The Powerhouse Theater in the Associated Bank Theater Center, the new theater complex planned for the Milwaukee Repertory Theater in downtown Milwaukee, will be named the Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater, in honor of the philanthropists and their support of the $75 million project.
The Milwaukee Rep says the Checotas made a “generous gift” to support the project. The amount will remain confidential, but it is the second largest gift in the Milwaukee Rep’s history.
It is also in addition to the $61 million that the Milwaukee Rep said earlier this month has been raised for the project so far. At that point 81% of the funds needed for the project had been raised.
Joe Checota is the executive chairman of Milwaukee-based Landmark Healthcare Facilities LLC and Landmark Healthcare Properties Fund LLC.
“Ellen and I have been proud residents of Milwaukee for 50 years, and we are proud to join the long list of donors who are funding the creation of the beautiful new home of Milwaukee Repertory Theater,” said Joe Checota. “Milwaukee is nationally-recognized as an important center for the arts, and the new theaters as well as the education and engagement center in the new Milwaukee Rep will significantly expand the cultural landscape for residents of greater Milwaukee and Wisconsin for generations to come.”
The Associated Bank Theater Center will replace, and be built in the same location as, The Rep’s Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex at 122 E. Wells St. in downtown Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee Rep says the Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater “will be one of the finest theatrical venues world-wide” and will include a flexible theater configuration as the only theater in the country that seamlessly converts from thrust to proscenium configurations with fixed seats. Milwaukee Rep says the Powerhouse Theater will be compatible with virtually any theater in the world allowing it to transfer productions to Broadway and beyond.
The Ellen & Joe Checota Powerhouse Theater will also have a fly loft to bring in larger pieces of scenery, improved seating and sight lines, improved accessibility and modern production technology.
“We are incredibly grateful to Ellen and Joe for their vision and generous support,” said Chad Bauman, executive director for the Milwaukee Rep. “The Checota name will be synonymous with our Powerhouse Theater for decades to come, welcoming millions of people to Milwaukee Rep to experience world-class productions in a state-of-the-art facility.”
Last year the Checotas made a $5 million contribution to Milwaukee Area Technical College. They have also made contributions to Goodwill Industries, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Art Museum, Haggerty Museum of Art, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and several health care organizations.
See below for a virtual walk through of the Associated Bank theater Center:
