The Melody Top

The Melody Top Theatre was a musical theatre located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and featured performances in the round. The theatre that was originally built as a circus-style tent is now defunct.

History

The Melody Top was built in 1962. It was only operational during the summers beginning in 1963.[1] The theatre was modeled after the identical Melody Top in Chicago.[2] The large venue lasted until 1986. The theatre was originally built in the form of a giant, circus-style tent. It was located on W Good Hope Road, just east of N 76th St in Milwaukee.[3] Later, the architecture of the venue comprised a wooden dome.[3] The Milwaukee Melody Top was affiliated with a second Melody Top located in Hillside, Illinois.[4]

The Melody Top hosted "...Broadway quality presentations of big scale musical hits..."[5] The theatre hosted celebrities such as Leonard Nimoy in Oliver!; Betty White in My Fair Lady; and Christopher Walken in West Side Story.[3]

Productions

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

References
  1. "Melody Top Theatre" (PDF). Milwaukee History. Milwaukee County Historical Society. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  2. West, Jonathan (2009). Milwaukee's live theater. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub. pp. 50–56. ISBN 9780738560595. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  3. Foran, Chris (17 August 2015). "Website celebrates memories of Milwaukee's Melody Top theater". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  4. Kohlhoff, Ralph Edward (1968). The Dissemination of the Dramatic Arts in the Metropolitan area of Milwaukee. Madison Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Madison. p. 266. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  5. "Performance Venues". UWM. Encyclopedia of Milwaukee. Retrieved 16 July 2022.


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