Christmas Shows Go Online

Milwaukee Repertory Theater presents Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol December 10 – 24, 2020. Foreground: Lee E. Ernst, Background: Dan Kazemi. Photo by Michael Brosilow.

Each week, Urban Milwaukee is curating a list of events that are taking the necessary safety precautions provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This week, Milwaukee theater companies are making it easier to “Stay Home for the Holidays” with virtual performances, like Skylight Music Theatre’s “Skylight Sings: A Holiday Special” or The Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol.” Get your dose of live music with Milwaukee folk artist Trapper Schoepp, who will close out the Jewish Museum Milwaukee’s Bob Dylan exhibit with a tribute performance featuring some of Dylan’s classics. And if you’re feeling up to braving the cold, enjoy a holiday-themed hiking event Winter Wonder Woods at the Hawthorn Glen.

Skylight Music Theatre will virtually bring together over 20 artists and performers for a seasonal performance called Skylight Sings: A Holiday Special. The performance, which was recorded at the Cabot Theatre, will feature a mix of Broadway show tunes, traditional holiday songs, pop adaptations and some comedic elements. The performance is available for streaming up to 48 hours after you’ve purchased your tickets, which can be bought by following this link. Urban Milwaukee members can get discounted tickets through noon on the 18th, click here for information.

December 17-27: Candy Cane Lane

Candy Cane Lane, a West Allis tradition since 1984, will once again brighten W. Manitoba Street with holiday decorations for a holiday sightseeing experience. Every year, Candy Cane Lane raises money for the MACC Fund, encouraging those who drive through to donate to a cause dedicated to fighting cancer and blood disorders. Candy Cane Lane will be fully lit up from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m on weekdays and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with daily entertainment and the chance to see Santa himself. For those who are unable to make it to Candy Cane Lane this year, but are interested in donating to the MACC Fund, follow this link.

December 17 – January 1: Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival

The Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival is celebrating its 22nd year with a socially distanced six-week-long event. Three Milwaukee parks and the Wisconsin Avenue Chandeliers, will be transformed with holiday lights. Cathedral Square Park will become the “Community Spirit Park” featuring Santa’s Mailbox presented by Educators Credit Union, where families can drop off their letters to Santa. If you drop it off before December 13th,  you’ll receive a personalized response in return. Pere Marquette Park will become “Tinsel Town Express,” where families can explore the North Pole’s “delivery depot” and pick up a holiday tree from the festive tree lot. And finally, take a photo in Santa’s chair at the “Polar Plaza powered by We Energies.”

The Milwaukee Repertory Theater is continuing its tradition of putting on a production of Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol, this time pivoting to a virtual format. This year also marks’ the production’s 45th anniversary. The show stars Lee E. Ernst and features an original soundscape by Dan Kazemi. The show is available to stream through Christmas Eve, and tickets cost $20 per household. Visit MilwaukeeRep.com for more information.

December 19: Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market

Even though fall is coming to a close, there are still farmers markets to enjoy, such as the Milwaukee Winter Farmers Market. The market, which is celebrating its 12th season, takes place on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Greenhouse Annex at the Mitchell Park Domes (524 S. Layton Blvd.) until March 27th, 2021. The market will feature 30 vendors offering fresh local produce, baked goods, cheeses, handmade soaps and more. COVID-19 safety precautions and guidelines will be enforced, including a mandatory mask policy and restrictions on eating and drinking in the market.

January 19: Trapper Schoepp’s Acoustic Tribute to Bob Dylan

Milwaukee folk singer Trapper Schoepp will pay tribute to Bob Dylan with a performance featuring his brother Tanner Schoepp. The duo will perform “On, Wisconsin”, which is a song based off of lyrics originally penned by Dylan. Schoepp completed the song, and later secured the rights to it from Dylan. The brothers will also play Dylan classics in the Jewish Museum Milwaukee’s atrium in celebration of the closing of the “Shakespeare’s in the Alley: A Tribute to Bob Dylan” exhibit. The performance is free and open to the public, and it will also be streamed via the Jewish Museum Milwaukee’s Facebook page as well as Trapper Schoepp’s Facebook page starting at 7 p.m. on January 19, 2021.

Correction: A previous version of this article had December 19 listed as the date of the Trapper Schoepp concert. This was incorrect. It is on January 19, 2021.