2007-12 Vital Source Mag – December 2007
funny stuff in January at the Pabst
Although not a household stand-up name like Jerry Seinfeld or George Carlin, Jim Gaffigan is one of the funniest, strangest, most acerbic and affable comedians on the circuit today – which is probably why the Pabst Theater took a risk in booking him as the featured act on New Year’s Eve (the December 30 date was added when demand became high) instead of some hip young musicians like last year’s party with cult rock group Cake.
Dec 27th, 2007 by Brian Jacobson
Call and Response
As teenagers, they learned that musicians get girls. Still embracing that high school mentality as adults, The Response “keep[s] getting older,” but their fans “stay the same age,” says bassist Mikey Blanchard. More playful than pedophiliac, the four-piece has a sense of humor that will surely inspire all kinds of journalistic inaccuracy as they make press for their overdue debut LP, releasing this month.
Dec 18th, 2007 by Amber Herzog
A Grouch Worth Considering
Artist Kenn Kwint goes bonkers when he sees his first name spelled incorrectly. I’ve know him for 20-plus years, enough to know that he whines a lot, but who cares? This chap is a “painter’s painter.”
Dec 12th, 2007 by Judith Ann Moriarty
Cinco Jugueteros de Venezuela @ Latino Arts Center
I hate sounding like Scrooge, but my memory bank is filled with nights-before-Christmas spent assembling toys for my kids. If you’ve ever tried finding a minuscule screw in inch-high shag carpeting, you know what I mean. There were endless batteries to test, a parade of dolls (Chatty Kathy, Baby Wets, Raggedy Ann) and, atop our aluminum tree, a revolving purple-and-blue light on the fritz. And where were Barbie’s pink shoes and Ken’s shirt? Would my 5-year-old like the green cowboy boots I bought in Mexico? I learned later that not one kid in his preppy pre-school wore cowboy boots, let alone green ones. What was I thinking? The turkey thawing in the kitchen seemed to be the only thing not giving me tizzies. On these nightmares before Christmas, I slugged down extra eggnog. Cinco Jugueteros de Venezuela (Handcrafted Venezuelan Toys) was scheduled to open Friday, December 7 (5pm-7pm) at the Latino Arts Center, 1028 S. 9th St. When I arrived for the gala opening, it had been rescheduled. The new date is Friday, January 4, 2008. The show will run through January, so you’ll be able to greet the New Year with a selection of toys crafted entirely by hand, with no assembly required and no lead-paint problems. As I write this, the shipment of toys is sitting somewhere in Memphis, held up due to changes in Venezuelan shipping regulations. “The toys don’t talk, they don’t walk. They run entirely by imagination,” said Zulay Oszkay, a member of the Milwaukee Arts Board and Artistic Director of Latino Arts, Inc. She added that she and her staff had painted the 300 sq. ft. auditorium room entirely white so as to better “show off” the toys. They tracked the Fed-Ex shipment for several days, right up to the last minute, but alas! No toys in time for the December 7 opening. The toys were to be accompanied by the artisans who made them, but they were unable to get visas for the visit. While writing this, I found a website blasting Venezuela’s President, Hugo Chavez. It seems he thinks Barbie and Ken represent “disgusting stupidity”; his holiday choices are items made in Venezuela. For boys, he suggests wooden rocking horses and/or “Ilaneros” (cowboys), and for girls … rag dolls. However, I doubt if politico Chavez was actually thinking about simpler times. Call him a dictator or a Democrat; he does seem a bit sexist when it comes to toys. Venezuela is in the throes of political turmoil, which contributed to the delayed shipment of toys. As Zulay and I sipped coffee and chatted in the auditorium, kids came in to participate in “toy-making” workshops and the United Community Center Youth Cuatro Ensemble arrived to perform. Images of the exquisite toys flashed by on a nearby television screen. Despite the cancellation of the opening, the mood was upbeat and the room sparkled with decorated trees. This is a wonderful facility and worth a visit anytime. Later in the evening, a friend and I […]
Dec 10th, 2007 by Judith Ann Moriarty
A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol at a time when there was a new focus on our growing human family and the plight of the poor. It was also a time when the urban Christmas tradition had started to lose meaning. Although a century or so has passed, A Christmas Carol still reminds us of the importance of charity and love for humanity that’s especially pertinent this time of year.
Dec 6th, 2007 by Vital Archives
VITAL’s predictions for 2008
Formulating predictions for a new year can be ironic -- they usually revolve around the roadblocks we couldn't bust through in the previous year. What license are we issued to move the immovable just by the setting and rising of the sun one more time, one more bout of shuteye, one more flip of a shiny but flimsy paper calendar?
