
Deseré Mayo
"Soulful Joy" by Deseré Mayo.
"Soulful Joy" by Deseré Mayo.
SOULful Joy, Feb. 3-28, Madison College Gallery; reception Feb. 6, 5:30-8:30 p.m.: The exhibition “SOULful Joy” features work by 14 artists celebrating Black culture and history as part of Black History Month. The exhibition also is an annual event honoring the memory of Dzigbodi Akyea, an academic advisor at Madison College for nearly two decades; it’s hosted by the Sisters of Unity and Leadership (SOUL) Affinity Group and Division of College Culture and Climate. A reception takes place from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Feb. 6; space is limited, and registration is recommended here. The exhibit continues through Feb. 28.
Frozen Assets Festival, Feb. 8, Edgewater + Lake Mendota; related events Feb. 3-9: An unfortunate pattern has developed in recent years around Frozen Assets Festival time: a deep freeze raises hopes of solid ice, followed by a week of warm temps. As of this writing, activities are set to go on for the Clean Lakes Alliance’s annual week of events, kicking off Feb. 3 with practice (1-4 p.m.) and an opening reception (4-6:30 p.m., tickets here) for the 2025 World Ice and Snow Sailing Championships. Competition continues daily through festival day on Feb. 8, which features family outdoor activities (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) and the Frozen Assets 5K. Wisconsin Kiters Club is scheduled to fly show kites at dusk on Feb. 8 and from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Feb. 9. Find schedule updates at cleanlakesalliance.org.

provided by Wisconsin Union Directorate
A close-up of Amer Zahr.
Amer Zahr
Being Arab in America, Tuesday, Feb. 4, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 7 p.m.: Filmmaker (We’re Not White), author (Being Palestinian Makes Me Smile), law professor…and comedian. Those aren’t all usually found on one person’s resume, but Amer Zahr proves it’s possible. In the talk, “Being Arab in America,” part of the Wisconsin Union Directorate’s Distinguished Lecture Series, Zahr will discuss growing up as the child of Palestinian refugees in America, the intersection of comedy and activism, and other topics. It’s free, but tickets are required: artsticketing.wisc.edu.
Bryan Bielanski, Tuesday, Feb. 4, Red Rooster, 7 p.m.: If you’re looking for some old time rock 'n roll, you don’t have to take those old records off the shelf: there are still folks out there traveling the country and bringing unpretentious good time sounds. One such artist is North Carolina-based singer-songwriter Bryan Bielanski, currently in the middle of an extensive tour taking him from the east coast to the west through the Midwest and Great Plains. His most recent album is the fourth installment in the ongoing Bryan's Super Happy Fun Time series, featuring songs about tacos, perfect dates and playing records. With Eric Hagen.

Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
Cast members of the Broadway tour of "Shucked."
Cast members of the Broadway tour of "Shucked."
Shucked, Feb. 4-9, Overture Hall: The dead of winter is a perfect time to celebrate the height of summer. Shucked is a “farm to fable” musical comedy about Maizy, a young farm girl from Cob County — a town sustained by a thick wall of corn that suddenly begins to die. When Maizy leaves home to seek help, she meets a podiatrist who refers to himself as a “corn doctor,” and he may or may not be able to help. Obviously, puns abound. Shucked is notable not only for its corny premise but also for original Broadway cast member Alex Newell — the first of two non-binary performers to win a Tony Award for Best Featured actor in a Musical. Shows at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 4-7; 2 and 7:30 p.m., Feb. 8; and 1 and 6:30 p.m., Feb. 9; tickets at overture.org.
Christina Clancy, Wednesday, Feb. 5, Central Library, 7 p.m.: A “separate but together” couple for 30 years faces hard truths upon relocating for the winter from Madison to Palm Springs, California, in The Snowbirds, the third novel by local author Christina Clancy (Shoulder Season). She captures the confusion and complexities of midlife with sass and heart while questioning whether there’s an expiration date on becoming a better person. The book hits shelves Feb. 4, and this event is part of the year-round Wisconsin Book Festival. Clancy — who splits her time between Madison and, you guessed it, Palm Springs — will be in conversation with fellow Madison novelist Chloe Benjamin (The Immortalists). Read Michael Popke’s preview here.

courtesy Cinema Guild
Isabelle Huppert in Hong Sangsoo's "A Traveler's Needs."
Isabelle Huppert in Hong Sangsoo's "A Traveler's Needs."
MMoCA Cinema, Wednesdays, Feb. 5-26, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, 7 p.m.: These days in Madison, we often only have one shot to see non-blockbuster movies on the big screen. For its winter MMoCA Cinema series, the museum ups the ante by offering four films not currently streaming, either. Of special note is the Feb. 12 film, Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted, a documentary about the underappreciated singer-songwriter-musician also known as Jerry Williams Jr. The series kicks off Feb. 5 with the comedy A Traveler’s Needs, starring Isabelle Huppert as a French language teacher in Seoul, South Korea. Feb. 19 features Viet and Nam, a romantic drama about coal miners/lovers dreaming of a better life; it was banned in Vietnam. The series wraps on Feb. 26 with a screening of Let’s Get Lost, an Oscar-nominated documentary about singer/trumpeter Chet Baker. Find more info at mmoca.org.

