Spring Calendar
Presented by World Premiere Wisconsin
From grand musicals to intimate character studies, here’s your guide to all the performances by WPW-participating theaters this spring.
FEBRUARY
Always a Bridesmaid
Waukesha Civic Theatre
FEB. 3-19 waukeshacivictheatre.org
Evita
Skylight Music Theatre
FEB. 3-19 skylightmusictheatre.org
The Hobbit
First Stage
FEB. 3-MARCH 5 firststage.org/events-tickets
The Play’s the Thing
Peninsula Players
FEB. 6 peninsulaplayers.com
The Heart Sellers
Milwaukee Rep
FEB. 7-MARCH 19 milwaukeerep.com
Finder and the North Star
Children’s Theater of Madison
FEB. 18-MARCH 5 ctmtheater.org/see-a-show
Shining In Misery: A King-Sized Parody
Capital City Theatre
FEB. 23-MARCH 5 capitalcitytheatre.org
There Is A Happiness That Morning Is
Next Act Theatre
FEB. 23-MARCH 19 nextact.org/shows
MARCH
Dance Works 2023
UW-Green Bay
MARCH 3-5 uwgb.edu/theatre
Bad in Bed (A Fairy Tale)
Madison Theatre Guild
MARCH 3-11 madisontheatreguild.org
The SpongeBob Musical for Young Audiences
First Stage
MARCH 3-APRIL 2 firststage.org/events-tickets
The Play’s the Thing
Peninsula Players
MARCH 6 peninsulaplayers.com/ the-plays-the-thing
August Wilson’s Seven Guitars
Milwaukee Rep
MARCH 7-APRIL 2 milwaukeerep.com
Out of the Blue
The Weidner
MARCH 10 weidnercenter.com
Hedwig and the Angry Inch StageQ
MARCH 10-25 stageq.org/current-season
RENT
Waukesha Civic Theatre
MARCH 10-26
waukeshacivictheatre.org
Hoops
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
MARCH 10-APRIL 2 milwaukeechambertheatre.org
Così fan tutte: REMIX
Florentine Opera
MARCH 17-26
florentineopera.org
Noises Off
Skylight Music Theatre
MARCH 17-APRIL 2
skylightmusictheatre.org
A Crooked French Affair
Fond du Lac Community Theatre
MARCH 23-26
fdlct.com/a-crooked-french-affair
Little Women
First Stage
MARCH 24-APRIL 2
firststage.org/events-tickets
This symbol indicates a World Premiere Wisconsin performance
LOCATION KEY:
Greater Milwaukee
Greater Madison
Door County
Green Bay
Fond du Lac
Florentine Opera
20 milwaukeemag.com SPONSORED CONTENT
PHOTO: BY TRAVELING LEMUR PRODUCTIONS, COURTESY OF WORLD PREMIERE WISCONSIN
HOOPS adapted by Eliana Pipes with original music by B~Free from the HOOPS Project by Nicole Acosta March 10 - April 2, 2023 TICKETS ON SALE NOW! milwaukeechambertheatre.org/tickets BOX OFFICE 414-291-7800 0 FEBRUARY 2023 21
Tidy
Renaissance Theaterworks
MARCH 24-APRIL 16 r-t-w.com
The Greatest Love for Whitney: A Tribute Concert to Whitney Houston
Milwaukee Rep
MARCH 24-MAY 28 milwaukeerep.com
You Don’t Deserve to Die UW-Green Bay
MARCH 25 uwgb.edu/theatre
The Barber and the Unknown Prince American Players Theatre
MARCH 27 americanplayers.org
New Work Festival
Carroll University Theatre
MARCH 31-APRIL 1 carrollu.edu/events
Sondheim on Sondheim
Madison Theatre Guild
MARCH 31-APRIL 15 madisontheatreguild.org
APRIL
The One Hundred Acre Wood
First Act Children's Theatre
APRIL 2
firstactchildrenstheatre.com
The Play’s the Thing Peninsula Players
APRIL 3 peninsulaplayers.com
Artemisia
Forward Theater Company
APRIL 13-30 forwardtheater.com
God of Carnage
Milwaukee Rep
APRIL 18-MAY 14 milwaukeerep.com
She Kills Monsters: Young
EditionAdventurers
UW-Green Bay
APRIL 20-22 uwgb.edu/theatre
Joe Hill: A Song of Protest
UW-Oshkosh / Fond Du Lac
APRIL 20-30
uwosh.edu/fdl/community/theatre
Hush the Waves
Strollers Theatre
APRIL 21-MAY 6 strollerstheatre.org
Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express
Waukesha Civic Theatre
APRIL 21-MAY 7 waukeshacivictheatre.org
