Out on the Town: A curated listing of local entertainment

July 27 – August 12

Ongoing

The Bristol Renaissance Faire features artisans, merchants and performers, including “jousting knights and ravishing rogues,” complete with 16th century games, rides, arts, crafts, food, music and dance. The faire is open Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day through Sept. 4 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 12550 120th Ave., Kenosha. Single-day tickets are $25.95 for adults, $11.50 for children ages 5 to 12, and free for children 4 and younger. Season passes are also available for $125. 847-395-7773 or renfair.com

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Bad Example Productions presents the Wisconsin premiere of Coraline — a dark musical fantasy adapted for the stage from Neil Gaiman’s classic novel. The show will be performed at the Tenth Street Theatre, 628 N. 10th St., Milwaukee, Aug. 3–13, Thursdays–Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and matinees Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25. The show is for all ages, but parents should be aware some scenes may be frightening for younger audience members. coralinemusical.brownpapertickets.com

Jazz in the Park is a free, outdoor, summer music series, featuring an eclectic lineup of jazz, big band, funk, R&B, reggae, blues and more. The grounds open each Thursday at 5 p.m., and the musicians play 6–9 p.m. in Cathedral Square Park, 520 E. Wells St., Milwaukee. The Aug. 3 show will feature Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, and Aug. 10 brings Salsa Manzana to the stage. Jazz in the Park asks that attendees leave pets and adult beverages at home. Wine, beer and cocktails can be purchased from various beverage tents. The series runs through Aug. 31. 414-271-1416 or easttown.com

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Milwaukee Chamber Theatre presents Deathtrap by Ira Levin, running Aug. 10–27 at Broadway Theatre Center’s Cabot Theatre, 158 N. Broadway, Milwaukee. Tickets are $18.50 to $43.50 (see website for show times). The Tony-nominated play is “both a spellbinding thriller and a devilishly clever comedy.” 414-291-7800 or milwaukeechambertheatre.com

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The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art presents Sonja Thomsen: in the space of elsewhere, a site-specific installation that spans the length of the lobby and ascends the full height of the museum’s iconic windows, by Milwaukee-based artist Sonja Thomsen. The exhibition runs through Nov. 11 at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art State Street Gallery, 227 State St., Madison. Hours at MMoCA are Tuesdays through Thursdays noon–5 p.m.; Fridays noon–8 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m.–8 p.m.; and Sundays noon–5 p.m. Admission is free. 608-257-0158 or mmoca.org

July 29 to Aug. 5

Danceworks DanceLAB presents Ignite: A Hip Hop Dance Experience at Danceworks Studio Theatre, 1661 N. Water St., Milwaukee, July 29 at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. and July 30 at 6 p.m. Tickets are $18 for reserved seats, $15 for general admission, and $11 for students and seniors. The high-energy performances at Ignite are a DanceLAB favorite and continue to blow up the Danceworks Studio Theatre with some of the area’s best and most exciting hip-hop crews. 414-277-8480, ext. 6025 or danceworksmke.org/performances/dance-lab

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Since 1981, German Fest Milwaukee has been celebrating German culture and tradition along the shoreline of Lake Michigan at the Summerfest Grounds, Henry Maier Festival Park, 200 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee. The festival features authentic food, culture and entertainment, and runs from July 28–30, 3 p.m.–midnight Friday, noon–midnight Saturday and noon–9 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15 for adults, $7 for seniors (60+) and students (with valid school ID) and free for children under 12 when accompanied by an adult. Three-day passes are also available for $21. 414-464-9444 or germanfest.com

Discover “fairies in the flower beds and magic around every corner” at the Enchanted Evening at Boerner Botanical Gardens, including crafts, music and entertainment, treats, games and a firefly catch-and-release. The event takes place July 30 6:30–8:30 p.m. at Boerner Botanical Gardens, 9400 Boerner Drive, Hales Corners. Admission is free. Visitors are encouraged to dress as a favorite fairytale character. 414-525-5653 or fbbg.org

