Outskirts Theatre goes Bare, Third Avenue Playhouse turns Red, Wisconsin Philharmonic takes a hike for veterans, and DanceCircus splashes around Milwaukee’s Lakefront.
THEATRE:
Outskirts Theatre Presents a Timely Tale of Love
It debuted in 2000 at the Hudson Theatre in Los Angeles and, essentially every year since, Bare: A Pop Opera has been seen on stages from Houston to Toronto, Chicago to Liverpool and Sydney to Barcelona. Now, thanks to Outskirts Theatre, Milwaukee can be added to the growing list of venues that have seen this timely, two-act musical boasting some three dozen songs (music by Damon Intrabartolo; lyrics by Jon Hartmere).
The focus of this rock musical is upon Peter and Jason—two gay high school students who find friendship and, eventually, love. The problem with this scenario is the setting in which they find themselves when romance blossoms: St. Cecelia’s Catholic Boarding School. Their secret relationship takes on a whole new dimension when the school begins rehearsals for an upcoming production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Peter and Jason find the parallels striking, indeed.
June 30-July 9 at Tenth Street Theatre, 628 N. 10th St. For tickets, call 414-367-6484 or visit outskirtstheatre.org/tickets.
Red
“There is only one thing I fear in life, my friend… One day, the black will swallow the red.” So says American abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko to his assistant, Ken, while the two are at work on Rothko’s latest commission: a group of murals for New York’s exclusive Four Seasons restaurant. Ken is no mere gofer or sycophant; when he begins to question the great artist’s theories and acceptance of a commercial, Pop Art project, Rothko’s not pleased. Will the ensuing debate, amid all the scattered paint and canvass, lead to a change of heart? Third Avenue Playhouse presents this thoughtful, six-time Tony Award-winner.
June 29-July 22 at Third Avenue Playhouse, 239 N. Third Ave., Sturgeon Bay. For tickets, call 920-743-1760 or visit boxoffice.printtixusa.com/thirdaveplayhouse.
MUSIC:
Big Band 4th
The Wisconsin Philharmonic takes to the outdoors to honor generations of veterans through music and ceremony. Things kick off at 5 p.m. with a one- or two-mile “Veteran Trek” through Brookfield’s Mitchell Park. Shortly after 6, attending veterans will be officially recognized and honored. The Philharmonic’s outdoor concert begins at 6:30. Terrific summer outdoor concert music such as “Over There,” Armed Forces Salute, and the John Philip Sousa classics “Hands Across the Sea” and “Semper Fidelis March” will be heard. The Big Band era will be revisited, as will an orchestral arrangement of “Rock Around the Clock,” a Beatles medley and more.
June 30 at Sharon Lynne Wilson Center in Mitchell Park, 19805 W. Capitol Drive. For tickets and Veteran Trek registration, visit eventbrite.com and search “big band 4th.”
