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OTHER VOICES - NEWS & PREVIEWS: Feb. 4, 2012
'Elvis Lives' at the Macomb Center Feb. 10
CLINTON TOWNSHIP The Macomb Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to announce the just-added theatrical concert experience "Elvis Lives, "The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Event," to its 2011-2012 season.
On Stage Touring, LLC, in association with Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc., capitalizing on the rave reviews of its initial debut as "The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Tour" in 2010, has enhanced the production to capture the imaginations and interests of all types of fans including Broadway, concert and Elvis aficionados. The nationwide tour kicked off Jan. 14 and lands at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts on Friday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
"Elvis Lives" is an unforgettable multi-media and live musical journey across Elvis' life. His iconic style embraced by many of today's artists, continues to entertain audiences of all generations. Featuring finalists from Elvis Presley Enterprises' annual worldwide Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest, these performers deliver a moving musical presentation of the greatest entertainer that ever lived. The Elvis tribute artists will be joined by a live band, back-up singers, dancers, and an Ann-Margret tribute artist, as well as iconic imagery made available from the Graceland archives.
"The partnership between On Stage Touring and Elvis Presley Enterprises provides the only authentic touring showcase of Elvis tribute artists for fans who want to experience the music and live performance charisma of one of the most popular recording artists in history," said Brian Brigner, chief operating officer of On Stage. "The production showcases each performer portraying Elvis in one of four eras: the 1950s, 1960s, his movie career and his concert years, so it is the complete musical package."
"It's been exciting to see The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest spotlight some of the most talented Elvis tribute artists in the world," said Scott Williams, vice president of marketing for Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. "This tour will give even more Elvis fans around the nation an opportunity to see these talented entertainers and to experience what it was like to see Elvis on stage."
Ticket prices range from $42 to $52, $20 students; senior citizens (55+) and military personnel (both active and retired with a valid military I.D.) save $5 off per ticket; groups receive additional savings. Purchase tickets in person at the Macomb Center box office, Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday noon - 6 p.m.
The Macomb Center for the Performing Arts is located on Macomb College's Center Campus at 44575 Garfield Road in Clinton Township, Michigan 48038.
Tickets and additional information, including a complete season schedule, are available online at www.MacombCenter.com or by calling 586-286-2222.
"Elvis Lives" is sponsored in part by the Macomb Centers premiere sponsors for the 2011-2012 season, AT&T and The Macomb Daily.
About Macomb Center for the Performing Arts
The Macomb Center for the Performing Arts is a community enrichment program of Macomb College dedicated to providing a diverse range of family-oriented cultural enrichment experiences. The Macomb Center presents high-quality professional performances, offers educational outreach in the arts and, in partnership with the adjacent Albert L. Lorenzo Cultural Center, creates unique opportunities for multifaceted cultural programming.
Michigan native returns to play 'Richard III' for MSF
JACKSON David Turrentine, a Michigan native and staple of Chicago classical theater, will return to Michigan this summer for Michigan Shakespeare Festival's 2012 season. He will head the cast of "Richard III" as the machiavellan 15th century monarch, and will also play the majordomo, Boyet, in "Love's Labour's Lost" and the gentlemanly Colonel Pickering in "Pygmalion."
Pickering grew up in Milford and graduated at the top of his class from Milford High School where he was both an Eagle Scout and president of the National Honor Society. He happily tells of taking his first drama class because a girl he liked signed up first, which lead to playing Lysander in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and Lucentio in "The Taming of the Shrew."
While in college (at Eastern Michigan University, Wayne State University, and eventual matriculation from the University of Michigan-Flint), Turrentine worked in musical summer stock at the Red Barn Theatre in Saugatuck. It was Christopher Coddington at UM-Flint who challenged Turrentine to explore Shakespeare's texts on a higher level, which helped send him to the M.F.A. program at University of California, San Diego. Soon after, he returned to Michigan to play Richmond in Meadow Brook Theatre's production of "Richard III."
Fast forward 20 years, and Turrentine is one of the most respected classical actors working in Chicago. His Chicago Shakespeare Theatre credits include "Henry IV Parts 1 and 2" (in Chicago and at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon), "Hamlet," "The Merchant of Venice," "Antony and Cleopatra," "As You Like It," "The Tempest," "Much Ado About Nothing," and "Elizabeth Rex."
He has also appeared at the prestigious Writers Theatre in "She Loves Me," "Arms and the Man," and "The Seagull." Regionally, in addition to "Richard III," Turrentine performed in "The Rose Tattoo" at Meadow Brook, "The Lion in Winter" at BoarsHead Theater, and "On Vacation" at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre.
Internationally, in addition to the "Henry"s at the RSC, he also appeared in "Clytemnestra," directed by Tadashi Suzuki in Togo, Japan.
When asked about this upcoming season, Turrentine smiled and said with a twinkle in his eye, "I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have this opportunity to return to my home state and embrace the most deliciously delightful villain I have ever known."
The art of villainy, smart romantic comedy, and a battle of class and gender are on the bill this summer for the Michigan Shakespeare Festival's 18th season. "Richard III" will anchor two plays new to the Festival: "Love's Labour's Lost" and George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion." MSF's professional Shakespearean company will run all three shows in rotating repertory July 12 through Aug. 5 at the Baughman Theatre of the Potter Center, 2111 Emmons Rd., Jackson.
