Last year, our season preview of the cultural arts was a short list of virtual events. This year, exhibitions and performances have returned in full swing — or nearly so.
There’s still enough uncertainty in the world that quite a few shows don’t yet have dates, as everyone involved works to sort out the tangled knot of safety, cancellations and postponements. With that in mind, there’s tons to look forward in the year ahead, but you should also be aware that everything listed here is subject to change.
We have big Broadway shows like Hamilton and Hadestown coming through; the return of live performances with symphonies and ensembles taking to the stage; and powerful art exhibitions exploring race, culture and the future.
With any luck and lots of work, all these amazing events and more will be coming to West Michigan in the year ahead — just remember to check with organizations to confirm details and regulations.
MUSIC:
Fontana Chamber Arts
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 200, Kalamazoo
fontanamusic.org
Anthony McGill, Oct. 9
Saint Lawrence String Quartet, Nov. 19
Juilliard String Quartet, Mar. 20
Collaboration with Gilmore Piano Festival, May 13
Grand Rapids Symphony
300 Ottawa Ave. NW Ste. 100, Grand Rapids
grsymphony.org
RICHARD AND HELEN DEVOS CLASSICAL
Grand Rapids Symphony LIVE!, Oct. 1-2
The Joy of Mozart, Oct. 15-16
Russian Celebration, Oct. 29-30
Sights and Sounds of Scotland, Nov. 12-13
An American in Paris, Jan. 7-8
New World Symphony, Feb. 4-5
The Emperor: Beethoven’s Piano Concertos, Mar. 11-12
The Art of Classical Guitar, Mar. 25-26
The Beauty of Spring, Apr. 29-30
Mahler’s Resurrection, May 20-21
FOX MOTORS POPS
Back to the ’80s, Sept. 17-18
Holiday Pops, Dec. 2-5
Cirque de Noel, Dec. 21-22
And the Award Goes to…, Jan. 21-22
Princess Bride in Concert, Mar. 18-19
Revolution: The Music of The Beatles, May 13-14
SPECIAL EVENT
Symphony with Soul: Leslie Odom Jr., Mar. 5
Holland Symphony Orchestra
96 W. 15th St. Ste. 201, Holland
hollandsymphony.org
Classics Up-Close, Sep. 10
Holiday Concert: Home for the Holidays, Dec. 11
Classics Discovery: Out of the World, Mar. 20
Classics III: Beethoven 9, April 30
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
359 Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 100, Kalamazoo
kalamazoosymphony.com
Masterworks Opening Night, Oct. 16
Sounds of the Season, Dec. 17-18
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial in Concert, Feb. 18
St. Cecilia Music Center
24 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
scmc-online.org
CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
From Prague to Vienna, Nov. 18
Romantic Perspectives, Jan. 27
The Jazz Effect, Mar. 31
SPECTACULAR JAZZ SERIES
Joshua Redman, Jan. 20
Dee Dee Bridgewater + Bill Charlap, Mar. 10
Delfeayo Marsalis Uptown Jazz Orchestra, April 14
ACOUSTIC CAFÉ FOLK
Marc Cohn, Aug. 21
Sam Bush, Oct. 6
Rodney Crowell, Nov. 12
Leo Kottke, Nov. 19
The Milk Carton Kids, Dec. 2
Watkins Family Hour, Dec. 16
Shawn Colvin, May 12
Judy Collins, May 18
West Michigan Symphony
360 W. Western Ave. Ste. 200, Muskegon
westmichigansymphony.org
Beethoven and Blue Jeans Grand Reopening, Nov. 5
Home for the Holidays, Dec. 10
