Ed Heinzelman – Page 15 – an intuitive perspective

April 18, 2026

Mrs. Christie. Where Were You…

Wisconsin playwright Heidi Armbruster leans into her strength and writes in a seemingly serious drama format but then wraps it all up in a hilarious comedy. This time Armbruster dabbles in a parallel universe around an unexplained disappearance by Agatha Christie in 1926 and a super-fan tries to solve the case from clues ‘discovered’ at a 2026 Christie festival on Christie’s estate.

Pictured L to R: Alex Keiper and Betsy Hogg. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

We first meet Agatha Christie in her home totally upset because she believes her dog has died. Alex Keiper’s Agatha is distraught, distracted, and clearly mentally elsewhere. And in many ways this sets the tone for her character deeper into the play. Armbruster’s and Keiper’s Agatha Christie isn’t the smart focused British writer that we would have anticipated. The very next instant it appears the dog is still with us but Agatha is also confronted with the open infidelity of her husband, Archibald Christie. And Matt Bowdren’s Archie is precisely the imperious and stuffy aristocrat that you might expect. Agatha clearly still loves him and he clearly wants to go and they are at an impasse. She won’t give him a divorce so he wants to prevent her from writing. Archie does everything in his power to hurt Agatha including parading his paramour around in their home.

Pictured L to R: Zoë Sophia Garcia, Alex Keiper, Dale Hodges, Blake Hamilton Currie. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

And then it is 2026 and there is an Agatha Christie festival going on on the grounds of the Christie estate. On the grounds is an important factor because we find ourselves in the same library work place as in the earlier 1926 scene. The home is now a museum and the library is off limits during the festival yet people keep wandering in. First is Lucy, a fan of Christie, who is attending the festival, and I guess is something of an ‘ugly American’? Zoe Sophia Garcia presents Lucy at seemingly loose ends and a little free with her hands. Touching everything, a few ‘relics’ make their way to her purse before she is confronted by the caretaker. She talks her way into staying a few more minutes when she encounters William, a Christie scholar and assistant to a Christie scholar. Blake Hamilton Currie is a smooth sexy lothario as William. And he has a few photocopied pages of a ‘lost’ Christie notebook that he uses as bait to seduce incredulous Christie fan girls. Garcia’s Lucy plays along but might be the better player and somehow manages to take possession of the lost papers. And then Dale Hodges as Jane wanders in. An elderly lady seeming just a bit confused, she sits down and starts knitting. But, she too is more than she seems and ends up partnering with Lucy to solve the mystery suggested in the purloined pages. Tally HO!

Pictured L to R: William Sturdivant and Alex Keiper. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

To avoid spoiling too much fun, I will simply say that we follow Christie to a seaside resort where she seems to exist in a drug induced haze…and Monsieur Hercule Poirot makes an appearance. Their conversations poke a lot of fun at detective story traditions and William Sturdivant nails the Poirot stereotype right on the head. And our intrepid Jane and Lucy turn their search for a solution into a scavenger hunt of sorts.

Pictured the cast of Mrs. Christie. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

But never fear, there is a traditional resolution. As a book end to a dinner gathering in Act I, all of the characters are again gathered together in the dining room of the Christie home. And everything is pretty formal and cold until Archie’s arm candy, Nancy, played by Amira Danan, falls to the floor after drinking her glass of wine. Everyone in the room has a motive and Poirot steps to the forefront. Every detective story ox is gored, all is revealed, and a solution to the case is found. This scene generated the greatest amount of laughter of the evening…as it should! It is smartly overwritten, overwrought, and overacted with hilarious results.

And laughter: kudos for Director Joanie Schultz for pulling out all of the wonderful humor built into this play. I didn’t expect to have quite this much fun with Mrs. Christie.

Character that you will hate: Charlotte, Mrs. Christie’s secretary. She is played by Betsy Hogg and shows up later as the 2026 as the gate keeper in the library, and at the beach resort. Hogg performs as exactly the same character in all three instances.

Pictured L to R: Dale Hodges and Zoë Sophia Garcia. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Character that you will love: Dale Hodges, Jane. She is maybe the smartest cookie in the box and draws in our empathy as we watch her move through the real world. Generally she likes to travel alone but is willing to humor Lucy!

