Month: September 2026

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Ken Ludwig’s Moon Over Buffalo:THIS Is Theater! At Waukesha Civic Theatre

Yes, THIS IS THEATER as one of the characters professes mid-way through Ken Ludwig’s Moon Over Buffalo at Waukesha Civic Theatre. But with a name like Moon Over Buffalo, I expected something of a modern rom-com. Spell check wants to turn rom-com into coatroom…which might apply since the closet plays a role in the play. But it is far more insidious that a standard rom-com. Yes there is romance and long term love and misunderstood love and canoodling…so it goes down the theatrical rabbit hole to a farce. A grand farce at that!

We are in fact in Buffalo New York with a traveling theater company who are presenting two plays in repertory, Cyrano de Bergerac and Private Lives. And our main set is a green room or staging area in a rather tired theater except for the stunning fainting couch! Our two principals are a long time married couple, a bit past their prime as actors, who have played romantic and dramatic roles opposite each other for a long long time…apparently very successfully, until recently. And they are waiting for their next big break which is surely just around the corner. But here we are in Buffalo.

And it is the early 1950s so not are they only fighting the movies for attention, but the fledgling television industry as well. A media type that they seem to abhor, but I wonder.

Left to Right: Tony Davis, eme’ Esquivel, and Tanya Tranberg. Photo by Anne Kenny Creative and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

We meet our intrepid company on the ramparts as Tony Davis over exclaims as George Day in a rehearsal of Cyrano…with some fairly lackluster support from his supporting cast. But Davis has just the needed comedic chops here to bluster and extol and overdo it from his ill-fitting costume and misaligned over the top Cyrano nose. But this is just a glimpse of what Davis will be called upon to do. Beyond the comedic lines and situations he needs to perform any number of pratfalls and drunken stumbles and an amazing sword duel with his wife Charlotte. I repeat, an amazing sword duel with his wife Charlotte.

Left to Right eme’ Esquivel and Tanya Tranberg. Photo by Anne Kenny Creative and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

Yes, sweet Charlotte. Played by Tanya Tranberg as a grand dame of theater. Proper, prim, a bit stodgy at times, but impulsive too and a great fencer! She is in love with the theater and with the future she sees for herself and George in the movies. But Tranberg’s Charlotte is also a romantic in love with George but not necessarily willing to overlook all of his transgressions…finally ready to be wooed by Richard, their high powered show-biz attorney. And Glenn Villa is a delightful self-centered and smarmy big city ego yet love sick beyond his own comprehension Richard.

Glenn Villa. Photo by Anne Kenny Creative and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

And Rosalind, George and Charlotte’s daughter comes to Buffalo for a visit. It isn’t a chance visit, she wants to introduce her parents to her new fiance, Howard. But there is some serious sub-context here. Rosalind was raised in the theater and trained in the theater and was part of her parent’s company until she decided she wanted a normal life. Lisa Bransdorf’s Rosalind is clearly a smart level headed and determined young woman. And despite her parents disappointment she is determined to follow her own vision. And then there is Paul. He is part of the repertory company, smart, young, and accomplished in the theater and has the same drive as George and Charlotte. And Rosalind’s former fiance. Hmmm. Marty Alivo plays a smart and driven theater maven ready to put the show on at all costs…with maybe just a little disbelief that Rosalind dismissed him and the company and a fair amount of bitterness. And then there is Rosalind’s new beau, Howard, a professional TV weatherman but played as a timid and starstruck eme’ Esquivel, who has no idea what he’s about to experience. But when no one ‘appears’ to be home, he begs off and leaves setting up some of the most hilarious mistaken identity scenes this side of Shakespeare.

Left to Right Lisa Bransdorf and Marty Alivo. Photo by Anne Kenny Creative and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

And Hannah Franzen rounds out the cast within the play as Eileen, the theater company’s ingenue. Franzen plays the role to a T, with a boisterous, frantic pace that Eileen’s place in the story demands. You’ll see why, below. And the last character here is quite a character as played by Tom Aldridge. ETHEL! Ethel is an elderly woman, Rosalind’s grandmother and Charlotte’s mother. Aldridge plays it dumb, he plays it clever, and he plays it elderly at times…and makes the most of Ethel’s reluctance to wear her hearing aids when they would be the most helpful and vice versa.

