For 25 years, The Marcus Center has been presenting the Broadway Across America series for Milwaukee audiences, selling nearly three million tickets.
Heidi Lofy, Vice President of Experience and Engagement at the Center, talks about the series’ success: “This year, we reached a record number 12,500 subscribers, a 40% increase over last year. This season’s Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen definitely had an impact on sales.”
“We try to book something for everyone: classics, family friendly shows and current hits,” Lofy continues. “We don’t book many non-musical plays, because Milwaukee has many accomplished theater companies that present great work. This season, we have included the comedy The Play That Goes Wrong because it is fun and unique.” The next touring production will be The Lion King, which plays throughout February.
Milwaukee benefits in other ways by hosting touring productions. “The cast of almost every show we present interacts with the community, mostly through Milwaukee Public Schools,” says Lofy. “The visiting artists work with students in acting, dance and audition preparation. There is also behind-the-curtain instruction in such fields as lighting, sound and stage management. We are developing the next generation of performing artists and arts enthusiasts.”
The commercial impact that the Broadway series has on both the Marcus Center and the arts community is enormous. Says Lofy, “The profits we make keeps rental fees affordable for our local, non-profits arts organizations, including the Milwaukee Ballet and Symphony, Florentine Opera, First Stage and Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra.” The annual budget for Marcus Center is around $16 million, with an astounding earned income rate of 93%. Milwaukee County owns and operates the Center.
When the Milwaukee Symphony moves to their new hall next year, smaller organizations will make a presence at the Center, including the Wisconsin Philharmonic and Optimist Theatre.
The Marcus Center has just announced the appointment of Kendra Whitlock Ingram as President and CEO of the Marcus Center, succeeding the retiring Paul Mathews. Whitlock Ingram most recently served as Executive Director of the University of Denver’s Newman Center for the Performing Arts.
A Home for Arts Education in Walker’s Point
Arts @ Large is a non-profit institution that encourages arts-rich, lifelong learning in K-12 students. The organization was established in 2001 as part of the Milwaukee Public Schools, and it became a separate entity in 2005. In July of 2019, they moved into their current Walker’s Point facility.
The new building has a welcoming café, a spacious art gallery, a performing space with a stage, and second floor offices. CEO Sean Kiebzak notes, “We love our new home, though 80% of our work takes place in schools. We also give free Music Under the Stars outdoor summer performances at Paliafito Eco-Arts Park.
“We offer a range of community events and services,” continues Kiebzak. “Every Saturday, we host a free arts event featuring different disciplines—art, music—and all materials are provided free of charge. We also work with local arts organizations to deliver in-school performances in dance, music and theater. The vast majority of students we serve are from MPS, though we are starting to establish connections with other school districts.”
Participating schools are offered free supplies to advance visual arts, music studies and teacher training. Trips to museums, performances and higher education institutions are available. Arts @ Large also contracts with more than 100 local artist educators annually.
In addition, Arts @ Large offers guidance on social, civic and environmental matters. One program focuses on the needs of Milwaukee’s growing immigrant and refugee students. Another provides the history of civil rights, where students learn how history shaped our city and how to mobilize change for a more equitable community. “We would like to be known as a catalyst for positive change in our community,” adds Kiebzak.
A career development initiative engages high school students in internships with tech and trade businesses, including the culinary arts, but art education is paramount.
“Every summer, we have a student art show where they can display their work in our gallery and exhibit what they have achieved,” says Kiebzak. The current exhibit features works by award-winning photojournalist Michael Kienitz that captures Iceland’s vanishing beauty due to climate change. The show runs through Tuesday, Dec. 31.
