Photo courtesy of Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Quadracci Powerhouse Theater
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“All the world’s a stage,” wrote William Shakespeare, and in the times we live in, that holds more true now than ever. In Milwaukee, at least, our stages present some incredible theater. Here are just a few of the many spaces that turn their stages into ‘worlds” of their very own…
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Cabot Theatre/Broadway Theater Center
You wouldn’t expect to find it in America’s heartland. The 358-seat Cabot Theatre is based on the designs of 18th-century European opera houses. Named for the Skylight’s longtime artistic director, Colin Cabot, the elegant theater is home to Skylight Music Theatre and shares its Historic Third Ward location with the 99-seat Studio Theatre.
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Jan Serr Studio
2155 N. Prospect Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202Located on the top floor of UW-Milwaukee’s Kenilworth Square East Building, the building started out as a Ford Motor Company plant. The brainchild of artist Jan Serr and her husband, John Shannon, the Jan Serr Studio features floor-to-ceiling windows and a private penthouse balcony, perfect for a panoramic view of city’s skyline during intermission. It’s a stunning backdrop to groups from Danceworks MKE to the Milwaukee Film Festival.
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Marcus Performing Arts Center
The Marcus Center opened in 1969 as a Milwaukee County-owned facility called the Performing Arts Center. The name of the Brutalist Modern landmark was changed in 1994 after a $25 million gift from the Marcus Corporation, Ben Marcus, and his wife, Ceil. The Center opuses four venues: Uihlein Hall (2,305 seats); Todd Wehr Theater (496 seats); Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall (475 seats); and the Peck Pavilion—an open-air space which has a seating capacity up to 400.
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Milwaukee Youth Arts Center
Milwaukee Youth Arts Center
325 W. Walnut St., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53212First Stage performs at the Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater but also has performance spaces at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, sharing the facility with the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. The Youth Arts Center opened in 2005 and continues to grow as a premier performing arts education and rehearsal space. Artistic partners also include Danceworks MKE, the Festival City Symphony and the Milwaukee Children’s Choir.
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Next Act Theatre
Next Act Theatre converted the former Transpak Corporation building into a 150-seat performance space in 2011, turning the facility into a contemporary, sleek setting that’s as intimate as it is accessible. The thrust stage allows for flexibility in mounting shows and continues to attract other companies—most recently, Renaissance Theaterworks, which moves here permanently beginning with its 2020-’21 season. Just across the Milwaukee River from the Historic Third Ward, Next Act is easy to spot with its incredible glow of neon lighting up the night.
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Pabst Theater
This opulent performance space opened in 1895 and is the fourth-largest continuously operating theater nationwide. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991 and holds 1,339 seats for popular music concerts, as well as a month-long run of A Christmas Carol every holiday season. The Pabst Theater features an historic organ which accompanied silent films in its heyday. The two-ton Austrian crystal chandelier is the crowning centerpiece within this acoustically exceptional space based on designs of German opera houses.
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Patty and Jay Baker Theater Complex
108 E. Wells St., Milwaukee, WI., Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202The largest of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s three spaces within the Patty and Jay Baker Theater Complex (there’s also the Stiemke Studio and Stackner Cabaret), the Quadracci Powerhouse seats 720, with the last row just 40 feet from the stage. The Rep moved into this new space in 1987 (it was once a power company plant), and continues to break ground theatrically, bringing musicals to the Powerhouse, as well as new works by Milwaukee-born, Pulitzer Prize-winning, American playwright Ayad Akhtar.
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South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center
Connected to South Milwaukee High School, SMPAC was founded in 2004. It has a seating capacity of 786 within six sections, all on a single, raked level. It accommodates events year-round, ranging from comedian Steven Wright to the Varsity Vocals International Championship of A Capella. Annual attendance for all events numbers about 30,000.
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