THE GREAT THING FOR ME ABOUT PRODUCING AND DIRECTING HERE AT THE FIRESIDE IS THAT I GET TO DO SO MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF SHOWS EVERY SEASON. THE 2014 SEASON IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT. THIS SUMMER I’M REALLY EXCITED TO BE PRODUCING A TUNEFUL, FUN, COLORFUL MUSICAL REVUE GUARANTEED TO GET YOUR FEET TAPPING CALLED SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE.

It seemed high time that The Fireside – which has become so well known for its spectacular band shows and Christmas revues should finally present the longest running musical revue in Broadway history! Now I know there are some of you who are not familiar with SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE and if I were to tell you that it is a celebration of the music of one the most prolific and talented songwriting teams of all time – Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller – your response might very well be “Who the heck are Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller?”

In that case, I could tell you that Leiber and Stoller wrote songs for countless music stars including Elvis Presley, The Drifters, The Dixie Cups, Jay and the Americans, and Peggy Lee; were inducted in the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame; have their own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; won numerous Grammy awards; sold millions of records; and

helped bring rhythm and blues into the mainstream of American music.

It would be a lot easier to just mention a few of their countless hit songs like “There Goes My Baby,” “Love Potion No. 9,” “Hound Dog,” “Kansas City,” “Yakety Yak,” “’Cause I’m a Woman”, “Poison Ivy” “Charlie Brown” “Stand By Me” “Jailhouse Rock” and “On Broadway”. SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE features all these great tunes and 28 others as well - performed by a sparkling cast of nine fabulous singers and dancers.

Is it any wonder that I can’t wait to put on this unforgettable hit show that has performed to sold out houses around the world? Believe me when I tell you that this is a show you do not want to miss!

P2 P3 RETIRED TRAVEL PLANNER VOLUNTEERS HER EXPERTISE P4 MANAGERS

BEHIND THE SCENES

SEASON | YEAR

Women’s HealthC L I N I C

A N E W S L E T T E R D E D I C AT E D T O G R O U P S , O R G A N I Z AT I O N S A N D F R I E N D S O F T H E F I R E S I D E T H E AT R E

“ Believe me when I tell you that this is a show you do not want to miss!”

– Ed Flesch, Artistic Director

MARCH 2014

GET READY FOR A SUMMER OF ROCK & ROLL P7 OF BIRDS

AND FAIRY GARDENS

This Summer’s Must-See For Music Lovers

There’s a reason that 1950’s music is just as popular today as it was when it was new - all of us baby boomers love it and so does everyone else!

Having met in California while writing blues music for artists, Leiber and Stoller were still only 20 when “Hound Dog” became one of the hottest-selling songs of 1953 in a version by Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton. When Elvis Presley recorded it in 1956 it became the epitome of a rock and roll hit and they went on to write 20 more hits for the King of Rock & Roll.

Known as the most successful songwriting team in popular music from the mid 50’s to the mid 60’s, they also wrote hits for The Coasters, The Clovers, The Dixie Cups and The Shangri-Las. Later on into the 60’s they delivered hits to The Monkees and Peggy Lee as well.

Given the natural theatricality of their songs it was only a matter of time before someone drew their material together into a successful stage show. The result, SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE, is a revue in the truest sense of the word with no storyline or dialogue. It’s all about the music with everything from novelty songs like “Charlie Brown” to romantic ballads like “Spanish Harlem” and infectious melodies like “There Goes My Baby.” After a Los Angeles premier, the revue opened on Broadway in 1995 and ran for 2,036 performances making it the longest-running musical revue in Broadway history. The original cast album won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album in 1996.

The New York Times claims, “Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller are the Rodgers and Hammerstein of rock ‘n’ roll!” The New York Daily News calls SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE “wildly infectious.” We just know it’s going to be a fabulous good time and hope you’re all here to share in the fun!

JERRY LEIBER AND MIKE STOLLER, AS MUCH AS ANYONE, VIRTUALLY INVENTED ROCK ‘N’ ROLL, AND NOW THEIR SONGS PROVIDE THE BASIS FOR AN ELECTRIFYING SHOW THAT ILLUMINATES THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICAN CULTURE. IN AN IDEALIZED 1950’S SETTING, THEY EXPLORE THE CLASSIC THEMES OF LOVE WON, LOST AND IMAGINED BY SHOWCASING NEARLY 40 OF THE GREATEST SONGS EVER RECORDED. SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE ISN’T JUST GREAT POP MUSIC - IT’S COMPELLING MUSICAL THEATRE.

Hospitality never goes out of style!

AFTER MANAGING A BANK TRAVEL PROGRAM FOR MANY YEARS, KATHY HEYROTH NOW PLANS TRAVEL FOR THE BROWN COUNTY WOMEN’S CLUB.

