IN 1999 A SHOW OPENED IN LONDON THAT USHERED IN A NEW GENRE OF MUSICAL THEATRE. THE SHOW WAS MAMMA MIA AND THE GENRE WAS THE JUKE BOX MUSICAL. A JUKE BOX MUSICAL IS A SHOW THAT USES ALREADY WELL KNOWN MUSIC OF A SINGLE ARTIST OR A PERIOD AND INTERSPERSES IT WITH AN ORIGINAL STORY. BEFORE MAMMA MIA THERE HAD BEEN SHOWS THAT USED POPULAR MUSIC BUT THEY WERE MOSTLY REVUES WITH NO PLOT OR A BIOGRAPHICAL TRIBUTE TO A SINGLE ARTIST. BUT MAMMA MIA WAS AN ORIGINAL PLOT THAT USED THE MUSIC OF THE BAND ABBA TO HELP TELL THE STORY.

P2 P3 TRACY JESKE, FROM TEMPORARY HELP TO COMPANY PRESIDENT P4 MANAGING THE

FIRESIDE’S BUSY RESTAURANT

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

“Every once in a while it’s good to just forget all the problems and cares of our daily lives and enjoy some foot stompin’ music and laugh ‘til it hurts.”

– Ed Flesch, Artistic Director

JANUARY 2015

ANOTHER FIRESIDE PREMIER! P7 “ELVIS”

IS IN THE BUILDING!

A Feel-Good Musical Romp With Elvis!

After MAMMA MIA opened there were a slew of juke box musicals – some were successful like JERSEY BOYS and some were big flops like LENNON or GOOD VIBRATIONS.

One particular juke box musical opened on Broadway in 2004. It combined the music of Elvis Presley and the story telling of William Shakespeare. It had a short run on Broadway but theatres all over the country started producing it and it has become one of the most popular of all the juke box musicals. And for good reason. Now The Fireside is presenting our own brand new production of ALL SHOOK UP.

ALL SHOOK UP is a fun-filled musical comedy that takes place in a small town in the 1950’s. The town is an unhappy place filled with all sorts of restrictive

laws. But then a motorcycling, guitar-playing, leather-jacketed roustabout comes to town and changes everything for the better. The plot is loosely based on one of Shakespeare’s most beloved and hilarious comedies TWELFTH NIGHT and the songs are all pure Elvis!

It’s one of those shows that is just plain fun and I’m excited to have the chance to put it on our stage. Every once in a while it’s good to just forget all the problems and the cares of our daily lives and enjoy some foot stompin’ music, and laugh ‘til it hurts. I know you are going to be thoroughly entertained and delighted by this feel good musical romp.

ALL SHOOK UP, the jukebox musical by Joe Dipietro, was inspired by and features the songs of Elvis Presley. The press material from Theatrical Rights Worldwide says, “Into a square little town in a square little state rides a guitar-playing roustabout who changes everything and everyone he meets in this hip-swiveling, lip-curling

musical fantasy that’ll have you jumpin’ out of your blue suede shoes with such classics as ‘Heartbreak Hotel,’ ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ and ‘Don’t Be Cruel.’”

Variety calls it “A bouyantly energetic confection . . . orchestrations breathe new life into the original Elvis tunes in arrangements that swing between Broadway brass and cool contempo-retro . . . Breezing along for the toe-tapping ride proves irresistible.”

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had this to say: ”If the purpose of musical theater is to leave the audience smiling and humming a

tune . . . ALL SHOOK UP . . . is a smashing success. It is so much fun.”

Ryan and I checked out the show at another theatre last year before selecting it for our 2015 season and we also thought it was a lot of fun. Clean, wholesome, All-American fun that we’re sure you’ll enjoy with a good story and music you already know and love. We’re pleased to offer ALL SHOOK UP as one of four Fireside premieres this year along with THE WIZARD OF OZ, GUYS ON ICE and A WONDERFUL LIFE - The Musical.

As we begin our 51st year I’d like to thank you again for your support of The Fireside throughout the years and especially last season as we celebrated our 50th Anniversary. We continue to strive for excellence in all aspects of your visit and hope that we will continue to be “more than you’d ever expect!”

ELVIS PRESLEY’S IMMORTAL LEGACY WAS BORN FROM HIS UNMISTAKABLE VOICE, CHARISMATIC SHOWMANSHIP, AND REVOLUTIONARY FUSION OF COUNTRY, BLUES, GOSPEL, AND R&B MUSIC. HE IS THE BEST-SELLING SOLO ARTIST IN THE HISTORY OF POPULAR MUSIC. ELVIS TRULY IS THE KING OF ROCK & ROLL. WHILE ALL SHOOK UP ISN’T TECHNICALLY ABOUT ELVIS PRESLEY, IS IT ALL ABOUT HIS MUSIC!

