MILWAUKEE — A growing entertainment scene in Milwaukee now includes Vivarium, opening its doors for its first show Tuesday. Local music artist Wave Chapelle will be performing in the free show at the 450-person venue, Pabst Theater Group’s replacement for Colectivo‘s Back Room stage, which closed at the end of 2023.
President and CEO of Pabst Theater Group Gary Witt told WTMJ the venue is open to all types of entertainment acts, hoping to form a special connection for both fans and artists.
“A place like Vivarium is not only where fans first discover their favorite [acts], but it’s also where [acts] first discover Milwaukee,” he said. “It was important to be able to create that relationship at a smaller venue level, so we could maintain it as [the acts] grow and develop at our other venues.”
Witt said the acts can vary from comedy to live podcasts, bands, and even private events, but before the venue can be used, there’s still some construction to be done on the venue that just started construction three months ago.
An exclusive look at “Vivarium”. Milwaukee’s newest entertainment venue with a capacity of 450 people! @620wtmj pic.twitter.com/WK9GPjSQJ3
— Juelz (@jujuelz_is) February 20, 2024
Monday evening, the venue was still undergoing some construction, with several of the venue’s features crafted by artists and companies in Wisconsin. These features include wooden walls made from 100-year-old trees in northern Wisconsin, bathrooms with designs done by the Bradley Corporation in Menomonee Falls, and stage lights made by a company in Waukesha.
Witt said they’re happy they were able to have features that show what’s happening in Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin. “All these things I think are important because they’re all people who working the area who built all these things… to be able to make our venue possible,” he said.
Both Witt and COO Matt Beringer both emphasized the importance of them working in Milwaukee and having Vivarium and their Pabst Theater Group venues rooted in Milwaukee. One of the ways they do that is by welcoming local artists and treating them with care.
“I think it’s critically important, especially when you’re talking about local artists, that you give those artists the dignity, stage and respect as you would with a national touring headlining artist,” Beringer said. “Milwaukee has an incredible scene here and all of these artists have an audience… it’s just [about having] the ability to provide them with something that we really think is a top flight venue.”
Vivarium also accommodates artists by having features like a laundry machines, beds and a shower! pic.twitter.com/pucuJqb3KQ
— Juelz (@jujuelz_is) February 20, 2024
Artists get an accommodating experience at Vivarium. Witt told WTMJ the three “out-of-the-box” things they thought would help artists were providing laundry machines, a shower and even beds in the backstage area.
“We understood that artists are on the road, driving in a sprinter van, working with incredibly restrictive budgets, and they’re trying their best to be on the road to be able to create this career that they have,” he said. “The things that cost them money take away from their ability for them to make money on the road whatsoever.”
Both Witt and Beringer said they’re both excited for this venue, and one of the main goals is to continue to build the arts scene in Milwaukee.
“We’re proud of Milwaukee,” Witt said. “I think it’s important that when we have a chance to do something like this… to be able to take the highlight of Milwaukee and Wisconsin and make it be known by as many people as possible.
