11

Oct

Passing the Bass: A Global Tribute to NEA 2014 Jazzmaster Richard Davis is a historic event in celebration of the life and legacy of world-renowned 2014 NEA Jazzmaster Richard Davis. Davis has made an indelible impact on the world of music during his five decades as a performer and master teacher of the bass. This event will involve performances by some of his closest collaborators from across the globe, as well as, video and photographic tributes and never-before-seen memorabilia from his personal collection. 

At 6:00 there will be an exhibition of Richard Davis' historic memorabilia in the Capitol Theater foyer. Performances will begin at 7:00 PM featuring Andrew Cyrille (drums), Peter Dominguez (bass), Javon Jackson (sax), Aska Kaneko (violin), Angelica Sanchez (piano), and special guest artists.

26

Apr

The Madison Public Library Foundation presents the 2018 Lunch For Libraries. Daniel Pink, the #1 bestselling author of Drive and To Sell Is Human, unlocks the scientific secrets to good timing to help you flourish at work, at school, and at home. Everyone knows that timing is everything. But we don’t know much about timing itself. Our lives are a never-ending stream of “when” decisions: when to start a business, schedule a class, get serious about a person. Yet we make those decisions based on intuition and guesswork.

04

Nov

The American Dream is a shared dream of our own creation. The phrase implies the inclusion of all who live here and embrace the promise of a democracy that represents its diverse citizens and communities. Yet rapid, even erratic, policy changes surrounding immigration and American influence abroad are having an effect on people who share this dream across the United States. At the same time, the Seventh Generation philosophy that guides sovereign Indian nations often collides with dreams that center on short-term economic success.

In Whose Dream Is It?, artist Terese Agnew will host a panel discussion with journalist and Academy Fellow Patty Loew and community organizer Jesus Salas exploring what it means to be an American today and how different perspectives on Americanism contribute to—or detract from—our shared identity. The panel will open with a short performance by Blanche Brown about Caroline Quarlls, the first person known to have escaped slavery through Wisconsin’s Underground Railroad. Quarlls and panelist Jesus Salas are both featured in the Writing in Stone exhibition, on view in the James Watrous Gallery.

22

Oct

Esteemed performance artist, Rain Wilson, will be joined by First Wave alum Myriha Burton and other artists to perform pieces that will broaden, deepen and stimulate conversations about police brutality and how it can be changed. This comes at a time when tensions are running high in cities throughout America around the death of black and brown bodies at the hands of police. Ultimately the show will spark empowerment for those who have been the targets and remind them that they are powerful and inspire all to be a part of a rebirth of thought. A talk back with the artists and performers and a panel discussion featuring prominent community leaders will immediately follow the performance.

21

Oct

This special evening will serve as welcome and celebration of the arrival of First Wave’s 10th cohort through a special showcase performance by cohort members and will culminate with a performance of one of Africa’s most important hip hop artists, Senegalese superstar Xuman to be featured with special guest performer Toni Blackman (the former US Ambassador to Hip Hop) and local artists Nick Moran, Robert Schoville, Paul Hastil and Emily Wendorff backing them up. 

20

Oct

This spoken word & hip hop event is hosted by OMAI’s allies. Come hear visiting youth poetry slam champions and hip hop artists from cities across the Midwest including Chicago, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Detroit, Green Bay, Madison, and the Twin Cities.

23

Oct

A showcase featuring OMAI’s new website, guest artists, and an excerpt of Baba Israel’s “The Spinning Wheel by Baba Israel
 
About The Spinning Wheel:
 
Baba Israel and Leo Kay embark on an exciting collaboration to develop a new solo performance exploring the extraordinary life of Baba’s father, Steve Ben Israel.  Jazz musician, beat poet, stand-up comic, political activist and core member of the iconic Living Theatre, Steve Ben Israel passed in 2012, leaving behind a legacy, a story and a family. He used his art to speak out against injustice and to try and find humour in the madness of modern America, and he inspired Baba to do the same.  Leo and Baba decided to make the show to celebrate his unique life and the powerful ideals he lived by, re-imagining his story through a combination of hip hop, intimate performance, live music and video interaction.

24

Oct

This event will feature J. Ivy, Telmary Diaz, Frank Wain, and First Wave artists as well other surprise guests. 

22

Oct

This spoken word & hip hop event is hosted by OMAI’s allies J. Ivy, Telmary Diaz, Frank Waln and features the Midwest Spoken Word and Hip Hop All-Stars. Come hear visiting youth poetry slam champions and hip hop artists from cities across the Midwest, including Chicago, Detroit, the Twin Cities, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Indianapolis (all cities and artists not confirmed).

18

Oct

This special evening will celebrate the life of a great spirit who has passed and many more spirits that are alive and deserve our love and solidarity. Nakila Robinson was the self-proclaimed “gatekeeper of all things fierce.” A young womyn representing those who are proud and loud about who they are, she was an inspiration to all of those around her to be better humans. Although on this world too briefly, her impact was vast and her life will be celebrated this evening by spoken word and hip hop arts pieces from those that were impacted by her ferocity including a special performance by the 8th cohort of First Wave. 

OMAI’s Associate Artistic Director Rain Wilson will close out the event with a special tribute performance to the life of Maya Angelou that also addresses the challenges facing our own community outlined in the Race to Equity Report. 

16

Oct

This spoken word & hip hop event is hosted by First Wave and features the Midwest Spoken Word and Hip Hop All-Stars. Come hear visiting youth poetry slam champions and hip hop artists from cities across the Midwest including Chicago, the Twin Cities, Milwaukee and Indianapolis and see two of America’s top spoken word and hip hop artists, reg e gaines and Chinaka Hodge.

19

Oct

LEMON, brings to the screen Lemon Andersen's struggle to free his family from poverty and pain as he exposes his most shocking secrets on the NY stage. It follows Lemon's desperate battle to keep the past where it belongs and move into a brighter future. Redemption may lie within Lemon's grasp when none other than Spike Lee steps in to produce his show. The stakes are high. With the power of a cliffhanger, asks the larger question: Can any of us really escape the past?

18

Oct

Line Breaks Rewind features selected breakout works and/or excerpts from the annual Line Breaks Festival - a weeklong space that encourages deepened investigation into contemporary youth narratives toward experimental and contemporary theatre. 2013 features are:

1. “Buried Beneath: Bombs and Lattes”, a hip-hop theater solo work that weaves poetry, traditional chant, movement and ukelele to tell si dåko’ta alcantara-camacho's family’s queerstory,
2. excerpts from “Shock” the 2012 First Wave Touring Ensemble work on culture shock, that also featured at the Cultural Olympiad in London and Contacting the World Theatre Festival in Manchester and Corby, England.

19

Oct

MadCAP is pleased to present Return of the Glass Slipper, a retelling of Cinderella with a twist, as part of Overture Center's Kids in the Rotunda series. Audience members will be swept along on a journey to Once Upon a Time in a Land Far Away...where nothing is quite as it should be in the fairy tales we already know. MadCAP's cast of fairy tale characters will teach the audience songs, dances, and even an audience role in the show!  The music is infectious and catchy, the dialogue is fast paced and witty, and the cast will dazzle with fancy footwork and physical comedy. Join us for this literary journey through the pages of a favorite fairy tale!