Shepherd Express - March 2026

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12

NEWS 6

Trump's Dirty Dozen

9

This Modern World

10 Why Should Childcare be a Public Investment? — Issue of the Month 12 Fauzia Qureshi: Empowering Muslim Voters and Amplifying Voices — Hero of the Month 14 Taylor Shore is the New Chief Content Officer at Milwaukee PBS TV — MKE SPEAKS: Conversations with Milwaukeeans 15 March Crossword

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MARCH 2026 | 5

NEWS

Trump’s Dirty Dozen

BY E. G. NADEAU, ILLUSTRATIONS BY LUC NADEAU

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W

ho are the main culprits enabling Trump’s authoritarian, self-serving and bizarre actions during the first 15 months of his second term in office? Following is an annotated list of what I'll call Trump’s “Dirty Dozen” (with apologies to any other real or fictional dirty dozens). Feel free to recommend your own additions; there are plenty of (un) worthy candidates to choose from.

Kevin “The Founding Führer” Roberts, The president of the Heritage Foundation, established Project 2025 with the goal of “building a governing agenda, not just for . . . January [2025] but long into the future.” Since Trump is unable to think beyond the profit he plans to make on his next deal, or his next source of ego-gratification or target of revenge, Roberts and company provided a pseudo-scientific analysis and long-term vision of what a far-right America could look like that is serving as the primary ideological underpinning of Trump II’s reign. Paul Krugman, a Nobel laureate in economics, has referred to the Heritage Foundation as a “propaganda shop pretending to be a think tank,. . . a producer of dishonest ‘research’ purporting to justify a right-wing agenda of deregulation, dismantling the social safety net, and tax cuts for the rich.”

JD “The Chameleon” Vance, Vice-President.

There’s nothing like a trail of old text messages to reveal the character, or lack of character, of a politician. JD Vance’s former law school roommate, Georgia state Sen. Josh McLaurin, said in an interview with Atlanta News First: “Plenty of Republicans have flip-flopped on Trump and toed the party line, but I think JD is different, and I think the way he’s different is dangerous. . . .” McLaurin provided the Atlanta newspaper with a set of old text messages from Vance in which he compared Trump to Hitler (in a disparaging way, though you wouldn't know it now). Now, Vance is that would-be Hitler’s Vice-President.

“Little Scruples” Marco Rubio, Secretary of State.

In 2015, Rubio, as reported in a mid-January article in the Guardian, “vowed to ‘support the spread of economic and political freedom by reinforcing our alliances, resisting efforts by large powers to subjugate their smaller neighbors, maintaining a robust commitment to transparent and effective foreign assistance programs, and advance the rights of the vulnerable, including women and religious minorities who are so often persecuted.” In a complete flip-flop, Rubio is now “a vocal exponent of Trump’s America First foreign policy . . . .” In particular, he played a strong role in encouraging Trump to capture Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and to take indirect control of Venezuela's oil reserves.

Musk image Elon “Chainsaw Massacre” Musk.

In his cameo appearance as the “director” of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE, which is not in fact a federal executive department), Musk summarily cut off funding for the United States Agency for International Development. Brooke Nichols, an infectious disease modeler working at Boston University, created an impact counter to estimate the life toll of funding cuts on various USAID health programs. As of early February, 2026, the counter estimated that over 800,000 deaths in developing countries had been caused by the funding cuts devised by the world's richest man; about two-thirds of those deaths were of children.

Pam “Lady Injustice” Bondi, Attorney General.

The US Department of Justice Organization, Mission And Functions Manual contains the following quotation from Thomas Jefferson: “The most sacred of the duties of government [is] to do equal and impartial justice to all its citizens.” Bondi, however, appears to see her job as Trump’s personal attorney. When Trump commands “Jump,” her response has consistently been “How high, and in what direction?” A few quick examples: her removal of nonpartisan, career prosecutors; the opening of investigations into Trump nemeses such as Adam Schiff, James Comey, Letitia James and Jerome Powell; and her failure to release all unclassified Jeffrey Epstein investigative files by a December 19, 2025, legal deadline.

Stephen “Evil” Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy.

An early January 2026 article in The Atlantic, entitled The Wrath of Stephen Miller, cites some recent venom spewed by this hateful man: “[He] has declared an end to the postWorld War II order of ‘international niceties’ in favor of a world that rebukes the weak, ‘that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power. . . .’ His own uncle has denounced him, writing at one point that if Miller’s immigration policies had been implemented a century ago, their family—which fled anti-Jewish pogroms in Europe ‘would have been wiped out.’”

Scott “Mr. Diplomacy” Bessent, Secretary of the Treasury.

Nobel laureate Paul Krugman is not a fan of this flim flam man. “[Bessent’s] attacks on the Federal Reserve, part of Trump’s campaign to destroy the Fed’s independence, are vile, underhanded and sleazy. In a better world they would lead to his immediate removal as Treasury secretary.”

The Guardian reported on January 21 that Bessent’s “dismissal of Denmark as ‘irrelevant’ at . . . the annual World Economic Forum at Davos . . . is likely to earn him a place in the annals of infamy rather than diplomacy.”

Pete “FUBAR” Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, has displayed a jaw-dropping level of malfeasance in his professional conduct and personal history. Here's a quick summary of some of his most outrageous actions: using the unclassified messaging app Signal to share sensitive, pre-operational details before missions in Yemen; ordering illegal missile strikes on alleged drugtrafficking vessels in the Caribbean; creating a “paranoid and chaotic” atmosphere as Secretary of Defense, marked by staff infighting and the purging of top aides over leak investigations; opposition to women in combat, arguing they make the military “less lethal”; and multiple accusations of sexual assault, drunkenness, and financial mismanagement.

Howard “Guess You're Shit Outta” Lutnick, Secretary of Commerce, had an estimated net worth of over $3 billion in January 2026, earned primarily from his time as the CEO of a private investment bank. According to a March 2025 article in Axios, “Lutnick suggested . . . that only ‘fraudsters’ would complain about missing a monthly Social Security check, and that most people wouldn't mind if the government simply skipped a payment. . . .”

MARCH 2026 | 7

NEWS Robert “The Virulent” Kennedy, Jr, Secretary of Health and Human Services, said during his confirmation hearings that he would not do anything as head of HHS that “makes it difficult or discourages people from taking vaccines.” However, as NPR reported in May 2025, Kennedy ordered the removal of the Covid vaccine from the CDC's immunization schedule for “healthy children and healthy pregnant women. Less well known is Kennedy’s refusal to renew US funding for Gavi, a global vaccines alliance, as reported by the Guardian in June. “Kennedy will be ‘personally responsible’ for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children after he refused to renew US funding for a global vaccines body, public health experts said. . . .”

Kristi “Fire, Aim, Ready” Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security. Following are a few examples of her mismanagement in office: bungling disaster relief by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, overseeing thuggish immigration raids, including the fatal ICE shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis in January; allegedly steering multimillion-dollar, no-bid government contracts to a consulting firm with longstanding personal and business ties to her and her aides; authorizing the purchase of two private Gulfstream G700 jets during a government shutdown; and allegedly taking a “cut” of political donations for personal benefit.

Chris “Isn’t” Wright, Secretary of Energy, generated most of his wealth as the CEO of Liberty Energy, North America's second largest fracking company.

Fracking is the process of injecting water, chemicals and sand into horizontal wells under high pressure to crack rock and release oil and gas. Numerous studies and environmental experts indicate that fracking is harmful to the environment and human health. (See for example: Why fracking is bad for the environment.) Not surprisingly, Wright is using his role as Secretary of Energy as a bully pulpit for expanding fossil fuel production and disparaging renewable energy at a time when solar power is substantially cheaper and infinitely cleaner.

This, of course, is just a partial selection of the worst cast of characters to ever serve as presidential cabinet members and enablers. Additional candidates for (dis)honorable mention include: Kash “Wannabe Hoover” Patel, FBI Director; Karoline “Factless and Tactless” Leavitt, White House Press Secretary; Mike “Which Cheek?” Johnson, Speaker of the House; and too many others to mention in this brief article. Without these henchpersons, Trump would not be getting away with his corrupt efforts to destroy American democracy and to drastically weaken the United States’ constructive role on the world stage.

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CONCLUSION

E.G. Nadeau is co-director of the Cooperative Society Project, dedicated to the idea that humanity may be on the verge of a new era of cooperation, democracy, equitable distribution of resources and a sustainable relationship with nature.

MARCH 2026 | 9

NEWS ISSUE OF THE MONTH

Why Should Childcare Be a Public Investment?

BY WILLIAM HOLAHAN

Photo by GettyImages/Vanessa Nunes.

P

ublic debates about taxpayer supported childcare in the United States tend to fall into predictable trenches. One side invokes family responsibility, limited government and the virtues of the free market.

The other emphasizes fairness, equity and the need to support working families. Each camp speaks a different ideological language, and neither persuades the other.

But the strongest case for public investment in childcare does not rest on progressive ideals or conservative credos. It comes directly from the analytical tools of market economics— the very framework often cited to oppose government involvement. The principles that Adam Smith helped to articulate and that economists have refined for centuries, explain when markets function well on their own and when they require public support to serve the broader public interest.

Those same principles show clearly why childcare is a domain where government has a legitimate and economically sound role.

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CHILDCARE IS BOTH A PUBLIC INVESTMENT AND A PERSONAL SERVICE Economists distinguish between consumption—goods enjoyed in the moment—and investment—goods that produce benefits over time. Childcare, especially early childhood education, is overwhelmingly an investment. It generates two distinct streams of returns: the productivity of today’s parents and the future productivity of today’s children.

Parents cannot work outside the home without someone caring for their young children. When childcare is affordable and accessible, more parents enter or remain in the workforce.

That expands labor supply, boosts productivity and increases economic output. Work experience also compounds over time; economists call this “learning by doing.” Employers benefit from a larger, more reliable and skilled pool of workers. Consumers benefit from greater production.

Governments benefit from higher tax revenues.

Economists have a term for this: a positive externality. When a parent pays for childcare, the gains from their increased labor supply do not accrue solely to their family. They spill over to businesses, communities and the broader economy. But individual parents cannot capture those broader benefits and consequently they have no incentive to invest in them beyond their private benefits. Therefore, without subsidy markets for childcare, society will underinvest, produce too little childcare at too high a price.

Childcare is a textbook example of private incentives incompatible with efficiency.

THE LONG TERM RETURNS ARE EVEN LARGER The benefits of childcare extend far beyond today’s labor force. Decades of research in developmental psychology, neuroscience, and economics show that early childhood experiences shape cognitive skills, social behavior, and long term productivity. These gains appear in higher educational attainment, increased earnings, reduced crime, better health, and lower social spending.

Nobel laureate James Heckman has quantified these effects, finding that high quality early childhood programs generate exceptionally high rates of return—around 13% annually in one of his analyses, well above the returns of many traditional financial investments. In other words, society reaps enormous benefits when children receive high quality early care and education. These are not abstract moral claims; they are measurable economic outcomes.

YOUNG PARENTS FACE THE STEEPEST FINANCIAL BARRIERS The timing of childcare costs compounds the market failure. Families need childcare when parents are young and early in their careers— precisely when incomes and wealth are lowest. Many are also carrying student debt or struggling with high housing costs. Even parents who understand the long term value of high quality childcare may simply be unable to afford it.

Illustration of building blocks by GettyImages/Graphic Stock.

Economists also note that young families have limited ability to borrow against future earnings, even when those future earnings are highly likely. When individuals cannot borrow to make valuable investments, both private and public returns go unrealized. Parents seeking childcare are caught in a bind: the benefits are large and well documented, but the costs arrive at the wrong time in the life cycle.

PUBLIC INVESTMENT MAKES THE CHILDCARE MARKET WORK BETTER Because childcare generates large social returns that individual families cannot capture, then society should share in the cost. Public support can take many forms—subsidies, tax credits, wage supports for childcare workers, universal pre K, or direct public provision. The specific mechanism matters less than the underlying principle: aligning private incentives with public benefits.

Childcare is a public investment with returns that compound across generations.

Because childcare has both a private benefit to parents and a more general public benefit, the role for government is to augment private incentives. When a service such as childcare produces broad social benefits, when individuals cannot capture those benefits, and when timing makes private investment difficult if not prohibitive, government involvement is needed to fulfill the promise of an efficient market.

William Holahan is emeritus professor and former chair of UWM’s department of economics.

MARCH 2026 | 11

NEWS HERO OF THE MONTH

Fauzia Qureshi: Empowering Muslim Voters and Amplifying Voices

BY BEN SLOWEY

L

ived experience shapes better policy. “Civic power grows when people show up consistently, not just during elections,” Fauzia Qureshi says. She is executive director of social welfare organization Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance (WMCA) and its companion nonprofit Wisconsin Muslim Civic Foundation (WMCF), both dedicated to amplifying Muslim voices at the local, state and federal levels by way of civic and political engagement. WMCA leads advocacy and equity efforts focused on policy, legislation and voters. WMCF focuses on education, leadership development, public awareness initiatives and cultural heritage programming.

This results in many not seeing themselves reflected or represented in local politics and therefore not feeling it is for them. “Our work really focuses on changing that narrative.”

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Qureshi spent 10 years in London working as website manager for Islam Channel, one of the largest Muslim media outlets in Europe.

Upon returning to Wisconsin, she worked in various leadership positions including at Al-Huda evening school, UniteWI and the Muslim Community Health Center.

Qureshi’s roles in these organizations gave her a firsthand look at how policy decisions affect peoples’ daily lives.

“Over time, it became clear to me that individual support was not enough,” she elaborates. “Communities really need An estimated 50-70,000 Muslims live in Wisconsin.

Qureshi says she observes at times that Muslim communities long-term infrastructure and more trusted pathways into civic participation.” find participating in civic engagement to be intimidating or inaccessible. Especially in times where free speech and Qureshi assumed her role as WMCA executive director in civil liberties are increasingly under threat, getting civically spring of 2024. She is delighted to see many growing Muslim involved becomes a form of protection and empowerment. and immigrant communities in Milwaukee compared to when she was growing up. “We used to have to go to Chicago She explains, “What I see now is an ultimate opportunity to get halal meat,” Qureshi remembers. “Anything and for people to understand that civic engagement is not just everything is available here now.” about voting—it’s people feeling confident about speaking at a meeting, contacting an elected official, organizing their INFORMATION AND ADVOCACY neighbors or standing up for their rights.”

In addition to religious and culturally focused events such as the annual fast-breaking evening meal during Ramadan, CHANGING NARRATIVES Iftar, and various panel discussions, the WMCF and WMCA While Qureshi does see Muslim representation in Wisconsin ensure Muslim communities have information about voter politics progressing, there remain significant gaps between registration, advocating for or opposing legislation, and the diversity of communities and who is involved in the which political candidates have their best interests in mind. decision-making. “There are Black, Brown and white In addition to making endorsements statewide, WMCA immigrants and refugees in urban and rural areas, yet has opposed policies that threaten civil liberties and many voices remain absent from political leadership,” she free speech. points out.