Who’s Bad — The Ultimate Tribute to Michael Jackson is a celebration of the music of Michael Jackson, “whether you idolized the Jackson 5, fell in love to ‘Human Nature’ or learned to moonwalk to ‘Billie Jean.’” The production — which has shared stages with Aretha Franklin, Backstreet Boys, The Four Tops, Boys II Men and Pitbull — comes to Turner Hall Ballroom, 1040 N. Fourth St., Milwaukee, Aug. 3 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. 414-286-3663 or pabsttheater.org

Milwaukee-based live-music variety show Dead Man’s Carnival combines turn-of-the-century vaudeville with a do-it-yourself underground punk-rock ethic, including traditional circus skills, obscure sideshow stunts, magic, juggling, striptease, human oddities, fire performance, aerial gymnastics and more. The show comes to The Miramar Theatre, 2844 N. Oakland Ave., Milwaukee, Aug. 4 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $25. 414-967-0302 or themiramartheatre.com

The Milwaukee Comedy Festival takes place Aug. 1–6 with 40 national and regional comedy acts, including stand up, improvisation and sketch comedy live onstage. The festival presents 12 different shows at multiple venues in Milwaukee including Lakefront Brewery, The Underground Collaborative, Shank Hall and Turner Hall Ballroom (see website for schedule and venues). Single show tickets are available for $15 presale or $20 at the door day of show. All-access passes are available for $50. mkecomedyfest.com

Aug. 6 to Aug. 12

D14 Brewery and Pub, 2273 S. Howell Ave., Bay View, will host the second annual Project Terroir Brewfest and Street Party Aug. 6 noon–8 p.m. The free-to-attend event presents the results of nine different brewers having used the exact same raw ingredients to brew a single new beer. The idea behind the fest is to highlight what makes each craft brewery unique, including differences based on equipment, water supply, techniques and more. Beers can be purchased in sample size or full pours, and a punch card will be available for purchase for those wanting to try all of the Project Terroir beers. The fest also features live music and food vendors. 414-744-0399 or d14beer.com

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Comic Michael Ian Black will close out the festivities as the headliner for the 12th annual Milwaukee Comedy Festival — the state’s largest multiday comedy event — Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. at Turner Hall Ballroom, 1040 N. Fourth St., Milwaukee. Tickets for the event are $20. Black is a multimedia talent, author and commentator, has starred in numerous films and TV series, and written or directed two films. He most recently starred in TV Land’s The Gaffigan Show and Comedy Central’s Another Period. 414-286-3663 or pabsttheater.org

The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce presents the third annual Out in the Kitchen, Aug. 8 6–8 p.m. at Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin, 500 North Harbor Drive, Milwaukee. The event is a food tasting featuring chamber members, including restaurants, caterers, and others in the food industry that share the chamber’s pro-fairness values. Early-bird tickets are available until July 31 for $20. Tickets after that date are $30. Each admission includes a drink ticket and all the food you can eat. wislgbtchamber.com

Stand-up comedian Ron Funches brings the Funch-A-Mania Tour and his “unique delivery and lovable demeanor” to Turner Hall Ballroom, 1040 N. Fourth St., Milwaukee, Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25. Funches’ current TV series is NBC’s Undateable, and he has appeared on numerous other shows — including NBC’s Powerless, ABC’s Black-ish and Comedy Central’s Drunk History — as well as stand-up performances on TBS’s Conan and NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. 414-286-3663 or pabsttheater.org

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The People Brothers Band hosts its ninth year of People Fest. This year’s lineup consists of more than 35 Midwest musical acts of all genres, including The Big Wu, Dead Man Winter (featuring Dave Simonett of Trampled by Turtles), Jon Wayne and The Pain, and of course The People Brothers Band. The festival runs Aug. 10–12 at Driftless Music Gardens, 20265 Pine Ave. Road, Hillsboro, Wisconsin. Day passes are $50 and three-day weekend passes that include camping $110. Other RV and camping passes are also available. 608-571-3443 or driftlessmusicgardens.com