Southern bars in black neighborhoods used to feature blues bands during the day as people who lived in the area dropped by for a drink or for lunch.
But, the blues really and truly belonged to the night, and that's what's coming to the Stackner Cabaret at the Milwaukee Rep.
"Blues In the Night" opens Sunday, Oct. 21 with the promise of some of the best music heard in this town in quite a while.
The revue was conceived and directed by Sheldon Epps, the widely known artistic director of the respected Pasadena Playhouse. It was nominated for a Tony award for Best Musical.
This show is almost 30 years old, but that's part of the blues. They never run out of style. The show features 26 sad, wrenching, humorous songs, including some of the greatest blues songs ever.
They include "Four Walls and One Dirty Window" and "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," the Bessie Smith anthem to despair.
The show has no dialogue and is set in a seedy Chicago hotel where three women are discussing the man who, what a surprise, was nothing more than a snake-like cheater.
Tickets for "Blues in the Night" start at $35. Single tickets for all of Milwaukee Repertory Theater's 2012-13 productions are now on sale and can be purchased online 24/7 at MilwaukeeRep.com, through The Rep's ticket office by calling (414) 224-9490 or in person at 108 E. Wells St.
With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.
He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.
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Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.
