August 10-19, 2012 in The Playhouse at the Overture Center
Bringing together surprising liaisons, long simmering passions and a taste of love’s endless possibilities, A Little Night Music explores the universal subject of love. Caught in the spell of a Swedish summer solstice, three mismatched turn-of-the-century couples, like Shakespeare’s lovers, uncover their true passions.
77 Square Review: The Summer Night Smiles on Four Seasons’ Night Music — “With a cast of excellent singers, an impressive 26-piece orchestra and a story of self-deception and desire, this performance is truly (as the lyrics promise) enchanting.” – Lindsay Christians, 77 Square reviewer
(in order of appearance)
Friday, August 10 at 6:30 pm in the Rotunda Stage
“Victorians’ Secret: the Revealing History of Women’s Underwear” will be presented by Leslie Bellais, the Wisconsin Historical Museum’s curator of costumes and textiles. Bellais will share the secret behind Victorians’ tiny waists and will explore how women’s undergarments reflected societal values and share examples of Victorian underwear from the museum’s collection.
Sunday, August 12 at 1 pm & Friday, August 17 at 6:30 pm & Sunday, August 19 at 1 pm
Dramaturg Bethany Wood will present “Creating A Little Night Music: The Historical Context and Original Production of Sondheim’s Award-winning Musical.” Wood, Ph. D. Candidate in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Theatre and Drama Department, will present a behind-the-scenes look into Stephen Sondheim’s creative process for A Little Night Music. She will share photos and anecdotes from the original production as well as images and historical documents concerning the play’s setting in Sweden just after the turn of the century. Join her for a pre-show discussion of the theatrical and historical context of this delightful musical.
Lead support for the production has been provided by the Pleasant Rowland Fund for Theater, a component of the Madison Community Foundation. Additional grant funds were received from Wisconsin Arts Board, Dane Arts, and Madison Arts Commission.
Additional support for this production and the 2011-2012 season has been provided by SVA Professional Services and by our season sponsor The Psychology Center.