“For Two Lutes: Virtuoso Duets from Italy and England” performed by Ronn McFarlane and Paul O’Dette comes to Milwaukee on Saturday, Mar. 16, thanks to Early Music Now.
Highlighting this week’s arts’ scene, First Stage’s production of Big River flows into the Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater; and Ronn McFarlane and Paul O’Dette “lute” the Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts.
Theater
Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
First Stage announces this production in quite eye-catching terms, stating that Big River is “adapted from the novel by Mark Twain” and is a “world premiere co-production with The Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma in association with Rodgers and Hammerstein Theatricals.” Based upon a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, this is a somewhat more family friendly adaptation, which tells the story of Huck and his friend Jim, a slave, as they travel along the shores of the Mississippi River.
In Big River, Huck is trying to help Jim escape to freedom and reunite with his family, and their shared journey of discovery proves humorous, suspenseful and heartwarming all at once. The show’s director, Marti Gobel, explains: “It is with great joy that I work on Big River; Mark Twain has offered us a story of one of the most powerful friendships found in the American canon. Through the friendship of Huck and Jim, we can also come to a greater understanding of the beauty found in unlearning some of this country’s negative traditions.”
March 15-April 14 at the Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, call 414-273-7206 or visit firststage.org.
Carmina Burana
A “standard” performance of Carmina Burana—German composer Carl Orff’s 1937 self-described “scenic cantata,” would be purely musical; that is, large orchestra, full chorus and vocal soloists. But we’ve put this particular showing under “Theatre” for a very good reason: the upcoming performance will be, indeed, highly theatrical. It will be a monumental collaborative effort by Milwaukee Opera Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre, Danceworks Performance Company and Chant Claire Chamber Choir. Pared-down somewhat on the music side but enhanced tremendously by acting and dance.
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—both sacred and secular (some of the latter rather raunchy, at least for its time). Encompassing music, song and movement, the work begs for more than a routine concert performance, and that’s what comes to the Cabot Theatre during the latter half of March.
March 15-31 at the Cabot Theatre, 158 N. Broadway. For tickets, call 414-291-7800, or visit skylightmusictheatre.org.
Classical Music
“For Two Lutes: Virtuoso Duets from Italy and England”
Early Music Now brings Ronn McFarlane and Paul O’Dette to Milwaukee for a fascinating concert by these two renowned lute players. In case you’re wondering, a lute is a plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back; it’s an instrument that was extremely popular in Europe from the Middles Ages through the Baroque Era. The works on their concert program hearken back, for the most part, to the 16th century. The first half of the concert explores the world of the lute in Italy, while the second half moves the action to England.
From Renaissance Italy, McFarlane and O’Dette will perform the Saltarello and Piva by Joanambrosio Dalza; Fantasia Settima, Spagna, Fantasia Terza and other works by Vincenzo Galilei (father of astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei and the lute virtuoso and composer Michelagnolo Galilei); the Toccata à dui Liuti by Alessandro Piccinini and more. From England’s lute music history, concertgoers will hear such as The Earl of Essex Galliard by John Dowland; A Fancy by John Danyel; The Queen’s Treble by John Johnson and more.
Saturday, March 16, at 5 p.m. (with a silent auction and chocolate reception at 3 p.m.) at UW-Milwaukee’s Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts, 2419 E. Kenwood Blvd. For tickets, visit earlymusicnow.org.
More To Do
Thom Pain (based on nothing)
Will Eno’s Thom Pain is a 70-minute monologue that, under the auspices of new theatrical company Theatre Nervosa, will be performed by A.J. Magoon at The Underground Collaborative. “There’s a very empathetic, human quality to Thom Pain [the character]. He’s telling his own story, but it’s one we all can relate to,” Magoon said. “The hurts and bruises life has given him have made him cautious, but he’s still trying hard to be heard, accepted and liked.”
Theatre Nervosa’s debut production will be directed by John Schneider, who served as artistic leader and resident playwright for Milwaukee’s internationally acclaimed Theatre X for more than 30 years and is, of course, quite familiar to Shepherd Express readers as the paper’s assistant arts and entertainment editor. Schneider added about Thom Pain’s title character: “Using himself as a messy example, [Pain] explores with great wit how each of us becomes who we are.” March 20-23 at the Underground Collaborative, 161 W. Wisconsin Ave. For tickets, visit ucmke.com.
Misa Tango
The 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 Latin mass setting within the context of traditional Argentinian tango style. It has received wide acclaim in productions throughout the Americas thus far. Binelli will also be performing solo music for bandoneón by Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla (1921-’92). Sunday, March 17, at 4 p.m. in All Saints’ Episcopal Cathedral, 818 E. Juneau Ave. For tickets, call 888-744-2226 or visit mastersingersofmilwaukee.org.
“The Art of the Cello”
Frankly Music’s next concert brings Támas Varga, principal cellist of the Vienna Philharmonic, to town; he’ll be performing several new works for solo cello by Aaron Jay Kernis, Akira Nishimura, Gregory Vajda and others and join the ensemble for two chamber music pieces. The latter consists of the first movement of Zoltán Kodály’s Sonata for Violoncello Solo, Op. 8, and Johannes Brahms’ Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 25. Monday, March 18, at 7 p.m. at Schwan Concert Hall, Wisconsin Lutheran College, 8815 W. Wisconsin Ave. For tickets, visit franklymusic.org.
“Celtic Fire—Irish Music and Dance”
In an exciting new collaboration, the Wisconsin Philharmonic has teamed up with Trinity Irish Dancers to bring to life a festive-yet-elegant celebration of the best of the Celtic traditions—from traditional dancing to Celtic rock music! Waukesha County phenomenon Julian Rhee, already establishing himself as a young violin virtuoso, will be performing Max Bruch’s immortal Scottish Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra. Other works include James Horner’s main theme from Braveheart, Leroy Anderson’s The Irish Suite, Danny Boy and more. Sunday, March 17, at 3 p.m. at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, 19805 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield. For tickets, call 262-547-1858 or visit wisphil.org.
