As the crisp fall air settles in, La Crosse’s vibrant theatre scene takes center stage. From local productions at the historic La Crosse Community Theatre to thought-provoking works at Viterbo University’s Fine Arts Center, the 2024 season is brimming with talent and creativity.
Whether you’re in the mood for classic plays, musicals, or contemporary performances, the diverse offerings ensure that there’s something for everyone to enjoy. This fall, La Crosse proves once again that it is a cultural hub for performing arts in the Midwest.
If you would like to add a theatre production to our events calendar, pleasefill out this submission form!
Cabaret | The Muse Theatre
Weekends in October | 1353 Avon St, La Crosse | $28 – $32
Head to the The Kit Kat Klub at The Muse Theatre this October! Guests are encouraged to wear their “Gatsby Garb” since “Cabaret @ The Muse” takes place during that era. The Muse is so excited about this production and hopes you will bring your friends and “get into the act!”
Lionel Bart’s Oliver! | La Crosse Community Theatre
October 4th – 20th | 428 Front St S, La Crosse | $12 – $37
Consider yourself at home with Lionel Bart’s classic musical based on the Charles Dickens novel, Oliver Twist. The streets of Victorian England come to life as Oliver, a malnourished orphan in a workhouse, becomes the neglected apprentice of an undertaker. Oliver escapes to London and finds acceptance among a group of petty thieves and pickpockets led by the elderly Fagin.
When Oliver is captured for a theft he did not commit, the benevolent victim, Mr. Brownlow, takes him in. Fearing the safety of his hideout, Fagin employs the sinister Bill Sikes and the sympathetic Nancy to kidnap him back, threatening Oliver’s chances of discovering the true love of a family.
Oliver! is a musical theatre masterpiece, perfectly showcasing the talents of a large ensemble cast as they bring these classic characters and score to life.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street | Viterbo University Fine Arts Center
October 10th – 13th | 929 Jackson Street, La Crosse | $22- $28
Enter the dark world of Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, where revenge and razor-sharp wit meet in Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning masterpiece. It’s 19th-Century London and Sweeney has been exiled unjustly. He returns with a thirst for revenge and a knack for helping with “fresh” ingredients in Mrs. Lovett’s infamous meat pies. It’s the perfect recipe for an exhilarating musical theatre experience.
Puffs | University of Wisconsin La Crosse Department of Theatre and Dance
October 11-13, October 17 – 20 | 333 N. 16th Street, La Crosse | $8 – $24
For seven years a certain boy wizard went to a certain Wizard School and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story. This is the story of the Puffs who just happened to be there too. Wayne Hopkins is a regular boy who finds he’s a wizard and goes to school in England where he makes two best friends and has adventures. Perhaps this sounds familiar. But, Wayne is sorted as a Puff, a group of well-meaning, loyal outsiders who simply want to learn how to be wizards and avoid attacks by evil wizards. Their heartfelt and epic journey takes the classic story to new places and reimagines what a boy wizard hero can be.
The Beat Goes On Featuring Lisa McClowry as Cher | Viterbo University Fine Arts Center
November 1 | 929 Jackson Street, La Crosse | $40 – $69
This Cher Tribute show features award American singer/actress Lisa McClowry’s portrayal of the Goddess of Pop in her one-woman Broadway-style live stage show. McClowry, who won Tribute Artist of the Year in 2023 at the Grande Ole Opry, is completely convincing as Cher with every aspect down pat including her singing and speaking voice, the walk, the talk, the costumes, the makeup, and the mannerisms. In addition, the show incorporates a live band, LED walls, video, multiple costume changes, dynamic dialogue, humor, and fun audience participation. You can expect to hear Cher’s hits spanning from the ‘60s to now including, I Got You Babe, If I Could Turn Back Time, songs from ABBA–from Cher’s Dancing Queen album, Woman’s World, Welcome to Burlesque, Believe and more.
Rumors | Commonweal Theatre
Friday, September 27th – Saturday, November 2nd | 208 Parkway Ave N, Lanesboro, MN | $15 – $38
Sharp-edged wit meets madcap farce in this laugh-out-loud comedy from legendary playwright Neil Simon. When the first guests arrive for an anniversary party at the deputy mayor’s home, they find their host unconscious, his wife and staff missing, and the duck still thawing on the counter! Fearing a scandal, his friends attempt a cover-up. But as more partygoers arrive, everyone gets tangled in a web of mayhem, misunderstandings…and rumors!
