SEPTEMBER
THEATER
Almost, Maine
Peninsula Players
Sept. 6-Oct. 15
Br!nk New Play Festival
Renaissance Theaterworks
Multiple Venues
Sept. 7-12
Now in its fourth season, Renaissance Theaterworks’ Br!nk New Play Festival provides an invaluable platform for Midwestern women playwrights to develop their work. The program has expanded its offerings each year since its inception and 2017 promises a remarkable range of events. On the docket are playwriting workshops and staged readings of the festival’s full-length plays followed by talkbacks with playwrights Reina Hardy and Amanda Petefish-Schrag held at Renaissance’s home in the Broadway Theatre Center and touring venues. Artistic Associate and Director of New Play Development Mallory Metoxen speaks to the festival’s latest addition: “Now we are entering our fourth year, and to give more opportunities to more women playwrights, we have launched the Br!NK Br!efs: The 10 Minute Plays.” (Selena Milewski)
Next to Normal
All In Productions
Sept. 7-16
Over the River and Through the Woods
Sunset Playhouse
Sept. 7-24
Over Here: A Patriotic Review
Falls Patio Players
Sept. 8-10
Escanaba
Over Our Head Players
Sept. 8-24
Souvenir
Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Stackner)
Sept. 8-Nov. 5
Henry V
Boozy Bard
Sept. 11-13
The Clockwork Man, origins…
Cabaret Milwaukee
Astor Hotel Pub
Sept. 14-Oct. 1
Cabaret Milwaukee’s fully staged 1930s radio show-style productions have been vivifying historic Milwaukee venues for nearly four years. Their latest trilogy begins with The Clockwork Man, origins…, which director Josh Bryan describes as “somewhere between melodramatic romance and Lovecraftian horror.” Set in 1917, it introduces heroes Pelonius and Sinfan in the trenches of World War I, and villain, Dr. Boggs, on a humanitarian mission in India. The show features familiar faces in its entr’acte segments, including stand-up comedian Michael Palmisano II and tap dancer Danielle Weber, as well as a host of new performers for the main storyline, which Bryan hopes will “provide an alternative to the archaic tropes through which people tend to view ‘civilized’ and ‘uncivilized’ cultures.” (Selena Milewski)
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A Moon for the Misbegotten
The Bay Players
Whitefish Bay High School Auditorium
Sept. 15-23
Since their first performance in 1951, the Bay Players have promised approachable community theater, and this season’s fall production of A Moon for the Misbegotten, directed by Chelsea Drenning, doesn’t stray from that promise. The sequel to Eugene O’Neil’s Long Day’s Journey into Night, A Moon for the Misbegotten follows Jim Tyrone, an alcoholic landlord struggling with his mother’s death, and his tenants Josie and Phil Hogan, a father and daughter concerned about the threat of losing their farm. The play is a doleful look at family dynamics and the impact of parental expectation. (Morgan Hughes)
Boeing, Boeing
Racine Theatre Guild
Sept. 15-Oct. 1
The Racine Theatre Guild will take on French playwright Marc Camoletti’s classic farce Boeing, Boeing in a 13-show run over three weeks. The play, which stars Bernard, a Parisian architect who finds himself engaged to three unknowing stewardesses, has been performed everywhere from local theaters such as this to Broadway. The play also has a Wisconsin connection, in the form of Robert, an old friend of Bernard’s who hails from the dairy state in recent Broadway productions. (Rob Hullum)
Sex Please We’re Sixty
Waukesha Civic Theatre
Sept. 15-Oct. 1
Elvis!
Sunset Playhouse (Musical MainStage)
Sept. 18-19
Guys and Dolls
Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Powerhouse)
Sept. 19-Oct. 29
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Broadway Theatre Center
Sept. 20-Oct.15
Two middle-aged New Yorkers wonder if their one-night stand could turn into something more permanent in this romance from Master Class playwright Terrence McNally. Todd Denning stars as Johnny, an idealistic short order cook, while Marcella Kearns plays Frankie, a woman whose insecurities complicate what she assumes to be a simple fling. F. Murray Abraham and Kathy Bates originated the roles for the play’s 1987 Off-Broadway debut. (Evan Rytlewski)
Small Things
Boulevard Theatre
Plymouth Church
Sept. 21-Oct. 8
An Ideal Husband
Company of Strangers
Sept. 22-30
The Who & the What
Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Stiemke)
Sept. 27-Nov. 5
Playwright and Brookfield native Ayad Akhtar’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Disgraced was staged by the Rep last season and his brilliant mash-up of capitalism and terrorism The Invisible Hand the year before. His fans will deepen their admiration, I think, upon viewing his third play, a black comedy about a female Pakistani American writer’s examination of Islam’s traditions regarding women. Dad is a religious conservative, his daughters are not, and honesty has consequences in this highly relatable family tale. (John Schneider)
David Seebach’s Illusions in the Night
Sunset Playhouse
Sept. 28-Oct. 1
Working
Marquette Theatre (student production)
Sept. 28-Oct. 8
I Am My Own Wife
Theatre Gigante
UWM Kenilworth Studio 508
Sept. 28-Oct. 7
Dressed as the central character and subject, Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, an openly gay East German transvestite who survived the Nazi and Communist regimes, actor Michael Stebbins will play the 40 characters of this one-man show. Chief among them is the playwright, Doug Wright, who viewed the real life Mahlsdorf as heroic, interviewed her repeatedly and learned to his dismay that she likely spied for the East German Stasi. Isabelle Kralj and Mark Anderson are directing. (John Schneider)
Silent Sky
Next Act Theatre
Sept. 28-Oct. 22
Though she was little recognized in her lifetime, Henrietta Swan Leavitt made invaluable contributions to the field of astronomy, discovering how to measure the distance between Earth and faraway galaxies. With humor and levity, playwright Lauren Gunderson tells the story of how Leavitt and her female lab peers (then dismissively known as “computers”) helped crack the men’s club that was the Harvard Observatory in the early 20th century. (Evan Rytlewski)
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Wittenberg
Windfall Theatre
Sept. 29-Oct. 14
Hot Mikado
Skylight Music Theatre
Broadway Theatre Center
Sept. 29-Oct. 15
Gilbert and Sullivan’s satirical opera about an overzealous government quick to employ the death penalty got a jazzy makeover in this adaptation, which swapped the soundtrack out for the distinctly American sounds of swing music and the blues. The original 1939 musical starred legendary tap dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson but unfortunately has been mostly lost to time. Unable to find the original script and arrangements, writer David H. Bell and composer Rob Bowman started from near scratch for this version, which has been consistently popular since it debuted in 1986. (Evan Rytlewski)
DANCE
Artifacts
Wild Space Dance Company
The Goat Palace
Sept. 14-17
Driving past, you’d pay this Riverwest “palace” no heed. A greater contrast with Villa Terrace, the setting of Debra Loewen’s major site-specific dance performance last year, is unimaginable. “That was a ‘have’ show,” Loewen said. “This is a ‘have not’ show. It’s a big gritty space with six bays. I thought of an antique mall filled with the junk a person collects, artifacts of lives or a neighborhood. What happens if dancers inhabit them?” (John Schneider)
“Get It Out There”
Danceworks DanceLAB
Sept. 16
MUSIC
Chris Thile and Brad Mehldau
Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts
Sept. 14
“Music From Almost Yesterday featuring Accordion XXI Century”
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Sept. 14
“Marco Sartor Classical Guitar Concert”
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Sept. 15
“Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony”
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Sept. 15-17
Haydn, Brahms and Lajtha
Prometheus Trio
McIntosh-Goodrich Mansion
Sept. 18-19
Setting off upon their 18th year of residence at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, the Prometheus Trio will perform quite a variety of works from the Classical, Romantic and Contemporary repertoires. These are works “full of surprise, wit, precision and emotion,” according to the Conservatory’s Adam Shafer. There’s a trio by Joseph Haydn, Johannes Brahms’ Trio in C Major, Op. 87 and the Trio Concertant by Hungarian composer László Lajtha (1892-1963). (John Jahn)
World Music Festival
UW-Whitewater Young Auditorium
Sept. 19
“All music is folk music,” Louis Armstrong once noted with impeccable logic, “I ain’t never heard no horse sing a song.” A similar observation could be made of so-called “world music.” Categorical quibbling aside, an acquaintance with far-flung musical traditions expands one’s ears and demonstrates the commonalities underlying human music making. UW-Whitewater’s one-day World Music Festival presents four groups from as many countries, including a Polish multi-instrumentalist celebrated for using instruments of the Middle Ages, one of the few female soloists on the Iranian lute and headliners representing Galician and Chilean musical traditions. (Tyler Friedman)
“Season Sampler”
Florentine Opera @ the Center Series
Sept. 22-23
“Gershwin!”
