#5: A Story of Floating Weeds at UWM Union Cinema.
Why? Because before Akira Kurosawa went all samurai on World Cinema, there was Yasujiro Ozu, who turned his camera on the everyday lives of his Japanese neighbors and gently chronicled the changes in their society to the circumstances of the modern world. This is a rare chance to see his early silent film on the big screen. And it features a live soundtrack performed by former Wyndham Hill stalwart, guitarist Alex de Grassi. A must for film geeks.
#4: Fine Arts Quartet at UWM’s Zelazo Center.
Why? Oui, oui, Mesdames et Messieurs. It is spring, when thoughts turn to amour and vin rouge and pommes frites. And what better way to get in the mood than with an afternoon of Camille Saint-Saëns. Here, the quartet—with new cellist Robert Cohen in tow—team up with pianist Cristina Ortiz to perform piano quartets and quintets from all phases of Saint-Saëns’ long career (he lived to be 86). At their last outing, the quartet offered a charming rendition of a very late String Quartet. Here, the work is separated by 40 years—all from the 19th century.
#3: Alverno Presents’ Eccentric Soul Review at Pittman Theatre.
Why? Because soul is back with a vengeance, and this Chicago-based review goes right to the source to capture the way the music once made its way from music centers like Memphis or Chicago to the rest of the country. This show recreates those soul music tours, with a single crack band backing up three different vocal acts. Here, it’s Renaldo Domingo, the Notations, and Syl Johnson. Three quick and explosive sets by great performers in one evening. We feel our mojo working already.
#2: Always… Patsy Cline at The Milwaukee Rep.
Why? Because playwright Ted Swindley’s tribute to the country music legend is more than a chance to hear two dozen country classics sung by the incomparable Kelley Faulkner (she played Sally Bowles in the Rep’s recent production of Cabaret). It also chronicles Cline’s relationship with a devoted fan, and through their correspondence, reveals what drives a troubled performer like Cline through her decades of stardom. Angela Iannone plays Louise Seger, the fan who stuck with Cline through thick and thin.
#1: Honour at Renaissance Theatreworks.
Why? Because you might remember Joanna Murray-Smith’s Bombshells, the Milwaukee Rep’s one-woman show that chronicled the lives of several women in different circumstances. Here, the Australian playwright zeroes in on a single woman in familiar straights, her husband has left her for a younger woman. But as in Bombshells, her take is surprising and refreshingly honest—far from the Lifetime Movie that story seems to suggest. It doesn’t hurt that Renaissance has assembled a first rate cast, including Brian Mani and Laura Gordon, two of our finest. Marie Kohler directs.
