Wicked, the untold story of the Witches of Oz, takes the stage at DeVos Performance Hall for their second week of performances (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Wicked, the untold story of the Witches of Oz, is taking the DeVos Performance Hall stage for its second week of performances.
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
The Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning musical has been dazzling audiences for 20 years. Wicked features music by composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz – and a timeless story.
“It’s timeless,” said Steve Quinn, Wicked Company Manager. “That’s what I love about it. We’re not in Los Angeles 1926, we’re in Oz. You come in, and it’s a magical place.”
A magical phenomenon
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Wicked is one of the most popular Broadway shows on the road. The reason for the production’s popularity, Quinn believes, stems from the corresponding 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
“We all watched it growing up, and we all have our own memories of The Wizard of Oz,” said Quinn. “We have that as the ground story.
“Our director said that if you take The Wizard of Oz and move the camera this way five feet, that’s our story. What happened before Dorothy dropped in? Is [Elphaba] wicked? Is Glinda good? We explore those themes, and we do it in a very clever way.”
This unique take on that story and the theme of friendship woven throughout the musical creates a timeless work of art that remains relevant as the years pass.
There’s no place like Oz…
(Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Wicked descended upon DeVos Performance Hall at 8 a.m. on May 13.
The 90-person crew unloaded 13 semi-trailers of equipment into the performance hall and assembled the set, lights and scenery. An additional 20-25 wardrobe and hair crew are hired locally for the duration of the show.
“The most challenging thing [of load-in] is that all of the departments are trying to work at the same time,” said Evan Ensign, Wicked Production Stage Manager. “You’ve got lighting, which needs space, the air show…It’s a lot of pieces.
“As we’re coming in, there is sort of a science to it. There are so many different aspects it takes to get it put in, and to get put in safely.”
And safety is a priority for Ensign.
“We test everything – flying apparatuses – for safety before we put people on things,” said Ensign. “Everybody knows their job, and we make sure that all the different departments get enough time to go through and check all the things that they need to. It’s built into the load-in.”
A real Broadway experience
“Our producers want to make sure that if you are seeing a Broadway show in Grand Rapids, you’re actually seeing a full-mounted production,” said Quinn. “We give you everything. We want to make sure you are getting the same value you would get in New York City.
“And it’s right here in your own backyard.”
Don’t forget the dragon(s)…
Part of that theatrical experience comes in the form of an enormous dragon mounted above the stage. But is there more than one dragon floating around Oz?
“The truth is, there are two dragons,” said Ensign. “They hopscotch cities. There is no way to differentiate which is which.”
A large dragon dominates the top of the stage – but is there only one? (Courtesy, Deborah Reed WKTV)
Audience members are guaranteed an introduction to one of those two dragons at the show. But whether the dragon on that particular day is Ozwald or Norbert…well, that will remain a mystery.
How to experience Wicked
The Broadway musical will run through Sunday, June 2. Tickets are available by calling the Broadway Grand Rapids box office at 616-235-6285 or through Ticketmaster.
Richard Thomas plays Atticus Finch in the touring production of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” (Photo Courtesy, Julieta Cervantes)
By John Gonzalez
WKTV Contributor
John Gonzalez is a veteran journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a reporter, editor and digital innovator. He co-hosts the statewide radio show “Behind the Mitten with Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. He can be reached at michigangonzo@gmail.com
There’s a harsh reality to the current Broadway tour of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
What was reality back in the 1930s still lingers today, said actor Christopher Ellis, who stars as prosecutor Horace Gilmer in what some consider the “most successful American play in Broadway history” (60 Minutes).
“This show is relevant. Even though it was 1934, it’s still relevant today, and some of the injustices,” said Ellis in an interview last fall before a tour stop in East Lansing.
The reimagined drama by the acclaimed playwright/screenwriter/film director Aaron Sorkin addresses that head on, he added. His version looks at the play in a new way.
“Like Aaron said … from an African American perspective, this is old news. This is still happening, maybe in different forms, but that type of thing is still happening.”
Maeve Moynihan (Scout Finch) and Jacqueline Williams (Calpurnia). (Photo Courtesy, Julieta Cervantes)
The classic 1960 novel, which later became a film starring Gregory Peck, is about a young girl named Scout Finch and her brother Jem. Set in Alabama, their father, Atticus Finch, defends a black man named Tom Robinson who is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Scout, Jem and their friend Dill, are curious about the trial and learn important lessons about racism, injustice and empathy.
Sorkin’s stage adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird” maintains the core themes and messages of Harper Lee’s original work, according to critics, but introduces some changes in narrative perspective, character development, and storytelling style to make it a distinctive and thought-provoking theatrical experience.
In the end, it’s a story about standing up for what’s right and understanding the importance of seeing the world from other people’s perspectives.
The tour has made a couple of Michigan stops before coming to Grand Rapids. It played in October at MSU’s Wharton Center in East Lansing. It also finished a run last month at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit.
This is the national tour’s third leg of dates after successful runs that started back in April of 2022. Ellis was on that first tour, which starred Emmy Award-winning actor Richard Thomas (“The Waltons”) as Atticus Finch.
Ellis said that Thomas remains a fixture on the tour and has been a key factor to the tour’s success. As one reviewer said: “Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch is at the height of his career.”
Richard Thomas (Atticus Finch) and the Company of “To Kill a Mockingbird” in a courtroom scene. (Photo Courtesy, Julieta Cervantes)
Ellis speaks highly of the actor we all remember as John-Boy Walton of the long-running TV series “The Waltons.”
Ellis said: “What you see is what you get. He is a great leader. He’s fun to work with. He’s fun to play with. I have nothing but praise for this man. I’m a fan.”
Plus, he has a sincere way of “immediately embracing everybody” in the cast.
“He’s inspiring us to tell this story all across the nation, and he’s still having a blast with it. Every night he’s on stage you can tell.”
Originally from Idaho, Ellis attended Wayne State University’s Hillberry Program in Detroit for three years, “which was a good training ground because it was a rotating rep, so you would go to classes in the morning and rehearsals in the afternoon.”
After graduating with an MFA in 2012, he did Utah Shakespeare Theatre and also moved to Chicago where his wife teaches high school drama. They have two teenage children. He also does a lot of Dick Wolf TV shows “where I play a cop a lot on ‘Chicago Fire PD.’”
Overall, Ellis said he hopes everyone comes out to see “To Kill a Mockingbird.” It’s compelling to those who already know the story, and it’s timely for those who only have a passing reference to the show.
If past audiences are any indication of the show’s powerful impact, he said, “people are going to enjoy” it.
“It’s well worth it to come. I know I’m in the show, but I cannot recommend it enough. People NEED to see this show.
“It’s taking this story to new audiences that might not see this perspective,” Ellis said. “This is not something that has gone away. This is not something (where you say) ‘oh, that was way back then; it’s different now.’ It’s just changed form.
“These audiences, who might not go to Broadway, get to experience this, and I think this story is very relevant. Every day. Still is.”
IF YOU GO:
Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” A new play by Aaron Sorkin When: April 23-28, 2024 Where: DeVos Performance Hall Tickets: Variety of price levels More info:broadwaygrandrapids.com
Performance Times: Tuesday, April 23, 2024 – 7:30pm Wednesday, April 24, 2024 – 7:30pm Thursday, April 25, 2024 – 7:30pm Friday, April 26, 2024 – 7:30pm Saturday, April 27, 2024 – 2:00pm Saturday, April 27, 2024 – 7:30pm Sunday, April 28, 2024 – 1:00pm Sunday, April 28, 2024 – 6:30pm Show Info: tokillamockingbirdbroadway.com
IMPORTANT SIDEBAR:
In anticipation of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Broadway Grand Rapids sent an email to its subscribers about the show’s subject matter, as well as links to a series of videos.
In the email to subscribers, it said:
“As we prepare for the upcoming performances of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ we want to extend an understanding and supportive hand to those who may not be familiar with the story or its themes, or for whom it’s been some time since encountering it.
“Recognizing the sensitivity of the topics addressed, we’ve sought insights from prominent thought leaders in West Michigan. They offer valuable perspectives on why this performance is worth your time and consideration. Additionally, they encourage you to take proactive steps to educate yourself about the narrative beforehand.
“Ultimately, our hope is that you’ll come away with a deeper understanding and appreciation for its themes, as well as valuable insights into the human experience.”
Sonya Hughes Video
A conversation with Sonya Hughes, Principal at Inclusive Outcomes LLC: Hughes discusses the novel’s enduring relevance in fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Skot Welch Video
A discussion with Skot Welch, President/Founder of Global Bridgebuilders: Welch encourages Broadway Grand Rapids patrons to educate themselves on the subject matter and race dialogue surrounding the show’s performance.
Jon March Video
Jon March is Of Counsel at the law firm of Miller Johnson, which is the exclusive sponsor of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” March is also a community actor having previously played the role of Atticus Finch. He shares why he connects to the role so deeply and why he believes the show will inspire other young attorneys.
“Congratulations to Robel Abebe, who performed with the All-State Jazz Band last Saturday!” said EKHS Band Director Sho Dembinski in a school social media shout-out.
“Robel was selected from over 2,000 students to play with this band, and spent Thursday and Friday at the Amway Grand in Downtown GR to prepare for his concert. Way to go, Robel!”
The All-State Jazz performance was held Saturday, Jan. 27 at 3 p.m. in the Amway Ambassador Ballroom.
Advancing to the All-State program is a competitive process and requires talent and diligence. Being accepted to All-State is considered one of the highest honors a high school musician can receive.
(Courtesy photo)
Students must prepare a 10-minute recorded audition that includes sight-reading, an announced etude and a series of scales. Auditions are submitted using only an identification number with no reference to the student or school.
The auditions are then evaluated by an adjudicator and placed in order. The required number of instruments is then selected to fill each section in the five All-State ensembles: Middle School String Orchestra, Middle School Band, High School Full Orchestra, High School Band and High School Jazz Ensemble.
Approximately 2,500 students audition each year for 400 seats in the All-State ensembles.
In January, the students assemble for two and a half days of rehearsal with nationally recognized conductors. All-State ensembles then perform in a concert held Saturday of the MMC.
(Courtesy photo)
Michigan Music Conference
“The purpose of the Michigan Music Conference is to provide relevant professional development and vibrant musical experiences that support music education for educators and their students,” states the MMC website.
Featuring school ensemble concerts, performances from Honors Choirs, All-State Bands, and Orchestras; sessions for in-service and pre-service teachers; professional development clinics; hands-on technology workshops; and association membership and business meetings, MMC attendance draws approximately 9,000 teachers, administrators, students, speakers, and guests each year.
