Summer more or less begins in Madison this weekend as the spring semester ends and street festivals begin. The calendar includes: Cars on State and the sixth annual MAMAs; a performance by Second City and productions of Awaken!, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Where Were You When You Were Stolen, Four Years of Four Seasons, Women Dancing, and Opera Up Close; and live music by Bryan Adams, the Rhapsodie String Quartet, Zion I, Pale Young Gentlemen, the Festival Choir of Madison, Del tha Funky Homosapien, John Brown's Body, Disturbed, The Rogue Dolls, and You, Me & Everyone We Know.
Friday 5.8
V-E DAY
FULL MOON (FLOWER MOON)
NOTEWORTHY: Native American militants end 10-day occupation at Wounded Knee, 1973.
BIRTHDAYS: Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz, 1951; Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen, 1953.
Awaken!
Goodman Community Center, 8 pm. Also Thursday (7 pm) & Sunday (2 pm), May 7 & 10
Kenland Players Theater presents a folk musical based on the Aztec legend "The Lizard and the Sun." Performers include the eponymous Ken Lonnquist and kids from Monona Grove schools and Madison's Nuestro Mundo Elementary.
Bryan Adams
Overture Center's Capitol Theatre, 7:30 pm
Yeah, he's got a talent for making teenage girls and fans of adult contemporary radio swoon, but he's also branched out into music for film and photographs, both of which have won major awards. Perhaps they've also won him a new set of fans who don't listen to "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" on repeat.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Bartell Theatre, 7:30 pm. Also Saturday, May 9, 3 & 7:30 pm
Madison Theatre Guild presents Dale Wasserman's stage adaptation of Ken Kesey's novel about a belligerent guy who fights the establishment in a mental hospital and -- well, we won't give away the ending. Let's see if Kamal Marayati in the lead role brings pyrotechnics comparable to Jack Nicholson's in the film version.
Rhapsodie String Quartet
Overture Center's Promenade Hall, 7:30 pm
Madison Symphony Orchestra's resident string foursome performs music of Mozart and Beethoven in a free recital.
Second City
Overture Hall, 8 pm
Chicago's fabled comedy troupe -- the one that spawned luminous stars like John Belushi, Chris Farley, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and many others -- visits with another of its boisterous touring shows. Watch as fresh-faced stars-on-the-rise perform the company's trademark skits and songs.
Where Were You When You Were Stolen
Broom Street Theater, 8 pm. Also Saturday (8 pm) & Sunday (2 pm), May 9 & 10
Much about Madison has changed since 1969. But the storied east-side troupe, celebrating its 40th anniversary this month, marches on with its original theater productions -- like this one, a film noir parody by Ron Fisher and John Sable. The birthday celebration includes a screening of the 1997 production Di, Princess, Di, by late Broom Street founder Joel Gersmann (Sunday, May 10 at 6 pm).
Zion I
Orpheum Theatre, 8 pm
Sometimes it seems that Q-Tip's influence has no end: This touring Oakland, Calif., hip-hop duo cites him as a lasting influence on their beats and rhymes, from their 1997 debut to their brand-new CD, The Take Over, which they're here to promote this week. L.O.S.T.S.O.U.L.S, Reigny Day, Profound, Rickaby and DJ Fusion open.
Pale Young Gentlemen
Majestic Theatre, 10 pm
The mini-orchestra's sparkling layers of melody and harmony aren't just songs. They're soundtracks not only to the beautiful old photo albums of our ancestors but to the beautiful old movies of the future. Lucy Michelle and the Velvet Lapelles open.
Saturday 5.9
VESAK (BUDDHA DAY)
NOTEWORTHY: House Judiciary Committee begins hearings on whether to recommend Nixon impeachment, 1974.
BIRTHDAYS: Emmy-winning actress Candice Bergen, 1946.
Cars on State
State Street, 10 am-3 pm
Classic cars take over the downtown thoroughfare in this juried event (sample category: Best Prom Date Car). Enjoy, and remember the autoworkers as you do.
Four Years of Four Seasons
Majestic Theatre, 7 pm
Amid the chaos of the city's recession-whacked theater scene, don't overlook Four Seasons Theatre. For four years the company has been presenting ambitious productions of stage favorites like Candide and West Side Story. This cabaret-style anniversary event features musical highlights from those shows and others.
Madison Area Music Awards
Barrymore Theatre. Happy hour: 5:30 pm. Red carpet: 6 pm. Show: 7 pm. After parties: Cafe Montmartre, Alchemy, Majestic, Frequency, Mr. Roberts, Inferno, Great Dane-Hilldale
The MAMAs is an awards show that hands out honors for song of the year, artist of the year, etc. But it's also a dream concert, bringing together local performers Natty Nation, Clyde Stubblefield, the Blueheels, Whore du Jour, Rising Gael, Jentri Collelo, Lucha Libre and the West High Concert Choir (see interview with host John Urban).
Festival Choir of Madison
First Unitarian Society Auditorium, 7:30 pm
The 36-year-old choral group winds up its season with a cantata concert, featuring short works by Henry Purcell, Claude Debussy, George Gershwin, Franz Schubert and Morten Lauridsen. Conducting is the choir's new artistic director, Bruce Gladstone.
Women Dancing
Wisconsin Union Theater, 7:30 pm
UW dance prof Li Chiao-Ping performs seven solo works by prominent choreographers Cynthia Adams, Molissa Fenley, Heidi Latsky, Victoria Marks, Bebe Miller, Elizabeth Streb and June Watanabe.
Del tha Funky Homosapien
High Noon Saloon, 9:30 pm
He isn't just Ice Cube's cousin; he's one of the geniuses behind Hieroglyphics and Gorrilaz, plus an accomplished solo artist in his own right. In other words, he's got a ton of material to choose from for this week's show. Mike Relm, Bukue One and Serendipity Project open.
John Brown's Body
Annex, 9:30 pm
The Massachusetts-based reggae band, which incorporates rock and electronic elements, tours on the strength of its latest release, the appealing Amplify. Also appearing: Passafire, Public Property, Tropical Riddims Sound System.
Sunday 5.10
MOTHER'S DAY
NOTEWORTHY: Nelson Mandela sworn in as South African president, 1994.
BIRTHDAYS: U2 frontman/human-rights activist Bono, 1960.
Opera Up Close
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 4 pm Madison Opera presents a preview of its season-closing event, Charles Gounod's Faust.
You, Me & Everyone We Know
Goodman Community Center's Loft, 6:30 pm
Though its name sounds like the title of that Miranda July film, the D.C. quartet is a bit more mainstream, with a sound that's like a cross between Say Anything and Panic! At the Disco. Also playing: Forgive Durden, Anarbor, Jamestown Story.
Disturbed
Alliant Energy Center's Coliseum, 7 pm
Few metal bands achieve both the technical skill and the cult status of Disturbed, and few bands of any genre have three studio albums in a row reach No. 1 on the charts immediately after release. Plus, they're one of few bands that fans of Sabbath, Soundgarden and even Pantera can all enjoy. Killswitch Engage, Lacuna Coil and Chimera open.
The Rogue Dolls, Fault Line Empires, Guzzlemug
Annex, 8 pm
Here's what they call a beautiful mess: Minneapolis' Guzzlemug starts the night with some brain-blistering prog, then Fault Line Empires shakes things up with some Milwaukee-bred hardcore. Finally, Madison trio the Rogue Dolls emerges from the wreckage with something punky, garagey, poppy and somehow girly, too. Also playing: the Cemetery Improvement Society and the Real ID Act.
