Mad Cow Theatre is busy “Bringing Home the Herd” as its new online series is titled. The subtitle gives a clue to the variety of entertainment offered: “Cabarets, comedies and captivating tales.”
The series, which also features a reunion of cast members from the Orlando theater’s hit 2016 production of “Avenue Q,” begins Jan. 21 with “Fur Load,” stories and songs from folks who have made magic in the local theme parks.
“Bringing Home the Herd” was devised toward the end of 2020, when it became apparent the coronavirus pandemic was sticking around longer than expected.
“Many of us thought ‘we’ll go home for a few weeks or months and then be back up and running,’ ” said Mitzi Maxwell, the theater’s executive director. “And then in late summer, that hope faded away.”
The idea was to re-create the sense of community shared by the theater’s fans in an online environment, so the programming represents different facets of Mad Cow. Its cabarets are reflected in “All You Need Is Love: A Valentine Cabaret,” which premieres Feb. 1 and will showcase music of the ’20s — the 1920s and the 2020s.
Full-length plays are represented by “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” a madcap Sherlock Holmes-inspired comedy in which three actors play all the show’s characters. That premieres March 15.
Mad Cow’s interest in language and playwriting comes to the fore in two programs. On April 15, performers will read works of poetry. “How to Start to Write” on June 15 will feature playwright Arlene Hutton (“Last Train to Nibroc,” which Mad Cow staged last year) helping viewers unlock their creativity.
Other programs look at African influences on American music, serve up barbershop-style harmony and tell bedtime stories for children and adults. Each program is available for 30 days after its debut, and the series runs through July.
More than 50 actors are involved in the project, and the cast list is a who’s who of names familiar to Orlando theatergoers. Among them: Hannah Laird, Sonia Roman, Faith Boles, Tommy Keesling, Shonn McCloud, Brett Waldon, Philip Nolen, Desiree Montes, Ame Livingston, Michael Swickard, Bert Rodriguez and David Almeida.
“There are a lot of people who have been working in the parks,” said Maxwell, adding the project has meant work for many who have lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. “We’ve been putting this together during a time of great sadness for performing artists.”
For the “Avenue Q” reunion, cast members who have left Orlando will be participating from as far away as New Zealand and Japan. The program, set for May 15, will feature songs from the show and stories from the production.
Maxwell thinks even as theaters return to in-person shows, online productions won’t go away — in part because audiences like the convenience and flexibility.
“There are some who love it because, otherwise, they’d never see anything,” Maxwell said.
The theater also has increased the scope of its audience by putting performances online.
“We see the people from California or Washington or Chicago that are trying it,” she said. “Before this, they would never have seen anything from Mad Cow.”
‘Bringing the Herd Home’
What & When: A series of online performances stretching from January through July
Cost: $20 per show; or $99 for a one- or two-person household to watch all 12 programs; $149 for a household of 3 or more
Info: madcowtheatre.com
Find me on Twitter @matt_on_arts or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Want more news of theater and other arts? Go to OrlandoSentinel.com/arts
