Mad City

Week 24: Madison, WI

"Philosophy is common sense with big words."
--James Madison


Our Wisconsin odyssey brings us at last to the capitol city, Madison. Madison is super cute.
An artsy, ultra liberal college town that has been described as "70 square miles surrounded by reality," the city is built on an isthmus between two lakes and has a very comfortable and charming feel. It reminds me of Cambridge, Massachusetts and the areas around Harvard Square. The impressive capitol building is the heart of Madison with the various neighborhoods radiating out from it in four directions. State Street is the main drag, lined with funky clothing boutiques, cafes and restaurants. At its furthest end it terminates in the middle of the very beautiful University of Wisconsin campus. I indulged in a little retail therapy on State Street, adding a couple soft summer blazers and a new hat (a distressed leather "Gatsby" cap) to my growing wardrobe. I am developing something of a natty style, caps and vests and designer jeans and boots. Eccentric and classic at the same time. I hope. Well, that's what I am going for anyway! I strolled around the university campus, enjoying the spring weather, the blossoms on the trees and the sparkling lake. There is a happy energy around town as this is graduation weekend. I visited the Chazen Museum of Art on campus which has some very nice pieces representing all eras of art. Visiting museums has become one of my solitary pleasures on the road.




The highlight of this week was a drive out to Gennessee Depot, to visit Ten Chimneys, the home of legendary theatrical couple Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. It is a magnificent compound which has been lovingly restored and turned into a wonderful museum. A group of us were given a terrific tour by one of the very knowledgeable docents, Bonnie, who took us through the houses and grounds, which have been preserved and set up as if the "Lunts" have just gone out on an errand and will return at any moment to entertain their guests. If you are a theatre lover then you will know that the Lunts were America's first couple of the theatre. In the 1930's they were the darlings of Broadway and an extraordinary, talented and beautiful pair. They were friends and collaborators with all the greats of their time--Noel Coward, Helen Hayes, Laurence Olivier and many others, all of whom at one time or another came to visit at Ten Chimneys. The house is an extraordinary record of a wonderful time in theatrical history as well as a living portrait of this amazing couple. Lunt was multi-talented; he was a great actor, a wonderful visual artist and a Cordon Bleu trained chef. Fontanne was not only a supreme actress but one of the most influential women of her time, a fashion trendsetter and style icon.
The house, grounds and outbuildings are exquisite, at once country cozy and elegantly theatrical. Scenic designer Claggett Wilson spent two years in the home with the Lunts, painting sublime tromp l'oeil murals on the walls and ceilings of every room, and even on furniture and a wonderful piano. Each room is a delight for the senses and a treasure trove of theatrical memorabilia and souvenirs of a glamorous life. For a theatre geek like me it was sheer heaven. I was also delighted to explore the place with my coworkers, among them Gary Beach, with whom I was finally able to remember to take a picture--here we are with Ten Chimneys in the background. If you are ever in this part of the world, make a point of visiting this unusual and beautifully managed piece of our cultural history. For me, the place inspired feelings of great pride that I am part of this marvelous industry. I hope that my career to come will be even a fraction as successful and creatively fulfilling as the Lunts'.




We are performing this week at the Overture Center for the Arts, a brand-spanking-new facility, only three years old, which incorporates several performance venues, including the restored movie palace, the Capitol Theatre, as well as the Museum of Contemporary Art.
The Overture Center was funded through the single largest personal endowment to a cultural institution in the nation's history-- $100,000,000 from a single benefactor. The interior of the main theatre where "Spamalot" is performing was designed by the same architect who created the theatres we played in Miami and Dayton. All blonde wood and pewter colored seats, the Overture Center is very modern and very elegant. The backstage facilities are very fine and the dressing rooms comfortable and pristine. My dresser in Madison is Angelina.
Angelina had never dressed a show before and is training on "Spamalot" this week. So I had the honor of being one of her first actors to dress ever. Angelina is a sculptor and visual artist and stumbled on wardrobe work quite by chance. She is doing a very fine job and dealing with the nerves admirably! Dressers in each city we play get thrown into the deep end of the pool rather--given a set of notes and some rudimentary instructions, a little rehearsal of some of the more tricky changes in the show, and then bang! The show is running and they have to basically run alongside and keep up!

Madison has been very pleasant indeed. Allergy season continues to be brutal and I am still doctoring my sinuses and my vocal chords in order to get my eight shows a week out there, but in general I am experiencing spring fever and having a nice time. Grand Rapids, Michigan is our next stop so more from there next week, friends.