Welcome to the 2008 The Heartland Festival! This year is the eighth outing for our annual Festival here at UW-Platteville and I am very excited to share the news of our upcoming season!
Opening the season will be a new kind of show for the Festival. ‘Wake me When I’m Dead’ is a murder mystery where the audience members are attendees of an Irish Wake for Uncle Sean O’Malley. Shocked as the O’Malley family is by Uncle Sean’s sudden departure, they're determined to give him a send off as only an Irish family can. The mystery revolves around a mumbling within the clan that the death might not have been an accident. Rumors are flying about changes in the will and outrageous claims about the end of the rainbow. All the hilarious action of the play takes place between courses of dinner. This will be a truly unique and interactive dinner theatre experience. Performances begin June 13.
The second show will be the musical comedy ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect…Now Change’. This celebration of the dating game takes on the truths and myths behind that contemporary conundrum known as "the relationship." This hilarious show pays tribute to those who have loved and lost, to those who have fallen on their face at the portal of romance, to those who have dared to ask, "What are you doing Saturday night?" Performances begin June 20.
The characters of Arnold Lobel come alive in the musical ‘A Year with Frog and Toad’ beginning on June 27. This wonderful show remains true to the spirit of the original stories as it follows two great friends, the cheerful and popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad through four fun-filled seasons. A new show that is destined to become a classic, ‘A Year with Frog and Toad’ is inventive, exuberant and totally enchanting.
The final production of the season will be the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber masterpiece ‘Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’. The Biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to vibrant life in this delightful musical parable. Joseph is a boy blessed with prophetic dreams, and his father's favorite son. When he is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, Joseph endures a series of adventures in which his spirit and humanity are continually challenged. Set to an engaging cornucopia of musical styles, from country-western and calypso to bubble-gum pop and rock 'n' roll, this Old Testament tale emerges both timely and timeless. The production opens on July 11.
Additionally, the Missoula Children’s Theatre will return to the Festival for a production of ‘Robinson Caruso’. MCT involves over 60 local children in their productions. Rehearsals will begin July 21 with performances on July 25 and 26. Registration information will be available on the Heartland website soon.
As I have posted here at the end of last season, the 2007 season marked the highest attendance yet for the Festival with nearly 6000 tickets sold. Involvement in productions also hit a high mark with 175 people on stage or behind the scenes!!
For the most up to date information, keep checking back here for updates.
Sincerely,
John Hassig
Executive Director - Heartland Festival