Musical Theater – an intuitive perspective

December 12, 2025

Vanguard Milwaukee: All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914

This is a drama that you are going to hear and a drama that you are going to feel. But it is unlike any drama that you have experienced before. World War I occurred over 100 years ago. It was the war to end all wars. It was a violent and horrific war. But for one evening on Christmas Eve 1914 during the Battle of the Somme, All Is Calm. And this true story is what is being represented in All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914.

There are no featured roles here…this is an ensemble effort…entirely. Ten actors enter the stage individually, each dressed in a different bit of military uniform, but slightly unkempt and seriously disheveled. And our ensemble is more a male chorus than a cast. And the arc of our story moves from the troops shipping out from Great Britain and arriving in Europe and finally facing the real facts of war. And the ensemble takes turns recounting the experience of each side in the conflict, troops from Great Britain and then again the German troops that they face across the wire.

Most of the story is told in song. From patriotic tunes to more popular songs of the time to Christmas carols. There are interludes throughout where an individual actor is spot lighted, and then provides a brief description of how a soldier feels and then identifies himself by name and rank and unit. So the under story is clear and strong and so so apparent. And you realize if the leadership of either nation listened, the troops have a solution to the fighting.

The opposing forces are close enough to each other’s trenches that they can hear the singing. And as they start to celebrate Christmas and carols are sung, the competition to drown each other out succumbs to the joy of carols and the meaning of the season. And at this point each side finds the courage to leave their trenches and move into no man’s land and celebrate a personal and local peace with each other. Cigarettes and alcohol are shared, a game of soccer is played, and the dead are buried. And we continue to hear the under stories of the troops and feel what they are feeling. And finally they sing a joint rendering of Auld Lang Syne.

But of course, this is war, and this couldn’t last.

Director Jill Anna Ponasik has precisely identified what makes this story so poignant and telling and brought out those points on stage. The ensemble or men’s chorus, is absolutely engaged in this presentation. Set and lighting design was done by Antishadows Theatrical Design, and as you can see, the set is spare and the lighting dramatic. And as the story requires at times we have subdued flashes of light representing cannon flash in the distance to the entirety of the star filled sky for Christmas Eve.

This is the fourth season that Vanguard Milwaukee has presented All Is Calm. It his a holiday play but it isn’t the holiday play that you would expect. It is something beyond that.

Vanguard Milwaukee is presenting All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 at Calvary Presbyterian Church at 935 West Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, Wisconsin from now through December 22nd, 2025. Additional information (including a FAQ section) and tickets can be found here!

December 10, 2025December 12, 2025

The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza AND We Get One Too! A WORLD PREMIERE

Over the past several years I have probably reviewed more than a dozen big stage musicals presented by First Stage, but I have never experienced an audience who were so fully engaged in the action…answering questions asked by the characters of one another…shouting or groaning when there was a controversy…or swaying and waving along with the cast in the big production numbers. It was incredibly heartwarming to feel the intensity and excitement from these young theatergoers. And once again, I was at a loss, since I didn’t have the backstory on the Pigeon, but I obviously am not in on the ‘joke’.

Are you ready for a song?

YES! This is after all a big stage musical and the music flows joyfully and easily tells the story rather than just illustrating it, in remarkable solos, duets, and ensemble pieces that just resonate through the Todd Weir Theater. AND I forgot to mention this is a WORLD PREMIERE. Oh I guess it’s in the title.

This is a holiday extravaganza but isn’t just about holidays. There are I think, three stories here. Pigeon feels lost and a bit outside the community and searches for meaning in life and his place in the world. Elephant and Piggie extol the virtues of BFF (best friends forever), and then things start to get squirrelly, with a whole cast of squirrels representing community engagement and social involvement. All incredibly brought together with the thought of a holiday extravaganza.

Kailey Azure Green in The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza! First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Let’s start with the star of our show, The Pigeon! The Pigeon is played by Kailey Azure Green, not in costume, but as the vehicle for a pigeon puppet. Our pigeon rests on Green’s forearm while one hand activates the bill and the other the wings of the pigeon. Although deftly handling the puppeteering chores, the most fun is watching Green themself as they voice the pigeon and sing the parts and emphatically displays the pigeons emotions in their body language, voice, and the expressions of their face. A lot of fun and joy in their actions.

