The last hurrah

The last days of summer wind down as the first theatre companies in greater Milwaukee rush to the curtain to begin the 2007- 2008 performing arts season. However, there are still some promising openings in the distance for those interested in a late summer road trip. The American Payers Theatre in Spring Green ventures into the 20th century with Tennessee Williams’ Night of the Iguana as the The River Valley Players perform Sondheim’s Gypsy. A bit closer to home, Music Theatre of Madison brings one of Sondheim’s least popular musicals, Assassins, to the Mitby Theatre at Madison Area Technical College.

Promising productions kick off the season here as Milwaukee Chamber Theatre presents the story of the guys who wrote the screenplay for Gone With The Wind (Moonlight and Magnolias) and The Boulevard opens its doors for an edgy one-man piece that debuted to mixed reactions at a fringe festival across the Atlantic just a few years ago (Thom Pain: Based on Nothing). Jazz from a range of different flavors eases summer into fall with live sounds ranging from The Valley of the Dolls to The Glenn Miller Orchestra. In dance, UWM ends the summer with new works as Danceworks closes its summer with a show featuring live performances by Becky Spice and Jamie Johns. VS