February 2013

Winter breaks

The snow isn’t slowing the comedy machine known as Milwaukee’s Caste of Killers Comedy Collective. At 9 p.m., on Thursday, Feb. 28, the Caste’s Killer Open Mic presents free stand-up comedy at the Art Bar Riverwest, 722 E. Burleigh St. Then, at 8:30 p.m., on Friday, March 1, the Caste runs the Milwaukee Stand Up […]

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Easy, like Sunday Morning

The first Sunday of the month finds us hugging a fresh mug of our favorite hot beverage and cozying up to the cunning mirth of another 1940s-style radio melodrama from our friends at Wisconsin Hybrid Theater. This week, Sunday, March 3, we’re listening to WHT’s adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s “A Doll House.” It’s at 8:30

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Open Improv Wednesday

Looking to stretch your funny muscles midweek? Here’s a deal: At 7 p.m., on Wednesday, Feb. 27, Milwaukee Comedy is running its weekly open improv. Veterans and novices led by such experienced facilitators as Lee Rowley, Vince Figueroa and Greg Bach, get a chance to explore characters and relationships and scene work. Admission is $3 per

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Planning for a full house

The debut last month of the Comedy Xtravaganza filled the envi Ultra Lounge in Racine. Tables can accommodate the first 40 people, and there’s limited standing room. We point that out because a packed house is the best environment for standup comedy – both for the performers and, therefore, for the audience. And, it’s free

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Free Sundays

In addition to its regular weekend shows (7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Saturday matinees), Milwaukee’s ComedySportz runs a recreational league featuring teams of individuals trained through ComedySportz improvisational workshops. The 17th season of the ComedySportz Rec League starts Sunday, Feb. 24, with free shows at 2 p.m., 3 p.m., and

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No strings attached

Milwaukee’s Angry Young Men Ltd. (The capital letters tell you they’re not just some generic group of angry young men.) is a puppet and performance collective that has been building puppets and putting on multidimensional shows since at least 2007.Their next performances are scheduled for the first two weekends in March at the Soulstice Theatre, 3770

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Holy smoke, another Conclave!

The pope is giving up his office for Lent. So cardinals will be flocking to Vatican City to elect his successor. But there’s a more immediate conclave closer to home that’s drawing both the high- and low-minded – and it’s open to the public. Milwaukee’s Comedy Conclave meets (as it does the last Sunday of

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One-night stand

Its ephemeral nature is part of what makes improvisational theater so precious.  All the more so when you add singing, dancing, technical stagecraft and the promptings and accompaniment of a three-piece band. Milwaukee’s fleeting theatrical magic known as The Improvised Musical (T.I.M.) occurs the third Thursday of each month, which includes Thursday, Feb. 21.  It’s

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Coffee and Cactus

If you’ve got a hankering for some standup comedy in Milwaukee this week, as usual, you’re in luck.  Of course, Milwaukee continues to draw top out-of-town acts, such as “The Late Late Show’s” Craig Fergusonand “Park & Recreation’s” Nick Offerman, performing Friday and Saturday, respectively, at the Pabst Theater. But there’s loads of Milwaukee talent to

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