What to do in Madison this weekend: MadCabaret, Blooming Butterflies and more Isthmus Picks

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Blooming Butterflies, July 18-Aug. 11, Olbrich Gardens, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: While the outdoor gardens are the place to be in the summer, there’s good reason to head into the Bolz Conservancy as well. It is magical to see butterflies — up to 19 species — inhabiting the tropical dome. Sharp-eyed visitors may even witness a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis. The theme continues in the outdoor gardens with a kids pollinator scavenger hunt. Butterfly Action Day (10 a.m.-2 p.m., Aug. 2) will present booths highlighting ways to help threatened butterfly populations. More info at olbrich.org.

Dane County Fair, July 18-21, Alliant Energy Center: It’s a good year for dog lovers at the Dane County Fair, with performances by the Canine Stars stunt dogs at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. each day. The Fair has also added a dog show for the first time, taking place on July 21. There’s plenty of other entertainment through the weekend, including a Madison Roller Derby exhibition (6 p.m., July 18), ’80s pop tribute band Totally Neon (7 p.m., July 19), a chance to interact with farm animals as part of the Dane County Farm Bureau’s Scavenger Hunt activity (11 a.m.-2 p.m., July 20), and a full day of stage activities hosted by La Movida radio (noon-10 p.m., July 21). Find much more info at danecountyfair.com.

Moulin Rouge: The Musical, through July 21, Overture Hall: If you can’t get to Paris to visit the original music hall, try this Broadway musical. Based on Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 film, Moulin Rouge: The Musical is set in the Belle Époque era at the turn of the 20th century, and a young composer falls in love with a dancer from the show. The boy-meets-girl plot is less crucial than the dancing and singing, with the original score and popular music contemporary to our own day. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays, July 9-21; tickets at overture.org.

William Villalongo, through Aug. 11, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art: Based in Brooklyn, New York, William Villalongo paints, collages and cuts paper to achieve his intricate images which draw on the history of and myths around Black Americans and “invite the viewer to engage with the complexities and precarity of Black existence” — hence the show’s title, “Myths and Migrations.” In conjunction with the exhibit, a free screening of Space is the Place, the 1974 Afrofuturist film starring Sun Ra & the Arkestra, will take place at 8:15 p.m. on July 26.

MadCabaret, Friday, July 19, Gamma Ray, 5 and 9:30 p.m.: Scenesters of a certain age, prepare to face the march of time: it’s been 20 years since the MadCabaret started its weekly shows at the Slipper Club. From its beginnings as The Joy Dragland Cabaret, the show quickly grew from karaoke backing tracks to feature a live band supporting singing, dancing, comedy and costumes into an unpredictable, always fun and often edgy happening. As aptly described by performer Jessica Lee in a 2007 Isthmus story (by features editor and occasional Cabaret participant Kenneth Burns), the result was "Debauchery…. And over-the-top performances." Many cast members will reunite to celebrate the anniversary at Gamma Ray Bar, the new hotspot in the Slipper Club's old home, with shows at 5 and 9:30 p.m. Tickets at gammaray.bar.

Willy Street Chamber Players, Fridays, through July 26, various venues, 6 p.m.: If the Willy Street Chamber Players are playing, it must be summer. The neighborhood group, founded by graduate students, puts on an entertaining and ambitious program of classical music aimed at the Williamson/Marquette neighborhood. Concerts still to come are July 19 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, with Celia Hatton, viola; and July 26 at WYSO Center for Music, with Joseph Williams, piano; all shows at 6 p.m. See the full programs and find tickets at willystreetchamberplayers.org.

Hollow Down, Friday, July 19, Up North Pub, 6 p.m.: Hollow Down plays a doomy sort of folk-blues on their most recent EP, Don’t Jump, with Waits-ian vocals over a stripped-to-the-bone musical accompaniment. The ensemble, born in California but now based in Illinois, has gone through a number of incarnations since forming a decade ago, and currently is most likely encountered as the duo of bassist Perry Brubaker and guitarist Jon Howard. With Gunslingers, a Chicagoland darkicana project helmed by Lou Heneise.

Pod Save America, Friday, July 19, Orpheum Theater, 7 p.m.: Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett and Tommy Vietor just released their first book, Democracy or Else: How to Save America in 10 Easy Steps. They are on tour to discuss the issues raised by the book with fellow Pod Save America host Dan Pfeiffer; given the political news of the last few weeks, the former Obama White House aides will have plenty to talk about. Tickets at ticketmaster.com. (Also: Lovett will stick around for a potentially more comedic take on the news of the day with a live edition of his Lovett or Leave It podcast, at 7 p.m. July 20 at the Barrymore; tickets at ticketmaster.com.)

