Here are our editors' picks for the can't-miss events this spring in theater, dance, classical music and visual arts:
Theater
Allusion/Illusion (World Premiere) Cooperative Performance Through Feb. 23 According to its creators—the formidable quartet of Kelly Coffey, Don Russell, Andrea Burkholder and Daniel Burkholder—this audience interactive performance asks: What if reality is a lie, and the acceptance of it is so great by all of us that the opposing force can’t make itself known? Eight performers interweave text, movement, shadow, light, video and puppetry. Cooperative Performance hosts the show in an empty Third Ward storefront at 329 N. Broadway. (John Schneider) The Jealous Revolver, Episode 3 Cabaret MKE Through March 2 Don’t worry if you missed the first two installments of Cabaret Milwaukee’s crime drama The Jealous Revolver. As enjoyably pulpy as it is, the narrative takes a back seat to the production’s old-time radio ambiance, as the production stops frequently for news breaks, commercial jingles and musical interludes. The Astor Hotel provides a fittingly historic backdrop for this throwback style of entertainment. (Evan Rytlewski) The Velocity of Autumn In Tandem Theatre Feb. 21-March 17 After writing dozens of plays, premiering many of them around his native Cleveland, Eric Coble found national acclaim with his 2013 comedy The Velocity of Autumn, which began a run on Broadway in 2014. Estelle Parsons received a Tony nomination for her performance as Alexandra, an 80-year-old artist who, despite her failing health, is so dead set against moving that she barricades herself in her Brooklyn brownstone. Angela Iannone inherits that role in In Tandem’s production. (Evan Rytlewski) Strange Snow Milwaukee Chamber Theatre Feb. 22-March 17 Stephen Metcalfe explored the struggles veterans face readjusting to civilian life in his 1983 drama Strange Snow. David and Megs are Vietnam veterans with very different ways of coping with the loss they experienced during the war, but the fishing buddies’ friendship is threatened when Megs falls for David’s younger sister Martha, a lonely high school teacher. Marques Causey, Krystal Drake and Ken T. Williams star. (Evan Rytlewski) The Curious Savage Sunset Playhouse Feb. 28-March 17 Described by Sunset as “an entertaining and fanciful comedy where kindness and affection triumph over greed and dishonesty,” John Patrick’s The Curious Savage involves one Mrs. Savage—an elderly woman whose late husband has left her $10 million. When her stepchildren find out she intends to give it all away (and not to them!), they hatch a plot to have her committed. This is “a warm comedy that compares the kindness and loyalty of psychiatric patients with the greed and hostility of so-called ‘normal people.’” (John Jahn) The Potting Shed Acacia Theatre March 1-10 Novelist and playwright Graham Greene brought his distinctive Catholic perspective to his 1957 drama The Potting Shed, which tells the story of a man hoping to reconcile with his ailing father but unable to recall what led to their estrangement in the first place. All he can remember is that his alienation from his family stems from an event that occurred in the family’s potting shed when he was 14. With the help of his psychoanalyst, he tries to solve the mystery. (Evan Rytlewski) Spamalot Wisconsin Center District (Miller High Life Theatre) March 2-3 Monty Python’s craziest and most beloved feature film serves as a springboard for this very loose and very zany stage adaptation from Python alum Eric Idle, which won a 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical. Those hoping to hear their favorite lines from the film won’t be disappointed, but the musical introduces plenty of original twists and turns as well, spoofing a variety of new targets, including Broadway itself. (Evan Rytlewski) The Phantom of the Opera (Broadway Series) Marcus Center for the Performing Arts March 6-17 Cameron Mackintosh’s spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera comes to Uihlein Hall as part of a brand-new North American tour. It features all-new scenic design by Paul Brown, Tony Award-winning original costume design by Maria Björnson, lighting design by Tony Award-winner Paule Constable, new choreography by Scott Ambler and new staging by director Laurence Connor. (John Jahn) StorySlam: Fear Ex Fabula March 7 Ex Fabula’s StorySlam series brings everyday