By Mary Boyle

On Tuesday, December 4th, 1956, a chance gathering of four of rock-n-roll’s greatest musicians occurred at Sam Phililips’ Sun Records recording studio in Memphis, TN: Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis.  Known as the “father of rock-n-roll,” Sam Phillips gave each of these artists their start in the music industry, not knowing that this one day would be both the first and last time he and his “boys” would all be together in the same place.  The jam session they recorded became known as the MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET and, while the existing recording is not great, the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s recreation of that historical event most definitely lives up to the hype.

With book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux and based on the original concept and direction by Floyd Mutrux, Million Dollar Quartet consolidates some of the best music of the 1950s into one fast-paced, high-energy show derived straight from the stuff of legends.  Carl Perkins (Armando Gutierrez) was recording a new record at Sun Records studio with his brother Jay (Michael Ritter) on bass and W.S. “Fluke” Holland (Patrick Morrow) on drums when Phillips brought in an obnoxious, loud, nobody of a piano player to round out the sound by the name of Jerry Lee Lewis (JP Coletta).  Elvis (Joe Hebel), who had recently been sold to RCA, stopped by with his girlfriend, Marilyn Evans (“Dyanne” in the show, played by Aja Alcazar), followed by Johnny Cash (Blake Burgess/Trevor Lindley Craft), who Sam hoped to sign on for another contract.  As the musicians began to jam, Sam recorded the moment for posterity, capturing a legendary moment in rock-n-roll history.



​Carl Perkins, known as the “king of rockabilly,” had already had a hit with the song “Blue Suede Shoes,” but Elvis inadvertently stole it from him when he performed it instead of Perkins on television while Perkins was still in the hospital recovering from a car crash.  Perkins’ fame came more from other artists, such as Johnny Cash and, later, The Beatles, performing his songs, like “Matchbox,” which was recorded that day with Lewis on piano.  The quartet plays several by Johnny Cash, including “Folsom Prison Blues,” along with Lewis’s “Great Balls of Fire,” and more, but they also cover other classics such as “Long Tall Sally,” “That’s All Right,” “Down by the Riverside,” and “Sixteen Tons.”

Directed by Laura Braza, Million Dollar Quartet is one of the best concerts you’ll see this year.  The band, as a whole, is just incredibly talented, but I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight JP Coletta, who makes his Rep debut as the wild and crazy Jerry Lee Lewis.  I am already dying of curiosity wondering if both Coletta and his piano will survive the run of this show – his energy and performance level is off the charts!  If you are not out of your seat by the end of this performance, you better check your pulse.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET runs through May 24, 2025 in the Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall, located in the Marcus Performing Arts Center at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee.  Tickets may be purchased at www.MilwaukeeRep.com, by phone at 414-224-9490, or Ticket Office at 108 E Wells Street, Milwaukee.

Talks and Events
Early Bird Performance: Tuesday, May 6 at 6:30pm
TalkBacks: Wednesday evenings following the performance: April 30, May 7, 21
Post-Show Panels: Thursday, May 15 – History of Black and White Music

Join the Milwaukee Repertory Theater for their amazing 2025/26 Season, featuring: It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Come From Away, A Christmas Carol, The Fisherman’s Daughters, The Lehman Trilogy, McNeal, August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, Ain’t Misbehavin’ The Fats Waller Musical Show, Frida…A Self Portrait, Mrs. Christie, George & Gracie: A Love Story, and And Then There Were None.
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About Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Rep is the largest performing arts organization in Wisconsin with its new artistic home in the Associated Bank Theater Center opening Fall 2025 with three unique performance venues – the Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater, Herro-Franke Studio Theater and Stackner Cabaret. 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. More information is available at www.MilwaukeeRep.com 

By Mary Boyle

For their final production of their 35th season, Next Act Theatre in Milwaukee chose a play that embodies the magic of acting.  A "love letter to the theatre", CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION by Annie Baker (Body Awareness, Uncle Vanya, The Antipodes) will most certainly resonate with anyone who’s ever taken a theatre class or anyone who loves live theatre; but, more importantly, the play demonstrates, at its most basic level, how theatre connects people and why that is so important.

