Oconomowoc Arts Center's 2019-20 season will include comedy, music and storytelling

The Oconomowoc Arts Center has announced its new season. Tickets will go on sale Monday, May 20.

Patrons will receive 5% off OAC Main Stage and Cabaret tickets purchased in person from the OAC box office during the early bird special from May 20-31 and during the OAC’s open house on July 13. Over-the-phone and online purchases are not included in the early bird sale.

The OAC’s 2019-20 season will highlight eight Main Stage productions featuring critically acclaimed regional and national favorites. The Cabaret Cafe Series will also present three groups of musicians.

ComedySportz is back by popular demand, as well as a diverse array of OAC special events, including MainStage Academy of Dance’s reimagined “Dracula,” “Behind the Scenes with the Nutcracker” children’s event, and the 10th anniversary production of “The Nutcracker Ballet.”

Visual arts programming showcasing artists from all over the region, as well as student artists from the district, will enrich the upcoming season.

In addition to the professional series, the OAC has supported the educational needs of the Oconomowoc Area School District and area arts and cultural organizations that regularly rely on the arts center to support their mission for more than a decade.

“I can’t contain my excitement for my first full season as the OAC’s director. The year is full of eclectic entertainment and art provided by our Professional Series, the Oconomowoc community, local and regional artists, and our own talented students. There is something for everyone, so plan on joining us all season long,” said OAC director John Cramer.

Main Stage

The OAC’s Main Stage Series kicks off the new season Aug. 24 with John McGivern’s “A Midsummer Night McGivern.” This is the fifth time the Emmy Award-winning actor, comedian and master storyteller has graced the OAC’s stage, as sold-out audiences can’t seem to get enough of his personal anecdotes and quirky reflections on bygone days and relatable experiences growing up in Wisconsin.

Drew Harrison’s “In the Spirit of Lennon” celebrates the life and musical career of the popular artist on Sept. 21. The show offers an emotionally charged tribute to John Lennon, told through songs, stories and images from The Beatles through the final recordings of his life. Harrison has been performing Lennon’s songs and telling the stories that go along with them for well over a decade.

Tweed featuring Gervis Myles promises to get the audience movin' and groovin' on Oct. 12, bringing a mix of original blues, soul, blues-rock and subtle notes of jazz to the OAC’s stage. With lead singer Gervis Myles, the band has toured clubs and festivals throughout the Midwest and Europe and has earned five Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) wins since 2012.

Germany-based entertainers Eddi Hüneke and Tobi Hebbelmann will entertain the OAC’s audience with a lighthearted approach to pop music, with lyrics accessible to German and English speakers alike, on Oct. 26. On invitation of the AATG (American Association of Teachers in German) and the Goethe Institut USA, the duo will make a stop in Oconomowoc during a tour, visiting more than 20 cities throughout the US.

That Holiday Feeling performs its variety show Dec. 14, featuring the talents of award-winning vocalist Tim Patrick, singer and producer Colleen Raye, and big band vocalist Debbie O’Keefe, along with the 10-piece Blue Eyes Band. Get into the holiday spirit with audience singalongs and classic tunes.

Come in out of the cold as the OAC’s stage heats up with the iconic music of rock 'n’ roll legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson in John Mueller’s Winter Dance Party on Jan. 11, 2020. The unbridled, high-voltage concert re-creates the 1959 final tour of Buddy, Ritchie and the Big Bopper. The four-piece band also includes Grammy Award-winning Mike Acosta on saxophone.

Tribute artist Ted Vigil returns to the OAC Main Stage as iconic singer/songwriter John Denver on May 16. 2020. Vigil and his band will take the audience on a nostalgic ride with popular songs such as “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” “Rocky Mountain High,” “Sunshine on My Shoulder” and more.

Step back in time as the Neophonic Jazz Orchestra closes the OAC’s season June 14, 2020, with an afternoon of Broadway music. Conducted by Joel Kaye, one of Stan Kenton’s original band members, Madison’s premier 24-piece big band jazz ensemble will perform arrangements from the 1962 Grammy-winning album “Kenton’s West Side Story.” Tunes from other classic Broadway shows will round out a musical tour through the mid-century Great White Way.

Cabaret Cafe

The Cabaret Cafe Series returns with three shows. Set in the OAC’s intimate Little Theater, audiences are treated to an evening of live musical entertainment paired with dishes prepared by OAC executive chef Jenny Truchan.

Kicking off the Cabaret Cafe Series is Joel Kopischke’s “Lost In Boston” Friday-Saturday, Jan. 3 and 4, 2020. On their way to Broadway, some of the most famous shows cut some great songs. Milwaukee native and well-known entertainer Joel Kopischke brings these rediscovered gems from well-known classics to life, including songs cut from “West Side Story,” “Guys & Dolls,” “Company,” “South Pacific” and more.

The Four Guyz In Dinner Jackets — Reginald T. Kurschner, Joe Fransee, Tommy Lueck, and Aaron Schmidt — return to the OAC’s Little Theater Friday-Saturday, Feb. 7 and 8, 2020, as well as a special luncheon show Sunday, Feb. 9. Experience the sounds and sights of the Golden Age of Entertainment as the group and its live ban, perform “Now in Technicolor” celebrating the transforming era of music entertainment of the '50s through the '70s.

OHS grad Davey Harrison returns to the Little Theater stage with his wife, Maire Clement, as The Boston Imposters, rounding out the Cabaret Cafe season on March 13 and 14, 2020. The duo blend vocal harmonies, accompanied by acoustic guitar, mandolin and banjo, to craft original songs. Inspired by traditional, classic and contemporary folk music, the Boston Imposters write about their lives and experiences, inspired by the people who have been a part of their journey.

Box Office

The OAC box office is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays, noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 4 to 7 p.m. Thursdays. In addition, the box office is open 90 minutes before events.

Summer hours: The box office will be closed July 1-12 for maintenance. Summer hours begin Monday, July 15, and run through Friday, Aug. 9. Summer hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday and 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday; closed Tuesday and Friday.

The Oconomowoc Arts Center, 641 E. Forest St., is part of the Oconomowoc Area School District. For more information, call the OAC Box Office at 262-560-3172 or visit www.theoac.net.