Milwaukee Chamber Theatre to Stage JEEVES IN BLOOM, 4/11-28

P.G. Wodehouse's beloved comic characters will once again come to life on the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (MCT) stage this spring in JEEVES IN BLOOM, April 11-28, 2013. This quick-witted British comedy is written by Illinois playwright Margaret Raether, who brought us our successful 2010 production of JEEVES INTERVENES. Reprising their roles from JEEVES INTERVENES are Matt Daniels as Jeeves and director Tami Workentin. JEEVES IN BLOOM performs in the Broadway Theatre Center's Cabot Theatre in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward.

The lovably loopy Bertie Wooster always manages to get into socially precarious situations. In JEEVES IN BLOOM, he finds himself dodging romantic entanglements with a starry-eyed young woman, eluding an enraged chef wielding a meat cleaver, and begrudgingly helping his Aunt Dahlia to commit a burglary. Thank heaven Jeeves is there to save the day!

Tami Workentin returns to the helm after directing JEEVES INTERVENES in 2010. Workentin is also familiar to MCT audiences for her many appearances on the stage including THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES, PICNIC, THE SUM OF US and WELL. Matt Daniels returns in the title role of Jeeves. Daniels also performed in MCT's A THOUSAND CLOWNS and AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS. The cast also includes Milwaukee favorites Karen Estrada (CRIMES OF THE HEART), Marcella Kearns (MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS), Norman Moses (AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, TALKING HEADS), Chase Stoeger (MAIN-TRAVELED ROADS, HAY FEVER) and making his MCT debut Matt Koester.

Margaret Raether's play, JEEVES IN BLOOM premiered in Illinois in 2009. A longtime fan of the Jeeves and Wooster stories, she has written three plays based on the popular comic characters. The first is JEEVES INTERVENES which premiered in 2006 (produced by MCT in 2010) and the third is JEEVES TAKES A BOW which premiered in 2012. She is a founding member of Artists' Ensemble Theatre in Rockford, Illinois, and most of her plays have debuted there or at New American Theater, where she spent two seasons as playwright in residence. In addition to the Jeeves series, Raether has written several other plays and her works have been performed around the country including productions in Chicago, Minneapolis and New York.

The characters of Jeeves and Wooster were originally created by P.G. Wodehouse (1881-1975), an English writer whose body of work includes novels, collections of short stories and musical theatre. He is best known today for the Jeeves and Wooster, Blandings Castle, and Psmith novels and short stories. Wodehouse was also a playwright and lyricist who was part author and writer of 15 plays and 250 lyrics for some 30 musical comedies, many of them produced in collaboration with Jerome Kern and Guy Bolton. He worked with Cole Porter on the musical ANYTHING GOES (1934) and wrote the lyrics for the hit song "Bill" in SHOW BOAT (1927). He enjoyed enormous success during a career that spanned more than 70 years. Wodehouse was knighted in 1975 just six weeks before his death at the age of 93.

CAST
Jeeves: Matt Daniels
Madeline Basset: Karen Estrada
Dahlia Travers: Marcella Kearns
Augustus "Gussie" Fink-Nottle: Matt Koester
Thomas Travers /Anatole: Norman Moses
Bertie Wooster: Chase Stoeger

PRODUCTION STAFF
Director: Tami Workentin
Scenic Designer: Steve Barnes
Costume Designer: Kim Instenes
Lighting Designer: Noele Stollmack
Properties Master: Nikki Kulas
Sound Designer: Phil Wooding

PERFORMANCE DATES
Thursday, April 11 - 7:30 pm, Preview
Friday, April 12 - 8:00, Opening
Saturday, April 13 - 8:00 pm
Sunday, April 14 - 2:00 pm
Wednesday, April 17 - 1:00 pm
Wednesday, April 17 - 7:30 pm, ViewPoints
Thursday, April 18 - 7:30 pm, Talkback
Friday, April 19 - 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 20 - 4:00 pm
Saturday, April 20 - 8:00 pm
Sunday, April 21 - 2:00 pm
Wednesday, April 24 - 1:00 pm, Talk Theatre
Thursday, April 25 - 7:30 pm, Talkback
Friday, April 26 - 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 27 - 4:00 pm
Saturday, April 27 - 8:00 pm
Sunday, April 28 - 2:00 pm

SPECIAL EVENTS:

--Pre-performance ViewPoints: Meet the playwright! A free, pre-show presentation by JEEVES IN BLOOM playwright Margaret Raether on Wednesday, April 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the Skylight Bar & Bistro.

--Pre-performance Talk Theatre: MCT Producing Artistic Director C. Michael Wright leads a lively and informative chat with Scenic Designer Steve Barnes and Properties Master Nikki Kulas beginning at 12:00 noon before the matinee on Wednesday, April 24 in the Skylight Bar & Bistro.

--Post-performance Talkbacks: Post-show discussion with the cast following performances on Thursday, April 18 and Thursday, April 25.

