Heavenly comedy to open Heartland Festival in June
PLATTEVILLE - The writing team that brought "Packer Fans from Outer Space" to theater fans last summer is back this year to open the 2006 University of Wisconsin-Platteville Heartland Festival. "Belgians in Heaven" will open on Friday, June 16 at 8 p.m. Leo and Roger are Belgian bachelor farmers in Door County of Northern Wisconsin. These two brothers couldn't be more different - Roger is hard working and Leo would rather spend his days drinking beer, eating cheese curds and talking to his pet chicken, Mildred. The brothers face their own mortality when they each spend time at the pearly gates talking with Saint Peter and his angels. With heavenly jokes, catchy songs and an underlying search for true love and purpose, "Belgians in Heaven," is a hilarious journey for the whole family.
The show was written by Wisconsin natives Frederick Heide and Lee Becker, with music by Heide and James Kaplan. Michael Duncan, a distinguished alumnus of UWP and member of the UWP Arts and Letters Hall of Fame, will direct the play. He has directed over 65 shows and has performed professionally in over 100 productions. Duncan also spent 10 years as managing artistic director of the Sunset Playhouse in Elm Grove and 14 seasons in Platteville with the Wisconsin Shakespeare Festival. Duncan and the cast will be on hand for the opening night post show reception and will meet and mingle with the audience.
The following performance dates all begin at 8 p.m.: June 16, 17, July 14, 22 and 27. Matinees, all beginning at 2 p.m., will be held on June 18, 25, July 1, 8 and 29. Ticket prices are $16 for adults and $8 for UWP students with I.D. and children under 18. A dinner theater will be held on July 14, beginning at 6:30 p.m., in the CFA theater. Tickets for the dinner and show are priced at $24 for adults and $16 for UWP students with I.D. and children under 18. Show-only tickets are available for the July 14 performance at the regular price. Anyone interested in obtaining tickets may call the UW-Platteville Center for the Arts Box Office at (608) 342-1298. Anyone interested in learning more about other Heartland Festival events may go to the website at www.uwplatt.edu/arts/heartland.
Contact: John Hassig, director, Performing and Visual Arts, (608) 342-1267,hassig@uwplatt.edu"
Prepared By: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,martense@uwplatt.edu
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