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Sept. 22-23
Sam Fazio Trio
Schauer Arts and Activities Center
Sept. 23
“The World of César Franck”
Frankly Music
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 914 E. Knapp St.
Sept. 25
An undeservedly somewhat neglected composer, César Franck gets a Frankly Music concert program all to himself! Frank Almond, Yuka Kadota, Margot Schwartz, Susan Babini, Adam Golka and Christoper Berry perform some of Franck’s sonorous works for chamber musicians: Sonata for Violin and Piano, Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34 and several selected pieces for organ (at which the Franco-Belgian maestro was one of music history’s greatest practitioners). (John Jahn)
“Jérémy Jouve Classical Guitar Concert”
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Sept. 28
“A Soulful Tribute: Hathaway and Cooke”
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts (Wilson Theater)
Sept. 29-30
“De Waart Conducts Mozart”
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Sept. 29-30
VISUAL ART
CONTINUING
“Strata & Cipher: Barbara Manger and Richard Taylor”
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
Through Sept. 10
“Mary L. Nohl Fund Fellowships for Individual Artists 2016 Exhibition”
Haggerty Museum of Art
Through Sept. 17
“Rashid Johnson: Hail We Now Sing Joy”
Milwaukee Art Museum
Through Sept. 17
“Cedarburg Artists Guild: Endless Expressions”
Schauer Arts and Activities Center
Through Sept. 18
“Collection Focus: Renie Breskin Adams”
Racine Art Museum
Through Sept. 24
“Shie and Acord: Recent Acquisitions”
Racine Art Museum
Through Sept. 24
“Small Gifts from Big Donors—Part 2”
Racine Art Museum
Through Sept. 24
“Inside Job”
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Through Sept. 30
“The Temple of Flora”
Milwaukee Art Museum
Through Dec. 10
“Mary L. Nohl Suitcase Exhibition”
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Through Oct. 8
“2017 Annual Members Show”
Walker’s Point Center for the Arts
Through Oct. 7
“Featured Member Exhibition: PJ Boylan”
Walker’s Point Center for the Arts
Through Oct. 7
“Frank Lloyd Wright: Buildings for the Prairie”
Milwaukee Art Museum
Through Oct. 15
“Cedarburg Artists Guild Annual Juried Exhibit”
Cedarburg Cultural Center
Through Oct. 15
“Lois Bielefeld—All In: Shorewood Girls Cross Country”
Charles Allis Art Museum
Through Oct. 22
The intimate travails of high school athletes are on display in Lois Bielefeld’s new series, which follows her daughter’s cross country team across an entire season. The photos capture workouts, races and the tense and joyful moments of competition. Bielefeld is not new to portraiture, and has shown her work in various galleries, including The Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago and during her time as an artist in residency in Bourglinster, Luxembourg. (Morgan Hughes)
“Coalition of Photographic Arts: In a Fashion”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Through Oct. 26
“Inside/Outside: Katy Cowan: reflected-into-themselves-into-reflected”
Lynden Sculpture Garden
Through Oct. 29
“The Bonsai Exhibit”
Lynden Sculpture Garden
Through Oct. 31
“Romano Johnson: The Glitterati”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Through Nov. 5
“RAM Artist Fellowship Exhibition 2017”
Wustum Museum of Fine Arts
Through Nov. 25
“Cultivating Creativity: Celebrating 75 Years of Wustum—Part 3”
Wustum Museum of Fine Arts
Through Nov. 25
Jacob Baker
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Dec. 31
Peter Jodocy
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Dec. 31
“Variations on a Theme: Vessels from RAM’s Collection”
Racine Art Museum
Through Jan. 21, 2018
“Mythologies: Eugene Von Breunchenheim”
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Jan. 14, 2018
“Karen Johnson Boyd: Unpacking Her Clay Collection”
Racine Art Museum
Through July 27
OPENING
“Masterworks from the Grohmann Museum—Celebrating 10 Years”
Grohmann Museum
Sept. 8-Dec. 29
“The idea was: we want to celebrate our 10th anniversary with something from our collection,” says James R. Kieselburg II, director of the Grohmann Museum. He adds: “We wanted to go back to where we started”—the Eckhart Grohmann collection of work and industry-related paintings that formed the core of the museum’s holdings. Kieselburg culled more than 30 or so works from the collection for the exhibition, representing each topical subset such as farm laborers, artisanal craftspeople, miners and factory workers as represented by four centuries of artists whose eyes were trained on the men (and women) whose hands and shoulders held up the material world. (David Luhrssen)
“Things are what we encounter: Dr. Charles Smith”
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Sept. 10-Dec. 31
Charles Smith’s youth was profoundly affected by racism. His father was killed in what Smith supposes was a racially motivated attack. The next year, his mother brought the family to Emmitt Till’s funeral. These events led Smith to turn his home and yard into a sculpture garden of African American history later in life. Artist Heather Hart has created an installation at Kohler Arts Center that will house 20 of Smith’s sculptures and help to tell his story. (Rob Hullum)
“Emojis, Lies, Instagram Muses and Headline News”
Latino Arts Gallery
Sept.11-Oct. 13
Experimental art meets political discourse at the Latino Arts Gallery this fall. Artist Pedro Vélez combines his fascination with news media, social networking, politics and the anxiety that comes from each of these things into “visual essays” displayed across various media in a new exhibition, “Emojis, Lies, Instagram Muses and Headline News.” In addition to visual art, Vélez is a tenured columnist, having written for several publications including Artnet Magazine and New Art Examiner. (Morgan Hughes)
“Woven Images 2017” (student exhibit)
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Sept. 14-Nov. 9
“2017 Sum Total”
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Sept. 15-Nov. 9
“The Seventh Day: Revisiting Shabbat”
Jewish Museum Milwaukee
Sept. 13-Dec. 31
Fifty international artists explore the diverse meanings and observances of the Sabbath in an exhibit organized by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Museum of New York. The Milwaukee museum describes it this way: “When faced with a rapidly changing community characterized by increasing ethnic diversity, interfaith families, challenges affecting the organized institutions of Jewish life and an unprecedented merger into the fabric of North American life, what does the seventh day mean to contemporary Jews?” (John Schneider)
Anthony Hernandez
Milwaukee Art Museum
Sept. 15-Jan. 1, 2018
Anthony Hernandez could well be deemed the photographer laureate of Los Angeles. The 70-year-old photographer has documented the many faces of La La Land since the late 1960s. His first retrospective gathers some 160 works taken from Hernandez’ more than 45-year career. From early noir-ish black and whites, to color captures of Rodeo Drive’s vanity, through poignant habitats of the homeless, Hernandez presents L.A. in all of its contradictory glory. (Tyler Friedman)
