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. 

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.

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.

“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.