Directed by Cody Estle, Circle Mirror Transformation follows five people from Shirley, Vermont who have signed up for an adult acting class at the local community center over the summer.  Marty (Tami Workentin), the teacher, is also the co-executive director of the community center.  Marty is joined by her husband, James (Mark Ulrich); Schultz (Reese Madigan), a recently divorced carpenter who makes artistic chairs; Theresa (Elyse Edelman), a single woman who is new to the community and still recovering from a difficult breakup; and, Lauren (Chloe Attalla), a high school sophomore who hopes to get the lead in West Side Story at her school in the fall.

As the class goes through the standard repertoire of embarrassing and awkward acting exercises, the audience, in the forced empathy that is live theatre, must feel as uncomfortable as one would imagine an adult acting class at a rec center could be, while exploring emotions, sharing memories, and revealing private thoughts and secrets to virtual strangers.  Gradually, the class begins to sync – to be fully present without judgement or projection – which allows them to connect, both with themselves and each other.  Who needs therapy when you could take an acting class?

Tami Workentin is pure brilliance – this may be the best role I’ve ever seen her in – and Chloe Attalla holds her own in her debut performance alongside a cast of Milwaukee’s finest.  Perfectly (and locally) cast and executed, from costumes to set, Circle Mirror Transformation is alternatingly humorous and heartbreaking, but mostly humorous; moreover, it’s a master class in the struggles of being human and the healing power of theatre that simply must be experienced.

CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION runs through May 18th 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.
 
Live your own real-life CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION with adult acting masterclasses offered by the Milwaukee Rep at Next Act Theatre! Sign up for Intro to Acting on May 19, Discovering Shakespeare on May 21, or both. Register here! (Ticketholders get a 10 percent discount on either class! Check your email for the discount code!)

Next Act Theatre recently announced their 2025/26 Season!  Join them for the Wisconsin Premieres of SANCTUARY CITY by Martyna Majok, BOSWELL By Marie Kohler, SWING STATE By Rebecca Gilman, and the U.S. Premiere of DINNER WITH THE DUCHESS By Nick Green.
 
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

American playwright, screenwriter, and novelist Suzan-Lori Parks was the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2002 for her play TOPDOG/UNDERDOG, which also won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play in 2023.  A prolific creator, Parks also unveiled three world premieres in 2023: Sally & Tom (Steinberg New Play Award finalist) at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis,  Plays for the Plague Year (winner of The Drama Desk Award for Best Music in a Play) at Joe’s Pub in New York City, and a musical adaptation of the 1972 film The Harder They Come (winner: Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical) at the Public Theatre, as well as being named among “Time Magazine’s 100.”  A MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and an inductee into the Theater Hall of Fame, to say Parks is “one to watch” is a bit of an understatement, but I can say with certainty that her Pulitzer Prize winning play is absolutely one to watch.  Luckily, you can take that opportunity courtesy of Milwaukee Chamber Theatre through May 11th.

Directed by Gavin Dillon Lawrence (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom), Topdog/Underdog is a picture of sibling rivalry set in the backdrop of generations of trauma that is all too often the Black American experience.  Two brothers, Lincoln and Booth (their father’s idea of a funny joke) find themselves reunited under one roof again when Lincoln’s wife throws him out and he is in need of a place to stay – not that Booth’s place is much of a place, but a run down room with no running water and a shared bathroom down the hall is still better than the street, even if his bed is an old recliner.  Getting by mainly by theft, Booth hopes to regain the favor of his girlfriend and figures the best way to do this is to follow in his big brother’s footsteps by learning three card monte.  The trouble is, Lincoln swore off cards after one of his guys got shot and, ironically, he’s doing his best at making an honest living playing honest Abe, himself, at a local arcade.

Milwaukee’s own Dimonte Henning (Romeo & Juliet) was born to play Booth, the competitive younger brother whose internal war between love, envy, and jealousy towards his older brother turns him from thoughtfulness to barely contained rage in the blink of an eye. Chicago’s Anthony Fleming III is calm and cool as Lincoln, the older and wiser brother who is doing his best to avoid getting pulled back into his old ways but, try as they might, unhealed wounds keep surfacing, pulling the brothers back down any ladders they attempt to climb.

I would be lying if I said this play was a walk in the park.  While there are plenty of moments of grim humor, the shockingly visceral reality of Booth and Lincoln’s world is brought forth in their realistic language and actions, played expertly by Henning and Fleming III – a world that, to a white girl who grew up in the suburbs, seems too horrible to believe, but is too glaringly real to be faked.  If little boys like Lincoln and Booth lived this life, the least I can do is spend a fraction of mine bearing witness to it and trying to understand how two people who grew up in the same country as me could have such a terribly different experience of it.  What our country needs so desperately right now is empathy and compassion; this play is one way to help us get there.

