Police Brutality- part two

A mother’s perspective aka Police Brutality part three

More on RNC police brutality

The media starts to pay attention

Political news- why is it always so scary?

Chances are

In America, life is dangerous. We hear ominous factoids all the time about the ways we’re in danger every time we eat, breathe, talk on our phones or walk down the street. In a very general way, we all have a sense that something bad could happen at any time. And it’s true! To illustrate, I’ve created a quick “Chance Chart” which is by no means complete but which gets the point across: Incident: Chance it will happen A man will develop cancer: 1 in 2 A woman will develop cancer: 1 in 3 A woman will be sexually assaulted: 1 in 4 A man will be sexually assaulted: 1 in 33 You’ll die from heart disease: 1 in 3 You’ll have a stroke: 1 in 6 You’ll be the victim of a serious crime: 1 in 20 You’ll lose a child this year: 1 in 5,000 Kind of puts things in perspective, don’t you think? All I’m saying is that there’s a lot out there to genuinely worry about, but I’ll make a gentleman’s bet with anyone that on a daily basis, we worry about a whole lot of stuff that’s a lot less important. Take, for example, our recent stress over what the rest of the world was going to think of us for throwing up a statue of Fonzie on the Riverwalk. It wouldn’t have been my choice, but then again I’m not the one who got my butt in gear and made an attention-garnering piece of public “art” happen. Love it or hate it, it brought in the national morning news shows and a handful of 20th century TV actors who wouldn’t have dropped in for breakfast otherwise. And in the end, how many New Yorkers are going to pass by Milwaukee for their summer vacation next year because our city has lame taste in bronze statues? The other day I was enjoying a cup of coffee at Anodyne and indulged myself in eavesdropping on two women who spent almost 15 minutes worrying (loudly, hence the indulgence) about what kind of First Lady Michelle Obama will make. According to them, Obama comes off as cold, bitter, even unpatriotic and racist. Seriously? Did either of them take the time to read her “controversial” Princeton thesis? And the “whitey” comment supposedly caught on video? Doesn’t exist. Here’s why some people really don’t like her: she’s Condoleezza Rice’s doppelganger, only younger and with better hair. And everybody – even Republicans – is scared of Condi, for more established reasons. But here’s my favorite. When VITAL published its August issue with Nikki McGuinnis’ contest-winning photograph of a little boy nestled on the shelf of an open refrigerator on the cover, we received a veritable blizzard of calls, emails and even real live letters on the subject. Some were positive, with remarks ranging from the issue’s general attractiveness to our “artistic daring.” Needless to say, there was also negative feedback. One, obviously written by an elderly woman, went so far as […]

