What to do in Madison this weekend: CodaFest, 'Overprint' and more Isthmus Picks

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The Thin Place, through March 10, American Players Theatre-Touchstone: Two Crows, a small theater company in Spring Green drawing talent from nearby American Players Theatre, is back for its first production since the pandemic shutdown in 2020. The Thin Place is about spiritualism — Linda, a medium, and Hilda, a woman who has suffered a loss. The play interrogates the “thin place” between this world and whatever may lie beyond. Playwright Lucas Hnath won an Obie award in 2016; his works never stick with the merely situational. Final shows at 7 p.m. March 7-8, 1 and 6 p.m. on March 9, and 1 p.m. on March 10. Tickets at twocrowstheatrecompany.org.

Doug E. L. Haynes, through March 29, Neighborhood House: This Madison artist’s hyper-local work will be showcased at “Public Art for the Community” including his murals, collaborative projects, documentary videos and more, as well as a fanciful “selfie station” created for this exhibit. Doug Haynes is also the author of the State Street Coloring Book, and included in the exhibit will be selections from his next work — about the fated-for-demolition UW Humanities building (read Linda Falkenstein’s preview here). Haynes will speak at a reception from 1-3 p.m. on March 16.

CodaFest, March 7-10, Cafe Coda: With 12 concerts over four days, the second edition of CodaFest features top-tier jazz performers with a strong focus on Midwest-based artists: Isaiah Collier & the Chosen Few, Adam Zanolini’s Helical Rising of Sothis, Javier Red Trio, Brennan Connors & Stray Passage, and others. Visiting from farther afield is trumpet legend Eddie Henderson, who has played with a who’s-who of artists since the 1970s along with leading his own bands; Henderson will lead a quartet including another prolific composer and bandleader, pianist Sharp Radway. Shows at 5, 7 and 9 p.m. on March 7-9 and 3, 5 and 7 p.m. on March 10; find the schedule and tickets at cafecoda.club.

Wine in the Wilderness, March 7-17, UW Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre: Playwright Alice Childress was perhaps better known for her young adult novels — you might remember her A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ But a Sandwich. Her 1969 play Wine in the Wilderness brings together the race riots of the mid-1960s and the oft-contentious theme of the relationships between Black men and Black women. Painter Bill Jameson is working on a large-scale work depicting his vision of Black womanhood; Tommy, his new model, who’s lost her home in the rioting, brings unexpected changes to the project. Shows are in Vilas Hall-Mitchell Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday, at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 7-17. Tickets are available by calling 608-265-2787, via artsticketing.wisc.edu or at the Mitchell Theatre Lobby Box Office one hour prior to performances.

Overprint, through March 16, Bartell Theatre: This original piece of Madison theater, written and directed by longtime author and WORT-FM radio host Jan Levine Thal, centers on a widow, Meredith, who is also facing the realities of the dying publishing industry. Despite the dire scenario, Overprint is a comedy — and there is dancing, with choreography by Heidi Hakseth. This Kathie Rasmussen (KR) Women's Theatre production is presented in cooperation with the Madison Theatre Guild. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (except for 2 p.m. on March 16) and 2 p.m. Sundays; tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

Eliades Ochoa, Thursday, March 7, Overture-Capitol Theater, 7:30 p.m.: Singer, guitarist and songwriter Eliades Ochoa absorbed the traditional music of his native Cuba while learning to play guitar at a young age. As an adult Ochoa has kept that tradition alive on stages around the world as a Buena Vista Social Club founder and on many internationally released solo albums. The latest is Guajiro, a collection of new songs mostly written by Ochoa exploring a range of styles but always anchored by his beautiful, fleet-fingered guitar playing.

Li Chiao-Ping Dance, March 7-9, UW Lathrop Hall-Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space: The “I CHING 20 : On Seeing and Being Seen” concert features five new works by Li Chiao-Ping which are part of the multimedia project “Dirty Laundry," focusing on the history of Asian culture and immigration. The concert also includes works by special guest artist Omari “Motion” Carter, who will present recent screendance work and a live body percussion solo. Shows at 8 p.m. on March 7-8 and at 2:30 p.m. on March 9; tickets are available at the Campus Arts Box Office, 1st floor Memorial Union; by phone at 608-265-2787; or at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Canoecopia, March 8-10, Alliant Energy Center: Many folks got into paddling during the pandemic. Catch up with the crowd now or hone your skills by hitting Canoecopia. Gear of all sorts is for sale, plus more than 100 presentations and clinics covering technique, survival skills, wilderness cooking, fun destinations (“Lofoten Islands: Norway’s Craggy Crown Jewels”!), and more. The expo runs 3-8 p.m. on March 8, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on March 9, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on March 10. Find much more info at rutabaga.com.

Lakeside Dance Lab, Friday, March 8, Monona Terrace, 6 p.m.: Get your body in motion at this free dance party. If you are unfamiliar with any dance other than the free form bopping of the Peanuts characters in A Charlie Brown Christmas, worry not; an instructor is on hand — Francis Medrano, skilled in this week’s featured style, Black power dance. It combines salsa, bachata, cumbia, reggaeton and Peruvian folk rhythms. The final session of the spring takes place March 22 with salsa on the docket. These sessions open to anyone ages 18 and up are free, but tickets are required: eventbrite.com.

