What to do in Madison this weekend: UCAN Quarterly, Wisconsin Chamber Choir and more Isthmus Picks

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MSCR Pottery Sale, Dec. 12-15, Madison School & Community Recreation-West: If you want to incorporate handmade pottery as part of your lifestyle but lack the skill, talent, courage or time to make any yourself, this is the sale for you. Student work from the popular Madison School & Community Recreation pottery classes is for sale at MSCR West, 7333 West Towne Way. You’ll find more than 1,000 pieces of work from 45 craftspersons, including MSCR instructors, students and other local ceramic artists, in this fundraiser that supports the programming. Works for sale are both decorative and functional. Hours are 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on Dec. 12-13, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Dec. 14, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec. 15.

Jeffrey Foucault, Thursday, Dec. 12, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 p.m.: A native of Whitewater, Wisconsin, Jeffrey Foucault is among that rare breed of songwriter who is likely a favorite of one of your favorite songwriters. The new album The Universal Fire, his first of new material since 2018, processes tragedy both personal (the loss of his longtime touring partner, drummer Billy Conway) and cultural (the burning of countless original recording media in the 2008 inferno that gives the album its name). The album’s sturdy folk-rock-blues songs are resilient rather than downbeat. Erik Koskinen opens (and returns to the stage as part of Foucault’s band). Tickets at stoughtonoperahouse.com.

All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, through Dec. 15, Overture Center-Playhouse: Four Seasons Theatre has created its own holiday tradition with All is Calm. Based on a melancholy and dire true story, the play was written and conceived by Peter Rothstein, a graduate of the UW-Madison Department of Theatre & Drama. Set at the Western Front during World War I, the message of Christmas comes through as German and English foot soldiers call an impromptu truce. Historic media, patriotic and popular music of the time, classic Christmas carols, and text drawn from real letters, journals, and radio broadcasts make this a cappella musical more than an abstraction. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday and at 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Tickets at overture.org.

Illiterate Light, Thursday, Dec. 12, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Illiterate Light is the alt rock duo of Jeff Gorman and Jake Cochran. The Richmond, Virginia, band is grounded in Americana — take their song “I wanna leave America (but I don’t know where to go),” in which vocalist Jeff Gorman practically channels Neil Young — but steers an alt-rock course on their latest album, Arches, released Nov. 1. Lively Virginia folk/bluegrass trio Palmyra opens. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

Christkindlmarket, Dec. 13-15, Paoli: There are plenty of holiday markets this time of year but the small hamlet of Paoli goes all out, playing up its idyllic spot on the Sugar River and its historic buildings. Trolleys travel through town. A curated, local-centric market is set up outside at Seven Acre Dairy Company, on the river, with hot buttered rum, mulled wine and eggnog on hand to facilitate your shopping. Paoli merchants will also be open. A holiday light trail will wend around holiday scenes, and Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available for photos, or you can visit with a real reindeer. Note, parking will be extremely scarce; a shuttle from Verona leaves from two spots, Century School Park and Hometown Junction Park. Hours are Friday, 3-7 p.m, Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; see shuttle hours at christkindlmarketpaoli.com.

Zoo Lights, through Dec. 28, Henry Vilas Zoo: One of the Madison area’s most elaborate holiday light displays can be found at Henry Vilas Zoo, and ticket purchases help keep the lights on all year (the zoo does not typically charge admission). Zoo Lights features timed entry starting at 5:30 p.m. daily from Dec. 13-28 (closed Dec. 24-25). Santa will be on hand for photos with the kiddos through Dec. 23, and unlimited carousel rides are included with admission. Tickets are only available online in advance: henryvilaszoo.doubleknot.com.

La Combi, Friday, Dec. 13, Olbrich Gardens, 6-8 p.m.: Seasoned veterans of Madison winters know that one of the easiest escapes is to the tropical Bolz Conservatory at Olbrich Gardens. The Canopy Sessions brings musical groups into the jungle-y environment (wait, doesn’t that warp the woodwinds?) to bring even more r & r to the scene. La Combi plays a fusion of Latin American sounds — Peruvian salsa, chicha (cumbia), merengue, festejo, and bachata. There is bar service and no seating — so you may find your inhibitions loosening as you dance your way over the koi ponds.

