The Performing Arts Find A New Stage At Saint Kate; The Arts Hotel Opens June 4

Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel, Milwaukee's first and only arts hotel, is the community's stage. Opening June 4, 2019, Saint Kate is a home for dancers, comedians, singers, actors, musicians, filmmakers and other artists to discover and create. Led by programming director, John Price, the hotel's very own Arc Theatre, a 90-seat black box theatre, will serve as the heart - and main stage - for a variety of artful entertainment that will be home to some of the area's most talented creative citizens.

John Price, Programming Director at Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel Opening June 4 (Photo: Business Wire)

"Now Showing" At The Arc Theatre

Stepping inside The Arc Theatre, guests will find Milwaukee's first resident company of performers, ARCo, or the Artist-in-Residence Company. This ensemble of professional actors, dancers, comedians, musicians, jugglers and acrobats will feature a core group of locally established artists, including Gabriella Ashlin, Susie Duecker, Emily Elliott, JJ Gatesman, Seth Hale and Rachel Meldman. At the helm will be Dr. Nancy Kresin, who will serve as the ARCo director. Kresin received a doctorate degree in transformative studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies and a bachelor's degree in fine arts from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

The year-long residency begins in late May with the group working to create, express and evolve its creative process through a myriad of dance, improv, theatrical and experiential performances. The group will first tackle the satirical play "America Hurrah" by playwright Jean-Claude van Itallie. In the following months, the group will create a broad range of experiences at The Arc Theatre. From plays by transformative theatre makers to interactive and experiential original works, shows at The Arc Theatre are intended to deconstruct old notions of theatre and showcase a new generation of performance art.

Along with ARCo performances, audiences can enjoy a diverse variety of acts at The Arc Theatre, all for $10 per ticket. Several regular performers will include:

• Danceworks at Kate - The Milwaukee-based performance and dance company, Danceworks, is bringing its skilled dancers to Saint Kate. With moods ranging from somber to sensual, and motion from dazzlingly quick to enchantingly slow, their innovative stylings can also be set to any music of your choice.
• Ampersand Comedy Theater - Set the stage for clever comedy, with routines that are anything but typical. This improv comedy troupe will also host an array of game shows starring you as a participant - or culprit.
• New Folk Night - Singer-songwriters explore deep ranges in their own musical visions, as well as throwing back to a vast acoustic lexicon of American artists from the late 20th century.
• Jazz Vintage - These performances are for those who appreciate or want to experience the fabled artists of the Blue Note era that defined an entire generation of supreme musical style.
• Zoom - Local filmmakers will showcase their short film achievements and open up a new avenue to experience Milwaukee when the lights go down.

A Surprise Around Every Corner

As the community's stage, Saint Kate is a space for public performance. Guests walking through the second-floor halls or stopping at the Bar for a handcrafted cocktail may find a pop-up rehearsal for a local band or a DJ riffing on a new track. Even ARCo members may be found individually, in duos or as a small group throughout the hotel performing and helping bring theater to life.

Guests can experience many performances, workshops and more from local partners, too. In June, featured partners and performers will include:

• Skylight Theater Company
• The Milwaukee Opera Theatre, which will perform Opera on Tap
• A string quartet from Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra
• Saint Kate's concert violinist concierge, Bernard Ruin, who will delight with pop-up and scheduled performances called Ukulele Universe and Concierge Urge
• Local singers:

• • Amanda Huff, Milwaukee-based singer, Radio Milwaukee featured artist and 2019 Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) award recipient for best song of the year
  • Nickel and Rose, an American folk-music duo made up of upright bassist Johanna Rose and guitarist Carl Nichols, and a Radio Milwaukee featured artist
  • Alexandre Maxine Hill (or, LUXI), a Milwaukee electronic musician who was named the 2019 club/DJ/dance/electronic artist of the year by WAMI
  • Valerie Lighthart, an up-and-coming Germantown-based singer, actress, filmmaker and photographer

To learn more about upcoming programming and performances at Saint Kate, visit www.saintkatearts.com.

The Director

John Price - The founding spirit of ARCo, as well as other performance art experiences at Saint Kate, is Programming Director John Price. Price, a local jazz musician and Milwaukee educator, will oversee all elements of programming at the hotel. Originally from Chicago and an alumnus of Berklee College of Music, Price is a co-founder of the Tamarack Waldorf School on Milwaukee's East Side. Performing as a professional bassist since childhood, his passion and love for all art forms have followed him throughout his career. He has played with countless musicians in the Milwaukee area, including most recently, the Florentine Opera. On most Tuesdays, you can find him performing with president and CEO of The Marcus Corporation, Greg Marcus, at Blu in The Pfister Hotel.

"When it comes to programming and performance arts at Saint Kate, guests should always expect the unexpected. Our ARCo members - through acting, spoken word, dance, acrobatics and more - will be tapping into their collective creative energies, and hopefully, encouraging our audiences to do the same," said Price. "The performing arts also serve as an active and moving balance to the standout visual arts transforming Saint Kate's space. And what's exceptionally wonderful is the way performing and visual arts serve as inspiration for one another - feeding off each other to create something entirely new. Whether watching a dramatic reading, a scene from a play or ending your night with a late-night film, our productions and entertainment will open up patrons to their true inner creative spirit and allow them to enjoy experiences that go beyond anything we have seen."

For more information about Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel, visit website: https://www.saintkatearts.com.

Saint Kate - A First-of-its-Kind Arts Hotel

A place to discover. A place to create. A place to embrace change. A place for travelers with open minds, a curious nature, and a desire to question. A place for explorers from near and far hungry for an experience. A celebration of the arts in all its many forms. Saint Kate - The Arts Hotel, opening in Milwaukee on June 4. Discover more at: www.saintkatearts.com.

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