Breaks Milwaukee Rep Sales Record Ahead of Opening Night, Becoming Highest Grossing Show in Theater History on the Mainstage
Plus take a First Look at Photos from the production!
November 6, 2025 [Milwaukee] – Come From Away, the Tony Award-winning musical and the inaugural production in Milwaukee Rep’s new Associated Bank Theater Center has broken Milwaukee Rep’s all-time sales record on the mainstage. The production surpassed the 2019 West Side Story to become the highest-grossing show in theater’s history– before its official opening night this coming Saturday – with $1,289,133 in ticket sales. Directed by Artistic Director Mark Clements, Come From Away runs now through December 14, 2025, in the newly renovated Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater.
“Breaking our all-time sales record with Come From Away is more than a milestone, it’s a testament to the power of storytelling and the strength of this community,” said Chad Bauman, Ellen & Joe Checota Executive Director. “Audiences have embraced this show’s message of unity and kindness, and their overwhelming response affirms our belief that Milwaukee Rep’s new Associated Bank Theater Center is not just a building, it’s a beacon for world-class theater in the Midwest.”
Come From Away kicks of Milwaukee Rep’s 2025/26 inaugural season in the Associated Bank Theater Center. As one of the largest theatrical complexes to open in the last decade, the $80 million Associated Bank Theater Center is notable for opening on time, on budget, and fully funded, despite overwhelming odds, including a global pandemic, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, the highest inflation in decades coupled with tariffs impacting the cost of building materials, and a 1,000-year flood that decimated the organization’s production center, forcing the set of Come From Away to be built at a scene shop in San Francisco in order to be completed on time.
Come From Away is an exhilarating musical that shares the remarkable true story of nearly 7,000 airline passengers from around the world who were grounded in the small Canadian town of Gander in the wake of 9/11. The joyous story features a dynamic score and a vibrant, fast-paced narrative as spirited locals and stranded passengers come together to forge lifelong friendships.
The production is the first performance in the Milwaukee Rep’s state of the art new facility. Come From Away is presented by David Kundert, Corporate Sponsor PNC Bank, Executive Producers Cheryl and Bill Guc, Sandy and Bill Haack, Susan and Howard Hopwood and Maureen McCabe.
“At PNC, we believe the arts are essential to a thriving community – they inspire creativity, foster connection, and drive economic vitality,” said Chris Hermann, PNC Regional President of Wisconsin and Milwaukee Rep Trustee. “Our support of Milwaukee Rep and the transformative production of Come From Away as the corporate sponsor reflects our commitment to investing in experiences that enrich lives and strengthen Milwaukee’s cultural fabric.”
The cast for Come From Away features many Milwaukee Rep stand out performers including Tony Award-winner Karen Ziemba (Prelude to a Kiss) as Diane, Grace Bobber (The Last Five Years) as Janice, Michael Doherty (The Nerd) as Oz, Kelley Faulkner (Cabaret, Always…Patsy Cline) as Beverley/Annette, Gavin Gregory (Ragtime) as Bob, Richard Ruiz Henry (Guys and Dolls) as Claude, Steven Koehler (Guys on Ice) as Nick/Doug and Megan Loomis (The Craic, Run Bambi Run) as Bonnie. Alongside them are new to Milwaukee Rep cast members Dayna Jarae Dantzler (Waitress, Broadway) as Hannah, Joy Hermalyn (Caroline or Change, Broadway) as Beaulah, Adam Rennie (Rocky Horror Picture Show, Australian tour) as Kevin T/Garth, and Levin Valayil (Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Next Act) as Kevin J/Ali. The band includes Glen Asch, Olivia Dobbs, Bob Monogle, Patrick Morrow, Michael Ritter, Vidar Skrede Paule Westfahl and Ben Yats.
The creative team for Come From Away includes many familiar faces who have helped create Milwaukee Rep standouts Titanic The Musical and Run Bambi Run including music director Dan Kazemi, choreographer Jenn Rose, set designer Todd Edward Ivins, costume designer Theresa Ham, lighting designer Jason Fassl, sound designer Cricket Myers, projection designer Mike Tutaj, voice and dialect coach Jill Walmsley-Zager, casting director Jonathan Hetler, and stage manager Mark Johnson.
