Category: Youth Theater

Posted on

PSA: Milwaukee’s Premier Youth Theater: FIRST STAGE: Announces Their 2025-2026 Season!

FIRST STAGE ANNOUNCES ITS 2025-2026 SEASON
From Neverland to Arendelle, a thrilling lineup of magical adventures, beloved classics and a world premiere takes center stage!

MILWAUKEE – First Stage – one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families – unveils its 2025-2026 season, featuring seven captivating productions designed to delight theater lovers of all ages! The season kicks off with a spine-tingling start as GOOSEBUMPS: PHANTOM OF THE AUDITORIUM brings R.L. Stine’s iconic stories to the stage—just in time for Halloween. Then, set sail for adventure with PETER PAN AND WENDY, where audiences will soar to Neverland for a timeless tale of courage and imagination. And to (snow) cap it all off, a flurry of excitement awaits with the stage adaptation of DISNEY’S FROZEN, where audiences can journey to Arendelle and witness the beloved story of sisterhood, love and the music we all know and love.


Adding to the excitement, First Stage is thrilled to present the next great holiday classic of THE PIGEON GETS A BIG TIME HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA!—a world premiere musical adventure featuring Mo Willems’ fan-favorite characters Elephant, Piggie, and Pigeon. Get ready for hilarious hijinks, holiday chaos and plenty of surprises as these storybook characters leap off the page and take center stage.

“As I begin my 30th season at First Stage, I reflect on how we’ve been the foundation for so many young people’s first theater experiences and the families who share in those moments,” said Jeff Frank, executive artistic director at First Stage. “This 2025-2026 season will offer those same wondrous adventures—from a subterranean lair harboring a ghost with a grudge to the North Pole where a determined Pigeon tries valiantly to drive a sleigh; from a boy who refuses to grow up to a girl and dragon who overcome fears. We’re also thrilled to be among a select group of professional theaters around the country producing DISNEY’S FROZEN, the full-length Broadway musical!”

Performances will take place at the Todd Wehr Theater at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, with additional productions staged at the Goodman Mainstage Hall in the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. Family Packages and single tickets to First Stage’s 2025-2026 season will go on sale April 21, 2025.

R.L. Stine’s GOOSEBUMPS: PHANTOM OF THE AUDITORIUM –  Oct. 11 – Nov. 2, 2025

Todd Wehr Theater, Marcus Performing Arts Center

Horror fans Brooke and Zeke are thrilled to be starring in a mysterious show called The Phantom, and not the least bit frightened by the old legend that the play is cursed. But when strange, eerie messages appear and a masked menace starts disrupting rehearsals, they begin to wonder: what if there really is a ghost haunting their school, determined to stop the show?! Prepare to get goosebumps as they race to solve the mystery in this thrilling and chilling musical, based on the classic series by R.L. Stine.

Recommended for families with young people ages 8-18 and thrill seekers of all ages!

WORLD PREMIERE!

THE PIGEON GETS A BIG TIME HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA! – Nov. 21 – Dec. 28, 2025

Todd Wehr Theater, Marcus Performing Arts Center

When Mo Willems’ characters get together for the holidays, it’s bound to be the biggest extravaganza ever! The Unlimited Squirrels deck the halls and Elephant and Piggie come ready to celebrate! But will The Pigeon join in the festivities, or will he run all the way to the North Pole in search of the greatest gift ever? Catchy tunes, silly stories, goofy gifts, audience antics: it’s all in this brand-new musical party that sleighs!

Recommended for families with young people ages 4-14 and festive celebrators of all ages! 

LOVABYE DRAGON – Jan. 24 – Feb. 15, 2026

Goodman Mainstage Hall, Milwaukee Youth Arts Center

An enchanting musical of unexpected friendship between a lonely girl and an even lonelier dragon. Together they embark on a grand adventure to the farthest far away, only to face their greatest challenge. Covering three books in the Dragon and Girl series by Wisconsin author Barbara Joosse – Lovabye Dragon, Evermore Dragon and Sail Away Dragon – this adaptation with infectious music and lyrics by The Happy Racers is sure to put a smile on everyone’s face, lift your spirits, and get you singing and dancing along!

Recommended for families with young people ages 3-8 and brave explorers of all ages!

PETER PAN AND WENDY –  Feb. 20 – March 22, 2026

Todd Wehr Theater, Marcus Performing Arts Center

J.M. Barrie’s classic story comes to life as never seen before in this thrilling new production. Through the magic of stage wizardry and the power of your imagination, you will find yourself transported along with Wendy and her brothers to Neverland – a place of magic and wonder, of danger and suspense, but above all, a place where you will believe in the seemingly unbelievable! Marvel as the Darling children are swept into Peter’s deadly battle with Captain Hook and his mostly fearsome pirate crew. With so much excitement, why ever go home again…?

Recommended for families with young people ages 6-14 and magical dreamers of all ages! 