Experience the enchanting allure of the classical ballet, Sleeping Beauty. Grand Rapids Ballet will perform the cherished tale at DeVos Performance Hall Feb. 23-25.
A traditional tale come to life
Sleeping Beauty shares the traditional tale of Princess Aurora.
From her birth, a curse by the evil fairy Carabosse foretells Aurora’s demise on her sixteenth birthday. Aurora enters a profound slumber, only to be awakened by true love’s kiss, as orchestrated by the benevolent Lilac Fairy.
(Courtesy, Kansas City Ballet / Brett Pruitt & East Market Studios)
With Devon Carney’s exquisite choreography that pays homage to Marius Petipa, the production will be accompanied by a live Grand Rapids Symphony performance of Tchaikovsky’s exceptional score.
Gorgeous costumes, sumptuous sets, and breathtaking dancing are a hallmark of this family-friendly classical ballet performance.
Come and celebrate!
In addition to the ballet, Sleeping Beauty’s Birthday Party will be held on Feb. 25 at DeVos Performance Hall.
(Courtesy, Kansas City Ballet / Brett Pruitt & East Market Studios)
The memorable royal gathering will be held from 12-1 p.m. Party guests can create enchanted crafts to take home, enjoy sweet treats, and meet Grand Rapids Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty.
Party wear, crowns and sparkles are encouraged to help celebrate Princess Aurora’s sweet sixteen.
“Mean Girl” rules: Regina, played by Nadina Hassan (second from right) lays down the rules. (Supplied)
“Mean Girls” is such an iconic movie that just about everyone has seen it or has heard lines from the film without even knowing it.
That’s what makes it so much fun.
Everyone can relate.
Whether it’s flashbacks to high school days or even in your current work environment, “Mean Girls” draws you in.
“This show is so relatable because every single person can see themselves in this show,” said Ann Arbor native Nadina Hassan, who plays Regina George in the Broadway touring musical that stops June 21-26 at DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids.
“You don’t even have to be a girl. …You find somebody that you relate to, that you may have been in high school or knew somebody in high school or even in your workplace now, you recognize these behaviors.
“Everyone leaves connecting with one or more of the characters.”
“Mean Girls” is a hilarious hit musical from an award- winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey – yes, that Tina Fey, from hit movies and the “30 Rock” TV show, as well as composer Jeff Richmond (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), lyricist Nell Benjamin (“Legally Blonde”) and director Casey Nicolaw (“The Book of Mormon”).
It tells the story of Cady Heron, who grew up on the African savanna, but now has to adjust with life in suburban Illinois. She falls prey to a “trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung,” according to the show notes.
The hardest part for Cady is that she “has to navigate all these clicks,” Hassan said.
And her character is at the center of the “mean.”
“Regina is head of the Plastics and they basically rule the school….They are untouchables,” Hassan said. She is the “meanest of the mean girls.”
Get into the spirit when “Mean Girls” comes to DeVos Performance Hall June 21-26. (Supplied)
If you loved the movie, which was released in 2004 and starred Lindsay Lohan as Cady and Rachel McAdams as Regina, then you’ll love the musical, Hassan said.
All the classic lines from the movie “we keep in the show,” she added. “And we’ve updated things to include social media, which is a big part of our lives these days.”
Growing up in Ann Arbor, Hassan fell in love with theater while acting in productions at the Pioneer Theatre Guild and attending Skyline High School. After graduation she picked up her studies in theater performance at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, near Cleveland. She graduated in 2020.
“I’m glad I went away to college,” she said. Baldwin Wallace “is a small liberal arts university where you have no choice but to stay super focused. I feel I left college ready to take on this kind of job.”
She did some Regional theater, performing in “Tick, Tick… BOOM!” (Susan), “West Side Story” (Maria) and “Be More Chill” (Brooke).
But “Mean Girls” is her first major Broadway tour. She actually auditioned during the pandemic from her bedroom while in Ann Arbor.
She calls landing the gig “a dream come true.”
“I’m so lucky, I never expected this. It happened so fast,” Hassan said.
Her advice to those who are on the same path?
Stepping out on the DeVos Performance Hall stage is “Mean Girls.” (Supplied)
“I know it sounds cheesy, but doing material that you genuinely like performing makes all the difference,” she said. “It opens up a lot of creative avenues for you.”
Right now she loves being in her home state of Michigan where “Mean Girls” wraps up on Sunday at the Fischer Theatre in Detroit before heading to Grand Rapids.
Along with having family and friends come to almost every show, she was able to visit on her day off some of her favorite foodie places like Café Zola, Blank Slate Creamery and Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor.
“I brought back sandwiches for the cast,” she said.
It’s a great cast, she added, and people will enjoy the show.
“I can guarantee you will laugh, you will cry, and you will be cheering,” Hassan said. “It is the most fun you’ll have at a theater performance. It’s 2 ½ hours of straight joy. You will leave much happier than when you arrived.”
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
Stephen Christopher Anthony as Evan Hansen and the North American touring company of “Dear Evan Hansen.” (Photo by Matthew Murphy)
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – When a show comes to town with six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album, you know the local theater community will be excited.
But “Dear Evan Hansen” is more than your average “theater show.”
It’s a contemporary play in theme and message with an ability to reach a wide section of audiences, said Meghan Distel, the new president & CEO of Broadway Grand Rapids.
“It has impacted so many people around the world because its message touches so many, so deeply,” Distel said. “We’re really excited about it. It has such a huge fan base. It’s a highlight of the season for sure.”
Less than 2,000 tickets remain for the eight performances over six days (May 3-8) at DeVos Performance Hall as part of the current Broadway Grand Rapids season. But there are tickets availab;e for all shows, she said.
Also, it was announced last week that $25 lottery tickets will be offered digitally to fans. The digital lottery will begin accepting entries today for all performances until 9 a.m. local time the day before the performance. Fans who have been selected will be notified daily via email and can then purchase up to two (2) tickets at $25 each. More details are available at www.luckyseat.com/dearevanhansen.
The show is described as a “deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it.” Through powerful music and lyrics, it puts a spotlight on mental health and grief.
Stephen Christopher Anthony as Evan Hansen and Jessica E.-Sherman-as Heidi Hansen. (Photo by Matthew Murphy)
It tells the story of Evan Hansen, who is an anxiety-ridden high school senior, who is tasked by his therapist to write letters to himself in an effort to boost his self-confidence.
“At the end of the day we all struggle with moments of fitting in, and we have moments of sometimes doing the right thing,” said Distel, adding that the show’s strength is showing the “human side” of life.
And we see it from many different angles, Distel said, including the parent perspective because “there is no guide book for this…Parenting is a tough business.”
It’s a show for everyone struggling through the digital age.
“It’s all what we’re dealing with today, in terms of the world we live in and how we connect to each other,” Distel said. “People will find pieces they connect with,…it’s something that stays with you.”
The music is great, she added. The cast is powerful, too.
“It’s an intimate show,” she said. “People will walk away profoundly impacted.”
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
I think we’re all ready for Spring Break or even Mid-Winter Break.
At least we have MLK Day (Monday, Jan. 17), which is a Federal holiday, but more than just a day off.
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr’.s birthday, and ideals, it is meant to empower individuals, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, create solutions to social problems, and move us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community.”
We all need that.
In the meantime, let’s look at things to do this weekend in my Gonzo’s Top 5, exclusively on WKTV Journal.
5. Pop Up Disc Golf
It might be 40 degrees. It might be below zero. Who knows this time of year? Well, if you’re a disc golf enthusiast, you don’t care too much. You love being outdoors. That’s why you might want to know about a Pop Up Disc Golf event from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 29) at Covenant Park, 3724 Shaffer Ave. SE, in Kentwood. This is a fun, nine-hole disc golf course. There is no cost to participate, but you must bring your own discs. Restrooms will be available in the clubhouse. This event was supposed to be this weekend, but was changed because of the frigid temperatures. Presented by City of Kentwood Parks and Recreation Department. More info on the Facebook event page.
4.Maple Hill Golf – Huge Golf LIquidation Sale
Speaking of a different kind of golf, the one where I yell “Heads Up” all the time, golf lovers can head out this weekend to the DeltaPlex in Walker for this huge liquidation sale. Presented by Maple Hill Golf, more than $2 million worth of equipment will be for sale. This year’s event marks the 22nd year of the sale, and the first year at the DeltaPlex. Hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $5. Ages 12 and younger free. More info at www.deltaplex.com.
3. Public Skate at Van Andel Arena
If you have missed free skating at Rosa Parks Circle this winter, it’s back this weekend. No, the construction project is still going on, but thanks to the city’s parks and recreation department, Downtown Grand Rapids, Inc. (DGRI) and Van Andel Arena, free skating is available on Sunday (Jan. 16) at Van Andel Arena. You must reserve a skating time, but walk ups are an option. Each session is 90 minutes and open to 150 skaters. (100 skating spots are reservable, with the remaining 50 available for walk-up skating on a first-come first-served basis.) Go online to reserve up to six skaters at a time, HERE. Group reservations should only be made with people in the same household as the registrant. Visitors may bring their own skates. Rentals are available. Hockey equipment, such as hockey sticks and pucks, are not allowed on the ice. Hours are 2-3:30 p.m., 4-5:30 p.m., and 6-7:30 p.m.
By the way, the Grand Rapids Griffins are in town Friday and Saturday. Games are at 7 p.m. each night. More info at https://www.vanandelarena.com/events.
We are all jumping for joy that theater has returned. “Hairspray” comes to DeVos Performance Hall this week. (Photo by Jeremy Daniel)
2. “Hairspray”
Despite postponing opening night because of COVID concerns among the touring cast, the Broadway production of “Hairspray” opened Wednesday night to great reviews. Fans loved the show, as well as the return of major tours to Grand Rapids. It’s been nearly two years since Broadway Grand Rapids has been able to present a show. “Hairspray” continues through Monday, Jan. 17 at DeVos Performance Hall. (Monday’s show is the rescheduled date for the Jan. 11 postponement.) For ticket information and showtimes, go to devosperformancehall.com.
As part of its Martin Luther King Jr. Day community service project, the city will be collecting donations for its Little Free Pantry locations. (Supplied)
Unity Walk to Honor MLK
The City of Kentwood was supposed to host a unity walk in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. at 9 a.m. Saturday (Jan. 15), but it has been changed “due to the frigid temperatures forecasted for this weekend, we’ve made the difficult decision to postpone Saturday’s Unity Walk. We will share information about the rescheduled event once details are finalized.”
