Disney + Pixar’s Finding Nemo @ First Stage Theater

As you start to settle into your seat in the Todd Wehr Theater, you realize that you are now in a new and exciting undersea environment. First you take in the organic stage shapes that define a reef and other underwater environments and then you notice the waving blue lights that depict sunlight streaming through the surface waves and you are transported. So before our musical actually begins, Scenic Designer Kristin Ellert and Lighting Designer Jason Fassl, have put us in the right frame of mind to enjoy Finding Nemo.

There is a large ensemble here and as always there is a core of adult actors that play the major adult roles and then two casts of young people who perform at alternate performances. So if you are looking to see a certain performer, please check the performance schedule. There are links below.

Cast in Disney & Pixar’s FINDING NEMO TYA. First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

The version of Finding Nemo is an adaptation of the famous Disney + Pixar movie so most of the audience is going to be familiar with the story, but maybe not the storytelling! I mean, how do you depict the action of an animated movie, live on stage! Well, with a lot of very enthusiastic and dramatic actors…and a whole ocean of puppets!

Two of the three main characters are played by adults, Jake Horstmeier as Marlin, Nemo’s Dad, and Karen Estrada as Dory, a friend that Marlin meet’s along the way in his search for Nemo. Estrada plays off Dory’s bit of forgetfulness and brings out the happy and determination in the character. And when Marlin starts to give up hope or strays away from the task at hand, she is able to help him focus and stay on track. Horstmeier is a clearly determined and loving father here but shows us the occasional frailty in Marlin as his determination flags a bit from time to time. Horstmeier and Estrada clearly enjoy their characters and just as clearly enjoy working together.

Lainey Techtmann (center) and cast in Disney & Pixar’s FINDING NEMO TYA. First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

But of course the actual star of the show is Nemo! And here is where the split in casts takes command. In the Orange Cast, Lainey Techtmann plays Nemo and in the Blue Cast the role belongs to Simone Gong-Murray. When I attended for the Sunday matinee, Techtmann was on stage and absolutely nailed the role. I was pleased to see her on stage again, having enjoyed her depictions of Tiny Tim in the Rep’s A Christmas Carol.

Now there are a lot of other characters here…and every member of the ensemble played multiple roles. And this is where the puppets come in!

Mara Iligaray (center) and cast in Disney & Pixar’s FINDING NEMO TYA. First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Rather than elaborate costumes and intense and time consuming costume changes, each actor carried a stunning puppet for each role. Sunfish, starfish, barracuda, sharks, octopi, seahorses, sea turtles, and a tall tall shore bird were all represented by puppets, as well as Nemo, Dory, and Marlin. Most of these puppets were carried on the shoulder of the actor who supported them on a stick near the tail and a mechanism at the head that provided support and the action to make the mouth move. And the bodies are articulated so the actor can make movements with the puppet that resemble swimming. So besides singing, dancing, and speaking their roles, the actors had to remember to swim their puppets and move their mouths to simulate their speech as they told the story. Simply amazing!

And I have no idea who Puppet Designer Jesse Mooney-Bullock managed to produce such a unique array of puppets and teach everyone in their use. I enjoyed this aspect of the production very much. And also special thanks to Directors Jeff Frank and Michael Dean Morgan for making all of this work. Just moving around all of these characters much less making it all work with such precision and grace is amazing.

And I was not the only one amazed. At the end of every performance, the cast assembles on stage and takes a few questions from the audience. Two questions about the puppets came from youngsters in the audience. One wanted to know how hard was it to learn to work with the puppets. And a cast member assured them that it took a lot of work but after a while it got easier but it took a lot of practice. And the second question was why they used puppets instead of costumes, and another cast member stated that it easier to switch to a different puppet for a role change than doing a costume change and moving with the puppet was easier to do.

Disney + Pixar’s Finding Nemo, Theatre For Young Audiences Version, continues at the Marcus Performing Arts Center at the Todd Wehr Theater through April 6, 2025. Additional information and tickets can be found here.

