Category: Associated Bank Theater Center

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Instructions For A Seance And Then A Seance!

Let’s start at the beginning. I mean when you enter the Herro-Franke Studio Theater (formerly the Stiemke Theater). Unlike most performances, this time the stage isn’t sacrosanct and some members of the audience were allowed to walk through it on the way to their seats. And it is quite an elaborate but simple set. Scenic designer Collette Pollard has put together the perfect set for a seance…totally referring back to those sets we remember from old movies and TV shows…a curious blend of almost stereotypical comfortable while still fresh and intimate and engaging. All very reminiscent of the early 1910s or 1920s or so. But dominated by a somewhat intimidating, larger than life, photographic portrait of Harry Houdini. Now on with the show.

Katie Bender. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

And then Katie Bender walks on stage talking on her cell phone, issues a sort apology and explanation to us, and sings her son good night. Setting her things down and arranging a few things she then cues Mark Clement’s prerecorded announcement to turn off our cell phones and to laugh, cry, and exclaim (appropriately) before continuing. This casual familiarity with the audience will be a constant vibe throughout the evening. And she then goes on to place us geographically within the theater and delimiting our north, south, east, and west boundaries with local landmarks that define this Milwaukee neighborhood.

Now my conundrum. There is only one actor and one character in Instructions For A Seance. And the performer is Katie Bender and the character is unnamed. And Bender is the playwright AND the actor. Bender is speaking to us in the first person so I don’t know if the character is self-referential as Katie Bender or if Bender is just an actor pretending to be someone else here on stage. This is theater so I am going to just treat Bender as the character.

Katie Bender. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

So, we are presented with some background information on our character and then an explanation on her research into Harry Houdini and his museum and a few artifacts that she was able to ‘acquire’. She reads out the instructions for a seance that she has discovered and performs an incantation to summon Houdini’s spirit to our stage. And don’t think for a moment that you are not involved. You are in fact a participant in this seance and you will notice a little pencil and slip of paper beneath your seat. At some point Bender will provide instructions on what to write on the paper and how to turn it in and later how to return your pencil. Audience members will be enlisted to help. Now don’t stress out. It is all very simple and direct, it’s not a final exam in psychology. Well, maybe it is.

And I was negligent in mentioning that some audience members are seated in some of the parlor furniture along the edges of the stage. They will be part of Bender’s activities as well. If seated in these special seats, you might want to make sure you have your reading glasses. But honestly, it is all fun!!! On to the seance.

Seance attendees and Katie Bender. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

After a brief review, Bender has herself handcuffed and locked into a trunk, stage left. The theme is after all Harry Houdini and escape. But whose escape, while discussed, will never be quite clear: Houdini’s, Bender’s, or ours? Again, pay attention, for you may be part of the discourse after all. And of course all manner of eerie events take place, dimming lights, strange noises, items that turn themselves on, and such. But nary a sign of Houdini. Of course if we were to summon him opening night, well I guess the rest of the run of the play would be redundant. But Bender is successful and a spirit holds forth and we are all amazed. And beside Bender’s ample acting chops, I have to give her props for the handful of magic tricks she pulls off during the evening, not just the trunk escape.

So again, where does playwright Katie Bender stand with this amazing tight little play, although partly scripted and certainly partly ad-libbed as well but very well conceived and written? And where does Katie Bender stand as performer? Is she acting or story telling on herself? Katie Bender is all things to all people in this version of Instructions For A Seance. But at times, it feels just a bit self-indulgent to me.

Katie Bender. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

And thanks to director Lily Wolff for keeping the flow so, well, mesmerizing. And certainly pulling the eerie bits together in Bender’s story. But it also brings a new question to my mind that I need to research for another time.

Instructions For A Seance is being presented by the Milwaukee Repertory Theater from now through November 8, 2026 in the Herro-Franke Studio Theater in the Associated Bank Theater Center. Run Time: 70 minutes with no intermission. Content: Blends mystery, humor, and the supernatural. The play explores themes of motherhood and loss. It also contains discussions of ghosts, a brief description of physical violence and sexual assault, and strong language.

Additional Information! And Tickets Here!

Extra Credit Reading: The Program.

Katie Bender. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
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“Everybody Cut Footloose” That’s Footloose, Milwaukee Rep’s Musical Mainstage Season Opener

A full ensemble of 27 actors performing Footloose at open with an even more energetic reprise at the close of the show should be enough incentive to get you to attend the Milwaukee Rep’s presentation of Footloose, The Musical. But if you need more encouragement, the cast is obviously having a lot of fun and it is seriously contagious. So if you don’t have fun, it’s because you don’t know how to have fun…so sit back and take your cue from Willard.

