Tag: Musical Theater

Posted on

Lake Country Playhouse & Academy announces its 2026-2027 season, their 67th.

The Lake Country Playhouse & Academy is often flying under the radar out in Lake Country. They stage performances of topical and traditional and classic plays with great presence and professionalism. It’s time to think about joining them in 2026 – 2027:

Hartland, WI – April 10, 2026, Lake Country Playhouse & Academy (LCP) unveils its 2026–2027 season, the organization’s 67th. The season includes six Mainstage productions and four Academy productions running September 2026 through August 2027. Featuring award-winning musicals, a gripping historical drama, a comedic mystery, and beloved literary tales, this season invites audiences across Lake Country to celebrate the moments that change us.


“Great theatre doesn’t just tell you a story — it puts you inside a moment and asks what you would do.” says Katie Berg, LCP Executive Director. “This season is full of those moments. Characters at crossroads, people choosing courage, love, or the harder right thing. That’s what drew us to every show on this list.”

Mainstage Series:
Sunday in the Park with George – Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, directed by Caitlyn Nettesheim and accompanied by a live chamber orchestra. The story of painter Georges Seurat and the relationships sacrificed in pursuit of his art. Sunday in the Park with George runs September 24–October 11, 2026.


A Christmas Carol The Musical – LCP’s 15th annual holiday production, directed by Danny Polaski. Michael Kosinski and Ernest Brusubardis’ heartwarming adaptation of the Charles Dickens’ classic brings festive cheer as Scrooge embarks on a transformative journey guided by the spirits of Christmas past, present, and future. A Christmas Carol The Musical runs November 27–December 13, 2026.


Radium Girls – Directed by Sarah Jo Martens. Based on the true story of the young women who worked in radium dial factories in the 1920s and filed suit against their employer, changing American labor law in the process. D.W. Gregory’s Radium Girls runs February 19–March 7, 2027.


An Old-Fashioned Family Murder – Directed by Michael Pocaro. A mystery comedy by Joe DiPietro in which a family reunion turns fatal and every guest is a suspect. An Old-Fashioned Family Murder runs April 2–18, 2027.


Seussical The Musical™ – Directed by Morgan Gates. A fantastical musical co-conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, and Eric Idle, weaving together the works of Dr. Seuss in this family friendly production, celebrating friendship, loyalty and imagination. Seussical The Musical™ runs May 6–23, 2027.


Tuck Everlasting The Musical – Based on the novel by Natalie Babbitt, A young girl discovers a family living with an extraordinary secret and must decide what to do with what she knows. Tuck Everlasting The Musical runs July 9–25, 2027.

Academy Series:
Dare to Dream Jr. – Directed by Emily Keiner. LCP Academy’s fall production celebrating 100 years of Disney in a musical revue. Dare to Dream Jr. runs October 22–November 1, 2026.


Hadestown Teen Edition – Directed by Suze Falk. Anaïs Mitchell’s Tony Award-winning musical retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, performed by Academy students. Hadestown Teen Edition runs January 21–31, 2027.


What Happened After Once Upon A Time – Alexi Alfieri’s comedy in which fairy tale characters reveal their true personalities, and what really follows the fairy tale, performed by Academy students. What Happened After Once Upon A Time runs June 18–26, 2027.


SpongeBob SquarePants The Musical Jr. – The Tony Award-winning musical in its junior edition, closing the Academy year. SpongeBob SquarePants The Musical Jr. runs August 5–15, 2027

Summer 2026 Staged Readings
LCP’s Staged Reading Series returns summer 2026 with three productions, produced in partnership with series sponsor, Kit Sidel; The Birdcage by Arthur Laurents, directed by Elena Donley, playing June 25–27, 2026; Now and Then by Sean Grennan, directed by Chris Gonyo, playing July 10–12, 2026; and Lombardi by Eric Simonson, directed by Nancy Hurd and playing July 17–19, 2026.