Tickets and more information are available at www.MichiganShakespeareFestival.com.
OTHER VOICES - NEWS & PREVIEWS: Feb. 2, 2012
Chris D'Arienzo went from Paw Paw punk to Tony Award nominee Kalamazoo Gazette (Feb. 1, 2012)
'The Addams Family' to make Wharton debut The State News (Jan. 30, 2012)
Go Comedy! goes 'Wireless' in February and March
Joe Hingleberg and Travis Pelto appear in "Wirelessless" at Go Comedy! Feb. 2 - March 29. Photo: Go Comedy!
FERNDALE - Go Comedy! Improv Theater will add the new original comedy "Wirelessless" to its weekly schedule beginning Thursday, Feb. 2 and host two performances of "The Double Date Stand Up Show" Feb. 9 & 10. In addition, the theater will host special Valentine's themed presentations of the "Go Comedy! All Star Showdown" on Saturday, Feb. 11. Tickets for Go Comedy! performances ($5-$20) are on sale now.
Wirelessless
Times are tough for the town of Webbland. Four days ago, it was the world's hottest of wi-fi hot spots. Today, it's a town plagued with panic, fear and that little wheel thing that spins when you can't find a network. Can Webbland life go on with limited connectivity? Written by and starring Joe Hingelberg and Travis Pelto as more than a dozen characters each, "Wirelessless" is a two-man tale of a town that can't connect. Directed by Bryan Lark ("Ferndale 2-4-8," "Bro. Dude. Bro."), "Wirelessless" runs Thursday evenings at 10 p.m. Feb.2 through March 29. Tickets are $5.
The Tim Machine
After debuting in February to critical praise, Go Comedy!'s original production "The Tim Machine" continues performances most Thursday and Friday evenings through March 2. The world is filled with protests, fights for equality and the fear of unemployment and poverty. Yes, welcome to life in 2012. Or, wait. Is it 1972? Oh, the times, they aren't a changin'. Seems we earthlings never learn from our past. But when an octogenarian named Tim invents a time machine in the year 2052, he has a chance to return to the past and help shape his future. "The Tim Machine" explores life on earth in three different eras of time and examines how much our world changes and grows...or doesn't.
The Tim Machine is directed by Nancy Edwards and written by its performers Jennifer Bloomer, Michelle Giorlando, Gary Lehman, Tim Kay, Sean May and Heather Sejnowski, with additional writing by Vivi Jona. Tickets are $10-$15. Please note: There will not be a performance of "The Tim Machine" on Feb. 9 & 10.
The Double Date Stand Up Comedy Show
Go Comedy! is proud to present the Detroit debut of "The Double Date Stand Up Comedy Show" featuring Brooke Van Poppelen, Lucas Molandes, Sara Schaefer and Scott Moran. These four talented New York City comics will stop at Go Comedy! for two performances, Feb. 9 & 10 at 8 p.m.. Tickets are $10 on Feb. 9 and $15 on Feb. 10.
Brooke Van Poppelen is a stand-up comic, writer and actress living in NYC who has appeared on vh1, MTV and TLC. She currently writes for MTV's breakout hit "Guy Code." The Huffington Post named Brooke as one of their "Favorite Funny Females" in 2011.
Widely hailed by critics and colleagues as a defining talent of the Austin comedy scene, Lucas Molandes has an impressive list of accomplishments that include appearances at the prestigious Montreal Just for Laughs Festival, Comedy Central's "Live at Gotham," and CNN's "Not Just Another Cable News Show." He's been a guest on Marc Maron's WTF podcast and currently writes for truTV and Tuvez.
Sara Schaefer is a critically acclaimed stand up comedian, writer, and producer based in New York City. She won two Emmy awards for her work as the Head Blogger for "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," was one of Comedy Central's Comics to Watch in 2010, and has written for BestWeekEver.tv and Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. She has appeared on Vh1, E!, Fuse, and AOL. She co-hosts a podcast called "You Had To Be There" with comedian Nikki Glaser, and is currently working on a pilot for MTV with Nikki.
Scott Moran is a comedian, writer, producer, designer living in New York City. He produces the popular weekly stand-up show "Hot Dang!" at UCBeast in Manhattan City Town. In 2010 he produced the Castlebraid Comedy Festival in Brooklyn, which quickly became an event Time Out NY declared an essential. Scott is also an up-and-coming stand-up comic who has performed at the Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival in Seattle as well.
Valentine's Weekend at Go Comedy!
In celebration of love and laughter, Go Comedy! will present a special version of the "Go Comedy! All Star Showdown" on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 8 & 10 p.m. Guests attending performances that evening will receive chocolates and flowers with especially fun and sexy prizes during the show. Tickets are $20.
A complete Go Comedy! schedule for the month of February 2012 is below.
Tickets are available online at www.gocomedy.net, by calling 248-327-0575, or in person at the Go Comedy! box office beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday - Sunday evenings.
About Go Comedy Improv Theater
Go Comedy! Improv Theater is located at 261 East Nine Mile Road in Ferndale, MI 48220. Go Comedy! offers the finest in improv and sketch comedy, Go U! The Improv Academy training center, road shows, classes and workshops for private parties, corporations and schools. For more information, call 248-327-0575; visit www.gocomedy.net or e-mail Pj Jacokes at pj@gocomedy.net.
