Legendary folk musician Woody Guthrie led a remarkable life. His father had been a less than savory figure. His mother suffered from mental illness. He escaped his childhood Oklahoma during the dust bowl era and began to carve a name out for himself with a guitar and a social conscience. The Milwaukee Repertory Theater pays homage to the musical legend with its next Stackner Cabaret show—Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie.
Co-conceived by music director/choreographer/performer David M. Lutken, Woody Sez is the kind of show that becomes a labor of love for the performers who take it on the road to engagements all over the country. The Rep’s Artistic Director Mark Clements saw the Chicago production, loved it and wanted to bring it to Milwaukee. That Chicago production is more or less faithfully recreated for the stage here in Milwaukee. An ensemble of two men and two women invite Guthrie’s energy to the Rep’s coziest stage in what should be a charming look at a cultural legend who influenced the course of American music.
Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie runs Jan. 3-March 9, 2014, at the Stackner Cabaret. For tickets, call 414-224-9490 or visit milwaukeerep.com.
Theatre Happening
Broadway at the Marcus Center welcomes the puppet-augmented drama of War Horse to Uihlein Hall. The endearingly creepy stick horse puppets help to illuminate a tale—best known from Steven Spielberg’s film—of love and strife filled with music and song, Jan. 7-12, 2014. For tickets, call 414-273-7206 or visit marcuscenter.org.
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New Year’s Eve Carnival
Dead Man’s Carnival
10 p.m., Landmark Oriental Theatre
In the spirit of vaudeville, the circus and burlesque, the Dead Man’s Carnival brings a one-of-a-kind variety show to the Oriental Theatre. Magic, juggling, striptease and acrobatics are only a taste of the entertainment in store. As audiences arrive, they will be greeted with performances staged throughout the lobby before heading to the main theater, where Professor Pinkerton and his American roots band, The Magnificents, will host the main attractions. It will be the Milwaukee troupe’s largest production yet and double as a fundraiser for their 2014 season. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the door or at tickets.landmarktheatres.com. (Brandon Miller)
TAGS: Woody Guthrie, Russ Bickerstaff, The Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Stackner Cabaret, Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie, David M. Lutken, Mark Clements, Broadway at the Marcus Center, War Horse, Uihlein Hall, New Year’s Eve Carnival, Dead Man’s Carnival, Landmark Oriental Theatre, Professor Pinkerton and The Magnificents, Brandon Miller