To purchase tickets to Come From Away go to www.MilwaukeeRep.com, call the Ticket Office at 414-224-9490 or visit in-person at 108 E Wells Street in downtown Milwaukee.
For more information, please visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com
::Fact Sheet::
Come From Away
Books, Music and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Directed by Mark Clements
November 4 – December 14, 2025
Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission
Download the Come From Away Press Kit with photos and logos.
Community Nights:
PRIDE Night: Friday, November 6 – Enjoy pre-show social hour with complimentary wine and beer plus the sale of a ticket for $50 a person.
Teacher Night: Tuesday, November 11, 5pm dinner followed by a 6:30pm show. $25 per person. Learn how your school and students can get involved with Milwaukee Rep’s Education & Engagement programs.
Teen Night: Friday, November 21 – For only $15 enjoy the show and a pre-show dinner with the Teen Council
College Nights: Wednesday, December 10. Enjoy discounted tickets, free pizza and beverages
Post-Show Experiences
Panels: Friday, November 7 –Answering the Call – Honoring Our First Responders: Join us after the show for a thought-provoking conversation as we hear from local responders and what drew them to this vital work
The Night Cap: Post Show Thursday, November 6 and 13 unwind and mingle with drink specials and lively music in a relaxed setting with light bites and desserts available for purchase at concessions.
Wine & Words: Post show Tuesday, November 11 and Thursday, November 20 join WPR radio host Jason Heilman and Rep Associate Artistic Director Laura Braza after the show for a complimentary glass of wine and a lively, in-depth conversation about the production’s themes and artistic process.
Dinner Dialogue: Sunday, December 7 at 4pm in the Herzfeld Foundation Education & Engagement Center. Join fellow community members for a shared meal and a guided conversation exploring the themes of current productions. Enjoy meaningful dialogue over delicious food and drink in a welcoming setting.
Access Services
Audio-Described Performance: Tuesday, November 11 at 6:30pm – the show will be described for patrons who are blind or have low vision.
ASL Performance: Friday, November 28 at 7:30pm – the show will be signed for the deaf or hard of hearing.
Open-Captioned Performances with GalaPro, a real-time closed caption app
Saturday, November 15, 3:00pm
Thursday, November 20, 7:30pm
Wednesday, November 26, 1:30pm
Sunday, November 30, 2:00pm
Wednesday, December 3, 7:30pm
Thursday, December 11, 7:30pm
Ticket Information
Tickets: www.MilwaukeeRep.com, by phone at 414-224-9490, or Ticket Office at 108 E Wells Street, Milwaukee.
Hours: 12noon – 6pm; on performance days the Ticket Office remains open until 15 minutes past curtain.
Student Discounts: Students 18 and under can purchase $20 tickets for select seating areas.
25 & Under: Select $20 tickets available for patrons 25 & Under. (Select 25 & Under price at checkout online)
Group Sales: Discounted tickets for parties of 10+. Call 414-290-5340.
The Associated Bank Theater Center
Designed by EUA and theater consultants Fisher Dachs Associates (FDA), the $80.1 million complex connects Milwaukee Rep’s historic, completely renovated building with a newly built 30,000-square-foot glass structure that creates a welcoming main entrance to the Center. The transformed space allows Milwaukee Rep to push artistic boundaries with three flexible performance spaces; a 220-seat flexible black box, an 186-seat cabaret space, and a 671-seat theater with a transformable stage configuration and cutting-edge technology to create productions that can easily transfer to any stage in the country, including Broadway. The updated Center also includes the new Herzfeld Foundation Education & Engagement Center; 100-person donor lounge and event space, three revamped rehearsal halls, prop and costume shops, and administrative spaces; and the cascading Sandra & William Haack Galleria, unifying and creating streamlined circulation across the building’s theaters and public spaces.
