Caught "Little Shop of Horrors" at Verona High School last night, and was very happy we did!!…read more Initially I was reluctant to attend because I did not have good memories of the movie made years ago. But, I LOVED this live version! Great singing and acting, plus lots of toe tapping and laughing made for a A+ night out. My favorite Singers were the Audreys: Audrey (1) and Audrey 2. They were so different, yet both so incredibly talented! The entire cast, orchestra and production staff did an exception job! Special kudos to the puppeteer that made Audrey 2 really come alive. She really got a workout. It may not be great for small children as there is little profanity and finger jestures. Adults will definitely enjoy this musical!

Attended performance of "Singin in the Rain" last night. Probably the best community theater effort…read moreI have ever seen [and I have see dozens]..Outstanding talent,great costumes,memorable songs complete with falling water on stage !! There are shows tonight and tomm to still take advantage of.. Price is very reasonable,$10 for seniors and students,$15 for all others..Highly recommend!

The Bricks never fail to leave their audience examining and reconsidering the events in their…read moreproductions long after leaving the theater. So it was this weekend when we saw their production of "Blackbird" by David Harrower. With one act, one set, and two players throughout most of the play, Blackbird begins as a young woman comes to a late middle-aged man's workplace to confront him about their past relationship. We immediately see his discomfort and resistance, and through halting and intense dialog eventually find the nature of the beginning of their relationship, she at a per-pubescent 12 years and he a 40 year old neighbor. When she asks, "Did you abuse me?" the word "abuse" is nearly stifled as though it were someone else's descriptive, not hers. This is how the play unfolds with accusations met with explanations trying to disentangle what their lives were then and have become now. The set complements the messages, with the company's rules and policy tacked to a bulletin board, lockers to hold personal belongings, and garbage and used empty containers all around. It makes for a great metaphor for society's laws and taboos, the places where you hide away our personal "belongings," and the garbage and used, empty containers we produce and become. The garbage is everywhere and is slung both literally and metaphorically during the production. As Ray, Mark Snowden leaves us suspending our judgement, holding our breath, horrified at times, and wishing to be sympathetic at times. Ultimately, as new missing pieces are revealed, we are left not trusting whether there has been any real change in him. Una, played by Jocelyn Fitz-Gibbon, dusts every corner of the subject. What happens if a young person discovering their sexuality is not surrounded by responsible, emotionally mature adults? A child perceiving abuse as love and adventure, the revelation and perspective gained with age, and the questions and wonder about the nature of that relationship come out in painful, uncomfortable scenes. Una amazes and confounds us fluctuating between a spurned and jealous ex-lover and an abused and cautious past victim. Harrower illustrates the psychological damage of abuse in developmental stages of life, and the challenges to the victim's relationships with family, friends, and lovers. I cannot reveal the role of the other player in the show, spoilers. But all three gave breathtaking and breath-holding performances. The scene can and has happened everywhere, quietly or publicly, making the "anywhere" location of the show appropriate as we examine why these codes and taboos are in place and what happens in our lives and futures when they are broken. Thank you, Bricks, for another searching and thoughtful experience in theatre.

It's about time I wrote about the awesome Bricks Theatre! Last Friday I went to the show of…read more"That's What She Said" located at the Brink. I have gone to about 6 of their shows, and leave amazed at the performances every time! Each "That's What She Said" show have a theme to them. This last one was "Lie". There were 9 women who wrote personal stories about what they thought of when they heard the word Lie. Each woman had their own story. I'm continually amazed of the courage these women have by talking about situations that make them very vulnerable. You can connect with a part of each of their stories. It's a night full of laughter and tears. Amazing! The only downfall is that usually the Brink has a performance or something going on in the bar area, therefore it can be a little distracting with the background noise of that.

I've seen this group perform 3-4 times now on Sunday mornings through Story Hour Improv- both at…read morethe Aubergine space across from the Willy Street Co-op market, and also in Verona at a gorgeous space called Art House 360. Four actors plus a fab musician on keyboards co-create a marvelous- and so funny- improv show for kids, all ages but perhaps geared towards the 3-8 age crowd. The parents and sibs love it, too- lots of laughing and applause. The performance spaces are nice and open and the performers have room to move, incorporate some props, include the audience members. Really talented crew each time. So fun. At Art House there are treats for purchase, comfy seats, and loads of space to move around and explore, if your kid gets extra-wiggly. Aubergine is a lovely space, too. Great acoustics, very bright and welcoming. Tickets are only $6, so it makes for a very reasonably priced Sunday morning family outing! Highly recommend.

