Frothy fun in The Philanderer by American Players Theatre Jennifer A. Smith on Monday 06/22/2009 1:00 pm, (3) Recommendations Although George Bernard Shaw's The Philanderer was one of his three Plays Unpleasant, he also subtitled it "A Topical Comedy." Let that be a tip-off to the somewhat split identity of this 1898 play. >MoreAmerican Players Theatre gets big laughs with The Comedy of Errors Katie Reiser on Monday 06/15/2009 1:00 pm, (6) Recommendations The opening night of The Comedy of Errors suggests why American Players Theatre is successful even in this challenging economy. Audience members are willing to drive out to Spring Green and trudge up the hill because they are guaranteed a quality performance and will often be treated to something special. >More
The Great American Road Trip sends families cross-country Car trouble Dean Robbins on Friday 07/03/2009 Many of us can't afford to travel this summer, but there's nothing to stop us from watching a travel series on TV. In The Great American Road Trip, families drive cross-country on Route 66, engage in a series of competitions and face weekly eliminations. >More
Professional troupes fill the Madison Rep slot at Overture Jay Rath on Thursday 06/11/2009 Overture Center for the Arts has plugged the programming hole left by the defunct Madison Repertory Theatre. Its first-ever Playhouse performance series, announced June 11, will feature Milwaukee Repertory Theater and other troupes. >MoreWhat killed Madison Rep? The end came faster than anyone expected Jay Rath on Friday 05/22/2009, (8) Recommendations Just a few days ago, on May 10, the city's second-oldest theater troupe was to have completed its run of My Fair Lady, bringing a glittering 40th anniversary season to a close. Instead, Madison Repertory Theatre is dead. >More
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 demonstrates what video games do best PlayStation 2 & 3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360 (Rated Everyone) Doug Elfman on Friday 07/03/2009 Here's how things go when I play the most addictive game so far of 2009, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10. My ball is teed up. The game shows me a flyover of the rolling fairway and greens. I can see the hungry sand bunkers, the overhanging trees that want to grab my ball, and the thirsty ponds. I see how hard the wind is blowing, and in which direction. The wind can really screw the pooch. >More
Madison Etsy explorations: Red Otter Shopping locally online Megan Larson on Wednesday 06/17/2009 2:00 pm, (11) Recommendations To do lists are a daily part of my life. I have them scrambled on tiny post-its and scraps of paper, littering the dark corners of my tote bag. Sometimes I splurge and buy cute little notepads for my lists, although those tend to get used quickly as I almost invent lists just to use them. The notebooks at Red Otter would be no exception for me. >MoreMadison Etsy explorations: Sugar Plum Collars Shopping locally online Megan Larson on Wednesday 06/03/2009 8:00 am, (8) Recommendations I don't own a dog but the collars at Sugar Plum Collars jumped out at me no less because of it. Sewn with fabric that is bright and colorful, each one is adorable. The patterns are fun and certainly not ones that you have ever seen used for a dog collar before. A Sugar Plum collar would definitely make your pup the most unique on the block. >More
Madison Etsy explorations: Annabel's Aprons Shopping locally online Megan Larson on Wednesday 07/01/2009 2:00 pm, (3) Recommendations I am not a chef; in fact I can't even say I cook. I have been known to reheat food from time to time and I make a mean cheese and crackers. That being said, I may enroll in a cooking class just to rationalize wearing one of the fabulous creations by Annabel's Aprons. >MoreDave Crehore evokes enviable Wisconsin childhood in Sweet and Sour Pie Bill Lueders on Monday 06/29/2009 1:00 pm, (1) Recommendation It made me laugh. It made me long for a childhood I never had, and which I sort of suspect Crehore is remembering a bit too fondly, with added saccharine. But I don't mind. The stories ring true, for the most part, and they immortalize a time and place that reflects well not just on the state but humanity. >MoreLounging Around by Broom Street Theater is pleasant but transient Josh Wimmer on Monday 06/29/2009 10:18 am, (1) Comment, (365) Recommendations With Lounging Around, the folks at Broom Street Theater have achieved something remarkable: They've made the interminable wait for a delayed flight enjoyable, if not exhilarating. >MoreA Book a Week: An Exact Replica of a Figment of my Imagination by Elizabeth McCracken Becky Holmes on Saturday 06/27/2009 12:00 pm This slim little book is about loss, specifically the loss of a baby. Too depressing, you might say? Maybe for some, but it's also about hope and about recovery. >MoreThe Effigy Tree returns to its home on Lake Monona David Medaris on Friday 06/26/2009 2:00 pm, (1) Comment, (5) Recommendations The Effigy Tree has come home to Hudson Park. The installation of a bronze casting of the Harry Whitehorse sculpture concludes the latest chapter in the saga of the storied tree. >MoreJealousy, harmony in The Winter's Tale at American Players Theatre Katie Reiser on Friday 06/26/2009 10:17 am, (3) Recommendations APT artistic director David Frank directs The Winter's Tale, and while this is not my favorite Shakespeare, the production is still strong and compelling. >More
A Book A Week: Dumbfounded by Matt Rothschild Becky Holmes on Saturday 06/20/2009 12:00 pm, (1) Comment I'm not the first person to observe this, but you know how sometimes a movie trailer can make a movie look funny and unique, then you go see it at the theater and realize that all the best bits were in the trailer and the rest of the movie is a big disappointment? >More
Return to Function at MMoCA is about everyday stuff The urban pup tent Jennifer A. Smith on Friday 06/05/2009 "I was very interested in the fact that people were dealing with political, economic or everyday issues," says Madison Museum of Contemporary Art curator Jane Simon of the exhibition Return to Function, which she organized. "It's kind of a radical notion when juxtaposed with other aspects of contemporary art." >MoreEight to know: In praise of Madison artists you may have missed on Friday 05/29/2009, (3) Recommendations You can probably name the prominent players on Madison's arts scene. But they'd be the first to say that the local culture doesn't begin and end with them. Madison is a thriving and growing center for the arts, thanks to our many galleries, music venues and performance outlets, to say nothing of the cultural riches shared with us by our colleges and schools. >More
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