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Another aspect of WMCA’s work is monitoring Islamophobic incidents across Wisconsin. Unfortunately, post-9/11 fearmongering and the Trump administration’s travel ban have contributed significantly to societal spikes in Islamophobia. Last year, an incident of abhorrent racism occurred in Green Bay, where a Cinnabon employee hurled hateful slurs at a Somali customer. Following the incident, Qureshi and other leaders held a press conference denouncing anti-Somlai hate. She subsequently met with Green Bay mayor Eric Genrich to work with him on passing anti-racist legislation.

“We absolutely see a huge surge,” Qureshi confirms about Islamophobia. “The Cinnabon incident was just one of many. That was the one that was being recorded; there’s been multiple incidents in that area specifically. We see it across the state and in Milwaukee as well.”

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WMCA facilitates “Know Your Rights” trainings in multiple languages in order to keep Muslims in Wisconsin safe from ICE. Qureshi mentions that voters lately have voiced serious concerns about AB 446 and its implications around civil liberties and potential impacts on advocacy and identity, noting, “There is significant worry about the chilling effect these types of policies may have on free speech and community organizing.” She hears of similar concerns around the increased surveillance and over-policing of Muslim communities.

Fauzia Qureshi (left) with Linda Sarsour (right) - photo by Hamza Zuberi.

In 2025, WMCF led its first-ever Muslim Heritage Month in July, hosting a myriad of events including a World Culture Fair that had 22 countries represented. During Ramadan last year, the organization sent an educational toolkit to every school district across the state. “Even if you don’t have a big Muslim student population, you should still be aware of the needs students should have and be more accommodating,” Qureshi recommends.

Also in 2025, WMCF hosted its first major gala in 2025 at The Pfister Hotel, welcoming Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib as keynote speaker. WMCA held its first Advocacy Day in February of last year, where many community members visited the Capitol in Madison for the first time and had the opportunity to speak directly to legislators. “It was a powerful realization that their voices belong in those spaces,” Qureshi reflects.

This year, WMCA and WMCF are planning a statewide tour and deepening their impact. “We want communities to know about WMCA and WMCF, and that we can support them,” Qureshi affirms. “That need is necessary more than ever.”

To support WMCA and WMCF, folks may volunteer with or donate to either organization.

Ben Slowey is a Staff Writer for the Shepherd Express.

MARCH 2026 | 13

NEWS MKE SPEAKS: CONVERSATIONS WITH MILWAUKEEANS

Taylor Shore is the New Chief Content Officer at Milwaukee PBS TV “WE LIVE IN A TIME WHERE AUDIENCES DON’T JUST WANT ONE TYPE OF CONTENT.”

BY TOM JENZ

F

or many viewers, Milwaukee PBS is less a television station than a habit. It’s there in the early evening or late at night, steady and relaxed, asking for your attention without demanding it. You might watch “All Creatures Great and Small,” “Antiques Roadshow” or “PBS NewsHour.” Locally, programs like “Outdoor Wisconsin” “Black Nouveau” and “The Arts Page” remind you of where you live and who you share Wisconsin with.

This sense of familiarity did not happen by accident.

Over decades, Milwaukee PBS has grown into a trusted presence across southeast Wisconsin, parts of southcentral Wisconsin, and northern Illinois. Broadcasting through Channels 10 and 36, along with several digital services, it remains the region’s primary over-the-air home for PBS programming. It is also one of the most-watched public television stations in the country, an achievement built more on consistency than publicity.

The station’s mission reaches beyond the screen.

As an outreach arm of Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee PBS trains about 60 television and video production students each year, placing them alongside working professionals in studios where the standards are high. Financially, the station is stable, supported by a mix of public funding, foundation grants, corporate backing, and individual donors who still believe thoughtful television has a role to play.

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So why would a media organization this established hire a new chief content officer? That question led me to Taylor Shore. Not long ago, Shore arrived in Milwaukee from Iowa PBS, but she carried herself like someone already settled into the work. Grounded. Curious. Ready to talk not just about programming, but about purpose. In a media world increasingly driven by speed and noise, Shore’s role centers on something quieter and harder: deciding what stories are worth telling, and how to tell them well in our shifting digital landscape.

We met in her fourth-floor office in the downtown MATC building. There were no assistants to greet me, just Taylor Shore with her steady smile and delightful disposition.

Tell me about your upbringing, your parents, neighborhood, and schooling.

I was born and raised in Burlington, Iowa. I have two older brothers. I went to Mediapolis Public High School.

Mediapolis is a small town near Burlington.

When you were in school, did you have a career goal?

When I was a young girl, I wanted to be a novelist. I did all the writers conferences as a kid. But in high school, my goal was to be a journalist and work for a newspaper. I went to the University of Northern Iowa for my bachelor’s degree in English with journalism as my minor. But I was doing web development on the side.

Photo of Taylor Shore Milwaukee PBS TV by Tom Jenz.

MARCH 2026 | 15

NEWS MKE SPEAKS: CONVERSATIONS WITH MILWAUKEEANS

Then, I got my master’s degree in rhetoric, composition and communication at Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. After college, I did various jobs related to my field, web development and writing. I was a jack of all trades. But 11 years ago, I got a job at Iowa Public Television. Eventually, they put me in charge of online video production.

You were the director of emerging media at Iowa Public Broadcasting, headquartered in Des Moines.

That meant overseeing broadcast programs for social, web, mobile, live streaming, and digital formats.

How did you go about that?

Emerging media was a new position when I took it in 2015.

The world of communication was changing, and Iowa PBS wanted to get into live streaming and social media.

I was put in charge of the web development and digital marketing team. I worked with the video producers on creating digital content. I helped to figure out if we placed our content on YouTube and other social media outlets and how we developed apps for our different shows. We were figuring out how to access new audiences and how viewers were consuming content. Now, in the current market, a lot of viewers are watching short form content through digital streaming.

I’ve been following that trend. They are called “shorts,” and they appear on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, X, and so many more. These shorts seem to be skewed generally to a younger audience.

Yes, that’s true. At Iowa PBS, we produced 30-minute shows, and 60-minute documentaries, and we broke down both for online platforms.

Why did you take on the job of Chief Content Officer at Milwaukee PBS? Milwaukee PBS checks all the boxes. It has been broadcasting for more than 65 years. It has been an important part of this community and has loyal audiences.

Also, the Milwaukee area is diverse with lots of stories to tell.

There is always something new to talk about. The area community strongly supports PBS TV.

Digital is the operative concept in communication.

How will you help expand digital reach for PBS in southeastern Wisconsin?

Digital is my background. We will test out various digital platforms for our content. That includes marketing and fundraising. We will do testing throughout these platforms and do these tests again and again. We will take our talent and expand their creative areas. That could include podcasts and shorts.

And what might be examples of that content?

In Iowa, we extensively covered the 11-day Iowa State Fair. We did 70 different features around the State Fair, which included short form and vertical videos for viewing on smartphones. And all these videos were shown on YouTube, some on Facebook and Instagram. We also live streamed the parade and the queen contest.

So, is this the kind of approach you want to create at Milwaukee PBS? I am still in the process of deciding that. In the short time I’ve been here, my team and I have established six goals, and one of them is in digital innovation. We will be making short digital videos from long form content, and experiment with photography and article writing. And I’m working with our marketing team to explore who we market our shows to.

We live in a time where audiences don’t just want one type of content. We have to be a little bit of everywhere and a little bit of everything.

Debbie Hamlett, the Milwaukee PBS general manager, once said, “Taylor’s experience will help Milwaukee PBS reach new audiences.” What might be examples of programming that will reach new audiences?

We will be focusing on history, arts and culture, business and innovation. I love history, and I’d like to see us do more local history programs. Our goals might be to consistently produce two documentaries, and two different series going on YouTube. We will do timely campaigns like the 250th anniversary of our country.

At Milwaukee PBS, I understand you will try to strengthen local storytelling. Does that mean new programs?

Our cornerstone programs won’t go anywhere, but they might grow into different formats. But yes, we will try new programs and formats. For instance, we might have projects where long-form video isn't at the center of them. We could even have some smaller projects that are just photo-based.

Why not more local programming in prime time, perhaps a documentary series or a talk show, for example?

I think we will do that. For instance, we will soon be bringing out documentaries about the underground railroad and also Hmong people in Milwaukee. We have our new program, "Field Notes", that covers outdoor recreation and conservation. We still have a large audience that watches live television, not on an app, so we will keep that traditional long form format. But we will try to feature more local programming in prime time.

The PBS audience seems skewed toward middle aged and older Americans. Why not more programming for the Gen Z audience, ages 14 to 29, or are Gen Z’rs hooked on internet programming like Tik Tok and YouTube?

The typical PBS audience is not Gen Z. The average viewer for PBS is more affluent and older, and skewed more heavily female. But Generation X is worth going after, ages 46-61. Gen Z prefers viewing the short form videos on streaming. I am 42, and a millennial, but I love short forms that appear on YouTube, for example.

I get that. So do I, but I can also find long form programing like documentaries and talk shows on YouTube.

Gen Z likes the creator content on steaming. Some girl named Jennifer might have 4 million followers, as she wanders around her house, talking relationships.

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Or a girl host might talk about fashion and try on different clothes. Or she might take the audience with her on a shopping trip.

Maybe PBS could have a younger host on certain programs, but I do think the younger generation will get into longer form content as they get older.

Today’s younger generation seems to have a shorter attention span. Their iPhones are designed for that.

True, but there are so many shorts on streaming that it seems harder for them to focus on a long form video. I’m 42, but I have trouble staying focused. I almost have to force myself to put my phone down at times. Or finish a book I’m reading.

On your job at Iowa PBS, you were involved in National PBS TV. I refer to the PBS Digital Immersion Program. What is the Digital Immersion Program?

PBS National created the Digital Immersion Program to help PBS stations across the country improve their digital prowess. Currently, it’s called the Acceleration Program. The idea is to take creators from different stations and help them set a goal in the world of digital and how to make that goal happen. The immersion part included a series of workshops for creators to immerse themselves in everything digital. I was one of the mentors who helped the creators.

I understand you are looking at audience development, identifying new audiences while engaging with existing viewers through data-driven analysis of key performance indicators or KPIs. What are key performance indicators?

Those indicators are metrics that help station leaders decide if they are headed in the right direction. For example, at Iowa PBS, we measured the number of streams on local content on the PBS app. This helped us to create local campaigns.

I understand that Milwaukee PBS has a number of new leaders.

We have a lot of new leadership. I’ve only been here for a couple months. Debbie Hamlet, our general manager, has been here for two and a half years. Our chief marketing person, Cameron Risher, has been here for a year. Scott, our chief engineer, has been here for eight months.

Why do you like working in public television?

That is a great question. Because PBS stations get community support, we can tell stories that matter to each community without having to worry about whether each story is commercially viable. We do programs because they are our mission, not because we will make a lot of money.

Tom Jenz is a Milwaukee writer-photographer and author of the Central City Stories column at shepherdexpress.com

MARCH 2026 | 17

FOOD & DRINK

Catrina Café’s

WEALTH OF MEXICAN MILWAUKEE CHOICES

BY HAZEL WHEATON

Photos of Catrina Cafe by Hazel Wheaton.

D

ucking through the doors of Catrina Café on a winter day can be a little bit like stepping through a magic portal—the contrast between the frigid January weather in Milwaukee and the warm, boisterous atmosphere of a Mexican cantina is startling in all the best ways.

The restaurant's Mexican-Milwaukee fusion is immediately reflected in the long bar, high ceilings, exposed Cream City brick, dark wood tables with wooden chairs and leather banquette seating. Catrina opened on the north end of Walker's Point in 2024 and obviously hit the bullseye. It started as a brunch spot inside the existing Snifters Tapas & Spirits but had taken over the property by the end of the year; the owners are teasing a second location to open in Bayview in 2026.

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My biggest hurdle turned out to be the breadth of the menu. Indecisive about my meals at the best of times, I was faced with a wealth of choices that all sounded fantastic, all at reasonable prices, including plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options. At one point I considered just closing my eyes and pointing at something. While I dithered, the first order of business was cocktails.

Catrina Café has a lovely variety of house margaritas, mojitos, micheladas and sangria plus an array of cocktails centering on tequila (cazadores, reposado and plato), mezcal and rum. My Cielo Rojo, a strawberry-lime concoction with mezcal and Cointreau, was refreshing and dangerously smooth. I could happily have ordered and reordered again if my companions and I were planning on whiling away an afternoon.

For my meal, I finally settled on the Torta Chilaquil, a massive sandwich that hit the breakfast/lunch crossover point. Stuffed with eggs (I followed the chef's suggestion and ordered them over medium), onion, avocado, cheese and double salsa (both red and green), the sandwich comes with a choice of breaded chicken or steak. I put myself in the hands of our server and had the steak. The softness of the roll and the messiness and sheer volume of the savory fillings meant this was a knife-and-fork sandwich rather than a pick-up-and-eat sandwich, but I had no complaints. It was large enough that I saved half for my next day's lunch. As if my sandwich wasn't enough, I traded up the included side of potatoes for the Catrina Baby Reds.

Wood signboard by GettyImages/Ivan Burchak.

MARCH 2026 | 19

FOOD & DRINK The sizzling pan of roasted potatoes came topped with a delectable pastor—thinly sliced pork marinated in chilies, rich spices and pineapple— peppers, spinach and a creamy mix of cheeses.

BREAKFAST, BRUNCH AND DINNER Others at the table ordered the Huevos Rancheros (fresh, delicious, and well suited for those who like a milder level of spice) and the Enfrijoladas (tortillas stuffed with eggs and chorizo and smothered in a creamy black bean sauce and topped with roasted poblano peppers, avocado and more chorizo). I got to taste a bit of everything and discovered that a close-my-eyes-and-point method of choosing a meal wouldn't have steered me wrong. Service throughout was excellent—friendly, helpful and efficient.

The breakfast/brunch menu switches over to the dinner list at 4 p.m., with some overlap in dishes but a strong emphasis on seafood. I already have my eye on the aguacate relleno, two ripe avocado halves stuffed with the house ceviche, but it may take me another extended stretch of time to choose from the extensive list of fresh seafood entrees.

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Catrina Café also does catering and their basement-level event space can host parties up to 70 people.

The patio in the back is an inviting place for a happy hour or a summer meetup—when the weather turns fair, I'm planning on returning with friends, ordering a few of those cocktails, and whiling away an afternoon.

Catrina Cafe 606 S. Fifth Street, (414) 249-3770, catrinacafemke.com Hours: Open every day 8:00 a.m.–9:00 pm.

Breakfast/lunch served until 4 pm.

Breakfast/Brunch: $9–$25 Cocktails: $7–$13 Dinner: $15.99–$28.99

Hazel Wheaton is a Milwaukee writer.

She has had the privilege of learning about food by talking to local experts and tasting everything she was offered—including almond pastries in Morocco, whisky and haggis in Orkney, escargot in Lyon and more.

Photos of Catrina Cafe by Hazel Wheaton.

