It will be up to you to decide! But I laughed between bouts of holding my breath.
Murder Girl has been selling out its entire run and as a result has been extended through December 7, 2025. So hint, hint, don’t dawdle! But that fact just added to my anticipation in seeing it at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre!
And what do we have here? A murder mystery or a comedy? Yes! Playwright Heidi Armbruster has provided a magnificent bit of Wisconsinana. I don’t care if that’s not a word, that’s what Armbruster has written! And with a delightful cast of characters that will seem all so familiar to those of us who celebrate our time away from work in the Up North of Wisconsin and dine in nothing but the finest local supper clubs. The one here that is the center of attention is Marty’s Supper Club, but alas Marty is no longer with us…but fondly remembered…and her twins run the place. Well sorta!
Marty’s Supper Club. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Marty’s Scenic Designer Lisa Schlenker knows the Up North supper club by heart. That quaint combination of beer signs, mounted trophies (I mean deer heads and muskies) and the local bric-a-brac that a small town bar is known for. Until we get into the action, it is hard to place Marty’s in a time frame. Much of the decor is so last century as to feel antiquey. Worn wood floors and paneling, totally past their prime bar stools, and the Formica dining table in the corner tell us exactly where we are and maybe why we are here. But then the TV and electronics are fresh from Best Buy! So are we here for the Friday Night Fish Fry or the Saturday Prime Rib? We are here for the murder mystery…ssssh…listen…can you hear the theme music from Murder She Wrote?
L to R: Carrie Hitchcock, Colleen Madden, Matt Bowdren, Bree Beelow, and Joe Lino. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
And the suspense starts immediately as twins Eric and LeeAnn enter a darkened Marty’s separately each thinking that they are alone…and surprise each other with a certain fright. Matt Bowdren, returning the MCT after his appearance in A Doll’s House, is Eric. And Bowdren’s Eric, is sullen, un-trusting, depressed, and a bit jumpy. LeeAnn is portrayed by Bree Beelow as fluid, self-assured, and ready to take control whether Eric approves or not. Both of them are clearly still mourning their mother, Marty, who died in a car accident. Questions still remain about the accident and they are mourning in very different ways, but Bowdren and Beelow both present as people at wit’s end…just at different ends of their wits. Eric is coping by keeping Marty’s alive and just settling for the status quo. LeeAnn has escaped town and found another life, so to speak, but as Eric reminds her, she keeps coming back. So has she actually escaped at all? In her bio notes in the Playbill, Beelow says she hopes to KILL IT on stage as LeeAnn…and rest assured she has done just that.
Armbruster has drawn three more very intriguing and very strong characters here. All denizens of Marty’s but not blood relatives…but given the small town vibe and atmosphere around the supper club…and the way the treat each other, they might as well be.
L to R: Joe Lino, Carrie Hitchcock, Colleen Madden, and Matt Bowdren. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Director Brett Hazelton (also Executive Artistic Director fo MCT) has pulled together a cast that plays very believable as small town service employees. Let’s start with Ted. A gentleman with a bit of background issues himself, Joe Lino gives us the strong silent type, well until all heck breaks loose and then he seems to be the strong anchor in a sea of chaos…often just being the support that everyone else needs. Carrie Hitchcock assumes the ideal caricature of a small town waitress as Charlotte…with a quick imagination, willingness to blurt out her ideas and thoughts, and protective of Marty’s and the staff no matter what the daily chores of the job introduce. And her perfect foil is the Other Charlotte. A really delightful role played by American Player Theater’s Colleen Madden. What incredible fun to see Madden outside of her trusting environment and seeming to be completely enjoying herself in this dark murderous comedy. She shows that she can be very very funny,
The Charlottes! My favorite characters. Left to Right: Colleen Madden and Carrie Hitchcock. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Murder? Mayhem? Yes and there are suspicions, suppositions, conspiracy theories, secrets, and more secrets…but all will be revealed in the marvelous language woven together by Armbruster and the pliant and engaging ensemble put together by Hazelton. Murder? Well there is a missing young woman, Emily, who was a waitress at Marty’s. She may or may not have had a variety of non-supper club relationships or interactions with our other characters. And there is her distraught mother, Jen, also a Marty’s waitress, who only appears as a disembodied voice on the recurring news casts played on Marty’s TV. And there are clues and clues and plenty of opportunities to tumble down a rabbit hole (or two). But the answers to all of this are going to be left between you and Armbruster!
Bree Beelow and Matt Bowdren, Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Run time: approximately 90 minutes, no intermission
Can you bring your family? Well, you betcha! We’d be delighted to welcome your whole crew for this homegrown holiday whodunnit! MURDER GIRL does include some strong language, as well as references to drinking, violence, and death. If this were a movie, we’d call it PG-13.