The Mountaintop Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
APRIL 21-MAY 7 milwaukeechambertheatre.org/ mountaintop
Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds
First Stage
APRIL 21-MAY 21 firststage.org
Peter Pan
Children’s Theater of Madison
APRIL 22-30 ctmtheater.org/see-a-show
The Forgotten Girl
First Stage
APRIL 26 firststage.org
Zuri’s Crown
Black Arts MKE
APRIL 27-29
blackartsmke.org
God’s Spies
Next Act Theatre
APRIL 27-MAY 21
nextact.org
There’s An App for That
Pile of Cats Theatre Company
APRIL 28-MAY 6 bit.ly/pilecats
Laced StageQ
APRIL 28-MAY 13 stageq.org/current-season
MAY
The Gracious Sisters
First Stage
MAY 5-21
firststage.org
I Carry Your Heart With Me
Third Avenue PlayWorks
MAY 10-28
thirdavenueplayworks.org
Moon Over Buffalo
Madison Theatre Guild
MAY 12-27
madisontheatreguild.org/moon
A Woman Is…
TNW Ensemble Theater
MAY 13-14
tnwensembletheater.org
Out In This World Forward Theatre Company
MAY 18-20
forwardtheater.com
Lincoln & Liberty Too
Play-By-Play Theatre
MAY 18-21
playbyplaytheatre.org
First Stage
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PHOTO: BY PAUL RUFFOLO, COURTESY OF WORLD PREMIERE WISCONSIN
Event Spotlights
Presented by World Premiere Wisconsin
The Heart Sellers
FEB. 7–MARCH 19
In this brilliant new comedy, new Americans Jane and Luna are finding that their lives in the U.S. are leaving them feeling isolated and invisible. One Thanksgiving while their workaholic husbands are away, they reminisce over sips of wine and a questionable frozen turkey while dreaming of spreading their wings together in the land of opportunity.
Funny and deeply moving, this world premiere by acclaimed playwright Lloyd Suh, author of The Chinese Lady and winner of a prestigious Steinberg Playwright Award in 2022, gives voice to the Asian immigrant experience in the 1970s when the landmark Hart-Celler Act granted thousands of professional workers a new path to citizenship.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Stiemke Studio
108 E. Wells St. milwaukeerep.com
Shining In Misery: A King-Size Parody
FEB. 23-MARCH 5
Capital City Theatre presents a world premiere musical parody of King-size proportions! During the Misery of a blizzard, five people are drawn to the Shining lights of the Overlook Hotel. The group includes Jack, the hotel’s new caretaker; Wendy, his unhappy wife; Danny, their clairvoyant son; Annie, a quick-to-anger nurse; and Paul, the mysterious, unconscious man Annie drags up to room 217. As the storm grows, so do the mysteries of the hotel, and the new guests sing and vocalize while hacking an onslaught of visitors – human, animal and supernatural. Will this group be able to harmonize through IT, take a Stand, or fade into The Mist?
The Playhouse Overture Center for the Arts
201 State St., Madison capitalcitytheatre.org
Bad in Bed (A Fairy Tale)
MARCH 3-11
Presenting a romantic comedy about old friends, unrequited crushes and a Scandinavian sex curse. Charles’ third wife has just informed him she’s leaving. As he reels from the news and the reason she gives, he spends a weekend in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with his best friend, Jack. When they meet up with their friend Betsy, she reveals a secret from their college days that Charles believes is the culprit of his failed relationships. Written by Karen Saari and directed by Allen Ebert, this world premiere is a partnership of Madison Theatre Guild and Madison College Performing Arts.
