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ONE Week away! Please Join us as we celebrate our sponsors of the 2020 An Advent Calendar of Carols!
A Sense of Adventure
Al Ringling Brewing Co.
Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce
Baraboo Burger Company
Bank of Wisconsin Dells
Baraboo Awning
Dental Associates
Corner Drug - Hometown Pharmacy
Kombat Boots
Get N Go Mobil
General Engineering Company
Hill-Dale Veterinary Clinic
Health Source Chiropractic
Johnsen Insurance
McReath Orthodontics
MBE CPAs
Pizza Ranch
Payroll Solutions (MBE Affiliate)
Pulse Fitness
Ski Hi Fruit Farm
Shamrock Hoof Care
Wisconsin River Title

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INTRODUCING OUR NEWEST LIFE TIME MEMBER:   
​MIKE POWERS

Mike Powers grew up in Baraboo and began his affiliation with Baraboo Theatre Guild in 1968, when he played in the BTG orchestra during his junior and senior years at Baraboo High School. His involvement spans 51 years, working on over 20 shows, mostly as a performer or music director, but also working backstage when needed. He even arranged a song, “I Love the Whole United States” that his wife's (Holly Powers) grandfather sang as the grand finale of one of BTG’s vaudeville shows.
 
Mike has also been involved in providing entertainment and fun for the annual Twelfth Night celebrations for BTG members. He played piano for showtune sing-a-longs starting in the 1970's with BTG stars like Margie Corrough, Lois Kivlin, Pat Brown and Tom Osbourne just to name a few!

In recent years, he has worked at dinner theater performances playing parts, ushering guests and waiting on tables.  Mike has always been that go-to team player, willing to pitch in anywhere needed with just the right thing! He has a voice that rings for miles and fingers that tickle the ivories like no other. 
 
Mike’s repertoire includes Oklahoma, 1968 (Orchestra), South Pacific -1969 (Orchestra), Take Me Along, 1971 (Orchestra), Annie Get Your Gun, 1972 (Orchestra), Anything Goes, 1974 (Billy), Unsinkable Molly Brown, 1975 (Music Director), Vaudeville, 1976 (Performed), My Fair Lady, 1976 (Music Director), Pirates of Penzance, 1978 (Frederic), Sound of Music, 1979 (Orchestra Director), Fiddler on the Roof, 1980 (Tevye), Pippin, 1981 (Pippin), Vaudeville, 1981 (Performed), BTG 50th year Medley, 1997 (Performed), 75th Anniversary Vaudeville, 2000 (Performed), Into the Woods, 2004 (Baker), Stingiest Man in Town, 2014 (Scrooge), Red Carpet Revue, 2016 (Performed), All Hands on Deck, 2017 (Performed)
 
​Mike truly is a worthy recipient of our Lifetime Member honor.

​A memoir by Mike Powers…
 
I grew up near Devil’s Lake, but as to my cultural sophistication, it might as well have been Timbuktu. Baraboo Theatre Guild, a relatively young troupe, was NOT on my radar in the slightest. But, one day in high school, Ron Smith, BHS band director, asked if I would like to play french horn in an orchestra for this thing called “Oklahoma”. I thought, “Well, this can’t go well.”

​Remember that old musical theater song that goes: “...Four weeks, you rehearse and rehearse. Three weeks, and it couldn’t be worse. One week, will it ever be right?” Well, that was my experience. All this smart-aleck high school kid could think was “sloppy, disorganized, no set, no lights, terrible singing, terrible acting - doesn’t stand a chance.” Then, as the songwriter says: “out o’ the hat, it’s that big first night!” I was never so shocked. Lights - wow, sets - wow, the singing was great, the actors were stars, and the orchestra sounded like Broadway. And we were even invited to the cast party - tinkling champagne glasses, caviar, and stars in my eyes. Magic. I was absolutely, utterly infected.
 
BTG began my lifelong obsession with musical theater. I’ve now seen hundreds of professional shows in New York, London, Chicago, and many more places. I’ve directed over three dozen musicals, done vocal and orchestral direction for many, acted and sung in chorus, minor, and major roles, and played in orchestras. Most important, I’ve had the opportunity to infect hundreds of high school students and community members with that same virus I got from the Baraboo Theater Guild. I’m not ancient, but I’m in the position of being there early on, watching the old guard pass the torch to my generation, being there as we passed it on to the next generation, and still seeing another generation in the wings ready to leap onstage.
 
Mike Powers

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Sponsor a show!

If you or your business are interested in sponsoring one of our shows, please contact us on Facebook Messenger for details or email us at producer@barabootheatreguild.org!
​ https://www.facebook.com/barabootheatreguild/

​Get Involved!

We would love for you to join us at our monthly meetings. They are held at the Baraboo Arts Building in Baraboo. The entrance is in the back of the building. Anyone is welcome!  

​Do you want to Direct or propose a future show?  CLICK HERE.