Onstage coaching
'Lombardi' is directed by UD theatre chair, stars PTTP alumni
11:09 a.m., Dec. 15, 2011--He has been lauded by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in previous years as the “Lombardi of state theatre,” having created a dynasty in the Professional Theatre Training Program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee before relocating the storied PTTP to the University of Delaware in 1988.
But the title and comparison for Sanford Robbins seem even more apropos now, a month after the play Lombardi concluded its first post-Broadway run at the Milwaukee Repertory (REP) Theatre, with Robbins in the director’s chair.
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Exceeding its financial targets by 280 percent, the hugely successful Lombardi also starred 1992 PTTP alumnus Lee Ernst in the title role and 2007 PTTP alumnus Cameron Knight as Dave Robinson, an African-American defensive end/outside linebacker on Lombardi’s team.
“It’s nearly impossible to go to any professional theatre in this country and not see one of our graduates' names in the program,” says Robbins. “It’s a testament to our immensely talented actors that people run into our name [in alumni bios] every time they go to the theatre.”
It also doesn’t hurt to have Robbins—who chairs the theatre program at UD and serves as director of training for the PTTP and producing artistic director for UD’s professional company, the Resident Ensemble Players—guest direct plays at leading professional theatres around the country.
“One of the first things I do is bring as many of our graduates into a cast as I can,” he says.
Lombardi, his most recent directorial production, is based on Pulitzer Prize-winner David Maraniss’ biography, When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi.
It portrays Lombardi, the man, and depicts little known facts and anecdotes about the mercurial figure, from his relationship with his wife to his rule that Packers players could only patronize bars and hotels that served all players, regardless of race.
Incorporating vintage films and live action -- like the use of background football players and cheerleaders -- Robbins takes the audience into Vince Lombardi’s life, both on and off the field.
“It’s a story with universal appeal,” he says. “But doing a play like this in Wisconsin is like doing a play about the pope in the Vatican.”
Lombardi, which concluded a six-month Broadway run in May, was initially set to have its Midwest premiere in Chicago. Instead, it ran at the Milwaukee REP from Oct. 11 through Nov. 20, seven days beyond its initial schedule due to unprecedented demand.
Advance sales alone topped 20,000, and opening night was a star-studded affair, with NFL Hall of Famers Paul Hornung and Bart Starr joining the actors who portrayed them onstage for a final bow.
“I’ve had standing ovations before,” says Robbins, “but never have I had standing ovations where I felt like I won the Super Bowl.”
Article by Artika Rangan