feature article - december 2007
Holidays bring entertainment for all ages
WHEN THE HOLIDAY SEASON arrives, the entertainment scene in Milwaukee shifts into overdrive.
November and December bring a treasure trove of play, musicals and dance productions, many themed around the holidays.
Going on now, Next Act Theatre’s Greetings by Tom Dudzick shows the results when Andy Gorski brings home his Jewish-atheist fiancée to spend Christmas Eve with gentle Mom and gruff, conservative Dad, both devoutly Catholic. Presented in the Off-Broadway Theatre, 432 N. Water St. 278-0765.
Thru Dec. 16, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre tells the story of a cantankerous judge and the girl who comes in (as yet another new secretary) to help the old man complete his remarkable memoirs. Trying, by Joanna McClelland Glass, is a heartwarming tale about two wary individuals who overcome generational and class differences to become friends. Presented in the Studio Theatre of the Broadway Theatre Center complex, 158 N. Broadway. 276-8842.
The Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents the timeless classic, A Christmas Carol, in the gilded elegance of the Pabst Theater. Thru Dec. 23, audiences will be swept into a production filled with music, dancing and celebration.
Thru Dec. 24, First Stage Children’s Theater features the world premiere of playwright James DeVita’s 12 Days – A Milwaukee Christmas. This turn-of-the-century story depicts how an extraordinary teacher brought the joy of the holidays to her students during a harrowing time of war. Presented in the Todd Wehr Theater at the Marcus Center for the Performing Ars, 929 N. Water St. 273-7206.
Skylight Opera Theatre features Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, based on the classic 1954 film, thru Dec. 31. The score is a treasury of Irving Berlin classics, such as Blue Skies and Count Your Blessings. Presented in the “jewel-box” Cabot Theatre in the Broadway Theatre Centre. 291-7800.
A large dose of local culture is part of A Cudahy Caroler Christmas by local playwright Anthony Wood. In Tandem Theatre Company returns to the Performing Arts Center’s Vogel Hall, thru Jan. 5. This musical comedy’s hero, Stasch Zelinski, rounds up the beloved carolers for one final triumphant concert on cable access television. (Vogel Hall is accessed around the performing arts center’s main entrance, 123 E. State St. 273-7206.
It wouldn’t be the holiday season in Milwaukee without The Nutcracker. The Milwaukee Ballet Company presents their annual treat for all ages, Dec. 14-29. Tchaikovsky’s familiar, captivating score played by the Milwaukee Ballet Orchestra transports viewers to the Tannenbaum family holiday celebration, where a special toy nutcracker is given to clara, whose dream becomes the adventure of a lifetime.
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