Over the last couple of years, producers of the Alverno Presents series have offered audiences engaging reinterpretations of the works of some distinct American songwriters.
A show in Spring of 2013 featured the work of Stephen Foster. This Spring it was Marvin Gaye. And this Saturday night at Alverno College's Pitman Theatre, the latest in the series presents the work of innovative rock pioneer Patti Smith, as interpreted and curated by Betty Strigens of the Milwaukee rock band, Testa Rosa.
Smith Uncovered: A Re-Interpretation Of The Songs Of Patti Smith features performances by a variety of local groups, including Die Kreuzen, Dryhouse Ruins and Hello Death.
Strigens speaks with Lake Effect’s Bonnie North and explains how she happened to be the featured artist in this show, and how she decided to approach the performance from a different perspective.
"I thought it was a good body of work to lend itself to reinterpretation, and I think a lot of the time she gets pigeon-holed into only being the godmother of punk," Strigens says.