Organizers had hoped to help Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry with collecting canned goods after the walk. In a Facebook post, they said: “We hope you’ll still help stock Kentwood’s Little Free Pantry, which began in 2017 as an MLK Day community service project. We’re accepting canned goods and other non-perishable items at the Kentwood Activities Center 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday. More information, including a list of suggested donations, is available at kentwood.us/LittleFreePantry.”
That’s it for now.
As always, I welcome your input and recommendations for events to include in my Top 5 list. If you have something for me to consider, just send me an email at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
Have a great, safe weekend.
John D. Gonzalez is a digital journalist with 30-plus years of experience as a food, travel, craft beer and arts & entertainment reporter based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He also co-hosts the radio show and Podcast “Behind the Mitten,” which airs at 6 p.m. Sundays on WOOD-AM and FM. Follow him on his journey to discover what’s next. You can find him on Twitter as @MichiganGonzo, on Instagram @MichiganGonzo and Facebook at @GRGonzo. He also relaunched his YouTube Channel. Email him story ideas and tips at michigangonzo@gmail.com.
We are all jumping for joy that theater has returned. “Hairspray” comes to DeVos Performance Hall this week. (Photo by Jeremy Daniel)
By John D. Gonzalez WKTV Contributing Writer
UPDATE: The Tuesday show has been rescheduled for Monday, Jan. 17. Contact Broadway Grand Rapids for more information.
NOTE: We regret to report that the Tuesday, Jan. 11, performance of “Hairspray” at DeVos Performance Hall is postponed due to positive COVID cases within the company. At this time, all other performances, Wednesday — Sunday, will play as scheduled. We apologize for the disappointment and inconvenience this scheduling change has caused Tuesday night ticket holders. Please hold onto your tickets while we work to rescheduled the show. Details will be sent to affected ticket holders by email as soon as they’re available.
It will take 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show to bring Broadway theater back to Grand Rapids.
“After two long years, we are excited to finally be back in the theater and have the inspiring support of so many in the community,” said Mike Lloyd, interim executive director at Broadway Grand Rapids.
“We expect 15,000 people to attend ‘Hairspray’ this week. What a perfect show to open the season, heartwarming and fun.”
“Hairspray” opens Tuesday (Jan. 11) at DeVos Performance Hall for eight performances over six days to kick off the 2021-2022 season at Broadway Grand Rapids.
In addition, Broadway Grand Rapids has announced $30 Student/Educator Rush tickets for all performances of “Hairspray.” A valid school ID is required, and the limit is two tickets per student/educator. All tickets are subject to availability. Tickets may be purchased in-person one hour prior to the performance at the DeVos Performance Hall Box Office at 303 Monroe Ave NW.
Health and Safety protocols, including proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test as well as mandatory masks, will be in effect.
Set in 1960s Baltimore, “Hairspray” centers on Tracy Turnblad, a girl with big dreams – and even bigger hair – who wants to change the world.
The reviews have been stellar. The New York Times said: “‘Hairspray’ is fresh, winning, and deliriously tuneful!”
The “Hairspray” cast is led by Andrew Levitt aka Nina West (from “RuPaul’s Drag Race”) as Edna Turnblad, Niki Metcalf as Tracy Turnblad and Toneisha Harris (from NBC’s “The Voice”) as Motormouth Maybelle and features the beloved score of hit songs including “Welcome to the 60’s,” “Good Morning Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat.” according to the company’s website.
This all-new touring production reunites Broadway’s award-winning creative team led by director Jack O’Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell.
Niki Metcalf is Tracy Turnblad in “Hairspray” at DeVos Performance Hall this week. (Photo by Jeremy Daniel)
“It’s a brand-new world we find ourselves in today, and ‘Hairspray’ is meeting this challenge full-on with even more joy and purpose. Our fable of ‘The Little Dancing Engine That Could’ is even more relevant than twenty years ago when it first burst onto the scene,” said O’Brien in a release.
“With the renewed, refreshed energy of the unforgettable Nina West as Edna and a whole new generation of wildly talented kids across the board, we cannot wait to raise the various roofs once more with dance, joy, music, and that glorious, famous, energy-packed score! Come feel great and grateful once more!” he added.
Choreographer Jerry Mitchell said: “‘Hairspray’ has always been about all of us dancing together! I am thrilled to welcome this new company of amazing #FULLOUT talents to lead the way as we dance across America with a message of inclusion and hope because ‘You really Can’t Stop the Beat!’”
The Grand Rapids Symphony will perform “The Snowman” on Jan. 4. (Supplied)
The Grand Rapids Symphony will perform “The Snowman” at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, at DeVos Performance Hall.
“The Snowman” wordlessly tells the story of a boy who who builds a snowman who comes to life and leads him on a wide-eyed and wondrous adventure to meet Father Christmas.
Led by Associate Conductor John Varineau, the Grand Rapids Symphony will perform the magical score by Howard Blake as the snowman and his young friend adventure through darkened woods, over rolling mountains, and above quiet ocean waves in the film that garnered an Academy Award nomination in 1982.
Besides “The Snowman,” the program also features the Grand Rapids Symphony performing such wintery melodies as the “Winter Train Ride” from Prokofiev’s Winter Bonfire Suite and the “Winter” Concerto from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.
Violinist Paola Dara, of Grandville, who formerly served as concertmaster of the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony, will return as soloist in the concerto movement from The Four Seasons.
Tickets for “The Snowman” are $15 adults, $5 children, available by calling the GRS ticket office at 616-454-9451, ext. 4. Phone orders will be charged a $3 per ticket handling fee ($18 maximum per order). There are no fees for tickets purchased in person at the GRS ticket office at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across the street from Calder Plaza). Ticket office hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
In 2001, Pianist Olga Kern was the first women in 30 years to win the Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. She performs with the Grand Rapids Symphony Oct. 4 – 5. (Supplied)
The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition was launched after American pianist Van Cliburn in 1958 won the Gold Medal at the inaugural International Tchaikovsky Competition, shocking the world by playing Russian music better than Russian pianists.
Russian-born pianist Olga Kern’s first attempt at the Van Cliburn competition in 1997 didn’t go as well. Eliminated in the preliminary rounds, the 22-year-old pianist returned to Russia, newly divorced with an infant to support.
Four years later, Kern, returned to Fort Worth, Texas, becoming the first woman in more than 30 years to win the Gold Medal at the Van Cliburn Competition. Her story is told in the award-winning TV documentary, “Playing on the Edge” about the 2001 Van Cliburn.
“Van Cliburn could play Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky’s music like nobody could before him, and it was in such a great Russian way,” Kern said in an interview in Playbill in June 2018. “I say ‘Russian way’ because the Russians are always sad, even if they are happy.”
Widely acclaimed for her interpretations of Tchaikovsky among other composers, Kern joins the Grand Rapids Symphony for Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet, a program entirely devoted to the music of the great Russian composer, at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 4-5, in DeVos Performance Hall.
Music Director Marcelo Lehninger leads the orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s final work, the magnificent “Pathetique” Symphony No. 6. The evening opens with the romantic Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy.
Kern, a naturalized American citizen who has lived in New York since her Van Cliburn prize, will be soloist in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-flat.
“Tchaikovsky took Russian music to another level through his use of Russian folk music,” told Playbill in June 2018. “It is what makes his music sound so Russian. But because he learned so much from Europeans and ultimately took so much from all over the world, this lends his music a universal quality.”
“The way he used piano and orchestra together in a concerto is a totally different level of concerto composition,” she said. “Because before then it was a competition between the instrument and the orchestra. But Tchaikovsky really blended the piano with the orchestra.”
Kern, who won first prize at the Rachmaninoff International Piano Competition at age 17, comes from a long line of eminent musicians. Her parents are pianists, her mother teaches at Moscow Conservatory of Music, and her brother, Vladimir Kern, is a conductor.
Kern’s great-great grandmother was a friend of Tchaikovsky’s. Her great-grandmother was a mezzo soprano who, by accident, became a collaborator with Rachmaninoff.
“One day, she was on tour with Rachmaninoff songs, and her accompanist got sick. These songs are very difficult for the pianist, and she had to find somebody to accompany her,” Kern said.
As fate would have it, the composer himself, also on tour, happened to be in the same town. When word reached him, Rachmaninoff himself offered to step in.
Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 3 began with sketches the composer meant for his Symphony No. 6. Eventually, he decided to recast it as a concerto for piano and orchestra.
Tchaikovsky’s “Pathetique” Symphony No. 6 was his final work. After completing it, he confessed, “I consider this symphony the best thing I have ever done. In any case, it is the most deeply felt. And I love it as I have never loved any of my compositions.”
He died nine days after its premiere, a victim of cholera. He was 53 years old.
Inside the Music, a free, pre-concert, multi-media presentation sponsored by BDO USA, will be held before each performance at 7 p.m. in the DeVos Place Recital Hall.
Tickets for Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet start at $18 and are available at the Grand Rapids Symphony box office, weekdays 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across the street from Calder Plaza). Call (616) 454-9451 x 4 to order by phone. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum).
Tickets are available at the DeVos Place ticket office, weekdays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. or on the day of the concert beginning two hours before the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.
Special Offers
Full-time students of any age can purchase tickets for $5 on day of the concert by enrolling in the GRS Student Ticketsprogram, sponsored by Calvin University. Discounts also are available to members of MySymphony360, the Grand Rapids Symphony’s organization for young professionals ages 21-35.
Students age 7-18 also are able to attend for free when accompanied by an adult. Free for Kids tickets must be purchased in advance at the GRS Ticket office. Up to two free tickets are available with the purchase of a regular-price adult ticket. Go online for more details.
Symphony Scorecard provides members up to four free tickets for most Grand Rapids Symphony concerts. Members of the community receiving financial assistance from the State of Michigan and members of the U.S. Armed Forces, whether on active or reserve duty or serving in the National Guard, are eligible. Go online for information on signing up with a Symphony Scorecard Partner Agency.
BASE Hologram, the leading content developer, producer and distributor of concerts, theatricals and spectacles that combine holographic cinema and mixed reality with live entertainment, has announced North American tour dates for Roy Orbison & Buddy Holly: The Rock ’N’ Roll Dream Tour, a groundbreaking tour featuring the award-winning rock and roll legends, including a stop in Grand Rapids on Sunday, Oct. 27, 2019, at 7:30pm in SMG-managed DeVos Performance Hall.
Stemming from the success of BASE Hologram’s In Dreams: Roy Orbison in Concert tour that broke records across the globe in 2018, the company will bring Orbison and Holly together for an enthralling event that will see concurrent dates across North America, Europe, and UK. Eric Schaeffer (Million Dollar Quartet), who shepherded the In Dreams event, will return as the director.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, June 21 at 10am. Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena® box offices and online at Ticketmaster.com. See Ticketmaster.com for all current pricing and availability.
