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City Cast Madison

There are many podcasts out there about writers and the writing life. But there’s likely only one where the host asks the writer who their favorite Green Bay Packer is.

 hosted by Madison writer Jeff Oloizia, which launched the first episode of its 10-episode debut season last week. Each week, Oloizia, a former New York Times editor, talks to a Wisconsin author about their work, the act of writing, and the ups and downs of making it as a writer in the Midwest, far from the publishing hubs of New York and Los Angeles.

The debut episode, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast players, features Madison essayist 

. The second episode, dropping Wednesday, features “Still True” author Maggie Ginsberg, whose next novel “Daisy Chain” will be released in 2027.

Oloizia talked to City Cast Madison recently about “Writing Forward.”

When I decided once for all that I wanted to stay put here and I wasn’t going back to New York, I thought “What can I make that will challenge me and add something to the literary community here?” I thought about starting a magazine, which in 2026 is a pretty tall order. But things have gotten to a point with podcasting that it’s pretty practical to start it up yourself.

As someone who aspires to publish books himself, I like to listen to people who are in the place that I want to be, talking about it. And I think it’s all the more powerful if they’re from the same place as I am.

Listening to the first episode, it really sounds like a conversation between two writers as opposed to an interview.

My hope is that it’s like overhearing two of your favorite writers in a bar. Which is not to say that I don’t want it to have structure and real purpose. Each of my guests I choose with some themes in mind. Sure, we’ll talk about somebody’s new book, but I really want to have a more holistic conversation about the writing life and their career.

How do you think the show reflects a Wisconsin vibe?

There are certain podcasts that I won’t name that I can’t get through because they’re too pretentious. I’m aware that there’s always that risk, but the kind of writing that I like, not to mention podcasts, definitely have some high and some low. I think that’s a very Wisconsin thing, too. Don’t take yourself too seriously. We’re all just here to have a good time. I want to get into it, but I also want my guests to have a good time.

I think everybody is always happy to talk about craft. You spend four or five years working on a book, and if somebody’s going to ask you how you did it, that’s a dream. But certainly aspects of the writing life, ambition, imposter syndrome.

I feel like it’s the thing that people don’t often get to talk about, especially in Wisconsin, where you aren’t supposed to say the quiet part out loud. But I think there needs to be a place to talk about ambition. I don’t think that’s a dirty word. In some ways we sort of hold ourselves back when we ignore that.

What do you hope listeners take away from “Writing Forward”?

My hope for the podcast is that if people can listen and take away one thing, one little nugget or quote or craft idea that they can apply to their own creative life, I’ll be happy with that. I’m sort of doing the same thing. If I go to a book event or reading, that’s what I’m looking for. I just want to hear people who I admire and whose writing I admire think out loud. I get to have a front row seat to that.

On the new podcast "Writing Forward," Madison writer Jeff Oloizia interviews Wisconsin authors about their writing process, how to be successful as a Midwestern writer.

Madison Writer Starts 'Writing Forward' Podcast

Wisconsin Authors Are an Open Book on New Podcast

Find the best of everything that Madison has to offer.

Madison’s Best

Madison's Best

Happy May! While UW-Madison commencement is the big event this month, there's plenty going on for townies and students alike. Here's your guide to the events you shouldn't miss.

😆 Charlie Berens Gets a Wisconsin Welcome

How popular is Wisconsin comedian Charlie Berens? He’s sold out three of his four shows at Overture Hall on May 8 and 9 – 

only a few seats for the late show on May 8 remain

Listen to him on the City Cast Madison podcast

 talk about what makes Wisconsin funny, and his surprisingly serious stance against data centers.

Children’s Theater of Madison is putting on the hit Broadway musical

 about a group of ragtag newspaper boys who rally against their greedy publishers May 2 through 17 in the Starlight Theater at MYArts.

🎉 The Center for Black Excellence’s Grand Opening

Center for Black Excellence and Culture will open its doors on May 6

, with a free grand opening celebration and open house, so you can explore all three levels of this testament to Black resilience and creativity.