L to R: Matt Bowdren, Bree Beelow, and Carrie Hitchcock. Photo by Michael Brosilow and courtesy of the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Regular readers will remember that the Young Company is a group of First Stage actors generally of high school age. And they generally perform adult themed programs without any adult actors. They have done some truly amazing and challenging adult plays recently. My favorites among them have been Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy Of The People, and an amazing surprise, Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell’s Ride The Cyclone! I probably look forward to the Young Company season more than any of the other theater in Milwaukee,
And for their first play of the 2025/26 season, they have selected The Rose Of Treason by James Devita. Most of you probably recognize Devita. He is a lead actor and mainstay on the stages of the American Players Theatre and a novelist and playwright. First Stage had previously presented his play, The Amazing Lemonade Girl, with a large cast at the Todd Wehr Theater.
Like The Amazing Lemonade Girl, The Rose Of Treason is based on a true story. This one, a very compelling and sadly contemporary feeling dramatic narrative around the Scholl family. Set in Hitler era Germany, Mother and Father Scholl have two energetic and curious youngsters, Hans and Sophie. In their youth they enthusiastically enroll in the Hitler Youth and revel in the group experience and active events. Their parents are supportive but at times dubious about what they are ‘learning’. And despite the start of World War II, they are entitled enough to attend the university in Munich instead of being directly involved with the war effort.
(L to R) William Swoboda, Marko Van Slyke, Elliot Lippman, and Lio Landis in The Rose of Treason by James DeVita. First Stage Young Company, 2025. Photo by Paul Rufollo
But then as the war unfolds and Nazi atrocities start to become apparent, Hans and his friends at university decide to form a resistance group…calling themselves The White Rose…and publishing leaflets and encouraging others to resist their government. When Sophie arrives in Munich, Hans tries to shield her from his activities, but she is too curious and too observant to miss such goings on. And of course, she throws herself full on into the movement. SPOILER ALERT: Eventually they are discovered by the Gestapo, tried for treason in a mock trial, and summarily executed. BUT there is hope in this story…
Reiley Fitzsimmons in The Rose of Treason by James DeVita. First Stage Young Company, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.
Reiley Fitzsimmons is Sophie Scholl and she plays her with an unbounded energy and sense of nature and life. As she matures and becomes even more thoughtful it is inevitable that she would throw all of her energy into the resistance. Her older brother, Hans Scholl, is played by Marko Van Slyke. He gives us a bit of an enigma…amazingly invested in the Hitler Youth, earning accolades and awards, he teases his sister about his success there. So it seems surprising that he would so easily enlist in the resistance movement and Van Slyke gives us a very thoughtful young adult version of Hans, who does in fact take on a serious leadership role. Edward Owczarski plays Father. Owczarski tries to be a stern forceful father at times but shows himself to be a bit of a doting parent. He never yields in his support of his children even in the chilling late scenes. And Mother is given that loving parent vibe, who just wants to fuss over the details by Alice Rivera. Her studied repacking of Sophie’s suitcase as she goes off to college is a touching tribute to her motherly instincts. And Rivera carries that through during her final moments with Hans and Sophie that defy you to not to choke up.
(L to R) William Swoboda, Reiley Fitzsimmons, Marko Van Slyke, Lio Landis, and Natalie Ottman in The Rose of Treason by James DeVita. First Stage Young Company, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.
This is a large cast performance with a number of young actors playing Hans co-conspirators…active…dedicated…intelligent…and loyal to the resistance…college students. They write and publish and distribute their leaflets…and work out ploys to avoid Gestapo detection.
(L to R) Marko Van Slyke, Reiley Fitzsimmons, and Lio Landis in The Rose of Treason by James DeVita. First Stage Young Company, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.
But there is a solid chilling factor here as a number of young women play Gestapo roles…complete with military precision…Swastika armbands…and snappy Nazi salutes. There is some hope. Will we be able recognize when this happens again and how will we respond. Will we be Hans and Sophie?
One note on seating. The Goodman Mainstage Hall is generally a theater in the round. For this performance there is only seating on three sides as the fourth wall is used for a screen where photos and quotes are projected to enhance the text of the play. Since this is general admission you may want to get there early to get the best seating to view the screen. And this is a small intimate theater so you will never be more that four rows away from the actors.
The Rose Of Treason will be performed at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center through November 16th, 2025. More information and tickets here! Approximately 90 minutes including a brief intermission
Inspired by true events, the show contains discussion and depictions of the Holocaust, Nazi party and its actions, politics, and violence; audiences may feel uncomfortable as the characters experience these things, but in the end the message of hope and truth prevails.
There will be changing lights, projections, and loud sounds that may be overwhelming for those with sensory sensitivities. We offer sensory kits for patrons who may need them
Recommended for families with young people ages 12-18 and courageous leaders of all ages
Since its release in 1946, Frank Capra’s movie It’s A Wonderful Life has worked its way into the heart of the American holiday traditions around Christmas. So I imagine nearly everyone present at the Rep’s opening of It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play in the Stackner Cabaret is familiar with the story and the palpable excitement in the room is the anticipation on how is the Rep going to present all of the drama, pathos, and visual excitement of the original film on the small stage. For those of you not familiar with the story, never fear, all will be revealed!
