What to do in Madison this weekend: BingBong album release, 'It's a Wonderful Life' and more Isthmus Picks

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Grace Pettis, Thursday, Nov. 21, Bartell Theatre, 7 p.m.: The Writer’s Block series assembles a national touring musician with a regional artist and a local player. For this edition, a dynamite trio of woman artists performs in a Nashville-style in-the-round format: each taking turns around the circle with a song and a story. Former Austinite and now Nashville-based Grace Pettis turns rumination into emotional uplift. Former Madisonian Anna Vogelzang, now based in Evanston, Illinois, makes bright, textured folk pop. Madisonian Kari Arnett is an accomplished writer of story songs. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

No One Asked You, Thursday, Nov. 21, Barrymore, 7:30 p.m.: Writer and comedian Lizz Winstead was a co-creator of The Daily Show, a television institution that premiered in 1996. Winstead also deploys comedy in a more directly activist fashion; since the 2016 election of Donald Trump, she has supported reproductive care and abortion clinic staff by touring the country with Abortion Access Front. Filmmaker Ruth Leitman was along to chronicle the campaign, resulting in the 2023 documentary No One Asked You. With the 2024 presidential election resulting in a reboot of 2016, the documentary could not be more timely. Tickets at barrymorelive.com.

SistaStrings, Thursday, Nov. 21, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 p.m.: Natives of Milwaukee, SistaStrings moved to Nashville not long ago. In a short time they were playing in the bands of Allison Russell and Brandi Carlile, along with being named best instrumentalist by the Americana Music Association in 2023. In their own music as SistaStrings, Chauntee Ross (violin) and Monique Ross (cello) create a winning blend of sister harmony singing, soul, classical and folk. Tickets at stoughtonoperahouse.com.

It’s a Wonderful Life, Nov. 21-Dec. 1, Mitby Theater, Madison College: This new Capital City Theatre musical by Andrew Abrams and John Atkins reimagines the classic Christmas film with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, featuring original songs like “Angel Gets His Wings” and “You Can’t Keep the Bailey Boys Down.” Abrams and Atkins have also updated It's a Wonderful Life’s approaches to gender and diversity. The cast is drawn from Madison (including retired Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge Paul Higginbotham) and actors from New York and Chicago. Read Denise Robbins’ preview here. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday, plus 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 21 and 2 p.m. on Nov. 30. Tickets at capitalcitytheatre.org.

BingBong album release, Thursday, Nov. 21, Bur Oak, 7 p.m.: Shimmering guitars (“Let’s Run Away”); groovy, crunchy rockers (“I Am You”); introspective janglers (“Wait for Me”); even a Spooner cover (“Mean Old World”)…for fans of catchy guitar rock, Hip Eponymous has the goods. It's Madison quartet BingBong’s third album, and will be celebrated at this release party. They are joined by Madison rock-country outfit The Also-Rans (an all-star quartet drawn from many other local bands past and present) and prolific Rockford rockers Son of Janus (led by Ryan Hayes). Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

Murder Girl, through Nov. 24, Overture-Playhouse: This is the world premiere of a new play by Milwaukee actor/playwright Heidi Armbruster, who often draws from classic murder mysteries and has previously adapted Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd for the stage as well as crafting Mrs. Christie, a play about the novelist. In this comedy, Armbruster draws on the fact that Wisconsin is populated with both supper clubs and famous serial killers. The plot: Siblings who have inherited a supper club in the northwoods find things turning dark. American Players Theatre favorite Sarah Day is in the cast of this Forward Theater production. Read Linda Falkenstein’s review here. Performances at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, plus 2 p.m., Nov. 23. Tickets at overture.org.

UW-Madison Dance Department Faculty Concert, Nov. 21-23, Lathrop Hall, Margaret H’Doubler Performance Space: Every year this excellent introduction to the dance world takes place on the UW-Madison campus. This fall's Faculty Concert features something quite different — still recovering from an injury, Omari Carter will present his film called finding my feet, a “docu-dance that explores the frustrations, doubts and struggle of an injured dancer.” Li Chiao-Ping will present two works, Side x Side, a new duet, and Earth, an ensemble work for six dancers that draws on the I Ching. Collette Stewart, Jin-Wen Yu, and guest artist Takehiro Ueyama will all present works as well, inspired by the natural world, desire and creation myths. Shows are at 8 p.m. on Nov. 21-22 and at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 23. Tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Art at the Wright Place, Nov. 22-23, First Unitarian Society, 900 University Bay Drive: This long-running art and craft fair has a few changes this year, including Friday night shopping with live music and a bar area. Saturday, that switches out to coffee, baked goods and, yes, some alcoholic beverages. Also look for a new location in the Atrium building. More than 50 area artists are participating, including former longtime Isthmus production artist and now ace woodworker Todd Hubler. Open 6-9 p.m. on Nov. 22 and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Nov. 23; more info at fusmadison.org.

