One Tough Filly

One thing you gotta say about Hillary Clinton; there’s nothing brittle about this filly. Sen. Clinton made a visit to the car racing capital of the world in the days leading up the Indiana primary but the Kentucky Derby was the most prestigious sports event of the week. The derby is called the most exciting two minutes in sports and this year it lived up to its reputation. The competitive race stayed close for most of the mile and a quarter though Big Brown closed strong and finished well ahead of Eight Belles, the filly who ran second. Unfortunately, tragedy struck soon after the race was over when the runner up’s two front legs buckled under her leaving the beautiful animal incapacitated. She was quickly euthanized and the resulting sadness contrasted sharply with the festive pageantry (not to mention excessive inebriation) associated with the derby. I’ll leave it to others who know more about the sport to wonder if horseracing is cruel and inhumane. The only time I ever actually visited a horse track, I witnessed the legendary battle between Affirmed and Alydar at Belmont when the two ran the entire distance nose-to-nose culminating in Affirmed’s narrow victory and the sport’s last Triple Crown. That was 30 years ago. Elections are often referred to as races but when they drag on and on it’s difficult to see any parallel with anything associated with speed. Even a marathon concludes in a few hours while this election seems interminable. But it’s clear that this nominating process is rounding the clubhouse turn and the finish line is in sight. Way back in March, following Hillary Clinton’s tepid performance on Super Tuesday, I wondered how long she would continue fighting for the Democratic Party’s nomination given how dramatically she was being outperformed by Barack Obama. I felt then, as I do now, that she was entitled to stay in the race as long as Obama was still short of the delegate count needed to secure the nomination. But it is becoming increasingly clear that her chances of winning are exceedingly small and that the longer the competition continues, the more likely it is that irreparable damage will be done to the Democrats chances of winning in the fall. None of this can be lost on Sen. Clinton who is unquestionably as smart as anyone on today’s political stage. She has made mistakes before, including the horrendously managed attempt to pass comprehensive health care reform in her husband’s first term and the overly cautious frontrunner campaign she ran leading up to her third place finish in Iowa way back in January. To her credit, however, she usually learns from her mistakes. Following the health care debacle, Clinton (and her husband) learned the importance of reaching out to build coalitions. And since Iowa, Clinton has appeared energized and combative, shedding her wonky nature for a more populist and confrontational style. Her support across the nation is wide and deep and it is important that this contest […]

“Ball don’t lie.” – Rasheed Wallace

I don’t know how or why it happens, but every year it’s like the flip of a switch: someone or something reminds me that basketball exists. And that I love it. And that the Pistons fucking rule. This year I was standing in the dark cavern of the Echo Base warehouse, beholding my spring bike strewn about the shop in pieces (soon to be resurrected as less of a death trap), when my phone rang. It was Fernando, a friend from Ann Arbor, one member of a small pod of Michiganeers-cum-Milwaukeeans I associate with here. “You watching the Pistons game tonight?” “What game?” I asked, completely unprepared for the flush of basketball fever that was about to bring me to my knees. “I thought you were a Pistons fan? It’s a pretty important game in the series.” An hour later, I was sitting at the bar in the dark cavern of Major Goolsbys, sharing a pitcher of Spotted Cow, stupid with the thrill of an imminent victory over the Sixers – a total about-face from my everyday life and identity. Damn. Days later, my best friend from home called from Baltimore, where he works as a homesick public radio producer. Our lives run on crossed threads, even at great distances – we’ve only ever been at great distances, in fact, since we graduated from high school six years ago. “I don’t know what to do tonight,” he said. “I feel like drinking a little too much and being drunk a little too early.” “That’s all I’ve been doing,” I said, “all week. Because of the playoffs.” “The playoffs?” he said. “Is there a game tonight?” It’s some sort of tic in the expatriate Detroiter subconscious. When you miss the city you come from – not just because you don’t live there, but because you know it’s never going to be the city you wish it could be, because every time you go back it’s a little stranger, a little more fantastical – you let yourself believe in anything that makes you feel a part of it again. If it’s the NBA – so be it. When the playoffs are over – or when the Pistons are out of the series – I’ll stop going to the bar straight from work and I won’t drink so much Spotted Cow. I probably won’t return to Major Goolsby’s, maybe not even next year – who knows where my Michigan crew will roll then, or if any of them will even live here anymore. I’ll think about 2005, when I was lonely, tired and frustrated in Turkey’s southeastern desert, when I got a text message about the Spurs’ victory over the Pistons and broke down crying in the middle of the market. I’ll think about 2006, when we lost to the Heat and impenetrable, infuriating Shaquille O’Neal, and I mourned quietly in my parents’ chilly basement in the suburbs, watching him say, in an interview with a bimbo sportscasterette, that he was looking forward […]

New Name for Milwaukee Dance Theatre now in its 20th Season!

