Mike Orthober

Orthober is well known in the taxidermy field, having won many national and worldwide awards, most recently “Best in World” for warm-water fish and “2nd in World” for a non-game bird. He also judges World Taxidermy Championships and teaches others his methods. Locally, his work is on display at the Door County Historical Museum which commissioned Orthober to create its natural history wildlife diorama. The spectacular exhibit encompasses four seasons and features a life-sized beech tree along with native species including over 100 birds, white-tailed deer, bear, badger, fisher and more.

Mike Orthober’s Wildlife Wizardry Studio is located at 6453 Oak Road, just off Bay Shore Drive in Egg Harbor. Following the tour, participants will head outdoors for some roadside birding.

The Early Birders program is designed for families with kids ages 6-11, but younger or older children are also encouraged to attend. Each monthly meeting includes birding activities, crafts, bird watching hikes, special guests (both human & avian), and much more. For an annual fee of $15, each family receives a copy of Wild About Wisconsin Birds, a wonderful birding book designed just for children, and a Door County bird check list. The drop-in fee for the program is $5 per family.

For more information on The Early Birders Club or other Ridges programs, call 920.839.2802, or visit the Sanctuary’s Website.

The Niagara Escarpment spans two North American countries and joins the two peninsulas through bedrock of dolomitic limestone formed over 400 million years ago. Like our own peninsula, the Bruce Peninsula is a relatively small area – only about 60 miles long. And like Door County, this strip of land attracts attention for its beaches, forested trails and limestone caves.

The Bruce Peninsula tour itinerary will showcase many of the area’s natural features including woodlands filled with wildflowers, migrating birdlife, water features and, of course, incredible geology. Through boat trips and guided walks and talks, trip participants will experience first-hand the natural treasures found on the Canadian Niagara Escarpment.

For The Ridges, the tour represents much more than the opportunity to experience the unique attractions of our “sister peninsula.”

“This trip is the first step in developing collaborations between the U.S. and Canadian groups working to protect and preserve the Escarpment, “ says Steve Leonard, Executive Director of The Ridges. “ There is so much we can learn from what they have done to protect and promote healthy communities and ecological preservation.”

Joining the group is Ridges naturalist Karen Newbern, geologist Dr. Roger Kuhns and naturalist and tour planner Paul Regnier.

The Bruce Peninsula Tour is open to members of The Ridges. The cost is $1999 per person based on double occupancy. Single supplement is available for $450. The fee includes coach transportation to and from Sturgeon Bay, 7 nights lodging, most meals, tour guides, park fees and more. A deposit of $450 is required to secure reservations. Final payment is due April 1, 2012. Checks should be made payable to Door County Nature & Travel LLC . Register and pay the $450 deposit by February 15 to receive a $50 per person discount. Registrations forms are available online at RidgesSanctuary.org and should be sent with deposit to: Door County Nature and Travel, P.O. Box 136, Baileys Harbor, WI 54202-0136. Space for this tour is limited. Advance registration is required.

For information about becoming a member of The Ridges, call 920-839-2802.

This tour is planned and organized by Paul Regnier, owner and lead Naturalist for Door County Nature and Travel LLC. For more information about the Bruce Peninsula Tour go to the Ridges Sanctuary’s website, http://RidgesSanctuary.org or call Karen Newbern at The Ridges Sanctuary office, 920-839-2802, or contact Paul Regnier at doorcountypaul@gmail.com

From L. to R. are: Donn Valenti, owner of the Sandpiper; Jim Jauquet, Ridges board member; Lee Traven, son of Ridges founder Olivia Traven; Lawrie Kull, Ridges board member; and, Steve Leonard, Executive Director.

Earlier this year, The Ridges Sanctuary selected the Sandpiper property as the site for its new Interpretive Center. The property, located at the corner of Hwy 57 and Ridges Road, is ideally situated to provide a much-needed visible public entrance to the Sanctuary. The new building is the centerpiece of an expanded vision for the Sanctuary which will celebrate its 75^th anniversary in 2012. That vision includes not only the Interpretive Center, but also addresses the development of programs, media, trail systems, and other site improvements which will enhance the visitor experience and help to tell The Ridges’ story. Conceptual designs can be viewed online.

“The property acquisition marks the end of the first key phase of fundraising,” says Steve Leonard, Executive Director at The Ridges. “We now have an unprecedented opportunity to advance the vision of our founders. It was so fitting that Lee Traven was able to be with us as we took this important step toward securing their legacy.”

