Mobilize the Poets pays tribute to local history through music and theater

By Tyler Spatz, Eastside News

Madison’s Barrymore Theatre will ring with music and history Nov. 11 — Veteran’s Day — as Mobilize the Poets presents “The Foe and the Fallen: Stories from The Greatest War” at 7 p.m. Anchored by celebrated Celtic rock storytellers The Kissers, the show promises a riveting evening of live performance — part musical tribute, part historical retelling. “The Foe and the Fallen” is as much a celebration of east side creativity as it is a reflection on the sacrifices and resilience of community ancestors.

Mobilize the Poets is the brainchild of Ken Fitzsimmons, vocalist and bassist of The Kissers, educator and neighborhood fixture whose creative energy has shaped Madison’s music community for decades. Fitzsimmons isn’t just the driving force behind The Kissers, he’s also the catalyst for cross-disciplinary collaboration in Mobilize the Poets, bringing music, history and theater together for ambitious multimedia rock ’n’ roll history shows.

“Mobilize the Poets is about celebrating everyday people who lived during extraordinary times — and did extraordinary things,” Fitzsimmons wrote in an email. “But as much as we are an about-the-people outfit, we are also a by-the-people outfit. We are a community-driven arts organization that is sharing history that belongs to all of us.”

For Fitzsimmons, honoring ordinary people through immersive performance is deeply personal. This is what he has to say about one of the show’s local characters:

“Helen Bulovsky is an enthralling character in ‘The Foe and the Fallen.’ She’s so relatable. She grew up on Few Street. She’s excited to go overseas as a nurse and calls herself the ‘happiest mortal in town’ the day she ships out. Then she gets there and says she’s found ‘real war.’ She gets two songs in the show. One based on her diary and letters (‘Happiest Mortal’), and another based on two poems she collected and modified the words to (‘The Best That You Can’).”

Fitzsimmons’ music career spans three decades, including playing in The Kissers and Little Blue Crunchy Things, an MBA from the Bolz Center of Arts, a Bachelor of Music under renowned jazz bassist Richard Davis and leadership as education director at Madison Music Foundry. But it was the overwhelming response to his earlier production, “The Greatest War,” that spurred him to become a composer and storyteller who brings history to life onstage.

“When The Kissers took the stage at the Barrymore Theatre in 2018, it was clear that the community was with us,” Fitzsimmons recounted. “I didn’t think anyone would come to a show about WWI. But there was a line down the block. It felt like the whole neighborhood came out. I felt the love. I felt the support. And now I want to give back.”

Not content to rest on that success, Fitzsimmons and his collaborators — including the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, Four Seasons Theatre and Hinckley Productions — have reimagined the performance with new material and updated production values. This includes a state-of-the-art LED video wall to display archival images and a fresh artistic direction.

“The performance of ‘The Greatest War’ in 2018 was so impactful on myself and others that I realized that I wanted to carry on this important, meaningful work,” Fitzsimmons said. “My focus now is on Mobilize the Poets and sharing the stories of past lives through these awesome rock ’n’ roll history shows. We have a new show coming up in February of next year: ‘After the War: 1919,’ an all new, all original, historical sequel.”

With “The Foe and the Fallen,” expect more than a concert — expect a dynamic, soul-stirring tribute to Wisconsin’s wartime history and the everyday heroes who shaped it.

The Barrymore’s stage looks set for another transformative night Nov. 11, and Mobilize the Poets will lead the charge.