Spring, and art, is in the air

Dance

The Milwaukee Ballet unleashes its Spring Series this Thursday, April 11, at the Marcus Center
for Performing Arts. The show features three works: a Sammy Davis Jr. themed composition from Darrell Grand Moultrie, an emotional Mozart piece by Amy Seiwert, and a contemporary medley by 2009’s “Genesis” winner Timothy O’Donnell. Tickets are $30.75-99.25 and are available online or via the box office: 414-902-2103.

Music

The Milwaukee Choral Artists will say goodbye to the city April 13 with The Grand Finale, their last performance as a group due to the retirement of longtime director Sharon Hansen. The concert,  at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church (1615 Wauwatosa Ave., Wauwatosa), will feature the world premiere of “Desert Sky” by Norwegian composer and pianist Ola Gjeilo. Tickets are $15-20 and are available online or by phone: 414-376-5878.

Rufus Wainwright will return to charm a Pabst Theater audience April 11. The eldest scion of the famous clan of McGarrigle/Wainwright folk musicians has a versatile, sometimes operatic/sometimes showtuney voice, and knows his way around a piano too. The show is sure to be memorable – Wainwright’s gone on record as stating the Pabst is one of his favorite theaters in the States, and recorded a live album there in 2007. Tickets are $35 and are available online or at the box office: 414-286-3663.

Present Music collaborates with Milwaukee Opera Theatre for the world premiere of The Judgment of Midas April 12 and 13 at the PSOA’s Zelazo Center (2419 E. KIenwood Blvd.). The project is loosely based on Ovid’s Metamorphoses, combining a mix of ethnic, world, pop, and folk music to represent the epic battle between the variant styles of musically-inclined Greek gods Pan and Apollo. Tickets are $15-30 (50% off for students) and are available online or at the box office: 414-271-0711 ext. 5.

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra presents its second concert this year at the Basilica of St. Josaphat ( 2333 S. 6th St.) on April 12th. The Basilica Series II: Contemplation will highlight works by Haydn, Ives, and Wagner, reflecting themes of religion and philosophy in an appropriately breathtaking venue. The program will be conducted by Francesco Lecce-Chong, and general admission tickets are $30-40 online or by calling the box office at 414-291-7605.

The Fine Arts Quartet will perform pieces by Nicola Campogrande, Dohnanyi, and Ronaldo Miranda with special guest pianists Witkowski Duo April 14 at PSOA’s Zelazo Center (2419 E. Kenwood Blvd.). The final concert of the season is free and open to the public, although tickets are required. Although all regular season seats are sold out, tickets may still be available the afternoon of the concert. More information is available at FAQ’s website or at the box office: 414-229-4308.

MSO cellist Peter Thomas will perform the second installment of his Beethoven Cello Sonata Project with special guest pianist Matthew Bergey April 14 at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. Thomas will present Sonata No. 1 in F Major and Sonata No. 4 in C Major. Tickets for Sunday’s performance are $8 to $10, and are available by email (pjtcello@yahoo.com) or phone at 612-730-1878.

The Wisconsin Conservatory’s resident piano group the Prometheus Trio will hold their final season concerts on April 15 and 16. The acclaimed group includes Timothy Klabunde on violin, Scott Tisdel on cello, and Stefanie Jacob on piano; the program includes pieces by Turina, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn. Tickets are $22 and are available online or by phone at 414-276-5760.

Theater

Milwaukee Chamber Theatre opens Margaret Raether’s Jeeves In Bloom on Thursday, April 11 at the Cabot Theatre (Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway). The comedy is a sequel to 2010’s Jeeves Intervenes, with Matt Daniels returning in the title role. This time, he’ll be helping employer Bertie Wooster dodge women, face a knife-wielding chef and assist in a burglary. The show runs through April 28. Tickets are $33.50 and are available online or at the box office: 414-291-7800.

First Stage presents Jackie and Me at the Marcus Center’s Todd Wehr Theater beginning April 12. The show is a whimsical tale involving a young boy who can time travel with the aid of a magic baseball card, which he aptly uses to travel back to 1947 to meet Jackie Robinson. The play highlights mid-century racial struggles in a thoughtful, honest manner and is appropriate for ages 8 and up. The show runs through May 5, and tickets are $18 to $25 online. For more information, call the box office at 414-273-7206.

Carte Blanche Studios will begin their run of Sweeney Todd on April 12. Sondheim’s dark cannibalistic musical tale of the collaboration between a murderous barber and entrepreneurial pie maker in 19th-century England runs through April 28th. Tickets are $20 to $25 and are available online or at the box office: 414-688-7313.

The Milwaukee Theatre hosts American Idiot April 12 and 13. The touring rock opera is an emotional story about lifelong friends forced to choose between an effortless life of comfort in the suburbs and holding on to their rebellious drugs-and-booze lifestyles. The show is based on Green Day’s Grammy Award-winning album of the same name, with a few extra hits thrown in. Tickets are $33 to $75 and are available online or at the box office: 800-745-3000.

Special Events

Also showing at the Milwaukee Theatre this weekend is Celtic Woman’s North American Tour on Sunday, April 14. The show will feature traditional Irish music, pop anthems, and inspirational songs directed by Emmy-nominated producer David Downes. Tickets are $33 to $102, and are available online or at the box office: 1-800-745-3000.

The Marcus Center presents The Magic of Bill Blagg April 12 to 14 at Vogel Hall. Blagg, a Kenosha native, is known for his unconventional magic style and original illusions. He doesn’t use rabbits or cards; rather he prefers to use his bare hands and involves audience participants to produce optical illusions such as levitation and melting solid steel. Tickets are $30-45 and are available online or by phone at 414-273-7206.

Visual Art

The Milwaukee Art Museum will reveal its annual Art In Bloom: A Tribute to Art and Flowers for four days only, from April 11 to 14. Fantastic floral arrangements created by top regional designers will grace the exhibit, while lectures and master classes will be held for those who wish to learn more about floral arrangements and home gardening ideas. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for students, and $5 for members. More information is available on MAM’s website.

Last Chance

The Rep: A Raisin In The Sun, through April 14

Racine Art Museum: International PEEPS Competition, through April 14

Ongoing

Theatrical Tendencies: The Normal Heart, through April 20

Next Act Theatre: Grace, through April 28

Renaissance Theaterworks: The Road To Mecca, through April 28

Milwaukee Rep: Ring of Fire, through May 5

Milwaukee Art Museum: Color Rush, through May 19

Milwaukee Art Museum: 125th Anniversary Celebration, through Aug. 10

Milwaukee Art Museum: Veterans Book Project: Objects for Deployment, through Sept. 2