Left to Right: David Flores, Daniel Arana, Eva Nimmer, Melinda Parrett, and Wade Elkins. Photo by Mark Frohna and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
So where should we start…well…let’s start with what we see first, Caroline Dischell’s incredible set. Completely evocative of Radio City Music Hall or the Rockefeller Center of the 1930s and 1940s, Dischell has mined the best of the Art Deco styles from the period with gilt geometric filigrees, seemingly textured and patterned wallpapers, horizontal motifs and lighting fixtures, and of course the classic ON AIR and Applause prompts sign! Welcome to the radio drama studio of WMKE (side note: was there ever a WMKE in Milwaukee? It seems like a natural but I don’t remember one).
And then director Jonathan Hetler starts the play as the house lights flash and the overhead announcer calls the cast to the stage and says that we are 10 minutes to air. And the cast members individually hurry from the back of the house to their places on the stage, waving to friends, making brief comments as they pass by, and greeting each other as old friends do. And at that moment we all magically transform from being members of the Stackner audience into the excited radio studio audience at WMKE.
Left to Right: Eva Nimmer, Wade Elkins, David Flores, Melinda Parrett, and Daniel Arana. Photo by Mark Frohna and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
One last thing before we get to the drama itself. Bobby Sharon’s costumes, just wow. The cut, the colors, the styles, are just so indicative of the period in my mind. And the hats that characters Sally Applewhite and Lana Sherwood are wearing on entry are to die for.
Places, places, and we count down three, two, one, On Air and David Flores as Freddie Filmore in his role as MC gives us the introductions and we are off and running. This gets complicated very fast because our five intrepid Rep actors play the actors at WMKE who play multiple characters in It’s A Wonderful Life. So if I misidentify a role, my apologies. Flores is a jewel as Filmore, switching from the MC role to Mr. Potter to a number other roles all at the drop of a hat. He is the most engaging actor on stage. Eva Nimmer is Sally Applewhite, and Applewhite’s main role is Mary Bailey, our protagonist’s love interest and eventual wife…but she plays a number of other roles as well. Nimmer very effectively describes the confident and secure and undaunted Mary when she is courting George and then starting the actions that save his day and then playing that same role but the Mary who never knew George Bailey and was depressed, withdrawn, and a bit fearful in her life.
Wade Elkins plays Harry Haywood who gets to play a number of prominent roles including , George’s brother, Harry Bailey. But most importantly Haywood is Clarence, the a bit confused, yet empathic, and well meaning guardian angel sent to help George through his personal trials and failings. Spot on Mr. Elkins! Melinda Parrett is Lana Sherwood…again playing multiple roles…a delightfully saucy Violet in the main story and then moving to a desolate woman in the life without George section. And then she gets to transition to Clarence’s mentor and fills in George’s backstory for Clarence and the studio audience so we understand the measure of the angel and the man, George Bailey. Although a number of actors double as Bailey children, Parrett efforts are really really cute and giggle provoking.
Left to Right: David Flores (rear), Eva Nimmer and Daniel Arana (foreground). Photo by Mark Frohna and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
Jake Laurents is George Bailey and Jake Laurents is played by Daniel Arana. It is nearly impossible to play George Bailey without sounding a bit like James Stewart. And while Arana isn’t doing Stewart directly, there are hints of Jimmy in his swagger and sway, his vocal timbre, and of course he’s been made up to enhance his slight resemblance to Stewart. Arana is perfect for the role. And he easily moves from the ambitious dreamer to the practical unintended patriarch of the family to the stoic business man to the desperate lost soul we see just before the happy ending.
Wade Elkins. Photo by Mark Frohna and courtesy of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
In my mind, an old time radio play would be actors sitting at tables in front of microphones with foley sound effect masters at one end and the musicians at the other. But that’s just for the radio…here we have a play…so it feels more like a staged reading as the players move front to center to stage left or right to interact as they recite their dialogue. And the actors all take turns playing the accompaniment on the piano and perform the sound effects…from police whistles to clomping feet to chimes to balloon pops to uncounted door slams! Part of the humor inherent in Hetler’s staging is the over the top actions employed when the actors are creating the various sound effects. Voila. But I fear for the longevity of the two front and center microphones as they are repeatedly adjusted up and down to accommodate the varied height of the cast.
Yes there is a happy ending as nurture and friendship wins out over greed and avarice and love once again conquers all.
And I almost forgot to mention that there are ads within the radio broadcast of our play within the play. They are ingenious and refer back to the movie and to the city of WMKE!
It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play will be presented by the Milwaukee Rep in their Stackner Cabaret Theater until December 21, 2025. Ticket information here!
Running Time: Approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes with no intermission. Recommended Age: 10 and up
