Pay no attention to that calendar on the wall. Friday the 13th is indeed going to be a lucky day, the start of a lucky week. And a week of great performances as well, as theaters and orchestras put the holiday acoutrements in storage and get cooking on the second half of the season.
#5: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at the Marcus Center.
Why? Because you’ve had your fill of Bing and Dino, carols and Georg Frederick. And you’re ready for some big, meaty, romantic orchestra music. You’re ready for the MSO thundering its way through Sibelius’s Second Symphony. And for MSO trumpeter Mark Neihaus blazing his way through the cascading trumpet concerto by Alexander Arutunian. And for those who are not quite willing to let the visions of sugarplums die, there’s a taste of Tchaikovsky as well, his gorgeous Serenade for Strings. The young Southerner Evan Rogister conducts.
#4: Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra at Holy Redeemer Church of God in Christ.
Why? Because the MCO is always worth hearing, and even more so when they are paying tribute to momentous events and great human beings. The orchestra joins with Holy Redeemer (3500 W. Mother Daniels Way) to pay tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr., with performances of Robert Ray’s Gospel Mass, and the Chamber Symphony of Dimitri Shostakovich. Richard Hynson conducts.
#3: Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) at the Milwaukee Rep.
Why? Because you know Hamlet, and those star-crossed lovers, R & J. But what about Pericles or King John. If they have their way, you’ll be able to quote Nestor’s tribute to the dead Patroclus from Troilus and Cressida at the drop of a hat. Well, not quite. But you will see three crazed actors work their way through the plots of Shakespeare in a madcap and hilarious 90 minutes. It’s a dish fit for the gods! (Julius Caesar, II.i).
#2: Milwaukee Opera Theatre’s Fortuna the Time Bender vs. the Schoolgirls of Doom at Alchemist Theatre.
Why? Because speaking of crazy stories with unlikely twists and turns, there’s Jason Powell’s “superhero opera,” inspired by the potent combination of Gilbert & Sullivan and comic books. You might know Powell from his previous work, Invader? I Hardly Know Her, which made a bit of a splash at the New York Fringe Festival. This time, he and Jill Anna Ponasik collaborate on a story about an evil schoolmaster and his battle with the local superhero Fortuna. Finally, an opera that brings the “comic” back to comic books.
#1: Renaissance Theatreworks’ Neat at Broadway Theatre Center.
Charlayne Woodard is known for taking parts of her life and turning them into stirring, multi-character solo theater. For the Milwaukee premiere of Woodard’s Neat, Renaissance taps the talented Marti Gobel, who brings this story of her childhood in Albany, NY, to life via the creation of two dozen characters. When Woodard performed it in New York, one review called it “a powerful, heartbreaking and beautiful tale.” We expect the same will be true of this production, directed by Susan Fete.
