Weekly Highlights from 4/14-4/20
Hamlin, Off the Wall Theatre, 4/15-4/25
Based on the well-known Pied Piper of Hamlin, this world-premiere play is set in a town where the local populace suffering from some kind of terrible flu, along with an influx of rodents. The Hamlin family tries desperately to control the media coverage of their catastrophe while seeking a solution to their dilemma. When the situation gets worse, they rely on the questionable skills of a shaman or magician of sorts. What ensues is partly the fable with which we are all familiar, and partly a thriller with lot of new twists and turns.
Tickets $21.50-$25.50. Showtime Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 4:30 p.m. Visit Off the Wall or call 414-327-3552.
Sweetest Swing in Baseball, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Broadway Theatre Center Cabot Theatre, 4/15-5/2
One day Dana’s the toast of the art world; the next day, she’s at the bottom of the food chain. When the emotional crash causes her to be institutionalized — and her insurance runs out — help arrives from the unlikeliest of places: the inspirational swing of baseball legend Darryl Strawberry. Here’s a funny, inventive and occasionally scathing look at the demands of creating art and the tremendous cost.
Tickets $33.50. Showtimes vary, so visit Milwaukee Chamber Theatre or call 414-291-7800 for more information.
On Golden Pond, Memories Ballroom, 4/16-4/25
The funny and warmly perceptive story of Ethel and Norman Thayer, a spirited and lovable elderly couple spending their 44th summer on Golden Pond. After a visit from their daughter and her fiancée, they find themselves left in charge of the fiancée’s son, their future teenage step-grandson, for the summer. Laugh along as Norman teaches him about fishing and good books. In return, the boy gives him lessons in being young, and the meaning of the term “suck face.”
Tickets $15-$28. Showtimes vary, so visit Memories Ballroom for more information.
This new work is a deconstruction of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as seen through the eyes of a secluded girl. Since Juliet cannot roam the world freely, everything that happens outside her home must be told to her by others. Zager explores the play using only the Shakespearean text from the scenes that Juliet appears in to re-imagine and rediscover the world of this star-crossed lover. The workshop production features original art from Carroll photography students, live music and a gallery display of Juliet-inspired art created by students and faculty.
Tickets $10 adults, $5 seniors. Showtime 2:30 p.m. Visit Carroll College for more information.
Morgue Lady, Schauer Arts and Activities Center, 4/17
A comic tale of an imaginative girl growing up in a 1960s funeral home who feels different from her peers because of her father’s unusual profession. Incorporating music from classics like The Sound of Music, Oklahoma and Oliver, she develops a unique way to handle the real and imaginary monsters in her life. At the same time, she develops an appreciation and respect for the important services her father provides. Written and performed by Hartford native (and mortician’s daughter) Jane Matenaer, you’ll get a strong dose of humor as you peek into Jane’s own childhood.
Tickets $16-$22. Showtime 7:30 p.m. Visit the Schauer Arts and Activities Center for more information.
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Opera After Dark, Steinway Piano Gallery, 4/15
An evening of wine and opera featuring the Florentine Opera Studio artists is paired with one of Steinway Gallery’s beautiful pianos. Hear a variety of favorite arias such as the beloved Nessun dorma and selections from Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Weill, and others. Sip on wine and munch on delicious appetizers provided by Il Mito Cafe.
Steinway Piano Gallery, 11550 W North Ave., Wauwatosa, WI. Tickets $20. Call 414-727-5995 for reservations.
Unruly Music Festival, Marcus Center Vogel Hall, 4/15-4/18
Unruly Music unleashes the music of our time in a spring mini-festival at the Marcus Center. Spanning a wide variety of genres and styles, the series explores contemporary chamber music, the intersection of sound and image, electro-acoustic classics, and the newest of the new in a concert featuring premiers by UWM composition students.
Tickets $15 general/$12 seniors/$7 students. For complete details of each performance, please go to Unruly Music.
Jane Hunt, Wisconsin Lutheran College Schwann Concert Hall, 4/16
British-born violinist Jane Hunt studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, England, and in 2005 graduated with a first-class honors degree. The classically trained violinist has appeared with symphony orchestras throughout England and America, and has performed as a soloist at prestigious venues around the world. Her “Violin Venus” Show is centered around music from many different genres focusing mainly on Classical, Celtic and Jazz.
Tickets $22 general, $19 seniors and $12 students. Concert begins at 8 p.m. Visit Wisconsin Lutheran College for more information.
Copland Clarinet Concerto, Bartok Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta, Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, Calvary Presbyterian Church, 4/16
William Helmers, MCO principal clarinetist, will perform Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto. “One of my first recordings was of Benny Goodman playing the Copland Concerto,” said Helmers. “Benny’s pure tone and direct, honest musicianship had a great influence on my clarinet playing.” One of Bela Bartok’s best known works, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, is also on the program.
