Tag: Children's Theater

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With ‘Go Dog Go!’, First Stage Presents Dogs At Work and Dogs At Play!

This is an absolute marvelous bit of silly! Yes!!

But before we dip into the fun, let’s talk about the serious stuff. This is a bilingual play and it’s Spanish title is Ve Perro Ve! Don’t let this intimidate you. There is no actual story and no complex dialogue. And most every line is spoken in English and then Spanish or in Spanish and then English. So worst case scenario, you learn a few more vocabulary words. And quite frankly, the story will unfold and you will have just as much fun even if you don’t speak either language.

(L to R) Sarah Zapiain, Valentina Vega, Savannah Carlson, Mia Raines, John Sajdak, and Charlie Machata. Photo by Paul Ruffolo and courtesy of First Stage.

This is the opening show in First Stage’s 40th Year. And they’ve stumped me again by presenting a play based on a children’s book that I was not familiar with. A very popular book written by P. D. Eastman which has been adapted for the stage by Allison Gregory and Steven Dietz. The work was translated by Ana Maria Campoy. This is indeed a musical and the music was composed by Michael Koerner.

So let’s get back to this marvelous bit of silly that director Michelle LoRicco has brought to the stage. First, this show is recommended for age 3 and up and LoRicco has certainly channeled her best three year old self and has clearly communicated with my inner three year old. Bravo! What that means is this show is fast moving and bright and playful and the music is warm and sincere and silly! How LoRicco blended all of the personalities of the characters and the music and the limited story is a delight for sore eyes. So I said story and no story? Well:

(L to R) John Sajdak, Valentina Vega, Charlie Machata, Sarah Zapiain, Ellie Gutierrez, and Mia Raines. Photo by Paul Ruffolo and courtesy of First Stage.

There are seven characters in Ve Perro Ve! All seven of them are dogs: red dog and blue dog and yellow dog and green dog and MC dog and spotted dog and Hattie. And maybe you could say this play is tri-lingual because sometimes the dogs speak or sing in English, and then Spanish, and sometimes in just, well…dog. And the story is just a series of skits or events that seamlessly flow from one to another. And our dogs work hard building things with their prop hammers and saws and screwdrivers. One of the best bits in the work session is riveting (pun intended), as each dog takes a turn trying to control a jack hammer. High humor indeed.

Other bits include a game of baseball, played for high humor, and high action. A car race! A visit to a carnival with a Ferris Wheel and roller coaster. A swimming session. I didn’t know that dogs could climb trees, but our favorites here manage to do exactly that. And a particularly apt segment for all of the parents and grandparents in the audience, is when the MC Dog tries to get all of the other dogs to call it a day and go to sleep, but instead we have dogs at play!

If you have been following my coverage on First Stage or are familiar with them, you know that the plays that feature their younger actors run with two casts. These casts alternate appearance dates. So if you plan on seeing a particular young actor, check in at the links below, and make sure you select a date when they will be performing before you buy your tickets. I saw the El Pequeno cast.

Sarah Zapiain. Photo by Paul Ruffolo and courtesy of First Stage.

The one character and one actor who will be present in all of the performances is MC Dog played by Sarah Zapiain. Zapiain is the only adult in the room, quite literally. She directs the other dogs in much of the action on stage, tries to get them to go to sleep, and keeps an eye on the red light/green light. She is a perfect MC Dog and just a delight from start (when she plays peek a boo with the audience) to finish in the grand finale. Her effervescence and energy are a joy to watch but keep a close eye on her, she can be subtle in her actions too.

As I said, I saw the El Pequeno cast. As always, their presence and preparation are very professional for any age actors. And this isn’t an easy play to perform, moving almost without let up from one skit to the next. And this is a musical of sorts and their solo and ensemble singing was just wonderful. There is even a song early on that injects some ‘scat style’ non-sense syllable singing and they all nailed it. As a baseball player, I loved Mia Raines’, as Yellow Dog, flawless slide into second during the baseball game. Savannah Carlson as Hattie, certainly stood out as a very confident and skilled actor. After MC Dog, Carlson’s Hattie is a stand out performance.

(L to R) Elzie Flenard . IV, Rosemary Marotta, and Sarah Zapiain. Photo by Paul Ruffolo and courtesy of First Stage.

First Stage’s prop, costume, and set designers are the best in Milwaukee. And they proved it again with Go Dog Go! It’s not that they always produce elaborate sets and costumes, but they often do. But that they always provide absolutely spot on sets and costumes that propel the story along while just using the minimum of attributes to identify the character or the scene. And their use of color is fascinating.

