Winter Words, Monday, Jan. 27, American Players Theatre, Spring Green, 7 p.m.: As usual, APT’s program of indoor winter play readings sold out quickly; the emphasis on new works in an intimate setting is incredibly popular — and there’s just one performance each. The first play in the four-play series is Passions and Propriety, a sensible farce. written and directed by longtime troupe member David Daniel; the series continues Feb. 10, March 3 and 31.

courtesy APB Speakers
A close-up of Donzaleigh Abernathy.
Donzaleigh Abernathy
UW MLK Symposium, Tuesday, Jan. 28, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 5:30 p.m.: Each January, UW-Madison Student Affairs and the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement host a speaker to celebrate the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This year’s address will be given by Dr. King’s goddaughter, Donzaleigh Abernathy, who along with a lifetime in activism is a writer, actress and documentary filmmaker. Tickets are required (including for a livestream option) at artsticketing.wisc.edu; a reception follows.
Hip-Hop Music Community Listening Event, Tuesday, Jan. 28, Gamma Ray, 6 p.m.: The Madison Area Music Association continues its series of genre-specific community events with an early evening gathering focusing on hip-hop. Performers, producers, promoters and music fans are invited to join a discussion at 6 p.m. of the local scene’s opportunities and challenges. An open mic follows. It’s free to attend.

courtesy New Frontier Touring
Robert Ellis and guitar.
Robert Ellis
Robert Ellis, Tuesday, Jan. 28, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Houston-born and raised, Robert Ellis carries the Texas songwriter torch while coloring outside the lines of the same tradition. He trades his piano for a deftly played nylon string guitar in his quietly captivating new album, Yesterday’s News. Along with his heartache-of-a-tenor voice and that guitar, only a string bass and the occasional piece of hand percussion are heard on the album. It’s an intimate combination that should keep the Bur Oak audience in pin-drop silence. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.
Tantura, Wednesday, Jan. 29, Bartell Theatre, 7:30 p.m.: Madison’s Antiwar Film Series moves from the Central Library to the Bartell for the 2022 documentary Tantura, nominated for best World Cinema-Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival that year. The film is about the 1948 massacre of Palestinian civilians as Israelis carried out their war of independence, as well as the vindicating work of Israeli graduate student Teddy Katz, who documented the history of the massacre and was first celebrated, then accused of being a traitor. The context of today’s conflicts in the region are thought-provoking; there will be a moderated discussion following the film.
King Buffalo, Wednesday, Jan 29, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Where is the heavy psychedelic prog rock coming from? Rochester, New York, is the home of King Buffalo, a groovy band that takes its time with its brooding jams. Jr Parks opens; his solemn Americana is a contrast to King B, but fits with the alt vibe. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.
Mindy Smith, Wednesday, Jan. 29, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: More than two decades ago, singer-songwriter Mindy Smith introduced herself to audiences with a haunting cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” on her critically acclaimed 2004 album One Moment More. After a few more records, she began writing songs for television and didn’t return to making albums until late 2024, when Smith released Quiet Town, her first since 2012 — and the dramatic new songs perfectly suit her intimate and engaging live performances. Fortunately, Madison is the first stop on a handful of dates Smith added to her tour supporting the album. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.
Muse at MMoCA, Thursday, Jan. 30, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art-Rooftop Lounge, 5-9 p.m.: The new Muse at MMoCA program offers rare evening gallery hours, plus music and beverages in the Rooftop Lounge curated to coincide with current exhibitions (“Broken Spectre” by Richard Mosse and the Japanese woodblock prints in “Bird and Blossom”). The music will be handled by a mixologist with deep and wide-ranging interests — Evan Woodward, aka DJ Tolerance of the long-running Legalize It series at Mickey’s and the friendly face often behind the register at Strictly Discs. Bartenders from Public Parking will be mixing drinks. Admission is free.

courtesy Wild Ones
Jeff Steele and bicycle in the outdoors.
Jeff Steele
Botanizing by Bike, Thursday, Jan. 30, Harmony Bar, 6 p.m.: If the recent cold snap left you dreaming of green things — or simply bicycling without wearing 20 layers — the Madison chapter of Wild Ones has an event for you. Jeff Steele will discuss his travels around southern Wisconsin’s bike trail network, and the flora and fauna which can be encountered along the way. He’ll also share tips on routes and online resources to plan your own adventure. Spring may be closer than it seems.
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.
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.

Chantal Anderson
Tim Heidecker sitting outside.
Tim Heidecker
Tim Heidecker, Thursday, Jan. 30, Majestic, 8 p.m.: Along with his work in the comedic world (often with compatriot Eric Wareham) and films (a notably dark turn in Jordan Peele’s Us), Tim Heidecker has also been making music. While at times Heidecker’s music has run parallel to his comedy work, recent projects have delved into more serious topics. The songs on the 2024 album Slipping Away land as kinda funny and kinda not, a dynamic that serves well the matter-of-fact tales of everyday life. With Neil Hamburger (aka Gregg Turkington, Heidecker’s foil in the long-running web series On Cinema). 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).

courtesy St. Olaf Choir
The St. Olaf Choir on a riser.
St. Olaf Choir
St. Olaf Choir, Thursday, Jan. 30, Luther Memorial Church, 8 p.m.: St. Olaf, in Northfield, Minnesota, has one of the top college choirs in the country. The choir is even on Spotify. As part of its winter 2025 tour it is heading east, with a stop at Carnegie Hall (they practiced!). But you can catch them here. The choir features 75 mixed voices and leans toward religious works, but rest assured everything on the program will sound heavenly. Tickets at eventbrite.com or call 800-363-5487.
Find the individual Picks collected here, and as part of the full calendar of events.