Milwaukee Repertory Theater Announces 2021/22 Season Featuring Two World Premieres by Dael Orlandersmith & More
Programming will feature Titanic The Musical in the Quadracci Powerhouse, As You Like It adapted by Daryl Cloran, and much more.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Apr. 07, 2021
Artistic Director Mark Clements and Executive Director Chad Bauman will welcome audiences back to Milwaukee Rep for the 2021/22 Season with 12 productions across four venues in the Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex. To ensure vaccines have time to be fully distributed and work to their optimal level, the start of the 2021/22 Season will start October 29, 2021 and run through July 1, 2022.
The 2021/22 Season features:
- Two world premieres by Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith, Antonio's Song / I Was Dreaming of a Son and New Age in the Stiemke Studio.
- Majestic, yet rarely produced Tony Award-winning musical Titanic The Musical in the Quadracci Powerhouse.
- Shakespeare and The Beatles collide in the International collaboration As You Like It adapted by Daryl Cloran.
- Dad's Season Tickets, a new musical comedy for Green Bay Packer fanatics and the people who love them.
- Emmy-nominated performance of Judy Garland classics in Get Happy: Angela Ingersoll Sings Judy Garland.
- Return of Milwaukee's Favorite Holiday Tradition - A Christmas Carol in the Historic Pabst Theater with Lee E. Ernst as Scrooge.
A full list of programming with dates is listed below.
"Thanks to the brilliance of science there is a bright spotlight at the end of this dark pandemic, and we cannot wait to welcome artists and audiences alike back to our theater in the fall," said Artistic Director Mark Clements. "This season we are holding nothing back, and ready to produce at the highest artistic level after being dark for over a year. Soon we will be celebrating the end of the pandemic and the return to the shared experience and thrill of live theater that we have all missed so greatly."
"It is no surprise that this pandemic has proven to be the most challenging time in Milwaukee Rep's 68 year history, " stated Executive Director Chad Bauman. "The more businesses that reopen safely in partnership with the vaccination rollout the closer we come to be able to fulfill our mission of igniting positive change in our community. We are buoyed by our committed and talented staff, artists and trustees whose hard work is the reason we are able to bounce back with such a robust season."
The programming for the 2021/22 Season was originally announced for the 2020/21 Season, but was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the original announcement over 10,000 Subscribers renewed their season tickets and in doing so enabled Milwaukee Rep to keep the majority of staff and artists employed during the extended closure.
Milwaukee Rep remains fully committed to the safety of its artists, staff and patrons and will continue to follow recommendations from the CDC and local health officials throughout the 2021/22 Season. It will adjust operations as needed, which may include limiting tickets sold to allow for social distancing while prioritizing Subscribers.
Subscriptions to Milwaukee Rep's 2021/22 Season are now on sale and range from $100-$577. Packages available are the Ultimate 11-play package, which includes the entire season spanning all three of Milwaukee Rep's performance spaces; Quadracci Powerhouse/Stackner 9-play package; Quadracci Powerhouse/Stiemke Studio 7-play package; Quadracci Powerhouse 5-play package; Stackner Cabaret 4-Play package as well as a Create Your Own Season package and Flex Passes. Single Tickets will go on sale later in the summer. For additional information on Subscription offerings, please contact Milwaukee Rep's Ticket Office at 414-224-9490 or visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater 2021/22 Season
Programming, artists and dates are subject to change.
Dad's Season Tickets
A New Musical Comedy Celebrating Family, Folly and Football
Book, Music and Lyrics by Matt Zembrowski
Directed by Ryan Quinn
October 29, 2021 - January 2, 2022
Stackner Cabaret
Direct from its sold-out engagement in Door County where it became the best-selling hit in Northern Sky Theater's 28-year history, comes this new musical comedy for fanatics and the people who love them. Who will inherit Frank's treasured season tickets at Lambeau Field? The Kosinski sisters employ every trick in the playbook, on the way to relearning that family isn't everything - it's the only thing. With songs like "When You Live in Green Bay" and "What Do You Do with a Bye Week," this quintessential Wisconsin musical will warm your heart and leave you rooting for the home team!
Steel Magnolias
A Tenderhearted Favorite
Directed by Laura Braza
November 9 - December 5, 2021
Quadracci Powerhouse
In Chinquapin, Louisiana everybody who is anybody gets their hair done at Truvy's beauty shop - where the women are all sass and brass. Through clouds of hairspray and over the buzz of blow dryers, six southern spitfires gather each week to gossip and support each other through thick and thin. But those bonds are tested when the ladies face a life-changing event. Infused with heart and humor, Steel Magnolias is a hilarious story of love, loss and enduring friendship.
Toni Stone
A Trailblazing Spirit
Directed by Tinashe Kajese-Bolden
January 4 - 30, 2022
Quadracci Powerhouse
Declared the Best New Play of 2019 by The Wall Street Journal, this sensational theatrical event knocks it out of the park with a high intensity glimpse into the world of the first woman to go pro in baseball's Negro Leagues. Against all odds, Toni Stone blazes a path in the male-dominated sports world, shattering expectations and creating her own set of rules. Follow Toni's journey as she fights for love, equality and a chance to do what she wants the most - play baseball. Filled with humor and the love of the game, this intimate and profoundly relevant portrait of America will have you cheering along.
Piano Men
From Bach to Broadway
World Premiere Event
January 7 - February 27, 2022
Stackner Cabaret
What happens when you put two pianos onstage, add two virtuoso piano players and throw in a limitless songbook that defies genre and decade? You get Piano Men! Equal parts concert and sing-along, this exhilarating and entertaining musical revue will have you clapping, laughing and calling out requests for your favorite songs. Inspired by the hard working piano players who play everywhere from bars to airports, hotel lobbies to grand concert halls, Piano Men will feature a unique set list from rock, pop, classical, Broadway and everything in-between and will leave you wanting to come back for more.
