It's a 709. Good morning. Local news. Timeless hits and the Racine Theater Guild. That's
what we're made out of over here. Okay, now it's a Jocelyn fishes here. She is the director
of marketing and development for the Racine Theater Guild, which is really a gem in Racine
because a lot of cities don't have theater, you know, a community theater, and they just
don't have it. And they have to rely on maybe a traveling show will come to town. And that's
far and few between. We're very lucky to have the Racine Theater Guild. I think I've
been a ticket holder for about, I think it's going on 19 years. 19 years. Oh my gosh. Wow.
And you got your nice seats. Why is that a shock? I don't know. Time flies. I will say that.
That's for sure. Well, I used to, we used to, my wife and I used to bring my mother. You see,
loves theater. And we had the three seats in a row. And my mom passed away. I couldn't bring
myself to give up that third seat. So what we do is we get it and we invite people to use it.
Right. Yeah. So let's introduce people to the theater. Yeah. And they can glom off me and get
a free seat. So that's pretty good. All right. The newest show coming September 5th through the 21st
is the importance of being earnest. And I mentioned to you before we went on the air. That's a classic.
It is a classic classic. It was written in 1895 actually by Oscar Wilde in premiered in
February of that year. And, you know, we're 130 years later and we're still doing the show.
And the theater guild has actually done it twice in our history. We did it in 1955 at the High
Street Theater. If people remember that on the corner of High and Ears Street, 1955.
Yeah, I was a year old. Yeah. Keep going. So it's definitely time you should see it. And then
in 1978, actually, as well at our current theater. So it's been a while since we did it. We've
actually only done, I think we figured out four other shows in our 88 year history three times
over decades, which include Glass-Managerie and Blyce Spirit. And you can't take it with you.
So some really classics. And so this one kind of fits in that category. But it is personally my
favorite place. So I'm a little biased about that. But it's so funny. It's so clever. Oscar Wilde
weaves a lot of wit into the dialogue of talking about manners and pretending to be someone
you're not and trying to impress people to make them fall in love with you. All of that,
all things I think we still do today, especially with the world of social media. So it's so funny how
a lot of the commentary is still so relevant to today. And they're having a lot of fun with rehearsals.
I've sat in on a lot of them. And it's just been wonderful to see the actors work. And now the
crews there to make things happen and set pieces move. Okay. So what's the plot? The plot is Jack
lives in the country and Elginon lives in the city. And they both have second identities
of people they pretend to be so they can live life as they want. So Elginon pretends to have
a dying friend named Bunberry to get him out of any social obligations that he doesn't want to
attend. All of a sudden Bunberry is on the cusp of death. I like that idea. I might use it.
And then Jack is pretending to be earnest. And earnest gets to have fun and galivance around the city
and have no responsibilities. And so they actually both end up wooing two different ladies
under the name of earnest. And so it's a lot of mistaken identity. A lot of who is actually earnest
is earnest real or not. What does it mean to be who you are or not be who you are? And just
very, very funny in everything it does. Well, that's great. Now if you want to get tickets,
there's really one good way to do it. And then we're going to talk about this in a second.
There's one good way to do it. You go to the box office. You can do it that way. Or go to
recene theater dot org. Yes. Recene theater dot org. No other website. Because there are some
websites out there legally charging a lot of money like triple quadruple the price. And there's
nothing illegal about it. It's kind of morally unethical. But yes. So if you want tickets,
always go to the box office. The recene theater guild. Top ticket price for this play is $20.
So you shouldn't pay more than $20. And we have some discounts for seniors and students. And then
of course, our value nights as well. The other thing with this show is this is actually going to be
one of our first shows in a very long time that has two intermissions. We are going to do it. Yes,
it's three acts. So we're going to do two 10 minute intermissions. So in total, your evening at
the theater will be about two and a half hours. Wow. That means, let's say you're doing two of the
with the contest and I don't know. Double the 50 50. You know, I told you, I think I won that
three times. Oh my gosh. And the third time I was embarrassed. I told my wife, you go get on
that standing up. And she said, why don't you say you want it? I said, but it looks like
the fix is in. That's what it looks. I just I won. That was it three times in a row. And so I
didn't want to win again. Okay, the importance of being here to run September 5th through the 21st
after receiving theater guilt. You guys get jitters on opening night. I don't do the acting. So that's
nice. I know that this group of actor, we had a very strong turnout for auditions for this show.
And it's always very difficult to cast. And so this group of actors has really been putting a lot
into, especially again, it's all about the words and about the wit. So you've got to make sure
that audience understands what you're saying. And you've got that line down and that left line
there. And so I don't know. It'll be interesting how opening night goes for all. I'd be scared to death.
