Milwaukee Opera Theatre

08/28/2026

Nina | Violetta tickets are on sale!

A play for two, NINA | VIOLETTA is a dark fairytale about motherhood, opera, and ambition, featuring arias from Verdi’s La Traviata. It’s been ten years since Nina left opera to raise her family. At forty-five, and against all odds, she wants nothing more than a dazzling comeback: a debut at the Met, in La Traviata, in the coveted leading role of Violetta. To get what she wants, Nina signs a dicey contract with Violetta’s consumptive spirit, taking risks beyond her wildest dreams to pursue the music she’d bleed to sing.

Only 4 performances!
Thursday, September 16 at 7:30 PM
Friday, September 17 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, September 18 at 6:00 PM
Sunday, Sunday, September 19 at 2:00 PM

Location: Florentine Opera Center, 926 E Burleigh, Milwaukee WI 53212

All tickets are $25 and help support the development of new work at Milwaukee Opera Theatre. Purchase your tickets today at https://www.milwaukeeoperatheatre.org/buy-tickets or be forever haunted by regret! 👻

08/19/2026

2026-2027 SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT

We are branching out at MOT! Each project this season requires that we stretch—by building new relationships, exploring new spaces, and adding new chapters to stories we began long ago. Here’s what we’re cooking up for you:

NINA | VIOLETTA September 17-20,2026

PILGRIMAGE January 22 & 23, 2027

FORTUNA THE TIMEBENDER VS. THE SCHOOLGIRLS OF DOOM! May 13-17, 2027

08/13/2026

Audition season is upon us, which means it’s time for new recordings! For many singers, that means booking a pianist, location, and struggling to put together whatever camera and microphone you may have. In short, it’s a whole lot of stress… and money!

Milwaukee Opera Theatre and Supporters of Opera Singers are here to help! We are hosting our second Recording Day on Sunday, September 6. Each 15-minute singer slot will include:

- High-quality recordings by Nick Lin of two songs/arias of your choice
- Collaborators Susan Gedemer and Melissa Cardamone at the piano
- A headshot session with photographer Mark Frohna
- Use of the beautiful and acoustically-friendly sanctuary at Plymouth Church
- BONUS: chilling with the MOT staff!

And all for FREE!

This opportunity is available to the first 18 singers to sign up at https://milwaukeeoperatheatre.ludus.com/volunteer/opportunity/11727

Promo Video by Nick Lin
https://youtu.be/HtHGtyO3HAg

Join MOT for our second Recording Day, taking place on September 6,...

08/03/2026

Enjoy some of our HIGHLY scientific data collection from participants in our educational programs this year!

"OPERA OPERA OPERA!!!!!!!!!" and "Opera YESSSSS GIVE ME!!

07/29/2026

After several years of scarcity, MOT is growing again, and it is wonderful to see green shoots of possibility popping up around us!

We have many highlights to share as we wrap up this season and prepare for the next. Favorite moments that leap out to me are our first Recording Day (in which we helped 12 area singers record audition videos and freshen up their headshots for free), HMS Pinafore (our first collaboration with UWM’s department of theater), a visit to Mary Nohl’s home as part of Maybe We’ll Fly, and putting together a production of Follies that united many of my artistic heroes in the same production.

Stay tuned for details on our 2026/27 season. Tickets for our first project will go on sale August 17! Thank you for being part of the MOT community, for sharing your time and attention with us, and for reading this email!

Enjoy the fireflies while they’re here, we look forward to seeing you again in the fall,

Jill Anna

07/08/2026

Help us reach Amber and Brian’s CHALLENGE grant goal of $1,000 before the end of the day to help 11 local orgs achieve sustainable funding before their upcoming seasons!

https://www.mightycause.com/story/Smacmilwaukee

This is the last day of our challenge grant. Could you help us reach our $1,000 goal?
One gift helps 11 non-profits.
Any amount is appreciated!
https://www.mightycause.com/story/Smacmilwaukee

06/23/2026

Thanks to Evan Musil with Milwaukee Magazine for shining some light on the efforts of small arts organizations in MKE! Here are some ideas he and org leaders shared to help support the arts:

"→Buy tickets early. “We’re finding that people aren’t really buying tickets until the last week,” says Present Music’s Daniel Petry. Snagging stubs ahead of time, or subscribing to a season, helps groups better understand demand and avoid uncertainty.

→Tell your friends. If you enjoyed an exhibition or show, sharing that experience with others spreads the word and makes you a part of the cultural conversation.

→Buy local art. And you don’t necessarily need deep pockets. Art Bar, Scout Gallery, the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, and Var’s Small Works Gallery all sell works by local artists for less than $200.

→Donate. Contribute to a fund like UPAF for broad support, or directly to a group that you love. “Small gifts can go a long way,” says Petry, especially for small- and medium-sized groups.

→Volunteer. Many groups offer opportunities, whether that’s being an usher, helping with financial or administrative tasks, or acting as an assistant. “You kind of see how the sausage is made, then you have been transformed into an advocate,” Skylight’s Susan Varela says.

→Call your state rep. Jaimelyn Gray of The Constructivists says vocal support for the arts tells lawmakers that they hold importance for local communities."

Some low-budget groups are finding their own ways to weather the storm.

06/22/2026

Looks like one of our favorite arts and culture leaders is going to be on a discussion panel tomorrow with Imagine MKE!

06/17/2026

We May'd it! On May 19, we closed out our 2025-2026 Season with May'd in Milwaukee: a season celebration and fundraiser! At MOT, we are especially proud of our local identity, so we chose to feature Milwaukee artists and businesses for the evening. With their help, we were able to raise over $10,000!

We would like to give a huge thank you to our sponsors, Carol & Kevin Schuele and Cathy & Mario Costantini, our host artists the Golden Girls and Tenors MKE, and all of the vendors and donors who have contributed to this year’s fundraiser, including: Dragon’s Sandbox, La Tarte, Mark Frohna Photo, Cecilia Davis, Kelly Doherty and Doug Clemons, Jenni Yolo Home, Purse String Productions, Skyline Boat Company, Square One Art Glass, and Blick Art Materials.

And of course, none of this would be possible without all those who have made this season special, either as MOT performers or supporters! We can’t wait to share our next season with you.

We are so thankful for the wonderful community that has formed around MOT, who give what they can, no matter the amount. There is still time to donate to our 2025 - 2026 Season Fundraiser! Donations can be made online at https://milwaukeeoperatheatre.ludus.com/fundraiser.php?id=5054

Photo credit: Mark Frohna

05/19/2026

Tonight’s the night! These gals (aka the MOT staff) are looking forward to seeing everyone at Dandy at 6pm to celebrate our season - and raise a little money too! There are a few tickets left for May'd in Milwaukee. Get yours at the link below!

https://milwaukeeoperatheatre.ludus.com/200530474