Throughout the 1990’s for over 11 years, Kathy Heyroth planned and escorted tours for Valley Bank, which became M & I Bank, out of the Green Bay area. The Fireside was a regular trip for them and we came to know and love her well because she was always so much fun to work with. When the bank moved the travel program to their Milwaukee offices, Kathy took an early retirement and we missed her greatly!

Now for the past four years she’s been bringing groups through her new position as tour and fellowship chair for the Brown County Community Women’s Club. The BCCWC is a philanthropic group that raises funds for charitable organizations in the community “while promoting social and personal growth to its members.” In other words, they have a lot of fun while doing really great things for their community!

Established in 2008 by 13 dedicated women, they now have 250 members, logged over 8,000 volunteer hours last year, and have given nearly $140,000 to Brown County charities since 2008. Operating under the theory that “If everyone does a little, no one has to do a lot” they really have a great thing going! They have regular meetings with speakers and entertainment and hope to include

having Jean Flynn there for a Fireside Chat sometime this year. (Jean probably counts as both speaker and entertainment!) Two of their biggest fund-raisers are the Spring and Fall Card and Game Day events. It’s a full day of fun and fellowship complete with a served lunch, silent auction, raffle baskets, a 50/50 raffle, and door prizes.

Some of the upcoming trips Kathy has planned include a mystery trip, two days in Chicago, three days in Galena and Dubuque, and six days to the Great Smoky Mountains. She does use a tour company for help with the arrangements. Just back from a trip to SOLID GOLD 60’S which the group really loved, they’ll also be seeing The Fireside’s productions of SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE and MARY POPPINS. She’s trying that one as a grandparent tour.

The women’s club is a different market than the bank group was so she’s working on educating a new clientele about our product. Husbands and friends are always welcome and often when someone brings a friend along they get a new member for the club as well so it seems to be a win-win for both of us. “New people just don’t know what they’ve been missing,” says Kathy. “You people wrote the book on hospitality!” We also know how much fun she is to

travel with. Back in 1993 she escorted her trip to NUNSENSE dressed in a nun’s habit to get everyone in the mood!

Kathy was married one day shy of 56 years when her husband passed away last June. Her son and his wife live in Pewaukee and she’s a proud “Nana” to their 10 year old son, who already believes that The Fireside is the best theatre in the world - smart boy! He helped her adopt a cat last summer and recently taught her everything she needed to know about her new iPad.

Certainly not one to sit still for long, Kathy’s work with the Women’s Club is both fun and rewarding. When we caught up with her for this interview she was just a few days into a two week rehab period from a knee replacement and was itching to get back home so she could check messages and stay on top of all of her activities.

Kathy’s work with the Brown County Community Women’s Club has been a labor of love. “I’ve met so many wonderful people and had some great experiences. This is a terrific organization that’s doing a lot of good work for the community. The fact that we can travel and play together and have so much fun while we’re at it is just the best partnership there is!”

“You people wrote the book on hospitality.”– Kathy Heyroth

GROUP LEADER PROFILE

AFTER MAFTER M

Learning from each other

A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES

We know that our guests are always very well taken care of by our “front of house” staff that includes box office, gift shop and restaurant associates but it is unfortunate that most of our guests won’t ever have the pleasure of meeting this truly “behind the scenes” manager. Marsha Hopmann (pictured above receiving her award for 30 years of service in 2009) has been with The Fireside since 1979 and is a valuable member of the management team, quietly tucked away in our accounting office.

Marsha graduated from Lakeside Lutheran High School and after six years of factory work decided to take a one year business course at the local vocational school. That got her a job with a real estate appraiser who also ran an answering service. One of their clients was The Fireside (back in the days before the theatre was added) and throughout the week

she took dinner reservations for us by phone. Jane Wolfram, our former chef’s wife, would call each day to get the reserva t ions and give Marsha limits as to what times were still available. Once we opened the theatre Marsha was offered a part time job

with the box office and also worked as a house manager on Thursdayevenings. When the real estate appraiser retired, she continued to work for him part time but accepted an offer to join The Fireside family full time. It was a small box office crew of seven ladies but they had a great time together and became fast friends as they watched The Fireside continue to grow.

Not longer after, our bookkeeper took a different position and Dick Klopcic asked Marsha if she would be willing to give that a try. She was hesitant, but they assured her she could go back to the box office if she didn’t like it and that Rick would teach her everything she needed to know. Well Rick truly did teacher her everything and she’s been doing it ever since.

What keeps an employee at the same job for 35 years? “The family has been

so wonderful to work for, you couldn’t find a nicer boss,” Marsha remarked. “I love going to work - every day is a new adventure! I also love being part of the great experience we provide for our guests. The shows and the Christian Concerts are so uplifting and I admire the family’s values and their generosity.”

