What to do in Madison this weekend: Wild Rumpus Circus, The Kissers and more Isthmus Picks

WIAA State High School Boys Basketball Tournament, March 16-18, Kohl Center: The girls' tournament took place in Green Bay March 9-11, but the boys' state basketball finals still bring the action to Madison. All the area schools still in the running during the sectionals fell this past weekend; Marshall, Middleton, Mineral Point and Stoughton all were knocked out on March 9, and Belleville, Edgewood and McFarland followed on March 11. However, that just means you can settle back and enjoy the competition no matter the victor. The final 20 teams from around the state will converge on the Kohl Center March 16-18. Find final brackets and ticket info at wiaawi.org.

Terri Laxton Brooks, Thursday, March 16, Mystery To Me, 6-7:30 p.m.: Reedsburg native and Madison resident Terri Laxton Brooks will discuss her no-holds-barred book, On Loneliness: How to Feel Less Alone In an Isolating World, with Doug Moe. Published late last year, the book explores Brooks' own struggles with feeling alone despite having a successful career, and it is the “culmination of four years of soul-searching conversations with America’s leading psychologists and psychiatrists about loneliness — how to cope with it, why it is a normal and necessary stage of healthy growth, and how to stop resisting it,” according to the author’s website. Seating is limited, but Brooks’ conversation with Moe also will be livestreamed on Crowdcast. Rescheduled from Feb. 9.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch, March 10-25, Bartell Theatre: An unstoppable sensation since opening Off Broadway in 1998, this rock musical by John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask is sure to be as lively as ever when brought to the stage by StageQ (and featuring two casts, alternating nights). Hedwig and the Angry Inch tells the story of a singer's eventful life through a concert that ends up mixing in a lot of storytelling. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (4 p.m. on March 25) and 4 p.m., March 19. Find tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

Project: Constellation, Thursday, March 16, Harmony Bar, 7:30 p.m.: Though the Harmony is under new ownership, the walnut burger remains unchanged, and the bar's stage also remains a favorite stop for touring artists and locals alike. Christina and Santiago Silva, aka Project: Constellation, are a great example of a Midwest touring band that now has another friendly venue home in Madison. The duo is based in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and specializes in folk and pop, with some punk thrown in. Their new EP, Psychological Hands is guitar and fiddle music with an attitude.

The Kissers, Friday, March 17, High Noon Saloon, 5 and 8 p.m.: It wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day in Madison without a Kissers show. This year's shows will celebrate 25 years worth of the band’s Irish rock together with largely the same line-up. Originals as well as crazed covers of songs from legends such as The Pogues are in very serious hands under the direction of bassist and band leader Ken Fitzsimmons. They’ll do two shows: the first at 5 p.m. will be a family and kid-friendly party. The late show at 8 p.m. will be decidedly more decadent. Ticket info at high-noon.com.

Neal Francis, Friday, March 17, Majestic Theatre, 8 p.m.: Chicago-based soul piano genius Neal Francis took the crowd by surprise with his explosive set at the Waterfront Festival in 2019. Since that time, Francis hit the much bigger festival circuit and released a new album, In Plain Sight. The album furthers his reputation of carrying on the tradition of Dr. John and Allen Toussaint while stamping his own Chicago brand on the music. With Carlile. Tickets at Ticketmaster.

Maple Syrup Fest, Saturday, March 18, Aldo Leopold Nature Center, 1-4 p.m.: What did the cave people think when they first tapped a maple tree and figured out how to create syrup? “Mmm, Thag like happy tree sauce, make pancake better!” Okay, we'll never really know, but you too can experience happy tree sauce at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center’s free Maple Syrup Fest. Learn when and how to tap trees for optimal sap, how much sap it takes to make one bottle of syrup (it's a lot), sample some Wisconsin maple syrup, see cooking demos and more. The fest is back live for the first time since 2019. Parking is available at Ahuska Park, 400 E. Broadway, with a shuttle to the ALNC.

Wild Rumpus Circus, March 18-19, Madison Youth Arts Center: For more than two decades with Wild Rumpus Circus, founding directors Marcia Miquelon and Jacob Mills have been teaching the circus arts to students of all ages. And, for much of that time, the company has given their students the chance to show their new skills with an annual late winter performance. “Wild Things” is this year’s original production, featuring acrobats, clowns, puppets, music and more. Shows are at 2 and 7 p.m., March 18; and 2 p.m., March 19. Tickets at therumpusroom.org.

Mike Reed, Tomeka Reid + Anjelina Niswer, Saturday, March 18, Cafe Coda, 7 p.m.: Fans of musical improvisation will want to add this concert to their weekend schedules. Mike Reed (drums) and Tomeka Reid (cello, a 2022 MacArthur Fellow), are both composers and bandleaders, stalwart and versatile players in the Chicago jazz scene, and frequent collaborators. They are joined by a player who may be less familiar to U.S. audiences but is firing up audiences overseas — alto sax player Anjelina Niswer, based in Cologne, Germany. What will this trio come up with? The only way to find out is to be there. Tickets at cafecoda.club.

Pod Save America, Saturday, March 18, Barrymore Theatre, 7 p.m.: Democracy in the balance is happening in Wisconsin, folks, and our bellwether Supreme Court race on April 4 proves it like no other race in the nation. Hence this visit by the popular political podcast Pod Save America, with hosts Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett (former Obama staffers), and Erin Ryan (host of the Hysteria podder), joined by Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler. Tickets are free and were quickly snapped up, but a standby ticket can be reserved at wisdems.org/pod-save-wi.

Latin Pride Orquesta, Saturday, March 18, Majestic, 8 p.m.: Help celebrate five years of bringing salsa sounds to Madison by Latin Pride Orquesta, whose sparkling horns and driving rhythms will keep the dance floor bumping. This anniversary concert also features a set by Rebulú and spins by DJ Nefthali Ramirez. The evening kicks off with dance lessons by Copa Cabana Madison's El Tigre and Silvia. Tickets at Ticketmaster.

Young at Art, March 18-Aug. 6, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art; reception March 19, 1-2:30 p.m.: There's nothing more joyous and exuberant than “Young at Art,” a recurring showcase featuring the inventive talents of Madison Metropolitan School District student artists starting in kindergarten all the way through senior year in high school. Various media, including drawing, painting, photography, collage, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, fiber, found objects, and mixed-media art, will make you remember when you too created as if there were no rules. An opening reception is Sunday, March 19, from 1-2:30 p.m.; regular gallery hours are noon-6 p.m. Thursday-Sunday.

Starry Nights: Painting with Dance, Sunday, March 19, Promenade Hall-Overture Center, 3 and 6 p.m.: Van Gogh is all over the place these days, between the immersive walk-through phenomenon and the recent sale at auction of one of his portraits for 5.5 million Euros, more than twice what was predicted. You can go a different way, as contemporary dance troupe Kanopy collaborates with the Kalaanjali Dance Company to premiere “Starry Nights: Painting with Dance,” which involves dancers moving against and interacting with projections of Van Gogh’s Irises, The Starry Night, and Sunflowers. The program also includes Lisa Thurrell’s Prayer, performed by the Kanopy Dance Company, set to music by Arvo Pärt. Tickets at overture.org.

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