Carnival of Pianos, Jan. 28
Nothin’ but the Blues, Mar. 4
Cherish the Ladies, Mar. 25
Finally Sujari!, May 13
WMS Around the World, July 10
Fantastic Finale, July 24
THEATER & DANCE:
Broadway Grand Rapids
122 Lyon St. NW, Grand Rapids
broadwaygrandrapids.com
Hairspray, Jan. 11-16
Hamilton, Feb. 8-20
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations, Mar. 29-Apr. 3
Dear Evan Hansen, May 3-8
Mean Girls, June 21-26
Central Park Players
421 Columbus Ave., Grand Haven
centralparkplayers.org
Clue: On Stage, Oct. 15-23
Holiday Chestnuts: A Fun Selection of Seasonal Shorts, Dec. 9-12
Farmers Alley Theatre Kalamazoo
221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo
farmersalleytheatre.com
Songs For a New World, Oct. 8-24
Murder for Two: Holiday Edition, Nov. 19-Dec. 12
The Lifespan of a Fact, Feb. 11-27
The Revolutionists, Mar. 18-Apr. 3
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Apr. 29-May 15
Bright Star, June 16-July 3
Festival Playhouse, Kalamazoo College
1200 Academy St., Kalamazoo
reason.kzoo.edu/theatre
Well-Intentioned White People, Nov. 4-7
BLACKS+PHATS, Feb. 24-27
Marcus; or the Secret of Sweet, May 12-15
Gilmore Theatre/WMU Theatre
1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo
wmich.edu/theatre
Lys, Sept. 16-26
Into the Woods, Sept. 24-Oct. 10
Sweat, Oct. 29-Nov. 6
Significant Other, Nov. 13-21
Next Stop, Broadway!, Dec. 2-4
The Exonerated, Jan. 28-Feb. 6
Emilia, Mar. 18-27
Grand Rapids Ballet
341 Ellsworth Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
grballet.com
Off the Canvas, Oct. 15-17
The Nutcracker, Dec. 10-19
Cinderella, Feb. 25-27
Jumpstart 2022, Mar. 25-27
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, April 22-May 1
Aladdin, Mar. 11-20
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
30 N. Division Ave., Grand Rapids
grct.org
Broadway at the Ballpark, Aug. 27-28
Once, Sept. 17-Oct. 3
Black, Bold, & Beautiful, Oct. 15-17
The Sound of Music, Nov. 19-Dec. 19
Shakespeare In Love, Jan. 21-Feb. 6
Dragons Love Tacos, Mar. 4-13
Ten For All, Mar. 18-20
Kinky Boots, Apr. 29-May 22
Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids
2727 Michigan NE, Grand Rapids
jtgr.org
Coney Island Christmas, Dec. 9-19
Dov & Ali, Feb. 17-27
Biloxi Blues, May 12-22
Kalamazoo Civic Theatre
329 S. Park St., Kalamazoo
kazoocivic.com
The 1940s Radio Hour, Nov. 26-Dec. 12
Dames at Sea, Jan. 14-30
Art, Jan. 28-Feb. 6
Murder on the Orient Express, Feb. 11-20
The Piano Lesson, Feb. 25-Mar. 6
Schoolhouse Rock Live Jr., Mar. 11-20
Leaving Iowa, Mar. 25-Apr. 3
Disney’s Descendants, Apr. 29-May 8
Xanadu, May 6-22
Theresa Caputo, Sept. 16
Letterkenny, Feb. 4
The Golden Girls Show!, Feb. 9
Muskegon Civic Theatre
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon
muskegoncivictheatre.org
The Wizard of Oz, Sept. 11-12
Steel Magnolias, Oct. 8-23
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!), Nov. 19-Dec. 5
Always… Patsy Cline, Jan. 14-22
Clue: On Stage!, Feb. 11-26
Mamma Mia!, Apr. 28-May 1
Opera Grand Rapids
1320 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids
operagr.org
Don Giovanni, Oct. 22-24
Stinney: An American Execution, Feb. 25-27
Turandot, Apr. 22-23
Queer Theatre Kalamazoo
315 W. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo
