​By Mary Boyle

Heidi Armbruster is not only a playwright, but has an extensive list of theatre, film, and television credits from New York, where she was based as an actor.  Wisconsin, though, is her real home; the place where she grew up, and the place she returned to when her father became sick.  Her father, a farmer from the middle of the state, encouraged Heidi to write a play about her experience and, thankfully, she did.  Filled with humor, insight, and plenty of Wisconsinisms, SCARECROW is a heartfelt one-woman show performed by the playwright, herself, and can be seen through March 17th at Milwaukee’s Next Act Theatre.

Directed by Milwaukee’s own Laura Gordon (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf), Scarecrow is both written and performed by Heidi Armbruster, which is something that deserves repeating.  Imagine losing a parent you are very close with; now imagine writing about that process; now imagine telling that story to a room full of strangers. Repeatedly.  Let’s be honest: not many people would want to process their grief this way.  On the other hand, Armbruster, who was brilliant in two productions at The Rep last season, Wife of a Salesman and God of Carnage, clearly has the acting chops to pull it off.

Death is something every one of us will have to deal with, yet a terribly uncomfortable topic that nobody is interested in discussing – which is why it makes for excellent theatre.  Last summer at American Players Theatre, I saw an amazing one-woman show called Mala, about a middle-aged woman who was slowly losing her mother.  The show was a masterpiece of emotions, ranging from hysterically funny to unbearably sad but, with the magical empathy of theatre, the audience can be safely guided through an all-too-relatable story, experiencing the myriad of emotions brought by such circumstances, and come out the other side unscathed, but with greater understanding. 
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Scarecrow hits a little closer to home because it is so firmly set in Wisconsin culture (many of us will see similarities to ourselves and people we know in this play); but, because it is so entirely born and raised in Wisconsin, it is too polite to drag people to the highs and lows of emotional ranges, preferring to stick with the good old fashioned midwestern habit of not really talking about the problem and making light it, instead.  Or so it would seem.  We don’t talk about it, but we live through it, right along with Heidi.  On the journey, we learn not only that we can live through it, but what we can learn from it.  Trust me, these are lessons worth learning. 

SCARECROW runs through March 17, 2024, at 255 S. Water Street in Milwaukee, the artistic home of Next Act Theatre.  Tickets may be purchased by calling (414) 278-0765 or online at nextact.org.

About Next Act Theatre
Since 1990, Next Act Theatre has been engaging the hearts and minds of audiences with intimate, compelling productions intended to stimulate thought, foster the exchange of ideas, and promote the development of new perspectives and understanding.  Next Act believes that stories work best when they involve characters in the midst of a struggle or a quest. Audiences identify with them, becoming emotionally and intellectually invested. The character’s situation, tragedy or triumph becomes the audiences’ to endure, mourn or celebrate. The theatre proves itself, then, as essential to the nourishment of our human spirit by bringing us together to examine, experience and explore the human condition, perhaps coming away with knowledge and perspective that only a good story can deliver.

By Mary Boyle
 
Written by British playwright Catherine Johnson and known as a “jukebox musical” (a musical featuring pop music, as opposed to original music composed for the production), Mamma Mia! is built on the music of the Swedish band ABBA and is named for their 1975 hit song of the same name.   First unveiled in the West End in 1999, the show was an immediate success that went to Broadway in 2001 and ran through 2015, earning its place in the top-ten longest-running Broadway shows.  The musical became a hit movie in 2008 starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, and Amanda Seyfried, which then went on to spark a hit sequel, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, in 2018, starring those same actors, plus the addition of Cher.  In 2023, a 25th Anniversary North American Tour of MAMMA MIA! began, which has finally made it to Milwaukee as part of the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s Broadway at the Marcus Center season, from February 20-25, 2024.

Sophie Sheridan (Alisa Melendez) is only 20 years old, but she is about to get married to Sky (Grant Reynolds), the guy she loves, on the small Greek island she was raised on by her single mother, Donna (Christine Sherrill).  Donna has run a little hotel on the island since Sophie was born and, though Sophie had always wondered, had never revealed any information about Sophie’s father.  Deciding that she didn’t want to have a wedding without her dad, if she could help it, Sophie investigates her mother’s diary from the year before she was born and narrows it down to three men: Harry Bright (Rob Marnell), Bill Austin (Jim Newman), or Sam Carmichael (Victor Wallace).  To lure them to the island, Sophie sends them invitations to the wedding that appear to be from her mother, who has no idea what Sophie is up to; meanwhile, the men arrive with no idea that Sophie exists. Luckily, Donna’s two best friends, Tanya (Jalynn Steele) and Rosie (Carly Sakolove), arrive to help with the wedding and keep Donna from losing her mind when she is suddenly confronted with her past.