Former Wisconsin author Jane Smiley (“A Thousand Acres”) will close out the Wisconsin Book Festival’s spring series with 

a free May 6 event at Madison Central Library

 to talk about her new book “Lidie,” which revisits the main character from her 1998 novel “The All-True Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton.”

 on Memorial Day Weekend, May 22 through 24 on Willow Island at Alliant Energy Center. Headliners for the music stages include The Lovin’ Spoonful and Great White.

Acclaimed indie-rock singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett took a few years off, but she’s back with a new album and tour. 

Parrfection Produce Farm Market near Monticello is hosting its 

. There’ll be over 100,000 tulips (minus any that the deer get into), plus food trucks, bouncy houses, and opportunities for lots of beautiful photos.

From Brat Fest to Tulip Fest, from 'Newsies' to Charlie Berens, there's lots going on in Madison this spring.

What to Do in Madison in March 2026

Your Guide to May 2026 in Madison

Over 55 years after they broke up, The Beatles still have a hold on the culture like nobody else. Paul McCartney still sells out stadiums at 83, new books and remastered albums are constantly being released, and 

not one but four movies about the Fab Four are coming

Sean Michael Dargan feels that love for The Beatles when he takes the stage with his tribute band, the 

. While other Beatles cover bands dress up in costumes and moptops, the MMT focus on the music, with its five core members backed up with a 16-piece orchestra.

The Madison Mystery Tour is returning to the Barrymore Theatre on May 2 

 playing some of the band’s most famous singles and most obscure B-sides. Dargan, a fixture on the Madison music scene for years, talked about why it’s still so much fun to play The Beatles.

How did you find yourself in a Beatles tribute band?

I love The Beatles. Always have. They were the first band I really, really loved. I stole all my sister's records. But I hadn't really planned on doing a Beatles tribute, The Beatles tributes that I knew all dressed up like The Beatles and pretended to have a British accent. I didn't really want to be any part of that sort of scene. But these guys just play The Beatles like they play their own stuff, and they try to play it note for note.

How did you hit on the idea of “The Beatles Singles”?

The original premise of the band, which started over 10 years ago, was to play every Beatles album on its 50th anniversary. To be blunt, we ran out of albums and we needed something to keep playing.

The singles idea was just another way to build a show that's a little different than what we've done in the past. It’s the same canon, obviously, just more of a smattering across time. We’re doing A-sides and B-sides, so we’re getting all kinds of flavors of The Beatles.

What’s your favorite A-side to play? And what’s your favorite B-side to play?

A-side – “Let It Be,” and it’s for a purely selfish reason. I’m a guitar player, and no one's gonna confuse me with Paul McCartney on the keyboard. But that's the one song in the world that I actually perform on piano. So it's just a gas. I'm really nervous when I sit down. And I haven't felt nervous about playing, you know, in a rock setting in 40 years. So it's kind of a fun experience.

For B-side, it’s got to be “You Know My Name, Look Up the Number.” It’s just the weirdest song, and we do a really credible version of it. (Keyboardist) Steve Morgan and I take the Paul and John parts and go back and forth. It’s just an absurd song, and it’s really fun to try to pull off.

What’s special about these Barrymore shows?

The five of us are the core band, but when we do these Barrymore shows, we have an orchestra. We're doing “Strawberry Fields Forever,” which has huge orchestration, and we’re doing “I Am the Walrus,” which has huge orchestration.

Still, to this day, as soon as the orchestra kicks in on whatever song we’re playing, I get chills. It’s so cool.

Over a half-century after they broke up, the Beatles still have a huge hold on popular culture. For over a decade, the Madison Mystery Tour has been bringing their music to life on local stages, sometimes backed by a full orchestra.

Meet the Madison Band Who Makes the Beatles Come to Life

The Madison Mystery Tour Is Coming To Take You Away

It’s no exaggeration to say that Baraboo is the center of the circus world. After all, it’s the home of 

, which both keeps the history of the circus alive and brings it into the future with its dazzling Big Top Show and other special events.