Isabelle Kralj & Mark Anderson’s Milwaukee Dance Theatre, celebrating its 20th Anniversary, approaches the next 20 years with a new name! Why the name change? Founded in 1987 by Isabelle Kralj, Milwaukee Dance Theatre (MDT) was conceived as an eclectic performance group with an emphasis on dance, but not dance alone. During the first decade of MDT, besides pure dance concerts, Kralj produced her own work, which was a combination of text, dance and music – or what is known as hybrid theatre. Some of the most popular of those early theatre works included, Escapades of Kurent, A Soldier’s Tale, MDT Meets Mozart. And now, at the cusp of the next 20 Years – full of ideas and ready to embrace constant conceptual growth, Kralj and Anderson and the Board of Directors readdressed the name and its accurateness in defining the company brand. The big question was, what do you call a company committed to creating original, collaborative, and innovative hybrid theater? …and the answer was THEATRE GIGANTE (pronounced “ji – GAHN – teh”).

Bike To Work Week

Bike to Work Week runs from Sunday, May 11th to Friday, May 16th.  If you’re not already biking to work, here is a great chance to give it a go.  If you haven’t experienced urban biking in Milwaukee before, I suggest you take a look at the city-provided map indicating the good streets to ride on. There are a lot of great activities planned.  You’ll be able to find me on my bike downtown everyday as usual, and I’m also planning to attend the Bike-In Movie on Friday night. Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin is coordinating everything, and would greatly appreciate it if you registered and took their 30 second survey so they can improve biking in Wisconsin. Sunday, May 11th 2:00 pm, Mother’s Day Bike Ride Along the Lake Join the Pedal Pusher Society for a Mother’s Day bike ride along the lakefront. Location: Alterra by the Lake Requirement: Bring a Mom Monday, May 12th 7:00 – 9:00 am, Daily free coffee, bakery and bicycle commuting information will be available for bike commuters. Alterra Foundry, 170 S. 1st Street Sigma Environmental Group, 1300 W. Canal Street, on the Hank Aaron State Trail Urban Ecology Center, 1500 E. Park Place, on the Oak Leah Trail 8:30 am, Bike to Work with Mayor Barrett Location: 51st and Washington Blvd. 9:00 am, Press Conference, followed by Bicycle Tour of Milwaukee’s new and planned bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Location: 841 N. Broadway Tuesday, May 13th 7:00 – 9:00 am, Daily free coffee, bakery and bicycle commuting information will be available for bike commuters. Alterra Foundry, 170 S. 1st Street Sigma Environmental Group, 1300 W. Canal Street, on the Hank Aaron State Trail Urban Ecology Center, 1500 E. Park Place, on the Oak Leaf Trail 6:00 – 10:00 pm, Bike Trivia Night. Awesome prizes and sweet drink specials for only $5.00 Location: Stonefly Brewing, 735 E. Center St. Wednesday, May 14th 7:00 – 9:00 am, Daily free coffee, bakery and bicycle commuting information will be available for bike commuters. Alterra Foundry, 170 S. 1st Street Sigma Environmental Group, 1300 W. Canal Street, on the Hank Aaron State Trail Urban Ecology Center, 1500 E. Park Place, on the Oak Leah Trail 5:30 pm, Bike to the Brewers Game! Location: Meet up at either 6th and Canal Street or The Outpost, 7000 W. State Street. Auto parking for Canal Street meet-up located at Sigma Environmental Group, 1300 W. Canal St Thursday, May 15th 7:00 – 9:00 am, Daily free coffee, bakery and bicycle commuting information will be available for bike commuters. Alterra Foundry, 170 S. 1st Street Sigma Environmental Group, 1300 W. Canal Street, on the Hank Aaron State Trail Urban Ecology Center, 1500 E. Park Place, on the Oak Leah Trail Bike to School Day! – Roughly one-third of all traffic congestion is related to dropping kids off at school! Friday, May 16th 7:00 – 9:00 am, Daily free coffee, bakery and bicycle commuting information will be available for bike commuters. Alterra Foundry, 170 S. 1st […]

