Events editor Nicole Rupersburg brings you the scoop on what to do and where to be, each and every week, in the D.

And don’t miss our comprehensive and always up-to-date arts calendar here.

COMING UP:

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Friday, October 3rd

Rocktoberfest with SSM

This is the first annual Rocktoberfest held at the Magic Stick featuring local bands SSM, Exit Eyes, SikSik Nation, and Stare into the Sun. Ticket price includes a complimentary beer tasting and appetizers.

Where: Magic Stick (on the Alley Deck), Detroit
When: 6:00PM
Tix: $10.00
www.majesticdetroit.com

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Friday, October 3rd

Guerrilla Girls on Tour

Oakland Community College’s Womencenter is pleased to announce that Guerrilla Girls on Tour, an internationally acclaimed anonymous theatre collective, will be performing on Friday, October 3rd at 7:00 p.m. at the Orchard Ridge Campus Smith Theatre. The performance is free to the public in celebration of the Womencenter’s 35 years at Oakland Community College.

Guerrilla Girls on Tour will bring a live performance that addresses the lack of opportunities for women and people of color and explores the combination of performance and visual art entitled Feminists Are Funny. The 70-minute play is an energetic romp through herstory; an up-to-date account of their latest actions in politics, the performing arts and the media; a recreation of some of their street theatre protests, and a look at some of the funniest female activists and their accomplishments. The performance ends with a lively discussion with the audience which will serve to educate the community about the current state of sexism while at the same time proving that feminists are funny.

Feminists Are Funny will be performed during the Womencenter’s national juried women’s art exhibition “From Our Perspective” which runs from September 18-October 10.

Guerrilla Girls on Tour creates original plays, street actions, visual work and residency programs that dramatize women’s history and advocate on behalf of women and artists of color. In order to put the focus of their work on the issues they address, each member works under the name of a dead woman artist and performs wearing a gorilla mask. The 26-member troupe has toured through 30 states and 6 countries bringing their brand of satirical performance art and activism against discrimination, sexism and racism to places like southern Georgia, Eastern Europe and South America. GGOT is a diverse company of theatre artists and comediennes and they have been featured in the London Times, Village Voice, BackStage, Mother Jones, The New York Times, i-D Magazine, American Theatre, Lamujedemivida, Antiborder Conference Warsaw, LA Times, Pagnina 12, In Theatre, the BBC, TXT Magazine, French Channel 2, Wysokie Obcasy, Palais de Tokyo Paris, The Tony Awards, NWSA Journal, and the A.S.K. Common Ground Festival. They can be reached at www.guerrillagirlsontour.com.

This performance is presented by the Womencenter, a facility that provides educational and supportive resources for area women. For further information on the Guerrilla Girls on Tour performance and for other program offerings call the Womencenter at 248.522.3642.

Where: Oakland Community College Orchard Ridge Campus, Farmington Hills
When: 7:00PM
Tix: Free admission
www.guerrillagirlsontour.com
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Friday, October 3rd

Friday Night Live! At the DIA

Music: Matthew Shipp
7 & 8:30 p.m.
Jazz pianist Matthew Shipp is not an easy musician to categorize. He looks back through music history and seems to channel other jazz piano masters like Cecil Taylor and Thelonious Monk.

Drop-In Workshop: Book Arts: Scroll Books
6–9 p.m
(12 and under must be with an adult)
Make a simple book using paper and wooden sticks.
Location: Loggia, Student Lunch Area

Drawing in the Galleries for Youth
6–9 p.m.
(Ages 6–14, children 12 and younger must be accompanied by an adult)
Artist/instructors help participants create pencil drawings to take home. No experience necessary; materials provided.
Location: See the This Week at the DIA handout at any Information Desk.

Drawing in the Galleries for Adults
6–9 p.m.
(Ages 15 & older)
Artist/instructors help participants create pencil drawings to take home. No experience necessary; materials provided.
Location: See the This Week at the DIA handout at any Information Desk.