“When you look at the architects of the Rock and Roll era, the names that come to mind are Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly,” said Brian Becker, Chairman and CEO of BASE Hologram. “Both of these men weren’t just gifted musicians, but skillful innovators who helped influence others in game-changing ways.”
Accompanied by a live band and back-up singers, this cutting-edge, multi-media holographic performance and remastered audio will transport audiences back in time for an evening of Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly’s greatest hits on stage. “These men weren’t just one thing – they were artists in every sense of the word,” said BASE Hologram CEO of Production Marty Tudor.
“Like Roy, Buddy has a truly impressive songbook, and in many cases, audiences may not have realized he was the one behind so many hits. Part of the beauty of these productions is we get to share the legacy of these performers and remind people the full range of their talent.”
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 23: Television host and comedian Bill Maher performs at The Pearl concert theater at the Palms Casino Resort on March 23, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Supplied/Photo by David Becker/WireImage)
For more than twenty years, Bill Maher has set the boundaries of where funny, political talk can go on American television. Now, the TV host, author, comedian, and Emmy-award winning producer brings his wits and commentary to Grand Rapids on Sunday, June 23, at 8 p.m. in SMG-managed DeVos Performance Hall.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena® box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. A purchase limit of eight (8) tickets will apply to every order. See Ticketmaster.com for all current pricing and availability.
First on “Politically Incorrect” (Comedy Central, ABC, 1993-2002), and for the last fourteen years on HBO’s “Real Time,” Maher’s combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him 41 Emmy nominations. Maher won his first Emmy in 2014 as executive producer for the HBO series, “VICE.” In October of 2008, this same combination was on display in Maher’s uproarious and unprecedented swipe at organized religion, “Religulous,” directed by Larry Charles (“Borat”). The documentary has gone on to become the 8th Highest Grossing Documentary ever.
In addition to his television program – which has featured such visitors as President Barack Obama, Vice President Joseph Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Kerry Washington, Michael Steele, Howard Dean, Michael Moore, Eva Longoria, Drew Barrymore, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Gen. Wesley Clark, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Costner, Gary Hart and Pat Buchanan. – Maher has written five bestsellers: “True Story,” “Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? Politically Incorrect’s Greatest Hits,” “When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden,” “New Rules: Polite Musings from a Timid Observer,” and most recently, “The New New Rules: A Funny Look at How Everybody But Me Has Their Head Up Their Ass.”
Maher started his career as a stand-up comedian in 1979, and still performs at least fifty dates a year in Las Vegas and in sold out theaters across the country. Four of his ten stand-up specials for HBO – 2014’s “Bill Maher: Live from DC,” 2007’s “The Decider,” 2005’s “I’m Swiss,” as well as the hilarious, “Bill Maher … But I’m Not Wrong,” – have been nominated for Emmy awards.
Maher was born in New York City, raised in River Vale, N.J. and went to Cornell University. He now resides in Los Angeles.
This afternoon organizers for the Michigan International Auto Show announced that its Charity Spectacular preview event will take place tonight at DeVos Place and the Grand Rapids Symphony announced its sold out “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” performances will take place as scheduled this weekend.
The Charity Spectacular preview is set to open at 6 p.m. at DeVos Place with the Auto Show running from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday.
“Many people have put in extra hours to set-up the displays, place vehicles and detail them to be certain that the show and building can maintain all hours of operation through Sunday.,” said SMG in a released statement. SMG manages the DeVos Place, DeVos Performance Hall, and VanAndel Arena. “All planned vehicles have arrived. The Grand Rapids Police and city services have assured that roads and traffic will be as safe as possible with parking ramps fully plowed.”
The Grand Rapids Symphony will be performing it “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” at DeVos Performance Hall, 301 Monroe Ave. NW, Friday and Saturday. All performances are sold out. The Grand Rapids Symphony box office is scheduled to reopen to the public at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 31.
“The Burnt Part Boys” runs Feb. 1 – 9 at Spectrum Theater.
Also this weekend, the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour rides into SMG-managed Van Andel Arena. on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place box offices, Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
1964 The Tribute comes to DeVos Performance Hall April 18. Tickets go on sale Friday. (Supplied/Steven Gardner)
By Mike Klompstra DeVos Performance Hall
They’ve been called the “born again Beatles.” 1964 The Tribute recreates a Beatles concert exactly as it was in 1964, from the haircuts, the voices, the suits, the boots, to the vintage instruments. If you miss The Beatles, don’t miss 1964 The Tribute in DeVos Performance Hall , on Thursday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m.
Rolling Stone magazine has named them the #1 Beatles show, and they have seven straight sellouts at Carnegie Hall.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, January 25 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena® box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Prices are subject to change.
“1964” focuses on the quintessential moment in history, when The Beatles played before a LIVE audience. The Beatles toured the world in the early 1960’s, but now only a precious few remain who saw them LIVE; who felt the “mania” that brought them to world acclaim. Today, all that remains are a few scant memories and some captured images in pictures and on poor quality film and video. “1964” meticulously re-creates the “MAGIC” of those LIVE Beatles’ performances with artful precision and unerring accuracy.
Opera Grand Rapids’ production of The Magic Flute coming to DeVos Performance Hall, Friday, Oct. 26, and Saturday Oct. 27, is a shining introduction to opera for all ages. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart uses music to tell an allegorical tale about goodness, enlightened human rationality and equality. It’s an opportunity to bask in Mozart’s genius.
A Singspiel, “sung play,” The Magic Flute incorporates both singing and spoken word. Akin to today’s Broadway musicals it combines comedy, charade and romance. This opera contains some of the most spirited and beautiful music of all time, sung in English so that everyone can follow the story.
Opera Grand Rapids’ production is a feast for both eyes and ears. Dramatic sets, costumes and vibrant projected backgrounds by Michael Baumgarten give life to Mozart’s masterful composition. Opera Grand Rapids Chorus and the Grand Rapids Symphony are led by Opera Grand Rapids’ Artistic Director and Conductor Maestro James Meena.
Meena’s conducting has been called “awe-inspiring” (Voix des Arts of Mo), “spot on,” and, “the best I’ve ever heard” (Opera Magazine). Meena serves as Artistic Director for Opera Grand Rapids and Opera Carolina, as well as, Toledo Opera’s Principal Artistic Advisor. In addition, Meena travels America and abroad as a guest conductor.
Internationally acclaimed stage director James Marvel is directing this production of The Magic Flute coming to DeVos Performance Hall, Friday, Oct. 26, and Saturday, Oct. 27. Marvel has been praised for his, “brilliant stage direction,” and his, “unforgettable and visually stunning new productions.” Marvel debuted in Lincoln Center in 2008 and Carnegie Hall in 2011. For this this splendid production, Marvel chose a light-hearted, comedic approach and explores the rich symbolism in Mozart’s beloved and iconic opera.
Opera Grand Rapids’ The Magic Flute boasts a regional and nationally-acclaimed principal cast. New York native John Viscardi, a rising baritone, acknowledged for his diversity of vocal repertoire, is the happy-go-lucky bird catcher Papageno. Superb American coloratura Jana McIntyre is the star-blazing Queen of the Night.
“The Queen of the Night is only onstage for 15 minutes – total! But she has two of the most exceptional and iconic arias in the repertoire.” said Meena. “Jana is a rising star in the opera universe and just like the Queen herself, will ascend the heavens with her thrilling singing.”
Meena may be bringing the brightest of opera’s rising stars to the Opera Grand Rapids’ stage, yet audiences will appreciate the level of talent from the locally-based chorus and comprimari.
Chrissy Amon, as Second Lady, is a Grand Rapids native, a versatile mezzo-soprano excelling in opera, musical theater, and art song. Laura Broscow, as First Boy, is a soprano with her master’s degree in vocal performance from Michigan State University under the tutelage of Jane Bunnell.
“This region boasts several excellent universities that are educating the next generation of opera artist and musicians.” said Meena, “In many ways, they shape the cultural life of our region in a way that is profound. For Opera Grand Rapids, it is a true blessing to have so many gifted performers who are part of our community.”
The Magic Flute is an opera for all, filled with international stars and amazing local talent alongside Opera Grand Rapids Chorus that is beginning to make waves.
Call Opera Grand Rapids box office, 616-451-2741, ext 103, to order tickets today.
Sean Blackman presents Fiesta Caribeña has been announced as the third event in the Latin Entertainment Series, celebrating Latin culture in Michigan. The series is presented by SMG-managed DeVos Performance Hall and the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority’s Community Inclusion Group (CIG). “Fiesta Caribeña” will feature live music and dancers performing salsa, bachata, reggaeton and kizomba. The music comes from the Caribbean regions including sounds from Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Haiti fused together with Detroit Soul. The third series event will take place at DeVos Performance Hall on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018, at 7:30pm.
Tickets are available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena® box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. VIP tickets include a reserved seat in the first few rows and two (2) complimentary drinks.
About Sean Blackman
Sean Blackman has been honored with many Detroit Music Awards, launched and directed World Music Festivals and worked as creative director of entertainment for corporate events for Red Bull, Chrysler and the grand opening of the McNamara Terminal at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport — one of the nation’s most state-of-the-art terminals.
As an established world-music musician, Blackman continues to compose and produce new material that links different genres of music with dance and theatrical performance. Whether on the streets, in front of thousands at a theater concert, or inside a smoldering hidden nightclub, Blackman’s music is disciplined from a lifetime of training, yet his raw passion makes every note seemingly intimate.
About CIG
The Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority’s Community Inclusion Group (CIG) is a task force comprised of local community leaders that strive to make DeVos Place, Van Andel Arena and DeVos Performance Hall West Michigan’s premier multicultural entertainment venues. Established in 2005, the Community Inclusion Group actively guides the venues in increasing community access and awareness, attracting top level events and talent, and fostering inclusive staff and supplier development and engagement.
As a result of these ongoing efforts, the West Michigan community has enjoyed visits from a number of diverse artists, including Gerardo Ortiz, Pepe Aguilar, Kevin Hart, Shen Yun, Snoop Dogg and more, and several community events such as the annual Spectrum Health Jump Jam and Grand Rapids Community College Giants Awards. The support of the Community Inclusion Group continues to ensure that DeVos Place, Van Andel Arena and DeVos Performance Hall remain “Three Premier Venues: Welcoming All.”
