7/22 to 7/28

A lot of fun happenings continue this week, but there are a few new entries of high note. There is of course German Fest, one of the biggest influences on Milwaukee’s cultural heritage, celebrated this weekend with dancing and tuba-playing contests. There is also Gallery Night, which besides some great visual arts representation also features Argentine tango dancers and street music combos. But forsooth, the most intriguing bit of stage may be evenings in a Delafield State Park …

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Rent, Greendale Community Theatre at the Henry Ross Auditorium, 7/23 – 8/1 at 7:30 p.m.
Its the regional premiere of the La Boheme retelling, which relates a musical tale of “addiction, friendship, death, grief, and, ultimately, love” in this snapshot of New York in the mid-1990s. This summer Greendale Community Theatre tackles the Pulitzer/Tony/Obie/Drama Desk-award winner this summer. Made up of professional actors from all over, GCT’s production will be the first locally-produced staging of its kind in Wisconsin, which has generated a lot of interest. Call 414.423.0110  ext. 4193 or visit the GCTheatre website for box office information.

Love and Other Tragedies: Scenes from Shakespeare, Lapham Peak State Park Summerstage, 7/24 – 8/1 weekends
This sounds so intriguing that I may go just out of sheer curiosity rather than to review it. “SummerStage’s Youth Ensemble performs scenes from some of Shakespeare’s greatest hits, including Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing.” Last week’s Irish Dance Company also got bumped to this Saturday night, so stay from 2 – 8 p.m. for a double header. For more information, visit the Summerstages website.

God Bridge, Youngblood Theatre at the Kenilworth Square East, 7/24 – 8/2 weekends
It’s a world premiere for the third show in this new theatre company’s season. Benjamin James Wilson sets a tale in his hometown Milwaukee involving a couple figuring out their relationship while searching for a missing boy. It’s a full cast in Studio 508, which includes group founder Michael Cotey. Lillian Tillson directs. For more information about the show, visit the Youngblood website or call UWM’s Box Office at 414.229.4308

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Randy Sabien, Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, 7/24 at 6:30 p.m. FREE
The Starry Nights outdoor summer series continues at the Gerlach stage with an amazing genre-hopping jazz violinist from Rockford, Illinois. You’ll likely hear renditions of swing jazz mixed in with Beatles and Grateful Dead songs. Bring your own blanket or chair.  Call 262.888.8888 or visit the Wilson Center website to look at the entire lineup.

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Dancemakers, UWM Dance Department at the Mainstage Theatre, 7/24 and 7/25 at 7:30 p.m.
“The UWM Peck School of the Arts Dance Department will celebrate the tenth anniversary of its MFA program with Dancemakers, a concert of graduate student work. There will be two different programs,” one on Friday night (with reception following) and the other on Saturday. The formal concerts, which begin at 7:30 p.m., will be preceded each evening at 7 p.m. by graduate student Kimani Fowlin’s “Wo-Mantra: The Goddess Project.” Fowlin and her collaborator, artist Teri Wagner, invite you to join them in the Inova/Arts Center gallery (above the theatre lobby) for this participatory performance journey. Tickets for Dancemakers are $10/$7 for students, seniors and UWM alumni, faculty & staff. For tickets, please call the Peck School of the Arts Box Office at (414) 229-4308 with more information at arts.uwm.edu/dancemakers.

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The Tango Awaits, Boswell Books on Downer Ave., 7/25 at 9 p.m.
Local musician Jane Hollander organizes a signature “Boswell After Hours” event. Admission is $10, which covers some of the organizers’ costs for the event — including having wooden floors installed at the shop. Nina Tatorowicz and Eli Lesterowski, along with members of the Milwaukee Argentine Tango Community will show off ‘salon-style’ tango from Argentina. Live music by Hollander and company including an accordion! This might be a good stop if you’re on the Gallery Day trail. Information at Boswell Books website or Milwaukee Tango.

You can find ticket information, the latest news on the local scene, and more about the performing arts in Milwaukee at footlights.com.