Music and comedy take the stage at local theaters

Music is in the air as Waukesha starts a new theatrical season.

The Waukesha Civic Theatre, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre Ensemble and the Carroll Players have a full slate of musical entertainment, comedy and drama planned for the season starting this month.

Waukesha Civic Theatre gets things started with "Two by Two," a musical comedy which features Richard Rodgers music and the enduring tale of Noah's ark-building endeavor with lots of humor and lessons. "Write Me a Murder," by the author of "Dial M for Murder" and "Wait Until Dark," is next, followed by comedy and music the rest of the way including Rodgers and Hammerstein's "State Fair" in March and Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" in May. Between Mainstage shows, WCT offers "Comedy Tonight" and other entertainment including the popular "Candy Cane Tales and Holiday Carols" in December.

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre Ensemble at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha opens their season with Willa Cather's "My Antonia," in conjunction with Waukesha Reads!, which tells the story is of the early settlers to the Great Plains. The talented Candy Decker will be featured in Christmas and Valentine's Day shows. In January, Winterim students will perform in "The Tortoise and the Hare Race Again" The group's final offering of the season is the drama "Columbinus" based on the 1999 school shootings in Littleton, Colo.

Carroll Players open their season with "The Dresser," the story of a backstage hand of a touring Shakespearean theater group devoted to an aging actor whose star is fading as he struggles through "King Lear" during the London blitz Next for the Carroll Players is Moliere's comedy "The Imaginary Invalid.' Next March, the Players will perform "The New Brain," about a songwriter with writer's block who suffers a near death experience and recovers with a new outlook on life. In April, A Festival of New Works will feature student works using a "food" theme. The Carroll Players, founded in 1896, is the oldest active student theater organization in Wisconsin.

Waukesha Civic Theatre

Margaret Brate Bryant Civic Theatre Building, 264 W. Main St., Waukesha. (262) 547-0708, www.waukeshacivictheatre.org

"Two by Two" - Musical Comedy

Book by Peter Stone, Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Martin Charnin; Sept. 17-Oct. 3

"Write Me a Murder" - Mystery/Thriller

By Frederick Knott; Oct. 29-Nov. 14

"Alone Together" - Comedy

By Lawrence Roman; Feb. 11-27, 2011

"State Fair" - Musical Comedy

Book by Tom Briggs and Louis Matioli, Music by Richard Rodgers, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; March 25-April 10, 2011

"Twelfth Night" - Comedy

By William Shakespeare; May 6-22, 2011

"A Tiny Miracle with a Fiberoptic Unicorn" - Comedy

By Don Zolodis; June 10-26

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre Ensemble

University of Wisconsin-Waukesha, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in the Fine Arts Center, 1500 N. University Drive, Waukesha, (888) 289-9285, Waukesha.uwc.edu

"My Antonia" - Drama

Adapted by Allison Moore from the novel by Willa Cather; Oct. 21-24

"Candy for the Holidays" - Holiday variety show

Starring Candace Decker & Phil Smith and featuring Craig Hurst and the Bargain Basement Santas, Nancy Van Brunt and the Windy Hill Hand Bell Choir and Tom Patterson and the UW-Waukesha Choir; Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

.

"The Tortoise and the Hare Race Again" - Family

Written by Dan Neidermyer; Jan. 21, 2011

"Love, Candy-A Valentine's Day Cabaret"

Feb. 14 at 7:30 p.m.

"Columbinus" - Drama

By Stephen Karam, Sean McNall, and PJ Paparelli; April 1-3, 2011

Carroll Players

Carroll University, Otteson Theatre, (262) 524-7633

"The Dresser" (Free Reading) - Drama

By Ronald Harwood; Sept. 23-24

"The Imaginary Invalid" - Comedy

By Molière; Nov. 19-20

"A New Brain" - Musical

By William Finn and James Lapine; March 11-12, 2011.

A Festival of New Works (theme is "food")

April 13-16, 2011