What to do in Madison this weekend: The Cut, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and more Isthmus Picks

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CodaFest, through Nov. 20, Cafe Coda: Cafe Coda has been a steadfast presence since reopening on Williamson Street in 2018 — including a rapid transition to the virtual world in 2020 to keep the music flowing through pandemic times. And in mid-November, the venue will be the center of the jazz world during the inaugural Coda Fest. The lineup: Sun Ra Arkestra (led by Marshall Allen), William Parker Trio, Thaddeus Tukes Trio, Alexis Lombre Quartet, Chicago Yestet, Lynne Arriale Trio...and that is just the start. Evening sets are packaged as a group of shows for one ticket price, and there is also an option for a full-fest ticket; early afternoon shows are free. Find the full schedule and tickets at cafecoda.club, and read Michael Muckian's preview here.

Noj Tsiab, Thursday, Nov. 17, Life Center Madison, 10 a.m.: The Hmong “pre-New Year” of Noj Tsiab is a happy way to celebrate or learn more about a tradition that thanks the community (all are welcome) and the spirits for a good harvest and healthy life. The event features Hmong rituals, dancing and music, and is capped by a luncheon of delicious Hmong foods. Free, but RSVP to may.lor@thehmonginstitute.org or call 608-692-8918.

Thanksgiving Basket Drive, through Nov. 20, Goodman Community Center: Each November, the Goodman Community Center assembles meal kits for a full Thanksgiving dinner for Dane County families, and this year more than 4,000 households are signed up (the deadline was Oct. 28) and will begin picking up kits on Friday. That's a lot of turkeys and other items to collect, and you can be a part of it by donating food items from the list or money by Nov. 20; find an updated list of items still needed at goodmancenter.org/thanksgiving. Donations can be dropped off at the Goodman gym from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

Alison Townsend, Thursday, Nov. 17, Mystery to Me, 6 p.m.: Wisconsin writer Alison Townsend will be discussing her book, The Green Hour: A Natural History of Home, with Madison poet Marilyn Annucci live and in-person at this Mystery to Me bookstore event. Townsend, who has published several volumes of poetry, turns to the essay here to parse five rural and wilderness landscapes, and how we as humans connect to the land. Free, but advance tickets are recommended (or register for the Crowdcast stream here). Note, this event was rescheduled from Oct. 20.

Marsden, Thursday, Nov. 17, High Noon Saloon, 7 p.m.: On the new album Tune It Out, Madison singer-songwriter and guitarist Marsden channels the angst generated by the overwhelming nature of modern life into driving modern rock, with a dash of '90s grunge for spice. It's a worthy follow-up to the 2017 space-themed concept album, Gravity. Marsden celebrates the release of Turn It Up with this concert, also featuring sets by IT-themed punk heroes Help Desk and Queens of the Stone Age tribute The Regular Johns.

Act a Lady, through Nov. 19, Bartell Theatre: StageQ takes on Jordan Harrison's play, Act a Lady, set in a Midwestern hamlet during Prohibition. The town's men decide to put on a play in which they portray women — and as we have known since Shakespeare's time, this is a situation ripe for both comedy and growing self-awareness. Harrison has a good feel for the complexities of gender roles and the script is a good fit for StageQ. The final shows take place at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 17-18; and 4 p.m., Nov. 19.

Feeding Beatrice: A Gothic Tale, through Nov. 20, Overture Center-Playhouse: This dark comedy by up-and-coming playwright Kirsten Greenidge takes on both the familiar trope of the haunted house and social issues. In this second production of Forward Theater's season, a young couple buys an old house haunted by the spirit Beatrice, who keeps upping the ante on her invasion into their lives. Greenidge's exploration of race and class in Feeding Beatrice: A Gothic Tale will be augmented by programs before each Saturday performance (at 6:30 p.m.), discussing horror noire, the history of housing discrimination in Madison, and playwright Lorraine Hansberry. The run ends with performances at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 17-18; 2 and 7:30 p.m., Nov. 19; and 2 p.m., Nov. 20. Read Gwendolyn Rice's review here.

bits ‘n pieces, Nov. 17-19, UW Lathrop Hall-H'Doubler Space: Li Chiao-Ping Dance presents a program of works choreographed by its founder. “bits 'n pieces” is just that; a compendium of rarely seen pieces, premieres, and company favorites like Nuts and Bolts and segments of The Knotcracker. The concert, appropriate for all ages, takes place at 8 p.m., Nov. 17-18; and 2:30 p.m., Nov. 19. Check ticket availability at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Renewing Civic Life in Wisconsin: Fulfilling the Legacy of Bill Kraus, Friday, Nov. 18, UW Gordon Dining & Event Center, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.: The actions of a disturbing number of Wisconsin's current political representatives can best be described as hyper-partisan. When confronting the day-to-day damage caused by intractable partisans, it's easy to forget it hasn't always been this way in Wisconsin. In the past, contentious situations often resolved in consensus, thanks to people willing to work with the other side to figure out a solution. People like Bill Kraus, a former Republican strategist and longtime co-chair of Common Cause in Wisconsin. This conference, hosted by the UW Center for Communication and Civic Renewal, will examine the problem and what can be done about it, with panel discussions and speakers, including a keynote by former Gov. Tommy Thompson (4 p.m.), who knew a thing or two about working across the aisle to get things done. A reception follows. It's free to attend; a Zoom link can be found at go.wisc.edu/civicrenewal, and the full schedule on this PDF.

