Although I thought the play Circle Mirror Transformation was done poorly, I loved the theater…read more Intimate, the audience on three sides, there isn't a bad seat in the house. Acoustics are good and the lighting excellent. As for Circle, the casting was ludicrous, especially the younger women who didn't fit their roles at all. Their performances were less than high school level. They played into over-acting, exaggerating every facial expression and movement. It was embarrassing. This play's staging is all about mirror placement. The audience should be able to see the reactive expressions of the actors from different angles. This director placed one mirror at the back of the stage, barely reflecting the audience. What the heck was that? It served no purpose. I understand the Next Act Theater has a low budget, but hire actors who look the part of the characters they play. There are hundreds of wonderful theatrical artists in the Milwaukee area who would give anything for one of these parts. There is no excuse. All that being said, the Next Act Theater is still a fantastic venue to see a production, most are much better than this version of Circle Mirror Transformation, an Obie award winning play.

Milwaukee's theater scene is really strong, but don't sleep on this small powerhouse of a theater,…read moreNext Act Theatre! I loved my subscriptions in 2021, 2022, and can always count on Next Act to give me a play that makes me think, laugh, question society through the lens of a new play written in a Shakespearean style or through a multicultural lens. So far in 2023 I've enjoyed Agatha Christie's "The Mousetrap" the West End's longest running play, and am looking forward to another in 2024! The art in the lobby is curated to reflect the current play, as well! Seats are easy to purchase online or by phone, and there's even an audio service during performances for the hard of hearing. Next Act supports the best in acting talent in the Milwaukee area, great playwrights and I recommend you check them out!

This theatre is a hidden gem in a great part of Milwaukee. I realized it happened to be right down…read morethe street from my apartment on Broadway. What a great location! When you walk inside it is so much more magnificent than expected! The people are friendly and helpful in directing you to the right place. There is a full bar on the second floor that allows you to bring drinks into the theatre. It seems as though they usually have two shows rolling at once -- one to the right, one to the left. Lots of people and so much fun! The play was awesome and I'd love to go check out others.

This is a very beautiful venue, home to 3 different companies. The theatre itself is stunning -…read moreeverything is beautiful! I loved the ceiling,chandelier, and the color scheme. There is a bar area next to the theater for drinks before shows. I was lucky enough to check it out during a special event :) Parking can be difficult on a busy evening, but street parking is free after 6pm. I am looking forward to seeing a show here next season!

The Warner Grand Theater is beautiful! I've attended two holiday pops concerts here as while as a…read moremovie night where MSO played the score. I've sat in the balcony and in the orchestra, there are no bad seats. Speaking of seats, they are quite a bit roomier than you would think! There are bars on all the floors and plenty of bathrooms. The lobby area has floor to ceiling windows allowing for lots of natural light to shine through. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful theatre and wonderful orchestra in Milwaukee.

First time here to see a concert, Keb Mo and Shawn Colvin…read more The theater is breathtaking. They have done such an incredible with the restoration. The inside is excellent. The stage, the audience seats, balconies, all wonderful. There was great attention to all the details. We had great seats, Orchestra, 3rd row center. Great sight line to the stage. The lighting was very good. Our issue was with the sound. Not sure if it was the location (too close), the acoustics of the room, or the mixing, but for us the sound was muddled. I think next time we will try to get a spot further back. The lobby area is quite comfortable. And the adjoining lobby the east allows for gathering or special events. The entire place is a GEM. Looking forward to our next visit.

The last time I reviewed the Milwaukee Rep, they had been going strong for 63 season. Now that…read morenumber is 72! They recently renovated and the theater is even more comfortable than before. The seats felt roomier where we were sitting with a bit more leg room. As with any trip to the Rep, there's not a bad seat in the house. I love musicals and love that their first production of any season is typically a musical. Most recently, it was Footloose which was wonderful. They offer pre fixe dinner deals with their show tickets if you so choose and it's seriously one of the best deals in town. For $35 more per person, you can get a pre fix dinner that comes with choice of soup or salad, choice of entree, and dessert at the adjacent Stackner Cabaret. $70 for two for three courses? Just a couple weeks ago, we spent $50 at a local coffee shop for lattes and a breakfast sandwich, so, in these inflated times--that's a steal. Always happy to support the arts and the wonderful local productions at the Rep! Get to it!

