A week of anniversaries, joyous and tragic

Music

This Sunday marks the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. The Bel Canto Chorus and Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra are commemorating the day with United We Stand, a free tribute concert at Cathedral Square Park. The two groups will perform two pieces: Mozart’s Requiem, notable for its use in the Rolling Requiem movement in 2002 where orchestras across the world performed the piece one time zone at a time to mark the 1^st anniversary of the attacks, and Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, which in its orchestrated version has been moistening eyes since 1938. The concert includes Rebecca Whitney (soprano), Nicole Warner (mezzo-soprano), Gregory Schmidt (tenor) and Gerard Sundberg (baritone) as featured soloists.  Richard Hynson will conduct. The Midwest Vocal Express, an a cappella male chorus, and the Bel Canto Boy Choir with sing a prelude concert at 2:15 p.m.

The concert proper will startat 3:00 p.m., after a presentation of the colors by the Milwaukee Fire Department Honor Guard and an invocation presented by faith leaders from the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee. Milwaukee Public Television will broadcast the concert on channel MPTV 10.1, with a rebroadcast at 6:30 p.m. on MPTV 36.1. Wisconsin Public Television will air it statewide on WPT at 3 p.m. and again on The Wisconsin Channel at 8 p.m.

Theater

The Milwaukee Rep welcomes an old friend back to town this weekend, with From My Hometown opening in previews on Friday Sept. 9 and in earnest on Sunday Sept. 11 at the Stackner Cabaret. The jukebox musical, about three aspiring R&B singers trying to snag a gig at the Apollo Theater, made its regional premiere at the Rep in 1998. It ran there again in 2000 before going on to a successful off-Broadway run. The man behind the show, Lee Summers, originated the role of Memphis in the production. Summers experienced some of the scenarios in the play as a young talent in the ‘80s. Some rise from tales he heard about from other performers. The show runs through Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $35 and up, depending on the date and time, with a $5 discounts for seniors and a flat $20 student rate. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (414) 224-9490 or visit the Rep’s website.

While it may not seem that way at first glance, the actors on your favorite soaps aren’t robots. That’s what makes Comic Potential, the opening show at the Racine Theater Guild, such a unique proposition. Add a malfunctioning “actoid” who develops a sense of humor and an unorthodox human/machine romance, and I think we have a ratings gold mine on our hands. Comic Potential opens Sept. 9 and runs through Sept. 25. Tickets range from $13 to $17 depending on time and day, with $2 discounts for students and seniors. For a full schedule or to buy tickets, visit the theater’s website or call (262) 633-4218.

Visual Art

Ten years ago, the wings of the Santiago Calatrava-designed Burke Brise Soleil on the Quadracci Pavilion opened for the first time, and Milwaukee gained its most iconic landmark. This September, the Milwaukee Art Museum will look back at the construction of the project, with their new exhibit Building a Masterpiece: Santiago Calatrava and the Milwaukee Art Museum. Comprising watercolors, models and photographs, the exhibit traces the development of the winged Calatrava and how it has driven international eyes toward Milwaukee over the last decade. Building a Masterpiece opens Sept. 8 and runs through Jan. 1, 2012.

Galleries such as the Walker’s Point Center for the Arts need the financial support of their members to stay afloat. So for a number of years, they’ve been paying artists back by hosting their Annual Members Show, a salon-style juxtaposition of artists that offers a broad glimpse of the Milwaukee art scene. The exhibit will be open Sept. 9 to Oct. 8, with an opening night reception Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Entry to the gallery is free Tuesdays to Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m.

Sunset Playhouse: Arsenic and Old Lace, through Sept. 18

Milwaukee Rep: Ten Chimneys, through Sept. 25

American Players Theater: The Cure at Troy, through Sept. 25

APT: The Tempest, through Sept. 30

APT: Of Mice and Men, through Oct. 1

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

APT: The Glass Menagerie, through Oct. 15

APT: Crime and Punishment, through Oct. 16

Fireside Theater: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, through Oct. 23

Last Chance

American Players Theatre: Blithe Spirit, through Sept. 9

APT: The Critic, through Sept. 10

Milwaukee Art Museum: Summer of China, through Sept. 11