By Krystal Hardy Contributor Published Feb 11, 2020 at 7:01 PM

The Milwaukee Repertory Theater has revealed the upcoming productions for its 67th season. The impending 2020-21 schedule – a high-powered lineup of 16 productions revealed Monday night by Rep artistic director Mark Clements in the theater's own Quadracci Powerhouse – will bring you tributes to two of the most iconic performers in the history of showbiz, a murder mystery experience and an ambitious Titanic-sized production, just to name a few.

Take a look at the Rep’s shows, by theater. 

The Rep will kick off its 67th season in the Stackner Cabareet with a bit of ol’ blue eyes with "My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra" starting Sept.11 through Nov. 8. The Stackner Cabaret and the production’s five performers will take audiences back to the days of smooth melodies, finger snapping, cool crooning and classic standards. The Cabaret is also known to create specialty menus to accompany their shows, adding to the show’s ambiance. 

Other Stackner Cabaret productions for the 2020-21 season include the comedy "Dad’s Season Tickets" on Nov. 13-Jan. 17, the melancholy "Blues in the Night" running Jan. 22 through March 21 and a journey over the rainbow with "Get Happy: Angela Ingersoll Sings Judy Garland" on March 25-May 30 next year.

Meanwhile, the Steimke Studio will open with "The Tasters" on Sept. 23-Nov. 1, a Meghan Brown play set in a dystopian world where women are made to be taste testers after government officials have been poisoned. One rebel disrupts the status quo, however, when she goes on a hunger strike.   

Later on, "Tender Age" is sure to bring about tears Jan. 20-Feb. 28, as the play "examines life in an immigrant youth detention center." Rep Lab will celebrate its 11th anniversary of presenting short plays created by the 2020-2021 Emerging Professional Residents, March 4-8. Also hosted at the Steimke Studio this upcoming season will be a staged reading of "Lockdown" by Cori Thomas, inspired by the writer’s personal experience spending time with inmates at San Quentin State Prison. "Lockdown" will run April 9-18.

And then there's the Quadracci Powerhouse, where "Titanic the Musical" was perhaps the most exciting announcement of Monday evening. The Tony-winning musical about one of history’s most haunting disasters is sure to be an in-your-face production full of fervency. Look for the "Titanic the Musical" running Sept. 15 through Oct. 25.

Also happening at the Powerhouse next season is the classic Agatha Christie murder mystery "Murder on the Orient Express," hosted Nov. 10 through Dec. 13.  "Toni Stone" comes to Milwaukee Jan. 12-Feb. 7, with a story of how Stone paved the way as the first woman to enter the professional Negro baseball league. The Rep will also offer a limited engagement of "Kathleen Turner: Finding my Voice" Feb. 11-14 next year as well as Kimberly Belflower’s story of female empowerment in "John Proctor is the Villain," running March 2-28.

The Rep will close the season starting April 20 through May 23 next year at the Quadracci with a twist on a Shakespearean classic: "As You Like It" but set in the Beatles-loving 1960s. 

As with tradition, November and December will bring theater audiences the jovial holiday classic "A Christmas Carol" in the 45th anniversary of the theater’s production in Milwaukee’s Pabst Theater.

As the new season shows, the Milwaukee Rep is boldly using its theatrical platform to create conversations around many of the world’s current social issues while coincidentally leaving the audience singing, dancing, crying and forming new connections with fellow theater-goers. 

For more on the Milwaukee Repertory’s current or upcoming 2020-21 season, visit milwaukeerep.com.

Krystal is a Milwaukee native, Marquette University alum (Go Marquette!) and has been a freelance writer for over ten years.  With KDH_Creative, she continues to focus on being a multi-disciplinary creative in the areas of journalism, literature, film, marketing and public relations.  

In her free time, she likes to explore the city as if she is a new transplant, to fall in love with Milwaukee all over again. She loves all things artistic such as theatrical productions, art galleries, film festivals and more. Her hobbies include playing in makeup, gardening, blogging, endlessly scrolling on Pinterest, taking romantic strolls through our public libraries and trying to learn guitar.  

She's a #MamaBee of one, #MPSproud, #MontessoriAdvocate and thinks teachers are the real superheroes of the world.

Krystal is currently working on self-publishing her first book.