The Pavilion
“This is a play about time,” the Narrator of The Pavilion announces. And “time” here is both an intriguing theme an theatrical snag. The Pavilion is the latest entertainment offering of Next Act Theatre. Although the play has moments of genuine humor, literary beauty and acting prowess, overall, the production’s full-size sheet felt stretched out over a queen-size bed. The plot of The Pavilion is a simple one. It’s the summer of 2000 and Pine City, Minnesota is having it’s twenty year high school reunion. Peter has returned to his home town to win back the heart of Kari, his high school love. Twenty years ago Peter skipped out on Kari to go to college, her pregnancy the reason for his abrupt exit. Kari was left alone and bitter to deal with her impending child. Now Peter is back, using the highschool reunion to make amends with Kari and rectify his now conscionable stupidity. The Pavilion, the old dance hall location where the class reunion of 1980 takes place, is also a metaphor for the universal covering under which we all interact. For interconnectedness, how everything we do, from whom we choose to love to every thought we think, has an affect and effect on everyone and everything else in the universe. It’s a rich and interesting concept but one that’s presented here with blocks of ennui I found difficult to ignore. Angela Iannone (Narrator) watches over Mark Ulrich (Peter) and Mary MacDonald Kerr (Kari) The unique story element in The Pavilion is the inclusion of a Narrator character played by Angela Iannone. Narrator is an extremely modest character name for one who fulfills multitudinous theatrical elements. Iannone is an exceptionally apt protean performer. For in this small triumvirate cast she plays not only our cosmic force and commentator, but a myriad of other reunion attendees, both humorous and tragic, for Peter and Kari to interact with. The mutable actress changes body and voice like most of us change TV channels. Mark Ulrich plays Peter. In less capable acting hands Peter could come across with a certain false pretense. But Ulrich takes his time with the role and plays it simply. The highlight of his performance comes when he presents Peter’s monologue about how and when he first fell in love with Kari. There’s an earnest gentleness to his delivery that defies anyone with a brain to lose their attention. Mary MacDonald Kerr, virtuoso director of Next Act’s past production of Going to St. Ives, plays Kari. Kerr, with the honesty and openness of someone with nothing to lose, does the best she can with the unsympathetic role of a character who blames the universe for her current marital and childless dilemma, but unfortunately just comes across as annoyingly petulant. Director David Cecsarini puts his actors sufficiently, if tediously, through the emotional obstacle course of the plot. The blocking of the actors and the use of the performance space is well handled. Only once did I notice a clunky transition […]
Apr 16th, 2009 by Michael Madden
The Great Elvis Cake Experiment
A little while ago, after a jaunt down State Street in Madison just to see if it was what I remembered from my youth (the answer: yes and no. Remember Brady Street ten years ago? Yeah. Close your eyes, think about it, then open them while standing outside Hi Hat. Same feeling), I drove over to another section of town to look up an old friend who worked at the Harmony Bar and Grill. A few blocks away was a charming strip (think Downer Ave. without the new-found pretense) with a place called ‘the Blue Plate Diner’. It was a hopping joint, emulating a working-class eatery experience with higher prices. To give it credit, the Blue Plate ambience was exactly what it advertised – albeit with a slightly fancier menu fare. We have come to expect Denny’s or George Webb when it comes to the diner experience; it’s food without thought. So to receive a menu item of a known food and then find it slightly more gourmet was a bit alarming. After a sumptuous bratwurst platter, I was ready for dessert before driving home for two hours. It didn’t help matters that the brightly-lit cabinet was positioned right in front of my counter stool. After asking about the choices, I picked the obvious: the Elvis Cake. It was a tight four-layer banana cake with peanut-butter frosting between layers, cloaked in chocolate icing. The cake was artery-clogging, and for once it was a dessert I couldn’t finish. But when the manager asked me how it was, I told him it missed something: bacon. There’s been a sort of renaissance of sorts lately when it comes to bacon. The online “cool kids” fetishize the meaty strip into ridiculous heights