SMSet to coincide with a highly anticipated new album release, JOHN MELLENCAMP will embark on a 2019 tour of “The John Mellencamp Show” which will feature the rock icon’s classics plus some new material. Hailed by critics and fans alike as one of music’s most authentic and crowd pleasing concert performers, Mellencamp will begin the tour Feb. 7 in his home state of Indiana at South Bend’s Morris Performing Arts Center before stopping in Grand Rapids to play SMG-managed DeVos Performance Hall on Sunday, Feb. 17. Produced by AEG Presents, “The John Mellencamp Show” will start promptly at 8pm and will not have an opening act. Every ticket purchased online will receive a physical copy of Mellencamp’s forthcoming album “Other People’s Stuff” set for release on November 16th by Universal Republic.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, September 21 at 10 AM. Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena® box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. A purchase limit of eight (8) tickets will apply to every order. See Ticketmaster.com for all pricing and availability. DeVos Performance Hall email subscribers will have access to an exclusive presale on Thursday, September 20. Sign up to the email list by September 18 to receive the presale code!
Mellencamp’s live shows have garnered huge critical acclaim with the Hollywood Reporter calling it a “triumphant, career-spanning show” and a “superb performance…still full of fiery defiance” by the Boston Globe. His extensive touring and live shows have solidified the Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famer’s place at the forefront of American music for the past 40 years.
Mellencamp’s career in music, spanning more than 35 years, has seen him transition from pop star to one of the most highly respected singer/songwriters of a generation. Mellencamp is incredibly acclaimed; he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a Grammy winner, a recipient of the John Steinbeck Award, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award and Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and more recently, the Founders Award, the top honor assigned by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Additionally, he was recently inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this past June. He is also one of the most successful live concert performers in the world. In 1985, Mellencamp, together with Willie Nelson and Neil Young, created Farm Aid. The social activism reflected in his songs helped catalyze Farm Aid, the concert series and organization that has addressed the struggle of American family farmers for more than 25 years.
As well, Mellencamp journeyed into the darkness of coal mining life in his reverent cover of Merle Travis’ 1946 song “Dark as a Dungeon,” recorded in support of National Geographic’s acclaimed documentary about the mining industry, “From The Ashes,” produced by Michael Bloomberg, former NYC Mayor.
John continues to focus on another facet of his artistic expression: painting. His style has progressed over the years as evidenced by several gallery shows and published portfolios, and in recent years he has increased his output by completing over 100 new works. He had his second solo exhibition this past Spring in New York and has a current exhibit at the famed Butler Museum in Youngstown, Ohio from September 20ththrough January 19, 2019. His highly successful Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhibit ran for nearly two years and is now at the Woodie Guthrie Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma from September 1st through January 5, 2019.
Mellencamp continues his journey as the walking embodiment of rock icon; passionate, plain-spoken, and a self-proclaimed rebel. John Mellencamp continues to live and work in Bloomington, Indiana.
“Sean Blackman presents Mexico in Transit” has been announced as the second event in the Latin Entertainment Series, celebrating Latin culture in Michigan. The series is presented by SMG-managed DeVos Performance Hall and the Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention/Arena Authority’s Community Inclusion Group (CIG). “Mexico in Transit” is a journey of sounds from Mexico featuring Banda, Cumbia and Mariachi with a fusion of Detroit Soul. The second series event will take place at DeVos Performance Hall on Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 7:30 PM. A third Latin Entertainment Series event will be announced soon!
Tickets go on sale Friday, August 31 at 12 PM. Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena® box offices, online atTicketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. VIP tickets include a reserved seat in the first few rows and two (2) complimentary drinks.
About Sean Blackman
Sean Blackman has been honored with many Detroit Music Awards, launched and directed World Music Festivals and worked as creative director of entertainment for corporate events for Red Bull, Chrysler and the grand opening of the McNamara Terminal at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport – one of the nation’s most state-of-the-art terminals.
As an established world-music musician, Blackman continues to compose and produce new material that links different genres of music with dance and theatrical performance. Whether on the streets, in front of thousands at a theater concert, or inside a smoldering hidden nightclub, Blackman’s music is disciplined from a lifetime of training, yet his raw passion makes every note seemingly intimate.
The grr-ific musical for little tigers and grown-ups alike is back with an all-NEW show for 2017-2018. The hugely popular Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood LIVE!, based on the #1 PBS KIDS TV series, has delighted live audiences on stages across the country. Now, in its third year of touring, your favorite characters are hopping back on board Trolley and coming to Grand Rapids with “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live: King for a Day!” to SMG-managed DeVos Performance Hall on Monday, Jan. 14, at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, June 1, at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena® box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. See Ticketmaster.com for current pricing and availability.
Daniel and all of his friends invite you for a brand-new adventure in Neighborhood of Make-Believe where Daniel learns just what it takes to be King. The beloved characters come alive on stage to captivate you with new songs to sing along to, magical moments, and SURPRISE guests along the way! It’s an event filled with tigertastic fun, teaching the valuable lessons of kindness, helping others, and being a friend. Don’t miss Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood LIVE: King for a Day!… a royally great time!
Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is one of the greatest achievements, not only in classical music, but in all of Western culture.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Leonard Bernstein on Christmas Day conducted an international orchestra in performances of Beethoven’s Ninth in East Berlin that was televised throughout the world.
Sopano Jessica Rivera
Beethoven’s last symphony and his only symphony to use voices began as a defiant statement of freedom hurled at the repressive monarchies of Europe. Today, “Ode to Joy,” from the finale of Beethoven’sNinth Symphony, is the official anthem of the European Union. It’s not hard to see why.
“We should all be friends and get along and respect each other and fight together for a common goal,”said Grand Rapids Symphony Music Director Marcelo Lehninger of Beethoven’s Ninth. “What an incredible piece of music.”
Grand Rapids Symphony ends its 2017-18 season with Beethoven’s Ninth at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 18-19, in DeVos Performance Hall.
Mezzo–soprano Susan Platts
Lehninger will lead soprano Jessica Rivera, mezzo-soprano Susan Platts, tenor John Matthew Myers and baritone Richard Zeller plus the Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus in the 10th and final concerts of the 2017-18 Richard and Helen DeVos Classical series. Guest artist sponsor is the Edith I. Blodgett Guest Artist Fund. Grand Rapids Symphony Chorus Sponsor is Mary Tuuk.
The piece is an emotional journey from darkness to light, from minor to major from chaos to order.
Tenor John Matthew Myers
“When I conduct Beethoven’s Ninth, I’m always immersed in these emotions,” Lehninger said. “Beethoven’s music does that like no other.”
The concerts also will include two contemporary pieces inspired by Beethoven. The concert opens with Variações Temporais, Beethoven Revisitado (Temporal Variations, Beethoven Revisited) by Brazilian composer Ronaldo Miranda, a witty, series of short, orchestral portraits, each inspired by another of Beethoven’s musical works. In 2014, Lehninger conducted the world premiere with the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra in Brazil.
Baritone Richard Zeller
Rounding out the program will be the world premiere of Testament by Grand Rapids composer Alexander L. Miller, who also is assistant principal oboist of the Grand Rapids Symphony.
Commissioned by the Grand Rapids Symphony, Testament, Beethoven’s 1802 “Heiligenstadt Testament” for Bass-Baritone, Chorus and Orchestra, takes its text from a letter that Beethoven wrote in 1802 to his brothers, expressing his anger and frustration at losing his hearing. Though he considers suicide, Beethoven declares he will live on for the sake of the music he has yet to write.
It’s also a letter that Beethoven never sent. It was discovered among his private papers following his death in 1827.
The concerts will be the first time Lehninger has conducted the Grand Rapids Symphony in one of Beethoven’s nine symphonies. It won’t be the last.
“One of my goals is to work in one or two Beethoven symphonies every season,” Lehninger said.
The story of the first performance of Beethoven’s “Choral” Symphony No. 9 in D minor is one of the legendary stories of music history. At the premiere in May 1824, Beethoven, with his back to the audience, stood near the conductor, giving tempos and following the score. When the performance ended, the alto soloist approached Beethoven and turned him around so that he could see the enthusiastic applause he no longer could hear.
Inside the Music, a free, pre-concert, multi-media presentation sponsored by BDO USA, will be held before each performance at 7 p.m. in the DeVos Place Recital Hall.
The complete Beethoven’s Ninth program will be rebroadcast on Sunday, June 3, 2018, at 1 p.m. on Blue Lake Public Radio 88.9 FM or 90.3 FM.
Tickets are available at the DeVos Place ticket office, weekdays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. or on the day of the concert beginning two hours prior to the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.
Full-time students of any age are able to purchase tickets for only $5 on the night of the concert by enrolling in the GRS Student Tickets program, sponsored by Comerica and Calvin College. This is a MySymphony360 eligible concert.
Straight No Chaser comes to DeVos Performance Hall Dec. 4.
If the phrase “male a cappella group” conjures up an image of students in blue blazers, ties, and khakis singing traditional college songs on ivied campuses… think again. Straight No Chaser (SNC) are neither strait-laced nor straight-faced, but neither are they vaudeville-style kitsch. They have emerged as a phenomenon with a massive fanbase, numerous national TV appearances and proven success with CD releases. Straight No Chaser is the real deal, the captivating sound of nine unadulterated human voices coming together to make extraordinary music that is moving people in a fundamental sense… and with a sense of humor. On the road, Straight No Chaser has built a reputation as an unforgettable live act.
Straight No Chaser comes to SMG-managed DeVos Performance Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 4, at 8 p.m.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, May 11, at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena® box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. See Ticketmaster.com for all prices and availability. A purchase limit of 12 tickets will apply to every order.
Fans on DeVos Performance Hall’s email list will have access to an exclusive presale on Thursday, May 10. To receive presale information, sign up to the email list here by May 8, 2018.
Due to changing industry trends and consumer buying patterns, SMG-managed venues DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids will implement new box office hours beginning next week on Monday, May 7. The box offices at both venues will be open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday on non-event days under the new schedule. Additional evening and weekend hours will vary in accordance with the venues’ event schedules.
Fans will still be able to purchase tickets online via Ticketmaster.com or by phone at 1-800-745-3000 outside of the venues’ box office hours. Additionally, each venue has a free mobile app for Apple and Android devices with a full list of upcoming events and direct links to Ticketmaster purchase pages, the only verified source of tickets online for the venues.
“With the growing prevalence of digital and the around-the-clock service that it provides, we feel now is a good time for these new box office hours,” said SMG Regional General Manager Richard MacKeigan. “Fans can still buy tickets online 24/7, and we are happy to continue offering the in-person touch point during our daily box office hours.”
The Grand Rapids Symphony will perform “Green Eggs and Ham” this Saturday to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday.
