Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Rep’s beautiful ‘Christmas Carol’ shows how Scrooge got his groove back
At least one rapacious financier will have a change of heart this season, thanks to the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.
The Rep’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol,” which opened Friday evening at the Pabst Theater, shows us how Ebenezer Scrooge rediscovers his humanity, transforming from a miser who would put a family in debtors’ prison on Christmas Eve to a philanthropist who pours his wealth into a caroler’s kettle.
Charles Dickens’ novella is one of the best known stories in the English language, but there are many ways to retell it. The Rep’s staging of Mark Clements’ adaptation, which he also directs, is swift-moving and extroverted, with some interactive moments when the ghosts of Christmas Past (Tami Workentin) and Christmas Present (Todd Denning) turn to the audience for affirmation.
Scrooge’s sin in this production is that he has isolated himself from the community, relying on money to assauge his deep-rooted anxiety rather than the kindness of the mensches around him, including his clerk Bob Cratchit (Reese Madigan), his nephew Fred (Jordan Anthony Arredondo) and Fred’s wife Ellen (Elizabeth Martinié).
Returning as Scrooge, the long-limbed Matt Daniels is a master of the comic scowling, jumping and cowering that this role demands. I also enjoyed watching him react to the scenes of his past and present shown to him by the ghosts, imploring his younger self to make different decisions.
Everyone who loves this show will have their favorite scenes. Mine include:
- The startling appearance of Mark Corkins as the ghost of Jacob Marley, come to remonstrate with Scrooge. His sorrowful voice, punctuated by thunder when he senses Scrooge not listening, would have converted me on the spot.
- The physical return of the fragments of Scrooge’s memories at the end of Act 1 to batter his conscience one more time. This “Christmas Carol” frequently and effectively convicts Scrooge with his own words.
- The moving beauty of party guests at Fred and Ellen’s house singing a verse of “In the Bleak Midwinter.” It was dark, so no one could see the tear rolling down my cheek.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater recommends this production for people 6 and older; if a child can sit through a whole movie and isn’t frightened by an occasional loud noise, I think they’d do fine with this show.
It’s common to think of “A Christmas Carol” as a story with four specters, but the fifth and final spirit who shows up here, and sticks around, is the most powerful of all: the spirit of generosity.
If you go
Milwaukee Repertory Theater performs “A Christmas Carol” through Dec. 24 at the Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St. For tickets, visit milwaukeerep.com or call (414) 224-9490.
More: How well you do know Milwaukee Rep’s ‘A Christmas Carol’? Take our quiz and find out
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Film’s 2025 Black History Month lineup includes ‘Do the Right Thing,’ ‘Get Out’
A mix of modern classics and cinematic discoveries make up Milwaukee Film’s Black History Month programming for 2025.
The nine movies will be shown at the Oriental Theatre. Tickets are $13, $11 for seniors and military members, and $10 for members of Milwaukee Film.
The titles include:
“Dryslongo,” Cauleen Smith’s 1998 drama about a photography student who begins taking pictures of Black men because she’s worried they’ll soon become extinct, 3 p.m. Feb. 2.
“Do the Right Thing,” Spike Lee’s 1989 masterpiece about race and identity and, well, everything, 7 p.m. Feb. 7.
“Obsessed,” a 2009 psychological thriller starring Idris Elba and Beyoncé, 9 p.m. Feb. 14.
“Who Killed Captain Alex?”, a 2010 movie considered Uganda’s first action movie, 9 p.m. Feb. 15.
“Nationtime,” William Greaves’ long-thought-to-be-lost movie about the National Black Political Convention of 1972, which includes an interview with activist, educator and Milwaukee native Howard Fuller, 3 p.m. Feb. 16.
“Boyz N the Hood,” John Singleton’s 1991 classic coming-of-age drama with Ice Cube and Cuba Gooding Jr., 7 p.m. Feb. 19.
“Get Out,” Jordan Peele’s masterful 2017 horror thriller, 9 p.m. Feb. 22.
“Malcolm X,” Spike Lee’s sterling biopic with Denzel Washington as the title icon, 3 p.m. Feb. 23.
“Glory,” the historical drama about the U.S. Civil War’s first all-black volunteer company, with Washington in his first Oscar-winning role, 7 p.m. Feb. 28.
For details on the movies, go to mkefilm.org/bhm.
Milwaukee Film’s 2025 Black History Month lineup was curated by the nonprofit’s new Black Lens programmer, Ty Williams. His predecessor, Milwaukee filmmaker Marquise Mays, left Milwaukee Film this summer, following several months of consolidations and staff cuts aimed at shoring up the organization’s challenged financial situation.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Bucks Late Scratch Hurts Depth Against OKC Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks are about to face off in the NBA Cup Championship. The OKC Thunder are five point favorites in this tilt and saw the injury report shift in its direction.