qtkalamazoo.com
How to Make an American Mass Shooter, Oct. 7-9
Man and Moon, Nov. 18-20
Say Cheesecake, Feb. 24-26
Dirt, Ash, Dead Tree, Dates TBD
Hedwig and the Angry Inch, June 16-18
Wharton Center for Performing Arts
750 E. Shaw Ln., East Lansing
whartoncenter.com
Hadestown, Dec. 7-12
Mean Girls, Mar. 1-6
Hamilton, Mar. 29-Apr. 3
Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations, June 7-12
VISUAL ARTS:
Broad Art Museum
547 E. Circle Dr., East Lansing
broadmuseum.msu.edu
Hyper Text: The Video Essay and The Expanded Field of Audiovisuality, Through Dec. 31
Exposure to Light: Pinhole Photography, Through Jan. 23
Making Space: Designing Youth Futures, Aug. 21-Jan. 23
Free Your Mind: Art and Incarceration in Michigan, Aug. 28-Dec. 12
Connections, New Beginnings: Artists in Transition, Aug. 28-Dec. 19
Per(sister): Incarcerated Women, Sep. 28-Dec. 12
Grand Rapids Art Museum
101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids
artmuseumgr.org
An Interwoven Legacy: The Black Ash Basketry of Kelly Church and Cherish Parrish, Aug. 28-Feb. 26
ArtPrize 2021 at GRAM: My Dearest Friends Project, Sep. 26-Oct. 31
An Art of Changes: Jasper Johns Prints, Oct. 2-Jan. 8
Dawoud Bey & Carrie Mae Weems: In Dialogue, Jan. 29-May 1
In a New Light: American Impressionism 1870-1940, May 28-Aug. 28, 2022
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
314 South Park St., Kalamazoo
kiarts.org, (269) 349-7775
It’s a David Small World, Through Nov. 29
Todd Gray: Crossing the Waters of Space, Time and History, Sept. 25-Jan. 2
Sosaku-hanga: Creative Printmaking in Japan, Through Oct. 17
Ginny Ruffner: Reforestation of the Imagination, Sept. 18-Dec. 5
Unveiling American Genius, Through Dec. 31, 2022
LowellArts
223 W. Main St., Lowell
lowellartsmi.org
WordView Exhibition, Jan. 8-Feb. 19
GVSU Art Gallery
1 Campus Dr., Allendale
gvsu.edu/artgallery
Honest and Unrefined: Art Outside the Academy, Through Nov. 5
On the Move: Applying Visual Movement in Art, Through Dec. 10
Canal by Canal: Photographs by Jason Reblando, Through Dec. 10
Invisible Identities, Through Sept. 24
Making Waves, Through Oct. 29
Muskegon Museum of Art
296 W. Webster. Ave., Muskegon
muskegonartmuseum.org
Edward S. Curtis: Unpublished Alaska, The Lost Photographs, Sept. 16-Jan. 9
92nd Michigan Contemporary Art Exhibition, Sept. 23-Nov. 10
Tiff Massey: Jewelry Box, Nov. 11-Feb. 20
On Tap Tasting Event, Oct. 22
Saugatuck Center for the Arts
400 Culver St., Saugatuck
sc4a.org
[HAS HEART] 50 States: Veterans & Artists United, Oct. 22-Dec. 22
Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts
17 Pearl St. NW, Grand Rapids
uica.org
Grand Opening Celebration, Sep. 9
The Art of Living Together
Sep. 9, 2021-May 7, 2023
The Way Forward, Through Nov. 24
Whereabouts: The Influence of Place and Space, Through June 30, 2022
Other World, Through Dec. 10, 2023
Grand Rapids African American Museum & Archives
87 Monroe Center St. NW, Grand Rapids
graama.org
Fab Five: Five Fabulous Fabric Artists, Sept. 16-Oct. 3
Annette Radden African American Doll Collection, Dates TBD
Voices of the Civil Rights Movement, Dates TBD
Exposing Our Roots: A Real Dialogue Between Africans & African Americans, Dates TBD
