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What to do in Madison this weekend: Endurance Improv Fest, HUMP! and more Isthmus Picks
Picks for March 23-26 includes album release concerts by The Faith Hills Have Eyes and Dana Perry; a talk by legendary conservationist Jane Goodall. Read more
Mar 23, 2023
Doug La Follette’s abrupt departure leaves questions
Doug La Follette resigned without warning, after just being reelected to yet another four-year term as Wisconsin’s secretary of state last November. He offered no real explanation. Read more
Mar 22, 2023
Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates clash at sole debate
There was no love lost between Supreme Court candidates Dan Kelly and Janet Protasiewicz when they met for the only candidate debate before April 4. Read more
Mar 21, 2023
How much would paid family and medical leave cost Wisconsin?
If someone earned $60,000 last year, the governor's plan would give them a weekly benefit of $576 for 12 weeks; if they made $80,000, the weekly benefit would be $769. Read more
Mar 21, 2023
Ready to rock
StageQ’s production of ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ is a delightfully strange, moving, slightly transgressive and entertaining evening at the Bartell. Read more
Mar 20, 2023
‘Unprecedented’ spending in Madison city council elections
A tax-exempt advocacy group called “RASCW Housing Advocacy Fund” is spending $18,000 to $21,000, per race, to design and mail out campaign literature, buy online advertisements, and purchase text messages services on behalf of 10 local office seekers Read more
Mar 20, 2023
2023 Isthmus Voter Guide
Looking to vote early? Not sure what races are going to be on the April 4 ballot in Madison? Want to learn more about the candidates? You’ll find all that and more in the Isthmus Voter Guide. Read more
Mar 20, 2023
Guía de Votación Isthmus 2023
¿Quiere votar anticipadamente? ¿No está seguro de qué contiendas van a estar en la boleta electoral del 4 de abril en Madison? ¿Quiere saber más de los candidatos? Se puede encontrar todo eso y más en la Guía de Votación. Read more
Mar 20, 2023
What to do in Madison this week: Sona Jobarteh, 'Chicago' and more Isthmus Picks
Isthmus Picks for March 20-23 includes a talk by longtime Madison activist Frank Emspak on a new memoir; an opening event for “ArtScience of Innovation” at BioPharmaceutical Technology Center Gallery. Read more
Mar 20, 2023
Behind the Isthmus Cover: March 2023
March Madness lands in Madison when cars decorated in school colors start rolling through downtown on the way to the WIAA State Boys Basketball Tournament at the Kohl Center. Graphic designer Megan Bergner captures that scene in 3D. Read more
Mar 17, 2023
Karben4 to produce Ale Asylum’s flagship beers
The beers of Ale Asylum will soon be made in the brewhouse where many of them were originally created. Ryan and Zak Koga, brothers and co-owners of Karben4 Brewing, have purchased the Ale Asylum brands and their recipes from former Ale Asylum owners. Read more
Mar 16, 2023
One dish: Seared salmon at Sardine
While the specials at Sardine are tempting, don’t overlook an old favorite and menu standby: the seared salmon with accompanying braised french lentils. Read more
Mar 16, 2023
Abortion pill lawsuit impact on Wisconsin is unclear
‘Medication abortion is really not well accessible to people in Wisconsin right now anyway without traveling or sourcing medications online,’ says Dr. Jessica Dalby, a UW Health physician. Read more
Mar 15, 2023
9:30 AM
Losers sweep the ice
You’ve probably seen curling on TV during the Olympics. You probably know McFarland is a hotbed of curling locally. But did you know they curl in Arlington, too? Read more
Mar 15, 2023
8:00 AM
Local beers to watch for in March in Madison and beyond
Here’s what’s happening in local craft brews this month: bocks, barleywines, imperial stouts, smooth lagers and an NA debut. Read more
Mar 14, 2023
11:45 AM
Good Karma Broadcasting has expanded to huge markets, but stays relatable in Madison
When childhood friends Craig Karmazin and Steve Politziner moved here from New Jersey to produce their own show while building Good Karma Broadcasting, they started with stations in Beaver Dam, Columbus and Madison. Now they’re all over the country. Read more
Mar 14, 2023
8:00 AM
Congressman Mike Gallagher’s star turn may invite challenge to U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Wisconsin Republican Congressman Mike Gallagher is getting a lot of attention as chair of a House Select Committee on competition with China. He is at the top of the list of Republicans who may challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin next year. Read more
Mar 13, 2023
12:00 PM
Food waste awareness is up. Food surplus is down.
