Karen Olivo Directs FUGITIVE SONGS, Opening Tonight at University of Wisconsin-Madison

By: Jul. 17, 2015
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Tony winner Karen Olivo, who in 2013 decided to leave her New York City life behind for a new start in Wisconsin, is set to make her directorial debut with University of Wisconsin-Madison's University Theatre production of Fugitive Songs. The actress, who lent her voice to a recording of the show in 2012, currently teaches song interpretation at the school.

The production is set to run tonight, July 17, through July 26 at the Mitchell Theatre (821 University Avenue). Tickets are $16-23. For tickets and information, call 608-265-2787 or visit: www.theatre.wisc.edu.

Award-winning songwriters, Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen's Fugitive Songs is a 19-song journey across America, featuring a multi-ethnic ensemble (3 men, 3 women) between the ages of 20 and 40. This innovative song cycle, conceived as half-musical/half-hootenanny, spotlights people on the run: a disgruntled Subway sandwich employee, a jilted ex-cheerleader, a pair of Patty Hearst fanatics, a stoner forced to rob a convenience store against his will, and many others.

Blending traditional folk music with contemporary pop and gospel, Fugitive Songs offers a new sound for a restless America. This ecclectic score provides exceptional material for a wide range of experienced singers, and delivers poignant and thought-provoking lyrics that capture each character's "reasons to run."

On her new life in Wisconsin, Olivo told BroadwayWorld: "I definitely feel like jumping off of the treadmill, taking a look around, and realizing that I could take control of my life artistically has given me something that I didn't have before. I do think that stepping away and not being in the center of entertainment the way that New York makes you operate has re-inspired me. The joy is really there. Also, trying to work on content has given me a different perspective."

CLICK HERE to read BroadwayWorld's recent interview with Olivo.



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