Rude Mechanicals is performing one of the greatest pieces of Southern Gothic literature and modern American theatre. “A Streetcar Named Desire” follows Blanche DuBois, a Southern belle coping with personal losses who goes to stay with her sister Stella in New Orleans. There, she witnesses the volatile relationship between Stella and her husband Stanley, and her involvement can only lead to pain. Tennessee Williams’ brilliant play is taking place in the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre this weekend at 8 PM on April 5 and 6 and 2 PM on April 7. Tickets can be bought at MUTO in the League Underground, where a Passport to the Arts can be redeemed for a free ticket as well.
Tag: Passport to the Arts
PREVIEW: First Date
We’ve all been there — first dates. The first date that brings dread or butterflies to your stomach. The first date that is either endless torture or an instant click. The first date that has you already setting up your next blind date or planning your wedding. And then there’s the first date that is perfectly average and leaves the future completely uncertain.
Meet Aaron and Casey, chronic singles meeting for their arranged blind date. Featuring characters such as Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, Google, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, this original comedy musical set in the modern technological age explores the possibilities of love and chemistry at a certain point in life between two people and all the doubting voices carried along the way. Do the sparks fly? Is love in the air?
A2CT is putting this production on at the Arthur Miller Theatre March 8-11 with showtimes at 7:30pm on Thursday, 8pm on Friday and Saturday, and 2pm on Sunday. Student tickets are $14 and can be bought online at www.a2ct.org or at the door. This event is also FREE with a Passport to the Arts voucher!
PREVIEW: Edges
Thirteen years ago, two 19-year-old Michigan students had a problem. They were being shunned from their school musicals.
Well, that’s not exactly true. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul were still cast, but were given background roles. That’s not out of the ordinary for underclassmen. But, well, theatre kids and college students can be cocky — I should know, I’ve been both — and Pasek and Paul weren’t satisfied. So they decided to write their own show, Edges, about their experience. After all, when you write the show yourself, you can have whatever role you want.
Ask most people today, and they’ve never heard of Edges. And it’s mostly theatre buffs who know the names Pasek and Paul. But their other works are a different story.
La La Land. Dear Evan Hansen. The Greatest Showman.
The accolades are piling up for the pair. They’ve won Golden Globes, Oscars, Grammys and Tonys — a meteoric rise for two guys who graduated only a decade ago.
And while Pasek and Paul are more known for their recent work, Edges — a coming-of-age song cycle written about our generation — is still a cult classic among a certain subset of college students. Edges is no slouch, either, as it won the pair a Jonathan Larson Award (named after the late Rent composer) at the age of 19 — the youngest to ever win.
This week, we, too, can return to Pasek and Paul’s roots and be transported into a world not so different from our own.
I wonder what Pasek and Paul, the 19-year-old theatre “rejects,” would think if you told them that in 2018, their story would almost seem like one right out of a musical — the cocky youth, the show-within-a-show, their rise to the top.
And I don’t know about you, but I want to see where it all began.
Edges, presented by the Penny Seats Theatre Company, runs at the Kerrytown Concert House February 8-9 and 14-16 at 8 PM and February 11 at 4 PM. Tickets are $15 general admission online or at the door, or free with a Passport to the Arts.
PREVIEW: FLUX by Cadence Dance Company
The poster for Cadence Dance Company’s winter show, FLUX, lists three definitions of its title.
First, “the action or process of flowing or flowing out.”
Second, “continuous change.”
And third, “a contemporary dance performance.”
The third definition is obviously not the dictionary one, but nevertheless it fits with the other two. Contemporary dance is a study in flow, in change and experimentation.
The title not only fits perfectly, it makes me excited to see what Cadence has in store.
The first time I saw Cadence Dance Company was at Michigan’s Best Dance Crew, where they placed third. At a competition mostly dominated by hip-hop crews, Cadence’s performance was an intriguing change of pace.
Now, Cadence will put on a full-length performance showcasing their own choreography and style. A contemporary, lyrical and modern company, Cadence “presents a balance between the rigors of studies and freedom of movement,” according to their website.
FLUX by Cadence Dance Company will also feature guest performances by other student groups, including hip-hop crews FunKtion and EnCore, tap dance troupe RhythM Tap Ensemble and a cappella ensemble The Friars. The show is on Saturday, January 20 at 7 PM at the Power Center. Tickets are $7 for students and $10 for adults at the door, or free with a Passport to the Arts.
PREVIEW: Currents and Crossings
Currents and Crossings is a concert of modern dance by the School of Music, Theater, and Dance. The main piece in this performance is going to be Brisk Singing (1997), a lyrical and energetic dance set to excerpts of the opera Les Boréades by Jean-Philippe Rameau. The choreographer for Brisk Singing, Richard Alston, is acclaimed for his ability to respond to musical materials and to explore pure dance aesthetic. Other pieces in this concert are choreographed by the professors here at Michigan, and feature various aspects of nature — such as the African tradition of bottle trees and the elemental forces of wind. There are four chances to watch this performance this weekend. Even better, Currents and Crossings is on the Passport to the Arts so you can watch it for free! Don’t miss out! (Watch a trailer video here.)
WHEN: Thursday, February 5 at 7:30pm; Friday and Saturday, February 6-7 at 8pm; Sunday, February 8 at 2pm
WHERE: Power Center
TICKETS: FREE with the Passport to the Arts, or $10 with student ID. Get the tickets at the Michigan League Ticket Office!
PREVIEW: Michigan Pops Orchestra presents Pops Goes to the Zoo!
Who: Michigan Pops Orchestra
What: Pops Goes to the Zoo!
When: Sunday, November 23 at 7:00 pm
Where: Michigan Theater
How Much?: $5 or free with Passport to the Arts
Do you remember in “Peter and the Wolf” where different instruments represented different animals? The Michigan Pops Orchestra invites you to explore the musicality of the animal kingdom with them this coming weekend! Featuring songs from the Lion King, the Aristocats, and King Kong that we are all so fond of, the concert will be a great way to shake off the stress before Thanksgiving. Sing, bark, and whinny your heart out-whatever your choice of vocal communication, come along and enjoy the show! Special guests by Groove, Amazin Blue, and the Michigan Pops Jazz Band! It’s going to be a wild night, indeed!
