Photo by Gabriela Gabrielaa
Tyler Nikolas
Tyler Nikolas
Haven’t been to the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts lately? Or maybe never thought it was your kind of place?
The new artistic manager of the Brookfield performing arts venue has news for you. The Wilson Center dispensed with out of town (out of touch?) consultants and entrusted much of the 2025-26 season to Milwaukee’s Tyler Nikolas. He’s a guy with local roots, formerly general manager of a considerably different venue, the Miramar on Milwaukee’s East Side, known for EDM and alt-anything.
With his new job, Nikolas, 37, comes full circle. He studied vocal music at UWM, played in the chorus at Fireside Theater, and went to Shakespeare camp as a kid. Schooled in promotions at the Miramar, he’s bringing more of an indie sensibility to the Brookfield art center.
“I take our mission statement very seriously,” he says. “The Wilson Center is a vibrant destination, inspirational and educational.” The Wilson will continue to host matinees for seniors as well as productions for the Elmbrook School District. The Mainstage/Special Performance Series is where the changes come in.
“The Generation X-Millennial group has been somewhat neglected by the performing arts community,” Nikolas says. “We will always be multi-generational. I want to keep our base happy while attracting Gen X and Millennials.”
He cites Emmet Cohen, in concert at the Wilson Center on Feb. 27, 2026. The young jazz pianist will present an evening of Miles Davis and John Coltrane to honor the centennial of their births. The music is familiar to older jazz fans, but Cohen has a wildly successful YouTube series that has attracted interest from younger generations.
Nikolas adds, “Americana and bluegrass is music that connects multiple generations,” pointing to concerts by Marty Stuart (Oct. 24) and AJ Lee and Blue Summit (Jan. 16). But the season might commence on an edgier note with guitarist Julian Lage (Aug. 15), a onetime collaborator with New York composer-music shredder John Zorn.
To those who think the Wilson Center is far, far away, Nikolas says, “I live in Shorewood. It takes me 28 minutes down Capitol Drive to get to the Wilson Center. It takes 10 to get to Fiserv Forum, but then there’s parking. The Wilson Center sits in a beautiful park and has a big lot where you park for free. You can arrive five minutes before show time, get a drink before sitting down and enjoy the acoustics.” And there are no hidden fees in the ticket price. Sixty-five dollars means $65, taxes included.
The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center is at 3270 Mitchell Park Drive, Brookfield. For more information, visit wilson-center.com.