Guided Tours
6 and 7:30 p.m.
Highlights of the museum tours offered at both times.

Where: Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit
When: 6:00PM-10:00PM
Tix: $8.00 donation, free for members and citizens of Detroit
www.dia.org

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Friday, October 3rd-Sunday, October 19th

Nocturne

In the guise of an elegantly-styled narrative, a 32 year-old chronic insomniac and former piano prodigy burrows his head into the construction of a novella to survive the events that tore his family apart. Weaving metaphorical and gripping themes through fascinating patterns of language, mind-mapping, and visualization, Nocturne conveys the different ways that people survive by escaping, and then escape to survive.

Adam Rapp’s highly acclaimed play signaled a brave new voice in American theatre. The World Premiere of Nocturne was produced by the American Reperatory Theatre to enormous public and critical acclaim. It received Boston’s Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding New Script as well as Best New Play by the Independent Reviewers of New England. Nocturne was co-produced Off-Broadway by New York Theatre Workshop and the A.R.T., and was selected as one of the Burns Mantle Ten Best Plays of the 2000-2001 Season.

Where: The Furniture Factory, Detroit
When: Fridays & Saturdays 8:00PM, Sundays 2:00PM
Tix: $20.00 general admission, $15.00 students/seniors
www.breathearttheatre.com

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Friday, October 3rd

Second Annual SoulTracks Readers’ Choice Awards

Now in its second year, the SoulTracks Annual Readers’ Choice Awards is already considered a must-see event for lovers of soul music. Plan to see some killer performances by nominees for this year’s Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Duo or Group of the Year and Top New Artist. They’ll also be presenting their annual Lifetime Achievement Award, which is always a highlight of the show. This year’s Lifetime Achievement winners will be the incredible Dramatics. 100% of the profits from this year’s weekend will be donated to the music program at Cornerstone Schools, one of the nation’s most vibrant and successful urban schools.

Where: Max M. Fisher Music Center, Detroit
When: 8:00PM
Tix: $25.00
www.fusicology.com

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Friday, October 3rd: Poetry on the Shores

Please RSVP to this Blushing Sky Honors Series Very Special Event !!

Poetry on The Shores: Friday October 3, 2008, 8:00 p.m. (we plan to begin on time!), 30622 Jefferson Ave, St. Clair Shores, MI.

Courtesy of: Mark Wagener, with your Host: Cheri L. R. Taylor

Featuring:
Randall G. Thomas
Lori Volante
&
Pietro DiGiorgio

with special musical and poetry guest: BLAIR
and Open Mic

Come out for a night of outdoor poetry by firelight on the shores of lovely Lake St. Clair!

This event is free, but please bring whatever you would like to drink, a dish or snack to pass, and some poems to share at our fire circle open mic!

(Please note, we will have limited chairs available, but plenty of blankets to lay on the lawn. You may want to bring a lawn chair and jacket or sweater)

Note: PLEASE RSVP so that we know how many people to expect and accommodate!

Please Come and share at this Honors Series Special Event. An evening of words, music and fire!

Where: St. Clair Shores on Lake St. Clair
When: 8:00PM
Tix: Free admission
RSVP to: cherrion@aol.com

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Friday, October 3rd-Saturday, October 4th:

10th Annual Motor City Blues and Boogie Woogie Festival

Friday October 3 Doors 7:00pm show 8:00pm
Bob Seeley, Pinetop Perkins with Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Allen Toussaint

Saturday October 4 Doors 7:00pm Show 8:00pm
Little Sonny Willis with Eddie Burns, Otis Clay, Bobby Rush

Where: Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Detroit
When: 8:00PM both nights
Tix: $35.00 each night, $60.00 for weekend. VIP passes available for $75.00 and includes mezzanine seating, complimentary buffet, and cash bar.
www.musichall.org

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Saturday, October 4th:

Detroit Synergy Carnivale Crawl

Join Detroit Synergy for their historic 10th Pub Crawl with some old-fashioned carnivale-style entertainment, a costume contest, fun and games, friends and, of course, drink specials at every bar! They’re touring Greektown and making it even more of a freak show than it already is on a Saturday night! Join them as they scare a little and party a lot!

