MILWAUKEE, WI THEATER REVIEWS

The Piano Lesson marks The Milwaukee Rep’s ninth production in Wilson’s American Century Cycle. For those unfamiliar, this stunning feat is Wilson’s magnum opus: a ten-part series of plays showcasing the African-American experience set in every decade of the 20th century....

What did our critic think of THE SPITFIRE GRILL at Skylight Music Theatre?...

Milwaukee Chamber Theaters production of “I Am My Own Wife” is a constant revelation....

Once there was a girl, an all-alone girl, who didn’t have a dragon for a friend. But all of that is about to change in First Stage’s Lovabye Dragon, an enchanting musical adventure on stage through February 15th at Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. ...

In Peter Shaffer’s play, “Amadeus,” unfulfilled composer Antonio Salieri calls himself “the patron saint of mediocrity.” This is the last word you’d associate with Skylight Musical Theatre’s impressive production....

A head, an arm, and a potato walk into America circa 1850. Theirs is a century-spanning story of the rise and collapse of a business empire. It’s The Lehman Trilogy, winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Play. It’s three acts, three actors, three epic hours of theater now on stage at the Mi...

THE FISHERMAN'S DAUGHTERS at Milwaukee Rep is an engaging love song to sisterhood, Door County - and fishing....

CARDBOARD PIANO at Renaissance Theaterworks creates a palpable, powerful bond with the audience....

First Stage brings a world-premiere Mo Willems holiday show to life. Based on the stories and characters by Mo Willems, this musical play is about 65 minutes, plus intermission, and is best suited to kids four and up. ...

As I walked into Studio Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center, a neon sign reading “Marty’s Supper Club” prominently sat next to a scene with strung indoor Christmas lights, wood paneled walls, Packers memorabilia, and local beer signs. The low buzz of the lights hummed from Lisa Schlenker’...

A coat of many colors, a musical of many genres—Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is nonstop fun at Skylight Music Theatre. The cast is fantastic, particularly when they’re all together tearing it up on stage....

On a chilly Saturday evening in Milwaukee, we were transported to a culture filled with local beer, boiled cod dishes, cold, snowy winters, and dialectical quirks…not too far a jump for a Wisconsinite, at first glance....

If you’ve seen Les Miserables many times over the years, you might wonder if you really have to go again. Is it worth it? Should I bother? Yes it is, and yes you should. The show remains so special, so strong, and even after years of repeat viewings? It’s never not worth it. ...

'Switzerland' is a satisfying slow-burn of suspense....

Milwaukee Opera Theatre and UWM Theatre collaborate on 'H.M.S. Pinafore' - bringing a saucy, modern flair to the Victorian era comic opera....

It is a joy to witness theater—this joy is only compounded when it includes the brilliant young adults who call your workplace their home for learning, if only just for a few years. As a Marquette University employee, I was delighted to find that Skylight Music Theatre’s Fiddler on the Roof is a...

To have these lives reflected in art — on stage, now, reaching for empathy in a world that needs it more than ever — is a bright spot. That this story might resonate with someone unexpected — change a mind, affect a heart — is the whole point....

The musical “Anastasia” started its life as an animated feature in 1997 and was reborn on Broadway in 2017. The Lake Country Players brings audiences back to the end of imperial Russia — and Paris in the gay '20s — with its charming and vibrant production....

Jon Marans’ Old Wicked Songs posits that beauty sits at the intersection of sadness and joy. By that logic, the play itself is indeed a beauty. On stage now at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre under the direction of Elyse Gorens Edelman....

Now is your chance to see WICKED on stage, Milwaukee. To revisit an old favorite. To get jazzed before the release of 'Wicked: For Good'—and get to know the source material. If you enjoy the movie but are new to Broadway, let this be your gateway....

Camille’s Rainbow is a little marvel in its own right. It’s also a brilliant example of an experience we desperately need more of: exposure to enriching art that also allows kids to be kids....

Holy smokes! That's all I could think after opening night of the Rep’s 'Million Dollar Quartet.' This electric, high-energy show is a must-see for fans of rock 'n' roll and anyone who could use a smile, a laugh, or a whole lotta shakin'....

'Topdog/Underdog',  written by Suzan-Lori Parks, closes the Milwaukee Chamber Theater season out with a bang, telling the explosive story of two brothers. Their parents gave them the names Lincoln and Booth – and little else....

When my friend and I carpooled to this show on opening night, we briefly discussed what we imagined the plot to be. With the hit HBO show’s finale buzzing around, we wondered aloud: “will this be White Lotus-esque?” To our surprise, and delight, the play not only comments on wealth and class i...

With Jekyll and Hyde The Musical, the Lake Country Players (LCP) offer a spirited, multi-faceted look at the different faces we present. Of course, the classic source material, the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, on which the musical is based, takes that concept to g...