#5: The Addams Family at Theatre Unchained.
Why? Because your idea of “high culture” this summer involved seeking out some Grey Poupon for your Fourth-of-July bratwurst and stopping in at the Marcus Center to use the bathroom on your way to your cousin Vern’s “Hawaiian Punch and ???” party. Well, Morticia, Gomez and dear old Uncle Fester offer the perfect transition to the weightier leisure of the artistic variety. There will be tango, of course. And a You Can’t Take It With You-style plot that finds daughter Wednesday Addams falling in love with a fella who wants to get the families together. The fledgling company Theatre Unchained offers some ghoulish humor for the fall season.
#4: The Doyle & Debbie Show at the Milwaukee Rep.
Why? Because this country music sendup has been a long-running hit in theaters across the country, and its blend of bawdy humor and twangy love songs should keep the Stackner Cabaret packed for its 8-week run. Think Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton and all the Nashville falderal that goes along with it—Nudie Suits, cheatin’ hearts and big hair. Out-of-towners Michael Accardo and Erin Parker join local favorite Bo Johnson in a production directed by the Rep’s J.C. Clementz.
#3: Alverno Presents’ Global Union at Humboldt Park.
Why? Because the weather will be brisk, but nothing can warm the spirit and get the blood pumping better than the international stars of this annual world music mini-festival. The lineup this year is typically eclectic: Electronica-infused Cumbia from Brazil (La Yebros), a star of Caribbean Calypso (Calypso Rose), a mélange of traditional Chinese music with Appalachian folk (Wu-Force), and the stars of the day, the infectious dance music of the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars.
#2: Wild Space Dance Company’s Brew City Dreams at Schlitz Park.
Why? Because Debra Loewen has been hanging around construction sites for years, and her loitering always pays off with the first big dance-theater event of the year. Here, she and her company of dancers explores the space and the panoramic cityscapes on the sixth floor of the old Schlitz Stock-House. Loewen collaborates with composer Tim Russell, and some of the city’s finest movers (and sometime shakers). Read my interview with Loewen here.
#1: The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Don Giovanni at the Marcus Center.
Why? Speaking of transforming spaces, the MSO will kick off this season in a Marcus Center that you will barely recognize. In this “semi-staged” concert version of Mozart’s classic tale of an unapologetic seducer who gets his come-uppance, the orchestra will play from a lower platform onstage, allowing the singers and story to take full focus. And what a group of singers it is—an impressive cast of opera talent from around the world. The stage director, James Darrah, has been involved in many of the recent A-list opera premieres of recent years, including collaborations with Peter Sellars.
