Directed by Sarah Marty and Conducted by Thomas Kasdorf, Carrie Backman, and Steve Morgan
“...the creative partnership that transformed musical theater and provided the soundtrack to the American Century” - from “Something Wonderful” by Todd S. Purnum
An unforgettable celebration of Broadway’s Golden Age, An Evening of Rodgers & Hammerstein Classics pays tribute to some of the world's best-loved musicals. Experience classic songs from Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, and more!
Celebrating one of the most influential, innovative, and unstoppable duos of all time, the program will feature 27 local singers and 40 local musicians filling the theater with the sounds of beautiful music. Four Seasons Theatre makes its Capitol Theater debut as we celebrate two decades of showcasing local talent onstage and backstage.
Tickets (starting at $25) available at Overture Center Box Office in person, online, or by phone at (608) 258-4141. Due to popular demand, new seats added on Monday 9/25!
CREDITS: Music by Richard Rodgers. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Orchestrations by Robert Russell Bennett and Don Walker. An Evening of Rodgers & Hammerstein Classics is presented through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals and all authorized performance materials are supplied by the Rodgers & Hammerstein Concert Library. (www.concordtheatricals.com)
We emerged from the pandemic and did the math, only to discover that this season marks 20 years since Four Seasons Theatre was first conceived in the fall of 2004. 20 years! Over 50 productions, more than 230 outreach performances, and innumerable local artists featured, both onstage and backstage.
What keeps us going as we enter our third decade? The power of storytelling. The alchemy of music and drama. And the wealth of talent and ability in our local arts community. Music + theatre + local artists = MAGIC.
Our 2023–2024 season opens with an afternoon of classic Rodgers and Hammerstein music in the historic Capitol Theater at Overture Center for the Arts. This concert will feature 26 singers and 38 musicians - all incredible talents, and all from our community. Soloists will be pulled from this incredible ensemble, with every person in the cast given a chance to shine. We're also proud to showcase an orchestra which includes many music educators, Mead Witter School of Music students and alums, and members from the Verona Community Concert Band, Verona Community Orchestra, and Middleton Community Orchestra.
Soprano: Madison Barrett, Isabel Celata, Sheridan Hearn, Wendy Jones Hill,
Mezzo Soprano: Anna Darling, Kate Jajewski, Jessica Schwefel, Sarah Streich
Alto: Sarah Blakeslee, Leslie Cao, Jess Kasinski, Amanda Reichhold
Tenor 1: Bobby Goderich, Andy White, Zak Wolff
Tenor 2: Kevin Blakeslee, Nathan Connor, Dan Jajewski, Scott Lewis
Baritone: Kurtis Hopp, Stan Hill, Bart Terrell, Justin Wilder
Bass: Keith Christianson, Moises Garcia, Rick Henslin, Neil Peterson
Flute/Piccolo: Michael Lewis, Katelyn McClain, Patti Putney
Oboe: Allison Kelley, Kati Seiter | English Horn: Valree Casey
Clarinet: Gail Smith, Angela Hawbacker, Jerry Hrovat
Bassoon: Brian Ellingboe, Kylee Stoor, Lisa Froelich
Horn: Anne Aley, Gina Wentling, Matthew Cornale, Craig Mason
Trumpet: TJ James, Ben Bell Bern, Ryan Caloud
Trombone: Dan Joosten, Matthew Wilber, Bryson Bauer
Tuba: Mike Mitmoen
Violin 1: Carol Carlson, Lars Berggren, Beth Harms
Violin 2: Isabelle Krier, Kay Black, Leyla Sanyer
Viola: Annalisa Guries, Ulrika Swanson, Polly Shoemaker
Cello: Philip Delaquess, Kaleb Stumbaugh
Bass: Sam Taylor
Harp: Jacki Whisenant
Percussion: Todd Hammes, Trevor Maliborski, Elliott Rittenberry, Aiden Trinker
Sarah Marty (Director, Producer) is Director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration in the Wisconsin School of Business at University of Wisconsin-Madison where she teaches courses on Arts Entrepreneurship, Arts Management and Leadership, and Hamilton: An American Musical. The 2008 winner of the UW Bartell Award for the Arts, additional producer credits include shows and events for Madison Early Music Festival, Forward Theater, Wisconsin Public Television, Wisconsin Public Radio, Madison Opera, and Madison Theatre Guild. Career Highlights include: Overture Center 10th Anniversary Celebration, 2013 and 2016 events with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, WPR Centennial Event, and two decades as the director and production manager for the UW Varsity Band Show. In addition, she has been a member of Board of Directors for Overture Center for the Arts since Fall 2019. Master’s Degree in Business from the Bolz Center for Arts Administration, MS in Curriculum & Instruction, Bachelor of Music Education degree at UW-Madison.
