The Ringwald Theater’s world premiere production of “The Hung Man” pokes fun at the films of Alfred Hitchcock.

Being a cinephile who’s watched a lot of Hitchcock classics isn’t necessary for enjoying the world premiere production of Ian Bonner and Marty Shea’s The Hung Man at Ferndale’s Ringwald Theatre – but it does make the show even more deliciously fun.

Like Hitchcock’s “Rope,” The Hung Man takes place in the apartment of two hubristic men who appear to be hiding bodily proof of their crime in a trunk while also hosting a dinner party. Soon, characters who look a lot like the couple at the center of “Rear Window” arrive: wheelchair-bound Jimmy (Joel Mitchell, doing a spot-on Jimmy Stewart impression), with his leg in a hilariously enormous cast; and blond, self-assured ice princess Grace (Christa Coulter), who can’t figure out why her fiancee and host, John (Vince Kelley), seems far more interested in his roommate Farley (Richard Payton) than in her. And rounding out the party is John’s hyper-critical mother, Mrs. Collier (Joe Bailey, decorated in what’s practically clown lipstick), who enters the scene like a bull in a china shop.

As I mentioned, The Hung Man offers classic movie fans tons of opportunities to pick up on cheeky little references: the man in the building across the street who reportedly hung himself is George Kaplan – the fictional man Cary Grant is mistaken for in “North by Northwest”; Grace is repeatedly pecked at by menacing avians, a la “The Birds”; Jimmy brays “Hee Haw,” as Jimmy Stewart does in “It’s a Wonderful Life”; Grace is accused of thinking she’s “like the Princess of Monaco” when, of course, actress Grace Kelly held that title in real life; and there are passing references to “To Catch a Thief,” “Psycho,” “Vertigo” and more Hitchcock classics.

But in the end, film shout-outs aside, Ringwald’s go-for-broke ensemble, which seems to be having the time of its life on stage, is what really makes this Hitchcock mash-up so laugh-out-loud hysterical, particularly in the 90 minute play’s second act. Director Dyan Bailey seems to sustain the feel of a comedy sketch throughout, so that even when actors “break” (out of character, usually due to laughter), it only adds to the show’s joy instead of yanking you from its world. READ THE REST HERE

Ann Arbor filmmaker Donald Harrison. (Photo by Doug Coombe)

Michigan’s film incentives program – which former Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm signed into law in April 2008, and current Republican Governor Rick Snyder scaled back by applying a cap of $25 million in 2011 (before halting the program altogether in 2015) – played the role of political football from the get-go.

Supporters argued that the state had to focus on the long-term revenue potential, and get ourselves on Hollywood’s radar (by way of an aggressive 40 percent rebate for film production companies), before we’d see a significant return on our investment. Critics argued the rebates-to-revenue ratio would never tip in Michigan’s favor, and that the longer we stayed on the film incentives path, the more money the state would stand to lose.

In the end, when Snyder was voted into office, the program’s critics won the day, and the program started being phased out. Indeed, the recently released Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice was among the last Hollywood productions to be filmed in Michigan, drawn to the Mitten State by incentives.

So now that the film incentives program appears in our collective rearview, it’s a fair time to ask local filmmakers: What legacy, if any, did they leave behind? READ THE REST HERE

UMS presents Jerusalem String Quartet this week. (Photo by Felix Broede)

Marshall Crenshaw at The Ark. Lots of solid offerings at the Ark this week – including The Accidentals – but first up is Crenshaw, a Detroit native who got his first break playing John Lennon in a touring version of “Beatlemania!” in the late 1970s. Crenshaw soon emerged as one of the most talented rock ‘n’ roll singer-songwriters of his generation, and his recent work has won praise for its melodic subtlety and the grace of its many reflective ballads. He is backed by The Bottle Rockets, the pioneering alt-country and roots rock quartet. (The Bottle Rockets also play an opening set.) Tuesday at 8 p.m. at The Ark, 316 S. Main in Ann Arbor. Tickets cost $25, available in advance at mutotix.com, theark.org, and 734-763-TKTS.

Wild Swan Theater’s “Peter Rabbit.” Easter may be in our rearview, but this Beatrix Potter bunny tale is timeless. Ignoring his mom’s advice, Peter loses his little blue coat and plunges into a series of misadventures. With live fiddle score composed and performed by veteran local multi-instrumentalist David Mosher. As with all Wild Swan productions, the performance is interpreted in American Sign Language. Audio description and backstage “touch” tours are available by prearrangement for blind audience members. For kids in grades Pre-K-2. Thursday at 10 a.m.; Friday at 10 a.m. and noon; and Saturday at 11 a.m., at WCC Morris Lawrence Bldg. Towsley Auditorium, 4800 E. Huron River Dr. in Ann Arbor. Tickets cost $12 (kids & seniors, $8; lap pass for kids age 2 & under, $3) in advance and at the door. Call 734-995-0530. Continue reading →

Conventional wisdom dictates that opposites attract, and that often, the people to whom we grow closest are those who possess the qualities we lack. Inevitably, though, we must acknowledge that the antithesis is true, too: we’re just as likely to fall in step easily with people who mirror our own deficits and damage.

