The Calendar - Theater, Dance, and Opera

This Week's Events

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.

Highlights this week:

"Shining City": Redbud Productions.

"Panhandle Slim & The Oklahoma Kid": Purple Rose Theatre Company.

"Honk!": Dexter Community Players.

Wednesday
July, 2008

Today's matinee is sold out. 3 & 8 p.m.
"Panhandle Slim & The Oklahoma Kid": Purple Rose Theatre Company. Every Wednesday-Sunday, June 19-August 30 (except August 6), and July 1 and August 5 & 26. Guy Sanville directs Purple Rose founder Jeff Daniels's new comedy, the tale of a showdown between 2 Wild West archetypes - a singing cowboy a la Roy Rogers and a scoundrelly outlaw. Thrown together by unfortunate circumstances, they argue over the best way to be a cowboy, while 2 other actors portray their reminiscences. Cast: John Seibert, Tom Whalen, Phil Powers, and Jessica Garrett. 8 p.m., Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea. Tickets $25 (Sun. eves., Wed. & Thurs.), $33 (Sat. & Sun. matinees), & $38 (Fri. & Sat. eves.) in advance and at the door. 433-7673.

8 p.m.
"Shining City": Redbud Productions. Loretta Grimes directs local actors in a staged reading of Conor McPherson's drama about a guilt-ridden widower who seeks help from a therapist after he begins to see his wife's ghost. Exploring psychology and the supernatural, the play is "as troubling and mysterious as life itself," according to Washington Post reviewer Peter Marks. Cast: Tim Grimes, Dave Barker, Heather Kozlakowski, and Nathaniel Fremuth. Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave. Tickets $12. Reservations recommended. 769-2999.

Thursday
July, 2008

8 p.m.
"Panhandle Slim & The Oklahoma Kid": Purple Rose Theatre Company. Every Wednesday-Sunday, June 19-August 30 (except August 6), and July 1 and August 5 & 26. Guy Sanville directs Purple Rose founder Jeff Daniels's new comedy, the tale of a showdown between 2 Wild West archetypes - a singing cowboy a la Roy Rogers and a scoundrelly outlaw. Thrown together by unfortunate circumstances, they argue over the best way to be a cowboy, while 2 other actors portray their reminiscences. Cast: John Seibert, Tom Whalen, Phil Powers, and Jessica Garrett. 8 p.m., Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea. Tickets $25 (Sun. eves., Wed. & Thurs.), $33 (Sat. & Sun. matinees), & $38 (Fri. & Sat. eves.) in advance and at the door. 433-7673.

8 p.m.
"Honk!": Dexter Community Players. July 25-27 & July 31-August 2. Brendan Bachman directs young local actors in George Stiles and Anthony Drewe's musical adaptation of "The Ugly Duckling." When a gawky duckling is cruelly teased by other farmyard animals and nearly eaten by a hungry cat, he flees for greener pastures. After adventures both rollicking and harrowing, he makes a beautiful discovery. Songs include "Play with Your Food," "It Takes All Sorts," and the instrumental-and-frog-vocal suite "Pre-Warts," "Warts and All," "Warts-Off," and "Post-Warts." Stars Spencer Michaud, Jenn Smith, and Caleb Mackinder. Dexter High School Copeland Auditorium, 7714 Dexter-Ann Arbor Rd., Dexter. Tickets $15 in advance at dextercommunityplayers.com & $18 at the door. 424-4100.

Friday
August, 2008

"Panhandle Slim & The Oklahoma Kid": Purple Rose Theatre Company. Every Wednesday-Sunday, June 19-Sept. 27 (except Aug. 6 & Sept. 10), Aug. 5 & 26, and Sept. 9, 16, & 23. See review. Guy Sanville directs Purple Rose founder Jeff Daniels's new comedy, the tale of a showdown between 2 Wild West archetypes - a singing cowboy a la Roy Rogers and a scoundrelly outlaw. Thrown together by unfortunate circumstances, they argue over the best way to be a cowboy, while 2 other actors portray their reminiscences. Cast: John Seibert, Tom Whalen, Phil Powers, and Jessica Garrett. Note: the following performances are sold out: 2 Saturday, 5 Tuesday, 7 Thursday, 10 Sunday, 13 Wednesday, 14 Thursday, 17 Sunday, 20 Wednesday at 3 p.m., 23 Saturday at 3 p.m., 24 Sunday, 26 Tuesday and 27 Wednesday at 3 p.m. Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea. Tickets $25 (Sun. eves., Wed. & Thurs.), $33 (Sat. & Sun. matinees), & $38 (Fri. & Sat. eves.) in advance and at the door. 433-7673.

