May 22, 2013
Theater, Dance, & 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.
Thursday
June 2012
12:10 p.m.
Gifts of Art: U-M Hospitals.
Every Thurs. Performances by area musicians and dancers. Choral Connection. Cellist Suzanne Smith. Modern Dance by People Dancing & Friends. June 7: High-energy blues by The Bluescasters. June 14: Western swing, classic country, boogie-woogie, and rock ’n’ roll by the Cadillac Cowboys. June 21: Calypso and other island music by the Gratitude Steel Band. June 28: Jazz by Dave Sharp & Friends. 12:10 p.m., U-M Hospital lobby, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr. (off Fuller). Free. 936–ARTS. [map
“The Merry Wives of Windsor”: Shakespeare in the Arb (U-M Residential College/Nichols Arboretum).
June 7-10, 14-17, & 21-24. U-M Residential College drama lecturer Kate Mendeloff directs students and local actors in Shakespeare’s high-spirited farce, which features Shakespeare’s best-loved comic character, the charming yet roguish knight Falstaff, who schemes to charm his way into the hearts and purses of 2 ladies who decide to beat the portly braggart at his own game. The action moves from spot to spot within the Arb, and director Mendeloff takes special care to make the shifting environments an active force in the performance. Bring a blanket or portable chair to sit on; dress for the weather. Note: 6:30 p.m., meet at the Peony Garden entrance at 1610 Washington Heights. $20 (students with ID & youth age 18 & under, $10; seniors age 62 & older, $17; Friends of Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum, $15; kids under age 5, free) at the gate only. Limited number of golf carts available; first come, first served. 647-7600.
“In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)”: Performance Network Professional Season.
Every Thurs.-Sun., June 14-July 15. Suzi Regan directs the Michigan premiere of Sara Ruhl’s 2010 Tony-nominated comedy about Victorian gender roles and female sexuality. A physician finds success when he begins to treat his female patients' “hysteria” with the recently invented vibrator, but when his young wife breaks into his office to try the device for herself, erotic and emotional chaos erupts. Cast: John Seibert, Aphrodite Nikolovski, Milica Govich, Rusty Mewha, Patrick O'Connor Cronin, and Kron Moore.
7:30 p.m. (Thurs.), 8 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.), 2 p.m. (Sun.), & 3 p.m. (June 30 & July 14), Performance Network, 120 E. Huron. Preview tickets: whatever you can afford to pay (June 14), $22 & $24 (June 15, 17, & 21), and $30 & 32 (June 16). June 22 opening night tickets: $39 & $41 includes reception. After June 22: $27 & $29 (Thurs.), $32 & $34 (Fri. & Sun.), $25 & $27 (Sat. matinee), $39 & $41 (Sat. eve.). $3 discount for seniors age 60 & over. Tickets available in advance at performancenetwork.org & by phone, and at the door. $10 student discount in advance, half-price student tickets at the door only. For reservations, call 663-0681; to charge by phone, call 663-0696. [map
“La Bohème”: Arbor Opera Theater.
June 14-17. This polished local opera company presents Puccini’s beloved tale of love and tragedy among a group of starving artists. The tragic love between the frail seamstress Mimi and poet Rudolfo is counterpointed by the stormy relationship between the painter Marcello and the fickle, flirtatious Musetta. Many of grand opera’s most famous arias are part of the score, including “Mi chiamano Mimi,” “Che gelida manina,” and “Quando m’en vo” (also known as Musetta’s Waltz).
7:30 p.m. (except June 17, 2 p.m.), Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, 911 North University. Tickets $22-$55 (students & seniors, $15) in advance at the Michigan Union Ticket Office, arboropera.com/laboheme.html , and by phone. 763-8587. [map
“Red, White, and Tuna”: PTD Productions.
June 14-17 & 21-23. Dennis Platte directs directs this comedy by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard, the third in their Greater Tuna play trilogy, about Tuna, Texas (“the third smallest town in Texas”), a place where the Lions Club is considered too liberal. Two actors portray all 20 of the town’s quirky characters as they prepare for a wedding, a birth, a high school reunion, a pageant, and the return of a Tuna resident who may have been abducted by aliens. Stars Joe York and Marie Jones.
8 p.m. (except June 17, 2 p.m.), Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron, Ypsilanti. Tickets $18 (students, & seniors, $12; Thurs., pay what you can) in advance at showtix4u.com and by phone, and at the door. 483-7345. [map
Friday
June 2012
“The Merry Wives of Windsor”: Shakespeare in the Arb (U-M Residential College/Nichols Arboretum).
