Pabst Theater Continued

conservatively with the realistic expectations of very good but not the great qualities that ‚Albany ‚Hall had given them. Otto Strack alredy knew that ‚The Pabst would pass

the even most rigid scruteny. He had enjoyed his own private concert prior to the theater opening, seated alone €behind the theater's grand pipe organ. As an accomplished

musician he recognized an appreciated that this hall offered a special resonance which is reserved only for very few theaters. The Milwaukee Musical Society enthusiastically

agreed that the sound properties of the ‚Pabst were indeed superb but were understandably unwilling to de-canonize ‚Albany. The Chicago Symphony€ began a ((())) year

relationship with the Pabst in (()))

Virtually every noted name of American and European theater

appeared at the ‚Pabst€ at one time or another. Far more than

the Davidson who specialized in dramatic properties while

the Pabst welcomed all forms of entertainment. The Pabst

help defeat the Syndicate, of which the Davidson was a

charter member, by remaining as an independent safehaven for

the many princiled actors, playwrights and musicians who

stood against that cartel's attempt to manopolize American

theater. Many American theaters where forced to close as

the Syndicate black-ball prevented them from obtaining

adequate bookings to keep their doors open. Milwaukee's

‚Academy of Music€ survived only because it was purchased by

the Schubert Brothers of New York who were the Syndicate's

biggest rival and booked their own tours. The Pabst, on the

other hand, survived on the talents of Leon Wachsner, the

theater's manager who traveled to Europe and arranged for

many of the World's greatest artists to visit Milwaukee. On

December 4, 1905, Herr Leon Wachner and Milwaukee's �German

�Stock Company€ were each honored by Germany's Emporor,

Kaiser William II with the order of the Crown of the fourth

class.

(pix actors MCHS #8185)

( Pix color, medals MPL Hum)

This was in recognition of Wachner's dedication and

preservation of the Teutonic arts in America. (Eve. Wisc.

12-5-1905) Since the Syndicate had devouted all of its

attention to American theater, specifically Broadway,

Wachner was able to maintain the highest level of

entertainment as providing footlights for local theatrical

efforts such as those of The �Wisconsin Players€ and the

(program - Being Ernest MPL prog.)

�English Stock Company€, the in-house companion to the German

stock players. The darkest days of the ‚Pabst Theater's

history were during the First World War when the

German-American audience was cought between their two

National allegences. The anti-German sentiments of

Milwaukee, enforced by the Loyalty Legion, caused the

theater to close for one season in 1914, the only season not

performed by the stock company of actors originated by "

Papa" Kurz, totalling a span of 81 years. By 1935 Milwaukee

could no longer support a German theater. Primarily due to

the fact that a new generation of German-American youth

wished to be strictly American and had little desire to

learn the German language or study its literature. Herr

Herman Klesch, the final President of the Milwaukee's German

theater announced, "There is no longer an audience."

The private door which connected the Pabst Cafe to the

theater was ordered sealed in 1912 as the City wished to rid

itself of the theater/taverns such as had been the tragic

‚Gaiety€. Theaters were no longer alowed to serve alcohol and

this door which was accessed from the theater's foyer must

have seemed too convenient a way to get around the new law.

The tavern was sold to Peter Hammes who operated the cafe

until prohabition when it became The Blackstone Restaurant.

In 1935 the city decided to widen Water Street and the

former Nunnemacher's Block was demolished. This left the

remaining east wall unpainted and an eye sore or nearly 40

years. In the 1970s brick was added to provide what was

called a "music box" treatment, giving the 75 year old

theater a completed look.

( pix - bill board wall wis hist soc.)

In the 1990s, as the ‚Pabst€ explored the feasability of

installing an elevator , and the building had at the same

time begain to show a few small cracks on its east wall, it

was learned that much of the Pabst's east foundation

footings, repaired in 1928, had been placed under the Block

building which had been detached almost 50 years prior. At

present plans are being made to restore the footings and

the elevator may once again have to wait.

(pix pilings east side personal)

As part of the 1928 renovation the private boxes were

removed to better Americanize the theater with the

elimination of that symbol of nobility. The orchestra pit

was enlarged at that time eliminating a number of seats.

Prior to that time a movie projection booth had been

installed and the combined reduction of seats brought the

theater's seating capacity down to

The lobby was enlarged by reducing the t-shaped marble

staircase to one that rested against the east wall.

A large "Pabst" sign was displayed outside to assure the

public that this theater was now comperable to the movie

palaces which were beginning to capture the public's fancy.

(ad 1928 Pabst Journal )

In 1961 the theater was provided with a minor refurbishment,

what the press called a beauty treatment but from 1974 to

1976 came a major $2,500,000 project which rivaled the 1928

renovation in bredth and scope.

( Pix Olson pix steamshovel on stage)

The orchestra pit was enlarged and placed on a hydraulic

lift which also provides for the daily transportation of

lighting and stage equipment which is stored in the

basement. This lift allows the pit area, depending at which

level it is set, to be either an extention of the stage, or

lowered to become additional seating area, or again lowered

to become a conventional sunken orchestra pit with direct

access to the lower dressing room area. A portable orchestra

shell was provided which allows an acoustic orchestra to

project into the theater. As was mentioned earlier, a

complete t-bar arbor system was installed to work in

conjunction with the Knickelbein. And a fully trapped stage

floor was provided with essential electrical floor pockets

making power avaiable throughout the stage area.

With that major renovation complete the fate of the ‚Pabst

was secure. But for twenty years prior to that time the

very existance of the Pabst had remained on an almost

day-to-day basis. In 1953 Captain Pabst's grandson sold the

theater to a foundation who he knew would preserve the

theater's fine reputation. The Pabst barely maintained

itself until 1960 when it announced that it was to close for

good. (TMJ 12-14-60) The ‚Pabst€ found a champion in new

Mayor Henry Maier who purchased the theater on behalf of the

City of Milwaukee in 1961 and allowed the former Pabst

Theater Foundation to continue leasing the facility. But

without any money to be invested in upkeep and improvements

the attractiveness of the theater continued to spiral

downward. By the late 60s the only bookings that the theater

could manage where local theater groups at much discounted

rates. In 1967 Alfred Lunt told of how he had missed the

second act curtain because his dressing room door knob had

come off in his hand. In 1969 the Pabst closed its doors

and its future prospects appeared dismal. The new ‚Performing

‚Arts Center€ had opened and the ‚Pabst€ was tired and dingy. In

an effort to establish the Pabst's historic value to the

Milwaukee community historian Jim Rankin devouted countless

hours doing research and documenting the grand Pabst legacy.

As a result of that work The United States Parks Service

named the ‚Pabst Theater€ a national historic landmark in

1972. Having achieved such recognition the ‚Pabst€ was now

in far less jeopardy from demolition but was not any closer

to re-opening its doors. That ray of limelight didn't shine

until 1973 when the Honorable Mayor Henry Maier said he

would do everything in his power to preserve "...the poor

man's Performing Arts Center," referring to the fact that he

envisioned the ‚Pabst€ as a place for grass roots community

theater. That was the first time in twenty years that it

truly appeared that the ‚Pabst€ would become again a viable

theater rather than a working museum.

(incomplete)

CHAPTER X

Theater of Progress

1881 The Milwaukee Industrial Exhibition Hall

(pix 2 expo hall exter. & inter.)

In 1879 many of Milwaukee's most prominent industrialists

and merchants gathered to plan the construction of an

exposition center where the fruits of Milwaukee's industry

would take center stage and Milwaukee would be the star.

John Plankington was elected president of the Association

with captain Frederich Pabst accepting the vice-presidentcy.

Expanding upon an idea from the Philadelphia Exposition of

1876, $200,000 was spent to create the most striking piece

of architecture that may ever grace Milwaukee's skyline. A

castle-like collection of halls were created in a modified

Queen Anne style of architecture with enough German Gothic

thrown in to satisfy the Teutonic tastes of the community.

As was more the norm than the exception, the two geographic

tribes of Milwaukee feuded over where this structure would

stand with the Kilbourntown crowd winning. Byron Kilbourn

cinched the deal when he donated the land which was

previously occupied by ‚The Milwaukee Market Association

‚Hall€. While it primarily served as a commercial meeting

space and farmers green market, occasionally concerts were

enjoyed within the large barn-like structure.

(eng. $2 concert ticket/raffle coupon Wis His Soc.))

E. Townsand Mix was the architect credited with this

masterpiece which featured a one hundred and seventy-five

foot high polygonal dome over the main arena. Aside from the

many public and private industrial shows for which this

complex was created the main arena also served nicely as a

large gathering hall for band concerts. The Nortwestern

Sangerfest, a National German sponsored musical convention,

was held here in 18))(((. In a rare stroke of luck, when it

came to local fires, 1898 it was decided that the 7,000

square feet of floor space which had been alotted to the

Milwaukee public Museum was insuficient to handle its ever

expanding needs and a seperate structure was built. Had the

museum remained it would have been totally lost as on June

4, 1905 fire claimed much of the complex.

(pix fire)

Several years before the fire a committee had been appointed

to explore the feasability of replacing the ‚Expo Center€ with

a more functional arena setting. The Milwaukee Municipal

Auditorium was the net result of that study, built on the

north-west corner of that site.

Milwaukee Municipal Auditorium

The Merchants and manufacturers Association commissioned a

study in 1903 to explore the feasability of constructing a

multi-functional auditorium where stage presentations could

be incorporated with trade show displays. The focus of the

study was greatly sharpened on June 4, 1905 when The

‚Industrial Exhabition Hall€ was reduced to charred rubble.

