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By Day
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"Growing Pretty": Purple Rose Theatre Company.
2008 Ann Arbor Book Festival.
23rd Annual Ann Arbor Springtime Invitational Figure Skating Championship: Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club.
 Friday
May, 2008
 6 p.m. until 6 p.m.
"24-Hour Peace Generator":
Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth. All invited to stop by for 30 minutes or more for silent meditation on world peace, forgiveness, cooperation, and joy. Refreshments.
May 17, Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth, 704 Airport Blvd. Free. 971-8576.
8-9 a.m. (7:30 a.m.
Bike to Work Day Ride and Rally:
Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce "Curb Your Car Month." All invited to join one of several bike convoys to ride to City Hall for a rally hosted by mayor John Hieftje with free Zingerman's coffee & bagels and drawings for commuter bikes donated by local shops. Giveaways.
departure), departure locations TBA at getdowntown.org/bike. Free. 214-0100.
8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Horse Shows:
Hunter Jumper Association of Michigan. May 15-18, & 22-25. English riding and jumping competitions at the state level. Highlights include junior and amateur riding shows on Saturday afternoons and junior and amateur jumping shows at 1 p.m. each Sunday.
Waterloo Hunt Club, corner of Glenn at Katz (west off Mount Hope Rd. from I-94 exit 150), Grass Lake. Free. 561-723-6287.
9 a.m.
"Huron River Bike Trail Ride":
Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society. Every Friday. Slow-paced ride, 13 miles or more, along the Huron River from Bandemer Park to Parker Mill, along with some alternate routes.
meet at Gallup Park Canoe Livery, 3000 Fuller Rd. (west side of Huron Pkwy.). Free. 663-4498.
10 a.m.-noon.
Writing Groups:
U-M Turner Geriatrics Center. Every Friday. All seniors invited to read and discuss the poetry, essays, reminiscences, and fiction they have written.
Turner Senior Resource Center, 2401 Plymouth Rd. Free. 998-9353.
11 a.m.
"Storytime with Mr. James":
Arborland Borders. Every Friday. Borders staffer "Mr. James" reads stories and leads a craft project for toddlers. Also, raffle. Today: H. A. Rey's Curious You: On Your Way! and Curious George Lost and Found.
Borders, 3527 Washtenaw. Free. 449-9394.
"Swing Time":
Dance Gallery Foundation.
(George Stevens, 1936.) Classic B&W Jerome Kern & Dorothy Fields. Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers. 7 p.m., McCray Studio, 815 Wildt. Free. 747-8885.
Spelling Bee:
Family Learning Institute. Three-member teams representing local organizations, nonprofits, and businesses vie for a trophy. Hors d'oeuvres, wine and beer, and nonalcoholic beverages included. Proceeds benefit the Family Learning Institute, a local nonprofit devoted to improving reading, writing, and communication skills of local low-income students in grades 4-8. 7-11 p.m.,
Washtenaw Community College Morris Lawrence Bldg., 4800 E. Huron River Dr. Tickets $35 available in advance only. 995-6816.
Senior Housing Awareness Week:
Housing Bureau for Seniors. May 9 & 12-16 (different locations). A series of events exploring housing issues for seniors in conjunction with Senior Housing Awareness Week, May 9-18. Also, throughout the week, open houses at area senior housing communities (for detailed schedule, see ad on p. 34). 9 May: a "Housing & Living Expo" features seminars on "Long Term Care Costs and What You Should Know" (10:15-10:45 a.m.), "Green House Project" (10:45-11:30 a.m.), "A Move to Senior Housing: Why and How It Is Working" (1:30-3:30 p.m.), and "Comparing Costs: My Home vs. Senior Housing" (1:30-3:30 p.m.). Lunch provided. 12 May: "Assisted Living: Tools for Decision Making." 13 May: "Who Gets Grandma's Yellow Pie Plate?" a panel on downsizing or cleaning out a relative's home. Followed by a free lunch. 14 May: "Caregiving 101." Light dinner snacks provided. 15 May: "Memory Loss: Making Decisions about Living Arrangements and Care." Refreshments. 16 May: "Memory and Aging: Advances and Opportunities." Light dinner snacks provided.