PUBLIQuartet, Friday, Nov. 22, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 7:30 p.m.: This string quartet tackles new works and marginalized composers, celebrating American music today. The night’s program, called “Rhythm Nation,” features nine pieces, the oldest of which, Daniel Bernard Roumain’s Selections from Hip Hop Etudes, dates from 2006; five are from 2024. One of those is a new arrangement by PUBLIQuartet of Janet Jackson’s 1989 “Rhythm Nation,” from which the show borrows its name. Tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Songbird, Nov. 22-26, UW Music Hall: Songbird reimagines Jacques Offenbach’s comic operetta La Périchole in 1920s New Orleans, combining 19th century operetta with ragtime. Set in a speakeasy called The Three Muses, Songbird features love, adventure and political corruption all with the crazy backdrop of Mardi Gras. This University Opera production is the first collegiate production of the opera. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 22-23, 2 p.m. on Nov. 24, and 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 26; tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Found Money: The Musical, through Nov. 24, Mary Dupont Wahlers Theatre: Madison’s Kelsy Schoenhaar wrote the book and music to this “new adaptation of an Encore Studio favorite.” Ryan, a person with a disability, mistakenly receives more money than usual in his benefits check. He might lose the much needed funds — and get into more trouble — when he tells the wrong person about this windfall. Encore is a professional company for people with disabilities, one of the few in the U.S. Rescheduled from September; Found Money performances are Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets at encorestudio.org.

David Wax Museum, Friday, Nov. 22, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: David Wax and Suz Slezak are a stone cold trip. The husband-wife duo roam joyously across pop and global genres. While their live show features fiddle and guitar, their new album, You Must Change Your Life, blends bass clarinets, huapanguera, marimbas and woodwinds. The pair are cultural and musical time travelers, too, evoking modern jazz modes on one song and 1960s AM radio the next. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

Whipped Cream, Friday, Nov. 22, Liquid, 10 p.m.: As Whipped Cream, songwriter and producer Caroline Cecil incorporates glossy synth-pop and electronica, frenzied EDM, hip-hop and other genres, sometimes all in one song. Cecil’s latest single, “God is a Gentleman,” is a dance floor-ready confection with a hypnotically repetitive vocal melody and a bit of a Bollywood feel. Whipped Cream is finishing her tour for another 2024 release, the is this real? EP, at Liquid in Madison. With Bkaye. Tickets at seetickets.us.

Tandem Press Holiday Open House, Saturday, Nov. 23, Tandem Press, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: If you haven’t visited this world-class fine art printmaking shop and gallery at 1743 Commercial Ave. (near the train tracks!) it is time for you to discover a hidden gem. Printmakers will provide demos of several printmaking processes (11 a.m., screen printing; 11:45 a.m., solar plate intaglio and 12:30 p.m., relief printing) and artworks will be for sale. The day also features an opening reception for Tandem’s current show, featuring work by Lynda Benglis and Sam Gilliam.

Shine on Madison Lighting Ceremony, Saturday, Nov. 23, Peace Park, 4-6 p.m.: The season of holiday lights is here, and Madison’s Central Business Improvement District gets in the game each fall with Shine on Madison, which continues through the end of the year. The lights go on this year on Nov. 23, with activities in Peace Park including a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, free beverages, cookies, and light up wands; longtime UW marching band director Mike Leckrone lights the tree at 5 p.m. Other downtown seasonal activities include a scavenger hunt, the annual Holiday Open House (Nov. 29-Dec. 1) and a cookie walk (Dec. 15); find more info at ​visitdowntownmadison.com.

David Bixler Quartet, Sunday, Nov. 24, North Street Cabaret, 4 p.m.: The latest album from saxophonist David Bixler, BEATitude, features eight contemplative new originals, and reconvenes the band from his 2019 set, In the Face of Chaos. Bixler is also the host of the long-running podcast Liner Notes, featuring conversations with other jazz notables. For this BlueStem Jazz matinee concert, Bixler will be joined by trumpeter Russ Johnson, bassist Clay Schaub, and drummer Dave Bayles. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

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