Where: Registration begins at 6:00PM at Fishbones
When: 6:00PM-midnight
Tix: $10/$15 (advance with/without costume), $15/$20 (walk-up with/without costume)
www.detroitsynergy.org
www.dsgstore.com
Tickets now available!

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Saturday, October 4th

Craft-o-Ween

Presented by Handmade Detroit and Loop, featuring DIY performances from Champions of Breakfast and Mary Alice’s Managerie. There will be costume and disguise-making tables, games, horror-scopes, contests, a raffle, and more.

Where: The Magic Stick, Detroit
When: 7:30PM
Tix: $5.00
www.majestictheatre.com

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Saturday, October 4th

Opera Ball

Michigan Opera Theatre’s 22nd annual Opera Ball, celebrating African-American women, will be held Saturday, October 4, 2008, 6:00 p.m. at the Detroit Opera House. Entitled “Sacrifice, Struggle, Success: A Celebration of African-American Women,” the Opera Ball honors some of Detroit’s most noted African-American women with Michigan Opera Theatre’s largest annual fundraiser.

An opulent black-tie affair, the 2008 Opera Ball is Michigan Opera Theatre’s kick-off gala to the fall opera season. Revenue from the Opera Ball is used to support the company’s main stage productions, as well as educational programs and community outreach throughout the state of Michigan and beyond, with a goal this year to raise $500,000. Sponsors for this year’s Opera Ball include Platinum Sponsor Ford Motor Company, and Gold Sponsors General Motors and Germack Pistachio Company.

This fall, Michigan Opera Theatre’s 2008-09 opera season opens with the triumphant return of Richard Danielpour’s Margaret Garner at the Detroit Opera House. The world-renowned mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves is the Opera Ball’s guest of honor. Ms. Graves will reprise her title role in the opera, in which librettist Toni Morrison, the celebrated African-American author, tells the story of perhaps the ultimate struggle faced by an African-American woman, an escaped slave and mother who must decide the fate of her children: a life of slavery, or death and freedom.

In addition to Denyce Graves, the Opera Ball will honor fourteen African-American women from the metro Detroit area, all of whom have made substantial contributions to the community. A complete list of honorees can be found on the next page.

Where: Detroit Opera House, Detroit
When: 6:00PM
Tix: $500.00
RSVP with Heather Hamilton at 313-237-3425
www.motopera.org

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Saturday, October 4th

SoulTracks All-Star Jam

Hosted by Detroit’s own Cel and featuring performances by Abby Dobson, PJ Morton, Kloud 9, Chimere, and many others, this event is part of SoulTracks’ big weekend of soul music, following their Readers’ Choice Awards on Friday night. 100% of the proceeds from this event will also go to benefit Cornerstone Schools.

Where: Museum of African American History, Detroit
When: 8:00PM
Tix: $10.00
www.fusicology.com

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Saturday, October 4th:

Skills with DJ Premier

Saturday, October 4th, 2008 at Plan B Nightclub in Detroit, MI, Public Media Group + Burn Rubber Sneaker Boutique present Skills featuring the legendary DJ Premier.

DJ Premier has been a driving force in hip hop since his arrival in the late 1980’s. He is a creator, an innovator, a musician, a technical genius, and arguably the best hip hop producer on the planet. One half of Gangstarr, he has crafted hits for the biggest artists in the game, from Notorious BIG, Nas & Jay Z to Christina Aguilera & Janet Jackson. This is a rare club performance from the legendary DJ Premier.

Public Media Group has created a buzz locally & nationally, and earned a reputation for booking top quality talent for an exclusive performance in an intimate venue, and a has the track record to prove it. Whether it’s a rare DJ set by Talib Kweli, or an exclusive invite-only afterparty hosted by the world-famous Black Thought of The Roots, PMG executes an explosive event properly, while catering to and maintaining an upscale clientele consisting of the movers, shakers & tastemakers in Detroit & beyond.