The Go Comedy! schedule for February 2012
Wednesday, Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22
8 p.m.: "The Gauntlet" ($7)
9 p.m.: Go Comedy! Special Presentation. Tickets: $5. A Rotating selection of Go Comedy! favorites including:
- Feb. 1: "Soapbox" - a blend of improvisation and story telling.
- Feb. 8: "Rock-o-Matic" - Go Comedy!'s original fully improvised musical
- Feb. 15: "Virgin Improv" - A special guest joins the Go Comedy! cast
- Feb. 22: "Matt Naas & The Sing-a-Long Singers"
Wednesday, Feb. 29
TBA Leap Year special event
Thursday, Feb. 2, 16, 23
8 p.m.: "The Tim Machine." Tickets $10
10 p.m.: "Wirelessless." Tickets: $5
Thursday, Feb. 9
8 p.m.: "The Double Date Stand Up Comedy Show." Tickets: $10
10 p.m.: "Wirelessless." Tickets: $5
Friday, Feb. 3, 17, 24
8 p.m.: "The Tim Machine." Tickets: $15
10 p.m.: "The Go Comedy! All Star Showdown." Tickets: $15
11:45 p.m.: "Bizzaro Happy Hour" Go Comedy!'s late night improv set. Free.
Friday, Feb. 10
8 p.m.: "The Double Date Stand Up Comedy Show." Tickets: $15
10 p.m.: "The Go Comedy! All Star Showdown." Tickets: $15
11:45 p.m.: "Bizzaro Happy Hour" Go Comedy!'s late night improv set. Free.
Saturday, Feb. 4, 18, & 25
8 p.m.: "The Go Comedy! All Star Showdown." Tickets: $15
10 p.m.: "The Go Comedy! All Star Showdown." Tickets: $15
11:45 p.m.: "Bizzaro Happy Hour" Go Comedy!'s late night improv set. Free.
Saturday, Feb. 11
8 p.m.: "The Go Comedy! All Star Showdown Valentine Special." Tickets: $20
10 p.m.: "The Go Comedy! All Star Showdown Valentine Special." Tickets: $20
11:45 p.m.: "Bizzaro Happy Hour" Go Comedy!'s late night improv set. Free.
Sunday, Feb. 5, 12, 19, & 26
Sunday nights are now M.A.R.V.I.N. nights, where all tickets are "pay what you can" at the door or $5 when you order online.
7 p.m.: "Fresh Sauce" - Go Comedy!'s popular improv jam
8 p.m.: "Go Comedy! Improv Showcase" featuring The Vulcan Hipsters, Action Jackson
9 p.m.: "Go Comedy! Improv Showcase" featuring The Party and The Mighty They.
'Red Night' fundraiser at the Detroit Rep
DETROIT - On Saturday, Feb. 11, the Detroit Repertory Theatre welcomes the public to an evening of drama, romance, champagne and live jazz at the board of trustees' annual "Red Night" benefit beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 each and include the powerful and critically acclaimed play "Burying the Bones," unlimited champagne, fun door prizes, the "Best Dressed in Red" and "Patron of the Year" Awards, and live jazz. "Sweetheart Packages" are also available. Call 313-868-1347 for "Red Night" reservations and information.
Everyone attending will enjoy champagne in the intimate, candle-lit atmosphere of the theater's art gallery and lobby cocktail lounge. Onstage, the Rep will present the Wertz Patron of the Year award, followed by the powerful play "Burying the Bones" by M. E. H. Lewis, a love story about the ghosts of apartheid. After the show, guests enjoy champagne and jazz as the board of trustees announce the door prize winners.
"Burying the Bones" is a ghost story of sorts. In post-apartheid South Africa, Mae is haunted by apparitions of her husband James, who has been missing for two years. Against the advice of her more politically active sister, Mae goes to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hoping to learn what happened to James. While there she must face the white policeman accused of killing James, and learns that the truth is more painful and complicated than she ever thought and that history's ghosts are not easily set to rest.
The board of trustees welcomes the public to join us at "Red Night" for a unique evening of theater, romance and music and a meaningful participation in Detroit Repertory Theatre's 54th anniversary celebrations.
Proceeds from the evening will go to operational support of the Rep.
The Detroit Repertory Theatre is located at 13103 Woodrow Wilson in the heart of Detroit, 48238. More information may be found at www.detroitreptheatre.com.
Score with "Elmo's Super Heroes" and Super Sunday Savings!
DETROIT No matter what team you cheer for in the big game next weekend, everyone attending Sesame Street Live "Elmo's Super Heroes" at the Fox Theatre is a big winner with "Super Sunday Savings," where all seats are 50-percent off for all performances on Sunday, Feb. 5 (10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.). Super Sunday Savings exclude Sunny Seats and is not valid on previously purchased tickets.
When Super Grover loses his superness, Sesame Street needs a hero! Never fear, Elmo and his team of super heroes are here. Teaching lessons of healthy habits through song and dance, Elmo, Abby Cadabby and your favorite Sesame Street friends will explore exercise, nutrition, sleep/energy and hygiene all in a quest to put the "super" back in Super Grover. It's Elmos Super Heroes to the rescue!
