(10/18/2019) - First Stage begins its 2019/20 main stage season with ON THE WINGS OF A MARIPOSA, a lyrical, bilingual play written by Playwright-in-Residence Alvaro Saar Rios. This world premiere production is adapted from the book Ghost Wings by popular Milwaukee author Barbara Joosse, features original music and lyrics by Dinorah Márquez and is a collaboration with Latino Arts Strings Program and United Community Center.
(09/26/2019) - Get a look inside Milwaukee Repertory Theater's The Niceties, opening the 2019/20 Stiemke Studio season. A bristling two-woman drama, The Niceties asks the question: Who gets to tell the story of America?
(09/26/2019) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents The Niceties by rising-star playwright Eleanor Burgess in the Stiemke Studio, September 25 - November 3, 2019.
(09/08/2019) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents 2 Pianos 4 Hands, a comedic music duel featuring the music of Bach, Beethoven, Billy Joel and Jerry Lee Lewis and more in the recently renovated Stackner Cabaret, September 6 - November 3, 2019.
(08/27/2019) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents West Side Story, the iconic American musical from Broadway visionariesJerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, in the Quadracci Powerhouse, September 17 – October 27, 2019.
(04/28/2019) - First Stage concludes its 2018/19 mainstage season with a sparkling new adaptation of TINKER BELL, written by playwright Patrick Flynn and based on the works of Sir J.M. Barrie. This family-friendly adventure brings to the stage characters audiences know and love - Peter Pan, Wendy, the Lost Boys and Captain Hook - but told all from the unique perspective of the feisty fairy, Tinker Bell. With over a dozen different puppets, original music and even some potent fairy dust, Milwaukee families will get to experience theater magic at its best. The world of Neverland will come to life in the Todd Wehr Theater like it has never been seen before! Audience members young and old won't want to miss taking this fantastic voyage in TINKER BELL.
(03/15/2019) - Adapted for family audiences from the Tony Award- winning Broadway musical, BIG RIVER: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn tells the story of Huck and his friend Jim, a slave, as they travel along the mighty Mississippi River. Huck tries to help Jim escape to freedom and reunite with his family. Their shared journey of discovery proves humorous, suspenseful and heartwarming. Mark Twain's timeless classic comes alive on stage at First Stage in this coming-of-age musical which features live bluegrass music with fiddles, guitar, harmonica, piano and more.
(03/06/2019) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents the American premiere of Things I Know To Be True by Australian playwright Andrew Bovell in the Quadracci Powerhouse March 5-31, 2019.
(01/25/2019) - Acclaimed as "lively" and "lyrical" by The Washington Post and written by award-winning author/playwright Jacqueline Woodson, LOCOMOTION chronicles the thoughtful, creative, 11-year-old Lonnie Collins Motion, who discovers a passion for poetry as a way to express his feelings as he navigates life following his parents' death and his placement in the foster care system. Weaving together Lonnie's past and present, humor flows through the play's eccentric and witty characters poignantly revealing his journey of hope from tragedy to a brighter future.
(01/16/2019) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents Junk, the hit Broadway play by Milwaukee native and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar in the Quadracci Powerhouse now through February 17, 2019. Since its Broadway premiere at Lincoln Center last year, Ayad Akhtar along with Artistic Director Mark Clements have continued to hone Junk to bring Milwaukee audiences a new, two hour no intermission riveting story set in the financial world of the 1980s.
(12/06/2018) - A fun, new musical adaptation of an audience favorite comes to First Stage this holiday season. Created by the talented husband/wife team of Jahnna Beecham (Playwright/Lyricist) and Malcolm Hillgartner (Composer/Lyricist) and based on the play by Barbara Robinson, THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER: THE MUSICAL is filled with catchy,'60s-inspired original music and a delightful story that both young and old will enjoy.
(11/13/2018) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, a contemporary twist based on a beloved classic in the Quadracci Powerhouse November 13 - December 16, 2018.
(10/12/2018) - From the creators of JUST A LITTLE CRITTER MUSICAL, (2015/16), NATE THE GREAT makes its world premiere at First Stage and kicks off an exciting season of musicals. Junior Detective Nate the Great, already one of the world's greatest detectives while still in grade school, is almost never baffled by anything - that is, until his friend Annie's painting goes missing. Armed with an appetite for justice and pancakes, Nate vows to come to the bottom of this perplexing elementary school mystery in this world premiere musical!
(09/27/2018) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents the gripping historical drama Guards at the Taj by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo) starring Owa'Ais Azeem (The Rep's The Invisible Hand) as Babur and Yousof Sultani (Chicago Shakespeare's Othello) as Hamayun running this September 26 - November 4, 2018 in the Stiemke Studio.
(09/20/2018) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents In the Heights, the 2008 Tony Award winner for Best Musical by Hamilton creator Lin Manuel Miranda in the Quadracci Powerhouse through October 28, 2018. Check out the cast in action below!
(05/25/2018) - Bronzeville Arts Ensemble will debut its inaugural production of FLYIN' WEST by Pearl Cleage on May 24-27, 2018, at Wilson Theater in Vogel Hall at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts.
(05/04/2018) - Based upon the wildly popular Judy Moody series of children's books, the world premiere production of JUDY MOODY & STINK: THE MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD TREASURE HUNT comes to First Stage this May. A national collaboration with seven of the country's leading children's theaters, JUDY MOODY & STINK: THE MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD TREASURE HUNT finds third grader Judy Moody in a bit of a mood. She's been given a school assignment to create a 'Me' collage, and her know-it-all little brother Stink keeps getting in the way. When the Moody family drops anchor on 'Artichoke' Island for a weekend getaway, they meet Cap'n Weevil with a secret treasure map, launching them on a mad dash across the island in search of gold. That's when the fun and adventure begins!
