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By Day
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Mr. B, Steve Nardella, and George Bedard Reunion Concert: Firefly Club.
"Growing Pretty": Purple Rose Theatre Company.
The Chenille Sisters with the Royal Garden Trio: The Ark
 Saturday
May, 2008
 6:01 a.m.
"Sunrise Saturday Ride":
Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society. Every Saturday. Very slow-paced 22-mile ride to Dexter for breakfast. Begins at sunrise.
meet at Wheeler Park, N. Fourth Ave. at Depot St. Free. 665-6327, 913-9851.
8 a.m.-noon.
"Oak Openings Stewardship Day":: Wild Ones. All invited to help plant native species and weed out invasive plants from this savanna in the Arb. Preceded by a talk on the history of Oak Openings by a naturalist TBA. Bring a cushion or stool to sit on, gloves, and tools if you have them. Refreshments.
U-M Nichols Arboretum, meet at the Reader Center. Free. 662-9997.
9 p.m. until 12:30 a.m.
Open House:
University Lowbrow Astronomers. A chance to join local astronomy buffs for a look at the sky through instruments at the Peach Mountain Observatory. The observatory's huge, 24-inch McMath telescope is operational, but participants are encouraged to bring their own telescopes. Visitors must turn off all electronic equipment (car radios, transmitters, phones, etc.) at the observatory entrance. Program canceled if sky is overcast at sunset or if the weather is extremely inclement.
or as long as the sky remains clear, Peach Mountain Observatory, North Territorial Rd. (about 11'da4 miles west of Hudson Mills Metropark), Dexter. Free. 332-9132.
9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Yard Sale:
St. Thomas Lutheran Church. All invited to buy, sell, and trade stuff at this outdoor sale.
St. Thomas Lutheran, 10001 W. Ellsworth Rd (west of Parker). Free admission. To reserve a table, call 355-1649. 995-7384.
9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Conformation Show:
Great Lakes American Pit Bull Terrier Club. Pit bulls show their conformity to breed standards. Sale of clothing and dog-related items. Raffles, concessions.
Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, 5055 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd., Saline. Free (parking fee $5, or both days for $8). 728-6585.
9 a.m.
"T'ai Chi Ch'uan at the Cube.":Every Saturday & Sunday. Local t'ai chi instructor Chad Eisner leads a session of these slow meditative movements for beginning and advanced practitioners.
U-M Cube, between the Union and the SAB. Free. 930-2747.
9 a.m.
"Dexter Breakfast Ride":
Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society. Every Saturday. Beginner-friendly slow-paced (22 miles) and moderate/fast-paced (30 to 80 miles) round-trip rides to the Dexter Bakery. A very popular ride. Note: Riders should be prepared to take care of themselves on all AABTS rides. Carry a water bottle, a spare tire or tube, a pump, a cell phone or change for a phone call, and snacks.
meet at Wheeler Park, N. Fourth Ave. at Depot St., or at Barton Park, Huron River Dr. Free. For information, call 646-4978.
10:00 a.m.
"Community Baby Shower":
Washtenaw County Public Health Department An information fair, with booths on breastfeeding, nutrition, daycare providers,
doulas, midwives, foster parenting, fitness, and more. Snacks and door prizes.
10 a.m.-2 p.m., Ellen Thompson Women’s Health Center, St. Joseph Mercy
Hospital (enter St. Joe’s from Clark Rd. and turn right on Elliott Dr. and left at the
Specialty Health Services entrance; the Women’s Health Center is straight
ahead). Free. 544-2973.
10 a.m.
Walk:
Grex. Every Saturday. All invited to join members of this local computer-conferencing group for a walk from Gallup Park through Nichols Arboretum
meet in Gallup Park parking lot, 3000 Fuller Rd. (west side of Huron Pkwy.). Free. 741-9351.
11 a.m.
Storytime:
Nicola's Books. Every Saturday. Storytelling program for kids under age 7.
Nicola's, Westgate shopping center. Free. 662-0600.
11:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. 1:30. 2:30. & 3:30 p.m.
"The Sky Tonight"/"Origins of Life":
U-M Exhibit Museum Planetarium. Every Saturday & Sunday. The Sky Tonight (11:30 a.m. Saturdays and 1:30 & 3:30 p.m. both days) is an audiovisual exploration of the current night sky. Origins of Life (12:30 p.m. Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. both days) is an audiovisual show about the prebiotic chemistry of the Universe after the Big Bang, the formation of the stars and solar systems, the first life on Earth, the great extinctions, and the search for extraterrestrial life. Followed by a brief star talk.