City Plan Commission

Location: 809 N. Broadway, 1st Floor Boardroom. Agenda

Fat Pig

By Jill Gilmer I eagerly anticipated the opening of Fat Pig, if only to learn who its catchy title referred to. The answer surprised me. Contrary to popular belief, the Fat Pig was not the overweight leading lady, played with perfection by Tanya Saracho. Neither was it her commitment-phobic boyfriend or one of his obnoxious co-workers, although any of them could have easily earned the title. The Fat Pig may well be society. Fat Pig is a romantic comedy centered on a skinny, all-American guy named Tom who falls for a pretty but obese woman named Helen. The story explores the fall-out when two of Tom’s co-workers, Jeannie and Carter, discover the latest object of Tom’s affections. Carter, Tom’s misogynistic buddy, posts a photo of Helen in the company cafeteria in an attempt to shame Tom into ending his relationship with his overweight girlfriend. Jeannie, a beautiful and slender accountant who becomes obsessed with Tom after their brief romantic relationship ends, is equally incredulous. One of the funniest scenes is a cat & mouse exchange between Tom and Jennie in which she attempts to expose his lie about a recent dinner with “a colleague from Chicago” by demanding that he turn in an expense report. The colleague, of course, was Helen. Playwright Neil LaBute attempts to create more than a simple romantic comedy. He tiptoes on social commentary by slamming society’s – and many men’s – obsession with thinness as the standard of female beauty. He also suggests that our rejection of overweight people is rooted in our own insecurities. During a rare moment in which Carter is not acting like a character from American Pie, he reflects, “We’re all just one step away from being what frightens us. What we despise. So we despise it when we see it in anybody else.” This is LaBute’s signature style: his depiction of immoral characters who preach about morality. Unfortunately, the script does not go far enough to develop these ideas on more than a superficial level. More disappointing is this production’s failure to tap into the most intriguing element in the script, which is the opportunity to force the audience to turn a mirror on itself. How willing are we to fight for that which we believe in – even that which we love? LaBute seems to encourage the audience to root for Tom to have the strength to follow his heart. But this necessitates that they identify more closely with him. Although Braden Moran portrays Tom as a likeable enough character, he overplays Tom’s insecurities to the point that the audience feels more pity than empathy. Despite these shortcomings, Fat Pig is an entertaining play. Director Susan Fete should be commended in her casting of Wayne Carr and Tanya Saracho. Both of them deliver outstanding performances. Moreover, casting Carter as an African-American and Helen as a Mexican-American plays nicely to LaBute’s slightly irreverent script. For these two performances alone, Fat Pig is worth the ticket price. Fat Pig, presented by […]

Life’s remedy

By Charise Dawson One Milwaukeean has no trouble likening medicine to art. Dr. Curt Kommer, a Milwaukee artist and physician, will exhibit his artwork in his first gallery show at Lakeshore Gallery. The exhibit, Travelogues, a collection of oil and acrylic paintings, runs May 2 through May 31. According to Kommer, being an artist is like being a doctor: both roles require discipline and detail. “When I sit down, I can bring a lot of focus in it. A lot of the qualities of a doctor require the same focus and detail that artists need.” During his work as a family physician, Kommer made house calls to former UWM Professor of Art Joseph Friebert. The two discussed art and the late Friebert asked Kommer to show him his paintings. His encouragement inspired Kommer to continue showing other people his artwork. “He passed away about two years ago. I know he’d be so proud of me,” Kommer said. For the internationally known artist, painting was Friebert’s lifetime work. According to Kommer, he was still painting at 89 years old and reworking pieces he had done 30 years ago. “I used to be so sensitive about revising my work. You don’t want a physician who isn’t a perfectionist. You want him to get it exactly right the first time. But in art, you can start over. Friebert showed me that art is a living thing. It evolves. As it develops, we may change our minds,” said Kommer. Kommer, a Chicago native, had never left the city until he was 18. As a Chinese interpreter in the military, he took watercolor classes in Asia to relax. Ten years ago, his wife bought him a set of oil paints. He now uses oils and acrylics to create textures in his paintings. He received his M.D. from the University of California at Davis. Kommer has been with Columbia St. Mary’s since 1985. He is semi-retired from his family practice and works half-time in urgent care. Since his semi-retirement, Kommer wanted to see if any gallery would consider showing his paintings. Roger Tsang at Lakeshore Gallery was the first person he approached, and though Tsang really liked Kommer’s work, Cranston in the Third Ward was the first to show his art. Kommer and Tsang kept in touch, and about a year ago, the gallery showed and sold some of Kommer’s artwork. He was delighted when Tsang offered to have an entire show of Kommer’s work at Lakeshore Gallery. Kommer, who paints in the back bedroom of his house, said that seeing his paintings on the wall of the gallery, professionally lit, was thrilling. The exhibition is the first time the artist has seen all of his paintings in one place. “I’ve got some butterflies,” Kommer admitted about his first opening night reception at Lakeshore Gallery, a chance for art-lovers to meet the artist. “I don’t know if they are expecting me to walk around with a pipe and talk about every detail of each painting,” he […]