, host (and Baraboo’s own) Bianca Martin talks to Circus World’s new attractions director, Scott O’Donnell, about what makes the circus and Circus World such a magical place.

"I never know when the next P.T. Barnum, the next Al Ringling, the next Guy Laliberté, is gonna walk through our doors and they might be three or they might be 30, and this might be the opportunity for that light switch to go off and, and that flame of entrepreneurialship and flame of passion and art form is lit,” O’Donnell said.

One of the things that has kept the circus arts so vibrant is the many different directions that performers can take them. Here’s some places to enjoy the circus arts in Madison, whether you want to see a touring show, enjoy an innovative performance by Madison’s own, or even take a class yourself.

This space on Winnebago Street offers classes in the circus arts, such as aerial and trapeze work from groups like Flying Trapeze Madison and Novel Motion Circus as well as putting on innovative shows that redefine circus performance, such as July’s 

Many Madisonian’s first encounter with this enchanting troupe is their high-flying performances among the majestic trees at the Orton Park Festival. But they host events and classes all year round – their new show, “

The big stages at Overture Hall and the Capitol Theater always lure in world-class touring circus performers and acrobats. Check out 

Started in Madison in 2002, Wild Rumpus offers classes and camps for kids and adults in juggling, clowning, and other circus arts. They operate out of a spacious theater space in Mazomanie and offer shuttles from Madison for campers. They also put on shows in Madison at locations like MYArts.

While Circus World in Baraboo is what put Wisconsin's circus scene on the map, there's lots of acrobatics, clowning and more going on in Madison, from Madison Circus Space to Cycropia Aerial Dance.

Circus Shows in Madison You'll Flip For

Madison’s Circus Scene isn’t Clowning Around

Movie lovers who went to the Barrymore Theatre to see films at the Wisconsin Film Festival earlier this month discovered what a lot of longtime Barrymore fans already knew. In addition to being a great place to see live music or comedy, the historic theater on Atwood Avenue is also a great place to see a movie.

In addition to serving popcorn with real butter in the lobby, the Barrymore has become home to touring short film festivals that showcase snowboarding, trail running, hiking and even some, uh, indoor physical activities. Here’s some of the short film showcases that come back to the Barrymore year after year:

What started in 1976 as a one-day local event in the Albertan mountain town has become a nine-day festival and world tour showcasing “peak performance” across the globe. This year’s festival plays two nights at the Barrymore on April 24 and 25, featuring stories of cave climbers, slopestyle mountain bikers, and ultramarathoners.

 sponsors this short film fest on April 30, with most of the documentaries being centered on Black or Indigenous communities. The anthology includes a “deep dive” into the impact of AI and data centers on waterways, a profile of youth climate change activists protesting uranium mining near the Grand Canyon, and a National Geographic photojournalist training children of color to become the next generation of wildlife photographers.

, this festival usually rolls through the Barrymore Theatre in the fall. Last year’s films followed youth cyclists in La Crosse’s three-day Omnium ride, and a migrant worker in rural China recycling styrofoam boxes by bike.

The annual tour, now in its 20th year, screened at the Barrymore last month, showcasing anglers from Colorado rivers to the deep blue sea.

This popular festival also ran through the Barrymore in March, but you can watch some of the films online through October. The films follow routes that include a quirky marathon in Seattle, an Ecuadorean para-athlete making sure trails are welcoming to all runners, and a “race” between a mountain runner and a BASE jumper.

It’s no surprise that a long-running film festival devoted to winter sports would have such a following in a cold-weather climate like Wisconsin. Look for the follow-up to last year’s “SNO-CIETY” at the Barrymore this fall.

It’s a bit of a homecoming when the indie erotic film festival curated by sex advice columnist and 

In addition to being a favorite spot for live music and comedy, the Barrymore Theatre on Madison's east side hosts one-night-only film festivals all year. Here are some of the favorites, from the Hump! Film Festival to the Wild & Scenic Film Fest.

Short Films to See at Madison's Barrymore Theatre

Your Guide to the Barrymore Theatre’s Fit Film Fests 

One single act by itself won’t save the world. One single person on their own won’t save the world. But the message of Earth Day on April 22 is that a lot of people all doing little things to preserve and beautify the planet can achieve big results.

