This week, Waukesha Civic Theatre’s The Bad Seed opens in a production featuring Maddie Dixon as troubled youth, Rhoda, and Kelly Simons as her mother, Christine.
Theater
The Bad Seed
Young Rhoda is mature beyond her years and adored by the adults in her life, but her penchant for lying and lack of affection has her mother uneasy. When one of her classmates drowns during a field trip, her mother’s worst fears are confirmed. Set in a small Southern town, The Bad Seed is a 1954 play by American playwright Maxwell Anderson, adapted from the novel of the same name by American writer William March. The Waukesha Civic Theatre production will be directed by Kelly Goeller and feature Maddie Dixon as troubled youth, Rhoda Penmark, and Kelly Simon as her mother, Christine.
“Troubled” being an understatement. The Bad Seed is not a play about a distraught mother trying to deal with an unruly, headstrong daughter in which, after much conflict, they find inner happiness and contentment and there’s a promise of a wonderful life thereafter. No; far from that. The Bad Seed is a study in psychology and what makes a person, well, bad… in this case, very bad. Can tendencies toward malevolence be overcome by love, or is a bad person condemned to always be such? Anderson’s play poses many questions, answering some while leaving others open.
Oct. 25-Nov. 10 at Waukesha Civic Theatre, 264 W. Main St. Waukesha. For tickets, call 262-547-0708 or visit waukeshacivictheatre.org.
Classical Music
“Best of Bach Chamber Choir: Celebrating 50 Years of Singing”
Entering its 50th season, Bach Chamber Choir recently appointed a new director, Christine Flasch, who also serves as the director of the Southwestern Suburban Symphony. Flasch grew up in Milwaukee, but her impressive solo, choral and conducting résumé has taken her all over the U.S. “I am dedicated to carrying on the legacy of this fine ensemble by presenting and promoting high-caliber choral music throughout the Milwaukee area,” she says of her new position.
“Best of Bach Chamber Choir: Celebrating 50 Years of Singing” takes place on Sunday, Oct. 27, at All Saints Cathedral (818 E. Juneau Ave.). The choir, with Flasch at the helm and accompanied by a chamber orchestra, will (as their website states) “perform fan favorites, from contemporary to Mozart, that offer lots of variety.” (John Jahn)
For an exclusive interview with Christine Flasch, see this issue’s Off the Cuff column. For tickets, call 414-587-1624 or visit bachchoirmilwaukee.com.
“Autumn’s Colors”
Autumn in Wisconsin is beautiful; the leaves on trees and bushes alike gradually change from their verdant vibrance to glorious hues ranging from bright yellow to dark brown. There’s no work on the Philomusica Quartet’s concert program specifically about the fall season, but its title is still apropos because it brings to mind the often breathtaking colors we see during these months before winter sets in. The “colors” are those of the instrumental sound emanating from the quartet in these beautiful works.
On the program is Max Bruch’s String Quartet in C Minor, Op. posth. (1852). Bruch was a master with orchestral color and melody—attributes that shone through in all of his oeuvre. The meatiest piece on the menu is Johannes Brahms’ Quintet for Clarinet and Strings in B Minor, Op. 115 (1891), for which the quartet will be joined by four-time Grammy Award-winner Todd Levy as guest clarinetist. Finally, there’s American composer Aaron Copland’s Two Pieces for String Quartet (1928). (John Jahn)
Monday, Oct. 28, at the Center for Arts and Performance, Schwan Concert Hall, 8815 W. Wisconsin Ave. For tickets, visit wlc.edu.
