Ed Heinzelman – an intuitive perspective

September 24, 2026

MAMMA MIA! Broadway at the Marcus Performing Arts Center

I knew that Mamma Mia was out there but I didn’t really know anything about it so didn’t now what to expect as I took my seat this past Tuesday. But you can never go wrong with ABBA music. <–Fact!

So I was surprised to find myself observing a Greek Island just in advance of a young couple’s wedding. Sophie is the bride in question. She is the daughter of a single mom, Donna, who runs a taverna on the island. She doesn’t know who her father is. So she snoops in her mother’s old diary and comes up with three possible suspects and invites them to her wedding using her mother’s name but without her mother’s knowledge. They all accept. What could possibly go wrong? Well everything and nothing but we have a wonderful story to tell with wonderful songs. And, I forgot, Donna was something of a rock star in her day in an all girl band, the Dynamos, and they are attending the wedding too, that’s Rosie and Tanya. So not only do we get the usual musical excitement as actors break into song but we got an extra treat of a Dynamos performance in platform boots and Vegas style costumes. Are you ready for Dancing Queen?

A quick formality: The lyrics and music are by the mavens behind ABBA of course, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus with the book (story) by Catherine Johnson. And this high powered and vibrant touring production is directed by Phyllida Lloyd! One other production superstar is the lighting designer, Howard Harrison. His lighting emphasis and washes really really enhanced the performances on stage.

From my seat, the star of this show is Juliette M. Ojeda! She personifies what I feel the character of Sophie is all about here. And her voice is just a marvelous instrument and carries the weight of each song and the mood of the moment. And her dance steps are a smooth, lithe, and agile as any I’ve seen on this stage. Ojeda also knows how to work with and work off of the other performers on stage. Her mother, Donna, is played by Jessica Crouch, and she pulls off being a bit older version of Sophie. That relation should be the other way around but I couldn’t take my focus off of Ojeda. And Crouch too has the moves and the voice to be the focal point in every scene she enters. And she is majestic when she takes on her role as the leader of Donna and the Dynamos.

And the Dynamos? Given that Sophie is 20 now, they must be about 40 somethings? But Erica Mansfield as Tanya and Kayla Ryan Walsh as Rosie still show us the moves and the style and the youthful exuberance that they obviously have worked to maintain. And they can still strut in their own platform shoes and colorful ABBA outfits to boot.

When the father possibilities show up, Sophie tries to determine, without any luck, which one is her father. In a sense of desperation she asks all three to walk her down the aisle. They don’t all know that initially but accept it. Then after a few conversations and dreams, Sophie decides the only one really deserving of walking her down the aisle is her mother.

There are a few other shenanigans before and during the wedding, but true love wills out, but not necessarily as we would expect, but everyone will be happy in the end.

But, but, we aren’t done yet. AFTER the curtain call, there is a grand finale with the entire cast and chorus singing these marvelous ABBA songs and the audience is welcome to join in. So brush up on your lyrics and get your voice in shape because if ABBA is your thing, you will want to have that last bit of fun.

And I hope the full moon is getting scale, because he’s spending a lot of time on stage.

One Quibble: It’s a live band. A great live band. But it could tone down a few decibels. Particularly in the first act, even though the actors are well mic’d, the music drown them out a few times.

Mamma Mia! runs at the Marcus Performing Arts Center from now through September 27, 2026.

TICKETS!! Additional INFORMATION!

September 23, 2026

TRAYF. Next Act Theatre Explores Identity and Friendship.

It’s 1991 and we are in Brooklyn. And we are confronted with a Hertz rental van or RV with Mitzvah Tank emblazoned on its side. A Brooklyn looking a bit tired in Jeffrey Kmiec’s and Bianca Gonzalez memorable period set design…with a very sad vehicle that they have cobbled together as well. The Mitzvah Tank will put on some miles figuratively as it is driven around town and literally as it is pushed forefront and later to stage left as the story line requires. And the Tank will be utilized by two young eighteen year-old Orthodox Jewish men to light the lamp in the Jewish souls of other Jews as influenced to do by their spiritual leader known by the nickname Rebbe. Our two new friends are Zalmy and Shmuel

Left to right: A.J. Magoon, Alex Mitchell. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of Next Act Theatre.

