By Mary Boyle

Way back in 1997, two guys from Colorado named Trey Parker and Matt Stone created a raunchy but hilarious animated show for adults that aired on Comedy Central called South Park. To say it was a hit is an understatement.  Now one of Comedy Central’s longest running shows, South Park is scheduled to begin its 27th season sometime this year, but their animated show wasn’t the duo’s only success.  In 2011, the team unveiled a Broadway musical, co-written with Robert Lopez of Avenue Q fame, which had nothing to do with South Park, but went on to win 9 Tony awards, among many others; in fact, it has become one of the most successful musicals of all time. Now, back by popular demand, THE BOOK OF MORMON returns to Milwaukee for the third time, courtesy of the Broadway at the Marcus Center Series.

Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Werner, with music supervision and vocal arrangements by Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon is the story of two young Mormon men about to embark on their traditional two-year missionary service.  Elder Price (Sam McLellan) has worked hard and has been at the top of his class; popular and well-liked by his peers, he’s prayed to be paired with an equally competent partner and sent to sunny Orlando to complete his mission, but God has other plans for him.  The partner chosen for him is Elder Cunningham (Diego Enrico), an awkward oddball of a Mormon who is ecstatic to follow his “new best friend” on their mission, which is not to sunny Orlando, unfortunately, but an AIDS-ridden, poverty-stricken village in Uganda under constant terror from the General (Dewight Braxton Jr.).  With the help of a young village woman named Nabulungi (Keke Nesbitt), and her father, Mafala Hatimbi (Lamont J. Whitaker), our two missionaries join Elder McKinley (Craig Franke) and the others to try and baptize some Africans.

Much like South Park, The Book of Mormon is shocking, dirty, and laced with the F-word; however, if you can make it through all of that, there is some very real substance to the story.  Though it seems that the musical is just making fun of Mormons (and, to be fair, it is), all comedy must have an element of truth and heart to make it work, and this one does.  The songs are hysterical and clever, and the entire show is packed full of the flashy dance numbers one would expect from a Broadway show, complete with one of the best costume changes in the Broadway cannon.  Combine that with a perfectly cast and incredibly talented group of performers, and you've got yourself a credible musical, no matter how many F-bombs you drop.
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THE BOOK OF MORMON runs through March 2, 2025, at the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s Uihlein Hall, 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.
 
​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 22-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, Hell’s Kitchen, MJ: The Musical, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Outsiders, and Stereophonic.

By Mary Boyle

Milwaukee’s Marie Kohler is a playwright, writer, director, producer, and the co-founder of Renaissance TheaterWorks, which shares space with Next Act Theatre in downtown Milwaukee.  One thing she hasn’t done is direct a production for Next Act, but this season is her chance. Kohler makes her directorial debut with British playwright Lucy Kirkwood’s 2017 Tony Award winning play THE CHILDREN, which runs through March 9th in downtown Milwaukee.

Kohler says The Children evokes the ancient Haudenosaunee/Iroquois philosophy that the decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world seven generations into the future and, at its heart, I must agree.  In the story, we meet a retired couple, Hazel (Mary MacDonald Kerr) and Robin (Brian Mani), who are now trying to live a healthy life in a cottage by the sea in the aftermath of a nuclear meltdown at the plant where they once both worked.  When their old coworker, Rose (Shariba Rivers), pays them a visit after many years away, Hazel and Robin both wonder at what the reason for her appearance could possibly be.  While their individual relationships with Rose form the basis of their conclusions, Rose’s true purpose is one they couldn’t possibly have guessed.

Kirkwood is a playwright who likes to focus on relationships – so much so that they can feel distracting or misleading to the main narrative of her stories.  The realness and rawness of her character’s emotions can, at times, make the audience uncomfortable, yet the main narrative – what kind of world are we leaving our children and how are we responsible for that – is always there to fall back on when the relationships get messy.  Just like real life.

The acting in this production is top notch.  Brian Mani (King Lear and more at American Players Theatre this past summer) and Mary MacDonald Kerr (MCT’s Christmas in Babylon and Director for The Mousetrap last season at Next Act) are Wisconsin theatre royalty, and you can see why in this production.  Shariba Rose, a Chicago-based actor, is as impressive and effortless as her cast members.  Combined with an amazing set design by Jeffrey D. Kmiec, The Children is a worthy offering from Next Act.
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THE CHILDREN runs through March 9th, 2025, at the artistic home of Next Act Theatre, located at 255 S. Water Street in Milwaukee.  Tickets may be purchased by calling (414) 278-0765 or online at www.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.