Dec 4th, 2007 by Vital Archives
Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of A Chr
By Jill Gilmer From the moment you are greeted by the white-haired ladies at the entrance to the playhouse, it’s apparent that this will be no ordinary night at the theatre: this is the Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen’s Guild Dramatic Society. This very amateur acting troupe attempts to perform Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol with comic results, ranging from falling sets to missed lines to an apparent no-show by the actress who plays Scrooge, forcing the company’s director to try to solicit a replacement from the audience at the start of the play. Farndale Avenue is a series of 11 plays-within-plays produced by the society ladies’ drama guild, including their attempts to perform Macbeth, a murder mystery and a French farce. Theatre-goers expecting A Christmas Carol may be disappointed. The seasonal favorite is really just a backdrop to showcase a host of theatrical mishaps and odd divergences from the original script. At the end of the play, the cast abandons the story altogether and leads the audience in a game of charades. The clever script by David McGillvray and Walter Zerlin Jr. is packed with classic British humor, and the challenge for any American theatre company is to capture the play’s wit without degenerating into silliness. Unfortunately, the company has only limited success in this endeavor. The audience laughed throughout the show but at a level far more restrained than might be expected. In many scenes, the ensemble appears to be trying too hard. This production misses the sharp wit of the parody, which requires a much higher degree of subtlety in both its acting and its direction. Bright spots include an excellent performance by Beverly Sargent, whose character inches across the stage wearing a neck brace she acquired in a supermarket accident. Elizabeth Keefe brings a sweet innocence and natural humor to her characters, especially her portrayal of a snowman in the opening scene. Matthew Patten, the only male member of the women’s drama guild, plays the role of a clueless cast member with just the right level of happy-go-lucky confusion. Farndale Avenue continues through December 31 at the Sunset Playhouse in Elm Grove. For tickets or more information, contact the box office at (262) 782-4430 or visit www.sunsetplayhouse.com.
Dec 4th, 2007 by Vital Archives
A Cudahy Caroler Christmas
Bringing back that “old Cudahy Caroler magic” is Stasch Zielinski’s mission in A Cudahy Caroler Christmas, In Tandem Theatre’s co-presentation with the Marcus Center and a Milwaukee holiday favorite. Returning to Vogel Hall in the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts Thanksgiving weekend, this production features both new and returning cast members.
Dec 4th, 2007 by Peggy Sue Dunigan
Stretch your Brain
A few days ago, I opened my email to find the following message from a friend: ANTI-GOD MOVIE WARNING “I almost had this book in my hand for a Christmas present for my son, but found something else. I’m glad ... I just got this message today."
Dec 1st, 2007 by Lucky Tomaszek
Light my Fire
"Fat is the canvas upon which the flavor flows. It’s the glue that sticks the flavor particles to your tongue,” David Piette, Executive Chef of Sabor Brazilian Churrascaria, avers.
Dec 1st, 2007 by Cate Miller
Marcus Doucette
By Kenya Evans His distinctive voice graces our radio waves as a host on 88Nine, Radio Milwaukee; chalk up his tranquil tone to his meditative practices as a Yoga instructor. By night you may have found him scratching and mixing on the 1’s and 2’s at local hot spots like Jackalope Lounj and Hi Hat Garage – maybe you even caught him opening for Meshell Ndegeocello at Turner Hall in November. A DJ on the local scene for eight years, Marcus Doucette describes his work as “The Mystic Art of Just Being Yourself.” What made you turn to DJing and radio jockeying after school? I [graduated] from Marquette University back in 1998 … I had a really hard time finding a job that was anything other than another paycheck and another week of getting by. At first, DJing was an accident (because I had some records), then it was for fun (because I worked and partied too much anyway), then it was money (because I always needed it). Then something happened; with all of these motivations in mind, I sort of got lucky and landed a gig at 91.7 doing their world music slot, and that was the best opportunity. With the freedom to play music that inspired words, I found that radio was a great place for me to be. Two years at WMSE honed skills that would become a job at 88Nine. The odd thing is this is the job I had never “planned” on getting. What do you think of the Milwaukee arts scene? I have always thought of the scene here as being creative as well as progressive. With MIAD in town and the overall support of events like Gallery Night, Milwaukee has talent as well as some support for that talent. Add a party-like vibe and you have a sense of my sense of the scene in town. What are you working on and who are you working with? Right now I’m doing work with anyone who wants to work with me … currently a musician named Eltron, and another DJ, Dirty Francis, as well as The Architect, Tarik from 88Nine. How do you draw people to your work? Come to my show, I’ll probably ask you; we’ll have a beer and work it out on the dance floor. Talk about your approach to your art. I don’t really consider myself an artist in the traditional sense of the word. If you mean “being involved in creative endeavors,” then maybe, but just barely. I do appreciate it when someone calls me one; I would say that I use a little art in what I do – and that’s stretching the definition a bit. With DJing, I feel my approach is all about the moment. I’ve never been able to plan a set because the impact of the room is very important and the “art” in my DJing is all about how the environment affects my Center … what spins off of that becomes my set, […]
Dec 1st, 2007 by Vital Archives