people together to tell true stories around a common theme. Audience participation is brought to a new level by giving a few lucky viewers a chance at taking the stage to share their life experiences with the crowd. This spring’s StorySlam themes include: Damaged Goods, Fear, What’s in a Name?, Deal Breaker and Forgiveness. The events are held at well-known Milwaukee destinations such as Lakefront Brewery and Turner Hall Ballroom. StorySlams also occur on Tuesday, March 26, Wednesday, April 17, and Saturday, May 18. (Rob Hullum) The Wizard of Oz Unplugged Waukesha Civic Theatre March 7-10 Actors from WCT’s Adaptive Community Approach Program, which grants disabled performers opportunities to express themselves artistically, take center stage in this re-imagination of The Wizard of Oz. Travelers seek out the Wizard for help, encountering barriers that highlight the importance of accessibility and the harmfulness of labels along the way. Collaboratively written and filled with adapted musical numbers, The Wizard of Oz Unplugged stresses a message of acceptance for people of all levels of ability. (Elizabeth Janowski) 42ft—A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts March 10 Gears, pulleys and things that whirl and twirl through the air. It’s a 42-foot circus of machinery and people in motion—thrilling displays of acrobatics and a big-top of clowning and entertaining by Cirque Mechanics. (Morton Shlabotnik) Carmina Burana Skylight Music Theatre, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, Danceworks Performance Company and Chant Claire Chamber Choir March 15-31 German composer Carl Orff’s 1937 “scenic cantata” Carmina Burana, while undeniably “modern,” makes for a fascinating aural bridge between the Middle Ages and the 20th century, given its texts derived from 13th-century poetry (some of it quite raunchy). Encompassing music, song and movement, the work begs for more than a mere concert performance, and that’s what comes to the Cabot Theatre. MOT joins forces with Skylight Music Theatre, Danceworks Performance Company and Chant Claire Chamber Choir. (John Jahn) Thom Pain (based on nothing) Theatre Nervosa March 20-23 Will Eno’s Thom Pain is a 70-minute monolog that, via new theatrical company Theatre Nervosa, will be performed by A.J. Magoon at The Underground Collaborative. “He’s just like you, only worse,” as Nervosa explains the one-man play. “On a particular night, Thom Pain finds himself on a particular stage in front of a particular audience. His goal? Save his life. Save your life. Explain it all. His obstacle? A speck of dust. A familiar face in the third row. The fact that he’s living through it all.” This play contains instances of strong language and, as Nervosa humorously adds, ennui. (John Jahn) Eighties Movie (World Premiere) Milwaukee Metro Voices March 21-31 Artistic director and scriptwriter Jason Powell describes it this way: “The keyboard is cranked up to eleven in this musical crammed full of hits from the Decade of Decadence. Between classic synthesizer riffs, we’ll see tales of angst-filled 1980s teenagers unfold in tones that would do John Hughes proud. The science gets weird, the girls in pink look pretty and the music spins you ’round like a record, baby, in this homage to a radical era.” At the Tenth Street Theatre. (John Schneider) Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash Milwaukee Repertory Theatre (Stackner Cabaret) March 22-May 26 Johnny Cash’s music came from a place further from Broadway than miles can measure. And yet, the Man in Black’s songbook has been turned into a popular Broadway revue. A hit at the Stackner in 2013, Ring of Fire returns with “I Walk the Line,” “Folsom Prison Blues” and other great gems of American music. (David Luhrssen) To Fall in Love The Constructivists March 29-April 13 In a now-famous experiment, psychologist Arthur Aron observed two strangers fall in love as they asked each other a series of 36 questions. To Fall in Love offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of Merryn and Wyatt—a couple on the verge of divorce—as they use Aron’s questions in a last-ditch effort to salvage their relationship. The award-winning play makes its Midwest debut under the directorship of Wisconsin native Jaimelyn Gray. (Elizabeth Janowski) Leaving Iowa Over Our Heads Players March 29-April 14 Don Browning is a middle-aged writer finally making