art and entertainment - february 2012

Complete address of sites is listed with first mention. Area codes of phone numbers are 414 unless shown otherwise. Please confirm events when possible; listings subject to change.

MUSIC

NOTE: At Potawatomi Bingo Casino, no one under 21 is allowed in the theater under any circumstances.

TRINITY • THREE IRISH PUBS LIVE MUSIC, 125 E. Juneau Ave. 2/3 Dan Harvey, 2/4 Dan Harvey, 2/10 Dirty Boogie, 2/11 Superfly, 2/17 Zachary Wade, 2/18 Southbound, 2/24 Midnight Groove, 2/25 New Dog Trick. On Friday and Saturday nights, ride the trolley between Trinity, The Harp, The Black Rose and RC's.

GERSHWIN & FRIENDS, through Feb. 12; Cabot Theatre, Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. Opens at a ritzy party in the New York City home of George Gershwin in the midst of the Jazz Age, where a young couple from the party staff, Cynthia and Parrish, celebrates behind the scenes. After their work is done at the Gershwin estate, they head home to Harlem to kick up their heels. Presented by Skylight Music Theatre. 291-7800.

MUSIC UNDER GLASS, Thursdays through March 22; Mitchell Park Horticultural Domes, 524 S. Layton Blvd. Popular bands play from 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. with light shows during breaks and after each performance. 257-5611.

AN EVENING WITH GIL SHAHAM, Feb. 1; Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concert. 273-7206. 7:30 p.m.

AARON NEVILLE DUO, Feb. 1; Potawatomi Bingo Casino, Northern Lights Theater, 1721 W. Canal St. 8 p.m. 273-7121.

DARK STAR ORCHESTRA, Feb. 3; Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St. 286-3663.

ALL RACHMANINOFF, Feb. 3-5; Marcus Center. Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concert features fiery piano virtuoso Joyce Yang.

2012 BREW CITY STOMP DOWN STEP SHOW, Feb. 4; Riverside Theater, 116 W. Wisconsin Ave.

CITY AND COLOUR, Feb. 6; Pabst Theater.

COLLIN RAYE, Feb. 8; Potawatomi Bingo Casino. 8 p.m.

JIM VAN SLYKE: THE SEDAKA SHOW, Feb. 8; Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, 19805 W. Capitol Dr., Brookfield, inside Mitchell Park. 1 p.m. 262-781-9520.

JEFF MANGUM (NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL), Feb. 8; Pabst Theater.

TOMMY CASTRO BAND and BETTYE LAVETTE. Feb. 10; Potawatomi Bingo Casino. 8 p.m.

RAILROAD EARTH, Feb. 10; Pabst Theater.

ROMEO & JULIET, Feb. 10-12; Marcus Center. Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concert.

ISN’T IT ROMANTIC, Feb. 10-12; Marcus Center. Florentine Opera Studio Artists present an evening of romance with a program of popular love songs.

ST. OLAF CHOIR, Feb. 11; Marcus Center. 2 p.m.

LIZ CARROLL WITH CORMAC MCCARTHY, Feb. 11; Irish Cultural and Heritage Center, 2133 W. Wisconsin Ave. 7:30 p.m. 345-8800.

COWBOY MOUTH, Feb. 11; Potawatomi Bingo Casino. 8 p.m.

THE ULTIMATE DOO WOP SHOW, Feb. 14; Potawatomi Bingo Casino. 8 p.m.

KARL DENSON’S TINY UNIVERSE PRESENTS THE ROLLING STONES ALBUM “STICKY FINGERS,” Feb. 15; Potawatomi Bingo Casino. Soulful rendering of the album in its entirety with special guests Anders Osborne and more.

THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER, Feb. 17; Potawatomi Bingo Casino. 8 p.m.

BRIAN JOHNSON OF AC/DC, Feb. 22; Pabst Theater. 8 p.m.

PALLAVI MAHIDHARA, Feb. 24; Wilson Center, Brookfield.