DISNEY’S FROZEN – April 11 – May 17, 2026

Todd Wehr Theater, Marcus Performing Arts Center

In the beautiful, mountainous kingdom of Arendelle, Princesses Anna and Elsa grow up sheltered inside their castle, isolated from the world. When Elsa is crowned queen, the magical powers she has desperately tried to conceal take control, and she flees into the mountains. As a ferocious winter descends, Anna sets off on an epic journey to find Elsa and bring her home with the help of hardworking ice harvester Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, and a happy-go-lucky snowman named Olaf. Full of magic, humor, and a stunning musical score, FROZEN is a powerful tale of sisterhood, acceptance, and finding the real meaning of true love. Now, experience the full-length Broadway musical brought to life as only First Stage can!

Recommended for families with young people ages 8-18 and determined adventurers of all ages!

Our award-winning Young Company continues its remarkable work with two powerful performance projects:

ROSE OF TREASON – Nov. 7 – 16, 2025

Goodman Mainstage Hall, Milwaukee Youth Arts Center

In 1943, a group of university students in Germany were appalled at the truth that was coming to light about the Nazi Party. They started a resistance group aimed at bringing down Hitler and the Nazi regime. Their story is one of breathtaking courage, selflessness, and utter faith in what is right. The efforts of The White Rose are an inspiring tribute to the goodness of humanity shining even in the darkest moments of history. Presented in partnership with Violins of Hope and the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Recommended for families with young people ages 12-18 and courageous leaders of all ages! 

JULIUS CAESAR – March 13 – 22, 2026

Goodman Mainstage Hall, Milwaukee Youth Arts Center

Beware the Ides of March! If only Julius Caesar had listened. Fresh from a victory over his rival Pompey, Caesar basks in his newfound power, celebrated by the people of Rome. But not everyone is cheering. Some fear he is becoming too powerful; powerful enough to end the Roman Republic and crown himself king. Betrayal. Conspiracies. A public that cheers one day and turns the next. Who should hold power? And what happens when those in control decide to take matters into their own hands? Shakespeare’s gripping political thriller comes to life in a story of loyalty, honor, and the price of ambition.

Recommended for families with young people ages 14-18 and Shakespeare fans of all ages! 

Don’t miss out on discounted tickets to the 2025-2026 season!

  • Family Packages allow ticket buyers to save 20% when purchasing tickets to two or three shows and save 25% when purchasing tickets to four or more shows.
    • New this season: purchase your tickets by August 1, 2025, to receive 10% off* single tickets or an additional 10% off* of your Family Package – Saving up to 35%! 

*This offer excludes DISNEY’S FROZEN.

For additional information about the 2025-2026 season and to order tickets, please go to firststage.org or call 

(414) 267-2961. 

Posted on

First Stage’s Ride The Cyclone Just Left Me In Awe

The First Stage Young Company consists of advanced high school aged actors. They generally stage three shows per season and tackle adult plays and themes as seen in their recent productions of Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Ibsen’s Enemy of the People. And unlike the bigger First Stage musical productions at the Marcus that use adults and younger actors, Young Company seldom features adults in their offerings.

Young Company is currently offering a full blown musical in Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell’s Ride The Cyclone, The Musical [High School Edition]. Please pay attention to that last bit as this play does deal with mature themes and is recommended for young people 13 to 17 and adults.

Hazel Dye (center) and cast. Photo courtesy of First Stage. Photographer: Paul Ruffolo.

Richmond and Maxwell have written a wondrous and dramatic musical here and Director Michelle LoRicco and the eight actors do just a marvelous job of bringing it all to life. This is certainly the most engaging play that I have seen at First Stage. The musical part of the musical borrows from the great history and genre of American musicals…moving through pop and contemporary sounds to West Side Story to Cabaret and to rap…with maybe a bit of The Three Penny Opera thrown in. The Young Company cast has mastered the nuances and styles here in a very commanding manner.

(left to right) Lio Landis, Hazel Dye, Thomas Alberto Bastardo, Evie Maassen,
and Max Larson. Photo courtesy of First Stage. Photographer: Paul Ruffolo.

The story of course is ideal fodder for a teen age play. Starting with the excitement and light of youth as the youth choir performs at a carnival and swiftly blends into the macabre as they ride the cyclone roller-coaster and all perish when their car comes loose. And now we get to see them interact on ‘the other side’.

Edward Owczarski. Photo courtesy of First Stage. Photographer: Paul Ruffolo.

And once our choir members reconnect and become apprised of their situation, they meet an automaton named Karnak who is employed as a sideshow act predicting people’s futures and deaths for a few coins in the slot. But here he takes on a more sinister persona and promises to bring one of the deceased back to life after they each testify to their worthiness of such a boon and win a unanimous vote from the others. Without going into much more detail, Karnak seems to easily change the rules as we go or keep some of them to himself until they have had an effect on the choir. Edward Owczarski is Karnak and he is Karnak for every single minute of the 90 minute run time of the play. Beyond his pronouncements and gibes, he has to maintain his robotic presence and movements and gesturings even when the focus of the action is on other cast members. Owczarski maintains his persona throughout and believe me, he is more than the requisite creepy here!

