Music Theatre Wichita moving forward with 2021 season, but it will look much different
Music Theatre Wichita was dark in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But now, said producing director Wayne Bryan, the group is planning to go forward with its 50th anniversary season — though it will be unlike anything it’s done before.
The season will offer a series of seven productions rather than the usual five, and they’ll be stretched out from April to November rather than packed in from June to August.
The shows won’t be traditional, though, and they won’t be performed in their traditional spot. Instead, they’ll be a mixture of concert-style shows, revues and more traditional fare that will be offered either outdoors at Andover’s Capitol Federal Amphitheater or inside Century II in the Convention Hall, where audience members can spread out, rather than in the tighter quarters of the Concert Hall.
Bryan said he became aware of the amphitheater, which features a large grassy area for spectators, while investigating options for the season and liked it, especially because gathering people outdoors is considered safer than gathering them indoors. The $1.6 million theater was completed in 2018 in Andover Central Park.
There will be six performances each of most of the shows on the schedule.
“This year, we’re very optimistic that with good planning and flexibility, we can present a pretty unique 50th anniversary season,” Bryan said.
Here a list of the shows MTW has planned:
“Smokey Joe’s Cafe,” April 28-May 2, Capitol Federal Amphitheater in Andover: The season will start with a concert-style presentation of this musical, which will feature songs written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller like “Love Potion #9” and “On Broadway,” and performed in a way that allows singers to remain socially distant. Among the cast will be Julius Thomas III and Erin Clemons, two MTW alumni who have both appeared in “Hamilton.” “People will be able to enjoy the outdoors and get up and dance,” Bryan said.
“No More Talk of Darkness,” May 13-18, Capitol Federal Amphitheater in Andover: This concert will star Jeremy Stolle, who has appeared as an alternate for as the “Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway for the last decade and is a veteran of MTW shows like “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” He’s created this cabaret act, which is highly acclaimed, Bryan says, and which features him performing with other singers a list of standards and original songs.
TBD Pre-Broadway Musical, June 16-20, Century II Convention Hall: Though Bryan doesn’t know the title yet, in June, audiences will be treated to an all new musical chosen from The National Alliance for Musical Theatre’s New Works Festival. Previous shows that have been discovered there include “Honk,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and “The Drowsy Chaperone.” The performance will have more of a “radio play” presentation to keep actors safe, Bryan said.
“Red White and Broadway,” July 2-3, Capitol Federal Amphitheater in Andover: This outdoor Independence Day-themed event will feature local performers with Broadway credits singing patriotic songs, Bryan said. It’ll be just a two-night performance, but there will be fireworks on the second night.
“Golden MTWichita at 50,” Aug. 25-29, Century II Convention Hall: This concert, which will mark the company’s big anniversary, will take a musical look back at MTW over the years and will bring back former troupe members who have gone on to establish prestigious careers, including Matt Bogart, who’s appeared in “Jersey Boys” and “Miss Saigon” on Broadway, and Desi Oakley, who has appeared on Broadway in “Wicked” and starred in the national tour of “Waitress.”
“Grease,” Sept. 15-19, Capital Federal Amphitheater in Andover: This was supposed to be MTW’s kickoff show for its 2020 season, which was scrapped because of COVID-19. Bryan liked it for September because of the story line’s back-to-school theme. Depending on what the pandemic looks like by then, Bryan said, MTW may be able to put on a somewhat normal production of the show with partner dancing, even if the actors are wearing masks.
“Twelfth Night,” November, dates and venue to be determined: This new musical was also set to be part of the 2020 season, but Bryan said he’ll offer it as a finale to the 2021 season. The show is a musical retelling of Shakespeare’s famous gender-bending comedy of mistaken identity.
The capacity for each show will be 2,000, just like it would have been in the Concert Hall, Bryan said. Season ticket holders will be offered an “all access pass” that will be good for the whole lineup. Single tickets will be offered based on what space remains once season ticket holders have been accommodated.
Bryan said he’ll be polling season ticket members about which performances they plan to attend and is prepared to add or subtract shows depending on the response.
People will be socially distanced in “pods” for both the indoor and outdoor shows, and MTW will be following a myriad safety precautions.
Bryan said he’s also trying to be careful for the sake of cast members, who will be sequestering together in hotels and frequently tested for COVID-19. The shows for the 2021 season will include fewer large ensemble dance numbers, and performers will sing with their own individual microphones.
Bryan said he intentionally chose shows that don’t require big crews building scenery and that called for less extensive costume and hair work.
At the start of the pandemic last year, Bryan was hopeful that he’d be able to present his 2020 season but start it a little late. As the weeks progressed, though, it became clear that wouldn’t happen.
In late May, he announced that the season was canceled and asked patrons to consider holding on to their tickets and using them for the 2021 season. Most did, he said, and many even used last season’s tickets to attend the various virtual performances MTW has offered over the past several months, vowing to buy a new set of tickets for 2021.
Bryan said he’s looking at the coming season as a “bridge” from what MTW’s seasons have looked like for the past several decades to what they will need to look like now and into the future.
“It’s on the way to whatever our ‘other’ becomes,” he said. “...We feel this is a realistic way to plan a season that can be entertaining but also fall within guidelines.”
This story was originally published January 15, 2021 at 2:00 PM.
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