Tickets $10-$25. Concert begins at 7:30 p.m. with a free wine and cheese tasting and silent auction beginning at 6:30 p.m. Visit the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra or call 414-881-9900.
The Five Browns, Pabst Theatre, 4/17
One family, five pianos. Virtuoso young pianists return to the Pabst Theatre to blow the dust off of the classics.
Tickets $32.50. Show begins at 8 p.m. Visit the Pabst or call 414-286-3663.
- Red Priest. Photo courtesy of website.
Early Music Now presents: Red Priest, Wisconsin Lutheran College Schwan Concert Hall, 4/17
Pirates of the Baroque features stolen masterworks and forgotten jewels of the Baroque era performed with swashbuckling virtuosity. This program includes Vivaldi’s Tempesta de Mare Concerto, a Pirate Suite by Couperin, the Albinoni Adagio and works by Bach, Tartini, Simonetti, Vitali, and Handel. And Johnny Depp. No, not really.
Tickets $10-$40. Concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Visit Early Music Now or call 414-225-3113.
MCA is on Fire!, Milwaukee Choral Artists, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa, 4/17
Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Six Choral Songs for Treble Voices (opus 15) features prominently in this concert of sizzling hot music from the world over. Also, music by Libby Larsen, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Fanny Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Kentaro Sato, Eleanor Daley, Craig Carnahan and MCA resident composer Paula Foley Tillen, as well as world music from Japan, Mexico, Latvia, and Hawaii. Featuring John Paradowski, organist, and Jeffry Peterson, pianist.
Tickets $15-$25. MCA is offering $15 student-rate tickets to “Women Who Sing” in an ensemble, professional or amateur. Concert begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit the Milwaukee Choral Artists or call 262-628-5022.
Water for Life, Cream City Chorus, Unitarian Universalist Church West, 4/17
An exploration of the many facets of water, including its amazing power to both create and destroy life, its necessity to sustain life, and its many uses for fun.
Visit the Cream City Chorus or call 414-276-8787 for more information.
Bugs Bunny on Broadway, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Riverside Theatre, 4/17
Bugs Bunny on Broadway brings you classics such as What’s Opera, Doc?, A Corny Concerto, and Long-Haired Hare projected on the big screen with the original scores performed by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Perfect for your kid or the kid in you, these animated tales have introduced millions to the instantly memorable melodies of popular classical composers such as Rossini, Strauss, Tchaikovsky and Wagner.
Tickets $31.25-$56.25. Showtime 8 p.m. on Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit the MSO or call 414-291-7605.
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Monsters, Mayhem & Mac ‘n Cheese, Danceworks Performance Company, Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, 4/16-18
DPC’s virtuosic dancers present a program of sophisticated concert dance specifically designed for the professionally silly, innately slap-happy, unthwarted dreamer of any size choreographed by artistic director and mother of four, Dani Kuepper. Wild Things will make mischief, Frogs will romp in the swamp and Potluck will serve up macaroni and Strauss, played live by young musicians from Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Join Danceworks for a pre-show family workshop led by DPC members that will provide an inside eye to the making of the dances. You’ll dance together, make monster masks and make some mischief of your own! For kids 4 and up.
Tickets $10 for a family of up to 4 people; $5 per each additional participant. Visit Danceworks or call 414-277-8480 ext. 6025
Citresh Das with two of his dancers. Photo courtesy JMKAC.
Citresh Das Dance Company, John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, WI. 4/20 and 4/22
One of the world’s best traditional kathak dance troupes, accompanied by Tarana vocal music, arrives next week for a short residency as part of the JMKAC’s Performance Series. “[Das’s] powerful depictions of the epic tales of India are intimate and almost interactive in nature. As a kathaka (storyteller), he engages viewers and brings them into his world, speaking directly to the audience between segments and describing the story.”
JMKAC will host the company for a family show at 6:30 Tuesday aimed at families, and a full performance on Thursday.
Tickets are available by calling the Arts Center at (920) 458-6144 or visiting www.jmkac.org/Footlights 4/20 and
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Kenilworth Open Studios: A Celebration of Faculty and Students from the Peck School of the Arts, 4/17
Free and open to the public. Enjoy vibrant performances by Peck School dancers, actors, actresses, and musicians. Watch films. Explore galleries showcasing student and faculty work. Participate in hands-on activities, including button-making and silk-screening.
11 a.m.— 2 p.m. For more information, visit Peck School of the Arts or call 414-229-4162.
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I’ll bite! I’m inspired by great pinot noir, which shows that with effort you can make something that gives great pleasure and joy. I’m inspired by my cats, who show me how to really relax. And I’m inspired by the artists who continue to produce great work even as budgets are cut and time gets short — they are the real heroes!
I find inspiration from my basset hounds. They make me laugh at least once a day, which is a great lesson. They are selfless and loving and need nothing more than a belly rub and some kibble to be happy. They don’t judge and know just when you need snuggle to make you feel better. They trust completely and give of themselves. I hope to be more like them.