​Made in Milwaukee: RUN BAMBI RUN, A NEW ROCK MUSICAL, Makes World Premiere at The Rep

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents "Run Bambi Run" in the Quadracci Powerhouse September 14 – October 22, 2023. Pictured: Erika Olson and cast. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

 
By Mary Boyle
 
I was wrapping up first grade at Westlawn Elementary School in Cedarburg in May of 1981 when Christine Schultz was found murdered in her Southside Milwaukee home.  That name probably doesn’t ring a bell but, as young as I was, even I recall the name of the woman convicted of murdering her: Laurie “Bambi” Bembenek.  I knew enough to know that something bad had happened, but that was all and, though Bembenek’s tale didn’t end with her conviction and wound its way well into my adult years, I still never made sense of the drama that surrounded her name, only that she was connected with a terrible crime.  

As a young adult, the Southside of Milwaukee managed to grab my attention in a different way: the music of The Violent Femmes.  So, when I heard that the Femme’s frontman, Gordon Gano, had written the music and lyrics for a new musical about Laurie Bembenek, it was the music, and not the drama, that drew me in; what I left with, though, was something unexpected.  Something, I think, that will be with everyone who goes to see the World Premiere of RUN BAMBI RUN with the Milwaukee Rep.

Directed by Mark Clements, RUN BAMBI RUN was a team effort by Gano and writer and director Eric Simonson, also a Milwaukee native, who wrote the book for this “New Rock Musical” that manages to accomplish in one evening of live theatre what Bembenek was never able to gain in her short, chaotic lifetime: justice.  That may seem like an impossibly tall order for one musical, but I can’t imagine anyone leaving this performance with any other impression than that Bembenek was not only innocent of the charges against her, but that her entire adult life was nothing but a series of horrific injustices from the moment she signed on to become a Milwaukee police officer until her early death in 2010, at age 52, from liver and kidney failure.  What’s more, the musical manages to be a sweet ode to Milwaukee’s Southside and the Polish immigrants who settled there, while also shining a bright light on the corruption, racism, and misogyny that plagued not only the Milwaukee police department, but all of the powers of justice up to the top of the State over the course of Laurie’s story.

This is a musical, of course, and the music, directed by the great Dan Kazemi, is quite diverse.  While some of the songs, not surprisingly, bear the distinct sound of The Violent Femmes, there’s also a polka and a waltz that are two of the best pieces of the show.  Several of the actors make the music right on the stage, as they’re acting, including Milwaukee’s own Matt Daniels, who puts his own brilliant trademark ukelele spin on Milwaukee’s Police Chief Harold Breier.  Erika Olson, who has an incredible voice, makes her Rep debut as Laurie Bembenek, and really carries the bulk of the show, though she is supported by a very talented cast.  The evening I saw the play, the role of Fred, Laurie’s husband at the time of the murder, was played by the understudy for Armando Gutierrrez, Ken Allen Neely, and I thought he was fabulous in the role.  Jess Kantorowitz, who plays Laurie’s friend, Judy, is also blessed with a tremendous voice.  The roles of Laurie’s parents, Joe and Virginia, are played by John Carlin and Megan Loomis, respectively, and are both powerhouse talents.  Look out for their song that argues the correct pronunciation of “Kosciuszko” – it’s sheer brilliance.

While not all of the songs are hits and I’m not certain how this musical will fare outside of Milwaukee, RUN BAMBI RUN is clearly a winner for Milwaukee area audiences and, if nothing else, a testament to the power of live theatre’s ability to change hearts and minds.  Laurie clearly placed a lot of importance on the value of her family’s name and had a deep love for the place she grew up; if this production does nothing but clear her name in the place she called home, then I think it’s a solid win. 
 
RUN BAMBI RUN: A NEW ROCK MUSICAL runs through October 22nd at the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, located in the Associated Bank Theater Center at 108 E. Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee.  Tickets are available for purchase online at www.MilwaukeeRep.com, by calling the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490 or in-person at 108 E. Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee.  For more information visit www.Milwaukeerep.com.

Talks and Events

Pay What You Can: September 13 at 7:30pm and September 17 at 7pm
Early Bird Performance: October 17 at 6:30pm
Bus Matinee: October 4 at 1:30pm

TalkBacks: Following the performance on September 29, October 6 and 13 

PRIDE Night: Thursday, September 14 at 7:30pm. Pre-show social hour with members of the LGBTQ+ community. For more information and to purchase tickets click here. 

Special TalkBack with Creators: Thursday, September 14 following the 7:30pm performance.  Join playwright Eric Simonson, Composer/Lyrist Gordon Gano and Director Mark Clements as they talk about the journey to bring this World Premiere musical to the stage. 

Book Club: Tuesday, September 19 at East Branch 2320 N. Cramer St
For the first session of Milwaukee Rep’s Book Club, we will read excerpts from Kris Radish’s Run Bambi Run and Lawrencia Bambenek’s Woman on Trial.  Learn more about Book Club and register here. 

College Night: Wednesday, September 20 at 7:30pm. Pre-Show pizza party for Greater Milwaukee Area College Students. For more information and to purchase tickets click here.  

Post Play Panels
Join us after the following performances for free with the purchase of a ticket.  Learn more here.

Thursday, September 28 – Women in the Police force
Thursday, October 5 – Milwaukee Journalism, Reporting on a Moment in Time
Wednesday, October 11 – Double-Edged Sword of True Crime
 
Dinner Dialogue: Monday, October 9, 5-8pm at Milwaukee Brat House (1013 N Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Dr) Join a discussion about Policing in the Community and Police Reform with guest speaker Dr. Kimberly Hassell PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at UWM.  To learn more and to register visit click here.
 
More information on all Talks and Events can be found at:
 www.MilwaukeeRep.com/RunBambiRun
 
Access Services
Audio-Described Performance: Tuesday, October 17, 6:30pm – the show will be described for patrons who are blind or have low vision.
ASL Interpreted Performance: Thursday, October 5 7:30pm – the show will be signed for patrons who are deaf or have low hearing.
Captioned Theater Performance: Sunday, October 8, 2pm– the show includes captions.
 
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.