good on his promise to scatter his father’s ashes at his childhood home. But, when he discovers that house has been replaced by a grocery store, he begins traveling across Iowa in search of the proper resting place for his pops, along the way reliving memories of childhood road trips in this nostalgic comedy by playwrights Tim Clue and Spike Manton. (Evan Rytlewski) Annie Jump and the Library of Heaven Renaissance Theaterworks March 29-April 21 Annie Jump, a 13-year-old science genius, is contacted by an intergalactic super-computer whose goal is to help her in her new role as the librarian of heaven. The show aims to be fun for all audiences, and it includes animated sequences projected on a screen to enhance the viewing experience. Annie Jump is the last of a three-show season about women in science devised by Renaissance Theaterworks, which is dedicated to promoting women’s work. (Jean-Gabriel Fernandez) Peter & Wendy (Family Friendly) Milwaukee Youth Theatre April 3-5 Revisiting the classic tale of Peter Pan, playwright Jeremy Bloom presents a stripped down, atmospheric meditation on the hardships and realities of growing up. Audience members join Peter, Wendy, Tinker Bell and Tiger Lily as they venture through the island of Neverland, encountering and narrowly evading the dastardly Captain Hook along the way. Directed by Greg Davis, a cast of children ages 10 to 18 star in this whimsical and heartfelt production. (Elizabeth Janowski) How to Write a New Book for the Bible Next Act Theatre April 4-28 “The premise is that The Bible is not so much a book of rules but a story of family,” says director David Cecsarini. “Our narrator (the playwright Bill Cain) sets out to add his family’s story to the record. As a young, skeptical Jesuit priest, he’s wrestling with big questions of spirituality. Writing his family’s love story brings him closer to the answers he seeks. The form of the play is fluid, much like memory.” (John Schneider) The Rivals (Student Production) Marquette Theatre April 5-14 Marquette University Theatre presents an 18th-century comedy of manners with The Rivals. The titular “rivals” are actually one and the same, as the main character, Jack, pretends to be a poor soldier to court the romantic Lydia. But, when his father arranges his marriage to Lydia, Jack’s two identities become rivals for the woman’s heart. Misunderstandings and lack of communication are the main sources of laughter in this student-driven production. (Jean-Gabriel Fernandez) Tartuffe Village Playhouse April 5-21 Village Playhouse is used to performing classical masterpieces in their venue in West Allis. It is no surprise, then, that they’re producing Tartuffe. The play is one of the greatest theatrical comedies of all time, telling the story of a rich family under the influence of a con man pretending to speak with divine authority. Written in the 17th century by French playwright Molière, initially heavily censored, Tartuffe is a keen social satire denouncing hypocrisy and the folly of blind faith. (Jean-Gabriel Fernandez) Just A Conversation Over Chicken and Dumplings (World Premiere) Bronzeville Arts Ensemble w/ Black Arts MKE April 5-7 Dedicated to illuminating the black experience in America, Milwaukee’s leading African American theater company is five years old and a resident of Black Arts MKE at the Marcus Center. Artistic director Sheri Williams Pannell directs this adaptation by Milwaukee writer Michelle Dobbs of her book “detailing moments in her family’s history (and a secret),” as Pannell puts it, “all illustrated in oil paintings discovered after the death of her uncle, the artist James Moore Jr.” (John Schneider) Tinker Bell (Family Friendly) First Stage April 26-June 2 Peter Pan’s story never ages. That is why First Stage, Milwaukee’s children’s theater company, is offering a new take on it from the perspective of Tinker Bell, Pan’s trusty fairy companion, using puppetry and original music. The play, adapted by playwright Patrick Flynn, is suggested for children aged 6-17. Tinker Bell focuses on the fairy’s feelings throughout the story—she’s so small she can feel only one emotion at a time—and the meaning of friendship. (Jean-Gabriel Fernandez) Enchanted April Windfall Theatre May 2-18 Miranda Richardson and Joan Plowright were among the stars of the Golden Globe-winning 1991 film based on a 1922 novel. Windfall closes its season with the