Digging at UW Lathrop Hall
Here is this week's critics' choice calendar. Holiday Art Fair
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and Overture Center, 2:30-8 pm. Also Saturday (10 am-5 pm) & Sunday (10 am-3 pm), Nov. 23 & 24
More than 80 vendors sell giftable creations such as handmade books, jewelry and home decor at this colorful fundraiser for MMoCA, which also includes gourmet snacks and performances by groups such as Kanopy Dance Company.
R/Evolutions: Queer Changes in the Arab World
UW Elvehjem Building, 5 pm
Morocco native Abdellah Taia became the first Arab writer and filmmaker to publicly declare that he is gay. Here he'll present a lecture and a short film, The Grave of Jean Genet, to shed light on what it was like growing up in a region where being queer is taboo and, in some cases, criminal.
Broom Street Theater, 7 pm
Insurgent Theatre's Ben Turk presents a one-man show that pairs an interactive lecture about prison uprisings with a portrayal of a police officer on the verge of a breakdown.
Mystery to Me, 7 pm
After working with celebrity cartoonists like Garry Trudeau and Gary Larson at Universal Press Syndicate, the author moved back to her North Woods hometown and began writing mystery novels. At this event, she'll read from Dead Insider, a new novel about a Senate candidate who turns up dead near a small Wisconsin town.
Cecilia Singers with Joseph Testa
St. James Catholic Church, 7:30 pm. Also at Luther Memorial Church, Saturday, Nov. 23, 7:30 pm; and at St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, Monona, Sunday, Nov. 24, 3 pm
The choral group honors JFK 50 years after his assassination with a program featuring American composers from the same generation. Highlights include works by Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and Wisconsin native Robert Kreutz.
Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm
The English language is a plaything for this offbeat comic, who likes to subvert audience expectations with painfully clever one-liners and figures of speech. His delivery is also a thing of wonder, sounding both childlike and slightly dazed.
UW Lathrop Hall, 8 pm. Also Thursday & Saturday, Nov. 21 & 23, 8 pm
Kate Corby and Dancers collaborate with members of the UW dance department during an evening of modern dance. Featuring music scored by UW alum Ryan Ross Smith, the title work examines meditation's capacity to enhance creativity and strengthen the mind-body connection.
UW Memorial Union Rathskeller, 9 pm
Though he's just 19, this Twin Cities singer-songwriter was featured on NPR earlier this year and is already working on his third album. With Kalispell.
Majestic Theatre, 9 pm
The band that scored big hits in the '90s with "Walk on the Ocean" and "All I Want" have kept their songwriting skills sharp over the years. Their latest album, New Constellation, has earned accolades from Slate. With Lee DeWyze.
Mickey's Tavern, 10 pm
Visions of spies and beatniks dance through the heads of this North Carolina duo as they create slinky tunes with a punkish edge. With the Shabelles and New Villains.
Saturday 11.23
NOTEWORTHY: Jukebox debuts in San Francisco, 1889.
Alliant Energy Center's Exhibition Hall, 10 am-5 pm. Also Sunday, Nov. 24, 10 am-4 pm
This event fosters female empowerment with speakers, crafts and interactive exhibits about food, fashion, fitness and more. Beginning at 4 pm, Sexy Ester's Lyndsay Evans, American Idol contestant Megan Bobo, and others will grab the mic for Chick Singer Night, a locally produced showcase of lady vocalists.
Central Library, 1 pm
This event begins with readings by Madison poets laureate Wendy Vardaman and Sarah Busse, plus other local writers who contributed verse to a new anthology titled Echolocations: Poets Map Madison. Afterward are family-friendly activities like collage creation and haiku writing. (See Words.)
Barrymore Theatre, 7:30 pm
This variety show benefits the new Madison Circus Space, which uses stunt training to fulfill childhood dreams of running away to join a roving troupe of clowns and tightrope walkers. The evening will feature breathtaking feats such as juggling, acrobatic yoga and stilt dancing.
Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 pm
Known for his storytelling skills as much as his slide-blues instrumentals and acoustic strumming, the guitarist has won multiple Wisconsin Area Music Industry awards.
UW Choral Union & Symphony Orchestra
UW Humanities Building's Mills Hall, 8 pm. Also Sunday, Nov. 24, 2 pm
University singers and instrumentalists join forces to present Mendelssohn's Die erste Walpurgisnacht, a cantata based on a Goethe poem, and Vaughan Williams' Dona nobis pacem, which begins with a lovely, peace-themed soprano solo and then delves into some of Walt Whitman's poems about war.
UW Memorial Union Rathskeller, 9 pm
Exploring themes like love and transition through ambient indie and folk rock, this band's live show makes a great date-night outing or a cathartic remedy for locals anxious about life after college graduation. Be sure to stick around for "Wonder," a standout track from the group's September release, My How You've Grown. With Raj Taj and the Color Pharmacy.
Frequency, 9 pm
"Brutal-grass" — a combination of bluegrass-inspired instrumentals, punk and metal — is this band's specialty. Hit the show to get acquainted with Dig Nails Deep, the LP they released this summer. With I Am Dragon, EME and Wiscoholics.
Majestic Theatre, 9 pm
The Santa Cruz producer has built a following on his melodic dubstep since 2011. His new EP, Altered States, reflects a shift to a more dance-focused, hip-hop-driven sound.
Sunday 11.24
NOTEWORTHY: Charles Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species, 1859.
Orpheum Theater, 7:30 pm
The thrash-metal band rose to icon status on the strength of headbanger anthems like 1992's "Symphony of Destruction." After disbanding in 2002 due to frontman Dave Mustaine's health concerns, they've enjoyed a comeback since 2005, producing new material such as the recent chart-climber "Super Collider." With Fear Factory and Nonpoint.
Monday 11.25
NOTEWORTHY: President John F. Kennedy buried at Arlington National Cemetery, 1963.
Frequency, 8:30 pm
Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., this power trio's best work can be found in rock songs like "Queen," an ode to the band they're most often compared to. With Eric McKinney.
Tuesday 11.26
NOTEWORTHY: National Hockey League formed, 1917.
Trollish Behavior & the Future of Online Comments
UW Union South, 7 pm
Trolls aren't confined to bridges and Lord of the Rings movies. Nowadays, many squat in the comments boxes of news websites, wreaking havoc with off-topic remarks and anonymous attacks on reporters and readers. A group of panelists, including Isthmus web editor Kristian Knutsen, will discuss the impact of this trend at this Society of Professional Journalists event.
Wednesday 11.27
NOTEWORTHY: First Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade held in New York City, 1924.
Majestic Theatre, 8 pm
The Majestic and the Cardinal Bar team up to celebrate Latin music for the sixth year in a row. The event should be heavy on salsa and jazz, with performances by the Tony Castañeda Latin Jazz Band, Son Contrabando, Golpe Tierra, Acoplados, DJ Rumba and the Madison Latin All-Stars. Proceeds benefit the music program at Centro Hispano of Dane County.
Orpheum Theater, 8 pm
The Grammy-winning rapper isn't touring with a new album that chews the Man a new one. Instead, he's giving Orpheum-goers a sneak preview of Tetsuo & Youth, a less-angry-than-usual record he plans to release in the near future. (See Tour Stop.) With Stalley, the Boy Illinois, Dee-1, A.N.T. and Rip.
Frequency, 9 pm
The Minneapolis-based hip-hop producer is best known for his work in a duo with the late Eyedea, but his live battling skills are consistently impressive. With GrrTell and Room Mates.
Thursday 11.28
NOTEWORTHY: New York Stock Exchange reopens after war-induced closing four months earlier, 1914.
Edited by Mayor-for-life Rob Ford