And for Go Dog Go!, the music was a delight as well. Driven by an accordion from that open peek a boo session to the grand dance finale, it fit the mood and action perfectly. At times the accordion was augmented with some percussion and a woodwind or two. And the music set the scene without being obvious but we would certainly miss it if it wasn’t there. That’s the sign of great music. Jessica Marks is the music director for Go Dog Go. It is her first First Stage appearance and welcome, I loved the music here.

So, let’s get back to the environment for just a moment. The Goodman Mainstage at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center is theater in the round. So there is seating on all sides of the stage and the audience is never more than four rows away from the action. And for Go Dog Go!, the chairs for the first two rows have been removed and replaced with carpet squares so that younger guests can be closer to the action and squirm and wiggle to their heart’s content. The stage for Go Dog Go! is a simple raised oval dome, brightly painted with a street motif around the edges and a green space in the center.

(L to R) Ellie Gutierrez, Valentina Vega, and Charlie Machata. Photo by Paul Ruffolo and courtesy of First Stage.

This provides just the right setting for the ball game, car race, and sleep scenes. And is open enough to allow the entire ensemble to dance and move about freely as they tell their story. And how do I know that this all works? I just watched the preschoolers and elementary age children on those carpet squares around the room. They are completely entranced and engaged for the entire play. That was fun to see. The singing is made up of conversational songs or simple ensemble tunes, no boring arias to pull them out of the magic. And at the very end for just a few moments, the cast invited the audience on stage to join in the final dance segment. Fun to watch? Yes! But the real fun was seeing some children want to participate but afraid to go on stage, some just rushing out there, and the one little girl who had to be coaxed back to her seat by her brother when it was over! First Stage shows are always good theater and I enjoy that. But, as parent and grandparent, watching young people interact with theater is very rewarding too.

This show is for audiences of age 3 and up. And as I said above, these young people were fully engaged throughout the show. And at just an hour, they won’t have time to get restless or bored. So if you are thinking about introducing a youngster to theater for the first time or bringing them to a new show, Go Dog Go! : Ve Perro Ve! is the one for you!

First Stage will be presenting Go Dog Go! from now through November 1, 2026 at the Goodman Mainstage Hall at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center just north of the Deer District. There is an adjacent free parking lot. Runtime: The runtime of this play is: approx. 60 minutes, with no intermission. The age recommendation of this play is: We recommend this show for ages 3+.

More information here! And ticket information here!

Extra Credit Reading: The Enrichment Guide

(L to R) Valentina Vega, Mia Raines, and Charlie Machata. Photo by Paul Ruffolo and courtesy of First Stage.

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First Stage Presents Peter Pan And Wendy With NO Strings Attached

Certainly since the original appearance of J.M. Barrie’s play, Peter Pan in 1904, and his later novel, Peter And Wendy of 1911, there has been a certain magic felt across the land by the young of heart in every age group. Being a man of a certain age, my first experience with the magic was a televised broadcast of the Broadway presentation starring Mary Martin. Yes, it did make a lasting impression on me and I was excited to see how the artists and young actors of First Stage would bring that magic to life once again.

Working from an adaptation by Doug Rand, First Stage Artistic Director Jeff Frank directs his own theatre for young audiences adaptation. Frank has rediscovered and reveled in all of the magic found in Peter Pan. All of the magic! The whole story is here, from Wendy and Nana and the great window in the nursery, to a flying boy in Peter Pan, to the Lost Boys, to Captain Hook and Smee, and the crocodile and the clock….and Tinker Bell of course (or Tinkerbell? I have found it both ways but for a real fairy I’d have named her Tinkerbelle).

Todd Denning (front left), Marko Van Slyke (front right), and cast in Peter Pan and Wendy. First Stage, 2026. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

First Stage presentations for young audiences can often be hard to describe because they are anchored by a number of adult actors but feature two rotating casts of young actors. Peter Pan And Wendy is no different, featuring a Shadow Cast and Light Cast of actors. So if you are interested in seeing a particular youngster on stage, make sure you know which cast they are in and select a date and time appropriately.

First Stage presentations at the Todd Wehr Theater in the Marcus Performing Arts Center are often big cast musicals…Peter Pan And Wendy isn’t a musical but it is a BIG cast. But don’t be fooled about not being a musical. Peter Pan And Wendy is still a rowdy boisterous bit of theater that kept all of the young audience completely entranced. So much so that their laughter and gasps and sidebars sometimes interfered with me hearing the dialogue on stage…but that’s one of the highlights of attending plays at First Stage: seeing the reactions of the youngsters in the audience. Rest assured that this play satisfies!