Madison Theatre Guild
113 E. Mifflin St., Madison madisontheatreguild.org
God’s Spies
APRIL 27-MAY 21
A lawyer, a sex worker and a playwright walk into a room. And then they stay. Shakespeare (Shax) runs London’s most popular theatre, but now he’s forced to shelter inside due to an outbreak of plague. With the theaters closed and no distractions, what’s left to be done but write a new masterpiece? Assisted by two unlikely companions, Shax (and favorite Next Act playwright Bill Cain) explore the mysteries of life, love and death while navigating the complexities of a world under quarantine lockdown. Directed by David Cecsarini and featuring Mark Ulrich as Shax.
Next Act Theatre
255 S. Water St. nextact.org
FEBRUARY 2023 23
SPONSORED CONTENT
The Barber of Seville
Florentine Opera
MAY 19-21
florentineopera.org
The Impossible Operas
Milwaukee Opera Theatre and Quasimondo Physical Theatre
MAY 19-28
milwaukeeoperatheatre.org
The Song of Bernadette
Skylight Music Theatre
MAY 19-JUNE 11
skylightmusictheatre.org
About the Kids
Shake Rag Alley Center for the Arts
MAY 27
shakeragalley.org
Birds of a Feather
Milwaukee Opera Theatre and Present Music
MAY 31-JUNE 1
milwaukeeoperatheatre.org
Rotate Theatre
Mini Fest
Rotate Theatre Company
MAY-JUNE
RotateTheatre.org
JUNE
Bloom
Waukesha Civic Theatre
JUNE 2-18
waukeshacivictheatre.org
Greetings from Green Lake, Wisconsin
Waukesha Civic Theatre
JUNE 7-8
waukeshacivictheatre.org
Micro: The Workshop
Music Theatre of Madison
JUNE 9 mtmadison.com
The Hidden Strings
Prism Youth Theater Company
JUNE 9-11 bit.ly/prismtheater
February
– 19, 2023
A Rock Sails By Peninsula Players
JUNE 13-JULY 2
peninsulaplayers.com
The Fish Whisperer
Northern Sky Theater
JUNE 14-AUG. 25
northernskytheater.com
Cheeseheads! The Musical
Northern Sky Theater
JUNE 14-AUG. 26
northernskytheater.com
Disney’s Newsies
Capital City Theatre
JUNE 22-25
capitalcitytheatre.org/newsies
Capital Q Theatre Festival
StageQ | JUNE 23-25 stageq.org
March 17 – April 2, 2023
Skylight presents one of the most hilarious plays ever written – and adds music! This hit, side-splitting backstage farce will have live accompaniment by a singer and band playing songs by the cocktail lounge-inspired, 1950s groove of Combustible Edison. Sparkling tunes and showbiz shenanigans create a first-of-its-kind production on Skylight’s stage.
May 19 – June 11, 2023
This world premiere developmental production is composed by Broadway’s Frank Wildhorn. The breathtaking musical is based on the true story (made into a novel and film) of a young girl from the French town of Lourdes who sees a vision that changes her life, and her town, forever.
DON’T MISS THE REST OF 22-23 SEASON (414) 291-7800 • www.skylightmusictheatre.org 158 N. Broadway in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward TICKETS START AT $40! PLUS TAX
Andrew Varela as Juan Perón Rána Roman as Eva Perón With music by Combustible Edison
A seven-time Tony Award-winning megawatt musical! Evita follows Eva Duarte and her meteoric rise from impoverished child to wife of Argentine president Juan Perón, to becoming the most powerful woman in Latin America.
3
See it before it goes to Broadway!
