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Too cold to watch a play in the outdoors? Fret not, for Wisconsin’s beloved American Players Theatre is bringing its performance of the Shakespearean classic tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” to the Wisconsin Union Theater.

Marvel at the grand costuming, excite in the sounds of hot steel clashing as the Capulets and Montagues battle it out, and let this tale restore your faith in love. Bring your tissues, though, "For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

Hurry up, though. Professors at the U are sending full classes to watch the play. Click here to buy your tickets.

King’s Singers

Thursday, November 2, 2006 ● 8:00pm

Tickets: $36/30/18, UW-Madison students $10

Pre-Concert Dinner: $27

Go to box office

All Hail the King’s Singers!

For some of us, the King’s Singers may be the only exposure to royalty that we’ll ever have. An accomplished British a cappella group that dates back to 1968, the King’s Singers have released over 70 albums. Now, I’m no good at math, but if we take the date of the group’s inception and subtract that from the current year, we could figure out that this averages out to about 1.842105263 album releases per year. That’s just a guess, of course! If you want to know the real number, you’ll just have to ask one of the six esteemed members for yourself—and esteemed they are.

Started by Choral Scholars from King’s College Cambridge, this stately sextet has performed everywhere from Shea Stadium to Windsor Castle, amazing sports’ fans and royal families alike with their balance, intonation and incomparable musicianship.

These princely performers will be singing selections ranging from religious psalms to 17^th century poetry. For the program and program notes, click here.

Acoustic Africa

(Habib Koite, Vusi Mahlasela and Dobet Gnahore)

Sunday, November 5, 2006 ● 8:00pm

Tickets: $30/24/18, UW-Madison students $10

Go to box office

Africa’s Music and Conscience on Stage

Looking for an uplifting event that will wed melody, catchy rhythms, and a message? You’re in luck! Three of Africa’s leading singer-songwriters, Habib Koite, Vusi Mahlasela, and Dobet Gnahore will grace the stage on Sunday, November 5^th with their performance of Acoustic Africa.

Malian Habib Koite will delight you with his danssa doso, Koite’s own style of music that blends the rich, diverse musical traditions of Mali with the rhythm of danssa from his native Keyes with the word for hunter’s music. A great believer in fair trade and human rights for all, Koite works with Oxfam and Mercy Corps, who will have a table at the concert.

Vusi Mahlasela, the South African singer nicknamed “The Voice” for his powerful anti-apartheid message, has collaborated with such artists as Dave Matthews and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Says Matthews, “You know, I always think we’re headed toward the next dark ages, but then it’s people like Vusi that give me hope that culture and civilization will survive. And I don’t mean that in any small way. I mean that absolutely.” As a teen, Mahlasela was often arrested and had his political poetry confiscated by police; as an adult, he has released six socially influential albums.

The Ivory Coast’s Dobet Gnahore, singer, dancer and percussionist, is the latest sensation in the world music arena. She sings in seven African languages and French, and, while being a bundle of energy on stage, Gnahore addresses issues such as AIDS and the importance of culture in her music. Sean Barlow of Afropop Worldwide says that she “reminded me of Marie Daulne of Zap Mama.”

Habib Koite with friends

Brentano String Quartet

Friday, November 17, 2006 ● 8:00pm

Tickets: $34/28/18, UW-Madison students $10

Pre-Concert Dinner: $27

Go to box office

Confess Your Love for Brentano String Quartet

Named after Beethoven’s famously mysterious “Immortal Beloved,” Antonie Brentano, this accomplished string quartet has shared its brilliant musicianship with the French, the Scottish, the Italians, the Japanese, the Germans, the English and, yes, even the Americans. Famous for their musical insight and stylistic elegance, the group has also performed with Pulitzer-Prize winning poet Mark Strand.

In addition to performing standard repertoire, the quartet also maintains a strong interest in the music of our time. “The Brentano String Quartet must be one of the great musical hopes of a field overcrowded with contenders,” praises the Los Angeles Times.

Click here for the program and program notes.

From the Archives

Notes from the Brentano String Quartet's last visit to the Wisconsin Union Theater (November 2000):

"Thanks so much for having us here...It is a pleasure to play in your beautiful hall and for such an appreciative audience! Thank you...the cookies are good here. Thanks!...Thank you so much for everything!"

Above: Charnett Moffett, Esty Dinur, and Laura Katzman

Meet Our Staff:

Laura Katzman, WUD Union Theater Committee Director

What got you interested in the WUD Theater Committee?

As a freshman in the UW Dance Program, I overheard Alison Rootberg, who was the current Director of the Union Theater Committee and a dancer, talking about the committee and its benefits. I was really excited at the prospect of being able to make a difference on campus by selecting the season events for the theater and working as an arts advocate. Getting free tickets to the shows did not sound bad either!