Earth Day has its roots in Wisconsin – U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson founded it in 1970 as a national day to promote environmentalism, and it went global in 1990. 

, host Bianca Martin talks to Curt Meine, a senior fellow with the Aldo Leopold Foundation, about Wisconsin's conservationist tradition.

There are all kinds of family-friendly, thoughtful, and fun ways to celebrate Earth Day and support environmental causes in Madison this week.

Given Earth Day’s Wisconsin roots, UW-Madison goes big for Earth Day with this weeklong series of events. This year’s festivities includes a 

 crafting activity on April 19, a two-day 

symposium by the Center for Ecology and the Environment

 on April 21, featuring a keynote address by Isaias Hernandez, an environmentalist and educator best known online by the moniker 

For the first time, Overture Center is sponsoring a massive clothing swap on April 18. Bring your gently used clothing to the Rotunda lobby to donate this week, then come back Saturday to find new fashions to enjoy.

At the April 18 event, DaneNET will also be accepting donations of electronics that they can refurbish and donate to nonprofits and low-income households.

Get rid of your computers, peripherals and other tech safely at this event sponsored by Hilldale and Goodwill on April 18.

Sign up to volunteer to help clean up Dunn’s Marsh, Swan Creek, and other open spaces in Fitchburg on April 18.

Arts and science meet in this special concert on April 20, where meteorologists and musicians join forces to use climate data to create musical pieces.

Madison Parks is looking for 900 volunteers to clean up over 60 of its parks on April 25. 

Register online and see where volunteers are needed most

, then head out with your neighbors to help keep Madison beautiful.

Earth Day is personal for Wisconsin, because it was U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson who made it a national day to celebrate and promote environmentalism. So there's a lot going on in Madison, including the weeklong Earth Fest at UW-Madison, a clothing swap at Overture Center, and multiple volunteer opportunities.

Your Guide to Earth Day in Madison

How to Celebrate Earth Day 2026 in Madison

Derek Kolstad is getting back to Normal. Normal, Illinois, that is. The Madison-born screenwriter behind the first three “John Wick” movies (named after his Wisconsin grandfather) was calling from the road on the way to Normal, where he was screening his new action movie, also called “Normal.”

In “Normal,” a small-town sheriff (Bob Odenkirk) who’s new to a sleepy Minnesota town of Normal discovers that the entire population, from the glad-handing mayor (Henry Winkler) to the local barkeep (Lena Headey), are all in on a terrible secret. And they’ll go to murderous lengths to stop their new sheriff from uncovering it.

Kolstad is coming back to Madison to screen “Normal” and talk 

about it April 11 at the Barrymore Theatre

 as part of the Wisconsin Film Festival. Tickets are rush-only at the door for that screening, but “Normal” will officially open in theaters on April 17.

Do you think the people of Normal, and of Wisconsin, will embrace your film as a representation of the Midwest?

I grew up in Madison, and most of my family still live throughout the state, as well as Michigan and northern Minnesota. These are the kinds of towns I grew up in. I don't mock anything. I embrace it, and everything is kind of a love letter to them. I think they'll pick up on what I'm cooking here.

Was Wisconsin a place of excitement and danger for you growing up here?

I always lived in my head, man. I grew up on the west side, and every weekend I was at the Marcus Theatres, and then there was a 99-cent theater in Middleton. I loved Madison, and the idea of moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in movies, which was a dream that I had had since I was 11, it felt easier going to Mars.

But as far as (the idea for) “Normal,” a lot of my family is still out in Mazomanie. And I would drive through the downtown section and there’s always that one store that’s open where you’re like “How the hell is that store open? Is there really enough business here for a yarn store?”

So “Nobody 2” was inspired by the Wisconsin Dells, and “Normal” was inspired by Mazomanie. If you were adding a third movie to the Wisconsin action trilogy, where would it be set?

