May 13, 2016

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MILWAUKEE — Marquette Theatre's 2016–17 season will be the 42nd in the Evan P. and Marion Helfaer Theatre. Five selected plays around the theme "Worlds Collide" will explore this phenomenon and draw connections and comparisons. Whether they are this world and the spirit world, Beirut and the U.S., the distant past and the hopeful future, or various encounters on a cruise ship's deck, some provoke thought while others inspire joy.

Shows include: "Blithe Spirit," "Two Rooms," "Fancy Nancy the Musical," "The Skin of Our Teeth" and "Anything Goes."

"Blithe Spirit"

Sept. 29–Oct. 2, and Oct. 5–9, 2016

Noel Coward's comedy returns to the Helfaer Theatre to open the 2016-17 season. When cynical author Charles Condomine invites "happy medium" Madame Arcati into his home, a séance-gone-wrong summons the ghost of his first wife, Elvira, and leaves Charles torn between his past and his present. "Blithe Spirit" is a comedy for all audiences.

"Two Rooms"

Nov. 10–13, and Nov. 16–20, 2016

Time Magazine's Best Play of the Year in 1988, "Two Rooms" connects love to politics and the challenges of war. A civilian journalist is held hostage in a windowless cubicle in Beirut, while—overseas in America—his wife holds a vigil for his return. Lee Blessing's play remains relevant to modern life, exposing the struggles of everyday civilians in times of incredible hardship.

"Fancy Nancy the Musical"

Jan. 14–15, and Jan. 21–22, 2017

Based on Jane O'Connor's best-selling book series, Fancy Nancy is excited to dance in the school ballet with her friends. When Nancy doesn't get the part that she wanted, can she still make being a dull tree très jolie and make the audience say "ooh-la-la" just by being herself?

"The Skin of Our Teeth"

Feb.16–19, and Feb. 22–26, 2017

Winner of the 1943 Pulitzer Prize, Thornton Wilder's "The Skin of Our Teeth" is a comedy that mixes satire, burlesque and farce. Follow Wilder's "first family," the Antrobuses, from the ice age to present day. This tenacious clan lives through the invention of the wheel, the Great Flood, and all of the frustration and liberation of building a better world, as they struggle to survive by the skin of their teeth.

"Anything Goes"

April 6–9, and April 19–23, 2017

This musical comedy features Billy Crocker, a young Wall Street broker who takes a leap of faith for a chance at hope. Along with lounge singer Reno Sweeney, gangster Moonface Martin and stuffy Sir Evelyn Oakleigh, our heroes have a "De-Lovely" time singing and tapping on the decks of the SS American. The show features timeless Cole Porter songs, including "I Get a Kick Out Of You," "You're The Top," "Anything Goes" and "All Through the Night."

For more information, call the Theatre Box Office at (414) 288-7504 or visit the Theatre Box Office website. Season tickets go on sale Friday, July 1. Single tickets will be on sale after Labor Day.