charming story about Englishwomen—suffering from the effects of post-World War I, their relationships with their husbands and the oppressiveness of their lives—who decide they want to break away by taking a trip to Italy. (David Luhrssen) Stella and Lou Boulevard Theatre May 3-May 26 Older characters too rarely take on the mantle of main characters. With Stella and Lou, a play by Bruce Graham about aging and loneliness, Boulevard Theatre aims to put senior citizens in the spotlight. Lou is a recently widowed bar owner, Stella is an old friend, and both meet after the death of a regular patron. Experienced director David Ferrie, who has directed shows like The Memory of Water, will direct this intimate tavern drama. (Jean-Gabriel Fernandez) 9 to 5, the Musical Racine Theatre Guild May 10-26 Musicals don’t get much more crowd-pleasing than this adaptation of the hit 1980 Jane Fonda/Lily Tomlin/Dolly Parton comedy about three women who kidnap their brutish boss, then set out to make their office a fairer, more equitable workplace in his absence. The story is fun enough, but the real draw is the soundtrack, which includes new songs Parton wrote for the show. (Evan Rytlewski) Kiss Me, Kate Skylight Music Theatre May 17-June 9 Passions certainly do run high both onstage and off as a tempestuous couple struggles to present a musical version of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. Blending The Bard’s irreverent humor of William Shakespeare and Kate’s creator, the great Cole Porter, this brilliant battle of the sexes won the very first Tony Award for Best Musical and is considered one of Broadway’s great treasures. (John Jahn) Not Dead Yet Milwaukee Entertainment Group June 7-22 Written by Andrew Peterson, Not Dead Yet is described as a “quirky, dark and absurd murder-mystery play.” To make things even more tantalizing, MKE Entertainment Group says, “We’d tell you ahead of time the name of the famous director who’s coming to the Brumder Mansion, but we’d have to kill you. Trust us, you’ve heard of him.” (John Jahn) ’Til Beth Do Us Part Memories Dinner Theatre June 11-20 Suzannah Hayden needs more help on the home front than she’s getting from her husband, Gibby. Enter Beth Bailey, Suzannah’s newly hired assistant. Beth explodes into the Hayden household and whips it into a well-run machine. There’s a problem, though. In order to make things in the Hayden home run completely smoothly, Beth determines that Gibby must go! See what’s all at “steak” here in this dinner-theater comedy. (John Jahn) Irma La Douce Off the Wall Theatre June 12-23 Off the Wall describes this French musical with music by Marguerite Monnot and lyrics and book by Alexandre Breffort as “the beloved Broadway hit musical about a Parisian hooker with a heart of gold.” Alicia Rice stars with 10 multi-talented male actors in this production promising “wonderful comedy and beautiful songs.” In this musical play, a poor law student, Nestor le Fripé, falls in love with the title character and becomes jealous of her clients. He comes up with a creative plot to win her love. (John Jahn) The Dig Third Avenue Playhouse June 27-July 20 Milwaukee playwright Marie Kohler’s newest play receives its world premiere at TAP’s Studio Theatre, Door County’s only year-round professional theatre and a home for Milwaukee artists. Kohler’s play is described as the story of a businesswoman compelled by an international inquiry to investigate the origin of an ancient pot that was her brother’s. This leads to an understanding and acceptance of the brother’s transformative psychological breakdown on an archeological dig in Lebanon 30 years earlier. (John Schneider)
Dance
Making/Unmaking (World Premiere) Wild Space Dance Company Feb. 21-24 Jan Serr and John Shannon’s new Guardian Fine Art Services Warehouse (1635 W. St. Paul Ave.) is the site for Debra Loewen’s next site-specific dance installation. “The white walls and massive pillars will frame an exhibition of danced portraits, living sculptures and site-situated landscapes of movement and sound,” Loewen says. Taking inspiration from the neighborhood’s industrial past, “the dancers will layer and weave tasks of making and unmaking with each other and the audience.” (John Schneider) Embodied Truth: Finding Ways to Move Together Daniel Burkholder and Kimani Fowlin @ Kenilworth Square East Gallery March 3-9 Through community workshops, panel