Hip-hop’s RZA to perform at Oriental
RZA, the leader of hip-hop ensemble Wu-Tang Clan, will perform his live re-scoring of the 1978 kung-fu classic “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin” at the Oriental Theatre on Aug. 25 — the production’s only Midwest stop.
“RZA: Live From the 36th Chamber” is the first special event announced for the Oriental, 2230 N. Farwell Ave., by Milwaukee Film, which took over the east side movie palace July 1.
The organization, which operates the Milwaukee Film Festival, is presenting the RZA performance as part of its new Craft Cinema programming, in collaboration with Hip-Hop Week MKE, a citywide event running Aug. 20-26.
Kung-fu movies loom large in RZA’s, and Wu-Tang ’s, legend. The group’s name came from a kung fu movie, and RZA — born Robert Diggs — has cited “The 36th Chamber of Shaolin” as an influence.
For the re-scored “36th Chamber,” RZA incorporated two decades of Wu-Tang Clan music for a new soundscape for the film.
Tickets for “RZA: Live From the 36th Chamber” go on sale for Milwaukee Film members at 9 a.m. July 18, at
orientaltheatremke.com/RZA; tickets for members are $36. For non-members, tickets will be available in advance starting at 9 a.m. July 25 at the website and $55 at the door.
Milwaukee Film is in the process of renovating the Oriental, expanding first-floor restrooms and improving sound and projection systems.
The theater is reopening Aug. 10. For details, go to