Many holiday shows, from family friendly tales to hilarious adult comedies, will grace Milwaukee stages this season. One of the former includes First Stage’s Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical, adapted from the television special for stage by Robert Penola. The musical’s director, Matt Daniels, says, “This is a show where everyone in the family truly has a delightful experience. It’s faithful to the source material without being slavish, and has a great combination of whimsy and sentimentality.” First Stage is staying true to the special’s stop-motion animation by borrowing techniques from Japanese theater and having everything hand-operated by onstage stagehands/puppeteers called kokens (or snokens in this case).
First Stage is also taking part in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the original television broadcast of Rudolph by offering pre- and post-show workshops that explore themes tying into PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center’s social media campaign called #ShineBright, such as accepting differences, being open to diverse perspectives and taking responsibilities for your actions. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical runs Nov. 28-Dec. 28 at Marcus Center for the Performing Arts’ Todd Wehr Theater, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, call 414-273-7206 or visit firststage.org.
A more local holiday classic is Anthony Wood’s hilarious homage to beer, bowling, friendship and forgiveness, A Cudahy Caroler Christmas, which returns to In Tandem Theatre for its ninth and final run—as In Tandem’s Managing Director Jane Flieller says, “It’s time to put it to bed for a while.” Chris Flieller, the show’s only remaining original cast member, has decided to also make his final appearance as Stasch in this hilarious comedy after 288 performances.
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“I’m very glad that so many people here in Wisconsin have such a great sense of humor and that the show’s humor and local references resonate in a positive way for so many people,” Jane says. “In Tandem very much looks forward to bringing audiences one last dose of A Cudahy Caroler Christmas and alternative holiday fare for years to come.”
An opening reception will be held Friday, Nov. 28 featuring a champaign toast, light appetizers and a meet-and-greet with the actors. There will also be a New Year’s Eve performance that includes the same along with more goodies to eat, a sing-a-long and “fireworks.” A Cudahy Caroler Christmas, best enjoyed by those 13 and up, runs Nov. 28-Jan 4 at Tenth Street Theatre, 628 N. 10th St. For tickets, call 414-271-1371 or visit intandemtheatre.org.
Theatre Happening
In conjunction with World AIDS Day, the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center presents Séance: Signs of Life from Another Room, a mix of spoken word, music and theater drawn from the works of gay artists lost in the AIDS epidemic. The Séance Project addresses the creative explosion of work articulating the developing gay culture and how the existence of that vibrant community before the HIV/AIDS epidemic all but disappeared from memory—until now. Séance runs Friday, Nov. 28 and Saturday, Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. at the Montage Cabaret, 810 S. Second St. Monies raised will benefit the MGAC.
