GEORGE & GRACIE: A LOVE STORY World Premiere to be Presented at Milwaukee Rep
Real-life couple Tami Workentin and James Pickering lead the cast, joined by Jonathan Riker.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater will present the World Premiere of George & Gracie: A Love Story by Tami Workentin May 1 – June 14, 2026, in the Stackner Cabaret. For nearly 40 years, George Burns and Gracie Allen captivated millions as entertainment’s original power couple—sharing love, laughter, and impeccable comedic timing across vaudeville, radio, television, and film. Now, Milwaukee’s own powerhouse duo, Tami Workentin and James Pickering, bring their story to life in a heartfelt tribute filled with theatrical magic and showbiz charm.
George & Gracie: A Love Story traces George Burns and Gracie Allen’s journey from a struggling vaudeville act to the height of stardom, celebrating their enduring partnership, their groundbreaking comedy, and the devotion that defined their lives on and off stage. Warm, witty, and deeply human, George & Gracie: A Love Story invites audiences to rediscover two of America’s most iconic entertainers in a production sure to captivate and inspire.
George & Gracie: A Love Story is a John (Jack) D. Lewis New Play Development Program production and part of World Premiere Wisconsin’s statewide new play festival, for which Milwaukee Rep is a lead producer. The play’s path to the stage began in 2021, when Associate Artistic Director Laura Braza and playwright Tami Workentin first started discussing the idea on the closing night of Steel Magnolias, for which Braza directed and Workentin starred. Braza read an early script soon after, and the two continued shaping the piece over the years as it evolved. When the Rep sought the right project to represent the theater in the 2026 WPW festival, George & Gracie: A Love Story quickly stood out—an original work by a Wisconsin native and longtime Rep collaborator that aligns seamlessly with both the festival’s mission and the goals of the Rep’s New Play Development Program.
George & Gracie: A Love Story marks Tami Workentin’s playwriting debut. Workentin and James Pickering, who portray George and Gracie, are married in real life and longtime Milwaukee Rep performers who regularly appear as Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig in A Christmas Carol. Pickering’s career spans more than 50 years.
They are joined by Jonathan Riker, a former Milwaukee Rep Emerging Professional Resident, who plays the Elevator Man—a role written specifically for him.
George & Gracie: A Love Story is directed by Laura Braza (Million Dollar Quartet, Milwaukee Rep) with music direction and arrangements by Alissa Rhode (Dairy Heirs, Northern Sky), set design by Lisa Schlenker (Dairy Heirs, Northern Sky), costume design by Jason Orlenko (Beehive: the 60’s Musical, Milwaukee Rep), lighting design by Rachel Levy (Dial M for Murder, Milwaukee Rep), co- sound design by Jack Purves with co-sound designer and magic and movement coordinator Wolfe Bowart, and stage manager Merit Glover.
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