Seriously, there are SO MANY ACTIVITIES to do this week! Here is what I'm most excited for:
• Les Thimmig's Faculty Recital, 2:00 p.m. Sunday in Mills Hall, Humanities
Okay, so this already happened this afternoon. But it was fantastic. I always enjoy going to Les' recitals because of the array of instruments on the stage (two years ago he played nine instruments in a nine-movement piece he wrote).
• President Obama's visit to UW-Madison, Library Mall, 4:45 p.m. Tuesday
Ben Harper will also be there. Enough said.
• Michele Norris' "The Grace of Silence" at the Wisconsin Book Festival (Capitol Theatre in the Overture Center), 7:30-9:00 p.m. Wednesday
As a big NPR nerd I'm very excited to see someone I listen to on a fairly regular basis. Plus, beforehand, I imagine someone will introduce her by name, which will finally end an argument of mine (a friend thinks it's "Mishan.")
• "I am Mary Lou": A First Wave Hip Hop Theater Ensemble Presentation, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Friday on Library Mall
This is an event whose planners hope to bridge the gap between Mary Lou Williams' jazz fans and youth hip hop fans. Professor Richard Davis is involved with the project.
• Wicked, Overture Center, a lot of times and dates.
On Friday I waited in line to get Wicked lottery tickets--10 sets of two tickets were raffled off at $25. The person waiting in line behind me AND in front of me won, so I may try my luck again.
• The Recordings of Mary Lou Williams: A 50-Year Retrospective, St. Paul's University Catholic Center, 7:30 p.m. Friday
This event is hosted by Father Peter O'Brien, Mary Lou Williams' former manager and close friend. He is a major reason why the Mary Lou Williams Centennial Celebration is happening here in Madison, so I'm eager to hear what he has to say. (I'm also waiting on a phone call from him right now for an interview.) The UW Jazz Orchestra, of which I am a proud member, is dedicating our semester to Ms. Williams as a part of her centennial. Our sheet music is from a Rutgers University collection, which has been brought to us by Father O'Brien.
• Concert by the Mary Lou Williams Collective, Overture Center, 7:30 p.m. Saturday
The concert will feature Geri Allen and Carmen Lundy, two well-renowned jazz musicians that UW students can see for as a low as $10 ($15 for general public). Not to be missed.
• Mary Lou’s Mass, Mt. Baptist Church, 8:00 a.m. Sunday
The mass will feature Lundy and George Shirley, who was the first African-American to sing lead tenor with the New York Metropolitan Opera.
• Robert McChesney & John Nichols, Playhouse at Overture Center, 2:30 p.m. Sunday
They will be speaking about their work, The Death and Life of American Journalism. They were here last year and I had to miss it for work, so I'm excited to have another opportunity to see them speak.
Phew, well that's all I can think of for now, let me know if I missed anything... some pesky things called "school," "sleeping," "eating" and "work" have gotten in the way of my finer things consumption (I haven't even listened to any of my podcasts in over a week!), but hopefully this week will bring me back to a healthy diet.
Stay classy!
** I'll be writing a piece for the Book Festival AND The Mary Lou Williams Centennial Celebration for my new found home, The Badger Herald. The former will be published Tuesday and the latter Wednesday; I'll post the results here.
