Kelsey Lawler - Page 4

A scintillating, scatting, sensational return to live theater -- who could ask for anything more? The Milwaukee Rep delivers a heaping portion of the good stuff in the triumphant 'First Lady of Song,' a concert salute to America’s favorite jazz singer, Ella Fitzgerald.

The On Demand experience is nicely handled and smoothly filmed. Through the use of both wide and close-up shots, we’re given an intimate vantage point that many may otherwise miss when seeing a ballet on stage. The setting is a simple colored backdrop, making for a performance that relies solely on the dancers themselves to carry the spectacle. I’m happy to report they more than carry it -- they make it soar.

The music video for The Sound opens with footage of 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests. The chants of the protests mingle with the strings warming up. “The sound drives me crazy,” the refrain repeats. Harmonious voices and strings, sparkling face masks, shades of purple and blue in braids, puppets, lighting -- this is a marvelous collaboration, and it’s one that is better seen and heard, not read about. 

This is a choose-your-own-adventure play, and First Stage rigged it so that audiences could vote by phone to help our hero Callaway Brown make key decisions: Should he pack his inhaler or his eyeglasses? Follow mysterious footsteps or radio for help? 

In their sixth collaboration, Directors Jill Anna Ponasik and Dani Kuepper take the theatrics to an Enchanted Park(ing lot). Finding a way to go out of doors -- now that’s thinking outside the black box.

Take the little ones to see this show for the laughs, the silliness, and the kind of theater for which we only have the kids to thank. Without their willingness for turning the ordinary into something wildly imaginative, plays like 'The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors' would likely remain just picture books.

The bottom line is: 'Spelling Bee' is a feel-good musical comedy that could fall flat if not cast right. The Skylight has gathered a group of top-tier performers and behind-the-scenes superstars to ensure the show soars. Can you spell a?oedoldrumsa??? This is your answer to them.

I always expect greatness from 'The Lion King.' To have a cast without a weak link among them. To blow me away with choreography and costumes, even if I've seen it before. 'The Lion King' never fails to meet every one of these great expectations, and the show currently on stage at the Marcus Center is no exception.

Days later I'm craving the songs, the performances a?" to witness the staging once more, to see what else I can pick up on, or to experience what new twist Rodin will bring to another evening's show. No two will be alike. But I feel I can confidently say that each one will end with a standing ovation, hands lifted in openness and praise.  

It makes for a most dynamic piece of theater. The ensemble cast, shrouded in black, are used to push props and people about the stage. Whether our heroes are catapulting through space and time or confronting an immense, pulsating brain, the use of physical movement and intense lighting effects help propel the story.

Milwaukee, have your dollar bills handy! Though it's only been on stage since 2014, Matthew Lopez's Georgia McBride is on its way to becoming a bonafide dragtastic legend. Now on stage at the Milwaukee Rep, under the fantastic direction of Meredith McDonough, the heat and heart in this play about an Elvis impersonator turned drag queen is the uplifting, energizing show audiences need right now.

Is there anything the Milwaukee Opera Theatre touches that doesn't turn to gold? Their latest collaboration with Skylight Music Theatre is Gilbert and Sullivan's Ruddigore, a sweet, hilarious, melodramatic comic opera made exceedingly charming under the inspired watch of co-directors Jill Anna Ponasik and Catie O'Donnell. With these creative cohorts in tow, I swear there's nothing attached to Ponasik's name that I've not adored. Her vision is a special kind of magic, and Milwaukee is lucky to have her.

First Stage has given us all an early Christmas present in Elf the Musical. Yes, the merriest show in Milwaukee right now is one about a human raised by elves. Elf is a joyful, exuberant, super-playful night of theater that caters to kids and full-sized humans alike. It's also running through December 29th and so would make a fantastic Christmas present or holiday outing. 

Now in its 44th year, this production is firmly rooted in tradition. Since its 2016 reenvisioning, there's been little in the way of new surprises, but that's what traditions are all about: passing down an experience and, hopefully, maintaining the integrity of that experience. Through its dedication to this holiday tradition, The Rep creates a Christmas Carol that feels like coming home a?" familiar, warm, and inviting.

Overall, this is a play about the young having their voices heard. Says Director of this Skylight production, Molly Rhode, a?oeThe Newsboys Strike of 1899 may have been at the turn of the century, but it doesn't feel far away. The way these young people stand up and say, 'Listen to me!' is happening right now, all across the globea?? Young people are paying attention. And they deserve a seat at the table.a?? 

The thing about 'The Nerd' is it's a farce, which The Rep's audience guide breaks down as a?oea specific style of comedy characterized by unlikely predicaments, verbal humor, mistaken identities, and physical comedy.a?? So within farce, one encounters absurd situations, fast-paced wit, and a touch of slapstick. In other words, there's a little something funny for everyone. 

Theater RED and Carroll University will join forces with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's American Sign Language/English Interpretation Program to become a veritable triple threat. Says Theater RED co-founder and Once Upon a Mattress Producing Director, Marcee Doherty-Elst: a?oeThis is the first time Theater RED has had American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters at a performance, but it has been something I have been wanting to do for some time.a?? 

It's a hoot! The answer to your prayers! Five nuns on stage, four in the freezer!

'Utterance will be like nothing you've seen before!' promises the Milwaukee Opera Theatre (MOT). If any other theater in town made such a wild claim, I'd probably shake my head. But with MOT at the helm, I don't doubt it for a moment.

This Skylight production is certainly more stripped down, relying on simple orchestrations, bare-bones sets, and a small ensemble to achieve something great. A production like this allows the strongest bit of 'Oklahoma!' -- the music -- to shine.