Henry, a hired hand - Jeff Herbst*

Leo Dewarzeger, a farmer - Doug Mancheski*

Roger Dewarzeger, another farmer - Frederick Heide

Angelique/Smirch - Karen Mal

Farmageddon - Kelly Doherty*

Mildred, a chicken - Lee Becker*

Dreck, an imp - Lee Becker*

Various Otherworldly Voices - Lee Becker*

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

From Heaven to Hell: The legacy of Northern Sky’s Belgians 

By Betsy Lecy , Peninsula Pulse – June 27th, 2024

After a showing of Belgians in Heaven, Northern Sky Theater co-founder and playwright Fred “Doc” Heide had an unusual encounter. A woman with terminal cancer approached him, explaining she had been afraid of dying, but his play would allow her to pass away in peace. 

“It’s an amazing privilege,” Heide said. “That’s what you’re hoping will happen.”

Heide said this moment legitimized his career and became an incentive for a continuation of Belgians in Heaven. 

That continuation was Hell’s Belgians, a prequel to the original play. The story followed Angelique, a guardian angel from the original show, and her contention with evil forces as she watched over two brothers, Roger and Leo. 

As dusk fell at the Northern Sky’s Peninsula State Park Amphitheater on June 17, both Belgians plays were performed back-to-back. It was Northern Sky’s first two-show day and the premiere of the prequel. 

Belgians in Heaven was a therapeutic outlet for Heide, who himself has faced a fatal disorder in the past, and whose mother, at the time, was dying of cancer. He said the play allowed him to contemplate life’s meaning.

“It gave me a very existential perspective for a while,” he said. 

After its production in 1994, Belgians in Heaven became highly-acclaimed among Northern Sky’s musical comedies, said Heide. With the creation of the prequel, Heide and co-playwright, Lee Becker, incorporated more of the characters that audiences adored, including Angelique and the chicken, Mildred.

Heide and Becker’s writing process spanned 15 years, with a majority of their creative genius thrashed out on hiking trails. 

“We’ve put on many miles in many beautiful places as we’ve written our shows,” Becker said.

Throughout their writing process, they sought to personalize their script. For example, the quirky role of Angelique is designed to be played by Northern Sky music director, Karen Mal. Becker said they also slipped in a reference with the bowling alley’s name, “Fred’s Alley,” as a tribute to their friend Fred Alley – the curator of American Folklore Theatre, who passed away unexpectedly in 2001 while out for a run in Door County. 

Once the script was written, the actors and playwrights fine-tuned it.

“The actors who are in the skin of most characters often have more organic responses in the moment, and [it] helps us see things that [we] were oblivious to, not being in that role,” Becker said. 

Mal said this relationship is a metaphor for what Door County is – a tight-knit community.

“It’s a perfect marriage between the theater company and the land that we love and inhabit,” Mal said. 

Heide credits the Door County community for making the two original plays possible, which together form a full-length Broadway musical.

The final product is a musical that grandparents saw when they were little, and 30 years later, their kids and grandkids are able to see with its four original cast members and the addition of a prequel, said Becker. 

“We feel so incredibly blessed,” Heide said. “It feels like a dream come true is quite the way to describe it.” 

For more information on Northern Sky’s showings of both musicals, visit northernskytheater.com.

Time running out to see Northern Sky’s ‘Hell’s Belgians’

By Heidi Hodges - August 7, 2024

One of the best things about being in Door County, whether you are a visitor or a resident, is the abundance of great theater. This year does not disappoint.

The Northern Sky Theater show I’ve been anticipating for years, “Hell’s Belgians,” finally made the stage in Peninsula State Park, and I couldn’t be more delighted. The show is a prequel to the beloved “Belgians in Heaven” and the two play side by side this summer. The original “Belgians in Heaven” premiered 30 years ago and was quickly a fan favorite, seeing the stage a few times since.

This year, it’s lovely to see the show’s authors Fred “Doc” Heide and Lee Becker reprising their roles, along with Jeff Herbst, Karen Mal, and Doug Mancheski, who has played the role of Leo after Fred Alley, the original Leo, passed away in 2001. Kelly Doherty is the star of the “Hell’s Belgian’s” prequel, playfully depicting a demon who is bound and determined to wreak havoc in the southern Door County enclave of immigrant Belgians. The original “Belgians in Heaven” stands alone. But the prequel—well, it explains a lot. If you are a fan of the original, you’ve got to see the prequel. If you are new to the whole “Belgians” experience, get yourself a seat in the amphitheater and buckle up for a fun ride.

From the story to the music, from the lighting to the acting…it’s such a treat. Best of all, it’s great getting to watch them both in one evening (insider hint: if you want to see both in one go, do Monday night and watch the original show first, and “Hell’s Belgians” second because the lighting is more fun when it gets dark out.)

There’s a lot to unpack with the Belgian series. On the surface, they are light and very, very funny. But it doesn’t take much digging, and the message is unexpectedly profound. As the characters say: “Dat’s deep.” When you aren’t humming the uplifting and beautiful songs as you walk out of the woods to your car, you’ll also start ruminating on…everything. The meaning of life. The importance of love. And how good can prevail over evil. That’s a lot, but it’s so much fun, you hardly notice you are thinking about the bigger philosophical questions of life. You might also start wondering how you are “seeing” a chicken or a squirrely demon, both voiced by Lee Becker (it’s brilliant, in a sneaky way.)

Of course, you’ll wonder why “Cheese curds, booyah, and beer” is not the Wisconsin state anthem, as the earworm seeps into your being, even if you are from Illinois. And if you find yourself singing the uplifting chorus “do not fear, only believe” during tough life moments, and you find comfort in that refrain, you might stop and thank the theater company for the lift.

There’s so much more I could say about it, gush about it. I’ve brought friends and family to the show this year, and in all the years previous, and they were moved to tears, amid the rolling laughter. But I don’t want to slip and provide any spoilers, except to say, families will love it (adults and kids both), and trust me (and it probably goes without saying), Northern Sky wouldn’t pull the curtains down on an unrepentant evil spirit.

I can’t leave this without adding a plug for the company’s other shows, particularly “Fisherman’s Daughter” on the park stage. The summer season runs through August 31. Tickets and schedule are on the company’s website https://northernskytheater.com