The Honeymoon Isn’t Over
Prepare to laugh. Pink Banana returns with with its festival of one-act plays.
Jun 6th, 2014
The Surprising Relevance of Hair
Skylight’s powerful production of 1968 hippie musical makes it seem anything but dated.
May 21st, 2014
Teens Tackle Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare’s young lovers are played by performers of that age in First Stage’s Young Company show.
May 14th, 2014
Local Boy Makes Good
Skylight’s new show is top composer Daron Hagen’s love letter to his home town of Milwaukee.
May 7th, 2014
Oh Wow, Nancy Drew
First Stage presents an ambitious new play about the greatest young sleuth in literary history.
May 1st, 2014
Why We Love Cinderella
A new UWM production traces the tale’s history -- and various versions -- going back 30,000 years.
Apr 23rd, 2014
The Silence of Outer Space
Quasimodo’s new production is a completely silent play depending only on physical movement.
Apr 16th, 2014
The Real Man of Steel
Rep’s new play offers the fascinating story of how and why Superman was created.
Apr 9th, 2014
The Second Time Around
Much acclaimed 2004 production of Skin Tight returns with the same cast and director.
Apr 2nd, 2014
Fastest Plays of the Year
The annual Rep Lab features an ever-changing festival of 10 plays, some as short as two minutes long.
Mar 26th, 2014
Skylight’s Hydrogen Jukebox Wowed Me
Philip Glass meets Alan Ginsberg in oddball but captivating musical theater piece.
Mar 19th, 2014
The Man Who Killed Mozart
The World's Stage Theater revives Amadeus, and its poisonous feud between Salieri and Mozart.
Mar 12th, 2014
What a Feeling
Flashdance the Musical adds more songs, more script and real performances to the 1980s movie.
Mar 5th, 2014
War is Hell
The Rep’s "An Iliad" seeks to modernize the Homeric epic to reflect on today’s wars.
Feb 26th, 2014
Wisconsin’s Newest Playwright
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre offers a Stoughton writer’s play set in her native state of Tennessee.
Feb 19th, 2014
Have a Very Horrific Valentine’s
Quasimondo theater turns to H.P. Lovecraft for its mysterious new show, Love and Cthulhu.
Feb 12th, 2014
Old Geezers with Big Dreams
Alchemist offers absurdist play The Chairs and the Rep does The Whipping Man.
Feb 5th, 2014
Black, White and Brown
The musical In the Heights and Mamet’s Race offer gritty and very different takes on racial identity.
Jan 29th, 2014
Eurydice, Eurydice, Eurydice!
A unique Milwaukee Opera Theater festival offers several shows about the mythological character.
Jan 22nd, 2014
A young play takes its first steps with World’s Stage
The company's Project: "Working Title" program returns for a second time, guiding Liz Leighton's "Learner's Permit" from manuscript to staged reading to full production, this weekend at the Underground Collaborative.
Jan 15th, 2014
The Tragedy of Judy Garland
Rep’s End of the Rainbow offers the laughs and tears and songs of Garland’s hyper-dramatic life.
Jan 8th, 2014
The Strange Life of a Runaway Slave
The Skylight takes on Henze’s unique musical play about a 19th century Cuban slave.
Dec 31st, 2013
How to Stage the Holidays
Whatever kind of family you have, there’s a show in town with your name on it.
Dec 24th, 2013
Christmas at the Black Lagoon
Off the Wall spoofs a kitschy, horror movie classic and gives it a holiday slant.
Dec 18th, 2013
“It’s A Wonderful Life” As A Radio Play — But Onstage
Next Act’s clever Christmas show reframes the classic movie once again.
Dec 11th, 2013
“Americlown” Offers Comic Alternative to Holiday Fare
The Quasimondo stages the long-awaited production that looks at American culture through the eyes of clowns. Also: previews for The Second City, Alchemist, First Stage and UWM's theater department.
Dec 4th, 2013
The Rep’s “Christmas Carol” gets a second dose of Aaron Posner
The director returns for his second take on "A Christmas Carol," celebrating its 38th production in a row.
Nov 29th, 2013
Boulevard tells a comic tale of a company in crisis
"The Old Garde," written by Bruce Murphy, is inspired by – but not beholden to – the history and struggles of influential avant-garde company Theatre X.
Nov 26th, 2013
Molly Rhode leads an actor-focused “Les Miserables”
The Skylight's production is the first professional staging in the region, and Rhode's planned an extra-theatrical approach that emphasizes its singers.
Nov 22nd, 2013
Milwaukee Chamber brings a “bromance” to the Studio Theatre
Dan Katula and Ryan Schabach play two neighbors who forge an abruptly intimate bond in "Things Being What They Are," written by Wendy MacLoed and directed by Michael Cotey.
Nov 20th, 2013
“Noises Off” brings laughter back to the Quadracci Powerhouse
Chicago actor Joe Dempsey, playing the director in charge of "Noises Off's" unruly troupe of farcical actors, talks about his career and returning to the Rep.
Nov 19th, 2013
Theater RED blends Shakespeare and Scheherazade in official debut
Jared McDaris' "A Thousand Times Goodnight," getting the royal treatment at Sunset Playhouse, is an adaptation of the Arabian Nights in Elizabethan verse style.
Nov 11th, 2013
Florentine Opera
General director William Florescu talks about the company's 80th Anniversary season, beginning with the epic "La Traviata," and the company's increasing efforts to engage with the Milwaukee community year-round.
Nov 11th, 2013
A story so true, you’ll never believe it
The play, about a teenage boy who gets caught up in a web of lies after pretending to be the girl of another guy's dreams, runs through Nov. 16.
Nov 4th, 2013
Zombies, with extra laughs, gore and felt, arrive in time for Halloween
Angry Young Men's puppet version of "Night of the Living Dead" will be staged at the Oriental this year, its sixth iteration in Milwaukee.
Oct 29th, 2013
“Forever Plaid” a tuneful Rep debut for director JC Clementz
Clementz came to Milwaukee in 2010 as a directing intern, but is now an artistic associate with his first directing credit on this show about four singers getting a second chance.
