2025 - 2026 season
maybe we’ll fly
Staged reading
January 16 - 18, 2026
Milwaukee Opera Theatre presents a developmental reading of Maybe We’ll Fly, a new play with music by Marie Kohler and Josh Schmidt with direction by Elizabeth Margolius about one woman’s unstoppable desire to make art. Maybe We’ll Fly is inspired by the life and work of Wisconsin outsider artist Mary Nohl (1914-2001), who built large, whimsical statues from cement and cast-off objects found around her lakeside home. The play explores what drives this artist’s aspiration to create, to delight and provoke her community . . . and to make her mark.
The January 16 and 17 performances of Maybe We'll Fly will take place at the Florentine Opera Center. All tickets are $20 and support the development of new work at MOT! The January 18 performance of Maybe We'll Fly will take place at the Art Preserve of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Seating for this performance is extremely limited. If you'd like to be added to the waitlist, please email kaisadanielle@gmail.com. We'll do our best to squeeze you in.
Camille’s rainbow
March 19 - 23, 2026
Last season, Camille’s Rainbow dazzled little ones and grown-ups alike with its heart, color, and sparkle—so we’re bringing it back for an encore performance! This 45-minute opera, created just for babies and toddlers (ages 0–3) and their grown-up sidekicks, invites families into Camille’s enchanting world, where music shimmers and colors come to life. Let the adventure begin (again)!
follies
in concert
April 29, 2026
Following in the footsteps of MOT’s unforgettable productions of 1776 and A Chorus Line, we’re assembling an all-star cast for a one-night-only event that will leave you breathless. This sweeping, bittersweet masterpiece dives into the glitter and shadow of memory—unraveling themes of nostalgia, glamour, aging, regret, and the strength it takes to keep moving forward.
With a parade of iconic songs like “Too Many Mornings,” “Losing My Mind,” “In Buddy’s Eyes,” and the anthem “I’m Still Here,” Follies promises a night of raw emotion, twinkling beauty, and sass galore you won’t want to miss.
H.m.s pinafore
October 8 - 12, 2025
Full of wit, absurdity and sly social commentary, HMS Pinafore is a hilarious tale of love, honor and duty aboard a Royal Navy ship whimsically named after a woman’s garment. Written by master social satirists W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan—one of musical theatre’s most iconic duos—this classic 19th-century comic opera gets a fresh, imaginative staging by Jill Anna Ponasik and Jeffrey Mosser. Presented in collaboration with Milwaukee Opera Theatre and the UWM Department of Theatre, this lively production promises sharp humor, infectious music and a delightful twist on tradition.