Summerfest starts on a high note

Music

The festival we’ve all been waiting for begins this Wednesday, June 26. Summerfest will take place over 11 days and will host over one thousand artists at the Henry Maier Festival Park. The Violent Femmes & the Avett Brothers will play the Marcus Amphitheater opening night, with other Marcus headliners this week including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, fun., Jason Aldean and Pitbull. In addition, a variety of new events have been added this year, including paddle boats, skydiving teams, a parade and a zip line. Tickets and a complete lineup can be found online. Keep an eye on TCD all this week for concert reviews and continuing coverage.

This week’s Starry Night concert at Wilson Center will feature the Florentine Opera, as they perform a patriotic tribute to America. This performance will take place on Friday, June 28 at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and there will be food and beverages available for purchase at the Gerlach Outdoor Theater prior to the show.

UWM’s Fine Arts Quartet will host another concert this Sunday, June 30 at 7:30 PM. Guest violist Gil Sharon and guest cellist Niklas Schmidt will help to present Brahms’ String Sextet No. 1 in B flat major, Op.18 and String Sextet No.2 in G major, Op.36 at the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets to this performance are free, but must be reserved in advance by calling 414-229-4308.

Theater

American Players Theater opens Dickens in America, which is a one man show in which Charles Dickens plays his own characters while providing the audience with a unique insight into how characters themselves are created. APT company staple James Ridge will be playing Dickens in this production written by James DeVita and directed by C. Michael Wright. The show opens on Wednesday, June 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Touchstone Theater. Tickets start at $50 and can be purchased by calling 608-588-2361.

To read a Third Coast Daily article about a particular show, please click on the show title. For more information about the show itself, please click on the venue.

Last Chance

Museum of Wisconsin Art: Repetitive Patterns, through June 30

Ongoing

Tory Folliard Gallery: June Exhibitions, through July 6

Marcus Center: Wicked, though July 7

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

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

Milwaukee Art Museum: 30 Americans, though Sept. 8

JMKAC: Uncommon Ground, through Sept. 6