Theater
Miracle on South Division Street
What’s the worst that can happen when a daughter stages a “tell-all” play about her quirky family? The Milwaukee Chamber Theatre shows us, in their production of the Tom Dudzick family comedy. The production, which takes place at the Broadway Theatre Center (158 N. Broadway), runs all weekend through Sunday, December 17.
Family-Friendly
Beginning November 24 and showing all weekend through December 31, see the beloved television special of the same name brought to life by a (nearly) all-kid cast at First Stage Children’s Theatre (325 W. Walnut St.). Music director Jack Forbes Wilson will play the show’s classic score live, on piano, at each performance.
Entertainment
With sideshow stunts, burlesque stripteases, magic tricks and acrobatics, Dead Man’s Carnival performances are as colorful and ever-changing as the audiences they attract. The show is a throwback to vaudeville acts that toured in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with stars like Fred Astaire, Josephine Baker and Harry Houdini in tow. But it’s also utterly of the moment. The Dead Man’s Carnival takes to the Miramar (2844 N. Oakland Ave.) stage on Friday, December 1 for its season finale, a Tom Waits tribute.
Holiday Fun
The Pabst Mansion (2000 W. Wisconsin Ave.) has decked its halls with holly – and much more. The former beer barons’ manse is open to the public Monday through Saturday until January 8 and is teeming with decorated trees, twinkling lights and crackling fires.
Tourism has been booming in Cedarburg for decades, thanks in part to the many artists who live and work in the historic town. From Friday, December 1 through Sunday, December 3, more than 40 of them set up shop at this annual event and offer up their one-of-a-kind wares at the Cedarburg Community Center (W62 N546 Washington Ave., Cedarburg)
You’ve made your list and checked it twice. Now you just need to find, and buy, gifts for all those friends and loved ones. This Germanic market open from Friday, December 1 through Sunday, December 10 at The Osthoff Resort (101 Osthoff Ave., Elkhart Lake) is a great place to pick up traditional European handicrafts, like blown-glass ornaments, Cuckoo clocks and hand-carved nutcrackers.
Not to be confused with a futuristic flying vehicle, the Hover Craft is an annual holiday shopping extravaganza held at the Pritzlaff Building (333 N. Plankinton Ave.). On Sunday, December 3, visitors can purchase gifts from more than 100 local artists and artisans, including local favorites such as Orchard Street Apparel and Shovel + Spade.
Music
Nothing ignites the holiday spirit like music, which is why this Marcus Center (929 N. Water St.) concert series, presented by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, is an annual tradition for many Milwaukeeans. From Friday, December 1 through Sunday, December 3, the orchestra and symphony chorus deliver stirring renditions of holiday songs and carols. And, yes, you’ll have a chance to sing along.
Art
The late landscape architect Dan Kiley lives on in the more than 1,000 designs he created worldwide. Photographs of 27 of his best-known works, including the Cudahy Gardens in front of the Milwaukee Art Museum, are on display all weekend and through January 12 at the university’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning (2131 E. Hartford Ave.).
Beat winter blues with a burst of color. Two Wisco artists show their work at the Tory Folliard Gallery (233 N. Milwaukee St.) from Saturday, December 2 through December 30: painter Derrick Buisch and sculptor and Bill Reid. Though they work in different media, they share a love of color and a cheery pop art aesthetic.