MARCH 2026 | 21

SPECIAL BEVERAGES KAMPTAL

The White Wines of Austria’s Niederösterreich Region

BY GAETANO MARANGELLI

O

ne day not far away, wine consumers across the world will embrace the white wines of the Niederösterreich region in the north and west of Austria with the kind of passion they reserve for the white wines of Napa Valley or Burgundy. Grüner veltliner from the region of Niederösterreich will appear as ubiquitously on wine shop shelves and restaurant wine lists as sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and pinot grigio.

WHY? Because white wines of Niederösterreich are refreshing, concentrated, rich, and graceful. Because the white grape vines of Niederösterreich thrive in a diversity of wine terroirs, from the loess layers to the volcanic ash. Because the white wines of Austria pair with so many kinds of cuisines, from those of Europe to the Americas, from those of the Near East to the Far. And because many if not most of Austria’s wine growers cultivate their vines and vinify their juice on small, family estates.

NIEDERÖSTERREICH IS THE GREAT WINE REGION OF AUSTRIA. Three of its primary subregions are called the Kamptal, the Wagram, and the Wachau.

Kamptal Named for the river Kamp, the Kamptal is a subregion synonymous with grüner veltliner. The Kamptal’s distinctive soils benefit its vineyards with loess, gravel, sandstone, volcanic ash, and a geological curiosity called Heiligenstein, which translates to Holy Stone. The region’s climate benefits its vines with heat from the Pannonian basin to the east and cool nights from the breezes of the Waldviertel to the north and west. These grüner veltliners are herbaceous and citrusy, with stony minerality and bright acidity.

Wagram There’s the serious side of Austrian culture. This is the side of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Anton Bruckner, Rainer Maria Rilke and Gustav Klimt. And then there’s the party side of Austrian culture. This is the side of the yodel and the waltz, of Apple Strudel and Wiener Schnitzel. Both of these sides cohabitate in the wine region called the Wagram.

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WAGRAM WACHAU

The name Wagram derives from the German Wogenrain, which roughly means surfside. In the region, loess soils from eras of glaciers cover subsoils of marine deposits from the ancient course of the Danube River. This terroir is ideal for veltliner grapes, both Austria's national treasure, grüner veltliner, as well as Wagram's autochthonous specialty, roter veltliner, with its singular, complex, and elegant character.

The white wines of the Wagram are renowned for their rich, intense fruit, creamy texture and distinctive minerality—the serious side of Austrian culture—which is balanced by a vibrant, but soft acidity and spicy flesh fruit character—the party side.

Wachau and Nikolaihof The region of the Wachau is home to the great white wines of Nikolaihof. These grüner veltliners and rieslings—both young vintages and old represent profound and straight up hardcore wine experiences.

The history of the Nikolaihof vineyards has its origins with the Celtics. The vineyards were developed by the Romans, then occupied by Germanic monks. Records document the monks’ ownership of the estate, as well as of a vineyard called Im Weingebirge, the earliest named vineyard site in all of Europe. Over a hundred years ago, the Saahs family acquired Nikolaihof, committing themselves to what the monks established at the estate. As a result, its vineyards have never been farmed with any kind of chemicals. More than fifty years ago, the estate began its practice of biodynamic farming, making Nikolaihof one of the first biodynamic wineries in the world.

The wines of Nikolaihof are just as rich and noble as its history. They offer an insight into the soul of Austria—its land and its people, as well its wine.

Gaetano Marangelli is a sommelier and playwright. He was managing director of a wine import and distribution company in New York and beverage director for restaurants and retailers in New York and Chicago before moving to Wauwatosa.

Westown Association BID 3.6107 x 10

Map of Austria Wine Regions by GettyImages/dikobraziy.

MARCH 2026 | 23

SPECIAL SPRING DRINK

The Pubs AJ O’BRADY’S IRISH PUB & GRILL

MCGUIRE’S BAR

N88 W16495 Main St., Menomonee Falls

6235 W National Ave., West Allis

BELFAST STATION IRISH PUB N64 W23246 Main St., Sussex BUB’S IRISH PUB N116 W16218 Main St., Germantown CHAMPION’S PUB 2417 N. Bartlett Ave., Milwaukee

St. Patrick's

Day Guide

COUNTY CLARE IRISH INN & PUB 1234 N. Astor St. Milwaukee The highly acclaimed County Clare Irish Restaurant celebrates the music, the food, and the drink of Ireland. Join us for all our

MCKIERNAN’S IRISH PUB & GRILL 2066 S. 37th St., Milwaukee MO’S IRISH PUB - 2 LOCATIONS Downtown: 142 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee Tosa: 10842 W. Bluemound Road, Wauwatosa MORAN’S PUB 912 Milwaukee Ave., South Milwaukee MULLIGAN’S IRISH PUB & GRILL 8933 S. 27th St., Franklin

The Parades

2300 S. 108th St., West Allis

SHAMROCK CLUB OF WISCONSIN ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE

6102 Donegal Road, Town of Erin (Hartford)

The celebration begins with a Pre-Paddy’s Day Party on Saturday, March 14, featuring live music by Milwaukee's Addiction from 6:30 to 10:30 pm. On St. Patrick’s Day, Mulligan’s serves a traditional Full Irish Breakfast starting at 7 am; live music begins at 11 am with Ian Gould, Grover Dill, and Clove in the massive, heated beer tent. Mulligan’s 17th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Party has become the biggest Paddy’s Day celebration on Milwaukee’s south side and a must-attend tradition for locals and visitors alike.

GINGERZ IRISH PUB

MURPHY’S IRISH PUB

S

t. Patrick’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, so you can be sure that the celebration will begin in many places on the weekend before March 17.

St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations: March 14, Parade Day afterparty; March 15, St. Baldrick’s Day fundraising event celebration and March 17, the annual St. Patrick’s Day Party kicking off with a traditional Full Irish Breakfast and live music all day long!

DANNY LYNCH’S

saintpatricksparade.org Saturday March 14

ERIN INN IRISH PUB

3915 S Howell Ave., Milwaukee

1613 W. Wells St., Milwaukee

THE HARP IRISH PUB

NETTIE’S IRISH PUB

113 E. Juneau Ave., Milwaukee

733 W. Wisconsin Ave., Pewaukee

HOUSE OF GUINNESS

O’BRIEN’S IRISH-AMERICAN PUB

354 W. Main St., Waukesha

4928 W. Vliet St., Milwaukee

IRISH COTTAGE

O’CONNOR’S PERFECT PINT

11433 W. Ryan Road, Franklin

8423 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis

LUCKY CLOVER IRISH PUB

O’DONOGHUE’S IRISH PUB

1048 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, Milwaukee

13225 Watertown Plank Road, Elm Grove

MCAULIFFE’S PUB

O’LYDIA’S BAR AND GRILL

BLUEMOUND ROAD ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE

3700 Meachem Road, Racine

338 S. First St., Milwaukee

MCBOB’S PUB & GRILL

O’SULLIVAN’S PUBLIC HOUSE

4919 W North Ave., Milwaukee

bluemoundparade.com Saturday March 14 – 3:30 p.m.

12525 W. North Ave., Brookfield

Forty years of shenanigans means the biggest and best St. Patrick's Weekend Party we've ever had! Kick off on Thursday March 12 with green beer keg tapping and keep the party going all weekend with live music, free samples, bagpipe and Irish dance performances, and the best corned beef in town!

St. Patrick’s Day festivities return to downtown Milwaukee with the 58th Shamrock Club of Wisconsin St. Patrick’s Day Parade! Join us for one of Milwaukee’s favorite traditions on Saturday, March 14.

Visit saintpatricksparade.org for more info!

Milwaukee's West Side parade runs from 65th St. (Balistreri's) to 51st St. (Kelly's Bleachers) on Bluemound Road.

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PADDY’S PUB 2339 N. Murray Ave., Milwaukee THE THISTLE & SHAMROCK 3430 N. 84th St., Milwaukee TRINITY THREE IRISH PUBS 125 E. Juneau Ave., Milwaukee

Photo of Pub by GettyImages/mediaphotos.

MARCH 2026 | 25

SPECIAL SPRING ARTS GUIDE

SPONSORED BY

2026

S pring Arts Guide

A Midsummer Night this Spring at Skylight

BY DAVID LUHRSSEN

A

Midsummer Night’s Dream might be William Shakespeare’s most performed play in today’s world.

The multiple plots and potentially large cast of fairies and “mechanicals” (laborers) make it ideal for high school and college productions. The romantic supernatural comedy has been adapted into films and operas, and this spring, Skylight Music Theatre presents the “professional world premiere” of A Rockin’ Midsummer Night’s Dream. The musical’s score is by Eric Svejcar with “adaptation and additional lyrics” by Skylight’s artistic director, Michael Unger. Unger will direct.

A Rockin’ Midsummer Night’s Dream was heard before, at NewArts in Newtown, CT, in a show by local students with lead roles contributed by Broadway actors.

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Newtown had just witnessed the Sandy Hook School shooting, which stole 26 lives. Unger conceived the musical to “use the arts to heal a community torn apart.”

His collaborator on the project, Svejcar, is an Off-Broadway music director and occasional composer.

The all-ages cast includes many elementary-through-college-age Milwaukeeans. Unger instructs them that Shakespeare “is not a foreign language. If you know where to stress the words, you’ll understand them and the audience will understand them.”

Unger retains Shakespeare’s setting, ancient Athens, “a city in disarray. Love puts it back together.

Love heals the city,” he explains.

Eighty-five percent of the words are Shakespeare’s own, and the remaining 15% “are really close. There are a couple things I didn’t love about the play” as written, Unger adds.

Regarding the forced marriage of Hippolyta to Duke Theseus, “I’ve given her more agency, more control of her destiny,” Unger continues.

A Rockin’ Midsummer Night’s Dream is “respectful of Shakespeare’s play and it’s fun,” Unger concludes. “If you love Shakespeare, you’ll love it. If you hate Shakespeare, this production will change your mind.”

April 10-26 at Broadway Theatre Center, 158 N. Broadway. For tickets, visit skylightmusictheatre.org.

“She can change Theseus’ perspective and help him become a better human …

I think Shakespeare would approve.”

In Svejcar’s eclectic score, contemporary pop encounters Burt Bacharach sophistication and hard rock segues into swing. Svejcar will be in the pit (rock) band on keyboards.

Photos of Midsummer Night by Richard Termine.

MARCH 2026 | 27

SPECIAL SPRING ARTS GUIDE

SPONSORED BY

ALVERNO ART & CULTURES GALLERY

THE BOX THEATRE CO.

alverno.edu/gallery

boxtheatreco.org

Wisconsin Craft, through March 6

Into the Woods, April 30-May 17

Observations: Student Juried Exhibit, March 27-April 10

abhmuseum.org

It’s unlikely that today’s Disney-dependent Broadway would nurture a talent as musically adventurous as Stephen Sondheim. His 1986 musical Into the Woods brought together several Grimm fairytales and—in a reversal of recent norms—was later made into a Disney movie. (David Luhrssen)

AMERICAN PLAYERS THEATRE

BRONZEVILLE ARTS ENSEMBLE

americanplayers.org

facebook.com/BronzevilleArtsEnsemble

Graduate Exhibit, April 17-May 1 AMERICA’S BLACK HOLOCAUST MUSEUM

5 POINTS ART GALLERY 5ptsartgallery.com

APERI ANIMAM aperianimam.com

BRONZEVILLE CENTER FOR THE ARTS

acaciatheatre.com

ARTS @ LARGE

Bcamke.org

These Shining Lives, March 6-22 (St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church)

artsatlargeinc.org

Above, Below, Within: Ciarra K. Walters, March 26-Aug. 14

Melanie Marnich has worked in television but also gained attention as a playwright. Her These Shining Lives is based on the true story of women working in a 1920s factory manufacturing glow-in-the-dark watches. First problem: the glow comes from radium. Second problem: the company lies to the women, even maintaining that a little radium is healthy. (David Luhrssen)

bachchoirmilwaukee.com

ACACIA THEATRE COMPANY

ADDENDUM addendum.gallery Thinking of a Place, through March 7 The show features Milwaukee artists Jimmy Cobb, Ellie Hogan and Meg White “who paint environments and places,” says curator Tanner MacArthur. Hogan and White focus on homes and Cobb on landscapes, sometimes incorporating found pieces of wood. “All three have an emotional relationship with the Wisconsin environment. Their work fits together.”

(David Luhrssen) Caroline Calvano, Emmanuel Guerra, Siren Harris and Aidan Rhoades, March 13-April 18 Alan Peralta and Chris Regner, April 24- May 29 ALL IN PRODUCTIONS allin-mke.com 28 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

BACH CHAMBER CHOIR Spring Concert: Bach is in the Air, April 19 (St. John Vianney Catholic Church, Brookfield) Few composers wrote as often or as well as J.S. Bach. Like a reporter on deadline, he was a working musician with ecclesiastical and state employers who consistently demanded new material. In his only recorded self-assessment, he said: “I worked hard.” The Chamber Choir will perform Bach’s “Out of the Depths I Call, Lord, to You” and works by other composers.

(David Luhrssen) BAYVIEW GALLERY NIGHT bvgn.org BEL CANTO CHORUS belcanto.org Sonorous Silence, March 8 BLACK ARTS MKE blackartsmke.org BOERNER BOTANICAL GARDENS boernerbotanicalgardens.org BOMBSHELL THEATRE CO. bombshelltheatre.org Avenue Q, through March 15 BOULEVARD THEATER milwaukeeboulevardtheatre.com

Through performance and video, Maryland-based Ciarra K. Walters transforms her body into temporary sculptures, embedding herself in natural and architectural environments.

(Morton Shlabotnik) BROOM STREET THEATRE, MADISON bstonline.org Committed, April CABARET MILWAUKEE facebook.com/cabmke CAPITAL CITY THEATRE, MADISON capitalcitytheatre.org CARROLL PLAYERS carroll-players.com CARTHAGE COLLEGE THEATRE carthage.edu/arts/experience-the-arts/theatre-dance-performances The Moors, March 20-22, March 26-28 Bright Star, April 24-26, April 30, May 1-2 CATEY OTT DANCE COLLECTIVE cateyott.com CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST stjohncathedral.corg Wednesday concert series

MARCH 2026 | 29

SPECIAL SPRING ARTS GUIDE

SPONSORED BY

CEDARBURG ART MUSEUM

THE CONSTRUCTIVISTS

DOOR SHAKESPEARE

cedarburgartmuseum.org

theconstructivists.org

doorshakespeare.com

Richard Kaneiss: Illustration to Abstraction, through April 26

Bug, April 25-May 9 (Broadway Theatre Center Studio Theater)

EARLY MUSIC NOW

Student Art Matters, through April 26 CEDARBURG ARTISTS GUILD cedarburgartistsguild.com The Plein Air festival has become a Cedarburg staple, bringing art across Downtown Cedarburg. This year the seven-day event runs from May 30 to June 6 and will dot the quaint town with a flurry of hard at work artists and curious art enthusiasts and passers-by.

