Gathering on the Green, a surge of theater

 

Theater

Thought Milwaukee theater was done for the summer? Think again, citizens. There are still plenty of shows left, including Sunset Playhouse’s final musical of the season: The Drowsy Chaperone. Billed as “a musical within a comedy,” the show depicts an avid Broadway lover listening to a recording of his favorite musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. And if that sounds confusing, just wait until the characters start strutting their stuff in his apartment. It’s hard to find an opportunity to enjoy the long-lost age of 1920s musicals while still getting to chuckle at their earnest frivolity, but this play might just be it. The show opens July 14 and runs weekends through Aug. 7. Tickets are $22 on Fridays and Saturdays and $20 the remainder of the week, with discounted prices for students, seniors, and rush tickets. For a complete schedule, more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Sunset website or call (262) 782-4430.

Off the Wall Theatre’s production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Aspects of Love opens July 14. One of Webber’s most complex if often-maligned works, the musical focuses on a series of interconnected romances to show love from nearly every angle. In Off the Wall’s intimate blackbox setting, the actors will be close enough to tug your heartstrings. Literally. Performances run July 14-17 and 20-24, with all shows starting at 7:30 p.m. except the 4:30 p.m. Sunday matinees. Tickets are $28.50 for reserved seating and $24.50 general admission at Off the Wall’s website or by phone, (414) 327-3552.

If all this discussion of theater is making you hungry, you should probably get that checked out. In the meantime, head to the Alchemist Theatre, where Bad Example Productions will serve Cannibal! The Musical. Based on the ‘90s cult film by South Park co-creator Trey Parker — now better known for his role in crafting the recent Tony Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon — the musical tells the story of a dimwitted Oregon Trail-esque guide on trial for eating the miners he was leading through the Colorado mountains. The cheeriest of songs and a obligatory love story (will the protagonist choose his horse or the girl) adorn this show. Cannibal! The Musical opens July 14 and runs through June 30. Tickets are $15. Shows are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., with one Sunday matinee, at 2 p.m.  July 24 and midnight shows on July 16 and 29. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the Alchemist Theatre’s website.

Also on the wild side: Dead Man’s Carnival, Geoff Marsh’s collection of circus, sideshow, vaudeville and theater practitioners, coming to the Miramar Theater, 2844 N. Oakland Ave.,  at 9 p.m. Saturday, July 16. The cast rotates, but the Dead Man’s house band remains Sir Pinkerton and the Magnificents.

Finally, on Friday (July 15), Acacia Theater Company opens its last show of the season, Emma, based on the novel by Jane Austen. John Jory’s adaptation focuses on the moral growth of the title character, who attempts to find her best friend a husband and ends up entangled in a web of romance. Performances are July 15-17 and June 21-24 at the Todd Wehr Auditorium at Concordia University, with Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows at 8 p.m., Sunday matinees at 3 p.m., and an extra Saturday show at 4 p.m. Tickets are $16 general admission and $13 for seniors, students and clergy; call (414) 744-5995.

Music

When it started over 15 years ago, Mequon’s Gathering on the Green was intended to bring together Milwaukee’s major performing arts groups, giving local families a chance to see what the city has to offer. That’s still a goal of the festival, but this year the focus is primarily on the event’s headliners: Milwaukee native Daryl Stuermer, guitarist and bassist for prog-rock band Genesis, on Friday at 8 p.m. Legendary songstress Dionne Warwick headlines on Saturday at 7 p.m. Nightly tickets are $20 for lawn seats and $40 for preferred seating, or $35 and $70, respectively, for both nights.

For a full schedule of events, including the Taiko Drummers from Japan, a 5K Run/Walk and a Saturday fireworks display, or to purchase tickets, go to the event’s website or call (262) 236-0510.

Dance

When Danceworks puts on their summer DanceLAB series, the results don’t always sound as literally scientific as Daniel Burkholder’s The Chemistry of Lime Trees, the thesis for his graduate studies at UWM. Burkholder, with his performance group The PlayGround, has crafted a piece that blends dance, song, text and images into one cohesive work. For a more concrete idea of what Chemistry may look like, check out The PlayGround’s website, where you can see Burkholder performing a variety of works.

The show will be performed July 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m., with tickets $20 for general admission and $15 for students and seniors. Visit Danceworks’ website for more information or to purchase tickets.

Ongoing

Marcus Center: Church Basement Ladies, through Aug. 7

Fireside Theatre: David, through Aug. 21

American Players Theatre: Blithe Spirit, through Sept. 9

APT: The Critic, through Sept. 10

APT: The Taming of the Shrew, through Oct. 2

APT: The Glass Menagerie, through Oct. 15

APT: Crime and Punishment, through Oct. 16