June 7-10, 14-17, & 21-24. U-M Residential College drama lecturer Kate Mendeloff directs students and local actors in Shakespeare’s high-spirited farce, which features Shakespeare’s best-loved comic character, the charming yet roguish knight Falstaff, who schemes to charm his way into the hearts and purses of 2 ladies who decide to beat the portly braggart at his own game. The action moves from spot to spot within the Arb, and director Mendeloff takes special care to make the shifting environments an active force in the performance. Bring a blanket or portable chair to sit on; dress for the weather. Note: 6:30 p.m., meet at the Peony Garden entrance at 1610 Washington Heights. $20 (students with ID & youth age 18 & under, $10; seniors age 62 & older, $17; Friends of Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum, $15; kids under age 5, free) at the gate only. Limited number of golf carts available; first come, first served. 647-7600.
“Macbeth”: Blackbird Theatre Shakespeare West.
Every Fri. & Sat., June 15-30. Blackbird kicks off its summerlong series of West Park Shakespeare productions with one of Shakespeare’s best-known and most influential tragedies, the bloody tale of a Scottish lord and his ambitious wife. Brian Carbine directs. Cast: Barton Bund, Jamie Weeder, Jonathan West, Ben Stange, Maxim Hunt, Marissa Deluge, and Carla Angeloni.
7 p.m., West Park Band Shell. Tickets $15 (students, $10) in advance at blackbirdtheatre.com and at the gate. 332-3848.
“La Bohème”: Arbor Opera Theater.
June 14-17. This polished local opera company presents Puccini’s beloved tale of love and tragedy among a group of starving artists. The tragic love between the frail seamstress Mimi and poet Rudolfo is counterpointed by the stormy relationship between the painter Marcello and the fickle, flirtatious Musetta. Many of grand opera’s most famous arias are part of the score, including “Mi chiamano Mimi,” “Che gelida manina,” and “Quando m’en vo” (also known as Musetta’s Waltz).
7:30 p.m. (except June 17, 2 p.m.), Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, 911 North University. Tickets $22-$55 (students & seniors, $15) in advance at the Michigan Union Ticket Office, arboropera.com/laboheme.html , and by phone. 763-8587. [map
“In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)”: Performance Network Professional Season.
Every Thurs.-Sun., June 14-July 15. Suzi Regan directs the Michigan premiere of Sara Ruhl’s 2010 Tony-nominated comedy about Victorian gender roles and female sexuality. A physician finds success when he begins to treat his female patients' “hysteria” with the recently invented vibrator, but when his young wife breaks into his office to try the device for herself, erotic and emotional chaos erupts. Cast: John Seibert, Aphrodite Nikolovski, Milica Govich, Rusty Mewha, Patrick O'Connor Cronin, and Kron Moore.
7:30 p.m. (Thurs.), 8 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.), 2 p.m. (Sun.), & 3 p.m. (June 30 & July 14), Performance Network, 120 E. Huron. Preview tickets: whatever you can afford to pay (June 14), $22 & $24 (June 15, 17, & 21), and $30 & 32 (June 16). June 22 opening night tickets: $39 & $41 includes reception. After June 22: $27 & $29 (Thurs.), $32 & $34 (Fri. & Sun.), $25 & $27 (Sat. matinee), $39 & $41 (Sat. eve.). $3 discount for seniors age 60 & over. Tickets available in advance at performancenetwork.org & by phone, and at the door. $10 student discount in advance, half-price student tickets at the door only. For reservations, call 663-0681; to charge by phone, call 663-0696. [map
“Red, White, and Tuna”: PTD Productions.
June 14-17 & 21-23. Dennis Platte directs directs this comedy by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard, the third in their Greater Tuna play trilogy, about Tuna, Texas (“the third smallest town in Texas”), a place where the Lions Club is considered too liberal. Two actors portray all 20 of the town’s quirky characters as they prepare for a wedding, a birth, a high school reunion, a pageant, and the return of a Tuna resident who may have been abducted by aliens. Stars Joe York and Marie Jones.
8 p.m. (except June 17, 2 p.m.), Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron, Ypsilanti. Tickets $18 (students, & seniors, $12; Thurs., pay what you can) in advance at showtix4u.com and by phone, and at the door. 483-7345. [map
8 p.m.
“The Play’s the Thing”: Ann Arbor Civic Theatre.
June 15-17 (different programs). Local actors read new works by local playwrights. Followed by audience feedback. Tonight: “Show Me Your Shorts,” readings of 10-minute plays that feature a wide range of characters from Abe Lincoln to Van Gogh to Persephone, and various styles from dark comedy to romance to absurdist fantasy.
8 p.m. (June 15 & 16) & 2 p.m. (June 17), A2CT Studio Theater, 322 W. Ann. Free. 971-2228. [map
Saturday
June 2012
“The Merry Wives of Windsor”: Shakespeare in the Arb (U-M Residential College/Nichols Arboretum).