Sesame Street Live "Elmo's Super Heroes" features an array of popular (and healthy) songs, many of them renditions of tunes that parents will remember and kids will love: "Old MacDonald," "Splish Splash," "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "Sunny Days." Like television's "Sesame Street," each Sesame Street Live production features timeless lessons for all ages. Through the dazzle of this full-blown Broadway-quality show, the production will teach children lessons in healthy habits that they can use long after the show ends. Adults will appreciate the universal appeal of Sesame Street Live, the high-tech stagecraft and cleverly written scripts.
To take advantage of the "Super Sunday Savings," customers can use the promo code "SUPER" to purchase show tickets at www.OlympiaEntertainment.com, the Fox Theatre and Joe Louis Arena box offices, Hockeytown Authentics in Troy (without service charge) at all Ticketmaster locations and www.Ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets by phone, call 800-745-3000. Tickets for the Sunday, Feb. 5 performances ($6, $10, $12.50 and $17.50) are on sale now.
Tickets ($12, $20, $25, $35 Gold Circle and $65 Sunny Seats) for all other performances are on sale now and can be purchased at www.OlympiaEntertainment.com, the Fox Theatre and Joe Louis Arena box offices, Hockeytown Authentics in Troy (without service charge) at all Ticketmaster locations and www.Ticketmaster.com. To charge tickets by phone, call 800-745-3000. Groups of 15+ SAVE! Please call 313-471-3099 for more information.
For additional information, call 313-471-6611.
Revised schedule for The New Theatre Project
YPSILANTI - Never afraid of the adjective "new," The New Theatre Project has made exciting changes to the latter half of Season 2: Revelation. With tremendous response to this season's call for script submissions, TNTP has extended the Spring New Work Series over two months to feature one-night-only, highly fresh staged readings, some receiving their first public outing. In addition to the previously announced "The Tempest Project," TNTP is thrilled to announce a partnership with the amazingly talented Jim and Paul Manganello for a project also inspired by a renewal of Shakespeare, "The Folio Project."
The full revised season listing can be found below.
The New Theatre Project performs at the Mix Studio Theatre, located at 130 W. Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti. For tickets, reservations or more information, call the box office at 734-645-9776 or log onto www.thenewtheatreproject.org
If You Start a Fire [Be Prepared to Burn]
An internet sex comedy for the Recession Generation
By Kevin Kautzman
Directed by Nati Salgado
Featuring Peter Giessl and Elise Randall
Pay-what-you-can preview: Feb. 12, 2012
Performances: Feb. 17-March 4
Lucy and Chris are typical American 20-somethings struggling to survive the Great Recession with their dignity intact. They hate their jobs like most everybody else, but they need the insurance, and at least they have each other. Right? When Chris loses his job, he convinces Lucy they should launch a boutique sex website and sell the idea of her as an all-American girl next door, somehow both pure and hedonistic at the same time.
Spring New Work Series
March 11-April 15
The spring gives birth to staged readings of original work featuring talkbacks with the playwrights. Also included for the first time, The New Theatre Project will feature guest speakers and round table discussions with local playwrights and theater artists.
The plays selected and special events are as follows:
Investigate and Protect
by Liz Ellison
directed by Paul Manganello
Sunday, March 11 at 8 p.m.
China is single, middle-aged, working in a laundromat, and trying to make the most out of all of the above. But after she survives a stabbing by a bizarre intruder in her home, her troubles multiply. Now she's saddled with a pesky case of PTSD, a psychiatrist who tries to avoid her, and - she soon discovers - a baffling army of strangers with knives who all seem to want to kill her. A comedy.
Cloudy/Clear
inspired by Tennessee Williams
in an adaptation by Keith Paul Medelis
Saturday, March 17 at 8 p.m.
"When someone hurts us deeply, we no longer see them at all clearly. Not until time has put them back in focus." Tennessee Williams
The first reading of a work in progress. This contemporary piece explores one of the last plays written by Tennessee Williams, largely autobiographical, in an entirely re-imagined way. A play about love and memory and the impossibility of both to be completely clear.
A Roundtable Conversation: Playwrights and the Collaborative Process
Moderated by Davi Napoleon, theater historian and arts journalist
Sunday, March 18 at 8 p.m.
Local playwrights discuss, in an open roundtable, matters concerning successes or failures of collaborative projects. Davi Napoleon asks questions regarding the varying methods of collaboration amongst different companies, the role of the playwright in all stages of the creative process, and questions of a play's ownership. You are invited to join the conversation at any point in the evening.
Midway
(A Romantic Comedy in 3 Measurements of Distance)
by Ira Gamerman
directed by Jane Bruce
Saturday, March 24 at 8 p.m.
After a drunken kiss at a company function, David and Catherine learn the difference between being close enough to touch lips and 727 miles. When David moves from Baltimore to Chicago to pursue his dream of being a comedian, he and Catherine must face the hard reality of what gets sacrificed in attempts to make love conquer all.
Authentic
by Jacob Coakley
directed by Brian Carbine
Sunday, March 25 at 8 p.m.
