Triumph of Love, the 1997 Broadway musical based on Marivaux's 18th-century comedy, has its resident Milwaukee premiere Jan. 28-Feb. 13 at Skylight Opera Theatre.
Anne Kanengeiser (Broadway's Ragtime) plays Hesione, Tara Kelly (Broadway's Show Boat) is Leonide, Curt Dale Clark (Chicago's The Irish and How They Got That Way) is Agis, Lisa Dames is Corine, David Edwards (New York's The Fantasticks) is Hermocrates, Reginald T. Kurschner (of Skylight's Fiddler on the Roof) is Harlequin and Milwaukee actor-director Jonathan West is Dimas.
Paula Suozzi directs the fairy tale about Leonide, Princess of Sparta, who falls in love with Agis, the scholarly boy who plans to kill her and assume the throne her forebears stole from his family. In a single afternoon, while in and out of disguise, Leonide manages to seduce Agis, Hemocrates and Hesione.
Skylight artistic director Richard Carsey musical-directs, Darci Wutz choreographs. Designers are Dipu Gupta (sets and lights) and Brian Hemesath (costumes).
The short Broadway run in 1997-98 starred Betty Buckley as Hesione, Susan Eagan as Leonide and F. Murray Abraham as Hemocrates. James Magruder penned the book, Susan Birkenhead (Jelly's Last Jam) the lyrics and Jeffrey Stock the music. Skylight is just coming off one of the biggest hits in its 40-year history: A near sellout of Fiddler on the Roof, in November-December 1999.
Tickets for Triumph of Love at the Cabot Theatre in the Broadway Theatre Center are $12-$49. Skylight is at 158 N. Broadway. Call (414) 291-7800 for information or visit the website at www.skylightopera.com.
-- By Kenneth Jones