June 7-10, 14-17, & 21-24. U-M Residential College drama lecturer Kate Mendeloff directs students and local actors in Shakespeare’s high-spirited farce, which features Shakespeare’s best-loved comic character, the charming yet roguish knight Falstaff, who schemes to charm his way into the hearts and purses of 2 ladies who decide to beat the portly braggart at his own game. The action moves from spot to spot within the Arb, and director Mendeloff takes special care to make the shifting environments an active force in the performance. Bring a blanket or portable chair to sit on; dress for the weather. Note: 6:30 p.m., meet at the Peony Garden entrance at 1610 Washington Heights. $20 (students with ID & youth age 18 & under, $10; seniors age 62 & older, $17; Friends of Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum, $15; kids under age 5, free) at the gate only. Limited number of golf carts available; first come, first served. 647-7600.
“Macbeth”: Blackbird Theatre Shakespeare West.
Every Fri. & Sat., June 15-30. Blackbird kicks off its summerlong series of West Park Shakespeare productions with one of Shakespeare’s best-known and most influential tragedies, the bloody tale of a Scottish lord and his ambitious wife. Brian Carbine directs. Cast: Barton Bund, Jamie Weeder, Jonathan West, Ben Stange, Maxim Hunt, Marissa Deluge, and Carla Angeloni.
7 p.m., West Park Band Shell. Tickets $15 (students, $10) in advance at blackbirdtheatre.com and at the gate. 332-3848.
“La Bohème”: Arbor Opera Theater.
June 14-17. This polished local opera company presents Puccini’s beloved tale of love and tragedy among a group of starving artists. The tragic love between the frail seamstress Mimi and poet Rudolfo is counterpointed by the stormy relationship between the painter Marcello and the fickle, flirtatious Musetta. Many of grand opera’s most famous arias are part of the score, including “Mi chiamano Mimi,” “Che gelida manina,” and “Quando m’en vo” (also known as Musetta’s Waltz).
7:30 p.m. (except June 17, 2 p.m.), Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, 911 North University. Tickets $22-$55 (students & seniors, $15) in advance at the Michigan Union Ticket Office, arboropera.com/laboheme.html , and by phone. 763-8587. [map
“In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)”: Performance Network Professional Season.
Every Thurs.-Sun., June 14-July 15. Suzi Regan directs the Michigan premiere of Sara Ruhl’s 2010 Tony-nominated comedy about Victorian gender roles and female sexuality. A physician finds success when he begins to treat his female patients' “hysteria” with the recently invented vibrator, but when his young wife breaks into his office to try the device for herself, erotic and emotional chaos erupts. Cast: John Seibert, Aphrodite Nikolovski, Milica Govich, Rusty Mewha, Patrick O'Connor Cronin, and Kron Moore.
7:30 p.m. (Thurs.), 8 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.), 2 p.m. (Sun.), & 3 p.m. (June 30 & July 14), Performance Network, 120 E. Huron. Preview tickets: whatever you can afford to pay (June 14), $22 & $24 (June 15, 17, & 21), and $30 & 32 (June 16). June 22 opening night tickets: $39 & $41 includes reception. After June 22: $27 & $29 (Thurs.), $32 & $34 (Fri. & Sun.), $25 & $27 (Sat. matinee), $39 & $41 (Sat. eve.). $3 discount for seniors age 60 & over. Tickets available in advance at performancenetwork.org & by phone, and at the door. $10 student discount in advance, half-price student tickets at the door only. For reservations, call 663-0681; to charge by phone, call 663-0696. [map
“Red, White, and Tuna”: PTD Productions.
June 14-17 & 21-23. Dennis Platte directs directs this comedy by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard, the third in their Greater Tuna play trilogy, about Tuna, Texas (“the third smallest town in Texas”), a place where the Lions Club is considered too liberal. Two actors portray all 20 of the town’s quirky characters as they prepare for a wedding, a birth, a high school reunion, a pageant, and the return of a Tuna resident who may have been abducted by aliens. Stars Joe York and Marie Jones.
8 p.m. (except June 17, 2 p.m.), Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron, Ypsilanti. Tickets $18 (students, & seniors, $12; Thurs., pay what you can) in advance at showtix4u.com and by phone, and at the door. 483-7345. [map
8 p.m.
“The Play’s the Thing”: Ann Arbor Civic Theatre.
June 15-17 (different programs). Local actors read new works by local playwrights. Followed by audience feedback. Tonight: “One Is the Loneliest Number,” readings of 2 one-act plays that explore the relationship between man and machine from 2 different perspectives--cyber romance and cyber dystopia.
8 p.m. (June 15 & 16) & 2 p.m. (June 17), A2CT Studio Theater, 322 W. Ann. Free. 971-2228. [map
Sunday
June 2012
“In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)”: Performance Network Professional Season.