“75 at 75: Significant Works from RAM’s Collection”
Racine Art Museum
Sept. 17-Dec. 30
The Racine Art Museum is the offspring of the Charles A. Wustum Museum of Fine Arts. Like a good doting child, RAM is mounting an exhibition to honor the 75th anniversary of its parent institution. “75 at 75: Significant Works from RAM’s Collection” selects 75 representative pieces from its collection of nearly 10,000, curated to tell stories about their artists, donors and conservators. How has RAM managed to build the nation’s largest collection of contemporary craft? What was the life of these objects before joining the RAM family? (Tyler Friedman)
“Paul Smith: Masters of Craft”
Racine Art Museum
Sept. 17-Dec. 30
“Brass and Friends”
UWM Chamber Music Milwaukee
Sept. 21
“Wandering Wisconsin: Concrete Park”
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Sept. 23
“Wisconsin Painters Studio Alumni Show”
Schauer Arts and Activities Center
Sept. 23-Nov. 6
“Dean Meeker: Myths and Masquerades”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Sept. 23-Jan. 14, 2018
“Sorehead Hill: Jesse Howard”
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Sept. 24-Jan. 7, 2018
Morehshin Allahyari (lecture)
UWM Peck School of the Arts (Artists Now! Series)
Sept. 27
OCTOBER
THEATER
CONTINUING
The Clockwork Man, origins…
Cabaret Milwaukee
Through Oct. 1
Boeing Boeing
Racine Theatre Guild
Through Oct. 1
Sex Please We’re Sixty
Waukesha Civic Theatre
Through Oct. 1
David Seebach’s Illusions in the Night
Sunset Playhouse
Through Oct. 1
Working
Marquette Theatre (student production)
Through Oct. 8
Small Things
Boulevard Theatre
Plymouth Church
Through Oct. 8
I Am My Own Wife
Theatre Gigante
Through Oct. 7
Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Through Oct. 15
Hot Mikado
Skylight Music Theatre
Through Oct. 15
Almost, Maine
Peninsula Players
Through Oct. 15
Silent Sky
Next Act Theatre
Through Oct. 22
Guys and Dolls
Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Powerhouse)
Through Oct. 29
Souvenir
Milwaukee Repertory Theatre (Stackner)
Through Nov. 5
The Who and The What
Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Stiemke)
Through Nov. 5
OPENING
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Voices Found Repertory (The Arcade Theatre)
Oct. 9-22
Spookley the Square Pumpkin (family friendly)
First Stage (First Steps Series)
Oct. 1-29
Rent 20th Anniversary Tour
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts (Broadway Series)
Oct. 3-8
All the Great Books (Abridged)
In Tandem Theatre
Tenth Street Theatre
Oct. 5-29
Cocktail parties are a drag. But In Tandem Theatre’s production of All the Great Books (Abridged) should help ease the burden of small talk while preparing you to put those supercilious comp-lit grad students in their place. The curtains open on an English class’ alarming realization that their graduation is imperiled by a difficult final exam. To avoid the unthinkable, the drama professor, student teacher and gym coach join forces for a frantic tour of the literary canon in 90 minutes. (Tyler Friedman)
Dead Man’s Carnival
Miramar Theatre
Oct. 6, Nov. 3, Dec. 1
Dead Man’s Carnival’s First Friday series continues through the fall at the Miramar. Each show features different carnival acts from around the country performing music, carnival and burlesque acts. The season finale will be a Tom Waits tribute on Dec 1. (Jennifer Walter)
Pepper’s Ghost
Alchemist Theatre
Oct. 6-28
Alchemist Theatre’s Halloween show is back by popular demand, featuring a new script with a cast of familiar faces. Throw in some themed drinks and decorations, and the theater becomes frighteningly festive. In the words of director Aaron Kopec, the Halloween special is more than just a show, “it’s a fun night out for grown ups who don’t want to wait in lines for haunted houses anymore.” (Jennifer Walter)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (family friendly)
First Stage
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, Todd Wehr Theater
Oct. 6-Nov. 5
Say “Ian Fleming” and think James Bond, but Fleming was also responsible for a timeless and wonderful children’s book—Chitty Chitty Bang Bang—about an old jalopy that finds new life (literally!) in the hands of dedicated father and eccentric inventor, Caractacus Potts. This enrapturing tale was made into a fabulous 1968 film starring Dick van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes and Lionel Jeffries. First Stage presents a very kid-friendly stage adaptation based upon that classic film and including its memorable, tuneful score by Richard and Robert Sherman. (John Jahn)
Macbeth
Boozy Bard
Best Place at Historic Pabst Brewery
Oct. 9-11
Best Place at Pabst comes alive with drinks and drama for another season. The upcoming show, Macbeth, is a shortened version of the original script, with actors and actresses choosing their roles just minutes before the show begins. Notoriously unprepared and wildly entertaining, this spontaneous adaptation puts the Bard’s classics in a not-so-sober light. (Jennifer Walter)
Toil and Trouble (student production)
UW-Whitewater Theatre
Oct. 9-15
Anna Deavere Smith
Milwaukee Theatre
Oct. 11
Sister Act
Sunset Playhouse
Oct. 12-Nov. 5
Based on the 1992 hit film starring Whoopi Goldberg, this upbeat musical combines dancing, divas and disguise—all within the walls of a convent. Sent to live with nuns after witnessing a murder, singer Deloris Van Cartier shows the sisters how to brighten up their daily worship. When Delores’ cover is blown, the nuns band together to protect their honorary sister. (Jennifer Walter)
Don Juan (student production)
UW-Parkside Theatre
Oct. 13-22
One Drop of Love
UW-Whitewater Young Auditorium
Oct. 16
The Performance Ecology Project (world premiere)
Cooperative Performance
Oct. 18-29
The show features a group of performers—actors, dancers, musicians and poets—who “hunt and gather” encounters with their environment. It’s what Jeff Grygny, the show’s director, calls “fieldwork”—testing hypotheses as to how we interact with nature. Whether on the second floor of the Center’s Riverside Branch during the week, or sitting outside at the park on weekends, viewers of all ages are invited to experience this collaborative performance celebrating the outdoors. (Jennifer Walter)
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Off The Wall Theatre
Oct. 18-29
Esperanza Rising
Milwaukee Youth Theatre
Lincoln Center for the Arts
Oct. 19-20
A family of immigrants, forced to give up their wealthy lifestyle in Mexico, settle in California during the 1930s to become migrant workers. This theatrical adaptation of Pam Muñoz Ryan’s novel, published in 2000, couldn’t be performed at a more appropriate time. “There is a lot of history to be learned from this play for both our actors and for audiences,” says Volunteer Coordinator Judy Swanson, noting the themes of discrimination and acceptance that are still relevant today. (Jennifer Walter)
The Burials
Cardinal Stritch Theatre
Oct. 20-29
Indoor/Outdoor
Racine Theatre Guild
Oct. 20-Nov 5
Sex with Strangers
Renaissance Theaterworks
Oct. 20-Nov. 12
Beyond The Beatles: The British Invasion
Sunset Playhouse (Musical Mainstage)
Oct. 23-24
Jersey Boys
UW-Whitewater, Young Auditorium