“I see a future where we realize that the obstacles we must work hardest to overcome are self-limiting perceptions and the belief that one of us must win at the expense of another,” said Lafayette Crump, the Commissioner of City Development in Milwaukee.  “Rivalry needn’t drive us.  Collective achievement and liberation can take its place.”

A powerful way to end Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s 50th Season, Topdog/Underdog is the epitome of MCT’s commitment to “local focus, artist development, and bold storytelling through powerful writing.”  This is not feel-good theatre, but hard truth-telling theatre, made to make us feel, think, and take action in our own lives and in our own communities.  
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Artistic Director Brent Hazelton wrote, “Artists are the ‘what if’ engine of a community, continually asking if the way we are living today is the way we wish to live tomorrow (and if not, what we intend to do about it). When those artists are rooted in the communities they serve, the questions become even more urgent.  The answers, more personal.  The art, a powerful space in which to vision a future and reflect on a past.”
 
TOPDOG/UNDERDOG runs through May 11, 2025, in the Studio Theatre at the Broadway Theatre Center, located at located at 158 N. Broadway in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward. Tickets may be purchased in person at the box office, online at www.MilwaukeeChamberTheatre.com, or by calling (414) 291-7800 (Monday - Saturday, 12-6 p.m. and 2 hours before BTC showtimes).  
 
Special Events:

• Saturday, 5/2 — SipStudio: An Insider Experience, with behind the scenes sneak peeks and drinks provided by Thelma Carol Wine Merchants — 5:30-7:30pm, between the matinee (4pm) and evening (8pm) shows, free and open to all Saturday, 11/16 ticketholders.
• Thursday, 5/8, 7:30pm — Thursday Talkback, a post-show discussion with the artists
• Friday, 5/9, 7:30pm — ASL Interpreted Performance

 
About Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Founded in 1975, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre (MCT) produces intimate and accessible theatrical works that engage and challenge the audience, while employing and nurturing principally local theatre artists. 

By Mary Boyle

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Anyone of a certain age remembers the box office hit movie Sister Act starring Whoopi Goldberg from 1992.  The movie was so popular, it was followed just a year later by a sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.  Considering its popularity and viability as a musical, I was surprised to learn it took until 2006 to premiere a musical of the same name and that, despite the music being written by Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Little Shop of Horrors), the show didn’t make it to Broadway until 2011, where it was nominated for a gratifying number of Tony Awards.  I was astounded to learn that a third film, still including Whoopi, is scheduled to be released on May 16th, just over a month away, and what better way to pre-game the new film and celebrate the final show in Skylight Music Theatre’s 65th season than with a rousing production of SISTER ACT?!

With lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner, and additional book material by Douglas Carter Bean, Sister Act the musical is based on the Touchstone Pictures Motion Picture written by Joseph Howard and centers on Deloris Van Cartier (Mona Swain), a nightclub singer in Philadelphia with dreams of becoming a star until she inadvertently witnesses her boyfriend, Curtis (Shawn Holmes), commit a murder.  When Deloris runs to the police, she recognizes one of the officers as Eddie (Dennis Lewis), a guy she went to school with who had a crush on her. To protect Deloris while they await Curtis’ trial, they hide her in a place they think she’ll never be found: a convent.

Though Mother Superior (Janet Metz) has no desire to take in Deloris, the church is in no position to refuse the needed funds that arrive with her; in fact, Monsignor O'Hara (Robby McGhee) warns that the church is on the verge of being sold.  When Deloris has trouble adjusting to her new life, Mother Superior puts her in charge of their struggling choir, which quickly becomes the place that Deloris shines.  Although Sister Mary Robert (Hope Riesterer), Sister Mary Patrick (Amanda Satchell), Sister Mary Lazarus (Laura Monagle), Sister Mary Martin-of-Tours (Nicole McCarty), and Sister Mary Theresa (Jenny Rudnick) adore the new addition of “Sister Mary Clarence,” Mother Superior is certain Deloris will ruin them all when their two worlds collide.

