Friday 4.4
Wisconsin Film Festival
The 10th annual event runs April 3-6 in 10 downtown venues, showcasing independent films, world cinema and homegrown efforts.
Odyssey Con
Radisson Hotel, April 7-9, 2006
The general-interest science-fiction and fantasy convention features music, panel discussions, gaming and a masquerade where you can channel your inner hobbit. The guest authors are Kage Baker and George R.R. Martin.
The Shiloh Cannon
Wisconsin Veterans Museum, noon
Civil War historian Lance Herdegen shows off a cannon captured by the 14th Wisconsin at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862.
Esperanza Rising
Overture Center Playhouse, 7:30 pm. Also Saturday (2 & 7:30 pm) & Sunday (2 pm), April 5 & 6
Children's Theater of Madison presents an adaptation of Pam Muñoz Ryan's book about a privileged Mexican girl forced to flee to a California migrant worker's camp during the Great Depression. The production features Mexican folk music by a live trio.
Trevor Stephenson
First Unitarian Society, 7:30 pm. Also Sunday, April 6, 4 pm
The local keyboardist performs the "Goldberg Variations" on a double-manual French 18th-century harpsichord, allowing you to hear the work as Bach's contemporaries did.
The 5 Browns
Overture Center's Overture Hall, 8 pm
The quintet of piano-playing siblings have ruled the classical-music charts with recordings like Browns in Blue, featuring everything from Brahms to Gershwin to Astor Piazzolla. You've seen them on Oprah and 60 Minutes, and now you can see them live as they perform in various combinations.
Nanci Griffith
Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm
During her 30-year career, Griffith has been a folkie, a charting country artist and a neo-torch singer. Dana Erlandson opens.
Saturday 4.5
Science Expeditions
UW Engineering Hall (noon-5 pm) and Engineering Centers Building (1-4 pm)
The UW invites budding scientists of all ages to a free afternoon of hands-on activities and demonstrations. Programs include "The Wonders of Physics" and "Science Is Fun." See www.science.wisc.edu for details.
Duck Soup Cinema
Overture Center's Capitol Theater, 2 & 7 pm
Overture's family-friendly series brings back the vaudeville era with a variety show followed by a silent film, complete with organ accompaniment. The Norma Talmadge comedy Kiki is about a wannabe singer in Paris.
Four Bitchin' Babes
Overture Center's Overture Hall, 8 pm
The witty singer-songwriters delve into subjects that a mature female audience can relate to, including married life, PMS and the yearning for botox. Expect equal measures of humor and harmony.
La Belle Paris
Mills Hall in the UW Humanities Bldg., 8 pm
The UW School of Music concludes its "European Capitals" series with "La Belle Paris." Many faculty stars perform evocative music by Ravel, Debussy, Pierre Boulez and other croissant-eating composers.
Robin Trower
Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm
Trower came to prominence in the '60s with Procol Harum, but the English guitar hero is best known for heavy, blues-based work that at points recalls Jimi Hendrix. Seven Moons, a recent pairing with Jack Bruce of Cream, found him in top form. John Masino Band opens.
Nathan Rogers
Wil-Mar Center, 8 pm
The legacy of the late Canadian folk legend Stan Rogers is apparent in the work of his son Nathan. Then again, Stan never engaged in spirited takes on throat singing. Tracy Jane Comer opens.
Pagee Go Go
Brink Lounge, 9 pm
The local Brazilian group trips through sambas, bossa novas and more in celebration of a new CD.
Why?
Cafe Montmartre, 9:30 pm
Indie filtered through hip-hop usually produces hopelessly forced results, but thanks to their warped pop vocals and electronic atmospheres, Why? manages to feel the groove without being overwhelmed by it. Material from their new disc, Alopecia, should please Flaming Lips fans. Marty Finkel and Vid Libert open.
Tift Merritt
High Noon Saloon, 9:30 pm
Merritt's airy, at times wistful Another Country confirms that she's just a hit away from escaping the alt-country pigeonhole for good. She's not a flashy singer by any means, but her singer-songwriter fare has a soulful truth about it. Everybodyfields opens.
Sunday 4.6
Dance Wisconsin
Waisman Center, 1 & 3 pm
Jo Jean Retrum's polished troupe performs a Peter and the Wolf ballet. You're sure to enjoy it, unless you're a duck.
Max & Ruby
Mitby Theater at MATC-Truax, 2 pm
TheatreWorks USA comes to town with a musical adaptation of Rosemary Wells' charming picture books, in which big-sister Ruby looks out for her mischievous bunny brother Max.
Cycropia Aerial Dance
Boys and Girls Club, 2001 Taft St., 4 & 7 pm
The airborne local dance troupe presents a show called "Alloy," featuring graceful moves on a steel apparatus. Teens from south Madison also get into the act.
Jim Hightower
Barrymore Theatre, 7 pm
The progressive politician and commentator appears in a fund-raiser for FightingBob.com. He'll offer tidbits from his latest book of populist wisdom, Swim Against the Current. Peter and Lou Berryman also perform.
Woodhands
Project Lodge, 7 pm
California's synth-happy Woodhands invite the more discerning party people to dance the night away to their clever, deliberately dirtied-up electronic pop.
Anew Revolution
Annex, 7:30 pm
Formed by members of Slaves on Dope and Unloco, Anew Revolution roars out of the blocks with a debut collection of doomy metal/industrial hybrids that benefit enormously from dance-ready beats. Evoked, Stepwise and the Surrealia Divide open.