Oct 21st, 2013
The Milwaukee LGBT Film/Video Festival returns for its 28th year
The festival opens tonight at the Oriental with "I Am Divine," a doc on the infamous drag queen of the same name, and continues through Sunday at UWM's Peck School of the Arts.
Oct 17th, 2013
Theatrical Tendencies returns to “Laramie,” 15 years after
A decade and a half after the murder of gay student Matthew Shepard, director Mark Schuster hopes to revive dialogue about how we handle crimes of hate, both then and now.
Oct 9th, 2013
First Stage
Jeff Frank, celebrating 10 years as artistic director, looks ahead at the big theater planned for the families of Milwaukee, starting with a modified "Shrek the Musical."
Oct 8th, 2013
In Tandem Theatre
The theatre company, fronted in its 16th year by Chris and Jane Flieller, will begin its season Friday night with a post-apartheid mystery: "Burying the Bones."
Oct 1st, 2013
“After Tiller”
The four doctors still performing late-term abortions in the United States after the murder of high-profile doctor George Tiller are featured in this documentary, a never-simple look at an unseen side of the conflict.
Sep 30th, 2013
Lights up on the locals of MFF 2013
This year's Milwaukee showcase features films from Brad Lichtenstein, Drew Rosas and Nick Sommer, Faythe Levine and a variety of other new and returning voices.
Sep 28th, 2013
Sexy, thought-provoking ambiguity – not ambivalence
Director Laura Gordon explains the Stiemke's opening show, a two-person show about sexual dynamics more complex than it looks on the surface.
Sep 26th, 2013
Empty plates, but full story, in Windfall’s opener
"An Empty Plate in the Cafe du Grand Boeuf," the company's season opener, is a realistic tale of a man who must be tempted back to life by the employees of his personal restaurant.
Sep 25th, 2013
Skylight Music Theatre
Viswa Subbaraman, the new artistic director at the Skylight, talks about his revolutionary inaugural season, beginning with a Bollywood-flavored "Fidelio."
Sep 20th, 2013
The Rep’s Dan Kazemi puts the music in “Ragtime”
Kazemi, who helped Mark Clements launch the Rep's first musicals on the Quadracci Powerhouse, talks about crafting the epic sound of their latest show.
Sep 19th, 2013
Next Act Theatre
David Cecsarini opens the season with "Perfect Mendacity," a complex play about truth and deception, but it's just one of Next Act's diverse offerings this year.
Sep 16th, 2013
Boulevard’s “Jerker” offers a poetic exploration of love via phone line
The Robert Chesley play, set during the early days of the AIDS crisis, depicts two gay San Francisco men, whose relationship begins with phone sex but blossoms into something much richer.
Sep 15th, 2013
Soulstice Theatre braves Pinter’s “Betrayal”
Director Matt Michaelis explains his fascination with this affair-driven play, which tumbles backward from the end of an extramarital relationship to its beginning.
Sep 13th, 2013
Present Music
Artistic director Kevin Stalheim talks about "Inuksuit," their 99-percussionist season opener at Lynden Square Garden, and the unique, inventive season to come.
Sep 6th, 2013
The life of a forgotten suffragist, in song
Victoria Woodhull, a women's rights advocate and social reformer in the mid-1800s, is revived at Milwaukee Opera Theatre by sisters Susan Peterson Holmes and Peggy Peterson Ryan.
Sep 4th, 2013
“The Penelopiad” an epic tale, told in the perfect location
Leda Hoffmann directs an all-female cast in Margaret Atwood's retelling of Homer's "Odyssey" from Penelope's point of view.
Aug 23rd, 2013
Local actor Robby McGhee makes his writing debut with “The Burden of Being”
The Alchemist Theatre will open McGhee's puppet musical, about finding self-acceptance, this Thursday in Bay View.
Aug 14th, 2013
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
C. Michael Wright talks about his company's season of "Our Friends and Neighbors," and gives an on-set video interview about their first show, "'Art,'" where he plays Serge. Video by Gene Cawley.
Aug 12th, 2013
Friendship, too, is in the eye of the beholder
Yasmina Reza's complex, Tony-winning play about three friends whose relationships are falling apart is enacted beautifully by a talented trio led by director Tyler Marchant.
Aug 10th, 2013
Tackling depression, with roars of laughter
Boulevard Theatre, producing a Midwest premiere by Kim Rosenstock, expertly wrangles a comedy about healing from grief and loss.
Aug 1st, 2013
Boulevard Theatre
Mark Bucher, founder and artistic director, kicks the season off with the "purrfect" comedy "Tigers Be Still," and talks about the rest of his eclectic 28th season.
Jul 31st, 2013
Milwaukee Rep
Artistic director Mark Clements talks about the Rep's upcoming conversation-sparking season of plays, including "Ragtime," "Venus in Fur," "The Whipping Man" and "The History of Invulnerability."
Jul 29th, 2013
Greendale’s dreams for “Les Miserables” come true
A talented cast of actors and singers take command of the company's production, striving past its weaker moments and creating a worthwhile staging.
Jul 27th, 2013
The Alchemist’s “King Lear” a crowning achievement
Shakespeare's royal family tragedy is given a realistic, nuanced staging by director Leda Hoffmann and a talented cast of Alchemist regulars and guests alike.
Jul 14th, 2013
Optimist Theater stages a transformative “As You Like It”
Kadish Park may be where this year's Shakespeare in the Park show begins, but you leave this exquisite production from a veritable Forest of Arden.
Jul 13th, 2013
“Wicked,” still defying gravity, at the Marcus Center
The touring company fits perfectly into Stephen Schwartz's now-classic musical, and shouldn't be missed while it's in Milwaukee.
Jun 15th, 2013
Pink Banana wins again with “Game Night” one-act festival
The win-lose ratio is closer to 50-50 than last year, but even the festival's less-successful offerings have moments of golden glory.
Jun 8th, 2013
Thought-provoking theater
Robby McGhee expertly channels monologist Mike Daisey in this one-man show about the history of Apple Inc. and the conditions of the Chinese factory workers they employ.
Jun 1st, 2013
Unpolished, revised “Waiting” still shines bright
Don't wait to see World's Stage's production of the Bob Kelly/Kelly Pomeroy song cycle, in town for the weekend before a trip to New York's Cherry Lane Theatre.
