Past Performances
Birth of a Notion
In the summer of 2004 we enlisted some of the best theatrical talent in the area to put on The Fantasticks as dinner theater on Summer Jo’s lawn. The show was a complete success artistically, financially, and culinarily, and people still refer to the experience fondly.
In subsequent summers we built the artistic team and put on You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Studs Terkel's Working, Wait Until Dark, and john and jen.
john and jen
Kate Skudstad brought this wonderful play to us. The story spans forty years in the life of a woman, her brother, and her son. Through beautiful songs, perfectly sung by Shane and Kate, the play takes us through the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s while repeatedly bringing us to laughter and tears. We hated to see it end, and we all agreed that john & jen is one play that we would like to reprise someday.
Wait Until Dark
We pushed all the limits with this one, building a Greenwich Village basement apartment in our dining room, blacking out the restaurant completely for several minutes at the end of the performance, and putting the audience right in the middle of a knuckle-biting thriller.
This was Madeline DeCourcey's third and, for now, final show at Summer Jo's. Previously she starred as Lucy in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and as the hooker and the checker among other notable roles in Working. Madeline graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2005 from Illinois Wesleyan University and is now in Hollywood pursuing her career in the big leagues. We're holding a table for you, Madeline.
Working
Working, a musical based on the book by Pulitzer-prize-winning author Studs Terkel, opened Sunday, September 2, 2007 at Summer Jo’s with an all-star local cast.
The play poignantly addresses the cares and dreams of working people through their own words, enriched by dynamic choreography and moving songs by James Taylor and other musicians.
Directed by Michele Kyle
Music Directed by Meagan Iverson
Choreographed by Tony James
Cast
Madeline DeCourcey
Paul Drevets
Mike Evans
Keith Fuller
Marian Horton
Tony James
Bobbi Kidder
Katie Skudstad
Shane Skinner
Sabra Sturley
Music
Pianist, Flautist: Meagan Iverson
Percussionist: Bryan Jeffs
Guitarists: Keith Fuller, Paul Drevets
Bassists: Paul Drevets, Keith Fuller
Crew
Production Coordinator: Shane Skinner
Stage Manager: Katy Benjamin
Sound Designer: Dick Kyle
Sound Operators: Mike Leonard, Cory Franklin
Set Design, Scenic Artist: Roselyn
Carpentress: Susan Russell
Properties Mistress: Madeline DeCourcey
Photographer: TJ Jones
Graphic Designer: Gary Sanpei
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is one of the most-performed musicals in history. The 1999 Broadway production earned two Tony awards. The New York Times called it "gentle, wise [and] very cheering." When it debuted back in the 1960s, the LA Times found it "uproarious" and "hilarious." Other reviewers called it "fresh and appealing," "ingeniously captivating," "a musical delight," and the "best family entertainment in town."
The play takes us through a typical day in the life of Charlie Brown, with scenes of unrequited love, broken dreams, passion, ambition, friendship, and fantasy. You’ll recognize many classic Peanuts bits that you’ve forgotten, and you’ll be reminded that the comic strip on its best days could be amazingly poignant and profound. At the end of the day, Snoopy urges us to find the joy in the mundane:
So what’s wrong with making mealtime a joyous occasion?
Not a thing, Snoopy. Not a thing.
With just six roles, cartoon-simple sets, and its gentle, witty insights on universal themes, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown is ideally suited to Summer Jo’s outdoor dinner theater program.
The Cast & Crew
written by Clark Gesner
directed by Ed Gangner
choreography by Tony James
stage manager Cameron Whitaker
production coordinator Shane Skinner
musical director Aaron Blenkush
with
Heath Koerschgen as Charlie Brown
Madeline DeCourcey as Lucy
Davey Dashuba as Linus
Drew Moore as Schroeder
Ada Chavez as Patty
...and Daniel Alonzo and Jesse Beckman as Snoopy
Posters