Now, none of the other actors are dressed in costumes or represent their characters in puppet form despite portraying any number of animals…because their feelings and actions are just so peoplely.

James Carrington and Rachael Zientek in The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza! First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And our best friends? They are James Carrington as Elephant Gerald and Rachel Zientek as Piggie. Carrington and Zientek are obviously fan favorites since they got a spontaneous round of applause on their first appearance on stage. I have seen Carrington in a number of First Stage productions now and he embodies the spirit of what First Stage is all about. And he and Zientek have a very very engaging chemistry on stage…this is the third time they’ve worked together reprising their roles of Gerald and Piggie. And they have their own little drama as they are sure they have picked out precisely the perfect gift for their friend until they are overcome with a dread that their friend might not like it. Songs and drama ensue…and a little humor as well. They are simply delightful to watch!

So that covers the three adult actors in our big holiday extravaganza, and here’s where things start to get squirrelly! All of the other roles are filled by young people!

Adyson Ries (front) and cast in The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza! First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And it seems we have a squirrel for every occasion. Our main team is planning the extravaganza…a lot of excitement and a lot of energy…and great plans get planned and great plans go awry…until In-Between Squirrel sparks an idea and the day is saved. Some highlights include the trio of Catchy Holiday Squirrels who sing a festive holiday song and appear to reprise it a number of times during the play. It becomes an ear worm for the Pigeon but is a delight for those of us in the audience who hear snippets of traditional holiday songs stolen or satirized in the song…until smack in the face…there it is: a pigeon in a pear tree! And watch for Defining Squirrel, a real fan favorite with the young audience, who enters the stage with a placard for ‘bigger’ words and their definition. The trope itself is funny on its face but there is bigger humor later in the play that I won’t spoil by revealing it here.

But everyone comes together in the end and a holiday extravaganza is enjoyed by all and I guarantee that you will enjoy it too. And Santa’s sleigh and an unnamed reindeer make cameo appearances.

Cast in The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza! First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

This is a challenging musical to stage because of the number of actors involved and the number of songs involved but director Michelle LoRicco has done an incredible job of bringing it all together. And as always the sets and lighting is first rate First Stage quality which stands on a par with any theater group in town.

I didn’t mention the young actors because First Stage always uses two casts of young actors. I saw the Hotdog cast and they stole my hearts…but from my experience, the Cookie cast will do the same. But keep in mind that there are two casts. So if you are hoping to see a particular young performer check the listings for which day their cast will perform when buying tickets!

But I do have one question that perplexes my aging brain. So if one of our young readers could fill me in. Why did the pigeon walk to the North Pole? I mean, one cool thing about being a pigeon is being able to fly.

The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza runs about 65 minutes plus a short intermission and is being presented at the Todd Wehr Theater in the Marcus Performing Arts Center through December 28, 2025.

Recommended for families with young people ages 4-14 and festive celebrators of all ages

Ticket information and further details can be found here:

And extra credit readings: the Playbill and the Enrichment Guide

October 12, 2025October 13, 2025

R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps: Phantom Of The Auditorium @ First Stage!

When my son was a youngster, R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series was golden in our home. Whether a parent reading them to him or reading them himself as he got older, they never were out of circulation. I don’t know how many books we acquired…but more than a few. It’s been a few years so I don’t remember any of the stories, but that experience certainly piqued my interest in First Stage’s: R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps: Phantom of the Auditorium.

Director Jeff Frank and adapters John Maclay (book and lyrics) and Danny Abosch (music and lyrics) have given us a spooktacular musical. Yeah, that’s trite but it’s fun to say and this presentation finally put me in the Halloween spirit. But let’s talk about the scary element for a moment. Yes, Phantom of the Auditorium is eerie and spooky. Delightfully so. But on the scary rating chart I would put it down as a healthy Halloween BOO! and nothing more. First Stage recommends this for young people 8 to 18 but when I attended on Saturday there were many youngsters who were younger than 8. And they seemed to have a great time!! Now, there are a number of black outs that allow the actors to accomplish some sleight of hand scene changes and some flashing lights just before the spooky bits…but what fun!