May 24th, 2013
Third Coast Daily wins three first-place Excellence in Journalism Awards
The awards – Best Critical Review for Tom Strini, Best News Photograph for Lacy Landre and Best News or Feature Website – represent a clean sweep of all categories nominated in.
May 18th, 2013
“Electra” rises again, at Theatre Gigante
Isabelle Kralj's new take on the ancient Greek myth synthesizes interpretations from classic and contemporary sources with dance for a powerful retelling of this tale of vengeance.
May 11th, 2013
“Irma Vep” returns, with calculated comedy, to Next Act
The talented John McGivern and Norman Moses split eight different roles in this chaotic, nonsensical Olde English-y comedy, but their technical precision can be a double-edged sword.
May 9th, 2013
Windfall’s “A Little Night Music” a waltz to remember
Carol Zippel's cast finds a near-perfect harmony in, ironically, devoting as much time to its words as its notes.
May 4th, 2013
TCD 2013 Summer Internships Open
Want to work with the new Third Coast Daily team? We've got editorial and social media openings to join us for a very TCD summer.
Apr 15th, 2013
New “Jeeves” blossoms at MCT
"Jeeves in Bloom," a Margaret Raether adaptation of the P.G. Wodehouse stories, is packed to the brim with comedy, fueled by a returning Matt Daniels and a cast of archetypal characters.
Apr 13th, 2013
Matt Daniels re-ups as Jeeves for MCT
In "Jeeves in Bloom," a quasi-sequel to 2010's "Jeeves Intervenes," the consummate valet must help his employer Bertie escape more romantic entanglements and meddling aunts.
Apr 11th, 2013
“Grace” a play to believe in
Craig Wright's play Grace is a beautiful exploration of the nature of faith and belief, and David Cecsarini's cast presents it with ease.
Apr 8th, 2013
Theatrical Tendencies’ “Normal Heart” beats strongly
A few arrhythmias may weaken the impact of Larry Kramer's semi-autobiographical tale of the dawn of the AIDS crisis, but a core of strong actors buoy the production.
Apr 6th, 2013
Chad M. Bauman announced as Rep managing director
Bauman, currently the associate executive director at D.C.'s Arena Stage, will replace outgoing director Dawn Helsing Wolters by June 1.
Apr 5th, 2013
Next Act puts faith in “Grace”
Director David Cescarini talks about his season's last play, an exploration of how we believe what we believe in. Plus: Next Act's 2013-14 season announced.
Apr 3rd, 2013
First Impressions
The Rep's season is extra-musical, with a stacked Stackner and two musicals ("Ragtime," "End of the Rainbow") in the Quadracci, but don't discount a take on Superman's creator, an adapted Iliad or the Stiemke Studio's options.
Mar 25th, 2013
First Stage & Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
First Stage mixes world premieres with returning classics and an extra Young Company show; MCT offers five intimate looks into private lives.
Mar 22nd, 2013
Smart, modern “Lysistrata” deserves your vote
Fools for Tragedy's production of the ancient Greek comedy gets the sexually brash but sharply insightful tone just right.
Mar 15th, 2013
Ron OJ Parson set to retell “A Raisin in the Sun”
Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking play about a black family trying to pursue their dreams closes the Milwaukee Rep's season.
Mar 14th, 2013
“Pump Boys” a nice pit stop, but still just a pit stop
The country musical has great instrumental performances and stellar harmonizing, but a weak and gimmicky collection of songs.
Mar 9th, 2013
Interns’ third “Rep Lab” makes a connection
The annual one-act cycle features a strong crop of plays and a stronger cast and crew of Rep interns.
Mar 2nd, 2013
“Underneath the Lintel” a majestic, multilayered story
C. Michael Wright brilliantly synthesizes Glen Berger's script and James Ridge's powerful performance.
Feb 23rd, 2013
“A Time to Live” succeeds with simplicity
Windfall's world premiere, by Howard Goldstein, is a portrait of a couple trying to live in the moment after one stops her cancer treatment.
Feb 16th, 2013
Electric, if it weren’t for those glitches
The Quasimondo's latest work of physical theatre tries to go too many directions at once, but a handful of excellent elements stand out.
Feb 16th, 2013
Theatre Gigante’s “Dust” too unsettled
The Hungarian dark comedy never develops a consistent focus, and lingers too long over its tale of a couple who wins the lottery.
Feb 9th, 2013
“Clybourne” a powerful play about more than race
The Rep's production of the "A Raisin in the Sun" companion piece features a strong cast and a stronger understanding of its complex themes.
Feb 2nd, 2013
“Clybourne Park” actors share more than stage time
Engaged actors Grant Goodman and Jenny McKnight work across the U.S. The Rep's given them the chance to work together.
Feb 1st, 2013
“Behanding” hilarious, but sometimes tough to handle
The World's Stage production of this McDonagh work puts questionable material in the best light with stunning performances.
Jan 28th, 2013
The Alchemist puts the Ripper’s victims in focus
"The Canonical Five" is not just a scary play. It's an astonishing tableau depicting the lives of five women hunted by a madman.
Jan 26th, 2013
Woodland Pattern builds momentum for Poetry Marathon
The 15-hour fundraiser and event lets participants read their personal works or personal favorites.
Jan 24th, 2013
The Alchemist prepares for a “Year of Fear”
"The Canonical Five of Jack the Ripper," a revamping of a 2008 Halloween show, is the first of three to be written by Aaron Kopec this season.
Jan 23rd, 2013
The TCD Recap
Our curated Storify recap, with entries from TCD staffers and fellow gallery hoppers, offers a cross-section of the evening's events.
Jan 20th, 2013
“Educating Rita” earns high marks
Renaissance Theaterworks' latest show builds off Shaw's "Pygmalion," but takes the conversation in its own direction.
Jan 20th, 2013
The woman who knows “How the World Began”
Playwright Catherine Trieschmann, in town for opening night, spoke to TCD about the play's origins and writing from Kansas.