Simon Phillips (top right) and cast in Peter Pan and Wendy. First Stage, 2026. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Now, on to the adult actors. Todd Denning is a regular at First Stage but you probably remember seeing him most recently as the Ghost of Christmas Present at the Milwaukee Rep. For Peter Pan And Wendy he handles two roles…first the loving but maybe just a bit ditzy father of Wendy and John and Michael Darling. Denning’s befuddlement around tying his tie in the opening scenes and leading the way to the drawing room while wondering if the Darlings have a drawing room in the finale. But more importantly is his portrayal of…dah dah dum dum…CAPTAIN HOOK! Oh Denning can be as sinister as need be and leads his pirates by dint of force and personality only to instantly cower at the sound of a ticking clock and the possibility of being attacked by THE crocodile. Tori Watson is Mrs. Darling, and is the perfect elegant and doting mother at first but turns equally fretful when describing her first encounter with Peter Pan…and Watson easily takes on the mourning mother when her children go missing and finally the restored mother who eagerly adopts the Lost Boys and instantly works to help a clearly conflicted Peter Pan.

(L to R) David Flores, J.T. Backes, and Sawyer Felkey in Peter Pan and Wendy. First Stage, 2026. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And our pirates, Tim Linn, Sherrick Robinson, David Flores, and J.T. Backes are jolly rogers all. A great team dedicated to protecting their captain and swashbuckling to the nines! David Flores as Smee is a bit of comic relief that suits Flores instinctively and suits the pirates presence just as well.

The two most important characters of course are those in the title of the play, Peter Pan and Wendy. Frank’s adaptation perfectly exhibits Peter’s determination to remain young and have fun which of course appeals to Wendy’s sense of adventure. But there is a bit more to their relationship than that. Wendy senses it but Peter, like many young men, doesn’t really know what is happening and doesn’t respond as Wendy expects. From my note above, there are two casts of young actors. I saw the Shadow Cast and Marko Van Slyke as Peter Pan and Niamh Mayne as Wendy were amazing. Overall the blocking and choreography for such a large cast (there are nine lost boys plus Peter, Wendy, and her two brothers) and a moving set was fluid and riveting and you just can’t seem to take it all in at once, but somehow you do.

SPOILER ALERT: We saved Tinker Bell

But there is more magic here than just the story of Peter Pan. There is First Stage magic. As always First Stage lighting designers and set designers put together these amazing designs that seem so simple at first but are so deeply ingrained in the story telling that they are almost a character in their own right. And for Peter Pan And Wendy it was no different…as we had the nursery and its great window and Neverland and the pirate ship and and and. So thank you to Sarah Hunt-Frank, Nicki Kulas, Jason Fassi, Josh Schmidt (sound designer), and Jason Orlenko (costume designer)!

And let’s talk about Nicki Kulas again. First Stage productions often feature mythical creatures or natural creatures that can’t necessarily be portrayed on stage, so they use PUPPETS: magical, phantastical, puppets! In this case, a bit of a shaggy sheepdog, the children’s nursemaid Nana, the ever lurking and very creepy crocodile, and two iterations of Tinker Bell. One little lacy bit of green light that flits around the action and a bit larger version that at times lands on a shoulder or chair back and has the semblance of a fairy rather than just a bit of flashing light. How they all work is in the next paragraph.

Marko Van Slyke in Peter Pan and Wendy. First Stage, 2026. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And let’s not overlook that Peter Pan can fly, and Peter teaches Wendy, John, and Michael how to fly. The primary key to being able to participate in all of the other adventures. And fly they do but without wires. Inspired by Japanese theater, Frank has employed the use of koken in Peter Pan And Wendy. Koken are black clad characters who appear on stage unnoticed by the actors. In this adaptation, the koken lift the young actors portraying Peter and Wendy and let them ‘fly’. They also work the puppets representing Tinker Bell, Nana, and the crocodile. And yes you notice them but you don’t…I can’t quite explain the effect, but it quite simply works.

Ooooh. I almost forgot. There is always a brief talk back after the curtain when young theater goers can ask a question of the cast. My favorite this time was some young man who wanted to know where they found the crocodile. After some giggles, a cast member described the puppet and how it was made by the puppet master!

Beyond the main story, all of the subplots are here. The desire for eternal youth, the desire for freedom from authority, the desire for family and structure, and the desire for a sense of purpose all prevail.

Peter Pan And Wendy continues through March 22, 2006 at the Todd Wehr Theater in the Marcus Performing Arts Center. Run time is about 75 minutes plus a 15 minute intermission. Recommended for families with young people ages 6-14 and magical dreamers of all ages.

More information and tickets can be found here.