(Andreas Scocos) CEDARBURG CULTURAL CENTER

CONCORD CHAMBER ORCHESTRA concordorchestra.org Breaking Barriers, March 14 (St. Sebastian Parish, Milwaukee) The concert’s focus is on women with compositions by Louise Farrenc (18041875), a French Romantic pianist, and Margaret Bonds (1913-1972), the first African American pianist to join the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

(David Luhrssen)

cedarburgculturalcenter.org

DANCECIRCUS

CEDARBURG PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

dancecircus.org

cedarburgpac.com Mandy Barnett Sings Burt Bacharach, March 13 In the ‘90s Mandy Barnett was successful on the country music charts but has proven to be a versatile talent. At the Cedarburg PAC, she will sing from the catalog of Burt Bacharach, whose subtly jazz-tinged pop songs were a backdrop to the ‘60s in recordings by Tom Jones, Love, Dusty Springfield and Dionne Warwick. (David Luhrssen) I Am, He Said: Celebrating the Music of Neil Diamond, April 10 Michael Cavanaugh: Music of Paul Simon, James Taylor and Billy Joel, May 1

DANCEWORKS PERFORMANCE MKE

earlymusicnow.org ALBA Consort: Romance of the Rose, March 7 (St. Paul’s Episcopal Church) Music from China: Silk & Bamboo, April 18 (St. Paul’s Episcopal Church) The Newbury Consort: Revolution, May 8 (St. Joseph Chapel) The Chicago based early music ensemble has recorded several albums of Baroque and Renaissance music.

For their Early Music Now concert, the Consort venture to the New World and a later period, 1776-1865, performing choral and marching music, spirituals and abolitionist broadsides. However, in keeping with their roots, they will perform on period instruments.

(David Luhrssen)

danceworksmke.org DAVID BARNETT GALLERY davidbarnettgallery.com DAWN SPRINGER DANCE PROJECT dawnspringer.com DEAD MAN’S CARNIVAL facebook.com/Dead-Mans-Carnival-338362982860387 DOOR COUNTY CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR doorcountycontemporary.com

EX FABULA exfabula.org FALLS PATIO PLAYERS fallspatioplayers.com FESTIVAL CITY SYMPHONY festivalcitysymphony.org Pictures at an Exhibition, March 7 (Bradley Symphony Center) Faith, Persistence and Celebration, April 18 (Bradley Symphony Center)

June 4-7 (Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek)

CHANT CLAIRE CHAMBER CHOIR chantclaire.org

CONCORD CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

CHARLES ALLIS ART MUSEUM charlesallis.org CHAZEN MUSEUM OF ART (UW-MADISON) chazen.wisc.edu Petah Coyne, through March 14 CHORAL ARTS SOCIETY OF SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN choralartsonline.org CIVIC MUSIC MKE civicmusicmilwaukee.org Photo of Concord Chamber Orchestra by Jeff Durand.

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MARCH 2026 | 31

SPECIAL SPRING ARTS GUIDE

FINE ARTS QUARTET fineartsquartet.com FOFAQ.ORG 80th Anniversary Concerts, 12 Masterworks - 6 FREE concerts May 17, May 31 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts) May 23 (Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church) May 23, 26, 28 (UWM Recital Hall) To mark their 80th anniversary, the Fine Arts Quartet will embark on a mini tour of Milwaukee. They will perform music that harkens back to their origins, six quartets by a young Beethoven coupled with six Mozart viola quartets (Wolfgang Amadeus has been called a “pioneer” for his pathfinding compositions for that instrument.

(David Luhrssen) FIRST STAGE firststage.org Peter Pan and Wendy, through March 22 Disney called it Peter Pan, but Edwardian novelist-playwright J.M. Barrie titled his story Peter and Wendy, a meditation on the inevitability of leaving childhood behind with Wendy as the protagonist. First Stage’s Jeff Frank’s adaptation promises a whimsical journey to Neverland. (David Luhrssen) Julius Ceasar, March 13-22

SPONSORED BY

FLORENTINE OPERA

GALLERY 218

florentineopera.org

gallery218.com

Tales of Hoffman, March 13-15

GALLERY 224

The libretto for Jacques Offenbach’s opera draws from German author E.T.A. Hoffman, whose recognition for the story that inspired The Nutcracker ballet belies the sinister implications of his writings. Offenbach’s music makes audible the author’s perspective on the disturbing obsession of romantic love.

(David Luhrssen)

Gallery224.org GALLERY 2622 gallery2622.com GALLERY NIGHT AND DAY, gallerynightmke.com April 17-18

Tosca, May 15-17

GERMANTOWN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

FORTE THEATRE COMPANY

gsdwi.org

fortetheatrecompany.org

GREEN GALLERY

Mamma Mia! April 11-18

Thegreengallery.biz

Forte Theatre brings the feel-good smash musical to the stage—an ABBA-filled celebration of love, laughter, and sunshine you’ll be singing long after curtain call. (Morton Shlabotnik) FORWARD THEATER, MADISON forwardtheater.com Lady Disdain, April 9-26 FOUR SEASONS THEATRE, MADISON fourseasonstheatre.com New Works on Deck, March 28-29 FRANKLY MUSIC franklymusic.org Music of Bernstein, Henri Dutilleux and Olivier Messiaen, March 16 (Wisconsin Lutheran College Schwan Concert Hall) Leonard Bernstein inspired a generation of American classical musicians; France’s Olivier Messiaen tutored leading figures of the last century’s avant-garde such as Karlheinz Stockhausen and Iannis Xenakis. Both were eclectic composers. Henri Dutilleux is a less remembered but admired post-Ravel impressionist. Tamas Varga, principal cellist from the Vienna Philharmonic, joins the Milwaukee ensemble for this concert. (David Luhrssen)

GREENDALE COMMUNITY THEATRE greendaletheatre.org GROHMANN MUSEUM msoe.edu/grohmann-museum Dave Clay’s Industrial Atmospheres, through April 26 Milwaukee native Dave Clay is an artist, software architect, engineer and musician working in a variety of media including digital collage, metal, large-scale interactive sculpture and painting. “I met Dave Clay through Tom Crawford at WMSE. Tom knew him from the local band scene when Dave still lived in Milwaukee. He is in Seattle now,” says Grohmann Museum director James Kieselburg. “His work is a perfect fit for the Grohmann—industrial interiors with an otherworldly look, like they could have been pulled from Omni or some other sci-fi magazine.”

(David Luhrssen) GROVE GALLERY gallerygrove.com

FRESCO OPERA THEATRE, MADISON frescoopera.com

Disney’s Frozen, April 11-May 17 32 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Illustrations by GettyImages-fireflamenco.

MARCH 2026 | 33

SPECIAL SPRING ARTS GUIDE

SPONSORED BY

HAGGERTY MUSEUM OF ART

JAMES MAY GALLERY

marquette.edu/haggerty-museum

jamesmaygallery.com

This Side of the Stars: Robert Rauschenberg’s Stoned Moon in the Company of Kite, Paglen and Yi, through May 16

JAZZ GALLERY CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Black riding culture today. Images and text from her book have been chosen for the new exhibition at the Harley-Davidson Museum. All of Dingley’s photographs are in black and white.

“There’s a sense of timelessness to them, black and white can be a very expressive medium,” curator Ann Sinfield says. (David Luhrssen)

“The plurality and complexity of modern Jewish identity is explored in this vivid portrait series by artist Abshalom Jac Lahav. Public images of Jewish cultural icons, ranging from historical to contemporary, are translated into paintings with shifting styles of representation. Considering the individual and cultural narratives they carry, identity is portrayed as evolving and layered,” says curator Molly Dubin.

(David Luhrssen)

jazzgallerycenterforarts.org

JOHN MICHAEL KOHLER ARTS CENTER jmkac.org/home.html Familiar Texture: The Fibers of Childhood and Home, through April 5

Pao Houa Her: Seeds of History, Free Improvisation, Saturdays Science and technology merged with through April 19 Milwaukee Jazz Institute, Sundays visual art when Robert Raushenberg A Beautiful Experience: The Midwest produced “Stoned Moon,” a series of “The Time is Now: Milwaukee Artists Grotto Tradition, through May 10 lithographs inspired by the Apollo 11 and Our Political Moment” lunar landing (1969). His lithographs “Madeline Buol’s grotto is a part of a through March 21 are displayed alongside work by three lineage that continues today, and living artists: Oglála Lakhóta perfor“The Time is Now” includes a small sam- the exhibition brings this tradition of mance-visual artist and composer Kite, ple of work by five Milwaukee artists: Midwestern grottos to life with other artist-author-geographer Trevor PaJohn Fleissner, Chrystal Denise Gillon, artifacts from our permanent collecglen and Milwaukee-based multimedia Niki Johnson, David Najib Kasir and tion as well as new commissions by artNicolas Lampert. Their art addresses artist Jason S. Yi. (David Luhrssen) ists Stephanie H. Shih and E. Saffronia multiple issues: “Immigration, tariffs, Downing who reimagine the (grotto) HARLEY-DAVIDSON MUSEUM authoritarianism, racism, misogyny, clitradition in a contemporary context,” mate change,” says co-curator Barbaharley-davidson.com says curator Laura Bickford. ra Miner. Their media includes prints, oil (Michael Muckian) “Creating a Legend: Art & Engineering paintings and assemblages. at Harley-Davidson,” through Emily Endo: Estuary, through Aug. 16 (David Luhrssen) spring 2027 Lenka Clayton and Phillip Andrew JEWISH MUSEUM MILWAUKEE “Ezy Ryders: History & Tradition, Heart Lewis: Rock Fade, through Aug. 30 jewishmuseummilwaukee.org & Soul,” through 2026 How Do You Throw a Brick Through 48 Jews: Layers of Identity, Photographer Cate Dingley’s book the Window…, March 14-Oct. 4 March 5-Sept. 6 Ezy Ryders focuses on New York City’s

H. F. JOHNSON GALLERY OF ART carthage.edu/art-gallery

KETTLE MORAINE PLAYHOUSE, SLINGER kmplayhouse.com KETTLE MORAINE SYMPHONY kmsymphony.org Verdi Requiem, April 26 (with Bel Canto Chorus) KIM STORAGE GALLERY kimstoragegallery.com Gabrielle Marie Stone, through April 10

HOVER CRAFT hovercraftmke.com HYPERLOCAL MKE hyperlocalmke.com

HARLEY DAVIDSON MUSEUM

IMPRESSIONS FINE ARTS GALLERY blueharboaresort.com INSPIRATION STUDIOS ART GALLERY inspirationstudiosgallery.com The Cake, March (Theatrical Tendencies) Fast Company, April (Lotus Theatre) Leah & Zakia Exhibit, April Of Thread and Thorn, May 15-24 (Kith & Kin Theatre Collective) 34 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Photo of Harley Davidson Museum by Tim Czerniakowski.

MARCH 2026 | 35

SPECIAL SPRING ARTS GUIDE

KITH AND KIN THEATRE COLLECTIVE kithandkintheatre.com Of Thread and Thorn, May 15-24 KNEELAND-WALKER HOUSE wauwatosahistoricalsociety.org

SPONSORED BY

MADISON MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY PLAYERS SOCIETY

mmoca.org

marquette.presence.io/organization/ Marquette-players-society

A Broad Sweep of Sky, through March 29 MADISON THEATRE GUILD

KNIGHTWIND ENSEMBLE

madisontheatreguild.org

knightwind.org

The Butter and Egg Man, March 20-April 4

KOHLER MEMORIAL THEATER kohlerfoundation.org

MAKING MUSIC VOCAL ARTS

KO-THI DANCE COMPANY

mmvocalarts.com

ko-thi.org

MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

LAKE ARTS PROJECT lakeartsproject.com

marcuscenter.org

MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY THEATRE marquette.edu/communication/theatre-arts.php Noises Off, April 17-19, April 23-26 MASTER SINGERS OF MILWAUKEE mastersingersofmilwaukee.org Night and Day, May 17 (Crossroads Presbyterian Church, Mequon) MATERIAL STUDIOS + GALLERY materialstudiosandgallery.com

LAKE COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE

Clue: The Movie Hosted by Lesley Ann Warren, March 3

lakecountryplayhousewi.org

Hadestown, March 6-7

memoriesballroom.com

The Da Vinci Code, March 13-29

Tales of Hoffman, March 13-15 (Florentine Opera)

Godspell, March 20-29

LAKEFRONT FESTIVAL OF ART

Bodytraffic, March 18

mam.org

One Night of Queen, March 20

LATINO ARTS, INC. latinoartsinc.org

Rocky Mountain High Experience: John Denver Tribute, March 21

Christie Tirado: Cosechando Historias, March 6-June 5

The Wiz, March 24-29

Quitapenas, March 6

New Jazz Underground, April 10

Beats & Baile: A Salsa Social, April 10 LION PERFORMANCE HALL, RICHFIELD

Shen Yun, March 21-22

Disney’s Frozen, April 11-May 17 Mariachi Henrencia de Mexico, April 16

lionperformancehall.com

Morning Glory Art Fair, May 30-31

Juan Pablo Horcasitas: Songs and Dances from Around the World, March 22

Riverdance 30: The New Generation, April 17-18

LILY PAD GALLERY WEST lilypadgallery.com LUTHERAN A CAPELLA CHOIR OF MILWAUKEE lutheranacapella.org LYNDEN SCULPTURE GARDEN lyndensculpturegarden.org Faythe Levine: Time is Running Out, through March 14

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, April 21 Alvin Ailey (1931-1989) was a pioneering African American choreographer and dancer. The company he founded in 1958, as the civil rights movement gained momentum, carries on his vision of fusing modern dance and ballet with Black American vernacular music and dance. (David Luhrssen)

Looney Lutherans, May 2-3 A Red Plaid Shirt, May 8-17 MENOMONEE FALLS SYMPHONY www.mfso.net Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony, April 11 (Hamilton Fine Arts Center, Sussex) It’s one of classical music’s mysteries: why did 25-year-old Franz Schubert begin his Symphony No. 8 but never finish it? Was he afraid he couldn’t top the magical first two movements with a third? Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony remained unperformed until 37 years after his death. (David Luhrssen) MIAD FREDERICK LAYTON GALLERY miad.edu The Circle that Unites Us, through March 6 MIAD GALLERY AT THE AVE galleryattheave.miad.edu

360 All Stars, April 24

MADISON BALLET

Alice (In Wonderland), May 1-10 (Milwaukee Ballet)

madisonballet.org

Artemis, May 14

ChoreograpHER, April 3-5

Tosca, May 15-17 (Florentine Opera)

36 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

MEMORIES DINNER THEATRE

Illustrations by GettyImages-fireflamenco.

MARCH 2026 | 37

SPECIAL SPRING ARTS GUIDE

SPONSORED BY

MILWAUKEE FILM mkefilm.org MILWAUKEE FRINGE FESTIVAL mkefringe.com MILWAUKEE IRISH ARTS milirisharts.wordpres.com MILWAUKEE JAZZ INSTITUTE milwaukeejazzinstitute.org MILWAUKEE JAZZ ORCHESTRA mjojazz.com The Skylight Series, April 30 (Broadway Theatre Center) MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM Photo of Milwaukee Art Museum courtesy of the VISIT Milwaukee Media Library.

