'Unforgettable,' 'Titanic,' 'Mamma Mia' among 18 Milwaukee theater, music and dance performances to see in fall 2022

Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·7 min read
Twin sisters Christina and Michelle Naughton will perform Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
Twin sisters Christina and Michelle Naughton will perform Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
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As Milwaukee's performing arts seasons begin in September, important questions must be asked:

  • Will it be titanic?

  • Will it be unforgettable?

  • Will there be a touch of madness?

A look at the schedule replies yes, yes and yes to those questions, literally. Only you, dear audience member, can answer them figuratively.

Truth be told, local music, theater and dance groups long for your evaluating eyes and attentive ears in their seats. The United Performing Arts Fund recently reported that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, its 14 member groups "experienced a collective revenue loss of nearly $38 million during the past three seasons."

Fortunately, there are many promising works on the calendar between now and early November. These are listed in chronological order by date of first performance.

"Unforgettable": Singer John-Mark McGaha performs the swinging music of Nat King Cole in the Milwaukee Repertory Theater's season opener, including "Unforgettable" and "Mona Lisa." Sept. 9-Nov. 6. Stackner Cabaret, 108 E. Wells St. Visit milwaukeerep.com or call (414) 224-9490.

Present Music will perform music by French composter Christophe Chassol on Sept. 11.
Present Music will perform music by French composter Christophe Chassol on Sept. 11.

"La Belle et la Bête": Present Music begins a season of unusual pairings with this humdinger, screening Jean Cocteau's 1946 "Beauty and the Beast" film while performing the new score Phillip Glass composed for it in 1994. But wait, there's more: Music from French composer Christophe Chassol's "Big Sun." The backdrop to this concert: The "Posters of Jules Chéret" exhibit at Milwaukee Art Museum, 700 N. Art Museum Drive. 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11. Visit presentmusic.org or call (414) 229-4308.

"Titanic": Milwaukee Rep brings back its production of this rarely performed musical, which lost the final two weeks of its run in May due to COVID-19 problems. In my review of the show last season, I wrote that "I sometimes felt like I was inside a movie about this transatlantic tragedy, with the narrative pulling back for long shots, then zooming in for intimate moments." Most of the cast of 30 are returning, including Andrew Varela, Emma Rose Brooks, Matt Daniels and Carrie Hitchcock. But a few new performers in key roles will give this voyage its own personality. Sept. 20-Oct. 23. Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, 108 E. Wells St. Visit milwaukeerep.com or call (414) 224-9490.

Cast members wave in "Titanic the Musical," staged by Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
Cast members wave in "Titanic the Musical," staged by Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

"Kill Move Paradise": In James Ijames' drama, four Black men who have been killed find themselves in the afterlife with many questions, including some provocative ones for the audience watching them. Marti Gobel directs this Next Act Theatre production. Sept. 22-Oct. 16. 255 S. Water St. Visit nextact.org or call (414) 278-0765.

MORE: Next Act Theatre leader David Cecsarini will retire after 2022-'23 season

Ozomatli: For nearly three decades, this high energy band has blended Latin music with rock, hip hop, funk and even reggae into a sound that Rough Trade dubbed the soundtrack of Los Angeles. 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22. Marcus Performing Arts Center's Uihlein Hall, 929 N. Water St. Visit marcuscenter.org or call (414) 273-7206.

"Mamma Mia!": Who's your daddy? The young woman about to get married would like an answer in this jukebox musical filled with Abba songs, including "Dancing Queen," "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and the title number. Skylight Music Theatre recommends this show for people 10 years and older. Sept. 23-Oct. 16. Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. Visit skylightmusictheatre.org or call (414) 291-7800.

"Wife of a Salesman": Eleanor Burgess' play begins as a riff on Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman," with a 1950s wife confronting her husband's mistress. Then it takes a surprising turn. Milwaukee Repertory Theater co-commissioned this new feminist drama with Chicagoland's Writers Theatre. Sept. 27-Nov. 6. Stiemke Studio, 108 E. Wells St. Visit milwaukeerep.com or call (414) 224-9490.

Milwaukee Symphony: Music director Ken-David Masur opens the orchestra's season with a program of glittering, enticing names. These concerts begin with "Herald, Holler and Hallelujah!," a new fanfare composed by Wynton Marsalis and co-commissioned by the MSO. Twin sisters Christina and Michelle Naughton, who grew up in Madison, will play Mendelssohn's Concerto for Two Pianos. And the orchestra expands for Richard Strauss' tone poem "Eine Alpensinfonie" ("An Alpine Symphony"). Sept. 30-Oct. 1. Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. Visit mso.org or call (414) 291-7605.