Jan 18th, 2013
World’s Stage brings Martin McDonagh in rep
"The Lieutenant of Inishmore," "The Pillowman" and "A Behanding in Spokane" will be performed across Milwaukee.
Jan 16th, 2013
TCD 2013 Spring Internships Open
Ever wanted to work with us at TCD? We've got four internships open for the spring cycle, in editorial, social media and photo positions.
Jan 14th, 2013
Improv duo Funny, Son of Story brings chemistry on stage
Jazmine Volmar and Mike Walker, longform improv veterans, will perform their first Milwaukee show Friday night.
Jan 11th, 2013
Lots of art, lots of opportunities
This bimonthly variety show, started by Katie Rhyme and Karen Zakrzewski, offers new artists a new venue.
Jan 9th, 2013
Touring “Chorus Line” glittering, but gilded
The production, at the Milwaukee Theatre this weekend, shines bright, but it's hard to ignore its flaws.
Jan 6th, 2013
Theater RED dares to take on Shakespeare, unrehearsed
The new company, helmed by Christopher and Marcee Elst, will perform a quasi-Elizabethan "Twelfth Night" Saturday.
Jan 3rd, 2013
“A Chorus Line” brings a former Milwaukeean home
Mary Leigh Christine, originally of Racine and Milwaukee, plays a hopeful performer chasing her dreams – on and off stage.
Jan 2nd, 2013
Theater
Matthew Reddin breaks down ten of the plays and musicals he's most looking forward to coming up in 2013.
Jan 2nd, 2013
“Nutcracker vs. Mouse King” battles its way to success
The Quasimondo's adaptation is funny and inventive but also an ambitious, unfinished look at the illusory nature of theater.
Dec 22nd, 2012
Winter Fest brings holiday magic to the Delta Center
The six-day indoor festival makes Downtown Milwaukee the home for carnival events, a singing competition and a Radio Disney New Year's Eve bash.
Dec 20th, 2012
Keeping it classic at the Rep
Director Art Manke focuses on making the Dashwood sisters fully realized characters in Mark Healy's Jane Austen adaptation.
Dec 13th, 2012
Rough stuff, with potential
The Alchemist's latest may not be everyone's cup of holiday cheer, although improv diehards may be enchanted.
Dec 7th, 2012
Joy and laughter fuel the Rep’s “Christmas Carol”
A new director and new Scrooge are just the most noticeable changes that enliven Dickens' classic tale.
Dec 3rd, 2012
Youngblood’s “Cartoon” reigns supreme
This tale of a totalitarian toontown forces reflection on an increasingly violent society, and features an exceptional cast and crew.
Dec 1st, 2012
Victory Is Theirs!
Broadminded's "Participation Prize" may leave its best sketches for Act 2, but those sketches claim the gold.
Nov 24th, 2012
MCT’s “Collected Stories” puts family first
Artistic director C. Michael Wright says family ties form the heart of this two-woman play from Donald Margulies.
Nov 22nd, 2012
“Sound of Music” a smashing success for the Skylight
There's too many "favorite things" to list about this beautiful, heartfelt revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic.
Nov 19th, 2012
“Don Juan in Hell” might – or might not – win you over
This George Bernard Shaw/Noel Coward mashup isn't for everyone, but if you want an intellectual evening, turn to Boulevard.
Nov 16th, 2012
Skylight set to bring “Sound of Music” to life
The stage version of the 1965 Julie Andrews film is a family-friendly show for the holidays, making its Skylight premiere.
Nov 15th, 2012
Star Wars in 60 minutes, thanks to Charles Ross
The Marcus Center hosts the Canadian actor's solo show, which pays tribute to George Lucas' original trilogy.
Nov 14th, 2012
Juried shorts are sweet at MKE Short Film Fest
"Love and Germaphobia" beat out eight other flicks for the top prize, and "Yellow Hill: The Stranger's Tale" made its world premiere.
Nov 12th, 2012
Milwaukee playwrights, from page to stage at Carte Blanche
The Carte Blanche New Plays Festival runs through the weekend at the company's Walker's Point location.
Nov 7th, 2012
Pink Banana rehabilitates Pinter’s “Hothouse”
One of the Nobel laureate's neglected works gets its Milwaukee premiere at the new Arcade Theatre in Grand Avenue Mall.
Nov 2nd, 2012
Pink Banana’s “Hothouse” set to fire up Milwaukee
Director James Boland found the neglected Harold Pinter work a joy to interpret, and a powerful opening show for their new space.
Nov 1st, 2012
The Rep’s “Anne Frank” a moving, nuanced tribute
The many-times-told story of a girl forced into hiding with her family during WWII has a powerful staging from a strong cast.
Oct 29th, 2012
Uneven, but sizzling
The Florentine cast of Bizet's most famous opera takes a while to warm up, but then this "Carmen" gets hot.
Oct 27th, 2012
“A Steady Rain” a gripping, relentless tale
Original cast members Randy Steinmeyer and Peter DeFaria never lose focus in this revived Chicago cop drama, visiting Next Act this weekend only.
Oct 26th, 2012
A Chicago crime drama comes to Milwaukee
A detective drama, inspired by the Dahmer case, born in Chicago, staged on Broadway, in its Milwaukee debut.
Oct 24th, 2012
“Enfrascada” a spellbinding portrait of obsession
Renaissance Theaterworks' season opener follows a woman who'll do anything to regain the man she loves.
Oct 22nd, 2012
Regina Spektor, very live at the Riverside
Spektor, the anti-folk singer, enriched her beautiful songs with charm, charisma and fresh takes Saturday at the Riverside.
Oct 22nd, 2012
Dukakis and co. make “Cloudburst” an enjoyable ride
The Milwaukee LGBT Film/Video Festival's opening film doesn't break new ground, but it's the little things that make it worth viewing.
Oct 17th, 2012
Milwaukee’s LGBT Film/Video Fest brings complexity to the screen
The Olympia Dukakis-led comedy "Cloudburst" opens a weekend of acclaimed films that are confidently LGBT without limiting themselves to a narrow focus.
Oct 15th, 2012
Fiasco Theatre marvelously transforms Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline”
The NYC group, guests of Alverno Presents and Marquette University, need only six talented actors and a trunk to create an unforgettable performance.