Coming into this game, the Bucks tabbed Khris Middleton as probable before dropping him to doubtful with a non-covid illness. Before the game, the Bucks head coach took to the podium to update his status.
“He is out [tonight],” Doc Rivers said pregame of Middleton’s illness. He went on to explain the nature of the Milwaukee Bucks schedule, with a back-to-back to end the week after this game. The Bucks goal is to have Middleton healthy for the rest of the regular season.
This game doesn’t count for the regular season standings, so it is a wise move for Milwaukee to rest its forward who has only played in four games this season. In those contests, Middleton is averaging seven points, three rebounds and nearly six assists per game to go along with two stocks on the defensive end. Middleton is shooting a lowly 25 percent from the floor and beyond the arc on the young season.
While resting him is a smart play, it also cuts into an already shallow Bucks squad. They could run out of depth to compete with the Thunder in this game.
Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
Milwaukee, WI
Vote in the Brew Hoop Tuesday Tracker: NBA Cup Finals edition
I’ve already written ad nauseam about the NBA Cup in concept and in practice, so I’ll avoid that here and talk about what getting here actually means for this Bucks team. We all know that Milwaukee was pretty much left for dead by the national media after their 2-8 start. Rather than celebrate their return to contention following their 12-3 stretch that followed, the response outside Milwaukee has mostly been just to stop the Giannis trade speculation or takes about the team being cooked. That’s definitely good.
Will tonight’s game, though not counting in the standings, improve their perception around the league even more? A decisive win over the West-leading Thunder probably would do that. It needn’t be wire-to-wire, but they’d have to hold a double-digit lead for most, if not all, of the second half for many to think the Bucks controlled this game.
That’s a tall order against the league’s top defensive unit, who has been near the top of the league for the entire year to this point. So let’s say it’s a W in a close game. I’ll be surprised if Milwaukee is being heralded as “back” or once again regarded as a true title contender by the consensus. A close loss probably won’t change anyone’s opinion of the team, whereas a decisive defeat or blowout will give a lot of fuel to the naysayers.
As long as the margin is within 10 and the game remains close throughout, the outcome of this game probably won’t change many people’s opinions about the Bucks. Maybe we glean some things from how they match up with OKC specifically, but this is a team lacking Chet Holmgren. I don’t necessarily think this game tells us any more about how Milwaukee fares against the current best teams in the league than a matchup with Boston, Cleveland, or New York would. They’re chasing those teams in the standings, after all, so there’s plenty of juice for those games too, just not the same type of juice tonight has.
In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, we get your thoughts on the title game and what it means for your personal perspective on the Bucks. We also revisit two areas of the team where the numbers continue to improve from their early season nadirs: Bobby Portis and the defense.
Poll
Does this 83rd game mean anything to you as a fan?
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Yes, because the winner gets a trophy
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Yes, because it’s a competitive basketball game
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How does the Bucks’ performance in the NBA Cup knockout stage impact your outlook for the rest of the season?
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More optimistic that they could win the NBA title
(0 votes)
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More optimistic that they’ll win multiple playoff series, but still won’t win it all
(0 votes)
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No more or less optimistic
(0 votes)
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Less optimistic
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0 votes total
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Do you want the title game to count in the standings?
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Yes, win or lose
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Only an extra win for the victor and not an extra loss for the loser
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No, keep it as is
(0 votes)
0 votes total
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Poll
Over his last four games, Bobby Portis is averaging 16.0 PPG and 10.5 RPG on .587/.467/.600 shooting. Is he currently in your good graces?
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Yes, and he never left
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Yes, though he wasn’t until recent games
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Yes, but he should still be traded this season or in the offseason
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No, and he should be traded this season
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No, but he should remain on the team at least through the playoffs
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0 votes total
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Poll
The Bucks’ defense ranks 13th in defensive rating (0.1 above league average) per Basketball-Reference and 17th (1.1 below league average) per Cleaning The Glass, which filters out garbage time and heaves. Describe their defense:
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A strong unit that will finish top ten
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Undoubtedly above average
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Average or close to it
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Undoubtedly below average
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Poll
Do you approve of the job Doc Rivers is doing as the Bucks’ head coach?
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Do you approve of the job Jon Horst is doing as the Bucks’ general manager?
Poll
Do you think this Bucks team can win the title as currently constructed?
As always, this poll will be open until midnight Central on Friday, and we’ll post the results later that day. Thanks for voting!
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