There’d have to be a quintet. You have to have one up in Green Bay, because not only am I a Packers fan, I’m a shareholder. My parents lived in Junction, just outside of Wausau. And then I have a lot of family up in Superior. Those are the core-memory locations that I got.

Do you have any other favorite Madison memories?

A lot of memories I have of downtown Madison are going to the Orpheum. My favorite experience was one time going to the Orpheum, and not knowing what movie we were going to watch. And it was “The Hunt For Red October,” which was awesome.

I love Madison. I go back there a couple of times a year. The thing about “Normal” is that it’s a thank you to the people and the places where I grew up.

Derek Kolstad may be best known for writing the first three "John Wick" movies. His latest action film, "Normal" starring Bob Odenkirk and Henry Winkler, is a love letter to Wisconsin.

Madison-Born Derek Kolstad Goes From 'John Wick' To 'Normal'

After ‘John Wick,’ Madison-Born Writer Wants Something ‘Normal’

It’s spring in Wisconsin, which means the weather is a rollercoaster and your coat closet is full of both heavy winter parkas and light spring jackets, just in case. You decide what to wear, and I’ll tell you about some of the great things in Madison this month to go out and experience! Deal?

🍅 The Farmers’ Market Goes Back Outside

Along with the nicer weather comes the return of the 

 to the Capitol Square on April 11. The market will be there every Saturday through November 14, except for July 11, where it will move to Breese Stevens Field to make room for 

On April 18, Madison record stores will be packed for Record Store Day, with exclusive limited-edition vinyl releases and used records for sale. A week later, on April 25, a dozen Madison indie bookstores are getting together to celebrate 

, with in-store parties and readings and special giveaways, 

including a free print by Madison artist Megan Stout featuring all 12 bookstores

It just isn’t spring in Madison until the 

, which for 44 years has brought thousands of Madisonians together to celebrate UW-Madison. This year’s race is on April 25, and includes an 8K run, an 8K wheelchair race, and a 2-mile walk through downtown and the campus.

Forward Theater closes out its 2025-26 season with a biggie, 

 running in the Overture Center Playhouse April 9-26. Lauren Gunderson’s comedy is an update on “Much Ado About Nothing” set in the world of romantasy audiobook narrators.

 is coming to the Orpheum Theater on April 16, as hosts Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark take an amusing deep dive into a surprise topic. They’ve recorded 2,000 episodes, but there’s always something new to learn!

 returns to the Alliant Energy Center from April 17-19. It’s the largest three-day horse fair in America, with 300 clinics, seminars and educational events, over 500 vendors, and of course hundreds of horses.

Your Guide to April 2026 in Madison

It’s a big year for classical music fans in Madison. This is John DeMain’s 32nd and final year as music director of the Madison Symphony Orchestra. He has a new book, “

he’ll talk about it on March 24 at Madison Central Library

to talk to host Bianca Martin about his long career, and what he wants to accomplish before he finally sets down the baton.

The MSO is just one part of a symphony of classical music performances in Madison that take place in the biggest concert halls to the most intimate rooms. Here’s where to hear some of the most beautiful music the city has to offer.

Now in its centennial year, the MSO is one of the best-regarded regional orchestras in the country. DeMain is world-renowned for his contributions to classical music, and the acoustics of the MSO’s home base in Overture Hall is the envy of many orchestras.

wildly popular “Concerts on the Square” series

 every summer, the orchestra conducted by Andrew Sewell (now in his 25th season as conductor) performs year-round in the Capitol Theater and elsewhere.

Madison’s long-running professional opera company is staging three productions a year in Overture Hall (including 

last month’s world premiere of “Everlasting Faint”

), as well as bringing opera to the masses with the free “Opera in the Park” in the summer.

For over a century the Wisconsin Union Directorate’s Performing Arts Committee has been booking touring classical and opera music acts into the theater, from masterpieces by Bach and Beethoven to new classical music.

This long-running summer festival aims to make classical music accessible and just plain fun for audiences, such as last summer’s “fire”-themed series of concerts at Hamel Music Center.

WYSO has been instilling a lifelong love of classical music early in the lives of young Madisonians for decades. It’s expanded to include three full orchestras, two string orchestras, a percussion ensemble, and more.

