BEHIND THE SCENES

Riverside Theater

By Maredithe Meyer, staff writer

If you’re into live entertainment, then you’ve probably visited downtown Milwaukee’s Riverside Theater to see a favorite band or comedian. But what you probably haven’t seen is everything that happens hours before the doors open to make sure the show goes on. Work began at 6 a.m. for 30 local and touring crew members setting the stage ahead of the Riverside’s last show of 2021: Martina McBride Christmas.

Ride the antique service elevator up eight floors, and you’ll find the hospitality team getting ready to serve a breakfast in the newly remodeled green room, equipped with a full-service restaurant-style kitchen. It’s part of how Pabst Theater Group has built a reputation for rolling out the red carpet for touring artists.

“I think it’s very important for artists to feel comfortable,” said Simon Bundy, tech director at PTG. “A lot of people hear about, ‘Oh, artists want their green M&M’s’ or whatnot. But I feel like most people don’t realize what it’s like to not be home for three to six months at a time, and you start missing those comforts.” n

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1Regardless of the tour’s size, set-up usually takes about four hours. Take-down usually happens directly following the show. 2 Ernie Gonzalez, one of McBride’s Sharon Rose crew members, mans the sound board during pre-show sound check. 3 McBride’s Christmas production travels in three tour buses and two semi-trailers. 4 Milwaukee-based Scathain LLC headed the green room’s remodel. 5 Executive chef Kevin Sloan custom designs his menus according to the tour’s dietary needs and the artist’s background.