MILWAUKEE MAKERS MARKET https://www.milwaukeemakersmarket. com/

MILWAUKEE CHAMBER THEATRE

MILWAUKEE MUSAIK

mam.org

milwaukeechambertheatre.org

milwaukeemusaik.org

Gertrude & Friends: Wisconsin’s Magic Realists, through July

Is This a Room, March 20-April 5 (Broadway Theater Center Studio Theatre)

American Soundscapes: A 250th Celebration, March 30 (Wisconsin Conservatory of Music)

MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM

Gertrude Abercrombie: The Whole World is a Mystery, March 27-July 19

A Raisin in the Sun, May 8-24 (Broadway Theater Center Cabot Theatre)

The music in this ambitiously eclectic concert is united by its origins in America, from the colonial era through the elegant minimalism of Philip Glass. In between, Milwaukee Musaik will perform work by the late Romantic Samuel Barber and the Jazz Age’s George Gershwin, among others. (David Luhrssen)

Gertrude Abercrombie (1909-1977) was a prominent Chicago surrealist, painting enigmatic landscapes and interiors lifted from dreams and oddly elongated bodies from a dark palette. Owls and broomsticks and doors opening to nowhere were motifs. She led a fascinating bohemian life. Dizzy Gillespie played at her wedding and thought her art was bebop visualized.

(David Luhrssen)

A Raisin in the Sun, the powerful 1959 play by African American playwright Loraine Hansberry, concerns a Black family coming to grips with issues of identity and racism, felt most acutely in housing discrimination. The play was adapted as a 1961 film starring Sidney Poitier and has been periodically revived on Broadway. (David Luhrssen)

Art in Bloom, April 16-19

MILWAUKEE CHILDREN'S CHOIR

milwaukeeoperatheatre.org

milwaukeechildrenschoir.org

Camille’s Rainbow, March 19-23

milwaukeeballet.org

MILWAUKEE COMEDY

Genesis, March 13-15 (Pabst Theater)

milwaukeecomedy.com

Alice (In Wonderland), May 1-10 (Marcus Performing Arts Center)

MILWAUKEE COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA

Says Milwaukee Opera Theatre artistic director Jill Anna Ponasik of an opera written for pre-kindergartners, “Camille's Rainbow is written to sit within a child's vocal register; this encourages them to play with us vocally throughout the performance. When we think of 'opera.' we're often imagining vocal extremes of very, very high, or very, very low singing and big sound. Camille's Rainbow doesn't go there. It has a gentle, playful quality to it, but the central idea is communicated through singing, which pulls us into the territory of opera.” (Jamie Lee Rake)

MILWAUKEE BALLET

Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland has been called “the most enchanting nonsense in the English language.”

Continuing to enchant 150 years after they was written, Carroll’s enigmatic characters seem ideal for ballet as adapted by internationally known choreographer Septime Weber.

(David Luhrssen)

mkeorch.org MCO String Orchestra Spring Concert: Tchaikovsky, Siebelius, Rutter and John Williams, April 26 (St. Sebastian Church) MCO Spring Concert, May 3 (South Milwaukee PAC, with Milwaukee Community Chorus) MILWAUKEE FESTIVAL BRASS mfbrass.org

38 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Innocence and Wonder with Soprano Alisa Jordheim (Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church) MILWAUKEE OPERA THEATRE

Follies, April 29

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SPECIAL SPRING ARTS GUIDE

SPONSORED BY

Copland & Twain: America 250, May 8-10 MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART

America the Beautiful: Patriotic Pops, May 22-24 Stravinsky’s Firebird, May 29-30 When the dance impresario Sergei Diaghilev commissioned Igor Stravinsky to write a ballet, the result was The Firebird (1910). Lavish with a touch of dissonance, The Firebird drew from Russian folklore and imbued it with thrilling modernism. In coming years Stravinsky mined his original concept for three orchestral suites.

(David Luhrssen) MILWAUKEE YOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA myso.org MILWAUKEE YOUTH THEATRE

Photo courtesy of the Museum of Wisconsin Art.

milwaukeeyouththeatre.org MKE BLACK THEATRE FESTIVAL

MILWAUKEE REPERTORY THEATER

MILWAUKEE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

milwaukeerep.com

mso.org

MKE STUDIO TOUR

Hadelich & Brahms, March 6-7

mkestudiotour.com

Windborne’s The Music of Queen, March 14

morningstarproductions.org

Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, March 20-21

The Bell, March (Kneeland-Walker Mansion)

McNeal, through March 22 (Herro-Franke Studio Theater) Raised in Milwaukee, Ayad Akhtar earned a Pulitzer Prize for his 2012 play Disgraced. Since then, the Pakistani American won additional prizes for work that addresses assimilation, immigration, identity and the nation’s corrupt economy. His latest, the darkly comedic Broadway hit McNeal, concerns “art and ambition in the age of AI.” (David Luhrssen) August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, through March 22 (Checota Powerhouse Theater) Ain’t Misbehavin’: The Fats Waller Musical Show, March 6-April 26 (Stackner Cabaret) Frida … A Self Portrait, April 3-May 16 (Herro-Franke Studio Theater) Mrs. Christie, April 14-May 10 (Checota Powerhouse Theater) Georgie & Grace: A Love Story, May 1-June 14 (Stackner Cabaret) And Then There Were None, May 26-June 28

Yo-Yo Ma with Orchestra, March 25 Decades: Back to the ‘80s, March 27-29 Wincor Conducts Shostakovich No. 1, April 10-11 In a concert dedicated to youthful talent, rising young conductor Katharina Wincor will lead the orchestra on something from Mozart’s earlier years, his Piano Concerto No. 9 (written at age 21), along with Dmitri Shostakovich’s conservatory graduation piece, his First Symphony (at age 19). Guest pianist David Fray joins the MSO for the performance. (David Luhrssen) Stars of Tomorrow, April 12 Schumann Romance, April 17-18 Fandango & Rapsodie, April 26 Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience, May 1

blackartsmke.org

MORNING STAR PRODUCTIONS

MUSEUM OF WISCONSIN ART wisconsinart.org MOWA | DTN (Saint Kate-The Arts Hotel) MOWA on the Lake (St. John’s on the Lake) NEXT ACT THEATRE nextact.org Swing State, through March 8 Rebecca Gilman is no stranger to Milwaukee theatergoers; her plays have been performed at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre and Renaissance Theaterworks. Her latest, Swing State, is a comedy set in rural Wisconsin where an out-of-state energy company buys farmland and threatens the community that lives there. The Chicago Tribune called it “the best play since COVID to tap into our divided nation.”

(David Luhrssen) Dinner with the Duchess, April 22-May 17

40 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

MARCH 2026 | 41

SPECIAL SPRING ARTS GUIDE

SPONSORED BY

NŌ STUDIOS

PIANOARTS OF WISCONSIN

RACINE ART MUSEUM

nostudios.com

pianoarts.org

ramart.org

NO INSTRUCTIONS GALLERY

Recitals, May 27-June 1

moinstructs.com

Concertos with Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, June 2

RAM Showcase: Bodies, through March 14

Charlotte Saylor and Kiefer Waterman, March 6-April 10

PINK UMBRELLA THEATER

Cassidy Ott, April 24-May 29

Pinkumbrellatheater.org

NORTH SHORE ACADEMY OF THE ARTS

PORTRAIT SOCIETY GALLERY

facebook.com/northshoreacademyofthearts NORTHERN SKY THEATER northernskytheater.com OAK CREEK PERFORMING ARTS AND EDUCATION CENTER oakcreepaec.com OCONOMOWOC ARTS CENTER oasd.k12.wi.us/artscenter OPTIMIST THEATRE optimisttheatre.org OUTSKIRTS THEATRE outskirtstheatre.org OVER OUR HEAD PLAYERS overourheadplayers.org Salmon-a-Rama, May 8-10, May 15-17, May 21-24, May 28-31 (Sixth Street Theater, Racine) PAINT CEDARBURG: A PLEIN AIR PAINTING EVENT cedarburgartistsguild.com/paint-cedarburg PENINSULA PLAYERS THEATRE peninsulaplayers.com In the Doorway, play reading, March 2 the after wife, play reading, April 6 PENINSULA SCHOOL OF ART peninsulaschoolofart.org PHILOMUSICA QUARTET philomusicaquartet.com

42 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

portraitsocietygallery.com A Catalog of Inquiries: The Contemporary Surreal, March 6 -April 17 Surrealism is associated with the 1920s and ‘30s but the spirit of altered, dream consciousness still inspires artists in the 21st century. According to Portrait Society director Debra Brehmer, “This group exhibition of contemporary women artists working within the terms of Surrealism privileges fantasy, invention and sculpted realities over logic and order.”

Artists include Demitra Copoulos, Ella Dwyer, Jean Roberts-Guequierre, Diane Levesque, Ashley Lusietto and Divyangi Shukla. (David Luhrssen) PRESENT MUSIC presentmusic.org Rahde Rahde: Rites of Holi, March 20-21 (Jan Serr Studio) The 2014 film by Indian American director Prashant Bhargava, Rahde Rahde, concerns the Hindu spring festival Holi.

Present Music will screen the film with a live score by New York jazz pianist-composer Vijay Iyer. The concert’s cinematic dimension continues with Canadian “musical scientist” Nicole Lizée’s tribute to Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. Also on the program: Jlin Patton's Little Black Book and Judd Greenstein's Jitterpocket. (David Luhrssen) PROMETHEUS TRIO wcmusic.org

From the Archives, through March 14 RAM Showcase: Indigenous Baskets, through April 18 Watercolor Wisconsin 2025, through April 18 Tanya Crane: Embodied Histories, Exploring the Legacy of African Jewelry, through Jan. 9, 2027 RACINE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA racinesymphony.org The Beethoven Project: A Grand Beginning, April 18 (DeKoven Center, Racine) RACINE THEATRE GUILD racinetheatre.org The Girl on the Train, through March 15 The Hobbit, April 10-19 J.R.R. Tolkien penned The Hobbit to entertain his children; he didn’t intend it for publication and never expected to become a cult figure in literature and film. Patricia Gray adapted the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, the prelude to Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” saga, for the stage. (David Luhrssen) Pippin, May 15-31 RE:CRAFT AND RELIC craftandrelic.com Spring Market, April 18-19 REAL TINSEL GALLERY realtinsel.com Kyle Seis: Catching a Tumbling Shadow, through March 22 Chad Alexander Matha, March 22-May 2

QUASIMONDO PHYSICAL THEATRE quasimondo.org RACINE ART GUILD racineartguild.com

Illustrations by GettyImages-fireflamenco.

MARCH 2026 | 43

SPECIAL SPRING ARTS GUIDE

SPONSORED BY

SKYLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE skylightmusictheatre.org The Spitfire Grill, through March 15 A Rockin’ Midsummer Night’s Dream, April 10-26 SOUTH MILWAUKEE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER southmilwaukeepac.org Funny Women of a Certain Age, March 6 SKYLIGHT MUSIC THEATRE Photo of Midsummer Night by Richard Termine.

RENAISSANCE THEATERWORKS r-t-w.com Barefoot in the Park, March 22-April 12 Many of us have seen the 1967 film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, but the humorous story of young newly-weds began life as a 1963 Neil Simon play. Renaissance’s artistic director and cofounder, Suzan Fete, will direct the popular romantic comedy.

(David Luhrssen) RIVER PRESS riverpressmke.com SACRA NOVA CHORALE sacranovacathedrale.com SAINT KATE - THE ARTS HOTEL GALLERY saintkatearts.com Sweet Emulsion: Photography as Painting, through April 12 Bobbi Meieir and Gelah Penn: Drawing into Sculpture, April 17-July 10 SCULPTURE MILWAUKEE sculpturemilwaukee.com Sculpture Milwaukee was founded in 2017 from an idea by local entrepreneur Steve Marcus and became an independent nonprofit in 2020. Sculpture Milwaukee has commissioned work to line Wisconsin Avenue from living artists, some with ties to our state. As much as possible, the sculptures are fabricated in Wisconsin in keeping with the Badger State’s machine-shop history. (David Luhrssen)

44 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

SEAT OF OUR PANTS READER THEATRE mkereaderstheatre.com SHARON LYNNE WILSON CENTER FOR THE ARTS wilson-center.com I’ve Got to Be Me: Celebrating Sammy Davis Jr., March 11

Hello Dolly, March 13-15 (South Milwaukee High School) Gregorian Pure Chants World Tour, March 18 With over 2,000 shows in 36 countries, not to mention a PBS special and impressive album sales, Gregorian has been called “the most successful choir in the world.” (Morton Shlabotnik) Women of Americana, March 27 Knightwind Ensemble, April 12

Cecil and Ari Alexander, March 27

SUNSET PLAYHOUSE

Pascal & Rapp: 30 Years of Friendship and Rent, April 10

sunsetplayhouse.com

Donna Woodall Group: The Music of Carole King, April 17

Marvelous Motown, March 9-10

Raised in Milwaukee, singer Donna Woodall’s innate musicality and affable personality insinuated her into popular local jazz bands like Eddie Butts and Streetlife, the dynamite jazz-fusion band led by Warren Wiegratz, which played for Milwaukee Bucks crowds for years. Woodall can project big but also charm you with a tender ballad.

(Kevin Lynch) Sam Grisman Project, May 1 Valjean, Cosette & String Quartet, May 13 SHEBOYGAN THEATRE COMPANY stcshows.org Mamma Mia! May 8-16 Sweden’s super troupers remain as popular as ever. Given ABBA’s gorgeous harmonies, catchy melodies and generally upbeat tunes, how could anyone resist them? Since the songs came first, the book by Catherine Johnson had to be constructed around the songs and in particular, the lyrics. For the most part it works.

(Harry Cherkinian)

Nana’s Naughty Knickers, March 5-22

Diva Dynasty: A Tribute to Judy & Liza, March 26-29 Proof, April 10-18 By the time David Auburn’s play about mathematical genius and mental illness moved from off to on Broadway, Proof had won a Tony and a Pulitzer.

The protagonist has inherited some of her father’s brilliance but worries that her legacy might also include his instability. (David Luhrssen) When I Look in the Mirror, April 22-25 All Shook Up, April 23-May 10 THEATRE GIGANTE theatregigante.org THEATRICAL TENDENCIES theatricaltendencies.com The Cake, March 6-15 THIRD AVENUE PLAYHOUSE, STURGEON BAY thirdavenueplayworks.org Heroes, April 22-May 10

MARCH 2026 | 45

SPECIAL SPRING ARTS GUIDE THRASHER OPERA HOUSE, GREEN LAKE thrasheroperahouse.com THREE POINT PROJECT Threepointprojectwi.com TOOTH-AND-NAIL GALLERY toothandnailmke.com TORY FOLLIARD GALLERY toryfolliard.com True to Life: Contemporary Realism, through March 28 The Magic Realism of John Wilde, March 27-June 27 Here’s Looking at You: The Portrait in Contemporary Art, April 17-May 30

SPONSORED BY

Rituals, Spells and Charms, March 21 (Present Music, Kenilworth Square East, Jan Serr Studio) Art & Design First Year Exhibition, April 1-10 (UWM Union Art Gallery)

Songs for a New World, April 8-12 (Kenilworth Square East, Kenilworth Five-0-Eight)

Art & Design First Year Exhibition, April 1-10

Makers! 26+Sculpture 26+Focus!