JEEVES IN BLOOM performances will take place April 11-28, 2013 (Opening Night: Friday, April 12) in the Broadway Theatre Center's Cabot Theatre, 158 N. Broadway in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward. Tickets are available Monday through Saturday from noon-6:00 p.m. at the Broadway Theatre Center Box Office, 158 N. Broadway, or by phone at (414) 291-7800. Tickets can be purchased online - 24 hours a day at milwaukeechambertheatre.com. Group, student and senior discounts are also available.

MATT DANIELS - Jeeves
Matt Daniels returns to MCT to reprise his role as Jeeves after the 2010 production of JEEVES INTERVENES. He also appeared in MCT's A THOUSAND CLOWNS and AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS. Recent credits include 44 PLAYS FOR 44 PRESIDENTS at Forward Theater, THE CHOSEN at In Tandem and RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER at First Stage. He has also appeared at Milwaukee Shakespeare, goats & monkeys, the Illinois and North Carolina Shakespeare Festivals, Lake Geneva Theatre Company and on many independent stages in New York. His directing work has been seen locally at MCT's Montgomery Davis Play Development Series (PLAZA HOTEL BALLROOM), Sunset Playhouse and the First Stage Theater Academy, where he is on the faculty. An avid ukulelist, he is a member of the Milwaukee Ukulele Club. He received his training at Juilliard.

KAREN ESTRADA - Madeline Basset
Karen Estrada returns to MCT after appearing in CRIMES OF THE HEART and several staged readings. Locally, she has performed with Skylight Music Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, First Stage Children's Theater, In Tandem Theatre, Bunny Gumbo's Combat Theatre and the sketch comedy troupe The Show. She also teaches with Next Act Theatre's summer education program for teens, The Next Actors.

MARCELLA KEARNS - Dahlia Travers
Marcella Kearns returns to MCT after appearing in MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS and last season's Old Time Radio Drama broadcast in collaboration with WPR. Midwest credits include productions with Renaissance Theaterworks, First Stage Children's Theater, Forward Theater Company, In Tandem Theatre, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Metropolis Performing Arts Centre and Milwaukee Repertory Theater. She has also worked with Studio Arena Theatre, Chamber Repertory Theatre and Texas Repertory Theatre. An independent teaching artist and coach, she serves as an adjunct instructor at Carthage College, First Stage and Milwaukee Rep. She as an MFA from the University of South Carolina.

MATT KOESTER - Augustus "Gussie" Fink-Nottle
Matt Koester makes his MCT debut in JEEVES IN BLOOM. A graduate of UW-Milwaukee he also studied at the Actors Workshop and Upright Citizens Brigade in Los Angeles. His Milwaukee stage credits include Skylight Music Theatre, Youngblood Theatre, Milwaukee Shakespeare, Sunset Playhouse and The Alchemist Theatre.

Norman Moses - Thomas Travers /Anatole
A veteran of the Milwaukee theatre scene for over 30 years, Norman Moses returns to MCT after performing as multiple roles in AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, Graham in TALKING HEADS, Gabe in DINNER WITH FRIENDS and Nick in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF among many others. He was most recently seen as George Bailey in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE LIVE RADIO SHOW at Next Act Theatre. His numerous other credits include Doc in CHEESEHEADS THE MUSICAL at American Folklore Theatre, Bob Wallace in WHITE CHRISTMAS at Skylight Music Theatre, Stephen/Barney in BARNEY AND BEE at Renaissance Theaterworks and Eddie Lawrence in SHEAR MADNESS at Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

CHASE STOEGER - Bertie Wooster
Chase Stoeger returns to MCT after appearing in MAIN-TRAVELLED ROADS and HAY FEVER. Milwaukee audiences have also seen him at Skylight Music Theatre, First Stage Children's Theater, Milwaukee Shakespeare, In Tandem and Bialystock and Bloom. For over five years he has spent his summers in Door County with American Folklore Theatre. He is a graduate of UW-Whitewater.

TAMI WORKENTIN - Director
Tami Workentin returns to MCT after directing JEEVES INTERVENES in 2010. Her other directing credits include NAUGHTY CHILDREN in MCT's Young Playwrights Festival 2007 and BARNEY AND BEE with Renaissance Theatreworks. Past MCT stage appearances include Nettie in THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES, Rosemary Sydney in PICNIC, Joyce in THE SUM OF US, Joy/Dottie/Ensemble in WELL, Blanche in BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS and Patsy in KIMBERLY AKIMBO. Locally she has appeared with Renaissance Theaterworks, Milwaukee Shakespeare, First Stage Children's Theater, Milwaukee Repertory Theater and Next Act Theatre. Regional work includes the Goodman Theatre, Court Theatre, Organic Theatre, Bailiwick Repertory Theatre, Orlando Shakespeare Festival, Fort Worth Shakespeare in the Park and Taproot Theatre.

MILWAUKEE CHAMBER THEATRE
Founded in 1975, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (MCT) produces intimate, high-quality, professional theatrical works of literary merit that engage and challenge the audience, while employing and nurturing principally local theatre artists. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director C. Michael Wright and Managing Director Kirsten Mulvey, MCT performs at the Broadway Theatre Center in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward.

To post a comment, you must register and login.