Traven’s mother Olivia was an active member of the Baileys Harbor Women’s Club and one of the co-founders of The Ridges Sanctuary. His father Fred volunteered as a Boy Scout leader for 28 years and also served as president of The Ridges. Traven credits his parents with instilling in him a commitment to give back to the community.

“We couldn’t have had a more enthusiastic and positive response to this project from our membership – and not only local members, but members throughout the country,“ notes Leonard. “It clearly signals that they understand the opportunity we have to link and unify the areas of our campus and to connect a greater number of people to the Sanctuary, Baileys Harbor and Door County.”

On Friday, November 4, The Ridges will host an open house at The Cornerstone Pub & Restaurant in Baileys Harbor from 3 – 5 pm in appreciation for the support received for the project.  For more information about the open house, call 920.839.2802.

The organization will continue to fundraise during 2012 with construction of the new building expected to begin in 2013.

Every Thursday, in a dusty church basement, a well-intentioned but not overly talented group of Londoners meet for tap class – all brought together out of the desire to dance as if no one is watching, and, hopefully, no one ever will!  That is, until they’re invited to perform at a charity gala. As disbelief is replaced by sheer terror, can this bunch of amateurs pull together and put on the performance of a lifetime?  Stepping Out, the rollicking comedy by Richard Harris, opens a two-week run at Third Avenue Playhouse on August 11.  Performances will be held August 11 – 14 & 18 – 21.  Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7:30 PM, with Sunday matinees at 2 PM.

Directed by Renee Kujawski, Harris’s play is like a window into any group of people in any town. This time it’s a tap class with people of different ages and social groups – all with personal problems and all looking for a bit of escapism one night a week.

Mavis played by Lola DeVillers, the never-quite-made-it “star” who runs the classes to make ends meet, alongside grumpy old rehearsal pianist Mrs. Fraser by Margaret Magle.

The solitary male in the class is Geoffrey (Marcel Bruyere), a widower. Class snob Vera (Carrie Counihan) hides a sinister secret, only revealed at the end after she has annoyed the class with her obsession with clean loos and clothes. The loud, raucous Sylvia (Alix Boettcher) has a “lazy husband and lazy feet.”  Rose (Michelle Reinhard) is colorful in clothes and voice.  Lynne (Jessica Adams), the young trainee nurse, is an excellent dancer who bites her nail. Maxine (Pamela Johnson) is a brassy lady with stepchildren.  Dorothy (Molly Kunst) has a mother at home; and, the timid Andy (Abigail Lee) has a “home secret” that lands her in the hospital, but also hopefully in the arms of Geoffrey.

“It’s a riotous show with a bucket-load of fun and emotion,” says Kujawski. “You will leave wanting to join a tap class.  I guarantee it!”

Tickets for Stepping Out are $16 for adults and $14 for seniors & students.  Tickets are on sale at the theater box office, 230 N. Third Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, 920.743.1760, from 10 am – 3 pm, Monday – Friday, and for one hour prior to performances. Tickets are also available at Dancing Bear, 13 N. Third Avenue, Java on Jefferson at the corner of Fifth & Jefferson, and on-line at www.ThirdAvenuePlayhouse.com.

"Everytime I think it can't get any crazier, it gets crazier!"

If you’re going to be held hostage after a first date, it might as well be by Theda Blau. Anne St. Henry plays this wacky would-be actress and playwright with a personality the size of the Gulf Stream and energy to match in the Third Avenue Playhouse production of It Had to Be You, April 28 – May 1 and May 5 – 8. Vito Pignoli, the reluctant object of Theda’s affections is played by Stuart Champeau. Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 pm.  Sunday matinees are at 2 pm.

A Bronx-bred vegan who says things like “The moment I met you, my crystals glowed,” Theda’s resume lists  B-movies like The Monday Mugger, and Brides of the Werewolves. Despite a lack of acclaim, she’s cheerily sweating over her next artistic project.

It’s an understatement to say Theda has nothing whatsoever in common with Vito, the suave, wealthy director-producer. The two meet one Christmas Eve and wind up bantering in her apartment, where she manages to hide his clothes. As we all know, the path of true love never did run smooth, and it sure doesn’t in this comedy classic, which husband-and-wife showbiz team Joseph Bologna and Renee Taylor based loosely on their own romance. The duo debuted the play in 1981. It was turned into a film eight years later, and has been performed by actors of varying ages for the last quarter-century.

