Many performances on tap for arts season

Campus arts groups have been hard at work planning their seasons for 2007–08, and their efforts have something for everyone, from dance and world music to a violin prodigy and compelling theater. There are hundreds of performances and events held each semester — those listed below are just some of the highlights to put on the calendar now.

September

The Union Theater always books some of the most exciting new artists who frequently fly under the fame radar. Such is the case with Andrew Bird, who performs at the Union Theater on Thursday, Sept. 20. A multi-instrumentalist and lyricist, Bird picked up his first violin (a Cracker Jack box with a ruler taped to it) at age 4. He spent his formative years soaking up classical repertoire by ear, then added Gypsy music, early jazz, country blues and south Indian. He now plays his violin in a most unconventional manner, accompanying himself on glockenspiel and guitar and adding singing and whistling.

Two exhibits (and a party in October) at the Chazen Museum of Art are not to be missed.

“Small Arms — Children of Conflict: Photographs by Michael Kienitz” presents photographs of children taken during some of the fiercest conflicts since the Vietnam War, in places such as Belfast, Lebanon and Central America. The exhibition is a testament to the resilience and fortitude of children and a powerful call to action for adults. Kienitz will give a gallery talk at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 14. He will discuss the events surrounding his photographs and why he often risked his life to chronicle the lives of children immersed in economic and political conflict. The show runs through Sunday, Oct. 28.

Also at the Chazen, “Natura Morta: Still-Life Painting and the Medici Collections” offers a slice of Medici life. Entrepreneurs and patrons of the arts and sciences, they began collecting still lifes to decorate their country villas. Their eclectic tastes influenced a genre that shaped studies in nature, botany and agriculture along with artistic practice in light, form, color, composition and realism. The exhibit runs through Sunday, Oct. 21.

University Theatre invites audiences to rediscover 1930s radio drama with “The Water Engine” by David Mamet, from Sept. 27– 6. Directed by Tony Simotes, the play tells the story of a man who invents a water-powered engine and those who want to steal it. On Saturday, Oct. 13 as part of Arts Night Out!, the play will be broadcast on Wisconsin Public Radio.

October

If the Union Theater’s World Music Festival in early September ignited a passion for music from other countries, be sure to hear Anoushka Shankar at the Union Theater on Friday, Oct. 5. Shankar has been playing and studying the sitar with her legendary father, Ravi Shankar, since she was 9, making her performing debut at age 13.

Clear your calendar and do not miss Arts Night Out! on Saturday, Oct. 13. In reality, it’s more than a single night — events are planned throughout the day in a campuswide arts open house. Spoken-word extravaganzas, theater and music performances, dance, family friendly events and loads of hands-on activities are on the schedule, and everything is free. Find more at Arts Night Out!.

The Center for the Humanities presents its fourth Humanities Festival, “Legacies of Al Andalus: Islam, Judaism and the West” from Oct. 16–20. Writers, scholars and artists will explore the modern legacy of “Al-Andalus,” the Muslim kingdom on the Spanish Peninsula from 800–1492, with its three communities of Muslims, Jews and Christians.

“A Medici Masquerade” on Friday, Oct. 19, is a benefit event for the Chazen Museum that celebrates the “Nature Morta” exhibit and lets partygoers experience an evening at the Medici Court. Enjoy dancing by the ladies and gents of Courtly Cadenza. Fine garments and masks encouraged (but not required). Festive music, dancing, entertainment and hors d’oeuvres are part of the masquerade. Visit the Chazen Museum for details.

University Theatre’s “On the Razzle” is a witty story of two shopkeepers angling for adventure in turn-of-the-century Vienna. This fast-paced comedy features jangling spurs, escaping lovers, mistaken identities and a swanky French dinner. “One false move and we could have a farce on our hands.” Catch a performance from Oct. 19–Nov. 3.

November

The talented cast from American Players Theatre comes in from the cold hills of Spring Green to the Union Theater on Saturday, Nov. 3, to present William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” Love, money and ethnic stereotyping in 1596 Venice, as written by William Shakespeare, is performed by Wisconsin’s beloved APT.

The set from the “Merchant of Venice” will be struck from the Union’s stage to make way for violinist Hilary Hahn the following night, Sunday, Nov. 4. Just 27 years old, the Grammy Award-winning Hahn is one of the most compelling artists on the international concert circuit. Renowned for her intellectual and emotional maturity, she was named “America’s Best” young classical musician by Time magazine in 2001 and appears on a regular basis with the world’s greatest orchestras.

So you think you can dance? Head to Lathrop Hall Thursday–Saturday, Nov. 15–17, for the Dance Program’s faculty concert, including new and recent works by guest artists Jeremy Nelson and Luis Lara Malvac. Highlights include a group work choreographed by the guest artists and performed by selected Dance Program students, a repertory work by Jin-Wen Yu and a work choreographed by Li Chiao-Ping.

University Theatre presents “Yellowman” by Dael Orlandersmith and “The Nervous Smile” by John Belluso from Nov. 15–Dec. 9. In “Yellowman,” two African American actors narrate a love story infused with elements of race, sexuality and family ties. In “The Nervous Smile,” the stress of caring for a disabled teen pushes parents to contemplate the unthinkable in a provocative tale about love, duty and sacrifice.