Wildcat Theatre Follies Sept. 4-6

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will host its annual Wildcat Theatre Follies Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 4-6, in the Panowski Black Box Theatre. The event will showcase a variety of creative performances by freshmen and sophomores in the program, including songs, scenes, monologues and dance pieces.

The show will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, with an additional 1 p.m. Theater for All sensory-friendly matinee on Saturday.

"This is great way to introduce students to the community and their colleagues right away and hit the ground running so they are prepared for the rest of the season and understand how rehearsals work for this department," said Kaitlyn Frotton, who is directing the show with Kristen Ludwig. "The sophomores are given an opportunity to mentor the freshmen, providing them with fast friends they can look up to and who will help guide them through their first year and set them up for success for the rest of their career here."

This year, NMU Theatre and Dance held a bootcamp for incoming freshmen, inviting them to campus a week early to start rehearsals.

"This way, they can start building their friendships before their classes even begin, and get a good handle on the show material before having to worry about class requirements," she added. "It's a fast and furious rehearsal process for this showcase with the limited lead time we have to work with."

An opening night party will take place following the Thursday performance, featuring complimentary appetizers and beverages and the opportunity to meet the cast and crew.

Tickets to the Wildcat Theatre Follies are $25 for the general public, $22 for NMU staff, seniors and military, $15 for youth, and $5 for NMU students. They can be purchased in advance at NMU ticket outlets in the Superior Dome or Bookstore, or online at nmu.universitytickets.com.