MSO POPS - 007: BOND AND BEYOND, Feb. 24-26; Marcus Center. The signature tunes of Bond films.

MARY POPPINS, Feb. 28-March 4; Marcus Center. Touring company of hit Broadway musical.

PETER FRAMPTON, FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE, Feb. 29; Pabst Theater.

THEATER

JITNEY, through Feb. 5; Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. Play by August Wilson set in 1970s Pittsburgh.

WRINKLE IN TIME, through Feb. 19; Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 929 N. Water St. First Stage Children’s Theater presentation about a strange visitor who arrives at a family’s home on a dark and stormy night, Meg Murry embarks on a wild journey through space and time to rescue her father from the evil forces that hold him prisoner on another planet. 273-7206.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, through March 4; Quadracchi Powerhouse Theater, 108 E. Wells St. Set in small-town Alabama during the Depression, and seen with brilliant clarity through the eyes of a young tomboy, this Pulitzer Prize-winning tale is about innocence, tolerance, family and courage. Milwaukee Repertory Theater presentation. 224-9490.

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE – ABRIDGED, through March 11; Stackner Cabaret, Milwaukee Theater Center. Three phenomenal actors, armed with an outrageous assortment of outerwear and props, cram the Bard’s entire canon of plays (and sonnets), into 90 minutes of high-speed, over-the-top hilarity. 224-9490.

THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG, Feb. 2-12; Off the Wall Theatre, 127 E. Wells St. award winning comedy/drama about three middle aged Jewish-American women and their lives. Underlying the play is an empathetic concern for the prospects of women today. 327-3552.

VIGIL, Feb. 2-26; Next Act Theatre, 255 S. Water St. A selfish and mercenary bank clerk quits his job to keep a deathwatch on his aunt whom he hasn't seen in 30 years. He announces that since he's taken the trouble to answer her dying summons, he'd like her to get it over with so he can collect his inheritance. But Aunt Grace isn’t cooperating. 278-0765.

MISS ABIGAIL'S GUIDE TO DATING, MATING, & MARRIAGE, Feb. 16-19; Marcus Center. Story of Miss Abigail, the most sought-after relationship expert to the stars (think Dr. Ruth meets Emily Post), and her sexy sidekick Paco.

A THOUSAND WORDS, Feb. 16-March 11; Studio Theater, Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. Jumping back and forth between the 1930s and the present, this new play explores a mystery surrounding renowned photographer Walker Evans. Milwaukee Chamber Theater presents. 291-7800.

DANCE

AILY II, Feb. 11; Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, 19805 W. Capitol Dr., Brookfield, inside Mitchell Park. Merges the spirit and energy of the country’s best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers. 8 p.m. 262-781-9520.

WINTER SERIES, Feb. 16-19; Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St. Three world premieres are presented by Milwaukee Ballet Company. The Pabst Theater venue gives ballet-goers an up close look at the strength and athleticism of the dancers. 902-2103.

COMEDY

JEFF ROSS ROASTS AMERICA, Feb. 2; Pabst Theater, 144 E. Wells St.

IRA GLASS, Feb. 4; Pabst Theater.

THE ROYAL COMEDY TOUR FEATURING SOMMORE, BRUCE BRUCE, EARTHQUAKE & TONY ROCK, Feb. 12; Milwaukee Theatre, 500 W. Kilbourn Ave. 7 p.m.

AN EVENING WITH BILL ENGVALL, Feb. 18; Marcus Center, 929 N. Water St. 5 and 8 p.m. 273-7206.

RON WHITE, Feb. 25; Riverside Theater, 116 W. Wisconsin Ave.

EXHIBITS

LES PAUL’S HOUSE OF SOUND, MILWAUKEE MUSCLE, ENERGY & INGENUITY, CITY OF FRESHWATER, continuing; Discovery World, 500 N. Harbor Dr.

FAITH FAMILY FESTA, MILWAUKEE’S ITALIANS, continuing; Milwaukee County Historical Society, 910 N. Old World 3rd St. Explores life for Milwaukee’s Italian community. 273-8288.

