Timber Lake Playhouse’s 53rd Season Begins

Timber Lake Playhouse, the professional summer theatre in Mount Carroll, opened its box office for ticket sales on Monday, May 19. The playhouse entertains over 20,000 ticket buyers each year with a full line-up of shows and events through August. The 53rd Resident Company includes performers and designers from around the country, chosen from auditions in six cities.

TLP’s 53rd Season opens with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (June 5-15). Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical for the whole family has become a massive international hit everywhere it plays. Executive Director James Beaudry put his personal choreographic stamp on this new production, featuring Melissa Weyn as The Narrator and Gabe Brown as Joseph, chosen from over 1000 hopefuls around the country.

TLP Hall of Fame Director Chuck Smith returns for a record 13th consecutive year as a guest director for J. B. Priestley’s An Inspector Calls, June 19-28. In 1912 England, an Inspector interrupts an engagement party, implicating each person in the apparent suicide of a young woman. But is this inspector really who he claims to be? And is this a whodunnit? or a who didn’t do it? John Chase of Mount Morris returns to TLP as the patriarch, Arthur Birling, and three time Jeff Award winning Chicago actress Danielle Brothers comes to TLP for the first time in the role of Sybil Birling.

Brad Lyons, longtime TLP Artistic Director and revered master of the ridiculous, returns to direct at TLP for the first time since 2009’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Lyons will translate Mel Brooks film masterpiece Young Frankenstein(July 3-13) to the stage in this musical adaptation starring some of TLP’s best-loved comedians. Cody Jolly and Matt Webb, who were adored as they faced off in The Music Man, Unnecessary Farce and Spamalot last year, team up as Dr. “Frokensteen” and “I-gor.” Analisha Santini, who stole the show in Boeing Boeing, returns as Frau Blucher.

American comedy writer Neil Simon takes on the New York society types of the late 1980s in Rumors (July 17-26). Derek Bertelsen returns to direct the comedic mayhem, featuring a slew of our favorites as well as brilliant newcomers Grant Brown and Allison Hunt. Part farce and part side-splitting sitcom, Rumors remains one Simon’s funniest scripts.

Les Miserables, the most popular musical of all time comes to TLP for the first time July 31-August 10, and it’s packed with guest stars. Matthew Teague Miller (The Spitfire Grill at TLP) spent several years as a performer in the first National Tour of Les Miserables. He returns to TLP to direct the show for our audiences. Special guest star Jason Kraack plays the role of Jean Valjean, one of the most challenging in musical theatre. He has done the role on the first National Tour, and was chosen after an extensive national search.  Jeff Award winning Chicago actor John Leen makes his TLP debut as Inspector Javert. Lexie Plath and Erica Stephan return to TLP as Fantine and Eponine, respectively. Newcomers Caroline Murrah and Nathan Goodrich play the young lovers, Cosette and Marius.

Associate Artistic Director Courtney Crouse directs SHOUT! The Mod Musical (August 14-24) with choreography by James Beaudry. This musical review features of the best songs of the 1960s, including the title song, as well as: Downtown Those Were the Days, These Boots Are Made For Walkin’,  To Sir With Love, Wishin’ & Hopin’, I Only Want To Be With You, and even Goldfinger! Five woman sing out the stories of the 60s to the soundtrack of a generation. Daryn Harrell (Children of Eden, Sweet Charity) returns to TLP as a guest star.

Tickets to TLP’s mainstage shows are $23 (Seniors $21 and Students $17). To see each show for only $18.33, you may still because a season subscriber until June 15. Subscriptions are $110.  Beaudry said of the ticket prices, “The generosity of individual donors, corporate sponsors, private foundations, the Illinois Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, keep Timber Lake Playhouse an essential cultural and economic driver for the Northwest Illinois region. Without their support, every ticket to TLP would cost $35. We thank them for their continued belief in our work.”

To purchase tickets, call the box office at 815-244-2035 or visit them at 8215 Black Oak Rd. in Mount Carroll. Tickets may also be purchased online at 815-244-2035

2014 Subscriptions on sale NOW!

Season Subscriptions for the 2014 season are now on sale.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page for more information!

JOSEPH and the AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT June 5-15 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to vibrant life in this delightful musical parable in a new production directed and choreographed by Executive Director James Beaudry. Joseph, his father’s favorite son, is a boy blessed with prophetic dreams. When he is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, Joseph endures a series of adventures in which his spirit and humanity are continually challenged. Set to an engaging cornucopia of musical styles, from country-western and calypso to 60s  pop and rock ‘n’ roll, this Old Testament tale emerges both timely and timeless.