“This is a season we are genuinely proud of.” says Berg “Whether you’re a longtime artist, patron, volunteer or joining us for the first time, there is something here for you. Come be part of the story.”


For more information, including expanded production details, performance dates and times, and to purchase season subscriptions or single tickets, please visit www.lakecountryplayhousewi.org.

Lake Country Playhouse & Academy is dedicated to engaging the community through arts education and live theater entertainment from their intimate, 82-seat black box theatre in downtown Hartland. For more details on Lake Country Playhouse & Academy’s history, performances, and educational programs.


Posted on

PSA: ANNOUNCING FIRST STAGE’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

ANNOUNCING FIRST STAGE’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
Explore Timeless Tales and New Adventures with
World Premiere Musical Winnie the Pooh: Forever Friends and more!

MILWAUKEE, Wis (March 26, 2026) – First Stage proudly announces its 2026–2027 Season, marking the organization’s 40th Anniversary with a vibrant lineup of beloved classics, imaginative adventures, and memorable family experiences.

“For 40 years, First Stage has been a place where friends and families come together to share stories that inspire conversation, imagination, wonder, and empathy,” shared Executive Artistic Director Jeff Frank. “This anniversary season celebrates timeless tales loved by all ages while inviting audiences to experience new adventures together. There’s never been a better time to make forever memories at First Stage.”

From whimsical tales to epic adventures, the 2026-2027 season offers something for every age.

GO DOG GO!  /  VE PERRO ¡VE!
October 3 – November 1, 2026  |  Ages 3+
Goodman Mainstage Hall at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center
Ve Perro ¡Ve! comes to life on stage in a fast, funny, bilingual romp full of roller-skating, bicycle-riding, and car-driving dogs. P.D. Eastman’s classic is delightfully ridículo—and wonderfully fun for all ages!

DR. SEUSS’S HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!
November 21 – December 27, 2026  |  Ages 5+
Todd Wehr Theater at the Marcus Performing Arts Center
Experience the wit, wonder, and larger-than-life spirit audiences know and love, wrapped in toe-tapping songs and Seuss-ian spectacle. Bursting with humor, heart, and holiday magic, this musical celebration is a must-see event that invites audiences of all ages to rediscover the joy of the season.

EVERYBODY  |  Young Company Performance Project
December 4-13, 2026  |  Ages 13+
Goodman Mainstage Hall at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center
Absurdly funny and deeply witty, this modern riff on the medieval morality play, Everyman, casts a different “Everybody” by lottery each performance, exploring life, death, and the meaning of it all.

WINNIE-THE-POOH: FOREVER FRIENDS  |  World Premiere
January 29 – February 28, 2027  |  Ages 3+
Todd Wehr Theater at the Marcus Performing Arts Center
Return to the Hundred Acre Wood in this heartwarming world premiere musical filled with friendship, imagination, and a little bit of honey. When Christopher Robin returns with his granddaughter, Winnie-the-Pooh and friends remind us that the simplest moments together can mean the very most.

THE SNOW  |  Academy Production Lab
February 12 – 21, 2027  |  Ages 7+
Goodman Mainstage Hall at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center
When an epic snowfall traps the villagers of tiny Kishka, young Theodore Sutton comes up with a daring solution. Whimsical, humorous, mysterious, and heartfelt, this play weaves a fantastical Grimmsian tale for the entire family.

TWELFTH NIGHT  |  Young Company Performance Project
March 12 – 21, 2027  |  Ages 12+
Goodman Mainstage Hall at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center
A sparkling comedy of love, laughter, and chaos, this Shakespearean classic invites you into a world of witty wordplay, charming characters, and twists that keep you swooning until the very last scene. 

THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE
April 2 – May 2, 2027  |  Ages 8+
Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall at the Marcus Performing Arts Center
Step through the wardrobe and discover the fantastical world of Narnia like never before! In this imaginative adaptation, Peter and Lucy return to the room where their adventure began — reminding us that even the smallest among us can change the world.