of fancy (see: bacon bra, bacon dinosaur egg, bacon AK-47, pig wrapped in bacon, Jim Gaffigan’s routines, etc). Certain venues (see: the Comet Coffeehouse) and cooking sites (see: Epicurious) brought the use of bacon to a higher art form – away from the forbidden meat of religious and dietary scorn – into the fray as a major force of culinary delight. Bacon (or its cousin, prosciutto) can be wrapped around or inserted into melon, shrimp, water chestnuts, meatloaf, potato, and just about anything to make it smoky and salty. So why is it so commonly left out of the lore of Elvis Presley’s favorite sandwich? Even the postcards at Graceland assert his favorite sandwich is the grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich. You want the recipe? Here: slather butter on one side of two slices of bread. Slather one piece on opposite side with peanut butter, the other slice with mushy bananas. Join. Grill over medium-high heat in frying pan and carefully flip after less than two minutes to fry the other side. To make it perfect, add cooked bacon before joining slices. What we loved about Elvis’s eating habits is that they were so low culture. He was singing royalty that acted just like us. The most famous story involving a sandwich and the king involved the Fool’s Gold Loaf: while […]
Apr 16th, 2009 by Brian Jacobson
It’s only April, stay cool. (3-6)
Dear Ken, It’s been a tough start, but stay cool. Let the Fonz show you how – that’s what he’s here for. Forget that we’re still looking for that first series win after dropping four of six games at home against the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. No need to fluster; it’s April. Here’s some free advice I think can help our Crew. About the starting rotation: Bloggers are calling for Jeff Suppan’s head after Monday’s debacle. I saw the look on your face after his third consecutive bases-loaded walk; I’m not surprised that you pushed Soup back in the rotation so he can work on throwing strikes without, you know, giving away ballgames to our archrivals. Yovani Gallardo suffered some growing pains when the Reds busted him for seven runs Tuesday. Shit happens, YoGa will be fine. Manny Parra and Braden Looper looked solid in their outings, and I’m liking the back half of the rotation. Now about those bats: Word on the street is Ryan Braun is nursing that intercostal strain from last year, which is why he’s off to a slow, homer-less start. You have seven other hitters to pick up the slack. Mike Cameron is on fire, the best we’ve seen him hit in Milwaukee. Corey Hart is looking better; thanks for passing along my advice about laying off those low-and-away breaking pitches. “Pretty” Rickie Weeks is showing some pop in his bat, but I’m not sure he belongs in the leadoff spot with his strikeout numbers. Try batting him in the six or seven spot, and put Kendall in the leadoff spot like you did in Oakland. Your bullpen is like a box of chocolates: They’ve only blown one lead, but maybe that’s because they haven’t inhereted very many leads yet. It’s early, but it scares me that Todd Coffey has the best-looking arm of the bunch. You must be looking forward to closer Trevor Hoffman’s return; I like Carlos Villanueva better in middle relief. Notes to pass along to the guys: Bill Hall: Slightly above average is all we need. Maintain. Dave Bush: Love the beard; it’s way badder than Corey’s. Bill Schroeder: If you see Trenni Kuznierek, tell her we miss her. Craig Counsell: Keep it gritty. That’s how we do in North Central Little League. Brian Anderson: I never made the “connection” between Wilco and Grateful Dead fans, thanks for pointing that out. I’m sure Jeff Tweedy appreciated it. That should do it, Ken. Stay positive, and be well on your upcoming eleven-game road trip. Best, Adam Lovinus
Apr 16th, 2009 by Adam Lovinus
PhotoCampMilwaukee
PhotoCampMilwaukee is a BarCamp-like event fully focused on photography. It’s an ad-hoc “un-conference” for people who love photography to get together and teach what they know, and learn what they don’t. It’s about sharing in an open environment. Everyone has experience to share, and getting everyone together in one place, for a full day, seems like a great way to do it. You don’t have to be a great photographer to attend, you just have to bring your passion for photography. The event will be free (thanks to our sponsors) and the only entrance fee is your participation. Event Location: Bucketworks 1340 N Sixth Street Milwaukee, WI 53212 Learn more
Apr 16th, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
EARLY BIRD Special For 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival Tickets. Get. On. It.