I would be scared to death that I'd forget a line. Yeah. I don't know why. You know, I even
the W aren't I got to have it written in front of me. And I can't imagine remembering. Yeah.
And there's a couple of big monologues in this play too. So you know, you're just out there
talking to yourself. And if you make a mistake, only you're going to know. Yes.
I'm a director. Yeah. And then and again, I've watched a lot of rehearsals of this. And these
actors really play off of each other very, very well. And get to have a lot of fun. You know,
something, someone try something and then someone else try something. There's a lot of reactions
to each other. And yeah, it's been wonderful to watch. We always have a fun time going to the
received fitter girl. As I've been going more than 19 years, but we have seasoned tickets for 19
years. And my mother, it was the thing she looked forward to all the time. She grew up going to
Broadway shows because she lived in New York. And she used to love the theater. And she loved
going to the received theater girl. And so I'm, you know, I love working there. You know, it's a good
time. And bring your children. They should get introduced to the theater. Yeah. Some day,
they're going to be adults. I know. And you can only see somebody rock concerts when you're in
adults. Okay. You look kind of foolish out there when you're in your 50s going. So yes,
the received theater guild. And it's right there in Northwestern Avenue, Boulevard Avenue Avenue.
Okay. The importance of being here to September 5th through the 21st Dracula. The comedy of
terrors coming in on October for Halloween. Yes. And they actually just cast that last week.
They had open auditions. And so I believe their first official rehearsal is tonight. So super fun.
It's obviously the story of Dracula, but it is turned on its head. It's very
Monty Python meets 39 steps meets Carol Burnett romp through Transylvania. Five actors,
what the one actor plays only Dracula and the other four play multiple characters.
I call them to suck your blood. Yes. Yes. So I will be very excited to see that one come together.
I think, you know, especially China, of course, into the Halloween time frame. Everyone likes a
little spooky fun. The last show I've ever seen on Broadway was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. They
actually made it. It was on the 42nd Street of the theater there. And they it was amazing. I had
a great time. I've seen the movie, but when you see a car flying over your head thinking, I
wonder if it's going to stay up there. Yeah. So you got Chitty Chitty Bang Bang coming in.
The big Christmas show in December, December and we actually have, if anyone's interested,
we have auditions this weekend for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. So they have an opportunity to be in the show.
We have auditions on Saturday and Sunday. So Saturday, the sixth and Sunday, the seventh,
sing, dance, maybe be on stage and being Chitty. You got to have talent. Oh,
now forget it. I'm not going to try. Ripcord comes in the January 16th. What's
report? Ripcord is about two ladies who live in a senior living facility. And they
are trying to be roommates, but not really at the same time. They're trying to kick each other out
of this room. And they want up each other in, you know, bets and pranks and everything to
get each other out of the room. And it ends up being actually a very, very heartfelt show about
friendship and what it means to find someone to support you. And especially, you know, a lot of
people in senior living have lost their spouse or things like that. And so these two women at the
end spoiler alert become very, very good friends. So, but it's all the shenanigans leading up to that
point. So you got to be an older female to be in this to be the lead. There are five other roles
as well in the show on multiple ages. Yeah. That's good. You have understudies for the
we don't typically have understudies. We did write it coming out of COVID. We had we had
understudies kind of built into the cast, which we did have to use a few times. We have not had
understudies for the last year-ish, but we have had to have people fill in still. So that's
it works in different ways. Oh, man. Okay. Here's a mystery for you. So the movie The Girl on the
Train. The Girl on the Train. Yes. Coming up next. What is that February next year? February 27th.
February of next year. And so, yes, that is based off of the best-selling book and the movie with
Emily Blunt. And it's about a woman who becomes obsessed with this couple that she sees through
the window of the train every day. And when the woman of the couple goes missing, she becomes
a suspect, but she also becomes an investigator and is a lot of combo between what is actually
reality and what's her memory. And it's very it's very edge of your seat. You don't quite know
what's going to happen next kind of one. So that will be really fun to have people come see.
People love a mystery. It was an Alfred Hitchcock movie in the 30s. Just that was the plot. So I
think The Girl on the Train is kind of a remake of that for Hitchcock film. The next one is my
precious. The Hobbit coming in April 10th. Yes. The Hobbit. It is amazing how excited people are
about the Hobbit. You know, of course, based off of The Lord of the Rings. My precious.
And yes, he is there. He does. I don't know if he actually says that line in the in the show,
but follows Bilbo Baggins, who is very very reluctantly made to go on a journey by Gandalf.
