Gary Sinise to Present GRACEFUL WARRIOR Benefit Concert Honoring Son Mac Sinise at Skylight Music Theatre
The world premiere event will feature the music of McCanna "Mac" Sinise, performed by a 25-piece orchestra and narrated by Gary Sinise.
Skylight Music Theatre will welcome award-winning actor, humanitarian, musician, author, and founder of the Gary Sinise Foundation, Gary Sinise, back to Milwaukee for Graceful Warrior, a meaningful benefit concert for Skylight Music Theatre on August 28-29 featuring the music of his son, McCanna “Mac” Sinise.
The concert showcases original orchestral works composed by McCanna Anthony “Mac” Sinise and his producing partner, Oliver Schnee, performed by a 25-piece orchestra and guided by Gary Sinise as the evening's narrator. Accompanied by video projections inspired by the music and Mac's life, Graceful Warrior offers audiences a moving journey through love, loss, resilience, and hope.
On January 5, 2024, Mac Sinise passed away following a more than five-year battle with chordoma, a rare form of spinal cancer. Before his passing, Mac completed an album titled Resurrection & Revival. As Gary sought to deepen his connection to his son's artistic legacy, he discovered additional compositions Mac had written but never shared. Those discoveries ultimately led to the posthumous release of two additional albums, Resurrection & Revival: Part Two and Part Three, revealing the remarkable depth and breadth of Mac's musical voice and talents.
“In my upcoming book, Graceful Warrior, which comes out November 10th, I talk about my son Mac and how he was a composer and songwriter,” said Gary Sinise. “But he suffered and struggled with a very rare cancer, and we lost him on January 5th, 2024. He left behind three-album's worth of beautiful music that he composed, some of which I found on his computer and phone after he passed.”
“I will be hosting and narrating an evening of Mac's music at Skylight Music Theatre on August 28th and 29th. It will be the first concert of its kind – accompanied by personal videos and stories about Mac's extraordinary journey as a musician and a wonderful son. I came to love Milwaukee last summer when my Lt Dan Band played a benefit concert for Skylight. This concert of my son's music will also benefit Skylight and all the great work they are doing to bring quality music theatre experiences to Milwaukee. I hope you will come out to support the theatre, hear some great music, and get to know Mac.”
Drawing on the music and inspiration from all three albums, Graceful Warrior celebrates Mac's creativity, passion, and artistic spirit. This evening promises a profound and deeply personal experience, illuminating how love and hope can endure even in the face of profound loss.
“Sometimes you are lucky enough to grow up in the right place at the right time,” said Artistic Director Michael Unger. “Highland Park, IL, was that place for me, and in 1976, it put me in the same sphere as the then-fledgling Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Gary Sinise. I have been further lucky enough to work at Gary's side on movies, plays at Steppenwolf, and on Broadway. Gary is a great humanitarian and great friend.
“For the past three years, The Gary Sinise Foundation has sponsored Veterans Nights for each of our productions, and he gave Skylight the awesome gift of a Lt. Dan Band benefit concert last year. He and I have been discussing this emotionally powerful concert for a couple of years, and it is a great honor to build this world premiere event with him to honor his son's impressive legacy. There is so much music that we will never hear from Mac, but this concert will show his impressive range and breadth while Gary guides and shares his late son's gifts with Milwaukee audiences for the first time.”
The concert anticipates the November 10, 2026, release of Gary Sinise's upcoming book, Graceful Warrior, which chronicles his family's journey through Mac's illness and the strength, grace, and inspiration they found along the way. November 10th would have been Mac's 36th birthday.
Proceeds from the Graceful Warrior concert will benefit Skylight Music Theatre and help ensure that powerful stories continue to be shared through music, fostering connection, inspiration, and community through the performing arts, bringing the Milwaukee community together.
Event Details:
- Graceful Warrior, a concert benefitting Skylight Music Theatre
- Date: Friday, August 28, and Saturday, August 29
- Time: 7:30 PM
- Location: Skylight Music Theatre
- Tickets: Ticket link here
Tickets start at $45, with VIP tickets priced at $65. A military discount is offered at $40. All boxes in the Cabot Theatre will be accessible seats. Meet and greet opportunities with Gary Sinise will be available. Tickets and information can be found at SkylightMusicTheatre.org.
|
Sisters Christmas Catechism: The Mystery Of The Magi''s Gold Fox Cities PAC (11/20-11/20) |
|
Legally Blond, Jr Sunset Playhouse (8/14-8/16) |
|
SIX (Boleyn Tour) Fox Cities Performing Arts Center (2/09-2/14) |
|
Luke Bryan Alpine Valley Music Theatre (9/26-9/26) |
|
The Importance of Being Earnest Door Shakespeare (6/30-8/22) |
|
Dead Man's Cell Phone Kettle Moraine Playhouse (10/17-10/26) |
|
Legally Blonde The Musical Sunset Playhouse (7/16-8/09) |
|
2026 Blue Ox Music Festival The Pines Music Park (6/25-6/27) |
|
Love's Labour's Lost Door Shakespeare (6/29-8/21) |
|
The Super Pickle: A Hilarious Musical Parody Fox Cities PAC (10/10-10/10) |