#5. Bel Canto Chorus at St. Josaphat’s Basilica.
Why? Seriously? “O Come, All Ye Faithful” ringing out in a grand space. Children’s voices courtesy of the Bel Canto Boy Choir. Bells. Good cheer. And maybe even a dusting of snow outside. This is Wisconsin, baby. Winter’s here. Make the most of it. Otherwise, head out to Los Angeles with your tinsel decorated palm tree, and celebrate the season with a glass of alfalfa juice and your yearly colonic.
#4. Army of Crime and Mississippi Mermaid at UWM Union Theatre.
Why? Because sometimes the season calls for a little darkness and ambiguity, and there’s no better way to get it than a dose of French cinema. This potent double header pairs Robert Robert Guédiguian’s French Resistance thriller with Francois Truffaut’s (little-seen) noir-ish love story, which features none other than Catherine Deneuve and Jean-Paul Belmondo.
#3. Sweet Plantain at Latino Arts.
Why? Because it’s not your padre’s string quartet. This New York-based ensemble blends classical, jazz and Latin music into a potent style that is by turns elegant and rambunctious. And yes, with rhythmically charged tunes like “Break My Chains,” they will get an audience moving.
#2. Scrooge in Rouge at In Tandem Theatre.
Why? Because you practically know Uncle Charlie’s A Christmas Carol by heart. And this backstage comedy forces three actors (a flu outbreak has struck the company) to do the whole thing from start to finish. In Tandem revives their hit production from last season, and it has Christmas Classic in the making written all over it. And because we all need a new Christmas Classic every decade or so.
#1. Sachal Vasandani & Gretchen Parlato at Alverno Presents.
Why? Because this pair of young jazz vocalists will give you a taste of what’s ahead on the jazz scene. Vasandani is a straight-ahead swinger with a bit of Tony Bennett in his blood. And Parlato is an inventive, samba-based stylist, who can create surprise with an odd pairing of melody and rhythm. They’ll inaugurate Alverno Presents’ move into other venues, playing at Alverno’s intimate Wehr Hall.