discussions, dance/spoken word performance and an all-ages dance party, Milwaukee choreographer Daniel Burkholder and NYC choreographer Kimani Fowlin will offer “multiple ways to think about, share, discuss, and celebrate the challenges and opportunities of being parents in the current #metoo and #blacklivesmatter world,” says Burkholder. A member of UWM’s dance faculty, Burkholder’s independent projects (many with his wife Andrea) have been reliably courageous, imaginative and timely. (John Schneider) The Moving Archive/What Is Remembered (World Premiere) Maria Gillespie/The Collaboratory @ Guardian Fine Arts Gallery March 9 After several years of making dances here, Maria Gillespie—choreographer, dancer, educator and creator of several dance institutions—certainly belongs to Milwaukee. She’ll dance with two other dancers to the playing of Milwaukee cellist Janet Schiff in the Guardian’s gallery amid works by Milwaukeeans Nirmal Raja and Lois Bielefeld. Gillespie describes this multifaceted local collaboration as “an installation work utilizing one of Nirmal’s textile pieces, a 30-foot muslin fabric inscribed with Milwaukee history.” (John Schneider) “Milwaukee Ballet II: Momentum” Schauer Arts and Activities Center March 21 If you missed this show in Milwaukee or would love another viewing, the eclectic Hartford Schauer Center hosts Milwaukee Ballet’s so-called second company, Milwaukee Ballet Two (or “too.”) They’re an accomplished international group of young dancers on the verge of their professional careers. This concert features world premiere contemporary ballets by company and guest choreographers and a dazzling classical jewel by Marius Petipa. The piece de resistance is the modern classic Serenade by George Balanchine. (John Schneider) Lambarena (World Premieres) Milwaukee Ballet April 4-7 “Genesis 2017” was among the best in the international choreographic competition’s history. So, for the first time, two of its choreographers—UK’s George Williamson and Italy’s Enrico Morelli, both winners and with contrasting styles—were invited back to create new contemporary works on company dancers. The program’s title dance is San Francisco choreographer Val Caniparoli’s widely celebrated mash-up of ballet, Bach and traditional African dance and music. Milwaukee African dance artists will advise. (John Schneider) “Springdances” (Student Production) UWM Peck School of the Arts Dance April 25-28 World premieres by dance faculty Maria Gillespie, Daniel Burkholder, Mair Culbreth and Bachelor of Fine Arts alumna and Danceworks artist Gina Laurenzi, and a newly commissioned work by guest artist Melanie George grace this major dance department concert. “The choreographers will reimagine space, time, sound and embodied storytelling to usher in a new era of hope,” Gillespie says. “They’ll excavate our histories, the present and auspicious futures to create new works to orient us in a fractured world.” (John Schneider) The HeART of War (World Premiere) Lake Arts Project April 27-28 Lake Arts Project joins high school artists of every sort with professional artists to create original multidisciplinary performances. For its sixth annual concert at Danceworks Studio, founders Karl von Rabenau and Jenny Miller of Milwaukee Ballet School and Academy teams MBSA and Milwaukee Alliance School students with choreographer Adam McKinney of DNAWorks, an organization devoted to art therapy and social justice; Feast of Crispian, the Milwaukee theatre of recovering military veterans that uses Shakespeare as guide; and a group of distinguished pros. (John Schneider)
Classical Music
An American Requiem Bel Canto Chorus Sunday, March 10 St. Monica Parish (160 E. Silver Spring Drive) is the venue for a new choral work by American composer Richard Danielpour, An American Requiem, which is inspired by interviews with veterans of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. It’s a moving, unforgettable tribute to the American soldier and an examination of the insanity of war. (John Jahn) Misa Tango Master Singers of Milwaukee March 16-17 Master Singers of Milwaukee brings this Midwest premiere to vibrant life, accompanied by its composer, Martín Palmeri, on piano and bandoneón player Daniel Binelli. Palmeri’s Misa Tango reimagines the traditional mass setting within the context of traditional Argentinian tango style. It has received wide acclaim in productions throughout