Motorcycles, monsters, musical masterminds

Theater

Get your engines ready: The Milwaukee Rep opens their take on Shakespeare’s Othello Friday night. The brainchild of artistic director Mark Clements, the adaptation translates Iago, Desdemona and the Moor himself to the world of motorcycle gangs, but maintains the same classic revenge plot. Performances run April 6 through May 6, with shows at 7:30 p.m. weeknights, 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Tickets range from $10 to $65, and can be purchased at the Rep’s box office or (414) 229-9490.

The touring “Shrek the Musical” visits Milwaukee for five performances this weekend.

It’s hard to find someone at this point who hasn’t seen at least one of the Shrek films, but if you’d have preferred the originals with a slightly more musical angle, you’re in luck: Shrek the Musical is coming through the Milwaukee Theatre this weekend. The dramatic version sticks to the script of the original movie, adding a dozen and a half songs and translating the computer-generated characters into elaborately costumed performers. Performances run March 5 to 8, at 7 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $75, $63, $48 or $33, and can be purchased at their online box office.

In One Time, making its world premiere at Next Act Theatre, a man and a woman meet and become friends while sharing secrets. The problem they quickly run into is that sooner or later, they’ll tell one secret too many. The production runs April 5 to 29, with shows at 7:30 p.m. weeknights, 8 p.m. Fridays, 4:30 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $30 most nights, and $25 on select 1 p.m. Wednesday matinees or $35 on Saturday; call (414) 278-0765 or visit their online box office.

Music

Franz Haydn, an undisputed master of the symphony, will be the centerpiece of an MSO concert series this weekend.

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra centers their latest concert around symphonic master Franz Josef Haydn, who wrote 104 in his lifetime. Guest conductor James Gaffigan will lead the orchestra in Haydn’s 26th, Lamentatione, along with Dvořák’s Czech-tinged Sixth Symphony and Glazunov’s Concerto in A minor, performed by Concertmaster Frank Almond. Performances will be Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and tickets range from $25 to $102. Visit the MSO’s website or call (414) 291-7605 to order.

The Wisconsin Conservatory’s We Six sextet gets jazzy at their Soul Jazz concert this Thursday. The 7:30 p.m. concert features the tunes of Lou Donaldson, Blue Mitchell and Grant Green, among others. For this concert, Jason Todd will replace Eric Schoor on tenor saxophone — a double stand-in, as Schoor is filling in for sextet member Berkeley Fudge, on a leave of absence. Tickets are $22 and $12 for students, and can be ordered at (414) 276-5760.

Renaissance Theaterworks: Honour, through April 15

Milwaukee Rep: In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), through April 22

Fireside Theatre: 9 to 5, through May 5

Milwaukee Rep: Always…Patsy Cline, through May 20 (EXTENDED)

Last Chance

Off the Wall Theatre: The Tempest, through April 7