AN INSPECTOR CALLS   June 19-28 “That was the police. A girl has just died–on her way to the infirmary.”  J. B. Priestley’s legendary ghost story occurs in an English industrial city, where a respectable British family is subject to a routine inquiry in connection with a young girl’s death. Interrupting a party in 1912, when everyone still believed the Titanic was unsinkable, an inspector calls to interrogate the family. During the course of his questioning, all members of the group are implicated lightly or deeply in the girl’s undoing. The inspector’s startling revelations turn the play from a “who done it” into a “who did what?” and a “who didn’t stop it?” “Spectacular, dazzling and clever–a potent play for today,” AN INSPECTOR CALLS had been described as,  “compulsory for anybody who loves the theatre… It should also be high on the list for those who visit theatres occasionally and want to be sure of a safe, enjoyable night out with some real surprises.”

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN The New Mel Brooks Musical July 3-13 IT’S ALIVE! Based on Mel Brooks’ classic comedy masterpiece, the story follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein (that’s Fronkensteen) as he attempts to complete his grandfather’s masterwork and bring a corpse to life. Together with his oddly shaped and endearing helper Igor (that’s Eye-gor), his curvaceous lab assistant Inga, and in spite of his incredibly self-involved madcap fiancé Elizabeth, Frankenstein succeeds in creating a monster — but not without scary and quite often hilarious complications. With memorable tunes as “The Transylvania Mania,” “He Vas My Boyfriend” and Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ On The Ritz,”  The New MEL BROOKS Musical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is scientifically-proven, monstrously good entertainment…and the only place you’ll witness a singing and dancing laboratory experiment in the largest tuxedo ever made.

Neil Simon’s RUMORS   July 17-26 From the writer of The Odd Couple, Barefoot in the Park and the Pulitzer Prize winning Lost In Yonkers comes this Tony Winning comedy set firmly in the late 1980s. At a large, tastefully appointed Sneden’s Landing townhouse, the Deputy Mayor of New York has just shot himself. Though only a flesh wound, four couples are about to experience a severe attack of Farce. Gathering for their tenth wedding anniversary, the host lies bleeding in the other room and his wife is nowhere in sight. His lawyer, Ken and wife Chris must get “the story” straight before the other guests arrive. As the confusions and mis-communications mount, the evening spins off into classic farcical hilarity.

LES MISÉRABLES   July 31-August 10 This international smash-hit may be the most popular musical in the world. In 19th century France, Jean Valjean is released from 19 years of unjust imprisonment, but finds nothing in store for him but mistrust and mistreatment. He breaks his parole in hopes of starting a new life, initiating a life-long struggle for redemption. Epic, grand and uplifting,  LES MISÉRABLES packs an emotional wallop that has thrilled audiences all over the world. The show overflows with melodies that are already standards, but, it is its powerful affirmation of the human spirit that has made LES MISÉRABLES a popular masterpiece.

SHOUT! The Mod Musical  August 14-24 SHOUT! features terrific new arrangements of such classic tunes as “Those Were The Days,” “Wishin’ & Hopin’,” “To Sir With Love,” “Downtown,” “Son of a Preacher Man,” “Goldfinger” and the title song. SHOUT! travels in time from 1960 to 1970 chronicling five women. Just as Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark, and Cilla Black, were independent women with major careers, English and American women were redefining themselves in the face of changing times.  SHOUT! reflects that through the unforgettable music of the time. With a shimmy and shake, the songs in this delightful musical resonate with a timeless quality that appeals to every generation.

Get one ticket to each mainstage show for only $110! Save money and get the best seats NOW! You will receive an email confirmation that provides you with a link to make your reservations. Tickets are available only for subscribers.  Buy one for you or give the gift of a subscription with a gift certificate by clicking HERE. Enjoy the show!