the Americas thus far. (John Jahn) Socks in the Frying Pan Irish Cultural and Heritage Center March 16 Brothers Fiachra and Shane Hayes and joined by guitarist and vocalist Aodán Coyne in the Celtic trio Socks in the Frying Pan. Hailing from the Irish music hub of County Clare, they’re relative newcomers to the Celtic music scene, having released their first album in 2012 and only announcing themselves as touring act around 2014, but they’ve built a fast following with their cheeky spin on Irish traditionals and showy banjo and fiddle performances. (Evan Rytlewski) The Coronation of Poppea Florentine Opera March 22, 24, 30 & 31 Poppea is the lover of Roman emperor Nerone, and she’s determined to become empress, but what about Ottavia, the current occupant of that position? When the affair is uncovered, Poppea and Nerone are forced into exile. Will their love survive? This is the plot of one of the first operas to be based on historical events and people, The Coronation of Poppea (L’incoronazione di Poppea), by Italian Renaissance composer Claudio Monteverdi. The Florentine’s production takes place in Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall. (John Jahn) “Hard // Soft: Brahms, Prokofiev” Concord Chamber Orchestra March 23 Contrast the lush, late-19th-century romanticism of Johannes Brahms with the stark classicism of 20th-century composer Sergei Prokofiev’s tribute to the Classical Era in music, which preceded Brahms. Attendees will also get to hear the violin excellence of the young winner of the CCO’s annual Concerto Competition. Features composers (besides the aforementioned) are Camille Saint-Saëns (my personal French fave) and George Gershwin. (John Jahn) A German Requiem Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra March 29-30 Johannes Brahms (1833-’97) composed one of the great masterpieces of Romantic choral music, his Ein Deutsches Requiem, Op. 45, by assiduously avoiding traditional requiem mass texts and references. His goal was to console the living in the wake of loss with comforting images and thoughts. His motivation? Two tragic deaths, that of Brahms’ mother and his friend and mentor, Robert Schumann. The MSO, Chorus and vocal soloists perform in Uihlein Hall. (John Jahn) “Classics in Bloom” Wisconsin Philharmonic w/ Andrew Russo April 7 What’s more appropriate for the Shepherd’s Spring Arts Guide than a concert given by a fine orchestra filled with majestic, ebullient, sunny music? The largest work on the program is the magnificent Symphony No.2 in D Major, Op. 43, by Jean Sibelius—here in a Wisconsin Philharmonic/Maestro Alexander Platt debut performance. Other great works include Dmitri Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, Hans Zimmer’s Theme from Gladiator and Franz Liszt’s dramatic Piano Concerto No.1 in E-flat Major. At the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center, 19805 W. Capitol Drive. (John Jahn) The Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross Philomusica String Quartet April 8 The Seven Last Words is an orchestral work by Joseph Haydn, commissioned in 1786 for the Good Friday service at Oratorio de la Santa Cueva in Cádiz, Spain. He later wrote a fascinating (and seldom performed) adaptation of its main themes for string quartet, which (despite the tile) is in nine movements. It is that version that Philomusica performs at the Center for Arts and Performance, Schwan Concert Hall, 8815 W. Wisconsin Ave. (John Jahn) Brooklyn Rider Frankly Music April 8 St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (914 E. Knapp St.) is the venue. Frankly Music brings instrumental quartet Brooklyn Rider to Milwaukee for a concert that explores the healing properties of music, which have been recognized since ancient Greece. Music of Ludwig van Beethoven—as well as new works by Reena Esmail, Gabriela Lena Frank, Matana Roberts and others—is on tap to soothe the proverbial soul. (John Jahn) “Mystical Arts of Tibet: Sacred Music, Sacred Dance” Early Music Now April 13 Early Music Now’s motto, “Across Borders-Across Time,” has never stretched as far as in this concert by the monks of the Drepung Loseling Monastery. The ensemble has become a cultural embassy for Tibet, and their multi-millennial old repertoire makes the early music of Europe sound like last year’s hit parade. (David Luhrssen) “Spring Concert: Schubert, Martinů, Ravel, Schoenfield” Prometheus