Hospitality never goes out of style!

TRACY JESKE, PRESIDENT OF PERSONALIZED TOURS, WALDO, WISCONSIN LEADS TOURS TO THE FIRESIDE AND AROUND THE GLOBE.

Gloria Jeske opened Personalized Tours in 1987. Two years later her daughter Tracy, a recent college graduate with a Liberal Arts degree and a minor in Sales and Marketing, left a job because it required travel which didn’t work well while raising two young boys. To fill the time as she looked for another opportunity, Tracy agreed to help her mother in her travel company office “temporarily” and ended up taking over the business 24 years later.

Based out of Waldo, WI, Tracy travels about 200 days a year, escorting most of her over-the-road and international tours and some one-day trips while other escorts handle most of the day trips and casino runs. She also plans the tours and runs the business. On the day we visited with Tracy, she was with a group in Orlando on a long weekend where the participants would get to choose which park to visit and Tracy would get to do some property inspections in the area. She can do a lot of work on the road but also relies on word of mouth and recommendations from colleagues in the business to make sure properties will meet her high standards.

Tracy’s very first escorting trip was to The Fireside. Her initial reaction was, “I’m NOT going to get on the bus with people I don’t know - what will I say to them?” Her

mother convinced her it would be easy, told her what to expect, and said just be sure to count them for the ride home. She had a great time and her next trip was 14 days in New England. Seems she was something of a natural at it!

In addition to the travel business which she owns by herself, Tracy is a partner in the charter side of the business with her father and brother. Back in 1999, her brother the accountant felt they should stop chartering coaches for the travel business and buy their own so her Dad, who at the time was driving for the company they chartered from came on board and started driving for them. They’ve added three more coaches over the years and the newest one is equipped with WiFi and has power outlets and USB ports at each seat! The leg room is better than the airlines and there’s even a galley in back for serving. Her main driver is still her Dad.

About 80% of Tracy’s business comes from the general public. The rest is from area senior centers that wouldn’t have enough people on their own to charter a full coach. Small groups from Hartford, Germantown, Mequon and Thiensville as well as some area Red Hat clubs are very loyal. She also brings groups from her alma mater, Concordia University.

The challenge for today’s travel companies as Tracy sees it is marketing to the Baby Boomer. She’s had some success with Grandparent and Mother/Daughter tours that gets that 50-something customer on the coach so they can see just how nice it is to travel with a group and not have to do the driving themselves. It’s just as much about the journey as it is the destination.

What’s the best thing about owning a travel company? “The people,” Tracy was quick to reply. “I have a great following. Some of my customers were guests at my wedding, I know their grandchildren since they’ve been traveling with me for 25 years. It’s like a big family reunion every time we get together.” She also said it’s never boring. No two days are the same. While she admits you’ll “never be a millionaire,” she’s convinced that if you love what you do people will want to travel with you and you will be successful. “It’s a great feeling at the end of a tour when that last person gets off the motorcoach and says they had a great time. That makes it all worth it!”

A year from now Tracy will be leading a tour to Antarctica. After that she will have traveled to all seven continents. She definitely knows what to say to people now and we’re thrilled that she keeps coming back to The Fireside!

“If you love what you do, you will be successful!”

– Tracy Jeske

GROUP LEADER PROFILE

Learningfrom each other

A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES

Restaurant Manager Wendy Janecek is a familiar face to all of our group leaders, tour operators, corporate planners, season ticket holders, regular patrons, and just about everyone who visits The Fireside. She is often the friendly face that assigns your table and at some performances introduces the show which includes recognizing each group and where they’re from along with naming those guests celebrating birthdays and anniversaries with us. She has served The Fireside in this capacity since 2009 but has been here much longer than that.

Wendy grew up in Fort Atkinson and remembers her first visit at the age of eight, sitting in the front row of the theatre with her mother and sisters to see FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. When she was 16, her sister (who already worked here along with an older brother) brought home an application and said, “Fill this out, you have an interview on Saturday.” Twenty eight

years later she’s the Restaurant Manager we all know and love!

First hired as a bus girl, she transitioned to server once she was 18 and continued to work part time through college both as a server and a bartender. Wendy graduated in December 1992 with degrees in History and English, certified in Secondary Education. Teaching jobs were scarce and business at The Fireside was booming. She was also planning a January 1993 wedding to her husband, Jeff whom she met when they were both on the bus staff and is now our Bar Manager (more on him in our next issue) so she didn’t worry about finding a teaching job right away.