Oct. 25
The Clockwork Man’s Delirium
Cabaret Milwaukee
Oct. 25-28
Phantasies Such as These
Sunset Playhouse (After Sunset Studio)
Oct. 26-29
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Waukesha Civic Theatre
Margaret Brate Bryant Civic Theatre Building
Oct. 27-Nov. 12
This musical drama boasts some impressive credentials. With book by Peter Parnell, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, grounding in the classic Victor Hugo novel and based as well upon the 1996 Disney animated film, Waukesha Civic Theatre’s production of The Hunchback Of Notre Dame features memorable songs from the film (“Out There,” “Hellfire,” “The Bells of Notre Dame”) as well as new music (“Rest and Recreation,” “Flight into Egypt”). (John Jahn)
DANCE
Dancing on the Ceiling: performances by women of a certain age
Simone Ferro and Friends @ Danceworks
Oct. 21-22
ArtsBridge
Milwaukee Ballet and Florentine Opera
Oct. 27
MUSIC
“An American Songbook Soirée”
Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts
Oct. 4
Rose Ensemble: “Il Poverello: The Life and Legacy of St. Francis of Assisi”
UW-Whitewater Young Auditorium
Oct. 5
“You’ve Got A Friend”
Sunset Playhouse (SideNotes Cabaret)
Oct. 5-8
Thomas Pandolfi: “Gershwin, Hamlisch and the Movies”
Schauer Arts and Activities Center
Oct. 6
“Raphaella Smits Classical Guitar Concert”
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Oct. 6
Fine Arts Quartet
Helene Zelazo Center
Oct. 8
In 1963, after many years of summer concerts on the campus of UW-Milwaukee, the Fine Arts Quartet was invited to become the university’s Quartet-in-Residence; it has, in fact, been such ever since. A look at FAQ’s concert history shows that it has performed live all over the world and made numerous recordings for the Naxos, Mercury, Vox and others over the decades. Their October concert features Joseph Haydn’s “Sunrise” String Quartet in B-flat Major, Samuel Barber’s B Minor String Quartet and Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet No.14, Op.131. (John Jahn)
“A Toast to 70 Strong”
Wisconsin Philharmonic
Oct. 10
“Under The Street Lamp”
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Oct. 13-15
“Evensong”
Bel Canto Chorus
Oct. 15
Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles: “It Gets Better”
UW-Whitewater, Young Auditorium
Oct. 19
“Skipper’s Alley”
Irish Cultural and Heritage Center
Oct. 20
The Glenn Miller Orchestra
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts (Wilson Theater)
Oct. 20
The Merry Widow
Florentine Opera
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, Uihlein Hall
Oct. 20-21
The Merry Widow (Die lustige Witwe) is a classic operetta about a wealthy widow and her fellow Parisian’s attempts to keep her riches in their own city by finding her the right husband. It’s a work by one of operetta’s masters—the Austro-Hungarian composer Franz Lehár (and his collaborators, librettists Viktor Léon and Leo Stein). In this sure-to-be opulent Florentine production, Alyson Cambridge returns to the company in her role debut as Hanna Glawari (the rich widow). Other cast members include baritone Corey McKern (Danilo) and tenor Cody Austin (making his Florentine debut as Camille). (John Jahn)
“Stars and Stripes: American Icons”
Concord Chamber Orchestra
Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church, 2366 N. 80th St.
Oct. 21
The church in Wauwatosa that will be hosting this Concord Chamber Orchestra concert will at times fairly resound with patriotic tunes both familiar and obscure. And by “patriotic” I don’t mean the simple-minded, chest-thumping, nationalistic kind, but a rather more reflective and thoughtful take upon the music of American composers. This CCO concert (with guest narrator) features works such as the George Washington March by Francis Hopkinson, Rip van Winkle Overture by George Chadwick, Lincoln Portrait by Aaron Copland and effervescent Candide Overture by Leonard Bernstein. (John Jahn)
“Capella Pratensis: Missa Lutherana”
Early Music Now
Oct. 21
Milwaukee Festival Brass at St. John’s Lutheran
Oct. 21
Joey Alexander
Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
Oct. 21
Joey Alexander may look like any other fresh-faced 13 year old, but sit him at a Steinway and marvel at the musical maturity that instills envy even in seasoned veteran pianists. Alexander has already waxed two albums that have earned him three Grammy nominations and the admiration of influential contemporary jazzmen such as Wynton Marsalis. The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts hosts the young phenom for an evening of jazz standards and original compositions. (Tyler Friedman)
“Simple Gifts: A Collaboration”
Waukesha Choral Union
Oct. 21
Milwaukee Children’s Choir: “Evoking Sounds 1: Sounds of Color”
Cathedral Church of All Saints
Oct. 21
“Seasons in Song”
Master Singers of Milwaukee
North Shore Congregational Church, 7330 N. Santa Monica Blvd.
St. John’s Lutheran Church, 20275 Davidson Road, Brookfield
Oct. 21-22 (respectively)
This concert features the lovely and highly evocative Mid-Winter Songs (1980) by American composer Morton Johannes Lauridsen (b. 1943). The piece’s five movements’ titles give you some idea what you’ll be experiencing: “Lament for Pasiphaë,” “Like Snow,” “She Tells Her Love While Half Asleep,” “Mid-Winter Waking” and “Intercession in Late October.” (John Jahn)
“MYSO Playathon 2017”
Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra
Bayshore Town Center
Oct. 22
Following a concentrated period of fundraising (and hot off a concert tour of Argentina and Uruguay), the 1,000-members of MYSO—three full orchestras, seven string orchestras, a wind ensemble, two flute choirs, several jazz combos and more—will perform for the public for free in this, their only annual event that features every single one of their instrumental groups. (John Jahn)
“Serenade and Swan Songs”
Philomusica Quartet
Wisconsin Lutheran College
Oct. 23
Entering into their 10th season, the spirited resident quartet at the Wisconsin Lutheran College, Philomusica String Quartet, will continue to enchant their loyal and growing audience with famous and familiar as well as overlooked and rarely heard gems of the string quartet repertoire. Their first concert of the season features works representing three musical eras: Classical, Romantic and Post-Romantic/Modern. These are (respectively) Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet in F Major (the “Hoffstetter”), Felix Mendelssohn’s String Quartet No. 6 in F Minor, Op. 80 and Gabriel Fauré’s String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 121. (John Jahn)
Sphinx Virtuosi: “Concerti per Venti”
Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts
Oct. 27
Black Violin
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
Oct. 28
To many ears the sound of the violin indexes a white aesthetic typified by the Western classical tradition. Such a myopic view overlooks figures such as Eddie South, “the Dark Angel of the Violin,” or longtime Ellingtonian Ray Nance. Wil B. and Kev Marcus, the classically trained violist and violinist behind Black Violin, are the latest avatars of this African American fiddle tradition. Influenced by both hip-hop and classical music, Black Violin serves forth a sui generis cultural compound. (Tyler Friedman)
