$5-$15 buys a necessary propor costume accessory.

$15-$30 brings the characters to life with a costume piece or rents one of the scripts.

$30-$45 prints about 50 posters or flyers to help us spread the word about our work.

Every one of these items is important to our success, and you can help us obtain them. Your support and contributions are highly valued, and we hope you'll help us and other arts organizations stay alive during this difficult (and hopefully temporary!) time. FOR WAYS TO DONATE, VISIT OUR DONATE PAGE HERE.

In order to help you enjoy the arts during this tough time, keep an eye out for special offers on our productions on this website...ordering tickets in advance will save you money!  This year, Music Theatre Idol will be a FREE event, so make sure you come out to hear Madison's best and brightest compete for the title!

Stay tuned for finalized dates and locations for our wonderful season! We are incredibly excited to be back for a fourth summer! May the new year bring you happiness and plenty of theatre!

-Meghan Randolph

September 12, 2008

Hard to believe we are about to complete our third summer. MTM has grown and changed for the better thanks to the help and faith of some wonderful people, and of course from the support of our audiences. We thank you for daring to explore something new!

Next summer is going to be our most exciting yet. MTM will host the Wisconsin premiere of Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story. In the tradition of john & jen we will have only two actors and a piano...storytelling at its most challenging and exciting! You can read all about Leopold and Loeb on our Thrill Me page. Much like Assassins, this show dares to explore the people behind the monstrous acts. And there are some surprises in store as well!

We are also finally going to bring Floyd Collins to our stage, and we could not be more excited. Timing got the best of us last fall, but this time we are determined to make it happen...this is a show that needs to come to this area! The Floyd page will be filled with info on this tragedy very soon. In the meantime, check out the CD wherever you can find it. The score is by Adam Guettel, grandson of the infamous Richard Rodgers and Tony Award winner for the beautiful The Light in the Piazza. It is one of the most unique musical scores written in the last couple of decades.

Dates and venues are being determined and will be up shortly. And of course we will be back with Music Theatre Idol!

It will be here before we know it. Have a wonderful fall, catch tick...Tick...BOOM! if you can, and continue to explore all the wonderful theatrical opportunities provided by MTM and all the theatres in Madison.

-Meghan Randolph

August 4, 2008

We had a wonderful run of john & jen and received very positive feedback. This little show really seemed to touch people, and we hope to perhaps revive it in the future to give more people a chance to see it.

Now it's on to tick...Tick...BOOM!, the story of RENT composer Jonathan Larson. Please note: If you're a student, you want to get your tickets by September 1st, because until then they are only $10! They will go up to $12 as of the 1st. If you are a Madison resident and worried about the drive, get a group together, carpool, and then call 237-2524 for your group discount. We will have several more exciting promotional opportunities for this show-this is not one to miss. If you like RENT you will simply love tick...Tick...BOOM! In fact I have had several people tell me they like the music better than RENT. It's more eclectic-mostly rock but there are a couple of songs with different styles, including a fantastic argument between Jonathan and his girlfriend with a great hoedown flair!

We have decided on our 2009 season and are getting dates and venues worked out. We hope to have them announced shortly. One is a very exciting new work, only produced a handful of times throughout the world since it opened in 2005, but nonetheless growing in popularity and receving raves everywhere it goes. This work will be making it's Wisconsin premiere on our stage. The other is a very special show that will feature an incredible cast, guest speaker, and opportunity to tug at your heartstrings.

As usual we are so grateful for community support. We are happy to accept donations of any size-your help keeps us alive! Also, if you want to see shows but are short on cash, contact us-we may have a volunteer job for you that will allow you to see the show for free! See our "Wish List" on the "Donate" page for other needs we have at this time.

So keep up with us and come to see tick...Tick...BOOM!-and thank you for helping to make 2008 a successful summer.

May 10, 2008

Yet again we have assembled actors I am in total awe of. Some familiar faces as well as some new ones will grace the stage in our upcoming shows. You can check the cast lists on the show pages. I am always thrilled at the caliber of talent we are able to find right here in town.