And is just having a horrible time on this journey to try and find the precious. And has to fight
dragons and have to sleep outside. And he just wants to be home with a meal. And you know, he
learns a lot about what he does have to offer the world. He's just like, why am I here? I'm not an
adventurer. And you know, everyone has something to offer to the world. And that's kind of the
core message of the show. So that will be great. I there's nothing more that I want to ever see
less than The Lord of the Rings. So one side of the morning, I'm sitting in home and it's on TV
and I was bored. So I started watching The Lord of the Rings on TV. And I said, much
interesting. Then I went to the video store and I rented part two. Oh, sure. Or to the rings.
I said, well, this is good. And that night, I went to go see the movie. The
the the third one ever was. So I saw one, two and three all the same thing. And I would have
bet I would never have been interested at all. But it grabs your attention. It really does. I did
the same thing. I watched the extended cut in one weekend. I did one, two and three in one TV
video. And then in the movie theater. And I said, wow, this is a great movie. My precious.
And then one of my favorite musicals, Pippin comes in for May 50. That's a big,
a big musical finale for the season. Yes. Pippin written by Steven Schwartz, who everyone right
now knows for wicked. So this is one of his earlier musicals. And it's about a young prince
who isn't quite sure what his path is in life. He doesn't know if he wants to be go for glory
or go for love or what direction to go in. And that's this troop of actors that kind of
try to manipulate him along the way. And he comes to stand on his own feet at the end.
I told you by Pippin's story last time. I think you did maybe. Yeah. So I was dating this woman.
And I said, how do you like to go to see a show? She goes, how about Pippin? I'd love to see Pippin.
Well, it was one of the hottest tickets on Broadway. So I went to Macy's where they had
the sole tickets. It was Ticketron. So I went there and she said, well, they're sold out.
But I put you on a list because sometimes people want to return their tickets. So she called
me up and said, yes, somebody wants to return their tickets. And here's their phone number.
They're selling for face value because they can't sell them for more. So I went to their house.
I paid for the tickets. I went to my girlfriend. I said, hey, I got tickets for Pippin tonight.
You can't believe what I went through to get him. And I feel like going.
And it's one. And I feel like it. Now, I couldn't give the tickets away because it was too late.
Yeah. Yeah. That was the beginning of the end.
Oh, yeah. How did you do that to me?
It was Ben Vareen still on Broadway.
I don't know who it was. Yeah. I think it was the original Broadway campus.
And I saved those tickets up until my mother moved. She threw them out.
I don't know if they have in my house.
Just a reminder of man's stupidity.
So I can't wait to see nothing.
Let's talk about the Children's Theater. It's coming up. Snow White.
Yes. So Children's Theater is coming up. Our Children's Theater series.
Actually, the Children's Theater was founded in 1933. So it is celebrated as 93rd season this year.
So it's a little older than Theater Guild.
Great way to introduce like you were talking about kids to theater.
Top ticket price for that is $7, no matter what your age.
And so we want to make it really affordable for parents.
Our long shows. So yes, Snow White opens the season in October.
It will run for seven performances.
It's kind of a cookie twist on the traditional story of Snow White.
It actually focuses a bit more on the which and slash queen and how she came to be.
And teaches us all a little bit about the importance of there's more to life than
how beautiful you seem to the world.
You know, because it's all about the mirror.
And the mirror is very sassy.
And the mirror is a character in this production.
A good villain. A good villain on Snow White.
Yeah. So that will be a fun little twist on the story that people might know.
And all the dwarfs have off brand names of
grouchy and gleeful and doofy and snoozy and gizoon height.
Grouchy sneezy.
Yeah, yeah.
So that will be a first week in November.
Good fun show.
You mentioned the price of $7.
The last time I ever bought a ticket on a Broadway show was to the jitter bang bag.
And it was years ago was $125 a ticket.
And that was that was the price at the box office $125 a ticket.
And I can't imagine what they are now.
Oh, very expensive.
You sound like the golem.
Very expensive.
Very expensive.
Here in my kitchen, it's my precious day.
And again, that's, you know, the joy of having a community theater here in town is
we are here for the community.
That anyone can come into our doors even if they've never seen a theatrical performance before.
And enjoy whether it be children's theater,
main stage or other series of spotlight and limited edition and jeans jazz, of course.
So yeah, it's a great way to have a night out and not spend a ton of money.
So my mother and my sister-in-law were in, they were going to see the sound of music on
Broadway with Richard Chamberlain.
And they went to the tickets booth on Broadway and the line was still kingdom come.
