Milwaukee Repertory Theater kicks off its 2025/26 Inaugural Season in the Associated Bank Theater Center with the highly acclaimed, Tony Award-winning musical Come From Away performed November 4 – December 14, 2025, in the Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater. Directed by Artistic Director Mark Clements this exhilarating musical shares the remarkable true story of nearly 7,000 airline passengers from all over the world who were grounded in the small Canadian town of Gander during the wake of 9/11. Be the first to experience Milwaukee Rep’s state of the art new facility and this joyous story, with a dynamic score and a vibrant, fast-paced narrative, as spirited locals and global passengers come together to forge friendships that will stay with them forever.
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.
“Come From Away is the perfect first show for the Checota Powerhouse because it beautifully combines powerful themes of hope, connection, and compassion with a lively, high-energy production,” said Mark Clements, Artistic Director. “I love how the musical is not only deeply moving but also incredibly entertaining—its infectious score will have audiences dancing in their seats. This story truly embodies the spirit of community and resilience, which are core to Milwaukee’s identity. Being able to direct this vibrant, uplifting show in our brand-new theater is a tremendous honor, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience its magic firsthand."
Come From Away will be performed November 4 – December 14, 2025, in the Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater and presented by David Kundert with Corporate Sponsor PNC, Executive Producers Cheryl and Bill Guc, Sandy and Bill Haack, Susan and Howard Hopwood and Maureen McCabe.
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
The Associated Bank Theater Center
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 modernized and expanded 152,500-square-foot Associated Bank Theater Center, designed by EUA and theater consultants Fisher Dachs Associates, encompasses the completely gutted and reimagined historic former powerplant that has been home to the theater since 1987, and a newly constructed glass building that for the first time, connects all theaters in the complex to the shared multi-level lobby.
In addition to the Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater, the complex includes the Herro-Franke Studio Theater, an intimate black box space designed for innovative and experimental works, and the Stackner Cabaret, a cabaret space renovated in 2018 by Uihlein-Wilson Architects for smaller productions and special events featuring a full pre-show dining experience.
Beyond the performance spaces, the Center houses the new 2,700-square-foot Herzfeld Foundation Education & Engagement Center, with classroom, rehearsal, and performance spaces that provide expanded educational programming for students and community members of all ages. Connecting all the theater and education spaces across the complex is the new Sandra & William Haack Galleria which includes pre-and post-show gathering spaces, fully accessible restrooms, a gift shop, and bars with food and beverage offerings.
About Milwaukee Repertory Theater
Milwaukee Repertory Theater is one of the nation’s first regional theaters and Wisconsin’s largest performing arts organization, presenting a variety of world-class theater experiences that entertain, provoke, and engage audiences. Led by Ellen & Joe Checota Executive Director Chad Bauman and Artistic Director Mark Clements, Milwaukee Rep is as an anchoring civic, economic and cultural institution in the downtown Milwaukee Theater District. Through staging new plays, beloved classics, compelling dramas, and full-scale musicals from emerging and established voices; its John D. Lewis New Play Development Program that incubates new work from a wide spectrum of innovative voices; education initiatives that eliminate barriers to the arts; and community engagement programs that bring people together to explore new perspectives, Milwaukee Rep inspires meaningful dialogue and enacts positive change within the Milwaukee community. With the opening of its new home in the Associated Bank Theater Center in Fall 2025, Milwaukee Rep will deepen and expand its reach with three state-of-the-art, fully accessible theaters, a dedicated education and engagement center, and a variety of welcoming community spaces. For more information, please visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com.