THE DRAWING SEASON, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, 608 New York Ave., Sheboygan. In a series of six exhibitions, the arts center illuminates the vitality and varied vocabulary of the art of drawing as practiced by contemporary artists. www.jmkac.org

TERRA NOVA: POLYMER ART AT THE CROSSROADS, through Feb. 5; Racine Art Museum, 441 Main St. Featuring over 200 objects made of polymer, including adornment, vessels and furniture. 262-638-8300.

THE DEATH AND (AFTER) LIFE OF POST-INDUSTRIAL MILWAUKEE, through Feb. 6; Grohmann Museum, 1000 N. Broadway. The legacy of work in Milwaukee is explored through documentary photographs and site histories of former and current industrial facilities. 277-2300.

OUR PLASTIC VISAGE AND THE RAINBOW MACHINE COMPLEX, through Feb. 26; Ploch Art Gallery, Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, 198th and Capitol Drive in Mitchell Park, Brookfield. Dean Valadez uses imagery that feels much like a deconstruction of space and matter. 262-781-9470.

WISCONSIN VISUAL ARTISTS JURIED EXHIBITION, through March 2; Lynden Sculpture Garden, 2145 W. Brown Deer Rd. in River Hills. Features the work of Wisconsin Visual Artists from the Southeast. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Wed. & Fri., noon-5 p.m. Sun.

STORYBOOK TALES: ONCE UPON A TRAIN, through March 18; Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (The Domes). See Thomas the Tank Engine and other G-scale trains wind their way though scenes from favorite tales. Also part of the display are Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and more—all set amid miniature plants. 649-9830.

THE TOOL AT HAND, through April 1; Milwaukee Art Museum. Fourteen contemporary artists break from their usual practice and make a work of art with one tool alone. This exhibition presents these works with explanatory videos produced by each artist.

WATERCOLORS BY WILLIE G., through April 15; Harley-Davidson Museum, 400 W. Canal St. Willie G. Davidson exhibits idyllic rural scapes and still life watercolor paintings.

WATERCOLOR WISCONSIN, through April 21; Racine Art Museum’s Westum Museum, 2519 Northwestern Ave., Racine. Statewide competition organized by museum since 1966 is one of its most popular shows. 262-636-9177

CLEOPATRA: THE SEARCH FOR THE LAST QUEEN OF EGYPT, through April 29; Milwaukee Public Museum. Features nearly 150 artifacts from Cleopatra’s time and helps visitors experience the current search for the elusive queen.

ACCIDENTAL GENIUS: ART FROM THE ANTHONY PETULLO COLLECTION, Feb. 10-May 6; Milwaukee Art Museum. Petullo, a retired Milwaukee businessman and current Board of Trustees member, built his collection over a span of over thirty years. The collection’s strength is in European work, an area represented in few American collections.

SANTINI & FRIENDS: QUATTRO ARTISTI, Feb. 12-March 18; Cedarburg Cultural Center, W62 N547 Washington Ave. Featuring the works of Wisconsin artists: Michael Santini, Gina Litherland, Nancy Davis and Keith Clayton.Noon-4 p.m. Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Sat. 262-375-3676.

IMAX, PLANETARIUM

The Humphrey IMAX Dome Theater in the Museum Center,
800 W. Wells St., doubles as the Daniel M. Soref Planetarium. Visit www.mpm.edu for specific dates and times.

Current IMAX shows:

MYSTERIES OF EGYPT, through April 29; Travel on the perilous journey through the netherworld to immortality and meet Egyptian gods and goddesses.

BORN TO BE WILD, through July 31; An inspiring story of love, dedication and the remarkable bond between humans and animals as the film documents orphaned orangutans and elephants and the extraordinary people who rescue and raise them.

Current DANIEL M. SOREF PLANETARIUM shows.

CLEOPATRA'S UNIVERSE, through April 29; See re-creations of the Alexandria Library, Cleopatra’s Palace, and the Pharos Lighthouse—one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.