Parking Note: This production runs at the same time as another production nearby. Consult this parking map before you leave, and make sure to arrive early for drinks on the Union Terrace!
WORLD PREMIERE
A bunch of Gods you remember...and one you probably forgot.
August 16-24, 2019
Play Circle at the Memorial Union
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Nathan Fosbinder
Directed by Meghan Randolph
Music Direction and Orchestrations by Mark Wurzelbacher
Choreography by Hayley Mason
Tickets ($18-$33 plus $10 tickets for UW students) will be on sale starting July 1, 2019 through the Union Theater Box Office.
8/16-8/18 parking note: Langdon Street parking is blocked off for a marathon. Please consult the parking map above under the Hephaestus picture for an overview of available garages near the Union!
HEPHAESTUS is supported in part by the Frank Young Fund for New Musicals, a program of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre.
HEPHAESTUS is also sponsored by the Marcia Legere Distinguished Playwright Residency Fund of the University of Wisconsin-Madison
This project is supported by Dane Arts with additional funds from the Endres Mfg. Company Foundation, the Evjue Foundation Inc., the charitable arm of The Capital Times, the W. Jerome Frautschi Foundation, and the Pleasant T. Rowland Foundation.
"Not all Gods stay Gods."
Last summer, Music Theatre of Madison held a workshop production which showed a new musical in progress. Music Theatre of Madison took audience suggestions, enhanced the script and score, and now brings the full production of Hephaestus (heh-FEST-us), by Madison native Nathan Fosbinder, to the stage.
Hephaestus tells the story of the physically deformed, oft-forgotten Greek God of fire. Cast down to Earth by his mother, the jealous and powerful Hera, he reaches into his soul and identifies his strength as an artisan to win back his spot on Mount Olympus. Soaring contemporary music, beautiful costumes, and the Greek traditions of comedy and tragedy mesh together in this premiere that truly belongs to Madison.
Getting TIckets/Planning Your Visit
Running Time: Hephaestus runs 2 hours with one fifteen minute intermission.
Tickets: Tickets prices vary by date and age level. Use the chart below to see pricing. Tickets can be purchased in one of three ways:
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Order online (Available July 1. Fees apply)
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Call the Campus Arts Box Office at 608-265-ARTS (fees apply)
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Visit the box office at the Union (800 Langdon St.) during business hours or starting one hour before each performance (no fees).
Please note: Tickets purchased online or by phone include a $4.00 per ticket convenience fee paid the Wisconsin Union Theater (fees are not included in the chart below) This fee can be avoided by purchasing in person.
Box office services are provided through the Campus Arts Box Office at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Click here to see their hours and policies.
Hephaestus ticket prices (fees not included)
Parking: There are over 2500 parking spots within a five minute walk of the Union. Click here for complete information.
Please be advised that University Theatre's production of Evil Dead takes place at the same time as our production. Your best bet is to leave early and plan to make a night of it with drinks, dinner, and time on the beautiful Memorial Union Terrace!
Location: The Play Circle is located on the second floor of the Memorial Union. Enter through the doors at the corner of Park and Langdon Streets. The box office is on your left, past the information desk. The elevator to the second floor is on your right. The stairs just inside the door will take you to other parts of the building to enjoy dining and drinks before the performance. Click here for additional location information.
Pre and post show dining and entertainment: The Wisconsin Union is your one-stop location for entertainment on the night you attend a performance! In addition to housing great theatre, the Union is home to the Memorial Union Terrace, a local treasure where you can enjoy a stunning view of Lake Mendota, hear local bands, enjoy beer, wine, and snacks, and dance the night away. The Terrace will be open before and after performances of Hephaestus.
The Union has numerous casual dining options including standard American fare, pizza, custom sandwiches, coffee, ice cream, and full-service bars. You can even bring your drinks with you into the theatre!
Parental Advisory: Hephaestus contains a few moderately scary sequences but no swearing or violence. The subject matter is recommended for ages 10 and up, but depends very much on the child and what they can handle.
Content Advisory: There is a reference to a forced encounter between Zeus and Demeter. It is not literally depicted but spoken of and the actor playing Zeus does touch Demeter. The production also uses some blinking and moving lights and bright colors.
Photos by Julia Luebke (click to enlarge)
Show clips and interviews!
"Her Song" from Hephaestus performed by the composer at Boston Conservatory in 2016
The cast goes through all the wrong was to say "Hephaestus"...and contends with some unorthodox questions.
MTM's Hephaestus Caleb Mathura performs a clip of the same song in 2018. (Note some changes!)
About the writer:
Nathan Fosbinder grew up in Madison and graduated from La Follette High School. At age 14, he appeared in Music Theatre of Madison’s third production, The Sound of Music. Nathan is a graduate of the musical theatre program at the Boston Conservatory and holds an MFA in musical theatre composition from New York University, where he co-wrote the musical Heartbreak with Molly Reisman, directed by Kate Weatherhead and performed in concert at 54 Below in New York. Nathan’s regional writing premiere occurred in summer of 2017 with his Theatre for Young Audiences musical The Dancing Princesses, which was presented at Summer Theatre of New Canaan. At Boston Conservatory he wrote a musical adaptation of Holes and a semi-biographical play entitled What About Cal. He has appeared as a performer with Summer Theatre of New Canaan, Children’s Theater of Madison, Oregon Straw Hat Players, the Fireside Theatre, American Folklore Theatre, the Boston Conservatory, and numerous New York cabaret venues. Hephaestus received a workshop at Music Theatre of Madison in summer of 2018 and earned a National Alliance for Musical Theatre Production Grant in association with Music Theatre of Madison for the summer 2019 full production.
2019 production (updated frequently)
Backstage with Bruno video segment-Channel 3
Hephaestus heats up the Play Circle-Capital Times
Bringing An Imperfect God To Life-Wisconsin State Journal
The God Who Dared to be Different-Madison365
Hephaestus composer lives long process...-Madison Magazine
National Alliance for Musical Theatre interview with Meghan Randolph
Overture, Curtain, Lights! Isthmus Theatre Preview
2018 workshop production
Music Theatre of Madison shines a light on the odd god in Hephaestus-Footlights
Audience Participation-Isthmus
Turning the tables to judge a God-Madison Magazine
EXPLORE the story of Hephaestus and the other Gods (More links added frequently!)
7 Beautiful Facts About Aphrodite
Greek Gods and Goddesses website (Look up your favorite God or Goddess!)
Hephaestus or Vulcan? Artisan of the Gods
Dionysus, Masculinity, and the Return of Hepahestus-Ancient History Magaazine (a key part of the Hephaestus story
Hephaestus and How Brokenness Contributes to Creativity-The Creativity Post