Season Events

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Nicolet Live! 2017 - 2018 Season

Click on the links below to see events by month or
scroll down to view entire season. 

2017  September | October | November | December
2018  January | February | March | May | June

Cash Box Kings - WXPR

Saturday, September 16
7:30 pm

Buy Tickets From WXPR Online or call 715.362.6000

With deep feeling and top-shelf talent, The Cash Box Kings play tough, real deal classic Chicago blues with boundless energy. Every song they perform—be it a striking original or a scorching Chess, Sun or Vee-Jay cover—explodes with
contemporary authority and radiates old-school authenticity. As anyone who has ever been to one of the band’s raucous performances will testify, The Cash Box Kings know how to throw a party. Learn more.

Trout Steak Revival

Wednesday, September 27
7:30 pm
Admission: $15

Buy Tickets Online

From sweat-soaked clubs to mountain festivals, Trout Steak Revival has shown tenacity for quick picking and all the right polish without sacrificing the raw feeling of well-executed bluegrass. The band has earned a place in the mountain states roots scene, performing to sold-out audiences plus winning an Emmy Award and the 2014 Telluride Bluegrass Festival band competition. Keeping an eye on traditions of the past but boldly forging into new territory, Trout Steak will take you back to memories of whiskey, laughter, and the misty-mountain high country Learn more.

Animated Film: Beowulf

Thursday, October 5
7:30 pm
Admission: FREE

A mythical saga directed by Robert Zemeckis, this epic fantasy film follows a Scandinavian warrior who sets out to save a kingdom by vanquishing monsters, dragons, and a bewitching creature of the deep. Notably, the film was created through a motion capture process similar to the technique Zemeckis used in The Polar Express. Local film buffs Steven Schreier and Tom Jerow will present the film, facilitate discussion, and answer any questions. Learn more.

From the Ground Up

Wednesday, October 18
7:30 pm
Admission: FREE

Flavors have shaped humankind since the dawn of civilization. Kyle Cherek, host of Wisconsin Foodie, the Emmy Award-winning PBS television show, shares how food has formed us across the millennia and how the science and emotion of flavor will shape the future. Weaving together amusing and insightful stories about foods and habits we take for granted, Kyle will take you on a journey that is both entertaining and educational with an opportunity for discussion. Learn more.

The Nicolet Players Present: God of Carnage

Friday - Sunday, November 3-5
Thursday - Sunday, November 9-12
7:30 pm / 2 pm on Sundays
Admission: $9 General Public / $7 Students and Seniors

Buy Tickets Online

“Sticks and stones can break my bones” … but when a playground fight erupts between two young boys, it starts two sets of parents on a comically explosive downhill slide from political correctness to character assassination. While they play nice at first, they soon devolve into outlandish, bickering children themselves. Winner of the 2009 Tony Award for Best Play, God of Carnage is a hilariously harrowing look at the minefield of modern marriage. Strong Language. Learn more.

The Last Revel - WXPR

Saturday, December 2
7:30 pm

Buy Tickets From WXPR Online or call 715.362.6000

From the budding music scene of the Upper Midwest comes the cutting edge front-porch Americana soundscapes of The Last Revel. This powerfully talented trio of multi instrumentalists naturally blends the genres of folk, rockabilly, old time string-band, and rock to create a sound that is as equally original as it is timeless.

Home for the Holidays - Desiree Wattelet and Friends

Saturday, December 9
7:30 pm
Admission: $10

Buy Tickets Online

Share in holiday harmonies and traditions with classically trained jazz singer, Desiree Wattelet. Her inspiration from singers such as Lena Horne and Nora Jones gives way to her soaring, lustrous sound that will perfectly infuse your favorite seasonal songs with heartwarming emotion and joy. In this classic holiday concert, she’ll share the stage with different artists ranging from classical, folk, and jazz to enrich the mood and spirit of the season. Learn more.

Hiroya Tsukamoto

Friday, January 19
7:30 pm
Admission: $12

Buy Tickets Online

Originally from Kyoto, Hiroya Tsukamoto is a one-of-a kind composer, guitarist, and singer-songwriter influenced by his Japanese musical roots as well as North and South American styles. His music is best described as “an innovative, impressionistic journey, filled with earthy, organic soundscapes that impart a mood of peace and tranquility.” With a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music, Tsukamoto made his name in the US and has since performed at Blue Note in New York, released five albums, and has appeared on Japanese National Television. Learn more.

An Evening with: Paco Fralick and Friends

Tuesday, January 30
7:30 pm
Admission: $10

Buy Tickets Online

Experience an original blend of country, folk, pop, and Native American music with Paco Fralick. A contemporary Objiwe singer/songwriter, many of his lyrics were inspired by dreams and touch on topics of social consciousness and other subjects close to his heart. He has recently released his first album and his songs have been aired on the nationally syndicated radio show, Earthsongs. Paco will be joined by musicians from his recent album to share in a night of storytelling through music. Learn more.

Animated Film: Kubo and the Two Strings

Thursday, February 8
7:30 pm
Admission: FREE

An all-star cast of voices including Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey, presents the story of a young Japanese boy who embarks on a journey to learn the truth about his missing father. This stop-motion, action adventure won the BAFTA for Best Animated Film and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film and Best Visual Effects. Local film buffs Steven Schreier and Tom Jerow will present the film, facilitate discussion, and answer any questions. Learn more.

