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Theater, Dance, and Opera
The Ann Arbor area plays host to several community and semi-professional
theater companies, with new shows going up every month. Ballet,
modern, and traditional dance concerts abound, along with musical
theater productions from Broadway to grand opera.
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"The Baltimore Waltz": Blackbird Theater.
"110 in the Shade": EMU Theatre Department.
"Growing Pretty": Purple Rose Theatre Company.
 Tuesday
May, 2008
8 p.m.
"Growing Pretty":
Purple Rose Theatre Company. Every Wednesday-Sunday (except May 7) through May 31, and May 6 & 27. See review, left. Michelle Mountain directs the world premiere of Carey Crim's coming-of-age tale about a girl who dreams of becoming a supermodel. When her mom steals the love of her life, the girl has to navigate, alone, the difficult path of becoming an artist. The cast features Stacie Hadgikosti, Brian Ogden, Grant Krause, Rhiannon Ragland, Matt Gwynn, and Hugh Maguire. 8 p.m., Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea.
Tickets $25 (Wed. & Thurs.), $30 (Sat. & Sun. matinees), & $35 (Fri. & Sat. eves.) in advance and at the door. 433-7673.
 Wednesday
May, 2008
3 & 8 p.m.
"Growing Pretty":
Purple Rose Theatre Company. Every Wednesday-Sunday (except May 7) through May 31, and May 6 & 27. See review, left. Michelle Mountain directs the world premiere of Carey Crim's coming-of-age tale about a girl who dreams of becoming a supermodel. When her mom steals the love of her life, the girl has to navigate, alone, the difficult path of becoming an artist. The cast features Stacie Hadgikosti, Brian Ogden, Grant Krause, Rhiannon Ragland, Matt Gwynn, and Hugh Maguire. 8 p.m., Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea.
Tickets $25 (Wed. & Thurs.), $30 (Sat. & Sun. matinees), & $35 (Fri. & Sat. eves.) in advance and at the door. 433-7673.
 Thursday
May, 2008
8 p.m.
"Exits and Entrances":
Performance Network Professional Season. Every Thursday-Sunday, April 24-June 1. David Wolber directs the renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard's recent autobiographical drama, set in the mid-1950s, about his life-changing friendship with the legendary Afrikaans actor Andre Huguenet, known at one time as the Laurence Olivier of South Africa. Set during apartheid, the play explores the nature and power of the theater through the mutually sustaining relationship that develops between an idealistic young actor and an older actor struggling to find meaning and dignity at the end of his career. According to New York Times critic Charles Isherwood, the play "movingly speaks of theater's potential to shape lives in enduring ways, even as it acknowledges the evanescence of the art form." Stars Robert Grossman and Kevin Young.
Performance Network, 120 E. Huron. Preview tickets: whatever you can afford to pay (Apr. 24), $20 (Apr. 25 & 27 and May 1), and $28 (Apr. 26). May 2 opening night tickets: $42 includes reception. After May 2: $30 (Thurs. & Sat. matinee), $35 (Fri. & Sun.), and $42 (Sat. eve.). $3 discounts available for seniors age 60 & over, $10 discounts available (except Sat. eve.) for students. Tickets available in advance at performancenetwork.org & by phone, and at the door. Half-price student rush tickets & $10 tickets for age 16 & under available 1 hour before showtime. For reservations, call 663-0681; to charge by phone, call 663-0696.
8 p.m.
"Growing Pretty":
Purple Rose Theatre Company. Every Wednesday-Sunday (except May 7) through May 31, and May 6 & 27. See review, left. Michelle Mountain directs the world premiere of Carey Crim's coming-of-age tale about a girl who dreams of becoming a supermodel. When her mom steals the love of her life, the girl has to navigate, alone, the difficult path of becoming an artist. The cast features Stacie Hadgikosti, Brian Ogden, Grant Krause, Rhiannon Ragland, Matt Gwynn, and Hugh Maguire. 8 p.m., Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea.
Tickets $25 (Wed. & Thurs.), $30 (Sat. & Sun. matinees), & $35 (Fri. & Sat. eves.) in advance and at the door. 433-7673.
8 p.m.
"Ghosts":
MorrisCo Art Theatre. May 29-31 . Susan Morris directs local actors in Ibsen's 1882 drama about a widow, constrained by her high-minded moral rigidity, who must deal with her late philandering husband's estate and their syphilitic son. Though written over 100 years ago, Ibsen's critique resonates with contemporary debates about the value of traditional morality. Cast: Rebecca Stucki, Robert Green, Jeff Stringer, Larry Rusinsky, Lisa White.
Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron, Ypsilanti. Tickets $18 (students & seniors, $15) in advance and at the door. 996-2549.
8 p.m.
"Finale! 2008":
Huron High School. May 29-31. Huron High School students direct and perform their original 1-act plays.
Huron High School, 2727 Fuller Rd. Tickets $6 (students & seniors, $4). 994-2095.
8-9 p.m.
Puppetry Improv:
Dreamland Theater . Every Thursday. The Dreamland puppet troupe uses marionettes, rod puppets, and other forms of puppetry in an improv performance inspired by current events, audience suggestions, and "whatever strikes our fancy."
Dreamland Theater, 26 N. Washington St., Ypsilanti. Pay what you can. 657-2337.
 Friday
May, 2008
8 p.m.
"Exits and Entrances":
Performance Network Professional Season. Every Thursday-Sunday, April 24-June 1. David Wolber directs the renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard's recent autobiographical drama, set in the mid-1950s, about his life-changing friendship with the legendary Afrikaans actor Andre Huguenet, known at one time as the Laurence Olivier of South Africa. Set during apartheid, the play explores the nature and power of the theater through the mutually sustaining relationship that develops between an idealistic young actor and an older actor struggling to find meaning and dignity at the end of his career. According to New York Times critic Charles Isherwood, the play "movingly speaks of theater's potential to shape lives in enduring ways, even as it acknowledges the evanescence of the art form." Stars Robert Grossman and Kevin Young.
Performance Network, 120 E. Huron. Preview tickets: whatever you can afford to pay (Apr. 24), $20 (Apr. 25 & 27 and May 1), and $28 (Apr. 26). May 2 opening night tickets: $42 includes reception. After May 2: $30 (Thurs. & Sat. matinee), $35 (Fri. & Sun.), and $42 (Sat. eve.). $3 discounts available for seniors age 60 & over, $10 discounts available (except Sat. eve.) for students. Tickets available in advance at performancenetwork.org & by phone, and at the door. Half-price student rush tickets & $10 tickets for age 16 & under available 1 hour before showtime. For reservations, call 663-0681; to charge by phone, call 663-0696.
8 p.m.
"Growing Pretty":
Purple Rose Theatre Company. Every Wednesday-Sunday (except May 7) through May 31, and May 6 & 27. See review, left. Michelle Mountain directs the world premiere of Carey Crim's coming-of-age tale about a girl who dreams of becoming a supermodel. When her mom steals the love of her life, the girl has to navigate, alone, the difficult path of becoming an artist. The cast features Stacie Hadgikosti, Brian Ogden, Grant Krause, Rhiannon Ragland, Matt Gwynn, and Hugh Maguire. 8 p.m., Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea.
Tickets $25 (Wed. & Thurs.), $30 (Sat. & Sun. matinees), & $35 (Fri. & Sat. eves.) in advance and at the door. 433-7673.
8 p.m.
"The Baltimore Waltz":
Blackbird Theater. May 23-25, 30, 31, and June 6 & 7. Wa-Louisa Hubbard directs local actors in Paula Vogel's Obie Award-winning tragicomedy, an AIDS allegory about an uptight schoolteacher who thinks she's contracted a fatal disease from an elementary-school toilet seat. Accompanied by her equally repressed librarian brother, she crisscrosses Europe in search of a cure. Along the way, she meets a variety of characters who teach her - with what American Theatre magazine called "the inexorable logic of a dream and the pressing urgency of a nightmare" - to let loose and enjoy life. Cast: Alysia Kolascz, Adam Rzepka, and Michael Williams.
Blackbird Theater, 1600 Pauline (at Kay Pkwy. east of Stadium). Tickets $20 (seniors 60 & over, $15; students, $10) in advance and at the door. 332-3848.
8 p.m.
"Ghosts":
MorrisCo Art Theatre. May 29-31 . Susan Morris directs local actors in Ibsen's 1882 drama about a widow, constrained by her high-minded moral rigidity, who must deal with her late philandering husband's estate and their syphilitic son. Though written over 100 years ago, Ibsen's critique resonates with contemporary debates about the value of traditional morality. Cast: Rebecca Stucki, Robert Green, Jeff Stringer, Larry Rusinsky, Lisa White.
Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron, Ypsilanti. Tickets $18 (students & seniors, $15) in advance and at the door. 996-2549.
8 p.m.
"Finale! 2008":
Huron High School. May 29-31. Huron High School students direct and perform their original 1-act plays.
Huron High School, 2727 Fuller Rd. Tickets $6 (students & seniors, $4). 994-2095.
8 p.m.
