A surge of theater, and some avant-cabaret

Theater

Fiddler on the Roof rolls into Milwaukee tonight (June 14). The tour classic makes a weeklong stop at the Marcus Center. Based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem, this production adheres as closely to tradition as its characters, with choreography faithful to the original Jerome Robbins version and a Tevye (John Preece) who has played the role over 1,500 times.

First performed in 1964, Fiddler on the Roof was a smash hit and at one time the longest-running Broadway show in history. Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick wrote Tradition, Sunrise, Sunset, Matchmaker, Matchmaker and If I Were a Rich Man for Fiddler, and they’ve become musical theater staples.The book, by Joseph Stein, remains a popular and powerful tale of a family shaken by the world around them.

Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday (June 14-19). Tickets start at $25, varying based on performance date, seat location and date of purchase. Call the Marcus Center Box Office, 929 N. Water St., (414) 273-7206, or visit the Marcus Center website. For group orders (10 or more), call (414) 273-7121, ext. 210. The Milwaukee engagement is presented by Broadway Across America – Milwaukee and the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, as part of the Time Warner Cable Broadway at the Marcus Center series.

Let’s tell ourselves the truth: family is funny. The women of Broadminded, Milwaukee’s all-female comedy quartet, know it. In their latest show, Blood is Thicker than Liquor, the self-proclaimed “broads” shine the spotlight on the real-life quirks of their families. Don’t worry about any angry relatives in the audience, though — the broads say their loved ones are used to being publicly teased. Performances are Thursday, June 16, and June 23-26, with all shows starting at 8 p.m. except the 4 p.m. Sunday matinee. Tickets are $10 online or at the door.

Last year, when they opened The Tempest, Optimist Theatre brought an actual storm down on their heads. So this Thursday when their second annual Shakespeare in the Park kicks off with Twelfth Night, it might be prudent to anticipate shipwrecked twins wandering into the audience around Act III. It’ll be hard for them to find a place to sit though — the limited number of chairs are already bought up, and competition for lawn seats looks to be fierce, so get there early. Twelfth Night will be performed in the courtyard at Alverno College June 16-19 and 24-26, all shows starting at 8 p.m. Admission is free, but Optimist recommends getting on the waiting list at their website, as this gives you priority for lawn seating.

Uprooted Theatre’s staged reading of Trouble in Mind, an Alice Childress drama about a racially mixed cast in a Broadway show, is part of a nationwide event called “1 Play, 1 Voice, 1 Day.” Nearly 20 African-American theater organizations will perform Trouble in Mind on the same day, to raise awareness of black drama.  The staged reading, at Ten Chimneys, is free to the public, and will occur Monday, June 20, at 8 p.m. (By the way, if the play seems familiar, it’s likely because it appeared on the Milwaukee Rep’s 2008-09 season.)

Damnation pays. Youngblood Theatre‘s production of Mickle Maher’s An Apology for Certain Events Delivered by Doctor John Faustus on this His Final Evening has been such a runaway hit that Youngblood has extended the run. The added shows, featuring Michael Cotey’s tour-de-force monologue, begin at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, June 17; Tuesday, June 21; and Wednesday June 22. They’re staging it in the Pritzlaff Building, 143 St. Paul Ave. Tickets are $15; get ’em while you can.

Music

Composer John Williams has scored a great many blockbusters, and the latest he’s (indirectly) contributing to is the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s free concert Thursday at the Boerner Botanical Gardens, which kicks off the summer “Concerts in the Garden” series. Okay, maybe it doesn’t precisely fulfill the usual definition of a blockbuster, but the concert, led by resident conductor Stuart Chafetz, will offer a multitude of selections from Williams’ lofty career, including songs from Jurassic Park, Star Wars, and the Harry Potter series. The hour-long concert begins at 7:30 p.m., with food and beverages available from Bartolotta’s.

Straddling the genres of classical, experimental and popular music may seem like a tall order, but for avant-cabaret singer Amy X Neuburg, it’s really more of a “been there, done that” sort of thing. She’ll be in town for Present Music’s season finale, where she’ll perform a new piece for piano and voice with live loops, as well as a number of pieces from her recent song cycle Secret Language of Subways, performed with the Present Music ensemble. Also on the docket is Kamran Ince’s latest piece, Far Variations, a quartet for piano and strings. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, at the Turner Hall Ballroom. Tickets are $20 in advance, either at (414) 271-0711 or online, $30 at the door, and $5 for students.

Special Events

It’s Flag Day today, so pull out the red, white and blue for the occasion. Milwaukee’s most prominent celebration occurs at the Marcus Center, with the theme “Honoring the Dead by Serving the Living.” Emceed by Gus Gnorski, a Vietnam veteran, a formal segment including a Presentation of Colors and speeches by Chaplain Rev. Ray Stubbe, USMC and retired Colonel Kenneth Sweet, USAF, will begin the event, followed by a performance by the 484^th Army Band Brass Quartet and Main Street Song & Dance Troupe. The event will last from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Ongoing

Youngblood Theatre: An Apology, extended through June 22.

Fireside Dinner Theatre: A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, through June 26.

Last Chance

Pink Banana Theatre: “Higher Education” Spring One-Acts, through June 18.

Alchemist Theatre: Fool for Love, through June 18.

Carte Blanche: Titus Andronicus, through June 19.