#5: True West at Alchemist Theatre.
Why? Because Sam Shepard’s 1980 play is one of his best, and certainly his funniest. But it doesn’t shy away from the playwright’s fascination with the darker side of American mythology and nationalcharacter. Here, the talented Erin Nicole Eggers is back to direct an American classic, after her production last year of David Mamet’s Oleanna was cancelled after one performance because the playwright objected to casting a male actor in the female role. David Sapiro is back in this production, playing the menacing Austin—a role made famous by John Malkovich.
Why? Because the Bel Canto’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr., tribute has become a beautiful tradition, conveying a message that is always necessary, but even more acutely needed in these troubled times. Richard Hynson leads the chorus in an afternoon of song and readings to commemorate King’s legacy, and the people who keep his message alive today.
#3: The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra at the Marcus Center.
Why? Because Spring is just around the corner. Really. If you don’t believe me, listen to the bucolic strains of Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony (it’s best if you try to keep those images from Disney’s Fantasia out of mind). Edo de Waart returns to his home orchestra to continue the MSO’s Beethoven cycle, and he pairs this popular classic with two more modern American works. Erich Korngold’s violin concerto has echoes of 1930s Hollywood, where this Austrian-born composer eventually made his well-appointed home (Philip Quint is the soloist). And the concert opens with a brand new work by wunderkind Mason Bates. Garages of the Valley (which is dedicated to de Waart) is a tribute to the wizardry of Silicon Valley, and uses odd tunings and textures to evoke the hum and buzz of the dawning digital age.
#2: Macbeth at Soulstice Theatre.
Why? Because all’s fair in love and Shakespeare. Back in the (Elizabethan) day, acting was a guy thing, and both male and female roles in Shakespeare’s plays were played by men. Now, Soulstice pulls a turnabout, casting The Scottish Play with all women, and making it a women’s story. As their version of the story goes: while the boys are off fighting their wars, the women decide to do some nation building without them. That’s director Catherine Jones’ idea, anyway. And we’re eager to see what she and her cast of 18 women make of it. Amy Hansmann and Alicia Rice are the First Couple.
#1: The Beautiful Music All Around Us at the Milwaukee Rep’s Stackner Cabaret.
Why? Because Stephen Wade is a one-man musical heritage society—think Alan Lomax with a banjo instead of a tape recorder. Steeped in his native Chicago’s music scene in the 1950s & 60s, he became a national authority on folk and blues traditions. But instead of writing a dissertation about it, he crafted a one-man show, Banjo Dancing, that became one of the longest-running off-Broadway shows in history. His latest show is drawn from two decades of field research, recording and documenting folk music in the American South. And he brings it to life onstage with deep respect and ingratiating charm.
