Fish Creek, Wis. (September 29, 2020) – Northern Sky Theater has long been known for its commitment and appeal to audiences of all ages. So it makes sense that two of the theater’s current playwrights have been self-described Northern Sky “superfans” since childhood. Matt Zembrowski (Dad’s Season Tickets) and Katie Dahl (Victory Farm), each performers in their own right, will join forces for an evening of music, stories, special guests, and good-natured competition to see which Northern Sky fan is the nerdiest. “Northern Sky Nerd Night” will be broadcast live from Northern Sky’s Creative Center on Saturday, October 10 at 5:00 p.m.
Matt Zembrowski (who lives in the Milwaukee area) and Katie Dahl (who lives in Door County) were born within a week of each other, but had never met until they found themselves working together on Sunsets & S’mores at Northern Sky in 2009. Since then, both have written plays for the theater and discovered their shared love of all things Northern Sky.
“After Matt was a guest on The Jeff & Katie Show early this summer, I asked him and Katie if they’d put together a Nerd Night,” said Associate Artistic Director Molly Rhode. “I didn’t attend shows in Pen Park as a kid, and I love hearing stories from the people that did, especially the superfans. I geek out over the level of fandom these guys had as children, and their collective memory of old songs and shows is just unendingly delightful. Longtime fans are going to love this concert; it celebrates them.”
Northern Sky Nerd Night will feature Matt and Katie performing some of their favorite obscure Northern Sky material, including songs from Tongue ‘N’ Cheek, The Passage, and Northern Lights. They’ll be joined by a few special guests, and their performances will be interspersed with rare archival photos, discoveries from Matt and Katie’s respective scrapbooks, and, of course, high-stakes trivia competitions.
Katie Dahl is an award-winning, nationally touring singer-songwriter whose work Dar Williams has called “the very best kind of songwriting.” She also serves on Northern Sky’s Board of Directors. Matt Zembrowski has acted in, directed, music directed and written shows for numerous companies across the state, including In Tandem Theater, Next Act Theater, and of course, Northern Sky. He also serves as Theater Director at St. Thomas More High School in Bay View.
Nerd Night is just the latest installment in Northern Sky’s robust virtual season, which so far has included Home Again Cabaret, Back-to-School Cabaret, Mancheski Playlist, When Life Gives Ya cLemons, Songs of Hope, Trunk Songs, Mary’s Playlist, and The Jeff & Katie Show.
In gratitude for a donation of $30 or more, donors will receive a private Zoom link to Northern Sky Nerd Night on October 10 at 5:00 p.m. A recording of the event will also be available after the event takes place. Those interested may register at www.northernskytheater.com.