(04/09/2018) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater concludes the 2017/18 Season with the great American classic, Our Town, a powerful and moving drama, in the Quadracci Powerhouse, running April 10 through May 13. Directed by Associate Artistic Director Brent Hazelton, this large ensemble brings together some of Wisconsin's greatest theatre talent on one stage to create an Our Town for our town.
(03/16/2018) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents the powerful theatrical event, Until The Flood in the Stiemke Studio beginning now through April 22. Fresh off its Off-Broadway run where it earned a New York Times Critics' Pick, Until The Flood is performed by powerhouse creator and Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith.
(02/27/2018) - This brilliantly funny and provocative new piece has been in development at Milwaukee Rep for nearly two years and is part of our John (Jack) D. Lewis New Play Development Program, which revitalizes The Rep's commitment to commission and produce new works.
(01/21/2018) - Black Pearl Sings! stars Lynette Dupree (Film -Their Eyes Were Watching God) as Pearl, an African-American woman with an expressive voice and a passed down knowledge of spirituals and folk songs. Dupree's co-star is Colleen Madden (longtime American Players Theatre company member) as Susannah Mulally, an ambitious song collector for the Library of Congress who is searching for something of her own.
(01/11/2018) - Leading the cast of Animal Farm will be Milwaukee Rep Associate Artists Jonathan Gillard Daly (Man of La Mancha andMousetrap) as Benjamin/Pilkington and Deborah Staples (A Christmas Carol and Harvey) as Clover. Rounding out the cast is Milwaukee native Brendan Titley (Penguin Rep Theatre's Trayf) as Snowball/Minimus, Melvin Abston(Broadway's Sister Act) as Napoleon, Tiffany Rachelle Stewart (Broadway's A Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-time) as Squealer/Mollie and Stephanie Weeks (Tennessee Shakespeare Company's A Midsummer Night's Dream) as Boxer/Major.
(12/01/2017) - A Christmas Carol cast features Milwaukee Rep favorite Jonathan Wainwright (Of Mice of Men, A Christmas Carol), reprising his role as Scrooge, portraying one of Dicken's most recognizable characters.
(11/21/2017) - Skylight Music Theatre today presents this holiday season's production of Annie. This seven-time Tony Award-winning musical runs from November 17 through December 23, 2017 in the beautiful Cabot Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway, in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward.
(11/16/2017) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents the Midwest Premiere of Holmes and Watson, by Jeffery Hatcher in the Quadracci Powerhouse, now through December 17. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!
(11/12/2017) - Murder for Two is co-written and stars Milwaukee High School of the Arts Alumni Joe Kinosian (Murder for Two Off-Broadway at New World Stages) as The Suspects. Kinosian is a Milwaukee native and was introduced to theater as a child during a visit to The Rep. Kinosian's co-star in this murder mystery is Matt Edmonds (Theo Ubique's RENT) as Marcus Moscowicz.
(09/29/2017) - The Who & The What stars Rep newcomers Brian Abraham (Broadway's Harry Potter and the Cursed Child opening Spring 2018) as Afzal,Soraya Broukhim (Petrol Station at BAM) as Zarina, Ben Kahre (MTC The Commons of Pensacola) as Eli, and Nikita Tewani (ACT's A Thousand Splendid Suns) as Mahwish.
(09/21/2017) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents Guys and Dolls, a Tony Award-winning musical in the intimate Quadracci Powerhouse, running now through October 29. BroadwayWorld has an exclusive first look at the cast in action below!
(09/19/2017) - Based on Louisa May Alcott's life, follow the adventures of sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March. Jo is trying to sell her stories for publication, but the publishers are not interested her friend, Professor Bhaer, tells her that she has to do better and write more from herself.
(09/09/2017) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater begins the 2017/18 Season with Souvenir, a charming musical comedy beginning performances September 8 - November 5 in the Stackner Cabaret. Directed by Milwaukee Native Laura Braza (Grounded), Souvenir stars Marguerite Willbanks Beauty and the Beast) as Florence Foster Jenkins and Jack Forbes Wilson (Liberace!) as Cosme? McMoon.
(04/21/2017) - From the team that brought The Penelopiad to the swing park, comes a story of survival, love, and the enduring power of storytelling. Luminous Theatre presents the Milwaukee premiere of Anne Washburn's Mr. Burns, a post-electric play. In honor of tonight's opening, BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!
(04/19/2017) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents a critically acclaimed adaptation of Charlotte Bronte's classic story Jane Eyre in the Quadracci Powerhouse, beginning April 25 through May 21. Directed by KJ Sanchez (Harvey, The Diary of Anne Frank), Jane Eyre is a passionate romance meets thrilling psychological drama performed by ten actors playing more than 20 roles. The production combines Victorian-era costumes with inventive staging to bring new creativity and vitality to the classic story, considered one of the most widely read novels in the English language. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!
(02/24/2017) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents the riveting new play, Grounded, by George Brant in the Stiemke Studio, now through April 2, 2017. This palpitating one-woman show features Jessie Fisher, whose credits include Girl in Broadway's Once and most recently Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Constellations and Of Mice and Men. BroadwayWorld has a first look at Fisher onstage below!
(01/30/2017) - The lavish new production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien, features Charlotte Maltby as the new Maria Rainer, who began her national tour debut on January 3. BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at Maltby with the cast below!
(01/23/2017) - Milwaukee Repertory Theater celebrates a local legend with McGuire, the newly expanded one man show about Marquette University's basketball coach Al McGuire in the Stackner Cabaret this January 20 - March 19. McGuire is part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of Marquette basketball and the 40th anniversary of the Championship season.
