austin

Austin

chicago

Chicago

denver

Denver

lasvegas

Las Vegas

madison

Madison

nashville

Nashville

philly

Philly

pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

portland

Portland

saltlake

Salt Lake

seattle

Seattle

twincities

Twin Cities

We make podcasts and newsletters that connect people with the cities they love.

City Cast 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’

Find the best of everything that Madison has to offer.

Madison’s Best

Madison's Best

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.

What To Do in Madison On St. Patrick's Day

Where To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Madison

Anyone who needed evidence that Madison is a town for movie lovers should have been at Flix Brewhouse last week. Every seat in the theater’s spacious lobby was packed with film fans for the 

s First Look at the Fest. For $50, they got some free food and drink, but more importantly the chance to get a sneak preview of this year’s festival before anybody else.

Tickets went on sale last Saturday for the festival

, which runs April 9 to 16 and is put on by the UW-Madison’s Communications Arts Department at multiple on-campus locations, Flix Brewhouse, the Barrymore Theatre, and the Bartell Theatre.

Several screenings have already sold out (although some rush tickets may be available at the door), but many more of the documentaries, indie films, restored classic movies and Wisconsin-made movies have plenty of tickets available.

Here are a few highlights of what’s at this year’s festival that still have advance tickets available.

Editor's note: The Wisconsin Film Festival is a City Cast Madison advertiser, but this article was independently produced

WORT-FM has featured Amy Goodman’s show “Democracy Now!” for many years. This documentary by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal (who previously made 

a documentary about Wisconsin’s Act 10 protests, “Citizen Koch”

) looks at the long career of the trailblazing journalist as press freedoms in America are more fragile than ever before.

Blank Check Presents Babe: Pig in the City

” (April 11, 4:30 p.m., Barrymore Theatre)

” is one of my absolute favorite movie podcasts, with hosts David Sims and Griffin Newman taking deep dives into the oeuvre of directors like David Lynch, Peter Weir, and George Miller. 

The show’s researcher, JJ Bersch, lives in Madison

, and is bringing the “Blank Check” team (minus Sims) to Madison for a live show to screen and talk about Miller’s porcine classic.

” (April 11, 8:15 p.m., Barrymore Theatre)

Did you know that “John Wick” was created by someone from Madison? Derek Kolstad graduated from Edgewood High, and the screenwriter returns home to present his latest action epic, starring Bob Odenkirk as a small-town Minnesota sheriff who finds out his seemingly sleepy village is full of killers.

Short film collections are a popular offering at the festival, and this crop of genre shorts from the Badger State should be a fun late-night show, including “Daniel Needs to Leave,” about the horror of trying to leave a party full of overly polite Midwesterners.

” (April 12, 1:30 p.m., Barrymore Theatre)

Cat fanciers will love this documentary about a Milwaukee cat cafe owner who travels to Qatar to rescue as many felines as she can. The subject and filmmakers will be on hand afterwards for a Q&A, as well as an unnamed four-footed special guest.

” (April 12, 7:30 p.m., Chazen Museum of Art)

Seeing George A. Romero’s 1964 zombie classic on the big screen in a restored 35mm print would be enough of a treat. But this screening will also include a talk with novelist Daniel Kraus, who co-wrote Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water” and wrote a book about his love of “Dead,” “Partially Devoured.”

The first screening of this tender drama by Wisconsin filmmaker Nathan Deming, starring American Players Theatre favorite Colleen Madden as a palliative care doctor, sold out quickly. So the festival added this second screening at the last minute, with a Q&A featuring Deming and Madden.

” (April 15, 5:30 p.m., Flix Brewhouse)

This Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis classic has been lovingly restored to its 3-D Technicolor glory by a team known as 3-D Film Archive, who will be on hand to talk about the painstaking process after the screening.

The 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival takes place April 9 to 16 in Madison. Here's some of the movies that still have advance tickets available, from a documentary about a Milwaukee cat rescuer to an action film by the Madison-born creator of "John Wick."

These are the Hot Tickets at the Wisconsin Film Festival

What To See At the 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival 

Did you know that Madison is home to the best college radio station in the country? Seriously. 

, the student-run station at UW-Madison, was named the 

best collegiate radio station in the country at the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Media Awards

 last month, beating out over 3,000 other submissions.

It’s a big deal for a 24-year-old station known for its eclectic, enthusiastic programming and professional sound quality. 

, host Bianca Martin sat down with WSUM production director Johnny Raider and program director Paige-Elizabeth Kearney to talk about how their station got to the top of the heap.

, we’re lucky in Madison to have so many cool community radio stations to listen to. Here’s a few stations that you should tune into, either on your car radio or on the internet, and how you can support them. Don’t touch that dial!

