Civic Theatre’s latest production, “Steel Magnolias,” highlights the eternal strength of women through life’s ups and downs. Set in Truvy’s Beauty Salon in late ’80s small-town Louisiana, the set, costumes and characters all reflect the time and place — from teased up hair held by hairspray, to blush pink carpets and strong southern accents.
The genius of the creative collaboration between composer Leonard Bernstein and choreographer Jerome Robbins, two legends in their own right, is perhaps more lasting than love. That is, if we are to believe the larger theme of “On the Town,” the grand 1940s musical they created together based on their previous ballet, “Fancy Free.”
If there’s one thing anyone who’s ever been to The Barn Theatre in Augusta knows, it’s that they know how to do a killer rock musical. And anyone who’s had the good fortune of seeing shows there this summer certainly knows the 72nd season company of Michigan’s oldest resident summer stock theater is well-versed in brilliant, campy comedy.
After spending her day job staring at a screen for hours on end, Kelly Kermode found herself needing a release, so she returned to an old love: pottery.
When patrons visit the renovated Howmet Playhouse in Whitehall, not only can they expect new seats, carpets and restrooms, but they’ll see features of the building’s historic character unveiled.
A typical day in the life of Miranda Krajniak involves an Uber through the stop-and-go traffic on Monroe Center Street, asking her driver what they think of the bright, yet stormy mural of an angelic, silver woman outside the window. After giving their full opinion, the driver learns exactly who their passenger is: the executive director of the Urban Institute of Contemporary Art, and she has been on the forefront of most of Grand Rapids’ major street art installations over the past five years.
Working under the name Old Growth, Nick Nortier’s colorful murals cover brewery walls and building exteriors around Grand Rapids and beyond.
When it comes to enjoying a concert, keep the iPhone in your pocket and leave the photos to the pros. A great photographer captures the essence of an artist and those moments within the sweat and reverberation while watching from the floor. Count Adeshola Makinde among the best of those with a lens. Visceral, kinetic and undeniably dope, his photos are a bridge to connecting with these larger-than-life icons. Sometimes a peek behind the veil, always fully immersive, he has a knack for coaxing the X-factor out of his subjects.
Danielle Truss is an all-around artist from England, living in Grand Rapids. Most recently, she’s working at the Grand Rapids Ballet Company as a costume designer.
Dayna Walton hasn’t even graduated from Kendall College yet and she’s already leading workshops at local art hub Lions and Rabbits. She has more than 8,000 Instagram followers and her work is being sold online as Solstice Handmade. Between textile work, printmaking, illustration and graphic design, Walton is already making a name for herself in the West Michigan art and maker scene.