Washtenaw Community College Morris Lawrence Bldg., 4800 E. Huron River Dr. Free. 998-9336.
Tentative times: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
23rd Annual Ann Arbor Springtime Invitational Figure Skating Championship:
Ann Arbor Figure Skating Club. May 15-18. Over 800 skaters ages 6 to adult from as far away as Colorado and Minnesota compete in solo, pairs, couples, and ice dancing categories in this USFSA-sanctioned competition. Exciting finals are spread out over all 4 days, mostly toward the end of each day's competitions, with the bulk of finals on Sunday.
Ann Arbor Ice Cube, 2121 Oak Valley Dr. Free. 662-3925.
Beginners Ballroom Dance Party:
Come Dancing School of Ballroom Dancing. Dancing to recorded music on a huge dance floor. The program begins with an informal 30-minute American rumba lesson. Refreshments. 8-9:30 p.m.,
Come Dancing, 7025 E. Michigan (Country Creek Plaza), Saline.
1 p.m.
Bingo:
Ann Arbor Senior Center. Every Friday. All seniors age 50 & older invited to play a variety of styles of bingo.
Brookhaven Manor, 401 W. Oakbrook (off S. Main north of Eisenhower). Free. 769-5911.
1-4 p.m.
Bridge:
U-M Turner Geriatrics Center. Every Monday & Friday. All seniors invited to play bridge. Refreshments.
Turner Senior Resource Center, 2401 Plymouth Rd. Free. 998-9353.
4:05 p.m.
U-M Baseball vs. Northwestern.:Doubleheader.
Ray Fisher Stadium. $5 (youths age 12 & under, $3; U-M students, free). 764-0247.
6 p.m.
"Dexter DQ Ride":
Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society. Every Friday. Slow-paced 26-mile ride to the Dexter Dairy Queen for a snack.
Abbot School, 2670 Sequoia Pkwy. (off Maple 1 block south of Miller). Free. 662-0205.
6 p.m.
Magic:
the Gathering Tournament: Get Your Game On. Every Friday. All invited to compete in a booster draft tournament of this popular collectible card game. Bring your own cards.
Get Your Game On, 709 Packard. $15 (includes cards). 786-3746.
6-7:30 p.m.
2008 Ann Arbor Book Festival.:See initial listing on 14 Wednesday. Tonight: an author reception features a chance to meet several of the writers attending the festival. Also, classical and folk music by harpist Deborah Gabrion. Refreshments.
Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. at William. Free. 369-3366.
7-9 p.m.
"Thank God for Evolution!":
First Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Itinerant preacher and inspirational speaker Michael Dowd presents a talk based on his recent book that reconciles religion and science.
First Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. at Ellsworth. Free. 665-6158.
7-9 p.m.
"Meet Erika Barbieri":
Zingerman's Delicatessen. This balsamic vinegar maker from Modena, Italy, discusses and offers taste samples of the extraordinary vinegars her family has been making for generations.
Zingerman's Next Door (upstairs), 422 Detroit St. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. 663-3354.
7 p.m.
"101 Dalmatians":
Waters Place Borders. Screening of either the animated or the live Disney film.
Borders, 3140 Lohr Rd. Free. 997-8884.
7:30 p.m.
Student Productions:
Pioneer High School Theater Guild. May 16-18. Pioneer High School students perform 5 of their original short plays and A Very Star Wars Christmas , a new play written and directed by local playwright Joseph Zettelmaier.
Pioneer High School Little Theater, 601 W. Stadium at Main. $7 (students and Pioneer staff, $5). 994-2120.
7:30 p.m.
"Kirtan":
Ann Arbor Kirtan. All invited to join a group performance of this traditional devotional call-and-response music based on Hindu Vaishnava texts such as the Srimad Bhagavatam, on Shavite, Tantric, and Bhakti traditions, and on the writings of poet/saints such as Kabir, Tulsidas, and Mirabai. Accompanied by live music based on Indian ragas on bass guitar, tabla, and drums.
Friends Meetinghouse, 1420 Hill St. Free, but donations accepted. 761-7435.
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 & 10:30 p.m.