Renee Kujawski last directed St. Henry and Champeau when they played the young newlyweds in Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park.

“This,” Kujawski notes, “is a very different kind of love story.”

Tickets for It Had to Be You are $16 for adults and $14 for seniors and students. Tickets are on sale at the theater box office, 239 N. Third Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, 920.743.1760, from 10 am to 3 pm, Monday – Friday, and one hour prior to performances. Tickets are also available at Dancing Bear, 13 N. Third Avenue, Java on Jefferson at the corner of Fifth and Jefferson and on-line at ThirdAvenuePlayhouse.com.

Vanessa is one of life’s odd ducks.  She doesn’t have friends, her mother is busy and, hardest of all, her father has recently died. Troubled by her daughter’s isolation, Vanessa’s mother arranges a play date with Timmy Fibbins, the only classmate Vanessa has mentioned by name.  When she announces Timmy’s imminent arrival, Vanessa is horrified.  She only knows Timmy as the kid who has thrown up 17 times in school and she wants nothing to do with him.  But Timmy surprises her.  He likes her collection of “treasures,” is wowed by her inventions and laughs at her jokes.

Ultimately, it is Timmy who helps Vanessa say good-bye to her dad, and it’s Vanessa, not her mom, who asks Timmy to stay for supper.

Evergreen Children’s Theatre (formerly Next Door Theatre) has brought their touring productions to TAP for the last five years. As with Interrupting Vanessa, the troupe focuses on plays which utilize humor to teach important lessons about life.  This play is most appropriate for ages 8 and up.

Tickets for Interrupting Vanessa are $8 for adults and $6 for children.  Tickets are on sale at the theater box office, 239 N. Third Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, 920.743.1760.  The box office is open 10 am – 3 pm, Monday – Friday, and also one hour prior to performances.  Tickets are also available at Dancing Bear, 13 N. Third Avenue, Java on Jefferson at the corner of Fifth & Jefferson, and on-line at www.ThirdAvenuePlayhouse.com .

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)!

Door County residents and visitors will not have to wait until July and August to see a Door Shakespeare production in 2011. Audiences are in for a special treat as the popular theater company expands its season to include both winter and fall performances of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)! Performances will be held at Third Avenue Playhouse on February 11 – 13 and 18 – 20. Friday and Saturday shows begin at 7:30 pm and Sunday matinees are at 2 pm.

Kay Allmand, Mark Moede and Ryan Schabach perform in this irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard’s comedies, histories and tragedies. Featuring quick-witted adlibs and lots of audience interaction, the show’s trademark is blazing hilarity that aims to out-Python Monty, out-Simpson Homer and out-Stooge Curly and Moe.

Door Shakespeare’s three brave actors brazenly blend the best of the brilliant Bard with the bottom of the absurdity barrel to produce a farcical feast of inspired lunacy. Whether you are the Bard’s biggest fan or haven’t read a word since high school, this laugh-out-loud production is sure to win you over. If you’re lucky, they may even do it backwards!

Warning! This show is a high-speed roller-coaster type condensation of all of Shakespeare’s plays and is not recommended for people with heart ailments, bladder problems, inner-ear disorders and/or people inclined to motion sickness.

Written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield, the play became London’s longest-running comedy and holds the self-proclaimed world record for the shortest performance of Hamlet on record, clocking in at 43 seconds.

Tickets for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)! are $20 for Adults, $15 for Seniors and $10 for Students. Tickets are on sale at the theater box office, 239 N. Third Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, 920-743-1760. The box office is open 10 AM – 3 PM, Monday – Friday, and one hour prior to performances. Tickets are also available at Dancing Bear, 13 N. Third Avenue; Java on Jefferson, corner of Fifth & Jefferson; and on-line at www.ThirdAvenuePlayhouse.com.

Daddy D, aka Darren Johnson

The resident troupe from the Black Forest of Howard has mined the wealth of material from the golden days of rock and roll before, but Darren Johnson says they’ve barely made a dent in the list of memorable songs produced during those decades.

“That’s why we decided to format a new show, “says Darren Johnson, leader of the group. “We’ll do some funny bits about the era, but we’ll definitely keep the focus on the music.”

Johnson’s big voice tackles “What I Say” and “How Deep is the Ocean.” Andy Bain becomes Louie Armstrong for  “What a Wonderful World” and Doug Dachelet, channels Frankie Vallie’s falsetto in “Sherry.” Along with Shelly Emmer, Laura Asma and Ann Snyder, the group sweeps through over 20 years of classic pop. New medleys include songs by Martha and the Vandellas, Fats Domino, the Crystals and the Shirrells.

