Total Visibility, Tuesday, Dec. 3, Overture Center-Rotunda Stage, 5:30 p.m.: The current exhibit in the Rotunda Gallery, “The Fabric of Community,” features textiles, paintings and collage by Tracy Nickolaus and Alicia Rheal considering the various stages of a human life span. “Total Visibility” will dig deeper into one aspect of life — the impact of Alzheimer’s disease — with an evening of art and a panel discussion of efforts to raise awareness and fight the disease. The artists are joined by Fabu Carter (a poet and senior program manager for the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center) and Catrina Sparkman (founder of the Memory Collectors Storytelling Project).
Winefred RT, Tuesday, Dec. 3, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Winefred RT has released a series of singles and EPs over the past year, and taken together it’s a stunning collection of folk and rock songs distilling heavy emotional weather; if these songs don’t make you feel something, you may want to visit a doctor. It’s a project of Zoe Bockhorst, who recently departed Madison for Chicago. The dark folk of the Spine Stealers and hushed Croix Du Nord are a perfect pair of Madison artists for this bill. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.
Brian Adams, Wednesday, Dec. 4, UW Elvehjem Building-Room L160, 5 p.m.: The final Visiting Artist Colloquium lecture from the UW-Madison art department this semester features Alaskan photographer Brian Adams. Adams specializes in environmental portraiture, which includes people, natural landscapes, the built environment, Inuit life and quirky finds from everywhere. His work documenting Inuit life in Alaska and the circumpolar is lucid, loving, and honest and his presentation should interest both photographers and fans of the 49th state.
Madison Arts Commission 50th Anniversary Celebration, Thursday, Dec. 5, Madison Children’s Museum, 4-8 p.m.: The Madison Cultural Affairs Committee was created in 1974 as an advisory group on arts policy for the mayor and city council; today the group is the Madison Arts Commission, and its role has only grown in importance as state funding for the arts has disappeared. All are invited to celebrate 50 years of MAC with entertainment by Madison Circus Space performers and disco superstars VO5, plus hands-on workshops with artists Angelica Contreras, Lesley Anne Numbers, TetraPAKMAN and Djam Vivie. Find more info at cityofmadison.com.
Cardinal Bar 50th Anniversary Weekend, Dec. 5-7, 418 E. Wilson St.: In 1974, Ricardo Gonzalez opened a dance club on the ground floor of the Cardinal Hotel, just off the Capitol Square. Except for a few years since then, 418 E. Wilson St. has been home to the Cardinal Bar; it happily returned in 2023 with a new group of owners committed to bringing back the eclectic music and welcoming-to-all vibe created and maintained by Gonzalez for decades. He will be at the Cardinal for an anniversary happy hour from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, and the milestone will be celebrated all weekend, starting with the Tony Castañeda Latin Jazz Band’s regular Thursday set (5:30 p.m.) through La Combi and DJ Chamo on Saturday night (8:30 p.m.). Find the full schedule here.
I AM a Man: The Re-humanization of Black Men, through Feb. 18, Goodman South Madison Library: A visit to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial at the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis inspired Madison artist Sharon Bjyrd to curate “I AM a Man: The Re-humanization of Black Men.” As she writes in the exhibition description, “In this exhibit, I hope to reclaim the humanity denied to Black men, not only in moments of historic protest but in everyday life — whether through the devastating impact of systemic racism in policing, prisons, or the policies that enforced single motherhood.” Meet the artists and participate in art activities at community gatherings from 6-7:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 and Feb. 20 and 1-4 p.m., Jan. 18. More info at madisonbubbler.org.
Winter Fantasia: Reimagined, Dec. 5-8, Overture Center-Promenade Hall: The familiar holiday works are always fun, but Kanopy explores multicultural traditions in its annual “Winter Fantasia: Reimagined” program. This year it includes Chalo Ramiye” (or “let’s play” in Gujarati), which is one of those traditional circle dances, choreographed by South Asian guest artist Udbhav Desai. Joining it are two dances drawn from Scandinavian folklore: Once Upon a Winter’s Eve and The Norse Tree of Life, plus Winter in the City, set to Leonard Bernstein’s score for On the Town. It may bring to mind walking up Fifth Avenue and past the Rockefeller Center rink and Christmas tree — what could be more romantic? Performances at 7 p.m. on Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 6, 3 and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 7, and 1 and 4 p.m. on Dec. 8. Tickets at overture.org.
The Get Up, Thursday, Dec. 5, Gamma Ray, 7 p.m.: Kelly Maxwell, a Monkey Business Institute member and local musician, hosts what will likely be the silliest make-em-ups this side of Ryan Stiles’ giant shoes. In The Get Up, multiple improv teams gather to show off their stuff, with various formats, styles, lengths and players featured. We can’t even say what else is featured, because not even the performers know! Come bust a gut or split a side, that choice is up to you. Pro tip: Improv teams can sign up here for a chance to perform at future shows.
Hundreds of Beavers, Thursday, Dec. 5, Barrymore, 7:30 p.m.: This Wisconsin independent film was co-written by Mike Cheslik, who also directed, and Ryland Brickson Cole Tews, who stars. (Local film fans may remember Lake Michigan Monster, their 2018 horror comedy.) Hundreds of Beavers is a silent slapstick film imagining a battle between a Northwoods man and, well, hundreds of beavers. The self-distributed film was an audience favorite at the 2023 Wisconsin Film Festival; after appearing on some streaming services this year it’s been seen much more widely to similar acclaim. Don’t miss a chance to catch a local big screen appearance. Tickets at barrymorelive.com.
All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, December 5-15, Overture Center-Playhouse: Four Seasons Theatre has created its own holiday tradition with All is Calm. Based on a melancholy and dire true story, the play was written and conceived by Peter Rothstein, a graduate of the UW-Madison Department of Theatre & Drama. Set at the Western Front during World War I, the message of Christmas comes through as German and English foot soldiers call an impromptu truce. Historic media, patriotic and popular music of the time, classic Christmas carols, and text drawn from real letters, journals, and radio broadcasts make this a cappella musical more than an abstraction. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday and at 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Tickets at overture.org.
Sa-Roc, Thursday, Dec. 5, UW Memorial Union-Play Circle, 8 p.m.: Sa-Roc grew up in Washington, D.C., and rose as an artist in the Atlanta music scene, and the sound and political awareness of both cities is borne out in her socially conscious music. Sa-Roc’s latest single, “Amazing Grace,” is a swinging statement of purpose and personal empowerment. The concert is part of the Wisconsin Union Theater’s new Black Box Sessions series, this season focusing on hip-hop. Tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.
Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.
