Performances Sept 25 – Oct 18, 2026, in the stunning Cabot Theatre

Gypsy artwork from the MIAD college Lubar Innovation Center.  

MILWAUKEE, WI (August 19, 2026) – Skylight Music Theatre is thrilled to announce the cast, musicians, and creative team for Gypsy: A Musical Fable, the BOLD 67th season opener. Featuring Skylight and Milwaukee favorites, continued partnerships with Marquette Theatre and UWM’s Peck School of the Arts, and youth performers, the production will feature a live orchestra and launch Skylight’s 2026-27 season in the beautiful Cabot Theatre.

Set during the final years of American vaudeville, Gypsy follows the relentless stage mother Rose as she pushes her daughters toward show-business success. As vaudeville fades and her ambitions collide with reality, her shy daughter Louise unexpectedly finds fame as the legendary burlesque performer Gypsy Rose Lee. Suggested by Gypsy Rose Lee’s autobiography, this revered, classic musical explores the complicated bonds between mothers and daughters, ambition, and the pursuit of stardom.

“Gypsy is considered by many to be a perfectly-crafted musical. We here at Skylight are very excited to bring this musical theatre treasure to the Cabot Stage. Gypsy calls for extraordinary performers, and we have just that in Skylight favorite Janet Metz, bringing her star power and Broadway pedigree to the role of Momma Rose,” says Artistic Director and Director of Gypsy Michael Unger. “Mona Swain will be a true sensation as Louise, and Broadway and Skylight veteran Andrew Varela will shine as Herbie. They are joined by 22 additional remarkable cast members, a live orchestra, and an outstanding creative team. I am delighted to direct this bold, ambitious production and bring the power, humor, heartbreak, and beloved music of Gypsy to Skylight audiences.”

Broadway veteran Janet Metz returns to the Cabot stage as Momma Rose, one of music theatre’s most demanding and iconic roles. Metz, last seen at Skylight as Golde in Fiddler on the Roof, has also appeared with Skylight in Sister Act, The Full Monty, and Dennis DeYoung’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Her Broadway credits include Once Upon a Mattress, Marie Christine, On the Town, and Fiddler on the Roof. She also starred as the Narrator opposite Donny Osmond in the national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat.

Broadway performer and longtime Skylight favorite Andrew Varela returns to the Cabot stage as Herbie, Rose’s devoted partner and the steadying presence at the center of the family’s turbulent pursuit of stardom. Varela was most recently seen at Skylight in his portrayal of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Broadway and national touring credits include Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Little Women, and Roundabout Theatre Company’s Sunday in the Park with George. A familiar presence on Milwaukee stages as well as across the country, Varela brings decades of experience in some of musical theatre’s most celebrated works to one of Gypsy’s most quietly compelling roles.

Mona Swain, last seen at Skylight as Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act (2025), will portray Louise, who turns into star Gypsy Rose Lee. Her recent credits include Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard at City Stage Company, Tina Turner in the national tour of TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, and Dorothy in The Wiz.

Additional cast members include Samantha Sostarich as Tessie Tura (Amadeus), Amanda Satchell as Mazeppa (Fiddler on the Roof), and Raven Dockery as Electra (Waitress). Skylight debuts include Peck School of the Arts performer Sophie Kaegi as June (Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Paramount Theatre, and Citadel Theatre), and Alex Kennedy as Tulsa (North Shore and the Palace). The cast also features local Milwaukee talent, familiar faces from the Cabot stage, student artists from Marquette Theatre and UWM’s Peck School of the Arts, and a youth ensemble.

“There’s no better way to begin our BOLD 67th season than with Gypsy and its powerful, complex woman at the center of the story,” says Executive Director Susan Varela. “We are thrilled to welcome our community back to Skylight Music Theatre for a season filled with bold stories, exceptional artists and partnerships, and outstanding music theatre.”

Additionally, Skylight welcomes back choreographer Reed Luplau, who choreographed Spring Awakening (2024), along with Music Director Jeffrey Saver and Associate Music Director Eric Svejcar, both of whom previously collaborated with Artistic Director Michael Unger on A Rockin’ Midsummer Night’s Dream (2026).

Gypsy: A Musical Fable is proudly sponsored by We Energies Foundation, with additional show sponsors Bob Balderson and Jan Serr & John Shannon, and design sponsor Monica and Harry Brammer III.

Tickets are on sale now at SkylightMusicTheatre.org or through the Box Office at (414) 291-7800.

Meet the Cast:

Rose – Janet Metz*

Louise – Mona Swain

June – Sophie Kaegi

Herbie – Andrew Varela*

Tessie Tura – Samantha Sostarich

Mazeppa – Amanda Satchell

Electra – Raven Dockery

Tulsa – Alex Kennedy

Uncle Jocko – David Flores

Pop – Michael “Paco” Pocaro

Mr. Goldstone – Robby McGhee

Agnes – Emmeline Buesing

Marjorie May – Audrey Ellis

Delores – Anna Gross

Renee – Olivia Coleman

Yonkers – Lucas Drube

LA – Jared Martin

Angie – Zaden Scheer

Baby June – Selene Taylor

Baby Louise – To be announced soon

Youth Performer Ensemble:

Isaac Bruce

Olivia Loomis

Mars Schultz

Logan Withers

To be announced soon

Musicians:

Conductor – Jeffrey Saver

Keyboard – Eric Svejcar

Drums – Paul Westfahl

Trumpet – Greg Garcia

Trumpet – Don Sipe

Trombone – Kyle Samuelson

Reeds – Johnny Padilla

Reeds – Josh Roberts

 

Creative Team:

Directed by Artistic Director Michael Unger**

Music Direction by Jeffrey Saver

Choreography by Reed Luplau

Associate Music Director – Eric Svejcar

Scenic Designer – Jonathan Berg-Einhorn

Costume Designer – Michelle Grimm

Lighting Designer – John “Smooch” Medina

Sound Designer – Tye Hunt Fitzgerald

Production Stage Manager – Natasha “Nat” Goeller*

Assistant Stage Manager – Sami Pekelnicky*

Assistant Stage Manager – Rachel Zachow

Intimacy and Fight Director – Marcee Doherty

*Appearing through an agreement between Skylight Music Theatre and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
**The Director is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, an independent national labor union.

 

Performance Details

  • Title: Gypsy: A Musical Fable
  • Dates: Sept 25 – Oct 18, 2026
  • Location: Skylight Music Theatre | 158 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202
  • Tickets and Information: skylightmusictheatre.org, (414) 291-7800
  • Recommended for ages 8 and up