While walking down Kinnickinnic, but there is one storefront which is hiding another world — at least another world for a few hours at a time.

The Boulevard Ensemble Theatre is small and modest, yet it houses a great deal of talent, which has helped the theater reach the prestigious 20th season mark.

"It's been very rewarding," said Mark Bucher, the Boulevard's artistic director for the past two decades. "(The Boulevard) is part of the soul and is key economically to the street that is Kinnickinnic."

What may be striking in regards to the Boulevard is the simplicity of the theater as a whole. There is a small — and a bit bare — lobby, no fancy seats, no extravagant props, a small staff and a small cast. But don't feel sorry for the theater; the simplicity adds to its attractiveness and appeal. The theater chooses shows that will mesh with both the theater itself and its mission statement.

So what will this season bring patrons?

"Each season is picked like a dinner party," Bucher said. "('Louisiana Purchase') is our sherbet, then comes the meat and potatoes with 'Pyretown,' 'Rounding Third' and 'The Play About the Baby' and we close with 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'"

Bucher also said the theater is proud of the fact that four out of the five shows are Milwaukee premieres.

The 20th anniversary season opens with Irving Berlin's "Louisiana Purchase," which has been called a neglected piece — many of the original songs and characteristics were lost in the shuffle of time.

"It's a time and place thing," said Chris Ward, the Boulevard's business manager. "('Louisiana Purchase') is a very transitional piece. It was the pop culture of that time. Do we remember what was on the 'Brady Bunch' 30 years ago? No."

The Boulevard makes "Louisiana Purchase" a play within a play, which is intriguing but can also be confusing at times. All the actors are initially part of a theater company that is meeting with a funding committee to put on the play — aptly entitled "Louisiana Purchase." The company is then forced to become actors in order to convince the board to give them funding.

The actual play is about the Louisiana Purchasing Company and their efforts to conceal their swindling from Senator Oliver P. Loganberry (played by Don Devona) who has launched an investigation. Some members from the New Orleans community — where the action takes place — get involved with helping the company in their cover-up.

Each actor plays more than one role. Bucher cut the cast in half, from the original 18 down to nine. It's more work for the actors but also more interesting and fun for the audience.

The lead characters, Louisiana Purchasing Company president Jim Taylor (Joe Fransee), café owner Madame Bordelaise (Julie Alonzo-Calteaux), Marina Van Linden (Liz Mistele), Beatrice (Mary C. DeBattista) and Loganberry are all well-conceived and exude hilarity.

The must-see scenes of the performance include solos performed by Alonzo-Calteaux and DeBattista, who show off their vocal range over Berlin's beautifully crafted music.

There's additional motivation for attending a Boulevard performance, staffers say.

According to Bucher, "By going to live cultural arts, students open themselves to new thought and expanded brainpower."

The actors talents renew the show each night.

"Everyone works from the same script, but (the show) never ends up the same way," Ward said.

The way that the Boulevard brings Berlin's "Louisiana Purchase" to life makes it a show that's not to be missed.

This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on September 29, 2005.