Flowers from the Heart and Wabeno Area Players Team Up for Murder Mystery Scholarship Fundraiser “A Mafia Murder Christmas Party”

On Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 7:00pm the Wabeno Area Players will be presenting “A Mafia Murder Christmas Party.” It will be held in the beautiful atmosphere of Flowers from the Heart, in Crandon.

This is an audience participation murder mystery show.  Only 50 tickets will be available.  You can only purchase the tickets in person at Flowers from the Heart.  No telephone or email purchases will be available.  The cost per ticket is $25.00 which includes hors d’oeuvres and adult beverages.  

You get to be part of the show!  All attendees must come wearing 1920’s fashions and ready to solve the crime of murder.  This will be the event of the season and all proceeds go towards a great cause.  During the night you will be entertained by characters and music of the holiday season. 

Not only will you have fun and enjoy an evening of good cheer, you will be able to purchase store items at a discount.  Door prize giveaways and raffles will be held throughout the night.

This event will take the place of Flowers from the Heart’s annual “Night of Elegance.”  Flowers from the Heart and Owner Bruce Walentowski have been major supporters of the Erna Rousseau Scholarship and Wabeno Area Players.  Bruce wanted to do something different this year and give back to the communities his business has served for 32 years.  Flowers from the Heart opened its doors in December of 1987.  Almost to the date of this special fundraising event. 

Proceeds and donations from this evening will go to the Erna Rousseau Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is in the memory of Erna Rousseau, a lifelong piano teacher and accompanist from Wabeno. Erna always made time for students from the area and supported the arts fully.  It’s awarded annually to a student from Crandon, Goodman/Armstrong Creek, White Lake, Elcho, Phelps, Pembine, Florence, Three Lakes, Laona and Wabeno who have been involved in the arts in high school and plan on pursuing a college degree in education, art, music, dance, or theater. Scholarships are now being awarded to current high school students to attend summer camps.  Since 1997 the scholarship has awarded over $10,000 to 34 area students.  It’s the only scholarship of it’s kind for the youth in our area.  Wabeno Area Players is the only community focused arts organization in our area as well.  Both entities rely on the generous support of the community we live in.  All donations are tax deductible.  If you are interested in donating to the scholarship or Wabeno Area Players, please contact (715) 889-1606.  You can also email us at wabenoareaplayers@gmail.com or send donations directly to:

      Wabeno Area Players

      P.O. Box 325

      Wabeno, WI 54566


The festivities will begin at 7:00pm the evenings of the 14th.  The doors will open at 6:30pm and close at 7:00pm sharp.  The Murder/Mystery will last until 10:00pm.  The party will continue after 10 and guests can shop, visit with the cast and Bruce.  Flowers from the Heart is located at 117 North Lake Avenue in Crandon.  Space is limited to 50 guests.  For more information please call (715) 889-1606 or (715) 478-3710. More information is available on Facebook@wabenoareaplayers.

Rose Colella Cocktail Jazz Quartet

To Perform for the Wabeno Area Players Fine Arts Series

On Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in the Nancy Volk Auditorium (Wabeno High School, 4325 Branch St., Wabeno, WI 54566).  Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students.

Fresh off her first U.S. & Canada Tour, with over 30 appearances in NYC, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, Toronto & more, jazz vocalist Rose Colella released her much-anticipated album, “Cocktail” to sold-out audiences and global acclaim, and is currently scheduling her next tour.

Recently featured in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune & The Chicago Sun-Times, Rose has also received mention in All About Jazz, JAZZIZ, NPR’s A Blog Supreme & LA Jazz Scene, describing her as “elegantly tipsy,” “pure seduction,” “cooly coquettish” & “beautiful and inviting.”

Rose currently performs regularly at Chicago’s top jazz clubs, including The Jazz Showcase, The Green Mill Andy’s & Winter’s, alongside the city’s finest jazz musicians, as well as her tour appearances every Summer from NYC to LA. Rose was recently chosen by LIONSGATE Films to present her “LA LA LAND” show during their Blu-Ray DVD release of the film, to two sold-out shows in 2017, and the event was featured in Entertainment Weekly, IMDB, New York Post’s Page Six, Chicago Tribune, NBC Chicago, Hollywood Reporter, PARADE Magazine, Time Out Chicago, BroadwayWorld, RedEye & Eater.