Ticket Packages and Passes for 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival on Sale April 20 Early ticket packages mean significant discounts for those who purchase before June 30 For those film lovers looking to make a wise investment with their tax return this month, Milwaukee Film has the perfect solution: a 6-pack or 12-pack of tickets, or a Festival Pass or Platinum Pass, for the 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival, which will be held September 24 – October 4. The first ticket packages and passes go on sale Monday, April 20, and early ticket pricing will be in effect through June 30. Prices go up July 1 and then again August 1, when they will be full-price through the festival. The 2009 film festival will feature more than 100 films from around the world that will be screened at venues including the Landmark Theatres Oriental Theatre on Milwaukee’s East Side and the Marcus Theatres® North Shore Cinema in Mequon. Come September, single tickets for each film will cost $10 each, but film lovers can save a bundle by purchasing a package and buying early. “These ticket packages that are going on sale Monday are the least expensive way that movie lovers can secure their attendance at the 2009 Milwaukee Film Festival,” said Diane Bacha, Executive Director for Milwaukee Film. Through June 30, a 6-pack of festival movie tickets is $48, a $6 savings off the regular price, and a 12-pack is $90, a $12 savings off the regular price. A Festival Pass, which gives the purchaser access to all screenings throughout the festival, plus the ability to skip ticket holder lines at each film, is $200, which is a $100 savings off the regular price. For the ultimate film festival loyalist, Milwaukee Film offers the Platinum Pass, which costs $500 through June 30, a $100 savings off the regular price. The Platinum Pass grants the purchaser access to all screenings throughout the festival, VIP seating at Spotlight Presentations, exclusive box office concierge access, and exclusive ‘insider’ access to special events, parties, and VIP areas throughout the 11 days of the festival. Those who purchase a ticket package receive an important added benefit: the ability to have first pick of all the films being screened at the festival. The box office officially opens to the public on Thursday, September 10, but for those who purchase ticket packages, it opens a full day early on Wednesday, September 9. Not only do those ticket package buyers get first choice of their festival schedule, they’ll be sure to avoid any sellouts, as well. Milwaukee Film Festival ticket packages and passes can be purchased on the Milwaukee Film website at www.milwaukee-film.org. Upon receipt of purchase, ticket buyers will receive a voucher in the mail that can be redeemed for tickets at the Milwaukee Film Festival box office beginning Wednesday, September 9.
