Milwaukee, WI Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 3

Review: MY FAIR LADY Charms Fans at the MARCUS CENTER
by Kelsey Lawler - January 04, 2023

What did our critic think of MY FAIR LADY at MARCUS CENTER? There's a loverly bit of old-school musical theater at Milwaukee's Marcus Center this week. My Fair Lady returns, and fans of the original show and film starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison will no doubt adore this production. There's s...

Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL Remains a Gift to be Treasured at the MILWAUKEE REP
by Kelsey Lawler - December 05, 2022

What did our critic think of A CHRISTMAS CAROL at MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER? For almost 50 years, the Milwaukee Rep's A Christmas Carol has been a beloved holiday tradition in Milwaukee. Freshly adapted by Rep Artistic Director Mark Clements in 2016, the eye-popping spectacle delivers holiday magi...

Review: LES MISERABLES Stuns Once More at the Marcus Center
by Kelsey Lawler - December 01, 2022

Seen by 130 million people in 53 countries and 22 languages, 'Les Miserables' stands the test of time and jukebox musical trends. Magnificent performances, dazzling sets and staging, soaring orchestrations -- these make the show timeless, breathtaking, and powerful as ever....

Review: RUDOLPH THE MUSICAL is Festive Family Fun at FIRST STAGE
by Kelsey Lawler - November 28, 2022

From iconic elf costumes to familiar furry friends, fans of the TV special will be delighted to reunite with these festive favorites on stage. And for anyone new to Rudolph, this musical makes for a perfect introduction to the world of everyone’s favorite flying reindeer. ...

Review: NATIVITY VARIATIONS is the Christmas Comedy You've Been Wishing For
by Kelsey Lawler - November 23, 2022

This is well-paced, laughter-filled, and heartwarming theater full of smart writing and charming characters. In short, 'The Nativity Variations' is the perfect gift for Milwaukee audiences this holiday season. ...

Review: A JOLLY HOLIDAY: CELEBRATING DISNEY'S BROADWAY HITS at Skylight Music Theatre
by Cathy Jakicic - November 19, 2022

What did our critic think of REVIEW: A JOLLY HOLIDAY: CELEBRATING DISNEY’S BROADWAY HITS at Skylight Music Theatre? It's like being invited to the best tree-trimming party ever....

Review: REVIEW: MILWAUKEE REP'S 'BEEHIVE: THE 60S MUSICAL' at Milwaukee Rep
by Cathy Jakicic - November 15, 2022

What did our critic think of REVIEW: MILWAUKEE REP'S 'BEEHIVE: THE 60S MUSICAL' at Milwaukee Rep? The talented cast shines from girl groups to diva power...

Review: ARTHUR & FRIENDS MAKE A MUSICAL is Fantastic Fun at FIRST STAGE
by Kelsey Lawler - October 12, 2022

For an upbeat, kid-friendly show with heaps of heart, make a beeline for the world premier of 'Arthur & Friends Make a Musical' at Milwaukee's First Stage....

Review: WIFE OF A SALESMAN Brings Life-Giving Drama to the Milwaukee Repertory Theater
by Kelsey Lawler - October 04, 2022

Eleanor Burgess has written a modern masterpiece full of stimulating themes, moments of emotional connection and genuine laughter, plus playful and shocking twists....

BWW Review: TITANIC THE MUSICAL is Tremendous as Ever at MILWAUKEE REP
by Kelsey Lawler - September 29, 2022

What did our critic think of TITANIC THE MUSICAL at MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER? Something epic has set sail once more at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Remounted after having to close early due to a COVID-19 outbreak last April, this show has been years in the making. It's the company's single la...

BWW Review: MAMMA MIA! Is A Joy-Fest At SKYLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
by Cathy Jakicic - September 25, 2022

The Skylight cast, lead by Lisa Estridge and Camara Stampley, is very limber. What the story occasionally lacks in logic, it more than makes up in an energy that’s impossible to resist...

Review: UNFORGETTABLE is a Lovely Evening of Song at MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER
by Kelsey Lawler - September 13, 2022

What did our critic think of UNFORGETTABLE at MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER? The Milwaukee Repertory Theater opens its 2022-2023 season in the Stackner Cabaret with Unforgettable, in conjuction with Artists Lounge Live. It's the same collaboration responsible for last season's dynamite Get Happy, star...

