West Michigan's Arts & Entertainment Guide
This month, you can visit the summer theaters for big and fun shows, the symphony for their last remaining shows of the season, and museums for a variety of incredible art. Check it out.
Review: Basking in the Genius of Renée Fleming & Evgeny Kissin
Written by Marin Heinritz | Thursday, 01 June 2023 09:26 |There is something indescribable about what the human voice can do when paired with a piano. Even more so when that human voice belongs to an opera superstar and she is accompanied by a genius concerto pianist widely considered a living legend and together they are performing a brilliant program of some of the world’s most beautiful songs.
When it comes to being an artist, creating art is only the first step. A finished work leaves behind questions, like where it can be shared, and how it can be sold. That’s where AllArtWorks comes in.
On Saturday, May 27, Kalamazoo’s Chenery Auditorium will welcome to its stage two world-renowned musicians: soprano Renée Fleming and pianist Evgeny Kissin. Audience members will experience some of the best music ever written, including pieces by Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Duparc, performed by musicians who have demonstrated mastery of the art form for decades.
Review: The Tale of 'Hadestown' Deserves to be Told Again and Again
Written by Marin Heinritz | Thursday, 11 May 2023 10:12 |As long as humans exist to share stories, we will undoubtedly reimagine and retell those tales that originated as classic mythology.
Review: Junior High Rears its Hilarious Head in 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'
Written by John Kissane | Monday, 08 May 2023 09:47 |Middle school is its own world, one populated by awkward creatures and overhung with threatening skies. If you live there, you’re still discovering who you are, and deciding how much of yourself you want to reveal. Or maybe not; maybe you’re openly yourself, in all your bonkers glory.
The central conceit of Hadestown easily numbers among the best of any Broadway musical ever: the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice set in a post-apocalyptic New Orleans, soaked in that near-mythic city’s distinctive music.
Review: 'Something Rotten!' is Fresh, Fun and Very Funny
Written by John Kissane | Monday, 01 May 2023 11:36 |2023 marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of the First Folio, the first-ever collection of William Shakespeare’s plays. A copy sold at auction in October of 2020 for $9,978,000, which is a lot, but not so bad when you factor in the free shipping.
Review: Ballet + Broadway is a Marvelous Showcase of Versatility
Written by Marin Heinritz | Tuesday, 25 April 2023 09:19 |If there’s one thing Grand Rapids Ballet has proven in its 50-plus years, it is the company’s terrific versatility. This isn’t simply the only professional ballet company in Michigan; Grand Rapids Ballet continuously stretches the boundaries of what’s possible for magnificently classically-trained dancers to create on stage, from the lexicon of classical ballet, yes—but also beyond.
Review: Farmers Alley Theatre's 'Chicken & Biscuits' is Well-Crafted Comfort Food
Written by Marin Heinritz | Saturday, 22 April 2023 11:39 |“Lord, bless me with the patience to deal with my family, for they know not what they do. . . .” says Jenkins family matriarch Baneatta at the start of Douglas Lyons’ comedic play Chicken and Biscuits, currently in production at Farmers Alley Theatre in Kalamazoo.