“Fall Masterworks Concert”
Racine Symphony Orchestra
Frances Bedford Concert Hall
Oct. 28
The Racine Symphony’s annual Masterworks Concert not only contains classical music masterpieces, but also a master musician featured as guest soloist; this year’s event offers the RSO’s current artist-in-residence, pianist Wael Farouk. He’ll play the Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11, of Frédéric Chopin, which was written in 1830 by the then 20-year-old Polish composer and given its premiere in October of that year in Warsaw. Also on the program is Symphony No. 86 in D major—the fifth of the six so-called Paris Symphonies written by Joseph Haydn. (John Jahn)
“Timo Korhonen Classical Guitar Concert”
UWM Peck School of the Arts Music Recital Hall
Oct. 29
Finnish classical guitarist Timo Korhonen will play as a part of the UWM Peck School of the Arts Guitar Series this fall, presented in conjunction with the UWM Classical Guitar Student Organization. Considered one of the most renowned classical guitarists of his generation, Korhonen has been performing since the age of 14, and has been travelling internationally to do so since the age of 17. He has played in more than 30 countries. Currently, he is a docent at the Turku Music Academy in Finland. (Morgan Hughes)
VISUAL ART
CONTINUING
“The Temple of Flora”
Milwaukee Art Museum
Through Dec. 10
“Mary L. Nohl Suitcase Exhibition”
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Through Oct. 8
“2017 Annual Members Show”
Walker’s Point Center for the Arts
Through Oct. 7
“Featured Member Exhibition: PJ Boylan”
Walker’s Point Center for the Arts
Through Oct. 7
“Frank Lloyd Wright: Buildings for the Prairie”
Milwaukee Art Museum
Through Oct. 15
“Cedarburg Artists Guild Annual Juried Exhibit”
Cedarburg Cultural Center
Through Oct. 15
“Emojis, Lies, Instagram Muses and Headline News”
Latino Arts
Through Oct. 20
“Lois Bielefeld—All In: Shorewood Girls Cross Country”
Charles Allis Art Museum
Through Oct. 22
“Coalition of Photographic Arts: In a Fashion”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Through Oct. 26
“Inside/Outside: Katy Cowan: reflected-into-themselves-into-reflected”
Lynden Sculpture Garden
Through Oct. 29
“The Bonsai Exhibit”
Lynden Sculpture Garden
Through Oct. 31
“Romano Johnson: The Glitterati”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Through Nov. 5
“Wisconsin Painters Studio Alumni Show”
Schauer Arts and Activities Center
Through Nov. 6
“Woven Images 2017” (student exhibit)
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Through Nov. 9
“2017 Sum Total”
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Through Nov. 9
“RAM Artist Fellowship Exhibition 2017”
Wustum Museum of Fine Arts
Through Nov. 25
“Cultivating Creativity: Celebrating 75 Years of Wustum—Part 3”
Wustum Museum of Fine Arts
Through Nov. 25
“Masterworks from the Grohmann Museum—Celebrating 10 Years”
Grohmann Museum
Through Dec. 29
“The Seventh Day: Revisiting Shabbat”
Jewish Museum Milwaukee
Through Dec. 31
Jacob Baker
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Dec. 31
Peter Jodocy
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Dec. 31
“Things Are What We Encounter: Dr. Charles Smith”
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Dec. 31
“Paul Smith: Masters of Craft”
Racine Art Museum
Through Dec. 30
Anthony Hernandez
Milwaukee Art Museum
Through Jan. 1, 2018
“75 AT 75: Significant Works from RAM’s Collection”
Racine Art Museum
Through Jan. 7, 2018
“Dean Meeker: Myths and Masquerades”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Through Jan. 14, 2018
“Sorehead Hill: Jesse Howard”
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Jan. 7, 2018
“Variations on a Theme: Vessels from RAM’s Collection”
Racine Art Museum
Through Jan. 21, 2018
“Mythologies: Eugene Von Breunchenheim”
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Jan. 14, 2018
“Karen Johnson Boyd: Unpacking Her Clay Collection”
Racine Art Museum
Through July 27, 2018
OPENING
“James Rosenquist: F-111 (South, West, North, East), 1974”
Haggerty Museum of Art
Oct. 5-Jan. 18, 2018
“The World Turned Upside Down: Apocalyptic Imagery in England 1750-1850”
Haggerty Museum of Art
Oct. 6-Jan. 18, 2018
The social and political changes of the 1700s in England brought with them no shortage of uncertainty and fear, much of which is captured in art from the era. This exhibit curated by Dr. Sarah Schaefer, a visiting assistant professor of art at UW-Milwaukee, spotlights some of the bleaker art of that era, compiling not only paintings and drawings but also pamphlets, illustrated books and political fliers, all of which convey a palpable sense of gloom and dread. (Evan Rytlewski)
“Rick Shaefer: The Refugee Trilogy”
Haggerty Museum of Art
Oct. 5-Jan. 18, 2018
“Gerit Grimm’s Fairytales: In a Time Neither Now nor Then”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Oct. 7-Jan. 14, 2018
Gerit Grimm’s life has a fairy tale’s arc. Born in communist East Germany, Grimm was initially trained as a factory potter. Now an assistant professor in the ceramic program at UW-Madison, Grimm’s nontraditional, figurative ceramics range in size from miniatures to life-size and beyond. Inspired by the fairytales of her namesake, the Brothers Grimm, as well as other myths and biblical stories, Grimm’s ceramics fire the imagination like their best literary counterparts. (Tyler Friedman)
“Small Gifts from Big Donors—Part 3”
Racine Art Museum
Oct. 8-Feb. 4, 2018
“Back to School”
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
Oct. 12-Jan. 28, 2018
“Roger Smith Drawings and Watercolors”
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
Oct. 19-Jan. 28, 2018
“FANTASTIC: Four Contemporary American Illustration Artists”
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Oct. 16-Dec. 2
David Lenz (lecture)
UWM Peck School of the Arts (Artists Now! Series)
Oct. 18
“Printmakers: Jack Pachuta, Jewell Riano, Susan Steinhafel and Paul Yank”
Cedarburg Cultural Center
Oct. 19-Nov. 26
“Joan Hollnagel: Absurd Observations”
Cedarburg Cultural Center
Oct. 19-Nov. 26
“Crossing Over 2017” (student exhibit)
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Oct. 20-Nov. 10
“Perspective: The Chair”
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Oct. 20-March 3, 2018
Deborah Jojola (lecture)
UWM Peck School of the Arts (Artists Now! Series)
Oct. 25
“DÃa de los Muertos Ofrendas”
Latino Arts
Oct. 26-Nov. 17
NOVEMBER
THEATER
CONTINUING
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (family friendly)
First Stage
Through Nov. 5
Souvenir
Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Stackner)
Through Nov. 5
The Who and The What
Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Stiemke)
Through Nov. 5
Indoor/Outdoor
Racine Theatre Guild
Through Nov. 5
Sister Act
Sunset Playhouse
Through Nov. 5
Sex with Strangers
Renaissance Theaterworks
Through Nov. 12
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Waukesha Civic Theatre
Through Nov. 12
OPENING
The Clockwork Man’s Heart
Cabaret Milwaukee
Nov. 1-11
The Witch in 204
Memories Dinner Theatre
Nov. 3-12
KRINGLE…The Musical?