Milwaukee Rep’s enlarged downtown footprint encompasses the completely gutted and reimagined 1898 Oneida Street Station, a national historic landmark former powerplant that has been home to the theater since 1987, and a newly constructed glass building situated between the former powerplant and the historic Pabst Theater, another historic building constructed in 1895.The elegant glass volume, which sits above a newly enhanced main entrance on Wells Street, connects—for the first time—all public spaces in the complex to the shared multi-level lobby. Engaging and activating the street, the transparent façade offers passersby a glimpse into the activity taking place inside the Center as patrons make their way to performances in the three theaters.
Milwaukee Rep’s capital project provides critical infrastructure updates to the theater’s more than a century old space, as well as updates to back-of-house and production technology to support increased performance capacity. The mainstage performance space, the Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater, is reconfigured for improved sightlines with a new flexible stage that converts from a thrust to a proscenium, seating 568-671 patrons depending on the production’sconfiguration. The facility also accommodates increased accessibility within the space, including bariatric seating, quiet rooms, audio description, wheelchair accessibility in all seating zones, and hearing loop technology in order to welcome and inspire the many diverse populations of the region. Finally, the mainstage theater also includes updated, cutting-edge technology with an advanced digital sound system, a laser projection system, scenic automation systems for the newly created fly loft, programmable intelligent lighting, and livestreaming capabilities.
The Herro-Franke Studio Theater, Milwaukee Rep’s black box space for intimate productions, is reimagined with new modular platforms and seating that allows for audiences of 182 to 224 patrons, staging plays with larger casts, and greater production flexibility. The Stackner Cabaret, which was renovated in 2018 by Uihlein-Wilson Architects in advance of the larger transformation project, also has state-of-the-art production capabilities, updated front- and back-of-house amenities including a full bar and kitchen for a pre-show dining experience, and increased seating capacity for audiences of up to 186 patrons.
The theaters can be accessed via the skylit three-floor Sandra & William Haack Galleria that occupies the space in the glass building. The open lobby includes inviting pre- and post-show gathering spaces, The Lubar Lounge, which can hold up to 100 people, restrooms, a gift shop, coat check, and bars with food and beverage offerings. It also offers access to the new 2,700-square-foot Herzfeld Foundation Education & Engagement Center, which includes classroom, rehearsal, and performance spaces, as well as an outdoor patio lounge. The dedicated education facility allows Milwaukee Rep to grow programming that deepens audience engagement; increases accessibility; and improves literacy, supports social-emotional growth, and creates school-to-career pipelines for more than 30,000 students each year. New programming enabled by the Center includes Connections, an audience engagement series with post-show TalkBacks and community nights, and the launch of a School of Theater that offers classes, workshops, seminars, and camps. Milwaukee Rep will also continue its successful student programs such as in-school workshops, the national Next Narrative Monologue Competition, and apprenticeships for the next generation of artists.
As part of the capital project, the theater’s production shop was relocated off-site and expanded to a 35,000-square-foot facility that employs nearly 100 local artisans, advancing Milwaukee Rep’s role in supporting the region’s arts economy. Following the flooding earlier this year, the shop has to be completely rebuilt. The new Herzfeld Foundation Education & Engagement Center is housed in the space previously occupied by the shop.
The expansion of Milwaukee Rep reflects the theater’s tremendous growth over the past five years, at a time when the industry at large has been impacted by financial challenges due to declining audience attendance and increased production costs. Since 2020, Milwaukee Rep’s operating budget has increased more than 85% from roughly $9 million to $17 million, driven in part by a 40% increase in ticket sales and 41% Subscription revenue increase, with operating surpluses annually. In addition, over the last decade, Milwaukee Rep’s net assets have increased from $16 million to $108 million including multi-million dollar funds for new play development, education, engagement and artistic enhancement, making Milwaukee Rep one of the best capitalized theaters in the United States presenting exciting work including recent world and American premieres by Lloyd Suh, Dael Orlandersmith, Idris Goodwin, Andrew Bovell, Craig Lucas, Rick Cleveland, and Joanna Murray-Smith.
The fundraising campaign to expand and renovate Milwaukee Rep’s Associated Bank Theater Center has raised $80.1 million to date. Lead campaign funders include the Associated Bank, an anonymous donor, Ellen and Joe Checota, David & Julia Uihlein, The Richard and Ethel Herzfeld Foundation, and David Herro and Jay Franke.