BROADWAY JUNIOR REVUE: PURE IMAGINATION  |  Theater Academy Production
May 14 – 23, 2027  |  All Ages
Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall at the Marcus Performing Arts Center
Celebrate 40 years of First Stage with a brand new musical revue featuring our Theater Academy students performing songs from Broadway hits and Disney favorites, alongside stories that showcase the creativity and collaboration at the heart of First Stage since 1987.

Click here to learn more about the 2026-2027 season shows.

Families and friends can experience the magic with First Stage Family Packages, on sale now. These customizable packages allow families to choose the shows they love with maximum flexibility and savings, while unlocking exclusive perks:

  • Guaranteed lowest price all season — up to 50% savings!
  • Exclusive access and priority seat selection
  • Free and flexible ticket exchanges
  • $25 Coupon for 2026-2027 School Year Academy
  • Free Family Workshops: Pre-show education for the whole family
  • Exclusive Backstage Tours: Experience behind the scenes magic

Family Packages can purchased at firststage.org. Family Package families receive early access to seats, ensuring the best selection for the season’s most popular shows. Tickets start at $11. Single tickets go on sale May 1, when Family Package prices increase. First Stage also welcomes thousands of students and educators each season through its weekday matinee Field Trip Performances, giving young people the opportunity to experience live theater as part of their learning journey. First Stage offers affordable school matinee tickets along with classroom workshops that connect the productions to curriculum and social-emotional learning. These workshops help students explore storytelling, character, and themes before and after attending a performance, making theater an engaging extension of the classroom. Field Trips are on sale now.

Posted on

PSA: Next Act Theatre Announces Their 2026 – 2027 Season: Pure Entertainment!

Yes, I know, I am a bit behind on this one too. But better late than never and I bet you forgot what they are offering by now, SO, here’s a reminder:

Next Act Theatre Announces 2026-27 Season

Includes First-Ever New Play Commission, Two Wisconsin Premieres and a Modern Favorite

Milwaukee, WI – Next Act Theatre announced its 2026-27 season on Monday, February 9, 2026. With the overall season tagline “PURE ENTERTAINMENT,” this is the fourth Next Act Theatre season chosen and overseen by Artistic Director Cody Estle and Managing Director Libby Amato. The upcoming season boasts a World Premiere, Next Act’s first-ever commissioned new play, two Wisconsin Premieres never before seen on local stages and a modern favorite returning to Milwaukee for the first time in more than a decade. New season tickets alongside renewals of existing season tickets are now on sale. Single tickets will go on sale July 13, 2026. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Next Act Ticket Office at 414-278-0765 or through the Next Act website at www.nextact.org.

The lineup for the 2026-27 season includes:

  • TRAYF by Lindsay Joelle, September 16 – October 4, 2026
  • THE BOYS FROM BARABOO by Heidi Armbruster, December 2 – 20, 2026
  • IN THE NEXT ROOM or the vibrator play by Sarah Ruhl, February 17 – March 7, 2027
  • AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN by Terry Guest, April 21 – May 9, 2027

“This year’s season features a wonderful mix of new voices, Next Act veterans and theatrical powerhouses. Each of the four plays we have chosen leads with heart while engaging complex issues and thought-provoking themes … Together, these four productions create a season that is joyful, daring, entertaining and unmistakably Next Act,” said Artistic Director Cody Estle.

The 2026-27 season opens with the Wisconsin Premiere of TRAYF by Lindsay Joelle (September 16 – October 4, 2026). In 1990s New York City, Orthodox Jewish teens and lifelong best friends Zalmy and Shmuel are intent on saving the world from behind the wheel of their “Mitzvah Tank” van. But when a curious outsider deepens Zalmy’s interest in the secular world of rock and roll and roller skates, Shmuel will have to do everything in his power to keep his and Zalmy’s dreams intact. This road-trip bromance is a funny and heartwarming ode to the turbulence of youth, the universal suspicion that we don’t quite fit in and the faith and friends that see us through. Next Act Artistic Associate Elyse Edelman will make her Next Act directorial debut – her Next Act acting credits include CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION, a staged reading of MRS. CHRISTIE and SWING STATE. She has directed at Renaissance Theaterworks, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Third Avenue PlayWorks, and others. Rachael Zientek will return as an actor, having previously appeared in ALMOST, MAINE at Next Act, and A.J. Magoon, also seen at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks and Theatre Gigante,will make his Next Act debut.

