REVIEWS / MEDIA:
“…Pete Wilke’s show never stoops to the cheap melodrama one might expect from the kinds of romantic entanglements that are at the heart of the story.
“Instead, it runs the gamut of real feelings—from tender and warm to angry and hurt to ultimately triumphant and celebratory.
“Mainly through Wilke’s vivid story-songs, this impressive musical makes you care about the fate of its everyday-folk characters.” ~ John Roos, The Los Angeles Times
“Pete Wilke’s book, lyrics and music poke gentle fun at and pay tribute to the stereotypes of the country-music world without having to resort to parody.
“Sure, there’s enough lonely hearts, cheatin’ hearts and unrequited romance to fill a pickup truck, but the lack of deep plot is offset by the humor and occasional pathos, both of which come across as genuine.
“Wilke’s songs cover a wide range of the country spectrum, with the actors, backed up by a tight six-piece band, belting out everything from rousing honky-tonk to tears-in-the-beer weepers. What makes the show especially enjoyable is that the actors use the entire club as a playing area, thus allowing the audience members to feel as though they’re part of the show. It’s interactive theater at its shit-kickin’ best.” ~ John McElligott, Jr., Orange County Weekly
“Pete Wilke isn’t the first name that comes to mind when the subject of country music comes up.
“’It’s funny, after the show, people I know will come up to me and say, ‘Wow, you did this?’ ” said Wilke, 50, an L.A.-based entertainment lawyer who wrote the script and lyrics for Country! The Musical, a new show playing Saturdays at the Crazy Horse Steak House in Santa Ana. “Maybe they don’t know this part of me, but I’ve just decided it’s time to let this creative voice come out.'” ~ John Roos, The Los Angeles Times
[Click HERE to access full article at The Los Angeles Times.]
Crazy Horse cast (1999): Lorraine Devon Wilke, Gary Clark, Lauri Johnson, Bruce McKinnon, Ronna Jones, and Craig Woolson. Photos by Michael Lamont.
For information on the “re-boot” of the show, go to the Country the Musical Company.
+1 (323) 397-5380
CountryTheMusical@gmail.com
countrythemusical.net 