First Stage Kicks Off 2022/23 Season With ARTHUR AND FRIENDS MAKE A MUSICAL

First Stage kicks off its 2022/23 season with the delightful world premiere production of ARTHUR AND FRIENDS MAKE A MUSICAL!, written by First Stage Resident Playwright, lyricist and actor John Maclay, with Music and Lyrics by actor, composer/lyricist, writer and First Stage alum Brett Ryback, adapted from the books and characters created by Marc Brown and directed and choreographed by Bay Area Children's Theatre Artistic Director Khalia Davis.

The popular children's animated series Arthur, based on the popular book series, stars Arthur and his family and friends and together they creatively solve problems, learn to get along and appreciate each other's differences. The First Stage production ARTHUR AND FRIENDS MAKE A MUSICAL! will feature the beloved characters along with catchy original music, whimsical sets, colorful costumes and fun puppets. Audiences will discover that big things are happening at Lakewood Elementary School - Mr. Ratburn's class is asked to write and perform a big show for all of Elwood City. Everyone is so excited - everyone, that is except Arthur. What should he do? Arthur feels more and more nervous as the big performance gets closer and closer. With the help of his family and friends Arthur learns the importance of being his best, unique self. Sponsored by Children's Wisconsin.

ARTHUR AND FRIENDS MAKE A MUSICAL! runs October 7 - November 6, 2022 at the Marcus Center's Todd Wehr Theater, located at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee. Tickets start at $32 and can be purchased in person at the Marcus Center Box Office at 929 N. Water Street, by phone at (414) 273-7206 or online at firststage.org. Performance runtime is approximately 90 minutes, which includes a brief intermission. Suggested for families with young people ages 5+.

From Director Khalia Davis: "Arthur was such a beloved part of my childhood so to get the opportunity to celebrate the legacy of the books and television series by expanding the world into a fun, family-friendly musical, is a dream! I am most excited for audiences to see their favorite characters in new, timely stories that maintain the beautiful essence and spirit of the work. Theater is often a tool we can use for young people to show a representation of their own lived experiences. In our show, we explore the pressures young people face to get everything right and the friends and family that support and care for them as they learn it isn't always about being the best at something or being right all the time. It is about staying true to who you are and what makes you special, allowing that part of you to shine brightest."

Added Artistic Director Jeff Frank: "I am so thankful to the writing team of John Maclay and Brett Ryback, director Khalia Davis, producer Todd Gershwin, and of course Marc Brown, for their contributions over the last couple years as we have workshopped and shaped the show. There is a reason Arthur is the second longest running animated series ever. Marc Brown paints a world that, although populated by animals, speaks with truth and respect to the joys and challenges of growing up. Like all of us, Arthur has fears and doubts, but with the help and support of his friends and family Arthur rises to the occasion and discovers the power in his own story."

BIOGRAPHIES

John Maclay (Playwright/Lyricst) is a playwright and lyricist with over a dozen plays and musicals that have been produced throughout the U.S. and Canada. In addition to ARTHUR AND FRIENDS MAKE A MUSICAL!, John is the playwright of THE LEGEND OF ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS (with Eric Nordin), GOOSEBUMPS THE MUSICAL: PHANTOM OF THE AUDITORIUM (with Danny Abosch); Geronimo Stilton: MOUSE IN SPACE, JUST A LITTLE CRITTER MUSICAL and NATE THE GREAT (both with Brett Ryback); NANCY DREW AND HER BIGGEST CASE EVER (with Jeff Frank); ANATOLE (with Lee Becker and James Valcq); CINDERELLA: THE REAL STORY (with Rayven Cece Craft, Austin Nelson, and Emma Swain), THE REVOLTING TEENS OF SHERWOOD, ROMEO AND JULIET WALK INTO A BAR and APOLLO AND THE TRIALS OF HERCULES (all three with Joe Foust). John's new one-actor play, HOPPER, received a professional reading this past year at Pasadena Playhouse featuring Breaking Bad's Betsy Brandt, directed by Tony nominee Thomas Sadowsky. John worked with First Stage in one form or other from 2000 - 2018, in roles ranging from Academy Director to Director of Artistic Development, while directing or appearing in dozens of First Stage productions. Last season, GhostLight Records released the studio cast album of GOOSEBUMPS THE MUSICAL: PHANTOM OF THE AUDITORIUM. The album features Broadway stars Krystina Alabado, Alex Brightman, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Will Roland, Stephanie Styles, Noah Galvin, RL Stine himself, First Stage Theater Academy alum Alex Gibson, and is now available on all streaming platforms. He also has an amazing family and a very cute dog named Winston. johnmaclay.com