My first experience with Mamma Mia! was the 2008 film, which I found to be unbearably cringy, but it clearly found a place in the hearts of my daughter’s generation (I think my niece may have worn out her DVD, she watched it so many times).  Not being a great fan of ABBA didn’t help my opinion.  Nonetheless, when the opportunity to see this tour presented itself, I wanted to see if the live-on-the-stage version made a difference, and it did.  This production is just pure fun the whole way through.  The choreography by Anthony Van Laast is perfection, and the overall design of the show by Mark Thompson is simple, but effective.  While the dialog can feel a bit rushed, at times, the story is driven mainly by the music, and this cast has some incredible vocal talent in the main characters: Melendez as Sophie and Sherrill as Donna; however, Jalynn Steele, who plays Donna’s wealthy and eccentric friend, Tanya, manages to steal the show with both her voice and her spectacular and energetic stage presence.  I would have loved to feel more chemistry between Donna and Sam (who, interestingly, both live in Wisconsin), though they paired well vocally. 

With such a huge fan base, tickets will sell fast for this production; but, even if you aren’t a big fan, Mamma Mia! is a fun way to spend a February evening in Milwaukee, so go ahead and get some Broadway Musical into your life!
 
MAMMA MIA! runs through February 25th at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, located at 929 N. Water Street in Downtown Milwaukee.  Tickets may be purchased online at www.MarcusCenter.org, calling 414-273-7206 or by visiting the MPAC Box Office.  Groups of 10 or more can secure their seats by calling 414-273-7207. MAMMA MIA! last played the Marcus Performing Arts Center in the 2014/15 season.

About Marcus Performing Arts Center
A mission-based non-profit organization located in downtown Milwaukee, the Marcus Performing Arts Center (MPAC) brings high-quality arts and cultural programming to Southeastern Wisconsin. MPAC strives to act as an energizing force that connects the community to the world through collaboration, innovation, social engagement, and the transformative power of the performing arts. Through multiple performance series, community events, and educational experiences, MPAC brings a diverse range of celebrated artists to the region. A fixture in Milwaukee for over 50 years, MPAC is proud to be part of the Milwaukee Theater District, as well as a dedicated War Memorial facility. Learn more at www.MarcusCenter.org.

Johnson Financial Group, with offices in Wisconsin and Minnesota, is a privately owned financial services company offering banking, wealth and insurance solutions through its subsidiaries, Johnson Bank, Johnson Wealth, and Johnson Insurance Services.  For more information visit johnsonfinancialgroup.com.
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Broadway Across America (BAA) is part of the John Gore Organization family of companies, which includes Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, Group Sales Box Office and Broadway Brands. Led by 20-time Tony-winning theater producer John Gore (Owner & CEO), BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, operating in 48 markets with over 400,000 subscribers. Presentations include Disney’s The Lion King, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and Hamilton. Current productions include & Juliet, Hadestown, Hamilton, Kimberly Akimbo, MJ: TheMusical and Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

By Mary Boyle

Heidi Schreck’s mother, a debate coach, came up with an amazing scheme to help her daughter pay for college: traveling around the country, from one American Legion to another, giving speeches and taking part in debates on the Constitution for prize money.  The scheme worked and, while the scholarship money was the main goal, Schreck became a self-proclaimed "Constitution zealot" along the way.  Although she began college in pre-law, taking part in her school's theatre production changed her career trajectory.  Still, her passion for our country's most important document never really waned and, reflecting back on her teenage years, she combined both of her passions into one incredibly successful play called WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME, which is running at The Rep's Stiemke Studio through March 17th.

Schreck knew she wanted to write a play about her experience but didn’t know at the time what it would become.  “I ended up making a much more personal play than I thought I would,” Schreck said in an interview on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.  “The play became about the stories of the women in my family, the way their lives have been shaped by the Constitution, [and] the way the Constitution has failed them over generations.”

Schreck's play made an immediate splash when it hit the stage in 2019, and has gone on to  be named a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama, as well as receiving two Tony Award nominations for Best Play and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play, along with winning several awards.  It was even filmed and premiered this past October on Amazon Prime Video, where it was also nominated for several awards.  After a sold-out Broadway run, the play is quickly making its way across the country.

Directed by Laura Braza, the play stars the talented Jessie Fisher as Schreck, who took a leave of absence from her Broadway role in A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond Musical for the opportunity to do the show.  Fisher, who was last seen on The Rep’s stage in Grounded during their 2016/17 Season, is joined by Will Mobley, who was in last season’s Much Ado About Nothing at The Rep, as a Legionnaire and Schreck’s friend, Danny.  The cast is rounded out by three young performers, only one of whom appears in each show: Maria (Rose) Campbell, Hazel Dye, and Maya O’Day-Biddle.  Both Fisher and Mobley give emotional and believable performances that are a credit to the writing.