Pictured: the cast of Footloose. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

Ethel McCormack is in sad straits. After he husband has left the family, she does not have the means to continue living in Chicago. So she accepts help from her sister and brother-in-law, but that involves moving to the small town that they live in. So she and her high-school aged son Ren, pack the car and head off on a ten hour drive, for Bomont. Once they arrive there Ren has a hard time adjusting to small town life and abruptly finds out that his favorite outlet for stress relief, dancing, is actually against the law in Bomont. Now, hopefully, I can be forgiven, given the cowboy hats and country music, for thinking we are in Beaumont Texas…I was surprised to see Bomont written on the gym attire on our youngsters at mid-play.

Pictured L to R: Galen Graff, Tarrick Walker, Manuel Abreu, Mathew Callas, Keyon Pickett. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

Ren finds out that his new pastor, the Rev. Shaw Moore, was the impetus on banning dancing following a traumatic car accident that killed four local teens on their way home from a…dance. And the pastor’s daughter, Ariel, is, of course, involved with the town’s bad boy but is curious about the new kid. Ren gets a bit of unearned notoriety as a troublemaker but eventually wins over his peers and takes on the Rev. Moore and town council and wins, allowing the big dance finale to end our version of Footloose.

Keyon Pickett alone is worth the price of admission. And you will feel his stage presence immediately on seeing his first Michael Jackson dance step. But beyond his remarkable dancing, Pickett is the real deal. His voice is a true musical instrument. From sad and questioning tunes to triumphal dance numbers, he can hit the whole range of nuance and the whole range of tones. And beyond his musical skill set, he has the chops to be a dramatic actor as well if he ever feels the need to pursue that. He’s going to be big Broadway star some day and we are lucky to have him here in Milwaukee.

Pictured L to R: Maddie Roberts and Keyon Pickett. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

The pastor’s daughter, Ariel Moore, is being played by Madison Robert. But she is only playing the role through October 11th. Robert owns this role and I certainly recommend seeing Footloose while she is still here. Robert’s Ariel is something of a free spirit and determined to do things her way and wants more out of life than what Bomont has to offer. Robert brings all of Ariel’s emotions front and center, from her love for her father, and her curiosity about Ren, and her playing the bad girl fling with Chuck. Robert too is in possession of a full, alive, vocal range and non-stop energy as a dancer and actor.

The voice that blew me away? That belongs to Olivia Hellman who plays one of Ariel’s besties, Rusty. And Rusty is a bit of a hell raiser herself. Hellman too is a remarkable dancer and actor, but her voice just fills the room and gave me chills at times. Rusty’s love interest is Willard, who after a bit of an altercation becomes Ren’s best friend. Carson Zoch is a tough talking and blustery acting young man who is just covering up his own self doubts and self perceived inadequacies. Zoch’s Willard has feelings for Rusty too but doesn’t know how to express them until Ren’s dance adventures allow him to break out of his shell. And break out is exactly what Zoch does going from stumbling bumbling to Saturday Night Fever slick in just a few moments of lessons and realizations that he CAN do it.

Pictured: Steven Koehler and Maddie Robert. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

And there are a few adult characters that I’d like to mention. Of course: Rev. Moore. For a pastor, he seems a bit domineering and officious in Steven Koehler’s portrayal. Koehler’s Moore is hard to like and it is hard to understand his motivations…until his final confrontation with Ren. A character who catches up with you is his wife Vi. She seems too compliant until you realize she is just holding back. Jackey Good is a perfect Vi and my goodness, her singing in ‘Learning To Be Silent’ with Ethel and Ariel and then the solo, ‘Can You Find It In Your Heart’, is a moving thing of beauty. Listen. And Rae Davenport as Ren’s mom, Ethel McCormack, is the calm and thoughtful and supportive mom you would hope every teen has in their life. And watch carefully as Milwaukee favorite Dimonte Henning plays a convincing high school athletic coach, Roger Dunbar.

Pictured: the cast of Footloose. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

It boggles my mind that just one person, Stephen Mear, can perform the dual roles of director and choreographer so effectively. Besides the dozens of actors, there are 18 songs which all require not just the direction of the actors but quite elaborate dance sequences as well. His version of Footloose is seamless and constantly in motion. This is where most of the fun gets made. And Rep stalwart, Dan Kazemi is the conductor (and a keyboard player) of the live band that is performing at the back of the set.

Footloose, The Musical, continues from now through November 1, 2026 at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre’s Ellen and Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater.

Additional Information Here and Ticket Info Here

Extra Credit Reading: The Program

Pictured L to R: Maddie Roberts, Jackey Moore, Rae Davenport Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

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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