What’s Going On

For the week of February 2-7…

Twilight:  Los Angeles 1992, now-February 21, Next Act Theater, 255 S Water St (nextact.org)

One of the hallmarks of Next Act Theater’s history is its willingness to present plays that confront social issues head-on, and its current production is no exception.  Twilight:  Los Angeles 1992 is comprised of transcripts from interviews conducted with eyewitnesses following the Rodney King riots (You remember:  “Can’t we all just get along??”).  For Next Act’s staging, the roles of 37 characters are divided up among a strong cast of six actors (including Milwaukee favorites Marti Gobel and Angela Ianonne) under the direction of Next Act Artistic Director David Cecsarini and veteran Milwaukee actor Jonathan Smoots (Scrooge in Milwaukee Rep’s Christmas Carol).  The actors’ parts cut across race and gender, resulting in some of the most provocative theater you’ll see in Milwaukee this year.  For me, the words of George Santayana come to mind:  “Those who cannot recall the past are condemned to relive it.”

Steely Dane, February 6, Turner Hall Ballroom, 1034 N 4th St (steelydane.com)

Madison’s fabulous Steely Dan tribute band pays a return visit to Brew City with their first-ever performance at the historic Turner Hall Ballroom!  In addition to their bullseye renditions of tunes from the Dan canon, songs from Donald Fagen’s solo work (ie, “IGY” and “New Frontier”) have been recently added to the band’s setlist.  After wowing festival crowds at Summerfest and Jazz in the Park, the band will have no problem filling the venerable dance hall, so get there early!  Rather than staying home and watching “NFL Honors” and “The Greatest Super Bowl Commercials,” seeing this band up close and personal is a much better way to celebrate Super Bowl Eve!

Prometheus Trio, February 8-9, Bader Recital Hall, 1584 N Prospect Ave (wcmusic.org)

Take a break from the winter doldrums by attending the annual Winter program from Wisconsin Conservatory of Music’s resident piano trio on Monday and Tuesday!  And the Tuesday performance is the PT’s annual “Brunch” concert at 11 am, providing an ideal opportunity for those that don’t want to brave the cold winter evenings.  Speaking of brunch, the PT’s program is a musical cornucopia, featuring works by Haydn, Schumann and American composer Charles Ives (but not his Variations on “America”).  So come down and warm up to the sounds from this venerable Milwaukee cultural treasure!