Are you as surprised as I am that the pandemic is not the only worldwide upheaval we’ve experienced in five years? Never before 2020 had I so frequently said the words “unprecedented, unimaginable, and uncertain.” If we generated a word cloud for the first half of 2025, I am confident those exact words would be big and bold.
I recently shared some words with a few different audiences that seemed to resonate with many. One person asked me to put it online. I will leave our website to its central purpose: to shine a light on what we have to offer in music, theater, and dance for the brand new and exciting 2025-2026 season! But this is a newsletter, and sharing the news of the Theater in the context of the news of the world seems appropriate. So, here is my message to all who are concerned:
We are experiencing the strangest, most baffling, and most volatile times in our country. I can’t mince words and pretend everything is okay, but one thing that helps me navigate through times like this is engaging in the live performing arts.
We need the arts when words alone are not enough. The arts are where we can say difficult things and express hard truths. And a performance can be what we need it to be: It can be a respite or an escape. It can be a reflection and provide clarity or validation. It can provoke new thoughts, raise new questions, and inspire action.
And in a time when politics and ideologies are dividing neighbors and causing tensions, coming together in an artistic space is a subversive act of resistance, resilience, and unity.
There is power in a collective and collective power in experiencing a performance. Whether an audience member, an artist, a composer, a curator, a sound technician, a stage manager, a ticket-taker, a production manager…(you get the idea); we all play a role in creating that power.
With that, I am privileged to invite you to find your place, your people, and your power here at the Wisconsin Union Theater for our 2025-2026 season.
Our stages will host living legends like classical pianist Richard Goode and jazz all-stars Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera, plus sizzling-hot contemporaries like jazz pianist HIROMI and the innovative Attaca String Quartet. This year also features artistic collaborations that are defying all norms, including mezzo soprano Joyce DiDonato with string trio Time for Three and Pulitzer prize-winning Kevin Puts with a new work based on the poems of Emily Dickinson. (How many names can I drop in one sentence?)
Existing subscribers can act now to renew Classical and Jazz Series subscriptions through May 30. On June 10, all subscriptions will be open to everyone, including build-your-own packages, saving 15-20% on your customized bundle. If you’re not quite ready to commit, mark June 24 on your calendars for when single tickets become available.
You are an essential part of our performing arts ecosystem. Thank you for buying tickets, for donating, and for showing up. We look forward to seeing you for the powerful season ahead!