MEDIA CONTACT: Judy Moore at (847) 491-4819 or jkm229@northwestern.edu

April 20, 2004

2004 Waa-Mu Show to Explore Four Years at Northwestern

EVANSTON, Ill. --- The Northwestern University 2004 Waa-Mu Show, “Pomp and Circumstance,” will explore college life from various points of view with a new student-written score, an elevated band that will provide “pop-rock” music, singing, piano playing narrators and a number of singing and dancing puppets.

The Waa-Mu Show will be performed at 8 p.m. Friday, April 30; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, May 1; 2 p.m. Sunday, May 2; 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 5; 8 p.m. Thursday, May 6; 8 p.m. Friday, May 7; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, May 8; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 9, in Cahn Auditorium, 600 Emerson St., Evanston campus.

During the audience’s musical journey through college, the production will examine friendships, love affairs, classes, dorms and all things collegiate. The show will begin with the high school commencement of the Class of 2000 and end with the graduation of the Waa-Mu Senior Class of 2004.

For the 10th consecutive year, Northwestern Theatre Professor Dominic Missimi, director of the University’s Music Theatre Program, will direct the show.

“Having a 13-year-old daughter keeps me in touch with popular music,” said Missimi. “One day, as I was driving her to school we were listening to the pop music group Ben Folds Five on the car radio. I liked the music because it was so narrative-driven by a vocalist. It reminded me of the three student composers of this year’s Waa-Mu Show -- seniors Michael Mahler, Jeremy Cohen and Alan Schmuckler -- who also play the piano and sing well.”

That fateful car ride has prompted Missimi to use piano narrators and “alternative pop/rock” music rather than traditional musical theatre tunes to set off this year’s Waa-Mu Show. Other refreshing touches have been added to this year’s production.

“We are filling in the orchestra pit to bring it closer to the audience, flanking the pit with two Grand pianos and creating an elevated stage eight feet above the performers for the band that will play the pop/rock music score,” said Missimi.

There also will be more than 20 amusing new comedy skits executed by the 36-member student stage cast.

“The annual Waa-Mu Show always has lots of controversy and it revels in not being politically correct,” said Missmi. “A skit titled ‘Minority Report’ will have a group of minority students airing their complaints.”

Other skits spoof sorority interviews and the University’s performance studies department. Another sketch explores a group of energetic students trying out to be WildCat cheerleaders, not very successfully.

Professional television/screenwriter and Northwestern alumnus Dana Olsen (“Laverne and Shirley,” “The ‘Burbs,” etc.) has once again taught an undergraduate student-organized seminar on sketch writing. The fruits of that seminar are featured in this year’s production.

The show will include marionettes, life-size puppets and some 12-foot tall puppets including a foam rubber version of “grill master” George Foreman.

The puppets are used similarly to those in the new Broadway musical hit “Avenue Q” which features life-size puppets and has been described by critics “as Sesame Street for grown-ups.” However, Missimi’s puppetry idea came to him before he went to New York to see “Avenue Q,” which is directed by Northwestern and Waa-Mu Show alumnus Jason Moore, a 1993 graduate of the School of Communication.

“I had always hoped to include puppetry in a Waa-Mu Show,” said Missimi. “Finally, we have enlarged the cast, and I really mean enlarged it.”

The co-chairs of this year’s production are Northwestern University seniors Michael Mahler, Jessica Scholl and Kenneth Ferrone.

Single tickets for the Waa-Mu Show are $27 (first tier) to $21 (second tier) for the general public; $17 for senior citizens and Northwestern faculty and staff; and $11 for children and full-time students. Group reservations of 15 or more are also available by calling the box office at (847) 491-7282 and asking for Jamie or Kisa.

For the third consecutive year, there will be a Special Annual Pre-Show Mother’s Day Brunch, at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, May 9. This year it will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1818 Maple Ave., Evanston. Members of the 2004 cast will be on hand to welcome and entertain diners. It is not necessary to attend the May 9th matinee performance at Cahn Auditorium if you attend the Mother’s Day Brunch. Brunch tickets are $32 per person.

For more information or to order tickets to the Waa-Mu Show or the May 9th Mother’s Day Brunch by phone, call the Theatre and Interpretation Center box office at (847) 491-7282 or go to www.waamu.northwestern.edu/2004.

Online ticket sales also are available through TicketWeb.com by going to the Northwestern Theatre and Interpretation Center Web site at http://www.tic.northwestern.edu/tickets.htmland clicking the TicketWeb icon.