New old music: "Berlin to Broadway"

After their recent production of the well-known musical "Cabaret," the Western Wyoming Community College Theater program is back with another show connected to 1930s Berlin, but this time with music that may be a little less familiar. 

People might have heard some of the songs in "Berlin to Broadway with Kurt Weill: A Musical Voyage," such as "Mack the Knife," "Speak Low," and "The Threepenny Opera." However, they may not be as familiar with Kurt Weill himself, the man behind the music. 

"There's a lot of tunes that people are going to recognize, but not many people know his work," Director Stephen Cramer explained. 

Cramer, one of the theater professors at Western, has wanted to produce "Berlin to Broadway" at the college for a while. He has personally known and been connected to the show for decades, as it was the first professional job he had in theater back in 1986. 

"I fell in love with it," Cramer said of the show. "The melodies are so beautiful. It's just a celebration of his work, and it's a journey."

The show, a musical revue, has a loose story structure guided by a narrator, but focuses on presenting Weill's music. The songs are performed chronologically as Weill wrote them, giving a glimpse into his own life and history. Weill was born to a Jewish family in Prussia in 1900 and composed music in Berlin in the 1920s. He fled Germany during the rise of the Nazi party in the early 1930s, then spent some time in France before ultimately coming to the United States. He became an American citizen in 1943, but passed away on April 3, 1950. 

Opening one week after the 75th anniversary of Weill's death, "Berlin to Broadway" at Western will present Weill's music through the various periods of his life. Some of the songs are political in nature, as they dealt with the politics of the time, but the messages mostly come as undertones and are "not too in your face," according to Cramer. 

"I think it's a lovely evening," Cramer said of the show, adding that he believes audiences will enjoy it and he hopes they will "experience [Weill's] music and learn about his life and career." 

Just as Weill's work may be unfamiliar to audiences, it was also new to the cast who will be performing it. 

"We like to introduce the students to stuff that they don't know," Cramer said. "As educators, it's important to do stuff that they may not be familiar with."

Performing unknown songs, some written 100 years ago, presents unique challenges to students who are more familiar with modern musicals, Cramer explained. And doing it in the style of a musical revue, presented in Western's black box configuration with a smaller audience up on the stage and close to the actors, adds new challenges as well. 

Despite these challenges and learning opportunities, Cramer believes that the cast is doing an excellent job with the show. 

"[It's] four great singers and some really great music and an excellent pianist and a good actor who kind of keeps everything going," Cramer explained. 

With only six people putting on the performance, the cast consists of three current students and three guest artists. The student performers are Abigail Archer, Kalista May and Clayton Boren, all of whom sing in the quartet. The narrator character is played by Kurt Jensen, a former Western theater student who still lives in the area and has been brought back on occasion for certain shows. The accompanist is Justin Hardman, another Western alumnus. Having been the music director for "A Grand Night for Singing," a past Western show with a similar style as a black box musical revue, Hardman was perfect for this show, Cramer thought. While Hardman lives across the country now, he was able to come back to participate in this production. 

The final member of the cast is Tyler Adcock, a professional actor and guest artist. Married to Western's newest theater instructor, Anthony Romeo-Adcock, Tyler Adcock has been sharing his experience with Western's theater students as he performs alongside them. Adcock was part of the cast of "Cabaret," and is now rounding out the quartet in "Berlin to Broadway." 

"It's good for [the students] to see professionals and how they work," Cramer explained, pointing out that bringing in professional guest artists to work and perform alongside students "raises the bar" for them and helps them learn. 

The Western Theater Program hopes to continue working with a variety of guest artists in the future, according to Cramer, and has already begun making plans for the upcoming seasons. But for now, Western is excited to share the works of Kurt Weill and present something old but new for both students and the community. 

"Berlin to Broadway" opens tonight and has performances at 7:30 p.m. on April 10, 11 and 12, with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, April 12. Tickets are general admission and are $13 for adults and $8 for youth and seniors.