Burn Rubber Sneaker Boutique, located in Royal Oak, MI is the Detroit-area’s premier sneaker & streetwear retailer. Since taking over the boutique in 2007, Rick Williams & Roland Coit have created and maintained a consistent & loyal customer base who are searching for limited & rare, urban fashion that is typically found in major concrete playgrounds, such as Los Angeles & New York.

Where: Plan B Nightclub, Detroit
When: Doors 9:00PM, all drinks $2.00 9:00PM-11:00PM
Tix: $15.00
www.groovetickets.com

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Tuesday, October 7th

7-Course Sicilian Wine Dinner

Head to Sangria for a seven course wine dinner which highlights the traditional flavors of Sicily.

Where: Sangria Tapas Café, Royal Oak
When: 7:00PM-9:30PM
Tix: $60.00
www.sangriaroyaloak.com

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Wednesday, October 8th

Baby Dee

Cleveland native Baby Dee is a transgender harpist/acordianist/pianist who has prodigious skills on all three instruments. Classically trained, she has been a music director and organist in a Bronx Catholic church, a circus side show act at Coney Island and eventually a member of the Bindlestiff Family Circus.

When Baby Dee returned to Cleveland, she began performing music of her own composition, mixed with and inspired by tin palley and show tunes that she performs with particular zest. The tremendous musicality of Baby Dee makes this much more than a quirky novelty act- there’s just a lot of eccentricity that goes with all that talent.

Where: Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (for BoHouse), Detroit
When: Doors 8:00PM
Tix: $5.00-$10.00
www.thecaid.org

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Thursday, October 9th

Dya Singh at Global Thursdays

Dya Singh digs deep into the vast reservoir of Sikh and Punjabi classical, spiritual and folk music, while embracing blues, jazz, folk, country and other global indigenous forms. Singh songs evoke the universal messages of truth, love, peace, harmony, equality and justice.

Where: Arab American National Museum, Dearborn
When: 7:30PM
Tix: $10.00 advance, $12.00 at the door, $8.00 members and students
www.arabamericanmuseum.org

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Thursday, October 9th

The Sweetest Skate

Flo Boutique presents “The Sweetest Skate,” an evening of soul, funk, and hip-hop music at the Northland Roller Rink (this is an adult skate ages 25+).

Where: Northland Roller Rink, Detroit
When: 9:30PM-12:30AM
Tix: $10.00 admission, $2.00 skate rental
www.fusicology.com

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Thursday, October 9th-Saturday, October 11th:

Günther Herberg returns to the DSO

Former Detroit Symphony Orchestra Music Director Günther Herbig makes a triumphant return to Motown, reuniting with the Orchestra to conduct works by three of his German countrymen. The Brahms & Bruch concerts take place Thursday, October 9 at 8 p.m.; Friday, October 10 at 10:45 a.m.; and Saturday, October 11 at 8:30 p.m. in Orchestra Hall. The program opens with the Overture to the beloved opera Oberon by Carl Maria von Weber followed by Max Bruch’s most famous work, his Violin Concerto No. 1, as performed by prodigious Chinese violinist Tianwa Yang. The program concludes with a grand performance of Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 1.

Günther Herbig left behind the challenging political environment of East Germany and moved to the United States in 1984 where he has since conducted all of the country’s top-tier orchestras. He has also appeared with most of the major European orchestras. Herbig was Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra from 1984-1990. Other posts he has held during his career include Music Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra; Principal Guest Conductor of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra; and General Music Director of the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra and the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. Currently, he is Artistic Advisor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan and Principal Guest Conductor of Las Palmas in the Grand Canaries, Spain. Herbig, who is famous for his tours, led the DSO on several critically acclaimed tours of the United States and one to Europe during his tenure. He toured the Far East with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1990 and, in the spring of 1991, toured Europe with the TSO in his 37th international orchestra tour. He has also led orchestras throughout Japan, South America and Australia.