Being confronted by our own weaknesses (in the form of another person) might make us wildly uncomfortable at times, but it also provides us with a natural kinship– a sense of not being painfully alone in our struggles. Mark St. Germain’s play Dancing Lessons, now being produced by Jewish Ensemble Theatre, explores this dynamic as it draws together two New Yorkers who’ve never previously met, but live in the same building: Senga (Sarab Kamoo), a Broadway dancer who recently sustained a career-ending injury when a cab jumped the curb; and Ever (Michael Brian Ogden), an earth science professor with Asperger’s syndrome.

The two meet when Ever comes knocking on recuperating Senga’s door, offering to pay her more than $2,000 for a one-hour dance lesson after the building’s super has clued in Ever on Senga’s profession. Why? Because Ever has won an award, and he must consequently attend a formal dinner that includes dancing–which he has no idea how to do. Plus, he can’t cheat by way of slow dancing, because he finds human contact way too overstimulating. So as Senga–with one leg strapped into a brace – tries to acclimate Ever to moving his body in time to an uptempo song, the two start to share a little more of themselves with each other; but Ever’s bluntness ultimately causes the lesson’s de-railment. Things don’t just end there, of course. Ever later returns, arguing that he didn’t get all the time he’d paid for, and soon, a tentative friendship evolves between him and Senga that far transcends the bounds of dance instruction. READ THE REST HERE

Rock star physicist Neil deGrasse Tyson – and an audience member with really, really red hair – during his last visit to Detroit.

TUESDAY: The Fukushima Tribute Concert, featuring Yamakiya Taiko Ensemble. The U-M Center for World Performance Studies presents a performance by this Fukushima (Japan) ensemble of young drummers ages 12-21, which has managed to stay together even though its members were scattered into exile after the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disasters. Opening act is the Novi-based Raion Taiko & the Great Lakes Taiko Center Drummers. Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Power Center, 121 Fletcher in Ann Arbor. Free.

TUESDAY: Science on Screen at the Michigan Theater. Series of film screenings followed by talks by U-M science professors and area scientists. This week, “Erin Brockovich” (Steven Soderburgh, 2000) takes the screen, and frankly, while hearings about Flint’s water crisis continue, there couldn’t be a better time to re-visit this acclaimed drama about a research assistant who helps a lawyer sue a large utility company that’s blamed for causing a small community’s cancer epidemic. Julia Roberts won an Oscar for her starring role. After the film, Columbia University public health professor David Rosner will speak on the issues of industrial pollution and toxicity. Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. in Ann Arbor. Tickets: $10 (children under 12, students with ID, seniors age 55 & older, & U.S. veterans, $8; MTF members, $7.50), available at the door, or in advance at www.ticketweb.com. Continue reading →

Longtime public radio talk show host Diane Rehm will be in Ann Arbor this week.

54th Annual Ann Arbor Film Festival. AAFF is one of the oldest (and one of the most prestigious) experimental/independent film festivals in North America and features 6 days of film screenings, panel discussions, and parties. This year’s event begins on Tuesday and culminates in screenings of award-winning films on Sunday. The competition showcases new experimental and independent 16-mm, 35-mm, and digital films and videos in a wide range of genres, with screenings at the Michigan Theater, the State Theater, and more. Tickets: $100 (members, students, & seniors, $85) for the entire festival and $60 (members, students, & seniors, $50) for weekend passes, available in advance at aafilmfest.org, and $10 (students, seniors, & members, $7) per show at the door. Visit the AAFF website to see a detailed schedule of events.

Apollo’s Fire presents Bach’s “St. John Passion.” University Musical Society presents this acclaimed Cleveland Baroque orchestra, founded and conducted by Jeannette Sorrell, an award-winning harpsichordist. At Tuesday’s show, AF will feature 5 vocal soloists, as well as their renowned professional chamber choir, Apollo’s Singers, in Bach’s dramatic and theatrical oratorio. In this acclaimed interpretation, the action is staged on a theatrical platform within the orchestra, with the soloists performing the main roles and the chorus evoking the wild mob with fierce intensity. With Grammy-winning tenor (and U-M grad) Nicholas Phan as Evangelist, acclaimed baritone (and U-M grad) Jesse Blumberg as Jesus, and accomplished stage actor and baritone Jeffrey Strauss as Pilate. Also, international operatic soprano Amanda Forsythe and Michigan-born, Washington, D.C.-based mezzo-soprano Kristen Dubenion-Smith. Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, 2250 E. Stadium in Ann Arbor. Tickets cost $45 and $55, available in advance at ums.org and 734-764-2538.
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The Chieftains delivered a knockout show at Hill Auditorium on Saturday evening.

