See Inside Milwaukee Rep’s New Theater Center
Associated Bank Theater Center opens to great fanfare.
Associated Bank Theater Center. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
The Milwaukee Repertory Theater‘s seven-year effort to develop a new home is ending “on time, on budget and fully funded.”
“We’ve endured a global pandemic that silenced all of our stages, battled labor shortages, supply chain disruptions and the highest inflation in decades, ” said Executive Director Chad Bauman at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday morning. “And then, just a couple of weeks ago, a thousand-year flood decimated our production center. And yet, through every setback, we pressed forward,”
The $80 million project transformed the Rep’s 1980s-era home into a modern theater complex.
The Associated Bank Theater Center, 108 E. Wells St., is now ready to stage its first show.
“I want to say that it has truly been inspiring, particularly in the last week as the dust literally is settling, for us to watch jaws literally drop from people in and outside the industry as they tour this beautiful legacy building,” said artistic director Mark Clements.
The complex centers on the rebuilt main theater, now the Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater. The theater complex, split between a power plant built in 1898 and the 1980s Associated Bank River Center office building, retains the same footprint but now includes expanded gathering areas, better accessibility and upgraded office space
There is now a three-level lobby, with the facade of the former power plant exposed to create a welcoming entryway to the theater. The theater itself has new, wider seats and can be configured to hold between 568 and 671 patrons, depending on whether the stage is in a proscenium or thrust configuration. Sight lines have been improved, according to the organization’s staff, with the worst seats in the prior configuration removed.
Several changes were made to the theater’s design beyond the seating. A fly loft to hoist set pieces was added to the theater, expanding production capabilities. Dressing rooms at the rear of the stage were relocated to the interior of the building, yielding more space for productions. Theater technology was modernized throughout. The theater also now has a fully-accessible pathway to the front row via a new, ground-level entrance.
A 3,000-square-foot education center, the Herzfeld Foundation Education & Engagement Center, links with the riverwalk and is expected to host 20,000 students annually. It is augmented by a second-story, 1,400-square-foot classroom or workshop space that overlooks the large education center and can be subdivided.
On Saturday evening, the education and engagement center was also used to host a donor dinner. Tony Award-winning Broadway actress Bernadette Peters gave a building-opening performance in the Checota Theater.
Come From Away will serve as the opening show in the theater complex.
“This project represents the very best of Milwaukee County, people from every sector working together to build something that will bring not only our residents, but all of our families together,” said County Executive David Crowley.
Patrons will notice dramatic changes before they get to their seats.
An expanded lobby and lounge complex, which hovers above the complex’s E. Wells Street entrance, provides more opportunities for gathering before and after shows. A three-story grand staircase links the Sandra and William Haack Galleria with the first-floor entrance, second-floor We Energies Lounge and the third-floor Lubar Lounge, reserved for donors above $5,000 annually. A gift shop and bar offer permanent spaces for amenities previously confined to pop-ups in the office complex’s lobby.
Construction work is still progressing on the Milwaukee Rep’s blackbox-style studio theater. The construction start on the theater was deliberately delayed to allow the organization to host its larger shows in the venue while the flagship theater was being reconstructed. The resulting theater will have a capacity between 182 and 244 guests, depending on the configuration. The studio theater will be named after David Herro and Jay Franke, who made a $5 million gift. The first show is scheduled for February.
The 186-seat Stackner Cabaret, which was overhauled in 2018, saw minor changes as part of the project. But, for the first time, it is accessible from within the remainder of the theater complex.
Also accessible are entirely new restrooms, including single-stall gender neutral restrooms and a sensory room.
The paint and scene shops were relocated to a larger space in Wauwatosa, freeing up space at the downtown theater complex for dressing rooms. The props and costume shops are still on-site, as is a small workshop to handle what comes in from Wauwatosa.
But that Wauwatosa relocation hasn’t been without unexpected problems. In August, the 1,000-year storm flooded the warehouse building, which is located near the Menomonee River.
“Unfortunately, it appears that the majority of the building’s contents are a total loss,” said the organization in a mid-August update after floodwaters receded. “This includes more than 75,000 unique props, costumes and set pieces, along with thousands of pieces of sound, lighting, rigging, welding, automation, projection and paint equipment. The loss also includes vehicles, musical instruments, office and drafting equipment, lifts, power tools and archives. Additionally, the set for our current production of A Christmas Carol, which was in storage, was destroyed.” Damage was estimated at $7.5 million.
The flood isn’t expected to delay any shows, but the organization continues to rebuild and deal with the fallout.
The Milwaukee Rep worked with Eppstein Uhen Architects, Hunzinger Construction, theater design consultant Fisher Dachs Associates and construction management and advisory firm Chamberlin LLC on the complex’s development.
Associated Bank is the naming rights partner for the complex, formerly known as the Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex. “When we announced the sponsorship in 2022, we knew we were partnering with a great leadership team and a cultural institution that has brought great theater to downtown Milwaukee for over 70 years,” said Bryan Carson, Associated executive vice president and Milwaukee Rep trustee.
According to figures from a June tour, the construction aspect of the project is expected to cost $63 million. The project is part of the organization’s larger Powering Milwaukee campaign, which has raised at least $80 million to develop the theater complex and sustain its operations. The Wisconsin State Building Commission contributed $1.9 million in public funding in late 2024 to the project.
A public block party is planned for summer 2026 to allow visitors to tour the entire complex without a ticket.
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