For the week of February 14-20…
Robin Hood, February 17-March 12, Marcus Center, 929 N Water St (firststage.org)
For its 60th World Premiere production, First Stage applies the formula successfully used in their recent hit The Baker Street Irregulars: Take a classic literary figure (Sherlock Holmes) and populate the cast with mostly young actors from the talented First Stage crew. This time, Robin of Sherwood is surrounded, not by Merry Men but Marian and the Merry Kids of Sherwood Forest as they set out to rescue the kidnapped Robin, Little John and Friar Tuck. Sounds like a jolly romp is in store, and if you’re looking for a bargain, keep in mind the 7 pm performance on the 21st is Pay What You Can!
20th Annual Festival of Films in French, February 17-26, Union Cinema, 2200 E Kenwood Blvd (uwm.edu/french-film-festival)
This is one of the best times of the year for Milwaukee film buffs. For the 20th year, the UW-Milwaukee French Department and Union Cinema present a package of acclaimed French language films new and old FREE to the public! Twenty films will be screened from the 17th through the 26th, and the films come from Canada and Africa as well as France, so there’s a wide range of genres featured. It gets underway Friday night with the Journey Through French Cinema, the French version of Martin Scorsese’s history of Hollywood from a few years back. Your tour guide for the 3 hour-plus journey is acclaimed director Bertrand Tavernier, who injects personal insights as he presents clips from classic French movies, many of which you may recognize. Another highlight, sure to delight family audiences, is Belle and Sebastian: The Adventure Continues, with matinee showings on February 19 and 26. It’s a sequel to the Festival hit from several years back, featuring young lad Sebastian and his faithful dog. This time the pair sets out to rescue Resistance fighter Angelina whose plane crashes on her way home following the end of World War II. Like the first film, it’s sure to please young and old alike…and that’s just a couple of the featured films! Go to the link above for the complete list of featured films and screening times. It’s one of Milwaukee’s best movie deals, and with that comes the caveat that you arrive early as the cinema usually is filled to capacity and latecomers wind up getting turned away…Don’t say you weren’t warned!
Tuning In With Randy-O 