April. The month of cruelty and poetry. And baseball. And some interesting things to do while the flora is taking advantage of those showers.
#5. Milwaukee Opera Theatre at Sunset Playhouse.
Why? Because opera isn’t always about huge theaters, Zefferelli-style productions, and divas galore. The MOT has been presenting fresh, intimate and innovative work for over 10 years, and Jill Anna Ponasik, who assumed the artistic helm in 2009, has expanded the vision of the company to include work that really pushes the boundaries. This double bill features two one-woman shows: Meditation, a premiere by the Twin-Cities-based Nautilus Music-Theater, and Dominic Argento’s From the Diary of Virginia Woolf, featuring Milwaukee favorite Diane Lane.
#4. Michael Perry and the Long Beds at Oconomowoc Arts Center.
Why? Because you’ve enjoyed Michael Perry’s wry reflections on small-town life in books like Coop and Truck. But you can’t dance to a New Yorker-style essay. So buy a new pair of jeans at Fleet Farm and head out to hear Perry’s foot-stompin’ side project, a type of music he calls “roughneck folk.” The loquacious Perry might tell a few stories, and they’ll play lots of music, much of it from their latest album, Tiny Pilot. Seasoned Perry fans won’t forget their Sneezing Cow t-shirts.
#3. Jon Faddis at UW-Milwaukee.
Why? Because Faddis is one of a handful of trumpeters today carrying on the legacy of Dizzy Gillespie and Clifford Brown, hard driving be-boppers with a lyrical flair. He’s played with a lot of greats – Lionel Hampton, Charles Mingus, and the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. But, like many jazz stars today, he’s balanced his session work with teaching and mentoring. He’ll front the newly formed Milwaukee Jazz Orchestra, a collection of local pros lead by UWM jazz studies director, Curt Hanrahan. It’s a nice way to kick off a new project.
#2. Edible Book Show at Woodland Pattern Book Center.
Why? Because some books are tastier than others. Chew on a page from your dog-earred copy of Catcher in the Rye, and it might just be a midlife Madeleine, evoking smoky dorm rooms or a sunny fall day spent sitting under a tree on the quad (try that with a Kindle). But no books are tastier than those on display at Woodland Pattern’s annual festival of flavorsome fiction and piquant prose. Now in it’s fifth year, it will appeal to literati and gourmands alike. But, please, read before you taste.
#1. Milwaukee Ballet’s 3 at the Marcus Center.
Why? Because the Ballet’s Spring repertory show offers something for everyone. Darrell Grand Moultrie has a splashy Broadway style (he just ended an onstage gig with the dance-musical Billy Elliott), and is the only choreographer you’ll see this season who’s worked with Dave Chappelle. MB Company member Petr Zahradnicek, who has staged several works on his home company, works in a style that combines American energy with Eastern European introspection (he’s a native of Prague). And Diane Brunning brings a postmodern spin to the table, which should be evident in her setting of music by the Red Clay Ramblers.