“Those early years with Dick were very special. He ran a tight ship but we had a lot of fun, too and I learned so much from him,” said Marsha. “He had so many great ideas and always seemed to know what the customers would like. I always looked forward to each year’s announcement of what shows we would have for the new season. He was both great to work for and great to work with. We still work with many of the same vendors we had from the beginning like Neesvig’s Meats that recently celebrated their 100th Anniversary with a corporate party at The Fireside, other top restaurant suppliers and of course our bankers.” Seeing Rick take charge and continue the legacy has been great and now to be working with his son, Ryan really makes her realize she’s been at this a long time!

Outside the office Marsha enjoys spending time with her extended family and friends, dining out, shopping and just enjoying life. “I’ve worked with so many great people here over the years. Some have moved on and yet we’ve remained close friends. It’s been a wonderful career. I’m honored and proud to be a member of The Fireside family!”

One of the best Fireside managers you’ll probably never meet.

ENTERTAINMENT TIPS & NEWS

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Although I am not Irish, Jean is, and I believe that everyone has a bit o’the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Either way, we are very lucky as spring is almost here! This winter has been unbelievable – not only in Wisconsin but across the country!

Talking about luck, you and your groups will be very lucky if you are booked to see SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE. If you were lucky enough (see the theme here!) to see SOLID GOLD 60’s and had a great time, you will love this show as well. Although we will not have the live band here for this show, you will be hearing some of the biggest hit songs from the decades of the 50’s and 60’s performed by our very talented cast of singers. And you know that Ed Flesch, our Artistic Director, chooses the most talented up and coming performers from New York and Chicago, as we are the only Equity Dinner Theatre in the State of Wisconsin.

This musical revue, without dialogue, has 39 fabulous hits written by songwriters Leiber and Stoller. The show covers great music of the popular rock and roll and rhythm and blues genres including such songs as “Charlie Brown,” “Hound Dog,” “Yakety Yak,” “ Fools Fall In Love,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Love Potion #9” and so many more. In 1996, a Grammy was awarded for the Original Broadway cast recording of “Smokey Joe’s Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller.” This show is a wonderful tribute to these two songwriters resulting in a swinging great time for you!

If you haven’t booked yet for SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE, guest what? You are in LUCK!! We still have some good seats available so give Group Sales a call and we will be happy to assist you in joining us for this fantastic musical revue.

One more thing, and very sincerely, we feel so lucky to have had your support over the years and invite you to join us during 2014 to help us celebrate our 50th Anniversary. To celebrate the year we are having weekly prize drawings so maybe you or one of your travelers will be a lucky prize winner!

I look forward to seeing you soon.

with Chef Mike

Inside theKitchen

It’s hard to believe the year’s going by so fast that it’s time to talk about our 5th show already. SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE runs in July and August when most of our over-the-road tours visit Wisconsin and they usually choose Thursday night when we run our Signature Buffet. No matter when you’re here, there are a few “signature” items that remain on the menu throughout the year -- our famous Sweet Potato Souffle, Beer Battered Cod, Shrimp and Scallops with Fusilli Pasta in a Tomato Butter Sauce, Barbequed Pork Back Ribs, Chicken Kona Kai, and chef-carved Roast Beef Tenderloin. We’ve tried taking some of those off from time to time but our customers just won’t let us!

In addition to the signature items, I introduce a few more for each show to give you a chance to experience some new flavors and textures. Among the new items we’ve tried so far this season are Polenta, Mediterranean Chicken, and Roasted Vegetable Lasagne. We use only the finest and freshest ingredients and often make use of in-season items. We also make sure that the food on the buffet line itself is fresh and hot for every guest.

The challenge for me between now and when you visit us for SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE is to create a few more new items for you to enjoy that are both spectacular and flavorful. Yumm!

Executive Chef

MEET WITH JACKIE!

Jackie Brisko Director of Audience Development

Here are a few of the shows I’ll be attending this year. I’d love to visit with you about working The Fireside into your Midwest travel plans!

Jean’s Corner of the World

GROUP TRAVEL TIPS & NEWS

For personal help with any of your bookings, call me at 800-477-9505 or email jean@firesidetheatre.com.

Be sure to return your order form to request artwork, flyers and sign-up sheets for your bookings or find the form on the “Groups” page of our web site.

EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

FIRESIDE ADDS SIX FRIDAY PERFORMANCES FOR A FIRESIDE CHRISTMAS 2014!

That’s right - matinees and evening shows have been added for December 5, 12 and 19 this year to help meet the demand for tickets. The matinee will offer Chicken Piccata, the same featured menu you’d enjoy on Wednesday or Thursday, and the evening guests will have the choice of the Chicken Piccata or our award-winning Friday Night Fish Fry. For complete details on the Friday evening menu just give us a call or look online at www.firesidetheatre.com. Don’t miss this chance to get great seats for a December performance of our most popular show!