Another update because this theater continues to update their accessibility! Today we loved "And…read moreThen There Were None" at the Checota Powerhouse Theater. As usual the production was done wonderfully, with the actors giving us laughs as well as suspense in this great Agatha Christie mystery. The stage set is wonderfully interesting and visually exciting. Very well done. But today I was able to watch the show with subtitles, which is incredibly helpful for someone like me who wears hearing aids, but I still need a little help in live performances. Milwaukee Rep here offers the closed captioning of the shows, all in your own phone. If you prefer, you may also borrow a tablet for this service. By using the app GalaPro on your phone, you can have all the words in front of you without getting in the way of the actors or your seat neighbors. We were using our own phones, but borrowed a seat holder which kept the words in front of us but not in the way. Thank you, Milwaukee Rep for regularly updating your accessibility options. This new one is so helpful!

If you're looking for a clever, interactive, and entertaining way to spend an evening I can't…read morerecommend this team enough. Your experience will be filled with laugher while you try to solve the murder! [As another reviewer mentioned you are offered a gift if you post a review, but they do not specify that it needs to be 5 star, so I don't think that should deter you from appreciating the positive reviews on their page. Businesses succeed by word of mouth and I can't fault them for asking customers to help out.]

Date of visit: Saturday, February 10…read more This experience was a gift from a friend that had always wanted to do a murder mystery dinner/party. I too, have always been interested in this concept though the results were a mixed bag. Check in was a bit of a cluster as there were two tables next to each other, but no signs and that resulted in people shuffling back and forth because there was nothing to guide us. Once we got in the right line, we were asked to come up with a name for ourselves for the evening. Wish we had known this in advance so we could have been more creative. We then were checked in and given tickets for our food choices. There was a color-coding system that almost everyone forgot as soon as they found their table and wish they would have just labeled the damn things, "pork," or "chicken." Speaking of pork, the food overall was just okay. My apple pork was pretty good but I didn't care for the green beans. The salad was pretty good, as were the rolls. The cheesecake dessert was pretty pedestrian, likely Sara Lee or the like. After you were seated, the "host," Sue came in to lay the ground rules. I think much of my dissatisfaction stemmed from her and the two police office actors who were just a bit over the top for my tastes. Sue did not have the qualities of a good host, in my opinion. She was efficient and knew her stuff, but wasn't charming or gracious. I found her a bit grating, unfortunately. I am sure she's a lovely person she just didn't set the scene for me. I also didn't like the "interactive" portions of the event where we were encouraged to mingle with the other participants to see who was "suspicious." For those more introverted folks, this was not great. Given all that, kudos to the rest of the acting staff for injecting some fun and mystery to this event!

Saw "& Juliet" at the Marcus Performing Arts Center, in Uihlein Hall…read more Our seats were in the Loge section, row C, seats 311 to 308. Plenty of volunteers were stationed throughout to help direct people to their seats. Beverages and snacks were available in the atrium. For bathrooms, I would recommend heading down to the atrium level rather than staying on the upper floor. The upper floor restroom is smaller, and the line was quite long. Sound and view from our seats were both good. The 2026/2027 season is posted now, and there are several shows on it I'd like to see. Being able to catch these here without having to travel to Chicago is a nice perk.

I've always thought that the theater could use a higher incline. It's such a large theater, but it…read morecan get pretty uncomfortable in the back, with views very obscured by taller gents seating in front of you. Obviously orchestra seats are the best. As are the front loge seats. But unlike, say the Fiserv where you get a good view from any seat, further back seats here can get pretty uncomfortable. One little bit of luck I had seating on row W was that this was the second to the last row on orchestra floor, but the last row was set up with sound tables and no one was seating there during my show. And because I had a really tall guy seating in front of me, I couldn't see anything, but I could actually flop up the fold down chair and sit up high without obscuring anyone behind me and get an unobscured view myself. So if I want cheap tickets in the back, get the very back row and sit up like that to get a better view lol. It's not comfortable though.

My love affair with the Boulevard is fairly new. Mark (The Artistic Director) stopped by a meeting…read moreI hosted awhile back and brought along some of the actors to share a reading with us. I then drug my date to the full length performance of "Circle Mirror Transformation". I had no idea what to expect, but I loved the energy and accessibility of the folks I met and I wanted more. I enjoyed the first show so much I've been to another one since and have brought several of my friends with me! That same energy and sense of accessibility was clear at the theater-I was not disappointed! Mark makes a point to acknowledge people in the audience, thanking them, and asking them to talk about their organizations. There is a real sense of community happening and it's hard not to feel like part of the family. Location is perfect-You can park once and grab dinner before and drinks or dessert after. Arrive early (Doors open 20 minutes prior to curtain). Try out your chair and make sure it's comfortable, there are a few fairly uncomfortable ones. Avoid the "Lincoln Balcony". Have a drink and pee before you get there. Small space=No food/drink service and one tiny bathroom.