UW-Madison students power this long-running community radio station on campus, learning broadcast skills as they provide a service to the student population and beyond. In addition to news, UW sports talk and a wide variety of music, WSUM sponsors the annual Snake on the Lake free music festival. 

This low-power, volunteer-driven FM station 

 is both a way for city officials to get information out to its citizens and a chance for volunteer community members to get on the air. Their Americana music shows are their bread-and-butter, but other shows range from prog rock to jazz. They’re always looking for more volunteers to help out.

Madison’s own WORT recently celebrated 50 years as a listener-supported community radio station, with an eclectic mix of news, music, and local interest programming. Shows like Bill Malone’s “Back to the Country” and “Mel & Floyd” have become Madison institutions. They accept donations and volunteers.

Operating out of the Sun Prairie Media Center, this low-power station gives Sun Prairie residents the chance to learn broadcasting skills. In addition to music and local interest programming from volunteers, it’s the place to hear both sports and arts programming from Sun Prairie schools. The media center 

This low-power radio station operates out of the Lussier Community Education Center and can be heard for about a 10-mile radius around the center on Gammon Road. Called “Many Voices, One Community,” the station has a wide-ranging music playlist of soul, hip hop, jazz, and more.

This proudly progressive community station has been operating out of a garage in downtown Madison since 2008, and has hundreds of hours of programming archived online. In addition to politics and music, there are shows devoted to fiction and poetry.

Out in Virocqua, WDRT shows the community radio model can work outside of Madison with listener support and volunteer programming. One fun event is the annual Vinylthon, where DJs play only records for 24 straight hours. 

If the Spotify algorithm has got you down, Madison's community radio stations want you to tune in. Powered by locals, often volunteers, stations like WORT and WSUM provide local news and eclectic music.

The Madison Area’s Coolest Community Radio Stations 

Don’t Touch That Dial: Madison’s Coolest Community Radio Stations 

During March, we celebrate and highlight the contributions and achievements that women have made to the United States. In Madison, that celebration means everything from meetups to live music shows to an arts and crafts fair.

The celebration grew out of a Women’s History Week that a group of women in Santa Rosa, California started in 1978. The idea caught on with women’s groups nationwide, and in 1980, President Jimmy Carter designated the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week. In 1987, Congress designated the whole of March as Women’s History Month.

The women in Santa Rosa chose the month of March because it coincided with 

 on March 8. That worldwide celebration is rooted in socialist and labor movements of the late 19th and early 20th century – March 8 was chosen to coincide with a 1917 women’s strike during the Russian Revolution.

Some of Madison’s top female musicians will pay tribute to their inspirations at this Majestic Theatre show, including Florence & The Machine, Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin, and Amy Winehouse, with The Big Payback serving as the house band.

2026 AfricAIDE and 4W International Women’s Day

Wear something purple to Gordon Dining Center and celebrate the contributions that women from Madison have made across the globe.

On International Women’s Day, check out this free premiere screening at Lussier Family Heritage Center of a new documentary about women scientists trying to save a species of bats from a deadly disease. After the screening, a group of Madison women conservationists will talk about their work.

Some of Wisconsin’s top female romance writers will get together to talk about their latest books. The event will be moderated by Forward Theater director Jennifer Uphoff Gray, and Forward Theater actors will perform a sneak preview of their next production, “Lady Disdain.”

The Urban League of Greater Madison is hosting this event at the Black Business HUB to celebrate Black women leaders in Madison. There’ll be a panel discussion, live music, a networking event, and more.

American Family Insurance DreamBank is hosting this discussion and mixer celebrating local women who are achieving their dreams. Stay after the talk for snacks and mocktails, and a free professional headshot.

Table Wine is hosting this special tasting featuring selections from women-run wineries. Five dollars from every ticket sold will be donated to Emily’s List, and bring some gently-used books to trade with others. (The books don’t have to be written by women, but they won’t be mad about it if they are.)

Women and femme-identifying entrepreneurs and artisans will be selling their wares at this popular annual food and arts festival at Garver Feed Mill.

Celebrate the next generation of women rockers at this High Noon Saloon benefit for Girls Rock Camp and the Monroe Street Arts Center, where you can play your favorite tune on the buzzy little plastic instrument. Kazoos will be provided!

At this special Wisconsin Book Festival event at Madison Central Library, authors Jaimee A. Swift and Rachel Kuo will talk about their new anthology of writing that seeks solidarity between Black and Asian feminists.

There are lots of ways to honor and highlight the achievements of women in Madison this month, from an all-star tribute show at the Majestic Theatre to Femmestival at Garver Feed Mill. 