Apr 16th, 2009 by Howie Goldklang
Princess Peach, Sparrow and the new no-holds barred gender equality
It’s spring break at my house and I’m trying to work more from home this week to maximize face time with the youngsters. It’s been kind of hit and run so far, but it’s still nice. Today I took a break in the afternoon to hang out in the family room with my 11 and 12-year old boys. As it was cold and gloomy, they were enjoying some rare daytime Wii play, which they chose to spend with a dubious game Michael had picked out as an Easter gift for the younger. It’s called Facebreaker K.O. Party, selected over my protest of its T rating. “Comic Mischief and Violence?” scoffed Michael. “Really, how could it be worse than Super Smash Brothers Brawl?” Sparrow The latter is a game that features major characters from all the Nintendo games throughout time. It’s a wacky romp through amusement park-type scenes where the object of the game is to knock other cartoon characters off the screen using such amazing powers as being sucked in by Yoshi’s super-long tongue and pooped out as an egg. I acquiesced to Facebreaker under the pressures of a tight shopping schedule and a mounting household campaign against my perceived over-protection of the kids. I came bearing popcorn and juice and took a seat on the sofa. I was just in time – the boys were setting up for a fresh match of Punch-o-matic, where their characters were chosen randomly for them. Harry’s was a thick man called Steve, a video game freak with pecs (and belly) the size of Rhode Island. Jesse, the one more fearful of being labeled “soft” in any way, drew Sparrow, a very buff but extremely feminine (and sexy) pugilist with wispy blonde hair and a surprisingly long reach. “No fair!” exclaimed Harry. “You always get Sparrow!” Super Smash Brothers Brawl “It’s not on purpose,” retorted Jesse, “and besides, you’re pretty good. You might still be able to beat me.” This was a little unexpected, so I sat up straighter and gave the screen my full attention. The boys were ruthless. Harry threw Steve’s considerable weight behind every punch, while Jesse had Sparrow hang back until Steve was winded. Then she came in for the kill, jabbing fast and hard. Though it made me a little sick to my stomach to see the glaze of bloodlust in the boys’ eyes, I have to admit I was rooting for Sparrow just a little. After all, Steve was a huge dumb guy and Sparrow was like a cross between Lara Croft and Cat Woman. Who can resist that? In the end, though, Harry’s superior skill won out. With a two-punch move, Steve lofted Sparrow across the ring. She hit the mat hard and as soon as she staggered to her feet Steve finished her off, messing up her face for good measure. The boys were strangely gleeful, delighting in Sparrow’s purple bruises and split lip, shown in close-up as Sparrow panted, head down but eyes looking up […]
Apr 16th, 2009 by Jon Anne Willow
A night on the town with TCD
The TCD crew takes you on guided tour of Depression Era cocktails for the 21st century.
Apr 16th, 2009 by Erin Petersen
Classic cocktail recipes from your friends at TCD
ThirdCoast Digest’s Erin Petersen went on the prowl for the city’s best (and most atmospheric) cocktail hours. But for those of you that aren’t feeling the bar scene, host your own Depression-Era cocktail hour at home with some of these lively libations: Brandy Old Fashioned 3 oz brandy 4 dashes Angostura bitters 1 tsp sugar 1 dash water Sweet or Sour soda (7-Up, 50/50, etc) Muddle the sugar with the bitters and the water in the bottom of an old-fashioned glass. Add the brandy, ice cubes and sweet soda. Stir, garnish with a lemon peel, and serve. If you want to make it true- Wisco style, muddle a couple of Maraschino cherries with the sugar and bitters and garnish with an orange slice. If you’re from south of the state line, use whiskey in place of brandy and mix with sour soda. Manhattan 2 oz rye whiskey 1/2 oz sweet vermouth 2-3 dashes Angostura bitters Maraschino cherry for garnish Pour all ingredients into a glass full of ice, stir well and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Rob Roy 2 1/2 ounces Scotch 1 ounce sweet vermouth Dash of angostura bitters Maraschino cherry or twist of lemon peel Shake the Scotch, vermouth, and bitters with ice; then strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry or lemon peel. Sidecar 1 1/2 oz. Brandy 1/2 oz. Triple Sec 1/2 oz. Lemon or Lime Juice Combine all the ingredients in a shaker filled with ice, shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. The Kentucky Dandy 2 oz. Maker’s Mark 4 oz. Ginger beer Stir, then add a dash of cayenne pepper. Serve over ice in an 8 oz. tumbler. Thanks to Howie Goldklang for this recipe! The Blue Blazer 2 1/2 ounces Whiskey 2 1/2 ounces Boiling Water 1 Teaspoon Powdered Sugar 1 Lemon wedge 1 Lemon Twist Take two large fireproof mugs. In one, pour in the whiskey. In the other, pour in the water. With a match or lighter, ignite the whiskey. To mix the whiskey and water, pour the liquids back and forth cup to cup about four or five times which will create the effect of liquid fire. To the blended whiskey and water, stir in the powdered sugar and squeeze in the lemon wedge. Pour into a 4-ounce heat proof whiskey glass and garnish with lemon wedge. Recipe courtesy of TCD’s own Cate Miller. Did we miss your favorite? Leave a comment and share your own fave drink tips.
