Presented by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Dear Readers,
Spring is in the air, and Milwaukee’s arts scene is in full bloom with music, dance and theatre performances, museum openings and more.
At the Bradley Symphony Center, you can hear the sublime sounds of symphonic splendor. The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s season-end lineup features everything from top-notch fan favorites of orchestral music to one-night-only appearances by singer-songwriter superstars. The sounds of hope and renewal ring throughout Allen-Bradley Hall with Copland’s Appalachian Spring (April 4-5) and Pines of Rome (May 9-10), while the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus sings with fire and passion in the Brahms Requiem (April 11-13) and Great Moments in Grand Opera (June 13-15). Newly appointed Principal Pops Conductor Byron Stripling returns to bring the golden era of popular song to life with Twist and Shout: The Music of The Beatles (March 28-30) and Motown & The Philly Sound (May 23-25), while Chris Thile (March 15) and Ben Folds (May 3) present their signature tunes alongside the world-class MSO. Don’t miss a single note: Secure your tickets today at mso.org or by calling the MSO box office at 414-291-7605.
Sincerely,
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Spring Calendar
The Craic
Milwaukee Rep
Through March 16
Winter Series: Meadow
Milwaukee Art Museum
Through April 13
MKE MIX
Milwaukee Ballet
Feb. 7-16
Guitar Festival Concert
Latino Arts
Feb. 8
SPOTLIGHT
The Children
FEB. 12-MARCH 9 | NEXT ACT THEATRE, 255 S. WATER ST.
Two retired nuclear scientists reside in an isolated cottage by the sea as the world around them crumbles. Together they are going to live forever on yogurt and yoga, until an old friend arrives with a frightening request. Lucy Kirkwood’s hit play is a beautifully-written puzzle about personal responsibility, guilt and what we leave our young. Featuring Mary MacDonald Kerr, Brian Mani and Shariba Rivers. Directed by Marie Kohler.
Claire Kellesvig and Caitlin Lempia-Bradford
Tory Folliard Gallery
Feb. 12-March 9
The Children
Next Act Theatre
Feb. 8-March 8
Rusalka
Danceworks MKE
Feb. 14-23
SPOTLIGHT
Italian Maestros and an American Queen
Feb. 22 | Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave.
MYSO pays tribute at its annual Founders Concert featuring its acclaimed Senior Symphony performing works by composers Giuseppe Verdi, Pietro Mascagni, and Ottorino Respighi including his Fountains of Rome, and the beautiful Symphony No. 3 by Florence Price (1887-1953), the first African American woman to have had a composition played by a major U.S. orchestra. MYSO’s Senior Symphony, with 107 members in grades 8-12, has long been recognized as one of the nation’s top youth music ensembles, hailed for artistic excellence nationally and internationally.
Acis and Galatea
Florentine Opera
Feb. 14, 16
Moby Dick; Or, The Whale
Present Music
Feb. 14
Frankenstein: The Musical
Skylight Music Theatre
Feb. 21-March 9
SPOTLIGHT
Romeo and Juliet
FEB. 25-MARCH 30 | WILSON THEATER AT VOGEL HALL, MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 929 N. WATER ST.
Get swept away by forbidden romance and heart-pounding passion in the most celebrated love story of all time. Shakespeare’s star-crossed couple soars to new heights as they risk everything for the joy of being together in this refreshing new adaptation that fuses original music with Shakespeare’s poetry to create a sparkling take on a beloved classic that will appeal to all generations.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater, 414-224-9490
Every Brilliant Thing
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Feb. 27-March 16
MSO Spotlight: Ingrid Fliter Plays Mozart
Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m. and March 1, 7:30 p.m.
Michael Sanderling, conductor; Ingrid Fliter, piano
Ingrid Fliter joins the MSO for Mozart’s smiling Piano Concerto No. 17. Michael Sanderling later conducts music from Prokofiev’s ballet Romeo and Juliet, with a masquerade ball and a tragic ending for the star-crossed lovers.
