Six things I’ve been meaning to tell you…

Frank Almond, concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, will give a free recital with pianist Jeannie Yu at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, at St. Robert’s Church, 2212 E. Capitol Drive, Shorewood. They’ll play music by Bach, Franck and Tartini, who once owned and played the Lipiniski Stradivarius that Almond plays today. The concert is part of St. Robert’s centennial celebration. Almond is a member of the parish and has a child in the parish school.

By the way, Frank and I had a nice time making a video last week about Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor. He will be playing it with the MSO and guest conductor Gilbert Varga on the MSO’s opening program, Sept. 14-16. We’ll post the video, by Kyle Richards, over the weekend.

I admire the work, industry, daring and creativity of the Youngblood Theatre gang. Also, I just like those kids. So do go to their Fall Launch Party fundraiser at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, at Transfer, 101 W. Mitchell St. It will be a good party, the cause is great and it’s a ridiculously cheap $20 to get in.

By the way: This is just another instance of our good friends at Transfer Pizzeria going out of their way to help local artists of all kinds. Many of those cooks, waiters and waitresses are actors, writers, dancers, artists and musicians. They often get the run of Transfer, on the South Side, and Via, on Downer, for their projects. All of that is good reason to patronize Transfer/Via and to tip those servers well.

Did you miss my hour with Kathleen Dunn and Darcy Hamlin on WHAD radio? The topic was the late Marvin Hamlisch. It went very well. Listen here.

Speaking of industry, creativity and people I like: Jill Anna Ponasik, the tireless, charming and very frugal director of Milwaukee Opera Theatre will stage public performances of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide in four classrooms around Southeast Wisconsin. Can’t get more bare-bones than that, but knowing Jill Anna, it just might work.  So, if you want to impress on a first date, where better than, say, Room D184 of the Rita Talent Picken Center at UW-Parkside, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26? The show will run at Pius XI High School on Oct. 3, UWM Oct. 5 and Carroll University on Oct. 6. Click on the MOT link above for more info. And maps.

Nohl Fellowship: Time for artists to go for the Nohl gold again. Just passing this along:

The Bradley Family Foundation, with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, announces the 10th cycle fellowships for visual artists. The program, funded by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Mary L. Nohl Fund, provides unrestricted funds for artists to create new work or complete work in progress. Seven fellowships will be awarded in 2012: three for established artists ($15,000 each) and four for emerging artists ($5,000 each). The program is open to practicing artists residing in  Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties. Sixty fellowships have been awarded since the program began in 2003.

Applications and guidelines are now available. Completed applications are due no later than Thursday, Oct. 4. Apply online. If you are unable to access the electronic application, you may receive application materials and complete eligibility requirements by contacting Polly Morris at (414) 446-8794 or by e-mail, pmorris@lyndensculpturegarden.org. Awards will be announced on Monday, November 5, 2012. This year, applications will be completed online. Only work samples will need to be mailed or dropped off.

Calling all Uihlein Ushers: Jane Keegan left Milwaukee a long time ago. We remember her as the managing director of the Skylight in the 1980s, and she has continued her career in arts administration elsewhere. Jane sent me a note last week to say that she had gotten her start in the arts as an usher in Uihlein Hall of what was then called the Performing Arts Center. She touted a reunion for Marcus Center ushers from back in the day, planned for Saturday, Oct. 18, in Uihlein’s Magin Lounge. Jane passed along a press release about the event, and I’ll pass along some of it here:

When the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts opened its doors in September 1969, it was staffed by 30 ushers (all male) in gold dinner jackets and ruffled shirts. Over the next decade, some 200 young people – mostly students at Marquette, UWM, and area high schools – ushered at what was then known as the Performing Arts Center (PAC). On Oct. 13, former ushers and staff from the early years at the PAC (1969-80) will gather for a reunion in Magin Lounge. Reservations are $20.

Organizers have created a reunion website with details about the event and reservation information. There is also a Facebook page where former ushers have been posting photos and anecdotes.

 

Get more out of TCD. Check out our User Guide/FAQ.