It wasn't until September 21, 1909 that Milwaukee's new

commercial complex was unveiled. With a capacity for 10,000

The Milwaukee Municipal Auditorium was far more functional

but less ornate than its predicessor.

(Pix - building Audit. MPL aut1 )

( Pix - 5th Street ext. MPL aut1a )

The new ‚Municipal Auditorium€ was financed with half of the

money coming from the city treasury and the other half

raised through the public sale of stock. With blocks of the

municipal stock ranging from $10 to $10,000 citizens

purchased shares in Milwaukee's future. The stock payed no

dividend, was non-voting, non-negotiable and was redeemed in

1950 at its original face value. But Milwaukeeans who

purchased one quarter of a million dollars worth of this

stock made a most remarkable statement about their

commitment to the city. One which must be remembered when

City Hall bandies the idea about, from time to time, to

destroy the building in favor of an ice skating rink or

such other foolishness.

(Stock Certificate??)

(Pix - "Milwaukee next" Wis His Soc)

prosc. & view from stage

aut 2 - aut3

The structure consists of numerous meeting and exhibit halls

with the main venue originally called the Arena, and later

named for civic leader, George William Bruce. The Arena

name was ressurected in 1950 as a major addition was added

to the complex which later housed the Milwaukee Hawks and

Milwaukee Bucks of the N.B.A. Bruce Hall seated 8,008 with

Illus. floorplan 3-pix MPL aut 4,5 and 6)

an exhibition space totalling 29,423 square feet.

Originally built on a slab foundation, a lower level was dug

out from beneath which provided an additional 46,800 feet of

display area and a public restaurant which served as a

banquet hall for guests of featured events.

(pix digging MPL aut7)

(pix Market Hall restaurant MPL aut8)

(pix trade shows cars/refrig. MPL aut 9 & 10)

The main floor of the complex contained three halls which

were named in honor of the city's founders. Solomon Juneau

Hall is an open meeting space which features seating for 850

within 5,400 square feet of exhibit space. The Hall named

in honor of Byron Kilbourn was the largest of these three

with 5,580 square feet and a seating capacity for 900. Bay

View's founder, George M. Walker Hall seated 300 with 2,574

feet of open space. A large rotunda inside of the 5th

Street entrance provided additional ground floor space with

balconies overlooking from the halls above. In the spirit

of education and progress for which this complex was

dedicated, The Peter Engelmann Hall was named for a pioneer

educator. John Plankington was not only a successful local

busnissman but among Milwaukee's civic leaders. A small

theater on the second floor bears his name. The total

combined exhibit area totalled 104,952 square feet.

(pix - Plankington MPL aut11)

On october 14, 1912 former president Col. Theodore

Roosevelt, who was again on the presidential campaign trail,

this time on Governor Robert LaFollett's Progressive Party

ticket. Leaving the Gilpatric Hotel and walking toward the

Auditorium where an audience awaited, Roosevelt was

approached by an assailant who pulled a revolver and shot

him in the chest. One can only imagine the thickness of the

speech folded in the former president's breast pocket which

slowed the bullet enough that it entered his chest but

didn't reach his lungs. Proving that he was still of the

stuff which earned him "rough rider" status, Roosevelt

didn't even stop long enough to bandage the wound but

continued on to the Auditorium where he delivered his

speech.(TMS 10-15-12)

(Pix- modern Bruce Hall MPL aut 12)

(pix - rear of hall MPL aut 14)

Refinements to Bruce Hall provided a more ornate north wall

surrounding the prosceneum, a dedication plaque was added

above the stage and additional skylights were framed to

provide a windowed area of 76 feet by 160 feet. Taken in

the 1940s the (above) picture was notated that above the

ceiling glass were 600- 500 watt lighting fixtures which

created a general illumination in the hall of 10-foot

candles. When the Arena and Mechanics Hall were both used

to provide continuous floor space portable stairs were

installed which ascended from the basement area to the

center of the Arena floor. At the same time the original

flat plaster ceiling was given charictor.

(pix buggy show MPL aut 15 Concert MPL aut 16)

One of the largest theatrical events of Milwaukee theatrical

history was the production of Max Reinhardt's "The Miricle"

which played to full Arena audiences for three weeks,

November 12th - 30th, 1929. So moved by the performance,

the opening night's review observed, that the audience

remained absolutely still untill the thunderous applause

signalled the final curtain.

(pix - "Miricle" MPL aut 17)

Laura Sherry's Little Theater

Not too long after the "syndicate" had nearly snuffed the

artistic flame of American theater, in 1910 a small theater

company was patterned after the famous �Abbey Theater of

�Ireland€. �The Wisconsin Dramatic Society€ was to be a two

city theater workshop with an University of Wisconsin

English professor named Thomas Dickinson conducting classes

in Madison and a Milwaukee branch which was to be run

jointly by U.W. graduates, Zona Gale, a novelist and Mrs.

Laura Sherry. Mrs. Sherry posessed great fire and her

dominant personality quickly assumed leadership of what was

to become �The Wisconsin Players€ in 1914, the same time that

the Madison branch ceised operation. It was the grand plan

of Mrs. Sherry to inspire the talents which were hidden

within young and aspiring artists by challenging the

parameters of established theater. Milwaukee was served

notice of her defiance to Victorian puritanism, when in 1912

Mrs. Sherry appeared publically in a scene of "Stranger"

where she boldly sipped a beer and smoked a cigarette. A

shocking spectacle for a lady of that era. The work was by

Swedish writer Johann Strindberg. This dramatist had

remained relatively unknown by American audiences until

after his death in that year when his works became published

in America. Portage, Wis. born Zona Gale remained active,

despite conceding almost total control of the company to

Mrs. Sherry. She wrote a short play for the new theater

group entitled, "Neighbors" which was later produced by The

Washington Square Players. This piece was not particularly

significant unto itself but was one of the the first plays

written by Ms. Gale who in 1920, and still a member of �The

�Wisconsin Players€, was awarded the Pulizer Drama Award for

her play, "Miss Lulu Bett." This validated the dream of

1910. To create a theatrical platform from which everyone

was encouraged to write, produce and perform without regard

to external pressures.

The Wisconsin Players arguably created and inspired

America's Little Theater movement with their, "Wisconsin

Idea," but such distinction has most often been credited

elsewhere with a number of historians attempting to claim

that distinction for their own regional efforts. Perhaps

with an inability to fathom the progressive nature of

Milwaukee's highly sophisticated theatrical legacy it is

assumed on the National level that such an important step in

American theater development surely must have originated in

the East, or at least a major metropolis like Chicago.

("notes from our Scrapbook" Mil Hist Soc. programs)

Among the most commonly credited was Maurice Browne's,

�Little Theater of Chicago€, 1912. (A History of Theater in

America, Arthur Hornblow, J.B. Lippincott Co. 1919) yet,

Carl Sandburg wrote in the Chicago Daily News, "Among the

earliest (little theaters) if not the first, of the small

playhouses in this country was that of the Wisconsin Players

in Milwaukee orginized in 1910." The Boston Transcript, on

May 16, 1912, correctly observed, "The Wisconsin Dramatic

Society is the first experimental stage society in America.

Since its establishment in Milwaukee, in 1910, there have

been others similar to it founded in different parts of

America." Also erroneously credited for the

distinction of the movement's creation are �The Washington

�Square Players€, who were assisted by �Wisconsin Players

�€artist, Vincent Ioucell, who likely introduced Zona Gale's

1913 work, "Neighbors" to them, and �The Neighborhood

�House Theater€ in New York who developed their program with

the guidence of �Wisconsin Player€, Robert Donaldson. When

Harvard University established its initial venture into

exparimental theater craft, �Baker's 47 Workshop€, Laura

Sherry was summoned to Cambridge to provide them with her

Little Theater formula. Mrs. Sherry's �Players€ were much

more than an experimental theater group performing in the

dark.

This "Wisconsin Idea" became the precurser to important

regional theater expressions throughout America. New

artists were allowed to explore and expand the boundries of

this craft which to that time had remained rigidly faithful

to its earliest format and traditions. It was not so many

years earlier that the professional theater experience had

been entirely dependent upon the strength of the principal

actors with little regard for the play itself. Staging had

been limited to proscenium door entrances and stage blocking

which dictated when, not if, the performers would, in turn,

mechanically step downstage into the footlights in order to

deliver each important speech. And most Nineteenth Century

scripts read like an endless series of oratories. �The

�Wisconsin Players€, along with subsequent little theater

workshops throughout the Nation, forever changed that

platform. Mrs. Sherry was the first to take its best

scripts on regional tours, like spreading the gospel,

inspiring the expansion of its movement. In 1913, following

a rewarding series of performances at the ‚Pabst Theater€,

"The Marriage of Sobeide" toured the Mid-west with Mrs.

Sherry enjoying accolades in the title role. Soon afterward

a subsequent tour of leading Wisconsin scripts were brought

to New York where the "Wisconsin Idea" was acclaimed. To

that spirit The Milwaukee Repertory Theater revived "Miss

Lulu Bett" in the 1980s and took it out on tour where it

translated well to a greatly changed world. The Portage,

Wisconsin native, Zona Gale showed great perception with

this work as she explored the seemingly innocuous subject of

the spinster aunt, an American institution through that

time, whom the expectations of society's �proper orde�r€ had

placed in the mundane role of family housekeeper for a

brother or sister. Miss Gale challenged that real life role

with her Lulu Bett, who chose to marry a bigamist rather

than continue her mundane existance. (Delreth, August W.