Over Our Head Players
Nov. 3-19
Frank Ferrante’s An Afternoon with Groucho
Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts
Nov. 8
Aquila Theatre Company: Sense and Sensibility
UW-Whitewater, Young Auditorium
Nov. 8
26 Miles
UWM Theatre Studio 508
Nov. 8-12
Aquila Theatre Company: Hamlet
UW-Whitewater, Young Auditorium
Nov. 9
On the Verge, or the Geography of Yearning (student production)
Marquette Theatre
Nov. 9-19
Following the story of three time-traveling female explorers, these adventurous women take viewers on a journey over centuries of ancient history, transcending time through thought-provoking, witty language. Director Maureen Kilmurry fell in love with the script when she first read it, saying On the Verge is unlike anything she’s ever seen. “It is full of surprises on all levels,” Kilmurry says. (Jennifer Walter)
Murder for Two
Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Stackner)
Nov. 10-Jan. 14, 2018
Holmes and Watson
Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Powerhouse)
Nov. 14-Dec. 17
Switch Witch (family friendly)
Sunset Playhouse
Nov. 15-18
The Secret Mask
Next Act Theatre
Nov. 16-Dec. 10
“Ex Fabula: Risking It”
South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center
Nov. 17
7 (x1) Samurai
Theatre Gigante
Nov. 17-19
Annie
Skylight Music Theatre
Nov. 17-Dec. 23
Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol
Acacia Theatre
Nov. 18-Dec. 3
School of Rock
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts (Broadway Series)
Nov. 21-26
In this new musical adaptation of the heartwarming 2003 Jack Black comedy, written by the film’s screenwriter Mike White, a failed musician poses as a substitute music teacher at a prep school and finds an opportunity to live out his rock star fantasies. In addition to all the music from the movie, the musical features 14 new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber. And, yes, the kids on stage are actually playing their own instruments. (Evan Rytlewski)
Miracle on South Division Street
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Nov. 22-Dec. 17
A Charlie Brown Christmas (family friendly)
First Stage
Nov. 24-Dec. 31
The Christmas Schooner
Memories Dinner Theatre
Nov. 25-Dec. 17
A Christmas Carol
Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Pabst)
Nov. 28-Dec. 24
Beauty and the Beast
Sunset Playhouse
Nov. 30-Dec. 23
DANCE
La Boheme
Milwaukee Ballet
Nov. 2-5
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, Uihlein Hall
Already gorgeous at its 2012 premiere, Michael Pink’s transformation into dance of Giacomo Puccini’s beloved opera should be breathtaking now given the careful reworking his ballets receive in revival. Moving the tale of starving artists forward to a more recognizable 1950s Paris, Pink fashioned the intimate scenes of friendship, love and loss at the story’s heart to allow the dancers ample room for passion and virtuosity. Highly individualized full company scenes are among his finest. (John Schneider)
Aparna Ramaswamy: They Rose at Dawn
Sharon Lynn Wilson Center for the Arts
Nov. 11
Mad Li(m)bs
Danceworks Performance Company
Danceworks Studio Theatre
Nov. 11, 12 and 16-18
“I always wonder what our audience takes from our work,” the boundary-pushing Dani Kuepper explained. To get some idea, she’ll recreate with her DPC colleagues an honest, heartfelt, potentially very funny dance she made with her UW-Milwaukee students last winter to music by Meredith Monk. Actor-playwrights Jason Powell and Andrea Moser, who’ll also perform, will help restructure the piece to include improvisations driven by audience member’s on-the-spot thoughts about whatever the heck is going on. (John Schneider)
Hyperlocal MKE
Nov. 12
Stomp
UW-Whitewater Young Auditorium
Nov. 13
MUSIC
“A Stritch Music Performance” (Fall Concert)
Cardinal Stritch University
Nov. 2
Jarabe Mexicano
Latino Arts
Nov. 3
Chorisma
UW-Washington County
Nov. 3
“Bach in the Basilica”
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Nov. 4-5
Milwaukee Children’s Choir Fall Recital
St. Sebastian’s Church
Nov. 5
“Music of the 1960s: The Mad Men Era”
Wisconsin Philharmonic featuring Five By Design
Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
Nov. 7
The musical achievements of the 1960s counterculture threaten to obscure an equally rich contemporaneous musical happening, which we might call the last gasp of the Great American Songbook. A division of labor relegating separate tasks to composer, lyricist, arranger and performer, yielded a sophistication that was lost with the ascendance of the jack-of-all-trades singer-songwriter. The Wisconsin Philharmonic, assisted by vocal group Five By Design, will dedicate a performance to the melodies of Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer and other tunesmiths who provided the sonic backdrop for a more elegant 1960s milieu. (Tyler Friedman)
Maura O’Connell and Karan Casey
Irish Cultural and Heritage Center
Nov. 10
“Take Me To The River”
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, Wilson Theater
Nov. 10
Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Nov. 10-12
“Le Poème Harmonique: Danza! Spanish Dances in 17th Century France”
Early Music Now
Nov. 11
David Francey
Irish Cultural and Heritage Center
Nov. 12
“Thanksgiving Promises”
Festival City Symphony
Pabst Theater
Nov. 12
“The promise of living, with hope and thanksgiving, is born of our loving and sharing with friends and our neighbors.” That’s a line from Aaron Copland’s 1954 opera-for-television, The Tender Land, from which the Festival City Symphony performs an orchestral suite. Indeed, all the works on the pre-holiday concert speak of the same spirit. There’s also the swirling Spitfire Prelude and Fugue by William Walton (1942), Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award-winning composer Jennifer Higdon’s “Teton Range” from All Things Majestic and more. (John Jahn)
“Bernstein and Brahms”
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Nov. 17-18
“An Evening of Gilbert and Sullivan”
Florentine Opera @ the Center Series
Nov. 17-19
“Veterans’ Day Salute”
Kettle Moraine Symphony Orchestra
Silver Linings Arts Center, West Bend
Nov. 19
The Kettle Moraine Symphony’s Diana Jonen says that they’re attempting to get “the West Bend High School Chorus as well as the UW-Washington County Community Chorus on the program,” but as of this writing that hasn’t been finalized. Regardless, the works on the orchestra’s program are a patriot’s dream. There’s the American National Anthem, “The Washington Post March,” “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” “Victory at Sea” (TV score themes by Richard Rodgers) and various other musical homages to our men and women in uniform. The classical highlight is Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2 (The Romantic). (John Jahn)
“Thanksgiving”
Present Music
Cathedral of St. John
Nov. 19
Present Music’s annual Sunday afternoon Thanksgiving concert in the welcoming setting of the Cathedral of St. John has always been thoughtful, engaging America’s ethnic mosaic. This year’s concert features a world premiere by Ingram Marshall drawn from the tradition of Southern shape note singing. Also on the program are works by Armenian American Mary Kouyoumdjian and Iranian American Sahba Aminikia. (David Luhrssen)
“Canadian Brass Holiday”
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Nov. 29
“Served Hot”
UWM Chamber Music Milwaukee with TORCH Ensemble
Nov. 30
VISUAL ART
CONTINUING
