There have been a number of ‘soft’ announcements about the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s plans to remodel and improve their downtown theater complex. But today, they sent out the official announcement to get their Powering Milwaukee Campaign off the ground. From their email announcement:
Today We Launch A Campaign For Our Future!
Nearly 70 years ago, Mary John Sullivan and Fredrick C. Miller joined forces to ensure that Milwaukee would be one of the first cities in the country to have a professional theater based in its community. Knowing that a world-class city needed both professional sports and theater, shortly after bringing Major League Baseball to our city, Miller Brewing CEO Miller would team up with Milwaukee Rep founder Sullivan to create our first home on Oakland Avenue – the Fred Miller Theater.
Over the decades, we would grow into one of the largest theaters in the country and the largest performing arts organization in Wisconsin, serving 300,000 people including 20,000 students annually with 700 performances coupled with award-winning educational programming. However, we are facing a critical challenge. While it has served us well for four decades, our aging and inefficient Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex severely limits the productions we stage, the plays we develop, and the kind of educational impact we have — and will soon jeopardize our mission.
Therefore, we have embarked on the Powering Milwaukee Campaign which will define the standard of theater in Wisconsin for generations to come. The Campaign will fund the creation of the new Associated Bank Theater Center, including three state-of-the-art performance spaces, a large unified lobby providing ample opportunities for community events, an expanded offsite production center employing hundreds of local artisans, and venues with modern audience amenities.
One of the more exciting new features will be a robust arts education center housed within the new complex to expand our highly impactful student programs. Milwaukee Rep is one of the largest providers of arts education programs in the Midwest focusing on literacy, critical thinking and social-emotional learning. Our award-winning programs improve both hard and soft skills necessary for future employment and post-secondary education. The new complex will allow us to meet the growing needs of our community and schools on our waiting list.
In addition to education impacts, the Associated Bank Theater Complex will:
Strengthen Milwaukee’s brand as a hub of creativity and innovation by allowing us to tour popular productions around the world and to Broadway.
Attract talent and new audiences by building on our growth and creating exceptional, highly in-demand work on par with the best theaters globally.
Be Milwaukee’s most inclusive and accessible cultural destination allowing us to best serve persons with social, cognitive and/or physical disabilities.
Drive increased economic activity attracting tourists, young professionals, and new residents expanding our current $30 million annual economic impact on Downtown Milwaukee.
In the last twelve months, we have been busy and we’re pleased to share the following progress:
EUA and Hunzinger Construction have completed conceptual designs, a phased construction plan and renderings for the Associated Bank Theater Complex.
We raised nearly 60% of the $75 million campaign goal including 100% participation from our Board of Trustees due in large part to the generosity of our Founders Circle.
An all-star team of nearly 100 trustees and community leaders is leading the effort to create our new home, including campaign co-chairs Tammy Belton-Davis, Bill & Sandy Haack, Jeff & Sarah Joerres, and Craig & Mara Swan.
It’s been nearly 40 years since we have called upon our community to give generously to ensure that Milwaukee continues to have theater that produces exceptional art, inspires people, cultivates community and ignites education. Now, we need to make that ask.
We invite you to learn more about our Powering Milwaukee Campaign and how you can participate here.
Together, we can power Milwaukee — our theater, our community, our future!
If you are considering seeing Beehive, “STOP, In The Name Of LOVE”, and buy your tickets right now. This is a fun show…and if you know the lyrics to any of these songs you will be singing along. But I took a bit of license here with my opening sentence. “Stop In The Name Of Love” isn’t actually one of the numbers performed in this review but I urge the creator and director to correct that oversight post haste…I had worked out the choreography for it from an old Supremes video!
Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater
So what do we have here? We have an ensemble of six singers/dancers enthusiastically entertaining us with thirty-four songs that represent the best memories of female music stars from the 1960s! And everyone of the women featured here take their turn as the soloist with any number of their peers providing the backing vocals and harmonies…so the music just keeps moving forward and the energy never flags as the hits keep on coming!
Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater
So: the songs here represent the most talented and most popular ‘girl groups’ and solo artists of the period. Starting with the silly Shirley Ellis hit, “The Name Game” then rolling into Lesley Gore’s “It’s My Party”, we also are reliving the thrills we got back in the day from the Supremes, The Ronettes, The Chiffons, The Angels, The Crystals, and more…and I loved everyone of them.
Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater
And for those of you who followed certain songwriters, these hits also represent some of the best output from Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Jeff Berry and Ellie Greenwich, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Phil Spector, and the Motown triple threat, Holland, Dozier, and Holland!
Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater
But despite being titled Beehive, this isn’t limited to ‘girl groups’ with piled up hair. Near the end of the first act, creator Larry Gallagher signals the later 60s shift in pop music and pop culture with the iconic anthem, “You Don’t Own Me” by a revitalized Lesley Gore. From then on we feel the effects of the British Invasion and the renewed influence of blues on rock and roll…and the rise of the big voiced big presence female vocalists…Tina Turner, Grace Slick, and of course, Janis Joplin.
Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Sarah Lynn Marion as Janis
So this is an incredible experience in music and music history for those of us who lived it but even if you don’t know every song and every lyric, this is a lot…and I repeat…a lot of fun!
The only regret I have is the cast didn’t have time to perform the entire song because they nailed the performances and feel of the original material in a very dramatic fashion. But if they’d done that, it would be a five hour show instead of two hours and fifteen minutes.
The cast really did an amazing job of bringing these songs to life. The cast: Jackey Boelkow, Tess Marshall, Sarah Lynn Marion, Jamie Mercado, Desiree Tolodziecki, and Amaya White. They switched roles so many times, that I can’t tell you which actor took on which singer…so watch closely and carefully…but absolutely, no one disappointed. And director Laura Braza did an outstanding job in keeping everyone in motion and upfront and singing! And to choreographer, David P. Roman, hats off to you, beehive and all!!
Beehive, The 60s Musical runs through January 15, 2023, at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s Stackner Cabaret. And I recommend making reservations for dinner at the Cabaret before the show as well.
Milwaukee, WI – November 9, 2022 – Come celebrate the holidays this year with First Stage and the return of their heartwarming production of RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER™: THE MUSICAL!, based on the 1964 television special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and stageproduction directed and conceived by Jeff Frank and First Stage. The live, musical version of RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER™ will be directed by Artistic Director Jeff Frank and features all the colorful characters audiences know and love, a thrilling adventure story combined with an unforgettable holiday musical score by Johnny Marks, including the catchy “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” theme song. From fleeing the Abominable Snow Monster to saving Christmas, join Rudolph and his friends, Hermey the Elf and Yukon Cornelius, as their adventures remind us that what makes us different can also be what makes us special. Don’t miss this wonderful holiday tradition that speaks to the little misfit in all of us!
From Artistic Director/Director Jeff Frank: “What fun to return to Christmastown and visit Rudolph and friends once again! Who knew when we launched the premiere production in 2012 that it would serve as the model for subsequent productions – including a national tour! This joyful holiday tale will once again come to life at the Todd Wehr Theater courtesy of some clever staging, the remarkable design work of Brandon Kirkham, and our incredible production department who crafted this piece with such care and detail. Rudolph, Hermey and the Toys remind us all that there is a place for everyone. There really is no such thing as a misfit – just a world that needs to learn to welcome people as they are. No one should have to worry about covering up who they are to seek acceptance. We need to make the effort to move beyond first impressions to take the time to really listen to one another and find a deeper understanding of folks. After all – it turns out that even the Bumble is misunderstood. From the incredible music of Johnny Marks to the adventures with the Bumble, to the lovable inhabitants of the Island of Misfit Toys, to the hilarious antics of Yukon Cornelius, to the heartwarming storytelling of Sam the Snowman – RUDOLPH has something for the entire family to celebrate this holiday season. Come home for the holidays together at First Stage.”
And if you ever saw it, you would even say it glows! The beloved TV classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer soars off the screen and returns to our stage this holiday season. From fleeing the Abominable Snow Monster to saving Christmas, join Rudolph and his friends, Hermey the Elf and Yukon Cornelius, as their adventures teach us that what makes you different can be what makes you special. Don’t miss this wonderful holiday tradition that speaks to the little misfit in all of us. Performance runtime is approximately 70 minutes, which includes a brief intermission. Suggested for families with young people ages 4+.
Tickets start at $32 – Tickets may be purchased at firststage.org or through the Marcus Center Box Office, in person at 929 N. Water Street in downtown Milwaukee or by phone (414) 273-7206 or toll free at (888) 612-3500. The number for TDD (for deaf and hard of hearing patrons) is (414) 273-3080.
