Final Act: New Berlin theater-themed home for sale

NEW BERLIN, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Zillow Gone Wild is a social media account highlighting the strange, odd, and strangely-oddly-wonderful Zillow home listings around the county.

The account just highlighted one that went on the market at the beginning of the month.  It's a 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom ranch at 3240 S. Hickory Rd. New Berlin, WI with a surprise inside.

John Dolphin's home is far off Broadway but then all the world's a stage. That includes his basement which is like something off a theater set and, in many cases, it is.

"Oh, it's for the musical, Mame." Dolphin said, referring to a bench in the gathering area of the basement. "We built it for St. Joseph's High School."

Dolphin spent his career as a lighting designer and set builder for theaters big and small all across Wisconsin, the region, even all the way to Russia.

"I've lived Mrs. Bernstein, I've lived!" said Dolphin.

He turns 88 this month and he says it's time to move on.

"I'm going to someplace warm." Dolphin said.

He'll have fond memories of the parties in his home and in the basement he designed. He didn't make it to look like any specific time or specific theater. He put it together out of pieces of Milwaukee history.

"It's like the streets of old Milwaukee people tell me." said Dolphin while giving CBS 58's Mike Curkov a tour of the home.

He has antique projectors from high schools, sconces from historic hotels, and glass door panels salvaged from Juneau Street mansions. It's not just in the basement, it's room after room of theater posters, theater-themed art, and classic wallpaper.

"Everybody who comes in, they're like wow." Dolphin said. "They can't believe it. Because it looks like a simple ranch."

Now, it's the curtain call for Dolphin on this stage. The home is currently listed at $424,800 with the ReMax Hupke Team.

"Will I miss it? Yes, I'll think about it but sometimes you've got to just stop." Dolphin said.

His hope is that the buyer will buy everything. The house and everything in it. And give his production a never-ending revival.

"It has to be somebody who likes a little flair." he said.