A New Brain

By Charise Dawson A real-life personal experience with arteriovenous malformation and the healing power of art inspired a Broadway musical now debuts in Milwaukee. Windfall Theatre closes its 15th season with A New Brain at Village Church Arts, 130 E. Juneau Avenue. The production runs May 2 through 17. William Finn’s A New Brain is a musical journey through the author’s real life. Finn, who was hospitalized shortly after winning Tony Awards for Falsettos, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, and the musical is an attempt to recreate what it was like when he thought he would die and ended up living. The main character, Gordon Michael Schwinn, is a middle-aged songwriter who becomes ill with a brain disease. Actor Larry Birkett captures the characters’ struggle ably, balancing the news of his illness with the often exhausting comfort of his mother, lover and those around him. Meanwhile, he is charged with the task of writing the song that he hopes will become his legacy before undergoing a dangerous and risky operation. Supporting roles include Mr. Bungee, a children’s television star, who torments Schwinn’s psyche by telling him he is an artistic failure. The character is played by Thomas Rosenthal, who wears a bright frog costume and roams the stage on a green vintage bicycle. Roger Delli-Bovi is Schwinn’s lover, played by Marty McNamee. McNamee creates some of the play’s most vulnerable moments, including a song in which he invites Schwinn to spend the night before his operation sleeping in his arms. When the character believes his lover will not recover from his operation, he delivers a truly memorable performance of “A Really Lousy Day in the Universe.” Mimi Schwinn, the main character’s mother, is played by Marilyn White. White brings the perfect amount of sass and heart to the role, reminding the audience that a mother is a mother, no matter how old her son is. David Flores brings laughter to the role of as Richard, Schwinn’s nurse – a quirky gay man with hilarious facial expressions and physicality and a strong, idiosyncratic bass voice to boot. Tamara Martinsek, Kristin Pagnekopf, Carol Zippel, Bob Hirschi and Ben Geroge complete the cast. Each actor shines in his or her role while managing the ensemble pieces wonderfully. A personal favorite, “Gordo’s Law of Genetics,” is a funny number, showcasing the casts’ ability to coordinate various melodies and vocal parts. The musical direction by Chris Wszalek is solid, Kim O’Brien’s choreography is lively and thoughtful. Director Shawn Gulyas moves the action through the music seamlessly, a difficult and commendable task, considering the play’s complex settings and that it was almost completely sung-through. VS A New Brain runs May 2 through 17 at Village Church Arts at 130 E. Juneau Avenue. For tickets and information, call Windfall Theatre’s box office at 414-332-3963.

The Herd

For many years there’s been a bull (okay, it’s a herd) loose in Milwaukee. The herd snorts mightily, charges at those it deems “powerful,” — i.e. those with money, position, and/or those it views as snubbing art produced in Wisconsin. The allegations frequently target the prestigious Milwaukee Art Museum. It’s a wearisome tale that began when the museum closed the small gallery (Cudahy Gallery of Wisconsin Art) housing the works of state artists. The herd continues to tote a chip despite the fact that the gallery closed over a decade ago. One could even say the herd charges at any and every red flag that gets in the way: curators, art critics, editors, executive directors of museums, gallerists, and all others who dare offer opinions or make decisions on what is or isn’t worth writing about, adding to a museum collection, or curating a show around. The snorters would have us believe that all art (made in Wisconsin) is worth writing about, adding to a museum collection, or curating a show around. The herd enjoys licking wounds. The herd prefers grazing fields of green, the greener the better. When not grazing elysian fields, they raise their collective heads and try to fool us into believing that artists who make art in Wisconsin are given the short end of the art stick. But MAM is only one local venue purported to stonewall art made in Wisconsin. Dem Bones investigated other local venues: The Haggerty Museum of Art, the Charles Allis/Villa Terrace Museums and UW- Milwaukee’s Inova, and they all included generous portions of art produced by Wisconsinites. Dem Bones then searched hither and yon for local galleries that have a hidden mission to exclude Wisconsin-made art, but found none, which isn’t to say that the venues include the work of all Wisconsin artists seeking affirmation. Given what’s out there, that would be a disaster. In effect, the persons in charge of decisions, make decisions. It’s their job for better or for worse. Ideally, persons defined as “art critics” make their living by setting the art bar as high as possible, for what good is it to set it so low that anyone and everyone gets a gold star on their resume? Self-esteem is an earned process fueled by a solid education in the arts, hard work, discipline, and the ability to integrate various experiences into the moment of art making. Great art (who cares where it’s “made?”) happens when artists think, not when they sulk and blow smoke because they feel marginalized. Bring on the artists from the east and west coasts; bring on the best from north and south and all points in-between. Scour the globe for artists who bring us diverse ways of “seeing.” Of course someone will have to decide what’s worth considering in a world where much isn’t worth considering. Check out The Milwaukee International Art Fair, coming soon to the Polish Falcon in Riverwest. Former UW-Milwaukee art professor Laurence Rathsack died recently. James Auer, the Journal […]

