Tom Kosiec- Freelance Content Writer

Lack of Snow Doesn’t Deter the Milwaukee Community from Being the First to See the City’s Holiday Light Display.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett credits unusually warm weather this November for a larger turnout of people at the 97th Annual City/Council Tree Lighting Ceremony last Thursday night in Red Arrow Park.

“We’ve had some years where it’s been very very cold, but tonight it was very very almost balmy by November standards, and so we had literally hundreds of people here,” Barrett said.  However, some people missed the cold like Jennifer Matricola from Milwaukee, who’s a regular attendee at the ceremony. “It’s always a great way to start the season, but we could use a little snow to make it more festive.”

The ceremony kicks off the 12^th annual Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival, and the start of the Christmas shopping season.  Milwaukee comedian John McGivern hosted the event. Hundreds of people gathered together and listened to the Salvation Army Brass Ensemble, The Alverno College Choir, an all-male vocal group called the Tempters, and the cast of the Milwaukee Rep’s Christmas Carol. Even Santa Claus made an appearance.

New This Year

To celebrate the winter season, the Milwaukee Parks System changes the theme each year for its three main parks. Cathedral Park’s theme is “Community Spirit Park,” Pere Marquette Mark is “Snow Ball,” and Union Square has “Magical Moments.” “The Milwaukee parking system is incredible, and our parks really need to be honored,” McGivern said. “We should have a lot more about the parks in the program.”

In addition to the work on the parks, a major theme of the festival is shopping.  New this year is Tuesday Daytripper Shopping Excursions a private tour around downtown shops with exclusive deals.  The Retail Emporium is also new and features pop up shops with unique holiday gifts such as specialty clothing, and crafts.  One other new feature this year is the Holly Loop, a trolley service that runs through the downtown shopping area.

The Milwaukee Downtown organization is managed by Executive Director Beth Nicols and Assistant to the Executive Director Pat Adam. The organization contracts out to the Clean Sweep Ambassador Program, and the Public Service Ambassador Program for help with staffing for the festival. Preparation begins in January and takes the CSA over 1,400 hours to put up all the holiday decorations according to Rachel Wezek Accounting Executive for Ellingsen Brady Advertising.

Holiday Lights Festival Characteristics

Downtown Milwaukee features a variety of Christmas themed decorations on display.

• Over 500,000 lights
• 360 Wreaths
• 35 Animated sculptures
• 17 Moravian stars
• Jingle Bus – A 40-minute tour around downtown Milwaukee lights display.

The Scene

Prior to the tree lighting ceremony, Starbucks handed out free peppermint mocha samples. People of all ages attended with many families present at the event. Small trees with white lights surrounded the main tree, and fallen maple leaves covered the grass. Children played together in the empty ice skating ring while parents looked on.  Before the start of the event jazz music and even the Charlie Brown theme played in the background.

The event began at 4:30 p.m. and McGivern needed to keep the audience member’s attention until quarter after five. “This is my fifth doing what I did tonight, and their all kind of fly by the seat of the pants because you got to make sure the time is filled,” McGivern said.  We had one year where we had a children choir, and they sang one song and then they said it’s too cold.  They were supposed to sing for 12 minutes.”

All the musical performances and speeches happened on the sound stage. Chris Conrad from Selective Sound Services completed the audio prep work. Since it’s a Christmas themed show, the music doesn’t change too much. However, this year it changed. “In the past it’s been a little more low-key as far s the nature of the entertainment is concerned, Conrad said. This year was very upfront, and a nice change of pace.”

This year’s tree is a Colorado Spruce, and unlike in 2008 the tree made it safely to Red Arrow Park. The tree is enormous with red ribbons and bright blue lights. “It’s the most beautiful tree in the five years I’ve been doing it, McGivern said. “It’s a gorgeous tree.”

The Milwaukee Holiday Lights Festival runs through January 2, 2010.

Don’t know what to do in Milwaukee tonight? Why not check out the Alchemist in Bayview for a night of great entertainment. With dozens of theaters to choose from around the city, it’s hard to pick just one. One hidden treasure that many people overlook is the Alchemist. With its creative approach to play production, a diverse audience, and affordable ticket prices the Alchemist offers an experience unlike any other.

