Photo courtesy of First Stage
Go Dog Go! / Ve Perro ¡Ve! - First Stage cast (2026)
The cast of First Stage's 'Go Dog Go! / Ve Perro ¡Ve!' (2026).
To start their 40th anniversary season with a show for all ages and for all of Milwaukee, First Stage opens with the bilingual musical Go Dog Go! / Ve Perro ¡Ve!, based on the beloved early readers book by P.D. Eastman. I got the chance to chat with First Stage’s artistic director and director of the show itself, Michelle LoRicco, as well as cast members Sarah Zapiain (MC Dog), Ellie Gutierrez (Blue Dog), and Charlie Machata (Red Dog).
“We were really intentional about it being the first show right off the bat, right out of the cannon; [it’s an] invitation for an expanded audience to be welcomed into our spaces,” LoRicco said. Go Dog Go! / Ve Perro ¡Ve! provides a unique opportunity for both Spanish- and English-language learners to dive into the joyful chaos that is a day at the dog park while promoting their own literacy in another language.
“You walk in, and you just want to play,” Zapiain said of designer Pat LoRicco’s set with which audiences can interact, featuring bright green turf, a tire fort doghouse made from recycled materials, a carnival tent and more. “We’re very lucky at First Stage,” LoRicco added, “They somehow make my wildest dreams tangible, and they have everything for us [when rehearsals start] so that the young performers feel super safe and confident.”
Chaotic but Controlled
And as is always the case with a First Stage production, the skills these young performers are learning are not easy ones. On a stage full of scooters and wagons and cardboard cars, quite a bit of choreographic engineering must go into making a show look chaotic while maintaining control of its moving parts. But the actors are certainly up to the task, as Zapiain gushed, “I learn so much when I work with young performers! They have such a completely different view of risk taking and playfulness and clowning. It’s fun to watch them work and to get to be a part of that.”
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The two young performers I spoke with were excited by the process as well, with Machata saying, “This musical is a way for me to channel my energy; I can put my whole self into my character.” Gutierrez brought up her admiration for the designers of the show, saying, “You can see how much effort these creators have put into all the little details from the book that they brought to life.”
They both gave some fun insider information regarding costumes, as well: each dog’s ears and tail are inspired by and based on specific real life dog breeds. Each character also has a unique accessory to set them apart, leaning into the, as Machata referred to it, “family vibe.” He further explained, “We’re all from the same place, except we have that thing that makes us unique.”
Space to Explore
While Go Dog Go! / Ve Perro ¡Ve! celebrates diversity as far as the character dogs are concerned, the production also gives its artists the space to explore their own individuality and express love for their culture.
“We have a lot of young performers that are multiracial,” LoRicco explained, “and even though Spanish is a big part of their culture, it’s not something they’re necessarily immersed in. What I’ve learned… is being Americanized and performing to that culture… It’s such a complicated thing. Latine kids are trying to survive, and learning the language is not a part of that. How powerful is that going to be for our Spanish speaking community? To come into a space where they don’t typically hear Spanish, and then see their language written and painted and hear it spoken and sung and celebrated.”
Machata also said, “I’m excited because not often do you have plays that are bilingual… right now we’re doing a mash-up, and I think that’s destroying a boundary.”
For those looking to learn a few words in Spanish or English, or who just want to experience a fun day at the dog park, Go Dog Go! / Ve Perro ¡Ve! at First Stage is the perfect ticket for that adventure. The jazzy musical just might end with a dog dance party, and it’ll certainly break down some barriers that too often exist in the arts.
See Go Dog Go! / Ve Perro ¡Ve! October 3 through November 1 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center’s Goodman Mainstage Hall. Find tickets and additional information at firststage.org. First Stage is partnered with Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS) for this production.