Exactly one month until Music Theatre Idol! Are you signed up yet? You are at least coming, right??? We had a blast at this event last year. It is so relaxed and informal and really a lot of fun. I encourage everyone to come out for a great evening of showtunes-and we encourage everyone to enter! There are no losers-everyone will walk away with something! Or if you've got stage fright show up and support your favorite. The audience gets to pick the winner. Special thanks so far to Four Star Video for being one of our sponsors for the event. We have more in the works!

Tickets to john & jen are now on sale at 237-2524. Be sure to listen to the instructions carefully, or visit the "Get Tickets" page to read them. Also check out our page with details about live preview performances by the casts at various locations around the area. It's under the "2008 Season" page.

Have a wonderful spring, and we will look forward to seeing you at Music Theatre Idol!

-Meghan Randolph

March 17, 2008

It's that time of year again, when we begin looking for wonderful actors to fill the roles in our shows. It's a limited selection of roles this year (see the "Play A Role" page) but we need our strongest people yet.

Special thanks to Door Creek Orchard and Van Wagner and Wood, our sponsors for the 2008 season.

Not much to report except that we keep growing and making changes that are going to be very beneficial to all. We need volunteers to help us make this happen-check out the "play a role" page. Happy spring.

-Meghan Randolph

March 3, 2008

We are so happy to finally announce our 2008 season. MTM has made some changes since last year, and we think we will be all the better for it.

Starting in 2008, MTM will be your source for "the classics of tomorrow"-in other words, the shows that may not be well known now but are developing a following that will make them standard musical theatre fare for future generations.

As musical theatre grows, it continues to push boundaries-nothing is off limits, and no subject is too controversial or difficult to musicalize. They are therefore ideal for our mission, to educate and challenge our audiences by producing thought provoking, educational musicals.

Our first show this year falls under the former category: It is a simple piece about a very complicated subject: Relationships between families. john & jen is guaranteed to tug at heartstrings because it is something almost everyone can relate to-nearly everyone has been a parent, child, or sibling at some point. It is also extraordinary artisitically because we watch four decades go by in a tiny non literal setting. One character ages from 6 to 46 years old. The two Johns age from newborns to young adult men. It is also quite fun to see the same actor play both of the Johns in Jen's life: her brother, whose life is cut abruptly short, and her son, through whom she tries to make amends and regain lost time. It truly has something for everyone: heart warming ballads that parents will relate to, jazzy up tempos for the kids (including one particularly humorous "talk show" segment that the MTV generation will appreciate!) and inspirational anthems to move everyone. john & jen is also being produced in a cabaret/dinner theatre style-a new path for us!

Our second show this year inspires me more and more each time I hear it. tick...Tick...BOOM! is Jonathan Larson's autobiographical piece. (For more on Jonathan, see the 2008 season pages). For those who don't know, Larson wrote Rent, which is arguably to most influential musical theatre piece of recent years. Larson's work and his goal reflected a desire to reach beyond the common "theatre geek" and draw in a different generation, living in a different world, who may not necessarily go see a musical-which is very similar to what we hope to do at MTM. Not unlike Hair in the 1960s, he brought the day's popular music and prevalent issues to the stage, and inspired a following greater than he could have imagined. But he wasn't always so successful. The road leading to his breakthrough was made up of 15 years of poverty, waiting tables in a diner, a series of hopes that ended up being unfounded, and countless rejections. Jonathan believed very firmly in himself and his talent, but when we see him in tick...Tick...BOOM! he is at a low point, wondering if this is really what he's meant to be doing. Now anyone who has worked as an artist can tell you we go through that feeling pretty darn often, but I think it reaches beyond that. How many of us have wanted to back down from something at some point because it is just too hard? Life's challenges make it impossible not to feel this way. What if Jonathan had given up showbiz? The world would never have been exposed to Rent. It is hard to imagine given the show's power now. Larson's untimely and unexpected death the night before previews for Rent began was something of a cruel twist of fate, as the recurring theme in his work was "Make the most of the time you have". I think that is what tick...Tick...BOOM! is about-when we hit that low point and just don't think we can keep going. It is so touching to see the show when you know Jonathan's story.