My husband and I love going to see the many wonderful productions performed in this small theater…read morespace. They hire many beginning actors/ actresses, helping get their foot in the door, as well as many local talents. Mark is always very sociable and promotes the current works being presented by other theater companies; many times if someone from another theater is in the audience he will give them a moment to announce what they have in store. This theater is one of the reasons Bay View has become such a wonderful neighborhood to visit, live in, and open new business. I would suggest giving this theater a try, I think too many people overlook local theaters and miss out on some very well produced pieces. Also, Mark is a certified officiant for weddings and did a wonderful job with ours. We received many compliments from our guests and we were thrilled that he could take part in such an important way on our wedding day. Thanks Mark! :) Street parking only, in spitting distance of: Cafe Lulu, Guanajuato (sp?), Riviera Mia, Babe's, Stone Creek Coffee, Toppers, Cafe Centraal, Wild Flour Bakery, and Jimmy Johns in case you want dinner or a snack before the show. There are other scrumptious places to eat within a short drive as well.

Renaissance Theaterworks is dedicated to improving gender parity in theater. They're the only woman…read morefounded and run theater company in Milwaukee. What's not to love about that?!? My mom and I went recently to their production of Top Girls. The theater space the show was in was perfectly intimate (not a bad seat in the house). I love enjoying plays in such small venues. To be able to see the actors every facial expression and gesture completely captivates me. The play was beautifully acted and thought provoking. It was a great play to see with my mom (who was staying with me for a couple weeks). We ended up having some great conversations about it! If you go to see one of their shows on a Wednesday evening, it's wine Wednesday! You get a complimentary glass of wine with the play. Oh...and they gave us chocolates (like really amazing, rich bites of heavenly goodness) as we exited. What a lovely evening! Get to it!

Founded in 1993, Renaissance Theaterworks is Milwaukee's only women-founded, women-run theatre…read morecompany. Their mission is to "create compelling theater focusing on the exploration of the feminine voice and to offer professional opportunities to emerging local theater artists." I've seen two of their excellent offerings written by 2009 Playwright in Residence (part-founder) Marie Kohler: Boswell's Dreams (2005) and the Dig (2009). Both plays were intriguing and well worth my art dollars. The company has since taken up residence at the 100-person seat Studio Theater in the Broadway Theater complex. With the Third Ward location one can easily find plenty of restaurants nearby to make this a nice centerpiece for a night out. Parking in the lot next door is $5 or you might be lucky to find an open meter space. Renaissance Theaterworks is well worth your time and support! Support the Arts, Milwaukee!

Saw the last performance given in this venue, Before a complete renovation to reopen the stage more…read morethan a year from now. What a great tribute to the Quadracci powerhouse to have four amazing voices harmonizing through the Nina Simone, four women story. Thank you. Will be back in a year and looking forward to the Stackner in the interim.

This is my 3rd show in the last year at this theatre. The seats are very comfortable with ample leg…read moreroom. The ushers are all very friendly and more than happy to get you to your seat and answer any questions you have. The actors/performers really get into their parts and make the show what it is. Parking underneath the Rep is easy and you can even pay online ahead of time to park and avoid the machines on each floor to pay parking before you leave.

It's been years since I had been to the Riverside Theater…read more Somehow I had it in my mind that it was not as nice as it's sister, The Pabst Theater. I was very wrong. Access is easier, with no stairs to get in. The entrance & main orchestra floor are on the same level. The decor & style have been maintained, keeping the theater l beautiful. Its nearly 100 years old, opening in 1928, Our seats were very good, row P. The slope of the floor, allows a good view of the stage from any seat. The seats themselves are older but were still comfortable. I hope i get to see a show there again soon. Security was smooth and easy. Tickets were on AXS app which is the same as other Pabst group shows. Parking is in a structure about 2 blocks away, unless you are lucky & find street parking. U

I've been going here to see who's throughout the past decade like Tosh.O, plays and music…read moreconcerts. The most recent show I've seen was the Harry Potter Sorcerer's Stone film and live music orchestra performed by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. What a surreal experience, it was wild hearing live music as the movie played on the movie screen. They served Butter beer and popcorn to enhance the Harry Potter movie watching experience! The front facing building has been renovated which now looks more Modern. And refreshed. The inside shows the classic preserved historic look adding to the experience. Convenient service from the security bag check at the entrance, ticket checking, and concession stands! Come see a show and support the entertainment industry! Including local!