items tagged with Babes in Toyland

Local audiences have seen married actors Jonathan and Rochelle Schrader appearing opposite one another numerous times over the years: in Opera@Augustana's The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado; in the former Green Room Theatre’s Into the Woods; and in Quad City Music Guild’s Babes in Toyland.

But with Countryside Community Theatre’s presentation of The King & I, running June 22 through 30 at Eldridge’s North Scott High School, patrons will see the Schraders interact in a way that, on-stage at least, they never have before.

“This is the first time we’ve actually gotten to play semi-romantically together,” says Jonathan, who enacts the titular, short-tempered King of Siam – a role made legendary by Yul Brynner – opposite his wife’s stalwart schoolteacher Anna. “I’ve played her father several times, and I tried to kill her in Babes in Toyland, but ... .”

At last count, there were a whopping 46 area-theatre productions scheduled between September and December, and included among the titles are A Dog's Life, The Big Funk, Scrooge!, Don't Hug Me, and Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical. It's the season that my editor, Jeff, has been waiting for!