Prelude to a Kiss a musical is ready to delight audiences this fall. Thanks to an ace creative team, soaring music, a beautiful venue and so much more, this stunning new musical is sure to become the theatrical event of the season. Here are just a few of the top reasons why you won’t want to miss it!
Thanks to an ace creative team, soaring music, a beautiful venue and so much more, this stunning new musical is sure to become the theatrical event of the season. Here are just a few of the top reasons why you won’t want to miss it!
Prelude to a Kiss a musical | Video Trailer
1. Its fairy tale love story that’s left critics gushing with praise
Throughout his career, playwright Craig Lucas has become well known for romantic comedies and Broadway hits, with a CV that boasts five Broadway musicals including The Light in the Piazza, An American in Paris, and the recent hit Days of Wine and Roses, a New York Times Critics’ Pick that received three 2024 Tony Award nominations earlier this year.
But before he found success in musical theater, Lucas’ first hit show was a play whose story has stood the test of time: Prelude to a Kiss.
Lucas’ script introduces us to Peter and Rita, two opposites who attract and embark on a storybook wedding that’s interrupted by a mysterious guest whose kiss with the bride will test the bounds of their love.
Originally developed at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, CA, the original Prelude to a Kiss opened off-Broadway with Alec Baldwin and Mary Louise Parker as Peter and Rita. Following tremendous fanfare, the production transferred to Broadway with Academy Award-winner Timothy Hutton as Peter, with Baldwin exiting the role to fulfill prior film commitments.
Legendary theater critic Frank Rich, writing for The New York Times, branded the New York production a “powerful, genuine fairy tale” that “opens the window on love – true love.” Simply put, it’s a “wonderful play.”
Award recognition soon followed, with Lucas garnering nominations for the Tony Award for Best Play, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
In 1992, Lucas adapted his acclaimed play into a feature film from 20th Century Fox that starred Baldwin and fellow Hollywood A-lister Meg Ryan as Peter and Rita. Longtime Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert called it “gentle and moving” with “genuine emotional power.”
Now, with Prelude to a Kiss a musical, Lucas and an all-star creative team have transformed one of his best-known plays into a fresh new musical that is ready to ignite romantic sparks in a new generation of theatergoers.
2. Music that you’re going to love
Joining Lucas on the creative team are two of musical theater’s most accomplished songwriters: Daniel Messé (music and lyrics) and Sean Hartley (lyrics) who have written a collection of songs that elevate this fairy tale love story, including the ballad “Cold Feet” (featured in the video below) that was singled out by reviewers as a “strikingly intimate” (CultureOC) composition.
As Lucas recounts, the genesis of Prelude to a Kiss a musical came from Hartley and Messé, who brought up the possibility of a musical adaptation nearly a decade ago. Although Lucas had no immediate plans to revisit his past work, he was convinced upon hearing the first song that they wrote for the piece.
Audiences Love Prelude to a Kiss a musical
Both experts in the field of musical theater, Daniel Messé is the composer and co-lyricist of Broadway’s Amélie (with book by Lucas), which was nominated for a 2021 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
Sean Hartley’s works have been nominated for numerous awards, including a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Lyrics (Cupid and Psyche) and a Spirit Award for best book of a musical (Little Women). A true expert of musical theater, Hartley is the musical theater division director at the Kaufman Music Center in New York City.
3. Be one of the first in the country to see this new musical
Prelude to a Kiss a musical is a World Premiere production, co-developed between Milwaukee Rep and South Coast Repertory, the same theater company that commissioned the original play.
In its debut run earlier this year at the Tony Award-winning Orange County theater, critics described Prelude as a “genuinely charming” piece which is “blessed with clever, melodic, mood-setting songs” (BroadwayWorld) that form a “winsome score.” Overall, reviewers felt that “success is within its sights" (Orange County Register) thanks to “a gorgeous score, appealing performances, and a book that will have you reflecting on the very meaning of love.” (StageSceneLA)
Milwaukee Rep favorite Jonathan Gillard Daly (Much Ado About Nothing, Dad’s Season Tickets) was one of the standout cast members, receiving rave reviews for his funny and heartfelt portrayal of grey-haired wedding crasher Julius Becker that’s “worth the price of admission” (Orange Curtain Review).
Following some light polishing over the summer from the creative team, Prelude to a Kiss a musical will be ready to shine as the centerpiece of the fall theater season in southeastern Wisconsin – and you can be one of the first in the country to see it!
4. It's a show that's perfect for all ages and generations of theatergoers
With universal themes that include true love, loyalty, companionship and the cycles of life, Prelude to a Kiss a musical is a live stage production that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages with characters that span generations.
At the heart of the show lies the young lovers, Peter and Rita, who set off on a journey of self-discovery as their love grows into a marriage that can lead to happiness. Along the way, we are introduced to Rita's parents, two working professionals who want nothing but the best for their daughter. The cast of characters also includes the grandfatherly Julius Becker, whose spontaneous venture into Peter and Rita's wedding makes for an unexpected twist that will forever change all three of them.
Although rooted in reality and set in modern day, this musical could be described as a "modern fable" with elements of theater magic that will delight audiences of all ages. It's a crowd-pleasing piece that welcomes in friends, families, couples and even large groups for a great office outing or social event.
5. A Milwaukee Rep musical moves from town – to country
While Prelude to a Kiss a musical holds the traditional “fall musical” slot in Milwaukee Rep’s season, construction on the new Associated Bank Theater Center offers patrons a new theatergoing experience at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts in Brookfield.
Located approximately 30 minutes from Downtown Milwaukee and 15 minutes from Downtown Waukesha, the Wilson Center is located in the middle of beautiful Mitchell Park, a 400-acre green space that is home to bike trails, canoe piers and space for community events. It is also home to the Wilson Center’s Lynn Chappy ArtsPark, a vibrant outdoor sculpture garden that unites nature and art in inspiring ways.
Once inside the Wilson Center, you can enjoy a grand performance of Prelude to a Kiss a musical in The Harris Theater, which features comfortable seats with a close proximity to the stage, a state of the art sound system, a unique art installation inside the theater and a host of modern amenities.
With an abundance of free parking and a quick drive to many shops and restaurants at The Corners of Brookfield and other charming locations, it’s easy to plan a beautiful trip to the countryside while seeing Prelude to a Kiss a musical.
To learn more or purchase tickets to Prelude to a Kiss a musical click here.