It's that ticket booth that give you half price tickets or they sell what they can't, you know,
whatever they can't sell in the box office.
So I was online.
The guy says, Guy walks up here, you're looking for the sound of music.
So he goes, yes, I have two tickets here.
How much?
And it was a reasonable price.
And my mother said, I'm going to buy these from you.
And if these tickets are no good, I'm here a lot.
And I will find you.
And you'll be sorry, you ever sold me these.
He said, they're good tickets.
I'm telling you, just let you know, I will find you.
They were good tickets.
Oh great.
Good, good question.
That's right.
My mother felt big because the woman in front of her online bought bad tickets.
And they were only tickets, but I will find you.
Because I'm here all the time.
Yeah.
And so you got him for half price.
That was kind of neat.
Okay, and next show for the children's theater is Flat Stanley, Jr.
Yes.
So Flat Stanley is a book series, of course, that many kids know.
He is a flat little man who's drawn on paper.
And a lot of the times with the book,
kids read it and then they cut out their own flat Stanley out of a piece paper
and take him around on their adventures.
And so this is what Flat Stanley is doing.
In this production is he's going around the world and exploring.
It's also going to be put on by Gilmur Fine Arts students again.
So this is the third year we've had fourth and fifth graders from Gilmur Fine Arts come over
and do a children's theater production.
So they can memorize it, but I can't.
There's a lot of energy in those Gilmur Fine Arts students.
And Spongebob of the musical.
You have to be ashamed.
Yeah.
So Spongebob, of course, is braced off of the TV series.
It was a smash, smash hit on Broadway because everyone in their mother wrote music.
Spongebob.
I mean, it's everyone from Cindy Lopper to David Bowie to...
I mean, when you look at the people that wrote music for the musical, it's kind of crazy.
But Horlick High School is putting this together.
It's the bikini bottom needs to be saved.
And Spongebob and his friends are going to save the day.
And so it pays a lot of homage, of course, to the show.
And it will be a very, very fun, very silly time.
And the last children's theater productions in March of next year love Ruby Valentine.
Yes.
So that's off also by stuff of a book.
Bug and a Rug production from Milwaukee will be coming to perform that.
And Ruby loves Valentine's Day.
It's her favorite day of the year.
And she spent all night writing her Valentine's and Fellowsleep
and missed the whole day of Valentine's Day.
And so she's worried that she doesn't get to tell people that she loves them.
And the, again, core message of the show is that you can always tell people that you love him,
love them, you don't need a special day to do it.
So it's a very sweet, very sweet stuff.
I know all this memorized.
I am reading it off cardboard here, but you memorize that.
I mean, I write the description, so that's helpful.
Okay, but the big one, the big news is the importance of being earnest opens up
since the end of the fifth.
Yeah, this Friday, lunch of the 21st big long show.
And two-eater missions, whoa.
Yeah.
And so this should be a lot of fun.
I always get the last weekend matinee, the last Saturday matinee.
Yeah, and the set is really fascinating because it has to,
it's three distinct locations.
So all the pieces get used in the three distinct locations.
So you'll see how that shifts with the multiple intermissions.
Saw the costumes for the first time last night,
lots of beautiful clothing.
Again, all the pieces are coming together.
It looks like they're in the 1800s.
Yeah, yeah.
We got some bustles.
We got some good corsets.
We got a big hook skirt.
They've been practicing in those because it's very tricky to wear a full corset
and then to have this bustle with the big poof on your butt and sit in a chair.
So they've been practicing with wearing those for a long time.
So yeah.
Okay, so there's three ways to get tickets.
Actually, you can go to the box office and box office is open.
Monday through Friday, 12 to 6 and then 90 minutes before each performance.
And you can just, yeah, pay for it at the box office.
Get your tickets right there.
Or you can go to recenetheater.org, recenetheater.org,
or you can listen in this weekend.
We've got some tickets to give away.
Now, which do you want to win?
The 1.1 billion or the tickets of the recene theater deal.
Which do you think it's easier to win?
Yeah, right.
Probably the 1.1 billion.
I got to take my tickets.
I don't know.
Yeah.
Maybe I'll be walking out of here at 8 o'clock.
With a big pocket full of money.
That'd be interesting.
Thank you.
Jocelyn Fish.
Choose the director of marketing development for the recene theater deal.
Thanks for killing that.
Thanks, Don.
I always enjoy chatting.
We could chat for hours.
We could just, it would just be us cabin about theater.
And if you say, oh my goodness, I forgot.
I didn't listen to the beginning of it.
It's going to be podcast tomorrow morning.
So you can listen to it.