U-M Exhibit Museum, 1109 Geddes at North University. $4.75. 764-0478.
Noon.
Children's Storytime:
Waters Place Borders. Every Wednesday and Saturday. Borders staff read from picture books and books for babies, infants, and toddlers.
Borders, 3140 Lohr Rd. Free. 997-8884.
Noon.
Draw Doubles:
Local 101 Disc Golf Club. Every Saturday. All invited to play disc golf at one of Hudson Mills Metropark's 24-hole disc golf courses. Disc golf is a popular sport played with a Frisbee-like disc; the goal is to land the disc in a "pole hole" in the fewest shots. In draw doubles play, beginners are paired with advanced players to create parity. Prizes. Golf discs available free from the Hudson Mills Metropark office.
Hudson Mills Metropark Activity Center, 8801 North Territorial Rd. (between Dexter-Pinckney Rd. & Huron River Dr.), Dexter. $5 per player; free for spectators. Vehicle entrance fees: $4/day, $20/year ($12 for seniors age 62 & over). 449-4300.
Ultimate Frisbee:
Ann Arbor Ultimate. Every Saturday (tentatively). All invited to join a pickup game of this spirited team sport played with a flying disc. Note: Overly aggressive players are politely asked to leave. 2:30 p.m., Fuller Field. Free. *
info@a2ultimate.org
Mr. B, Steve Nardella, and George Bedard Reunion Concert:
Firefly Club. It's been 25 years since these 3 local roots-music luminaries played together as members of the Steve Nardella Band. Since then, each has gone on to make his own mark, Mark "Mr. B" Braun as an internationally renowned exponent of classic boogie-woogie and blues piano, Nardella as the leader of the blues-based Steve Nardella Rock 'n' Roll Trio, and Bedard as a prime force in a succession of superb bands, from the Bonnevilles to Tracy Lee & the Leonards to George Bedard & the Kingpins. They get back together tonight - with additional musicians TBA - for a show that no fan of American vernacular music can afford to miss. This is their 6th almost-annual reunion concert, and earlier ones have drawn packed houses, so get there early, or be prepared to cool your heels standing in line. 8 p.m.-1 a.m., Firefly Club, 207 S. Ashley. Tickets $20 at the door only. 665-9090.
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"Son of Rambow":
Michigan Theater Foundation. (Garth Jennings, 2008.) May 30 & 31. Coming-of-age comedy set in England in the 1980s about a sheltered boy, his friendship with a troublemaker, and their attempts to make a film inspired by Rambo . Some French, subtitles. Times TBA, Michigan Theater. $8.50 (children, students, seniors, & veterans, $6.75; MTF members, $6). 668-TIME
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1-4 p.m.
"Chi-Do":
Peaceful Dragon School. Adults invited to practice Chi-Do, a potpourri of qigong, acupressure, dynamic movements, and meditation designed for relaxation.
Peaceful Dragon School, 1945 Pauline, suite B. $50. Preregistration required. 741-0695.
1 & 3 p.m.
"Super Science Shows":
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum Family Day. Every Saturday & Sunday. Museum staff give family-friendly science demos.
Hands-On Museum, 220 E. Ann. $7 (members & infants free) regular museum admission. 995-5439.
2-4 p.m.
Ann Arbor Juggling Arts Club.:Every Saturday. All invited to practice their juggling skills. Beginners welcome. Indoor location TBA in case of inclement weather.
Free. 761-1115.
2 p.m.
Dinosaur Tours:
U-M Exhibit Museum. Every Saturday & Sunday. 30-minute docent-led tour of the museum's dinosaur exhibits.
U-M Exhibit Museum, 1109 Geddes at North University. Free, but limited to the first 15 people to sign up for each tour. 764-0478.
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.
4 p.m.
Robbie Timmons:
Nicola's Books. This Detroit News anchor reads from Twoey and the Goat, her children's chapter book based on the true story of the racehorse who wouldn't race without his best friend, a goat named Kidd. Q&A and signing.
Nicola's, Westgate shopping center. Free. 662-0600.
4 p.m.
Eric Himan:
Waters Place Borders This folk-rock singer-songwriter performs selections from his new CD,
Resonate, that a gay.com reviewer calls “complex, layered,
roots-driven, blues-edged and, at times, downright funky.”
Borders, 3140 Lohr Rd. Free. 997-8884.
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.
6 p.m.
Children's Movie:
Arborland Borders. Every Saturday. Kids (accompanied by a parent) invited to bring teddy bears and watch a family film TBA. Popcorn.