The 45-minute concert is geared toward pre-school an dearly elementary school-age children ages 3-7. The performance is a fun children’s style operetta featuring soprano and actress Diane Penning, who first appeared 10 years ago with the Grand Rapids Symphony in this production, and Abby Deller as “Sam I Am.” GRS Associate Conductor John Varineau will conduct the performance.
The operetta features a timeless parable about not judging others, with symphonic music especially designed to engage and delight children. For a colorful touch, Grand Rapids Symphony musicians wear colored t-shirts to show their membership in the string, woodwind, brass, or percussion families, respectively.
The performance is at 10:30 a.m. at DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW. For more information, visit grsymphony.org.
More than 20 years after its initial release, Pokémon fans, ranging from young children to seasoned adult players and entire families, have followed and celebrated one mantra: Gotta catch ‘em all!
Back by popular demand, you can catch Pokémon at the Grand Rapids Symphony this January, where Pikachu and the gang will appear on a 40-foot screen while the Grand Rapids Symphony plays the iconic music of the beloved video game.
Grand Rapids Pops presents Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions in a one-night spectacular on Saturday, Jan. 6, at 8 p.m. in DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. NW in Grand Rapids.
A concertgoer brings a special friend to the Grand Rapids Symphony’s Pokemon 2016 program. (Photo by Terry Johnston)
Two seasons ago, Grand Rapids Pops presented Pokémon to audiences keen to engage in sights and sounds of the endearing game. Now, with the advent of the location-based, augmented reality game PokémonGo in 2016, more people than ever are participating in Pokémon, capturing and training wild Pokémon to do battle and become Pokémon tournament champions.
As part of the Gerber Symphonic Boom series, this concert gives fans a different kind of immersive experience: a symphonic one.
The fuzzy tones and beeps of the game that originated on the hand-held Game Boy now give way to big-screen images enveloped by the surround sound of the Grand Rapids Symphony, performing musical arrangements timed to the visuals from recent and classic Pokémon video games.
Guest Conductor Chad Seiter, Michigan native who attended Grand Valley State University from 2001 to 2003, conducts the concert produced by Princeton Entertainment. Seiter, a prolific composer, arranger, and orchestrator for film, television, and video games has provided compositions and arrangements for some of Hollywood’s biggest projects, including Lost, Star Trek, and the Medal of Honor video game series.
Grand Rapids Symphony’s Pokemon 2016 program had many bringing special guests. (Terry Johnston)
In 2016 season, guest conductor Susie Benchasil Seiter conducted Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions to an enthusiastic Grand Rapids crowed decked out in Pokémon garb and Game Boys. The husband and wife team also collaborated to orchestrate and conduct The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess.
Chad Seiter, originally from Okemos, now serves as the Associate Executive Producer at Princeton Entertainment, and was the lead arranger and music director for all of the Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions concerts.
Together with Benchasil Seiter, he transcribed the score of Pokémon’s original composer Junichi Masuda for symphonic audiences, while crafting additional music to enhance the concert-going experience.
“We started by listening to every single piece of music in all the Pokémon games,” Seiter said. “From there, we narrowed it down to our favorites that tell the story of Pokémon. Then we picked the pieces we thought would work best with a symphony orchestra.”
Their musical efforts have resulted in what iDigital Times called a “once in a lifetime event.”
Memorable musical highlights such as the Pokémon Red and Blue Overture, and the beautiful “Kiseki” from Pokémon X and Y, were handpicked by Masuda for Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions. The concert also features music from the Pokémon anime series and films.
Perhaps Game Music Online puts it best: there are few things as fun as celebrating beloved childhood memories played out in front devoted fans with the help of live, symphonic music.
Tickets
Tickets for Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions start at $18 and are available at the GRS ticket office, weekdays 9 am-5 pm at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across from the Calder Plaza), or by calling 616.454.9451 x 4. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum.)
Tickets are available at the DeVos Place box office, weekdays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. or on the day of the concert beginning two hours prior to the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.
Producers Paul Blake and Sony/ATV Music Publishing announce that the Tony and Grammy Award-winning Broadway hit “Beautiful—The Carole King Musical,” about the early life and career of the legendary and groundbreaking singer/songwriter, will make its Grand Rapids premiere at DeVos Performance Hall Feb. 13-18 for eight performances. Tickets are now on sale by visiting Broadway Grand Rapids’ website. To purchase tickets, visit www.broadwaygrandrapids.com, or call 1-800-745-3000. Ticket prices start at $52.50.
“Carole King might be a native New Yorker, but her story of struggle and triumph is as universal as they come – and her music is loved the world over,” producer Paul Blake said. “I am thrilled that “Beautiful” continues to delight and entertain audiences around the globe, in England, Japan and Australia and that we are entering our third amazing year on the road in the U.S. We are so grateful that close to four million audience members have fallen in love with Carole’s story and her indelible music.”
With a book by Tony® and Academy® Award-nominee Douglas McGrath, direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince, “Beautiful” features a stunning array of beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil. The show opened on Broadway at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in January 2014, where it has since broken all box office records and recently became the highest grossing production in the Theatre’s history.
The Original Broadway Cast Recording of “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical”(Ghostlight Records) won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and is available on CD, digitally, and on vinyl. “Beautiful” launched its first US National Tour in September 2015, and is also currently playing internationally, with productions in Japan, Australia and touring the UK. An Award-winning production recently concluded its run in London’s West End after opening on Feb. 25, 2015.
Long before she was Carole King, chart-topping music legend, she was Carol Klein, Brooklyn girl with passion and chutzpah. She fought her way into the record business as a teenager and, by the time she reached her twenties, had the husband of her dreams and a flourishing career writing hits for the biggest acts in rock ‘n’ roll. But it wasn’t until her personal life began to crack that she finally managed to find her true voice. “Beautiful” tells the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Along the way, she made more than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation. Beautiful features a stunning array of beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, including “I Feel The Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “You’ve Got A Friend” and the title song.
Many agree that November is a little too early for holiday music, but every rule has an exception.
Back by popular demand, the Grand Rapids Symphony performs “The Snowman” at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11 for the DTE Energy Foundation series program in DeVos Performance Hall.
Based on Raymond Briggs’s beloved children’s tale about a boy and a snowman who comes to life for an evening of adventure, the animated short was nominated for a 1982 Academy Award. See the film while the Grand Rapids Symphony performs Howard Blake’s score featuring the song, “Walking in the Air,” sung by members of the Grand Rapids Symphony Youth Chorus.
Associate conductor John Varineau also will lead the orchestra in music including Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” and highlights from the film score to “The Polar Express” during the one-hour concert especially for children ages 8 to 13 with the families.
Pre-concert activities begin at 2 p.m. including a musical instrument petting zoo and craft projects inspired by the film.
Tickets are $15 adults and $5 children, available at the GRS ticket office, weekdays 9 am-5 pm at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across from the Calder Plaza), or by calling 616.454.9451 x 4. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum.)
Tickets are available at the DeVos Place box office, weekdays 10 am – 6 pm or on the day of the concert beginning two hours prior to the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.
After its wildly successful premiere in 1902, Finnish composer Jean Sibelius said of his Symphony No. 2, “My second symphony is a confession of the soul.”
Among his confessions, Sibelius declares his love for the Finnish country side by composing one of the most spectacular sunrises in all of classical music.
Grand Rapids Symphony ventures north to the frozen and solemn beauty of Finland and beyond, guided by a Norwegian conductor and assisted by a Grammy-nominated Norwegian mezzo-soprano.
Guest conductor Rune Bergmann will lead Sibelius Symphony No. 2, the second concert of the 2017-18 Richard and Helen DeVos Classical series, at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6-7, in DeVos Performance Hall. A pre-concert discussion, Inside the Music, begins at 7 p.m.
Marianne Beate Kielland
George and Kerstin Trowbridge is the Concert Sponsor. Guest artist sponsor is the Edith I. Blodgett Guest Artist Fund.
Internationally acclaimed mezzo-soprano, Marianne Beate Kielland makes her DeVos Hall debut to sing Gustav Mahler’s Songs of a Wayfarer.
Marianne Kielland has established herself as one of the foremost singers of Scandinavia as well as one of the few Norwegian singers to have received a Grammy nomination. The versatile mezzo soprano began her international career with the Staatsoper Hannover in Germany and has been working frequently with
In case Sibelius and Mahler aren’t enough, Grand Rapids Symphony opens concerts with Richard Wagner’s Prelude to Die Meistersinger, one of his more popular and frequently played works.
A German music drama about medieval guild of “Master Singers” of the city of Nuremburg in the 16th century, this comic opera by Wagner is especially familiar for its Prelude, which is a staple of the orchestra repertoire.
After a failed pursuit for love, Gustav Mahler composed both lyrics and music for Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen orSongs of a Wayfarer. The lyrics are influenced by Des Knaben Wunderhorn or The Youth’s Magic Horn, a collection of German folk poetry that was one his favorite books. The four songs take the listener on a journey full of grief, beauty and despair, ending with a dark but necessary resolution.
Rune Bergmann, in his third appearance with the Grand Rapids symphony, leads the journey from medieval Germany to the vast forests of birch and pine in Scandinavia.
An energetic and compelling figure on the podium, Bergmann is a dynamic and versatile conductor with an extensive classical, romantic, operatic and contemporary repertoire.
Recently named Music Director of Canada’s Calgary Philharmonic as well as Artistic Director & Chief Conductor of Poland’s Szczecin Philharmonic, Bergmann has been Artistic Director of Norway’s innovative Fjord Cadenza Festival since its inception in 2010.
Inside the Music, a free, pre-concert, multi-media presentation sponsored by BDO USA, will be held before each performance at 7 p.m. in the DeVos Place Recital Hall.
The complete Sibelius No. 2 program will be rebroadcast on Sunday, March 11, 2018, at 1 p.m. on Blue Lake Public Radio 88.9 FM or 90.3 FM.
Tickets
Tickets start at $18 and are available at the GRS box office, weekdays 9 am-5 pm, at 300 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 100, (located across from the Calder Plaza), or by calling 616.454.9451 x 4. (Phone orders will be charged a $2 per ticket service fee, with a $12 maximum.)
Tickets are available at the DeVos Place ticket office, weekdays 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. or on the day of the concert beginning two hours prior to the performance. Tickets also may be purchased online at GRSymphony.org.
Full-time students of any age are able to purchase tickets for only $5 on the night of the concert by enrolling in the GRS Student Ticketsprogram. This is a MySymphony360 eligible concert.
