The show goes on after fire at UW-Milwaukee's Peck School of the Arts

UW-Milwaukee students are getting ready for a big performance. One that they've rehearsed months for and had to even overcome a fire to stage.

The curtain will go up tonight for the department's performance of 'Arcadia' but it won't be at the Peck School of the Arts. 

Students will instead take to a more visible stage at the Milwaukee Rep while crews will still be inside Peck School of the Arts trying to put it back together.

"We're assessing what needs to be repaired and what needs to be replaced," said Randy Trumbull-Hollper with the Peck School of the Arts.

After a fire tore through the music, art, and theater buildings last month, it's been a journey just to make it to the end of the semester.

Facilities manager Trumbull-Hollper says the cost of the damage, originally estimated at 1 million dollars, is actually closer to 3.7 million. Now, as students prepare for their big end of semester performance, they needed a little help from the community - and they got it.

"We were no longer able to be in this space so we had to move out and it prevented us from being in our home," said Theater Department Chair Leroy Stoner.

The Milwaukee Rep stepped in to host the department's production of Arcadia.

Moving forward, lighting and seating at the main stage will see some serious upgrades.

"Our goal is that it goes back in a better condition that it was in and that the students are getting the best out of this experience that they can." 

There are four performances of Arcadia which run through the weekend. General admission tickets are $20 and you can purchase them online.