MSO Spotlight: Mendelssohn’s Third Symphony
March 7, 11:15 a.m., March 8, 7:30 p.m. and March 9, 2:30 p.m.
David Danzmayr, conductor; Claire Huangci, piano
David Danzmayr returns to the MSO to conduct Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony, as well as Claire Huangci’s rendition of Beethoven’s unfinished and rarely heard Piano Concerto No. 6.
Finding Nemo
First Stage
March 8-April 6
MSO Spotlight: Chris Thile with the MSO
March 15, 7:30 p.m.
For one night only, Grammy Award-winning mandolinist, singer and songwriter Chris Thile joins the MSO for ATTENTION! (A narrative song cycle for extroverted mandolinist and orchestra) at the Bradley Symphony Center. A founding member of the acclaimed bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek, Thile creates a distinctly American canon and a new musical aesthetic for performers and audiences alike.
Voices of the Soul
Bel Canto
March 16
SPOTLIGHT
Ezy Ryders: History & Tradition, Heart & Soul
ON VIEW NOW | HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM, 400 W. CANAL ST.
The Harley-Davidson Museum’s newest exhibition is a celebration of life on two wheels. Photographer Cate Dingley interviewed and photographed Black riders in New York City. Her work became a book, Ezy Ryders. The riders are from all walks of life and ride all kinds of machines. Some come from motorcycling families while others are recent adopters of the sport. Many are members of clubs, but some are independent riders. They are represented through Dingley’s photos and the riders’ own words. From sharing the source of their biker names, to stories of how they came to riding and why they stay, this is a compelling portrait of a passionate and vibrant motorcycling community.
Viva La Mamma!
Florentine Opera
March 21, 23
MSO Spotlight: Bach Celebration
March. 21-22, 7:30 p.m. and March 23, 2:30 p.m.
Ken-David Masur, conductor; Dashon Burton, bass-baritone; Jeanyi Kim, violin; Kevin Pearl, oboe
Following last season’s celebration of one of history’s greatest composers, Music Director Ken-David Masur and Artistic Partner Dashon Burton return with a fresh program of Bach favorites.
SPOTLIGHT
Viva la Mamma!
MARCH 21, 23 | PITMAN THEATER AT ALVERNO COLLEGE, 3431 S. 39TH ST.
Chaos, comedy, and diva-level drama—welcome to Viva la Mamma! In this riotous send-up of opera itself, backstage antics steal the spotlight as a troupe tries (and fails spectacularly) to stage a new production. Enter Mamma Agata, the over-the-top stage mom who’ll stop at nothing to get her daughter her moment to shine—even if it means upstaging everyone else. With its outrageous characters, tongue-in-cheek humor, and Donizetti’s sparkling score, Viva la Mamma! is a laugh-out-loud love letter to the beautiful madness of opera. If you’ve ever wondered what really happens behind the curtain, this is your front-row seat to the chaos!
The Florentine Opera, florentineopera.org
Buyer & Cellar
Renaissance Theaterworks
March 22-April 13
SPOTLIGHT
Martha Graham Dance Company
MARCH 15 | MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 929 N. WATER ST.
Since 1926, the Martha Graham Dance Company has been a leader in modern dance. Martha Graham’s groundbreaking and uniquely American style has influenced generations of artists and continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Today, the world’s oldest modern dance company is embracing a new vision that showcases masterpieces by Graham alongside newly commissioned works by contemporary artists. Returning to Milwaukee for the first time in over 50 years, the company is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a series of programs and events exploring the diversity and depth of Graham’s extraordinary artistic legacy.
Into the Wild
Present Music
March 26-27
Ride the Cyclone
First Stage
March 28-April 13
MSO Spotlight: Twist & Shout: The Music of the Beatles
March 28-29, 7:30 p.m. and March 30, 2:30 p.m.
