What to do in Madison this week: Denise S. Robbins, Don't Mess With Cupid and more Isthmus Picks

by

Mobile Madison + Sina Davis Movies in the Park, June 16-18, various parks, 5 p.m.: The Mobile Madison program brings activities for kids to parks all around the city. This week features stops from 5-7 p.m. preceding three family-friendly Sina Davis Movies in the Park screenings: Sonic the Hedgehog 3, June 16, at Brittingham Park; Moana 2, June 17, at Warner Park; and Dog Man, June 18, at Elver Park. Movies begin at 6:45 p.m. It's coordinated by Madison Parks, Madison School & Community Recreation and partners; watch for future dates at mscr.org.

Meet the Naturalist, Monday, June 16, Olin Park shelter, 6 p.m.: How great is it that the Madison Public Library has a naturalist-in-residence? (It’s very us, isn’t it?) This year’s naturalist is Andrea Debbink, who will lead nature programs from June 16–July 26. Debbink’s theme is “At Home in Nature,” connecting with nature right in your neighborhoods — a topic that neatly dovetails with her new Madison-area walking guide, Urban Trails: Madison (Mountaineers Books). Future programs will include birding and botany-focused hikes, nature writing, ecological restoration and more. Find program info at madisonpubliclibrary.org.

Don’t Mess With Cupid, Monday, June 16, McKee Farms Park, Fitchburg, 6 p.m.: Fitchbug’s popular summer music in the park series, Concerts at McKee, kicks off with one of Madison’s hottest cover bands, Don’t Mess With Cupid. The band delivers classic soul hits from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Marvin Gaye and Otis Redding (it’s a song of Redding’s that lends the band its name). At 6 p.m., students from Madison Music Foundry open the show. There will be food trucks, beer and wine carts. Wait, what — wine carts!?

The Lead Between the Rhymes, through Sept. 19, History Maker Space: During the last five decades, hip-hop music and culture has grown from its underground origins into an international force, including in Wisconsin. The history of Badger State artists receives some much deserved attention with “The Lead Between the Rhymes,” a new exhibition coordinated by Pyramidal Productions and the Wisconsin Historical Society. Madison artists will be feted with 3D art in the “Madtown Marauders” collection, joined by historical items and photos chronicling hip-hop’s growth in Wisconsin, oral histories, and interactive displays. The WHS’s History Maker Space is in the US Bank Plaza on the Capitol Square.

Denise S. Robbins, Tuesday, June 17, Leopold’s Books, 7 p.m.: Pushcart Prize-nominated Madison author Denise S. Robbins has written a wildly imaginative and timely debut novel about climate change, political unrest and living in a state of emergency. The Unmapping opens during a peculiar morning in New York City, where a mysterious phenomenon has rearranged blocks and buildings overnight as a hurricane bears down, and things only get more bizarre from there. To celebrate the book’s release, Robbins — who spent 16 years as a climate activist on the East Coast — will join fellow Madison-area novelist Maggie Ginsberg for a Q&A that also will include a reading and book signing. RSVPs are encouraged at leopoldsmadison.com.

MJ the Musical, June 17-22, Overture Hall: The moonwalk lands in Madison in the form of multi–Tony Award-winning Broadway hit MJ the Musical. Created by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage and Tony-winning choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, the story focuses on Michael Jackson’s 1992 world tour supporting the Dangerous album, diving into Jackson’s creative process and legacy. Whether you grew up with the music or just know the moves made famous in Jackson’s iconic music videos, MJ the Musical will be a spectacle built for the stage. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday; tickets at overture.org.

Craig Thompson, Wednesday, June 18, Mystery to Me, 6 p.m.: Author and illustrator Craig Thompson’s new graphic memoir, Ginseng Roots, spans from the farm fields of Wisconsin (where he worked as a youth weeding ginseng beds) to the world of international commerce. It's Thompson's first return to autobiographical storytelling since Blankets, his 2003 Harvey- and Eisner Award-winning book. “Thompson has a particular genius for unsentimental depictions of blue-collar American life and its competing pressures, loyalties and traumas,” writes Sam Thielman in the New York Times review. Thompson will discuss the book with Doug Moe, and a livestream is available; register at mysterytomebooks.com.

