(Onstage)
Bat Boy: The Musical
This is supremely exciting for me; I have wanted to do this show for about seven years and finally the best director and best friend a man could ask for - Brian Bzdawka - has taken up the reigns of producing the show this January.
The show is at all moments dark, twisted, sad, and extremely funny. It is a heavier script than one usually finds for a musical - this allows it to speak just as much through dialogue as it does through music.
Brian Bzdawka presents an interesting and captivating world in which this story plays out. He has also shown in many previous shows that he has the ability to bring the comedy and heart out of any performance. This show walks a very fine line between tragedy and comedy and if directed wrong can end up being far too campy or very hard to swallow. Brian's dark graphic vision will keep audiences captivated with the shocking story unfolding and have them rolling in their seats with a lighthearted approach to the humor that makes this show so charming.
Tom Reifenberg as musical director brings his out-of-this-world musical ability to play a demanding score and has assembled a team of melodic mastery to help tackle this feat.
John Stolfe
Fred Pike
Rusty Edlund
Britney Whiting
All of that would be enough; however the cast assembled for this performance is a list of rockstar comedy actors and vocalists that will bring the residents of Hope Falls to life and, for some, to death.
Robby McGhee - Currently a member of Milwaukee's Bye Bye Liver at ComedySportz; I have had the pleasure of working with Robby in RENT, where he showcased his incredible vocal aptitude as Tom Collins, "Spelling Bee" and Hairspray; two shows where Robby showed his seamless abilities as a improvisational comedic performer. You may also have seen Robby steal the stage in The Shorewood Player's productions of The Producers and Annie. With a man like Robby in the cast - people will ache from laughing long after they leave the theatre.
Brad Novak - Brad is my roommate and the person on this list that I have been acting with the longest. We met during a horrific production of Seven Brides For Seven Brothers about seven years ago and I have had the pleasure of performing with him in The Producers, Much Ado About Nothing, RENT, Guys and Dolls, "Spelling Bee", Hairspray, and A Streetcar Named Desire. Brad has run the gamut on interesting characters and challenging vocal performances. Brad is one of the most deliberate performers I have ever witnessed on stage and once again he gets to stretch his pipes to the extreme for this show.
Laura Mcdonald - I don't like Laura that much; that being said - I am not blind to her unquestionable level of talent. She has shown great strength as lead roles in GCTheatre's three previous shows both comically and musically. In all three performances she created cleverly ridiculous characters - her approach to this role should, once again, be heartfelt and inventive.
Stephanie Staszak - Stephanie is a small girl with a huge personality. This describes her both as a person and how she performs on-stage. She made a grand display as Mimi in GCTheatre's production of RENT and filled the empty spaces of Hairspray with outrageously hilarious moments. A superbly wound internal comedy-clock has blessed this girl with great timing and delivery of lines other actors might just throw away. Oh - she can also sing and dance real nice-like too!
David Hillestad - Now Dave is a huge guy with a personality to match. He is most certainly one of the funniest dudes I know in Milwaukee. He doesn't get on stage much, but when he does it is not something to be missed - if you like laughing. He started his illustrious theatre career in a production of The Full Monty playing... appropriately Dave. Since then he has appeared as Amos in Soulstice Theatre's production of Chicago and William Barfe in GCTheatre's "Spelling Bee". Dave took a chance doing stand-up at Mikey's in Cathedral Square and quickly became a crowd favorite.
Matt Zeman - This is Matt's darkest character yet; Matt has shown remarkable vocal talent in past GCTheatre productions as Benny in RENT, Jospeh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast. This is a step you have not seen Matt take before, and I am sure you will not be disappointed.
Brittany Radocha - If anyone saw GCTheatre's Hairspray this summer you are aware of what a hilariously huge personality it takes to embody the role of Tracy Turnblad and Brittany filled those shoes and then some. Her energy kept the show alive and running even while saddled with a big sexy prosthetic fake ass. It is her hilarious ability to create over the top characters that keep all her fellow actors working to keep up.
Jared Bierbach - How does one describe Jared? Outspoken, irreverent, bombastic, but at all times utterly hilarious. Jared has the unique ability to take anything (and I mean ANYTHING) and make it quite amusing. I have had the opportunity to work with Jared during Beauty and the Beast where he appeared as Cogsworth, but I think his real specialty is in taking smaller characters and giving them the special Jared Bierbach spitshine - Mr. Pinky/Principal/Mr. Spritzer/Cop in Hairspray, Potiphar/Jacob/Ishmaalite in "Joseph", and Bishop/Nun/Bearded Sailor in Jekyll and Hyde.