Just a wee bit in advance of St. Patrick’s Day, the University Musical Society brought the Chieftains to Ann Arbor’s Hill Auditorium on Saturday, March 5th. And if this charming, 90-minute show failed to get you in the mood for the holiday, nothing would.

The Chieftains have been torch-bearers, and set the gold standard, for Irish music for more than half a century now. One of the group’s founding members, Paddy Moloney, still sings and plays the pipes and tin whistle at center stage. The band’s current roster also includes Tara Breen (violin, saxophone, dance), Jon Pilatzke (fiddle and stepdance), Kevin Conneff (bodhran and vocals), Matt Molloy (flute), Triona Marshall (harp and piano), and Tim Edey (guitar and accordian), with featured stepdancer Nathan Pilatzke, and featured vocalist and dancer Alyth McCormack.

The Chieftains – perhaps not surprisingly, given their longevity – have a pitch-perfect sense of balancing up-tempo, foot-stomping reels with more delicate numbers. Following a spirited fiddle solo (and dance) by Breen early in the show, Conneff sang “The Flower of Magherally,” largely without any musical accompaniment, letting us focus entirely on the melody and story. Then a quick take on “Cotton Eyed Joe” played out before McCormack appeared on stage to sing the moving ballad, “The Foggy Dew” (previously recorded by the Chieftains with Sinead O’Connor). READ THE REST HERE

UMS presents “Nufonia Must Fall” this Friday and Saturday. (Photo by AJ Korkidakis)

“Rupaul Drag Race” Season Premiere/Express YoSelf Party at Lampshade. Attendees are invited to wear costumes and bring nail polish, makeup, friends, and fabulousness. Angel Vanas is donating two fabulously redone-did wigs to raffle along with other fun prizes. Feel free to bring a dish to pass and donate to the space. This is also a fundraiser. Makeovers, live performances, live music, magical dress up time and more, all while streaming the season premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Lampshade, 206 W. Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti.

Penny Stamps Speaker Series presents Guruduth Banavar: Cognitive Systems. Check out this talk by an IBM Research cognitive computing VP who leads the team responsible for creating the artificial intelligence systems known as Watson. Thursday at 5:10 p.m. at the Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St. Admission is free. Continue reading →

The Chieftains plays at Hill Auditorium, courtesy of UMS, on Saturday, March 5. (Photo by Kevin Kelly)

Washtenaw Community Concert Band presents “Presidential Portraits.” Chris Heidenreich directs this 80-piece ensemble in marches, hymns, and tone poems to honor past presidents. The program is highlighted by Jay Dawson’s musical Civil War reenactment, Gettysburg: The Third Day. Also, a solo by the winner of the band’s 2nd Annual Concerto Competition for young local musicians, Jonathan Lynn. Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in WCC’s Morris Lawrence Bldg., in Towsley Auditorium, located at 4800 E. Huron River Dr. in Ann Arbor. Free admission.

“Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris,” presented by Penny Seats Theatre Company. Laura Sagolla directs this local company in Eric Blau and Mort Shuman’s cabaret-style 1968 show showcasing the songs of Belgian composer Jacques Brel, whose pointed political commentary and heartfelt chansons made him one of the most venerated singer-songwriters of his time. Four singers share the stage, performing solo and ensemble numbers ranging from “Marathon,” a ferocious commentary on the events of the 20th century, to the famous anthem, “If We Only Have Love.” EncoreMIchigan.com critic Marin Heinritz wrote, “Director Laura Sagolla gets Brel and his sensibility and guides a terrific cast.” Thursday’s show at 7:30 p.m. is sold out, so an added 9:15 p.m. performance (dinner seating starts at 7:30 p.m.) will be your last chance to catch the 70 minute show. Conor O’Neill’s Celtic Room, 318 S. Main in Ann Arbor. Tickets cost $10 ($20 includes dinner entree) in advance at pennyseats.org/box-office and (if available) at the door. Continue reading →

Generally, I’m not a big fan of revues – stage shows that gather together the songs or dances of a single artist – but you know what I am a fan of? Documentaries about creative types.

And Sondheim on Sondheim, now being staged by Dexter’s Encore Musical Theatre, is a unique kind of hybrid (conceived by James Lapine) that doesn’t simply let Stephen Sondheim’s songs speak for themselves, but instead intersperses film clips of the man talking about his process; the evolution of his career; and his life. And this makes all the difference.

Encore’s production, directed by Dan Cooney, features 8 cast members who perform the songs (plus music director Tyler Driskill, who plays a grand piano at center stage): Peter Crist, Leah Fox, Daniel A. Helmer, Lauren Norris, Kelsey Pohl, Thalia Schramm, Jim Walke, and Adam Woolsey. Dressed by costume designer Sharon Larckey Urick in what my family calls “dressy casual” – jewel toned dresses for the women, neutral-color suits with colorful button-down shirts for the men – various configurations of performers appear on stage to perform Sondheim’s songs, usually on the heels of a video clip of Sondheim talking about his work on a particular show, or part of his personal history.  READ THE REST HERE