“Breaking Up Is Hard To Do”

Last Friday my best friend and I went to see opening night of Wisconsin Theatreworks’ newest musical, “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.” I can sum up the performance in one word: PHENOMENAL. It’s safe to say that as someone who loves theater, I’ve never seen a play or musical I didn’t like, but this one is definitely at the top of my list.

Here’s the synopsis I found on the theater’s Web site:

Set at a Catskills resort in 1960, this is the sweetly comic story of Lois and Marge, two friends from Brooklyn in search of good times and romance over one wild Labor Day weekend. Marge’s fiancé has called off their wedding. Her best friend, Lois, is determined to cheer her up and get her dating again, so they head for the Catskills and Esther’s Paradise Resort. In the course of their wild weekend get-away, the girls meet some very colorful characters at the resort. Journey back to a more innocent time and relive summers gone by with all the trials, tribulations and emotional upheavals of teenage life and love. Baby Boomers will rejoice with this musical journey down memory lane. The score showcases 18 Neil Sedaka classics, including “Where the Boys Are,” “Sweet Sixteen,” “Calendar Girl,” “Laughter in the Rain” and, of course, the chart-topping title song.

For me, it’s hard not to love a musical full of Neil Sedaka songs. One man in the elevator after the show joked that I don’t remember those songs. I don’t, obviously, but I’ve always loved the music of Neil Sedaka. The musical in itself is great, but what really made the show was an amazing group of actors and the musical ensemble. Director Jim Tropp did an excellent job of choosing a top-notch cast and ensemble. Each and every person on that stage was incredibly talented and so much fun to watch. The voices were beautiful and really brought the songs to life.

We are incredibly lucky to have this type of entertainment right here in Beloit. This is the second Wisconsin Theatreworks performance I have attended, and I can guarantee you it won’t be my last. All of the shows are put on in the American Industrial Art Gallery at the Beloit Ironworks facility. It’s amazing to see what they’ve done with the space. The intimate performance space really does make you feel like you’re watching the show in your own living room. It’s a really cool experience.

I highly recommend you go see “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do”, which runs through May 17. For more information or to purchase tickets, log on to www.wisconsintheatreworks.com.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 at 8:14 am and is filed under My Kind of Town. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.