be the eternal youth of legend as Escape From Peligro Island finds all of the cute sayings of youth, pulls great puns out of midair, and presents a myriad of adventures out of our childhood dreams. It sounds so easy and childlike but it is an amazingly complex construction.

One constant feature of First Stage presentations are short talk backs (question and answer periods) after the play where the cast takes turns fielding questions from the youngsters in the audience. Now, one very astute audience member asked the cast how they managed to learn all of the different parts and keep them straight. Yes, indeed, that too was at the forefront of my thoughts as the play came to an end. The cast said it was from four weeks of rehearsal and lots of practice.

Now I don’t know the precise answer exactly, but I am certain it was through some sort of sorcery employed by director Jeff Frank. Besides the variant story lines and two adult actors plus Callaway Brown, there are five other youth actors who work as narrators and vote tabulators and any number of characters dependent on the path being taken. I would have a hard time keeping track of that in my head much less imparting it to twelve different actors. And then to support the action, Scenic Designer Kristin Ellert did a marvelous job providing modular set pieces that too played multiple roles and then there were a few that remained unused…apparently waiting their turn in a parallel universe.

Photo Courtesy of First Stage, Paul Ruffolo photographer.

But oh, wait. There are a number of small puppets or dolls that help us tell the story…I can’t explain exactly what they do or how they are employed because that might spoil some of the story…but the are cute as the dickens…and a clever clever means of advancing the story and supporting the action! Thank you Adriana Hollenbeck!! And First Stage has always set a very high bar when it comes to bright and engaging costuming that contributes to the story telling…and Jazmin Aurora Medina has done an outstanding job here…particularly with the various costumes for Matt Daniels various roles. And Lighting Designer Tim Thistleton also brings his A game with bringing the adventures on Peligro Island to life with the limited palette available at the Goodman.

And there’s a THEME SONG!

I was lucky to get to see this on opening weekend…and it was a very well attended show. And I think a lot of theatergoers will revisit so they can experience another pass into adventure. So don’t put off planning your visit. Escape From Peligro Island runs through June 2, 2024. It is being presented at First Stage’s black box theater in the round, the Goodman Mainstage Hall, at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center! Suggested ages: 5 to adult!t oh

Click HERE for tickets and more information!

And Extra Credit Reading: Playbill with a listing of both casts! and Enrichment Guide