"Still Small Voice," New York, 1940.) Milwaukee's

contemporary first lady of theater, Rose Pickering portrayed

the troubled Miss Bett with such conviction that

good-natured suspicious eyes were cast toward James

Pickering, her beloved (real life) husband, not the

bigamist, who also appeared in the "Lulu Bett" cast. When

on the subject of noted playwrights of whom Milwaukee can

lay some claim, a third member of the fore-mentioned cast

figures prominently. Easily Milwaukee's most prolific

playwright of national renown was the eminently talented

resident actor/playwright of The MRT, Larry Shue, whose

works included, "The Foreigner," "Wenceslas Square,"

"Grandma Duck is Dead," and "The Nerd." Mr. Shue's untimely

death in 19(()) deprived the American stage of one of its

most promising talents.

(PIX - " Lulu Bett" - including Rosie, Jim and Larry - Rep.)

A �Wisconsin Players€ children's academy was established in

1920 which was among the first of its kind in America. And

in 1921 the children begain presenting one publicly staged

workshop each year.

During its first years the Players did not posess a

performance space of its own and relied upon its members to

conduct workshops in their respective homes. But by 1911

the company had grown so large that �The Players€ were able to

rent the former home of Milwaukee retail giant, T.A.

Chapman. This three story mansion located on North

Jefferson Street was remodeled to suit the needs of what by

then had become a tuition based academy. Dedicated to

address the many areas of performance and stagecraft, its

third floor was converted into an eighty-seat theater

space. The private ballroom, with a capacity for

one-hundred and seventy-five, was adapted to a dance

studio. This became known as the ‚Jefferson Street

‚Playhouse€ and remained in operation until 1925. The

original rental of $75 per month had escelated to $125

which was deemed far to expensive for its limited

space. The upper floors of the former ‚Bijou Theater€,

renamed ‚The Garrick€ were then leased, providing space for

workshops. The theater's auditorium was leased

independently for major productions but the cost of $166.67

per night proved to be far too extravagent with Laura Sherry

holding true to her principles. In the abscence of an

"angel" in the wings, similarly constructed companies often

would import recognized stars in order to draw an audience,

or present highly popular seasonal productions, as regional

and repertory companies routinely do with box office surety.

But Mrs. Sherry's original focus never took a holiday.

Without big box office receipts or major contibutors it must

be assumed that this company existed on little more than

Laura Sherry's strong will.

After two financially challenged years above the ‚Garrick€ �The

�Wisconsin Players€ found themselves residing at 420 1/2

Milwaukee Street. While far from ideal, the second floor

of this office building was what the �Players€ could now

afford. Despite the crampt quarters the company managed to

provide public performances in the small two-room suite.

Between performances the area which the audience occupied

was cleared, and the chairs hung by pegs on the walls, in

order to construct and paint scenery for the next show. In

comparison, �The Milwaukee Repertory Theater's€, ‚Court Street

‚Theater€ was enormous. But this was very temporary. The

year 1928 was one of American optimism. It was no different

for �The Players€ as they found their ideal and final home in

Milwaukee's Third Ward. Like the Kurz company some eighty

years earlier, Mrs. Sherry found an abandoned church which,

with a little remodeling served them well. The Italian

Evangelical Church, 535 N. Van Buren was purchased by �The

�Players€ for the sum of $11,000. A stock selling drive

raised an additional $25,000 necessary to build a stage.

(pix - exterior TMJ 1-13-1957)

Reminiscent of Heinrich Kurz, the alter was converted into a

stage area with some rigging hung overhead for scenery. A

green room and two dressing rooms were partitioned in the

basement. The church pews provided the seating for ‚The Van

‚Buren Street Playhouse's€ premier performance of, "The Little

Clay Cart." Membership begain to grow rapidly as the space

lent itself to greater public exposure. Perhaps the

company had begun to grow too large and too fast. The

health of Mrs. Sherry had begun to fail and in 1934 ‚The

‚Wisconsin Players€ splintered into two production companies.

(The name of the new company is unknown by this writer)

This division greatly crippled The �Players€. And while by

all evidence Ms. Sherry's commitment to her theater was such

that nothing could sway her course, in 1936 she put her

American patriotism ahead of the �Players€.

(Milw. Fed Theater program - MPL prog.)

A "new deal", Federal Works Progress Administration ( WPA),

created �The Milwaukee Federal Theater€ with Laura Sherry

appointed its Wisconsin State Director. Without her

boundless energy, which she devouted to this Federal work

project, �The Wisconsin Players€ ceised operation that year.

Late in the following year Mrs. Sherry returned to ressurect

her company. ".... cleaning out a lot of legends and

dusting off original purposes," read the Milwaukee Sentinal

of November 13, 1937, as the Wisconsin Players resumed,

somewhat diminished from where they had left off. A

vibrant and strong Laura Sherry had somehow kept the company

together through the First World War, with much of her

membership called to service, but after 31 years she

couldn't muster the strength to overcome the Second War.

And any spark of hope that the company may have held

following that world conflict were extinguished on April 18,

1947 when Mrs. Laura Sherry died in New York. By 1949 new

life was breathed into the ‚Van Buren Playhouse€ by �The Norman

�Players€ who were followed by �The Threshold Theater€, an

experimental project directed by Chari Gross. During the

summer of 1951 Ms. Gross, who was as talented in dance as

theater, brought an experimental workshop, �Wisconsin Idea

�Theater€ to the facility, providing interesting studies in

the areas of lighting, sound, movement, balance and

composition. Succeeding �The Threshold Players€, in 1954

�The Van Buren Players€ set up shop in the ‚Van Buren Street

‚Playhouse€ and remained faithful to that theater until the

wrecking ball ended this important chapter of theater

history in 1957. Searching for performance space, Ms. Gross

shared a newly created space with the �"Y" Players€ at the new

YMCA at 915 W. Wisconsin Avenue.

�The Italian Opera Chorus

(Florentine Opera)

In 1932 Maestro Foca Di Leo quit his position as teacher and

choral director at The Andrew Jackson Elementary School to

become the leader of a new group which was being formed at

the Andrew Jackson Social Center. This Municipal Recreation

Department project was for the formation of an adult opera

club which they named �The Italian Opera Chorus€.( Musical

Memories, Anello Sr., John-David Musical Memories

Publications p.10) This provided employment for a very

talented 23 year old musician named John-David Anello who

replaced the Maestro as the school's music instructor. Six

months later Maestro Anello became the director of �The

�Chorus€ as well. Following a few presentations of mixed

repertoire at various public schools, Anello chose ‚The

‚Pabst Theater€ for their first full length opera, �"La

�Taviata".€ During the Second World War the company adopted

the name, �Florentine Opera ‚Company€€€€, perhaps due to their

displeasure with Italy's choice of friends at that time.

‚The Port Players

While this 1939 stock company performed its first several

seasons in the Town of Port Washington, it drew a

substantial portion of its audience from Milwaukee. Its

dependence on Milwaukee patrons became so great that when

World War II brought about gasoline rationing the company

had to relocate closer to its audience. They took up

residence in the auditorium of Shorewood high school.

As has been the case with virtually every Milwaukee based

theatrical company this century, when a major production was

to be offered to a maximum audience, ‚The Pabst Theater

provided the "big-time" platform. �The Port Players€ were the

first company to appear at ‚The Pabst€ following its

renovation in 1943 with ( "Agnus of God."??????) Shorewood

proved to be far too conservative community for this

progressive stock company and its town fathers evicted the

Players on moral grounds.

Parnell Roberts, of "Bonanza" fame, along with rest of the

company moved to Oconomowoc where they provided exceptional

regional theater until 1956.

‚The Milwaukee Players

� €

The Department of Municipal Recreation of the Milwaukee

Public Schools formed their own dramatic company in 1924

which they €named� The Milwaukee Players€. It would seem that

the founder and first President of the society , Helen

Hayne, a faculty member of the Milwaukee Institute of Music,

wished to make a statement with her selection of a name

which so resembled �The Wisconsin Players€. It seems that the

�Wisconsin€ company was just a little too daring and

controversial for polite society. A "Better Play Committee"

was selected to oversee the material to be presented by �The

�Milwaukee Players€ who made their debut on December 24, 1924

with "Heiress Hunters." That title seems to have been as

racy as their plays were to be. Shakespeare provided the

company with most of their scripts but eventualy the young

thespians were allowed to present more popular works by

current playwrights. But nothing was done before it had

been carefully screened as to its content. ‚The Pabst

‚Theater€ was where the �Milwaukee Players€ brought their major

productions each year but they found space throughout

milwaukee to perform. For the 1653-54 season an opera

company which was called the �Milwaukee Light Opera€ seems to

have been formed from members of the �Florentine Opera€ to

support the �Players€. That season they offered a joint effort

entitled, "Rising Round the Moon." In 1981, having never

truly had a home of their own, the Milwaukee Players

attempted to move into ‚The Ward Memorial Hall€, circa 1882,

which remains vacant on the Woods Veterans Home grounds.

This bijou of a playhouse would have been an ideal setting

for the 50 year old company but the costs required to

satisfy the building inspector were more than they could

afford.

�Drama Inc.