At one point, Lucy declares that they are just going around in circles. And at that point she and Jane literally are as the Rep has again pulled out a rotating stage. Initially used to change room locales, during their travels, our intrepid searchers are walking around the edge of the stage as it rotates. Marvelous scenic work by Se Hyun Oh.

Now, fair warning. This play requires all of your concentration. There are moments of sleight of hand that need to be seen that are important to the story. And with the English accents and Poirot’s Belgian French, you want to pay attention so you don’t miss a good joke!

Mrs. Christie runs about two hours and 15 minutes including an intermission. It is being presented on the main stage of the Checota Powerhouse Theater. It runs from now through May 10, 2026. Additional information and tickets can be found HERE

Extra credit reading: The Playbill

. Pictured L to R: Alex Keiper, Blake Hamilton Currie, Matt Bowdren, Amira Danan. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

All photos courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

April 16, 2026

Milwaukee Rep’s Frida…A Self Portrait…In One Actor

In the first half of the 20th Century, male artists dominated the art scene just as they have done for centuries. Fortunately two woman artists of the Americas were able to break out of the patriarchy, Wisconsin’s own Georgia O’Keefe and Mexico’s Frida Kahlo. Certainly a major reason for their visibility is the remarkable artwork that they created which clearly still speaks to us today. But Kahlo is also intriguing not only because she was a landmark artist but because of the difficulties that she endured in her personal life.

And it is that endurance plus a personal spiritual connection to Kahlo that brought Vanessa Severo to write and perform Frida…A Self Portrait. Frida is directed by Joanie Schultz.

Vanessa Severo. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

Fittingly for a play subtitled, an autobiography, there is only one actor, Vanessa Severo. So in essence, Frida gets to tell her own story. But don’t be fooled into thinking that with only one actor, that there is only one character on stage. The first one is prominent. It is Severo the playwright who in at least three different moments speaks to the audience directly and has Severo the actor explain the various whys and hows that brought this play about. There is enough drama in these interludes for an actual play on its own…but we really want to see and hear Frida.

And hear Frida, we do. She narrates her life story with all of its drama in a very engaging manner often telling us how she feels, how she perceived the events around her, and why she decided to do some of the things she did. All of the major events in her life are examined. Many of them in Frida’s own words but often with Frida ( or is it Severo, the lines are at times blurred), impersonating another character in costume or just in narration. It depends. Many many different people make an appearance but most importantly, there are major moments with her father Guillermo Kahlo and her husband Diego Rivera. These re-tellings and impersonations are fraught with drama and edged with humor, both in word and the visuals. Severo moves from one focus point to another in an uninhibited fluid dance that just dares you to look away for even a moment. Intriguing story telling at its finest.

Severo is intensely Frida Kahlo and you will suspend disbelief readily and accept that you are witnessing a private story from Frida.

The framing story is Frida entertaining a guest who is visiting to view the architecture of her home, La Casa Azul. But instead of concentrating on the history of the house, Frida wanders off in her mind and recounts the key memory points in her life. The simple set aids the flow and ebb in the story telling. Overhead and to the rear, the general set is a four poster bed that is key to the backstory as Frida spent many days in bed recuperating from one injury to another. And after Severo finishes her prologue to the audience, the stage is festooned by three clotheslines of clothing and bedding that have been questioningly lying on the stage until Severo begins as Frida. These clothes provide the costuming and decor needed for different characters and environments as the story proceeds and Severo discards them stage left or right as their utility vanishes. And there are some stories that remain unspoken…but are told via Severo’s interactions with individual items, lighting, and sound. Some of these moments are particularly sad and should remain unspoken.

Besides the settings, the story is subtly enhanced but the background sounds including insects chirping, city street noises, and such. Very nice, thank you Thomas Dixon. And with just one actor on stage, lighting is very important to help tell the story and to lead the audiences focus and to set the mood and timbre of a scene. Hats off to Rachel Cady.

Frida…A Self Portrait runs about 80 minutes without an intermission.

Frida is being presented in the Herro-Franke Studio Theater at the Milwaukee Rep from now through May 17, 2026. More details and ticket information here.