BWW Review: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS is Immensely Enjoyable at the Milwaukee Rep
by Kelsey Lawler - June 07, 2022

What did our critic think of Murder on the Orient Express at Milwaukee rep? If you’re a fan of the “whodunit” genre, Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express is a classic. If you don’t already know the identity of the murderer, don’t you dare go snooping around the internet to find out -- the ...

BWW Review: Epic HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Stuns with Song at SKYLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE
by Kelsey Lawler - May 24, 2022

This HUNCHBACK is staggering, extraordinary, and masterfully staged. The Skylight has outdone themselves with this season finale....

BWW Review: GET HAPPY is a Triumphant Tribute to Judy Garland at the MILWAUKEE REP
by Kelsey Lawler - May 10, 2022

Close your eyes, and you might think Judy Garland is in the room. Open them, and you might still think she’s in the room. Angela Ingersoll is both every-inch a blazing star in her own right and a glorious tribute to one of America’s all-time greatest voices. ...

BWW Review: True Story of THE AMAZING LEMONADE GIRL Will Inspire All Ages at FIRST STAGE
by Kelsey Lawler - May 09, 2022

Now playing at First Stage, The Amazing Lemonade Girl is based on the true story of Alexandra Flynn Scott, the young girl who started a childhood cancer movement by literally turning lemons into lemonade....

BWW Review: RAISIN Brings Heart & Soul to Milwaukee's Skylight Music Theatre
by Kelsey Lawler - April 14, 2022

For a moving musical portrait of 1950s Black American life, Raisin is certainly one to see....

BWW Review: TITANIC THE MUSICAL is Tremendously Spectacular at the MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER
by Kelsey Lawler - April 11, 2022

Something epic has just set sail at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Years in the making and the company's single largest production in their 70-year history, Titanic the Musical is every inch a spectacular, tremendous achievement....

BWW Review: Quirky & Hypnotic, PRELUDES Entrances at Milwaukee Opera Theatre
by Kelsey Lawler - April 04, 2022

Amidst the manic chaos of a broken mind, 'Preludes' proves to be a quirky, beautifully-written piece, lovingly delivered by the team at Milwaukee Opera Theatre....

BWW Review: NEW AGE Takes a Hopeful Look at Aging at the MILWAUKEE REP
by Kelsey Lawler - March 26, 2022

The play is the fruit of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s New Play Development Program. While other challenging pieces tackle racism or sexism, this one digs into ageism, specifically for women. ...

BWW Review: The Milwaukee Rep's MY WAY Celebrates Sinatra & the Great American Songbook
by Kelsey Lawler - March 10, 2022

The cast does right by Old Blue Eyes, bringing a perfect blend of reverence, theatricality, and their own interpretations to the tunes of My Way. There isn’t a story to hang your hat on, rather the foursome seamlessly presents song after toe-tappin’, swoon-worthy song. ...

BWW Review: Big Love for AS YOU LIKE IT at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre
by Kelsey Lawler - February 21, 2022

At the crossroads of the Bard and Beatlemania lies the fantastic As You Like It. Full disclosure: I’m smack-dab in the middle of the target audience, where the Shakespeare-loving (or at least willing) meet Beatles fans. But I believe this genre-mashup would be terrific fun for anyone. The show takes...

BWW Review: ANTONIO'S SONG/I WAS DREAMING OF A SON is Powerful Poetry at the MILWAUKEE REP
by Kelsey Lawler - February 03, 2022

The Milwaukee Rep welcomes theater back into the Stiemke Studio with Antonio's Song/I Was Dreaming of a Son by Dael Orlandersmith and Antonio Edwards Suarez, directed by Mark Clements. The Rep describes the play as a 'poetic journey of a dancer/artist/father questioning the balance of his passions -...

BWW Review: 9 Reasons to See TONI STONE at the MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER
by Kelsey Lawler - January 17, 2022

After a delayed opening, Toni Stone is finally game-on at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden, it's the biographical telling of the first woman to go pro in baseball's negro leagues, Marcenia 'Toni' Stone. Hers is a story of overcoming the odds and shattering expectati...

BWW Review: PIANO MEN Brings the Piano Bar to the Milwaukee Rep Cabaret
by Kelsey Lawler - January 12, 2022

A 90-minute confection. That's what Milwaukee Rep Artistic Director Mark Clements lovingly calls his Piano Men creation, now on stage in the Stackner Cabaret. The show is fully request-driven and unplanned -- part music revue, part piano bar. Not sure if piano bars are your thing? Trust the experien...