BALL Tackles Cancer with Heart and Humor

When Rice, MN, native Max Wojtanowicz was diagnosed with stage 3 testicular cancer in January 2016, a friend told him to "conquer it, and then sing about it." He accepted that challenge. Through storytelling and original songs about chemotherapy, community, and courage, Ball is a show about laughing (and singing) in the face of darkness when life throws you a curve... ball. Wojtanowicz's first solo performance effort is his fourth original musical with director Nikki Swoboda, in collaboration with composers Michael Gruber, Jason Hansen, and Andrew Cooke. Jerry Rubino will join Wojtanowicz at the piano.

The show, hailed as "charming, witty, moving, and thoroughly enjoyable" by the Star Tribune, was premiered by Wojtanowicz's company The Catalysts at the 2016 Minnesota Fringe Festival. It was met with critical acclaim and sold-out houses, ultimately becoming the second-best-selling show of 168 in the festival. Ball also marked the company's fifth consecutive year with a top-ten best-selling show in the Minnesota Fringe Festival, after 2012's Fruit Fly: The Musical, 2013's Shelly Bachberg Presents: How Helen Keller And Anne Frank Freed The Slaves,2014's A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant, and 2015's Shelly Bachberg Presents: Orange Is The New POTUS.

Ball will perform at the Underground Theatre (506 W Michigan St, Duluth) on October 7th and 8th at 7:30pm. Talkbacks will follow both performances. Tickets are available at http://duluthplayhouse.org/the-underground/.

ABOUT THE CATALYSTS - The Catalysts aim to develop, produce and present new and inventive musical theatre centered on social justice and the full scope of human potential. Their full-length version of Fruit Fly premiered to critical acclaim at the Illusion Theater in 2015. For more information, visit www.thecatalysts.org.