Monty Python’s SPAMALOT to Premiere at TLP

Executive Director James Beaudry and Timber Lake Playhouse, will present the first regional production of Monty Python’s SPAMALOT as part of TLP’s upcoming summer season. Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, SPAMALOT retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, their quest for the Holy Grail and features a bevy of beautiful show girls, not to mention cows, killer rabbits, and French people. Did we mention the bevy of beautiful show girls? The show that “raises silliness to an art form” (The Sunday Times), will open August 1, 2013 and run throu

The show has been a huge hit in a long run on Broadway and on three national tours, but it had it’s pre-Broadway premiere in Chicago, where its entire run was sold out before it began in late 2004. Beaudry confirmed that TLP was offered the rights to produce the show a full year ago, but had to keep mum about it until now. “Sean Cercone, director of professional licensing for Theatrical Rights Worldwide, contacted us and several other theatre companies in April 2012. We had a four-day window to make a decision and secure the rights, or the show would be unavailable because another national tour was going back out,” Beaudry said.

“So we made it happen. But the only catch was that we couldn’t advertise the show until March 2013. When we announced the rest of season last July, we were as creative as possible about selling the show without saying anything specific about it.” According to Beaudry, “It was quickly brought to our attention by some eager, Google-savvy subscribers, however, that the licensing company had our production listed on their website. We weren’t allowed to advertise, but we were allowed to encourage people to go on their own quest to find the information we weren’t allowed to tell. It quickly became the worst kept secret in the history of our company!”

CABARET

Life is a ‘CABARET’ at TLP

Timber Lake Playhouse, Illinois’ longest running professional summer theatre, presents a new staging of the legendary musical Cabaret August 2-12.

Guest Artist Lili-Anne Brown, the director behind Sweet Charity, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at TLP returns to stage this Tony and Academy Award winning song and dance show featuring a score full of standards that include “Cabaret,” “Maybe This Time,” “Don’t Tell Mama” and more. TLP favorite Alexandra E. Palkovic returns to star as Sally Bowles, the character that made Liza Minnelli a star in Bob Fosse’s film adaptation.

Alexandra E. Palkovic

Both Brown and Palkovic are rising stars in the Chicago theatre world. Brown, a Chicago native, was recently named Artistic Director of Bailiwick Chicago, the company where her award-winning production of Passing Strange was produced. Additionally, she will make her Off-Broadway debut this fall, reprising her acclaimed performance in a new play called A Twist of Water, which transfers from Chicago to New York City in November.

Palkovic, who hails from Peoria and starred in Sweet Charity last summer at TLP, was recently seen in Legally Blonde and Pirates of Penzance at Marriott Lincolnshire Theatre. She will co-star with another TLP alum, Jenny Guse, in Singin’ In The Rain this fall at the Drury Lane Theatre at Oakbrook.

Alexandra E. Palkovic in Sweet Charity, 2011

Set in pre-war Weimer Berlin, Cabaret follows the fortunes of Londoner Sally Bowles who performs at the infamously decadent Kit Kat Klub. The musical, the second collaboration between John Kander (music) and Fred Ebb (lyrics), whose other work includes Chicago; Curtains; The Scottsboro Boys; Steel Pier; and Kiss of the Spider Woman, premiered on Broadway 1966. Joe Masteroff’s book for Cabaret has been revised over the course of several Broadway revivals, and was based on John van Druten’s play I Am a Camera, itself inspired by Christopher Isherwood’s collected “Berlin Stories.”

Isherwood inspired the character Clifford Bradshaw in the musical, played by Dryden Meints at TLP. The role of the Master of Ceremonies, for which Joel Grey won a Tony and an Oscar, is reinterpreted by Joe Capstick. Guest Artist Judy Knudtson (Working, Steel Magnolias) returns to play Fraulein Schneider and Chicago actor Rus Rainear makes his TLP debut as Herr Schultz, a role which he previously performed at The Ubique Cabaret Theatre, garnering a Jeff Award nomination for best supporting actor. New York based choreographer and TLP veteran, Andrew Parker Greenwood (Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, The Full Monty, Ragtime) returns to choreograph.

Cabaret performs August 2-12. Performances are at 7:30pm, Tuesday through Saturdays and there are 2pm matinees on Sunday and Wednesday. There is also a Saturday matinee performance on opening weekends at 2pm. Tickets are available through the box office during regular business hours, 11am – 6pm daily 815-244-2035 or

Boeing Boeing

OPENING THIS WEEK! ONE OF THE FUNNIEST SHOWS OF ALL TIME!