The Alchemist opened in 2008 and is home to many independent theater performers in Milwaukee. Aaron Kopec from Mukwonago and Erica Case of Bayview are the two founders. Their goal with the Alchemist was to provide a theater venue similar to what musicians have in Milwaukee. Kopec got the idea while working with Dale Gutzman owner of Milwaukee’s Off The Wall Theater. During the theater’s off time, Kopec would rent the space in exchange for a small rental fee, and use it for performances.

Before the Alchemist open it used to be a copy repair store. Case’s parents owned the building back in the 1970s, and once the space opened up, it was remodeled into a theater. The building had gone through many revisions before the final design emerged. The theater size originally was double in size, and the lounge area resembled more of a cafe than a bar. However, since the architecture is supportive of the center wall, the layout couldn’t be changed too dramatically.

The decision to name the theater the Alchemist was also Kopec’s idea. “The long story is I used to have a small production company that did music and a couple of independent movies,” Kopec said. “I wanted something related to gold. Alchemists turn things into gold. The short story that I actually prefer is by calling it the Alchemist were first in the phone book.” Despite being first in the phone book Kopec, and Case said they still have people call, and confuse them with the Avalon Theater.

To fund play production, the Alchemist adopted the movie theater’s popcorn and soda model. Everything sold at the bar including James Bond 007’s signature vodka martini goes toward the funding of new plays. Kopec and Case don’t depend on making money from shows to stay in business. They know what their budget is going into any play, and assume from the beginning that no one will show up opening night. This way if a particular show flops then the Alchemist won’t become bankrupt.

Being independent gives the Alchemist a huge advantage over other theaters. For one, the types of plays shown are much more varied. Plays like “Rudolph the Pissed of Reindeer” or “Lions, Tigers, and Zombies” are risky endeavors for most theaters that rely too heavily on established play formulas to make their money. Second, by taking a different approach to theater performances, the Alchemist can attract people who normally never go to a theater.

For example, the past show “Murder Castle: The Chronicle of H. H. Holmes” sold out for its entire five-week run, and about 85% of the audience were people who never went to theater before according to Kopec. Also, by keeping ticket prices low, the Alchemist has one key advantage over other theaters. It can compete with dinner. “When you have a ticket price that’s 15 dollars that’s the same cost you pay to see a movie, Case said.” It’s something that you could go hey let’s check out what they got, and do it on a moment’s notice versus a big to-do, and months of advanced planning.”

The laid back atmosphere of the theater and lounge is key to the Alchemist success. Before and after the show people can order drinks or snacks and even socialize with cast members from the plays. All while sitting on comfy seats, and looking at the various paintings spread across the room. Besides being a place for theater, the lounge also hosts regular events unrelated to the theater. All kinds of people show up, and anyone who has an idea is welcome to try out their routine. Notable performances include a one-man clown show, independent films, and even fashion shows. The lounge is constantly evolving and has seen a steady progression throughout the year.

Being independent may have its advantages, but it can be tough work. “We don’t have a staff, so every aspect of running a business falls onto us, Case said,” Which includes building the sets, making the costumes, and website design.” It sounds like bragging, but it’s really not, Kopec said. “Bragging for me would be I have people to do this stuff for me.” Although Kopec and Case have no staff, they receive a lot of help from volunteers to help run the place. Many of which are performers from the plays.

The Alchemist has a core group of people they work with but is open to performers from all over the world. The hiring process for new actors and performers happens at Generals, a big event where over 80 actors perform auditions. Kopec and Case also have access to everyone’s resume there and can contact them. Anyone else interested contacts the Alchemist through its newsletter, Facebook, or come in for an audition.

With everything, there are flops and successes along the way. One breakout success is “Rudolph the Pissed-Off Reindeer” written by Patrick Schmitz, which got picked up in Kenosha and will likely sell out for its third year. The play “Closet Land” didn’t perform too well but, received recognition by the press and audience members. Despite the fact that the Alchemist is independent one famous person has shown up.

