From October 16 through 19, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s production of Pete The Cat graced the company’s stage. At 50 minutes, it’s a short musical, perfect for younger children who might never have attended a show before.
How do they create an elephant on stage? may be the question on "Water for Elephants” ticket holders minds. And the answer is: she is revealed bit by bit and beautifully, just like the story itself.
Imagine a world in which 7,000 refugees from all over the globe appear on North American shores in a single day and instead of being turned away or treated like criminals for simply being displaced, they are welcomed with open arms, given food, clothing, and shelter.
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, intimate and progressive plays, live performances with symphonies, dancers taking to the stage, and powerful art exhibitions. Here’s our guide to arts events for the month.
In 1933, the Civic Auditorium, a large, neoclassical building standing on the eastern shore of the Grand River in Grand Rapids, opened. Three years later, the immortal Louis Armstrong performed there, backed by a crack band which included celebrated pianist Luis Russell.
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.
Ladislav Hanka was born in America, the son of Czechoslovakian immigrants. If his parents seem to have emerged from another time, it’s because they did; while automobiles were not unknown in Czechoslovakia, only the rich owned them. Most people rode horse-drawn buggies.
Like just about everything in life, the arts community here in West Michigan has seen some huge shifts over the past five years.
Jake Orr’s specialty is capturing the energy and presence of music and artists both on and off the stage.
Orthodoxy tells us that hair metal was an aberration: a dragon, crude and swollen, who reigned over our radio waves until the knights of grunge slayed him.