As time went on Wendy was promoted to Assistant Manager and while she kept her teaching certificate active for several years once she and Jeff began planning a family she eventually just set that idea aside. She still does a fair amount of teaching, training and developing the wait staff to The Fireside’s high standards and promoting some to assistant manager status.

As The Fireside’s Restaurant Manager, Wendy is much more than the person who greets you as you enter the dining room. She supervises a staff of about 100 (including her mother, aunt and two nieces), schedules the wait staff and assigns their sections for each shift, coordinates menu substitutions between the box office and the kitchen for guests that have special needs due to diet or allergy concerns, directs the guest services staff, gives the welcome speech in the theatre several times a week, and “puts out fires” as needed.

She continues to enjoy the challenges and really enjoys the other managers she works with. “We have a great team,” she remarked. She also enjoys helping with

the menus and how dinners are described on our printed literature. The would-be English teacher in her is a big help when it comes to language and proof-reading.

Wendy feels that what sets The Fireside apart from other dinner theatres or restaurants is the way we take care of our guests, especially those with special needs. Also, the sheer volume of guests served in a short period of time is something you don’t see anywhere else. “There are many days we’re serving 700 people in 2.5 hours,” she said. “It can get pretty busy on a Saturday night when everyone’s having a five course dinner served upon their arrival and at their pace. From the back end it might look crazy but from the customer’s end we want it to look like everything’s focused just on them and providing them a memorable and delicious dining experience.” As Rick Klopcic taught her, we are in the business of making memories.

When not at work, Wendy enjoys reading, running, camping, and spending time with Jeff and their children, ages eight and ten. This summer they surprised the kids with a trip to Disney World and made themselves some wonderful memories there.

If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting Wendy, be sure to introduce yourself next time you’re here. You’ll see why her friendly manner, calm demeanor, efficiency and intelligence make this one-time bus girl a terrific manager for one of Wisconsin’s busiest and best restaurants!

Wendy Janecek - From Bus Girl to Restaurant Manager!

ENTERTAINMENT TIPS & NEWS

Happy New Year! When you receive this copy of The Flame we will be just a few days away from starting our 38th theatre season with our fabulous live band revue THE SENSATIONAL 70’S on January 8th. The next day I will be on my way to the ABA Conference in St. Louis, Missouri and look forward to meeting with many of you.

As we start the New Year, making plans for travel and fun, I also know that you are waiting to hear the date for the 2015 Annual Group Leader Party. I am happy to announce that it will be Saturday, April 25, the opening weekend of ALL SHOOK UP, which is what you will be seeing that day if you qualified to be invited. Remember, you must have attended at least two shows in 2014 with 41 people on each trip. Many of you did help us celebrate our 50th Anniversary by bringing your group(s) multiple times (we had such a great lineup of shows) so we are hoping many of you will be able to join us.

with Chef Mike

Inside theKitchen

The featured menu for ALL SHOOK UP is one of our most popular - Chicken and Ribs. Everyone raves about how tender and flavorful our Barbecued Ribs are! They’re accompanied by our Signature Salad with the Papaya Chutney Dressing, our Buttermilk Marinated Fresh Chicken Breast, Idaho Potato stuffed Broccoli and Cheese and a Corn Bread Muffin. Now that’s a 3- course dinner sure to fill you up.

Did you know, however, that if you visit The Fireside on a Saturday night that you’re treated to a 5-course dinner? On Saturday nights we start you off with Appetizers and Soup before you even get to the Signature Salad. Really!

For THE SENSATIONAL 70’S - we’re even getting crazier than that. Using our new cloverleaf ramekins we’ll be serving three appetizers with our mini Corn Croustade Baskets. These little cups are about the size of your thumb, half an inch tall, tasty and crisp and ready to fill with a spoonful of flavor and pop in your mouth. We’ll have a Cucumber and Cream Cheese Pate, Traditional Bruschetta with Diced Roma Tomatoes and Fresh Basil, and Jones Cherry Wood Smoked Ham and Canadian Bacon Pate. Each show features a different appetizer and two choices of soup. Maybe your group should give Saturday night a try! Yummm!!

Executive Chef

Jackie Brisko Director of Audience Development

We are just starting to work on the details for the Annual Group Leader Party so watch future issues of The Flame for more updates. As always, we are planning some fun with photos, a wonderful and memorable menu from our incredible chefs and of course some of the great hits of Elvis Presley, which are highlighted in ALL SHOOK UP. No, Elvis is not in the show but the story is based around a character who has a striking resemblance to the King of rock and roll. It’s an award-winning musical comedy that will turn a quiet little town upside down with hilarious laughs, some romance, great dances and of course some classic Elvis hits like “Jailhouse Rock,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Hound Dog,” “Burning Love” and many more. It’s a show you won’t want your group(s) to miss so please call Group Sales if you haven’t already booked. We still have some great seats available.

