Holiday Theatre Online

​It’s weird entering the Pandemic Holidays. It was exceptionally strange rolling through Thanksgiving with my family and then...NOT having some sort of a Christmas or Holiday show at the Brumder or the UC or...anywhere else. Nevertheless, there ARE quite a few alternatives to live theatre making it to the internet from Milwaukee this month. Here’s a look at a few options.

​Tomorrow night, Milwaukee Public Theatre and Quasimondo present the story of a tiny cookie company that is taken over by a large Conagra-style food corporation. An overworked, understaffed regional manager struggles to find a way to market a small, local brand for national distribution. The collaboration is a part of a series of staged readings being presented via Zoom. The cast includes some really, really cool people including Barbara Leigh, Kirk Thomsen, Jessi Miller, Posy Knight, Andrew Parchman and Jenni Reinke. According to the promo copy, “this hilarious and poignant piece explores consumer culture, workplace discrimination, and the importance of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).” Cool. The reading takes place on Zoom on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 pm. For more information, visit the show’s page on Brown Paper Tickets. “Order” the free tickets via BPT and you’ll be sent a link to the Zoom for the show.

​The Milwaukee Rep is providing a free online version of its popular adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Evidently back in 2016, The Rep recorded the production of Mark Clements’ adaptation of Dickens’ classic. Though it’s substantially less accomplished than the Joseph Hanreddy/Edward Morgan adaptation which preceded it, Clements’ interpretation could be a lot of fun as seen from the comfort of one’s own private home version of the Pabst Theater. The show is available for free online December 1 - 24. In order to get a free link to the video, go to the Rep’s registration site and fill out the form. Links will be mailed to those registering with the site.

Voices Found Repertory is hosting Mission: Audition--a series of audition workshops this month. The group has put together some really good shows in the past. In addition to the occasional show that’s posted online via Twitch, the group has been keeping busy with lots of little events in and around the edges of the internet.  The latest is a series of auditions workshops on three consecutive Sturdays this month. Dec. 5--Hannah Kubiak and guest provide feedback on 2-minute auditions from Shakespeare and classical theatre. Dec. 12--Jessica Trznadel and guest do the same for 2-minute auditions of contemporary/modern audition work. Then on Dec. 19--Sarah Zapiain and guest host a  Musical theatre audition workshop. All workshops take place in the afternoon. It’s $10 for a 20 minute time slot. For more information, visit Mission: Audition’s facebook events page.

​It’s been interesting to watch the range of different responses to COVID in local theatre. Not too long ago the Sunset Playhouse had an audio drama fundraiser featuring a classic script from the golden age of radio. This month, the Village Playhouse presents a live The Little Women Radio Show. Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel is adapted into a classic 1940s radio show that will be available for viewing Dec. 10 - 31. The show stars Hannah Kubiak, Savannah Miracle, Christine Hoehn and more. The show is free online with a suggested donation of $10.  For more information, visit Village Playhouse online.

And there’s a little spot of Shakespeare this month online as well. Boozy Bard presents a Shakespeare Raw(ish) production of the classic Hamlet. The show is performed entirely over Facebook Live in online conference-style. Who’s going to play which roles? AS always, chance and circumstance are the casting directors in a production of the classic tragedy which taps into the heart of chaos to hopefully pull out something beautiful. The show takes place free online on Dec. 16. The show starts at 7:00 pm. For more information, visit the show’s Facebook events page.

Patrick Schmitz--the author of Rudolph the Pissed-Off Reindeer stages an all-new reindeer-based comedy this month. This time it’s a murder/mystery comedy. Santa and his reindeer crash. They soon realize that the crash...was no accident. Now they must work out who it is who caused the crash as they find themselves killed-off one-by-one. Will they find out who is responsible before it’s too late? Sounds like a fun premise for a comedy. The show will be staged online with three different performances: December 18 and 19th at 7:30 pm. There’s also a matinee on December 19th at 2:00 pm. For more information, visit Schmitz & Giggles online.