Directed by Molly Rhode, with music direction by her sister, Alissa Rhode, who makes her Skylight debut, this Sister Act really is a sister act!  Also making her Skylight debut is Mona Swain as Deloris, who is jaw-droppingly gorgeous as well as being vocally blessed.  Most of the cast are Skylight regulars, including Hope Riesterer (Oliver!, Spring Awakening), who landed her dream role as the young postulant, Sister Mary Robert; Laura Monagle, who blows the roof off the place during her Sugarhill Gang Rapper’s Delight inspired part of “Sunday Morning Fever;” and, Janet Metz, who was born to play the role of Mother Superior.  One of the highlights of the show is Curtis’ gang: Joey (Miss Kyle Blair), TJ (Rashard “Rai” Hudson), and Pablo (Tomás Dominguez) – all Wisconsin based actors making a return to the Skylight stage.  Not only do they steal just about every scene they’re in, their “Lady in the Long Black Dress” song is pure comedic genius.   

The addition of live music and a better mic system would have brought this production to a Broadway level, but excellent choreography by Alexis J. Roston, costumes by Bobby Sharon, and scenic design by Jonathan Berg-Einhorn, combined with an exceptionally talented cast, Menken and Slater’s cleverly written songs, and a story that is funny, joyous, and full of spirit makes Sister Act the best show I’ve seen at Skylight this season.  While I wasn’t a huge fan of the film, the musical captured, and uplifted, my heart, which is something we could all use, right now. 

SISTER ACT runs through April 27, 2025, at the Cabot Theatre, located within the Broadway Theatre Center at 158 N. Broadway in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 414-291-7800 or by visiting www.skylightmusictheatre.org.
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Skylight recently announced their 2025-2026 Season, which includes: Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Amadeus, The Spitfire Grill, and A Rockin’ Midsummer Night’s Dream.   
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About Skylight Music Theatre
Skylight Music Theatre is a professional theatre company that produces high-quality musical productions that entertain, educate, and inspire. We are committed to providing a platform for local talent and showcasing the best of Broadway and beyond. Founded in 1959, Skylight is Milwaukee’s professional Equity music theatre company and the state's largest employer of Wisconsin actors. Skylight produces the full range of music theatre, from blockbuster Broadway musicals to reimagined operas, and from exciting world premieres to contemporary off-Broadway hits. Skylight’s mainstage home is the Cabot Theatre in the Broadway Theatre Center, which was built by Skylight in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward in 1992. Considered to be one of Milwaukee’s most beautiful theatres, the Cabot Theatre is based on the design of an 18th-century French opera house. With just 350 seats it offers audiences great views of the action onstage and an undeniable connection with the performers. Skylight Music Theatre marks its 65th season in 2024-2025. Skylight Music Theatre is a proud Cornerstone Member of the United Performing Arts Fund.

By Mary Boyle

​When I think of Milwaukee actor, director, and playwright Maya Danks, I can’t help but think of Shakespeare.  I first saw her in the title role of Titus Andronicus with Voices Found Repertory in 2018, then as Helena in their 2021 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, not to mention a couple seasons of Shakespeare in the state parks with Summit Players Theatre.  Clearly the girl likes Shakespeare.  In fact, she likes it so much that she did the next best thing to writing it: she created an adaptation utilizing Shakespeare’s words from over 20 of his works to flesh out the tragedy within a tragedy and created a whole new play, The Tragic Romance of HAMLET & OPHELIA, which underwent a staged reading April 6th and 7th at Dandy in Milwaukee.  Being a fellow fan of the Bard, I had to check it out.

Produced under the auspices of Theatre Nervosa, Hamlet & Ophelia imagines the deeper story of the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia from Shakespeare’s Hamlet by borrowing language from his other works to create new scenes.  While the bulk of the story is still Hamlet, Hamlet is no longer the star of the show and, more importantly, Ophelia is no longer a footnote to the story; no longer just a meek young woman being pushed about by the men in her life, but a full character in her own right.  By reframing the story around the couple’s relationship, the play behaves more like Romeo & Juliet, and we are given a better explanation for Ophelia’s descent into madness and, ultimately, her death.