It could never be overstated the immeasurable contributions

which Milwaukee's breweries have made to support the

performing arts over the past one hundred and fifty years.

Mary John, The Fred Miller Theater's founder, begain by

incorporating the intended theater in 1953 with Ms. John

holding 51% of the stock. Ms. John, on behalf of Drama

Incorporated then hired a local man with a reputation as a

fund raiser. When approached for the job, Clair Richardson

told Ms. John that he thought it was a ridiculous thing to

raise money for theater but he was awarded the $850 per

month job anyway.(recorded interview with Clair Richardson,

1-25-72 - Joyce Elizabeth Henry) For the next month each

time Mary John entered the office she found Richardson

sitting with his feet up on a radiator. Frustrated she

would ask him what he was doing and each time he would

reply, " thinking." Following the first month Ms. John

became quite upset as Richardson demanded his second month's

pay in advance. She demanded to know why nothing was being

done. Richardson explained that in order for him to

accomplish anything a respected figurehead would have to be

named as the fundraising chairperson. When Mary John

explained her problem to Jane Uihlein, of the Schlitz

brewery Uihleins, Jane took Ms. John to meet with Fred

Miller, owner of the brewery with that name. Mr. Miller

graciously agreed to head the project. Not only did

Richardson begin to earn his keep but Fred Miller proved to

be anything but a figurehead as large donations began to

come in from unlikely sources. A total of $40,000 arrived

from four concerns which dispensed malt and barley to the

Milwaukee breweries, with at least one not even a local

businesses.

(pix- Fred Miller - Rep.)

After several theaters were examined ‚The Oakland€ was

selected with a monthly rental cost of $175.00 and with an

option to buy at $37,500.(MRT Seasonal Files 1954-55)

With the fund raising going well it was decided that they

could risk going ahead with the project. On October 18,

1954 the press was invited for a pre-construction press

conference. As Fred Miller raised a sledgehammer, a

newspaperman asked, "What happens if you don't raise the

money, Fred?" Miller hesitated for a moment and then

answered, "I guarantee it," as he drove the sledge through a

wall. It was at that moment that the future Milwaukee

Repertory Theater was a reality.

The theater was named ‚The Fred Miller€ for the man who had

made it possible but a tragic planecrash took his life

before he could enjoy a single performance.

The theater company was run under the "star system" which

employed well known actors and actresses in lead roles with

the local company playing the supporting roles. Often the

name performers were television or movie actors between

assignments who would choose a single role that they would

provide for similar theaters Nationally.

With construction of the new ‚Performing Arts Center€ about to

be under way, in 1966 the �Fred Miller€ announced that they

had changed their name to �The Milwaukee Repertory Theater€.

The company moved into the new ‚Todd Wehr Theater€ in

September of 1969. This was one of the three halls offered

by the new ‚Performing Arts Center€. �The Milwaukee Repertory

�Theater€ inaugurated their new theater space with a fashion

benefit given on Septenber 23rd, a Dedication Preview (by

invitation) was performed on the evening of October 2nd, and

the Gala Season Opening with, "Midsummer Night's Dream" was

provided on October 3rd.

( pix Todd Wehr)

This nineteen foot deep thrust stage playing area provided

an intimate space to perform before the 526-seat capacity.

Over the years master carpenter Gary Baehler performed magic

wedging enormous sets into this limited space. Encircling

the performance space on the main level are dressing rooms,

a scene and paint shop and production office.

‚First Stage Milwaukee€ has occupied this space since ‚The

‚Milwaukee Repertory Theater€ moved to its own three theater

complex, the former " Edison Electric Light Power Company"

located one block south on Wells Street.

(pix - Rep. prod,)

In 19((())) The Rep leased space on Court Street, actually

several blocks North of the Milwaukee Courthouse off of (())

Street. This ‚Court Street Theater€ provided space to test

new works and explore new avenues with unknown playwrights.

When the ‚Milwaukee Repertory Theater€ laid out its massive

renovation project of a historic powerhouse the company

provided for a space which would replace Court Street. This

performance space is ‚The Stiemke Theater€. The primary

performance space within this fascinating theater complex

which is located overlooking the Milwaukee River on Wells

Street is aptly named, ‚The Powerhouse Theater€. With (()))

seats and far greater stage and backstage areas the

technical abilities of the �Rep€. are greatly enhanced.

(Pix - Powerhouse)

(pix - X-mas carol)

A small cabaret stage is found in the ‚Cabaret Restaurant

where full seasons of novelty productions are provided€ each

year. ‚The Cabaret Restaurant€ is found on the second floor

of the Milwaukee center atrium which is located between the

‚Pabst Theater €and the‚ Milwaukee Rep€. at the River between

Wells and Kilbourn.

‚The Ko-Thi Dance Company

(pix Ko-Thi)

Milwaukee's oldest and most successful African Dance Company

was formed by Ferne Yangyeitie Caulker. �The Ko-Thi

�Dance Company €celebrated its 25th anniversary with a 1994

‚Pabst Theater€ presentation of the dance that this company

had premiered with in 1969. It was an adaptation of a

Nigerian dance named, "Gahu." Performed by the name of

"Community Dance" it befitted the message of family and

community that Caulker wished to share.

‚The Milwaukee Ballet

With a ‚Performing Arts Center€ in which to perform the time

had arrived in 1970 for Milwaukee to develop its own ballet.

Roberta Boorse, using some elements of The Wisconsin Ballet,

headquartered in Madison, created what was truly one of

America's most ambitious companies. The companies debut

performance in 1972 featured �American Ballet€ stars Lupe

Serrano and Ted Kivitt. Before this inaugural season was

completed the company debuted at ‚The Performing Arts Center

‚(P.A.C.)€ with its first full-length piece, "Coppelia." In

1974, "Daughters of the Morning" marked new Artistic

(pix - Comelin/McBeth)

Director, Jean Paul Comelin's first production. In 1975

Comelin hired Danial Forlano as the Ballet's Maestro.

Forlano performed admirably and with total dedication up to

the moment he suffered a heart attack and died while

rehearsing his orchestra in the Uihlein Hall orchestra pit.

By 1977 Comelin and Forlano had nurtured this company to

the size and ability which he felt was required to become a

limited touring company, where the Company must rely on

technique rather than home town loyalty. Comelin

commissioned the construction of a major "Nutcracker Suite"

set which was designed as a portable touring unit and

launched a short tour in November of that year. Following

a somewhat bumpy tour the set was installed in ‚Uihlein Hall

‚€of the‚ Performing Arts Center€. Having experienced numerous

technical difficulties on the road, which the ballet

technical staff had been unable to solve was an embarrassing

experience for Comelin who had toured as a dancer with major

companies. Jean Paul was now first learning that Murphy had

been legislating for theater. Recognizing many of the

problems, the stage carpenter of the ‚P.A.C€., George Fyksen,

took charge and quickly eliminated all of the "ghosts" in

the set. Relieved and impressed Jean Paul hired Fyksen to

go out on subsequent tours and began a now twenty year

policy of an all union company. By 1979 The Milwaukee

Ballet was earning world-wide respect in ballet circles. A

feature story on Milwaukee appeared in �Dance Magazine€ which

officially signaled that Milwaukee had arrived among the

elite. At that time Jean Paul was completing the

choriogrophy for his personal triumph, a major four-act

ballet entitled "Florestan." But as time neared the

premier date, the costs of the production were far exceeding

the original budget and Comelin was feeling pressure from

the Ballet's Board of Directors. As University of

Wisconsin, Madison's Tony Award winning lighting designer,

Gilbert Hemsley was completing the focus of his elaborate

lighting plot, and the dancers were laboring over final

rehearsals, the Ballet Board announced that Jean Paul

Comelin would be terminated as of the completion of his

World premier. Shock waves ran throughout the company.

Fireings occur routinely within the arts world but the

timing of this one was quite bizarre.

Aside from the appearance of wanting to publically

humiliate Comelin, the Ballet had a Southern States tour

scheduled immediately following this run and several cities

had paid for ‚The Milwaukee Ballet€ to bring Jean Paul's

"Florestan." The company owned the set, but the

choreography was Jean Paul's.

After the Ballet refunded deposits to several Cities they

then realized the additional costs of trucking past those

Towns to the widely scattered five remaining stops.

"Florestan" was not a critical success but each performance

was followed by a standing ovation. It was Milwaukee's way

of telling Jean Paul that they loved him and all that he had

provided Milwaukee with. It was a heartfelt moment when

Jean Paul called this writer on to the stage during his

final standing ovation. He wished to thank me publically

as I had toured with him for several years providing the

stage lighting and sound.

At much the same time, The Board of Directors of the Ballet

Foundation of Milwaukee, Inc. announced plans for the

restoration of the historic Tivoli Palm Garden in Walker's

Point. In the words of the Ballet's General Manager, Louise

M. Kengott, "The creation of this magnificent facility for

The Milwaukee Ballet Company is the first project of its

kind in the United States....while other companies in other

Cities have moved into old theaters or warehouses, none have

had the opportunity to move into a really historic dance

hall."

Tedd Kivitt, who had been the first male principal

dancer to appear on the Uihlein Stage in 1969 was now the

Artistic Director of the Milwaukee Ballet Company, just in

time to fulfill the company's tour agreement. Kivitt and his

wife, Prima Michelle Lucci had both achieved stardom

dancing with The American Ballet and The Pennsylvania

Ballet. Along with Tedd and Michelle came (()) Rodham who

treated Milwaukee to some marvelous choreography before

passing away in 19))(( .