JULY 19-28. By Marc Camoletti, Adapted by Beverley Cross. The Guinness World Record holder for most-performed French farce, in an a new adaptation that won the Tony Award for Best Revival of A Play in 2008, Boeing Boeing is delicious and delirious fun. Bernard, a successful architect, juggles three flight attendant fiancées. He tracks their airlines’ timetables, and his long-suffering housekeeper, Bertha, reluctantly resets the menus and bedroom decor depending on the arrivals and departures. Unfortunately for Bernard, a new, faster Boeing jet has been introduced, changing the timetable. When weather delays occur, it becomes more and more difficult for Bernard to keep the women separate, and the show soars into the stratosphere of classic physical comedy. RATED PG13.

Guest Director who brought you Love, Sex and the IRS and Red Herring

Derek Bertleson

And featuring TLP Alum

Brandon Jess Ford

Performances are at 7:30pm, Tuesday through Saturdays and there are 2pm matinees on Sunday and Wednesday. New this season, there is also a Saturday matinee performance on opening weekends at 2pm.

or call 815-244-2035 from 11am-6pm daily.

Upcoming July Events

Timber Lake Playhouse (TLP), northwestern Illinois’ non-profit professional summer theatre, is pleased to announce some exciting events that are coming up in July.

One of the most explosive movie musicals in recent memory bursts onto the stage with exhilarating results. When Ren (played by Henry McGinniss) and his mother (Mount Carroll’s Susie Rogers) move from Chicago to a small farming town, Ren is prepared for the inevitable adjustment period at his new high school. What he isn’t prepared for are the rigorous local edicts, including a ban on dancing instituted by the local preacher (played by TLP alumni Karl Hamilton), determined to exercise the control over the town’s youth that he cannot command in his own home. To the rockin’ rhythm of its Oscar and Tony-nominated top 40 score and several new songs written for the stage version, Footloose celebrates the wisdom of listening to young people, guiding them with a warm heart and an open mind. Footloose runs July 5^th through 15^th. Performances are at 7:30pm, Tuesday through Saturdays and there are 2pm matinees on Sundays and Wednesdays. New this season, there is also a Saturday matinee performance on opening weekends at 2pm. Tickets are selling fast and available through the box office during regular business hours, 11am – 6pm daily at  815-244-2035 or online by CLICKING HERE. Timber Lake Playhouse is located at 8215 Black Oak Road, Mount Carroll.

You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown

“An average day in the life of Charlie Brown.” It really is just that, a day made up of little moments picked from all the memorable stories of Charlie Brown, from Valentine’s Day to the baseball season, from his wild optimism to utter despair, all mixed in with the lives of his friends including Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Sally and, of course, Snoopy. This beloved musical has been bringing the joyful spirit Charles Schultz’s Peanuts comic strip to families for over 40 years. Performances are approximately one hour long and are on July 10, 12, 13 & 14 at 2 pm and August 7, 9, 10 & 11 at 11 am. Tickets are $6 per person and available through the box office or online by CLICKING HERE.

Children and Teen Workshops

Saturday, July 14 from 10am-2pm TLP will hold the Children Day Camp. Child must have completed first grade and limit is age 12. Camp includes ticket to You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Cost is $25 per student.

Children will take classes from theatre professionals that include Acting, Props, Costumes and Scenic Design. They will be able to see the backstage process of a production, then watch a performance of the show they learned about throughout the day.

TLP will be holding its annual weeklong teen workshop July 16-20 for teens Ages 13-18. Classes include acting, dance, voice, writing and improvisation taught TLP Resident Actors. Classes will be held 10 am to 4pm daily. Lunches are provided. Cost is $125 per teen.

To register for a workshop or for more information, contact the box office at  815-244-2035 or visit timberlakeplayhouse.org to download registration forms.

5^th Annual Gala Event

Saturday, July 21st, First State Bank of Shannon-Polo-Lake Carroll will be sponsoring TLP’s Annual Gala Fundraiser, Some Enchanted Evening, at the Lake Carroll Clubhouse. There will be a silent and live auction, an array of elegant hors d’oeuvres, special performances by company members and the announcement of the exciting 2013 season. Tickets are $50 each for regular tickets or $100 for a Special Starlight Table ticket that includes table seating beside a TLP actor. Tickets must be purchased by July 9 and are available at the Timber Lake Playhouse box office, at any First State Bank locations or online by CLICKING HERE, where you can also view the list of live auction items.

This program is partially supported by a grant for the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.

Production Sponsors are Kunes Country Auto Group and Compliance Signs.

!!ROAD CLOSURE!!

Timberlake Road is now open!