Every Thurs.-Sun., June 14-July 15. Suzi Regan directs the Michigan premiere of Sara Ruhl’s 2010 Tony-nominated comedy about Victorian gender roles and female sexuality. A physician finds success when he begins to treat his female patients' “hysteria” with the recently invented vibrator, but when his young wife breaks into his office to try the device for herself, erotic and emotional chaos erupts. Cast: John Seibert, Aphrodite Nikolovski, Milica Govich, Rusty Mewha, Patrick O'Connor Cronin, and Kron Moore.
7:30 p.m. (Thurs.), 8 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.), 2 p.m. (Sun.), & 3 p.m. (June 30 & July 14), Performance Network, 120 E. Huron. Preview tickets: whatever you can afford to pay (June 14), $22 & $24 (June 15, 17, & 21), and $30 & 32 (June 16). June 22 opening night tickets: $39 & $41 includes reception. After June 22: $27 & $29 (Thurs.), $32 & $34 (Fri. & Sun.), $25 & $27 (Sat. matinee), $39 & $41 (Sat. eve.). $3 discount for seniors age 60 & over. Tickets available in advance at performancenetwork.org & by phone, and at the door. $10 student discount in advance, half-price student tickets at the door only. For reservations, call 663-0681; to charge by phone, call 663-0696. [map
“La Bohème”: Arbor Opera Theater.
June 14-17. This polished local opera company presents Puccini’s beloved tale of love and tragedy among a group of starving artists. The tragic love between the frail seamstress Mimi and poet Rudolfo is counterpointed by the stormy relationship between the painter Marcello and the fickle, flirtatious Musetta. Many of grand opera’s most famous arias are part of the score, including “Mi chiamano Mimi,” “Che gelida manina,” and “Quando m’en vo” (also known as Musetta’s Waltz).
7:30 p.m. (except June 17, 2 p.m.), Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, 911 North University. Tickets $22-$55 (students & seniors, $15) in advance at the Michigan Union Ticket Office, arboropera.com/laboheme.html , and by phone. 763-8587. [map
“Red, White, and Tuna”: PTD Productions.
June 14-17 & 21-23. Dennis Platte directs directs this comedy by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard, the third in their Greater Tuna play trilogy, about Tuna, Texas (“the third smallest town in Texas”), a place where the Lions Club is considered too liberal. Two actors portray all 20 of the town’s quirky characters as they prepare for a wedding, a birth, a high school reunion, a pageant, and the return of a Tuna resident who may have been abducted by aliens. Stars Joe York and Marie Jones.
8 p.m. (except June 17, 2 p.m.), Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron, Ypsilanti. Tickets $18 (students, & seniors, $12; Thurs., pay what you can) in advance at showtix4u.com and by phone, and at the door. 483-7345. [map
2 p.m.
“The Play’s the Thing”: Ann Arbor Civic Theatre.
June 15-17 (different programs). Local actors read new works by local playwrights. Followed by audience feedback. Tonight: “I Can’t Believe I Read the Whole Thing,” reading of a full-length play that pokes fun at familiar fairy tales, but does so with an adult sensibility.
8 p.m. (June 15 & 16) & 2 p.m. (June 17), A2CT Studio Theater, 322 W. Ann. Free. 971-2228. [map
“The Merry Wives of Windsor”: Shakespeare in the Arb (U-M Residential College/Nichols Arboretum).
June 7-10, 14-17, & 21-24. U-M Residential College drama lecturer Kate Mendeloff directs students and local actors in Shakespeare’s high-spirited farce, which features Shakespeare’s best-loved comic character, the charming yet roguish knight Falstaff, who schemes to charm his way into the hearts and purses of 2 ladies who decide to beat the portly braggart at his own game. The action moves from spot to spot within the Arb, and director Mendeloff takes special care to make the shifting environments an active force in the performance. Bring a blanket or portable chair to sit on; dress for the weather. Note: 6:30 p.m., meet at the Peony Garden entrance at 1610 Washington Heights. $20 (students with ID & youth age 18 & under, $10; seniors age 62 & older, $17; Friends of Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum, $15; kids under age 5, free) at the gate only. Limited number of golf carts available; first come, first served. 647-7600.
“The Mute Quire”: Fratellanza/New Theatre Project.
June 17, 18, 22-24, 29, & 30 and July 1. Siblings Jim and Paul Manganello star in their blend of verse and movement featuring 2 forgotten actors, a printer and his apprentice, and an absurd clown and a sad one who all collide in a London print shop where they undertake to publish the plays of the recently dead Shakespeare.
8 p.m., Mix Performance Space, 130 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti. June 17 & 18 previews are pay-what-you-can. Regular admission is $15 (students & seniors, $10) by reservation at tickets@thenewtheatreproject.org and at the door. 645-9776. [map
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