Ready for the new

By Amy Elliott, Introduction by Jon Anne Willow It’s often the case that when performing arts budgets are tight, new work by emerging artists finds its way to more stages more readily. It can be less expensive to license and easier to obtain, and it’s uncommon for a company to collaborate directly with the author, choreographer or composer. The results can be heady stuff, born of constrained circumstances but giving birth to artistic expression of great imagination. But, there is another reason an abundance of new work might be seen in one community in one season: the patrons are ready for it. It’s a promising mark of Milwaukee area audiences’ evolving tastes that so many well-established companies are eager to offer more never-before-seen programs. What follows is just a sampling – listed alphabetically by company – of the premieres awaiting adventurous lovers of theater, dance, music and art. Danceworks Have a Seat November 7 – 9, 2008 This eclectic evening of dance features choreography by Guest Artistic Director Janet Lilly, including “The Weight of Skin,” based on a poem by Milwaukee Poet Laureate Susan Firer. The show includes work by Isabelle Kralj choreographed for members of the Slovenia National Ballet, as well as a solo premier by New Delhi-based performer Navtej Johar. The Bra Project January 23 – February 1, 2009 Danceworks’ Resident Choreographer Kelly Anderson presents an irreverent evening of dance dedicated to the history, design, social influence and pop-culture significance of that bust-loving bane and blessing, the bra. A Guy Thing March 6 – 8, 2009 Ah, the male dancer: a rare bird indeed, and this performance celebrates them in all of their perplexing, complicated and handsome glory. See guest dancers from the Milwaukee Ballet, collaborations and partnerships between dancers, solo and group works. Choreographed by Ed Burgess and friends – all of them men. First Stage Children’s Theatre Gossamer September 19 – October 5 This landmark collaboration between Lois Lowry, First Stage Children’s Theatre and Portland’s Oregon Children’s Theatre is Lowry’s first attempt to adapt one of her novels for the stage – though audiences may remember Eric Coble’s 2006 adaptation of The Giver. The show premieres in Milwaukee this monthThe imaginative story follows a young dream-giver who helps a troubled child and a lonely woman overcome nightmares. Jeff Frank directs. The MacDowell Club For more information on the decorated past of one of Milwaukee’s most historic arts organizations, check out our feature on page 11 – after you avail yourself of this impressive season calendar. We’re especially excited for the April 19 performance of a song cycle by Paula Foley Tillen based on poems by Wisconsin’s first poet laureate, Ellen Kart. Farruca for Cello and Guitar By Peter Baine November 9 – Cardinal Stritch University Poem for Cello and Strings By Minh Tam Trinh December 14 – Cardinal Stritch University Song Cycle for Tenor and Piano By Paul Fowler January 25 – Cardinal Stritch University The Road to Emmaus for Voices and Organ By Hildegarde Fischer […]

Danke Schoen

We’re back now, and our footage from the rest of the trip is in post-production. Check Matt’s blog regularly over the next few days for video coverage of the Renaissance Faire, dogs in sunglasses, dirty jokes at the hotel bar, confessional interviews, archery, driving around at night listening to “Golddigger,” revelry at the Royal Mile, ferrets and a kid on a leash. Among many, many other worthy documentary moments. You never know with that kid. He is a loose cannon. So what, you ask, did we discover on our epic tri-state crossing into the corn-fed heart of Midwestern America? Was it a renewed sense of belonging to the region’s majestic history of stewardship, loyalty and tradition? A flaring-up of love and admiration for a charming river-valley city and the solid people who live there? Beauty and truth? A headache and a sore throat? A deep-seated inner tedium after realizing that we’d been telling the same five inside jokes for 72 hours straight? A little of everything, it turns out. Last night, after a downright decadent afternoon of napping, laying around and slugging back whiskey and cokes in bed, we dragged our sorry selves out the door and drove north to El Rodeo for cheap, hearty Mexican food and a pitcher of margaritas – dinner of hung over champions. Afterward we gussied up and sauntered through the bustling bar district on Court Street to the High Life Lounge, where the shag carpeting, glaring fluorescent lights, the bros and the classic rock – not to mention the Champagne of Beers itself – almost did us in completely. But Jon Anne came to the rescue and swept us away to GT’s on Ingersoll Avenue, where, she promised, we would find an appealing blend of hipsters and greasy old bikers. Willow did not lie. Within minutes we felt right at home in our flouncy dresses and heels, dancing to James Brown on the jukebox and drinking snake bites. We saw bikers with biker tattoos and hipsters with hipster tattoos (like the young woman who flaunted a gorgeous/weird vegetable garden between her shoulder blades) as well as comfortingly familiar ironic t-shirts (my favorite: “The Periodic Table of Des Moines”). And because Des Moines is smoke free (which I thought was wonderful, except that my friends kept abandoning me at various bars to go outside and smoke), we had lots of opportunities to hang around on the sidewalk outside and get to know each other through the transcendence of lighters and bummed cigarettes. Around bar time, a pack of cyclists rolled up to GT’s for a night cap. After delivering my usual redundant/drunken monologue about why Milwaukee is sooooo great, I asked one of them how he liked living and cycling in Des Moines. Did he think it was bike-friendly? His answer seemed to be “yes and no.” Greater Des Moines has hundreds of miles of paved trails, plenty of bike racks and, like Milwaukee, it’s a compact and sensibly planned city that’s easy to navigate. […]

