Any Madison summer arts bucket list worth the paper it’s printed on will include the city’s greatest hits, from Concerts on the Square and Opera in the Park to Dane Dances at Monona Terrace and the Shakespeare-studded lineup at American Players Theatre.
Like a theme with variation, every year brings something new to hear — first-time bands at Jazz at Five, jukebox musicals fresh off Broadway in Overture, artists we’ve never seen before at the Art Fair on the Square. Here, get a glimpse of what’s to come.
Show times, venues and ticket availability are all subject to change. Contact individual venues for specific details. To submit an event for additional coverage consideration, contact features editor Rob Thomas at rthomas@captimes.com.
Summer on stage
Set on a picturesque hill in Spring Green west of Madison, the repertory company American Players Theatre opens for previews on Saturday, June 8, with the comedy “Ring Round the Moon.”
Below is a quick rundown of the plays at APT this summer, including three productions in the 200-seat indoor Touchstone Theatre, both at 5950 Golf Course Road in Spring Green. Note that weather rarely cancels performances in advance, and actors will play in light rain.
Run dates include preview performances. Ticket prices range from $63-$104. There are deals to be found and events, like a 45th anniversary celebration on July 21, throughout the season. Visit americanplayers.org for more details.
“Ring Round the Moon”
June 8-Sept. 20
Nate Burger and Nick Farasey play twins in Jean Anouilh’s popular parody of upper-class vanity. Attend a ball full of misdirected love interests, behind-the-scenes scheming and glamorous costumes, featuring a cast of some of APT’s comic best. If you’re looking for a fizzy comedy, this is your show.
American Players Theatre’s “The Liar.”
“Much Ado About Nothing”
June 14-Sept. 29
“Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.” One of Shakespeare’s best comic love stories, “Much Ado About Nothing” might be “the original will-they-or-won’t-they,” per APT’s apt description. Marcus Truschinski and Jessica Ko play opposite each other as the witty, reluctant lovers, with direction by Robert Ramirez.
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
June 21-Sept. 7
APT continues its tour of August Wilson’s work with this drama set in a 1920s Chicago recording studio. Greta Oglesby, a veteran Twin Cities actor last seen in Spring Green as Kent in “King Lear,” plays the title character, a blues singer and band leader, in a play that’s moving and musical. Gavin Lawrence directs.
“The Virgin Queen Entertains Her Fool”
June 14-Sept. 19
The first play to open in the Touchstone is a world premiere, a rarity for APT. Artistic director Brenda DeVita described Michael Hollinger’s play as “like ‘Exit the King’ meets ‘The Moors’ — absurd and funny and brutal and witty and surprising and ridiculous.” This “witty, twisty thriller” stars Tracy Michelle Arnold as the Queen of the Realm, with new core company member Josh Krause as her Fool.
“The Wolf at the Door”
June 25-Sept. 18
Melisa Pereyra spent the opening the 2023 season in New York, understudying Jessica Chastain in a striking Broadway production of “A Doll’s House.” She’s back in Spring Green now, directing this “grim fairy tale” by Marisela Treviño Orta. Show notes describe it as “a rich fable of liberation rife with drama and ritual, featuring poetry as lush and velvety as a moonstruck night.”
“Dancing at Lughnasa”
Aug. 2-Sept. 27
Remember the 1990s, when it seemed every theater company was producing this Irish memory play by Brian Friel? The film in 1998 starred Meryl Streep, a part taken here by Tracy Michelle Arnold. Colleen Madden, Laura Rook, Elizabeth Reese and Maggie Cramer round out the cast of Mundy sisters in this wistful production.
American Players Theatre’s “The Bear,” one of Anton’s Shorts in 2023.
“King Lear”
Aug. 9-Sept. 28
APT veteran Brian Mani takes his turn in the title role of this Shakespearean tragedy. With La Shawn Banks and Jim DeVita as Kent and Gloucester respectively, this “Lear” will be led by Tim Ocel. It is, as the company writes, “a parable about wisdom that comes not with age, but with empathy; a deeply relevant classic.”
