Caroling, caroling here we go. Even if it’s not “through the snow,” there are plenty of music events to choose from this weekend, some holiday-themed and some not. Top of the music list is The Prometheus Trio, which will play Beethoven, Ravel (the great Trio in A minor) and “Three Funny Pieces” by that 20th century Russian jokester, Rodion Shchedrin. There may be a carol or two in the repertoire of Adonis Puentes & The Voice of Cuba Orchestra, playing at Latino Arts, but it will have lots of clave mixed in. And there’s definitely an international flavor to Robin Pluer’s annual outing at the Wisconsin Conservatory. For the holiday staples on an orchestral scale, The Concord Chamber Orchestra presents its annual Christmas concert on Saturday. And, of course, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchstra’s annual Holiday Pops concert will have all the usual amenities, including the MSO Chorus and The Milwaukee Handbell Ensemble. But for this weekend’s Five, we’re highlighting some quirky and irreverent ways to celebrate the season.
#5: Upon a Midnight Clear: A Tale of Jack Frost at Soulstice Theatre
Why? Because local playwright Liz Shipe digs deep into northern European mythology to spin a tale that even Marvel comics would love. Jack Frost is torn between the human world and the world of the immortals, and must decide if love will conquer all for him. His old friends Wodan, The Sandman and the Krampus are on hand to make the case for immortality.
#4: Splinter Group’s A Kiss for the Prize Tomato at the Marian Center for the Arts.
Why? Because talking vegetation isn’t only the province of mock horror movie musicals. In Jim Farrell’s brand new play, a farm family’s optimism about the return of a long-lost son gets complicated as some family secrets are revealed. Jake Brockmann directs a great cast, including Megan Kaminsky, Claudio Parrone, Jr., and Rachael Zientek.
#3: In Tandem’s A Twisted Carol at the 10th Street Theatre
Why? Because Chris and Jane Flieller don’t believe in just hauling out the classics for Christmas. Who else could make O, Bowling Night a staple of carolers around town. This time, the In Tandem folks set their skewed sights on that venerable tale of Scrooge and Marley, and set some kinks into Charles Dickens’ old story. Mondy Carter is the one doing the twisting, and Nathan Wesselowski pens the songs to go along.
#2: Theatre Gigante’s Beautiful and Pointless at Gigante Studio
Why? Because you love your hometown, but you long to celebrate one Christmas in some exotic place: a beach in Bali, a mountain in the Himilayas, or perhaps 1950s New York City. Theatre Gigante’s evening of Frank O’Hara’s short plays will take you to the latter, hang out with the folks of the New York School, including hard-drinking painters and poets and other cultural ne’er-do-wells. Isabelle Kralj and Mark Anderson have assembled a dozen or so of Milwaukee’s finest, including Deborah Clifton, John Kishline, Jason Powell, Michael Stebbins and Kat Wodtke. And there’s beer.
#1: Milwaukee Opera Theater’s The Story of My Life at Boswell Book Company
Why? Because bookstores and theaters are at the top of your Favorite Places list, and MOT’s holiday production allows you to visit both in one trip. Neil Bartram and Brian Hill’s musical about two friends who part ways early in life, but share a bond that lasts a lifetime. Always a fan of alternative venues, MOT stages the play after hours at Boswell Books. Doug Clemons and Adam Estes star, and C. Michael Wright directs.