By Hilarie Szarowicz, Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention / Arena Authority
PJ Masks Live! Time to Be a Hero, a brand-new, fully immersive musical production, will take to the stage at DeVos Performance Hall on Tuesday, September 26, 2017, at 6:00 PM.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, May 19 at 12:00 PM. Ticket prices are $39.50, $49.50, $59.50, and $99.50 for VIP and will be available at the DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. A purchase limit of eight (8) tickets will apply to every order and prices are subject to change. Children ages 1 and up require a ticket.
The live show is based on eOne’s top-rated animated TV series, which airs daily on Disney Junior. Catboy, Owlette, Gekko, and the Baddies will delight fans of all ages with live performances featuring world-class production, familiar and original music, acrobatics, and immersive interactivity.
PJ Masks, the hit series, follows the thrilling nighttime adventures of three young friends who transform into their dynamic alter egos, Catboy, Owlette and Gekko, when they put on their pajamas at night and activate their animal amulets. Together, they embark on action-packed capers, solving mysteries and learning valuable lessons along the way.
ZZ TOP, a.k.a “That Little Ol’ Band From Texas,” lay undisputed claim to being the longest running major rock band with original personnel intact and, in 2004, the Texas trio was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Now, they’re making their way to Grand Rapids with a Sunday, October 1, 2017, concert at DeVos Performance Hall at 7:30 PM.
Tickets go on sale to the general public beginning Friday, May 19 at 11:00 AM. Ticket prices are $49.50, $69.50, and $79.50 and will be available at the DeVos Place® and Van Andel Arena® box offices, online at Ticketmaster.com, and charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. A purchase limit of eight (8) tickets will apply to every order and prices are subject to change.
ZZ TOP’s music is always instantly recognizable, eminently powerful, profoundly soulful and 100% Texas American in derivation. The band’s support for the blues is unwavering both as interpreters of the music and preservers of its legacy. It was ZZ TOP that celebrated “founding father” Muddy Waters by turning a piece of scrap timber than had fallen from his sharecropper’s shack into a beautiful guitar, dubbed the “Muddywood.”
Grand Rapids Symphony, conducted by Marcelo Lehninger, will present “Pictures at an Exhibition” next week. (Supplied/Stu Rosner)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
Marcelo Lehninger, in his first full year as Grand Rapids Symphony’s Musical Director, has a long history with Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” — ranging from hearing it in its original piano solo form as a youth, to it being on his debut program at the famous Tanglewood Festival, to his now conducting it on both sides of the Atlantic in the span of a month.
But as he prepares to bring Maurice Ravel’s orchestrated version of the work to Grand Rapids’ DeVos Performance Hall on Friday and Saturday, March 3-4, he admits to having only a cursory knowledge of Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s progressive-rock, synthesizer-driven version.
And who is to blame him? He was raised in Brazil, surrounded by classical and Latin music — his father is German violinist Erich Lehninger and mother Brazilian pianist Sonia Goulart — and he was born in 1979, eight years after EL&P’s vinyl version debuted.
“I first heard the piece on its original piano solo version, and I felt in love with it,” Lehninger said in a email interview this week. “I’ve conducted many times — in fact I just conducted it in Europe (Slovenia) where I am right now. It was also on my debut program in Tanglewood with the Boston Symphony.”
The cover of Emerson, Lake and Palmers vinyl recording to “Pictures at an Exhibition”.
And, despite his only passing familiarity with the rock variation, he is all for even old rockers giving Ravel’s version a listen.
“I heard about the ELP version, but never got familiar with it,” he said. “In any case, we will rock with ‘Pictures’ next week in Grand Rapids!”
Ravel’s version, with its virtuoso violin work required, is the most “colorful” of all the versions, Lehninger believes, despite the fact that he studied both violin and piano early in his career.
“I definitely have an affinity for both violin and piano, not only because I studied these instruments, but because I grew up listening to them,” he said. “However, one instrument was never enough for me. I loved playing the violin and piano, but I needed more colors, more sounds; therefore I exchanged the 88 keys of the piano for 88 musicians in the orchestra.
“I believe that many composers that orchestrated the piece felt exactly how I felt playing just one instrument. This is a piece with so many sounds and colors possibilities, somehow the piano alone doesn’t achieve that. Therefore many composers orchestrated the piece. Although Ravel’s orchestration is criticized for not ‘sounding Russian enough’, it is my favorite orchestration of the piece. Ravel was a master of orchestration and with ‘Pictures’ he explores all the sound palette of the orchestra. I have to confess that I like Ravel’s version much better than the original piano solo version.”
In addition to “Pictures at an Exhibition”, also on the symphony’s upcoming program are Erich Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D Major with guest soloist Stefan Jackiw, as well as Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings and “John Corigliano’s Promenade Overture from 1981.
Violinist Stefan Jackiw. (Supplied)
Jackiw’s career has included performing at the grand opening of Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall alongside pianist Emanuel Ax, soprano Renée Fleming and conductor James Levine. He may be best known to younger audiences for his performance of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra at Australia’s Sydney Opera house, seen live on YouTube by more than 30 million people worldwide.
For more information on Grand Rapids Symphony concerts visit GRSymphony.org
The Grand Rapids Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” returns to DeVos Performance Hall for two weekends — Dec. 9-11 and Dec. 16-18. (Supplied)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
When the annual run of the Grand Rapids Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” hits the stage Friday, Dec. 9, it will include staring rolls by the company’s professional dancers and, as always, often a stage full of youth dancers.
Again this year, Kentwood sisters Grace and Micah Jones will be among those lending their talents to the production a part of the ballet’s youth dance program — one sister because she sees dance as a possible future career and the other because it is just “so much fun.”
The classic family holiday tradition returns to DeVos Performance Hall for two weekends — Dec. 9-11 and Dec. 16-18 — with four evening shows and four matinees. Live orchestra music is provided by Grand Rapids Symphony, conducted by symphony Associate Conductor John Varineau.
Grace, a 16-year-old junior at Grand River Preparatory High School, has been dancing at Grand Rapids Ballet for 11 years and has been a member of the Junior Company since its inception. This year will be her 8th Nutcracker appearance.
Grace Jones
“I started dancing when I was 2, my parents saw that I loved movement and loved dancing,” Grace said last week, prior to a rehearsal. “My parents saw I needed something to get my energy out so they said ‘Let’s put her into dance.’ I really didn’t get into ballet right away. I was into jazz and tap and hip hop, but at about 5, I went into ballet because I loved the movement.”
She also loved The Nutcracker, thanks to her father, Ronald.
“I remember going to The Nutcracker every year, when I was younger,” she said. “My dad would take me every year, starting at 4 and then every year until I was 8, when I got to be in it for the first time.”
Seven productions later, she is still excited about the annual holiday production.
“I have always loved being in front of the audience,” Grace said. “I love sharing, I love exposing the audience to something new. For me, when I first watched it, it was so beautiful, to watch those beautiful dancers, the beautiful colors and costumes and shapes they make on the stage. I said ‘Wow. I want to do that.’ … Now I want to give some other girl that feeling, the feeling I felt when I was younger.”
According to her mother, Sandra, Grace hopes to dance in college while pursuing professional opportunities. But she sees dance as a means to other career paths as well.
“I love teaching, maybe teaching dance, “ Grace said. “I would love to show others the joy I found in dance.”
One of the people she has shown the love of dance to is her sister.
Micah, age 13 and a 7th grader at Cross Creek Charter Academy, says music is her first love — she has been playing the piano for 8 years, and her mother says she has talked about assisting with her college expenses by playing piano for ballet companies.
Micah Jones
But Micah has been with working with the Grand Rapids Ballet youth program for four years and will be in the Nutcracker for the third year.
“I saw saw my sister, and other people, in dance and it looked so fun,” Micah said, explaining why she wanted to dance. “It is so free, you get to move how you want to move.”
She also said she receives plenty of advice and encouragement from her older sister.
“Since she is such a good dancer, she really helps me when I need help, with technique or how I am supposed to move,” Micah said.
And as far as her first time in front of the usually large crowds watching the Nutcracker, any advice from her older sister?
“She told me not to think of the crowd, just remember your choreography, remember what you are there to do.”
While the two sisters will be dancing different rolls this season, the thing they have in common is an affinity for the famous battle scene. “It is a giant battle scene,” Grace points out, while Micah simply says the scene is “so much fun.”
Anybody who has seen the production knows what they are talking about; those how haven’t have two weekends worth of opportunity.
For more information, call 616-454-4771 or visit grballet.com
Most would admit – whether musicians or just lovers of classical music – that Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 is one of the more difficult pieces for a pianist to master.
So it was bit of a surprise when 18-year-old Sami Ahmad performed it at the 2016 Grand Rapids Youth Symphony’s Piano Concerto Competition held this past January.
“It was amazing,” said Kin M. Ma, who heard Ahmad perform the concerto during the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony’s March 6 concert where Ahmad was the featured soloist.
“I chose the Rachmaninoff because two years ago I was looking for a concerto to play,” said Ahamd, who attends both Portage Northern High School and Kalamazoo Area Mathematics and Science Center. “So I printed the score and found that my hands could reach the big opening chords so I played through the first few pages and listened to a bunch of recordings and found I really loved the piece.
“I have asked my teacher [Susan Wiersma Uchimura] to play it ever since then and this year, she finally said yes. So I have been playing it for about a year now. “
Ahmad certainly showed he had mastered the piece as he went on to win the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony’s Piano Concerto where he earned a $300 cash prize along with the honor of being the featured soloist at the March concert. That concert will be broadcasted on WKTV (channel 25 on Comcast, channel 26 on AT&T, and channel 99 on U-verse) Saturday, March 19, at 8 p.m., Tuesday, March 22, at 9 p.m. and Saturday, March 26, at 10 p.m.
Besides featuring Ahmad, the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony’s second concert of the season also included Mozart’s Sinfonie in A KV 201 featuring the Grand Rapids Classical Orchestra. Franck’s “Le Chasseur Maudit” also was on the concert program and the performance finished with Berlioz’s “Symponie Fantastique,” a popular piece that has been featured in the films “The Shining” and “Sleeping with the Enemy.”
As Ahmad, who has performed with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony, and at the Grand Rapids Bach Festival, finishes up his high school career, he said his plans to pursue a major in the history of science and medicine with at least a minor in music. He has not yet selected a college.
The Grand Rapids Youth Symphony, under the leadership of John Varineau who is also the Grand Rapids Symphony’s associate conductor, was formed in 1959 with the goal of bring together West Michigan’s most talented young musicians to rehearse and perform together under professional standards. In 2000, the Classical Orchestra was founded and focuses on musical literature from the Classical period.
