Daughters of the Dust
March 31-April 1
UWM Cinema
Lynden Sculpture Garden is working with UWM’s Union Cinema to screen Daughters of the Dust, a film about a Gullah community on an island off South Carolina. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance when it premiered, Daughters was the first widely distributed film made by an African-American female director.
The Oracle Presents Tyler Maas
April 1
Urban Harvest Brewing Company
The Oracle is an improv series where a guest speaker, in this case Milwaukee Record co-founder Tyler Maas, performs a monologue and then a troupe of improvisers uses it as the basis for its act. As improv goes, this has the ingredients for a great evening or a memorable disaster.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Colorado Rockies
April 3
Miller Park
Ah, the unofficial spring holiday has returned and, this year, for the second time in three years, the rebuilding Brew Crew will dust off their bats to play the Rockies on the season’s opening day.
Bohemian Rhapsody
April 4
Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts
The Wisconsin Philharmonic pays tribute to Bohemian composers, including a special performance by cellist Joshua Roman, who performs Dvorak’s concerto.
Wisconsin Literary Luminaries: From Laura Ingalls Wilder to Ayad Akhtar
April 6
Boswell Book Company
Journal Sentinel entertainment and features editor (and resident book critic) Jim Higgins knows his stuff when it comes to local writers. He’ll introduce you to some of the most notable while discussing his collection of their profiles.
La Sylphide with Sans Pleurer
April 6-9
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
This Milwaukee Ballet choreography showcase features both new (Sans Pleurer, directed by Timothy O’Donnell) and old, er, classic works (1836’s La Sylphide), and will captivate for three evenings as the second-to-last MB production of the season.
La Perichole
April 7-8
Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts
UWM Opera Theatre performs Jacques Offenbach’s Peruvian tale of love, misfortune and royal hijinks.
My Favorite Murder
April 7
Riverside Theater
Comedian and writer Karen Kilgariff and TV host Georgia Hardstack bring their podcast, in which they banter about famous murders, to the Riverside. People who love discussing grisly crimes over brunch will enjoy this live recording session.
Midwest Gaming Classic
April 7-9
Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel
An arcade hall, live music, and adults dressed like video game characters should be enough to entice gamers of all stripes, and, of course, those of us who are just plain curious.
Great Expectations
April 13-30
Broadway Theatre Center
The Milwaukee Chamber Theatre presents this coming-of-age classic, in collaboration with First Stage.
Egg Day
April 15
Milwaukee County Zoo
There’s plenty to keep kids entertained at this annual event, which includes an egg hunt, craft projects, face painting, and the Bubble Wonders Show. Festivities start at 9 a.m. and culminate at 2 p.m., with a parade.
Brian Wilson Presents Pet Sounds
April 19
Riverside Theater
Good writers loathe throwing around “iconic” lightly, but it’s perfectly acceptable when you’re talking about one of the most cherished albums ever made. Now card-carrying senior citizens, three members of The Beach Boys are billing this tour as your final chance to see the album performed in its entirety.
Erika Nordqvist: New Drawings
April 21-May 27
Tory Folliard Gallery
The Swedish artist depicts fantastical, everyday scenes using pencils and paper, and will show off her latest just in time for Gallery Night (April 21).
Festival of Laughs
April 22
Milwaukee Theatre
Four national comedians – Rick Smiley, Mike Epps, Bruce Bruce and Felipe Esparza – will bring the gutbusters to Kilbourn Avenue.
Crafts & Drafts Spring Beer Fest
April 23
Serb Hall
Five years ago, beer fests were a relatively novel event. Now, you can be choosy about how to spend your calories, because the city has many – and most are great, Crafts & Drafts features dozens of breweries, and the chance to taste “whales” (ultra-rare brews) like Central Waters’ Ardea Insignis Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout.
Chicago
April 25-30
Marcus Center for the Performing Arts
This month’s Marcus Center Broadway offering celebrates its 20th year of reviving the classic musical about murderous fame-seekers.
Marc Maron
April 27
Pabst Theater
Marc Maron, the prolific comedian, podcast host, author, titular television star and self-proclaimed “feral cat wrangler” comes to Milwaukee for a night of stand-up.
The Nature of Slow Food
April 27
Milwaukee Public Museum
As part of the MPM’s beer-cum-science series, Jennifer Casey, who runs the Fondy Food Center, one of the area’s largest farmers’ markets, will discuss the importance of biodiversity and how it relates to the stuff we put in our mouths.
Time, Nature, Culture, Sound
April 29
Milwaukee Public Museum
Present music is known for taking its show on the road, and sometimes that road leads to some pretty wonderful places. Three years ago, they played John Luther Adams’ expansive aural adventure Inuksuit over several acres of the Lynden Sculpture Garden. They sent their musicians into the galleries of the Milwaukee Art Museum for various audio-visual interactions with paintings and sculptures. And they even tried to “talk” to the animals at the Milwaukee County Zoo. For this month’s “exploratory concert” “Time, Nature, Culture, Sound,” PM’s Music Director Kevin Stalheim animates several Milwaukee Public Museum environments with live, contemporary music. The result of a year-long collaboration between the MPM and PM, the concert will feature world premieres created for such beloved spaces as the museum’s rain forest exhibit and the Soref Planetarium. The group will leave a permanent mark on the museum with a sound installation created by percussionist Julio Pabon, which will be installed in the Pre Colombian and Pacific Islands exhibit. – Paul Kosidowski
April 29
The Rave
The soft-spoken British electro-rockers promote their 2017 album / See You at the Rave for what will surely be a packed house. Don’t miss ’em. ◆