Borders, 3527 Washtenaw. Free. 677-6948.
7 p.m.
"Ann Arbor Area Ghosts:" : Arborland Borders. Local writer Mimi Uptergrove discusses her collection of area residents' accounts of their eerie encounters.
Borders, 3527 Washtenaw. Free. 677-6948.
7:00 p.m.
"Dalai Lama Renaissance":
Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth Screening of this documentary, narrated by Harrison Ford, about a gathering
convened by the Association for Global New Though with the Dalai Lama in 1999
at the Norbulingka Institute in Dharamsala, India.
Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth, 704 Airport Blvd. $10 327-0270
7 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.
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 p.m.
The Willis Patterson Our Own Thing Chorale.:U-M music school professor emeritus Willis Patterson directs an ecumenical choir of local church members in a program of Duke Ellington's Choral Caravan, Joseph Joubert's Spiritual Suite, and a selection of spirituals.
Church of the Good Shepherd, 2145 Independence Blvd. Donation. 663-3800.
7 p.m.
Dr. Grangelove's 5th Saturday Contra and English Dance:
5th Saturday Productions. Cleveland caller Becky Hill calls English dances (7 p.m.) and contras and more (8:30 p.m.) to music by Debbie Jackson, Dave Orlin, and Brad Battey. Food available. No partner needed. Wear cool, casual clothes and flat, smooth-soled shoes for dancing.
Pittsfield Grange, 3337 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. (1'da2 mile south of I-94), Saline. $12. 484-9964.
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.
"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 & 10:30 p.m.
Chrissy Burns:
Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. May 30 & 31.
Popular local comic known for her sassy, brassy style and her hapless tales of dieting, dating, and life on the road. Preceded by 2 opening acts. Alcohol is served; the Friday & Saturday early shows are nonsmoking.
8 p.m.-midnight.
"The Joint Is Jumpin'!":
The Choral Connection. Carolyn Tjon Burnstein directs this 20-member song-and-dance troupe in a musical revue of 40s jazz standards, 50s & 60s TV theme songs, an American Bandstand tribute, a beach Boys medley, Broadway tunes, and more. Followed by dancing to big-band swing music by the popular and versatile Saline Big Band. Refreshments available.
Washtenaw Community College Morris Lawrence Bldg., 4800 E. Huron River Dr. $20 in advance & $22 at the door. 944-7729.
8 p.m.
Ruth Cunningham:
Kerrytown Concert House. May 30 & 31 (different programs). Performance by this classically trained musician and sound healer, a former member of the acclaimed women's vocal quartet Anonymous 4 who sings in what the New York Times calls "a lovely, pure, expressive" soprano, accompanying herself on piano, medieval harp, flute, recorder, and shruti box (an Indian drone instrument). 30 May's program, "Light and Shadow," features Gregorian and Sanskrit chants and improvisational settings of devotional music. 31 May: Cunningham is joined by local soprano and sound healer Norma Gentile for a "Meditation Concert" featuring mantras, sacred songs, and improvised healing chants. 8 p.m., KCH, 415 N. Fourth Ave. Tickets $10, $15, & $25 (students, $5) in advance and (if available) at the door. Reservations suggested.
769-2999.
8 p.m.
The Chenille Sisters with the Royal Garden Trio:
The Ark . The nationally renowned local trio of singer-songwriters Cheryl Dawdy, Connie Huber, and Grace Morand, known for its unbeatable combination of breathtakingly precise and resonant vocal harmonies, joins forces with this local vintage jazz trio led by guitarist Brian Delaney for a program of 30s and 40s jazz and pop standards. The two trios also perform short sets by themselves showcasing their regular repertoires. The Chenille Sisters play an eclectic mix of originals and jazz, swing, blues, and folk standards, and the Royal Garden Trio, which also includes cellist Michael Karoub and clarinetist and tenor guitarist Tom Bogardus, specializes in early jazz standards and Hot Club-style gypsy jazz.
The Ark, 316 S. Main. Tickets $15 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.
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.
"American Treasures":
Vocal Arts Ensemble. Benjamin Cohen directs this 24-member local vocal ensemble in its 3rd annual concert of American choral music. The program is highlighted by Dominick Argento's Peter Quince at the Clavier, a setting of Wallace Stevens's poem, and Randall Thompson's Frostiana , a setting of 7 Robert Frost poems, including "The Road Not Taken" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." Accompanist is pianist Edward Wyman.
Temple Beth Emeth/St. Clare's Episcopal, 2309 Packard. $15 (students & seniors, $10; children 12 & under, free). 741-7451.
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.
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