Oct 13th, 2012
Windfall elects to open season with Mamet’s “November”
Director Maureen Kilmurry and lead actor Robert W.C. Kennedy discuss the extra-timely presidential satire.
Oct 10th, 2012
“Compliance” a film that’s hard to shake
This horrifying film inspires a visceral reaction that makes it tough to justify seeing, despite excellent acting and insightful questioning.
Oct 8th, 2012
Well-acted, but no thrills
A formulaic progression and tension-killing flashbacks limit the ability of the theater's 15th anniversary opener to enthrall.
Oct 5th, 2012
Mads Brügger is “The Ambassador”
This hidden camera doc exposes the corruption of Central African Republic leaders and diplomats, but the Danish journalist's own moral ambiguity may be too much to ignore.
Oct 3rd, 2012
Milwaukee Opera Theatre makes “Candide” a learning experience
Director Jill Anna Ponasik's classroom settings are tailored to educate audiences.
Oct 2nd, 2012
Three neighbors vs. the past
This captivating tale of burglary, real estate and revenge, the latest from MCT, effectively tackles racial and class dynamics.
Oct 1st, 2012
Next Act’s “Microcrisis” yields huge dividends
The satire of our global financial system finds the humor in its ironies – and the danger that still remains.
Oct 1st, 2012
“Starbuck” shines at Milwaukee Film Festival Opening Night
Opening this year's festival with "Starbuck," a French-Canadian film about a man who discovers he's the father of 533 kids, couldn't have been a better choice.
Sep 28th, 2012
Milwaukee Film Festival’s “Imposter” the real deal
This documentary, focused on the man who impersonated missing teen Nicholas Barclay in the '90s, thrills throughout.
Sep 27th, 2012
Never Sorry,” Milwaukee Film Festival
This doc about the Chinese artist-turned-activist showcases both sides of his public persona, as well as the consequences of his nation's oppressive instincts.
Sep 26th, 2012
Kurt McGinnis Brown on “Broken and Entered”
The Wisconsin playwright describes the inspiration for his latest play, and how Milwaukee Chamber brought it to the stage.
Sep 26th, 2012
Joy and laughter, brought to you by the letter “Q”
The Skylight's "Avenue Q" brings great skill and joy to the Broadway Theatre Center.
Sep 22nd, 2012
Youngblood corrects ‘[sic]’s’ textual weaknesses
Strong character development and an emphasis on the play's humor save an occasionally confusing script.
Sep 21st, 2012
Youngblood seeks success with the “urban failures” of [sic]
The character study centers on three dream-chasing 30-somethings unable to identify their own mistakes.
Sep 19th, 2012
Milwaukee’s regulars start a season
MSO opens with Mendelssohn, Global Union takes over Humboldt Park, Cream City Soundcheck throws a video bash.
Sep 11th, 2012
Assassins, artists and African dance
An explosive Sondheim piece comes to the Rep, UWM holds an African dance throwdown, and new visual art springs up from galleries to museums.
Sep 4th, 2012
Summer’s Last Stand
Present Music opens, parody "Bible" finds a home, art openings, and fests for Celts, motorcyclists and Labor.
Aug 28th, 2012
Wild Space, Pressler + the FAQ, MacBeth outdoors
Optimist Theatre and APT get busy, Summer Evening of Music play on, Wild Space returns to Turner Hall, the Florentine opens Wilson Center's Starry Nights.
Jun 19th, 2012
The MSO goes bold with Sci-Fi Spectacular
Guest narrator George Takei headlines the final MSO Pops program of the season.
Jun 16th, 2012
A season’s final selections
The MSO goes galactic with a Takei-hosted Pops concert, Present Music embraces "Love," and the Lakefront Festival of Arts celebrates 50 years.
Jun 12th, 2012
Third Coast Digest 2012-13 Performing Arts Guide
From music to dance to theater and beyond, we map out the Milwaukee arts season that lies ahead, with extensive coverage of the city's company schedules.
Jun 10th, 2012
Summer bursts onto the arts scene
The MSO kindles a fiery finale, new works go on display at the Haggerty, Pridefest opens, and summer favorites bloom.
Jun 5th, 2012
Welcome to Pink Banana’s (end of the) world
Most of the plays in this year's One-Act Festival at Next Act shine like a burning, Earth-destroying asteroid.
Jun 3rd, 2012
The apocalypse, foreshadowed at Pink Banana
The independent company's annual One-Act Festival features seven plays led by six directors, all focusing on "The End of the World." Opens tonight.
Jun 1st, 2012
Start your summer with music, dance and art
The MSO's penultimate concert is the archetypal swan song, UWM puts on Summerdances, and the MAM presents an exhibition of Parisian posters.
May 29th, 2012
Smart acting, rough script
The Boulevard Theatre shows Michael Golamco's flawed, ambitious comedy in its best light.
May 25th, 2012
Three arts groups move into the Grand Avenue
Matt Kemple Q&A on Milwaukee Comedy, Pink Banana Theatre and Studio Kristelle's move to the Shops at Grand Avenue.
May 24th, 2012
A quiet week with powerful performances
Boulevard Theatre reimagines a classic drama, Off the Wall goes Wild, Wild West, and the MSO returns to Milwaukee with an exclusively British program.
May 22nd, 2012
“Sunday in the Park” with Bill Theisen
Stephen Sondheim's musical about Seurat's great painting and a self-doubting artist of a later generation opens at the Skylight.
May 17th, 2012
Milwaukee explores art, in all its forms
The Florentine produces a nautical Mozart classic; new time/video artworks at the WPCA; the Skylight explores beauty itself in "Sunday in the Park with George."
May 15th, 2012
Revivals, reimaginings, a New York trip
The Milwaukee Ballet revives "Peter Pan," Theatre Gigante's own "Our Town," and the MSO goes to Carnegie Hall.
May 8th, 2012
One more month of 2011-12
In Tandem and Windfall season enders, MSO warms up for NYC, "In the Heights," John McGivern's summer show.
May 1st, 2012
Fun, but a little out of tune
"Things That Go Ding!" showcases a true master of percussion, but the show isn't quite all it could be.