What kinds of things does your committee do?

The Union Theater Committee plans and promotes events for the theater, ranging from modern dance to classical concerts to travel adventure films and more. We program a variety of events to provide a diverse cultural experience for students and members of the campus community. We also promote the theater current season by using creative marketing ideas of the Street Team sub-committee. The committee organizes post-performance dance parties and assists with the planning and preparation of educational outreach activities including master classes, lecture demonstrations and more. We stay busy!

What has been your most memorable experience working here and why?

It was when Elizabeth Streb brought her dance company here. Her time here was particularly exciting for me because she is such a firecracker of a person. She is constantly pushing the boundary of what is considered ‘dance’ and reinventing the wheel. She takes a scientific approach to movement that incorporates her knowledge of physics. Her dancers are acrobats, dancers, and movement technicians.

What do you like to do when you’re not working on the committee?

As a dance major, I spend a fair amount of time dancing. This is something I pursue both as an area of study and for recreation. I especially enjoy dancing and listening to great live music. This passion fits well with attending music events in the Union Theater and/or the Rathskeller. Additionally, I am hoping to learn the West Coast Swing in a mini-course at the Memorial Union.

If you could send people to one show this year, what would it be?

I would send people to the Marc Bamuthi Joseph show on February 24^th. This is a Hip Hop Theater performance starring Joseph, a National Poetry Slam champion and Broadway veteran. His message is significant artistically, politically, and socially. Moreover, the honesty and integrity of his work makes him a truly inspiring contemporary artist.

Olga Kern

Thursday, October 19, 2006 • 8:00pm

Tickets: $34/24/18, UW Madison students $10

Go to box office

Radiant, Joyously Alive, Sensual...

Olga Kern Performs

Four great piano composers: Rachmaninov, Chopin, Mendelssohn and Liszt.

One great Russian pianist taking a break from her United States tour with the National Philharmonic of Russia to perform at the Wisconsin Union Theater: Olga Kern

Intelligent audience, flocking to see the first woman in 30 years to win the Van Cliburn competition: you and your children (see special offer below).

“Kern's musicality radiates off the stage and saturates the hall, and it is joyously alive, immediately communicative, fragrantly sensual, and almost visual in its intensity. Whatever it is – call it star quality – music likes Kern the way the camera liked Garbo,” praises The Washington Post’s Ronald Broun.

Don’t miss this Thursday, October 19 at 8 pm concert. Kern will be playing the Variations sérieuses in D minor, Op. 54 by Felix Mendelssohn; Frederic Chopin’s Bolero in C Major, op. 19 and Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor, Op. 35; Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3 by Sergei Rachmaninoff; and Franz Liszt’s Réminiscences de Don Juan. Buy tickets here.

Observe a master class on Wednesday, 10/18 at 6:30 pm in the Humanities Building's Morphy Hall.

Enjoy the concert even more by attending a pre-concert lecture with Perry Allaire on Thursday, 10/19 at 7:00 pm in the Memorial Union. Check the TITU.

Special Offer to Newsletter Subscribers

We’d like young people to have the opportunity to see a brilliant young pianist so we’re making a special offer: Buy a ticket at the regular price and get a free ticket for a child 18 years old and younger. Offer does not apply to previous purchases and is valid only at the time of purchase.

Buy tickets here.

The Other Side of Mexico

With Fran Reidelberger

Monday and Tuesday, October 30-31, 2006 ● 7:30pm

Tickets: $10, UW-Madison students $5

Pre-Film Buffet Dinner $14

Go to box office

A Mad Englishman, Tequila, and Knife Makers… The Other Side of Mexico

For some, there is only Cancun. For others, there’s…”The Other Side of Mexico." Filmed and produced by Fran & Brooke Reidelberger and narrated by Fran Reidelberger, this Travel Adventure Film looks at parts of Mexico most tourists don’t get to see. Start with Patzcuaro and Michoacan villages, each with their own diverse arts and crafts, including copper, "catrina" dolls and wooden masks; then watch the dance of "The Little Old Men" in the small village of Capacuaro. Take Highway 120 through the Sierra Gorda, the beginning of the Mission Trail and a fanciful “garden” created by a mad Englishman; or check out Guanajuato with its tunnels, trams and strolling troubadours. How about flocks of white pelicans, the town of Tequila, or 14 generations of knife makers in Sayula? A rollicking Mexican rodeo (not bullfighting!)? The winter home of millions of Monarch butterflies?

Yes, indeed, ladies and gents, this is the film for anyone curious about the other Mexico. You can make the experience complete by enjoying the plentiful Mexican-themed dinner before the film. Order tickets for both here.