Antonio's Song/I Was Dreaming of a Son
A John (Jack) D. Lewis New Play Development Program Production
Co-World Premiere
By Dael Orlandersmith and Antonio Edwards Suarez
Directed by Mark Clements
January 26 - March 6, 2022
Stiemke Studio
Antonio's Song is a poetic journey of a dancer/artist/father questioning the balance of his passions - art, culture, family. From the streets of Brooklyn to Russia's ballet training studios, Antonio struggles to reconcile multiple ethnic identities. He wrestles with the legacy of stereotypes of masculinity while discovering the beauty of becoming a father. Dael Orlandersmith's powerful poetry is intermixed with original movement, music and evocative projected imagery to create a wholly unique and stunning performance by the breathtaking Antonio Edwards Suarez.
As You Like It
This production will feature their Act II Community Conversation series
Shakespeare with a Twist
Adapted by Daryl Cloran
Conceived by Daryl Cloran and the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
February 15 - March 20, 2022
Quadracci Powerhouse
The Beatles meet the Bard in this rollicking, celebratory musical take on William Shakespeare's As You Like It. It's 1960s British Columbia and love is in the air as a handful of cross-dressing lovers lead to mistaken identities, hilarious mishaps and loads of laughs. Interwoven into Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy, the production features over 20 Beatles songs performed live including "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "Let It Be." Audiences will be rolling with laughter and singing along to some of the best songs ever written.
My Way
"The Voice" Returns to the Stackner
A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra
Created by David Grapes and Todd Olson
Book by Todd Olson
Original Production Directed by David Grapes
Directed & Choreographed by Kelley Faulkner
March 4 - May 1, 2022
Stackner Cabaret
From the king of swing to the Rat Pack, Ol' Blue Eyes charmed his way into the hearts of millions. Celebrate the pivotal moments of Sinatra's remarkable five-decade career with a journey through his greatest hits. Four performers sing classics such as "I've Got the World on a String," "Fly Me to the Moon" and "New York, New York." Experience the elegance of "The Chairman of the Board" as you're transported back to the era of supper clubs, vintage Las Vegas and the perfect martini.
Four Women Prove That Age Is Just A Number
A John (Jack) D. Lewis New Play Development Program Production
A World Premiere
New Age
March 22 - May 1, 2022
Stiemke Studio
Told through music, movement and lyrical storytelling, New Age follows four women at different junctures in life as they contend with their sexuality, insecurities and legacies. Cass loves art and continues to redefine herself after divorce, Lisette recounts how she became a writer as she faces health challenges, Candy has carved out a life for herself and despite struggles remains upbeat, and Liberty, the youngest of the group, begins her career as a rock musician. Edgy, joyful and authentic, Pulitzer Prize finalist Dael Orlandersmith's distinctive style brings the stories of these resilient women to life as they prove that they are defined by much more than age.
Titanic The Musical
The Dreams She Carried Were Unsinkable
Music & Lyrics by Maury Yeston
Book by Peter Stone
Directed by Mark Clements
April 5 - May 15, 2022
Quadracci Powerhouse
Winner of five Tony Awards, Titanic The Musical is a stirring and unforgettable account of the first and last days of the ship of dreams. This epic musical features real stories of people aboard the most legendary ship in the world from third-class immigrants dreaming of a better tomorrow to first class passengers living a life of fame and fortune. Rarely produced due to its size and complexity, this stunning and majestic musical sails into the intimate Quadracci Powerhouse for the theatrical event of the year!
Get Happy: Angela Ingersoll Sings Judy Garland
A Star Is Born
Artists Lounge Live Presents
May 5 - July 1, 2022
Stackner Cabaret
In an Emmy Award-nominated performance seen on PBS, Angela Ingersoll celebrates Judy Garland live in concert. Backed by a dynamite band, Ingersoll delivers a tour de force of virtuosic vocals, passionate storytelling, humor, and heart. Ingersoll also won acclaim starring as Garland in End of the Rainbow, including Chicago's Jeff Award and LA Times Woman of the Year in Theatre. Chicago Sun-Times exclaims, "Phenomenal. Judy Garland has been reborn." Classic songs include "Over the Rainbow," "The Trolley Song," and "The Man That Got Away." Presented by Artists Lounge Live.
Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express
Eight Suspects, One Thrilling Ride
Adapted for the stage by Ken Ludwig
Directed by Marti Lyons
May 31 - July 1, 2022
Quadracci Powerhouse
Board the exotic and mysterious Orient Express as it takes off into the opulence and grandeur of the 1930s with a train full of suspects - each with a motive and an alibi. This dazzling new adaptation of Agatha Christie's masterpiece is filled with twists, turns and larger-than-life characters. Join beloved detective Hercule Poirot as he battles the clock to figure out "whodunit" in this murder mystery that's the perfect way to close their season.
OFF -SUBSCRIPTION
A Christmas Carol
Milwaukee's Favorite Holiday Tradition
November 30 - December 24, 2021
Adapted & Directed by Mark Clements
Pabst Theater
Make up for lost time with family and friends this holiday season as their full ensemble production joyfully returns to the historic Pabst Theater. A Christmas Carol is one of the best-known and loved stories in the English language. During the course of one memorable Christmas Eve the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future help Scrooge discover it is never too late to change his miserly ways. Enchanting music, dance, costumes, scenery and special effects will once again fill the theater to tell this timeless tale of love, hope and redemption. Featuring Lee E. Ernst as Ebenezer Scrooge, it's the perfect way for audiences of all ages to celebrate the season.
For more information, please visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com.
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