Behind the curtain

This month, to an even greater extent than usual, you can leaf through the pages of VITAL and find calendar listings, phone numbers, websites and profiles of the people that power the ships, as well as evidence, photographic and otherwise, of creative output. With a little imagination you can envision a setting: a proscenium stage, a row of footlights, dusty makeup rooms and wardrobes stuffed with spangled costumes. You might think about musical instruments or ballet shoes, or you might imagine the barely-controlled chaos of ticket offices and sales departments. But what else happens inside a performance company? And how wide of an audience do arts groups reach? What is their relevance or value to the wider world? The truth is, with public schools more strapped for cash than ever and cultural resources dwindling, arts organizations are sometimes a community’s most powerful force for education, outreach and enrichment resources. Members and affiliates of the United Performing Arts Fund alone touch over a million people every year, including more than 400,000 area children, according to UPAF Vice President of Community Relations and Marketing Linda Edelstein. Here, four major Milwaukee arts institutions share their most compelling initiatives for the coming season and the value they’ve brought to the city. Training and growth It’s a big year for the Milwaukee Ballet, whose acclaimed Ballet School is rated among the very best in the nation. In late August the School opened its largest branch at the Sendik’s Towne Centre in Brookfield, and this fall, the ink should be dry on the accreditation forms sent in to the National Association of Schools for Dance. If accredited, the Milwaukee Ballet School – established in 1975 – will be the only dance institution in the region that has met the NASD’s standards. But the Ballet’s outreach programming extends beyond sprung dance floors, lofty studios and kids in tutus. Their education programs alone reach over 20,000 kids a year through in-school performances, workshops and collaborations with other arts organizations. Merging training, performance, enrichment and the continuity that a successful arts education program requires, Relevé, an inner city youth dance program, provides ballet training to over 175 students at four MPS elementary schools: Allen-Field, Dover, Maple Tree and Vieau. Children start small with once-a-week, in-school ballet classes in 3rd grade and advance through 4th and 5th grade with training at the Milwaukee Ballet studios in the Peck Center. All of their dancewear is provided for free, and their study is enriched with free tickets to shows at the Ballet, in-school performances, meeting with company dancers and end-of-the-year recitals. “Relevé allows us to work with girls – and boys – who wouldn’t otherwise see these same kinds of opportunities,” says Alyson Vivar, Director of Education at the Ballet. “They really learn so much more than ballet – they learn discipline and self-confidence, and they have fun.” Training young people doesn’t have to stop with school kids. Art depends on fresh faces and the collision of new ideas with established practices […]

Bruce and Barack Rock Milwaukee

What a weekend! If the roar of choppers wasn’t enough to get your blood bubbling then maybe the music blasting from stages all over town might do the trick. Miller Park, Milwaukee Street, North Avenue, MLK Drive and Locust Street were all bursting with music and, of course, the lakefront featured headliners Foo Fighters on Friday and the Boss himself, none other than Bruuuce Springsteen tonight. But the nation’s number one celebrity du jour, Barack Obama promises to outshine them all when he hits town on Monday. Republican candidate John McCain has poked fun that Obama’s popularity is nothing but a trend a la Britany or Paris. But anyone who has heard the man speak knows that there’s plenty of substance to the Illinois junior senator. So if you’re in town on Labor Day you will definitely want to check out Obama at the Marcus Amphitheater. How often do you get a chance to witness something truly historic?

