Through May 23
First Lady of Song: Alexis J. Roston Sings Ella Fitzgerald
Milwaukee Rep
Alexis J. Roston, the star of the Billie Holiday tribute Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, returns to the Rep as Ella Fitzgerald, First Lady of Song. Fitzgerald was all ears with a natural talent honed by experience. She came of age in the swing era and marched in the hit parade before gravitating to bebop. Capable of dispensing with words, Fitzgerald took off on tearaway solos, quoting half a dozen melodies within the span of a few minutes. She kept pace with the bop trumpeters and saxophonists for speed and agility—maybe even outpaced them.
Wednesdays
Non-Pop!
RWB Milwaukee (9 p.m.)
Non-Pop! is a weekly event at RWB Milwaukee (1044 N. Old World 3rd St.) that features live artwork creation and a variety of DJs playing music apart from the mainstream top 40. Curated by DJs Moses and Tista, artists Lisza Battikha and vjBrye and more, Non-Pop! is expanding Milwaukee’s cultural horizons when it comes to dance music. Events are free to attend, and also streamed live on the Non-Pop Twitch channel as well. Find out the May lineup at Facebook.com/YoNonPop.
May 6-20
Milwaukee Film Festival
“See the world, even from your couch” is one of the festival’s slogans as it proceeds into its second virtual year before next year’s expected return to live programming in local theaters. One big and probably enduring change for 2021 is a shift in seasons, moving the festival from its usual fall slot to spring. Of course, Milwaukee Film fills the months between each festival with a wide range of interesting, socially-driven cinematic content.
Friday, May 7
Little Mahagonny
Florentine Opera
Uihlein Hall, Marcus Performing Arts Center
Kurt Weill will always be remembered for his remarkable collaborations with poet Bertolt Brecht. Their Three Penny Opera (1928) and Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (1930) introduced the biting rhythms of jazz, social satire and the irony of pop into the classical palette. Weill fled Nazi Germany steps ahead of the Gestapo and enjoyed a successful American second act in musical theater. The Florentine’s Baumgartner Studio Artists will explore Weill’s 25-semi-staged cabaret cantata in German and English. “Mahagonny is the Las Vegas of dreams, until you arrive and it doesn’t live up to the hype” the press release aptly states.
Saturday, May 8
KASE
Saint Kate-The Arts Hotel
Live music returns to downtown Milwaukee as the fusion of jazz and turntablism come together with KASE’s 7 p.m. performance at Saint Kate Arts Hotel. With the addition of local hip hop veteran DJ Madhatter, aka Jordan Lee of 88Nine Radio Milwaukee, KASE brings a unique sound that will only be enhanced by Madhatter’s cuts to create a unique experience. Per safety protocols, limited seating will be available. More information can be found at SaintKateArts.com
Monday, May 10
Milwaukee Novelist Todd Lazarski
Could there be an autobiographical element in the novel by Todd Lazarski, whose highly personal food writing appeared in shepherdexpress.com? The protagonist of Spend it All is a “half-hopeful novelist, reluctant food journalist, and football fanatic.” Some of the prose echoes his food writing (“Sometimes you want a really blue cheesy bite, sometimes a more hot sauce-centric”). His sarcasm is well placed: on private college students, he writes, “the kids are smart, but only kind of.” Lazarski will speak with Justin Kern, editor of The Milwaukee Anthology, via Zoom in a 7 p.m. conversation sponsored by Boswell Books.
Friday, May 21
Mid Coast
The Cooperage
Mid Coast is a monthly online music showcase being held at The Cooperage, featuring a diverse lineup of artists and a charity element to every event. The events not only serve as a fundraiser, but a platform for local artists and awareness of local organizations. With an overarching goal of unifying the different facets of Milwaukee’s music, art and charitable circles, Mid Coast is building a bridge through all of the city’s neighborhoods. All shows are currently only available to watch online. Find out more information as well as the May lineup at Facebook.com/MidCoastMKE
Saturday, May 22
Havana Nights Dinner Aboard the East Troy Railroad
All aboard the East Troy Railroad for a Havana-themed dinner ride from East Troy to Phantom Lake in Mukwonago. Featured food includes bacon-wrapped plantains, a Cuban avocado and pineapple salad, grilled mojo marinated pork and Rum & Coke cupcakes for dessert. Starting 5:30 p.m. from the East Troy Railroad Museum at 2002 Church St. For information, visit easttroyrr.org.
May 23-June 6
“Kohl’s Family Sundays at Home - Sculpture”
Milwaukee Art Museum
With the decline of arts education in many primary and secondary schools, other institutions have filled the gap. Among the inventive programs in Milwaukee, allowing kids and families to explore art in three dimensions, is the “Kohl’s Family Sundays at Home: Sculpture.” Through June 6, visitors can learn about inventive methods and materials in the museum’s sculpture collection—and get inspired to make their own creations.
May 27
The Worth of Water
Virtual Screening with Urban Ecology Center
The Worth of Water: A Great Lakes Story is a documentary that follows two documentary filmmakers as they walk 343 miles from Milwaukee to the shores of Lake Superior on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The two filmmakers, Julia Robson and Alyssa Armbruster, interview politicians, activists and educators along the way to help bring clarity to the problems the Great Lakes are facing. Register at MilwaukeeRiverkeeper.org
May 29 – 31
Family Fun Drive
Old World Wisconsin
Get the family in the car and head to Old World Wisconsin for a drive-through tour. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the open-air museum from the comfort of your vehicle on this roughly 45-minute driving tour. See lambs, calves, budding gardens and other vignettes of Wisconsin’s past to spark family stories and create new memories. Guests can order a snack pack filled with cookies, cheese curds, Usinger’s summer sausage and more. Wisconsin Historical Society members receive 10% off of $25/car admission.
Through September 26
“Villa Incognito: Latent Narratives in the Permanent Collection”
Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
Villa Terrace has reopened under COVID guidelines with online reservations with an exhibition that examines the mansion and its collection, “showing how various forms of imitation, synthesis and symbolism are at work, and how these strategies work to create an idealized environment,” according to the museum. Villa Terrace’s collection focuses on decorative items that invoke history and luxury. It’s also the chance to explore one of Milwaukee’s most unusual pieces of architecture, an Italian-style villa with a gorgeous Renaissance garden flowing down into Lake Michigan.
