Gallery Night Gala, and the shows must go on

Dance

Carrie Lande Homuth is a UWM Dancemaker. Photo courtesy of the UWM Peck School website.

Dancemakers 2012: The term “student” is a little deceiving when it comes to graduate students in dance at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The majority of them are established professionals going back to school somewhere their career line. Many of them live elsewhere, often in New York, where they keep those careers going as they work on that MFA in dance. But each summer, they assemble in Milwaukee for an intense round of classes and creativity. And each summer, they put on a Dancemakers show.

This summer’s edition is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday (July 27-28) at UWM’s Main Stage Theatre, 2200 E. Kenwood Blvd. Tickets are $12, $10 for seniors, $8 for faculty, staff and alumni and students. Call the Peck School of the Arts box office, 414 229-4308, or buy online.

This year’s choreographers: Carrie Lande Homuth, Collette Stewart, April Sellers, Mary Ann Wall, Kesha McKey, Julie Tice Bubolz, Kim Schroeder, Sarah Weber Gallo, Kathleen Hickey, Kate Martel, Whitney Jacobs and Elijah Gibson. Caution: Adult content.

Visual Art

Strollers in the Third Ward enjoy the very first Gallery Night in Milwaukee.

Gallery Night and Day 25th Anniversary: This special 25th anniversary edition of Gallery Night is shaping up to be the best one yet. In addition to the 62 galleries showcasing their works, festivities include a painting competition, live music and more. Both ART Milwaukee and Walker’s Point Center for the Arts will collect funds to help those affected by last week’s fire in Riverwest. Admission is completely free and runs 5-9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday. For more information, please visit the Gallery Night and Day website.

Theater

A homicidal mobster is chasing Gaetano Proclo. What better place for a heterosexual businessman to hide out than a gay bathhouse? Gender confusion hi-jinks ensue at The Ritz, the name bathhouse and of Terrance McNally’s 1975 farce, which opens Thursday, July 26, and runs nine performances through Aug. 5 at Off the Wall Theatre. Opening night is sold out. For tickets and further information, visit the Off the Wall Theater website. The cast features Larry Lukasavage as Gaetano and Kristin Pagenkopf as Googie Gomez.

Sweet Charity, the 1966 musical, is running at the Sunset Playhouse, in Elm Grove, through Aug. 5. Neal Simon wrote the book for the show and based it roughly on a Fellini film, Nights of Cabiria. But Simon changed the protagonist from a Roman prostitute looking for true to a New York City taxi dancer, Charity Hope Valentine, hoping for Mr. Right. Gwen Verdon and Shirley Maclaine famously played the role; Katherine Duffy is playing Charity Hope at the Sunset; Ray Jivoff directed. Cy Coleman wrote the music and Dorothy Fields wrote the lyrics for Sweet Charity, a major Broadway hit and a big movie. The hit songs include Hey Big Spender and If My Friends Could See Me Now. Call the Sunset box office, 262-782-4430, for tickets.

The Marcus Center: Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience

Grammy award winner Terrance Simien and his band brings their brand of Zydeco roots music to the Marcus Center’s Peck Pavillion on Tuesday, July 24, the first in a series of outdoor summer concerts. The show will also feature a specially themed dinner menu, courtesy of Sazama’s Fine Catering. For more information, visit the Marcus Center’s website.

The Wilson Center Big Band and vocalist Jenny Thiel will close the Starry Nights Series at the Sharon Lynne Wilson. Admission to the outdoor concert is free, and starting time is 6:30 p.m. Picnic dinners are part of the Starry Nights tradition.

Ongoing

American Players Theater: The Royal Family, through September 29.

Last Chance

Alchemist Theater: Juliet and Romeo, through July 28.