Pop-up drive-in movies planned for Midtown and Bronzeville
Parking Lot Theatre, the community-based outfit aiming to bring pop-up drive-in movies and more to Milwaukee neighborhoods, is planning two drive-in events for the city’s north side.
The first new pop-up drive-in, scheduled for 6 p.m. Aug. 7, is aimed at residents of the Midtown neighborhood and the near west side, co-founder Anne Koller said. “Akeelah and the Bee” will be showing in the Harley-Davidson parking lot at North 35th Street and West Juneau Avenue.
Released in 2006, “Akeelah and the Bee” centers on a girl from south central Los Angeles (Keke Palmer) who’s coached on her way to the National Spelling Bee by a reluctant mentor (Laurence Fishburne) grieving the death of his daughter.
There’ll be giveaways, a performance by Haynie Smith, a talk-back after the screening, and more. Face masks are required, and social distancing and other safety measures will be in place. Admission is $5 per car; you have to register online (no registration onsite). Tickets are limited to the first 60 cars that register; residents of Midtown or the near west side should email hello@parkinglottheatre.
com to reserve a spot. Progressive Community Health Centers is the Midtown event’s presenting sponsor. Progressive will give away gift bags including free personal protective equipment, according to Sarah Francois, director of fund development and marketing with Progressive Community Health Centers.
Progressive, which has four centers in the central city, also will provide information on new services added since the pandemic, including an emergency walk-in dental clinic and free COVID-19 testing, Francois said.
The drive-in also got support for the Midtown screening from partners including the Midtown Neighborhood Alliance, the Near West Side organization, Ald. Russell W. Stamper II, PEAK Initiative and Black Lens, part of Milwaukee Film.
The organizers of Parking Lot Theatre work with neighborhood organizations, tapping local food vendors, performers and businesses to bring people together for entertainment in a way that’s safe and in tune with the social-distancing needs of the pandemic.
“It’s easier and faster to work with the neighborhoods,” Koller said.
The second event will be part of Bronzeville Week, the eight-day celebration of the historically Black neighborhood centered on North Avenue from North King Drive to North Seventh Street. This year, Bronzeville Week runs Aug. 1-8.
Working with Ald. Milele Coggs, the drive-in will set up in the parking long at MLK Heritage Health Center, 2555 N. King Drive, on Aug. 8. “The Wiz,” the musical starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, is showing at 4 p.m.; “Barbershop,” the comedy starring Ice Cube and Cedric the Entertainer and produced by Milwaukee filmmaker George Tillman Jr., at 8:30 p.m. Before the latter, there’ll also be a talk on entrepreneurship and gentrification with local Black business owners, organized by Black Lens.
Admission is free to the Bronzeville drive-ins, but you have to register online at parkinglottheatre.com; as with the Midtown event, there’ll be no onsite registration. It’s separate admission for each movie.