Joseph Mougel + Richard Moninski, Nov. 18-Jan. 22, Overture Center-James Watrous Gallery: This winter, explore the great outdoors inside the James Watrous Gallery of the Wisconsin Academy as it unveils a pair of new exhibits. The “Herbarium” series by photographer Joseph Mougel explores plants and colonization, and plays with nature’s tension between the scientific and whimsical in his collection. In “Clash/Meld,” painter and digital artist Richard Moninski contrasts the natural with the man-made to explore nature, history and culture. Join the artists for a reception at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19. The exhibit is up through Jan. 22; regular hours are noon-6 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

The Cut, Friday, Nov. 18, Atlas Improv, 7 p.m.: After missing a couple seasons, Atlas Improv Company's annual improvisation competition returned in October. Nine contestants entered, and three remain for the final week: Emily Blick, Jacob Moyer and Holly Rucker. Judges critique what the competitors come up with, but audience voting determines the winner (who, for surviving The Cut, gets fame, fortune, and the chance to join the Atlas cast, whichever comes first). Find tickets at thecutshow.com, and more info on Atlas' weekly performances (7 and 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday) at atlasimprov.com.

Lucid Dreaming Sketch Comedy, Nov. 18-19, Broom Street Theater: Sketch comedy group Lucid Dreaming is known for its wacky and bizarre shows. This upcoming scripted comedy show, “Stockholm Syndream,” is sure to be another fun and unusual creation, featuring a cast of Jason Compton, Alex Devaux, Amanda Gatewood, Annie Jay, Shauna Jungdahl, Matthew Korda, Jackson Rosenberry, Ben Seidensticker, Mitch Taylor and Mary Wallin. Along with producing comedy shows for the past seven years, the Madison group has also hosted many writing workshops for comedy-writing hopefuls. Catch the show at 7 p.m., Nov. 18; and 5 p.m., Nov. 19. Find tickets on Eventbrite.

Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Friday, Nov. 18, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 7:30 p.m.: The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra starts its 2022-23 Masterworks series with the program “Two American Masters” — the masters in this case being guest violinist Elissa Lee Koljonen and 20th century African American composer Florence Price. Koljonen has played around the world with symphonies and in chamber music settings, and makes her Madison debut at this concert with a performance of Scottish Fantasy by Max Bruch. Price's Symphony No. 1 in E Minor closes the concert, which also includes the overture from The Hebrides by Felix Mendelssohn. A lecture (at 6:30 p.m.) and post-show talk back, both hosted by WCO music director Andrew Sewell, bookend the concert. (Note: This is of course a Friday concert, not on Saturday as posted originally.)

Amanda Shires, Friday, Nov. 18, Majestic, 8 p.m.: Grammy- and Americana Award-winning violinist and songwriter Amanda Shires goes into raw, scary places on her new album, Take It Like a Man. It’s the product of a love-hate relationship with the isolation of COVID and what she and her husband, Jason Isbell, experienced with it. The album title may cause uncomfortable feelings in 2022, but the title track turns out to be a deeply urgent confessional. The new record is filled with such confessions — though the project, the Nashville-based artist says, is not a break-up album. Okay. But it’s about as close to one as anybody could possibly get. With Honey Harper, on tour behind the October release Honey Harper & The Infinite Sky.

DJ Pauly D, Friday, Nov. 18, Liquid, 9 p.m.: Fan favorite Pauly D has proven to be more than just his persona on the MTV show Jersey Shore. He brings bumping beats and his signature spiked hair to Madison, with recent hits such as “Silver and Gold” (with James Kaye) and “That Boy” (featuring Pryde) to go with songs from the show like “Beat Dat Beat (It’s Time To).” With his spectacular antics and high-volume energy, DJ Pauly D is ready to bring the Shore to the isthmus.

Ten By Ten Collective Winter Market, Nov. 19-20, Ellsworth Block: After beating cancer at a young age, Allana Randall launched her Madison art shop Ten By Ten with the goal of giving back; $1 of each purchase is donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Randall created Ten By Ten Collective in 2022 with that same goal in mind. Not only does the collective give local artists a platform to showcase their art, but each artist donates a part of their sales to a cause of their choosing. The collective hosts a pop-up market featuring 40-plus vendors from food to art to books at Ellsworth Block (above The Old Fashioned) from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Nov. 19 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 20. And what winter art market would be complete without live music, coffee, beer and baked goods?

Michael Darling EP release, Saturday, Nov. 19, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Following a month of tour dates from Appleton to Austin, Texas, Michael Darling finishes the run with a hometown release party for a new EP. The indie pop, folk rock and jazz artist seamlessly melds his musical experience and upbringing (both parents are musicians) into a style of his own. Darling released the title track for the EP, “Spark” in July; in the song, the artist laments a lack of fire and passion in his life. Darling will be joined by Old Oaks and Bear in the Forest at this launch event. Tickets at high-noon.com.

Madison Polish Film Festival, Sunday, Nov. 20, UW Union South-Marquee: You can still catch the second weekend of this free festival (hosted by a number of UW-Madison organizations), which is the one with more films anyway. F*cking Bornholm (2022) at 1:30 p.m. is about a joint family vacation gone awry; Black Sheep (2022) at 4 p.m. is a comedy about multiple generations coping under the same roof; and Sonata (2021) at 6:30 p.m. concerns a teen who discovers his talent as a musician after receiving auditory implants. More info at gns.wisc.edu.

Kelly Hunt, Sunday, Nov. 20, Harmony Bar, 7 p.m.: Kansas City native Kelly Hunt’s unique clawhammer style on tenor banjo and unusual (for folk) operatic voice garnered her a nomination for the International Folk Music Awards 2019 Album of the Year. Don’t let the opera reference distract you. She gets very high up in the mountains with her songwriting and singing. She’s a storyteller, too. Characters come alive in her music, most of whom are from distant times with hard struggles.

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

Editor's note: This post has been updated to correct the date of the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra concert.