Wild Swan Theater Presents Charlotte's Web

Tue, 04/23/2013 - 1:05pm by annevm

Balcony seats are still available for Saturday April 27 and Sunday April 28 to see Charlotte's Web staged by Wild Swan Theater. The show is for grades K-5. Location is Towsley Auditorium. From the Wild Swan website: "Charlotte’s Web is possibly the best loved of all American stories for children. Set in the rural Midwest, it tells the touching story of a rare friendship between a little pig, Wilbur, and Charlotte, a most uncommon spider. The magical words that Charlotte spins in her web not only earn Wilbur a county fair blue ribbon and save his life, but inspire all of us to value what we can share with each other." More information is here.

Huron Players Present Shakespeare's Macbeth

Tue, 04/23/2013 - 11:28am by annevm

The Huron Players present Shakespeare's Macbeth April 26 & 27 and May 3 & 4 at 7:30pm in the New Theater. Here is a description of the play from their website: “Fair is foul and foul is fair” and nothing is as it seems. The victorious Macbeth chances upon three mysterious witches who offer an intriguing prophesy, tempting him with the promise of becoming King. Upon hearing the news, Lady Macbeth urges her husband into murderous action, and what follows is a wild and maddening descent into war, insanity and demons." Ticket information is here.

Performance Network: The Mountaintop Opens April 25

Mon, 04/22/2013 - 8:21pm by annevm

The Mountaintop, by Katori Hall, runs April 25 - June 2 at Performance Network in Ann Arbor. As the play opens, the date is April 3, 1968, the night before the assassination of Martin Luther King. A maid in the motel where he is staying shows up dripping wet on his doorstep and they share a powerful conversation. This is the Michigan premiere of a play that enjoyed a run on Broadway. Ticket information is available on the Performance Network website.

Skyline High Presents Aida

Mon, 04/22/2013 - 10:51am by annevm

From April 26-28 Skyline High School will present Aida, Elton John and Tim Rice's pop-rock musical. The story is based on the Verdi opera about the forbidden love between an Egyptian soldier and an enslaved princess. Those working on the Skyline show promise stirring ballads and rousing choral numbers. Times are 7:30 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.) & 2:30 p.m. (Sun.), Tickets $10 (students & seniors, $6; VIP tickets, $25) in advance at showtix4u.com, $12 (students & seniors, $8) and at the door. For more information, call 994-6515.

Pioneer Theatre Guild Presents Shrek: The Musical

Sun, 04/21/2013 - 8:45pm by annevm

Pioneer High School Theatre Guild will present Shrek: The Musical April 27 through May 5. The show is based on William Steig's 1990 book Shrek! and the 2001 DreamWorks film Shrek. Should be a fun show for both kids and adults. More information about the production and tickets is here.

Maria Tallchief, brilliant 20th century ballerina, has died

Sat, 04/13/2013 - 12:44pm by sernabad

Maria Tallchief, stunning American ballerina who danced to the choreography of Balanchine, Bronislava Nijinska, and Agnes de Mille, has died.

Ms. Tallchief was born of an Osage father and Scottish-Irish mother who, for a time, raised their family on a reservation in Oklahoma that saw overnight wealth when oil was discovered. When Maria was eight, they moved to Los Angeles where Tallchief began dance lessons with Ernest Belcher. Four years later, Bronislava Nijinska, a famed Polishchoreographer, took over.

In 1942, Tallchief joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo where George Balanchine cultivated a personal and professional relationship with the young dancer. They married in 1946.

Eager to be out on his own, Balanchine formed a dance company (with a patron of the arts, Lincoln Kirstein) which became the famed City Ballet in 1948. When Tallchief's contract expired with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo (she returned to them in 1954, four years after her divorce from Ballanchine), she became one of City Ballet's biggest stars.

Her role in Stravinsky's Firebird in 1949 launched her celebrity, fame which was enhanced by roles as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake and The Nutcracker (the Sugar Plum Fairy).

Ms. Tallchief hung up her toes shoes in 1966, but stayed active the ballet world, notably as the artistic director of the Chicago City Ballet and as founder of the Lyric Opera's ballet school. She wrote of her fascinating life in her memoir, Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina (1997).

Her daughter, Elise Paschen, with her third husband, Henry Paschen, is a renowned poet.

Ms. Tallchief, who was 88, died in Chicago.

Return Visit From the Detroit PuppetART Theater on Sunday, May 5th at 3pm

Fri, 04/05/2013 - 12:23pm by cecile

If you missed them last time please join us at the Ann Arbor District Library's downtown location for a repeat performance of their wonderful production of Sleeping Beauty.

PuppetART’s production of Sleeping Beauty is a puppet ballet. The story is told through the movement of the puppets and wonderful classical music that accompanies the show.

Sleeping Beauty is a very old tale and it has been told many times in many ways. PuppetART’s version includes some new and interesting details. We all know that Sleeping Beauty has been cursed by a wicked fairy and is forced to sleep until she is awakened by a kiss from a Prince. Most versions focus upon the Princess’s story but this production sheds light on the story of the Prince as well. We find out how he knows of the sleeping Princess and why he feels destined to rescue her. You can relax and enjoy the show because this story, as all fairy tales, promises a very happy ending.

For all materials Sleeping Beauty available at the Ann Arbor District Library follow this link: Sleeping Beauty

The Detroit based theater, was founded in 1998 by a group of puppeteers and artists trained in the former Soviet Union. All members of the PuppetART troupe are masters of puppetry art theater. PuppetART offers a repertoire of eight productions, including one created for adult audiences. Performances feature hand, rod, shadow, floor tabletop and string or marionette puppets. All events at PuppetART combine a theater performance, a tour of the museum and a workshop in the studio. A visit to their downtown theater is a treat not to be missed!!

See you there!!!

CANCELLED - America's Music Concert: A Salute To Broadway And Tin Pan Alley With Barbara Wisse And Mark Kahny At Kerrytown Concert House

Mon, 03/18/2013 - 6:05pm by hillary dorwart

Due to circumstances beyond our control - this concert - which was to have taken place on Thursday March 28, 2013 from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Kerrytown Concert House has been cancelled for this evening due to illness.

It has been rescheduled for Friday, May 10 at 7 pm in the Downtown Library Multi-Purpose Room and will now be the final event for the 'America's Music' series.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

America's Music Film & Discussion: Broadway And Tin Pan Alley

Sun, 03/17/2013 - 6:15pm by hillary dorwart

Wednesday March 27, 2013: 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room

UM Professor Mark Clague leads this screening and discussion session on Broadway and Tin Pan Alley Music focusing on the film "Broadway: The American Musical, Episode 2: Syncopated City (1919-1933)." Episode Two of this award-winning series on the history of Broadway focuses on the 1920s, Broadway's most prolific era.

America's Music has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.

Wild Swan Theater: Peter Rabbit

Fri, 03/15/2013 - 4:20pm by annevm

Wild Swan Theater presents Peter Rabbit March 21-23 in Towsley Auditorium at Washtenaw Community College. The show is for grades children preschool age through about second grade. From the WST website: "When Peter Rabbit ventures into Farmer McGregor's garden, despite his mother's warning, his adventures begin. From the moment Peter loses his little blue coat in Farmer McGregor's garden until he arrives safe and sound at home, this classic tale is brought charmingly to life by Wild Swan's actors and designers."