By Mary Boyle

I personally cannot think of a better way to celebrate the holidays than with live theatre, but nothing feels more festive than the historic and ornate, red and gold Pabst Theater and entering into the timeless story of Christmas spirit that is Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, performed each season, unfailingly, by The Milwaukee Repertory Theater. 

A Christmas Carol, of course, is the tale of Ebeneezer Scrooge, a mean and miserly old man who runs a counting house in Victorian London with his single, ill-treated employee, the good-natured Bob Cratchit.  On the night before Christmas, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former partner, Marley, who warns Scrooge that he will be doomed to his terrible fate in the afterlife if he does not change his ways.  To help him, Marley tells Scrooge he will be visited by three spirits: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future.  The spirits, by reminding him of his past mistakes and showing him what his future will be if he continues on his path, teach Scrooge a lesson about the true Spirit of Christmas.

Now in its 47th year, the Rep's production of A Christmas Carol is the second-longest, continuous running professional production in the country, though there was a bit of a hiccup over the pandemic.  In 2020, for the 45th Anniversary of the production, The Rep still managed to honor the tradition by producing a one-man show starring Lee E. Ernst called Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol, which was available for streaming.  In 2021, the show went back to a full cast, bringing Ernst on in the role of Scrooge, which had been played by Jonathan Wainwright for the past 4 years and Jonathan Smoots before that.  The production is a holiday tradition for families, but also for a number of Milwaukee's finest actors, who return year after year and become familiar faces.  Change can be difficult for holiday traditions and, this year, another big change occured when, once again, the role of Scrooge was recast: this time to Milwaukee favorite Matt Daniels which was, in my humble opinion, an excellent choice; in fact, I hope he decides to stick around for awhile.  

While the production has lost many longtime performers (Jonathan Smoots, Deborah Staples, Angela Iannone, and Jonathan Gillard Daly, to name a few of my favorites), the "newer" cast members have already become part of the tradition.  This year, Reese Madigan, Todd Denning, James Pickering, and Mark Corkins reprise their roles as Bob Cratchit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, Mr. Fezziwig/Charitable Worker, and the Ghost of Marley, respectively.  Madigan has been Bob Cratchit since Director Mark Clements unveiled the new production, along with the stunning rotating set design by Todd Edwards Ivins, in 2016 and I can't imagine the role without him.  Tami Workentin joined the cast in 2019 as the Ghost of Christmas Past and has returned, again, this season.  Carrie Hitchcock, who was the perfect (and perhaps only) replacement for Angela Iannone, joined the cast in 2021 and returned this year as Mrs. Fezziwig/Charitable Worker/Mrs. Dilber.  Rána Roman, who also joined the cast in 2021 and returns this year, is delightful as Mrs. Cratchit.  Christopher Peltier, who has been floating around for a few seasons now, is fun to watch in his various roles and one to keep an eye on.

Although A Christmas Carol is an British tale, I am still not crazy about the British pantomime addition to this production which, to me, lends itself more to comedy and slapstick when I want this show to be full of magic and wonder, but it's bearable.  The Rep recommends the show for ages 6 and up, but know that Clements really amps up the ghost story part of show; the initial appearance of Jacob Marley is still quite the loud jump scene, though it seems to have been reigned in significantly over the years.  In all, the show is a family-friendly holiday delight, sure to fill you with Christmas Spirit, and I encourage all to see it, if you can.  As Tiny Tim, who is played by the enchanting Lainey Techtmann this season, says: "God bless us, every one."

Tickets to A CHRISTMAS CAROL may be purchased at www.MilwaukeeRep.com, by calling the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490, or in-person at 108 E Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee. Group tickets are available for parties 10+ by calling 414-290-5340. 

A Christmas Carol is presented by Jay Franke and David Herro and West Bend Mutual Insurance Company with Executive Producers Molly and Tom Duffey, Associate Producer Saints Andrew and Mark Charitable Gift Trust. Studio Gear is the Equipment Sponsor.


About Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Rep is the largest performing arts organization in Wisconsin with three unique performance venues in the Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex– the Quadracci Powerhouse, Stiemke Studio and Stackner Cabaret.  For over six 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

The music of the 1960's is a fascinating cultural study.  In the beginning of the era, there's the innocent and happy doo wop that carried over from America’s Golden Age in the 1950's; but then, with each of the decade’s tragedies – the assassination of JFK in 1963, the war in Vietnam, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. – the music, begins to change and mature, along with a generation of people.  One thing is for sure: it is an era when women really began to make their mark on the music scene, from The Angels and The Supremes to Dusty Springfield and Janis Joplin, and this is the theme of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s latest production at the Stackner Cabaret: BEEHIVE: THE 60s MUSICAL.

Created by Larry Gallagher and directed by Laura Braza, The Rep’s Associate Artistic Director, Beehive includes a cast of six young ladies who reflect on their formative years in the 1960’s and the music of women that highlighted the soundtrack of their youth, while performing it from a vintage music studio.  Two members of the cast are local actors returning to The Rep: Jackey Boelkow as Alison, who was recently a swing in Titanic The Musical, and Jamie Mercado as Wanda, who appeared most recently in Dad’s Season Tickets at the Stackner.  The remainder of the cast includes Sarah Lynn Marion as Laura, Tess Marshall as Pattie, Desireé Tolodziecki as Jasmine, and Amaya White as Gina.

This production is, for people who lived through the era, a lovely walk down memory lane, but every song, except for a couple created for the show, was familiar to this Gen Xer.  The trouble with the production is the tendency to compare the songs to the originals and, while the cast is quite talented, there are few who can really do Diana Ross or Tina Turner justice, particularly when there is no live band performing with them.  That being said, Sarah Lynn Marion may have sung Janis Joplin’s songs better than Janis Joplin did, and her Grace Slick was every bit as impressive as the real deal.  For those who remember where they were on Friday, November 22, 1963, the performance of “Abraham, Martin, and John” may bring a momentary tear to the eye but, in all, Beehive is a perfectly fun way to spend an evening enjoying the food, drinks, and desserts at the Stackner – I dare you not to sing along!
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BEEHIVE: THE 60s MUSICAL runs through January 15th at the Stackner Cabaret, located within the Patty and Jay Baker Theater Complex, at 108 E. Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee. Tickets may be purchased online at www.MilwaukeeRep.com, by calling the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490, or in-person at the Theater Complex. Group tickets are available for parties 10+ by calling 414-290-5340.  
 
About Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Rep is the largest performing arts organization in Wisconsin with three unique performance venues in the Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex– the Quadracci Powerhouse, Stiemke Studio and Stackner Cabaret. For over six 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.