The Grand Rapids Youth Symphony’s last performance of the season is May 1 at 3 p.m. at DeVos Performance Hall, 303 Monroe Ave. SW. Tickets will be available at the door.
For more information on the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony, click here. For more on upcoming programs at WKTV, click here.
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it’s time to prepare a weekend with your significant other because, and let’s be honest here, we know you haven’t planned anything yet.
If you’re one of those rare breeds who plans out Valentine’s Day months in advance, then you can use this for ideas for how to put a cherry on top of your picture perfect day. For the rest of us who just realized it’s already February 10, there’s still time, and here’s a cheat sheet.
For the sake of this list, we’ll skip dinner and go right to the good stuff. There are a lot of unique restaurants in Wyoming, Kentwood, Grand Rapids, and the surrounding areas to sit down and have a nice dinner. If your partner doesn’t have a favorite spot, try something new! There are a lot of great options not too far away.
Here are some couple’s events sure to make for a delightful Valentine’s weekend.
The DeVos Performance Hall will be hosting two concert events this weekend. The Bad Boy Reunion Tour features Faith Evans, Mase, Carl Thomas, and Case on February 13 at 7:30 p.m. The following evening, Tommy Emmanuel will perform his upcoming album It’s Never Too Late.
Searching for a date idea that’s a little more “hands on”? Well, the Downtown Market has three events for you and your valentine. The Couples: Valentine’s Day cooking class is offered February 11, 12 and 13 and is a great way to relax with your partner and enjoy small plate demonstrations, an effervescent cocktail, and a little bit of hands-on cooking. Before the meal, enjoy a drink at the Ice Bar Lounge and their heated outdoor happy hour featuring specialty cocktails, craft beer, and select wine.
Robinette’s is hosting their Love, Wine & Chocolate event on February 13 from 1pm to 5pm. The cost is $12 per couple and includes wine tasting, a souvenir wine glass, and a chocolate snack bar. On top of the items to tickle your taste buds, you can also customize a pair of five-minute earrings with Sara Neal. Sara provides supplies for earrings and you pick out what you want. The earrings are then made right there in front of you. No reservation required.
Be a kid again at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum
Want a unique date to bring out you and your valentine’s inner child? Look no further than the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum’s 2nd annual Grown Up Play Date on Friday night. Play laser tag, participate in a building wide scavenger hunt, enjoy local craft beers, wines, and ciders, and “grown up” pizza offerings from local restaurants. The best part? It all benefits the Children’s Museum’s programs and exhibits. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are just $30 per person.
Looking for a unique beer experience centered around Valentine’s Day? Make sure to stop in at Gravel Bottom Craft Brewery and Supply out in Ada. Gravel Bottom has two Valentine’s Day beers that can either compliment a desert or be enjoyed on their own. The first is a robust porter called the Lion Heart which can be paired with chocolates and raspberries. Also on tap is the Susie Q, a cream ale packing a bouquet of flavor with hibiscus and rose hips. Cheers to love!
When it comes to valentines, ice can be nice. Grand Rapids is hosting their 3rd annual Valent-ICE festival this weekend. The festival is to celebrate love and winter in Downtown Grand Rapids and features over 50 sculptures and more than 15 tons of ice! Much like ArtPrize, residents can walk around the city and enjoy the sculptures over the weekend. On Saturday, February 13, the largest sculpture will be revealed and Randy Finch and Derek Maxfield of Food Network’s “Ice Brigade” will carve the public sculpture from 6,000 pounds of ice. The final piece will stand 12 feet tall.
Valent-ICE is very nice
Single? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Lincoln Country Club on Lake Michigan Drive is hosting the Rivertown Singles ‘Lady in Red’ Party on Sunday from 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. Both girls and guys are invited to wear red, a little, a lot, or another color entirely if you prefer – whichever makes you feel most comfortable. For $8 you’re privy to a cash bar, a dance floor, drawings, and a lot of singles looking to mingle.
Who says only couples get to go out and have fun on Valentine’s Day?
The award-winning performance troupe Blue Man Group is coming back to Grand Rapids after six successful years taking their show on tour around North America, only 3 years since their last stop in the heart of the mitten. Boasting a program of “comedy, theatre, rock concert, and dance party all rolled into one”, the show will stop in at DeVos Performance Hall for two performances in early February as a last-minute addition to the Broadway Grand Rapids 2015-16 season lineup.
“We live in a fast-paced, ever-evolving world. The Blue Man character is a curious being who explores our cultural norms, our every-day objects, but he sees them with fresh eyes and an innocent perspective. As the world around us changes, we are constantly inspired to create new scenarios for the Blue Man to explore,” said Phil Stanton, Co-Founder of Blue Man Group.
“Plus, we really like to keep things fresh and vibrant. For almost 25 years, although the content within the show varies, the mission of every Blue Man Group show has remained the same – to bring the collective audience together with the Blue Men for a euphoric celebration, a heightened state of being alive,” added Co-Founder Chris Wink.
In addition to the bombastic antics involving a live rock n roll band, ludicrous props, and unbelievable acrobatics, Blue Man Group offers playful commentary that appeals to our innate humanity. They also have started taking into account the outliers in interested audiences, offering Autism-friendly shows, in support of Autism Speaks, in certain locations with subdued musical volume and slight modifications to accompany differences in audience interaction. No word yet on whether such a performance is part of the stop in Grand Rapids.
Tickets go on sale to the general public December 3rd at 10am. Performances will be at 7:30pm on February 2nd and 3rd, at DeVos Performance Hall on Monroe Ave. Pricing starts at $37.50. To purchase tickets, visit broadwaygrandrapids.com, call 616-235-6285 or charge by phone through Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000.
In 2009, acclaimed director J.J. Abrams re-envisioned and re-invigorated the Star Trek franchise with a brilliantly casted ensemble, stunning visual effects and action-packed plot. Michael Giacchino’s thrilling, Grammy-nominated musical score contributed in no small part to the film’s success
At “Star Trek: Live in Concert,” the Grand Rapids Symphony orchestra will perform Giacchino’s score as “Star Trek” (2009) is screened simultaneously in high definition. Audiences will experience the film in true surround sound as they are transported into the futuristic world of Captain Kirk, Spock and the rest of the U.S.S. Enterprise crew. This Nestlé Gerber SymphonicBoom series concert is a highly anticipated, one-night only performance on Saturday, October 17, 8:00 p.m. at DeVos Performance Hall.
The orchestra will be led by Constantine Kitsopoulus, who has made a name for himself conducting in the worlds of opera, musical theater and symphony. Kitsopoulus is currently in his eighth year as Music Director of the Queens Symphony Orchestra and continues as General Director of Chatham Opera, which he founded in 2005.
“Star Trek: Live in Concert” is being presented in collaboration with Grand Rapids Comic-Con, a comics and popular arts convention to be held at DeVos Place October 16 – 18. Fun, family- friendly activities will surround “Star Trek: Live in Concert” in DeVos Performance Hall, including a space-themed photo booth and cocktails in the Keeler Lobby. Social media posts from audience members using the #grsymphony hashtag will be shared on hall screens.
Tickets start at $32 and are available at the Symphony office, weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by calling 616-454-9451. Other ways to purchase tickets as follows:
• By phone in the evenings and on Saturday by calling 616-885-1241
• At the DeVos Place Box Office, weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Through Ticketmaster at 800-982-2787
• Ticketmaster outlets: select D&W Fresh Markets, Family Fare Stores and Walmart
• Online at GRSymphony.org
• On the day of the concert at the DeVos Place Box Office beginning two hours before showtime
Citizen Journalists Carol and Paul Hillman review Broadway Grand Rapids’ Production of Once. They want to see it twice.
It’s not your typical Broadway musical. It’s all about the story. And what a story it is.
ONCE tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who’s about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs
“Once” is a singular play, but in a way, this is “Once” twice. The title, story, and Grammy nominated music was derived from the 2007 movie of the same name.
Tuesday night’s performance of “Once” at DeVos Performance Hall was the second offering of the Broadway Grand Rapids season. It played to a nearly sold-out crowd. Despite the name, the show is certainly good enough to see twice! Some say this is a stage play integrated seamlessly with compelling songs. Others claim it is a musical telling a story of love played between two stellar performers. Either way, the audience is treated to a performance of NYC caliber actors, musicians, and singers.
The audience knows that something is immediately different when entering the auditorium. Seeing an Irish Public House as the set prior to the performance is not particularly unusual. However, allowing the audience to step up to the stage, buy pre-performance drinks from the working pub, and wandering about the set prior to the opening is quite exceptional. Soon the on stage audience members are joined by half a dozen Celtic fiddle, mandolin, accordion, and guitar musicians. Several traditional Irish tunes are offered to both the audience on stage and those just getting to their seats prior to the “official” start of Act 1.
The staging brings us all together in a common setting and experience. Slowly and unobtrusively audience members return to their seats all while more performers appear on stage. Gradually the house lights dim as the audience is warmly pulled into the pub to watch the story begin.
Most of the tale is told in Billy’s instrument store. But via lighting and minimalistic staging, scenes easily flow from store to home, to appliance repair shop, and then back again. All the time players moving between acting, playing, singing, or quietly functioning as stage crew.
Each of the dozen players demonstrated solid instrumental, vocal, and acting skills. Several players reveal proficiency on multiple instruments. The male and female leads, whose characters are only known as “Guy” and “Girl”, are played by Stuart Ward and Dani de Waal. These two must have been cast for their parts due to their obvious onstage chemistry. Both have extraordinary voices which are matched only by their amazing acting. Each are nearly flawless in their performance.
They play a conflicted couple who struggle with their growing feelings for each other while still trying to honor the relationships they have previously established with others. While never fully stated, the title of the play may possibly refer to the singular time these two will be together in the few days they share in this story.
Several numbers must be called out as special. The audience will surely recognize “Falling Slowly” from the movie. The piece won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. Both in the first act and again as a reprise, the song is poignant without being sugary sweet.
While generally a serious and lovely story, there are plenty of laughs and giggles available, not the least of which when “Guy” sings “Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy”.
In my opinion, the pinnacle of all the musical numbers is the second act a Capella reprise of “Gold”. The instruments are silent, but the voices aren’t. Each character slowly joins the next in a rich wave of sound providing exceptionally tight harmonies and intricate moving vocals. At the climatic end of the song, the 2,000+ attendees are intimately captivated and absolutely silent.
“Once” is not to be missed. Not once; not at all!
Tickets are on sale now! Tickets are available at the DeVos Place® convention center and Van Andel Arena® box offices, Ticketmaster ticket centers, online at Ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at 1-800-982-2787.