Margaret, a college student who tapes every moment of her life, fights to translate and stage an alleged Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Princess and the Pirate" with classmate David Span despite family disputes, lawsuits, and the fact that they're missing the last page of the story. Authentic interweaves their lives with the story of the Andersen princess, Meta, who goes to sea in order to find her twin brother, the last of her family. Standing in her way is a ship of pirates. In the end, both Meta and Margaret must decide who to betray in order to survive, and how to live with themselves once they have.
Open Mic Night
Saturday, March 31 at 8 p.m.
Come one, come all! Any unfinished work you just want to workshop in front of few folks? Or maybe just work some ideas? Tonight's the night. Playwrights present work in various stages of development. To sign up please contact keith@thenewtheatreproject.org
Wolf Cry Wolf
by Kevin Kautzman
directed by Keith Paul Medelis
Sunday, April 1 at 8 p.m.
Featuring Jane Bruce, Brian Flores, and Elise Randall
When Steph returns to North Dakota from New York City for the first time in years, she finds her estranged childhood friend Jane has arranged a surprise reunion with a young man Steph would rather not see. As they descend into their memories, they discover things about themselves they once knew but chose to forget: the summer Jane taught Steph how to turn into a wolf. "Wolf Cry Wolf" looks at the fine line between memory and imagination and at the lies we tell to survive our shadows.
4 in 24
Sunday, April 15 at 8 p.m.
The exciting culmination of the Spring New Work Series with fast-paced, highly energized creative force. 4 playwrights, 4 plays, 24 hours. A revamp of the successful "24 in 24" earlier this season, this time featuring fully developed one-act plays and a brand new theme announced just 24 hours before performance time. Be there when the tired and slightly mad artists present their work just one day after its conception.
Renewing Shakespeare
In the latter half of the season, The New Theatre Project explores Shakespeare in a whole new way. A kind of response to Roland Emmerich's "Anonymous," TNTP attempts to interpret Shakespeare's words for a new audience and honor him without the usual God-like reverence. Please join us for our third, massively successful Project Play and our first and exciting partnership with the Manganello Brothers.
The Tempest Project
in a collaborative adaptation by Jason Sebacher
directed by Keith Paul Medelis
featuring Luna Alexander, Jane Bruce, Dan Tracy and Andrew Whipple
Pay-what-you-can previews: May 4-6
Performances: May 11-27
"What holds you captive?"
The much anticipated third production in the Project Play series, "The Tempest Project," focuses the attention away from Prospero in one of Shakespeare's most well-known plays. Using the process developed by TNTP through the popular "The Spring Awakening Project" and "The Everyman Project," we take a look at the isolation and enslavement of some of the play's smaller characters to explore its contemporary relevance in a new, overtly personal way. The cast uses inspiration from their own lives to build on Shakespeare's text. And, for the first time ever, the play will spend a year in development as we travel throughout Michigan to ask our central question to you. Your stories could become our play.
The New Theatre Project and the Manganello Brothers present
The Folio Project
Written and performed by Jim Manganello and Paul Manganello
Performances: June 7-17
Two forgotten actors. A mountain of annotated papers. In 1621, they all collide in a printer's shop behind a pub; two years later, one of the greatest books of all time is born. This show tells the unlikely and little-known story of the construction of Shakespeare's Folio. Fusing words with movement, the Manganello brothers attempt to bring the Folio into 2012.
This devised work strives to take Shakespeare out of the grave, off the pedestal, and put him back on stage where he belongs. Two performers play many roles to recreate the madcap story behind the Folio's first printing, showing that these verses were not handed down by God just by Will. Just as the printer cut up and pasted together the plays of Shakespeare to make a breathing corpus, the project performs an acrobatic attack on his body of work in order to make its heart beat once again.
OTHER VOICES - NEWS & PREVIEWS: Jan. 30, 2012
New theater coming to Brighton
BRIGHTON - Livingston County residents Steve DeBruyne and Matt Tomich have a plan to bring Michigan's newest live professional theater company to the city of Brighton. The Dionysus Theatre will open in Brighton on March 1 with a two show pre-season that will be followed by its first full season of shows. The 370-seat theater will be located in the existing building at 301 Appian Way, just off Grand River Avenue between Main Street and Old US 23. This location offers convenient access to both US 23 and I-96 freeways, as well as shopping and restaurants in downtown Brighton.
The name Dionysus comes from the Greek god. Dionysus was considered the god of many things, including theater. A patron of the theater, Greek myths say that when Dionysus went abroad he was accompanied by Muses who, with their songs and dancing, delighted the heart of the god. Dionysus was honored with a festival called the City Dionysia in which tribes competed with each other in performances, and the best show would have the honor of winning the contest.
DeBruyne and Tomich plan to bring six professional productions a year to the Brighton area, including musicals and plays. The Dionysus Theatre or "The Dio" as it's affectionately called by the founders, will feature actors from Michigan, joined by other professionals from New York and Chicago to ensure unmatched quality in the Livingston County area.
The pair is well suited to the theater business. DeBruyne is a graduate of The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and has been a working actor for over 10 years, performing regionally as well as travelling with a tour of a Broadway production. In addition, he has directed and served as artistic director for another theater in Michigan, and has been nominated as Best Actor in a Musical twice in the state. Tomich received his master's degree in business from Michigan State University in addition to working in the local theater scene as an actor, stage manager and designer.