Byron Stripling, Stein Family
Foundation Principal Pops Conductor
Byron Stripling returns with music of the Fab Four! Twist & Shout is the most authentic, unique concert project celebrating the early years of The Beatles in the U.S. Featuring early No. 1 hits, such as “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Help!,” “Yesterday” and many more.
Sister Act
Skylight Music Theatre
April 4-27
SPOTLIGHT
Sam Barsky: It’s Not the Same Without You
FEB. 1 – JULY 20 | JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER, 608 NEW YORK AVE. SHEBOYGAN
Sam Barsky: It’s Not the Same Without You is the artist’s first museum show, featuring over 20 of his signature sweaters. Knitting since 1999, Barsky has received acclaim for his wearable art, which features various landmarks and monuments. He became “internet famous” for posting photos of himself wearing these sweaters at the locations depicted. Barsky doesn’t sell his sweaters and rarely shows them outside his photographs and workshops. For this exhibition, he will knit a sweater featuring the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, which visitors can borrow to photograph themselves, a la Barsky’s internet practice.
MSO Spotlight: Copland’s Appalachian Spring
April 4, 11:15 a.m. and April 5, 7:30 p.m.
Ryan Tani, conductor
Ji Su Jung, marimba
MSO Assistant Conductor Ryan Tani returns to the podium to guide this lively program, which begins with Aaron Copland’s sentimental paean to the American heartland, Appalachian Spring, and ends with Beethoven’s buoyant and brilliant Fourth Symphony.
Get It Out There
Danceworks MKE
April 5
Sleeping Beauty
Milwaukee Ballet
April 11-13
MSO Spotlight: Brahms Requiem
April 11-12, 7:30 p.m. and April 13, 2:30 p.m.
Ken-David Masur, conductor; Milwaukee Symphony Chorus; Dashon Burton, baritone
Music Director Ken-David Masur conducts the orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, and Artistic Partner Dashon Burton through Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem and his personal journey of sorrow and consolation.
SPOTLIGHT
‘Celebrate Milwaukee Day’ Season Opener
APRIL 13 | MILWAUKEE MAKERS MARKET, DISCOVERY WORLD PAVILION, 500 N. HARBOR DR.
Milwaukee Makers Market is back for 2025, starting with “Celebrate Milwaukee Day” inside Discovery World Pavilion on Sunday, April 13!
Event Hours are 10am-4pm, and it’s always free to attend the market! Join us in celebrating Milwaukee’s vibrant community and businesses with other Milwaukeeans during their season opener! The market will feature over 50 local makers, with clothing, coffee, cookies, Milwaukee-themed artwork, items and accessories, and so much more. There’s something for everyone, including food trucks!
Choreo Kitchen – Series 2
Wild Space Dance Company
April 18-19
Circle Mirror Transformation
Next Act Theatre
April 23-May 18
SPOTLIGHT
A Room Shaped Story
APRIL 18, 19 | WILD SPACE DANCE COMPANY, 158 N. BROADWAY
Step inside a world where walls shift and stories unfold. In this evening-length premiere, choreographers Katelyn Altmann, Ashley Ray Garcia, and Dan Schuchart present a collection of abstract narratives told through movement, all taking place within the ever-changing boundaries of a single room. With a dynamic set design featuring moving walls that frame and reshape the action, the dancers investigate storytelling through physicality, space, and transformation. Each piece reveals fleeting moments—where stories emerge, collide, and dissolve—inviting the audience to experience how dance can transcend traditional narrative. This performance will take place at the Broadway Theatre Center.
Topdog/Underdog
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
April 25-May 11
MSO Spotlight: Dinur Conducts Tchaikovsky
April 26, 7:30 p.m. and April 27, 2:30 p.m.
Yaniv Dinur, conductor
Alexander Korsantia, piano
Yaniv Dinur, former resident conductor of the MSO, returns to lead Tchaikovsky’s astounding Fourth Symphony, whose emotional finale builds from darkness to light.