"Mind Tapped":
Dreamland Theater. Local magician and mentalist George Tait performs his entertaining, mind-bending show that blends psychology, mind reading, artful suggestion, trickiness, and humor.
Dreamland Theater, 26 N. Washington, Ypsilanti. $10. 657-2337.
8 p.m.
Bichini Bia Congo Dance Theater:
The Ark . This popular Ann Arbor-based dance company is led by U-M dance lecturer Biza Sompa, a former choreographer for the Congolese National Dance Company and the Paris-based Ballet Theater Lemba. The ensemble includes 8 dancers and 2 drummers, and its repertoire features dances, chants, and songs associated with ritual ceremonies, work, and everyday life in Congolese villages.
The Ark, 316 S. Main. Tickets $13.50 in advance at Herb David Guitar Studio, the Michigan Union Ticket Office, & all other Ticketmaster outlets; and at the door. To charge by phone, call 763-TKTS.
 Saturday
May, 2008
3 & 8 p.m.
"Exits and Entrances":
Performance Network Professional Season. Every Thursday-Sunday, April 24-June 1. David Wolber directs the renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard's recent autobiographical drama, set in the mid-1950s, about his life-changing friendship with the legendary Afrikaans actor Andre Huguenet, known at one time as the Laurence Olivier of South Africa. Set during apartheid, the play explores the nature and power of the theater through the mutually sustaining relationship that develops between an idealistic young actor and an older actor struggling to find meaning and dignity at the end of his career. According to New York Times critic Charles Isherwood, the play "movingly speaks of theater's potential to shape lives in enduring ways, even as it acknowledges the evanescence of the art form." Stars Robert Grossman and Kevin Young.
Performance Network, 120 E. Huron. Preview tickets: whatever you can afford to pay (Apr. 24), $20 (Apr. 25 & 27 and May 1), and $28 (Apr. 26). May 2 opening night tickets: $42 includes reception. After May 2: $30 (Thurs. & Sat. matinee), $35 (Fri. & Sun.), and $42 (Sat. eve.). $3 discounts available for seniors age 60 & over, $10 discounts available (except Sat. eve.) for students. Tickets available in advance at performancenetwork.org & by phone, and at the door. Half-price student rush tickets & $10 tickets for age 16 & under available 1 hour before showtime. For reservations, call 663-0681; to charge by phone, call 663-0696.
3 & 8 p.m.
"Growing Pretty":
Purple Rose Theatre Company. Every Wednesday-Sunday (except May 7) through May 31, and May 6 & 27. See review, left. Michelle Mountain directs the world premiere of Carey Crim's coming-of-age tale about a girl who dreams of becoming a supermodel. When her mom steals the love of her life, the girl has to navigate, alone, the difficult path of becoming an artist. The cast features Stacie Hadgikosti, Brian Ogden, Grant Krause, Rhiannon Ragland, Matt Gwynn, and Hugh Maguire. 8 p.m., Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea.
Tickets $25 (Wed. & Thurs.), $30 (Sat. & Sun. matinees), & $35 (Fri. & Sat. eves.) in advance and at the door. 433-7673.
 5 p.m.
Cultural Show:
Children's Russian Club. Local Russian children present (in Russian) their original dramatizations of Mikhail Bulgakov's Monsieur Jourdain , based on Moliere's The Bourgeois Gentleman , and Georgi Pelonsky's Red Headed, Honest, in Love , a TV film based on Tutta Karlsson , Jan Eckholm's Swedish tale beloved by Russian children . English synopses provided.
Washtenaw Community College Liberal Arts and Sciences Bldg. Auditorium, 4800 E. Huron River Dr. Free. 741-1953.
7 p.m.
Unveiled Belly Dance Company:
Greenhills School. Performance by this local Middle Eastern dance troupe.
Greenhills School Campbell Center for the Performing Arts, 850 Greenhills Dr. $15. 769-4010.
7:30 p.m.
"Gypsy Rhythms Dance Show":
Kenville Studios. Collette Kenville directs student, faculty, and professional dancers in various dances influenced by gypsy culture, from European folk dance to flamenco and belly dancing, with a splash of ballet and Broadway.
Arthur Miller Theatre, 1226 Murfin. $10 (students, $8) in advance and at the door. 302-3502.
8 p.m.
"The Baltimore Waltz":
Blackbird Theater. May 23-25, 30, 31, and June 6 & 7. Wa-Louisa Hubbard directs local actors in Paula Vogel's Obie Award-winning tragicomedy, an AIDS allegory about an uptight schoolteacher who thinks she's contracted a fatal disease from an elementary-school toilet seat. Accompanied by her equally repressed librarian brother, she crisscrosses Europe in search of a cure. Along the way, she meets a variety of characters who teach her - with what American Theatre magazine called "the inexorable logic of a dream and the pressing urgency of a nightmare" - to let loose and enjoy life. Cast: Alysia Kolascz, Adam Rzepka, and Michael Williams.
