A large, half-opened parachute dominates the background of the set for Grounded, which opened at the Milwaukee Rep’s intimate Stiemke Studio on Feb. 24. Behind and in front of it are a number of large monitors. The floor is an expertly crafted — and authentic-looking — series of small sand dunes etched with tracks made by military vehicles.The lights go up on a young fresh-scrubbed woman.... Read More
For “La La Land” composer and songwriter Justin Hurwitz, it’s been a long, laborious ride from dreaming up the musical with his old college roommate Damien Chazelle over six years ago to becoming the toast of awards season.His catchy score and songs have broken through, too, securing their own place in the spotlight and overshadowing the likes of Justin Timberlake and Lin Manuel-Miranda .... Read More
Movie fans, rejoice! You can — for a price — watch about two-thirds of the Oscar-nominated flicks from your couch.Here’s your viewing guide:BEST PICTURE (AND DIRECTING)None of the nine best picture nominees is available through a subscription service.You can rent “Arrival” and “Hell or High Water” through Amazon, Google Play or Apple’s iTunes.You’ll have to buy do.... Read More
Director Baz Luhrmann set his film Romeo + Juliet in modern-day, gang-ridden Verona. Ian McKellen created a memorable Richard III as a 1930s-era mustachioed fascist dictator. And even the 1956 sci-fi potboiler Forbidden Planet is considered an interplanetary retelling of The Tempest.But no one ever recast anything by William Shakespeare in 19th-century Hawaii at a time when the Hawaiian monarchy.... Read More
Pulitzer Prize winners Junot Diaz, Viet Thanh Nguyen and Jane Smiley are among 32 authors contributing to a book of letters responding to the election of President Donald Trump.Vintage Books said Radical Hope: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times will be published May 2 as a paperback original.“The anthology offers readers an antidote to despair: it is a salve, a balm, a compass, .... Read More
Many successful actors got their start at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater and one of the best known among them is lending her voice to the United Performing Arts Fund’s 50th anniversary campaign.Erika Slezak is most famous for her role as Victoria Lord on the daytime soap opera One Life to Live, a role for which she earned a record six daytime Emmy Awards for best actress. Slezak says her earl.... Read More
By Joey GrihalvaWhen I moved back to Milwaukee in late 2013, the most talked about local band was The Fatty Acids. The psych-rocking four-piece — at that time a sextet — were fresh off the release of Boléro, their third full-length and one of the best Wisconsin albums in recent memory. Almost a year later, my girlfriend and I went to the Polish Falcon ballroom for Canopies’ Maximize Y.... Read More
By Joey GrihalvaEver since he was old enough to drink, West Allis native Sean Raasch has been playing music in Milwaukee area bars and clubs. He first made a name for himself as one half of the band Jackraasch — “an angsty, sloppy, rockin’ two piece” — with drummer Tyler Nelson. The duo became known for power chords, upbeat songs, shout singing, and plenty of partying. In 2012, Raa.... Read More
Some stars shine more brightly than the surrounding firmament, as pianist Stephen Hough displayed radiantly last night in performance with the Madison Symphony Orchestra.The guest artist for this weekend’s concert series at Madison’s Overture Hall, Hough demonstrated his virtuosic talent once again, performing Camille Saint-Saëns’ Concerto No. 5 in F Major for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 1.... Read More
By Joey GrihalvaKatie Lafond is no stranger to the big stage. She's performed (as Siren) all over the country alongside her partner Sam Ahmed (WebsterX), anchoring his signature hit "Doomsday." Even before becoming the New Age Narcissism (NAN) collective's secret weapon, she was playing to thousands of people with just her guitar and breathtaking voice, including her own sets at Summerfest and .... Read More