Jessica Pratt, Friday, July 19, Majestic, 8 p.m.: When Bandcamp dubbed Jessica Pratt “a lo-fi Nancy Sinatra,” they weren’t kidding. Inspired by the dark hippie end of the 1960s in L.A., Pratt croons over melodies infused with dance rhythms like the bossa nova. Read Stephen Coss’s interview with Pratt here. Opener June McDoom honors folk artists like Joan Baez and Judee Sill, among others, delivering breathy vocals over stripped down instrumentation. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Madison Black History Walking Tour, Saturday, July 20, downtown Madison, 1:30 p.m.: This guided tour from the Wisconsin Historical Society concentrates on locations near the starting point of the tour, the intersection of East Dayton and North Blount streets and a site of early Black settlement. Witness the John and Amanda Hill grocery store at 649 E. Dayton St., already a city of Madison landmark and listed in the state and national registers of historic places as significant to Madison’s early African American community and neighborhood. The tour features Alan Chancellor, member and Lodge historian of the Prince Hall Masonic Temple (556 E. Mifflin St.). Advance registration and tickets are required. The tour will take place again Aug. 3 at 1:30 p.m.

Urban Triage Summer Kickback, Saturday, July 20, Penn Park, 2-7 p.m.: This annual community celebration features kids' activities, double dutch and youth and adult dance competitions, free food and other giveaways, community resource booths and other vendors. Entertainment includes the dance group No Boundaries, and music by the Adem Tesfaye Band, Chakari Daezhare and a battle by DJs Pain 1 and Shorty. It’s hosted by Urban Triage, a nonprofit organization offering resources throughout Dane County to help build a better future for vulnerable communities. More info at facebook.com/urbantriage.

Watershed Reading Series, Saturday, July 20, Arts + Lit Lab, 7 p.m.: This triple bill features two Madison poets and visitor Alejandro Lucero, from Baltimore. Lucero’s poetry, collected in a 2024 chapbook, Sapello Son, features sharp, searing imagery. Han Raschka identifies as feminist poet whose work “focuses on personal and collective traumas, resilience, and queer existence.” And Madison poet laureate Steven Espada Dawson’s debut collection, Late to the Search Party, is due out from Scribner’s in 2025.

Dave Gordon Quintet, Saturday, July 20, Cafe Coda, 8 p.m.: This Chicago-area ensemble’s most recent album, Infinite Blue, is a bit cool jazz, a bit bop, but filtered through a somewhat fusion-y sensibility. (In other words, their sound is a bit hard to pin down so we recommend bypassing the labels and listening.) Pianist Dave Gordon, saxophonist Brian Gephart and trumpet player Jack Gallagher all compose music and have been playing together in various groups since Bagel O’Fun in the early '80s; in the Quintet they are joined by drummer Dushun Mosley and bassist Chris Damman. For tickets: cafecoda.club.

Opera in the Park, Saturday, July 20, Garner Park, Madison, 8 p.m.: Sadly, last year’s Opera in the Park, Madison Opera’s beloved free outdoor concert, was rained out even on its rain date, and never took place at all. Hope for better weather this year for this great introduction to opera for everyone, in a convenient west-side park — bring your own seating and of course, snacks! This year’s performance “spans centuries and continents, from Handel to Sondheim,” according to the company’s press release, and features three of the soloists scheduled in 2023 — soprano Katerina Burton, mezzo-soprano Emily Fons, and baritone Weston Hurt — along with tenor Joshua Sanders. Read Dan Koehn's preview here. For more info visit madisonopera.org/oitp24; rain date is July 21.

The Surfaris, Saturday, July 20, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: In the early 1960s, four California teenagers wrote and recorded what went on to become a rock ‘n roll all-timer: “Wipe Out.” The surf instrumental just missed topping the Billboard charts in 1963 and has inspired about a zillion covers. The original band broke up in the '60s, but reformed in the early 1980s, and there’s been a Surfaris keeping their legendary sound alive ever since. Original guitarist Bob Berryhill leads the band on Surfaris classics and other hits of the era. Opening is Minneapolis surf-punk-psych band Black Widows. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

NOAMZ, Saturday, July 20, Harmony Bar, 9 p.m.: The music of NOAMZ is a blend of the cultures in which she grew-up: the American Midwest, France and the Caribbean. Her solo show blends electronica, jazz, hip-hop and more, drawing on her mastery of varied instruments.

American Players Theatre 45th Anniversary Party, Sunday, July 21, APT, Spring Green, 1-4 p.m.: When APT started back in 1979, the idea of having a classical summer repertory theater performing largely Shakespeare in the woods outside of Spring Green seemed quixotic. Now, 45 years later, the theater is a must on many summer bucket lists in Madison and beyond; it’s truly a cultural institution in the area. The celebration includes music by Alys & the Ark, trivia, demonstrations, favorite scenes, silent and live auctions. Read Sandy Tabachnick’s season-so-far overview and party preview here. Tickets at americanplayers.org.

Toshimaru Nakamura, Tetuzi Akiyama + Michael Hartman, Sunday, July 21, Arts + Lit Lab, 7 p.m.: The Auricle series at ALL continues to be a reliable source for adventurous music fans to hear something new. That’s certainly the case with this trio; Toshimaru Nakamura creates improvised soundscapes using a no-input mixing board, joined by guitarist Tetuzi Akiyama and drummer Michael Hartman. It should be fascinating to hear what materializes.

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