A decade of growth

MADISON LYRIC STAGE CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY WITH AWARD-WINNING SHOWS

In honor of its 10th anniversary, Madison Lyric Stage is planning some big things for its 2022 mainstage season. First up is a double bill of operatic works — Kurt Weill’s “The Seven Deadly Sins” and Benjamin Britten’s “Curlew River” from May 12-15.

“I like to combine things that normally wouldn’t be combined,” said Marc Deaton, artistic director of Madison Lyric Stage, who will direct all productions this season. “We also like to present works that in our eyes should still remain standard and be seen as masterpieces, but at the same time, we like to present them in ways that maybe someone else hasn’t presented them.”

That’s followed by the Tony Award-winning Stephen Sondheim musical, “Sweeney Todd” June 9-19, then Stephen Schwartz’s popular musical “Pippin” from July 21-31 (though rather than the typical circus theme, the theater is going with a burlesque theme); and the

season concludes with Edward Albee’s play, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” from Sept. 15-25.

“We’ve always been very dedicated to performing a number of different genres every year,” Deaton said. “After 10 years, while every

year we have new performers, we have a group of performers we like to perform with and that influences some of our decisions as well. We also decide not only what the audience wants to see, but what they need to see.”

The entire season will be performed in a brand-new tent on the grounds of Madison’s Deacon John Grave House.

“We’ve had humble beginnings, in a barn that’s on our property and we never really thought the theater would become what it is now,” said John Johmann, executive director of the theater. “It really started with Marc suggesting, ‘wouldn’t it be fun to get some singers up from New York and getting someone to play piano, and we could invite our friends and family and neighbors,’ and word quickly got out in the community.”

Johmann said it wasn’t long before there was a line of people waiting to see the performances, so it left the barn and started utilizing churches and other venues in the area, until 2018, when it started calling the Deacon John Grave House in the historic district of Madison home.

“They were looking for ways to showcase the house and bring people there, so it was a perfect marriage,” Johmann said. “The very first thing we did there was outdoors under a tent, and eventually we moved into the house, doing immersive theater where the audience would move with the performers from room to room.”

When COVID-19 struck, Madison Lyric Stage went dark, and knew for 2021, a season was only possible if it was down outdoors.

“We have a board member who was able to donate the use of a tent to us for the 2021 season and that really helped us get back on our feet,” Johmann said. “This year, we have a capital campaign and we are raising funds for our own tent.”

So, as Madison Lyric Stage goes into its 10th season, there is a much more developed infrastructure, and Johmann called it a “wonderful journey” to get there.

“It’s beyond what we initially imagined,” Deaton said. “We’ve been able to bring talent forward that normally a company of our size would not be able to. We’ve grown and the community has grown with us.”

For more information on the season or to make a donation for the tent, visit madisonlyricstage.org.

Courtesy of Madison Lyric Stage A scene from Madison Lyric Stage's September 2021 production of “Suor Angelica.”

Courtesy of Madison Lyric Stage Peter Grimes in the Barn at Madison Lyric Stage in 2015.