Apr 29th, 2012
Tributes and debuts close out April
Edo de Waart puts Debussy in the spotlight, Danceworks celebrates 15 years, and Ex Fabula's Terminal Milwaukeean ends a year of storytelling.
Apr 24th, 2012
Tours, galleries and guests galore
ABBAmania takes over the MSO, MCT puts on radio dramas and Gallery Night returns to the city streets.
Apr 17th, 2012
MCT, Parkside unite for a complex, resonant “Bus Stop”
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's third university collaboration pays off, as students and professional give powerful performances.
Apr 14th, 2012
Songs, stories and soul
"West Side Story" snaps into the Marcus Center, MCT works with UW-Parkside, Present Music honors the buffalo and Alverno Presents hosts a Soul Project.
Apr 10th, 2012
Motorcycles, monsters, musical masterminds
The Rep closes mainstage season with a biker "Othello;" Shrek comes to the Milwaukee Theatre.
Apr 3rd, 2012
Spring in the air, across Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Ballet hosts three varying works, art blooms again at the MAM and the Milwaukee Theatre brings in A Prairie Home Companion.
Mar 27th, 2012
Musical celebrations and incoming artworks
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra celebrates St. Pat's a week late, the Eccentric Soul Revue rolls through Alverno, WPCA and Milwaukee Art Museum both host new exhibits.
Mar 20th, 2012
Classic works and performers revived
The Florentine presents American opera "Susannah," "Success" returns from India, and performers from across the pond visit local stages.
Mar 13th, 2012
“In the Next Room” an electric exploration of intimacy
The Rep presents a story of emotional evolution, sparked by the invention of the vibrator.
Mar 10th, 2012
Milwaukee overflows with talent old and new
The Marcus hosts Tony Bennett, John Prine and Unruly Music, young plays grace the Rep and Skylight, and a teenage virtuoso visits the MSO.
Mar 6th, 2012
Contradictory, and worth the choice
In Tandem's latest has its weaknesses, but those weaknesses turn into strengths, fueling a thought-provoking, powerful performance.
Mar 3rd, 2012
Feinstein’s Sinatra, Raining Beatles, Blues Bros. revived
Lots of musical re-incarnation, four theater openings, four concerts, and a big Wisconsin show at the Allis Art Museum.
Feb 28th, 2012
A plethora of musical guests greet the city
Bond a la Carl Davis at the MSO, visiting artists join UWM's ensembles, and Boulevard puts on Milwaukee's fourth Conor McPherson play in two years.
Feb 21st, 2012
Walker Evans photos at the heart of MCT’s new play
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's "A Thousand Words": A photographer's Dustbowl expeditions and the fight for his legacy.
Feb 20th, 2012
There’s always more to love in Milwaukee arts
Premieres at Milwaukee Chamber and the Ballet, a breath of fresh air from Milwaukee Choral Artists and a truly unique performance by Cedar Block.
Feb 14th, 2012
“Waiting” asks much and answers little — a fitting mix
Fools for Tragedy reimagine Beckett's "Waiting for Godot" as a metatheatrical story of two actors awaiting their first rehearsal.
Feb 11th, 2012
What’s old is new for Fools for Tragedy
Jordan Gwiazdowski and the Fools for Tragedy would revitalize classic works of drama for a new generation of theatergoers.
Feb 9th, 2012
Music, dance, art, theater — what’s not to love?
An acclaimed college choir visits the Marcus Center, self-taught artists go on display at MAM, and both Wild Space and Broadminded offer appetizing fare.
Feb 7th, 2012
Fiery flamenco, MSO guests, and a novel Rep show
Spanish dance at SMPAC, Gil Shaham and Joyce Yang visit town and "To Kill a Mockingbird" gets a rewrite for the stage, along with a UWM tribute to Ed Burgess.
Jan 31st, 2012
Skylight revives a fun, sometimes-clunky “Gershwin and Friends”
Cobb and Collier shine through an occasionally over-structured revue.
Jan 30th, 2012
Jitneys, rites, and revues roll in
Andre Lee Ellis presents an August Wilson play at the Marcus, the MSO risks riots with "Rite of Spring," the return of "Gershwin and Friends," and more.
Jan 24th, 2012
Danceworks’ “The Sequel!” a blockbuster smash
Pieces inspired by westerns, superheroes, Bollywood and Quentin Tarantino ensure this follow-up is no box office flop.
Jan 21st, 2012
Milwaukee pays homage to classics and sequels
The MSO plays "Carmina Burana", Danceworks performs their second tribute to the silver screen, and four new exhibits open at the Haggerty.
Jan 17th, 2012
Music
The MSO, Marcus Center, the Skylight and Florentine and many others tune up for Spring, 2012.
Jan 11th, 2012
Milwaukee arts return for the winter
The Rep and MSO offer double billings, Marti Gobel puts on a one-woman show at Renaissance Theaterworks, Alchemist hosts superhero opera, MCO honors MLK.
Jan 10th, 2012
Theater
We raise the curtain on the second act of the 2011-2012 theater season, with classics at the Rep, collaborations at MCT, and more.
Jan 10th, 2012
Dance
Discover what Milwaukee's dance scene has to offer this spring, including offerings from Danceworks, Milwaukee Ballet and Wild Space.
Jan 9th, 2012
Starting a new year with “Choose” and the blues
The Marcus Center hosts the touring Blue Man Group, and Present Music celebrates 30 years in Milwaukee.
Jan 3rd, 2012
Closing the year with Pops and puppets
Tributes to the Gershwin brothers and musical ingenues round out the year for Milwaukee arts.
Dec 27th, 2011
Murderous singing puppets and more
Neil Haven's holiday murder mystery returns to Milwaukee and proves why it's better than the average parody.
Dec 21st, 2011
Ex Fabula hosts story time at Turner Hall
The monthly event brought eight of its favorites back for its second annual Storytelling Spectacular.
Dec 18th, 2011
More holiday traditions for Milwaukee
The MSO performs Handel's "Messiah," Dale Gutzman serves his "Holiday Punch," and Ex Fabula hosts their second holiday spectacular.
