American classics, rarely performed children’s ballet on concert schedule

Vocals, violin, trumpet and piano will combine to portray immortal tunes by Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer (whose ancestral home in Savannah figured prominently in “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”) and Johnny Green as the UW–Madison Black Music Ensemble’s jazz combo performs Thursday, Feb. 16, under the direction of renowned bassist Richard Davis, professor of music.

The program begins at 6:30 p.m. in Morphy Concert Hall, Mosse Humanities.

The secret lives of dolls, puppets and toy solders will be revealed the next night, as School of Music graduate piano students perform Claude Debussy’s seldom-seen children’s ballet “La boîte à joujoux.” Dance Wisconsin students directed by JoJean Retrum will provide the visuals at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17, in Mills Hall, Mosse Humanities.

Both concerts are free and all are welcome. For more information, call 263-9485 or visit http://www.music.wisc.edu/html/events-week.html.