Apr 16th, 2009 by Amy Elliott
Take it from a former vampire …
I’m not a vampire, but I played one on TV … bah, dum, bum … rim shot. Old joke … I did play a vampire though, throughout the first season of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, a turn of the (20th) century Warner Brothers Television show that was a pretty big hit and to some a cult classic. It is credited with bringing vampiriana back from the dead. But the truth is vampires never die, and as an icon of popular literature they have always been around. Sometimes they seem to be everywhere; sometimes they must be asleep in their coffins. I played “The Master,” the oldest, the original, and the baddest vampire around. He lived underground in an old church that had been buried in a California earthquake. For reasons I don’t remember he couldn’t go up on to the surface of the earth until a certain moment in time. There was a lot of pre-destination in this particular vampire tale and it all was “written” in a book that only scholars could decipher. Luckily that book happened to reside in the library of the high school in Sunnyvale, the small California town where my church was buried, and the librarian of that high school library just happened to be an Englishman whose special obsession was vampires and the occult. Very convenient. The series lasted for seven or so seasons, so it is way more complicated than I can remember, and I have probably already annoyed devout fans, of which there are many. To prepare for the part, I studied as many of the vampires of our cultural history that I could, revisiting Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the first vampire film, Nosferatu, a true classic made in 1922 by F.W. Murnau, starring the phenomenal Max Schrenk, as well as the 1979 Nosferatu remake by Werner Herzog, starring the great Klaus Kinski. There is a wealth of literature about vampires and werewolves, and it evolves as the times require. The rules change. Joss Whedon, who created Buffy The Vampire Slayer in movie form and then for television, once said that the fun thing about writing about vampires is that you get to make up the rules as you go along. Someone before you made up the previous rules, so essentially there are no rules, as long as you can justify the behavior of your particular undead creature by making up a rule. In television, you can even change the rules you made up in the first season when they become inconvenient in the fifth season. There are some rules, though, that I think are inviolate.Twilight breaks one of the oldest and most established vampire rules: they die if touched by the sun. They hedge their bets by setting it in the Pacific Northwest on the Olympic Peninsula where the sun seldom shines, but it is still a major re-write of the rules. When the lead vampire walks deliberately into the sun, he sparkles as though his skin was encrusted with diamonds. […]
Apr 16th, 2009 by Mark Metcalf
Complete Our Streets to Build a Better Milwaukee
The first thing most people see of Milwaukee's streets is the vast wasteland of potholes that mark each and everyone of them.
Apr 15th, 2009 by Dave Reid
Wildwood Film Festival – WI only Films! 4/17 & 4/18
WILDWOOD FILM FESTIVAL Appleton, WI Friday April 17 and Saturday April 18 The Wildwood Film Festival is a festival for Wisconsin films only. Whether it’s the primary creative personnel (producer/director/writer), the actors or even the locations, all projects featured have direct ties to the state. The line-up this year offers something for everyone-comedies, dramas, thrillers and more! Ah, and more! You gotta love it. Get in the car and go to WI only true WI festival! Click Here for the schedule.
Apr 15th, 2009 by Howie Goldklang
Weigh in now!
ThirdCoast’s Jon Anne Willow is a guest panelist every Wednesday on WTMJ-4’s “What’s Hot” news segment. Weigh in on today’s topics! 1. Packers announce 2009 schedule. The team will enjoy 5 nationally televised games despite their poor season last year. Is this justified? 2. Why do people wait until the last minute to prepare their tax returns? 3. A principal in San Antonio is ticketed after a neighbor complains that an elementary school is too noisy. What? If you miss today’s program, you can watch it online here.
Apr 15th, 2009 by Jon Anne Willow
