Arts exhibitions and performances have returned in full swing to West Michigan. This season, there’s absolutely no shortage of concerts, symphonies, plays, musicals, ballet, visual arts and beyond. We have big Broadway shows like Mean Girls, Les Miserables and Wicked coming through; plenty of live performances with symphonies, ensembles and dancers 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. Here’s our annual guide to arts events for the coming season.
MUSIC
Fontana Chamber Arts
359 Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 200, Kalamazoo
fontanamusic.org
Fry Street Quartet, Oct. 13
Ben Gulley & Peter Dugan, Nov. 5
Castalian String Quartet, Feb. 23
Cyrille Aimée, Mar. 15
American Brass Quintet, Apr. 20
Frauenthal Center
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon
frauenthal.org
DSB: Tribute to Journey, Oct. 27
Veteran’s Day Tribute, Nov. 12
Vitamin String Quartet, Mar. 8
Grand Rapids Symphony
300 Ottawa Ave. NW Ste. 100, Grand Rapids
grsymphony.org
Richard and Helen DeVos Classical:
Opening Night: Daniil Trifonov Plays Gershwin, Sept. 15-16
Elgar’s Cello Concerto, Sept. 29-30
Lehninger Conducts Liszt & Bartók, Oct. 20-21
Handel’s Messiah by Candlelight, Nov. 17-18
The Artistry of Vadim Gluzman, Jan. 12-13
All-American Masters, Feb. 2-3
Prokofiev Symphony No. 7, Mar. 1-2
Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, Mar. 22-23
A Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus Celebration, Apr. 12-13
Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, May 10-11
Coffee Masterworks:
Mozart & Grieg, Oct. 27
Mozart’s Haffner Symphony, Apr. 26
Fox Motor Pops:
Elf in Concert, Dec. 1-2
University of Michigan Health-West
Holiday Pops, Dec. 21-23
Celtic Landscapes with Eileen Ivers, Mar. 15-16
May the Fourth Be With You: Star Wars & More!, May 3-4
Symphony Specials:
Violent Femmes, Oct. 6-7
Coco in Concert, Nov. 3-4
The Godfather, Jan. 5
Symphony with Soul: LeeLa James, Feb. 10
Black Panther in Concert, Feb. 16-17
The Gilmore in Grand Rapids: Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Mar. 28
A Night of Symphonic Boy Bands, Mar. 29
DTE Foundation Family Series:
Wild Symphony, Jan. 20
Holland Chorale
hollandchorale.org
Adventures in Harmony: Low Voice Edition, Oct. 3
Holland Chorale w/ Chanticleer, Oct. 23
Welcome Christmas, Dec. 17
Slightly Scandalous: Cole Porter Cabaret, Feb. 11
Masterpieces of Sacred Music: Handel Messiah, Apr. 20
Holland Symphony Orchestra
96 W. 15th St. Ste. 201, Holland
hollandsymphony.org
The Planets, Sept. 30
Brahms 3, Oct. 28
Celebrate the Season, Dec. 9
Surprise Symphony, Mar. 9
Night at the Opera, Apr. 27
Hope College Great Performance Series
100 E. Eighth St., Holland
hope.gps
Para.Mar Dance Theatre, Sept. 22-23
Escher String Quartet, Oct. 26
Brad Mehldau Trio, Nov. 16
Lavinia Meijer, Jan. 26
Galvin Cello Quartet, Feb. 29
The Other Mozart, Mar. 22
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
359 Kalamazoo Mall Ste. 100, Kalamazoo
kalamazoosymphony.com
A Night on Swan Lake, Sept. 23
Craft Music: Classics on Tap, Oct. 4
Bachtoberfest, Oct. 21
El Amor Brujo: Love Bewitched, Oct. 29
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Nov. 11
Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Nov. 18
Craft Music: Folk Songs, Jan. 17
Symphony of Brotherhood: Celebrating the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jan. 21
Saxy, And We Know It, Jan. 28
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone In Concert, Feb. 2
Mozart’s Requiem, Feb. 24
Magical Melodies, Mar. 5
Music, She Wrote, Mar. 10
Journeys: Shostakovich, Ravel & Marsalis, Mar. 23
Opera Returns! Puccini’s Tosca, Apr. 19
Craft Music: Great American Songbook, May 22
Strings Attached, June 2
Saugatuck Center for the Arts
400 Culver St., Saugatuck
sc4a.org
Marcia Ball & Tinsley Ellis - Acoustic Songs & Stories, Sep. 22
