#5: Berkeley Fudge Benefit at Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.
Why? Because Berkeley Fudge is a home town jazz legend. And while he’s recovering from a stroke he suffered in November, he’s still unable to work and needs money to cover his medical bills and living expenses. And because Milwaukee’s generous and talented jazz community will be there.
#4: Shining City at Soulstice Theatre and Youngblood Theatre’s Red Light Winter at Alchemist Theatre.
Why? Because it’s as good a weekend as any to get acquainted with Milwaukee’s small theater companies – and these are two of the best, performing two great plays. When Conor McPherson’s Shining City opened five years ago, The New York Times called it “quiet, haunting and absolutely glorious.” And Adam Rapp’s harrowing Red Light Winter is an actor’s dream, and the Youngblood trio makes the most of it.
#3: Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris at The Skylight.
Why? Because “Freedom Fries” aside, we all want to be a little French now and then: laugh at cafes, smoke a Gauloises or two, call Jerry Lewis a genius. Well get out your berets, mon frere. Even though he was born in Belgium, Jacques Brel has become the quintessence of French romantic nihilism. “Life’s a Carousel!”
#2: Speaking in Tongues at the Milwaukee Rep.
Why? Because The Rep seems to be cultivating an Amer-Aussie theater connection, and so far it’s paid off. Bombshells, featuring Australian star Caroline O’Connor, was a high-energy smash. And now, one of the premiere Aussie playwrights, Andrew Bovell, arrives with his 1996 meditation on truth and relationships, Speaking in Tongues. Bovell recently made it to New York with When the Rain Stops Falling (directed by thespian-of-the-moment David Cromer, no less). This production is directed by the talented Laura Gordon.
#1: Alverno Presents’ The Gimp Project at Marquette University’s Helfaer Theatre.
Why? Because Heidi Latsky’s revolutionary dance integrates abled and disabled dancers in a way that creates a challenging beauty. And because Dance Magazine called it “a gleaming milestone in the progress of contemporary dance and theater.”
