11 Things to Do in Milwaukee This Weekend: Jan. 20-22
Originally published in Milwaukee Magazine 1/19/231. DanDan’s Chinese New Year Celebration
ALL WEEKEND | DANDAN
DanDan is celebrating the Chinese New Year all weekend with a limited-time commemorative menu. This new Chinese lunisolar year celebrates the rabbit, a period to focus on rest and introspection. DanDan’s chefs created a special year of the Rabbit menu (no rabbit included in the meals) that features four courses for $35 per person. Reservations are encouraged.
2. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
ALL WEEKEND | MILWAUKEE CHAMBER THEATER
Edward Albee’s famously troublesome play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, is returning to Milwaukee for the first time in over 20 years. Opening this weekend at the Chamber Theater, the play follows New England spouses George and Martha as they play host for a young married couple who is new to the area. As the night unfolds, the guests unwillingly witness a “crossfire of a savage marital war between one of the most legendarily dysfunctional couples ever created.” The show runs through Feb. 12 and tickets can be purchased online.
3. Museum Days
ALL WEEKEND | MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
This weekend nearly 30 museums including the Harley-Davidson Museum, National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum and War Memorial Center are opening their doors for free, or for a discounted price of $5-15 as part of Museum Days. It runs Jan. 19 through Jan. 29.
4. Broadway Skates – Hairspray
FRIDAY FROM 6-8 P.M. | RED ARROW PARK
Grab your skates and don your best ‘do to skate to the tunes of Broadway! In anticipation of the Tony-award winning musical Hairspray coming to Milwaukee in February, the Marcus Performing Arts Center and Milwaukee Downtown are teaming up to host a night of musical magic at Red Arrow Park. Prizes will be awarded to the best themed outfits, including tickets to the opening night of the show.
5. Labyrinth (1986)
FRIDAY AT 6:30 P.M. | TIMES CINEMA
WMSE and Times Cinema are teaming up for this week’s Friday Night Freak Show in celebration of David Bowie. Doors open at 6:30 for an hour of Bowie and Bowie-adjacent music spun by a WMSE DJ. By 7:30 p.m., guests will embark into the world of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth and watch as Jennifer Connelly’s character Sarah tries to outwit Bowie’s Goblin King.
6. Kingfisher Thrift Pop-Up
SATURDAY FROM NOON-5 P.M. | SUPERMOON BREWERY
Supermoon Brewery is hosting a vintage thrift pop-up in collaboration with Kingfisher Thrift on Saturday afternoon. Visitors can peruse the racks of vintage clothing while sampling Supermoon’s brews.
Supermoon Beer Co.; Photo by Brianna Schubert
7. Amped Grand Opening
SATURDAY AT NOON | AMPED: PRIVATE SUITE KARAOKE & EVENTS
Amped is hosting several grand opening events throughout the afternoon and evening on Saturday. Stop by the karaoke bar to participate in sing-along bingo, a Grease sing-along or a mystery song karaoke session to celebrate the Brewery District’s newest hangout.
8. Inside a Dream: The Music of David Lynch
SATURDAY AT 7 P.M. | THE COOPERAGE
Brought back to the Cooperage by popular demand, Inside a Dream features a live eight-piece band “exploring the iconic music and soundscapes” of David Lynch’s most famous works including Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Eraserhead.
9. National Geographic Live
SATURDAY AT 7:30 P.M. | MARCUS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Uncover the world of the spinosaurus, the largest predatory dinosaur discovered, this weekend with paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim at National Geographic Live. The dinosaur’s fossils, which were discovered in Morocco more than 100 years ago, were lost during World War II. New discoveries and old drawings helped Ibrahim and a team of reconstructionists create a full skeletal recreation of the spinosaurus.
10. Lizzo vs. Ariana Grande vs. Taylor Swift Dance Party
SATURDAY FROM 9 P.M.-2 A.M. | MAD PLANET
Get ready to dance to the music of three of the world’s most beloved superstars at Mad Planet this weekend. Tunes from Sweetener, Cuz I Love You and even Swift’s latest album, Midnights will be spun throughout the night by DJ Frank Straka. Entrance is $7 and doors open at 9 p.m. sharp.
11. Monster Jam
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY | FISERV FORUM
Several 12,000-pound monster trucks are making their way inside Fiserv Forum for a two-day motorsport spectacle. The mechanical beasts compete in three forms of competition: racing, two-wheel skills, and freestyle where the audience can judge which machine, and which driver, has the skills to win that night’s competition. There are two performances on Saturday and one on Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online.