Run time is about 75 minutes with a brief intermission and Finding Nemo is recommended for ages 5 and older!

Extra Credit Reading: Playbill! and Enrichment Guide!

Cast in Disney & Pixar’s FINDING NEMO TYA. First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

PSA: FIRST STAGE HOSTS WORLD PREMIERE OF EMILY SONG AND THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT: AN EPIC TALE OF MAGIC, MUSIC, AND HEROISM

MILWAUKEE First Stage — one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families — invites audiences to the world premiere of EMILY SONG AND THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT. In this thrilling new production, Emily discovers she has extraordinary powers—but will they be enough to protect her loved ones from the formidable Queen of the Night? Don’t miss this epic superhero adventure that is sure to inspire and captivate audiences of all ages

EMILY SONG AND THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT runs Jan. 31 through Feb. 16, 2025, at the Marcus Performing Arts Center’s Todd Wehr Theater. Tickets are available now on FirstStage.org.

Developed through First Stage’s Amplify Reading Series, this groundbreaking new musical emerged from the TYA (Theater for Young Audiences) BIPOC Superhero Project led by Jose Casas and designed to connect playwrights of color with professional TYA companies nationwide.

“Inspired by the world of anime and graphic novels, playwright and composer Marcus Yi has crafted an epic musical adventure unlike anything we’ve ever done before,” said Jeff Frank, First Stage Artistic Director. “Our Amplify Fall Festival shapes the development of potential future productions at First Stage. EMILY SONG AND THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT promises to captivate audiences by delivering a story that transcends traditional expectations of musical theater, seamlessly blending innovation, imagination and representation.”

Emily Song had always known that she was meant to sing. However, her father banned music from their lives for as long as she can remember. But that doesn’t stop Emily from secretly taking singing lessons online or joining the school glee club. On her 12th birthday, Emily’s powers manifest, and she discovers she is a music mage—a sorcerer who can cast magical spells through music. When the Queen of the Night kidnaps her father and best friend, Emily must figure out how to harness her newly discovered talent to save her loved ones—and New York City— from total destruction. 

Grab your cape, and be the first to see this brand-new musical!

The show runs approximately 75 minutes, including a brief intermission. Recommended for families with young people ages 7-17 and theater lovers of all ages.

This production’s Pay What You Choose Performance is on Friday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m., the Sensory Friendly Performance is on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 3:30 p.m., and the Sign Language Interpreted Performance is on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 3:30 p.m.

About First Stage
Founded in 1987, First Stage is one of the nation’s leading theaters for young people and families, and a driving force behind the creation of the best and most innovative plays for family audiences, theater training programs for young
people, and education initiatives for its schools and community. First Stage ensures that all programming is not only accessible to its community but that it is reflective of the community it serve

We’ll see you there!!

First Stage’s Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer, The Musical, Reigns Over The PAC!

Silvia Stoeger in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEERTM: THE
MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

If you aren’t quite in the holiday spirit as you approach the Marcus Performing Arts Center, you will be by the time you reach the lobby, if like me, you find yourself climbing the stairs to the Todd Wehr Theater among youngsters quietly singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer to themselves…

And once inside, the room was electric until the lights went down and an immediate hush fell over the crowd in anticipation. And it was as near a full house (just a handful of empty seats) as I have ever experienced at the Todd Wehr so this silence from the young crowd here was amazing. This is the magic of First Stage, it engages the young audience in a big way but it entertains the entire family.

We all know the basic Rudolph story from the popular song. But Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, the Musical has more story to tell! And we get some help keeping up with the plot via the narrator, Sam the Snowman, depicted by James Carrington. What a voice! What a presence on stage! Although Rudolph is our focus and hero, this story wouldn’t be as clearly told without Carrington’s portrayal of Sam.