There is a reason this play has been so successful, and I think it is because there isn’t a single person in the country who isn’t affected by the Constitution: it binds us all.  No matter how good your Civics class was in school, you will learn both amazing and horrifying facts about this document, which is the oldest living constitution in the world.  For instance, you will hear about as the amendment that gave women the right to birth control and to vote, while also learning that the word “woman” is not mentioned in our Constitution. Don’t conclude that this is a show for women, though – this production has insights for literally everyone.  Funny, thought-provoking, and intensely moving, this is one play that makes it impossible not to engage in politics.  Tickets will sell quickly for this one – get yours now.

WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME runs through March 17th, 2024, in the Stiemke Studio, located within the Associated Bank Theater Center at 108 E. Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee.  Tickets may be purchased at www.MilwaukeeRep.com, by calling the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490 or visit the Ticket Office in person at 108 E Wells Street in Downtown Milwaukee.

Talks and Events
Early Bird Performance: Tuesday, February 13 at 6:30pm
TalkBacks: Thursdays Feb 15, Feb 22, Feb 29 after the 7:30pm performance

Post-Show Panels:
Friday, February 16 – What Does the Constitution Mean to You? Panelists include UWM Professor Jim Tasse and Milwaukee Rep Teen Council Member Silver Anderson.

Tuesday, February 20 – Why is it Important to have Women Represented in Government?  Panelists include Judge Kristy Yang and Representative Dora Drake.
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College Nights: Tuesday, February 20 - Learn more here
Dinner Dialogue: Monday, February 26, 5-8pm at Hilton Garden Inn and The Social American Tavern (611 N Broadway St). To learn more and to register visit click here.
 
Access Services
Audio-Described Performance: Thursday, February 22 at 7:30pm – the show will be described for patrons who are blind or have low vision.
ASL Performance: Thursday, February 29 at 7:30pm – the show will be signed for the deaf or hard of hearing. 
 
About Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Rep is the largest performing arts organization in Wisconsin with three unique performance venues in the Associated Bank Theater Center. For over seven decades, Milwaukee Rep has been a centerpiece of Milwaukee’s vibrant arts and cultural scene with productions ranging from Broadway musicals to Shakespeare to American Classics and New Works that are entertaining, inclusive, and impactful. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mark Clements and Executive Director Chad Bauman, Milwaukee Repertory Theater ignites positive change in the cultural, social, and economic vitality of its community by creating world-class theater experiences that entertain, provoke, and inspire meaningful dialogue among an audience representative of Milwaukee’s rich diversity.

By Mary Boyle

American author Rick Riordan has now written over 20 novels for young adults, but The Lightning Thief, the first in his Percy Jackson & the Olympians series published in 2005, is still the most well known and beloved by his fans.  Adapted into a motion picture in 2010 starring Logan Lerman, the movie did not fare nearly as well as the book; however, Disney+ recently unveiled a TV series that is more faithful to the books, which has been gaining popularity.  Even lesser known is the musical version of the novel, which was unveiled on Broadway in 2014.  Yes, a musical.  This season, First Stage brings the Greek Gods to Milwaukee with their production of THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL, through March 10th.

With book by Joe Tracz and music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki, this pop-rock filled musical streamlines Percy's story for the stage, while keeping the essential parts of the tale intact.  For the uninitiated, Percy (Ben Nowacek/Silver Anderson)  is a 12 year old boy with ADHD and dyslexia, struggling to fit in, but constantly finding himself in trouble at school; in fact, he's been kicked out of several.   In his newest school, Percy finally has a friend, Grover (Thatcher Jacobs/Abram Nelson), and a teacher who seems to like him. When he’s kicked out of yet another school, his single mother (Nadja Simmonds) decides it’s finally time to let Percy in on a secret she’s been keeping from him but, before she can get it all out, her and Percy are attacked by a minotaur and Percy learns that his best friend is, in fact, a satyr.  The next thing Percy knows, he’s waking up at Camp Half-Blood with an irritated Dionysus (Jamey Feshold) and his teacher who, as it turns out, is a centaur named Chiron (Matt Daniels), informing him he’s a demigod and that his mother was lost in the attack.

While at camp, Percy befriends Annabeth (Sanaiah Hibbler/Calleigh Mills) and Luke (Austin Nelson Jr.), a disgruntled son of Hermes who is angry that the gods are often absentee, uninvolved parents who often never bother to claim their half-human children.  Percy’s father, however, does claim him and, as the son of Poseidon, Percy learns that he has a way with water. Before he can absorb it all, he is suspected of stealing Zuess’s lightning bolt and sent on a hero’s quest to retrieve it before a war erupts amongst the gods.  Not wanting to leave camp, Luke reminds Percy that Hades is probably the true thief and that, by going to the underworld, he will likely be able to find his mother.  With that as his true mission, Percy is joined by Annabeth and Grover on a crazy, monster-filled adventure.

