Announcing First Stage’s 40th Anniversary Season

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.

2026-2027 Season Lineup

• 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+
  Wison 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
  Wison 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.

Family Packages

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 be 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.

About First Stage

Founded in 1987, First Stage is one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families, and a driving force behind the creation of the best and most innovative plays for family audiences, theater training programs for young people, and education initiatives for its schools and community. First Stage ensures that all programming is not only accessible to its community but that it is reflective of the community it serves.

First Stage creates theater that honors young people’s perspectives and sparks meaningful conversation. The company has produced more than 70 world premiere plays addressing issues relevant to today’s youth. Its nationally recognized Theater Academy—one of the largest of its kind—serves students ages 3–18, building life skills through stage skills, including the Next Steps Program for neurodivergent students. As Wisconsin’s leader in arts-integrated education, First Stage’s Theater in Education Programs reach more than 10,000 students each year by blending theater with classroom learning.

First Stage is a member of TYA/USA, Milwaukee Theater District, Milwaukee Arts Partners, and is a cornerstone member of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF). For more information, visit firststage.org.

Academy Production Lab

In our Academy Production Lab, young performers take center stage working with theater professionals to conceive, design, build, produce, perform, and present exciting and innovative shows for family audiences.

Young Company Performance Projects

Young Company Performance Projects are actor-driven productions with minimal production elements, highlighting storytelling and the graduate-level training of First Stage’s award-winning students.

Theater Academy

Taught by professional teaching artists, First Stage’s Theater Academy serves nearly 2,000 students annually, nurturing life skills through stage skills.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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