David Flores (center) and cast in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED
REINDEERTM: THE MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

As my long time readers and fans of First stage already know, the large musicals that First Stage presents at the Marcus are anchored by a few adult actors in pivotal roles and then two casts of young actors who rotate from presentation to presentation. So for Rudolph, we have the Silver Cast and the Gold Cast. You can find a complete cast listing here or here so if you know someone acting at First Stage you may want to consult the cast listings before ordering tickets. So, we do have two Rudolphs: Gwen Madson in the Silver Cast and Sylvia Stoeger in the Gold Cast. I saw the Silver Cast perform at the 1 P.M. matinee on December 1st.

So on with our story. We first meet Rudolph shortly after his birth as his mother proudly introduces him to his father Donner. All is joy and happiness until Rudolph’s nose starts to shine bright red. As Donner says, you could even say it glows. But it brings on great consternation between Donner and Santa. Eventually, Donner devises a nose mask to cover his nose. And as he grows, he eventually joins the other young bucks in reindeer games…essentially training under the watchful eye of Coach Comet. You know who that is, right? Well, despite being the longest and most successful flyer amongst the trainees, once his mask falls off, Comet banishes him from any reindeer games.

And just across Santa’s North Pole, the elves are making toys for Christmas. And elves love making toys and are making quick work of their tasks. Well, all except Hermey who doesn’t like making toys, for which he is ridiculed by his elfin peers. Hermey wants to be a dentist and he gets laughed at for that as well.

Zach Thomas Woods (left), Tim Linn (center), and cast in RUDOLPH THE
RED-NOSED REINDEERTM: THE MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Feeling ostracized, Hermey and Rudolph run away from their respective groups and team up and leave town. So of course they get lost and get into trouble. And they are threatened by the Bumble, a great snow monster who is able to track them via Rudolph’s nose. They meet Yukon Cornelius, played by adult actor Zach Woods (he also plays Comet). Woods plays a flamboyant over the top unsuccessful prospector looking for silver and gold in the Yukon. The three of them team up to overcome the Bumble and then make their way home.

And everyone back home is missing them and looking for them and they all arrive just in time for Rudolph to save Christmas by leading Santa’s sleigh with his red nose!

Now, be in your best voice because you are going to want to sing along with the cast as they sing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer for the grand finale. I mean it, you will be wholly ready to give yourself to the moment.

(left to right) Zach Thomas Woods, Silvia Stoeger, and Maryn Davis in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEERTM: THE MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Some very special mentions here. There are a number of actors dressed entirely in white who hide around the set and move the snow banks, ice bergs, and pine trees. But their most important function is to operate and voice the many puppets that populate the North Pole. There is a seal, a pair of owls, another pair of birds, squirrels, a raccoon, and of course the Bumble. But the Bumble is more than life size and inhabited by Timm Linn who controls his eyes and mouth. But the Bumble’s arms are controlled by a pair of actors in white.

And I am guessing the first day of rehearsal for the elves is learning to float around the stage in their special shoes with the long curled toes.

And one last feature of every First Stage play: the talk back afterwords. This is a ten minute feature where the audience members can ask questions about the play or set or costumes or whatever and the cast will take turns answering. This week we learned that the musical is based on the animated film from 1964, that Sam is made out of foam and James Carrington is sitting on a chair attached to the costume’s floor and is wheeled about the stage. And that the choreography back stage…moving on and off stage…and moving to new entrance points is more important than the choreography on stage. So make sure you stay for the talk back.

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, the Musical runs from now through December 29, 2024. But don’t put off getting your tickets, it is a very popular show. Rudolph runs about 75 minutes and there is one intermission. It is recommended for ages 3 to 12, but I think the top age limit is unlimited! Tickets can be ordered here. There are some special days during the run, so check the link here to see what and when.

And Extra Credit Reading: The Digital Playbill!

And in case you need some help: Lyrics for Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer

Based on the animated television special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and the stage production directed and conceived by Jeff Frank and First Stage. Directed by Jeff Frank.

J.T. Backes (left) and cast in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEERTM:
THE MUSICAL. First Stage, 2024. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.