Northern Sky Remounts TONGUE, IN CHEEK The Company's First-Ever Book Musical

Beginning July 12, Northern Sky Theater will remount its first-ever book musical, Tongue 'n Cheek, created by Fred Alley with additional music by James Kaplan. The show will run through August 7, outdoors at the Northern Sky amphitheater in Peninsula State Park.

Originally produced in 1991, Tongue 'n Cheek is a timeless classic inspired by old-time radio shows. It tells the story of long-suffering Naomi Sutter and her work-averse husband, George, who quibble while Doc Johnson woos his skeptical neighbor Lorna.

"Tongue 'n Cheek has an old-time feel," said director Jeff Herbst, who played the narrator in the show's original cast. "But this time around, it's going to be completely fresh. We've got a young cast, all new to this show, who are already reinvigorating the script in really exciting ways."

This year's cast features Anna Cline (narrator), Lachrisa Grandberry (Naomi), Dan Klarer (George), Jamie Mercado (Lorna), and Isaiah Spetz (Doc Johnson), along with multi-instrumental musician Andrew Crowe. Author Fred Alley (Northern Sky's cofounder, who co-authored Guys on Ice, Lumberjacks in Love, and The Spitfire Grill) originally created Tongue 'n Cheek in 1991 to be performed with extant folk music as the show's soundtrack.

In 1997, Alley teamed up with James Kaplan (his Guys on Ice and Lumberjacks in Love collaborator) to create new music for the show. That music includes the upbeat opening romp "Before You Know It, It's Love" and Alley and Kaplan's perennial classic "We'll Waltz 'Til the Last Cow Comes Home."

Tongue 'n Cheek runs July 12 through August 7, at 7:30 p.m. every night except Sunday. Masks are optional for all vaccinated patrons. The amphitheater will be running at 60% of its usual capacity; patrons will have the option of choosing a socially distanced section of the theater, as availability allows.

All tickets must be purchased in advance; no walk-up sales available. Outdoor tickets are $22 to $30 for adults, $11 to $19 for students, and $7 to $15 for children 12 and under. (A park sticker is not required to attend performances.)

Tickets may be purchased online at www.NorthernSkyTheater.com or via phone at (920) 854-6117. Ticket office hours are 12-7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 3-7 p.m. Saturday.

Northern Sky will also record this production so that patrons may watch the filmed performance if they prefer. The filmed performance will be available to watch after the show has finished in-person performances.

To post a comment, you must register and login.