In 1987 Kivitt engineered a merger between the highly

respected Pennsylvania Ballet and Milwaukee. The free

exchange of artists and scenery was reminiscent of the

German Theater's joint venture 100 years earlier.

In 1988 �The Pennsylvania/Milwaukee Ballet€ converted building

number #35 of the old Pfister-Vogel Tannery Complex into a

thrust stage theater. Named ‚The Dance Factory€ this

choriography workshop and repertory dance theater was

modeled after a similar such enterprise in hamburg, Germany.

The German Company was invited to perform at the ‚Dance

‚Factory's€ premier. Wisconsin Electric was testing a new

lighting product which they generously donated for ‚The Dance

‚Factory‚'s€ use. These were experimental, dimmable mercury

vapor lights which were installed to be used as general

auditorium illumination. But these lights could not dim low

enough to be left on during a performance and when turned

off they required a long warm-up time to become bright. The

well meaning Wisconsin Electric representative had

difficulty understanding why these lights, which he had

painstakingly hung directly over the audience, couldn't be

turned on five minutes before the show had ended so that

they would have reached maximum brightness by the final bow.

‚The Dance Factory€ didn't fare much better than the mercury

lights. The final performance was given one year later by

the Milwaukee Ballet School.

Milwaukee and Pennsylvania begain to pull in two directions.

Like a bicycle built for two the company became stronger as

the two Cities peddled in unison but inevitably they both

begain claiming parts of the machine for themselves.

Pennsylvania had apparently entered the agreement without

disclosing how many parts of the bicycle they were missing,

and now they both found themselves broken down. With the

companies jointly at the brink of extinction the

partnership was disolved. Milwaukee's strong audience base

allowed Kivitt to quickly stabalize his company while

Pennsylvania suffered continued downsizing for many years

afterward.

Tedd Kivitt had engineered a plan to construct a number of

major ballet sets which would accomodate the company's

repertoire for years to come. And during which time rents

of these sets to other ballet companies would more than

amortize the original investment. But this construction

required a large outlay of funds which the Ballet Board

deemed extravogant and Kivitt was fired. During the (())

seasons since Kivitt's 19))(( dismissal the Ballet has

continued to enjoy the use of these sets as well as rental

income. In 19(()) The Milwaukee promoted ((()))))))) to the

position of Artistic Director. ())))) had served as Tedd

Kivitt's choreographer following the death of (((()))

Rodham. Surviving all of the upheavals with the artistic

staff was the company's truly efficient technical director,

Tom Gergrich((SP)) who left the Ballet for a staff position

with Milwaukee's Performing Arts Center in 1996. The Ballet

and Florentine Opera Stage Manager, Willy ())))) replaced

Gergerich ((SP)) and presently wears both hats.

‚First Stage Milwaukee

When The Milwaukee Repertory Theater moved to a home of

their own, The Performing Arts Center was faced with a large

space in ‚The Todd Wehr Theater€ to keep busy. And despite

the competition it might encounter from �The Great American

�Children's Theater€, ‚The P.A.C€. management decided to create

a children's theater for this space. In 1987, �First Stage

�Milwaukee€ was created under a five year plan with a former

Milwaukee Rep. Stage Manager, Rob Goodman as the Managing

Director of this company.

(pix Treasure Island)

In 1992 First stage opened an acting academy for Milwaukee's

youth and a year later completed its planned seperation from

P.A.C. intervention. Many of the productions staged by

�First stage€ are original plays or original adaptations such

as Treasure Island. (pictured) The casts normally consist

of union actors who work with local children and teens who

most often are �First Stage Academy€ students with each

production running for several weeks. A normal week-day

will see two performances which are tightly scheduled to

enable just enough time to clear one audience of bussed in

students and seat the next school group. While the

productions are primarily geared to school audiences, many

week-end shows are staged exclusively for general audiences

who appreciate wholesome entertainment.

Chapter XI

Milwaukee's Renaissance

1954 The Fred Miller Theater

(see Drama inc.)

1959 Skylight Theater

As a professional fundraiser Clair Richardson had learned a

great deal in the past six years. It was now 1959, and much

had happened since 1953 when Clair had been approached to

head a fundraising drive for Drama, Inc. At that earlier

date Clair thought the very idea of people donating money in

order to fund the performing arts was, in his words, "a

ridiculous thing". (Recorded Interview, 1-25-72, Joyce

Elizabeth Henry) A common perception of theater as a

tawdry and disreputable business had prevailed in

conservative Milwaukee since its earliest histronic

attempts. Charged with diverting charitable dollars from

the mouths of the infirmed and needy in order to fund such

an enterprise was indeed a challenge. But finding himself

in need of employment at that time, Clair had managed to

negotiate a very respectable $850 per month, payable in

advance from Mary John, founder of �The Milwaukee Repertory

Theater€. This association was indeed fortunate as the

unlimited optimism of Mary John and the smooth professional

savvy of brewer, Fred Miller. (see Drama Inc.) soon gave

Clair direction and purpose. By the time that the ‚Fred

‚Miller Theater€ had opened, Clair Richardson was regarded by

the performing arts community as one of its most prolific

fundraisers.

During the summer of 1959 Clair Richardson and WTMJ-

Television Program Director, Sprague Vonier drifted from

their discussion about the potential of developing a network

of radio stations along America's new Interstate highways

long enough to agree that Milwaukee lacked big city

sophistication, "a context of extreme cultural poverty", as

one put it, that needed to be remedied. With the collapse

of �The Wisconsin Players€ and the closing of ‚The Davidson

‚Theater€ Milwaukee seemingly had declined from its self

proclaimed status of, "American Athens" to a cultural void.

Richardson and Vonier had already dedicated themselves to

the advancement of Milwaukee's cultural vitality with their

involvement in the establishment of �The Bel Canto Chorus€,

which Clair managed, The Milwaukee Pops Orchestra (later to

become The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra) and, as mentioned,

The Milwaukee Rep., the three of which, along with The

Florentine Opera, accounted for much of Milwaukee's

culturally enriching entertainment. It then could have

been expected that their vision would have aspired to even

greater heights, perhaps a world class ballet company. Or

better yet, perhaps a hip beatnik joint where Milwaukee's

Bohemian culture could emerge to sip expresso coffee and

lament Milwaukee's cultural inadequacies. Vonier leased a

vacant building on North Jackson Street for $75 per month.

Steve Gagliano, a West-Side tavernkeeper was convinced of

the unlimited potential profitability of the unique venture

and opened "Caffe Expresso Numero Uno" on the ground floor.

(ad: Breakfast ... MPL prog.)

Richardson and Vonier retained the rights to the second

floor skylit space which had been formerly a funeral parlor,

speak-easy and architect's studio, vacant since the 1930s.

vacant since the 1930s. possibilities. It is likely that

their initial thinking was more of guitars than violins, in

keeping with the music associated with such coffee-houses.

An equal partnership was established in order to finance the

remodeling of the new, but not yet defined performance

space. Vonier recruited Budde Marino, husband of famed

local TV personality, Judy Marks to match his $500

contribution and community leader Mildred Lindsay invested

$500 as well. Clair became the fourth full partner. With

the $1,500 (anyone who knew Clair would understand the

mathamatics) a crude 99-seat theater was created. Clair had

concluded that by limiting his hall to only 99 canvas seats

he would not only avoid the attention of City inspectors,

CESAC, ASCAP and BMI, the music publishers, but also hoped

it would exempt him from having to deal with �union€ actors,

dancers, stagehands and musicians. The investors stretched

their dollars by providing a great deal of sweat equity.

What Clair had failed to provide from his pocket he more

than adequately provided from his brow. Richardson and

Vonier were able to retrieve some Astor Hotel carpeting

which was destined for the dumpster, making theirs one of

the few theaters in town without Ju-Ju Beads stuck

underfoot.

In 1959 The Bel Canto Chorus was a thirty person part song

chorus which Richardson hoped to transform into a oratorio

society. Aware of Richardson's success as a fundraiser,

making him a good friend to have, the �Chorus€ employed Clair

to manage their quite sporadic performance schedule.

Clair enjoyed the Bohemian culture. One evening while

attending a �Bel Canto€ post-perfomance party Richardson and

Vonier were intrigued by an impromptu performance given by

two quite talented church music directors, James Keeley and

Ray Smith. Gibert and Sullivan were given a good natured

working over that evening as the two men pounded on Raleigh

((()))'s piano, providing a performance of remarkable

polish. Impressed by what he percieved to be a niche which

might appeal to a wide spectrum of Milwaukee's audience, and

in posession of a not-yet defined theater, Clair looked to

Vonier and said, "Do you want to have some real fun?"

(Cabot, Colin "The Thirty Year Wars" unpub.) �The Skylight

�Opera€ was born.

(An Evening.. program MPL prog)

(What is the Skylight MPL Prog.)

(pix Keeley & Smith MPL prog.)

Keeley and Smith agreed to appear at the new ‚Skylight

‚Theater€ but the remodeling was completed so quickly that it

cought the singers unprepaired. Anxious to open his theater

Richardson booked a Waukesha based puppeteer who filled the

house. "An Evening of Gilbert and Sullivan" opened weeks

later on January 16, 1960 to a rave review by Milwaukee

Journal critic, Jerald Kloss. "...the most expert,

felicitous and entertaining two hours produced by local

theater in a long, long time..." where words of praise

beyond Richardson's wildest dream and perhaps sealed his

interest in light opera. The pair performed for thirteen

weeks and was prepared to extend the run another month.