Directed by Jeff Frank, The Lightning Thief is an ideal way for younger fans of the book, movie, or TV series to experience the story in a different way that is fun, family-friendly, and less scary than its other visual counterparts.  The costumes by Yvonne Miranda and scenic design by Madelyn Yee are Broadway quality but, as always, the music suffers a bit with the sound quality in the Todd Wehr theater, though the cast (Nadja Simmonds, in particular) is vocally strong.  The young performers, who are double cast in either the Minotaur or Chimera casts, respectively, do an excellent job, but Matt Daniels and Jamey Feshold are the glue that holds this production together.  Daniels, in particular, is spectacular as the centaur Chiron, Hades, and Poseidon, as well as other characters, though his performance is so good that you may not realize that all of those characters are performed by the same actor.  Feshold shines as Dionysus and as Aries, the god of war.  Together, they make the performance a good time for all ages in the audience.

I am personally a huge fan of the Percy Jackson series, so I was skeptical about this adaptation, but it really does work – although I believe it works best if you are a fan or, at least, already familiar with the story, because a lot of detail is lost in order to fit it into a 75 minute show.  The music is not always brilliant, but it does manage to summarize large parts of text and move the story along in a fast-paced way that still remains largely true to the book.  As with the novel, the musical is still a great crash-course in Greek mythology that may inspire a deeper dive, but also serves as a great way to introduce young Percy Jackson fans to the wonder of live theatre.  Either way, you can’t really lose on this production, unless you wait too long to buy your tickets - it seems Percy Jackson is a hot commodity in any format.

THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL runs through March 10, 2024 at the Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater, located at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee.  Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased in person at the Marcus Center Box Office at 929 N. Water Street, by phone at (414) 273-7206 or online at firststage.org.

Special events for THE LIGHTNING THIEF: The Percy Jackson Musical
Pay What You Choose Performance: Friday, February 9, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
Pay What You Choose tickets are available on a first come, first served basis with a minimum suggested ticket price of $10 per person. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. on the day of the performance. Patrons are encouraged to arrive early. Tickets may also be reserved in advance by phone at (414) 267-2961, weekdays 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information, please visit:
firststage.org/events-tickets/tickets-offers/pay-what-you-choose/.

Sensory Friendly Performance: Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 3:30 p.m.
A Sensory Friendly Performance with accommodations for families with children on the autism spectrum will take place on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. Sensory accommodations include a quiet area staffed by an experienced educator, adjusted sound and lighting, and more. Tickets for Sensory Friendly Performances are $10. Order online or by phone at (414) 267-2961, weekdays 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. to reserve tickets. To learn more visit: firststage.org/plan-your-visit/sensory-friendly-performances/.

ASL Interpreted Performance: Sunday, March 3, 2024 at 3:30 p.m.
This performance will be sign language interpreted for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Assistive listening devices are also available at the Todd Wehr Theater. To learn more, please visit: firststage.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility/sign-language-interpreted-performances/

About First Stage
Founded in 1987, First Stage is one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families, and a driving force behind the creation of the best and most innovative plays for family audiences, theater training programs for young people, and education initiatives for its schools and community.  First Stage produces plays that honor the young person’s point of view, include diverse and traditionally underrepresented voices, and inspire meaningful conversations. First Stage has presented more than 70 world premiere productions that address important subject matters relevant to today’s youth. The Theater Academy is one of the nation’s largest high-impact theater training programs for young people (3-18 years old). Through a challenging curriculum taught by professional teaching artists, the Academy nurtures life skills through stage skills and includes the Next Steps Program that tailors Theater Academy classes to the needs of autistic young people. As Wisconsin’s leader in arts-integrated education in schools, First Stage’s dynamic Theater in Education Programs cleverly blend theater activities with standard curriculum – allowing more than 10,000 students annually to learn traditional academic subjects through creativity and self-expression.  First Stage ensures that all programming is not only accessible to its community but that it is reflective of the community it serves. In order to do that, First Stage relies on its community of donors. With an annual operating budget of $5 million, more than half of First Stage’s revenue comes from generous contributions from individuals, corporations, foundations, government sources, and the United Performing Arts Fund. Join First Stage’s community of donors with a contribution today and transform lives through theater. 

First Stage is a member of TYA/USA, the American Alliance for Theatre and Education, the Wisconsin Alliance for Arts Education, Milwaukee Arts Partners, and is a cornerstone member of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF). firststage.org