Milwaukee Opera Theatre
24 | milwaukeemag.com SPONSORED CONTENT
PHOTO: BY MARK FROHNA, COURTESY OF WORLD PREMIERE WISCONSIN
The Gracious Sisters
MAY 5-21
When archaeological intern Alice falls down an ancient Greek rabbit hole, she discovers the aftermath of a violent murder, with the goddesses of vengeance, or “Furies,” chasing down the accused to exact bloody retribution. Athena, the goddess of wisdom (and war), persuades the Furies that the accused should have a fair trial before a jury. When the jury is divided in a split decision, all must come to terms with the balance of a desire for vengeance, and the need for grace. This free adaptation of The Eumenides by Aeschylus – by First Stage Resident Playwright Alice Austen – is presented by the Young Company, First Stage’s advanced actor training program for high school students. Suggested for audiences 13+.
First Stage
325 W. Walnut St. firststage.org
I Carry Your Heart With Me
MAY 10-28
When Esther, a stenographer inside a top-secret Vietnamera debriefing room, encounters a soldier whose story quite literally changes her life, she struggles to reconcile past choices with her hopes for the future. A one-woman tourde-force performance, I Carry Your Heart With Me explores the stories – real and imagined, personal and profound – that create the past, embody the present and leave lasting imprints that echo through the ages.
Third Avenue PlayWorks
235 N. Third Ave., Sturgeon Bay thirdavenueplayworks.org
The Song of Bernadette
MAY 19-JUNE 11
See this major new musical first at Skylight! This world premiere developmental production is composed by Broadway’s renowned Frank Wildhorn. The breathtaking musical is based on the true story (made into a 1941 novel and 1943 film) of a young girl from the southern French town of Lourdes who sees a vision that changes her life, and her town, forever.
Skylight Music Theatre
158 N. Broadway skylightmusictheatre.org
A Rock Sails By
JUNE 13-JULY 2
ON THE RADAR
American Players Theatre 2023 Season
JUNE 10-OCT. 8
Located in the beautiful Driftless Area, APT offers nine plays in rotating repertory each season. This summer in the outdoor Hill Theatre: William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor; David Ives’ comedy The Liar; Thornton Wilder’s American classic, Our Town; Anton’s Shorts, a series of 5 Chekhovian one-act plays adapted by Aaron Posner; and a bilingual production of Romeo & Juliet, performed in spoken English and American Sign Language. In the 200-seat indoor Touchstone Theatre: Once Upon a Bridge by Sonya Kelly; The Royale by Marco Ramirez, Wolf at the Door by Marisela Treviño Orta, and opening in late October, David Auburn’s Proof. Tickets go on sale to returning patrons in March, and to the general public in April. Find out more at americanplayers.org
American Players Theatre
5950 Golf Course Rd., Spring Green americanplayers.org
From the creator of The Tin Woman, this world premiere brings audiences another stellar play filled with humor and heart. Dr. Lynn Cummings, an astrophysicist, tries to bring science and faith into balance while grappling with personal questions, reconnecting with her daughter and mourning the loss of her husband. When an unidentified object is discovered heading toward Earth, a less-than-reputable online magazine misquotes her, casting doubt on her credibility. The two-time Nobel Prize nominee and an ambitious journalist monitor the mysterious object. Dr. Cummings hopes to witness nothing remarkable and thus save her reputation, but there is no telling what she will discover beyond the stars. The talented artists and serene setting of Door County’s premier professional theater have enchanted theatergoers for generations.
Peninsula Players Theatre
4351 Peninsula Players Rd., Fish Creek peninsulaplayers.com
The Fish Whisperer
JUNE 14-AUG. 25
Brimming with hope and romance, The Fish Whisperer is a world premiere musical that will hook you with sweet melodies and laughs! When the fish stop biting in the small Wisconsin town of Shewauga, a mysterious outsider named Hannah Hill offers to get them biting again – but only if the residents pay her $10,000. To the locals, this all sounds a bit fishy. Is she a con artist or a genuine talent? Enjoy this magical musical on wishing for fish presented beneath the stars and towering pines in Peninsula State Park Amphitheater. Book by Scott Guy, music by Dan Wessels and Ron Barnett, lyrics by Robin Share, additional lyrics by Scott Guy, and developed in association with New Musicals Inc.
Northern Sky Theater
Peninsula State Park Amphitheater, 10169 Shore Rd., Fish Creek northernskytheater.com
FEBRUARY 2023 25 SPONSORED CONTENT