So excited over the production's success was Richardson that

he had taken an option on an off-Broadway theater in New

York but Ray Smith suddenly died of a cerebral hemorrage.

Clair immediately begain to search for a similar act and

found a group of free-lance entertainers in New York who

Richardson hired and named, �The Boston Comic Opera Singers€,

calling upon the cultured image of that city to add an aire

of dignity to his new "opera house." Merle Puffer, Jim

Billings and Leslie Loosli opened Mozart's, "Cosi fan Tutte"

in June of 1960 with Milwaukee singers Betty Gilchrist, Kate

Hurney and basso Charles Koehn (Great Lakes Opera Company)

rounding out the cast. Of this initial offering the

Milwaukee Journal wrote, "....All the voices employed are

well trained and all have charictor. Dexterity and sparkle

are what count most and in these respects the small cast is

most adroit."

�The Boston Comic Opera Singers€ continued as the resident

company until 1962 when they went out on strike, fed up with

poor wages distributed at Richardson's convenience.

Without air-conditioning this upstairs hall became quite

stuffy so Richardson decided to create an outdoor theater

for his second summer's season. Having learned of a Blatz

Brewery building which was being razed on the riverfront,

Richardson obtained salvage rights and went in search of

inexpensive labor to assist him. Clair pulled up in front of

the Fifth Street Rescue Mission and inquired, "Are there any

farm boys here? From the group of homeless drifters came a

few volunteers who were awaiting such a one-day employment

opportunity. Clair reasoned that he'd find a better work

ethic with farm boys but failed to consider that

street-smart farm boys would know better than to accept

anything so labor intensive as agricultural work. Those of

the group who were desperate enough for a couple of dollars

jumped aboard Clair's truck and went to work cleaning and

loading cream-city bricks. Vonier soon arrived and upon

observing the crew at work inquired of Clair, "Where did you

get the airships?" When asked to explain the strange

question Vonier explained that, "All these men seemed to do

was float around." But despite the poor job report, Clair

and his airships managed to get a brick floor laid behind

the coffee house and a stage was constructed on one end of

the lot. To the surprise and dismay of some low-income

residents who lived in tall apartments above this new

outdoor venue, ‚The Coach Yard€ opened. The rag-tag company

of costumed actors who were required to run a half-block in

order to enter from the opposite side of the stage were

initially quite successful with the opening night twin-bill

performances of "Il Campanello di Notte" by Donizetti and

Wolf Ferrari's, "Secret of Suzanne". ‚The Coach Yard€ opened

its second night with a make-shift roof over the stage and

a tarp stretched above the audience providing protection

from the less enthralled neighbors above who might otherwise

be inspired to register their "review" with well ripened

tomatoes. Eager audiences came in droves and were seated

below the tarp, to enjoy such productions as " Fledermaus"

and "The Mikado". What had begun as a lark was suddenly

developing a serious audience base and Richardson needed to

find a more suitable space than his 99 seat ‚Skylight€ ‚Theater

if this venture was to sustain itself.

A vacant tire repair garage was selected at 813 N.

Jefferson Street and once again Clair rounded up the

airships. This time they were put to work converting a

recess in the floor from grease pit to orchestra pit and

trap room. The wisdom of Clair's economy was called into

question when the architect of record, Bill Wenzler happened

to stop in to check on the project's progress only to

discover that the "airships" had, in an unusual burst of

energy, chopped up some the building's footings with their

pick-axes. Clair immediately instructed the crew to

construct concrete forms in order to pour new ones. As the

poorly engineered forms gave way and concrete poured accross

the floor Richardson had the "airships" shovel the excess

into the bottom of the backstage elevator shaft. Clair then

lowered the elevator compartment onto the wet cement in

order to level it out, unfortunately turning the lift into a

fixed broom closet.

Michael McDonald of Midwest Scenic was a good friend to

Clair and was invaluable during this renovation, acting as

a cheif engineer and installer of the necessary stage and

theatrical trappings. On the evening before the theater's

premier, McDonald stopped in to assure that everything was

at the ready. The H.M.S. Pinafore stood constructed on the

new stage. A large concrete pillar which unavoidably

existed to one side of the stage had been designed into the

scenery as a ship's mast. To this large post rigging was

attached and Richardson had cut a trap-door in the stage's

ceiling allowing the cast to descend the "rat-lines" at the

top of the show. McDonald immediately determined that the

rigging for this impressive scene required additional safety

precautions and begain to make alterations. As Clair

backed up in order to provide McDonald with an artistic eye,

Clair fell flat on his back into the pit. As McDonald

rushed to Richardson's aid, but with his dry humor intact

asked of Clair, "Should I call the hospital or the press?

A long pause followed as Clair weighed the benefits of each.

On November 22, 1960 the second ‚Skylight Theater€ opened to

seasons of marvelous light opera. On the roof of his new

theater Richardson built a greenhouse in which plants seemed

to thrive. He explained that his success was do chiefly

from carbon dioxide which he vented to the roof from his

audiences. Richardson displayed a marvelous green thumb but

the occasional sale of his plants were far from adequate to

satisfy his financial needs. The theater was not self

sustaining. In 1962 Richardson announced that he needed to

raise necessary capitol to save the theater. What he had

accomplished in three years had been nothing short of

incredible. The number of productions provided during this

span would likely challenge or better any such theater

company in America. But the reality existed then, as it

does today, that theater can rarely exist on its own

receipts. In the eleventh hour, Mildred Lindsay raised

$12,000 and new life was breathed into ‚The Skylight€.

Realizing that fiscal responsibility was in dire need, an

executive committee, "Friends of the Skylight" was formed

and the company become a non-profit corporation. The

board consisted of Mrs. O.W. Carpenter, Miss Paula Uihlein,

Atty. Clark Hazelwood, Clinton E. Stryker, and A. Paul

Jones.

During the next several years Richardson took bold risks as

he expanded the repertory away from what had been successful

in years past, such as Gilbert and Sullivan. He created an

eight production format with two normally of the avante

guarde variety, a couple vintage turn-of-the-century or

circa World War I works, classics and usually some Gilbert

and Sullivan. The avant guard works may have attracted

some new patrons but to fill the house every evening nothing

was more certain than classic operettas.

Clair begain to travel to Europe in search of future

productions; new scenic concepts and "original" costumes.

For the summer of 1970 it was decided that the new

‚Performing Arts Center€ would feature a locally produced

operetta festival. Richardson assembled a board of

directors to raise the necessary money and purchased some

painted drops from a Milan scenic studio. The opera company

that Clair assembled, aside from his own, was �The Vienna

�Volksoper€ and a Warsaw, Poland based ballet Company. The

only person backstage who could effectively communicate in

the various tongues was stage manager, Hans Hortig. But

Hortig was of such artistic temperment that he continuously

stomped off the stage in a rage, over seemingly innocuous

matters. Rehearsals for "Merry Widow" took so long that

they never got to the final act. Hortig managed to convey

to the cast that for the final scene they would all file in

procession to the upstage center where they would then open

a door and exit. Without any rehearsal time left even to

have the stage hands assemble the final act scenery he

relied on pictures of the set to show his cast the large

wooden door through which they were to make their grand

exit. The show went quite well, all things considered.

Clair's limited experience in his own small playhouse did

not provide him with the theatrical expertese to stage a

major theatrical production. And Hortig's tantrums did

little to expedite communications. As the opera drew to a

close and the grand procession filed upstage, stagehands

heard whispered cursing in several languages. The exit doors

were, as you may have already guessed, painted onto a solid

drop curtain. The orderly file turned into a mob scene as

the final curtain fell, none too soon! The short lived

Operetta festival did produce, to Richardson's credit, some

extraordinarily good opera. It also drained both his

treasury and his health. In 1978 Richardson was

hospitalized for open heart surgery. Since Clair carried no

health insurance, a benefit was arranged for him at ‚Uihlein

‚Hall €of the ‚Performing Arts Center€. Clair had always made

it quite clear that he disliked all trade unions, most

notably that of the musicians and stagehands because they

were structured and could not be manipulated like airships.

But despite this, a member of the theatrical community was

in need and both of these Unions volunteered their time to

stage a fundraiser. The show was so successful that all the

bills were paid for Clair and enough was left for him to

vacation in New York. Clair died on September 12, 1981,

during his second open heart surgery. By his request,

Clair's body was cremated, George Watts provided a

distinguished pewter box for the ashes which were placed on

a ledge, perhaps one chisled by an airship, under the

‚Skylight€ stage. "When I die, I'm going to be buried

underneath the Skylight stage, so that it can be said that

what goes on on the Skylight stage goes on over Clair's dead

body." Clair Richardson

He was succeeded by Colin Cabot who Clair had hired,

fired, hired, fired in September of 1974. Prior to that

time Clair had gotten along with one full time employee,

technical director Curt Holtzhauer. This had been possible

in part since Clair had been willing to tear tickets, move

scenery and sweep the floor. To Cabot, Clair imparted his

formula for success, save for Clair's fundraising methods

which he politely took to the grave with him. Cabot was a

highly educated theater professional who followed Clair's

direction but who bristled at Clair's contention that "one

good show out of every nine was all that was necessary to

bring the audience back. Colin, as most theater

professionals, expected each new show to be the best ever.

