When the Overture Center opens next fall, a flood of performers will gather in Madison from across the country.
Although only half of the Overture Center will open in the fall of 2004, including its 2,250-seat Overture Hall, between 60 and 70 local artists and groups will perform free shows.
The official schedule for the nine-day opening will be released this spring, along with ticket information.
The program’s vice-president, Michael Goldberg, said he is searching for the perfect opening performance for Sept. 18, 2004. He said at first he wanted to find a large celebrity for the grand opening but instead decided to have a performance by a Wisconsin native.
“We would like some performers who have a link to our community,” Goldberg said.
The Madison-based band Garbage, which USA Today called “one of rock’s most consistently compelling groups,” would be an exciting opening to the event, Goldberg said. However, their fame makes them very difficult to book, he added.
Another performer Goldberg is considering is ballet dancer Ethan Stiefel. Stiefel grew up in Portage and took lessons in Madison before studying in New York at age 14, and today he is one of the world’s most renowned male ballet dancers, with a leading role in the movie “Center Stage” three years ago. He now works with New York’s American Ballet Theatre.
Another possibility is Al Jarreau, a jazz vocalist with five Grammy awards, born and raised in Milwaukee.
University of Wisconsin graduates are also being considered. Andre DeShields sings on Broadway and won an Emmy Award for “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” He was also nominated for a Tony award for Broadway’s “Play On” and “The Full Monty” and is best known as the Wiz in “The Wiz.” Richard Davis is an internationally respected jazz bassist and a UW teacher.
Other UW affiliates include mezzo-soprano Kitt Reuter Foss, James Brown’s drummer and Madison resident Clyde Stubblefield, jazz and rock musician Ben Sidran and rock artist Steve Miller.
A different sound would be Arrested Development, a peace-promoting rap group.
The committee is also considering actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, since he graduated from UW-Superior, but the action-movie hero could very well be preoccupied with his political pursuits.
The rest of the grand opening week will include performances by the UW-Madison band, the Madison Symphony Orchestra with Andre Watts and other UW music, theater and arts groups. The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Opera and Madison Ballet will also perform. A national touring act and community choirs with over 600 singers are also expected to perform.
Goldberg said he wants to stray from the emphasis on the opening-day performance and make people aware of all the free performances throughout the entire grand opening week.
“The idea here is for anybody from any part of the community to be able to walk in any time during opening week and say, ‘Hey, this is me,'” Goldberg said.