So...don't miss them! Tickets will be on sale for john and jen in May, and for tick...Tick...BOOM! in July. We have our venue selected for tick...Tick...BOOM! but are still finalizing the details. Keep an eye on this site for where to catch it! We are also in need of some volunteers to help with various aspects of production (See the "Play a role" page). Those individuals will receive FREE tickets-a good situation for those who are strapped for cash or simply want to lend a hand.

As always, thank you for reading. I hope you all get a chance to come see our shows and to check out the abundance of other theatrical opportunities in the area!

-Meghan Randolph

January 19, 2008

Happy new year and welcome to our new website! Just thought we needed a little updating!

I have been pondering something over the past few months-the claim made by some that there is too much theatre, too many artistic oppourtunities in Madison. This puzzles me greatly, as it seems that people who are professional artists or even those that simply love it as a passtime are constantly advocating for arts funding and artistic support. Here we have a community full of people who want to perform, who want to create theatre. Why is this a problem?

Does the abundance of theatres create competition? Absolutely. But this is not something that cannot be overcome. Has there been publicity about the financial difficulties of many theatres in Madison and the surrounding areas? Yep. It's a tough world, the arts. And unfortunately people sometimes have to stumble and fall before they figure it all out. There are some prominent organizations in this city that have had significant trouble, and while many advocate that they should have given up because there are too many theatres anyway, they believed in what they were doing. Today they still exist and we are all the better for it.

There is a lack of funding for arts education in our schools here in Madison. My personal friends and MTM employees who are teachers have struggled with low budgets and disinterested administration in the school system when it comes to the arts. It is our responsibility, those of us who support artistic development, to encourage and support the opportunities that are available for theatre enthusiasts and students outside of their regular school day. They are, in fact, the future of the arts in this town. If they have to leave Madison to find the arts, what will that leave for us? Or worse yet, what will happen if they don't know what the arts has to offer?

Whether it is MTM or any other theatre in town (hopefully many, for there are a lot of quality places to choose from) I hope that with this new year you will remember that Madison is a very special city, and that it is rich indeed in its ability to sustain so many artistic opportunities, be they theatre, visual art, music, dance, performance art, and everything in between. There is always a show going on: Visit www.madstage.com to learn what you can see and where, and www.portalwisconsin.org for information on all of the arts around the state. If your budget does not necessarily allow frequent theatregoing, many theatres look for people to serve as ushers or work the box office or concession stand in exchange for tickets to the show. Contact one of the many friendly administrative staff in the theatres around here to find out how you may be able to help them and see their shows. And keep an eye out for new groups. Give them a chance, and take in something you haven't seen before. That is what is so wonderful here in our city-so many choices! There really is something for everyone.

Wishing you a very happy new year and a continued abundance of artistic opportunities,

Meghan Randolph

November 9, 2007

      If you read the note on the home page, you now know that we have had to cancel our production of Floyd Collins. This is a sad situation for us all but we are very hopeful that in the next couple of years we will be able to bring this extraordinary show to Madison, hopefully with the same wonderful cast.

We are offering a Christmas program at Meriter the same weekend that the Floyd Collins production was to take place. Details are on the home page.

As we conclude another year, MTM is so grateful for the support of our patrons. We hope you will continue to follow our efforts and support what we have to offer.

In the next couple of months we will announce our 2008 summer season. We can't wait to see you all there!

-Meghan Randolph

September 14, 2007

We are SOOO excited to have Roger Brucker, the foremost expert on the Floyd Collins tragedy, visiting us in Madison the weekend before our show! Roger will give a lecture on Floyd at Cave of the Mounds, which will be followed by a cave tour, book signing, and show preview. Not to be missed! We highly recommend it because the Floyd situation is difficult to picture logistically, and the lecture will help answer many questions that will assist you in understanding the story.

Don't miss our fundraiser, Sept. 22! Great MTM performers, and a sneak peak at next season!

Thank you for your continued support!

-Meghan Randolph

July 8, 2007

Congrats to our first Musical Theatre Idol winner, Bobby Goderich! Stay tuned to the website for info on where you can catch a performance by Bobby...coming soon!

The Sound of Music was very successful. It was a beautiful production and had a tremendous cast. Thank you to everyone who made it to see it.