Directed by Danks, the cast featured several Summit Players Theatre alumni, including Caroline Norton as Guildenstern and others, Joe Picchetti as Claudius and the ghost of King Hamlet, and Matthew Torkilsen as Rosencrantz and others.  A.J. Magoon, the co-producer, is also a founding member of Summit.  Rebekah Farr was splendid as Hamlet and I couldn’t imagine a more stunning Ophelia than Grace Berendt, whose beautiful voice made me imagine a full production with more music, played live by the actors on stage.  Susie Dueker was a convincing Gertrude, Adam Qutaishat a solid Laertes, and Thomas Sebald brought a lively amount of humor to the reading with his portrayal of Ophelia’s father, Polonius.

Dandy, a vintage shop and event space located at 5020 W Vliet Street in Milwaukee, was an excellent venue for the reading, with an abundance of mid-century style and sophisticated ambiance.  I would love to see the same cast in a full production, because they were truly perfect together.  As a fan of Shakespeare, I found it fun to recognize the lines from other plays and I liked that the story was more streamlined and fast-paced than a full production of Hamlet; however, as a Shakespearean purist, I’m still not sure how I feel about the slightly altered ending to the play.  That being said, I can hardly argue with finding another way to enjoy Shakespeare so, when this play moves into a full staging, I hope to be in the audience on opening night.
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Congrats to Maya, A.J., and the cast on a well staged reading!  I look forward to seeing more from Theatre Nervosa.

By Mary Boyle

​Canada, our hockey playing and maple syrup making neighbors to the north, have made some worthy additions to our collective pop culture.  I mean, where would we be without the music of Drake, Justin Bieber, or Céline Dion?  Think of all the great movies that wouldn’t exist without Ryan Reynolds!  And though there have been some great contributions when it comes to theatre, none have received the counter-culture cult following like 2008’s Ride the Cyclone by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell.  The musical premiered in our neck of the woods at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in 2015, then Off-Broadway the following year and, though it has yet to be made into a full-blown Broadway production, the musical has been quietly gathering mainly young fans far and wide, particularly after a 2022 video of Emily Rohm singing “The Ballad of Jane Doe” went viral on TikTok.  The young fandom inspired a high school version of the play, which Milwaukee audiences can catch thanks to the First Stage Young Company, who delivers an impressive performance of RIDE THE CYCLONE, THE MUSICAL (High School Version) through April 12, 2025, at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center.

Directed by Michelle LoRicco, The Cyclone is the name of the roller coaster that was the final life experience for the St. Cassian High School chamber choir from the small fictional town of Uranium City in Saskatchewan.  We meet the choir after the tragic accident in a strange limbo where an animatronic fortune teller (Edward Owczarski) hosts a game in which one of the deceased can get a chance to return to their life, but there’s one catch: the group must unanimously choose the winner.  Ocean (Evelyn Maassen), a straight A student and all-around overachiever, is certain she should be the pick, even over her best friend, Constance (Hazel Dye).  Mischa (Max Larson), a bad boy from Ukraine, and Noel (Lio Landis), a gay boy who would rather be tragically French, must work harder to state their cases, while Ricky (Thomas Bastardo), who couldn’t even speak before his untimely end, was virtually unknown by his fellow choir members.  Most mysterious of all is the addition of Jane Doe (Mackenzie Wooten), an unknown classmate who was also found dead (and headless) at the scene of the accident.

A delightfully dark and creepy ride with a Nightmare Before Christmas vibe, Ride the Cyclone as the High School Edition is more streamlined and family-friendly, but still incredibly vocally challenging; however, the YC cast is more than up for the task.    Mackenzie Wooten is flawless as Jane Doe, whose operatic solo is the star of the musical, but the rest of the cast members are equally perfect for their roles.  Once again, the Young Company blew me away with their talent, not just on the stage but also as part of the production team.  The costumes by Michelle Verbos, lighting by Marion Frank, and music direction by David Bonofiglio all combined to make for the authentic Ride the Cyclone experience that fans are looking for at an unbeatable ticket price.  Do not miss this show.

RIDE THE CYCLONE, THE MUSICAL (High School Edition) runs through April 13th at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, located at 325 W. Walnut Street in Milwaukee.  The musical runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission and is recommended for families with young people ages 13-17 and theater lovers of all ages.  Tickets are available by calling (414) 267-2961 or online at firststage.org.
 
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 ensures that all programming is not only accessible to its community but that it is reflective of the community it serves.

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 young people on the autism spectrum and with other developmental disabilities. 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. 
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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). For more information, visit firststage.org.



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