In addition to providing stellar live theatre entertainment, The Dio will also offer educational opportunities for youth as well as employment opportunities for actors, production team and office staff.
For up to date information on upcoming shows, auditions, job opportunities and more, visit www.diotheatre.com or "like" Dionysus Theatre on Facebook! Ticket information is coming soon!
Smash-hit musical will 'Rock' Kalamazoo Jan. 31
KALAMAZOO - In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small-town girl met a big-city dreamer and in L.A.'s most legendary rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the '80s. It's "Rock of Ages," a hilarious, feel-good love story told through the hit songs of iconic rockers Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake, and many more. This five-time Tony nominated musical, with a star studded motion picture in the works, is rockin' its way across the USA. Don't miss this awesomely good time about dreaming big, playing loud and partying on! "Rock of Ages" comes to Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo on Jan. 31 for one show only at 7:30 p.m.
"Rock of Ages" is a worldwide phenomenon, with smash hit productions in Australia, London, South Korea and still rockin' on Broadway, featuring 28 classic rock tunes including "We Built This City," "Wanted Dead or Alive," "Here I Go Again," "Can't Fight this Feeling," "Renegade," "I Want To Know What Love Is" and more.
"Rock of Ages" is directed by Tony Award nominee Kristin Hanggi ("Bare," "Pussycat Dolls on the Sunset Strip") and choreographed by Kelly Devine ("Jersey Boys" associate choreographer). With a book by Chris D'Arienzo (writer and director of the film "Barry Munday"), original arrangements by David Gibbs and music supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp ("Tarzan"; "Mamma Mia!").
"Rock of Ages" is part of the PNC Broadway in West Michigan Plus Series.
Tickets ($25-$55) are available now by calling 269-387-2300 or 800-228-9858, online at www.millerauditorium.com, or by visiting the Miller Auditorium Ticket Office. Groups of 20 or more can call 269-387-2312 for special discounts.
Miller Auditorium is located on the campus of Western Michigan University. The GPS address is 2200 Auditorium Dr., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5344.
'Bad Boys of Abridgement' poke fun of sports Feb. 3
MIDLAND - No sport is safe from spoof when Matrix:Midland presents "The Complete World of Sports (abridged)" at Midland Center for the Arts on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. From cavemen playing "Neanderthal in the Middle" to your own kid's soccer practice, the history of athletic competition will be regurgitated in this audience-interactive marathon of madness and mayhem that will leave every member of the family cheering.
In a send-up of an ESPN-style broadcast, The Reduced Shakespeare Company's "Bad Boys of Abridgement" poke fun at America's obsession with sports, their celebrities, and the pompous talking heads on TV who love the sound of their own voices. In the process, they answer some of the burning questions from sports, including: Is bowling really a sport? What about poker or competitive eating? Which is more boring baseball or cricket? Who invented curling and synchronized swimming and why are they in the Olympics? The result is a sharply satiric, tour-de-farce of vaudevillian physical comedy, and an all-out embrace of sports as fun.
Sports fans will like this show. Sports haters will LOVE this show!
Audience members are encouraged to show their team spirit by wearing their favorite sports jersey!
The Reduced Shakespeare Company is a three-man comedy troupe that takes long, serious subjects and reduces them to short, sharp comedies. Since 1981, these "Bad Boys of Abridgement" have created seven stage shows, including their first three shows "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)," "The Complete History of America (abridged)" and "The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)" which ran for nine years at the Criterion Theatre in London's Piccadilly Circus.
Tickets are $32 for adults and $18 for students, which are available by calling the MCFTA Ticket Office at 800-523-7649 or at www.mcfta.org.
Midland Center for the Arts is located at 1801 West Saint Andrews Road, Midland, MI 48640;
About Matrix:Midland
Matrix:Midland presents professional, world-class entertainment to the mid-Michigan region. For over 30 years, Matrix has hosted an extraordinary schedule of cutting-edge entertainment including cinema, music, comedy, family programs, world-renowned authors and more.
About Midland Center for the Arts
Midland Center for the Arts, Inc. is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation formed under the laws of the State of Michigan incorporating six groups: Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art, Center Stage Choirs, Center Stage Theatre, Matrix:Midland, Midland County Historical Society, and Midland Symphony Orchestra. Activities at Midland Center for the Arts are supported in part by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Feb. 19 evening performance of 'FELA!' to benefit Jalen Rose Leadership Academy
DETROIT - Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts and the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy are proud to collaborate on a fundraising event for the Academy during the Broadway performance of "FELA!" on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 8p.m. A Meet and Greet with Jalen Rose will be hosted in the Jazz Cafe for 100 ticketed guests from 6:30-7:30 p.m. prior to the show.
Tickets for the performance range from $27-$97, and the meet and greet is $50 per ticket. The meet and greet includes autograph and photo opportunities with Jalen, as well as a special performance by Jalen Rose Leadership Academy students and complimentary Grey Goose cocktails. A portion of every ticket sold to the evening performance of "FELA!" and the meet and greet will benefit the Academy.
Tickets for both can be purchased through Ticketmaster or the Music Hall Box Office.
"FELA!" is coming to Detroit's Music Hall Feb. 14-March 4. Performances are Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m., and Sundays at 3 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $30, $40, $50, $75, $100, which are available at Music Hall Box Office at 313-887-8501 or www.ticketmaster.com.