Heartache Tonight - Eagles Tribute, Oct. 7
Bravo! An evening of Opera, Broadway, and Jazz, Nov. 11 & 12
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Nov. 18
St. Cecilia Music Center
24 Ransom Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
scmc-online.org
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center:
Trios Transformed, Nov. 9
Instrumental Array, Mar. 7
String Magic, Apr. 18
Spectacular Jazz Series:
Madeleine Peyroux, Oct. 21
Blue Note Records 85th Anniversary, Jan. 18
Samara Joy, Mar. 26
Acoustic Cafe Folk:
Rhiannon Giddens, Sept. 19
Amos Lee, Oct. 12
Jerry Douglas, Nov. 16
Allison Russell, Jan. 16
March Cohn, Apr. 11
Stulberg International String Competition
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo
stulberg.org
Esme Arias Kim w/ WMU Symphony Orchestra, Oct. 1
Amelia Zitoun w/ WMU Symphony Orchestra, Nov. 11
Daniel Bae w/ Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Nov. 19
Starla Breshears w/ Kalamazoo Jr. Symphony Orchestra, Feb. 11
Dongyoung Jake Shim w/ Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Mar. 24
Bach Prize Award, May 17
Stulberg Finals, May 18
The Gilmore
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo
thegilmore.org
Rising Star: Janice Carissa, Sept. 10
Baby Grands: Esteban Castro, Oct. 7
Rising Star: Esteban Castro Trio, Oct. 8
Rising Star: Illia Ovcharenko, Oct. 29
Rising Star: Sean Mason Trio, Dec. 3
West Michigan Symphony
360 W. Western Ave. Ste. 200, Muskegon
westmichigansymphony.org
Aretha: A Tribute, Sept. 29
Scheherazade and More, Nov. 3
Clickity Clack Ho Ho Ho, Dec. 9
Home for the Holidays, Dec. 15
Mozart and Beethoven, Jan. 26
The Seasons: Reimagined, Feb. 23
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration with Cherish the Ladies, Mar. 15
WMS Around the World Part II, Apr. 19
Rhapsody In Blue, May 10
Vintage Parlor Orchestra
vpogr.com
Classical Brews at Creston V, Sept. 22-23
THEATER & DANCE
Actors Theatre
160 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids
actorstheatregrandrapids.org
Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties, Sept. 14-23
Oil and Sugar, Dec. 7-16
Affinity Lunch Minutes, Feb. 1-10
Paradise Lost, May 2-11
Barn Theatre
13351 M-96, Augusta
barntheatreschool.org
Nunsense, Aug. 29-Sept. 3
Clue: The Play, Sept. 7-10
The Gift, Sept. 14-17
Broadway Grand Rapids
122 Lyon St. NW, Grand Rapids
broadwaygrandrapids.com
Funny Girl, Sept. 19-24
Tina, Nov. 7-12
Disney’s Aladdin, Jan. 16-21
Les Miserables, Mar. 5-10
To Kill A Mockingbird, Apr. 23-28
Wicked, May 2-June 2
MJ, July 9-14
Central Park Players
421 Columbus Ave., Grand Haven
centralparkplayers.org
Wait Until Dark, Oct. 13-22
Parfumerie, Dec. 8-17
Half Baked, Mar. 8-17
School House Rock Live, May 10-19
Circle Theatre
1703 Robinson Rd. SE, Grand Rapids
circletheatre.org
Sweeney Todd, Sept. 7-23
Deos Contemporary Ballet
1595 Galbraith Ave. SE, Grand Rapids
deosballet.com
Trifles: A Murder Mystery Ballet, Sept. 30-Oct. 1
EMBER Series, Mar. 16-17
AWAKEN Series, May 2024
Face Off Theatre
359 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo
faceofftheatre.com
Exit Strategy, Oct. 19-22
Farmers Alley Theatre Kalamazoo
221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo
farmersalleytheatre.com
Working the Musical, Sept. 21-Oct. 8
Addy & Uno, Oct. 27-Nov. 5
Every Brilliant Thing, Nov. 30-Dec. 17
Native Gardens, Jan. 25-Feb. 4
Skeleton Crew, Mar. 7-17
Sondeim on Sondheim, Apr. 25-May 12
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, June 12-23
School of Rock The Musical, July 17-28
Forest Hills Fine Arts Center
600 Forest Hill Ave. SE, Grand Rapids
fhfineartscenter.com
Matilda: The Musical, Nov. 16-18
The Little Mermaid, Feb. 8-10
TBA, Mar. 21-23
Frauenthal Center
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon
frauenthal.org
The Magic of Motown, Oct. 6
World Ballet Series: Cinderella, Oct. 8
Sister’s Christmas Catechism, Dec. 7-10
