Hate letters. State government threats. Mayoral involvement. Armed police in the theater. Fred Sebulske had no idea what he would one day be getting himself into when he founded Actors’ Theatre Grand Rapids in 1980, or even when the group decided to stage one specific show in 2003.

Two Grand Rapids natives are returning to their roots, telling the story of their city’s theatrical history and the power of community theater.

Corrupt business practices and unions may not be the subject matter most audiences expect from a Disney production, but that’s exactly what they’ll witness during the Barn Theatre’s performances of Disney’s Newsies.

This fall, Actors’ Theatre Grand Rapids will kick off its 2017-18 season with The Nether, the first of five shows running through May 2018.

This month, Heritage Theater is serving up Hamlet with a twist. “It tells the rest of the story, if you will,” said Director Krista Pennington.

The tranquil smile Rhea Olivaccé wears as she sings an aria masks the sweat equity she puts in before every performance.

After French impressionist painters like Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro and Pierre-Auguste Renoir made the technique famous more than a century and a half ago, plein air painting has been enjoying a resurgence in recent years.

In an epic example of creating a unique exhibit from the permanent collection, Muskegon Museum of Art’s "Edward S. Curtis: The North American Indian" encompasses more than 80 percent of its gallery space.

It’s common to see people dancing and singing along at Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán shows. According to Julio Martinez, a harpist who has performed with the band for 22 years, it’s also not out of the ordinary for audience members to cry. The range of emotion Mariachi Vargas elicits is the result of a masterful balance between 120 years of tradition and innovation within their art form.

Hope Summer Repertory Theatre excels at producing high-quality theater for young audiences that also appeals to adults. This season alone, their productions of Annie and Curious George have been delightful, and Schoolhouse Rock Live! falls right in line.