8 p.m.
"Honk!": Dexter Community Players. July 25-27 & July 31-August 2. Brendan Bachman directs young local actors in George Stiles and Anthony Drewe's musical adaptation of "The Ugly Duckling." Stars Spencer Michaud, Jenn Smith, and Caleb Mackinder. Dexter High School Copeland Auditorium, 7714 Dexter-Ann Arbor Rd., Dexter. Tickets $15 in advance at dextercommunityplayers.com & $18 at the door. 424-4100.

Saturday
August, 2008

2 & 8 p.m.
"Honk!": Dexter Community Players. July 25-27 & July 31-August 2. Brendan Bachman directs young local actors in George Stiles and Anthony Drewe's musical adaptation of "The Ugly Duckling." Stars Spencer Michaud, Jenn Smith, and Caleb Mackinder. Dexter High School Copeland Auditorium, 7714 Dexter-Ann Arbor Rd., Dexter. Tickets $15 in advance at dextercommunityplayers.com & $18 at the door. 424-4100.

3 & 8 p.m.
"Panhandle Slim & The Oklahoma Kid": Purple Rose Theatre Company. Every Wednesday-Sunday, June 19-Sept. 27 (except Aug. 6 & Sept. 10), Aug. 5 & 26, and Sept. 9, 16, & 23. See review. Guy Sanville directs Purple Rose founder Jeff Daniels's new comedy, the tale of a showdown between 2 Wild West archetypes - a singing cowboy a la Roy Rogers and a scoundrelly outlaw. Thrown together by unfortunate circumstances, they argue over the best way to be a cowboy, while 2 other actors portray their reminiscences. Cast: John Seibert, Tom Whalen, Phil Powers, and Jessica Garrett. Note: the following performances are sold out: 2 Saturday, 5 Tuesday, 7 Thursday, 10 Sunday, 13 Wednesday, 14 Thursday, 17 Sunday, 20 Wednesday at 3 p.m., 23 Saturday at 3 p.m., 24 Sunday, 26 Tuesday and 27 Wednesday at 3 p.m. Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea. Tickets $25 (Sun. eves., Wed. & Thurs.), $33 (Sat. & Sun. matinees), & $38 (Fri. & Sat. eves.) in advance and at the door. 433-7673.

Sunday
August, 2008

2 p.m.
"Panhandle Slim & The Oklahoma Kid": Purple Rose Theatre Company. Every Wednesday-Sunday, June 19-Sept. 27 (except Aug. 6 & Sept. 10), Aug. 5 & 26, and Sept. 9, 16, & 23. See review. Guy Sanville directs Purple Rose founder Jeff Daniels's new comedy, the tale of a showdown between 2 Wild West archetypes - a singing cowboy a la Roy Rogers and a scoundrelly outlaw. Thrown together by unfortunate circumstances, they argue over the best way to be a cowboy, while 2 other actors portray their reminiscences. Cast: John Seibert, Tom Whalen, Phil Powers, and Jessica Garrett. Note: the following performances are sold out: 2 Saturday, 5 Tuesday, 7 Thursday, 10 Sunday, 13 Wednesday, 14 Thursday, 17 Sunday, 20 Wednesday at 3 p.m., 23 Saturday at 3 p.m., 24 Sunday, 26 Tuesday and 27 Wednesday at 3 p.m. Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea. Tickets $25 (Sun. eves., Wed. & Thurs.), $33 (Sat. & Sun. matinees), & $38 (Fri. & Sat. eves.) in advance and at the door. 433-7673.

3:30 p.m.
"The Story of the Dragon and His Dinosaur Friends": Dreamland Theater. August 3, 24, & 31. The Dreamland Puppet Troupe presents this tale of a dragon, tricked by Goldilocks, who decides to get his revenge with the help of some friends. Dreamland Theater, 26 N. Washington St. Ypsilanti. $5 (kids age 3 and under, free). 657-2337.

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