Group Sales Manager

Visiting The Fireside is all about traditions - annual visits for Christmas, the Klopcic tradition of great hospitality now in its third generation, and being that place you go to enjoy the classic Broadway musicals! Take FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, for example - Tevye seeks balance between his traditions and his family. It was an important topic when the story takes place in Tsarist Russia in 1905, still relevant when the Broadway musical first opened in 1964, and it remains so today for families around the globe. It’s the kind of show you can see again and again and still be moved by it, and the kind of show meant to be shared with the next generation. We’d love to have you join us!

The Special 50th Anniversary Group Leader Party and Recognition event will be held on May 17th with arrival time at 10:00 a.m. Invitations will be prepared based on your bookings for 2013! Exciting things in the works for that day - can’t spoil the surprise just yet, though!

If you and your groups have enjoyed any of our live band revues featuring the great music of the 50’s and 60’s then SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE is a must-see for you. If you love rock ‘n’ roll and haven’t seen a band show - what were you

thinking? You can recover nicely by booking now for SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE. “Hound Dog,” “Yackety Yak,” “Love Potion #9,” and about three dozen more hits all by the great writing team of Leiber and Stoller. It’s fun in the summertime from July 24 - August 31. Call me!

IT SEEMS EVERYONE’S LOOKING FORWARD TO SUMMER JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE THIS YEAR AFTER THE WINTER WE’VE HAD BOTH HERE IN WISCONSIN AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY! ENJOYING THE BEAUTY OF THE OUTDOORS CAN WARM YOUR HEART AND EVEN SOMETHING AS SMALL AS A BIRD RESTING ON YOUR FEEDER CAN BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE. THE FIRESIDE’S GARDEN SHOP IS FILLED WITH WAYS TO BRIGHTEN UP YOUR HOME AND GARDEN THIS SUMMER!

Summer . . . a time for birds and fairy gardens!

VISIT OUR GIFT SHOPS

These beautiful glass bird baths can be used in a variety of ways all year long. Choose a pedestal for the birds, an easel for display, or - because they’re food safe - select a small stand and use them at gatherings filled with your favorite party recipe or even a bowl of chips. The colorful designs are simply stunning and sure to dress up any buffet.

Bird feeders come in a big variety of shapes, styles and colors and can hang from trees or special posts that you can put just about anywhere. Hang them over your flower beds and the birds are sure to visit.

Fairy gardens are the newest trend in gardening and a perfect activity for people who love to garden but don’t have either the room or the energy to take on a large area. These adorable miniature gardens can be built into a pot, on a stump, on a patio, or even inside. They’re fun to create with children, too - just let your imagination soar with all sorts of great accessories!

SAVE NOW! CALL 800-477-9505 WWW.FIRESIDETHEATRE.COM

Visit early to get the best discount!

SMOKEY JOE’S CAFEFeatured Menu July 24 - August 31, 2014

Served Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday Matinees, Saturday Evening and Sunday Midday

Antipasto SaladTri-colored Rigatoni Pasta, Bouquetierre of Farm Fresh Vegetables, Julienne of

Thueringer and Mortadella Sausage, and Danish Havarti Cheese tossed inBlush Wine Vinaigrette Dressing.

Freshly Baked Breads from The Fireside Ovens

Chicken and RibsThe Fireside’s favorite duet, Lean Pork Back Ribs glazed with our Special Barbecue Sauce, slowly roasted until the tender meat falls from the bone. Accompanied by our

Buttermilk Marinated Southern Fried Baked Fresh Breast of Chicken. Served with a Baked Idaho Potato stuffed with Steamed Broccoli Buds in a Monterey Jack Cheese Sauce.

Lemon Ice Cream PieOur House Made Lemon Custard in a Pecan Meringue Crust with

Fresh Strawberry Sauce and Whipped Cream.

Coffee, Tea and Milk

THE FIRESIDE, INC.1131 JANESVILLE AVENUEP.O. BOX 7FORT ATKINSON, WI 53538 MARCH 2014

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDTHE FIRESIDE

THE FIRESIDE, INC.1131 JANESVILLE AVENUEP.O. BOX 7FORFORT AT ATKITKIINSONSONSOSSS N,NN,N,N, WIWWI 5355355353888838

• In addition to the Featured Menu, try our Sunday Brunch, Thursday Evening Signature Buffet or five course dinner on Saturday nights.

• Groups of 18 or more are $65.95 (Sat. Evening $69.95) plus tax.

• Save an additional $3.00 per person when you book a performance from July 24 - August 17, 2014.

• Ask about our New Incentives for Wednesday & Thursday matinees.

• Arrive at 10:30 a.m. for Matinees, 2:30 p.m. for Sunday Midday and 5:00 p.m. for Thursday and Saturday Evenings.

• See complete show listings online.