Klassik will create live music for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's "Where Did We Sit on the Bus?"
Klassik will create live music for Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's "Where Did We Sit on the Bus?"

"Where Did We Sit on the Bus?": In Brian Quijada's play, a Latinx youth who can't get a straight response to that question in school looks for their own answers. In Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's production, Isa Arciniegas plays the youth, while local hip-hop star Klassik provides live music. Sept. 30-Oct. 23. Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. Viisit milwaukeechambertheatre.org or call (414) 291-7800.

"Arthur & Friends Make a Musical!": A world premiere musical by First Stage, adapted from Marc Brown's books and characters about elementary school student Arthur (an aardvark), his little sister D.W., and his friends Buster, Brain, Francine and Muffy. John Maclay and Brett Ryback wrote and composed the show, which First Stage suggests for people 5 years and older. Oct. 7-Nov. 6. Marcus Center's Todd Wehr Theater, 929 N. Water St. Visit firststage.org or call (414) 267-2961.

Aaron Diehl: Milwaukee Symphony welcomes back artistic partner and pianist Diehl for an all-American program, including Gershwin's Concerto in F, Copland's "Rodeo" and Black composer William Grant Still's Symphony No. 2 (“Song of a New Race”). Oct. 7-9.  Bradley Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave. Visit mso.org or call (414) 291-7605.

"A Page of Madness": Theatre Gigante screens the intense Japanese silent film "A Page of Madness" (1926), with live narration by benshi (storyteller) Yamauchi Nanako and live music by toy instrument band Little Bang Theory, composed by Gigante BFF Frank Paul. Oct. 8 and 9. UWM Kenilworth 508 Theatre, 2155 N. Prospect Ave. Visit www.theatregigante.org.

Whitefish Bay High School graduate Emily Pogorelc returns to sing a leading role in Florentine Opera's "Romeo et Juliette."
Whitefish Bay High School graduate Emily Pogorelc returns to sing a leading role in Florentine Opera's "Romeo et Juliette."

"Roméo et Juliette": Florentine Opera stages French composer Charles Gounod's adaptation of Shakespeare's romantic tragedy. A bonus: soprano Emily Pogorelc returns to her hometown to sing the heroine's role. Oct. 14 and 16. Marcus Performing Arts Center's Uihlein Hall, 929 N. Water St. Visit florentineopera.org or call (414) 291-5700 ext. 224.

"Faces of a Woman": In this Early Music Now concert, Boston vocal ensemble Tapestry performs a program of music and words by and about women from the 12th century (mystic Hildegard von Bingen) to the 20th century (Russian poet Anna Akhmatova). 5 p.m. Oct. 15. St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 914 E. Knapp St. Visit earlymusicnow.org or call (414) 225-3113.

"The Totalitarians": Just in time for what's sure to be a savage, bitter runup to the November election in Wisconsin, The Constructivists perform Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's savage comedy about elections and skulduggery. Oct. 15-29. Interchange Theater Co-Op, 628 N. 10th St.  Visit theconstructivists.org.

"The How and the Why": Renaissance Theaterworks performs Sarah Treem's drama about two female biologists of different generations who confer and clash personally and professionally — about the science and meaning of menstruation. Oct. 21-Nov. 13. 255 S. Water St. Visit www.r-t-w.com or call (414) 278-0765.

Third Coast Percussion performs Oct. 28 at the Wilson Center in Brookfield.
Third Coast Percussion performs Oct. 28 at the Wilson Center in Brookfield.

"Archetypes": Chicago's Third Coast Percussion teams with father-daughter duo Sergio and Clarice Assad for a concert that explores the power and heritage of universal symbols. 8 p.m. Oct. 28, Wilson Center, 3270 Mitchell Park Drive, Brookfield. Visit wilson-center.com. At 10 a.m. that day, TCP will perform a student and school group show. Email education@wilson-center.com for info.

"Swan Lake": Milwaukee Ballet performs one of the great works of the classical repertoire, with a memorable Tchaikovsky score. Nov. 3-6. MB recommends this show for people 4 years and older. Visit milwaukeeballet.org or call (414) 902-2103.

Contact Jim Higgins at jim.higgins@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jhiggy.

Related: What’s going on in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin entertainment in summer 2022

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 18 Milwaukee theater, music and dance performances to see in fall 2022