Scooby-Doo! And a Panto, Too! Dec. 13-28, Bartell Theatre: Localizing the cartoon crime solvers, Mercury Players Theatre sets the story of the mysterious phantom of Scooby-Doo! And a Panto, Too! in none other than the Bartell Theatre. Will Scooby and friends solve the mystery? Shows at 7 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays (except 2 p.m. on Dec. 28) and 2 p.m. on Dec. 22. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

Madison Ballet, Dec. 13-22, Overture Hall: Madison Ballet artistic and executive director Ja’ Malik calls The Nutcracker “a beautiful example of how ballet unites our community,” deeming the holiday tradition “an inclusive experience we all share and celebrate together.” So join the party — Tchaikovsky’s familiar soaring score and the glamor of a magical Christmas gets us every time. This production features new choreography by Ja’ Malik, Richard Walters of School of Madison Ballet, and local choreographer Yaqi Wu. Performances at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 and 1 and 7 p.m. Dec. 14-15 and 20-22. Tickets at overture.org.

Madison Area Concert Handbells, Dec. 13-15, various venues: “A Child is Born” is the annual holiday concert by the Madison Area Concert Handbells, an auditioned ensemble of 18 musicians, with a program featuring classic carols, the “Hallelujah” chorus from Messiah by Handel, and more. Performances take place at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 at Christ Presbyterian Church; 7 p.m. on Dec. 14 at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Monona; and 3 p.m. on Dec. 15 at Bethany United Methodist Church. Tickets at madisonhandbells.org.

Found Footage Festival, Friday, Dec. 13, Barrymore, 8 p.m.: Two guys from Stoughton, Wisconsin, make it big in comedy and then follow their passion by collecting more than 13,000 weird VHS tapes, touring the country and screening the best/dumbest bits with commentary. The era of VHS as a technology coincides with wacky infomercials, bad exercise trends and large hair for a winning combo. In this 20th anniversary show, comedians Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (The Late Show) re-run their all-time faves. Watching the clips in a theater of the like-minded is half the fun. Tickets at barrymorelive.com.

UCAN Quarterly, Friday, Dec. 13, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Urban Community Arts Network returns to close 2024 with a showcase featuring Madison hip-hop veterans. IceReign is a new collaboration by DLO, Reign and Tiahti Young; their September debut album, The IceReign Project, blends vintage posse rap with R&B singing and smoothly groovin' backing tracks. With emcees AD (of long-running Madison hip-hop band The Crest) and Rob Dz, and veteran producers Bucky Luger and DJ Pain 1. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Winter Thunderland, Friday, Dec. 13, Gamma Ray, 8 p.m.: It's apt that this quadruple bill of Madison-based post-apocalyptic metal/rock/punk/prog/doom/stoner bands lands on Friday the 13th. Headliners The Faith Hills Have Eyes mix brutality and melody in a wicked brew that is both bleak and restorative, while Solshade’s “progressive twang” will rattle your teeth and rack your brain. We Should Have Been DJs makes “Great Lakes emo” with post-punk muscle, and Plant’s crushing riffs, doomy grooves and psychedelic chaos pack a mammoth wallop. We can’t think of a better bill to help send 2024 to the trash bin of history. Tickets at etix.com.

Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Benefit, Saturday, Dec. 14, VFW Post 7591, noon-10 p.m.: This annual concert at the Cottage Grove Road VFW post supports the local toy drive for families in need hosted by the Marine Corps Reserve. The day begins appropriately with a storybook reading by Carrie Ammerman, and headlining (7 p.m.) is Madison '80s hard rock tribute Circus, who will play (or at least take a crack at) any '80s song request for an additional donation to Toys for Tots. A full day of music also includes sets by Adam Howarth, Stone LaPorte, Brian Pieper, Randy Plunkett, Adam Carl and Autumn Rose.