Blackbird Theater, 1600 Pauline (at Kay Pkwy. east of Stadium). Tickets $20 (seniors 60 & over, $15; students, $10) in advance and at the door. 332-3848.
8 p.m.
"Ghosts":
MorrisCo Art Theatre. May 29-31 . Susan Morris directs local actors in Ibsen's 1882 drama about a widow, constrained by her high-minded moral rigidity, who must deal with her late philandering husband's estate and their syphilitic son. Though written over 100 years ago, Ibsen's critique resonates with contemporary debates about the value of traditional morality. Cast: Rebecca Stucki, Robert Green, Jeff Stringer, Larry Rusinsky, Lisa White.
Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron, Ypsilanti. Tickets $18 (students & seniors, $15) in advance and at the door. 996-2549.
8 p.m.
"Finale! 2008":
Huron High School. May 29-31. Huron High School students direct and perform their original 1-act plays.
Huron High School, 2727 Fuller Rd. Tickets $6 (students & seniors, $4). 994-2095.
 Sunday
June, 2008
2 p.m.
"Exits and Entrances":
Performance Network Professional Season. Every Thursday-Sunday, April 24-June 1. David Wolber directs the renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard's recent autobiographical drama, set in the mid-1950s, about his life-changing friendship with the legendary Afrikaans actor Andre Huguenet, known at one time as the Laurence Olivier of South Africa. Set during apartheid, the play explores the nature and power of the theater through the mutually sustaining relationship that develops between an idealistic young actor and an older actor struggling to find meaning and dignity at the end of his career. According to New York Times critic Charles Isherwood, the play "movingly speaks of theater's potential to shape lives in enduring ways, even as it acknowledges the evanescence of the art form." Stars Robert Grossman and Kevin Young.
Performance Network, 120 E. Huron. Tickets $30 (Thurs. & Sat. matinee), $35 (Fri. & Sun.), and $42 (Sat. eve.) available in advance at performancenetwork.org & by phone, and at the door. $3 discounts available for seniors age 60 & over, $10 discounts available (except Sat. eve.) for students. Half-price student rush tickets & $10 tickets for age 16 & under available 1 hour before showtime. For reservations, call 663-0681; to charge by phone, call 663-0696.
2 p.m.
"The Baltimore Waltz":
Blackbird Theater. May 23-25, 30, & 31 and June 1 & 6-8. Wa-Louisa Hubbard directs local actors in Paula Vogel's Obie Award-winning tragicomedy, an AIDS allegory about an uptight schoolteacher who thinks she's contracted a fatal disease from an elementary school toilet seat. Accompanied by her equally repressed librarian brother, she crisscrosses Europe in search of a cure. Along the way, she meets a variety of characters who teach her - with what American Theatre magazine called "the inexorable logic of a dream and the pressing urgency of a nightmare" - to let loose and enjoy life. Cast: Alysia Kolascz, Adam Rzepka, and Michael Williams.
Blackbird Theater, 1600 Pauline (at Kay Pkwy. east of Stadium). Tickets $20 (seniors age 60 & over, $15; students, $10) in advance and at the door. 332-3848.
3 p.m.
"110 in the Shade":
EMU Theatre Department. May 30 & 31 and June 1 & 5-7. EMU drama professor Ken Stevens directs EMU drama students in N. Richard Nash, Tom Jones, and Harvey Schmidt's 1963 musical adaptation of Nash's The Rainmaker, a drama, set in Depression-era rural Texas, about a spinster who takes care of a household for her father and 2 brothers but longs for a life and love of her own. She secretly pines for the town sheriff until a charismatic rainmaker comes to town, and she finds herself torn between a life with her head in the clouds and one with her feet on the ground. For audiences age 12 & up.
Sponberg Theater, Ford St. (off Lowell from Huron River Dr.), EMU campus, Ypsilanti. Tickets $15 (students, $12) in advance and at the door. 487-1221.
3:30 p.m.
"Goldilocks and Red Riding Hood vs. the Monsters":
Dreamland Theater . June 1, 15, & 29. This twist on traditional fairy tales by puppeteer Naia Venturi finds the 2 classic heroines teaming up against an ogre, a giant, and a dragon.
Dreamland Theater, 26 N. Washington St., Ypsilanti. $5 (children age 3 & under, free). 657-2337.
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