That would be Marc Metcalf, who currently has a role on the popular show Mad Men, and had a role in Seinfeld. Another breakout star, but not quite as famous as Metcalf is a high school student Anna Wolf, who Case says is a great actress. One of Case’s favorite memories is when Wolf’s parents came in one with their daughter and said this. “This is the coolest thing to have my daughter be able to go a bar, and hang out with people and as a parent have it be a safe environment, Case said”. “That’s just not something we have in Milwaukee.”

Kopec and Case have many ideas for the future of the Alchemist, but they have to be picky when it comes to spending money on remodeling since they don’t accept donations. Something they would like to do is have bathrooms on the main floor. Bathrooms are currently only at the basement level, so this rules out people who are handicapped. The stage is wheelchair accessible, but not the bathrooms. The other thing they want to do is to use the courtyard outside for performances.

Both Kopec and Case are proud of the work they have accomplished with the Alchemist and hope that their work has influenced many young people to take an interest in theater. “To be able to do this, and not have to make a million dollars and to be able to give people the opportunity to do things and express themselves and share things and have a place for them to go is amazing, Case said.”

The Alterra Prospect Café underwent a major remodeling project back in March and has now opened its doors to the public with some major improvements. That includes an expanded seated section, a full café food menu similar to Alterra’s other cafes, and a new feature called the brew garden that brews coffee to the customer right away. Other improvements made include interiors such as new skylight, an outdoor room, remodeled bathrooms, and other architectural designs.

As a sponsor of the Milwaukee Film Festival, Alterra plans to celebrate the grand reopening of the new Alterra Prospect Café by hosting a free event open to the public. On Thursday, August, 30th the Milwaukee Film Festival After- Party will kick off at 2 p.m. with the Milwaukee Cup Tasters Championship, and the best taster will receive the Technivorm Mocha Master Home Brewer. During the drink tasting competition, a screening of the film “Wasteland” at 5 p.m. at the Oriental Theater will take place, and then the party officially kicks off at 7 p.m. Next, is a live music performance from” Bahia” at 8 p.m. Lastly, spoken word performers from the film “Mark My Words” will show up at 9:30 p.m to close the party out at 11 p.m.

Alterra’s history began in 1993 and was founded by three people Paul Miller, Ward Fowler, and Lincoln Fowler, who all shared a love for great coffee. The original name the guys wanted to go with was altura, which is Spanish for elevation. However, a company in California already had the rights to the name altura, so the three men decided to go with the name Alterra. The word means of the earth. The name is fitting since Alterra is famous for its use of organic products.

The first Alterra opened in Bayshore in 1994, and the Prospect location became the second Alterra. The building’s design dated back to 1928 and used to be an auto parts store. It took two years to convert the place into a café and roastery. The grand opening took place in July of 1997 and the original vision of the company was for customers to watch the roasting process.

The chance to remodel the Alterra Prospect Café occurred after completion of the 2007 Humboldt Alterra. The Humboldt, Alterra replaced the Alterra Prospect Café as the main roasting facility, so a major renovation needed to be done. The Prospect location used to hold main offices and wholesale operations, but now they’ve been moved to the Humboldt location creating a lot more empty unused space.

The remodeling cost in the ballpark range of 750,000 to 1 million dollars “It exceeded my expectations and budget, said L, Fowler.” L, Fowler described the remodeling process as similar to check listing all the new features for a car and then adding even more stuff. “We want this to be the best café to communicate with the community, said W, Fowler.”

One of the new major revisions is the brew garden, where coffee is brewed for the customer immediately on the spot. In addition to the brew café, the Prospect Alterra contains a full-blown café food menu similar to the other Alterra’s around Milwaukee. The menu includes items like breakfast burritos, sandwich wraps, and desserts. L, Fowler describes the new food additions as a huge change for the café staff, and several employees had to come over from Humboldt and other locations to help the Prospect staff.

The interior design features a more elegant design with a major revision being the new skylight next to the other two. Also, the building has been reroofed and insulated in its entirety. “I learned more about glass on this project than I ever wanted to know, said L, Fowler.” Moveable walls were put in to make the café smaller, and the south end of the building changed into an outdoor room to allow more natural light to go into the building.