The Cancun of the Midwest

I love it here. It’s really hot and sunny. We spent most of the day yesterday drinking at The Locust Tap in the shadow (sort of) of the grand State Capitol and at the lovely bar in our wildly luxurious downtown hotel, the Renaissance Savery. (This hotel is amazing. We have a really hard time getting out of our beds. I am blogging in bed right now. It’s 4:00 pm.) While Bridget and Matt drank bloodies at the Speakeasy, Kat, Jon Anne and I headed out to Valley Junction – a charming trading post of vintage shops, boutiques and little galleries – where I bought a Wayne Newton record. I’m taking it everywhere in mostly dashed, but dogged, hopes that we’ll run into him. Last night, after an unsuccessful attempt to crash Wayne Newton’s party at the Marriott, we strolled down to Fourth Street for a rager at The Royal Mile where we set up shop for the rest of the night drinking rum and cokes and doing shots. It’s like that toothless old lady we met at the Locust Tap said to us after she asked for a light: Party like a rockstar. Matt got smacked in the face and someone bought Bridget an Italian beef sandwich. Today we woke up obscenely early to go to the Downtown Farmer’s Market, where we danced in the street while a funk band played “Flashlight” for what felt like hours and hours. We bought honey, wax beans and El Salvadorian pupusas. Now we’ve just returned from the Renaissance Faire, which was, in the organizer’s own words, “no Bristol.” We put Matt Wild in the stocks and I turned out to be a champion archer. A really nice guy gave me a free kebab. We’ve been overdressed. Our reception here has been grand. For a town that hosts the Iowa Caucuses, just threw a homecoming bash for Shawn Johnson and 7000 of her admirers and is currently playing host to both Shakira and a multi-million dollar Arabian horse described as “an undeniable gift from God,” “a paradox in the most elemental sense” and “the most influential stallion of modern times,” people sure are excited to have us here. (By the way, Bronze Fonz detractors: Des Moines is home to a similarly contentious figure that may or may not look anything like its subject.) We’ve been meeting lots of people in finance. Des Moines is the insurance capital of America. Did you know that? We’ve also made friends with a fair number of osteopaths and chiropractors. Des Moines is the capital of that, too. Who knew, Des Moines? Seriously … WHO KNEW? With so many successful doctors and financial representatives, I might call Des Moines America’s most marriageable city. I might also call the kinkiest place in the Midwest. For no good reason. More on that later. Des Moines! I just love it. It’s just like Cancun, but friendlier, and with cornfields. Kids turning cartwheels at the grocery store, dance parties in the deli […]

A Good Week

Is it possible that the Democrats have actually pulled off a flawless convention and nominated a terrific team that offers passion, experience, vision and conviction? Each night seemed perfected choreographed to convey a particular message designed to unify the party and demonstrate to the nation that Barack Obama and Joe Biden are the right choice on Election Day in November. And the news today that John McCain has chosen Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, a social conservative, apparently to bolster his support among the party’s base who have little love for the former maverick, adds piquancy to the strength of the Democratic ticket. The Ted Kennedy/Michelle Obama show on Monday, followed by Hillary’s terrific performance on Tuesday, and then Bill and Joe’s one-two punch on Wednesday were all impressive raising the stakes for the main event on Thursday. And Barack Obama did not disappoint. He hit all the right notes, delivering a great speech with all the poetry his supporters have grown accustomed to while also providing plenty of specifics that his critics have charged he has glossed over. Never mind that his standard stump speech has always been chock full of policy specifics that have been essential to his appeal. But most importantly, Obama took the fight directly to Sen. McCain, leaving no doubt that he is ready to take on the War Hero on the question of who has the ideas, the determination and the fortitude to deliver on the challenges facing our nation at this critical juncture. Even the roll call had a dramatic, cathartic and even entertaining quality to it. When the Illinois delegation ceded its time to the New York crowd allowing Sen. Hillary Clinton to call on the convention to nominate Obama by acclamation, policy wonks everywhere were breathless. Granted McCain deserves some credit for seizing the media’s attention by naming Palin, the little known, self-described former “hockey mom.” But after the buzz caused by the surprise announcement dies down independents and other undecided voters will most likely wonder why this choice should convince anyone that the nation’s future is best entrusted to this team. Wow. Whatta week. I’m still kinda breathless.