Giacomo Puccini set his most popular opera in an earlier time and place, among the bohemian artists of 1830s Paris. Puccini’s music captured the chaotic ambiance of urban life against the backdrop of poverty and starving for one’s art. The tragic story of the dying heroine Mimi caught the hearts of operagoers since its 1896 debut. Jonathan Larson rewrote it as Rent, but face it, Puccini is the greater composer. The Florentine Opera transposes La bohème to another earlier time and place, 1940s Bronzeville. (David Luhrssen)

Frank Juarez Gallery

fjgmke.com

Frankly Music

franklymusic.org

Greendale Community Theatre

greendaletheatre.org

Grohmann Museum

msoe.edu/grohmann-museum

Robert O. Lahmann: Working in Wisconsin, Jan. 21-April 24

Graduating from Milwaukee’s Layton School of Art in 1949, Robert O. Lahmann was too young to have taken part in the WPA arts program under Franklin Roosevelt. However, his oils and pastels reveal a similar sensibility in their attention to the telling details, the everyday values, found in industrial and rural settings. (David Luhrssen)

Grove Gallery

gallerygrove.com

Haggerty Museum of Art

marquette.edu/haggerty-museum

Art Asks, You Answer, Jan. 14-May 22
Expanding Our Horizons: Exploring and Encountering the Unknown, Jan. 14-May 22

Harley-Davidson Museum

h-dmuseum.com

Off-Road Harley-Davidson, continuing
Building a Milwaukee Icon: HD’s Juneau Ave. Factory, continuing
Tsunami Motorcycle Display, continuing

H. F. Johnson Gallery of Art

carthage.edu/art-gallery

Hover Craft

hovercraftmke.com

Hyperlocal MKE

hyperlocalmke.com

Inspiration Studios Art Gallery

inspirationstudiosgallery.com

Irish Cultural and Heritage Center

ichc.net

High Kings, March 9
Socks in the Frying Pan, March 10
Cherish the Ladies, March 13
RUNA, March 26
Josh O'Keefe, April 9
Byrne Brothers, April 16

Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts

jazzgallerycenterforarts.org

Jewish Museum Milwaukee

jewishmuseummilwaukee.org

Then They Came for Me: Incarceration of Japanese Americans During WWII and the Demise of Civil Liberties, through May 29

John Michael Kohler Arts Center

jmkac.org

Viva MOMIX, March 4, Kohler Memorial Theater
Sarah Zapata: A Resilience of Things Not Seen, March 1-Aug. 28
Youth Art Month, March 8-April 3
Bernard Langlais: Live and Let Live On, through May 1
Eva Papamargariti: Factitious Imprints, through May 15
Lee Hunter: Cosmogenesis, through Aug. 8
Woody De Othello: Hope Omens, through Sept. 25
Nassim, March 31-April 2

KACM Theatrical Productions

kacmtheatrical.weebly.com

Kettle Moraine Symphony

kmsymphony.org

Suite Synchronicity, May 6 at Slinger Performing Arts Center

Ko-Thi Dance Company

ko-thi.org

Lake Arts Project

lakeartsproject.com

Latino Arts, Inc.

latinoartsinc.org

Carlos Barberena: I Have Been a Stranger in My Own Land, through March 11
Familias Unidas: Tributo a la Los Trabajadores Migrantes en Wisconsin 1960s-1970s, April 1-May 27
Quetzal, April 8

Lily Pad Gallery West

lilypadgallery.com

Lynden Sculpture Garden

lyndensculpturegarden.org

Scott Barton: Buried in the Heart, a Repast for Angels and Martyrs, through March 27

Mad Rogues

madrogues.com

Marcus Performing Arts Center

marcuscenter.org

Pretty Woman: The Musical, March 1-6, Broadway Series
Ain’t Too Proud, April 5-10, Broadway Series

The Broadway hit Ain’t Too Proud, the slam-bang exciting Temptations musical, reminds me of the distinctive voice of David Ruffin. His unlimited range and guttural timbre rank him with Ray Charles and Paul Robeson, as the most recognizable Black male vocalists of the 20th century on Motown hits such as “I Wish it Would Rain” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” (Richard Carter)

Cats, May 10-15, Broadway Series
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, May 31-June 5, Broadway Series

Marquette University Theatre

marquette.edu/communication/theatre-arts.php

Mamma Mia, April 1-10

Master Singers of Milwaukee

mastersingersofmilwaukee.org

Material Studios + Gallery

materialstudiosandgallery.com

Memories Dinner Theatre

memoriesballroom.com

Sylvia, March 11-20
A Bad Year for Tomatoes, April 1-10
Hog Wash, May 6-15

Menomonee Falls Symphony

mfso.net

Showcasing Showstoppers, April 23, Hamilton Fine Arts Center

Milwaukee Art Museum

mam.org

An-My Lê: On Contested Terrain, through March 27

“On Contested Terrain” consists of more than 100 photographs, many offering what An-My Lê calls “a side-glance view” of war and its impact. Lê began making photographs in the 1990s during her first return visit to Vietnam. Many are stark black and white images that leave more space for the imagination than full color. Lê uses a view camera sitting on a tripod, the technology used by photographers of the American Civil War. (David Luhrssen)