Left to Right: Tom Aldridge and Lisa Bransdorf. Photo by Anne Kenny Creative and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

Well, there are the characters and here is a brief synopsis without giving away the jokes and gags. Much of the story relies on making fun of the theater and theater practices…and particularly the character of Cyrano. It also has fun with romantic love on a number of levels and stereotypes of love in the media. And of course, it relies a great deal on the mis-identification of characters, particularly poor Howard who is totally lost here. So here goes…we can seen George’s Romeo to Charlotte’s Juliet, but who would expect his turn as a Lothario with Eileen. That dalliance results in her pregnancy and turmoil ensues. I don’t want to give much more away because that’s where the humor resides. But I will say that there are four doors on stage, one closet, one exterior door, and two that appear to go to dressing rooms or the stage. A far amount of time is humorously spent running in and out of these doors looking for one character or another. Keystone Kops it is! But, but, but: Frank Capra makes an ‘appearance’ looking for stars for his new film. I couldn’t leave that out, it’s important (well if you know who Frank Capra is).

But never fear! True love wins out in the end.

One last statement: the true magic here is how directors DJ Castine and his brother Cole Castine have taken the disparate characters, many plots and subplots, and myriad loose ends and woven them all together into an amazing whole clothe.

Left to Right: Hannah Franzen and Tony Davis. Photo by Anne Kenny Creative and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

Moon Over Buffalo runs at The Waukesha Civic Theatre on Main Street in Waukesha from now through September 27, 2026. Ticket information here!

Extra Credit Reading: The Playbill

Left to Right Tony Davis and Paul Alivo. Photo by Anne Kenny Creative and courtesy of the Waukesha Civic Theatre.

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MCT’s Maybe We’ll Fly Is A Thing Of Beauty!

The Milwaukee Chamber Theatre opens their 52nd Season with a compelling drama by local playwright Marie Kohler. And like Boswell at Next Act before this, Kohler proves again to be a very accomplished wordsmith and intriguing story teller. And every word ably moves the story forward.

Kohler has selected a particularly local topic for Maybe We’ll Fly. To many of us of a certain age, Mary Nohl was the inhabitant of the Witch’s House and it was sometimes a right of passage to drive down her street and stare at the myriad of fantastical art works that adorned her home and yard. Of course she wasn’t a witch but she was a reclusive and prolific artist who worked on pieces very much outside the norm, so there were questions. Kohler’s play brings out the human being behind that legend. And her script answers many of the questions that we’ve had over the years. Who was Mary Nohl and why did she work as she did…and Kohler also leaves us with a few more questions as well. So there is in fact some magic here.

The cast of Maybe We’ll Fly. Photo by Diego L. Pedroza and courtesy of The Chamber Theatre.

There is a single character here: Mary Nohl. But that doesn’t mean that there is a single actor. Kohler is working with the artistic concept of the ages of woman. So there are four actors portraying Nohl, one each named: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. The story is told in a conversational style. Or better yet, conversational styles. But being a single character, there aren’t actual conversations between characters. Instead we only hear one side of a conversation, Mary’s. When in dialogue with another, Kohler fills in enough detail that we understand the issues at hand. Then there are Mary’s conversations with her diary, those moments of talking out loud to herself that we are all familiar with, and then those inner dialogues that we all have in our heads, but here said aloud as well.

And I said that this is a drama…well it is..but there isn’t any shouting or open conflict or door slamming going on. Instead the drama slowly builds up in us as the conversations unfold until Winter starts to repeat some of her opening comments and we come to realize that we have been caught up in a real life drama wrapped up in a thing of beauty.

But how did Kohler’s vision turn into magic on Milwaukee Chamber’s stage? Via the light touch and clear understanding of Nohl’s story and Kohler’s text by director Elizabeth Margolius. Working from an extreme minimal set of just two sturdy but comfortless benches, Margolius winds and unwinds the story.

Alicia Storin on cello, Leslie Fitzwater center, and Lainey Techtmann. Photo by Diego L. Pedroza and courtesy of The Chamber Theatre.

First we meet Winter, embodied by Leslie Fitzwater. Winter reminisces about moments and decisions in her life, sometimes not with complete accuracy as the play will demonstrate, and bemoans the loss of some of the strength and mobility that she needs to produce her art. At one point she wonders if she can be an artist if she can’t do her art. Fitzwater gives a clear portrayal of someone in just such a quandary and her micro- and macro- gestures and movements embellish the story. And as she takes a moment sitting on her bench in silent thought, Spring appears.

