with nearly $300,000 in sales
(Milwaukee) Milwaukee Repertory Theater kicks off the 2019/20 Season with a record- breaking on-sale for the iconic American musical West Side Story based on a conception of Jerome Robbinswith book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The Monday, June 24, 2019 on-sale event resulted in nearly $300,000 in sales, making it the highest grossing on-sale for a musical in the Quadracci Powerhouse, beating out last year’s record holder In The Heights. Several performances are nearly sold out and several performances only have individual seats left. Best availability is Sunday-Thursday the first two weeks of the run. West Side Story runs September 17 – October 27, 2019 in the Quadracci Powerhouse. Purchase tickets at www.MilwaukeeRep.com, by calling the Ticket Office at 414-224- 9490 or in person at 108 E. Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee.
West Side Story is directed by Artistic Director Mark Clements who is celebrating his 10th Anniversary with Milwaukee Rep and stars Rep newcomers Jeffrey Kringer (Cruel Intentions Nat’l Tour) as Tony, Liesl Collazo(On Your Feet, Gateway Playhouse) as Maria, Danielle Marie-Gonzalez (Clueless: The Musical, Signature Theater) as Anita and José-Luis Lopez, Jr. (On Your Feet, Broadway) as Bernardo.
West Side Story creative team includes music direction by Rep Associate Artist Dan Kazemi (In The Heights, Ring of Fire at Milwaukee Rep), choreography by Jon Rua (Broadway co-choreographer for The Cher Show andSponge Bob Square Pants), set design by Todd Edward Ivins (Junk, Milwaukee Rep), costume design byAlexander B. Tecoma (Guys and Dolls, Milwaukee Rep), lighting design by Yael Lubetzky (South Pacific, Drury Lane), co- sound design by Daniel Erdberg (Anything Goes, Arena Stage) and Megan B. Henninger (In The Heights, Milwaukee Rep), with music supervision by Rep Associate Artist John Tanner (A Christmas Carol, Milwaukee Rep).
West Side Story is a passionate adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet filled with some of the most unforgettable songs including “Maria,” “Tonight, ”I Feel Pretty” and “America” telling the greatest love story ever told in a larger-than-life musical.
West Side Story is presented by The Plunkett Family Foundation and sponsored by BMO with executive producers Jo Ann and Richard Beightol, Four-Four Foundation, Inc. and Gina and Eric Peter with Associate Producer Suzy B. Ettinger Foundation. The Rep is sponsored in part by the United Performing Arts Fund.
Get a sneak peek of West Side Story with cast performances at the following local festivals this summer:
- – Wednesday, July 10, 6pm at NEWaukee Night Market (W Wisconsin Ave, between Plankinton and Vel
R. Philips Ave.)
- – Tuesday, July 23, 6pm at Chill on the Hill in Humboldt Park (3000 S Howell Ave.)
- – Sunday, August 4 at Puerto Rican Family Festival in Humboldt Park (3000 S Howell Ave.)
- – Tuesday, August 6, 7pm at Skyline Music Festival (Selig-Joseph-Folz Amphitheater in Kilbourn – Kadish
Park, between North Ave and Reservoir Ave.)
- – Thursday, August 8, 7pm at Colectivo Lakefront with De La Buena (1701 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr.)
- – Wednesday, August 14, 6pm at Washington Park Wednesdays (1859 N. 40 St)
- – Thursday, August 15, 7pm at Jazz in the Park (Cathedral Square, 520 E Wells St)
For more information, please visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com.Cast Biographies
Jeffrey Kringer, Tony
Jeffrey’s credits include the first National Tour of Cruel Intentions as Sebastian Valmont. Additional credits include The Secret Garden at The Palace Theatre of NH and Annie at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center. A recent graduate of Fredonia State University of New York’s BFA in Musical Theatre program, Jeffrey participated in several productions during his undergraduate career including Spring Awakening and Peter and the Starcatcher at the Walter Gloor Stage, as well as Suburbia with the Fredonia Performing Arts Company.Liesl Collazo, Maria
Liesl is a native of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico and holds a BFA in Musical Theater and an MA from University of Michigan. Recent credits include On Your Feet at Gateway Playhouse. Her undergrad credits include Maria inWest Side Story at Ann Arbor in Concert, as well as Franca in The Light in the Piazza.Danielle Marie Gonzalez, Anita
Danielle credits include the off-Broadway production Clueless: The Musical at Signature Theatre. She has also been part of the Saturday Night Fever, Flashdance: The Musical and Rock of Ages National Tours. Additional credits include West Side Story at 5th Avenue Theater, A Chorus Line at the Westchester Broadway Theatre, 9 to 5 at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina and Legally Blonde at the White Plains Performing Arts. As well asNoises Off, A Chorus Line, and City of Angels at the La Guardia Arts at Lincoln Center.Jose-Luis Lopez, Jr., Bernardo
Jose-Luis Lopez, Jr. Broadway credits include the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical In the Heights, andOn your Feet! He was also part of the First National Tour of In the Heights as Graffiti Pete, and Jesus Christ Superstar at The Muny.
About Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Rep is the largest performing arts organization in Wisconsin in terms of audiences served and one of the largest professional theaters in the country. Each year, The Rep welcomes up to 275,000 people at nearly 700 performances of 15 productions ranging from compelling dramas, powerful classics, new plays and full-scale musicals in its three unique performance venues – the Quadracci Powerhouse, Stiemke Studio and Stackner Cabaret. For over 65 years, The Rep has gained a national reputation as an incubator of new work, an agent of community change and a forward-thinking provider of vital arts education programs. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mark Clements and Executive Director Chad Bauman, Milwaukee Repertory Theater ignites positive change in the cultural, social, and economic vitality of its community by creating world- class theater experiences that entertain, provoke, and inspire meaningful dialogue among an audience representative of Milwaukee’s rich diversity.
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