Just a little background for those not familiar with First Stage. First Stage presents dynamic theater for children, most often at the Marcus Performing Arts Center. These main stage productions are amazing large cast musicals with boisterous music, colorful costumes, brilliant sets, and dramatic lighting. The casts involve a lot of young people and a number of adults. Most often the adults rather anchor the plays and guide the action for the younger stars. Phantom is all of that except there are only two adult actors…and the young actors carry this show. Literally. The two adult roles are Ms. Walker, the school teacher, and Emile, the night janitor. Older young actors could have played these roles and the play would have been just as amazing!

Opening Stage for Phantom of the Auditorium. Photo © Ed Heinzelman 2025

And now the fun begins! Brooke and Zeke are best friends in middle school and bond over horror movies. So when Ms. Walker announces that she is holding auditions for a very very scary play, well they are all in! The play is The Phantom and Brooke wins the role of Esmeralda and Zeke is the phantom. And then it turns out that Ms. Walker’s grandmother tried to present this play years and years ago but it was canceled under mysterious circumstances. The play was banned and all the scripts destroyed…except the one Ms. Walker inherited from her grandmother…which is the script that she is using here.

Zoah Hirano in *Goosebumps: Phantom of the Auditorium*. First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

Brooke is an intriguing middle schooler, confident, curious, sure of herself, and maybe a little of a tomboy yet. She is determined to make the most of her chance to play Esmeralda and is taking it very seriously. Zeke on the other hand is more playful, a bit lazy, hasn’t read the script, and is something of a prankster. This gets him into a bit of trouble and introduces a number of the spooky transitions. Tina thinks she should be the lead. She is the understudy. She is an overly aggressive over achiever who just oozes contempt in her loss. Assigned to build the set and select the props she bosses it over the others. And then there is the new kid Brian who would like to be in the play but joins his new school too late. Ms. Walker assigns him to assist Tina. And oh oh, the internal love story found in every great drama or musical develops as Brian and Brooke find it difficult to speak in each others presence and for the first time Zeke experiences a bit of jealousy.

Jenna Krysiak (left) and Ryan Stepanski (right) in *Goosebumps: Phantom of the Auditorium*. First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

And of course: as the rehearsals begin, there start to be strange occurrences. Flashing lights, strange apparitions, spooky movements in the background, light failures, and an underground labyrinth. Like her predecessor, Ms. Walker wants to cancel the play but her intrepid cast demand that they continue. So Brooke, Zeke, and Brian take it upon themselves to discover the source of all of the mysterious events. And I leave the story there!

For those of you who have followed my reviews of First Stage presentations, hopefully you remember that they use two casts of young actors for each play. In this case the Thrills cast and the Chills cast. I got to see the Chills cast. Jenna Krysiak is a very compelling and sincere Brooke and is often the most visible actor on stage even when the spotlight is elsewhere. Maryn Davis is just a boundless source of energy and the perfect mischievous teen as Zeke. Harper Fornstedt is over the top intriguing as Tina and Ryan Stepanksi is a solid , calm, and maybe a bit older than he seems character as Brian. The adult actors are included in both casts: Karen Estrada as the quintessential school teacher Ms. Walker and Zach Thomas Woods as the officious and distant night janitor, Emile.

I had a few moments of conversation with director Jeff Frank before the show. I mentioned that in order to review the work at First Stage, I always flew solo, but wished I had a child or grandchild to bring along. But even as an adult I enjoyed each and every show, even the ones that tended more toward a silly side. He said he had friends who didn’t come because they didn’t have child to bring along or a child in the cast. He suggested that they just come down anyway. I agree! If you are curious about First Stage, just come down. And this might the perfect musical to get started with. It is complex in music, story, and choreography. The actors and sets are amazing and as always the presentation is as professional as you’re going to see in Milwaukee! And it will get you in the mood for Halloween…a perfect place to start the holiday seasons.

Harper Fornstedt (front) and cast in *Goosebumps: Phantom of the Auditorium*. First Stage, 2025. Photo by Paul Ruffolo.

If you plan to go and want to see a particular actor make sure you pick the day that their cast is featured! Thrills or Chills! Tickets can be purchased here. Phantom of the Auditorium is playing at the Todd Wehr Theater at the Marcus Performing Arts Center though November 2, 2025.

Extra Credit Reading: The Playbill. The Enrichment Guide. And the Social Narrative Pamphlet