In the basement of The Brink Lounge, in a space distinguished from the large club-like room where noticeably mature guests drank and danced to a live band, Dina Nina Martinez gave a striking performance to an intimate crowd.
What makes a great musical? More importantly, what makes a musical great when it’s already set in New York, has the turbulence of when the city was developing and masterfully reveals to us the beginnings of it being the place where dreams are heralded. “Newsies” simply adds the whimsical charm of misunderstood rebellious young men, leading a ragtag group of lost boys to a cause that marks the beginning of change. The musical is based on the 1992 Disney movie that starred a young Christian Bale, which sadly paled in comparison to other Disney masterpieces of the time such as “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “Tarzan” etc. So considering its history you would think the musical stood no hope of being such a hit, that is if it hadn’t immediately generated a large cult following that called themselves “Fansies.” The rest, as the cliché says, is history.
Ever since the majority of us were little, our parents and elementary school teachers would fill our minds with the phrase “everybody is important As we grew into functioning teenagers and acquired aspirations of our own, these three words were lost as reality became more prevalent in our lives. Students of all ages can attest that there are definitive cliques that are often determined by natural talent. These athletic, academic and artistic groups often compete for a sense of fulfillment and purpose in society.
Award-winning dancer, choreographer, artistic director and writer Bill T. Jones is scheduled to speak at the first Distinguished Lecture Series of the semester Thursday at Memorial Union to discuss his creative process with students.
If you’re an avid fan of all classic horror films—even or especially the ridiculously cliched ones—your weekend probably included taking in "Evil Dead: The Musical" at the Overture Center. When my editor sent out the email for someone to cover the musical, let’s just say I have never pounced that fast on anything. So come Thursday night, my friend and I headed on over to the Overture, to take in our very first show there. Needless to say, we could not have possibly picked a better one.
A working draft of a performing arts study in Madison was released Monday by Webb Management Services Management Services, Inc., the New York-based company that conducted the study in conjunction with WolfBrown consulting firm.
“Space Voyage: The Musical Frontier” is a once in a lifetime experience. A satire on science fiction, this show captures some of the best moments in sci-fi history and turns them into hilarious jokes and commentary on pop culture. The show is presented by InterMission Theatre, a theatre started by sophomores Quinn Elmer and Nicholas Connors at the start of the 2012 fall semester. The two began writing “Space Voyage” when they were still in high school and finally committed to the project and their vision this year.
The always-popular “Mary Poppins” is making an appearance at Madison’s Overture Center this week. The show features everyone’s favorite scenes and songs as well as an incredibly talented live cast. I had the pleasure of speaking with Kerry Conte, who plays the vivacious, feministic Winifred Banks. Conte told me a little about her personal performance history, as well as some great comments about the upcoming show.
“Brilliantly original” is the first phrase that comes to mind when watching Broom Street Theater’s production of “Seeking Flight.” A play written by Joan Broadman and directed by Malissa Lamont and Heather Renken, the show displays the complexity of decision making and how the choices we make can ultimately set us free.
Were you one of the lucky seniors in high school that looked at their future Badger roommate on Facebook and shuddered with fear at what lay ahead? Or, better yet, did you arrive on campus, fresh-faced and ready to begin drinking (ahem, studying), only to realize that your dorm life was going to be a living hell? Enter, “The Female Odd Couple,” a comedic production that speaks to the hearts and minds of anyone who has ever had a bad roommate.
Even with the many magnificent theater venues found in Madison, The Union Theater still manages to stand out as a historic presence because of the famous acts that have been selected to perform there by WUD Performing Arts.
This past weekend the UW Department of Theatre and Drama tackled the difficult topics of racism, exploitation and cultural interdependence in their production of August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
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