Bichini Bia Congo

Saturday, February 10
7:30 pm
Admission: $15

Buy Tickets Online

Celebrate the African culture and rhythm with the authentic Congolese dance company, Bichini Bia Congo (BBC). The members of BBC are alive with the exhilarating elements of Congolese dancing, singing, instrumentation, and drumming. Described as a “phenomenal cultural ‘shot’ in the arm,” their high-energy performance will have your heart pumping and your feet dancing all night. Learn more.

Dead Horses - WXPR

Saturday, February 17
7:30 pm

Buy Tickets From WXPR Online or call 715.362.6000

Named the “Wisconsin Band to Watch in 2017” by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Dead Horses have cultivated a soulful roots sensibility beyond their years. From ballrooms to festivals, the Milwaukee-based folk band has performed with Trampled by Turtles, Mandolin Orange, and Elephant Revival, as well as on mainstages at Bristol Rhythm and Roots, WinterWonderGrass, Americana Music Festival, and Red Ants Pants.

Wisconsin Brass Quintet

Thursday, February 22
7:30 pm
Admission: $15

Buy Tickets Online

From Carnegie Hall to the Nicolet Theatre, the accomplished Wisconsin Brass Quintet has shared their genius musicianship throughout the United States since 1972, even in such prestigious settings as Merkin Concert Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Yale School of Music. Its vast repertoire draws from works of all periods and styles. Says the American Record Guide: “The Wisconsin Brass Quintet is a remarkable ensemble that plays with more reckless abandon, warmth, stylistic variety and interpretive interest than almost any quintet in memory.” Learn more.

Event rescheduled from last year’s Nicolet Live! season due to weather.

ArtsPower Presents: Harry the Dirty Dog

Sunday, March 11
2 pm
Admission: $8 adults $6 children

Buy Tickets Online

Harry has everything a little white dog with black spots could want. There’s just one problem: he hates taking baths. He hates them so much that he runs away and spends a wonderful day playing in the dirt. Harry gets so grubby that he turns into a little black dog with white spots and returns home to find that his family doesn’t recognize him. ArtsPower’s musical is based on the beloved book by Gene Zion and captures both the whimsical humor and touching dedication to family found in Harry’s story. Appropriate for grades K-2. Learn more.

Baby Wants Candy

Saturday, March 17
7:30 pm
Admission: $15

Buy Tickets Online

Baby Wants Candy is back for a third year! The fully improvised comedy troupe will kick-off with improv games involving guest participation, and then perform an on-the-spot musical. Entirely based on audience suggestion, the show is a roller-coaster ride of spontaneously choreographed dance numbers, rhyming verses, and witty, jaw-dropping comedy. Each performance acts as the opening and closing night – never seen before and never to be seen again. Learn more.

Community Music Festival

Sunday, March 18
2 pm
Admission: FREE

Discover the musical talents of your Northwoods neighbors in one harmonious afternoon. The Rhinelander Area Community Band, the Northwoods Choraliers, the Lakeland Barbershop Chorus and the Hymns and Hyrs will showcase their range and energy by performing selections from their repertoire. Join your friends for the perfect combination of music, camaraderie, and fun.

Animated Film: The Iron Giant

Thursday, April 5
7:30 pm
Admission: FREE

Set during the Cold War, a young boy discovers a giant metallic robot who fell from space. With the help of a beatnik artist, they attempt to prevent the U.S. military and a paranoid federal agent, from finding and destroying the giant. Enjoyed equally by children and adults, the film gathered a cult following and is widely regarded as a modern animated classic. Local film buffs Steven Schreier and Tom Jerow will present the film, facilitate discussion, and answer any questions. Learn more.

The Nicolet Players Present: A Midsummer Night's Dream

Friday - Sunday, May 4-6
Thursday - Sunday, May 10-13
7:30 pm / 2 pm on Sundays
Admission: $9 General Public / $7 Students and Seniors

Buy Tickets Online

In one of Shakespeare’s most beloved romantic comedies, four fantastic stories are woven together in a single fanciful night: the wedding of an Athenian Duke to his Queen; the comic misadventures of four lovers lost in the forest; an uproarious throw-down between the King and Queen of the Fairies; and the hilarious antics of a group of amateur actors. This fairytale fantasia proves what fools these mortals be, and that the course of true love never did run smooth. Learn more.

Horns, Tusks, and Teeth with Ann Eshelman

Thursday, June 14
7:30 pm
Admission: FREE

With new adventures and lessons to share, Ann Munninghoff Eshelman will recount her latest travels to Africa where she volunteered with wildlife rehabilitation organizations that are struggling to preserve populations of rhinos, elephants, and giraffes, among other species. Ann’s passion and commitment to this cause will be inspiring as she shares stories about the latest individuals, animal and human, she has encountered, and describes the messages she brings home.

An Evening with: Scott Kirby and Friends

Tuesday, June 26
7:30 pm
Admission: $10

Buy Tickets Online

Scott Kirby, one of the Northwoods’ best and busiest musicians, returns with a blend of genres he calls “bluecountry-folkgrass.” Drawing from a variety of influences, he combines guitar looping, harmonica, and kick drum to deliver an undeniably original sound. Inspired by his strong connection to the local music scene, Kirby will invite other area artists to the stage to showcase both the well-known and undiscovered talent within our own community. Learn more.