Next Act will present its first-ever commissioned new play, the World Premiere of THE BOYS FROM BARABOO by Heidi Armbruster (December 2 – 20, 2026). Comedy! Songs! Entertainment! Step right up as Heidi Armbruster chronicles the rise and fall of the Ringling Brothers: five boys from Baraboo, Wisconsin. The story of their circus – the greatest show on Earth – is bookended by the brothers’ scrappy beginnings and difficult ends. THE BOYS FROM BARABOO tells the uniquely American story of a death-defying entertainment empire: music, storytelling, grit and charm create a tale that’s equal parts vaudeville revue and prestige drama. Next Act Artistic Director Cody Estle (previous direction: CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION, THE TREASURER; SWING STATE) will direct. THE BOYS FROM BARABOO will be presented as part of World Premiere Wisconsin, a statewide festival celebrating new plays and musicals running throughout 2026.

After the new year, Next Act will stage IN THE NEXT ROOM or the vibrator play by Sarah Ruhl (February 17 – March 7, 2027). In a seemingly perfect, well-to-do Victorian home, proper gentleman and scientist Dr. Givings has innocently invented an extraordinary new device for treating “hysteria” in women (and occasionally men): the vibrator. Adjacent to the doctor’s laboratory, his young wife tries to tend to their newborn daughter – and wonders what exactly is going on in the next room. From Sarah Ruhl, one of the most influential playwrights of this century, comes a smart, classy, and electrifying comedy about longing, intimacy,and what it truly means to love someone. Laura Rook will make her Next Act directorial debut – in addition to being a Core Company Actor at American Players Theatre, Rook directed ONCE UPON A BRIDGE at APT, co-directed SUMMER, 1976 at Forward Theater Company with Laura Gordon, and will direct AS YOU LIKE IT at APT in the 2026 summer season. Elyse Edelman will return after directing TRAYF earlier in the season to play Sabrina Daldry. Dee Dee Batteast, an actor, playwright and director who has appeared in three seasons at APT, including acting in PICNIC and THE WINTER’S TALE this past summer, five productions at the Goodman Theatre and her self-produced one-woman show NO AIDS, NO MAIDS, will make her Next Act debut as Elizabeth. Playwright Ruhl is a MacArthur Foundation Fellow and Pulitzer Prize nominee – IN THE NEXT ROOM is widely hailed as one of her seminal works. The play received three Tony Award nominations, including Best Play. Next Act’s production will be the first production in Milwaukee in more than a decade.

To close out the season, Next Act will produce the Wisconsin Premiere of AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN by Terry Guest (April 21 – May 9, 2027). Courtney Berringers would like to welcome you to her wake! But—make no mistake—this ain’t your grandma’s funeral. From African Gods and Goddesses to Judy Garland and Whitney Houston, AT THE WAKE OF A DEAD DRAG QUEEN uses legends, icons, camp and drama to tell the story of a pair of drag queens living (and dying) in rural Georgia in 2004. Terry Guest’s whirlwind play explores identity and illness while unapologetically celebrating Black, queer life with all of its sorrows and joys. Come party at the wake – bring your own heels! Dee Dee Batteast will return to direct after acting in IN THE NEXT ROOM at Next Act in February and March.

More casting will be announced for all four shows at a later date.

Next Act will reduce the length of all four productions in the 2026-27 season from four weeks to three weeks. Current subscribers with tickets to performances in the fourth week will be contacted with options for their subscriptions.