#5 Wisconsin Hybrid Theater’s Carmen at Alchemist Theatre.
Why? Because you’re looking for a heady mélange of The Shadow and grand opera, and WHT stages literary classics in the style of “old timey” radio. And because you like this production’s tag-line: “All of the Sex & Murder – None of the Singing!” And because you like your verisimo with a little libation, and the Alchemist bar (right next to the theater space) is well stocked.
#4: Charles McPherson and Brian Lynch at the Wisconsin Conservatory.
Why? Because an alumni of the legendary Charles Mingus band doesn’t blow through town every week, and Charles McPherson’s guest gig is a genuine jazz event. One of the leaders of the post-bebop Renaissance in Detroit, he’s a hard driving traditionalist who is playing at the top of his game as he strides into his 70s. And because Milwaukee native Brian Lynch is one of our cities most successful jazz exports. His work with Latin music legend Eddie Palmieri won a Grammy in 2006, and he’s one of the most sought after leaders and sidemen in New York. The Conservatory’s terrific sextet, We Six, fills out the impressive roster.
#3: Goats & Monkeys’ Taming of the Shrew at Live Artists Studio
Why? Because Milwaukee Shakespeare still lives in Goats & Monkeys, a collective of theater artists that explores the works of the Bard in fresh new ways and new venues. And because this production commemorates the 75th anniversary of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne’s Shrew, and features some of the area’s best actors, including Marcy Kearns, Matt Daniels, Dan Mooney, Tom Reed, Bill Watson. This is a “book-in-hand” production (or “staged reading”) directed by Angela Iannone.
#2: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Brahms Requiem at the Marcus Center.
Why? Because Milwaukee loves beer, brats and Brahms, and while there will be plenty of the first two this summer, we’ll only get to hear Johannes’s choral masterpiece this weekend. Because Music Director Edo de Waart is finishing up his first season with a flurry of grand-scale concerts, working his way to the big Mahler finale, and he’s at the top of his game. And because you’ll also hear Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, which the orchestra hasn’t performed in almost 20 years.
#1: The Apple Tree at In Tandem Theatre.
Why? Because you love Fiddler on the Roof, but are a little tired of dancing Cossacks these days. One of Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick’s “other” musicals, The Apple Tree is a sweet little chamber musical about the trials and tribulations of love and desire, going all the way back to Eden (hence the title). And because you kinda dig the stories of Mark Twain and the cartoons of Jules Feiffer, which inspired two of the three mini-musicals of the evening. And because the cast—Georgina McKee, Luke Leonhardt and David Flores—are the cream of Milwaukee’s musical crop.
