Kohl’s Wild Theatre has got to be one of the coolest lesser-known bits of Milwaukee arts culture. Professional actors--some of them representing some of the best talent on local stages--perform really sophisticated scripts that are both fun and educational in a way that’s really important. Had I not seen one of these with my daughter I might not have been quite as aware of the importance of avoiding products with tropical oils. There are some perfectly nice creatures that are losing their habitat for that sort of thing . . .
The successful series has included the talents of such captivating actors as Megan Kaminsky, Libby Amato, Emmit Morgans and Lindsay Gagliano among others. It returns to the Milwaukee County Zoo once more starting May 24th.
Straight from the press release, here are the short kid’s plays in regular rotation:
The Legend of Hibernacula: This show follows Batfield, a little brown bat from Wisconsin to see Count Hibernacula, a mysterious bat from South America. Can Count Hibernacula be trusted? Join these bats in this musical that teaches the importance of bats for humans and the crucial role bats play in Wisconsin’s ecosystem.
The Wonderful Lizard of ooZ: Dory is a pet tomato frog tired of living in a terrarium. She wants to get out and see the world. When her wish is unexpectedly granted, Dory discovers that her terrarium—safe and cozy, perfectly suited to her needs—wasn’t such a bad place to live after all. Back for a second season, this musical is loosely based on “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Viewers learn why it’s best to keep pet frogs in their terrariums and not release them into the wild.
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The Great Wisconsin Zoo-per Bowl: Hey, football fans, it’s time for the match-up between Wisconsin habitats. Audience members become cheerleaders called the Wetland Whooping Cranes. The competitors are the Prairie Badgers and the Forest Wolves. But, beware! Wisconsin’s changing habitats mean that no one plays on home turf. Who will best adapt to win the Big Game?
“Lights, Camera, Arctic!” Mysterious circumstances put distant neighbors Ursus the polar bear and Cygnus the trumpeter swan right next door to each other. Audience members join a documentary filmmaker, become the film crew “on location,” and help resolve this neighborly dispute by learning how actions at home can impact animals in the Arctic.
There are four performances daily at the zoo--free with admission:
--10:15 a.m.
--Noon
--1:45 p.m.
--3:30 p.m.
For more information, visit the Zoo Society online.
