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Event
Convenience: Comedy, Opera and a Neighborhood Affair
Summer's here, and the time is right for singing and acting in the streets at least on Madison's east side. Next-door neighbor arts organizations TAPIT/new works Ensemble Theater and Fresco Opera Theatre are teaming up to celebrate their shared neighborhood in Convenience, a new production opening Friday, August 1.
Combining comedy, opera and a walking tour of Schenk's Corners, Convenience tells the story of a fictionalized, east side convenience store and its eccentric customers, including a developer and an activist, as well as conspiracy theorists, musicians, know-it-alls and assorted neighborhood characters.
When the developer and the activist hatch competing plans for the store, the stage is set for conflict and a most unlikely romance.
Convenience: Comedy, Opera and a Neighborhood Affair, is written by Danielle Dresden, from TAPIT/new works Ensemble Theater, directed by Melanie Cain, from Fresco Opera Theatre, and features arias Cain selected from some of the world's greatest operas. Donna Peckett, from TAPIT/new works Ensemble Theater, choreographs a solo a cappella tap dance, and Frank Cain, from Fresco Opera Theatre, makes a cameo appearance as a fan of what he calls "Scratch and Sniff" lottery tickets. The cast includes singers and actors, with George Abbott, Ashton Lareau and Clarisse Tobia performing, as well as Melanie Cain, Dresden and Peckett.
The brief walking tour of Schenk's Corners, which takes place during Convenience keeps the plot and the audience moving while conveying fun facts about neighborhood history, thanks to the help of Ann Waidelich, Cliff Woolever and the Eastside History Club. Archival images of the area, collected by the Eastside History Club, are also used in the production.
Performances are Friday and Saturday nights, August 1, 2, 8 and 9 at 7:30 pm, with a Sunday matinee at 4 pm, August 3 and 10. Tickets are $20 for general audiences, $15 for students and seniors, and available at www.brownpapertickets.com. Contact TAPIT/new works Ensemble Theater and Fresco Opera Theatre for more information: 608.244.2938;' 608.712.9533
Convenience is made possible, in part, by support from Dane Arts; the Madison Arts Commission, with funds from the Wisconsin Arts Board; and the Wisconsin Arts Board, with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Neil Allen Peckett Memorial Fund of TAPIT/new works, Inc.
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LocationTAPIT/new works Studio Theater (View)
1957 Winnebago St.
Madison, WI 53704
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: Yes! |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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Contact
Q&A
| Question: |
Wondering how much walking is involved, as in, could an elderly woman who leans on a cane and walks slowly, do this? |
| Answer: |
We have videotaped the tour, so people who would prefer to remain seated can stay at the theater space (there will be others doing so) and watch the tour projected on a large screen. There is not much walking, in that we cover a 3-4 block area, but there is a lot of standing. The tour takes about 15 minutes or more. If that sounds like a long time, staying in the theater space for the video is a great alternative! |
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