With most of the major theatres winding down, it’s time for the “little guys” to step forward, and it’s a great time to sample some of the scrappy DIY troupes.
#5: Titus Andronicus at Carte Blanche Studios.
Why? Because nothing says “we want to be noticed” more than a scrappy theatre troupe’s production of Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedy. There are more hacked limbs and fountains of gore than your average Saw outing. And whether or not you believe that The Bard wrote it to parody the bloody tragedies of his day, its bleaker-than-bleak vision is always a good remedy for Sum-sum-summertime Smiley faces. “I’ll find a day to massacre them all!” And then we’ll fire up the Weber and have a cookout!
#4: Fine Arts Quartet at the Helen Bader Concert Hall.
Why? Because even with a substitute for cellist Wolfgang Laufer, who retired suddenly earlier this year, the FAQ is playing brilliantly. The opening concert of the Summer Evenings of Music featured a stunning reading of Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden” quartet. The second concert features music by Haydn, Schumann and the Spanish-tinged music of Joaquin Turina. And it’s free!
#3: Fool for Love at Alchemist Theatre.
Why? Because now that David Mamet has gone off the right-wing deep end, and seems to be vying to get picked as a Fox News commentator (or perhaps Sarah Palin’s running mate?!), Sam Shepard is the great American playwright of his generation. It’s hard to believe that this powerful battle of the sexes is almost 30 years old, but it has lost none of its power and poetry. Bo Johnson, well known as an actor to Milwaukee audiences, directs a cast that includes Alex Grindeland and Bethany Ligocki Peters. Appropriate for Shepard, the Bay View Lounge is open next door, so you can have a couple of long-necks between acts.
#2: The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at Uihlein Hall
Why? Because this penultimate performance this season pairs two interesting works that run counter to expectations. Dvorak’s Seventh Symphony is more classical and refined than his other orchestra works, even though it reflects the sorrow the composer felt at his mother’s death. Elgar’s Cello Concerto is the last work by the British composer, and rather than the stiff-upper-lip charm of his other work, it reflects his despair in the aftermath of World War I. Edo de Waart conducts the orchestra along with the brilliant French cellist Xavier Phillips.
#1: Pink Champagne at the 10th Street Theatre.
Why? Because a lot of talented folks have teamed up to give Milwaukee playwright Neil Haven his professional world premiere. A little like La Cage without the plumes, it explores family and identity with a lot of humor and energy. This co-production between the talents of Uprooted Theatre and the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center is directed by Uprooted’s Dennis F. Johnson, and features John Kishline, T. Stacy Hicks, Marti Gobel, John Maclay and Ari Shapiro.
Pink Champagne photo by Clive Promhows.
