The South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center is excited to announce “Restart the Arts,” fall programming for the 2020-2021 arts season. These new, limited capacity shows include a silly and educational family show, a one-man Prince music piano show and a Las Vegas style swing concert. Additional shows may be added as they are confirmed.
Here is the press release. From Executive Director Rachel Sorce …
I am very excited to finally announce a few shows for our “Restart the Arts” 2020-2021 fall season!!! After spending a good amount of time cancelling or postponing most of our planned shows and rentals for this arts season, it feels great to make this announcement!
While these shows are much smaller in scale than what we’d normally present, we must adjust programming due to reducing our seating capacity (aka revenue potential) from 786 seats to about 200 seats. This is to allow for physical distancing. These selections represent shows that are a good fit for our venue, audiences and budget. And, while no one knows exactly what audience attendance will look like this fall, I believe that we have an obligation to our community and to the arts industry to connect audiences with artists for inspiration and entertainment.
Live, in-person arts experiences are especially important now. With so many people dealing with isolation, loneliness and even depression, the arts can be a tonic to soothe peoples’ souls.
Here are the shows …
Friday, October 2 at 7:00 pm
Rock ‘n’ Roll Science Show
(For families with young children)
What happens when a pair of bumbling 80’s rockers show up at the wrong venue to perform a rock ‘n’ roll concert – only to find out they are on the set of a science show performance? Well, the “show must go on,” as this goofy duo does their best to entertain the crowd with science, despite their limited experiences in the laboratory! This family-safe show is a fun look at science, especially physics, and includes fun big-stage experiments, clean humor, and of course a lot of ROCK ‘n’ ROLL music!
Approximate run-time 60 minutes. Tickets go on sale September 15 and are $10 for students and $20 for adults/seniors.
Thursday, November 5 at 7:00 pm
Piano & My Voice
(One- man show featuring Marshall Charloff from Purple xPeRIeNCE)
Performing your favorite hits: Purple Rain, Little Red Corvette, Kiss, Pop Life, and many more! From fronting the greatest Prince tribute show in the world, working with the Atlanta Rhythm Section and writing and producing the Commodores, Marshall Charloff embarks on a solo journey, performing all of your favorite Prince songs in this one-man show. His solo performance delivers Prince’s catalog of hits with only a piano, his voice, and his mastery of audience engagement. The only show of its kind, and licensed directly by the Prince Estate. Approximate run-time 90 minutes. Tickets go on sale September 15 and are $29 for students and $39 for adults/seniors.
Saturday, November 21 at 7:00 pm
Swing Explosion: We’ve Got a World That Swings
(Full swing band with vocals)
Imagine being in Las Vegas and seeing a show with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. or the swinging music of Count Basie and Louis Prima. You’ll get that and more as we recreate the fun and excitement of a Vegas show from the 50’s as we pay tribute to some of the greatest entertainers of that era. Approximate run-time 90 minutes. Tickets go on sale September 15 and are $25 for students and $35 for adults/seniors.
Other Upcoming Shows & Events
- Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24 (Shows at 7:30 pm): South Milwaukee High School Theatre Co. presents Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry Spies, murder, love, and other trademarks of Alfred Hitchcock come to life in the style of a 1940s radio broadcast of the master of suspense’s earlier films. With The Lodger, Sabotage and The 39 Steps, Vintage Hitchcock: A Live Radio Play is a triple feature, complete with vintage commercials and one that recreates a daring train chase, a serial killer’s ominous presence, and a devastating explosion through the magic of live sound effects and musical underscoring.” Tickets will go on sale October 1.
- Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14 (Shows at 7:30 pm): South Milwaukee High School Theatre Co. presents An Evening With Sherlock Holmes. This original live radio play features three classic Holmes and Watson short stories told in radio play format, as broadcast by CBS Radio in the 1930s and 1940s: The Musgrave Ritual, The Case of the Dead Adventuress and The Adventure of the Tolling Bell. Selected from the public domain and tied together into a single performance by SMHS theatre director Tim Backes, these stories showcase the variety and cleverness found in radio-edition Holmes tales. Tickets will go on sale October 1.
- Saturday, December 5 (Shows at 2:00 and 7:00 pm): Studio K Flamenco presents The Flamenco Nutcracker. Studio K Flamenco presents The Flamenco Nutcracker, an exciting new twist on the beloved holiday classic. Celebrate the season with an unforgettable evening filled with the beauty and passion of Flamenco dance. Follow the Matador Prince as he charges into the enchanted forest filled with intoxicating rhythms, clicking castanets, and staccato footwork. Award winning flamenco guitarist Marija Temo will perform her amazing score live. Join us for a magical holiday celebration like no other in this family friendly performance directed by internationally acclaimed choreographer Kerensa DeMars. Tickets will go on sale October 1.
- Friday, December 11 and Saturday, December 12 (shows at 7:30 pm): South Milwaukee High School Theatre Co. presents It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play by Joe Landry. This beloved American holiday classic comes to captivating life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds as he considers ending his life one fateful Christmas Eve.” Based on the classic Frank Capra film, this is a great way to get into the holiday spirit! Tickets will go on sale October 1.
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