Clair equated good with expense. Upon Clair's death Cabot

brought in two talented directors named Stephen Wadsworth

and Francesca Zambello. Their experience and enthusiasm

brought about an entirely new attitude to ‚The Skylight€.

Cabot described that period as being one, "Without

Richardson's vision to fuel our enthusiasm and to provide us

with an excuse not to upgrade our standards." In 1983

Cabot Presented the Board of Directors with three options:

close the theater and liquidate the debts; go back to the

Richardson one-man-show days; or to raise the money to

enable artists to conceive productions without making those

artists their own technicians. Cabot soundly reasoned

that, "One's creativity is somewhat restricted by the

knowledge that choosing a difficult costume, scenic element,

or lighting effect may well result in one's staying up all

night to make sure it works." This suggested of course that

the artist might then opt for the simpler course and

compromise the production. The Board agreed to the third and

a new ‚Skylight€ was born. The proud legacy which Clair

Richardson had pioneered was elevated to a new level. In

1993 �The Skylight€ celebrated its 35th anneversary by

performing in their new ‚Broadway Center€ which they share

with �Theater X€ and �Milwaukee Chamber Theater€. On January

31, 1995 the new ‚Cabot Theater€ of ‚The Broadway Center€ was

inaugurated. (theater described)

1961 The Swan Theater

(Pix - interior TMJ)

Opened as Milwaukee's only dinner theater, ‚The Swan Theater

was situated in the Ballroom of the Antlers Hotel, 624 North

2nd Street. The former manager of ‚The Fred Miller Theater€,

Ray Boyle originated this 700 seat theater with the ballroom

freshly renovated. This star-system theater opened with

Gypsy Rose Lee in "The Third Best Sport." Boyle's small

resident company later supported Milwaukeean, Pat O' Brien

as he starred in a production that his childhood friend made

famous, "Father of the Bride." Having lost a reported

$100,000 during the ‚Swan's€ first 17 months of operation,

Boyle petitioned the State to become a non-profit

corporation. (which obviously he already was) Boyle opened

a school of acting to qualify for that status. In 1963 Ray

Boyle threw in the towel and turned over the ownership of

his ‚Swan Theater€ to Robert Goodsitt who retained Boyle as

resident director for awhile but eventually terminated him.

Robert Goodsitt closed after one year.

1956 Melody Circus Theater

(pix int. Annie Get your Gun TMS))

In 1956 a short lived tent theater named the ‚Melody ‚Circus

‚Theater€ pioneered this form of summer entertainment in

Milwaukee. The tent was pitched north of Milwaukee at the

junction of Highways 141 and 32. Milton Padway produced

Broadway musicals with " South Pacific" inaugurating this

theater within a tent on June 15, 1956. "Kiss Me Kate,"

"Annie Get Your Gun," "Show Boat," and "Merry Widow" were

among the other offerings that year. One major problem

which this theater company neither anticipated nor resolved

was its parking. An adjacent field provided ample room for

the patrons but remained unpaved. The 1956 production

of "Show Boat" experienced such heavy rains that the

lighting control board sank into the mud. The patrons, upon

leaving found the parking area to be a quagmire of mud,

forcing many to to leave their cars overnight. Even tow

trucks were unable to navigate in the deep ruts. With their

parking area, not to mention the theater's reputation,

in shambles the remainder of the run was staged at the

‚Blatz Temple€ in Washington Park. What had promised to be a

successful theatrical venture forever lost its credibility.

1963 Melody Top Theater z (pix tent through knot TMJ)

The Melody Top was a summer-stock tent theater which

operated on the star-system at 7201 W. Good Hope Road.

Modeled after a tent theater of the same name in Hillside,

Illinois, the Melody Top's main focus were musicals and more

musicals. The theater's premier performance was "Guys and

(pix exterior tent TMJ)

(pix rehearsal interior TMJ)

Dolls", starring Gorden and Shelia MacRae. Perhaps the best

known of the many artists who spent a summer or two at the

"tent" was the celebrated Broadway choreographer, Tommy

Tune, who danced and choreographed for two seasons. The

quaint circus tent was a memorable experience for all who

attended performances there. In 19(()) it was decided that

a hard fixed top would be preferable to the canvas tent,

eliminating the patter of rain for one thing. Once the

permanent wooden roof was in place the theater seemed to

lose its charm. Sound became an ongoing problem as the new

roof created dead spots throughout the house where the

audience was unable to hear the patter of the performance in

any weather. No matter that the walls were still canvas,

the Melody Top was no longer a tent theater. All of the

theater's movable assets were placed on the auction block in

1987. The Melody Top dispersal auction unfortunately didn't

offer the fixed wooden elephant overhead.

(Pix - Tommy Tune??)

(pix - hard roof??)

1969 Performing Arts Center

Marcus Center for the performing Arts

"Two minds may never share one great idea for when that

idea becomes plural it must go to committee."

(Ariel view, P.A.C. TMJ 9-14-69)

Immediately following World War I the idea to build a War

Memorial Music Hall was sent to committee. It was clear

that in order for Milwaukee to create and support its own

symphony orchestra that a proper venue was required. ‚The

‚Pabst Theater had become the theater of choice for The

Chicago Symphony, which Milwaukee had adopted as its own but

the ‚Pabst€ provided too few seats and any orchestra named

"Chicago" was, at best, a red-headed step child. But

rather than a memorial music hall to honor the brave

veterans who gave their lives for World peace the committee

wisely recomended a flagpole which was dedicated in the

veteran's honor. The Second World War was nearly completed

when Milwaukee's Rotary Club resurrected the idea in 1944

with a 10 point plan for civic improvement.

On March 17, 1945 the Metropolitan Milwaukee War Memorial,

Inc. was created with Will Ross apointed as its chairman.

In 1949 its name incorporated that of Milwaukee County, in

order to share the respect for veterans from Wauwatosa and

Whitefish Bay, and incidentally the cost. But its purpose

was still the same. After a years research this committee

incorporated a 10 point plan which bore an amazing

resemblance to that of the Rotary, six years earlier, but

progress was being made. By 1955 a three unit living

memorial had been designed by noted architect, Eero

Saarinen. Following two trips to the State Supreme Court it

was decided that downtown land condemnation would not be

allowed for this project, which ended the site debate. If

one wishes to split hairs it can be said that construction

was begun on Milwaukee's Performing Arts Center in 1955, but

the site was on the lakefront. Unfortunately the available

funds dictated that only a first phase of the project was

feasable with only one of Saarinen's three buildings

standing. It was agreed that with additional funding the

music hall would be attached to that, "War Memorial Center."

In order to continue the lakefront project $2,000,000 worth

of landfill would have to be accomplished. In September of

1959 the finance committee of the county board dashed all

remaining hopes for completing the lakefront project,

refusing to budget funds for the needed fill. After lengthy

debates over an alternate location a riverfront site was

selected. In 1963 George Izenour was hired as project

consultant. He spent three months and $65,000 formulating a

concept which was handed to Chicago architect, Harry Weese

in mid-July of 1963. In June of 1964, twenty years after

the Rotary's 10 point plan had been submitted, Weese

presented his plans. With the blueprints on the table

Milwaukee could now see what had been talked about for so

long and the fundraising campaign began. As is so often

the case, in the interest of fiscal responsibility the

political wheels turned ever so slowly. And with delay came

inflation. Meanwhile local newspapers questioned the run

down riverfront site as a proper location for such a

prestigious establishment.

(Editorials - TMJ)

Back in 1944 it had been projected that the music hall

portion of the project would have cost $2 1/2 million. By

1963 the amount had risen to $6 million and that amount

eventually doubled by the project's completion. Of the

projected $6 million goal in 1963, $1,568,802 were

announced raised on June 25, 1964, the first day of the

fundraising campaign. By November over $3,600,000 had been

pledged and by January 15, 1965 $5 million. And on April

20, 1965 the goal had been reached. With costly delays and

high inflation cost overruns the plagued project required

additional donations simutaneous with the sale of premier

night tickets.

**********************************************************

(UPAF logo)

As the plans for the Performing Arts Center had been

initiated, community and arts leaders realized that the

full utilization of the new facility depended largely on the

growth and development of Milwaukee's leading performing

arts organizations. A study committee representing

Milwaukee's seven major performing organizations and the War

Memorial Development Committee, which was in charge of

constructing the P.A.C. was formed. The organizations

included were The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, The Chicago

Symphony Association of Milwaukee, The Milwaukee Repertory

Theater, The Bel Canto Chorus, the Florentine Opera Company,

the Skylight Theater and Music for Youth. The financial

needs of these groups, as well as the need to secure leading

groups to assure their use of the P.A.C., prompted the start

of the ‚United Performing Arts Fund. To date, UPAF has

raised over ((((($90 million in its 29 year history and

currently has 24 member groups for whom it raises major

operational support. It is ranked second in the nation in

terms of dollars raised by an united arts fund, surpassed

only by los Angeles.

************************************************************

Two more wars had been fought from the time that plans had

been placed into motion to create this memorial to

Milwaukee's veterans. By the time it opened, on September

17, 1969 it had been all but been forgotten that this was a

memorial. It became the Performing Arts Center with the War

Memorial remaining on Milwaukee's lakefront.