“Constellations”
Aug. 15-Sept. 28
Phoebe González and Casey Hoekstra star in this Touchstone two-hander about a couple that is always starting over. Nick Payne’s 2012 play weaves conceptions of the multiverse into a romantic drama, one that critics have called “sweet and strangely haunting.”
Also on stage
“Weekend of the Burnt Piano”
Friday, May 24-Saturday, June 8
Broom Street Theater, 1119 Williamson St.
The multi-hyphenate artist Sean Langenecker, whom audiences may have caught recently clucking like a chicken at a Forward Theater reading, wrote this whodunit now playing at Broom Street Theater. Broom Street describes the play like so: “Four friends gather to mourn a fifth who has recently been murdered. As the weekend goes on they begin to suspect one of them did it.” Tickets for shows (8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, and one Wednesday night performance May 29) cost $27.50 ahead. BST also offers pay-what-you-can and holds seats each night for purchase at the door.
Ari Groover as Tina Turner and John Toney Bass in the North American tour of “TINA — The Tina Turner Musical.”
“Shakespeare’s Lovers in June”
Saturday-Sunday, June 1-2, 2 p.m.
Tyranena Brewing Co., 1025 Owen St.
madisonshakespeare.org/lovers2024
Love blooms in a Lake Mills beer garden, as Madison Shakespeare Company opens its summer season with romantic scenes from “As You Like It,” “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Merchant of Venice,” among others. At Tyranena, audiences can “Order Beer Like Shakespeare” and offer prompts for an improv game called Sonnets From a Hat. $10 suggested contribution. Seating is first-come, first-serve, with space for blankets and chairs on the lawn. Carry-in food is encouraged.
“TINA — The Tina Turner Musical”
Tuesday-Sunday, June 11-16
Overture Hall, 201 State St.
overture.org/tickets-events/2023-24-season/tina-the-tina-turner-musical
Shake a tail feather at this high-energy jukebox show about the life and music of Tina Turner, an icon of R&B and rock and roll. When it ran on Broadway in 2019, New York Times critic Jesse Green wrote that “as far as pure entertainment is concerned, this story comes with songs that can thrill an audience when rendered as Turner sang them.” Tickets for the tour cost $50-$159. Recommended for ages 14 and up.
“Big Fish”
Friday, June 14-Sunday, June 23
Middleton PAC, 2100 Bristol St., Middleton
The characters loom larger than life in this charming musical about a fast-talking father and his skeptical son. Middleton Players Theatre opens its summer season with “Big Fish,” which takes inspiration both from the 2003 Tim Burton film and Daniel Wallace’s novel. Sam Taylor stars as Edward Bloom, with Kate Jajewski as Sandra Bloom and Zak Wolff as their son, Will. Season tickets on sale through June 13; single tickets $30 for adults with discounts for seniors and youth.
“42nd Street” by Middleton Players Theatre.
“The Kernel of Truth”
Saturday, June 15, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Capitol Theater, 201 State St.
Black Men Coalition of Dane County and DP DeMarco Plays bring a slate of monologues to the Capitol Theater on a Saturday in June. The monologues are set in a county jail, and provide the perspectives of the men incarcerated there. Writers include Black Men Coalition founder/CEO Corey Marionneaux, as well as Kevina White, Ashiantii Collier-Slaton and Antwan Taylor, and the cast combines local actors and visiting pros. Tickets cost $43.50-$204 for the show, which has a run time of two hours and is recommended for ages 15 and up. Main floor seating is only available through BMCDC and only in groups of 10 or 20.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”
Friday-Sunday, June 21-23
Schumacher Farm Park, 5682 WI-19, Waunakee
schumacherfarmpark.org/community-theater-at-the-farm
William Shakespeare’s fairy-filled romantic comedy is an ideal choice for an outdoor staging, which is just what new community theater group the Groundlings will do this June. Waunakee theater artist Hannah Nies will direct the production, with performances at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets will be free but require a reservation.
“Step Right Up, Ma’am”
Friday-Sunday, June 21-23
Promenade Hall, 201 State St.