A Christmas Carol, through Dec. 22, Overture Center-Capitol Theater: A vindictive, unkind, miserly, money-grubbing old man is visited, on Christmas Eve, by three spirits who show him that life should be about selflessness, friendship and generosity. How could Charles Dickens' 1843 A Christmas Carol be any more relevant? Children’s Theater of Madison brings La Shawn Banks back as Ebenezer Scrooge in this updated script that reduces bloat and adds celebratory dancing. But it is still at heart a moral fable. “The fact that the spirits appear, not just to frighten Scrooge, but to hold him accountable for his actions,” wrote our reviewer Gwendolyn Rice of the new version, “is another slight shift that supports the larger message of this Christmas Carol — the welfare of our fellow men should be our business every day of the year.” Recommended for children 8 and up. Shows are at 2:30 and 7 p.m. Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays, along with 7 p.m. on Dec. 20. Tickets at overture.org.

Madison Bach Musicians, Saturday, Dec. 14, First Congregational Church, 3:30 p.m.: This Baroque holiday concert, “A 17th-Century German Christmas,” is a collaboration with the vocal ensemble Bella Voce from Evanston, Illinois (where a second concert will take place on Dec. 15). These 17th century works from Buxtehude, Praetorius, Hammerschmidt, Geist, Biber, Schmelzer, Schütz, Hassler and Schein come out of some hard times — a mini Ice Age caused long cold winters, plague broke out, and entertainment options were few. Yet much creativity was channeled into this music. A lecture precedes the concert at 2:45 p.m. Tickets at madison-bach-musicians.square.site.

Marian Runk + Emily Nott, Saturday, Dec. 14, Arts + Literature Laboratory, 7 p.m.: Marian Runk has the kind of down-home, old-fashioned delivery that you can easily imagine coming out of a radio during the Great Depression. The Texas-born and now Chicago-based singer-songwriter picks up threads from classic country, bluegrass, and folk; her most recent album is Two Wires and a Spark. Chicago transplant to Madison Emily Nott pairs with Runk nicely; her folk guitar and vocals recall the lyricism of Nanci Griffith. Tickets at marianemily.bpt.me.

Wisconsin Chamber Choir, Saturday, Dec. 14, Bethel Lutheran Church, 7:30 p.m.: Wisconsin Chamber Choir and Celia van den Bogert, harp, get deep into holiday favorites featuring Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, composed in the frightening year of 1942 as Britten made his way back to England from North America in a North Atlantic scattered with German U-boats. Also on the program are seasonal Latin motets from the 17th-21st centuries, traditional carols, and more. Tickets at the door or at wisconsinchamberchoir.org.

Brother Ali, Saturday, Dec. 14, Majestic, 8 p.m.: Over two decades and eight albums, hip-hop artist Brother Ali has used the mic to amplify his intense messages that bounce between provocation and peace. Even though he’s a veteran of showcases like Coachella and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, he somehow manages to keep an underground appeal with each new release. With Ant, Dee-1. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Josh Ritter, Saturday, Dec. 14, Barrymore, 8 p.m.: Sometimes he strums his guitar and presents plain, gravel-voiced Americana, sometimes he floats with ethereal, wistful songs that defy the stereotype of a rugged folksinger from Moscow, Idaho. Josh Ritter will appear with band members Sam Kassirer on piano and Rich Hinman on pedal steel as part of his “Great to Small, Small to Grand” tour, about “huge ideas and stories, packed into tiny grains of great (musical) insistence.” Also expect plenty of material from his recent album, Heaven, or Someplace as Nice, recorded live in the studio and released in October. Tickets at barrymorelive.com.

God Bullies, Saturday, Dec. 14, Mickey’s Tavern, 9 p.m.: The fall concert schedule has been good to Madison fans of 1980s and 1990s underground bands. Late September brought a blazing show by The Effigies, October featured Souled American…and was also supposed to include a God Bullies concert, which was derailed by COVID. Rescheduled for Dec. 14, it celebrates the new album As Above, So Below, the first release from the Mike Hard-led noise rockers since 1994. The wait was worth it. With Skintones, Sinking Suns. Note the earlier than usual start time for a Mickey’s show, and find advance tickets at venuepilot.co.

Space Wizard, Saturday, Dec. 14, Liquid, 10 p.m.: The music of Space Wizard is buzzy and bassy dubstep that, in a weird way, feels influenced by the spare honky tonk music of Michael Munnelly’s Texas origins…just imagine a futuristic square dance scene. Tickets at seetickets.us.

Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.