The Overture Center is one of Madison’s most important artistic and cultural institutions. Overture’s tremendous team brings artists and productions to town that would otherwise never step foot in Wisconsin. They also support homegrown efforts, ranging from children’s theater, to chamber dramas, to local music of all varieties. And, this Fall, Overture provided my colleagues, students, family, and me with some unforgettable experiences.
My Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research colleagues and I have been collaborating with Overture since 2022 when we met with Co-CEOs, Tim Sauers and Emily Gruenewald, and Director of Education Alanna Medearis to discuss preserving and expanding access to their archival collection. Although Overture’s beautiful, multi-stage facility on State Street opened in the 2000s, the history dates back a full century to 1927 and the building of the Capitol Theater — a grand movie house, with an organ, and trap door-equipped stage for vaudeville acts. Numerous challenges and changes have taken place across the decades in between, as the online exhibit developed by UW-Madison Film PhD student Samantha Janes chronicles.
Fast forward to August 2025. When working on the syllabus for my course on the Hollywood Studio System, I saw an announcement about the exciting programming that Overture was offering this Fall. I realized that there was potential to deepen the Overture collab and create opportunities for experiential learning.
Drawing upon the generous funding of the Kahl Family Professorship (which I am honored and privileged to hold), I was able to purchase tickets for the class to see two productions: the National Tour of the musical stage production of Some Like it Hot, and a presentation of the Harold Lloyd silent comedy, For Heaven’s Sake, with live organ accompaniment. Both shows provided terrific learning experiences, and fun!
Some Like it Hot is a joyful reimagining of the 1959 Billy Wilder film classic. The musical creators keep the same basic set-up: two male musicians, who witness a mob murder, go into hiding by dressing as women and joining a traveling all-female band. Wilder’s film has long been a favorite of mine — one of the movies, in fact, that made me fall in love with the medium and the possibilities for popular art. Set during the 1920s, the movie features stellar performances, and it prioritizes sight gags and comedy rooted in binaries and incongruity (for example, the bootleggers transport booze in a hearse). In contrast, the musical moves the setting to the 1930s — facilitating a jazz-infused score and songbook — and it is far more interested in the fluidity of identity than it is in binaries. The tap dance-forward choreography and imaginative staging are highlights.
From my vantage point, one of the best things to emerge from Some Like it Hot at Overture was how it facilitated discussions about adaptation and censorship. My students and I talked about the ways that the 1959 film pushed the boundaries of the Production Code, and how the new musical’s casting of interracial couples would have been unimaginable under the old Code system (which forbade romance — and even dancing! — between white and black people).
I also enjoyed talking about these layers of film and theater history with other enthusiastic audience members. Prior to a new show opening at Overture, Tim Sauers (Co-CEO and Chief Artistic Experiences Officer) and Karra Beach (Director of Broadway Engagement Programs) will often host entertaining and illuminating events for Overture Broadway Club subscribers. “Cocktails with Tim and Karra” is one of the best variety shows in town, featuring special guests, trivia games, and musical performances by talented young singers, and special guests. But the real draw is the hosts, Tim and Karra — the stories they tell, gossip they dish, and sense of community they foster.
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My WCFTR colleague Mary Huelsbeck and I were happy to attend two recent editions of “Cocktails with Tim and Karra.” We showcased items from the WCFTR related to Some Like it Hot, and I talked about the Production Code as it relates to the movie and show. The audience asked some great questions, and the whole experience reinforced the value of in-person events that bring together communities of people who are passionate and curious about the arts.
And what about the Harold Lloyd movie, For Heaven’s Sake? It was, in short, a complete delight! Charming, clever, and funny. Like a slapstick spin-off of Guys and Dolls, with the classic Frank Loesser songs replaced by Clark Wilson’s lively organ accompaniment. Part of Overture’s “Duck Soup” screening series, the presentation drew a large and enthusiastic crowd.
The screening’s real star, though, was the Capitol Theater itself. Whereas Some Like it Hot played in the newer and larger Overture Hall, For Heaven’s Sake played in the smaller and beautifully renovated century-old Capitol Theater, which sits inside the shell of the larger Overture Center complex. It’s a gorgeous environment to take in with all five senses (yes, beverages and some snacks are permitted).
Kudos to the Overture and Duck Soup teams for giving 21st century audiences a full experience comparable to the Capitol’s first film and stage presentations in 1928. And, thanks to the help of Alanna Medearis, my students and I were also treated to a full tour of the Capitol. Alanna is pictured below, literally and metaphorically opening the door for an inspiring and illuminating experience.
Perhaps the best part of all has been hearing from students about their experiences at Overture. Most had never been to the Overture Center, or seen a silent film with live accompaniment. A few had never seen a professional live musical theater production. Across the board, everyone felt like these experiences were the highlights of the semester. Inspiring, energizing, and revelatory. Everything that education should be in order to engage students and get them invested in their learning and rise to the challenge of complex assignments and discussions.
Someone once told me that the best gifts to give were the ones that someone would love yet would never get for themselves. I feel like we achieved that this Fall — opening access to a world of rich theatrical experiences for students who didn’t know how much they needed or wanted them.
If you are in a position to extend these experiences for future students and audiences, please consider making a gift to the Wisconsin Center for Film Theater Research, UW-Madison Department of Communication Arts, or the Overture Center Foundation.
And, in this blog post of Thanksgiving week, I would like to give my thanks to the amazing WCFTR team who keeps the archive running all year long — Mary Huelsbeck, Amanda Smith, and Kallan Benjamin (pictured below with me at Overture), as well as Sam Hansen, Matt St. John, Ashton Leach, and Ben Pettis. I’m so lucky to be able to work with you… and take in the occasional great show together, too.