The UW-Madison music school is dedicated not only to educating and elevating its students, but bringing classical music to the community with free performances by its faculty ensembles, student ensembles, and prestigious artists-in-residence.

This six-member group is the resident chamber ensemble for Oakwood Village Senior Living Center, blending wind and string instruments to explore a variety of styles.

Classical music is an essential part of this arts space’s eclectic cultural diet, such as a 

contemporary classical concert featuring Lia Kohl and and Zachary Good

The origins of this quartet date back to Europe over a century ago. When the touring European musicians were stranded in Madison at the onset of World War II and unable to return home, they put down roots here and became one of the city’s longest-running ensembles.

From the Madison Symphony Orchestra to the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, there are plenty of top-quality classical music groups in Madison to enjoy.

The Best Places to Hear Classical Music in Madison

Where to Enjoy Classical Music in Madison 

St. Patrick’s Day is next Tuesday, March 17, although the celebration starts this weekend, as restaurants roll out the corned beef and cabbage, Irish bands take the stage at local pubs, and little plastic leprechaun hats can be spotted up and down State Street.

Here’s how to celebrate the holiday in Madison whether you want to have fun with the kids, or you’re out with the grownups. Sláinte!

Local Wisconsin Take on St. Patrick’s Day

,” this Middleton restaurant and bottle shop is offering a special menu March 14-17, featuring a corned beef sandwich with Fox Heritage Farms beef brisket, bangers and mash with the “bangers” also from Fox Heritage, and pints of dry Irish stout from McFleshman’s Brewing Company in Appleton.

This Verona restaurant has a St. Patrick’s Day menu that includes corned beef burnt ends mac ‘n’ cheese, vegan “cock”-a-leekle soup, and Irish pizza featuring corned beef, pickled cabbage and “something green.”

Chef Patrick O’Halloran has prepared a special five-course menu for St. Patrick’s Day, promising time-honored Irish dishes revisited with Deliciouser’s signature spice blends. Guinness and whiskey will be flowing.

This gastropub on the Capitol Square is always a fave for St. Patrick’s Day. From March 14-17, you get to enjoy a full Irish-themed menu that includes a Sconnie Egg for starters, corned beef and cabbage and cottage pie for an entire, and a wedge of Guinness chocolate cake for dessert.

Madison’s Shamrock Shuffle on March 14 is a benefit for the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County. Start time for the 5K (run and walk) and 10K races is 10 a.m. in the 600 block of State Street, so come dressed in green and get ready to sweat for a good cause.

Head to the Capitol Square on Sunday for an afternoon of fun, starting with the raising of the Irish flag in the Capitol Rotunda by the 

 at noon. After a short program that includes Irish step dancing and music, head outside for the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade around the Square starting at 1:30 p.m.

How much green beer can you take? On March 14, hop from bar to bar downtown starting at the Red Rock Saloon, enjoying drink specials and fellowship along the way.

It just wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day in Madison without the local Irish rock band’s annual High Noon Saloon extravaganza. Party to a mix of original songs and Irish classics, and raise a toast with a glass of Tyranena Brewery’s The Kissers Monday Night Special Oatmeal Double Stout.

Two of Madison’s top traditional Irish bands join forces for a March 13 double bill at The Bur Oak.

Lone Girl Brewing in Waunakee is hosting this Irish trio on March 15, and hoping the weather will be nice enough that they can play outside on the rooftop. (I think that will take more than the luck of the Irish to happen.)

The Harmony St. Patrick’s Day Celebration

The bar on Atwood Avenue is going all-out for St. Paddy’s Day, with The Currach on March 14, O’Darby Irish Pub Band on March 15, and a St. Patrick’s themed edition of the Madison Bluegrass Roundabout on March 17. Corned beef and cabbage are on the menu all three days.

St. Patrick's Day is Tuesday, March 17, and there's lots of ways to get your Irish on in Madison, whether you want to catch an Irish band, march in a parade, or tuck in to some corned beef and cabbage.