La Crosse Community Theatre won’t let COVID-19 upstage it again as it raises curtain on new season

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — COVID-19 may have darkened the lights of the La Crosse Community Theatre’s stages at the Weber Center for the Performing Arts for more than a year, but LCT staffers kept the lights on to plan for a return to live performances for the 2021-22 season.
During the hiatus, the theater endeavored to maintain contact with patrons with virtual performances and social media, as well as a major audience survey to determine what theatergoers believe the troupe does well and what it can improve.
“The resulting season includes the best of what you love about LCT and some new surprises to broaden your horizons,” an LCT news release promises of the upcoming season.
The LCT’s Broadway on the Mississippi Series steps into the footlights from Oct. 8-24, with “Blithe Spirit,” a British farce that is expected to tickle the funny bones to help folks recover from the pandemic’s misery.
“The Sound of Music” will echo off of the Mississippi River bluffs Dec. 3-19 in the run-up to the holiday season.
“The Mountaintop,” a powerful new drama looking at the last night of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life, will take to the stage from Jan. 28 to Feb. 13.
Appropriately taking the spotlight during the springtime season of renewal, the rock musical “Next to Normal” is expected to inspire hope when LCT thespians perform it from April 29 to May 15.
Capping the Off Broadway season will be the LCT’s first summer show for adults, “Avenue Q.” promotional materials characterize it as a “hilarious romp” best described as “Sesame Street for adults.”

“Who’s Holiday!” will be a raunchy retelling of Dr. Seuss’s ‘The Grinch” from grown-up Cindy Lou Who’s perspective. (Graphic from LCT website)

The LCT bills its Off-Broadway on Front Street as a “gritty, raw and electrifying” debut of its Blackbox Series. The first full series offering in the Veteran’s Studio Theatre has “Women’s Voices” as its theme.
Women will direct all the shows, which also will feature all-female casts. Opening the series  from Nov. 26-Dec. 18 will be “Who’s Holiday!” — a raunchy retelling of Dr. Seuss’s ‘The Grinch” from grown-up Cindy Lou Who’s perspective.
The poignant ” ‘Night Mother,” Feb. 11-27, will plumb high-stakes mother/daughter dynamics amid crisis.
“Single Black Female,” April 1-16, will open a socially conscious, hysterical window into the dating scene from the perspective of two educated, middle-class, black women.
The curtain will open on historical true crime June 10-26, giving rock concert treatment to “LIZZIE: The Musical,” a new look at Lizzie Borden’s heinous deeds.
Also making its inaugural bow is the LCT’s new Theatre for Young Audiences Series, a collection of family-friendly musicals based on children’s books. They include:

• “The Stinky Cheese Man & Other Fairly Stupid Tales” on Jan. 9.
• “Have You Filled a Bucket Today? The Musical!” is slated for March 13.
• “Pete the Cat,” March 20.
• “Rosie Revere, Engineer & Friends” will be on April 16.

Season ticket packages are available on the LCT’s website.
Youthful actors also getting stage opportunities with the LCT’s Star Academy summer camps and in a variety of Theatre for Youth productions, including “Avenue Q School Edition” and “As You Like It.”
Also returning is the LCT’s Penguin Project with a production of “Seussical Jr!”

Safety will be a top priority as the LCT welcomes back patrons, according to a news release, which also says, “We will follow the latest CDC, local, and theatre industry protocols to ensure our patrons, volunteers, students and staff are safe.”