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World Premiere Event

The Greatest Love for Whitney

Created by Mark Clements

March 24 – May 28, 2023

Stackner Cabaret

Approximate Running Time: 90 minutes including one intermission
Recommended Age: 12 and up

Powerful Anthems, Glamorous Elegance, One Signature Voice

From her powerful anthems to her glamorous elegance on the silver screen, Whitney Houston's breathtaking voice helped her become one of the most beloved artists of all time. The Greatest Love for Whitney celebrates the amazing career and legacy of this Grammy Award-winning icon by taking audiences through a journey of her record-setting hits. Featuring songs like "I Will Always Love You," "Saving All My Love For You" and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go," this superstar's warmth and magnetism takes center stage in a fitting tribute to the woman known simply as "The Voice."

At each performance only two of our three artists will perform. For a specific performer schedule please click here!

A John (Jack) D. Lewis New Play Development Program Production

Corporate Sponsor

Executive Producers
Carol & Ivor Benjamin • Dawne & Ray Manista • Diane K. O’Connor • Karen Plunkett

Associate Producers
Rich Grunke & Bill Grasch • Renee & Tom McCutcheon • Meredith & Thomas Scrivner

Part of the David Kundert Stackner Season

Resources

Program

Media Gallery

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Photo Gallery

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Milwaukee Rep presents The Greatest Love for Whitney in the Stackner Cabaret March 24 – May 28, 2023. Pictured: Charlotte Odusanya (front) and Alina Cherone. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
Milwaukee Rep presents The Greatest Love for Whitney in the Stackner Cabaret March 24 – May 28, 2023. Pictured: Alina Cherone and Charlotte Odusanya. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
Milwaukee Rep presents The Greatest Love for Whitney in the Stackner Cabaret March 24 – May 28, 2023. Pictured: Alina Cherone. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
Milwaukee Rep presents The Greatest Love for Whitney in the Stackner Cabaret March 24 – May 28, 2023. Pictured: Alesia Miller (front) and Alina Cherone. Photo by Michael Brosilow.
Milwaukee Rep presents The Greatest Love for Whitney in the Stackner Cabaret March 24 – May 28, 2023. Pictured: Alesia Miller and Alina Cherone. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Reviews

“Powerful singers... A musical tribute to a towering hitmaker!”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“'The Greatest Love for Whitney’ will give you chills from the get-go. The kind of gorgeous chills that come from a place of starstruck awe.”
BroadwayWorld
“An abundant feast of Houston’s most recognizable tunes. You would have sworn that it was actually Whitney Houston herself singing.”
Shepherd Express

Performers

Headshot photo of Alina Cherone
Alina Cherone
Headshot photo of Alesia Miller
Alesia Miller
Headshot photo of Charlotte Odusanya
Charlotte Odusanya
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Headshot photo of
Alina Cherone
Headshot photo of
Alesia Miller
Headshot photo of
Charlotte Odusanya

Creative Team

Headshot photo of Mark Clements
Mark Clements
Creator
Read Bio
Headshot photo of Dan Kazemi
Dan Kazemi
Music Director / Accompanist
Read Bio
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Headshot photo of
Mark Clements
Creator
Bio

Mark is an award-winning international theater director whose work has appeared in over 100 major theaters throughout Europe and the United States. He began his tenure as Artistic Director with the 2010/11 Season by bringing musicals to the mainstage, starting a tradition that is now the highlight of every season, including Cabaret, Next to Normal, Assassins, Ragtime, Dreamgirls, The Color Purple, Man of La Mancha, Guys and Dolls, In the Heights and West Side Story. Milwaukee Rep directing credits include the world premieres of One House Over, his own adaptation of the current A Christmas Carol, Five Presidents and American Song. Also directed for Milwaukee Rep: Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, Things I Know To Be True (American Premiere), Junk, The Glass Menagerie,Of Mice and Men, Othello, Death of a Salesman, The History of Invulnerability, End of the Rainbow, Clybourne Park and Bombshells. Some of his New York and international work includes Speaking in Tongues, The Milliner and Blunt Speaking, in addition to creating and directing the West End and UK National Tour of Soul Train. Prior to joining Milwaukee Rep, Mark served as an Associate Artistic Director for several UK theater companies, most notably, Artistic Director for the award-winning Derby Playhouse in the UK from 1992-2002, where he directed over 40 productions. He has been nominated for an Olivier Award and several UK Theatre Awards, and has won three Barrymore Awards from his time at Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia. Mark is currently working with Ayad Akhtar on adapting his critically acclaimed novel American Dervish for the stage to make its world premiere at Milwaukee Rep in an upcoming season.

Headshot photo of
Dan Kazemi
Music Director / Accompanist
Bio

Dan is a New York-based composer, actor, director, orchestrator and music director. He is an Associate Artist at Milwaukee Rep. He most recently directed Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash at Milwaukee Rep’s Stackner Cabaret and Actors Theatre of Louisville. His recent musical direction credits for Milwaukee Rep include Jacob Marley’s Dan is a New York-based composer, actor, director, orchestrator and music director. He is an Associate Artist at Milwaukee Rep. He most recently directed Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash at Milwaukee Rep’s Stackner Cabaret and Actors Theatre of Louisville. His recent musical direction credits for Milwaukee Rep include Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, A Christmas Carol, Nunsense, West Side Story, In the Heights, The All Night Strut!, Murder for Two, Guys and Dolls, Man of La Mancha and Dreamgirls. In Philadelphia, Dan musically directed Lizzie (Barrymore Award), Herringbone (Barrymore Nom) and orchestrated and musically directed the world premiere musicals Field Hockey Hot (Barrymore Nom) and Tulipomania. Dan’s music has been performed at Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series, SDC’s Mr. Abbott Awards, Le Cirque de Demain in Paris, Ballet Fleming and in the 213 collective’s Untitled Project #213. Dan is also a composer of the new musical podcast, Mythic Thunderlute. Christmas Carol, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, A Christmas Carol, Nunsense, West Side Story, In the Heights, The All Night Strut!, Murder for Two, Guys and Dolls, Man of La Mancha and Dreamgirls. In Philadelphia, Dan musically directed Lizzie (Barrymore Award), Herringbone (Barrymore Nom) and orchestrated and musically directed the world premiere musicals Field Hockey Hot (Barrymore Nom) and Tulipomania. Dan’s music has been performed at Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series, SDC’s Mr. Abbott Awards, Le Cirque de Demain in Paris, Ballet Fleming and in the 213 collective’s Untitled Project #213. Dan is also a composer of the new musical podcast, Mythic Thunderlute.

Destiny Harris
Costume Coordinator
Dakota Kroes
Lighting Designer
Tate E. Thompson
Sound Designer
Jose Simbulan
Associate Music Director
Dale Brown
Casting Director
Josh Hart
Production Coordinator
Emily Newmark
Artistic Coordinator
Cecilia Agurrie
Stage Management Resident
EJ Hankins
Assistant Sound Designer
Jonathan Hetler
Line Producer
Annika Perez-Krikorian
Line Producer
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Destiny Harris
Costume Coordinator
Dakota Kroes
Lighting Designer
Tate E. Thompson
Sound Designer
Jose Simbulan
Associate Music Director
Dale Brown
Casting Director
Josh Hart
Production Coordinator
Emily Newmark
Artistic Coordinator
Cecilia Agurrie
Stage Management Resident
EJ Hankins
Assistant Sound Designer
Jonathan Hetler
Line Producer
Annika Perez-Krikorian
Line Producer

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