Student Exhibitions, April 10-26 (Kenilworth Square East, 3rd Floor Gallery)

UW-WHITEWATER CROSSMAN GALLERY

UWM Symphony Orchestra, April 10 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts)

uwp.edu/the rita/theatreperformances.cfm

UWM Opera Theater Spring Opera, April 17-18 (Music Building)

UW-MILWAUKEE PECK SCHOOL OF THE ARTS uwm.edu/arts/events UWAY All-Stars in Concert, March 1 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts) The Good Doctor, March 11-15 (Theatre Building) Jazz Ensembles, March 12 (Kenilworth Square East, Jan Serr Studio) Art & Design MFA Thesis Exhibition, March 13-April 18 (Kenilworth Square East Gallery) Spring Choral Invitational, March 13 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts) Sing into Spring Choral Concert, March 14 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts) UWM Pop Ensemble, March 16 (Music Building) Premieres of New Music, March 17 (Music Building) Voice Recital: Alisa Jordheim and Kuang-Hao Huang, March 18 (Music Building) Chamber Music Milwaukee: Florestan Duo, March 19 (Music Building) 46 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

UWM UNION ART GALLERY

First Year Musical Theater Showcase, April 6 (Music Building)

UW-PARKSIDE THEATRE

underscoreprojects.info

New Dramaworks: 2026 Short Play Festival, May 6-10

uwm.edu/studentinvolvement/ arts-and-entertainment/union-artgallery

“UWM Percussion Ensemble and Wisconsin Percussive Arts Society, April 17-18 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts)

UNDERSCORE (INSIDE REAL TINSEL)

UWM Symphony Orchestra, May 1

MKE Mass Steel Band, April 17 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts) Chamber Music Milwaukee: Master Works, April 23 (Music Building) UWM Wind Ensemble, April 24 University Community Orchestra Spring Concert, April 26 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts) University Community Band Spring Concert, April 27 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts) Three Sisters, April 29-May 3 (Theatre Building) Anton Chekhov was Russia’s closest answer to Shakespeare as a playwright whose work is known the world over. Three Sisters, one of his most enduring plays, is filled with the hunger for life and the power of simplicity as it fathoms the mysteries of the human condition. (David Luhrssen) Springdances 2026, April 30-May 3 (Kenilworth Square East, Jan Serr Studio) UWM Steel PANthers Steel Band and Community World Music Ensemble, April 30 (Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts)

uww.edu/coac/crossman UW-WHITEWATER YOUNG AUDITORIUM uww.edu/youngauditorium VAR GALLERY & STUDIOS vargallery.com VILLA TERRACE DECORATIVE ARTS MUSEUM villaterrace.org VILLAGE PLAYHOUSE villageplayhouse.org VOICES FOUND voicesfoundrep.com WALKER'S POINT CENTER FOR THE ARTS wpca-milwaukee.org WATER STREET DANCE MILWAUKEE waterstreetdancemke.com WAUKESHA CIVIC THEATRE waukeshacivictheatre.org Hadestown Teen Edition, through March 8 The Prom, March 13-29 The Legend of William Tell, April 10-12 (ACAP Playmakers) Give Me Moonlight, April 17-26 Calendar Girls, May 1-17 The Nanny, May 13-14 (Purse String Productions) WEST ALLIS PLAYERS westallisplayers.org WEST BEND THEATRE COMPANY westbendtheatreco.com

MARCH 2026 | 47

SPECIAL SPRING ARTS GUIDE

SPONSORED BY

WISCONSIN CRAFT - MORNING GLORY ART FAIR

WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE CENTER FOR ARTS AND PERFORMANCE wlc.edu CelloVoci, March 28 (Schwan Concert Hall) Philomusica String Quartet: British Connections, April 13 (Schwan Concert Hall) The Hello Girls, April 15 (Raabe Theatre) Spring Jazz Band and CAGE Concert, April 22 (Raabe Theatre) Spring Choir Concert, April 24 (Schwan Concert Hall) Spring Chamber Ensemble Concert, April 26 (Schwan Concert Hall) WISCONSIN MUSEUM OF QUILTS & FIBER ART wiquiltmuseum.com Quilts Japan: The 17th Quilt Nihon, through March 8 WISCONSIN PHILHARMONIC

Photo of Morning Glory Art Fair by Mark Zanowski.

WEST PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

WISCONSIN CRAFT

nbexcellence.org/community/westpac. cfm

wisconsincraft.org

WILD SPACE DANCE COMPANY wildspacedance.org Beyond the Shimmer, April 10-11 WINDFALL THEATRE

Morning Glory Art Fair, May 30 (Marcus Center Performing Arts Center)

wisphil.org WOODLAND PATTERN BOOK CENTER woodlandpattern.org WUSTUM MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS ramart.org

WISCONSIN DANCE THEATRE wisconsindancetheatre.com

windfalltheatre.com WISCONSIN CLASSIC STAGE joshpohja.com The Persians, April

WISCONSIN PHILHARMONIC

Aeschylus’ The Persians is a classic in the truest sense, a 2,500-year-old play about war and its costs that remains relevant. It was revived by Peter Sellars in response to the First Persian Gulf War and by New York’s National Actors Theatre after the invasion of Iraq. The new production is timely.

(David Luhrssen) WISCONSIN CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC wcmusic.org Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Philharmonic.

48 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

MARCH 2026 | 49

SPECIAL SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | SPONSORED BY POTAWATOMI SPORTSBOOK

IT’S TIME FOR

MARCH MADNESS

BY LIAM HANLEY

M

arch is a month filled with compelling narratives in the world of college basketball. Over a few short weeks, dreams will come true for a handful of athletes, coaches, and fans across the country. For others, the month will only bring heartbreak; painful reminders of what could have been.

Adding to the anguish was the dismissal of promising sophomore Zaide Lowery following an altercation with assistant coach Cody Hatt.

Who will etch their name in March Madness lore? The Shepherd Express dissects the NCAA Tournament field and highlights the local stories to track this March.

This season has also been disappointing for the Milwaukee Panthers, as the preseason Horizon League favorites have seen injuries decimate their squad. With three senior starters out for the season, the Panthers have rapidly dropped in the Horizon League standings following a promising 3-0 league start.

UNDERWHELMING SEASONS FOR MILWAUKEE SQUADS Relationships. Growth. Victory. That is the central motto of head coach Shaka Smart’s Marquette program.

After four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, Smart looked to continue this momentum even with the graduation of All-American Kam Jones. Yet a roster guided by up-andcoming guard Chase Ross failed to demonstrate any of Smart’s core tenets.

A lack of development from returners and the absence of incoming transfers have led to what will likely be Marquette’s first losing season since 1998-99.

50 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Only a miraculous Big East Tournament Championship will earn the Golden Eagles a March Madness berth.

Rotating player availability created a unique challenge for Milwaukee head coach Bart Lundy. “We’ve had this group for about two weeks now,” Lundy said after a Jan. 30 defeat to Wright State. “It sounds weird to say that, but we’ve had so many different teams. These guys are learning to play as a group. If we can keep this group [together], we’ll continue to get better, and we’ll be dangerous at the end.”

LOCAL INTRIGUE Despite struggles from Milwaukee squads, there are still compelling storylines for local college basketball fans.

Basketball linework by GettyImages/Ida Setyorini.

Grungy background texture by GettyImages/DesignToons.

MARCH 2026 | 51

SPECIAL SPORTS SPOTLIGHT | SPONSORED BY POTAWATOMI SPORTSBOOK

Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic has developed into an outstanding scorer. The Pewaukee product with a Dirk Nowitzki-esque game is the Division I leader in three-point makes and percentage as his Cyclones push for a #1 seed.

At Tulsa, Sheboygan native Miles Barnstable has the American Athletic Conference leaders in position for their first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade. The former UW-Whitewater star is an explosive scorer who has seamlessly transitioned to D1 basketball.

CONTENDERS AND UPSET POTENTIAL Last season, all four number-one seeds reached the Final Four for the first time since 2008. This year, the gap between the elites and the rest of the field is much closer thanks to a phenomenal freshman class.

Highly touted first-years Cameron Boozer (Duke), AJ Dybansta (BYU), and Darryn Peterson (Kansas) are the consensus top three picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.

But concerns remain about whether they have the supporting casts to make deep tournament runs.

52 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

Yet the current front-runner is an experienced Michigan squad with an elite frontline.

UAB transfer Yaxel Lendenborg is dominant at both ends of the floor, while seven-footer Aday Mara is an elite rim protector for one of the nation’s top defenses.

In the mid-major sphere, no league has provided more intrigue than the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The MAC features two of college basketball’s best offenses: the Miami RedHawks and the Akron Zips. These teams are prolific from beyond the arc and equally efficient at the rim, as evidenced by their 90-plus-point-per-game scoring averages.

Akron and Miami have great chemistry as a result of strong roster continuity, making them a stiff test for potential March Madness opponents.

Liam Hanley cohosts the MKE Sports Express podcast.

Photo of the Panther Arena by Timothy Czerniakowski.

Grungy background texture by GettyImages/DesignToons.

MARCH 2026 | 53

SPECIAL HOME AND GARDEN

A Milwaukee Tradition, A CENTURY IN THE MAKING

THE REALTORS® HOME & GARDEN SHOW CELEBRATES 100 YEARS IN 2026

F

rom the days of pink kitchens and homemaker table

From fresh ideas for your home and garden to a celebration

setting competitions to the elaborate landscape and

of a century of growth and innovation, the show offers

water displays of today, The REALTORS® Home &

inspiration for every season of living.

Garden Show, the longest running home show in the country, turns 100 this year, reflecting how Milwaukee lives, builds,

gardens and dreams.

Stroll through this year’s Garden Promenade and find inspiration for your own outdoor living spaces. Aquatica brings “A Different Kind of Connection” to life with a

What started in the 1920s as a way for the Milwaukee real

1,200-square-foot water feature display that encourages

estate community to introduce new ideas in homebuilding,

guests to unplug and reconnect with nature—and each

craftmanship and design has grown to become a

other, while seven landscape displays spanning more

springtime tradition.

than 11,000 square feet create this years’ promenade.

Over the decades, the show adapted to changing lifestyles and tastes, incorporating landscape design, outdoor living, sustainability, and modern technology. This year, The REALTORS® Home & Garden Show, presented by Unilock, takes place March 20-29 (closed Monday and Tuesday) at State Fair Park’s Expo Center.

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Highlights include water features and plantings, the latest landscaping and hardscaping trends, outdoor kitchens, putting greens, fire pits, pergolas and outdoor entertainment spaces. The outstanding floral displays will provide a welcome relief to a long winter. This year’s Garden Promenade landscapers include Badgerland Lawn & Landscaping, Breckenridge Landscape,

Photo of grass by GettyImages/Somchai Sookkasem.

Photo of garden by GettyImages/Andrey Sayfutdinov.

MARCH 2026 | 55

SPECIAL HOME AND GARDEN

WATER FEATURE

BY AQUATICA PONDS EXHIBITOR AT THE REALTORS® HOME AND GARDEN SHOW

Myers reflected on the evolving trends of gardening over time. “In the past gardens were often more formal with rows, not masses, of plants, lots of annuals and straight lines and often backed by evergreens,” she said. “Over time people seem to be seeing the value of flowering shrubs as part of planting beds and the landscape, with shrubs being longer lasting plants, generally lower maintenance (when the right plant is selected) and year-round beauty.”

Attendees can ask Myers questions about their own gardens, as she loves to spend time with them after her presentations. She is often asked about popular trends.

“Containers remain popular, allowing people to bring the garden to their patio, porch or balcony,” she said.

“Gardeners are growing trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, vegetables, herbs and fruit plants in containers, often mixing edible plants with ornamental ones.”

To mark the show’s 100th anniversary, attendees can explore and shop a curated selection of antiques presented by members of the Wisconsin Antique Dealers Association (WADA) during the final weekend of the event, Friday, March 27 through Sunday, March 29.

In addition, complimentary antique valuations will be offered on Saturday, March 28, from 1–3 p.m. by Scott Watson, current WADA president and owner of Portobello Road Antiques and Appraisals, and Cheri Riehle, owner of Treasurers A to Z Antiques and Appraisals. Both are seasoned appraisers and past participants in the MPTV Appraisal Fair.

There’s fun for the whole family at the show! Kids can enjoy expanded activities in the Sprouts Area, including face painting from 11 am to 1 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Be sure to stop by the Yutka Fence Puppy Pit to meet adorable and adoptable puppies from local shelters.

Photos courtesy of Aquatica Ponds in Wales, WI.

Breezy Hill Nursery, Excel Custom Contractors, Exteriors Unlimited Landscape Contractors, Extreme Exteriors, and Plus Designs & Build. Also featured is a 1,200-square-foot interactive illuminated tunnel by Reinders.

Attendees can check out the lineup of home improvement expert speakers at the Minor’s Garden Center Solutions Stage. From a historical look at the evolution of perennials to top trends in hardscaping, the experts will educate and inspire on a variety of topics.

Southeast Wisconsin Master Gardeners will provide gardening tips and ideas for vegetable gardens, landscapes, composting, backyard butterflies and more.

In addition, nationally renowned gardening expert Melinda Myers will headline both Saturdays at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on March 21 and 28.

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Attendees can also chat one-on-one with industry professionals at their exhibit booths. The REALTORS® Home & Garden Show will feature more than 300 companies specializing in landscaping, remodeling, real estate, gardening, roofing and siding, windows and doors, decking and patios, cabinets and flooring, plumbing, heating and cooling, interior decorating, and more. For those interested in smaller upgrades, the show’s Garden Market offers lawn accents for sale, as well as books, jewelry, unique food and beverage offerings.

Admission to the REALTORS® Home & Garden Show, presented by Unilock®, is $12 for adults, $6 for seniors 65+ (on-site box office only), and free for children 12 years old and under, as well as for active or retired military (on-site box office only with valid ID). Parking is $13 per vehicle, and $10 per motorcycle. Visit www.mkehgs.com or call 414.778.4929 for additional show information.

Photo of Milwaukee Home and Garden Show via mkehgs.com.

MARCH 2026 | 57

SPECIAL OPEN HOUSE

Frank Lloyd Wright at Home in Milwaukee

BY LARRY WIDEN

F

rank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center, Wis. in 1867, but it would be 15 years before he and his family had a permanent home. His minister father traveled extensively in Iowa and Massachusetts, accepting one position after another tending local congregations. The family returned to Wisconsin and settled in Madison where Wright attended high school, and then the university.

