What to do in Madison this weekend: Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy, 'Rage Becomes Us' and more Isthmus Picks

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The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy, Thursday, March 14, Zoom, noon: In 2022, a Pew Research Center survey found a stunning 60% of respondents thought the U.S. founders intended the country to be a Christian nation. Many have apparently not read the Constitution, as the idea is specifically denied by the First Amendment (part of the Bill of Rights and ratified in 1791, a few years after the Constitution). Philip Gorski, chair of the Yale University Sociology Department and a former associate professor at UW-Madison, has been studying Christian nationalism for many years, and is co-author of The Flag and the Cross (with Samuel Perry). Gorski will discuss the subject during a virtual talk hosted by the Havens-Wright Center; find registration info at havenswrightcenter.wisc.edu.

Chicken Wire Empire, Thursday, March 14, North Street Cabaret, 7 p.m.: Bluegrass music may not be the first thing to come to mind when considering Smashing Pumpkins. But Milwaukee’s Chicken Wire Empire challenges that notion with their 2023 cover of “Disarm,” a cut from the Pumpkins' Siamese Dream album, transforming orchestral alt-rock into a sprightly string band number. Hear what else they’ve been up to when they visit the intimate listening room of the North Street Cabaret. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

Wine in the Wilderness, through March 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.

Rage Becomes Us, March 15-16, Madison Circus Space: Madison Aerial Alliance invites audiences to consider the patriarchy during its multidisciplinary production “Rage Becomes Us.” Aerialists, spoken word, music, comedy, dance and more will be used for works on topics of “motherhood, abortion rights, the gender binary, beauty standards, rape culture and sexual assault.” It’s recommended for ages 13 and up, with shows at 7 p.m. on March 15 and 4:30 and 8 p.m. on March 16. Tickets at madisoncircusspace.com benefit Women’s Medical Fund of Wisconsin.

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.

Madison Symphony Orchestra with Steven Isserlis, March 15-17: This program features cellist Steven Isserlis playing "Loco" by Jennifer Higdon and Kabalevsky’s second cello concerto. The second half of the program features the winner of the summer audience voting — a work a lot more familiar, the always moving New World Symphony from Dvořák. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. on March 15, 8 p.m. on March 16, and 2:30 p.m. on March 17. Tickets at overture.org.

The Sweetest Swing in Baseball, March 15-23, Bartell Theatre: Rebecca Gilman’s 2004 dramedy The Sweetest Swing in Baseball concerns an artist, Dana Fielding, who’s experiencing depression and other mental health issues after a series of career setbacks. The hospital ward becomes the backdrop of the play as Dana pretends to be baseball star Darryl Strawberry to extend her insurance benefits. Madison Theatre Guild’s production shows at 7:30 p.m. on March 15-16 and 21-22 and 2 p.m. March 17 and 23. Tickets at bartelltheatre.org.

The Light in the Piazza, March 15-19, Music Hall: University Opera closes its 2023-24 season by presenting the “crossover” opera combining classical voice and contemporary musical theater. (Think Broadway musical with operatic singing.) In The Light in the Piazza, two Americans, a mother and a daughter, in Florence, Italy, in 1953 have a meet-cute with a local resident. Love…and secrets…follow. As a Broadway musical it won six Tony Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations. Shows at 7:30 p.m. on March 15-16 and 19, and at 2 p.m. on March 17. Tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

The Flavor That Kills LP release, Friday, March 15, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Madison band The Flavor That Kills has explored a range of variations on soul-informed rock/punk music over the last decade-plus. The current incarnation switches out the keys of a few years back for guitarist Educational Davis, completing a true supergroup with stalwarts Ryan Corcoran (Awesome Car Funmaker), Christian Burnson (Screamin' Cyn Cyn & the Pons), and Eric Hartz (Hum Machine). This show celebrates the release of the LP version of their January album, Book of Secrits, a freaky, funky and catchy concept album about the end times. Read Stephen Coss' preview here. With Nester, The Moonboot. Tickets at seetickets.us.

Doug E. L. Haynes, through March 29, Neighborhood House; reception March 16, 1-3 p.m.: 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 story here). Haynes will speak at a reception from 1-3 p.m. on March 16.

Tisra, Saturday, March 16, UW Memorial Union-Shannon Hall, 7:30 p.m.: Tisra is a new project by three musicians building bridges between Indian classical traditions and other styles. Tabla master Zakir Hussain just picked up two more Grammys for the album As We Speak, a collaboration with Rakesh Chaurasia, Béla Fleck and Edgar Meyer. In Tisra Hussain collaborates with sarangi player Sabir Khan (acclaimed for his unusual technique on the stringed instrument) and bansuri player Debopriya Chatterjee (known as one of the “flute sisters” for work with her sister Suchismita). Tickets at artsticketing.wisc.edu.

Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy, Saturday, March 16, Overture Center-Capitol Theater, 7:30 p.m.: Overture really scored by landing this duo a day before St. Paddy’s Day. MacMaster, once a child prodigy, hails from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. She’s one of fiddling’s masters and a dedicated preservationist of Cape Breton musical folkways as well as Celtic music in general. Leahy has an Irish/Cape Breton heritage. Together the duo (they’re also married) present the best of modern and traditional Celtic folk. Tickets at overture.org.

Armchair Boogie, Saturday, March 16, Stoughton Opera House, 7:30 p.m.: Tired of traditional bluegrass? Check out Armchair Boogie’s funked-up spin on the genre, propelled by drums and electric bass that back banjo and acoustic/electric guitar. With roots at UW-Stevens Point, this Madison-based quartet has been jamming since 2015 and will independently release its self-produced fourth studio album, Hard Times & Deadlines, the day before taking the Stoughton Opera House stage. The disc is stuffed with sweet and rollicking harmonies, crisp lyrics and the kind of stellar musicianship that’s redefining string music. Tickets at stoughtonoperahouse.showare.com.

Lynne Arriale, Saturday, March 16, Cafe Coda, 8 p.m.: Being Human, the latest album from pianist and composer Lynne Arriale, was released March 1. The Milwaukee native offers 10 new compositions musically expressing concepts like “Courage,” “Faith” and “Heart” (all song titles); its positive and uplifting vibe is a mood-lifter. At Cafe Coda, Arriale leads a trio with bassist John Christensen and drummer Mitch Shiner. Tickets at cafecoda.club.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Sunday, March 17, Capitol Square, 1:30 p.m.: Despite its general all-around awesomeness, Madison does have some shortcomings, one of which is almost no parades. One that has stuck around is for St. Patrick’s Day — this is the 24th annual. You are likely to see pipes and drums, fiddlers, Irish people, leprechauns, people wearing green throwing candy, DIY “floats” and — well, it’s all sort of free-form. Unlike some years, the weather should be temperate. Come early for an Irish flag ceremony at noon in the Capitol Rotunda. Éirinn go Brách!

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