God of Carnage
Sunset Playhouse
May 1-4
SPOTLIGHT
Circle Mirror Transformation
APRIL 23 – MAY 18 | NEXT ACT THEATRE, 255 S. WATER ST.
Breathe in. Breathe out. Start again. Four lost New Englanders enroll in Marty’s community center drama class to experiment with theatre games and try to find meaning in their lives. Over the course of six weeks, hearts are quietly torn apart and tiny wars of epic proportions are waged and won. Annie Baker’s beautifully-crafted diorama of a comedy shows us, with terrific detail and clarity, the hilarious sadness of a motley quintet. Featuring Chloe Attalla, Elyse Edelman, Reese Madigan, Mark Ulrich and Tami Workentin. Directed by Cody Estle.
Esperanza Rising
First Stage
May 2-18
MSO Spotlight: Ben Folds with the MSO
May 3, 7:30 p.m.
Emmy Award-nominated composer, singer-songwriter and pianist Ben Folds brings to his debut performance at the Bradley Symphony Center his “gift for storytelling and keen observations on the small, universal moments in life that make us human.” (NPR) Folds, artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra, is widely regarded as one of the major music influencers of his generation, reflected in his power-driven symphonic repertoire.
Voices of Home
Bel Canto
May 4
SPOTLIGHT
2025 MIAD Senior Exhibition
APRIL 11-MAY 10 | MILWAUKEE INSTITUTE OF ART & DESIGN, 273 E. ERIE ST.
Digital and traditional innovations meet in MIAD’s 2025 Senior Exhibition. The exhibition celebrates works of MIAD’s graduating class of emerging creative professionals representing all of MIAD’s Bachelor of Fine Arts majors, programs and minors. Explore our galleries and meet the class of 2025.
MSO Spotlight: Pines of Rome
May 9, 11:15 a.m. and May 10, 7:30 p.m.
Ken-David Masur, conductor
Musical pictures abound in this imaginative program, led by Music Director Ken-David Masur, which begins with Rossini’s galloping William Tell Overture and concludes with Resphigi’s stately yet evocative Pines of Rome.
Mark Godden’s Carmen
Milwaukee Ballet
May 16-18
SPOTLIGHT
Ashwini Bhat: Reverberating Self
FEB. 15, 2025 – JAN. 11, 2026 | JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER, 608 NEW YORK AVE. SHEBOYGAN
Ashwini Bhat: Reverberating Self presents a decade of work, including new pieces that reflect her journey as an immigrant to California from southern India. Bhat works to find a sense of belonging and self in her home through communion with her environment and art making. The exhibition highlights her technical skill and intuitive approach to diverse materials and techniques like bronze, ceramics, and video. All works on view are part of Assembling California, an ongoing exploration of place and self, focusing on natural phenomena like climate change and post-fire forests. Her work invites viewers to reflect on the interconnectedness of all living beings and the environment.
Bizet’s Carmen
Florentine Opera
May 16, 18
Fables From the Wide Sky
Danceworks MKE
May 22-24
MSO Spotlight: Let’s Groove Tonight: Motown & The Philly Sound
May 23-24, 7:30 p.m. and May 25, 2:30 p.m.
Byron Stripling, Stein Family; Foundation Principal Pops Conductor; Chester Gregory, Ashley Jayy and Brik Liam, vocalists
Magic melodies come to life as the pop, soul and R&B sounds of Motown and the famous hits from the Philly Sound face off in this exciting concert experience. Led by Broadway superstar Chester Gregory and vocal powerhouses Ashley Jayy & Brik Liam, this incredible program is full of classic hit songs made famous by The Spinners, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and more.
MSO Spotlight: Bernstein & Bartók
May 30-31, 7:30 p.m.
Stefan Asbury, conductor; Tai Murray, violin
Stefan Asbury conducts three vibrant stories set to music: Bernstein’s Serenade (featuring violinist Tai Murray) and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, and finally Bartók’s The Miraculous Mandarin.