What's Happening in Madison For Women's History Month

How To Celebrate Women’s History Month in Madison

Rob Thomas

It’s that time of year when a 40-degree day feels like August after a long winter cold spell. If you’re itching to throw on a light jacket and get out to enjoy the city, I’ve got you covered in this month’s guide.

I just love the smell of cheese in the morning, and there’ll be a lot of it at Monona Terrace this week as the 

. You can go for free to watch the judging yourself.

 has been busy putting on unconventional shows featuring area comedians for a while now. They’re celebrating 

featuring Madison comedian Eli Wilz, some Chicago comics, burlesque and drag, and other surprises.

Overture Center is bringing back its popular 

. Every corner of the arts center, from Overture Hall to the Rotunda, will be packed with free live performances from local groups representing every part of the world, along with cuisine and arts and crafts for sale.

It is your density to see the touring musical production of “

. The high-energy show features songs from the movie (including “Johnny B. Goode”), some new tunes and, yes, a working DeLorean.

🎤 R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find Out What It Means To Me

In honor of Women’s History Month, some of Madison’s best female musicians come together each year to honor their heroes at “

 at the Majestic Theatre features Helen Feest singing Amy Winehouse, Teresa Marie singing Etta James, and many more.

It just wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day in Madison without Irish rockers 

 playing their annual show at the High Noon Saloon on 

We're ready to put winter behind us, and there's plenty to do in Madison this March, including the International Festival at Overture Center, the World Cheese Championship Contest at Monona Terrace, and Cheshire Cat Comedy celebrating its 300th show.

What to Do in Madison in March 2026

Your Guide to March 2026 in Madison

Madison is a city with a lot of movie fans, but not a lot of movie theaters. In the last decade, Marcus Westgate Cinemas, Market Square Cinemas, and AMC Madison 6 have all closed, so if you live in the city and want to see a movie, you have to pack up a car and drive to the edges of town (Marcus Point, Flix Brewhouse Madison) or beyond (AMC Fitchburg 18, Marcus Palace in Sun Prairie).

Or do you? What Madison lacks in traditional theaters it makes up for in unexpected and offbeat places to see movies. Here’s a list of places you might not know about, or might not expect to get the big-screen experience.

In addition to showing live music and comedy, the east side gem has gone back to its roots as a movie theater by booking more and more one-night-only movie screenings, as well as touring short film festivals such as the “

This free film series in Vilas Hall on the UW-Madison campus curates an eclectic mix of new indie movies, restored classics, and retro crowd-pleasers. This weekend, 

filmmaker Owen Kline will present his own film

, “Funny Pages,” as well as eight of his favorite classic films.

Students on the UW Wisconsin Union Directorate Film Committee program this lovely theater on Union South’s second floor with classics like “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “When Harry Met Sally,” and with newer films like the “Social Cinema” documentary series. And it’s all free.

Several library branches show free movies on the regular, such as Hawthorne Library’s Anime Club and Goodman South’s Friday Family Films series. Also worth checking out is the Cinesthesia monthly series at the Central Branch — Spike Lee’s “Inside Man” is playing there March 17.

MMoCA will sometimes show films in its lecture hall, often tied to exhibits on display. The museum really comes alive every August with Rooftop Cinema, where films are shown at night in the museum’s rooftop garden.

The exhibition space regularly shows experimental films in its Mills Folly Microcinema series, and has other film screenings as well.

Best known for dance parties and burlesque shows, Crucible might not be the first place you think of for movies. But catch the monthly “Schlock and Awe” series, where Madison comedians screen a bad movie and make jokes during it, “Mystery Science Theater 3000”-style.

The hip north side vinyl bar has been partnering with 

 for monthly “movie parties” in its Sidecar Lounge. 

“The Big Lebowski” is coming up on March 11

, including a costume contest and White Russian specials.

Madison Parks’ Sina Davis Movies in the Park series brings outdoor family movies to parks all over the city for free once the weather warms up.

What Madison lacks in traditional theaters it makes up for in unexpected and offbeat places to see movies, including the Barrymore Theatre, Madison public libraries, and even city parks. 

Madison's Best

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

Your Guide to April 2026 in Madison

Where to Enjoy Classical Music in Madison

Latest articles

Where To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Madison

What To See At the 2026 Wisconsin Film Festival

Don’t Touch That Dial: Madison’s Coolest Community Radio Stations

How To Celebrate Women’s History Month in Madison

Your Guide to March 2026 in Madison

The Best Unexpected Places To See a Movie in Madison

These Madison Comedians’ New Show is Off the Rails