Vince Lombardi, two-time Super Bowl Champion and five-time NFL title winner is coming back to Green Bay. The Weidner Center for the Performing Arts will honor the legend with a major production showcasing his life and contributions to the community. “Lombardi” by Eric Simonson was brought to Green Bay in celebration of the Green Bay Packers 100th Anniversary.
The show debuted on Broadway in 2010, the same season the Packers went on to win Super Bowl XLV. Simonson’s rendition of “Lombardi” is based off the book, When Pride Still Mattered – A Life of Vince Lombardi, by David Maraniss.
Lombardi is the first professional theatrical event self-produced by the Weidner Center. Kelli Strickland, Executive and Artistic Director at the Weidner said the production brings an important piece of history back to Green Bay.
The production process has been in the works for the past few years. The idea arrived in 2017, but the challenges presented with producing a show in-house proved to be difficult. “We’ve chosen all of the cast and crew ourselves,” Strickland said. “The creation process with them has been really rewarding.” Kelli also mentioned how Lombardi’s desk, which is on display in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, took an entire meeting’s worth of planning. “Most of the folks have worked on this show before,” she said, “but here (in Green Bay) they are really pressured to make it as accurate as possible.”
Due to the location in Titletown, Strickland wanted the actors to accurately represent their characters. She said retrofitting Fort Howard into a theatre was difficult due to its design as a concert hall. “When presenting (touring) shows, there are no kinks,” she said. “Making a show from scratch, you have to solve all of the problems.”
“Lombardi” debuted on February 22 and will be showing through March 10. Visit the Weidner Center website or Ticket Star to purchase tickets. Got Lombardi time? Consider showing up 15 minutes early. As Coach Lombardi said, “If you are five minutes early, you are already ten minutes late.”
Got Lombardi time? Consider showing up 15 minutes early. As Coach Lombardi said, “If you are five minutes early, you are already ten minutes late.”
The Defending Champs include: Carley Chapin, Sylvia Christensen, Rachel Koepke, Mackenzie May and Katie Pozorski .
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“Excellence,” Vince would say.
GO PACK GO!