See the story of love, survival and sex workers in this adult musical coming to Wichita

If you haven’t heard of the musical “Café Puttanesca,” opening next week at Roxy’s Downtown, you’re not alone.

“We’re only the fourth company he has allowed to do his show,” artistic director Rick Bumgardner said of Michael Ogborn, a Stephen Sondheim protégé who wrote the music and lyrics and co-wrote the book.

Bumgardner said the musical appeared on his radar thanks to the partner of Thomas Wesley Douglas, music director for Music Theatre Wichita.

“We had a phone conversation and he said it sounded like we knew what we were doing,” Bumgardner said of Ogborn, who may try to attend during the second or third week of the run, although the composer has a new musical headed for Broadway.

‘It’s a story about love and survival’

Set in 1949 Amsterdam, “Café Puttanesca” is the story of three prostitutes (played by Briley Meek, Julia Faust and Sabrina Hamble), the café owner (Andrew Walker) and the piano player (music director Ben Balleau), as well as the owner’s wife (Georgeanne Yehling), who appears for one song.

“It’s a story about love and survival,” Bumgardner said. “That’s kind of amazing he used that mechanism to tell this story.”

Recommended for adults, “Café Puttanesca” includes some graphic language and even dirty limericks.

“It’s bawdy,” Bumgardner said. “It’s not raunchy on any level, but it’s good, really R-rated humor. It’s going to be good for our audiences to see something like it.”

The cast members are excited about telling the story – especially one that hasn’t often been seen.

“It gives us a lot of opportunity to create the characters and the backstories behind them,” Meek said. “Being able to find something fresh like this is unique.”

Hearing the music before reading the script

Faust heard the music before she read the script.

“I love that it’s got a saloon-y feel at first, and that all of the songs are different from each other, and everybody gets to tell their stories in different ways,” she said. “Everyone has kind of a soft moment, which is sweet and unique. Not everybody gets that opportunity.”

Faust said she fell equally in love with the script.

“I don’t think Roxy’s has seen something like this, where it’s kind of uncensored and very raw,” she said. “It’s very real but it’s very joyful. It’s not just sexuality and sensuality; it’s finding humor in that and poking fun at one another for getting themselves in those positions. But it’s very light, it’s not heavy. When there are heavier moments, it’s very earned.”

Balleau said he appreciated that the lyrics told stories that often haven’t been heard.

“The music is really great at not only telling these characters’ individual stories, but they do a really good job of humanizing the people in these careers that people really look past when it comes to sex workers,” he said. “You see they have real lives, they have real experiences – stuff that could be relatable for a lot of people as far as the ups and downs of their lives, as well as the sentiment of being able to find your people and have your community.”

‘Café Puttanesca’

When: May 1-17; performances at 7 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, and 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturdays

Where: Roxy’s Downtown, 412 ½ E. Douglas

Tickets: $42, from roxysdowntown.com or 316-265-4400