Shmuel gets to be the driver of the Mitzvah Tank because his father rented it. But there is more to it than that. In Alex Mitchell’s portrayal of Shmuel, he is direct, sure of himself, thoughtful, and a planner. And Mitchell shows us a man very focused on his goal and his faith. But don’t think for a moment that he is an emotionless individual. He can and does get angry and is personally hurt when Zalmy’s allegiance to their friendship seems to waiver. But even Zalmy states that Shmuel was always admired as the smart one. And Mitchell maintains something of a scholarly air about him…but he let’s some suspicions in as well.

A.J. Magoon’s Zalmy is just as committed to their project but he’s more curious and lighthearted than Shmuel. Yes, he is more curious and this ignites some of the conflict that is about to arise. Zalmy is the navigator and DJ in the tank. And he likes to play little guessing games at times…trying to guess how many Rebbe tapes that Shmuel has along. These are tapes of Rebbe’s speeches and such. Shmuel plays along but teases Zalmy a bit. But no secular music is allowed! Magoon marvels at the 322 tapes and is visibly excited in his role as DJ to the point of totally ignoring Shmuel’s request for help in parking the Tank. Magoon exhibits a special exuberance and excitement in his gestures and voice.

Zalmy and Shmuel are certainly committed and prepared (they plan for snacks) but they may be a bit naive all at the same time. They’ve never been out of their community and are so sure of their project they aren’t quite ready for the rejection. Their fervor doesn’t waiver but at times a sense of disappointment does set in. But they are beyond their community even venturing into Wall Street, offering their brochures and asking the people that they meet, Are You Jewish? And then we meet Jonathan.

Left to right: Alex Mitchell, A.J. Magoon, Lucas Prizant. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of Next Act Theatre.

Lucas Prizant presents a Jonathan of a care free nature and practiced nonchalance. We meet him as he approaches Zalmy at the Tank. But he has apparently talked with Shmuel previously, as Shmuel warns Zalmy that he doesn’t think that Jonathan is Jewish because he hesitated too long when asked Are You Jewish before saying yes. But Jonathan presses them into conversation. And Prizant changes tone as he becomes a bit sad and confused when recounting the discovery that his late father was Jewish and had escaped Nazi Germany. As this conversation progresses, Zalmy’s curiosity slips into high and he invites Jonathan for Shabbos dinner. This becomes a common occurrence and Jonathan gifts some secular music to Zalmy which affects him a great deal. And although he hides the music from Shmuel, Shmuel suspects and some other things become inflection points and Zalmy and Shmuel start to drift apart. Not unusual for young adults but quite a surprise given the backgrounds here. Well Jonathan begins his conversion to Judaism and Prizant starts to drop the care-free attitudes and takes on a similar persona to Zalmy and Shmuel. And besides being a wedge between our heroes here, it is a problem elsewhere:

Rachel Zientek bursts onto the scene as Leah when only Shmuel is present at the tank. Zientek is forceful, direct, and full of indignation. She is Jonathan’s girl friend and a reformed Jew and wants her Catholic boyfriend back. She is clearly upset about Jonathan’s new trends as a Jewish convert and didn’t sign up for this. And she makes some revelations about Jonathan’s and Zalmy’s activities that include planning and doing things that Shmuel had designed to do with Zalmy. So the rift widens and the friendship seems doomed.

But friendship does in fact win out. Identities are examined and reaffirmed for Zalmy and Shmuel, but are newly discovered for Jonathan. For our characters that seems to be a good thing.

This is a comedy but there are serious topics underlying the story. Director Elyse Edelman has done an exemplary job of maintaining the humor while enriching the serious stories being told here. I love her directing work but I hope it doesn’t keep her off stage in the future.

Yes, this is set in a Jewish enclave in New York. But you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy the questions we all ask ourselves about our identities or who we choose to be friends with. We just have to remember what it was like to transition from youth into adulthood. Attend willing and ready to remember those things in your life and you will enjoy Trayf a great deal.

Trayf runs from now through October 4, 2026 at their theater at 255 South Water Street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Tickets Here and More Information Here. TRAYF is 1 hour and 25 minutes with no intermission.

Extra Credit Reading: The Playbill or The Enrichment Guide. Reading the enrichment guide before you attend may help in understanding some of the terms and cultural references made during the play.

September 22, 2026September 23, 2026

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