Ocean is the self-assured young woman who assumes that she will be the one selected to return to life and makes her case fervently…and Evelyn Maassen makes her very very real for us. And her best friend, Constance, is equally appealing via the acting of Hazel Dye. And although Ocean disses her friends including Constance at times, Dye and Maassen never let us lose site of the fact that Ocean and Constance are besties.

Now before I forget, the action here is located in a small rural town in the middle of nowhere Canada. So as each character relates their lives and their stories and their goals…a lot of personal traits and experiences come out that would have been kept personal…given the nature of small towns. So beyond the overall story board, we see and feel a lot of other emotions. And the play takes on how we perceive our selves, how we never ever really know everything about even our closest friends, and how community affects our lives and our goals.

And we also have Mischa, an adopted Ukrainian boy aptly played by Max Larson, big and bold and present. And Thomas Bastardo is Ricky, who never spoke before the accident so was relegated to play tambourine in the choir…so his sudden ability to speak provides a bit of wonder for the group. And Lio Landis is Noel, with a few secrets of his own and now I am going to have to finally watch Marlene Dietrich in the Blue Angel. So that covers the five members of the choir, but:

Mackenzie Wooten and cast. Photo courtesy of First Stage. Photographer: Paul Ruffolo.

A sixth child was found in the wreckage and she was without a head and was never identified, despite having a choir outfit. And none of the others recognize her either…so we meet Jane Doe. Now, Mackenzie Wooten plays Jane with a head but with makeup, hair, and a gait that is more zombie that teen age girl. And Wooten is the epitome of teen age macabre here…and she certainly has a chilling effect on Constance. You need to see that first hand for yourself.

Now this isn’t all chilling horror movie fodder. The songs are expressive and capture the nature of each character. AND there is a fair amount of laugh out loud humor here both in context and jokes and a few aside comments. It’s a delight.

For me, this is a five star, two thumbs up event. Ride The Cyclone runs from now through April 13, 2025 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center in Milwaukee. It runs for 90 minutes without intermission. MYAC is an intimate theater in the round with general admission seating.

For more information and ticket info, click here!!

Recommended for families with young people ages 13-17 and theater lovers of all ages

Note: Contains mature content, language and themes including discussion of untimely death and mature situations including references to sex, drugs, and violence.

Max Larson (right) and cast. Photo courtesy of First Stage. Photographer: Paul Ruffolo.
Posted on

PSA: FIRST STAGE HOSTS WORLD PREMIERE OF EMILY SONG AND THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT: AN EPIC TALE OF MAGIC, MUSIC, AND HEROISM

MILWAUKEE — First Stage — one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families — invites audiences to the world premiere of EMILY SONG AND THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT. In this thrilling new production, Emily discovers she has extraordinary powers—but will they be enough to protect her loved ones from the formidable Queen of the Night? Don’t miss this epic superhero adventure that is sure to inspire and captivate audiences of all ages

EMILY SONG AND THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT runs Jan. 31 through Feb. 16, 2025, at the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s Todd Wehr Theater. Tickets are available now on FirstStage.org.

Developed through First Stage’s Amplify Reading Series, this groundbreaking new musical emerged from the TYA (Theater for Young Audiences) BIPOC Superhero Project led by Jose Casas and designed to connect playwrights of color with professional TYA companies nationwide.

“Inspired by the world of anime and graphic novels, playwright and composer Marcus Yi has crafted an epic musical adventure unlike anything we’ve ever done before,” said Jeff Frank, First Stage Artistic Director. “Our Amplify Fall Festival shapes the development of potential future productions at First Stage. EMILY SONG AND THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT promises to captivate audiences by delivering a story that transcends traditional expectations of musical theater, seamlessly blending innovation, imagination and representation.”

Emily Song had always known that she was meant to sing. However, her father banned music from their lives for as long as she can remember. But that doesn’t stop Emily from secretly taking singing lessons online or joining the school glee club. On her 12th birthday, Emily’s powers manifest, and she discovers she is a music mage—a sorcerer who can cast magical spells through music. When the Queen of the Night kidnaps her father and best friend, Emily must figure out how to harness her newly discovered talent to save her loved ones—and New York City— from total destruction. 

Grab your cape, and be the first to see this brand-new musical!

The show runs approximately 75 minutes, including a brief intermission. Recommended for families with young people ages 7-17 and theater lovers of all ages.

This production’s Pay What You Choose Performance is on Friday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m., the Sensory Friendly Performance is on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 3:30 p.m., and the Sign Language Interpreted Performance is on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 3:30 p.m.

About First Stage
Founded in 1987, First Stage is one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families, and a driving force behind the creation of the best and most innovative plays for family audiences, theater training programs for young
people, and education initiatives for its schools and community. First Stage ensures that all programming is not only accessible to its community but that it is reflective of the community it serve

We’ll see you there!!