“Romano Johnson: The Glitterati”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Through Nov. 5
“Wisconsin Painters Studio Alumni Show”
Schauer Arts and Activities Center
Through Nov. 6
“Woven Images 2017” (student exhibit)
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Through Nov. 9
“2017 Sum Total”
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Through Nov. 9
“Crossing Over 2017” (student exhibit)
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Through Nov. 10
“DÃa de los Muertos Ofrendas”
Latino Arts
Through Nov. 17
“RAM Artist Fellowship Exhibition 2017”
Wustum Museum of Fine Arts
Through Nov. 25
“Cultivating Creativity: Celebrating 75 Years of Wustum—Part 3”
Wustum Museum of Fine Arts
Through Nov. 25
“Printmakers: Jack Pachuta, Jewell Riano, Susan Steinhafel and Paul Yank”
Cedarburg Cultural Center
Through Nov. 26
“Joan Hollnagel: Absurd Observations”
Cedarburg Cultural Center
Through Nov. 26
“FANTASTIC: Four Contemporary American Illustration Artists”
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Through Dec. 2
“The Temple of Flora”
Milwaukee Art Museum
Through Dec. 10
“Masterworks from the Grohmann Museum—Celebrating 10 Years”
Grohmann Museum
Through Dec. 29
“The Seventh Day: Revisiting Shabbat”
Jewish Museum Milwaukee
Through Dec. 31
Jacob Baker
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Dec. 31
Peter Jodocy
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Dec. 31
“Things are what we encounter: Dr. Charles Smith”
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Dec. 31
“Paul Smith: Masters of Craft”
Racine Art Museum
Through Dec. 30
Anthony Hernandez
Milwaukee Art Museum
Through Jan. 1, 2018
“75 AT 75: Significant Works from RAM’s Collection”
Racine Art Museum
Through Jan. 7, 2018
“Dean Meeker: Myths and Masquerades”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Through Jan. 14, 2018
“Gerit Grimm’s Fairytales: In a Time Neither Now nor Then”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Through Jan. 14, 2018
“Mythologies: Eugene Von Breunchenheim”
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Jan. 14, 2018
“Sorehead Hill: Jesse Howard”
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Jan. 7, 2018
“James Rosenquist: F-111 (South, West, North, East), 1974”
Haggerty Museum of Art
Through Jan. 18, 2018
“The World Turned Upside Down: Apocalyptic Imagery in England, 1750-1850”
Haggerty Museum of Art
Through Jan. 18, 2018
“Rick Shaefer: The Refugee Trilogy”
Haggerty Museum of Art
Through Jan. 18, 2018
“Variations on a Theme: Vessels from RAM’s Collection”
Racine Art Museum
Through Jan. 21, 2018
“Back to School”
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
Through Jan. 28, 2018
“Roger Smith Drawings and Watercolors”
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
Through Jan. 28, 2018
“Small Gifts from Big Donors—Part 3”
Racine Art Museum
Through Feb. 4, 2018
“Perspective: The Chair”
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Through March 3, 2018
“Karen Johnson Boyd: Unpacking Her Clay Collection”
Racine Art Museum
Through July 27, 2018
OPENING
Della Wells (lecture)
UWM Peck School of the Arts (Artists Now! Guest Lecture Series)
Nov. 1
“Kettle Moraine Fine Arts Guild Holiday Show”
Schauer Arts & Activities Center
Nov. 11-Jan. 2, 2018
“Clandestine Possessions—new collaborative work by James Pederson and Mariah Klemens” & “Family Time—paintings by James Pederson and Jackson Hunt”
Charles Allis Art Museum
Nov. 16-April 15, 2018
“2017 MOWA Members’ Show”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Nov. 18-Jan. 7, 2018
“Main Street Gallery’s Blizzard of Art”
Cedarburg Cultural Center
Nov. 29-Jan. 14, 2018
“The Little Show: CCC’s Annual Juried Exhibit”
Cedarburg Cultural Center
Nov. 30-Jan. 14, 2018
DECEMBER
THEATER
CONTINUING
Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol
Acacia Theatre
Through Dec. 3
The Secret Mask
Next Act Theatre
Through Dec. 10
The Christmas Schooner
Memories Dinner Theater
Through Dec. 17
Miracle on South Division Street
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Through Dec. 17
Holmes and Watson
Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Powerhouse)
Through Dec. 17
Annie
Skylight Music Theatre
Through Dec. 23
Beauty and the Beast
Sunset Playhouse
Through Dec. 23
A Christmas Carol
Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Pabst)
Through Dec. 24
A Charlie Brown Christmas (family friendly)
First Stage
Through Dec. 31
Murder for Two
Milwaukee Repertory Theater (Stackner)
Through Jan. 14, 2018
OPENING
Christmas Carol
Falls Patio Players
Dec. 1-3
The Purfekt Family’s 1st Annual Yuletide Letter—The Holiday Hogwash Begins
Memories Dinner Theatre
Dec. 1-3
Angels in America
UW-Parkside Black Box Theatre (student production)
Dec. 1-9
The UW-Parkside Theatre Department takes on the dichotomy between politics and love with Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. Set in 1980s New York City, Angels in America follows two AIDS patients through the trauma of the disease and the impact it has on their relationships. More than that, though, the play is an expression of the intricacies and unknowables associated with finding and falling in love. (Morgan Hughes)
Holiday Musical Spectacular
Cardinal Stritch University Theater
Dec. 1-10
A Christmas Carol: The Musical
Racine Guild Theatre
Dec. 1-17
The House Without A Christmas Tree
Waukesha Civic Theatre
Dec. 1-17
Scrooge in Rouge
In Tandem Theatre
Dec. 1-Jan. 7, 2018
“Tales of Hoffman” Showcase
Milwaukee Opera Theatre and UWM Opera Theatre Department
Dec. 2
David Seebach’s “Magic Merry Christmas”
Schauer Arts & Activities Center
Dec. 2
HOMEWARD BOUND: The Sounds of Simon & Garfunkel
Sunset Playhouse (Musical MainStage)
Dec. 4-5
1959 Pink Thunderbird (student production)
UW-Whitewater Theatre
Dec. 4-9
Major Barbara
UWM Arts Center Gallery
Dec. 6-10
Black Nativity
Black Arts MKE
Dec. 7-17
The Skin of Our Teeth
First Stage
Dec. 8-17
Bing Crosby: Christmas on the Air
Milwaukee Entertainment Group
Dec. 8-23
Bing Crosby was, in the knowing estimation of clarinetist and bandleader Artie Shaw, “the first hip white person born in the United States.” These days, der Bingle’s once revolutionary vocal innovations have been so thoroughly assimilated as to be shorthand for the musical tastes of yesteryear, as exemplified by the seasonal ubiquity of “White Christmas,” the best selling record of all time. Written by and starring Matt Zembrowski, “Bing Crosby Christmas on the Air” presents a tune-filled evening of nostalgia designed to delight old fans and win new ones. (Tyler Friedman)
Chicago
UW-Whitewater Young Auditorium
Dec. 9
Beauty and the Beast, Jr. (family friendly)
Sunset Playhouse
Dec. 10-11
A Bronzeville Christmas Story
First Stage
Dec. 12
Part of First Stage’s Foundry Series of new play readings, this second play in Sheri Williams Pannell’s emerging, important Bronzeville trilogy about the history of this thriving and stable Milwaukee African American community is set in 1959 and continues the saga of the Dubois family begun in last season’s acclaimed Welcome To Bronzeville, commissioned and produced by First Stage. The 7 p.m. reading at the Milwaukee Youth Art Center is free and open to all. (John Schneider)
Arsenic and Old Lace
Off the Wall Theatre
Dec. 13-31
While best remembered as a classic screwball comedy starring Cary Grant, Arsenic and Old Lace began life on the stage, where, between 1941 and 1944 it garnered 1,444 curtain calls. The delightfully dark comedy centers on Mortimer Brewster’s dealings with his homicidal family, comprised of two spinster aunts with a penchant for poisoning pensioners, and two brothers, one of whom believes himself to be Teddy Roosevelt and another who is on the lam. Sure to please fans of black comedies and comedies in general. (Tyler Friedman)