The Nutcracker, Dec. 9
Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, Apr. 12-20
Gilmore Theatre/WMU Theatre
1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo
wmich.edu/theatre
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Oct. 27-Nov. 5
Clue, Nov. 10-19
Next Stop, Broadway!, Nov. 30-Dec. 2
More Fun Than Bowling, Feb. 2-11
Argonautika, Mar. 15-24
Spongebob Squarepants, Apr. 5-14
Julius Caesar, May 17-26
Grand Rapids Ballet
341 Ellsworth Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
grballet.com
Contemporary Visions, Oct. 6-8
The Nutcracker, Dec. 8-17
Sleeping Beauty, Feb. 23-25
Jumpstart 2024, Mar. 22-24
In the Upper Room, Apr. 26-May 5
Grand Rapids Civic Theatre
30 N. Division Ave., Grand Rapids
grct.org
The Spongebob Musical, Sept. 15-Oct. 8
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Nov. 17-Dec. 17
Clyde’s, Jan. 19-29
Disney’s Descendants, Mar. 1-17
Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Orient Express, Apr. 19-May 5
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, June 7-30
Jewish Theatre Grand Rapids
2727 Michigan NE, Grand Rapids
jtgr.org
Judgment at Nuremberg, Oct. 12-22
The Hatmaker’s Wife, Feb. 29-Mar. 10
Dov and Ali, June 8-9
Kalamazoo Civic Theatre
329 S. Park St., Kalamazoo
kazoocivic.com
Big Fish, Sept. 15-Oct. 1
All Of Us: A Celebration of BIPOC Voices, Oct. 6-15
Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Oct. 27-Nov. 5
Barbecue, Nov. 10-19
The Sound of Music, Nov. 24-Dec. 17
The Lion In Winter, Jan. 12-21
Cats: Young Actors Edition, Jan. 26-Feb 4
Is There Life After High School?, Feb. 16-25
The 39 Steps, Mar. 8-17
Forever Plaid, Apr. 5-14
The Lion King Jr., Apr. 19-28
Catch Me If You Can, May 3-19
Miller Auditorium
2200 Auditorium Dr, Kalamazoo
millerauditorium.com
Mean Girls, Oct. 24-25
Emo Orchestra, Oct. 28
A Magical Cirque Christmas, Dec. 6-7
A Carpenters Christmas, Dec. 19
Jagged Little Pill, Jan. 16-17
Come From Away, Jan. 30-31
My Fair Lady, Mar. 10
DRUM TAO, Mar. 17
Jesus Christ Superstar, Mar. 26-27
Omnium Circus, Apr. 6
Annie, May 6
Muskegon Civic Theatre
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon
muskegoncivictheatre.org
Little Shop of Horrors, Oct. 6-21
Calendar Girls, Nov. 17-Dec. 3
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Jan. 12-20
Tony ‘N’ Tina’s Wedding, Apr. 12-20
The Glorious World Of Crowns, Kinks & Curls, Feb. 9-24
Ragtime, May 2-5
New Vic Theatre
134 E. Vine St., Kalamazoo
thenewvictheatre.org
A Christmas Carol, Nov. 17-Dec. 22
Opera Grand Rapids
1320 E. Fulton St., Grand Rapids
operagr.org
Season Kickoff: Dr. Miracle, Sept. 16
The Abduction from the Seraglio, Oct. 13-14
Chorus Concert, Nov. 16
The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Feb. 9-10
Opera is Lit, Mar. 14
La Bohème, Apr. 19-20
Wharton Center for Performing Arts
750 E. Shaw Ln., East Lansing
whartoncenter.com
The Magic of Motown, Sept. 30
To Kill A Mockingbird, Oct. 3-8
World Ballet Series: Cinderella, Oct. 10
When You Wish Upon A Star, Oct. 19
Dixie’s Tupperware Party, Oct. 19-20
Hairspray, Nov. 28-Dec. 3
The Hip Hop Nutcracker, Dec. 6
Immanuel Wilkins Quartet, Dec. 8
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, Dec. 14
Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Dec. 18
Mamma Mia!, Jan. 16-21
Funny Girl, Feb. 6-11
Maria Schneider Orchestra, Feb. 23
Moulin Rouge!, Apr. 2-14
SIX, May 14-19
VISUAL ARTS
Broad Art Museum
547 E. Circle Dr., East Lansing
broadmuseum.msu.edu
Shouldn’t You Be Working? 100 Years of Working from Home, Through Dec. 17
Andrea Canepa: As we dwell in the fold, Through Jan. 21
Resistance Training: Arts, Sports, and Civil Rights, Through Feb. 18
Seeing in 360 Degrees: The Zaha Hadid Collection, Through 2026
Frauenthal Center
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon
frauenthal.org
Holly Sturges, Through Oct. 12
Evie Carrier, Oct.-Nov.