About "FELA!"
"FELA!" is the hottest, most critically acclaimed Broadway musical phenomenon of the year! Based on the true story of the legendary Nigerian musician and activist Fela Kuti, "FELA!" is a spectacular theatrical experience ignited by Afrobeat rhythms and African dance choreographed by Tony-Award winning choreographer, Bill T. Jones. Winning three 2010 Tony Awards (Best Choreography, Best Costume Design for a Musical and Best Sound Design of a Musical), "FELA!" is more than a musical, but a journey into a revolution for freedom and social change in Nigeria through music and community. "FELA!" runs in Detroit Feb. 14 through March 4. For more information about "FELA!", log on to www.sayyeahyeah.com.
About Music Hall
Music Hall is a perennial city leader in educational outreach for the performing arts and has a long list of projects, including The Anita Baker Jazz Vocal Program, as well as, dance and spoken word programs geared toward the youth of the city exposing them to theater, dance and Jazz. For more information, log on to www.musichall.org .
About Jalen Rose Leadership Academy
The Jalen Rose Leadership Academy is an open enrollment, public charter high school on the northwest side of Detroit. The Academy opened its doors in September 2011 to 120 ninth grade students; an additional freshman class will be added each subsequent year. Detroit area students receive a leadership-focused education based upon real-world, project-based experiences within the career context of sports and entertainment. Students receive extensive college exposure and course opportunities through a partnership with the University of Detroit Mercy. The mission is to provide a leadership-focused experience within a high-performing high school that engages and inspires Detroit area youth to achieve at the rigorous level necessary to ultimately graduate with a college degree and thrive in life. For more info on this tuition-free school, please visit www.jrladetroit.com. Founder and Detroit native Jalen Rose is an ESPN/ABC analyst and 13-year NBA star.
META Golden Ticket prize winner announced
DETROIT - Clinton Township resident Patricia McElmeel got an unexpected Christmas gift this year. As the curtain came down on the Dec. 18 matinee of Plowshares Theatre Company's performance of "A Jazzy Christmas" at the Virgil Carr Center in Downtown, Detroit, Plowshares Producing Artistic Director Gary Anderson and Carla Milarch, board chair of the Michigan Equity Theatre Alliance, took the stage to make a very special presentation to McElmeel - who was the winner of the META Golden Ticket contest.
Sponsored by the Michigan Equity Theatre Alliance, the META Golden Ticket is a special pass, good for a pair of season tickets for the 2011-2012 season to seven of Michigan's top professional Equity theaters. In one year, McElmeel and a guest will be able to use her Golden Ticket to see 40 great shows a $2,800 value.
McElmeel, who has already begun using her tickets to take in a number of professional shows, won the Golden Ticket through the META Golden Ticket contest, which ran online from Sept. 15 through Nov. 25, 2011. She says, "This is the best prize I've ever won. We are having so much fun going to all the different theaters, and the people I've dealt with are wonderful, always trying to get me great seats. I know we won't manage to hit all 40 shows, but we are going to go to as many as possible!"
McElmeel receives tickets to all seven of the award-winning professional theatres of META, which includes Detroit Repertory Theatre (Detroit), The Jewish Ensemble Theatre (West Bloomfield), Meadow Brook Theatre (Rochester), Performance Network Theatre (Ann Arbor), Plowshares Theatre Company (Detroit), Tipping Point Theatre (Northville) and Williamston Theatre (Williamston).
"The theaters of META offer locally produced professional theater at its finest," Milarch said. "The Golden Ticket is a passport to the complete seasons of seven of the finest professional companies in the region. We're thrilled to share with Patricia the entirety of our offerings, including comedies, dramas, musicals, classics, world premieres, Tony winners and more, all produced using the finest talent in Michigan and beyond."
META is a not-for-profit organization created to promote professional theater in southeast Michigan. The organization was formed through a partnership between the Cultural Alliance for Southeastern Michigan and the Michigan Non-Profit Association, with financial support from the Kresge Foundation and the Ford Foundation.
All META members are professional theater companies, producing under a contract with the Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers. With the best production values in Michigan, META theaters hire the finest artists to create and perform. Each theater produces a unique season of plays for all tastes. Members of the public are invited to learn more about META at www.METAtheatres.org. Providing visitors with complete details on seven of the region's top theatres in one place, the META website always has the answer to the question "What's playing?"
OTHER VOICES - NEWS & PREVIEWS: Jan. 26, 2012
Susan Froelich stepping down as head of Arts Alliance AnnArbor.com (Jan. 23, 2012)
Viewed from inside, comedy of 'Carnage' is devastating The Detroit News (Jan. 26, 2012)
Mermaid Theatre presents 3 beloved children's tales The Detroit News (Jan. 26, 2012)
Community support saves 1515 Broadway from foreclosure Detroit Theater Examiner (Jan. 24, 2012)
'Stages of the law' season closes with 'Exonerated' Lansing State Journal (Jan. 25, 2012)
'Bright Room' brings drama, history to Ringwald The Oakland Press (Jan. 23, 2012)
1515 Broadway has been saved!
DETROIT - In response to tremendous pressure from the community, Citgroup has reached an agreement with Chris Jaszczak that will keep 1515 Broadway in Downtown Detroit alive and functioning under his control and ownership. The coffee house and community center is no longer under the threat of foreclosure and eviction.