N'Jameh Camara - A relative newcomer to GCTheatre and my life, but most definitely not green in her experience. Big voice - little girl. She brought this vitality to Hairspray as Little Inez and delivers the same passion into this show as well.
Anna Fraser and Rachel Zientek - We are more than lucky to have these two extremely talented women providing backstage vocals for this show. The only regret is that we cannot utilize their extraordinary on-stage abilities. Rachel is one of the best character females I have ever seen; and Anna has a commanding stage voice. They are our saving grace.
When you combine all this with a small dedicated crew lead by Shannon Runnels, Sara Bill, and Ryan Barry and ten days of rehearsal and pre-production - you have a show that cannot miss... well it might - but only in a few spots.
Come check it out - it is a hilarious nightmare come true.
"The musical allows Gwiazdowski in the title role the opportunity for hands-down the single most dynamic performance of the season thus far . . .due in large part to the numerous dichotomies that the show rests on..." - Russ Bickerstaff "Curtains"
"Bat Boy: The Musical" manages to break the mold of a high school play, delivering a really excellent show that's often equal to a professional Broadway musical."
"Somehow the Greendale Community Theatre has assembled a tribe of players who can sing, dance, and act. And the production quality is akin to much more expensive shows at the Marcus Center than is indicated by the very reasonable ticket price..." - Tom Christy "Milwaukee Examiner"
“It was hilarious for all the wrong reasons,” said Rex Rasch (Source: Greendale Patch - Jesse Carpender)
David Hillestad - Now Dave is a huge guy with a personality to match. He is most certainly one of the funniest dudes I know in Milwaukee. He doesn't get on stage much, but when he does it is not something to be missed - if you like laughing. He started his illustrious theatre career in a production of The Full Monty playing... appropriately Dave. Since then he has appeared as Amos in Soulstice Theatre's production of Chicago and William Barfe in GCTheatre's "Spelling Bee". Dave took a chance doing stand-up at Mikey's in Cathedral Square and quickly became a crowd favorite.
Matt Zeman - This is Matt's darkest character yet; Matt has shown remarkable vocal talent in past GCTheatre productions as Benny in RENT, Jospeh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast. This is a step you have not seen Matt take before, and I am sure you will not be disappointed.
Brittany Radocha - If anyone saw GCTheatre's Hairspray this summer you are aware of what a hilariously huge personality it takes to embody the role of Tracy Turnblad and Brittany filled those shoes and then some. Her energy kept the show alive and running even while saddled with a big sexy prosthetic fake ass. It is her hilarious ability to create over the top characters that keep all her fellow actors working to keep up.
Jared Bierbach - How does one describe Jared? Outspoken, irreverent, bombastic, but at all times utterly hilarious. Jared has the unique ability to take anything (and I mean ANYTHING) and make it quite amusing. I have had the opportunity to work with Jared during Beauty and the Beast where he appeared as Cogsworth, but I think his real specialty is in taking smaller characters and giving them the special Jared Bierbach spitshine - Mr. Pinky/Principal/Mr. Spritzer/Cop in Hairspray, Potiphar/Jacob/Ishmaalite in "Joseph", and Bishop/Nun/Bearded Sailor in Jekyll and Hyde.
N'Jameh Camara - A relative newcomer to GCTheatre and my life, but most definitely not green in her experience. Big voice - little girl. She brought this vitality to Hairspray as Little Inez and delivers the same passion into this show as well.
Anna Fraser and Rachel Zientek - We are more than lucky to have these two extremely talented women providing backstage vocals for this show. The only regret is that we cannot utilize their extraordinary on-stage abilities. Rachel is one of the best character females I have ever seen; and Anna has a commanding stage voice. They are our saving grace.
When you combine all this with a small dedicated crew lead by Shannon Runnels, Sara Bill, and Ryan Barry and ten days of rehearsal and pre-production - you have a show that cannot miss... well it might - but only in a few spots.
Come check it out - it is a hilarious nightmare come true.
"The musical allows Gwiazdowski in the title role the opportunity for hands-down the single most dynamic performance of the season thus far . . .due in large part to the numerous dichotomies that the show rests on..." - Russ Bickerstaff "Curtains"
"Bat Boy: The Musical" manages to break the mold of a high school play, delivering a really excellent show that's often equal to a professional Broadway musical."
"Somehow the Greendale Community Theatre has assembled a tribe of players who can sing, dance, and act. And the production quality is akin to much more expensive shows at the Marcus Center than is indicated by the very reasonable ticket price..." - Tom Christy "Milwaukee Examiner"
“It was hilarious for all the wrong reasons,” said Rex Rasch (Source: Greendale Patch - Jesse Carpender)