Next up is Assassins, and I am EXTREMELY excited for this one! Again we have a remarkable cast and perhaps one of the most educational and thought provoking musicals ever written. Get your tickets now! Please note...we have moved locations to the beautiful Mitby Theatre at the MATC Truax Campus, 3500 Anderson Street. Dates and times remain the same.

We still have a great summer ahead of us. Thanks for visiting!

-Meghan

May 8, 2007

Hello all! What an incredible month and a half we've had since I last updated this.

We had a tremendous turnout for auditions this year and are so thankful to everyone who showed interest. We saw a lot of talented people and casting was difficult.

We are thrilled to announce Kitt Reuter-Foss, globally (yep, GLOBALLY!) acclaimed mezzo-soprano, as our guest artist for The Sound of Music. This stage veteran and phenomenal singer has done great things for groups all around Madison, including performing with Madison Opera, Ballet, Symphony, Chamber Orchestra, and more. Her credits are too numerous to list here but her bio will be available soon on the show page. You won't want to miss this diva singing "Climb Ev'ry Mountain"!

In addition to Ms. Foss, we have assembled an exciting creative team for The Sound of Music, featuring music direction of Christopher Powers and choreography by our guest from New York City, Kierstyn Sharrow. You can read their bios on the "About Us" page. We are also delighted to have Patrick Christians, our wonderful music director from Violet, back for a second season as music director for Assassins and Floyd Collins.

We have two fantastic casts lined up and are still working on Floyd Collins. In short we are in for a wonderful summer and our audiences are in for remarkable entertainment by Madison's finest performers. Don't forget you can get a season pass for 35% off the normal ticket prices-3 shows for $35? And that's if you're an adult! It just gets cheaper from there!

Please note that if you have a group you would like to bring to see The Sound of Music, we do have substantial discounts available and encourage you to contact us at 237-2524. Retirement homes, senior centers, and other facilities that house groups are welcome to request a preview of The Sound of Music. Please contact the number above for more information.

Lastly, please note that Music Theatre Idol has been rescheduled for July 7th. Time and place are the same...just needed some more time to make it an awesome event!

Thank you as always for keeping an eye on our site. As the season draws closer we will be posting lots of updates so pleas come back often!

-Meghan

March 22, 2007

Hi everybody. Make sure you check out the exciting upcoming events sponsored by Music Theatre of Madison. The most exciting is our first annual "Music Theatre Idol" contest. Singers can enter to win prizes and be named Madison's next big Musical Theatre star! And audience members pick the winner! Just like American Idol, only way more fun and I promise no one will tell the contestants they are "absolutely dreadful!"

We're also planning some workshops and a concert featuring your favorite MTM performers...so keep an eye on the site!

We've announced the dates and location for ASSASSINS and tickets are now on sale! Get them soon...we've had lots of interest and they'll go fast!

There are still some audition slots left for April 13th and 14th for our season. Please see the "play a role" page for more information. You can schedule an audition up until April 13th.

That's all for now...Happy Spring!

-Meghan

February 9, 2007

Greetings everyone! We are excited to announce auditions for our 2007 summer season! We will be holding two unified audition days in which auditioning actors will be considered for all of the season's shows. So sign up to audition now...check out the "Play a role" page for more information.

We are currently negotiating with two wonderfully talented artists for the role of the Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music and Floyd in Floyd Collins. We are tremendously excited about the possibility of these phenomenal artists working with us!

Dates for Assassins and Floyd Collins should be determined by next week. We will have the info up on the website the minute we know!

Don't forget to buy your season passes...you can see all three of our incredible shows for 35% less than the box office price for single tickets!

Have a wonderful February, and stay warm!

-Meghan

December 7, 2006

Haven't updated this in awhile! It's hard to believe it's the end of the year and we've come so far!

      We are excited to announce our dates and location for The Sound of Music: June 22-24, 29-30 and July 1st at the beautiful Middleton PAC. We're looking for a director: Please check out the "Play a Role" page for more info.

    That's all for now...just wanted to say hi and happy holidays to all.