I’m sick! Of health care talk, anyway

Weekly Milwaukee Development Bookmarks

Articles from the past week covering development in Milwaukee. JS Online: Group calls for county wheel tax JS Online: Identifying ‘clusters’ helps align funding priorities JS Online: Lawmakers back I-94 plan JS Online: New apartment building planned for east side Wangard plans new apartment complex on east side – Small Business Times Linens ‘n Things to close at Grand Avenue, Regency Mall – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: Home Depot closures include Milwaukee store – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: JS Online: Slideshows: Award-winning architecture honored JS Online: The ‘wow!’ factor JS Online: Revamp county government, Lubar says JS Online: Cities’ infrastructure could hit a dead end JS Online: Target takes aim downtown JS Online: History lost in Park East bait-and-switch JS Online: Big office tower changing hands JS Online: 2nd bridge project delayed downtown City-county merger idea pops up again – All Politics Construction begins for proposed Days Inn near downtown – Small Business Times Milwaukee area’s industrial space vacancy dips – Small Business Times Iron Horse Hotel to open in July – Small Business Times Money Weekly for Tuesday, April 29, 2008 – Small Business Times Milwaukee Center to be sold for $55 million – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: JS Online: Recession builds in city, report says

Spamalot

By Jim Cryns Like so many great comedy sketches, Monty Python’s antics tend to have an incredible life-span. From rather humble beginnings on PBS back in the ‘70s as Monty Python’s Flying Circus, the Python empire has churned out some of the most enduring cult hits of our time, including Life of Brian, The Meaning of Life and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which was “lovingly ripped off” for Broadway three years ago in Spamalot. The production at the Marcus Center, part of Milwaukee’s Broadway Across America series (now – May 4), has something up its sleeve for everyone. If you know the films, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what’s coming, and I mean that in a good way. Spamalot is a hit with both women and men, a rarity where most musicals traditionally draw women. The loose plot follows King Arthur has he attempts to round up a cast of suitable knights to assist him in his quest for the Holy Grail: Sir Lancelot, Galahad and the timid and trouser-fouling Sir Robin. Tony Award winner Gary Beach is King Arthur, and you never get the feeling that Beach is a stage-glomming prima donna. He’s very giving onstage and present throughout the performance, save for a brief respite during the gay Galahad number. Brad Bradley, also a member of the original Broadway cast, says he loves his character Patsy: “He’d truly die for the king,” Bradley says, “and that’s an amazing quality. Patsy is dedicated, selfless, he truly cares.” Bradley admits the Python humor went over his head in high school, but he made up for lost time in college. “People come into the theater excited, even before the show starts.” American Idol phenom Clay Aiken joined the Broadway production as Sir Robin, the chicken-hearted knight who shits his armor throughout the show. Rocky Horror alumni Tim Curry originated the role of King Arthur on Broadway; Bradley says he was also great to work with. “Whenever you were with Tim,” Bradley says, “you always felt you were with the King. We’re all having a great time; we get to laugh for a living.” Familiar scenes from the movie come to life on the stage: the Trojan rabbit worked to perfection, as did the cow over the castle wall and blood-thirsty rabbit. Monks cross the stage chanting while smashing themselves in the head with wooden boards. You’ll see King Arthur defeat the Black Knight by cutting off his arms and legs, and in the “dark and very expensive forest” where the crew meets the Knights who say Ni, Patsy delivers one of the most popular Python bits, “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.” Bradley says numbers are cut from shows with regularity. “They cut the ‘lighter than a duck’ scene from the play, and that was kind of depressing.” Part of the convention of Python is different roles played by the same actors. Bradley says producers have to ‘kill their babies’ periodically and take out songs […]