Spring is Nohl in vibrant youth and is played by a very delightful Lainey Techtmann. Techtmann skips and dances and is in awe of the wonder and beauty of the natural environment around her. She also portrays a very observant and curious collector of detritus and natural objects. We can all stop a moment and remember our own pretty stone discoveries as a child. Techtmann as Spring moves around the stage circling Winter who remains seated as she watches her younger self in motion. But Spring’s discoveries and utterances evoke new memories and questions in Winter. I was lucky to see Techtmann in the role. She’s an accomplished young actor. You have hopefully seen her in other roles around Milwaukee including several roles in the Rep’s Christmas Carol. She is alternating as Spring with Amelia Sajdak.

Left Leslie Fitzwater and Emma Rosenthal right. Photo by Michael Brusasco and courtesy of The Chamber Theatre.

But then as the real seasons go, Spring begets Summer and Spring retreats to a perch on stage left to observe and react. And Emma Rosenthal, elicits a very warm and exciting Summer. Not unlike Spring, Rosenthal’s Summer is just as excited and aware of nature and Nohl’s environment as Spring. And like Spring, Summer dances and exclaims and wonders and questions, but with an obviously more adult bent. Here we really start to feel Nohl’s individualism and independence and Rosenthal gives us those first tastes. .

Left, Karen Estrada and Leslie Fitzwater. Photo by Michael Brusasco and courtesy of The Chamber Theatre.

And then of course, Autumn. Karen Estrada brings us the adulting Mary Nohl, whose independence and determination come to full fruition. Estrada is a calmer more studied Nohl as Autumn but no less curious and engaged as Nohl in her other ages. The format is the same but the concerns of our subject are more serious and more questioning. And there are attempts to reach out and be part of the community at large which go down in flames. But then we return to:

Winter! And all four actors unite for the phantasmagorical closing scene and final examination of a life well lived. I don’t remember for certain, but I believe Winter says at some point, well I am just more interesting than you.

And I mustn’t forget Alicia K. Storin…the cellist who provides the voice to Josh Schmidt’s music and a few other sounds and thumps to highlight the moods and feelings of each scene. And Schmidt also wrote a number of small songs that each of the actors sings that moves and accentuates the story arc.

The cast. Photo by Michael Brusasco and courtesy of The Chamber Theatre.

And thank you to costume designer Karen Simonson Kopischke for dressing the four actors in costumes that fit their age and their role as an artist without actually defining a particular garment or era. And they all seem a logical progression from Spring to Winter.

Maybe We’ll Fly will be performed by The Milwaukee Chamber Theatre from now through October 11, 2026 at the Broadway Theatre Center. Run time: approximately 80 minutes, with no intermission​​​.

Side note: this production is staged in an alley configuration, with audience members seated on two parallel sides, east and west of the playing space.

More information here! Ticket Info Here!

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The World Goes ‘Round: The Songs of Kander & Ebb In The Milwaukee Rep’s Stackner Cabaret.

How do I write about the story when there is no story? Instead we have a sassy and saucy non-stop revue of the best of Kander and Ebb. And it is driven by five multi-faceted performers who move through their performances with grace, aplomb, and a great deal of happy!

Before we wander too far into The World Goes ‘Round, who are Kander and Ebb? Well probably two of the most accomplished writers of Broadway shows whose names you don’t know or can’t remember. Fred Ebb is the lyricist in this partnership and John Kander is the composer. And they have written a great number of Broadway Musicals including Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Zorba, and Fosse among many others. And the iconic song, New York, New York. Side note: You might want to brush up on the lyrics of New York, New York before you go. You can thank me later.

The cast of The World Goes ‘Round. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Rep. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

As I said earlier, there is no story here and there are no characters either. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t recognize the musical genres, musical eras, or the roles being represented by our five intrepid performers. So the devil is in the details here and director and choreographer Kelly Faulkner has left absolutely nothing to chance. Every moment is full of action and pathos and music and dance. The five actors seem to tag team out into the spotlight and take a solo turn at one of the songs presented. But don’t focus on just that star turn as the complete support cast will be up to something in the background, even when they aren’t in a supporting role out front with the star. And then there are some amazing moments when the entire ensemble just melts into a sublime choral voice.