Jarrod Harris:
Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase. May 15-17. Ann Arbor debut of this fast-rising young Atlanta observational humorist, a favorite of Stephen Colbert known for his long-winded, sarcastic tirades that mix together the autobiographical and the abstract. Preceded by 2 opening acts. Alcohol is served; the Friday & Saturday early shows are nonsmoking.
old VFW Hall (below Seva restaurant), 314 E. Liberty. $7 (Thurs.) & $10 (Fri. & Sat.) reserved seating in advance, $9 (Thurs.) & $12 (Fri. & Sat.) general admission at the door. 996-9080.
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.
"Sneak Peak Open Rehearsal":
People Dancing . This local modern dance company previews works from the program of its August concert.
Arts in Motion Dance Studio, 2841 Boardwalk. Free. 368-7573.
8 p.m.
"Arms and the Man":
Michigan Classical Repertory Theatre. May 1-4, 8-11, & 15-18. Charles Jabour directs local actors in George Bernard Shaw's popular satiric comedy, set during the 1885 Serbo-Bulgarian war, about a naively romantic young aristocratic woman who falls in love despite herself with a hard-boiled Swiss mercenary who would rather carry chocolates than guns. Arms offers a humorous critique of sentimental idealism in war and love. Stars Brittany Filek-Gibson, Audra Lord, Luna Alexander, Josh Hamilton, Jared Heeren, Gary Regal, and Joseph Fournier.
Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron, Ypsilanti. Tickets $18 (students & seniors, $15; groups of 6 or more, $12 each; Thurs., pay what you can) in advance and at the door. 214-6600.
8 p.m.
Dance Ensemble of Michigan.:Studio 1 director TeDee Theofil directs this independent local ensemble of 30 young dancers in a program celebrating the company's 14th anniversary with jazz dance works by Theofil and local choreographers R. Brown, Lonnie Poupard, and Cristen Zeisler.
Power Center. Tickets $20 in advance at Studio 1 (220 S. Main) and Kilwin's Chocolate Shoppe, and at the door. $10 student & senior rush tickets available at the door only. 995-1747.
8 p.m.
Otis Taylor:
The Ark. This blues veteran spent nearly 2 decades as a successful antiques dealer before returning to his music in 1995, and in 2002 he won the W. C. Handy Award for Best New Artist. His music is distinguished by his haunting, chillingly deliberate vocals and his piercing lyrics drawing on his experience and heritage as an African American. He's also much more stylistically adventurous than most bluesmen: his 2003 CD, Truth Is Not Fiction, which has been nominated for 2 Handy awards, employs experimental, sometimes psychedelic textures and droning harmonies to create what Taylor calls "trance music," and his new CD, Recapturing the Banjo, is a collaboration with several fellow blues revivalists - Keb' Mo', Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Guy Davis, and Don Vappie - that explores the stylistic and rhythmic versatility of African American banjo music.
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.
Kat Eggleston:
Green Wood Coffee House Series (First United Methodist Church). Veteran Chicago folksinger with a pure, powerful alto voice whose songs balance a melodic sweetness with a sharp-witted emotional directness. She accompanies herself on guitar and hammered dulcimer. Desserts & coffee available.
FUMC Green Wood Church, 1001 Green Rd. at Glazier Way. $12 (kids 10 & under, 2 for the price of 1) in advance and at the door. 665-8558.
8-11 p.m.
"Hometown Hootenanny":
Avalon Housing. Dancing to 2 top-notch local bands. Billy King & the Idylls is a local country-flavored pop-folk band led by singer-songwriter and guitarist King. Orpheum Bell is a local self-styled acoustic "country and eastern" quintet whose music pairs country-folk rhythms with Gypsy melodies, drawing on a diverse range of influences from the Carter Family, Grandpa Jones, and Gillian Welch to Kurt Weill, Tom Waits, and the Pogues. Its core sound blends vocals, accordion, guitar, and double bass, with additional texture and luster from violins, clarinet, percussion, and autoharp. Also, a fast-paced auction of donated items from local businesses, including Frog Holler Farm heirloom bedding plants, a Jiffy Mix sampler, Sweet Gem Confections treats, grass fed lamb, fresh eggs and milk, and more. Cash bar. A benefit for Avalon Housing, a local nonprofit agency that currently owns and manages over 173 units of affordable housing for low-income individuals and families in 15 sites scattered around town.
