West Michigan's Arts & Entertainment Guide
Review: Barn Theatre's 'Escape to Margaritaville' is Quintessential Summer Fun
Written by Marin Heinritz | Thursday, 17 August 2023 21:15 |The fun-loving resort entertainer/playboy Tully, the central character in “Jimmy Buffet’s Escape to Margaritaville” declares within the first few minutes of the show, now in production at The Barn Theatre, that “romance is better enjoyed on the surface—like the ocean.”
Review: 'Jersey Boys' is Utterly Unforgettable at Saugatuck Center for the Arts
Written by Marin Heinritz | Monday, 14 August 2023 16:35 |There is a moment in Saugatuck Center for the Arts’ production of the multiple Grammy- and Tony-Award winning “Jersey Boys” in which an image of the Four Seasons on a black and white television is projected above the band as they perform their hit “Sherry” on stage—in technicolor of the variety one can only experience in person—and the crowd goes wild.
Review: Memorializing a Legend with 'Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill'
Written by Marin Heinritz | Monday, 14 August 2023 10:21 |“Singing is living to me,” declares Desiree Montes as a deeply inebriated Billie Holiday in one of her final performances in a South Philly club. This is the proclamation we must keep in mind throughout this phenomenal yet bleak performance of Hope Repertory Theatre’s “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” because otherwise it could merely be an exercise in trauma voyeurism.
Diving Deep Into History at Grand Rapids Public Museum
Written by John Kissane | Monday, 14 August 2023 09:57 |Currently on display at Grand Rapids Public Museum now through September 3 are three captivating new exhibits, delving into the intriguing world of the most recent North American Ice Age, highlighting the significance of snow, and offering a thought-provoking exhibition examining the troubling legacy of the Jim Crow era.
Review: 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' Explores the Ways the Past Never Leaves Us
Written by John Kissane | Sunday, 13 August 2023 18:04 |It all starts out quietly enough, with a group of musicians killing time before the arrival of Ma Rainey, their singer. They joke a little; they bicker.
Review: 'Wizard of Oz' at Barn Theatre Captures the Inner Child Within Us All
Written by Marin Heinritz | Thursday, 10 August 2023 20:45 |The road to The Barn Theatre in Augusta is paved with yellow bricks for a reprise of The Wizard of Oz, a faithful musical adaptation of the beloved 1939 MGM film last produced at the theater in 2006.
Are you looking for Broadway-caliber performances at a fraction of New York City prices? What about a beautiful outdoor setting to explore and enjoy while listening to eclectic showtunes and beloved standards?
In 2023, arts organizations are largely back on their feet and offering incredible seasons of art, conversations, fun and community involvement.
Review: 'Rock of Ages' is a Truly Immersive, Full-Body Experience
Written by Marin Heinritz | Wednesday, 26 July 2023 10:33 |If ever there were a rock musical fit to be staged in a music venue with a bar, it’s “Rock of Ages”, the hilarious five-time Tony Award nominated 1980s hair metal parody.
Betka-Pope Productions: Scrappy, Homemade and Hilarious
Written by Zachary Avery | Monday, 24 July 2023 10:51 |Without a stage to call their own, it may seem that Betka-Pope Productions is hidden from the view of Grand Rapids’ wider theater community.