Now that the Alterra Prospect Café is finished the Fowlers are working on a Shorewood Alterra café, and possibly a Bayview café too. The Fowlers didn’t reject the possibility of opening a café in Madison, but right now there are no plans to build one. “Were very opportunistic in nature said L, Fowler.” Now it’s up to the community to decide if the changes to the Prospect café were worth it.

Prior to watching the Japanese version of Dark Water, I was expecting it to be similar to Ju-on. I’m glad I was wrong because I enjoyed Dark Water’s different approach to creating horror. I thought this film was the best one we watched all semester, and to my surprise, the American version was just as good. There are many interesting things about these films, but what I found most striking is how the role of the mother changes in each version. For the most part, it’s fairly similar, but there are some differences.

To start off, both mothers in each film want the best for their daughter and always make sure that they feel wanted. It is evident to viewers because both of the protagonists had their problems growing up with a cruel mother who neglected them as a child. It’s subtle in the Japanese version. However, in the American version Dahlia’s mother is alcoholic, says hurtful things to her, and it’s much more obvious that she experienced a traumatic childhood.

The second observation I noticed about the two mothers is their emotional state throughout the films. Both characters struggle with living in a crummy apartment, finding a job, and the fear of losing their daughter. However, Dahlia seems more emotionally unstable than Yoshima. For instance, during the American version of Dark Water Dahlia takes some pills to mange her stress, and wakes up a day later from a black out not remembering anything that happened. In the Japanese film, Yoshima experiences similar mental stress, but it’s not represented as much in the American version.

The third thing I noticed in each version was how isolation affected the mothers. The two films feature the same male characters, but in the Japanese version the men seem crueler and less willing to help the mother. As a result, I felt a greater sense of isolation present for Yoshima that made me see her character as more helpless about how she would take care of her daughter. In the American version, it feels like the male characters are more supportive to the mother despite being just as unkind to her. When Dahlia is having trouble, it seems like she always has someone to help her out and doesn’t feel isolated from the world like Yoshima did.

My final observation involves the ending, which I felt changed how the tone of motherhood played out in each film. To me, the Japanese version’s ending with Yoshima’s daughter returning several years later to the apartment was a more effective way to end the film. I liked that the American version had a happier ending. However, I felt it placed too much emphasis on showing how the father was replacing Dahlia as the more paternal figure in the child’s life rather than focusing on the mother’s role.

I remember watching both of these films when I was younger and not liking them very much or finding them very scary. Now that I’ve had another chance to see them again I feel a greater appreciation for why some people found them so terrifying. What I found most interesting about these two films is how similar and different they are. Both films take place in Japan, have the same director, and story, but they both have cultural differences that affect the tone of the film for better or worse.

Ju-on’s story is fairly confusing, and not all the plot details appear clearly. I was confused most of the time about the story of the curse in the house, the significance of Toshio, the little boy, and the different subplots for all the characters that inhabited the house. My confusion mainly stemmed from how the movie would jump all over the place to focus on different characters instead of following a linear structure.

In contrast, I found The Grudge more watchable because of the better production values and that the branching plot lines. However, I was surprised that the film didn’t have any transitions like Ju-on did and still found it confusing when the plot jumped to different characters without warning. What I took issue from this version is how Americanized it was. It didn’t make any sense that there were so many Americans working with Karen in Japan and her romantic relationship with Doug felt unnecessary. In regards to the ending, I liked The Grudge one better because Ju-on felt too anticlimactic.

Another cultural difference between each film is the scare factor. In Ju-on the monsters are much slower and don’t move much. While the monsters appear, more menacing and the horror scenes are longer with more threatening elements in The Grudge. I think these changes help because the slower pace of Ju-on wouldn’t be very scary to an American audience. Another thing I felt The Grudge did better than Ju-on was the burping sound from the monster that I found laughably bad in the original. Still, despite taking different approaches both films relied on setting up their scares with creative uses of light and sound over using gore like traditional American horror films.

To summarize, I think both films contained similar characteristics with enough differences to make each version unique. I also felt that The Grudge was a more faithful to Ju-on then The Ring was to Ringu. I liked The Grudge best because it had better production values, and it was scarier than Ju-on. Finally, I would be curious to see how The Grudge would have turned out if it had taken place in America as opposed to Japan.