Photo via Marcus Performing Arts Center
Bill Blagg
Bill Blagg
February is a month for cartoon heart-eyed lovers, but turns out it’s also a great month for … goths? This month is off to an eerie start, with events that rival the depths of October. Cryptids and carnivals, magic, vampires and goths, are all represented in this edition of Madcap Milwaukee.
The Magic of Bill Blagg Live!
- Friday, February 2
- Marcus Performing Arts Center (Uihlein Hall), 929 N. Water St.
Milwaukee magician and illusionist Bill Blagg spends much of his time taking his show on the road (he sometimes does 200 shows a year) but will be back home at the Marcus Center on Friday. His bag of tricks in his family friendly show includes an act where he appears to teleport, another where he walks through an industrial fan, as well as escape tricks, and interactive magic with the audience. The act features some good humor and heartwarming storytelling sprinkled in. He performs here one night only before disappearing to Cleveland.
The show starts at 7:30 p.m., tickets range $27.50-$58 and can be purchased here: marcuscenter.org/event/the-magic-of-bill-blagg-live
Dead Man’s Carnival
Dead Man's Carnival poster
- Friday, February 2
- The Miramar Theatre, 2846 N. Oakland Ave.
Dead Man’s Carnival, a “live music circus variety show” has been entertaining audiences in Milwaukee and beyond for over 15 years.
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“It’s a secret entrance into a time machine visiting a bygone era of early American entertainment.” says Professor Pinkerton Xyloma, the group’s ringmaster. The show returns to the Miramar Theatre and Xyloma says you can expect to see “sword swallowing strippers, over-the-top sideshow stunts, immersive guerilla theater, interactive games, and original music in the style of turn of the century New Orleans jazz,” the latter referring to the carnival’s house band, Professor Pinkerton’s Irrelevant Orchestra.
The carnival starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 at the door or and be purchased here: partiful.com/e/sPqXCAADWoY1qLDzWULl
Cryptids of Wisconsin and Illinois
Cryptids, Anomalies, and the Paranormal Society logo
- Tuesday, February 6
- Cudahy Family Library, 3500 Library Drive, Cudahy
The term “cryptid” describes mystery creatures like Sasquatch, the Loch Ness Monster, and Mothman, alleged by some to be real. Cryptozoologist (one who studies cryptids) Barnaby Jones leads the Cryptids, Anomalies, and the Paranormal Society (CAPS), a Wisconsin based team dedicated to researching these odd entities. Wisconsin has quite a menagerie of cryptids—there’s a werewolf-like animal spotted in Elkhorn called the Beast of Bray Road, as well as sightings of Bigfoot, lake monsters, and other assorted things that go bump in the night, so CAPS will have plenty of hair-raising encounters to talk about.
The cryptids presentation starts at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free. More info on CAPS: wisconsincaps.com
5th Annual Goth Prom
Goth Prom 2024 poster
- Saturday, February 10
- Mad Planet, 533 E. Center St
Crank up The Cure and bust out the black lipstick and eyeliner– Goth Prom is back. Local DJ crew Goth Barge has developed a following for their Dark Wave fueled boat cruises, but they do plenty of sets for landlubbers too. One of their most loved events is the annual Goth Prom, a night for those who want to be pretty in black instead of pink. DJs Dance Commandr, XdominionX, and DJ Paul H are spinning the goth classics, Mad Planet has a Spiked Punch special, there’s a photo op, and at Midnight two people will be crowned “King, Queen, or Kwing '” of the prom.
Goth Prom 2024 starts at 9 p.m., 21-plus only, $7 cover.
What the Hex: A Vampire’s Dream
What the Hex banner
- Sunday, February 11
- Dresden Castle, 3775 E. Underwood Ave., Cudahy
What the Hex is a seasonal market for those interested in witchcraft and magic enthusiasts. This edition features thirty vendors in Cudahy’s Dresden Castle, where shoppers will encounter an ambiance of “eerie melodies” and “delectable delights that titillate the senses, from crimson elixirs to decadent treats rumored to grant a taste of immortality.” The event info also says the market “beckons all nocturnal souls and lovers of the arcane to embrace the allure of the vampire lore.”
What the Hex: A Vampire’s Dream runs 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Entry is free.