Barbara Schilling, Dec.-Jan.
Franciscan Artists, Feb.
Muskegon Showcase, Mar.
Kris & Bob Brown, Apr.-May
Jackie Lindrup & Nancy Armitage, June-July
Forest Hills Fine Arts Center
600 Forest Hill Ave. SE, Grand Rapids
fhfineartscenter.com
Gretka Domer, Through Sept. 15
Ralph “Nunzi” Annunziata, Sept. 20-Oct. 27
Staff & Community Exhibit, Nov. 6-Dec. 15
Susan Rose Memorial Exhibit, Jan. 10-Feb. 9
Mayfield Fiber Artists, Feb. 14-Mar. 14
Student Art Exhibit, Mar. 20-Apr. 19
Easels 9, May 15-June 28
Frederik Meijer Gardens
1000 East Beltline Ave. NE, Grand Rapids
meijergardens.org
Cristina Iglesias: Under and In Between, Through Sept. 24
Grand Rapids Art Museum
101 Monroe Center, Grand Rapids
artmuseumgr.org
Message from Our Planet: Digital Art from the Thoma Collection, Through Sept. 9
Ellsworth Kelly & Jack Youngerman: Surrounding Shapes, Through Sept. 16
Everything Beautiful in its Time: Six Centuries of Prints, Sept. 2-Dec. 3
Underneath Everything: Humility and Grandeur in Contemporary Ceramics, Oct. 7-Jan. 14
Experimental Film Selections from Open Projector Night, Oct. 7-Jan. 14
The Outwin: American Portraiture Today, June 1-Sept. 15
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
314 South Park St., Kalamazoo
kiarts.org
A Bridge Between Two Worlds: Works by Wu Jian’an, Sept. 16-Dec. 31
C. C. Wang: Lines of Abstraction, Sept. 16-Dec. 31
Arty’s Perspectives, Through Sept. 10
Celebrate!, Sept. 23-Jan. 14
Unveiling American Genius, Through Dec. 31
LowellArts
223 W. Main St., Lowell
lowellartsmi.org
Fallasburg Arts Festival, Sept. 16-17
Regional Arts Exhibition: Awards Show, Sept. 23
LowellArts Artist Market, Nov. 9-Dec. 23
GVSU Art Gallery
1 Campus Dr., Allendale
gvsu.edu/artgallery
Mathias J. Alten: An Evolving Legacy, Through 2031
Another Side of Bob Dylan: Photographs from the Douglas R. Gilbert Collection, Through June 28, 2024
Beyond the Binary: Artists Illustrate the Complexities of Gender, Through June 28, 2024
LaFontsee Galleries & Farming
833 Lake Dr. SE, Grand Rapids
lafontsee.us
Cut & Paste, Oct. 21-Nov. 4
Muskegon Museum of Art
296 W. Webster Ave., Muskegon
muskegonartmuseum.org
Oddities & Delights, Sept. 14-Feb. 25
Tiffany Lamps: The Richard H. Driehaus Collection, Sept. 7-Jan. 14
The Lessons I Leave You: Paintings by Ayana Ross, Through Sept. 10
Saugatuck Center for the Arts
400 Culver St., Saugatuck
sc4a.org
Creative Fellow Mindy Trafman, Through Dec. 31
Of Plants and Place, Ongoing
Foreshadowing - Endangered & Threatened Plant Species, Ongoing
Ningaaseg, Oct. 20-Jan. 26
A Bright Night: Free Community Celebration, Oct. 27
