How Elvis lives on, in Madison and beyond
One of the more colorful, late-life anecdotes about Elvis Presley in Wisconsin has the music icon leaving his limo, while stopped at a red light […]
Arts & Entertainment
Shades of Woodstock, then and now
The Age of Aquarius bubbled up one-half century ago. Today’s definition of “awesome” was “out of sight” back then. Little represents the hazy era of […]
Saint Kate: Visual, performing arts hotel in Milwaukee
The artists’ canvas? A room with four walls instead of taut cloth propped onto an easel. The new gallery? A blend of spoken word, artsy […]
21c: Where art museum, lodging merge
My mind and body are weary from rising at 3:15 a.m. to catch the first flight out of Madison, but the aerial hops are quick, […]
Milwaukee Art Museum’s “Road Trip” photos remove the filters
Smart phones and digital cameras make it possible for almost anybody to take a good picture, on purpose or by accident. Gone are the days […]
Wisconsin film fests: Entertainment is one part of their value
The worth of a well-crafted film goes way beyond entertainment, in little and large ways. A good movie helps us walk in somebody else’s shoes. […]
Chicago exhibit takes “SNL” fans behind the scenes
Matt Foley. The Church Lady. Wayne and Garth. Wild and Crazy Guys. Debbie Downer. Mary Katherine Gallagher. Longtime fans of “Saturday Night Live” know these […]
Take Twelve: Comedy in Wisconsin
In case you think Wisconsin could show a better sense of humor, I have two words for you: Very funny. No need to factor in […]
ArtPrize puts Grand Rapids, Mich., on the map for wild, wonderful art
Grand Rapids, Michigan’s second-largest city, finds unusual ways to gain attention. It has produced high-quality furniture for more than a century. It is a nationwide […]
Take Ten: summer sizzlers
Beat the heat with these Wisconsin destinations that have something new or novel to offer summertime travelers. Actor’s Craft, Kenosha: Find your inner Bogart at […]
Tune in: Paisley Park, Motown tours; Rolling Stones show at Navy Pier
Every artist needs a studio – someplace to inspire and motivate, concentrate and create – and it can be as simple as a nook, spare […]
Field Museum explores tattoo art, history, logic, popularity
More people are adding an indelible mark on their life, based on a process that is thousands of years old. When asked to write about […]
Take Ten: Museum exhibits worth a wintry road trip
Take a break and consider a museum road trip where traveling or seasonal shows pay attention to unique endeavors in fine art to pop culture […]
How and where to find ghosts of Bob Dylan in Minnesota
As I write this, the Swedish Academy is waiting for a call from Bob Dylan about his Nobel Prize for Literature. The award was announced […]
Polka festivals: a sure sign of spring
Almost all states with an official dance choose the square dance, but not Wisconsin. Not by a longshot. We picked the polka in 1993, as […]
Radio show tickets: Where to watch broadcasts
Wisconsin Public Radio’s decision to end the “Whad’Ya Know?” show concludes an on-air era of quick wit and timely humor by Michael Feldman, the host […]
Take Ten: Where to go overnight for dinner and show
When in doubt about how to structure your next big date night, start with dinner and a show. Sometimes you can even park just once […]
More light at Milwaukee Art Museum after $34 million remodeling
The Milwaukee Art Museum quickly turned into an architectural icon for Wisconsin’s largest city in 2001. That is when an addition with a 90-foot-high glass […]
Chicago’s interactive ‘We Gotta Bingo’ dinner theater big on fun
All-in-good-fun games of bingo keep the church lights on, subsidize school field trips, buy equipment for volunteer fire departments and make countless other charitable efforts […]
Molly O: ‘Justified,’ and beyond the Heymakers
“Justified” is a prevailing theme in Molly Otis Stoddard’s life lately, especially since that’s the title of her first music release in nearly two decades, […]