Cooley High, Wednesday, June 18, Central Library, 6:30 p.m.: The Cinesthesia film series at the downtown library has an eclectic lineup for the whole year. This month’s pick, 1975’s Cooley High, is a Black coming-of-age comedy/drama that in retrospect seems a precursor to everything from Do the Right Thing to The Chi. It was directed by Milwaukee native Michael Schultz, who attended UW-Madison (where he fell in love with foreign films) and Marquette before launching a Hollywood career — he also directed Car Wash with Richard Pryor, and the ill-fated Bee Gees musical Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band as well as Denzel Washington’s film debut, Carbon Copy. Cooley High stars Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Glynn Turman, and a soundtrack stuffed with Motown classics.

Watchhouse, Wednesday, June 18, The Sylvee, 8 p.m.: Watchhouse’s self-titled debut in 2021 was a trippy bluegrass deviation of the highest order and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard bluegrass chart. The North Carolina-based duo Andrew Martin and Emily Franz’s new record, Rituals, steers all the way into country pop with a hit of Sturgill Simpson psychedelia. The pair are drawing new, younger fans to their own brand of new-day Americana at venues ranging from Red Rocks to the Ryman. With Two Runner. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Nellie McKay, Wednesday, June 18, Bur Oak, 8 p.m.: Broadway singer Nellie McKay knows how to croon a torchy tuneful vocal, and in her lighter moments delivers pop honky-tonk. Her “Strange Days: Get Away From Me” tour in support of her new record Gee Whiz: The Get Away From Me Demos should provide just vibes for a Wednesday evening. Tickets at theburoakmadison.com.

Dean Wareham, Wednesday, June 18, High Noon Saloon, 8 p.m.: Born in New Zealand, Wareham moved to New York and then attended Harvard where he planted the musical seeds that became indie-punk sensation Galaxie 500. A celebrated underground artist, Wareham’s creations (often made with his wife Britta Phillips) sometimes surface in mainstream places such as movie soundtracks including 2005’s The Squid and the Whale. His new solo album, That’s the Price of Loving Me, was released in the midst of the spring fires in L.A., where Wareham now lives. He and Phillips are joined by a small combo on this tour and in addition to performing new tracks, will no doubt dive deep into the larger catalog. Opening is Philadelphia guitarist Chris Forsyth, a Jekyll and Hyde free form creator who can be as brutal as he can be warm and inspiring. Tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Sessions at Garver, June 19-22, Garver Feed Mill: This is a sea change — the popular Sessions at McPike, which have traditionally been held at sunny McPike Park, are moving to Garver Feed Mill this year. Garver should be a hospitable new home for these wide-ranging concerts, which benefit area nonprofits Centro Hispano, Community Immigration Law Clinic, The Native Food Network, The Friends of Ukraine-Madison, Urban League and WORT-FM through raffles, auctions and donations. The concerts are free with the exception of one ticketed show — tuneful singer/songwriter Iris DeMent on Friday at 9 p.m. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. There are three stages and multiple bands each day (see full schedule at sessionsatmcpike.org) with Thursday’s anchor band Frank Martin Busch & the Names (9:45 p.m.) ; Saturday’s Paul Cebar Tomorrow Sound (7:45 p.m.) and Los Texmaniacs (9:45 p.m.); and Sunday, The Waco Brothers (5:45 p.m.).

Kevin Bozeman, June 19-21, Comedy on State: Kevin Bozeman got his start at open mics in Madison about a quarter century ago, and built that early experience into a full-time career in comedy. Madison has remained a special stop on his touring schedule, including nearly 20 years of Thanksgiving eve specials at Comedy on State. Bozeman is back there for a weekend stand that includes another notable date on his calendar: filming a new comedy special on June 21. With Holly Lynnea, Pam Krugman. Shows at 7 p.m. on June 19 and 7 and 9:30 p.m., June 20-21; tickets at madisoncomedy.com.

Aqua Tofana, June 12-22, Broom Street Theater: The Are We Delicious? troupe returns with a play that has a truly delicious premise. It’s the story of Giulia Tofana — who? Wikipedia calls her “an Italian professional poisoner” (no amateur, she) who “sold a poison called Aqua Tofana to women who wanted to murder their husbands.” You had us at “poison.” As is the case with Are We Delicious?, the cast writes and performs the piece over the course of a few weeks, while the director, Madison College’s Karen Saari, will, as she puts it, “guide the writing process a bit.” Shows are at 8 p.m. June 12-14 and 20-21 and 2 p.m. June 22. Tickets at eventbrite.com.

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