Dec 13th, 2011
A tale of family, madness and hope
The Rep's regional premiere of the Broadway hit offers a spellbinding, character-driven show without parallel.
Dec 11th, 2011
Carols, classics and a family in crisis
Next to Normal opens at the Rep, the Nutcracker returns to Milwaukee and a plethora of local music groups celebrate the holidays.
Dec 6th, 2011
Holiday spirits brighten Milwaukee arts
"Christmas Carols" both tender and irreverent blow into town, a Holiday Pops Spectacular with the MSO, and more festive treats.
Nov 29th, 2011
Humor on the terrace from old soldiers
A tragic countermelody compliments the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre production of a Tom Stoppard comedy.
Nov 28th, 2011
Music and theater to be thankful for
MSO presents "The Planets," Frankly Music performs Goldberg Variations, and Milwaukee Chamber Theatre opens a Tom Stoppard comedy.
Nov 22nd, 2011
Famous names and familiar faces
A "Million Dollar Quartet" at the Marcus Center, "Music Man" graces the Skylight for the first time, and the return of a Present Music tradition.
Nov 15th, 2011
This week, it’s music, music and more music
Marvin Hamlisch returns to the MSO Pops, Danceworks, Milwaukee Opera Theater and Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra put on a tango opera.
Nov 8th, 2011
Good conversation, fuzzy connection
Pink Banana's latest show is a great piece of theater and performance, except there's something missing.
Nov 7th, 2011
Welcoming in Milwaukee’s first November guests
Milwaukee greets an ice-hearted princess, a man channeling seven dancers, and a company exploring a dark "Underland."
Nov 1st, 2011
Theatre Gigante pays tribute to Spalding Gray
This weekend's "Shades of Gray" festival offers a play, documentary and book signing to commemorate the monologuist's life.
Oct 26th, 2011
Chilling and thrilling shows return to Milwaukee
Dracula haunts the Milwaukee Ballet, more Baby Jane madness at Off the Wall, Unruly Music rises again, and Theatre Gigante pays homage to Spalding Gray.
Oct 25th, 2011
‘Weekend’ a modern romance with mass appeal
The opening film for the Milwaukee LGBT Film Festival offers a thought-provoking exploration of self-identity.
Oct 20th, 2011
A film festival opens, and concerts galore
The LGBT Film Festival opens at UWM; concerts from MSO, Milwaukee Choral Artists and Debo Band.
Oct 18th, 2011
The Coach at the Rep, a Superbowl wager pays at MAM
The MAM opens an impressionism exhibit, a collection of odd couples hit local theaters, and Lombardi comes home to the Rep.
Oct 11th, 2011
Happiness, with a price tag
Theatrical Tendencies' latest show offers a fairy tale premise with real world consequences for its closeted characters.
Oct 8th, 2011
Big debuts, special guests and celebrations
A legendary jazz group visits Tuesday, Next Act opens their new home, and ART Milwaukee celebrates its first birthday.
Oct 4th, 2011
Love, destroyed by hate, in the Rep’s “Yellowman”
A complex story of race and identity unfolds at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre's Stiemke Studio.
Oct 2nd, 2011
“The Sleeping Beauty”
French director Catherine Breillat delivers a fresh take on the Sleeping Beauty tales that takes you through a matrix of mind-bending dreams.
Sep 28th, 2011
Theater, music and art to warm autumn nights
Nohl Fellowship winners at Inova, a tale of love and racial identity at the Rep, the MSO plays on, "Faust" is in the house.
Sep 27th, 2011
“Omnium Gatherum” offers a dinner party with food for thought
Windfall Theatre's season opener has an emotional resonance that lasts long after desert is served.
Sep 25th, 2011
Classical music returns to Milwaukee in force
MSO, Fine Arts Quartet, and Frankly Music open seasons; the Milwaukee Film Festival begins, and ukes take the spotlight, and Your Mother Dances.
Sep 20th, 2011
The Milwaukee arts scene kicks into gear
Theatrical debuts, Prometheus Trio, an inventive Wild Space show, Global Union and Rock the Green AND THAT'S NOT ALL!
Sep 13th, 2011
A week of anniversaries, joyous and tragic
Bel Canto and Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra commemorate 9/11, while MAM celebrates the Calatrava. And an familiar play returns to the Rep.
Sep 6th, 2011
Local themes in spotlight this week
A festival, parade, and exhibition give local artists a chance to shine, and the Rep opens a play about a legendary theater couple.
Aug 30th, 2011
Theater
TCD's fall theater guide, focusing on Milwaukee's best upcoming plays and musicals.
Aug 24th, 2011
The arts unite for Present Music’s “Water”
Present Music's biggest event ever, Hamlet revisited, a movie musical runs live on stage, and Mexican Fiesta keeps summer going.
Aug 23rd, 2011
The Hinterlands bring us the West, wild and crazy
"Manifest Destiny" offers piercing truths about the frontier amid chaotic and hilarious vignettes.
Aug 20th, 2011
Youngblood Theatre’s outdoor “Minnesota Moon”
A true-to-life outdoor setting enhances the story of two friends saying their last goodbyes.
Aug 16th, 2011
August rolls on with new theater, dance and festivals
Alverno Presents' psychedelic Western, Danceworks' experimental pairings, the Milwaukee Domes Art Festival and more.
Aug 16th, 2011
Summerland
Summerland is not high art. It’s a young adult book at its finest, and a read will take the average adult a few days at most. But what a wonderful few days they’ll be.
Aug 14th, 2011
Family a funny and tragic thing in MCT’s “Crimes of the Heart”
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's production of the Pulitzer-winning play forces three sisters to balance laughter and tears, with entrancing results.
Aug 13th, 2011
Dali’s “The Madonna of Port Lligat”
The Haggerty Museum is home to surreal take on an iconic religious image in Western art.
Aug 9th, 2011
A week of wounds, and wine to wash them down
Chamber Theatre opens its season, Youngblood's busy, tap at Danceworks to brighten your outlook, and lots of rock at State Fair.
Aug 9th, 2011
“Childhood Revisited” puts nostalgia on display
Local artists pay homage to the things that inspired them as children, reinterpreting the pop culture of their youth through art and adult perspective.
