The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra will break ground on its new Milwaukee Symphony Center, 212 W. Wisconsin Ave., on Thursday, June 21 at 11 a.m.
Mayor Tom Barrett is expected to join MSO Executive Director Mark Niehaus, MSO Board Chair Andy Nunemaker and benefactor David Uihlein at the event, which officially kicks off the transformation of the former Warner Grand Theater into a new home for the orchestra.
In addition to the renovation of the theater, built in 1931, the project -- centered around 2nd Street and Wisconsin Avenue -- includes two buildings and the moving of the theater’s east wall.
The project was designed by Kahler Slater Architects.
Learn more about the project and see a variety of renderings, including animations, here.
Learn about the history of the theater here and see a variety of photos here.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He can be heard weekly on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories.