Sinna Nasseri
The five members of Real Estate and friend.
Real Estate
Real Estate, Wednesday, Feb. 5, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Feel-good indie pop from New Jersey (via Brooklyn, New York, and which includes among its members longtime Madison-based musician Julian Lynch) doesn’t get any feel-goodier than Real Estate. Lead singer Martin Courtney has a happy warble not unlike Ben Gibbard’s. If possible, opener Grumpy, from Queens, New York, is even more elated. This show has the pop jangle to take your mind off your troubles. Denial pick of the week. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
Bird and Blossom, through April 6, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art: Twenty Japanese kachō-e (flower-and-bird woodblock prints) from MMoCA’s permanent collection are on display in “Bird and Blossom.” The depictions of birds in the natural world — from the Edo and Meiji era ukiyo-e and 20th century shin hanga movements — prompt contemplation of those relationships. Artistically, multiblock woodblock printing has its own unique aura. The art in the exhibition were collected by Madison residents Rudolph and Louise Langer and were a gift to the Museum that began the permanent collection in 1968.

Ross Zentner
Heidi Armbruster and Colleen Madden (from left) in "Summer, 1976."
Heidi Armbruster and Colleen Madden (from left) in "Summer, 1976," Forward Theater Company, 2025.
Summer, 1976, Jan. 30-Feb. 16, Overture Center-Playhouse: Forward Theater continues its run of contemporary plays with Summer, 1976 by playwright David Auburn (Proof). Set in the summer of America’s bicentennial, this memory play focuses on two women in Ohio who meet during a kids' playdate and become friends. The decade of the '70s — a high point for feminism in one way — also limits their possibilities and ambitions. Actors Colleen Madden and Heidi Armbruster (who wrote Forward’s last play, Murder Girl) play the lead roles of Alice and Diane, and, in a tour de force twist, switch their roles in alternating performances. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday, and 2 p.m. on Feb. 8 and 15. Tickets at overture.org.

Frank Sommers
A close-up of Allie Lindsay.
Allie Lindsay
Comedy at the Cabaret, Thursday, Feb. 6, North Street Cabaret, 7:30 p.m.: A proof of the old adage that “time flies when you’re having fun” is provided by the ongoing Comedy at the Cabaret series, which celebrates seven years as it begins its 2025 season. Hosted as always by Allie Lindsay with music by Jake Snell, the showcase features three former winners of Comedy on State’s Madison’s Funniest Comic contest: the reigning champ, Rich D’Amore, along with Rory Rusch and Kayla Ruth. Find tickets at eventbrite.com.
Dr. Ride’s American Beach House, through Feb. 8, Bartell Theatre: The New York Times called Dr. Ride’s American Beach House, a play by Liza Birkenmeier, “witty” and “weird” back in 2019. The setting is a hot rooftop in St. Louis in 1983, as Dr. Sally Ride is preparing to take her historic space flight as the first American woman in space. The women meeting on the rooftop, on the other hand, ostensibly for a mostly defunct book club, are stalled in careers and forging new paths in relationships. Performances of StageQ's production are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (except 2 p.m. on Feb. 8) and 2 pm on Feb. 2. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

M.O.D. Media Productions
The four members of Natty Nation.
Natty Nation (left to right): Aaron Konkol, JAH Boogie, Nick Czar and Paule Willis.
Natty Nation, Thursday, Feb. 6, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: For three decades Natty Nation has built a following far beyond Madison with their adventurous brand of reggae music, which pulls influences from many genres but always maintains its strong roots reggae core. For many years the band has been hosting an annual concert honoring the birth of Bob Marley; 2025 marks what would have been Marley’s 80th birthday. For this year's tribute Natty Nation is once again joined by guest bassist Michael “Ras Amerlock” McCutcheon; the lineup also includes Polyrhythmic Roots and DJ FRP of Tropical Riddims on WORT-FM. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
Dream at the Top of Your Lungs, through Feb. 15, Broom Street Theater: Scott Feiner returns to the director’s chair at BST with this play he wrote himself. Dream at the Top of Your Lungs is “an aspirational view for growing up masculine in 2025,” centering on a relationship class for seventh grade boys. Tickets are pay-what-you-can at the door; all shows at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, except for a 2 p.m. matinee on Feb. 15; a livestream will be available Feb. 8 (tickets at eventbrite.com).
Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.