Downtown Home & Garden, 210 S. Ashley. $15 minimum donation in advance and at the door. 663-5858.
8 p.m.
2008 Ann Arbor Book Festival.:See initial listing on 14 Wednesday. Tonight: premiere screening of The Life Before Her Eyes, Vadim Perelman's film adaptation of award-winning local fiction writer Laura Kasischke's novel about an adolescent girl who survives a horrifying shooting only to become a middle-aged mom adrift and slowly keeling over in the calm but shadowy waters of a seemingly perfect life. It stars Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood. The screening is followed by a panel discussion with Kasischke and others involved in making the film.
Michigan Theater. $15 (students & seniors, $12; Michigan Theater members, $10) in advance at ticketweb.com and Liberty Street Borders, and at the door. 369-3366.
8 p.m.
"Bigfoot Stole My Wife":
Ann Arbor Civic Theatre. May 16-18 . Cassie Mann directs local actors in fiction writer Ron Carlson's series of 6 comic monologues based on tabloid headlines, such as "I Ate My Best Friend's Brain" and "The Tablecloth of Turin." Cast: Thom Johnson, Pete Niedbala, Kristen Stelter, Deb Wood, Andy Jentzen, Brian Harcourt, and Matt Steward.
AACT Studio, 322 W. Ann. Tickets $10 & $15 in advance and at the door. 971-2228.
8-10 p.m.
"Lager for Lag B'Omer":
Ann Arbor Jewish Cultural Society Fund-Raiser. Ashley's owner Jeff More hosts a tasting of beers brewed locally and around the area. With Zingerman's breads and cheeses. All invited.
Jewish Community Center, 2935 Birch Hollow Dr. (off Stone School Rd. south of Packard). $35. 975-9872.
8 p.m.
"The Crucible":
Dexter Community Players. May 9-11, 16, & 17. Angelle Chandler directs Dexter-area actors in Arthur Miller's 1953 drama about the infamous 1692 Salem witch trials. Appearing at the height of the McCarthy era, the play was seen in its time as a thinly veiled indictment of senator Joseph McCarthy and his followers, but its enduring popularity suggests it touches on irrationalities endemic to American culture. Stars Sean Sabo, Nicole Coven, Brendan Bachman, Corrina Gauss, and AJ Ellwood.
Dexter High School Copeland Auditorium, 7714 Dexter-Ann Arbor Rd., Dexter. Tickets $10 in advance, $12 at the door. 424-4100.
8 p.m.
Ann Arbor Train & Trolley Watchers.:Slide-illustrated talks by club members Steve Kindschy on railroad operations in "The Corn Belt" and Steve Sobel on "Michigan and Ontario Railroading."
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church social hall, 306 N. Division ("just up the hill from the Amtrak station"). Free. 971-8329.
9 p.m.-1 a.m.
Singles Dance:
Parents Without Partners. All singles invited for an evening of dancing and socializing. Recorded 70s to contemporary dance music played by DJ John Brown. Cash bar. Smoking allowed in designated areas. Preceded at 8 p.m. by free dance lessons.
Grotto Club, 2070 W. Stadium. $8 (PWP members, $6). 973-1933.
9:45 p.m.-1 a.m.
"May Madness":
Michigan Argentine Tango Club. May 16-19 (different locations). Four days of tango dance parties. Preceded by tango lessons ($20 & up), 8-9:30 p.m.
Michigan League Ballroom. $15 (students, $10). 973-2338.
10 p.m.-midnight.
Angell Hall Observatory Open House:
U-M Student Astronomical Society. All invited to peer through the telescopes in the observatory and on the Angell Hall roof and to view shows in the planetarium. Also, Student Astronomy Society members give short presentations on a variety of astronomy topics.
5th floor rooftop observatory, Angell Hall (from the large State St. entrance, take one of the elevators on the left to the fifth floor). Free. 764-3440.
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