This week, the MacDowell Club’s “Grand Finale” farewell concert takes place at Villa Terrace with works by Chopin, Liszt, Gershwin and more.
Theater
Fires in the Mirror
In 1991, in Brooklyn, N.Y., a Hasidic man’s car jumped a curb, killing a seven-year-old black child. Shortly after, a Hasidic rabbinical student was killed in what appeared to be an act of retaliation, sparking riots that made national headlines. But behind those headlines, there are people—politicians, religious leaders, victims and perpetrators—who each have their own story to tell. For Fires in the Mirror: Crown Heights, Brooklyn and Other Identities, playwright Anna Deavere Smith interviewed more than 50 people to create a work of documentary theatre, which is composed of 29 monologues taken directly from her interview transcripts. Milwaukee Chamber Theatre’s production features two actors, Elyse Edelman and Marti Gobel, playing all 26 roles.
“The question of how to coexist with neighbors whose values or even simple daily practices radically contrast has no easy answer, especially now,” Marcella Kearns, co-director of the production, says. “This piece, a tour de force for the excellent actresses undertaking multiple roles, throws us in a room to weep and laugh together.”
Sept. 20-Oct. 13 at the Broadway Theatre Center’s Studio Theatre, 158 N. Broadway. For tickets, call 414-291-7800 or visit milwaukeechambertheatre.com.
The Feast
Deep in the Russian interior where nothing is safe, an elite team of mercenaries retrieve an ultimate weapon, but hidden forces unleash an insatiable hunger, and the hunters become the prey. Quasimondo Physical Theatre’s The Feast comes from the mind behind The Depths, ensemble member Andrew Parchman, who summons a sinister tale of fear and corruption. Set in the near future where the U.S. is at war with Russia, this ferocious thriller, as Quasimondo explains, “cuts crimson conspiracy with predatory agents” and is “gorged with puppetry, action and horror.” The company also says the production is intended for mature audiences.
Sept. 20-Oct. 5 at the North Milwaukee Arthaus, 5151 N. 35th St. For tickets, visit quasimondo.org.
Classical Music
“The Grand Finale”
In May 2009, the MacDowell Club of Milwaukee celebrated its 100th anniversary. Named in honor of American pianist and composer Edward MacDowell (1860-1908), the club worked for more than century on fulfilling its purpose: “To further musical interests in Milwaukee, provide performing opportunities for professional and amateur musicians and acquaint the general public with the number and excellence of local artists.” Alas, the club has reached its end, its swan song being a final concert at Villa Terrace featuring several instrumentalists and vocalists.
Works on the MacDowell Club’s “Grand Finale” farewell concert (and there are many) include its namesake’s beloved solo piano chestnut To a Wild Rose; Frédéric Chopin’s Nocturne No. 19 in E Minor, Franz Liszt’s Paraphrase on Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi; and George Gershwin’s “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess.
Sunday, Sept. 22, at 5 p.m. at Villa Terrace, 2220 N. Terrace Ave. This concert is free and open to the public.
More To Do
Vanya
David Paris and Off the Wall Theatre present a new version of one of the world’s greatest plays: Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov. After William Shakespeare, Chekhov is the world’s most-translated, most-produced playwright. His plays burn with a passionate understanding of human nature. Uncle Vanya, like his other plays, is timeless and almost overwhelming in its power—a play about those who dream instead of doing and those who love hopelessly. As Dale Gutzman says, “If you have ever been destroyed by love unreturned, you will fall in love again with Vanya.” Sept. 18-29 at Off the Wall Theatre, 127 E. Wells St. For tickets, call 262-509-0945 or visit offthewallmke.com.
Dear Evan Hansen
The winner of six Tony Awards (including Best Musical), Dear Evan Hansen features a book by Tony Award-winner Steven Levenson, a score by Academy Award, Tony and Grammy Award-winning composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and direction by four-time Tony Award-nominee Michael Greif. “Dear Evan Hansen is so fortunate to attract some of the best talent on Broadway and beyond for each of our productions,” producer Stacey Mindich says. “We are grateful to feature some stunning Broadway debuts, as well as revered theater actors in these authentic portrayals of very complex characters. I’m thrilled we’re able to maintain the excellence of this show as we continue our third year on Broadway and head into our second year on a national tour.” A letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he’s always wanted: a chance to finally fit in. This is a deeply personal, profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. Sept. 24-29 at Uihlein Hall, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, call 414-276-7206 or visit marcuscenter.org.
Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”
The cherished characters from the award-winning Elephant & Piggie children’s books make the leap from page to stage in this First Stage show. When Elephant Gerald and Piggie the Pig get together, anything is possible. The delightful relationship between these two pals, and their devotion to each other through ups and downs, reminds us of how good it feels to put friends first. This is a “First Steps” production that First Stage offers to introduce children ages 3-7 to theater in an engaging, interactive and lively environment. Sept. 21-Nov. 3 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, 325 W. Walnut St. For tickets, call 414-267-2961 or visit firststage.org.
“Esplanade: Pictures at an Exhibition”
Concertgoers can take a spectacular journey with the Festival City Symphony’s season opener under music director Carter Simmons. The music stems mainly from the Iberian Peninsula, but then crosses many a mile into Russia. The Spanish pieces include José Pablo Moncayo’s Huapango; Enrique Granados’ Intermezzo from Goyescas and Manuel de Falla’s Suite No. 2 from The Three-Cornered Hat. The Russian part of the program is also its grand finale: Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, dressed in the brilliantly colored clothes of Maurice Ravel’s famous orchestration. Sunday, Sept. 22, at the Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St. For tickets, visit festivalcitysymphony.org.
Frankly Music Season Opener
Frankly Music starts its season with a nice variety of works ranging from the Renaissance to the late Romantic eras. Included are special guests Todd Levy (clarinet), Sonora Slocum (flute) and members of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
The earliest works on the program are Italian or Provençal songs and ballads by Giovanni Gabrieli and Giovanni Palestrina. The Classical period is represented by Wolfgang Mozart’s Flute Quartet in D Major, K. 285. Finally, the Romantic period comes to life with Johann Strauss Jr.’s beloved Emperor Waltz (as arranged by Arnold Schoenberg) and Peter Tchaikovsky’s lovely, evocative Souvenir de Florence.
Monday, Sept. 23, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 914 E. Knapp St. For tickets, visit franklymusic.org.