Peach Pit, Friday, March 8, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 7 p.m.: The most recent album by Peach Pit, From 2 to 3, is a set of catchy, gently jangly rockers topped off with melodically melancholy vocals sure to get stuck in your head. The Canadian favorites will make for a good double bill with Madison’s Interlay, whose recordings so far are also earworms but heavier and darker-hued than Peach Pit.

Comedy Plus, Friday, March 8, Crucible, 7 p.m.: By coordinating traditional stand-up showcases and barrier-breaking conceptual events, Cheshire Cat Comedy has become a mainstay of Madison’s ever-growing comedy scene during the past couple years. Comedy Plus is one of Cheshire Cat’s recurring mix-em-ups, featuring comedy, burlesque, music and other talents (often all in one performer’s set). This edition features burlesque by multidisciplinary Chicago performer Shirley Blazen, along with stand-up and more by Richard Gomez, Matthew Mitchell, Shilpa Rege, and host Sasha Rosser. (It was originally scheduled as CCC’s 100th event, but the January date was derailed by a snowstorm.) Tickets at eventbrite.com.

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, through March 21, Madison Youth Arts-Starlight Theater: Children’s Theater of Madison takes young audiences on a colorful, exuberant journey that involves Greek myth, monsters and a few lessons about power — and the powerlessness kids often feel — in this adventurous script scored with original rock tunes. Shows at 7 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6 p.m. Sunday (no 6 p.m. show March 10), plus 7 p.m, March 20-21. Tickets at overture.org.

Charlie Parr, Friday, March 8, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 p.m.: The forthcoming album from Charlie Parr, Little Sun, was produced by Tucker Martine and features full-band arrangements with players such as Victor Krummenacher (Camper Van Beethoven) and Marisa Anderson. The singles released so far are indeed a bit different sound for the Minnesota singer-songwriter — bouncy honky tonk and meditative psychedelia — but still unmistakably Parr’s down-to-earth style. (Note, the current tour features a solo performance.) With Two Runner. Tickets (including a livestream option) at stoughtonoperahouse.com.

Chris O’Leary Band, Friday, March 8, Red Rooster, 8 p.m.: Released in January, Chris O’Leary’s new album, The Hard Line, went straight to No. 1 on the Billboard blues chart — an auspicious landing pad for his debut on the venerable Alligator label. It’s easy to see why the record is an instant hit; a dozen roadhouse-ready original songs showcase O’Leary’s gritty, soulful singing and biting harmonica playing, backed by a tight ensemble (especially notable is the guitar work by Chris Vitarello).

M Shays single release, Friday, March 8, Harmony Bar, 9 p.m.: M Shays is the real deal, a melodic singer and a thoughtful songwriter with a solid backing band. This is a release party for a 7-inch record of her latest single, “Bleed,” which features a soaring bridge (“suffer in the night and bleed on me”) that even T Swift could envy. With all-out rock from RAE and powerful folk from Dana Perry.

Bach Around the Clock, through March 10, various venues and online: This annual celebration of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach gives professional and amateur players a chance to participate with in-person and virtual performances. The main event is March 9 at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church; performances begin at 10 a.m. and include a sing-along at noon and a tribute to PDQ Bach at 12:30 p.m., with a reception at 5 p.m. Pre-recorded performances debut on YouTube March 10. Find the full schedule at bachclock.com.

Ronny Chieng, Saturday, March 9, Orpheum Theater, 7 p.m.: A correspondent on The Daily Show since 2015, Ronny Chieng has also made it to the big screen in hit films such as Crazy Rich Asians and M3GAN. In his comedy work, Chieng is fearless when it comes to speaking his mind and poking fun at just about anyone (as in a recent post-Emmy-win attempt to start a beef on Late Night with Seth Meyers) and is quick-witted and funny enough to solidly land his shots. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

The Simon & Garfunkel Story, Saturday, March 9, Overture Hall, 7:30 p.m.: This acclaimed concert-style theater show — complete with sharp video projection and a full live band — chronicles the evolution of Art Garfunkel and Paul Simon into the world’s most successful musical duo. With multiple touring companies that have taken the production to 50 countries, The Simon & Garfunkel Story includes performances of such hits as “Mrs. Robinson,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Homeward Bound,” “The Boxer,” “The Sound of Silence” and more — and it’s probably as close to a real-life reunion as we’re likely to get. Tickets at overture.org.

WCO Family Series, Sunday, March 10, Overture Center-Rotunda Stage, 2 and 3 p.m.: What a great idea, to introduce kids to classical music with stories geared to their age level. After all, how many of us know The Barber of Seville only thanks to Looney Tunes? In this free show from Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, “Three Little Pigs Answer Beethoven Five,” the story of the Big Bad Wolf destroying the pigs' various housing options is paired with the doom-laden opening notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The rest of the piggies’ ultimately triumphant war against the wolf is also set to parts of Beethoven's most famous composition. Between shows there are other kid-friendly activities.

Tim Berne, Gregg Belisle-Chi & Tom Rainey, Sunday, March 10, Audio for the Arts, 7 p.m.: This BlueStem Jazz concert features Gregg Belisle-Chi, guitar; Tim Berne, sax; and Tom Rainey, drums. Each has played with top jazz players; together, they take the music in unexpected and previously unexplored directions. Seating is limited; tickets at eventbrite.com.

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