Rose received her Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies from Roosevelt University in Chicago and owns the entertainment agency Lola Bard Productions, named for her grandmother, a 1930s vocalist who performed and recorded with Bobby Hackett & The Original Dixieland Jazz Band. Rose & Lola were featured in The New York Times, with a story detailing Rose’s career as a jazz vocalist in Chicago, inspired by Lola’s career as a jazz vocalist in New York City.

During the day of the concert, Rose Colella will hold a Masterclass at 1:00 p.m. for area high school students.  Any teacher or student interested should call (715) 889-1606.

For tickets call (800) 838-3006 or order online at wap-rosecolella.brownpapertickets.com.  Tickets will also be available at the door one hour before the performance.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m.  For more information about this event call (715) 889-1606 or email wabenoareaplayers@gmail.com

A Night At The Museum: Legend and Lore of Our Logging Days


Wabeno Logging Museum site of A Night At The Museum.  Located in downtown Wabeno

On Wednesday, June 5th at 7:00 p.m., at the Wabeno Logging Museum (located in downtown Wabeno), an evening of entertainment and fun will be waiting for all who attend.

This is a Readers Theater event and part of the Players extended Fine Arts Series. Tickets are $5 per person and can be purchased at the door. The doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for those wishing to take a tour and enjoy the rich history the museum has to offer. A cash bar will be available along with free popcorn while it lasts.

All the selections being performed are written by local writer Mike Monte. The stories are a mix of local stories and lore of the area. You get to be the judge of what legend, lore or fact. These entertaining selections are sure to put a smile on your face.

A free will offering will be available to raise funds for the museum. We want to keep the rich history and artifacts alive for many years to come.

For more information please call (715) 889-1606 or email wabenoareaplayers@gmail.com.

OPEN AUDITIONS for the Musical WORKING!

On April 22nd and 23rd at 6:00 pm, the Players will be holding open auditions for the musical WORKING.  The audition will be held at Madonna Hall (1793 elm Ave., Wabeno, WI 54566).  You will be doing a cold reading and will be required to sing a short song that will be taught to you at the audition.  If you would like more information please contact the Players at (715) 889-1606 or email wabenoareaplayers@gmail.com. This production will be performed July 18, 19, 20, 25, 26 & 27 at 7:00pm and 21 at 1:00pm in the Nancy Volk Auditorium (Wabeno High School, 4325 Branch St., Wabeno, WI 54566).

Working is the extraordinary genre-defining musical from Grammy and Academy Award-winner Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell) based on Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of interviews with the American workforce: Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do.  This highly original and universal portrait of the American workday is told from the perspective of those that the world so often overlooks – the schoolteacher, the millworker, the mason, the housewife, the fireman and the waitress amongst many – whose daily grind and aspirations reflect the truths of the people that make up a nation. Working employs a range of musical styles and genres from contributing composers, including five-time Grammy Award-winner James Taylor.  Nominated for six Tony Awards, this classic has been updated for a modern age, featuring new songs by Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Auditions Open for Wabeno Area Players’ Production of A Deadly Habit: The Superbowl Massacre

A sports widow is “mad as hell” and she’s not going to take it anymore! The football commissioner mysteriously resigns. A cheerleader stages her own kidnapping. A referee is up to his ears in drug deals and bad calls. This deadly game goes into overtime for an intricate scheme of revenge and cover ups that invites a lot of audience participation. If you are interested in participating or would like to schedule an audition please call (715) 889-1606 or email wabenoareaplayers@gmail.com. All auditions must be complete by September 20th. If acting is not for you, we have positions on the stage crew and other supportive roles.

This production will take place November 15-18, 2018. The rehearsals will begin in October. You can purchase tickets for this show by going to wabenoareaplayers.brownpapertickets.com or by calling (800) 838-3006.