Trio April 22-23 Works on this Prometheus Trio concert are, for the most part, fairly modern and somewhat obscure. Compositions range from the late-19 century to just a few decades ago. These include the Fantasie for Violin and Piano, D. 934, by Franz Schubert; Cello Sonata No. 2, H. 286 (1941), by Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů; Sonate pour Violon et Violoncelle, Op. 73 (1922), by Maurice Ravel; and American composer Paul Schoenfield’s Café Music (1986). (John Jahn) “Bernstein Centennial Celebration” Bach Chamber Choir April 28 and May 5 The April concert is at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, 7845 N. River Road in River Hills; the May concert is at Congregation Shalom, 7630 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Fox Point. Both will be focused on the choral music of the great American composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein (1918-’90). His finest works include West Side Story, Peter Pan, Candide, Wonderful Town, On the Town, On the Waterfront and his epic Mass. (John Jahn) “Spring Masterworks Concert—Season Finale” Racine Symphony Orchestra May 4 The RSO wraps up its 2018-’19 performing season with some delightful works spanning centuries, as well as a performance by the winner of the orchestra’s 2019 Young Artist Competition. Featured works include Christoph Willibald Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice Overture; Henryk Wieniawski’s Romance (featuring Maestro Pasquale Laurino as soloist); and Josef Haydn’s Symphony in B-Flat Major, Hob. I/102. (John Jahn) “Rhapsody and Romance: Legends of the Piano” Festival City Symphony May 5 This concert at the Pabst Theater features Milwaukee pianist Jeannie Yu in the rarely heard Piano Concerto No. 1 of Frédéric Chopin. The music of another piano virtuoso, Franz Liszt, provides a fiery, romantic contrast to gentle Chopin via his Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 and his epic tone poem, Les Preludes. (John Jahn) “From Vivaldi to Beatles!” Milwaukee Musaik May 6 The Wisconsin Conservatory of Music (1584 N. Prospect Ave.) is the apropos site to hear Milwaukee Musaik’s fine instrumentalists as well as their special guest, guitarist Rene Izquierdo, for a diverse program of chamber works. Pieces to be performed range in composition from the 18th through late 20th centuries: Wolfgang Mozart’s Oboe Quartet in F Major; Astor Piazzolla’s L’Histoire du Tango for flute and guitar; Héctor Villa-Lobos’ Sexteto Místico; Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto for Guitar and Strings in D Major; and John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s From Yesterday to Penny Lane. (John Jahn) “StalheimTime Finale” Present Music June 1 Kevin Stalheim founded Present Music in the early ’80s and has guided the world-acclaimed contemporary and recent music ensemble with his eclectic taste. His core idea: Difficult music can be fun. Stalheim is retiring as music director after this season’s closing concert, but Present Music has already laid plans for continuing without its founder. (David Luhrssen)
Visual Art
“Makeshift” John Michael Kohler Art Center Through March 3 While it’s not uncommon for exhibits to examine artists, movements, muses and mediums, this exhibit focuses on a key but often overlooked component of the creative process: the studio. In addition to some vibrant and nostalgic pop art from Texas artist Trenton Doyle Hancock, it features installations from Jessica Jackson Hutchins, Brad Kahlhamer, Odili Donald Odita, Barbara Rossi, Greg Smith and Alison Elizabeth Taylor. (Evan Rytlewski) “Forward 2018: A Survey of Wisconsin Art Now” Charles Allis Art Museum Through April 14 Forty-five works from more than 450 submissions were selected for this state-wide juried exhibition of artworks by Wisconsin artists. This year’s jurors were Faythe Levine of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and Ariel Pate of the Milwaukee Art Museum. The works they selected embody a variety of the artistic mediums, techniques and styles which represent Wisconsin art today. (John Schneider) “Growing Place: A Visual Study of Urban Farming” Grohmann Museum Through April 28 How appropriate that one of the world’s only museums dedicated to the art of work—an institution on the MSOE campus—should host an exhibit inspired by the work of urban farming, a concept popularized here in