-Meghan

October 16, 2006

    I truly hope everyone reading this will be able to come and see Violet. I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of this production. We have been so lucky to find such a tremendously talented group of singers and actors. Violet is really a universal tale and everyone in the area who has heard the music has loved it. It has everything you could ask for...comedic moments, terrific singers, family drama, traumatic flashbacks, and a complicated love triangle. Oh...and a gospel choir! Which reminds me: Huge thanks to Scott Foss at First United Methodist Church for lending us his singers.

You may also have noticed that our 2007 summer season is up! We're excited to bring you a trio of musicals based on true stories. There is the classic family show The Sound of Music, the thrilling and chilling cult classic Assassins, and a gorgeous lesser known show about one of the most publicized events of the twentieth century, Floyd Collins. There is truly something for everyone, and three opportunities to learn about these people's lives as told through beautiful music. To read more about these shows, visit the 2007 season page. We will have updated information on dates and venues soon, and season tickets will be available.

Again, make sure to check out Violet; you'll see some of your favorite Madison actors and get to experience the talent of several artists new to the area. See you there, and thanks as always for keeping up with us!

-Meghan

SEPTEMBER 19, 2006

It's been awhile since I've updated this, and so much has happened! Violet begins rehearsals next week, which is very exciting. We have a wonderful cast...although we still need three men! Please e-mail me at MeghanRandolph@musictheatreofmadison.com if you are interested in being a part of this beautiful show. It's going to be a lot of fun and we are always looking for more people to work with us!

We are pleased to have found a wonderful new musical director in town, Patrick Christians. Patrick is immensely talented and we're happy we found him before he gets booked up! His bio will be on the Violet page soon.

If you haven't RSVP'd for our fundraiser, please do it now! It's going to a wonderful evening, and will feature myself along with our director of Violet, Dennis Yadon and Madison's very own opera diva Kitt Reuter-Foss, who has performed with the most prestigious opera companies across the country. We're going to sing songs from each decade beginning with the 1920s, and touch on some of the most important composers and musicals of the genre. There will also be a performance of a song from Madison Repertory Theatre's Muskie Love, which runs until mid-October at the Overture Center. (www.madisonrep.org) It will be an evening full of learning and entertainment, so please come on out to Nakoma Country Club on September 26th. We do require an RSVP (see the Donate page for how to do this) in order to know how much food to provide! (That's right...coffee and dessert included...if that doesn't entice you I give up!) Your support is always greatly appreciated and really keeps us going.

We are discussing a great season for next year and hope to get it announced soon. One of our goals is to bring a family musical that fits our mission to the stage. We hope you'll like what we choose!

The company is growing and we are very excited. Thank you for keeping an eye on our page!

-Meghan

AUGUST 10, 2006

Well, we did it! Thank you so much to all who helped to make HAIR a success (and there were many!) You can see lots of pix on the homepage and the production archive (ha!) section.

VIOLET is still happening but has been moved to the fall. I am excited to announce our director for the concert, Dennis Yadon. Dennis is originally from Kansas and spent six years in New York City before moving with his partner and their daughter to Madison three years ago. As a professional actor/singer, Dennis has performed on stages from off-Broadway to regional theatres to dinner theatres. Since moving to Madison, he has kept busy working with several area community theatres. Dennis’ favorite roles include three roles (Smudge/Sparky/Frankie) in four productions of Forever Plaid, Brad in The Rocky Horror Show, Georg in She Loves Me, Max in Lend Me a Tenor, Harold Hill in The Music Man, Carl-Magnus in A Little Night Music, Boatman/Charles Redmond in Sunday in the Park with George, Nicely-Nicely in Guys and Dolls, Orin the Dentist in Little Shop of Horrors, and Jesus in Godspell. As a director, Dennis has successfully mounted two professional productions of Forever Plaid and in 2004, staged a well-received production of Godspell for a local theatre group. He has often been lauded for his ability to bring out the emotional content of a piece, while creating the appropriate pacing and interesting, appealing stage pictures at the same time. Although Dennis considers himself an actor first and foremost, he is increasingly finding himself drawn to certain projects as a director. Violet most definitely falls into that category. Dennis loves the music and finds the story moving and, ultimately, uplifting. He looks forward to this adventure with Music Theatre of Madison, and we look forward to having him!