There’s only a few months until spring and also the start of our 2015 Christian Concert Series, so keep warm, keep safe, and see you on the road or at The Fireside!

GOLD CITYMay 5 - 6

SOUL’D OUTQUARTETJune 23 - 24

THE BROWNFAMILY

August 4 - 5

THREE BRIDGESOctober 6 - 7

2015 Christian Concerts - Just $35.95 plus tax for our Fish & Chicken Buffet and Concert!

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.

When you receive this it will be 2015 so

If you were not able to celebrate with us on New Year’s Eve, I hope you had a great and a safe time.

Now that the holiday rush is over, there is still time to book a February date for

You won’t believe how many of your favorite songs came out of this wonderful decade unless you come to see us! Give me a call for seating options. It can be the first bright spot of what has become a very gray winter.

Group Sales Manager

What can I say about THE WIZARD OF OZ except that if you don’t come to see it you will be missing THE show of the year. Disappearing witches, dancing munchkins (not the Dunkin Donuts ones), flying monkeys plus Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my - what fun awaits you!

You can find an order form for 2015 promotional material on the “Groups” page of our web site.

2015Season

I need your input on an idea. We try to help all our groups find people to join them whenever possible. What are your thoughts on adding to our website an area to list groups with their pick up locations for individuals to check? You would submit your group name, contact information, pick up options and the show(s) you are promoting (with or without dates). We can refer guests to this website page to discover groups that match their location or show that interests them. No prices would be given so they cannot comparison shop rather you would get the call and have the opportunity to add to your count. Please send me your thoughts to jean@firesidetheatre.com or call me at 800-477-9505. Thanks much.

One reminder since Christmas is such a big seller and we have such a special premier in 2015 of A WONDERFUL LIFE: THE MUSICAL. We have Friday matinee and evening shows again with some great seating still open. If you know you are going to book, don’t wait and be disappointed. Everyone loves the movie and is so excited to see it live on stage with music. You might even need a second bus!

KNOWN BY HIS FIRST NAME, ELVIS IS REGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGURES OF TWENTIETH CENTURY POPULAR CULTURE. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT ELVIS PRESLEY HAS SOLD OVER ONE BILLION RECORD UNITS WORLDWIDE, MORE THAN ANYONE IN RECORD INDUSTRY HISTORY! HIS MEMORABILIA REMAINS POPULAR ACROSS ALL DEMOGRAPHICS AND IS AVAILABLE IN AN INCREDIBLE VARIETY OF PRODUCTS.

Take A Little Bit Of Elvis Home With You!

VISIT OUR GIFT SHOPS

Virtually every rock star from the 1950’s onward is indebted to Elvis both for his dance moves and his embodiment of the rock ‘n’ roll persona. Most historians agree that no post-World War II figure had a more profound impact on popular culture than Elvis did through his albums, concerts, and films.

Elvis still rocks today with a huge fan base. His name, image, and voice are instantly recognizable around the globe and he has inspired a wealth of products bearing his likeness for fans who want to pay tribute to the “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Chances are pretty high there’s an Elvis fan in your circle of friends, too!

• Puzzles• Monopoly• Books• Mugs• Coasters• Glassware• Music• Figurines• Mouse Pad• Lunch Tins• Wall Art• And More!

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

Visit early to get the best discount! ALL SHOOK UP

Featured Menu April 23 - June 7, 2015Served Wednesday through Saturday Matinees, Saturday Evening and Sunday Midday

Signature SaladWatermelon, Cantaloupe, Kiwi, Strawberries, Blueberries, and Orange Segment over

Fresh Garden Greens, sprinkled with Sesame Croutons and our famous Papaya Chutney Dressing.

Freshly Baked Breads from our Artisan Bakery

Chicken and RibsLean Pork Back Ribs glazed with our special Barbecue Sauce, accompanied by

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

Corn Bread Muffin.

Triple Layer Carrot CakeCream Cheese Frosting with House-Made Rum Raisin Ice Cream.

Coffee, Tea and Milk

THE FIRESIDE, INC.1131 JANESVILLE AVENUEP.O. BOX 7FORT ATKINSON, WI 53538 JANUARY 2015

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PAIDPAIDTHE FIRESIDETHE FIRESIDE

THE FIRESIDE, INC.1131 JANESVILLE AVENUEP.O. BOX 7FORT ATKIINSONSONSOOSONSOSSONN,NN,NN, WWIWIWWIW 5355353535355335 3838883838

• 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 April 23 - May 17, 2015.

• Ask about our Incentive plan 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.