In the Dark: European Prints 1600-1910, through June 5
On Site: Derrick Adams Our Time Together, ongoing
2022 Scholastic Art Awards: Wisconsin Exhibition, through March
Currents 38: Christy Matson, through July 17
Shifting Perspectives: Landscape Photographs from the Collection, March 18-July 3

Milwaukee Ballet

milwaukeeballet.org

Momentum, March 5-12 (MBII)
PUSH, March 31-April 3

A couple days before the covid lockdown closed the lid on PUSH in March of 2020, I saw a late rehearsal of the world premiere that the 2019 Genesis winner Aleix Mane made for that show. Like the dance that won him the chance, it tells a deeply personal story in passionate movement made for these dancers. Now it will arrive, along with a world premiere by Chicago-based choreographer Stephani Martinez and the return of Extremely Close, a boundary-pushing showpiece from 2012 by Alejandro Cerrudo with moving walls that push and are pushed by the dancers through feathers and snow. (John Schneider)

Beauty and the Beast, May 19-22

Milwaukee Chamber Theater

milwaukeechambertheatre.org

Milwaukee Children's Choir

milwaukeechildrenschoir.org

All Choir Concert, May 14

Milwaukee Comedy

milwaukeecomedy.com

Milwaukee Entertainment Group

milwaukeeentertainmentgroup.com

Milwaukee Festival Brass

mfbrass.org

Classy Brass, March 6, Carroll University
Last Brass, May 15, Pius XI High School

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

miad.edu

Presence & Persistence: Visions of American Blackness, through March 12
Great Ideas for Humanity: Posters for Thought, through March 15
MIAD Senior Exhibition, April 22-May 7

Milwaukee Makers Market

milwaukeemakersmarket.com

Milwaukee Musaik

Folk Tunes, March 8, Wisconsin Conservatory of Music

milwaukeemusaik.org

Milwaukee Opera Theatre

milwaukeeoperatheatre.org

Preludes, April

Milwaukee Repertory Theater

milwaukeerep.com

Antonio’s Song: I Was Dreaming of a Son, through March 6, Stiemke Studio
As You Like It, through March 20, Quadracci Powerhouse

The Milwaukee Rep’s As You Like It is an adaptation by Canadian director Daryl Corlan, who replaced over half of Shakespeare’s oft’ cumbersome lines with 20-some songs from The Beatles’ catalogue. Those songs, sung by a variety of characters, function as dialogue and monologue. They carry the action better than Shakespeare’s 16th century poetry, and in a rhythm that’s at least as catchy. (John Schneider)

My Way, March 4-May 1, Stackner Cabaret
New Age, March 22-May1, Stiemke Studio
Titanic, April 5-May 15, Quadracci Powerhouse
Get Happy, May 5-July 1, Stackner Cabaret
Murder on the Orient Express, May 31-July 1, Quadracci Powerhouse

Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra

mso.org

Beethoven and Bruckner, March 4-5
Peer Gynt, March 25-27

Norwegian Romantic composer Edvard Grieg looked to his nation’s melodies and lore for inspiration. His music reflected the summer’s midnight sun, caught the winter chill and captured an underworld of trolls and elves. Grieg’s setting for playwright Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt includes his most familiar melody, “In the Hall of the Mountain King.” Ken-David Masur will conduct the MSO, accompanied by the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus. (David Luhrssen)

Converging Landscapes, April 1-2
De Waart & Brautigam, April 8-10
Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto, May 13-14
Requiem & Song, May 20-22

Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra

myso.org

Milwaukee Youth Theatre

milwaukeeyouththeatre.org

Morning Star Productions

morningstarproductions.org

Father Brown Rides Again, March 4-6

Museum of Wisconsin Art

wisconsinart.org

Wisconsin Artists Biennial, through April 24

Wisconsin artists once again share their artistic vision and skills in the MOWA’s 2022 Wisconsin Artists Biennial. The exhibition showcases the works of 52 state artists chosen from among nearly 450 entrants submitting 1,200 pieces of work to a competition co-sponsored by MOWA and Wisconsin Visual Artists, a nonprofit organization that supports the rights and work of the state’s individual artists. (Michael Muckian)

Nina Ghanbarzadeh: Bridges, through April 24
MOWA | DTN (Saint Kate-The Arts Hotel)
Handmade Paper Stories, March 4-May 15
MOWA on the Lake (St. John’s on the Lake)