Milwaukee. Using Milwaukee as its anchor study, “Growing Place” seeks to shed new light on the past, present and future of growing food in cities. (Morton Shlabotnik) “Bouguereau & America” Milwaukee Art Museum Through May 12 William Bouguereau is a French academic painter best known for his representation of feminine figures—such as his legendary painting The Birth of Venus. Many of Bouguereau’s works left France as the artist’s popularity grew among American collectors from the late 1860s to the early 1900s. The Milwaukee Art Museum is offering insight on the popularity shift and the relationship between Bouguereau and America in the first major exhibition on the artist in decades. (Jean-Gabriel Fernandez) “Ralph Steiner: The City” Haggerty Museum of Art Through May 19 Ralph Steiner is best remembered as one of the most influential experimental filmmakers and documentarians of the 1930s, but he was also a prolific photographer who readily accepted commercial assignments. The exhibit showcases some of his vintage prints alongside one of his most celebrated documentaries, 1939’s The City, which passionately argued the need for better urban planning. (Evan Rytlewski) “Moving Images: British Royal Portraiture and the Circulation of Ideas” Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum Feb. 28-June 2 Photos can tell us about a lot more than just their subjects, as Villa Terrace’s “Moving Images” exhibit demonstrates. The exhibit compiles photos of the British royal family from the Victorian Era to the present, documenting not only the evolution of Queen Elizabeth and her kin, but also major cultural shifts and changing attitudes about class and gender. What emerges is a portrait of an institution that’s both changed with the times and fallen behind them. (Evan Rytlewski) “Pictures of Resistance: The Wartime Photography of Jewish Partisan Faye Schulman” Jewish Museum Milwaukee March 29-May 26 Jewish resistance in the Warsaw ghetto is well documented, but less known is the role of Jews fighting as partisans in Eastern Europe. Polish-born Faye Schulman went underground with the partisans and recorded their story in rarely seen pictures. (David Luhrssen) “Catherine Lottes: A Mirror to the Soul of Nature” Alfons Gallery April 7-June 2 Milwaukee-based artist Catherine Lottes’ professional art career began with a series of public art pieces commissioned by the city and county. She is now most known for her symmetrical, kaleidoscope-esque pieces that are created by mirroring images from her nature photographs. The works are inspired by the spiritual aspects of being among the trees, as well as a sense of balance and harmony that comes with symmetry. The exhibition opens with an artist conversation with Lottes. (Rob Hullum) “10th Annual International PEEPS Art Exhibition” Racine Art Museum April 11-28 RAM’s unconventionally saccharine showcase of art inspired by or composed of PEEPS, the signature, chick-shaped marshmallow treat, celebrates its 10th year this upcoming spring. Boasting a collection of imaginative paintings, sculptures, quilts and multimedia art pieces featuring the seasonal sugar-coated candy, museum-goers are encouraged to nominate their favorite works for the coveted title of PEEPles Choice. (Elizabeth Janowski) Featured Member Exhibition: Conhg Lopez Walker’s Point Center for the Arts April 26-July 6 Every year since 2012, Walker’s Point Center for the Performing Arts (WPCA) has selected four artists to participate in small scale, 10-week solo exhibitions at the gallery. This spring’s featured artist is Conhg Lopez, a Milwaukee-based multi-disciplinary artist who recently presented 2-D artwork at the WPCA’s Dia de los Muertos exhibition. Lopez also participated in WPCA’s 31 Emerge event in December 2017, an exhibition showcasing 31 of Milwaukee’s best up-and-coming artists. (Rob Hullum) “Among the Wonders of the Dells: Photography, Place, Tourism” Museum of Wisconsin Art June 1-Sept. 8 Between its breathtaking views, majestic sandstone formations and gaudy waterparks, the Wisconsin Dells have been a popular tourist destination for over a century. This exhibit tells the story of how the Dells became the leisure hub it is today through new and historical photographs, while examining shifts in tourist habits and the often-insensitive appropriation of Native American culture that still runs rampant around the Dells. (Evan Rytlewski)