The Wizard of Oz
Milwaukee Theatre
Dec. 29-31
DANCE
“Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker”
Milwaukee Theatre
Dec. 1
“On Display”
Catey Ott Dance Collective in collaboration with the Haggerty Art Museum
Haggerty Art Museum at Marquette University
Dec. 3
From 2-3 p.m., stationed among the always interesting Haggerty exhibits, you’ll find extremely slow moving human beings, living statues of all ages, body types and physical abilities. Eyes closed, they’ll move as each is uniquely able, fully available to your gaze. Sometimes they’ll freeze, open-eyed and gazing, perfect statues. Conceived by NYC choreographer Heidi Latsky, this haunting improvisation will happen simultaneously in cities across the nation to celebrate the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities. (John Schneider)
The Nutcracker
Milwaukee Ballet
Dec. 9-26
The Dance Factory: The Nutcracker
UW-Whitewater, Young Auditorium
Dec. 16
MUSIC
Sol e Mar
Latino Arts
Dec. 1
“Holiday Pops”
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Dec. 1-3
Concord Chamber Orchestra
Basilica of St. Josaphat
Dec. 2
Milwaukee Festival Brass
St. Matthew’s
Dec. 2
The Snowman (family friendly)
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Dec. 2
Moraine Symphonic Band Holiday Concert
UW-Washington County
Dec. 2
The Tales of Hoffman
Milwaukee Opera Theatre
UWM Peck School of the Arts Music Recital Hall
Dec. 2
UW-Milwaukee’s Opera Theatre Department hosts artists from Milwaukee Opera Theatre in a semester-long examination of French composer Jacques Offenbach’s immortal Les contes d’Hoffmann—a tuneful and long-beloved opéra fantastique that premiered in 1881, one year after its composer’s tragically early death. In something of a culminating final exam of UWM’s and Milwaukee Opera Theatre’s study of this work, there will be a “Tales of Hoffman Showcase,”—a “raw, pared-down and fresh reading of the opera on stage.” (John Jahn)
Stefan Kartman and Jeannie Yu
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Dec. 3
Concert at Wisconsin Conservatory of Music
Prometheus Trio
Dec. 4-5
“Holiday G.I. Jukebox”
Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
Dec. 6
“MSO Holiday Concert”
Cedarburg Performing Arts Center
Dec. 7
“Christmas in the Basilica”
Bel Canto Chorus
Dec. 8-10
“Home for the Holidays”
Florentine Opera @ the Center Series
Dec. 8-17
“Holiday Pops Concert”
Racine Symphony Orchestra
Dec. 8
Black Market Trust
UW-Washington County
Dec. 8
“MSO Performs the Music of Led Zeppelin”
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Dec. 9
“MSO Holiday Pops”
Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
Dec. 10
Kettle Moraine Chorus Winter Concert
UW-Washington County
Dec. 10
“The Boston Camerata & SHARQ Arabic Music Ensemble perform A Mediterranean Christmas”
Early Music Now
St. Joseph Chapel, 1501 S. Layton Blvd.
Dec. 10
As the early music movement gathered steam in the 1960s and ‘70s, most ears were tuned to Western Europe—Baroque and before. Recent years have seen the concept expand to include other regions. Milwaukee’s Early Music Now has been at the forefront of this shift by presenting music from other cultures and exploring cross-cultural groups. Their mission is evident in EMN’s holiday concert. The Boston Camerata, one of America’s foremost early music ensembles, will perform with SHARQ Arabic Music Ensemble, an Arab American group focused on the art music of the Near East. (David Luhrssen)
“Northern Lights Holiday Concert”
Wisconsin Philharmonic
Dec. 5
“Our Favorite Things”
Sunset Playhouse (Sidenotes Cabaret)
Dec. 13-17
Handel’s Messiah
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Dec. 15-17
Ryan Meisel QuArtet
Schauer Arts & Activities Center
Dec. 15
“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Dec. 15-17
Milwaukee Children’s Choir: “An Evening of Reading and Carols”
Cathedral Church of All Saints
Dec. 16
Chant Claire Chamber Choir Winter Concert
St. Sebastian Church
Dec. 16
Kim Robertson
Irish Cultural and Heritage Center
Dec. 16
Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy: “A Celtic Family Christmas”
Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
Dec. 16
“Welcome All Wonders”
Master Singers of Milwaukee
Dec. 16-17
E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Dec. 30-31
VISUAL ART
CONTINUING
“FANTASTIC: Four Contemporary American Illustration Artists”
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Through Dec. 2
“The Temple of Flora”
Milwaukee Art Museum
Through Dec. 10
“Masterworks from the Grohmann Museum—Celebrating 10 Years”
Grohmann Museum
Through Dec. 29
“Paul Smith: Masters of Craft”
Racine Art Museum
Through Dec. 30
“75 at 75: Significant Works from RAM’s Collection”
Racine Art Museum
Through Dec. 30
“The Seventh Day: Revisiting Shabbat”
Jewish Museum Milwaukee
Through Dec. 31
Jacob Baker
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Dec. 31
Peter Jodocy
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Dec. 31
Anthony Hernandez
Milwaukee Art Museum
Through Jan. 1, 2018
“Kettle Moraine Fine Arts Guild Holiday Show”
Schauer Arts & Activities Center
Through Jan. 2, 2018
“2017 MOWA Members’ Show”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Through Jan. 7, 2018
“Sorehead Hill: Jesse Howard”
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Jan. 7, 2018
“Dean Meeker: Myths and Masquerades”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Through Jan. 14, 2018
“Gerit Grimm’s Fairytales: In a Time Neither Now nor Then”
Museum of Wisconsin Art
Through Jan. 14, 2018
“Main Street Gallery’s Blizzard of Art”
Cedarburg Cultural Center
Through Jan. 14, 2018
“Mythologies: Eugene Von Breunchenheim”
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Jan. 14, 2018
“The Little Show: CCC’s Annual Juried Exhibit”
Cedarburg Cultural Center
Through Jan. 14, 2018
“Things are what we encounter: Dr. Charles Smith”
John Michael Kohler Art Center
Through Jan. 21, 2018
“James Rosenquist: F-111 (South, West, North, East), 1974”
Haggerty Museum of Art
Through Jan. 18, 2018
“The World Turned Upside Down: Apocalyptic Imagery in England, 1750-1850”
Haggerty Museum of Art
Through Jan. 18, 2018
“Rick Shaefer: The Refugee Trilogy”
Haggerty Museum of Art
Through Jan. 18, 2018
“Variations on a Theme: Vessels from RAM’s Collection”
Racine Art Museum
Through Jan. 21, 2018
“Back to School”
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
Through Jan. 28, 2018
“Roger Smith Drawings and Watercolors”
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
Through Jan. 28, 2018
“Small Gifts from Big Donors—Part 3”
Racine Art Museum
Through Feb. 4, 2018
“Perspectives: The Chair”
Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
Through March 3, 2018
“Clandestine Possessions—new collaborative work by James Pederson and Mariah Klemens” & “Family Time—paintings by James Pederson and Jackson Hunt”
Charles Allis Art Museum
Through April 15, 2017
“Karen Johnson Boyd: Unpacking Her Clay Collection”
Racine Art Museum
Through July 22, 2018
OPENING
“Here We Make Our Home: Cultural Arts Curriculum & Student Group Exhibition”
Latino Arts
Dec. 1-Feb. 25, 2018
Rose Curley (lecture)
UWM Peck School of the Arts (Artists Now! Series)
Dec. 6
“UWM Design Entrepreneur Showcase 2017”
UWM Peck School of the Arts
Dec. 7