MTM has some exciting ideas in place for the next year or so, including new programs that will continue to assist artists in working towards their dreams.

Please stay tuned to the website for updates and thank you for your support.

JULY 14, 2006

Wow, I cannot believe we're almost there! Our cast has done a truly magnificent job with this show and you are in for a really great experience when you come see it! Now just pray for NO RAIN!

Tuesday morning I will appear on the webcast show C3K Live on channel3000.com. It's at 8am-but if you're not up that early you can see it on their website later too.

All I can say is get your tickets and get ready for a thrilling evening of entertainment. See you at the park!

JULY 3, 2006

Well, our guest artists are in town and rehearsals have begun! Hard to believe that in two short weeks we will be in tech! Do you have your tickets yet? Group discounts for ten or more are now available through direct contact with the producer (mtmadisoninfo@yahoo.com). You will not be able to get this deal online, so please contact me directly if you have a group you'd like to bring.

We are continuing to add to our list of judges for our hippie costume contest. Make sure to check out the rules and information-if you like a huge selection of movie rentals, make sure to enter, because you can win a $25 gift package to Four Star Video Heaven.

There have been some questions lately about what exactly can be brought to the park in terms of food, alcohol, etc. You are welcome to bring picnics of your own. However, no alcohol is allowed in the park. Any alcohol brought in will be confiscated because we do not have a permit for it. Check out the main HAIR page for a few more regulations so we can keep the event safe and efficient.

A huge thanks to all the businesses that have helped us thus far. Visit the "For Businesses" page to learn who has helped and what you can do!

See you at the park!

JUNE 13, 2006

Greetings everyone! HAIR is coming to fruition, and things get more and more exciting every day!

Check out the "Meet the cast" page for cast pictures and bios. We're still missing a couple, but they'll be there soon. Our cast has undergone some slight changes-a new actress in the role of Jeanie and the addition of a new character.

We're excited to add a couple of things to our list of nightly events. We will be featuring raffles each night for prizes, as well as a hippie costume contest with celebrity judges to be announced soon. Keep an eye on the HAIR page for a list of events.

MTM has launched a program with exciting opportunities for businesses. Check out our new page with that information. If you are a business of any size and you'd like to be a part of HAIR, there are numerous ways for you to do so. You can donate goods, gift certificates for the contests and raffles, or general funding. You can also advertise in our program and on our website, or sponsor our event. There are several ways we will reciprocate to thank you for your assistance. So check out the page and contact us to help!

And make sure to get your tickets!

That's all for now. See you at the park!

MAY 15, 2006

HAIR has been cast! We are so excited to have found our tribe! We saw many talented people and we hope to see more at future auditions. Thank you to everyone who came out.

You can see the cast list on the HAIR page. Bios and pictures will be added soon.

That's all for now. MTM is working hard to bring you a fantastic show. Thank you for your support!

MAY 5, 2006

Sorry for the temporary trouble with the website everyone, but we're back up and running again.

Not even a week left to sign up for auditions! E-mail hairauditions@yahoo.com to schedule your time now.

We are delighted to announce our second guest artist for HAIR, John Boy. John will play the outrageous George Berger. John is originally from Chicago and is currently based in New York. Last year, John released his second CD, "Choked Not Broken", which can be heard and purchased at www.cdbaby.com, amazon.com and on iTunes. His single from that CD, "Missing" has been broadcast on radio stations across the country. John has performed in top New York venues such as Cheetah (where HAIR had a remounting before hitting Broadway!) Limelight, Exit and Hush. He is also an award winning choreographer and staged the choreography for special events for the Broadway smash Wicked. In addition to his recording career, John has enjoyed an exciting career on the stage, including a recent turn as Rum Tum Tugger on the National tour of Cats, a role he will reprise this fall. His other credits include Tarnish off-Broadway (featured on the original cast album), Joseph.., Annie, and numerous others. You can learn more about him at http://www.theboyexperience.com/ John Boy is perfect for this role and we are so delighted to have him! His CDs will soon be on sale via our website, or you can purchase it at performances of  HAIR!