Those funny bits Johsnon mentioned?  Highlights include an appearance by Marilyn Monroe and the introduction of one of Johson’s newest characters, Professor Wiener Schnitzel.

Special guest Kevin Van Ess of Talk of the Town sits in on saxophone with band regulars Barb Hinnedael (keyboard), Bob Balsley (guitar), Ryan Sette (bass) and Kurt Risch (drums.)

Tickets for Glory Days are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and students and $8 for children under 12 – on sale at the theater box office, 239 N. Third Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, 920.743.1760. The box office is open from 10 am – 3 pm, Monday – Friday and one hour prior to performances. Tickets are also available at Dancing Bear, 13 N. Third Avenue, Java on Jefferson, corner of 5^th & Jefferson and on-line at www.ThirdAvenuePlayhouse.com . Visa, MasterCard & Discover accepted.

Fred A. Busse, City of Chicago Fireboat

Third Avenue Playhouse plans to take full advantage of both when they hold A Little Night Music, an event for the benefit of the theater, on Saturday, July 17. Registration for the event will begin at 5:30 pm with the cruise departing the Sturgeon Bay city dock adjacent to the Door County Maritime Museum at 6 pm.

Guests will cruise the waters of Sturgeon Bay aboard the Fred A. Busse. Originally designed as a City of Chicago Fireboat, The Fred A. Busse was built in Bay City, Michigan in 1937 and is similar to two other fire fighting vessels, the Victor Schlaeger and the Joseph Medill, constructed in Sturgeon Bay shortly after World War II. It served the Chicago Fire Department for many years and now houses a small museum dedicated to Chicago’s firefighting efforts.

Once underway, attendees will enjoy a delicious meal while experiencing picturesque lighthouses and miles of shoreline. Entertainment will be provided by Ben Larsen and Dan Mayhew. The high-energy duo are fresh from the successful premiere of Duct Tape: The Musical and will perform some of the show’s hilarious songs during the cruise. A silent auction is also part of the evening’s festivities. This year guests will have the opportunity to bid on a catered outdoor party complete with musical entertainment.

Tickets for A Little Night Music are $40 per person and are tax-deductible. Space is limited. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Call 920.743.1760 for more information or to purchase tickets.

Paul McComas

An author, educator and actor, McComas incorporates lively readings of – and incisive commentary about – works by contemporary poets like Maya Angelou and Billy Collins, along with their predecessors including Shakespeare and Frost. A trio of “musical poems” or songs, performed live with guitar accompaniment, fill out this enjoyable and edifying program.

Born in Milwaukee, McComas resides in Madison. He is the author of three critically acclaimed books: the comedic coming-of-age novel Planet of the Dates (2008; recently optioned for a Hollywood feature); the recovery-through-nature novel Unplugged (2002); and the short-story collection Twenty Questions (1998; now in its third printing). Slated for 2011 publication is the sci-fi novel Logan’s Journey, co-authored with Logan’s Run author William F. Nolan. McComas is also the editor of the multi-author anthologies First Person Imperfect (2003) and Further Persons Imperfect (2007).

As a filmmaker, Paul has garnered international and national awards for his short-form dramatic and comedic movies. A dynamic performer, McComas has presented his riveting live shows and monologues at 90 venues nationwide, including three prior performances at TAP. He has taught at Northwestern University, National-Louis University, and Lawrence University’s Bjorklunden Center, among other sites. He is “relatively newly”-wed (Sept. ’08) to fellow fiction writer Heather McComas.

Following “Poetry in (E)motion”, local poets will preview the annual Scandia Exhibit which pairs visuals with poems. This year the subject is “School House Poems” which will be read as photos of the schoolhouses are projected behind them. An open mic facilitated by Henry Timm will follow the readings.

Tickets for “Poetry in (E)motion and the Scandia Exhibit are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and students. Tickets are on sale at the theater box office, 239 N. Third Avenue, Sturgeon Bay, 920-743-1760. The theater box office is open Monday – Friday, 10 AM – 2 PM, and one hour prior to performances. Tickets are also available at Dancing Bear, 13 N. Third Avenue, Java on Jefferson, corner of Fifth Avenue & Jefferson, and on-line at www.ThirdAvenuePlayhouse.com . MasterCard, Visa and Discover accepted.