We had wanted to see their show since we first learned about them right before covid. We never did…read moreget over to the Glass Nickel for a show but we saw they were performing at the Fete de Marquette so we made sure to go. I am guessing this was not their regular show but a shortened version since they were doing three different performances at the festival on this evening. The troupe was quite funny. Of course improv can be hit or miss especially when trying to engage with a big crowd that was moving in and out of the tent (many were in the tent avoiding the rain). We definitely had a many good laughs. We now plan to go to one of their regular shows.

I saw my first opera, Lucia di Lammermoor, back in May. It was a great time. The four of us we very…read moreimpressed by the performers talents, as well as the stage design and acoustics of the auditorium. Some may turn their noses up at the subtitles being projected in english on the screen above the stage, but if it weren't for that many either wouldn't understand it or simply wouldn't attend -- I highly doubt that there are enough people in this town, fluent in Italian, and with deep enough pockets to keep this company afloat. I missed out on the Opera in the Park series, but plan on attending next season. I listed it as "good for kids," but of course that only applies to the performances that are ticketed as such. Personally, I enjoyed having the option of the kid-friendly matinee or the adults-only night show. Two thumbs up.

Date of visit: January 24, 2026…read more One of my Christmas gifts was seeing John Mulaney here at The Orpheum and it was a delightful venue, full of history and stately charm. Like many venues of this age, it was not built for security checks and metal detectors, which meant we were waiting outside to get in for a while and that normally would not bother me but given the frigid temperatures, I do wish they could have done something to streamline the wait. Once we were in, staff inside were friendly if not necessarily helpful with not one but two ushers steering us in the wrong direction to our seats, seats on the floor that were not cconsistently labeled. Thankfully there weren't any issues with our seats and we were able to enjoy the show--too bad our feet never warmed up the entire visit!

Been to the Orpheum for several shows. I have always found it to be a positive experience…read more Getting through security was easy, and quick. The lobby can get a little busy and crowded (nothing new there). If you are planning to buy alcohol, you get your wrist strap ahead of time. There's a place to get merchandise, and that can get a bit congested. Plenty of folks to help you get to your seats. For this show we were front row balcony (which I feel is the best spot in the entire place). The seats are a little dated, narrow, and might benefit from being restuffed. The acoustics were good, but not great but certainly better than most large venues (i.e. Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee). I would definitely come again.

The people there are really nice and the directors are pretty good and I can tell they are working…read morehard. The only thing is that there's this one kid who makes fun of me and my friends and it is really annoying and I know it's not the director's fault but I wish they would do something about it and ridicule is supposed to be banned from this place

I just saw Hamlet at Young Shakespeare Players yesterday and I was so impressed! Do you know how,…read moreduring most children's performances, you sit on the edge of your seat willing the actors to get through their parts and feel successful? As an audience, your role is to provide support and encouragement to people who are still learning. YSP's Hamlet was not like that at all. The very few times a child needed a prompt, everyone was so caught up in the story that the audience barely noticed. We just wanted to know what was going to happen next. It amazed me that the children were able to become their characters so completely that all the audience had to do was sit back and enjoy the story.

Where does one park??? Especially on a Friday or Saturday on U.W. campus?…read moreThis is a very small venue though film choices are usually exceptional.

Madison has some of the best offerings in free entertainment and culture out there, especially for…read moreit's size. Free museums, concerts, a zoo and of course the free cinematheque. The UW Cinematheque has been around for 10 years so I'm a little surprised there were no reviews already for this amazing facility. What you need to know: It's Free!!! They show movies every Friday and Saturday night at 7:30pm during the Fall and Spring semesters and they have a summer series that runs on Thursdays and Fridays. They only show the best prints available, usually 35 or 16 mm on their reel to reel but they also are capable of showing BetaSP, DVD, DVCam, and VHS. It's open to everyone and they start seating at 7pm. It's first come first served so it pays to get their early.

Such a beautiful space! I've never been to Stoughton or the Opera House, but I discovered Charlie…read moreParr would be playing there again. That made me drive out to see this amazing artist once again! The Opera House is stunning. I've seen Charlie in some diverse venues, but this one is by far the classiest. A lively place to see a show. I will certainly return in the near future. Lots of restaurants, bars, and such around the Opera House to investigate as well! Also, you should list to Charlie Parr.Minnesota's own and frequently in Wisconsin. I loved the opportunity to experience a show in such a classic and unique space.

Went to 2 shows so far in the 2024 - 2025 season & had mixed reviews of the SOH so far. First show…read morewas Sam Grisham. Sound was good (as it was a folky show), but the text on SOH's site billed the concert as performing songs his dad did with Jerry Garcia. There were only 1 or 2 songs. Disappointing. Next went to Los Lobos. While it seems the band played well, the sound was pretty bad. The mix was bad, such as a couple of the guitars were largely inaudible as the whole sound was muddy. The vocals were often times too low in the mix. I don't know if the equipment for a louder RNR show was not up to the task, or the person on the soundboard just did a plain bad job.