TNW Ensemble Theater, formerly known as TAPIT/new works, presents this multidisciplinary work of theater. Local poet Fabu, the novelist Dale M. Kushner and TAPIT co-founder/playwright Danielle Dresden all contributed. The pieces center the beauty and genius of Black women, explore the transformative experiences of women in history, and fictionalize a true story of Jewish children hiding in the Netherlands during World War II. Tickets cost $37. Running time is 90 minutes with one 15-minute intermission, and the show is recommended for ages 14 and older.
“Seussical, the Musical!”
Friday, June 21-Saturday, June 29
Badger Ridge Middle School Performing Arts Center, 300 Richard St., Verona
Oh, the thinks we can think! Led by the Cat in the Hat, Verona Area Community Theater’s “Seussical, the Musical!” takes the audience on an adventure, with bright, flighty birds, tiny Who-people each no bigger than a pin, an extremely loyal elephant and some mischievous monkeys. Running time is about 2 hours with a 15-minute intermission. Tickets cost $17.
CapitalQ Theatre Festival 2024
Friday-Sunday, June 21-23
Bartell Theatre, 113 E. Mifflin St.
bartelltheatre.org/2024/capitalq-theatre-festival-2024
What was Queer Shorts evolved, after more than a decade, into the CapitalQ Theatre Festival. The vibe is similar to StageQ’s evening of LGBTQ-centric short plays, but now there’s more — readings of new plays, workshops, master classes and staged one-acts, in addition to 10-minute shorts. Classes and workshops are free, and festival passes range from $15-$30.
“Dido, Queen of Carthage”
Friday-Sunday, June 28-30
Madison Children’s Museum Wonderground, 100 N. Hamilton St.
madisonshakespeare.org/dido2024
Madison Shakespeare Company sets a supernatural romance by Christopher Marlowe amid the fantastical play structure outside Madison Children’s Museum. The play follows the hero Aeneas and other survivors of the Trojan Wars as they land in Carthage, “only to be caught up in the same divine conflict which led to Troy’s destruction.” Madeleine O’Keefe and Ben Seidensticker star as Dido and Aeneas. Tickets cost $20 in advance and $25 the day of the show, which is recommended for “adults and mature teens.”
“8-Bit Opera”
Saturday-Sunday, June 29-30 and July 13-14
Various locations
Fresco Opera, a playful pickup company known for productions like “The Real Divas of Dane County” and “Paranormal Playhouse,” has chosen a nostalgic theme for its summer shows. “8-Bit Opera” is part of Fresco’s Garage Opera series, held at local homes. It “transforms everyday garages into a stage, merging the enchanting world of opera with the nostalgic flair of classic video games.” Performances are free and open to the public. Audiences are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.
Austin Durant and the cast of the North American tour of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.”
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
Tuesday, July 9-Sunday, July 21
Overture Hall, 201 State St.
overture.org/tickets-events/2023-24-season/moulin-rouge-the-musical
It may be tempting for some audience members to sing along to the pop-filled score of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” which has been touring since 2022 and was inspired by Baz Luhrmann’s film. In 1899 Paris, an American writer falls for Satine, the star of the Moulin Rouge nightclub. They punctuate their tumultuous, doomed love affair with pop songs, like “Firework,” “Single Ladies” and “Lady Marmalade.” Tickets cost $40-$139. Recommended for ages 12 and up.
“Angels in America Part I: Millennium Approaches”
Thursday, July 25-Sunday, Aug. 4
Hemsley Theatre, 821 University Ave.
theatre.wisc.edu/productions-and-tickets
University Theatre at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will tackle a complex, galvanizing Tony Kushner drama in what the theater calls “an ‘actor-focused’ workshop’” this July. A fully staged production of “Angels in America Part I” will then come in the fall (Sept. 12-22), running in repertory with a staged reading of “Angels in America Part II: Perestroika” in the Mitchell Theatre, Sept. 15-22.
“Patience”
Friday, Aug. 2-Sunday, Aug. 11
The Bartell Theatre, 113 E. Mifflin St.