Among the great strengths of the new ‚Performing Arts Center

was in its superb management. Richard A. Hoover, a quiet

and gentle man was named as the center's managing director,

chosen from a field of 30 applicants. Formerly the General

manager of ‚The Pittsburgh€ (Penn.) ‚Playhouse€ this savvey

businessman quickly surround himself with the finest staff

available and then showed the good judgement to allow them

the freedom to manage their respective departments. The

P.A.C. became a model of efficientcy with Hoover always in

control. Upon Hoover's death in ((())) ??Archie????

replaced him with a more hands-on approach, attempting to

manage areas he little understood. In ((())) Serizan was

replaced by ??????????? who again allowed the professi

(incomplete)

The September 17th gala opening was designed to highlight

the three major areas of the performing arts, symphony,

opera and ballet. Kenneth Schermerhorn and �The Milwaukee

�Symphony Orchestra€ opened the evening with The National

Anthem. Scenes from the opera, "Lucia Di Lammermoor were

provided by The Florentine Opera with Maestro John Anello

conducting. Following the formal presentation of the new

Center by Richard R. Teschner, Chairman of the Development

Committee, Jacques d'Amboise and Lupe Serrano provided the

pas de deux from the ballet, " Don Quixote." The evenings

formal entertainment was completed with �The Milwaukee

�Symphony Orchestra€ presenting Ein Heldenleben, Opus 40 by

Richard Strauss.

Some of America's finest entertainers would appear on the

Uihlein stage over the next several nights, including Sarah

Vaughn, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and the The New York

Philharmonic. During the many years of discussion about

the need for this hall it was often pointed out that it

would fill the void created when the ‚Davidson€ was plowed

under. Almost symbolically, on the 29th of September, the

first full Ballet company to appear in this new hall was �The

�National Ballet of Canada€, which had been the very last act

to appear at the ‚Davidson€.

The ‚Performing Arts Center€ consisted of three performance

halls as well as a major meeting/rehearsal hall and several

lounge areas. After waiting more than twenty years, at a

cost of five-times the original estimate it must be said

that the finished product was far more functional than the

original single music hall plan. Of these new performance

spaces, by far the largest was Uihlein Hall. Corporate and

private donations become evident with a description of the

facilities.

(Pix - exterior TMJ )

(pix - Organ TMJ )

(pix - interior Uihlein TMJ)

In a large trap area below the �Will Ross€ stage. (with all

due respect to Mr. Ross, his name did not catch on with

those who used the stage and which is now called ‚Uihlein

stage), The Miller pipe organ could be found. Some 3,000

pipes accompanied this grand instrument with the longest

thirty-two feet. This impressive instrument would then

slowly lift into position on the stage level when needed.

An �Edmond Fitzgerald€ green room overlooked the stage area

but was eliminated in order to create greater wing storage

space in 1995. The stage featured a grid height of 110

feet, that of a 10 story building. Within that space was

hung the orchestra shell as well as hundreds of lighting

instruments and all "flying" scenery. The prosceneum

opening was of a gold mesh grate. Behind this mesh, at each

side, were tormentors (or torms) which were tall black

side walls which could expand or narrow the prosceneum

opening. Therefore the opening offered a maximum width of

64 feet and a fixed height of 48 feet. Accenting this

prosceneum hung the shimmering golden lame Austrian curtain

which was named for Mrs. �Stemke€. With such a large open

space surrounding the stage it was necessary to create a

hard shell in which orchastral music could be effectively

channeled out to the audience. The design of this stage

centered around a fifty-six ton shell which was suspended

above the stage when not in use. When stored the ceiling

swung high against the back wall of the stage with the rear

wall of the shell sliding back to rest under the ceiling

piece. The two sides of the shell lifted up and off stage.

When set the usable are within the shell was the same width

as the prosceneum, sixty-four feet, forty-eight feet high

and thirty-two feet deep but an orchestra was allowed

aditional depth by employing the area to the front of the

shell which actually is the orchestra pit elevated to stage

level. The double orchestra pit allowed for various

combinations as all or half might be used with the remaining

area set with audience seating. With the pit set at

audience level and maximum seating installed, the capacity

was 2,329 red velour seats. In the auditorium the seating

was without isles other than on the very ends of the rows.

The generous area between rows allowed for ease of movement

without disturbing those already seated. The center loge

area was unlike a balcony in that it was suspended from

above with open air between it and the rear of the theater

The architect incorporated this into the design in order to

prevent poor acoustics to be created by trapping sound below

the balcony area. Illuminating the auditorium was the

Marshall & Ilsley chandelier. Suspended on what appeared to

be one endless string of gold beads this 25,000 thousand

pound double ring of light featured 432 bulbs. Architects

build buildings and theatrical consultants are responsible

to help the architect in the decision making process of

equipping the theater with the facilities necessary for it

to function properly. George Isenaur seemed to have a

knack for impressing the decision makers accross America

since he worked as consultant on many projects, but

producers, directors and stagehands alike, the people who

have to work in Isenaur theaters are unanimous in the fact

that the man was simply a disaster waiting to happen. Many

orchestra shells similar to the fifty-six ton one installed

in Milwaukee's Performing Arts Centers have failed and some

have fallen. When Milwaukee Stagehand Eric Zaun was hired

as the new Technical Director of the complex in 19((())) he

immediately ordered an engineering study of the Isenaur

shell. The resulting inspection found serious structural

defects which were immediately repaired.

When one enters Uihlein Hall and looks to the upper rear

corners they will see triangular windows of plexi-glass

where the theater's follow-spotlights are operated from.

Virtually every theater requires spotlights but Isenaur and

architect Weese forgot them. An open engineering area high

above the auditorium was found to squeeze them in but the

angle is so severe that occasionally during plays or dance

numbers it becomes apparent that these spotlights cannot

follow a subject all the way to the back of the stage.

A single loading dock area was provided at the end of a

narrow tunnel. Virtually all current touring productions

and artists truck their scenery and equipment from town to

town and require a workable area onto which the trucks might

be unloaded. Many productions consist of several

semi-trailers and in 1996 "Phantom of the Opera" arrived

with 26 tractor-trailers. The P.A.C. became infamous among

theatrical drivers. often was the case that drivers were

unable to maneuver their trailer into the tunnel. The only

one pleased with this situation was a former Milwaukee

Repertory Theater Technical Director named Ben Taber (())

who made a nice business of backing semi trailers in for

their frustrated drivers at going rate of $20 per trailer.

After twenty-five years of aggrivation a quite workable

loading dock was remodeled into the north-west end of the

building, fortunately in time for "Phantom."

(pix todd Wehr)

The second largest hall was the Todd Wehr which was

originally occupied by The Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

Donald Donne, the Rep's public relations director noted that

with Todd Wehr's excellent accoustics, intimacy and comfort

that the difference between the Oakland Avenue theater and

this new hall " was like the difference between a barn and

your living room." The 526-seat theater featured a 15 foot

deep thrust stage with seating on three sides. The open

performance area was seperated from an additional 7 feet of

backstage by two pillars which support a brick wall and 8

foot ceiling. Access to the stage was available from

between or around the pillars and from the opposite end of

the stage as a vomatorium provided direct access to center

stage. The Milwaukee Repertory Theater prospered

artistically and financially in this hall and in 19((()))

moved up to their own three stage complex.

First Stage Milwaukee, a children's theater was immediately

conceived by P.A.C. management and continues to occupy the

‚Todd Wehr at the time of this writing.

(pix vogel little mermaid?)

The third stage within the P.A.C. was the Charles P. Vogel

Recital Hall. An oak parquet floor lead the stage back into

an open-prosceneum style stage. The walls of both the hall

and lobby were attractively adorned to match the red

velour seating. The Eberbach entrance foyer, off of the

State Street entrance, was illuminated by a chandelier which

had once graced the old Metropolitan Opera Hall in New York.

�The Skylight Theater€ christened this hall with "La Boheme"

on October 8th, 1969. Vogel Hall remains active as an

intimate performance space for many local companies such ‚The

‚Great Lakes Opera Company€ and entrepeneur producers such as

Dale Guzeman(()).

1969 Theater X

A theatrical improvisational company begain presenting short

€Created in 1969 and by 1971 the company was profitable, an

amazing trick in these parts. From its humble North Water

Street beginnings Theater X moved to to the new ‚Broadway

‚Center where it shares the beautiful new facility with The

Skylight Opera and Milwaukee Chamber Theater.

1972 Center Stage

Where the ‚Swan Theater€ had failed a few years earlier, Peter

Balestrieri, who had run the ballroom as a nightclub in the

interim, decided to give the hall another chance with dinner

theater. Balestrieri leased the ballroom to producer Robert

Simpson who opened his dinner/playhouse with a resident

production of "Mame". The review kindly classified Simson's

production as, "...better than neighborhood theater."

1987 Marcus Amphitheater

(pix - interior)

While there can be no comparison ‚The Marcus Ampitheater

replaced the old Summerfest main stage in 1987. This new

24,000-seat covered, open-air venue was constructed on the

south end of Henry Maier Festival park thanks to the

generosity of the Marcus Corporation. With this new

state-of-the-art facility Summerfest has officially become

the world-class music festival.

1987 Milwaukee Repertory Theater

(see Drama Inc.)

1993 Broadway Center

Located in the historic Third Ward, The Broadway Center

stands at ()))) N. Broadway. The Skylight Opera celebrated

its 35th season in 1993 with its premier performance in this

new house that they share with Theater X and Milwaukee

Chamber Theater.

grease pit to orchestra pit and

trap room. The wisdom of Clair's