‘Romeo’ and company returns to Green Bay; tickets now on sale
Green Bay, Wis. — University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Prof. Brian Sutton’s Searching for Romeo, winner of the 2014 Stage Rights/New York Musical Theatre Festival Publishing Award, will be a featured musical performance at UW‑Green Bay this year. Performances are Thursday through Saturday, November 17-19. All shows will play at the University Theatre, UW‑Green Bay.
The romantic comedy features Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but with plenty of humor and a pop music score. Sutton says his comedy re-imagines the story of Romeo and Juliet from the perspective of the “losers,” Paris and Rosaline, who achieve what eternally eludes the more famous couple: a happy ending. Colleagues and critics praised his early drafts of both script and music, and encouraged him to produce the show. Before heading to New York for the Festival, the musical (since altered and improved) had an enthusiastic response during its world-premiere at the intimate Jean Weidner Theatre of UW‑Green Bay’s Weidner Center for the Performing Arts in July of 2012.
Ticket prices are $27 for adults in advance, $30 at the door; $20 for senior citizens and students (with an ID); $15 for UWGB students. Group pricing (10 or more) is $15 per ticket. All proceeds go to UW‑Green Bay Theatre and Music programs. Tickets for Searching for Romeo are on sale now at UWGB’s University Union Ticketing, at any Ticketstar location, or by calling 920-465-2400. For additional information about all the UW‑Green Bay Theatre and Dance events, go to http://www.uwgb.edu/theatre/season/calendar.asp.
More on Sutton
Brian Sutton is an associate professor at UWGB who teaches English composition and directs the University’s Writing Center. He is the author of the dialogue, music and lyrics of Searching for Romeo. His New York production was the winner of the 2014 Stage Rights/NYMF Publishing Award, a program of The New York Musical Theatre Festival. The New York Musical Theatre Festival works to discover and promote new musical theater artists, producers and projects. Clips from seven songs recorded by the 2014 New York cast, photos and reviews can be found at www.stagerights.com/allshows/searchingromeo.
Reviews
“With music, lyrics and dialogue-heavy book by Brian Sutton, Searching for Romeo is full of in-jokes, and there’s a mid-20th-century texture to its harmonies.”
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/11/new-york-musical-theater-festival-report-searching-for-romeo/?_r=0
“The show was funny, relevant, and I fell in love with the idea… It was really an upbeat show. I really want to see it again. And again. AND AGAIN.”
http://pxp.tdf.org/blog/index.php/2014/07/31/nymf-searching-romeo
“This charming show is by Brian Sutton, and it’s one of the most promising shows I’ve seen at NYMF this year… Sutton’s music is extremely pleasant, retro pop, tuneful and infectious. Sutton seems to have strong instincts about which moments to musicalize, and is especially adept at creating opportunities for multiple characters to sing about the same subject, thus creating engaging duets, trios, even sextets.”
http://www.chriscaggiano.com/2014/07/reviews-2014-new-york-musical-theater-festival-nymf-part-one-.html
“Searching For Romeo is a comedic backstory musical for the Bard’s Romeo and Juliet…think of what Gregory Maguire/Stephen Schwartz’s Wicked does for L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. It’s kind of like that… The music was retro-poppy, toe-tapping, and delightful. I found myself humming a good number of the tunes as I walked out the door…”
http://showshowdown.blogspot.com/2014/07/nymf-searching-for-romeo.html
Wall St. Journal feature
http://www.wsj.com/articles/shakespeare-spinoff-searching-for-romeo-focuses-on-jilted-rosaline-1404781107
UW‑Green Bay and Brian Sutton are happy to entertain media opportunities in advance of this production. Members of the media can contact Sue Bodilly, bodillys@uwgb.edu or 920-465-5502 or Brian Sutton directly, suttonb@uwgb.edu, to arrange interviews with Sutton, cast and crew.
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