And don’t be fooled for a second that Faulkner has presented us with a recital of popular song. With the mugging, slap stick, duets, cross support, and free dancing, The World Goes ‘Round owes a lot more to vaudeville than to Broadway. And to step back again, I said that there weren’t any characters, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any types. Costume designer Robert Sharon has costumed all seven performers on stage as recognizable caricatures. And Sharon may have clad them in costumes closer to their own personalities rather than their roles? I will go into more detail below. I have kept you waiting long enough to hear about the actors.

Let’s start with the sidemen! Stage right, your left, is the very remarkable Brett Ryback on the upright piano. Dressed in garb reminiscent of an olde time saloon pianist in dress shirt with garters on each arm and a straw boater, Ryback, as the lead accompanist is the driving force and the show wouldn’t be quite as powerful without him. And he has no easy task as he has to move from genre to genre and tickle the keys softly at one moment and then pound out a more percussive round the next. And his comrade in arms, drummer, Michael Reilly is equally challenged. Working from stage left, your right, on a relatively small trap set, Reilly too has to move through the various styles and rhythms, moving from sticks, to brushes, to mallets…and he does it without seeming effort. A veritable Charlie Watts here…and I bring that up because he is wearing a to die for Rolling Stones tour t-shirt. Well, maybe I was the only who coveted such a thing. But if you are careful you will notice that Reilly and Ryback have a few gestures and hand signals to make sure they kick off the next tune on cue!

Pictured L to R: RJ Christian, Paula Gaudier. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Rep. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Well, who is that man in the tuxedo? That would be RJ Christian. His musical instrument is clarinet and he is particularly adept! Easily portraying the mood of each piece, he too gets that jazz, and melancholy, and joy in the music. And I think he slipped some klezmer bits in there as well. But his main instrument is his voice. When he is in the mid and low tones of his vocal range, his voice is luscious.

Pictured RJ Christian at the piano and Joe Kinosian standing. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Rep. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

And what exactly is a Parisian mime doing here? With his striped French shirt, black beret, and mime makeup, Joe Kinosian actually does go beyond song and dance and has some moments of loose-limbed moves and dance steps that have that mime vibe. And adopting this persona also lets him effectively act out a wide range of emotions, from sad to funny to? Kinosian’s main instrument here is saxophone but at times he slides Ryback off the piano stool and takes charge at the upright. Kinosian’s side gig in The World Goes ‘Round is musical director and arranger, so he deserves extra credit recognition for the success of this show.

Pictured L to R: Paula Gaudier, RJ Christian, Tiffany Topol and Joe Kinosian (and Michael Reilly on the drums). Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Rep. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Paula Gaudier is our lady in silk…and as smooth as silk as she moves around the stage. She may have a bit of chanteuse hiding behind those smiles and she is just a joy to watch perform. Certainly a warm and engaging presence. Her instrument of choice here is guitar.

Pictured L to R: RJ Christian, Tiffany Topol. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Rep. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

That lady with the flute may not be exactly what she seems. And she’s not. Tiffany Topol starts out looking all classy and uptown until…in typical showgirl fashion she tugs off her dress to reveal that she’s the quintessential showgirl. And Topol plays the loud and brassy showgirl at times but it looks like she has the soul of a dancer as well. Fluid and agile and fleet of foot I could see her across the street in The Nutcracker. But that physical presence and sure footed elan are perfect for the role. For a little side fun, see if you can keep track of how many garters she wears during the show.

Pictured :Jillian Louis. Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Rep. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

In a far more simple frock, for me something that my mother may have worn, Jillian Louis steps right out with a voice that just dominates the stage even when she is singing that first sad and distant song. Louis’ voice is also the one you hear strong and bright and out front on the ensemble chorus pieces too. Her singing is definitely the gemstone of the evening.

But the instruments listed above aren’t all of the music. Every one of our five actors also touch a ukulele of one type or another at least once during the performance. There are glockenspiels and melodicas and any number of percussion instruments wielded from wood blocks to triangles…oh and I forgot the whistles…there are whistles. Which brings me up to one more accolade:

I have no idea how scenic designer Em Allen and stage manager Jade Bruno managed to keep track of all of the chairs and props and musical instruments. There is a myriad of items to manage and have in the right place at the right times. But their efforts are amazing and certainly worth at least this mention.

The World Goes ‘Round: The Songs of Kander & Ebb runs from now through October 25, 2026 in the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre’s Stackner Cabaret. More information here! And ticket information here! The Stackner has a delightful restaurant, so make reservations to dine before the show.

Extra Credit Reading: The Program

Approximate Running Time:

2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission