Puppets Take the Stage in Milwaukee Opera Theatre’s ‘Night of the Living Opera’

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Photo by Mark Frohna

Milwaukee Opera Theatre ‘Night of the Living Opera’

Milwaukee Opera Theatre's ‘Night of the Living Opera’

The zombies slowly shuffle out onstage at the beginning of the show. They’re heading back into the set to provide the atmosphere that will settle in over everything. The undead amble into shadow and puppetry serves as a moody opening for Milwaukee Opera Theatre’s Night of the Living Opera. George A. Romero’s classic 1968 film serves as a cleverly nuanced foundation for a brisk and moody modern opera. Julianne Perkins has a hypnotic emotional gravity about her in the role of Barbara, who finds herself attacked by a zombie and chased to a small home. Jerome Síbulo holds a steady presence as Ben—the level-headed guy who helps Barbara survive with a strongly rational survival instinct. 

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Milwaukee puppet group Angry Young Men Ltd. conjures the zombies to the stage in a way that amplifies the atmosphere lurking in and around the edges of the ensemble. The life-sized zombie puppets intensify the mood in the foreground while shadow puppetry expands the atmosphere beyond the intimacy of the studio theater environment of the production. Billy Ray Olsen’s puppet direction keeps the motion across the stage fluid and active. Music Director Nicole McCarty’s onstage orchestra conjures a symphonic backdrop for Perkins, Sibulo and company to inhabit. Night of the Living Opera reaches the stage with a haunting strength that exists in equal parts comedy and emotional drama. It feels like a very natural and organic fusion. 

Milwaukee Opera Theatre and Angry Young Men Ltd.’s Night of the Living Opera runs through Nov. 5 at the Broadway Theatre Center’s Studio Theatre (158 N. Broadway). For ticket reservations and more, visit milwaukeeoperatheatre.org.