| Laurie Metcalf
Right out of college, she and a group of Chicago friends started Steppenwolf Theatre, which grew into one of America's most distinguished companies. (Her 20-minute monologue in Lanford Wilson's Balm in Gilead is an off-Broadway legend.) Later, she picked up a little sitcom called Roseanne, which rewrote the rules of television comedy with its unblinking look at blue collar life. Now Metcalf is exercising her gift for being up to the minute on Broadway, co-starring in David Mamet's new comedy November. It's a Mamet play unlike any other, with the structure of a classic comedy in the Kaufman & Hart vein but filled with scabrous jokes on such hot-button topics as the torture of prisoners, campaign fundraising, the Middle East and gay marriage. Nathan Lane stars as a U.S. President willing to shake down the national turkey lobby to save his faltering re-election campaign, with Metcalf as his lesbian speechwriter, who's not above a little blackmail to get married on national television.
Art Deco tours show the various architectural styles of the era
Modern day South Beach is still a vibrant monument to the Art Deco designs of the late 1920s and '30s. The narrow streets are lined with hotels and buildings designed with curved edges, porthole windows and pastel-colored facades, all touchstones of the style. The Miami Design Preservation League is offering tours of the Art Deco district - guided, recorded and one that can even be done listening on a cell phone. On a recent sun-drenched morning, guide Erika Brigham, who has lived in the area since 1988, kicked off the tour with a lively talk about the architectural history of the neighborhood. She wore palm tree-shaped earrings, a gold-and-black speckled visor and a T-shirt promoting the annual weekend event celebrating Art Deco, which was scheduled this year for Jan.
Phone: (414) 224-2185
The RiverWalk itself is being extended into the Historic Third Ward, a rejuvenating warehouse district. A new master plan for the downtown envisions a dense, walkable mix of additional entertainment venues and housing; removal of an old freeway spur that cuts off the north side of the city from its central business district; a year-round fruit and vegetable market in the Third Ward; and a trolley or light rail loop to connect major activities. On the lakefront, the Milwaukee Art Museum is building a $50 million addition designed by the Spanish-born architect Santiago Calatrava. With its cabled pedestrian bridge, glassy galleria and bird-in-flight roof, the expansion is a dramatic departure from the traditional architecture that has defined the city. Also under way on the lakefront: a new state park; construction of a three-masted schooner, which will serve as a floating classroom; a $6 million environmental education and visitor center; and improvements to the grounds of Summerfest, the city's popular music festival.
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