Thanks to all those who called and e-mailed Citigroup expressing your strong support and determination to keep this unique community center open and demanding that the eviction be stopped. The community support mobilized by Moratorium NOW!, People Before Banks, Occupy Detroit, and Occupy Our Homes was key to saving 1515.
The Rally scheduled for Jan. 26 became a community gathering to celebrate this victory and the fact that 1515 Broadway will continue to serve as a community space.
For more details, click here to read Michael Jackman's story in Metro Times!
New data reveals significant economic impact by Michigan's creative sector
WIXOM A new report, Creative State Michigan, released by ArtServe Michigan the state's leading statewide arts and cultural advocacy organization shows that 211 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations contributed nearly half a billion dollars in expenditures alone to the economy of Michigan in 2009.
Among other data, the report reveals the significant impact of state dollars invested in the arts and culture nonprofit sector. For every $1 invested by the state, the arts and culture nonprofit sector contributed $51 into the Michigan economy. In fact, of the $462 million in annual expenditures by the creative community in 2009, $152 million was paid out in salaries for 15,560 jobs. From 2006 to 2010, the number of arts-related jobs increased by 4 percent in Michigan, while arts-related businesses increased by 43 percent.
"As Michigan has sought methods to overcome its economic challenges, the creative industries largely have been overlooked, despite the significant value they bring to the state's economy, as well as the industry's ability to attract and retain professional talent and business investment," said Jennifer Goulet, president and CEO of ArtServe. "Through Creative State Michigan, we are taking new steps to demonstrate that value with standardized, verifiable data so the sector can be included in Michigan's strategies to reinvent itself for a sustainable future."
Data for the Creative State Michigan report come from the Americans for the Arts' annual Creative Industries Reports, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation/Pure Michigan and the Michigan Cultural Data Project. The Michigan CDP data are from 211 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in Michigan that completed data entry and review. Michigan is home to more than 2,000 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations. More information will be available every year, as more groups add to the database.
The Michigan CDP is a standardized, national, secure, online database and support network in which nonprofit arts and cultural organizations enter financial, programmatic and operational information once a year. From the database, they can then generate instant annual and trend analysis reports, benchmark their performance against other organizations and create instant reports to be used as part of grant applications to participating funders. The database also provides reliable data to researchers on the organizations' economic impact and contributions within Michigan. The CDP is operated by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
The MASCO Corporation Foundation provided initial seed funding and has been joined by 17 more Michigan foundations in supporting the Michigan CDP and Creative State Michigan. Melonie Colaianne, president of the MASCO Corporation Foundation, said, "The Creative State Michigan report makes a compelling case for the contribution of the arts it takes the wealth of data from the CDP and other sources and distills it to the key facts about arts and culture in Michigan. We are looking forward to sharing its findings widely."
Data Driven Detroit provided research support for ArtServe Michigan, as an independent examiner of the information. "This effort provides a critical reminder of the importance of the nonprofit sector in Michigan's economy, supporting previous research from the Michigan Nonprofit Association," said Director of Data Driven Detroit Kurt Metzger. "By drilling down within the arts and culture sector, the Michigan CDP brings forward a rich new source of detailed data with solid collection methods to deliver a more complete picture of the region's economic and social activity. We look forward to learning more in the years to come."
Learn more at www.CreativeStateMI.org and www.miculturaldata.org.
About ArtServe Michigan
ArtServe Michigan is a statewide nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to cultivating the creative potential of Michigan's arts and cultural sector to enhance the public health and well-being of Michigan, its people and communities. ArtServe advocates for arts, culture and arts education in Michigan; provides leadership and professional development for arts and cultural organizations and artists; and connects arts and cultural leaders and supporters through strategic communications. Contact ArtServe Michigan at 248-912-0760 or visit www.ArtServeMichigan.org.
Encore LIVE! - An intriguing switcheroo at The Purple Rose
Rhiannon Ragland and Guy Sanville
The Purple Rose Theatre Company has earned a reputation as a company willing to take chances. Whether it's a never-before-staged script to offering opportunities to talented young artists to work outside their comfort zones, The Purple Rose has - since its inception in 1991 - become the creative home for emerging talent and seasoned professionals to stretch their artist wings. Situated in historic downtown Chelsea, The Purple Rose begins 2012 with "A Stone Carver," a heartfelt story about the rekindling of a father-son relationship by William Mastrosimone that opens Jan. 27. And true to form, Artistic Director Guy Sanville is taking yet another chance with this production - namely, by handing the reins to first-time director (and familiar face to PRTC patrons) Rhiannon Ragland. But that's not all: Sanville is returning to the stage in the role of Agostino, a seventh-generation stone carver who is evicted from his home to make space for a highway. Host Donald V. Calamia talks with Sanville and Ragland about the production and the switcheroo that finds two familiar faces swapping duties. Plus, Sanville reveals what's in store for the 2012-13 season!
Encore LIVE! - it's like radio, but over the internet! A production of EncoreMichigan.com. Produced for EncoreMichigan.com by Barton Bund and Tony Caselli. Theme music by the World Famous Love Machine.
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