Kelsey Lawler - Page 4

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 expectations. Toni Stone, written by Lydia R. Diamond, was declared the Best New Play of 2019 by the Wall Street Journal.

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 experience. It's loads of fun.

A lot of love and hard work went into this production, and if this cast keeps doing what they’re doing, they’re on track to charm audiences throughout their two-weekend run.

It had been a staggering 701 days since the Milwaukee Rep's last performance of A Christmas Carol, but this holiday tradition is back at the Pabst and as fantastic as ever. From old friends to new faces, the ever-impressive scenery to lush costumes, this whole production, adapted and directed by Mark Clements, feels like a festive hug -- a warm and comforting welcome to usher in the holiday season.

'Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?' Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you what Christmas is all about: families making memories together, talking about what the holiday season means to them, and showing those on the sidelines a little love, care, and attention. If your holiday tradition includes an afternoon of seasonally-inspired theater, A Charlie Brown Christmas at First Stage is a delightfully adorable way to find the festive spirit.

An unconventional holiday treat is on stage at Milwaukee's Skylight Music Theatre through January 2nd. Directed by Michael Unger (his first since taking the reins as Artistic Director), Little Shop of Horrors may not tee up glad tidings of comfort and cheer, but a show this fun is equal to the festive task. Little Shop brings joy, humor, astonishment... and a bloodthirsty plant.

This show strikes a perfect emotional balance that steals your heart and splits your sides.

At the intersection of Packer fandom, Wisconsin pride, and musical theater lies Dad’s Season Tickets.

Going blindly into The Constructivists' Wink was the right choice. I'd read the brief synopsis, but that only claws at the surface of what this refreshingly absurd, surrealist dark comedy is all about.

It takes big-time guts to bare your butt cheeks on stage, and these guys bare more than that. The good vibes -- and a good laugh -- are just the palette cleanse we all need after the year-and-a-half we’ve had.

Midsummer makes smiles and laughter easy. It’s at once classic, escapist, and comforting—just what we need from the theater on what we hope is the heels of a pandemic. It’s exciting to think that this mobile production will bring Shakespeare to so many corners of Milwaukee. 

A scintillating, scatting, sensational return to live theater -- who could ask for anything more? The Milwaukee Rep delivers a heaping portion of the good stuff in the triumphant 'First Lady of Song,' a concert salute to America’s favorite jazz singer, Ella Fitzgerald.

The On Demand experience is nicely handled and smoothly filmed. Through the use of both wide and close-up shots, we’re given an intimate vantage point that many may otherwise miss when seeing a ballet on stage. The setting is a simple colored backdrop, making for a performance that relies solely on the dancers themselves to carry the spectacle. I’m happy to report they more than carry it -- they make it soar.

The music video for The Sound opens with footage of 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests. The chants of the protests mingle with the strings warming up. “The sound drives me crazy,” the refrain repeats. Harmonious voices and strings, sparkling face masks, shades of purple and blue in braids, puppets, lighting -- this is a marvelous collaboration, and it’s one that is better seen and heard, not read about. 

This is a choose-your-own-adventure play, and First Stage rigged it so that audiences could vote by phone to help our hero Callaway Brown make key decisions: Should he pack his inhaler or his eyeglasses? Follow mysterious footsteps or radio for help? 

In their sixth collaboration, Directors Jill Anna Ponasik and Dani Kuepper take the theatrics to an Enchanted Park(ing lot). Finding a way to go out of doors -- now that’s thinking outside the black box.

Take the little ones to see this show for the laughs, the silliness, and the kind of theater for which we only have the kids to thank. Without their willingness for turning the ordinary into something wildly imaginative, plays like 'The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors' would likely remain just picture books.

The bottom line is: 'Spelling Bee' is a feel-good musical comedy that could fall flat if not cast right. The Skylight has gathered a group of top-tier performers and behind-the-scenes superstars to ensure the show soars. Can you spell a?oedoldrumsa??? This is your answer to them.

I always expect greatness from 'The Lion King.' To have a cast without a weak link among them. To blow me away with choreography and costumes, even if I've seen it before. 'The Lion King' never fails to meet every one of these great expectations, and the show currently on stage at the Marcus Center is no exception.

Days later I'm craving the songs, the performances a?" to witness the staging once more, to see what else I can pick up on, or to experience what new twist Rodin will bring to another evening's show. No two will be alike. But I feel I can confidently say that each one will end with a standing ovation, hands lifted in openness and praise.