What MSO, Ballet, Rep, others plan in early 2021
As Milwaukee’s major performing arts groups continue to adjust to COVID-19 safety protocols, here’s a summary of their plans to bring music and theater to a screen near you in the early months of 2021.
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
The MSO opens the new Bradley Symphony Center and its virtual season Feb. 6 with small groups of no more than six musicians playing an eclectic program hosted by music director Ken-David Masur. A Pops concert follows Feb. 13, then more small-group Classics Feb. 20 and 27. These concerts will be streamed to subscribers and available to them on demand. Virtual subscriptions are on sale at mso.org.
Milwaukee Repertory Theater
The Rep will celebrate Black History Month with Facebook Live discussions at 7 p.m. each Monday in February. Discussants will include Black artists, creatives, scholars and community members.
Subjects include playwright Lorraine Hansberry, Feb. 1; The Rep’s Black artists and administrators, past and present, Feb. 8; Milwaukee’s Black theater community, Feb. 15; and playwright August Wilson, Feb. 22. Stream the events at Facebook.com/MilwRep.
Florentine Opera
The Florentine’s next online production is “Voyages: France,” a 75-minute video combining a performance of Baroque music by mezzo-soprano Anna Reinhold and harpsichordist Jory Vinikour with a visit to Chalon-sur-Saône in France’s Burgundy region, where Vinikour lives. This video will be available to ticketholders through July 22.
For tickets, visit florentineopera.org.
Danceworks Performance MKE
Danceworks recently released the third part of its video dance series “Winter of Gratitude,” with the fourth and final part to premiere Feb. 19.
Christal Wagner videoed 32 intergenerational dancers from Danceworks Performance MKE, Danceworks Youth Performance Company and the 50+ Performance Workshop, performing in socially distanced small groups at outdoor Milwaukee locations. Lawton Hall composed the music.
For tickets, visit org/purchase-tickets.
First Stage
danceworksmke.
During livestreaming performances of “Escape From Peligro Island: A Create Your Own Adventure Play,” audience members will vote by computer and phone on decisions that stranded young hero Callaway Brown has to make.
Finegan Kruckemeyer’s play will be livestreamed on Jan. 31 and Feb. 5 and 6, with a recorded performance available on demand to ticketholders through Feb. 28. First Stage recommends this show for people 6 and older. For tickets, visit firststage.org.
Next Act
Here’s Next Act’s next show: “Principal
Principle,” which playwright Joe Zarrow has described as a “dark comedy” about teachers at a city public school. The cast includes Malkia Stampley, Flora Coker and April Paul. Marti Gobel directs.
The video production will be available to ticketholders for viewing online Feb. 15 through March 7. Visit org.
Skylight Music Theatre
Skylight will live-stream a staged concert reading Feb 19-20 of the new musical “Fortunate Sons,” with songs by Paul Williams, the composer of “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays” and other hits. Set in December 1969, the musical visits the televised draft lottery that will determine which young men will be sent to fight in Vietnam.
Nine local actors will perform without costumes. A feedback session will follow.
Admission is free, but registration is required, with Skylight subscribers and donors getting first dibs. Remaining tickets will be available after Feb. 8. For info, visit skylightmusictheatre.org.
Milwaukee Ballet
Following its “The Nutcracker: Short & Sweet,” the Milwaukee Ballet plans three more one-hour, no-intermission programs: “To the Pointe,” Feb. 25-28 and March 4-7; “Re.Gen,” April 22-25 and April 28-May 2; and “Encore,” June 10-13. These programs will be streamed to ticketholders and available to them on demand for a 72-hour window.
Classically oriented “To the Pointe” will include Jules Perrot’s “Pas de Quatre” plus a non-narrative world premiere by artistic director Michael Pink to Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony and a work by resident choreographer Timothy O’Donnell set to Chopin etudes.
As city health guidelines and safety protocols permit, the ballet also will sell a limited number of in-person tickets for viewing at the Baumgartner Center for Dance, 128 N. Jackson St., where the programs will be performed.
Tickets go on sale for “To the Pointe” Feb. 1. Visit milwaukeeballet.org.
Milwaukee Chamber Theatre
Having worked out a safety plan with Actors’ Equity Association, the Chamber will rehearse and video a production of the South African drama “The Island” by Athol Fugard, John Kani, and Winston Ntshona for virtual viewing by ticketholders in March. Sherrick Robinson and DiMonte Henning will play the roles of political prisoners and cellmates.
For tickets and information, milwaukeechambertheatre.org.
Renaissance Theaterworks
visit
As part of its revamped season, Renaissance will revive “Neat,” playwright Charlayne Woodard’s storytelling drama about her aunt, whose life was dramatically altered when a white hospital refused to treat a medical emergency. Marti Gobel performs all the characters in this one-actor show, directed by Suzan Fete.
Performances will take place March 12 through April 4 over Zoom. Tickets go on sale Feb. 5. Visit r-t-w.com.
Contact Jim Higgins at jim.higgins @jrn.com. Follow on Twitter at @jhiggy.