Catering is back, but the high cost of food means that event planners are being much more careful about estimating how much food they need. Read more
Mar 13, 2023
8:00 AM
What to do in Madison this week: Bone Holler, 'Poetry and Pi(e)' and more Isthmus Picks
Isthmus Picks for March 13-16 includes talks by authors Evelyn Asultany and Terri Laxton Brooks; tour stops by Angel (yes, really) and Project: Constellation. Read more
Mar 13, 2023
5:13 AM
On the Yahara Writing Center connects people with nature, poetry and Mary Oliver
On the Yahara attracts people who have long considered themselves writers, but who ended up getting turned off by a more critical academic approach to writing or poetry. Read more
Mar 12, 2023
8:00 AM
The Fharmacy Public House in Lake Mills has 24 taps
What’s on tap at The Fharmacy? Look for flagship brews and rarer vintages. Read more
Mar 11, 2023
8:00 AM
‘Stage Presents’ shows the positive impact of theater on child actors
Theater can be life-changing for children. That’s the message behind ‘Stage Presents,’ a gift of sorts, too, for documentarian Greg Jeschke. Read more
Mar 11, 2023
8:00 AM
‘Connexions’ from Kanopy Dance is an absorbing evening of contemporary dance
The audience at opening night of Kanopy Dance Company’s “Connexions” was small, but it was mighty. As the weather improves over the weekend, I hope more people will come out for this interesting and swiftly paced program. Read more
Mar 10, 2023
12:30 PM
High stakes for high court race
The usual Republican playbook in dealing with liberal contenders is to portray them as criminal-coddling threats to public safety. But that won’t be easy to do with Protasiewicz, who served 25 years as a Milwaukee County prosecutor before being elect Read more
Mar 10, 2023
10:00 AM
In the paper
The Madison mayor's race is a referendum on the last four years
The results of the February primary for Madison mayor were the most lopsided in two decades. Heading into the April 4 general election, Mayor Rhodes-Conway may be in the strongest position of any incumbent mayor in recent history. Read more
High stakes for high court race
The usual Republican playbook in dealing with liberal contenders is to portray them as criminal-coddling threats to public safety. But that won’t be easy to do with Protasiewicz, who served 25 years as a Milwaukee County prosecutor before being elect Read more
Housing, transit and public safety are top issues in Monona mayor’s race
Whoever wins the Monona mayor’s office will be managing transit issues, big new projects, and a housing crisis, while operating under a state law that makes it tough to raise new revenue. Read more
Some good news for civics education
“What is most noticeable to me is that the field of civic education is probably the most organized that it has been in my lifetime,” says Michael Blauw, a former social studies teacher who is now an education consultant. Read more
The Fharmacy Public House in Lake Mills has 24 taps
What’s on tap at The Fharmacy? Look for flagship brews and rarer vintages. Read more
Endurance Improv Fest
7 pm-midnight on 3/24 and 1 pm-2 am, 3/25, Atlas Improv. Free. Read more
Mar 24, 2023Mar 26, 2023
Escape from Happiness
Mercury Players Theatre dark comedy, 3/24-4/8, Bartell Theatre-Evjue Stage, at 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday (4 pm on 4/8) and 4 pm, 4/2. Read more
Mar 24, 2023
7:30 PM
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
StageQ production of the iconic musical by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask, 3/10-25, Bartell Theatre, at 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday (4 pm on 3/25) and 4 pm, 3/19. $55-$20 sliding scale. Read more
Mar 24, 2023
7:30 PM
Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra
"Spanish Guitar," with guest guitarist Mabel Millán, guest dancer Tania Tandias. $95-$19. Read more
Mar 24, 2023
7:30 PM
Flight of Lights
Dane County Regional Airport light display, 7:30-11:30 pm, 3/24-4/16, along International Lane. Read more
Mar 24, 2023
7:30 PM11:30 PM