1. Check Out Christmas at the Pabst
ARCHER PARQUETTE, MANAGING EDITOR
First off, I am not a Christmas in November kind of guy. I’m not even a Christmas in early December kind of guy. For me, a man of grand humbuggery, the holiday season is thoroughly contained to the week itself. My body is just not built for that much cheer and goodwill. Because of this, I don’t plan to visit the Pabst Mansion’s annual bacchanalia of holiday splendor until closer to Dec. 25 itself, but for those of you already raring to experience the spirit of the season, the mansion is revealing its new decorations this week, starting Thursday, Nov. 20. Last year, I had a great time exploring the already-striking home of ol’ Captain Pabst, which comes to life with vibrant lights and garlands. It’s enough to even make the heart of even an unrepentant Scrooge like me warm a little.
2. Grab Lakefront Brewery’s Cheese Curd of the Month
AMRITA THAKKAR, DIGITAL EDITOR
Lakefront Brewery is known for its cheese curds (I certainly recommend them to anyone who visits), but I only learned about its Cheese Curd of the Month this summer. This month’s flavor is Thanksgiving, which means the curds come smothered in gravy (which also seemed to feature bits of stuffing) with a side of perfectly tangy-sweet cranberry sauce. I love everything to do with Thanksgiving food, so I may be biased, but these were the easily the most delicious things I ate all weekend. You can grab a plate or a box for takeout any day Lakefront is open except Friday (they do sell out early in the day, though). You can find also find a list of their monthly offerings on their website. Next month’s is Anniversary Cake – I may be skipping that one.
Tell us who you’d pick to be a Betty this year!
3. Stand Up for “Hallelujah” at Handel’s Messiah
EVAN MUSIL, ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Handel didn’t even write Messiah for Christmas. He wrote it for Lent, and that’s when the first performances took place. Only Part I of the lengthy oratorio covers the birth of baby Jesus, and that part doesn’t include the most-famous moment of the piece – the “Hallelujah” chorus. But nobody cares. That ecstatic chorus, and all the drama and baroque harmonies that surround it, transcend any one religion and catapult the work into a celebration of humanity. And what better time for unrestrained jubilation than the holidays? The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra have been performing the piece most seasons, and they’ve brought back baroque specialist Nicholas McGegan to conduct. It’s worth checking out even if classical music isn’t your forte – just don’t be surprised when everyone stands.
4. See Boswell at Next Act Theatre
Next Act Theatre’s Boswell is a homecoming of sorts. An early version of Marie Kohler’s play – about a young academic swept into the world of a pioneering biographer – premiered at Renaissance Theaterworks in 2005, before an off-Broadway debut in 2022. Now, much of the local cast and crew are reuniting from Nov. 19-Dec. 14.
– Evan Musil in the November issue
