In a New Yorker profile published soon after the Public Theater’s premiere of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda discussed early theatrical influences, including Les Miserables, Cats and Phantom of the Opera. Of the latter, he said, “I saw Phantom and I was like, ‘Oh, shit!’ Because it’s about an ugly songwriter who wants to impose his will on the world. I related to that.”

The Kalamazoo Civic’s production of “Tick, Tick . . . Boom!” is a blast from the past, a rocking homage to Generation X through one artist’s fear of turning 30 — entailing fears of failure, commitment, selling out, death. You know, the little things.

Late in the year 1992, a theatrical group in Springfield put on a show called Oh, Streetcar! The show, a musical version of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, opened with a warning about New Orleans (“If you want to go to Hell, you should take a trip/To the Sodom and Gomorrah of the Mississippi”) and ended with a rousing, upbeat number about the kindness of strangers. 

After a nearly two-year hiatus, Jersey Boys once again hits the road to share the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. The Tony- and Grammy-winning musical visits Miller Auditorium this month, bringing New Jersey rock ‘n’ roll all the way to West Michigan. 

“If you want Disney,” said Daina Robins, “you should go to Disney. This isn’t some saccharine fairy tale. This play is truthful.”

While glass is often described as a delicate property, its metamorphic nature allows artists to explore not only fragility and transparency through their work, but also resiliency and strength. Examining the innovative ways glass can be styled is A New State of Matter: Contemporary Glass, Grand Rapids Art Museum’s latest exhibition. 

Two guitar virtuosos who first performed at The Block in Muskegon return to warm up a January weekend and play a lively and recognizable pops program with West Michigan Symphony. 

In the dead of winter, your soul may be yearning for some early springtime weather; with Michigan, you never know what will come. So instead of shutting yourself in and binge-watching the latest television series, join the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra for a special pint-sized concert at Bell’s Eccentric Café on January 15.

At the top of the show, before the curtain even rose, an orchestra featuring nine local musicians played an overture of songs from Aladdin, bringing to life the notes familiar to so many in Wharton Center’s audience.

Classical Christmas music and flying acrobatics might not be the most obvious duo, but it turns out whimsical circus acts and our favorite holiday songs really are the perfect pair.