October 22, 2019 – (Milwaukee) This week, Milwaukee Repertory Theater‘s “breathtaking revival” of the iconic love story West Side Story surpassed last year’s record-setter, In the Heights, to become the best-selling musical in Milwaukee Rep history. Now in its last week in the Quadracci Powerhouse, West Side Story has wowed Milwaukee audiences with its sizzling choreography, soaring musical score and powerhouse performances.
“This season is an important one for me, as it marks my 10th Anniversary as Artistic Director at Milwaukee Rep,” said Director Mark Clements. “Therefore, I really wanted to choose a season that was special for our audiences. Producing West Side Story, with its complex score, groundbreaking dance and smart, authentic language, at Milwaukee Rep has been a thrilling and deeply fulfilling launch for our 2019/20 Season.”
West Side Story is a hit among audiences and critics alike. Shepherd Express calls West Side Story “must-see theater,” commenting on its “talented young cast, dramatic acting, athletic dancing and fine singing.” Urban Milwaukee remarks that DirectorMark Clements has “re-established that this musical belongs most mightily on the live stage.” Reviewer Dave Begel calls West Side Story “Spectacular… this production has power and beauty hardly ever seen on any stage anywhere!” And OnMilwaukee.com is reduced to superlatives, stating “This review may be the shortest I’ve ever written. That’s because you may get bored of hearing additional adjectives for spectacular, extraordinary, sensational and brilliant.”
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. Additional support is provided by the City of Milwaukee Arts Board. Milwaukee Rep is sponsored in part by the United Performing Arts Fund.
West Side Story runs now through October 27 in the Quadracci Powerhouse. Tickets can be purchased online atwww.MilwaukeeRep.com, by calling the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490 or in person at the Ticket Office, 108 E. Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee.
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, Milwaukee 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, Milwaukee 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.