Afterward he went to Chicago and joined the firm of famed architect Louis Sullivan. Initially he did well, but soon the flashes of ego and arrogance led Sullivan to terminate Wright’s employment. On his own, Wright began designing high-end homes in Oak Park, Illinois Ill. Although married and starting a family, Wright had an intense affair with Mamah Borthwick, the wife of a client.

Wright deserted his wife and six children and departed for Europe with his lover. When they returned to Chicago in 1911, Wright was persona non grata with Chicago’s elite society.

Love triangles sold newspapers, especially those with famous personalities. Because his first wife refused to give him a divorce, Wright reluctantly opened a small practice in Spring Green, Wisconsin Wis. He called his new home and studio Taliesin. Wright was away on business when an unstable employee set fire to the complex and murdered Mamah Bostwick and six others as they fled from the flames.

AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR THE WORKING CLASS As he recovered from the traumatic event, Wright found solace by designing a series of affordable homes for middle class workers and their families. Sears, Roebuck and Co. were already selling prefab or “kit” homes but Wright envisioned something new to the market.

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Clients were able to assemble a home for themselves from a book of Wright’s interchangeable designs. The company from which a home could be customized was called American System-Built Homes. Wright had no choice but to leave his name off the work as his scandalous life was still fresh in the public’s mind.

Wright partnered with Arthur Richards, a Milwaukee real estate developer, to bring his system-built residence project to fruition. The two men attempted to rise above Sears by having lumber pre-cut to exact specifications and delivered, along with the other home components, directly to the job site. There, a local contracting team would assemble the home from a detailed plan. The first set of model homes were constructed at the corner of 27th and Burnham Streets in Milwaukee in 1916.

COST CONTAINMENT Depending on the size and complexity of each project, Wright’s homes were priced from $32,000 to $56,000 in today’s money. Richards insisted on the cost containment because Wright was a profligate spender who usually went over budget on his clients’ projects.

The homes on Burnham Street were situated at what was considered the edge of town. Most Milwaukeeans did not own cars and were accustomed to using mass transit to get to and from destinations. An electric streetcar line down Burnham connected Wright’s homes to grocery stores, retail outlets, health care providers, barbershops and beauty parlors. Entertainment venues were easily accessed and movie theaters such as the Riviera, Photos courtesy of the VISIT Milwaukee Media Library.

MARCH 2026 | 59

SPECIAL OPEN HOUSE

Alamo and Mozart charged 20 cents for admission, making it easier for a budget-minded family to attend.

Wright was a master of creating rooms that appeared larger than they were. He utilized myriad ways to conserve space by having a dining room table fold up and slide into a wall slot or open spaces and large windows that often favored design over practicality. Twenty-five years later Wright’s concepts became the basis of mid-century modern architecture.

Wright and Richards foresaw homes constructed in a designated area that would evolve into affordable, welldesigned housing. In short, American System-Built Homes sold a lifestyle that aligned with the dreams of 20th century home buyers. If everything went according to plan the project was calculated to reach a minimum revenue of $1 million. But accusations of financial irregularities between Wright and Richards brought to dream to a grinding halt.

OUT OF BUSINESS With building materials diverted to the war effort in 191718, the American System-Built Homes went out of business.

Of the hundreds of homes planned, only a dozen were ever built; six in Milwaukee, and a handful of others scattered throughout the Midwest.

As of 2026, five of the six Wright homes at 27th Street and Burnham Street are owned by Frank Lloyd Wright’s

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Burnham Block, Inc—a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of these one-of-a-kind homes. Two of the homes are open for tours that provide guests with insight on how Wright envisioned simple, affordable homes with an eye toward expansion across the country. Volunteer docents with exceptional knowledge of the homes lead the tours. “The Burnham Block homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places,” said Mike Lilek, curator for the organization. “The homes comprise a City of Milwaukee Historic District and Milwaukee County Landmark Status.”

Frank Lloyd Wright was hailed as a genius among his peers, but a complex personality fueled by egotism, arrogance, and lack of empathy caused most of his relationships to disintegrate. His final project, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 9400 W. Congress St., was completed in 1961. The stunning Wauwatosa church is still visited by scholars and tourists from around the world. Wright died in 1959 at the age of 91.

Larry Widen is the author of several books on local history, including Silver Screens: Milwaukee Movie Palaces and was owner of the Times Cinema.

MARCH 2026 | 61

CULTURE

This Month in Milwaukee

7 Things to Do in March

BY SOPHIA HAMDAN, DAVID LUHRSSEN, BLAINE SCHULTZ, ANDREAS SCOCOS AND JULIA WATT

Illustrations by GettyImages/Grandfailure.

MARCH 5

MARCH 7

Sujata Massey, The Star from Calcutta

The Record Company w/ Jontavious Willis The Pabst Theater For Chris Vos, guitarist and singer for The Record Company, the road to The Pabst Theater winds from growing up on a farm in rural Wisconsin to Linneman’s open stage to Los Angeles and network television appearances, from NFL broadcasts to a recent pair of shows in Hawaii. The group’s 2016 debut album Give It Back to You spent 42 weeks on Billboard’s chart. Jumping off from the blues, The Record Company--Vos, along with Marc Cazorla and Alex Stiff, adds a healthy dose of rock.

t

Boswell Books Join mystery novelist and Baltimore Evening Sun alumna Sujata Massey at another “Thrillwaukee” evening with Boswell Books. Massey’s visit will feature her eagerly awaited 1920s Bollywood whodunnit, The Star from Calcutta, the fifth installment of her series featuring intrepid “proto-feminist” protagonist Perveen Mistry. Massey is lauded as a writer of highly anticipated BIPOC thrillers with rich historic detail, the glamorous and dramatic tribulations afoot in early Bollywood. The book is sure to be no exception to her growing catalogue of Zoroastrian-centered period mysteries.

MARCH 6-8 Anime Milwaukee p Baird Center Save the date for Anime Milwaukee’s return to the Baird Center.

Celebrate all-things geek culture in a three-day convention full of anime, manga, cosplay, music and gaming.

From cosplay competitions to artistic panels with industry professionals, Anime Milwaukee promises a quirky, otakucentric weekend. For more information, visit animemilwaukee.org.

62 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

MARCH 13 Mandy Barnett Sings Burt Bacharach Cedarburg Performing Arts Center In the ‘90s Mandy Barnett was successful on the country music charts but has proven to be a versatile talent.

At the Cedarburg PAC, she will sing from the catalog of Burt Bacharach, whose unostentatiously sophisticated, subtly jazz-tinged pop songs were a backdrop to the ‘60s in recordings by Tom Jones, Love, Dusty Springfield and Dionne Warwick.

MARCH 2026 | 63

CULTURE

Photo courtesy of shankhall.com.

MARCH 13 The Thing w/ Chapped Lips u Cactus Club Kicking off their 2024 Summerfest set in a drizzle, by the time NYC’s The Thing finished the humid weather had turned to merely overcast. None of that fazed the young quartet who hit the ground running and blazed through a set of dirty ass rock and roll. With a look circa 1975 and playing vintage gear to match they moved from heavy riff rockers to mid-tempo proto stoner jams to freakout raveups.

64 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

MARCH 21

MARCH 28

Tacos and Tequila Tour Walkers Point has had many different iterations since its 1846 founding.

Like many neighborhoods it has different cultures, stories and events that coexist and define people’s views of it. One view, however, stands out in Walker’s Point— Latino culture. This tour will highlight the influence on your taste buds. Featuring local Milwaukeeans as tour guides, the event will provide a local experience rather than a tourist trap. The three-hour bus journey of tacos, fajitas and a variety of tequila cocktails in the neighborhood includes dessert.

West Allis Workers v. Corporate Power West Allis Public Library Labor organizers will be screening three short films from the 1980s about the Allis-Chalmers Workers Union, featuring interviews and strike footage from historic Wisconsin labor battles. The free event is co-sponsored by Milwaukee Area Labor Council, Wisconsin Labor History Society, UW School of Workers and Young Workers Committee.

MARCH 27 The Meteors t Shank Hall It is written that rockabilly will inherit the earth. Nearly 50 years ago The Meteors formed in England in homage to the music that crawled from the American South in the late 1950’s. The British trio leans into psychobilly, the sub-genre that magnified, often humorously, the music and style. With a resume that boasts 24 albums the band has never wavered in its vision.

Image courtesy of cactusclubmilwaukee.com.

Illustrations by GettyImages/Grandfailure.

MARCH 2026 | 65

LIFESTYLE ASK ALLY

Dear Ally,

With all the recent tragedies occurring across the country, I feel silly, asking you about my personal problems, but here goes. My son is a drug addict and has been for quite some time. I realize I must do something different, so that I can live a more peaceful life, rather than worrying about him all the time. A good friend pointed out that I will never be able to control him and need to find a different way to deal with his problem. She told me that all the ways I’ve tried to help him in the past, have failed. He’s still using. I think she’s right. I need a different approach. I go to Al- Anon meetings, but I just can’t seem to let go of my need to change his ways. Can you provide some sound advice?

Helpless mom

Dear Helpless Mom,

Awareness of the problem is the first step. You’ve identified an aspect of your behavior that isn’t working. You must change. You will never be able to convince your son to be sober. He must do it himself. It’s your job to focus on your problems, not his.

I learned something new about the infamous three C’s: “I didn’t cause it, I can’t control it, I can’t cure it.” There’s a fourth C: “I can contribute to it.”

Don’t meddle in your son’s addiction.

Let your son be the hero of his own story.

Only he can make decisions about his life.

Our first reaction, as mothers, is to protect our children. In order to do that, our basic instinct is to try and control the environment so they won’t be in harm’s way. But in the case of addiction, we must work against these impulses.

It’s counterintuitive, but necessary.

Otherwise, our codependent tendencies will kick in to complicate and enlarge the problem.

Addiction is a brain disease. This is something that people forget. They think it’s a matter of will power and that the addict can decide to quit anytime they want. Not True. Alcohol and drugs wreak havoc on our brains as well as our bodies. Most addicts need professional treatment to end their addiction.

When you were growing up, were you valued for taking care of others? Did you receive lots of attention and positive reinforcement for putting others’ needs in front of your own? If yes, that’s where your co-dependency started.

Co-dependents are hard-wired to take care of others. They need validation.

Co-dependency is also an addiction.

We are addicted to help our loved ones, often at our own expense. That is hard to hear, but true. Co-dependents are also addicts.

By trying to control your son’s addiction, you are actually contributing to it.

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I know the addiction story well because I have experienced it. I’ve made lots of mistakes and am still making them.

After years of trying to control my loved one’s behavior, I read something shocking in the Al-Anon literature. “Al-Anon’s purpose is not to bring sobriety for the alcoholic, but peace of mind…” (for us.)

My life had to change. I had to develop a completely different mindset. It was very hard. But once I let go of the need to control; the pressure disappeared.

I finally could breathe again.

We can release control more easily if we constantly remember our job is to achieve peace in our lives, not the addicts. I also hold the Buddhist’s perspective of “nonattachment of outcomes,” as another way to let go. In Al-Anon, they say, “give it up to your higher power.”

(Higher Power is very loosely defined and follows the addict’s belief system.)

Focusing on yourself and letting your son determine his own future is probably the hardest thing you will ever do. Your heart will break a million times. You will eventually realize that you can no longer carry your son’s burden. He must carry it in order to heal. The same goes for you.

The only way to heal yourself is to focus on creating peace in your life.

Give yourself tons of grace. You will need lots of support. It helped me to meditate and focus on my breathing. I’d breathe in courage and breathe out fear. I learned to set healthy boundaries. For example, I refused to interact with my loved one if he was high. I told him that I loved him but could not talk to him unless he was sober.

This was very difficult. I found, though, that setting boundaries was my key to freedom and creating peace.

“We can have patience and compassion without being a crutch, so the addict may gain the strength to seek help for themselves.” (One Day at a Time in Al-Anon.)

You can do this!

Ally

Send your questions to AskAlly@shepex.com.

MARCH 2026 | 67

LIFESTYLE OUT OF MY MIND

On Being Naked

BY PHILIP CHARD

R

emember naked? That's what we are during those brief, fleeting interludes between long periods of being clothed. For many, it’s confined to the time between the shower and one’s towel.

Culturally, it’s not a popular look. As Mark Twain quipped, “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” As far back as the Roman Empire, there have been laws prohibiting going raw in public.

Anyway, a bit of research and some unscientific polling of my friends and clients has revealed the following about the behavioral psychology of being naked: • Even while asleep, nakedness is the exception.

Surveys show only about a third of us sleep in the buff.

The remainder drape themselves in pajamas or some other version of sleepwear. Perhaps the majority feel it's best to be prepared in case friends drop by and yank off your covers.

• Surveys show about a third of us don't get naked even to make love. There’s nothing wrong with making woopy while in some form of attire but doing so out of modesty implies discomfort or shame about showing the full monty.

• You'll be reassured to know the vast majority of people shower or bathe naked. Only one person I know wears a swimsuit in the shower. Of course, he calls it a bathing suit.

68 | SHEPHERD EXPRESS

• The vast majority of us feel abjectly uncomfortable being unclothed around others, not to mention that public nudity is illegal in most locations. Granted, there are nudist camps and beaches, and streaking is a still practiced if dying oddity, but most of us loathe the idea of being publicly exposed even while laid out for the undertaker, let alone the general populace.

• In fact, a few of those I polled sheepishly admitted they are not entirely at ease being naked in front of their spouse or lover and insist on keeping the lights low during amorous activity or, when in their company, wearing a towel when emerging from the shower.

• Surveys indicate over half of us report being uncomfortable or displeased seeing our naked bodies in the mirror, younger people more so than older ones. Given our oppressive cultural standards around female beauty, it’s not surprising that over 60% of women feel this way, while only about 40% of men follow suit. Guys either have lower standards or need glasses.

SHOOT THE MOON? The exposed human frame continues to elicit a shock-like reaction in many, which is a tad curious. Flashers use this reactive tendency to leave their audiences aghast, as do those who seek to shock by “shooting the moon” from a passing car or dorm window. But a number of variables play a major role in this regard.

Photo by GettyImages/Yuliia Kaveshnikova.

Illustration of shower by GettyImages-Perkasa Rambe.

For instance, very young children have the most admirable attitude toward nakedness. To them, a body is a body, clothed or otherwise. In turn, adults usually consider a toddler cavorting in the nude “cute.”

But before long, most youngsters learn to be modest, to fear exposure of their “privates,” as we call them, and eventually view nudity as a no-no. As any anthropologist knows, feelings of shame associated with nakedness are taught to children by their culture. If you don't believe me, flip through your old National Geographic magazines.

The fact that men and women in America pay to watch someone bump and grind their naked torso on stage is ample evidence of our contorted perception of how one should respond to an unadorned body. Our reactions are wildly inconsistent. A naked baby is “adorable,” a flasher with an open raincoat is “gross,” a stripper is “hot,” a streaker is “outrageous,” and a nude model in an art class is "aesthetic."

Truth is, underneath all those clothes, we are naked animals.

The kind of animal, it seems, that works hard at not being seen in its own skin.

As RuPaul said, “We all come into the world naked. The rest is all drag.”