Trust Madison’s sole Gilbert and Sullivan troupe to bring back the gems of operetta. The full title of this one is “Patience; or, Bunthorne’s Bride,” and it’s said to be “an operatic ode to the silliness of fads, fashion and art for art’s sake,” a poetic, “titillating tale.” “Patience” will be performed in the Drury (the larger theater) and directed by J. Michael Bruno. Tickets cost $21-$36.
“Love’s Labour’s Lost”
Friday, Aug. 9-Sunday, Aug. 18
Madison Country Day School, 5606 River Road, Waunakee
madisonshakespeare.org/loves2024
Madison Shakespeare Company has been producing the Bard’s works for more than a decade at open, outdoor locations like parks, breweries and ball fields. This production in the amphitheater at Madison Country Day is the company’s first of “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” a comedy about students who swear off love, until a princess and three of her girlfriends show up and make keeping those vows near impossible. Tickets cost $20. Bring your own blanket or chair, but no alcohol or glass. Performance time is 95 minutes with no intermission, and the show goes on in light rain.
“Lumberjacks in Love”
Friday, Aug. 9-Sunday, Aug. 18
Middleton PAC, 2100 Bristol St., Middleton
middletonplayers.com/lumberjacks
The “Guys on Ice” team would like you to meet a few more loveable oafs from up’nort, where four slaphappy dudes have escaped to Haywire Lumber Camp to escape the wiles of women. Then one of them orders a “mail-order bride” and their lives turn upside down. Described as tuneful and lighthearted by critics, “Lumberjacks” features a story and music by Fred Alley and James Kaplan. Wear your plaid. Single tickets cost $30 for adults, $25 for seniors and $20 for youth.
“Tick…Tick…Boom!”
Friday-Sunday, Aug. 9-11
Mitby Theatre, 3550 Anderson St.
capitalcitytheatre.org/tick-tick-boom
Capital City Theatre’s Find Your Light summer conservatory program is a workshop for high school-age performers, known for taking on challenging material like “Carrie” and “Merrily We Roll Along.” This year, conservatory students and alumni present Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical rock musical from 1990. “Tick …Tick…Boom!”, recently made into a film starring Andrew Garfield, tells a fictionalized version of Larson’s early career struggles and the relationships that inspired him. Tickets cost $25 general admission, $15 for youth/students.
“Next to Normal”
Friday, Aug. 16-Saturday, Aug. 24
Play Circle Theatre, Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St.
We need some light, and Music Theatre of Madison brings it this August with a production of Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s electrifying rock musical. “Next to Normal” centers on Diana Goodman, whose mental illness comes to define not only her life, but her family’s as well. MTM artistic director Meghan Randolph stars as Diana in MTM’s production in the Play Circle.
Days for art, nights for dancing
LunART
Wednesday-Sunday, May 29-June 2
Arts + Literature Laboratory, 111 S. Livingston St., and Hamel Music Center, 740 University Ave.
lunartfestival.org/2024festivalschedule
Started in 2018 as a three-day festival celebrating women in art, LunART has grown in reach and depth, encompassing performances, educational programs and professional development. This year’s festival features soprano Emily Birsan (May 31) and a gala chamber music concert (June 1), both at the Hamel Music Center, followed by a Composers Hub Spotlight Concert on June 2 at Arts + Literature Laboratory. Tickets for performances are $35 for general admission and $15 for students. A panel discussion on May 29 about “art and motherhood” is free.
Bach Dancing and Dynamite
Bach Dancing and Dynamite
Friday, June 7-Sunday, June 23
Hamel Music Center, 740 University Ave.
It’s a “record”-setting year for this chamber music ensemble, which chose as its 2024 theme “High Fidelity.” Among the highlights this year: a concert featuring accordion player and composer Stars Venglevski, a “Broken Record” program including music by Astor Piazzolla and John Williams, featured performances by the Madison Choral Project and Madison Youth Choirs, and performances featuring cellist Joseph Johnson. Individual tickets cost $47-$53; student tickets cost $10.