Extra Credit Reading: Program

April 14, 2026

First Stage’s Disney’s Frozen From Love To Ice And Back In Moving Song!

It is April 12, 2026. It is snowing inside the Todd Wehr Theater at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. It is not MY fault. My snow shovel is still at my back door and my snow brush is still in the car. No, it’s those pesky kids at First Stage presenting a very accomplished and engaging production of Disney’s Frozen!

Molly Hill Fuller in *Disney’s Frozen*. First Stage, 2026. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And again, First Stage is providing me with a new cultural experience. Being a man of a certain age whose grandchildren grew up very far away, I was never exposed to Frozen before this past weekend. Yes, I knew the major character’s names but only because they are now very popular crossword puzzle clues. LOL!

This is officially Disney’s Frozen but from what saw Sunday, this is every four to seven year old girl’s Frozen. I don’t remember seeing such a young audience at prior First Act events and this is the first time the theater has been completely sold out. So don’t wait to get tickets if you are considering going. And like many character driven plays based on other major sources, the electricity was palpable and exciting as you experience the buzz and hear the chatter of young voices. But once the lights went down things were different this time. In other big stage musicals, after the initial hush, the young audience will often engage with the action directly, answering questions, telling a character not to do something, or just trying to enter the conversation. This time the hush was nearly total and lasted curtain to curtain. They were totally engaged and on the edge of their seats to just as great an extent, and yes, into it, dancing in place or waving their arms to the music. Amazing. And I almost forgot to mention, this group was a fashion parade of every type of Elsa or Anna princess dress in existence. A very delightful encounter beyond just the music and theater.

The full official title is Disney’s Frozen, The Broadway Musical. So this is a full fledged musical with about two dozen amazing songs with the original music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, with the book by Jennifer Lee, and based on the Disney film also written by Lee. So the story is driven by song and to enhance that experience, there is a live five piece orchestra on site, but sequestered away in an orchestra ‘pit’ somewhere.

Cast in *Disney’s Frozen.* First Stage, 2026. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And here at First Stage, Director Michael Dean Morgan and Associate Director and Choreographer Michelle LoRicco have brought all of First Stage’s magic to bear and have created a seamless event around the complex story that just sweeps you up in a north wind! And I mean that in a good way. In his note from the director, Morgan states: “Rather than hiding the stagecraft, our ensemble of storytellers…brings the magic to life. There are no projectors, no screens, just talented artists shaping the storms, the snow, and even puppeteering beloved characters. ” And this is the magic of First Stage productions. Yes, there are storms to be exhibited, through lights and waving lengths of silky materials, and actors moving set pieces to take us to new environs, and amazing puppets to be the mythical and imaginary characters vital to the story. The stage craft is right there in front of us and we clearly see it and we embrace it as part of the story. And we move from castle bedroom to an ice castle on a mountain top and on and on.

Did Morgan say puppets? Yes, Indeed! Once again Puppet Designer Niki Kulas has created a cast of amazing puppets, again clearly showing the audience how they work, and enchanting us with how well they represent the characters. Let’s start with Sven, a giant reindeer head that a younger actor wears like a vest and sways around the stage making everyone of us want to pat it on the nose. And the animated snowman, Olaf, sings and ‘dances’ and shuffles through the action attached to another young actor at the feet and manipulated manually. And the Hill People, which to this viewer are giant trolls from my youthful fairy tales. Giant troll head and giant hands controlled by two actors, one bobbing the head while another waves the hand. They are a bit of comic relief when they appear as rescuers at two stress points in the narrative. Here the magic of stage craft and the magic of the forest unites.

(L to R) Cal Jordan, Jake Horstmeier, George Lorimer, Tesney Schatzman, Jamie Mercado, Karen Estrada, and Elliot Lippman in *Disney’s Frozen*. First Stage, 2026. Photo by Paul Ruffolo

I think I am going to stick this notice here today: First Stage uses a core cast of adults and young adults in their main stage musicals like Frozen. And then fill out the roles with two alternating casts of younger actors. The two casts for Frozen are the Fire Cast and the Frost Cast. So if you hope to see a particular young actor make sure you order tickets for a performance featuring their cast. I saw the Frost Cast.