Extra Credit Reading: Enrichment Guide

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The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza AND We Get One Too! A WORLD PREMIERE

Over the past several years I have probably reviewed more than a dozen big stage musicals presented by First Stage, but I have never experienced an audience who were so fully engaged in the action…answering questions asked by the characters of one another…shouting or groaning when there was a controversy…or swaying and waving along with the cast in the big production numbers. It was incredibly heartwarming to feel the intensity and excitement from these young theatergoers. And once again, I was at a loss, since I didn’t have the backstory on the Pigeon, but I obviously am not in on the ‘joke’.

Are you ready for a song?

YES! This is after all a big stage musical and the music flows joyfully and easily tells the story rather than just illustrating it, in remarkable solos, duets, and ensemble pieces that just resonate through the Todd Weir Theater. AND I forgot to mention this is a WORLD PREMIERE. Oh I guess it’s in the title.

This is a holiday extravaganza but isn’t just about holidays. There are I think, three stories here. Pigeon feels lost and a bit outside the community and searches for meaning in life and his place in the world. Elephant and Piggie extol the virtues of BFF (best friends forever), and then things start to get squirrelly, with a whole cast of squirrels representing community engagement and social involvement. All incredibly brought together with the thought of a holiday extravaganza.

Kailey Azure Green in The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza! First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Let’s start with the star of our show, The Pigeon! The Pigeon is played by Kailey Azure Green, not in costume, but as the vehicle for a pigeon puppet. Our pigeon rests on Green’s forearm while one hand activates the bill and the other the wings of the pigeon. Although deftly handling the puppeteering chores, the most fun is watching Green themself as they voice the pigeon and sing the parts and emphatically displays the pigeons emotions in their body language, voice, and the expressions of their face. A lot of fun and joy in their actions.

Now, none of the other actors are dressed in costumes or represent their characters in puppet form despite portraying any number of animals…because their feelings and actions are just so peoplely.

James Carrington and Rachael Zientek in The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza! First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And our best friends? They are James Carrington as Elephant Gerald and Rachel Zientek as Piggie. Carrington and Zientek are obviously fan favorites since they got a spontaneous round of applause on their first appearance on stage. I have seen Carrington in a number of First Stage productions now and he embodies the spirit of what First Stage is all about. And he and Zientek have a very very engaging chemistry on stage…this is the third time they’ve worked together reprising their roles of Gerald and Piggie. And they have their own little drama as they are sure they have picked out precisely the perfect gift for their friend until they are overcome with a dread that their friend might not like it. Songs and drama ensue…and a little humor as well. They are simply delightful to watch!

So that covers the three adult actors in our big holiday extravaganza, and here’s where things start to get squirrelly! All of the other roles are filled by young people!

Adyson Ries (front) and cast in The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza! First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And it seems we have a squirrel for every occasion. Our main team is planning the extravaganza…a lot of excitement and a lot of energy…and great plans get planned and great plans go awry…until In-Between Squirrel sparks an idea and the day is saved. Some highlights include the trio of Catchy Holiday Squirrels who sing a festive holiday song and appear to reprise it a number of times during the play. It becomes an ear worm for the Pigeon but is a delight for those of us in the audience who hear snippets of traditional holiday songs stolen or satirized in the song…until smack in the face…there it is: a pigeon in a pear tree! And watch for Defining Squirrel, a real fan favorite with the young audience, who enters the stage with a placard for ‘bigger’ words and their definition. The trope itself is funny on its face but there is bigger humor later in the play that I won’t spoil by revealing it here.

But everyone comes together in the end and a holiday extravaganza is enjoyed by all and I guarantee that you will enjoy it too. And Santa’s sleigh and an unnamed reindeer make cameo appearances.

Cast in The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza! First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

This is a challenging musical to stage because of the number of actors involved and the number of songs involved but director Michelle LoRicco has done an incredible job of bringing it all together. And as always the sets and lighting is first rate First Stage quality which stands on a par with any theater group in town.

I didn’t mention the young actors because First Stage always uses two casts of young actors. I saw the Hotdog cast and they stole my hearts…but from my experience, the Cookie cast will do the same. But keep in mind that there are two casts. So if you are hoping to see a particular young performer check the listings for which day their cast will perform when buying tickets!

But I do have one question that perplexes my aging brain. So if one of our young readers could fill me in. Why did the pigeon walk to the North Pole? I mean, one cool thing about being a pigeon is being able to fly.

The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza runs about 65 minutes plus a short intermission and is being presented at the Todd Wehr Theater in the Marcus Performing Arts Center through December 28, 2025.

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

Ticket information and further details can be found here:

And extra credit readings: the Playbill and the Enrichment Guide