Aug 5th, 2011
Fairs, fests and other merriments
APT opens "The Tempest," Angela Iannone channels Katharine Hepburn at In Tandem, and 80s rap featured at State Fair.
Aug 2nd, 2011
Legends and rising stars close out the month
Olympia Dukakis at Ten Chimneys, APT opens "Of Mice and Men," and "Dancemakers" MFA showcase at the UWM Main Stage.
Jul 26th, 2011
Milwaukee goes wild for “Jersey Boys”
The Marcus Center presents the tale of the Four Seasons, in a showed loaded with charm and laughs.
Jul 23rd, 2011
Can’t take our eyes off these shows
Doo-wop at the Marcus Center, deep modern dance at the Lynden Garden, pop songs at the Wilson Center.
Jul 19th, 2011
“Love” takes center stage at Off the Wall Theatre
A forgotten musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber is the blackbox theater's latest success.
Jul 15th, 2011
Daryl Stuermer “rewires” Genesis classics for Gathering on the Green
The Milwaukee native adds his guitar-driven flare to his old band's time-tested tunes.
Jul 14th, 2011
Gathering on the Green, a surge of theater
A bundle of plays and musicals open, along with a Mequon music festival and a thesis show at Danceworks.
Jul 12th, 2011
Summerfest takes over
A little bit of dance, a little theater here and a lot in Spring Green. Otherwise, this week is all about Summerfest.
Jul 5th, 2011
Summerfest isn’t the only gig going on
American Players Theatre, the Fine Arts Quartet and "Church Basement Ladies" continue as the Big Gig begins at the lakefront.
Jun 28th, 2011
Tsunami relief for Japan is the goal of Milwaukee classical artists
Frank Almond, Jillian Bruss, the Fine Arts and Philomusica String Quartets, the Prometheus Trio and artists from UWM join in a benefit for Japan.
Jun 23rd, 2011
Slim but worthy pickings this week
Another free concert from the Fine Arts Quartet, a look at the life of Church Basement Ladies, and Milwaukee Artists Unite for Japan.
Jun 21st, 2011
Optimist’s “Twelfth Night” one to remember
Alverno College hosts the second annual Shakespeare in the Park, with a wonderful, well-rounded selection.
Jun 17th, 2011
A surge of theater, and some avant-cabaret
A Broadway smash hits town, Optimist Theatre takes Shakespeare outside again, and Amy X Neuburg comes to reinvent classical music.
Jun 14th, 2011
family
The women of Broadminded Comedy bring their family's foibles on stage for (well-intentioned) laughs.
Jun 14th, 2011
“Resurrection” ends one season, China opens another
The MSO ends its second season with Edo de Waart, Malcolm Tulip returns to Theatre Gigante, the Milwaukee Art Museum opens a series featuring Chinese art.
Jun 7th, 2011
Carte Blanche’s “Titus Andronicus” a dish best not served
Inconsistent portrayals and the wrong tone reduce the impact of Shakespeare's bloodiest tragedy.
Jun 5th, 2011
A quartet turns 65, fool’s love at Alchemist
As June begins, so does a summer season of music, theater and dance.
May 31st, 2011
From a dark warehouse, Youngblood offers “An Apology”
Doctor John Faustus has one hour left to live. His last request: an audience.
May 28th, 2011
B-movie fun, live
"Natalie Ryan" is live on stage, so your snobby friends who don't get sci-fi camp can't make you change the channel.
May 2nd, 2011
“Thrill Me” — a little more, please
Stephen Dolginoff's play about thrill killers Leopold and Loeb suffers from its music.
May 1st, 2011
New! Actors argue the state of the stage in “Back and Forth”
Patrick Schimtz's new play at the Alchemist is based on 75 people from the theater scene.
Mar 20th, 2011
In Tandem’s “Murder at the Howard Johnson’s”
A hundred ways to kill your lover, husband, wife, wife's lover, girlfriend's husband or rival, all of them funny.
Feb 26th, 2011
The mind reels, the heart aches
Wear your thinking cap to this fugue of love, lust, betrayal, crime and suspicion.
Jan 30th, 2011
Sexual, emotional intense
Youngblood Theatre revives Adam Rapp's tale of two buddies who fall for an Amsterdam prostitute.
Jan 23rd, 2011
Pickering shines as Scrooge in The Rep’s “A Christmas Carol”
The Rep presents Charles Dickens' classic tale of generosity and good cheer, sure to melt the heart of any modern-day Scrooge.
Dec 5th, 2010
Unique, intimate, intense
The Best Western's room 902 is the setting for Stephen Belber's play about sex and perception.
Nov 14th, 2010
In Tandem’s “Art of Murder”
In Tandem Theatre opens with a comedy/thriller set in the wet and wild world of art.
Oct 20th, 2010
Next Act’s tragi-comedy about endgame
Conflict and comedy play out in Joel Drake Johnson's "Four Places," as an aging parent and her anxious adult children bump heads over lunch.
Sep 20th, 2010
Chamber Theatre’s “Jeeves Intervenes”
Bumbling aristocrats get themselves on sticky wickets. An arch, brilliant valet gets them home free.
Aug 14th, 2010
Art to Art at Danceworks
Danceworks rolls the dice to match up choreographers with artists and designers from other fields. Sold out shows ensue.
Jul 31st, 2010
Into the Woods at Off the Wall Theatre
Into the Woods isn’t supposed to be about happy endings. It’s about being happy until the end. And that’s certainly the experience you get watching it.
Jul 24th, 2010
Drive Me to Arson at Youngblood Theatre Co.
Youngblood's latest offering forces us to decide where the line is between being madly in love and just plain mad.
Jul 23rd, 2010
All’s Well at APT
All's fair in love and war in Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well, at the American Players Theatre in Spring Green.
Jun 23rd, 2010
Alchemist Theatre’s Closet Land
A hard play about torture and resilience. Do you have what it takes, or will you crack?
Jun 20th, 2010
The Milwaukee Choral Artists are on Fire! (Figuratively)
Sharon Hansen's ace choir of women concludes its season with music about spiritual, actual, poetic and Romantic fire.
Apr 18th, 2010