Initially we meet our princesses Elsa and Anna as youngsters at bed time. Elsa is a bit quiet and thoughtful and wary and played with just the right about of reserve by Emily Dalecky (Frost). Her younger sister Anna presents a different personality, as played by McKenna Becker (Frost), she is sassy and direct and eager to live. After pushing her parents out of the bedroom she is the one bouncing off the walls wanting to play. She finally convinces Elsa to build a ‘snowman’ from toys and pillows and such and they name it Olaf. The dynamic set here for the sisters personalities and relationship helps mold the action in the rest of the story.

(Spoiler Alert?) This is a Disney princess fairy tale so there is magic and mystery and tragedy and duplicity all wrapped about the moral about the true love of family and sisters. Of course there is a secret, Elsa has the power to freeze things with a wave of her hand. A power no one understands and one that she can’t control herself. Once she harms Anna, they are separated and sequestered until adulthood. The King and Queen go off to find a solution but perish in a storm. The cloistered siblings are fairly naive when the are united as adults at Elsa’s coronation. Anna meets Prince Hans, who has 12 elder brothers, and immediately falls for the handsome young man and immediately agrees to marry him. Hans is played as suave and smooth and maybe a bit rakish by William Kastner (Frost). Delightfully romantic on meeting, he turns into a villain soon enough and Kastner has the chops for that as well.

Cole Bugiel (left) and Melody Marks (right) in *Disney’s Frozen*. First Stage, 2026. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

When Anna announces her engagement to Elsa at the coronation, Elsa gets angry and with a wave of her hand, starts a new Ice Age. Elsa then heads for the mountains to protect her family and friends and kingdom from her powers and creates her own Ice Castle on a mountain. Anna pursues to try to help Elsa and the great adventures begin. Anna needs some help and meets Kristoff who provides cold weather mountain gear and immediately starts to provide his services as a guide. William Swoboda (Frost) gives Kristoff a bit of swagger but definitely a solid sense of self-sufficiency without any sign of doubt or thought for himself. And of course, he brings along his friend Sven, played by Johnathan Doome (Frost). And the emergence of the animated living Olaf is just a delight. A very animated and charming Dominic Lasky (Frost) gets to inhabit this fan favorite.

Molly Hill Fuller (center), Alice Rivera (right), and cast in *Disney’s Frozen*. First Stage, 2026. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

At this point, Elsa and Anna are adults and are now played by different actresses. Molly Hill Fuller plays a somewhat imperious and ‘icy’ figure here but clearly defines the sense of fear she holds that is part of the under story to her power. Anna is portrayed by Alice Rivera (Frost) as not quite the sassy lass of the first scenes but certainly a determined can do at any cost woman of action. It serves her well and Rivera is true to the character. For me, Anna is the more intriguing character in the play and remained my focus point throughout. The highlight is a duet between Elsa and Ann, “I Can’t Lose You”, sung when they are finally reunited. Both actors have lush clear voices that fill the room and hold the moment. Their pairing is just just right and they both have presence and voice beyond what you would expect here in a youthful cast.

But Anna falls victim to Elsa’s powers once again, so all parties must retreat to their home in Arendelle to expose the villains and effect the magic that provides our happily ever after.

Disney’s Frozen runs one hour and 45 minutes plus an intermission. First Stage Recommends this for families with young people ages 8-18 and determined adventurers of all ages. I saw a lot of young people here that were younger than 8. And it seemed that a lot of these were already familiar with the story and the characters. But if you are wondering, there is some flirtation between Hans and Anna, the King and Queen do perish in a storm that is lightly depicted on stage, and there is magic and some threats of violence. The trolls are more comical than ominous.

P.S. I have rambled on a lot more than usual, but something that I partially missed. Pay attention to Elsa as a quick costume change on stage switches her from Queen Elsa in regal blue to the Ice Queen in shimmery icy white threads.

First Stage presents Disney’s Frozen in the Todd Wehr Theater in the Marcus Performing Arts Center from now through May 17th, 2026. Tickets and further information here

Extra Credit Reading: Enrichment Guide

and it snowed in the Todd Wehr Theater