Philip Chard is a psychotherapist and author with a focus on lasting behavior change, emotional healing and adaptation to health challenges. For more, visit philipchard.com.

While it's clear many are fond of implied nakedness (skimpy swimwear, revealing lingerie, tight exercise clothes), it's also obvious the real explicit thing, the unadorned, uncensored human physique, is something most feel is best kept under wraps. In part, this is because our culture sexualizes nakedness. If we’re ever suddenly exposed while naked, the first thing we do is cover the goods.

MARCH 2026 | 69

HEAR ME OUT DEAR RUTHIE | SPONSORED BY UW CREDIT UNION

MILKSHAKE OR EXPIRED MILK? DEAR RUTHIE, I’m 38 and feel too old for the gay scene. Am I expired milk?

What do you think? How old is too old?

SINCERELY,

Best if Used By

DEAR BESTIE, Honey, if you’re expired milk then I’m a wheel of cheese.

Thirty-eight is not old—it’s when the hangovers get longer but the journey to get there is better. You likely have a career now, a little more money in your pocket and some great friends with whom you’ve built solid relationships.

Remember that the gay scene is not made up of a single nightclub staffed by 22-year-olds named Brady. The gay scene is made up of people who dance till 2 a.m. as well as those who need orthopedic pillows by 9. If you feel invisible, you’re just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Confidence is sexier than youth, and you’ve got more stories and better credit now. Find spaces that appreciate that … and appreciate you. You’re not expired milk. In fact, your milkshake can still bring all the (right) boys to the yard.

XXOO

Ruthie

Have a question for Ruthie? Want to share an event with her? Contact Ruthie at dearruthie@shepex.com.

Follow her on social media, too!

Facebook: Dear Ruthie | Instagram: RuthieKeester | Twitter: @DearRuthie

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DEAR RUTHIE BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Ruthie's Social Calendar MARCH 3 BI/QUEER QUIET NIGHT AT LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER (161 S. FIRST ST.): Enjoy a calm, quiet and comforting night when you attend this 5:30 p.m. evening at the community center’s new home! A relaxing vibe takes centerstage at this no-stress gathering for the bi+ community. See www.mkelgbt.org for details.

MARCH 5 OPENING NIGHT NANA’S NAUGHTY KNICKERS AT SUNSET PLAYHOUSE (700 WALL ST., ELM GROVE): Grandma’s got a sexy secret, and she’s letting us in on it!

What happens when her granddaughter moves in and discovers the illegal business she’s running? Find out before this hilarious production closes on March 22. Get your tickets via www.sunsetplayhouse.com.

MARCH 6 KATHY GRIFFIN: NEW FACE, NEW TOUR AT THE PABST THEATER (144 E. WELLS ST.): Don’t miss your chance to see everyone’s favorite redhead as she makes her triumphant return to Cream City. Relish Kathy’s stories about her latest celebrity run-ins when you order tickets at www.pabsttheatergroup.com.

MARCH 13-15 MILWAUKEE HORROR COM AT BAIRD CENTER (400 W. WISCONSIN AVE.): Celebrate Friday the 13th with a stop at the city’s only horror convention. Join other horror enthusiasts for photo opportunities with celebrities, panel discussions, vendors, parties and more. Be sure to see www.milwaukeehorrorcon.com for details.

MARCH 15 THE BIG GAY SPRING MARKET AT WISCONSIN RUGBY CLUB (4064 VILAS ROAD, COTTAGE GROVE): Shop till you drop with this indoor and outdoor LGBTQ+ market. Enjoy food trucks, cocktails and more during the 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. event.

MARCH 21 FUR BALL AT THE COOPERAGE (818 S. WATER ST): Friends of MADACC host this upscale fundraiser to help Milwaukee’s dog and cat population. Cocktails, dinner, dancing, and all the mixing and mingling you can handle wait for you at the 6 p.m. bash. See www.friendsofmadacc.org for more.

RUPAUL DJ SET AT THE RAVE/EAGLES CLUB (2401 W. WISCONSIN AVE.): Drag mother of the universe sashays into Milwaukee for a DJ stint, marking one of the greatest dance parties the city has ever seen. The 9 p.m. extravaganza includes guest DJ Chomper, so you know a hot night is bound to be had. Stop by www.therave.com for tickets.

MARCH 24 OPENING NIGHT THE WIZ AT MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (929 N. WATER ST.): The high-intensity revival that has the country talking makes this exciting stop during the national tour. Experience the much-loved tale in an entirely new way when you secure tickets at www.marcuscenter.org.

MARCH 28 MR. GAY WISCONSIN USOFA AT LACAGE NITECLUB (801 S. SECOND ST.): The men take the stage during this nail-biting competition where pride, passion and pure entertainment make for a memorable night. The pageant starts at 10 p.m. and features appearances by some of the community’s favorite performers.

MARCH 29 ACADEMY AWARDS WATCH PARTY AT POP (124 W. NATIONAL AVE.): Live out your red-carpet dream when this Walker’s Point hot spot hosts a 7 p.m. party celebrating the best of Hollywood. Popcorn, prizes, ballots and more make Pop the place to be on Oscar night.

MARCH 2026 | 71

HEAR ME OUT | SPONSORED BY UW CREDIT UNION

Milwaukee Pride’s

President & CEO

Wes Shaver

A Profile in Leadership

BY PAUL MASTERSON

I

n 2013 Wes Shaver joined the board of directors of Milwaukee Pride, Inc., the organization that produces Milwaukee’s PrideFest. He was 28 years old with a master’s degree in sport and entertainment management from Cardinal Stritch and already an up-and-coming entertainment and hospitality entrepreneur. In 2017 he was elected president of that body and directed his first PrideFest.

Building on the structures developed under his predecessor, Milwaukee Pride president Scott Gunkel, whose decadeslong tenure managed PrideFest through years of continual growth and success (along with the occasional existential crisis), Shaver shifted gears, elevating the annual LGBTQ event to ever greater heights. His first PrideFest attendance of 37,682 broke the record of the previous year by 10%.

In 2018, that number was eclipsed by a 21% increase to 45,400.

This is a crucial step towards recognizing LGBTQ+ people are worth their time and talent. To put it simply: it’s unfair to ask a person to take paid time off work to volunteer at an event that supports so many facets of our local economy and workforce,” Shaver said, adding, “If we want to achieve wage and opportunity equality, it starts with us. If we don’t value our own hardworking teammates, then why should anyone else? Because of the stipend and specific role and responsibilities that come with it, many of our festival team have used their managerial experience to jump up their careers outside the festival.”

Milwaukee Pride’s community engagement beyond the festival grounds saw its underwriting of the 2018 installation of Milwaukee’s first rainbow crosswalk at Jefferson and Wells Streets to commemorate the 1989 LGBTQ march that ended at Cathedral Square.

RAINBOW LIGHTING

Over the following years, while coping with a pandemic and the cancellation of PrideFest 2020, attendance remained constant. In 2025, however, the numbers again set a record both in attendance and vendors reaching over 46,150 attendees, a 12% increase over 2024, and 167 vendors. PrideFest also introduced carnival rides to the already broad spectrum of entertainment, a dedicated youth section and the traditional health and wellness and area.

In 2020, despite the cancellation of its lakefront festival, Milwaukee Pride celebrated Pride month in alternative but highly visible ways, including the inaugural rainbow lighting of the Hoan Bridge and the launch of the first Milwaukee County Transit Authority Pride Bus and The Hop streetcar both decorated in rainbow array. Also in 2020, Milwaukee Pride provided logistical assistance to Montell Infinity Ross and the organizers of the LGBTQ March for Black Lives Matter.

DIVERSITY OF ENTERTAINMENT

When coming back to a post-pandemic, full festival in 2022, Shaver eliminated the Sunday schedule to support the Milwaukee Pride Parade as well as the local businesses of Walkers Point. Elsewhere, Milwaukee Pride, Inc. participated in the InterPride 2019 Annual General Meeting and World Conference held in Athens, Greece and recently hosted the U.S. Association of Prides National Conference.

Shaver attributes PrideFest’s growth to a number of factors.

While he has expanded the diversity of entertainment, vendors and corporate partnerships, he also instituted organizational changes. Among those, Shaver cites one of which he is particularly proud. “We created a stipend model for all year-round festival production team members.

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Photo of Wes Shaver by Meg Strobel.

Shaver’s work has not gone unnoticed. Since 2021 he has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions beginning with the Inaugural Class of BizTimes’ Notable LGBT Executives. In successive years through 2024, he was named among the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 under 40 Class of 2022, the Titan Wisconsin Top 100 Titans of Industry, and received the Vivent Health’s Leadership Award.

This year, Visit Milwaukee honored Shaver with its Joe Bartolotta Hospitality Award.

REVOLVE EXPERIENCE MARKETING Not content to direct one major lakefront festival, Shaver’s production company, Revolve Experience Marketing, created two additional events at Henry Maier Festival Park.

Freshwater Food & Wine Festival debuts Sept.19-20, 2026 and Rock and Roll Fest joins the lineup in September of 2027.

Both festivals will be on the same weekend in 2027 and will utilize the entire Henry Maier grounds.

Shaver explained pitching his new ideas to SummerFest and World Festivals, Inc, “These new festivals are extensions of my personal passions: food, music, culture, cars, community.

They’re rooted in things that bring people together authentically. It is actually pretty simple: I deeply believe in the power of live experiences—especially in a world that’s becoming increasingly digital and driven by AI. But nothing replaces the emotional impact of gathering in person with music under the sky, shared meals, spontaneous conversations and the energy of a crowd. Live events create memories. They create belonging. They create moments that technology can amplify but never replicate.”

Meanwhile, back at Milwaukee Pride, more innovations and growth are in the offing for PrideFest 2026. “We celebrate the 30th festival season since moving to Henry Maier Festival Park this summer (1996 was the first year) and we want to “double down” on aspects of our history that brought us to this point,” Shaver said, noting a refreshed and re-imagined Youth Area with Courage+, and a collaboration with Black Pride Milwaukee Inc. that will serve as an incubator for a growing, all POC Pride Event.

“Our entertainment lineup represents genres, performers, music, dance, and experiences that connect the dots between the last three decades and the shared experiences that bring us together despite a challenging social and political climate.”

Shaver’s philosophy of leadership recognizes the community’s varied strengths and accommodates them to produce our city’s world-renowned LGBTQ celebration.

He sums it all up saying “PrideFest is a unique organization and a fragile one. Each member of our team has a personal and specific lived experience. Not all are the same and we cannot assume everyone has the same capacities or abilities as their peers. So, we meet people where they are. We understand that it takes all types to make things happen. And from there, we’ve created the most wonderful, strong, and trusting culture I’ve ever seen.”

Paul Masterson is an LGBTQ activist and writer and has served on the boards of the Milwaukee Gay Arts Center, Milwaukee Pride, GAMMA and other organizations.

MARCH 2026 | 73

ART FOR ART'S SAKE

From the City That Always Sweeps

BY ART KUMBALEK

I

’m Art Kumbalek and man oh manischewitz what a world, ain’a? And just so you’s know, here we be, about to slog through this year’s month of March whose perennial platter includes the interminable Lenten season; March Madness with the college basketball; St. Patrick’s Day; the first day of spring; daylight “saving” time; International Women’s Day; Purim; a late-winter monumental snowstorm; bon vivant Art Kumbalek rearranging his sock drawer; Harry Hou-focking-dini’s 152nd birthday not to mention saint Mr. Rogers’ 98th. Jeez louise. That’s a chock-packed jam-full calendar load to deal with, I don’t care what month you’re talking about, what the fock.

And so I will leave you with a little story right after I observe my traditional riddle presented yearly mid-March, which is

BY ART KUMBALEK this: “How many Irishmen does it take to change a light bulb?

That’s right, repeat after me: Twenty-three. One to hold the bulb, and 22 to drink whiskey until the room begins to spin.”

O’ ba-ding!

March, already? And like I always say about this thirdmonth time of year from what historical research tells me: March, in like a lion, out like a lamb. Or, is it in like a lamb, out like a lion? And in some quarters of the world, does the lamb go in and then comes out a prime ingredient stuffed into a tasty gyro sandwich? What with the climate change, who knows from the peculiarities of a March these days, what the fock.

A bit of a while later, Michael O’Connor looks around at the surviving five and asks, “Oh, me boys. I believe we have a bit of a situation here. Paddy is dead and someone surely must tell Paddy’s poor wife. Who will it be then?” They draw straws. Brendan O’Gallagher picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, don’t make a bad situation any worse.

Yes sirs and ladies, it’s March, the one that Romans named “Martius” way back when they had gladiators rather than the NFL, named after “Mars,” their god of war, who from the pictures I’ve seen, did a pretty good job of wiping the landscape clean out of life from the Red Planet named after him. And such is war, gods and nonesuch be damned.

And cripes, I almost forgot that in the middle of the month we’ve got Oscar’s Academy Award shebang where once again Art Kumbalek Versus the Martians and Whatever Else You Got: The Musical” failed to nab not nary a single a nomination. Just a guess, but maybe one of these days I ought to whip together a script, film it, and get it into a couple, three theaters. But is it really my fault that I can’t goddamn pin down the finances needed to put this obvious blockbuster up onto the silver screen what with the health insurance cash registers ka-chinging down my neck? Hey, you tell me.

And then I’ll tell you’s that during this year’s month of March we are stuck but good into the Lenten season, and I’m wondering just when the hell do the local radio stations begin to play 24-hour ’round-the-clock Easter music— haven’t heard any yet, so what the fock is the hold up, ain’a?

But as I observe all that comes and goes during March, seems to me that St. Patty’s Day-and-a-week-and-afocking-half is the big day for many.

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Six retired Irish guys were playing poker in O’Leary’s apartment when Paddy Murphy loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest and drops dead at the table.

Showing respect for their fallen brother, the other five continue playing.

“Discreet? I’m the most discreet Irishman you’ll ever meet.

Discretion is me middle name.” So Brendan O’Gallagher goes over to Murphy’s house and knocks on the door.

Mrs. Murphy answers and asks what he wants. Gallagher declares: “Your husband just lost $500 and is afraid to come home.”

“Tell him to drop dead!” says the Mrs. Murphy. “‘To drop dead.’ I’ll go tell him then, ma’am,” says Gallagher.

O’ ba-ding!

And a friendly heads-up reminder: March is the month of daylight saving time where we lose an hour, as if a guy my age can afford to flush a focking hour pinched from out of my life’s dwindling calendar of days. If only there were a saving-time day where instead of pushing the clock back a measly hour, you could push it back, say, 40-50 focking years and then load up on Microsoft stock at a bargainbasement price. Now that’s the kind of dicking around with time that I could get behind, I kid you not.

One more friendly reminder: Thursday, March 26, 1:10 p.m., our Milwaukee Brewers destroy the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field, opening day that begins the march to a 20226 World Series championship, finally.

Go Brewers!

And so I wish you all safe travels on your march to the month of April showers, ’cause I’m Art Kumbalek and I told you so.

Photo of man doing a slam dunk by GettyImages/Andreyuu.