Nobody would ever call Milwaukee a hotbed of cabaret activity. But that changed a bit this summer. Stepping Out Productions, a new outfit formed by local Wisconsin artists Donna Singleton and Tom Stajmiger, put together a three-month long program simply called "Milwaukee's First Annual Cabaret Series." It began running June 8 at the Milwaukee Center's Stackner Theatre — a space most often used for the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre's smaller productions — and continues through Aug. 25.

Stepping Out's line-up included the New York City cabaret staples Amanda McBroom, Tom Andersen, Ann Hampton Callaway and Christiane Noll, the latter finishing the series, Aug. 24-25.

Noll is known to New York audiences from her turns in the musicals Jekyll & Hyde, It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues and Little by Little.

Explaining the impetus behind the new cabaret venture, Singleton and Stajmiger said in a statement, "Why is this series coming to Milwaukee? While the theatre scene is currently jumping in Milwaukee, the nightclub scene has been struggling. Many people have had their fill of smoky venues and headbanger bands. They have refined their tastes and are seeking live performances by artists speaking to and about their life's journeys."

Stepping Out additionally plans to resurrect the dinner theatre scene in Milwaukee some time in the future. Cabaret shows are on Fridays at 8 PM, Saturdays at 6 and 9 PM.

Tickets are $30; $100 for all four shows. The Stackner Cabaret is located at 108 E. Wells St., Milwaukee, WI 53202. For more information, call (414) 224-9490.

—By Robert Simonson
and David Lefkowitz