“All that Glitterz”
Friday-Sunday, June 14-16
Promenade Hall, Overture Center, 201 State St.
overture.org/tickets-events/2023-24-season/klj-movement-all-that-glitterz
A new dance production from the Monona-based studio KLJ Movement features choreography by Kyra Johnson, the studio’s founder, and Madalin Berube. Johnson founded KLJ Movement in 2021 to lift up Black and brown dancers, teaching contemporary ballet, jazz and pop. Tickets for the show in Promenade Hall cost $25 for general admission, $20 for seniors and $18 for kids under 12. Run time is 60 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. Find out more about the studio at kljmovement.org.
con vivo! music with life presents “Spring Mix”
Saturday, June 21, 7:30 p.m.
First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1609 University Ave.
The chamber music ensemble con vivo! closes its 21st season wth a piano quintet by a Czech composer, Zdenek Fibich, an adagio for clarinet and strings by German composer Heinrich Baermann and a lovely divertimento for strings by Mozart. Robert Taylor aims to bring audiences “works that are familiar, and some that are new.” Tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students.
Andrew Sewell returns for his 23rd season to conduct the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra at Concerts on the Square this summer, running June 28-Aug. 2.
Concerts on the Square
Wednesdays, June 26-July 31, 7 p.m.
Capitol Square
wcoconcerts.org/concerts-tickets/concerts-on-the-square
Maestro Andrew Sewell celebrates his 25th year conducting the summer’s most popular downtown event. We previewed the full season already, but for a refresher, Tiempo Libre is coming, as are works by Vivaldi, Bach, Sousa and local composer Michael Bell. Set up blankets and low-back chairs starting at 3 p.m. on show days, and bring a picnic or an appetite for the many food carts vending each Wednesday. Rain moves the concert to Thursdays, same time/place. Free.
Art Fair on the Square
Saturday-Sunday, July 13-14
Capitol Square
mmoca.org/event/art-fair-on-the-square
Hundreds of artists from around the country assemble on the Capitol Square each July, showcasing work from bespoke wood furniture to mosaic wall art, fantastical digital images, eccentric assemblage and carvings of all kinds. This year marks the 66th annual Art Fair on the Square, organized by the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Don’t miss the locals who gather nearby under the heading of Art Fair Off the Square — that one sets up on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, toward Monona Terrace. All are free.
Opera in the Park
Opera in the Park
Saturday, July 20, 8 p.m.
Garner Park, 333 S. Rosa Road
If the rain holds off this year (please?), Opera in the Park 2024 is set to feature arias from some of the world’s most popular operas — “The Barber of Seville” by Rossini, and Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.” Listen to a sample of the Astor Piazzolla “tango opera” coming next season, plus a sprinkling of musical theater, with classics from “South Pacific,” “Into the Woods” and “My Fair Lady.” The show is free to attend, and music lovers can set up blankets, chairs and picnics anytime during the day.
Dane Dances
Wednesdays, Aug. 2-30, 6-9:30 p.m.
Rooftop of Monona Terrace, 1 John Nolen Drive
Dance bands playing popular covers, high-energy combos like the salsa/soul Orquesta Salsoul Del Mad, and the disco vibes of VO5 will get people moving on the roof of Monona Terrace this summer. With dance lessons from the joyful, easy-to-follow teacher Francis Medrano and food from vendors like Melly Mells and La Taguara, Dane Dances remains a classic for a reason. The series celebrates 25 years this summer. If it rains, the backup dance hall is indoors at the Terrace.
Jazz at Five
Wednesdays, Aug. 7-Sept. 4, 5-8 p.m.
State Street at the Capitol Square
From the tropical sounds of Panchromatic Steel on Aug. 7 to a Summit of the Big Bands on Sept. 4, Jazz at Five has an eclectic lineup this year. Most nights, at least two bands play — the UW Jazz All Stars, the Kal Bergendahl Project and the John Christensen Quintet among them — on a raised stage at the corner of State Street and the Capitol Square. Some performances kick off early with a youth combo at 4 p.m. Bring a chair or rent one, and plan to buy your drinks onsite. Free.
