Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Milwaukee

A thrust stage augments Todd Wehr Theatre’s already-intimate ambiance, allowing theatergoers perched on three sides of the stage to feel like a part of the action unfolding in front of them. Even in the balcony, onlookers are close enough to the performance to see the most nuanced facial expressions or hear the dialogue running through an actor’s head before she says it. The theater itself is part of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, a 40-year-old Milwaukee institution lauded for its Broadway shows and stream of offerings to the city’s lively arts community.