Next Act Theatre

nextact.org

Pipeline, through March 6
The Last White Man, April 14-May 8

Nō Studios

nostudios.com

North Shore Academy of the Arts

facebook.com/northshoreacademyofthearts

Northern Sky Theater

northernskytheater.com

Oconomowoc Arts Center

oasd.k12.wi.us

Oil Gallery Milwaukee

oilmilwaukee.com

Optimist Theatre

optimisttheatre.org

Outskirts Theatre

facebook.com/outskirtstheatre

Over Our Head Players

overourheadplayers.org

Outside Mullingar, April 15-16, 22-24, 29-30; May 1
The Roommates, May 27-June 11

Peninsula Players

peninsulaplayers.com

Winter Play Reading Series, March 7
Winter Play Reading Series, April 4

PianoArts

pianoarts.org

North American Piano Competition (with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Bradley Symphony Center), June 1

Portrait Society Gallery

portraitsocietygallery.com

Nohl vs. Stern, through March 19

Mary Nohl was misunderstood through life but in death became an inspiration to local artists. Lucia Stern stood at the center of the Milwaukee art milieu and in death was forgotten. They crossed paths occasionally and are reunited at Portrait Society in an exhibition coupling Stern’s color fields and fabric collages with Nohl’s ceramics and line drawings. (David Luhrssen)

Present Music

presentmusic.org

Ablaze, March 10, Milwaukee Art Museum

Quasimondo Physical Theater

quasimondo.org

Racine Art Museum

ramart.org

Watercolor Wisconsin 2021, through April 23
RAM Showcase: Abstraction, through June 11
Playful/Pensive: Contemporary Artists and Contemporary Issues, through July 16
Precedents: Past Meets Present in Contemporary Glass and Clay, through Sept. 24
Fool the Eye: Addressing Illusion in Contemporary Art, through Sept. 24

Racine Symphony Orchestra

racinesymphony.org

Spring Masterworks: “Remembrance,” April 10
90th Anniversary Concert, May 14

Racine Theatre Guild

racinetheatre.org

Clue: On Stage, March 18-April 3
Akeelah and the Bee, April 22-24
Mamma Mia, May 20-June 12

The peppy 1975 ABBA hit inspired British playwright Catherine Johnson to compose a storyline around a string of the Swedish group’s Euro-pop hits—“Dancing Queen,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You” et. al.—in the jukebox musical that enjoyed one of the longest runs ever on the West End and Broadway. And if Broadway ticket prices make you want to sing “SOS”—and you’ve seen Meryl Streep several times in the lively 2008 Hollywood adaptation—here’s a chance to enjoy the production on stage and close to home. (David Luhrssen)

Renaissance Theaterworks

r-t-w.com

Actually, March 11-April 3, at Next Act Theatre
Muthaland, May 13-June 5, at Next Act Theatre

Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel

saintkatearts.com

Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts

wilson-center.com

Sam Ness, March 18
Frank Almond & Adam Neiman, March 20
George Hinchliffe’s Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, April 1
Liam Nugent, April 22
Lee Lessack & Johnny Rodgers: Everly Brothers Revisited, May 11

Skylight Music Theatre

skylightmusictheatre.org

Raisin, April 8-24

The 1974 Tony Award-winner remains relevant as Americans come to grips with a racist past and the barriers that remain. The musical by Judd Woldin, Robert Brittan, Robert Nemiroff and Charlotte Zaltzberg is an adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and tells the story a Black family buying a house in an all-white neighborhood. Drawn from gospel, jazz and pop, Raisin’s score won a Grammy. (David Luhrssen)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame, May 20-June 12

South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center

southmilwaukeepac.org

Celtic Angels, March 20
Mutts Gone Nuts in Canine Cabaret, April 28

Sunset Playhouse

sunsetplayhouse.com

Barefoot in the Park, March 3-20
Get Ready, March 7-8
You’ve Got a Friend: Carol King & James Taylor Tribute, March 17-20
The Vagina Monologues, March 24-27
Something Rotten, April 21-May 8
If You Could Read My Mind: Acoustic Superstars, April 25-26
Beauty and the Beat: The Artistry of Miss Peggy Lee, April 28-May 1
Shrek Jr., May 8-9
Hey Diddle, May 11-14
A Year with Frog and Toad, May 21-22

Theatre Gigante

theatregigante.org

Theatrical Tendencies

theatricaltendencies.com

Third Avenue Playhouse, Sturgeon Bay

thirdavenueplayworks.org

Thrasher Opera House, Green Lake

thrasheroperahouse.com

Gangstagrass, March 4
Socks in the Frying Pan, March 18
JigJam, March 26
Carlene Carter, April 2

As the daughter of Carl Smith and June Carter (who later married Johnny Cash), Carlene Carter has country in her DNA. She’s a songwriter as well as a singer, had several hits in the singles and album charts and crossover appeal from her years in the UK with (now ex-) husband Nick Lowe. (The late) Milwaukee expat Howie Epstein produced I Fell in Love (1990), which helped fuel the retro-country revival. Carter has collaborated with everyone from Willie Nelson to John Mellencamp. (David Luhrssen)