"Frankly, it takes guts for two actors to bare themselves with so little to hide behind, and Milisch and Randolph are both solid, likable singers and actors... Music Theatre of Madison makes the experience a worthwhile one, conjuring moments that are truly funny and truly sad."
-Jennifer A. Smith, The Isthmus
"Milisch and Randolph are, by any standard, exceptional performers."
-Lindsay Christians, The Capital Times
TO HEAR A SAMPLE OF THE MUSIC, CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINK. WHEN YOU ARRIVE A THE WEBPAGE, SCROLL DOWN TO "BETTER LIVING THROUGH SHOWTUNES" FOR JULY 6th AND FAST FORWARD 28 MINUTES INTO THE PROGRAM. THE SHOW FEATURES TWO SONGS FROM THE CAST ALBUM AS WELL AS MTM'S CAST MEMBERS PERFORMING "THINK BIG".
Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Lyrics by Tom Greenwald
Book by Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald
JULY 10, 13, 17, and 20, 2008
JULY 10 and 17 at 7:00pm (Food service begins at 6pm)
JULY 13 and 20 at 1:30pm (Food service begins at 11am)
THE WEST SIDE CLUB, 437 CTY HWY M, MADISON
CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS
Sponsored by:
Door Creek Orchard 
TICKETS: Click here for ticket ordering specifics.Your tickets include hors d'ouerves (evneing performances) or brunch (matinee performances)
This truly unique musical tells the story of a woman named Jen and the two Johns of her life...her younger brother, and her son (both played by the same actor). As they grow up in an abusive household, Jen protects her younger brother from the world, but leaves him behind when she heads to college and discovers the hippie movement. When she announces to her brother that she is moving to Canada with her boyfriend, John disowns her in a terrible confrontation. He then leaves for Vietnam, where he is killed in action.
Distraught over the loss of her brother, Jen staggers blindly on, and four years later gives birth to a son, whom she names after her brother. At his birth, Jen vows to make amends, and to start over with no mistakes, as if to make up for the bad ending she had with her brother. But this is not as easy as she thinks...
This delightful show can truly touch audiences of all ages. Spanning from 1952-1992, the audience gets the unique opportunity to see the characters grow from small children into adults. It is infused with familiar family struggles, fun historical references, emotional music and great humor. Performed by only two actors and a deliberately simplistic set, this show is one of a kind, and not to be missed, as MTM presents it in a cabaret atmosphere!
JOHN AND JEN evolved from some free time composer Andrew Lippa had one summer while working at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut. The show was presented in workshop form there, with Lippa himself as John. The favorable response from the audience there encouraged Lippa and his co writer Tom Greenwald to develop the show, and it was eventually produced off-Broadway starring Carolee Carmello (Mamma Mia!, Parade) as Jen and James Ludwig (Spamalot, Little Shop of Horrors) as John. The show ran for four months, and has since had several regional revivals.
Andrew Lippa graduated from the University of Michigan in 1985 (The same school and program as MTM artistic director Meghan Randolph!) with a BFA in Musical Theatre. His works include his very popular version of The Wild Party, additional songs for the Broadway revival of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (including Kristen Chenoweth's breakout song "My New Philosophy") and A Little Princess. His website is www.andrewlippa.com
CAST
John Paul Milisch
Jen Meghan Randolph
Meghan Randolph Paul Milisch