Brett Ryback (Music & Lyrics/Music Director) is an actor, composer/lyricist and writer. He originated the role of Marcus Off-Broadway in MURDER FOR TWO. Other acting credits include A CHRISTMAS CAROL (First National Tour), THE HISTORY BOYS (Ahmanson), THE LIEUTENANT INISHMORE (Mark Taper Forum) and the world premieres of SHREW!, THE PRINCE OF ATLANTIS, DR. CERBERUS and IMAGINE (South Coast Rep). Recent TV/film appearances include: Mom, Modern Family, How I Met Your Mother, Hail, Caesar! and the Lifetime movie The Assistant. His plays and musicals include: PASSING THROUGH (Goodspeed); JOE SCHMOE SAVES THE WORLD (NAMT 2016, ASCAP/Dreamworks Workshop); LIBERTY INN: THE MUSICAL (Ovation Award nomination: Best Music/Lyrics); DARLING (Weston Playhouse New Musical Award); THE TAVERN KEEPER'S DAUGHTER (Best Musical, Pasadena Weekly); NATE THE GREAT (South Coast Rep, First Stage). His plays WEÏRD and A ROZ BY ANY OTHER NAME are both published in "The Best American Short Plays 2007-2008." Brett co-created and starred in In Strange Woods, a musical podcast that hit #1 on Apple's fiction chart. He is the recipient of the ASCAP Foundation's Cole Porter Award. He created the online accompanist website PlayThisForMe.com and he teaches musical theatre at the University of Southern California. brettryback.com

Khalia Davis (Director/Choreographer) (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist and Artistic Director of Bay Area Children's Theatre where she recently led the world premieres of a KIDS PLAY ABOUT RACISM, which brought together over 40 theater producing partners and was viewed on Broadway on Demand nearly 80,000 times during its limited run then became a free resource for educators and their students, and THE IMAGINARIES: AN IMMERSIVE MUSICAL, an original new work created by the newly-formed BACT Writer's Room. As a director and arts educator, she has worked with prominent theaters such as Bay Area Children's Theatre, Atlantic Theater Company's Atlantic for Kids, New York City Children's Theater, Disney Theatrical Group, Spellbound Theatre and more. As a producer, Ms. Davis has helped organizations reach hundreds of thousands of young people through, interactive "edu-tainment" with the nationally known Story Pirates, generating new digital pre-school content with Spellbound at Home, and a children's web series chronicling the experiences of a little black puppet girl named Nia living through the COVID-19 pandemic with her personal web-based company, Kids at Heart Productions. Before assuming her new role as Artistic Director, Ms. Davis served as the Director of Inclusion and Education with Brooklyn Children's Theatre restructuring their children's musical theater programming through an anti-racism lens. She made her professional theatrical debut at 13 years old launching a life-long career as a performer, splitting her time between California and NYC. Proud board member for TYA/USA, Spellbound Theater and The Story Pirates. Awards: 2019 Emerging Leader Fellowship-TYA/USA, 2019 NYCCT Leader Fellowship, 2021 Corey Medallion Award-Children's Theatre Foundation of America. BA in Theater Arts from the University of Southern California. khaliadavis.com

ADULT CAST

James Carrington, Member of Actors' Equity Association, (Mr. Ratburn); SaraLynn Evenson (Mom/Queen) and Zach Thomas Woods (Dad/Baggypants). Derrick Carroll, Understudy for James Carrington; Brandite Reed, Understudy for SaraLynn Evenson and Jonathan Gideon, Understudy for Zach Thomas Woods.

YOUNG PERFORMER CASTS

Young Performer roles are double cast. Young Performers in the Elwood Cast include:

Vivian Madson (West Allis) as Arthur; Silver Anderson (Milwaukee) as Muffy; Alice Rivera (Milwaukee) as Francine; Gia Deacon (Milwaukee) as D.W.; Ryon Davis (Milwaukee) as Buster and Charlie Cornell (Elm Grove) as Brain.

Young Performers in the Lakewood Cast include: Sanaiah Hibbler (Oak Creek) as Arthur;

Niamh Mayne (Elm Grove) as Muffy; Lucia Santana (Milwaukee) as Francine; Layla Katers (Kenosha) as D.W.; Alex Radtke (Cedarburg) as Buster and Jaloni Brown (Milwaukee) as Brain.

The Artistic Staff for ARTHUR AND FRIENDS MAKE A MUSICAL! includes: Khalia Davis (Director/Choreographer); Brett Ryback (Music Director); Arnold Bueso (Scenic Designer); Jared Gooding (Lighting Designer); Jason Orlenko, USA (Costume Designer); Elisabeth Weidner, USA (Sound Designer); Kelly L. Schwartz, Member of Actors' Equity Association, (Production Stage Manager) and Carrie Johns (Assistant Stage Manager).

Tickets start at $32 - Tickets may be purchased at firststage.org or through the Marcus Center Box Office, in person at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee or by phone (414) 273-7206 or toll free at (888) 612-3500. The number for TDD (for deaf and hard of hearing patrons) is (414) 273-3080.

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