Thomas Kasdorf (Conductor, Choral Preparation) is proud to be on faculty at UW-Madison, as Lecturer in Vocal Coaching, working on University Opera’s upcoming production of Sweeney Todd. FST credits include: The Little Mermaid, Souvenir (Cosme McMoon), 1776, Vintage Valentines, The Sondheim Confessional, The Spitfire Grill, Big Fish (co-production with Theatre LILA), The Light in the Piazza, Great Dames Songbook, The Fantasticks, Side by Side by Sondheim, and Aspects of Love. Kasdorf earned his Doctorate in Collaborative Piano Performance in May 2020 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is currently Artistic Director for Middleton Players Theatre and Artist in Residence for Middleton Community Orchestra. Thomas “Keep the arts alive!”
Carrie Backman (Conductor) is thrilled to be part of her first Four Season’s Production! Carrie is the Director of the UW-Madison Summer Music Clinic and the Badger Precollege Assistant Director of Arts Programs. She teaches music at Edgewood College and previously taught at Edgewood High School, University of Minnesota, and in southwest Minnesota. She conducts and music directs the Overture Center’s Jerry Awards and conducted Peter Pan for Children’s Theater of Madison. Thank you for supporting local artists!
Steve Morgan (Conductor), originally from Southern California, is the retired Director of Bands at Madison West H.S. (1997-2011). In addition to bands, he taught AP Music Theory and Guitar, oversaw the jazz program, and conducted upwards of ten musicals. He has been affiliated with Four Seasons for nearly twenty years: as a pit musician (The Last Five Years, Miss Saigon, West Side Story, Rent, Assassins, Man of La Mancha, and others), as a board member, and as conductor for two productions, South Pacific and A Little Night Music.
Tamara Brognano (Host) is the Outreach Coordinator for Four Seasons Theatre, where she writes and produces musical theatre programming, bringing great local performers and Broadway tunes to senior centers, libraries, assisted living facilities, schools, and retirement communities. She wrote the scripts for FST’s Great American Songbook series, and appeared as Mother in Ragtime, Amalia in She Loves Me, and Margaret in The Light in the Piazza. This summer she made her American Players Theatre debut and can be seen onstage as Mrs. Soames in the APT production of Our Town. Her performances are offered in memory of her stepdad Garry, who made the world a better place during his 96 years on this earth.
Brian Weinkauf (Lighting Designer) is a technical theatre professional with decades of experience working in the Upper Midwest. A talented lighting designer and carpenter he has worked with countless local arts organizations including Madison Opera, Madison Ballet, CTM, Four Seasons Theatre, and more. His work as a lighting designer can often be seen at large scale events at the Overture Center, including the annual Jerry Awards, and was recently seen at the UW-Madison Campus Arts Awards in May 2023 at the Wisconsin Union Theater.
Support for this production provided by the Pleasant Rowland Foundation, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Fund for Theater, a component fund of the Madison Community Foundation. Additional support provided by PBS Wisconsin, Wisconsin Public Radio, Distillery Design, and Park Printing Solutions.