David Grisman with Old School Freight Train

Friday, November 3, 2006 ● 8:00pm

Tickets: $36/30/18, UW-Madison students $10

Go to box office

Dawg, Catch that Train!

Put some funky pop, Gypsy jazz, Celtic, Latin, and Afro-Cuban grooves into your Bluegrass blender and what do you get? A hot Dawg on a fast train, of course!

For over 40 years, mandolinist/composer David Grisman has been creating a sound so unique that he gave it its own name. “Dawg” was actually affectionately assigned by his close friend Jerry Garcia. And this Dawg gets around! He collaborated with Bela Fleck, the Grateful Dead, Emmylou Harris, Stephane Grappelli, Linda Ronstandt, Earl Scruggs, and the Kronos Quartet, just to name a few.

When Grisman heard of a band that combined Jazz, Latin, Celtic, Bluegrass, Afro-Cuban, and pop, he jumped on the train, the Old School Freight Train that is, and took them to a recording studio. The five funk rockers from Charlottesville, VA combine thought-provoking lyrics with imaginative arrangements and soulful melodies. Tim Walsh of Bluegrass Now claims, “Whether traditional or improvisational, the music of OSFT is a stunning set, rich in beauty, depth and texture.” Imagine this texture mixed with Dawg music, and you have quite the tapestry! The 6 of them will be sure to stop you in your tracks.

Don't miss the dance party with Two High Sring Band in the Rathskeller following the show!

Fix That Ole Place!

A couple months ago, the theater was flooded. A few weeks later, it was flooded again. Luckily, both floods happened before the season started but if you’ve entered the theater anytime recently, you are fully aware of the damage and how badly this place needs some good fixin’.

Other parts of the theater are in dire need of fixin’ too. To start with, there is no wheelchair accessibility to our box office. Then you have our dark, stuffy offices which aren’t fit for human habitation. And one never knows whether the indoor temperature will require a parka or a halter top—climate control is something our offices know nothing about.

You’ve probably heard by now of the Student Union Initiative. Perhaps you’ve witnessed stunningly green “preserving the past, building the future” t-shirts, stumbled across a “Swing the Vote” flyer or wondered, “what the heck are all these little conversation bubbles pasted every 12 feet on the walls of the Memorial Union?” The SUI aims to fund improvements at Memorial Union and build a new Union South using a combination of student segregated fees and funds from program revenue and private donors.

If the initiative passes, the theater will get that fixin’ it needs so badly. There will also be major increases in Union space for registered student organizations, more places to eat, access to more technology, preservation of the historical significance of Memorial Union and a chance to help the environment through the building of a new, more efficient, green (not to mention beautiful) Union South.

Want more information? Check out the proposal’s website at http://www.unionvote.wisc.edu/. Don’t forget to vote on October 18-19.

Did you attend the Madison World Music Festival? What did you like?

Please send us your impressions as well as suggestions for next year’s festival.

Email Esty Dinur

Behind the Scenes:

How long is a perfect performance?

When it comes to great performances, which is more important, quantity or quality? Our answer: both, of course. Our performers have been selected because of their artistic excellence—and their contracts include information about performance run time, set lengths and encores. A typical musician contract for a season event specifies a minimum of 90 minutes of performance plus encore, or two 45-minute sets plus encore.

Contract negotiations aside, each performance has a different rhythm. Some artists arrive with carefully calculated programs that follow a predictable timetable. Other programs—especially those that incorporate improvisation—unfold on their own time schedule.

Audiences who attended McCoy Tyner’s brief but brilliant performance on October 6 may have noticed this factor. Tyner lost himself in his music, and consequently lost track of time. The resulting program showcased all the gifts of this jazz legend, but left some audience members wishing for more.

“Tyner left the stage much sooner than his contract specified,” explains Theater Director Ralph Russo. “I caught him backstage and asked him to play an encore, which also ran shorter than expected. When I ran backstage a third time to request another encore, he was nowhere to be found. A long conversation with his agent the following day revealed that McCoy had lost track of time and had thought he had played long enough to meet the contract requirements.”

Situations like this are rare. Audiences can expect to spend a full evening with Eddie Palmieri and his Latin Jazz Band on December 2 and Dianne Reeves on February 15.

Newsletter Staff:

Editor: Esty Dinur

Layout Designer: Claire Weissenfluh

Writers: Esty Dinur, Lauren Zink, Heather Good, and Claire Weissenfluh

Wisconsin Union Theater Box Office
800 Langdon Street, Madison, WI 53706
Phone (608) 262-2201 | Fax (608) 265-5084
boxoffice@wut.org | www.uniontheater.wisc.edu

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