Tianwa Yang was born in 1987 in Beijing. She began studying the violin at the age 4 and progressed quickly, winning six of seven violin competitions that she entered as a child. At age 11, Yang began receiving invitations to appear in solo recitals and with top orchestras. The media in Hong Kong dubbed her “the pride of China,” and international violin superstar Isaac Stern praised her talent with an invitation to the United States. At 13, Yang became the world’s youngest performer to record Paganini’s 24 Caprices. In 2004, Yang was given the “Best Young Violinist in China Award” by Seiji Ozawa. Yang made her European debut in 2001 and, in 2005, received a two-year special scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service to study chamber music in Germany. In 2006 she was honored with the “Prix Montblanc,” a prize given by the company to recognize and encourage young classical music talents who have shown tremendous efforts and contributions to the development of arts and culture.

Although he was a popular opera composer, Carl Maria von Weber differed from Rossini and other Italianate musicians in that he rejected standard operatic formulas in favor of a more continuous style that merged German singspiel (akin to Broadway today) and early 19th century French opera. His progressive approach to form and expression, coupled with an exploration of novel orchestral timbres, made Weber an early and important proponent of Romanticism in music. Weber wrote the opera Oberon, based on the fairy king from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, during his final days as he succumbed to the tuberculosis he had battled for a dozen years. Commissioned by Covent Garden Opera House, the German composer had to learn English in order to complete the task. He died just six weeks after the opera’s acclaimed premiere in 1826.

In the classical music world, the name Max Bruch calls to mind one work - the composer’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor - making the composer the 19th century equivalent of a “one-hit wonder.” Bruch had many other successes, but only the first of his three violin concertos and his Scottish Fantasy for violin and orchestra have remained a permanent part of today’s concert repertoire. Completed in 1867, Bruch’s first violin concerto was the result of four years of labor and six different drafts of the score. Though Bruch claimed that his other two violin concertos were at least equally as good if not better than the first, he could never dissuade performers, conductors and audiences from favoring the enormously appealing First Violin Concerto.

Despite an early success with writing piano music and songs, Brahms struggled to master two genres that historically defined an instrumental composer’s career - the string quartet and the symphony. No composer had yet built successfully upon Beethoven’s instrumental legacy, and Brahms is reported to have been intimidated by that fact. As a result, Symphony No. 1 evolved slowly and was completed 16 years after Brahms first began composing it. Upon his completion of this “Grand” Symphony in C minor, the exultant Brahms declared himself the rightful heir to Beethoven and even paid tribute to his predecessor in the symphony’s Finale with allusions to “Ode to Joy.”

TICKETS for Brahms & Bruch October 9-11, 2008 range in price from $19 to $71 with a limited number of box seats available for $65 to $123. Tickets may be purchased at the Max M. Fisher Music Center box office (3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit); by calling the DSO at (313) 576-5111; or online at www.detroitsymphony.com. Seniors (60 and over) and students can purchase 50% off RUSH tickets at the box office 90 minutes prior to classical concerts based on availability. For group discount information, contact Chuck Dyer at (313) 576-5130 or cdyer@dso.org.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Comerica Charitable Foundation Favorites Classical Series
BRAHMS & BRUCH

Günther Herbig, conductor; Tianwa Yang, violin

WEBER Overture to Oberon
BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26
BRAHMS Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68

Where: Max M. Fisher Music Center, Detroit
When: Thursday 8:00PM, Friday 10:45AM, Saturday 8:30PM
Tix: $65.00-$123.00
www.detroitsymphony.com

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Thursday, October 9th

Autumn Sessions “Gabe Real’s Detroit is on Fire CD Release”

Detek & Source Audio are pleased to announce the continuation of the summer’s hottest weekly event. We’re moving off of the rooftop at Exodus and taking up residence at the TV Bar until next summer. We’ve got some great music coming your way from Hej Records, Tour Detroit, Breakloose, Gabe Real’s CD Release Event and the 2nd Annuel Bang Tech 12 Devil’s Night Party.

This Thursday: Gabe Real’s CD release event also featuring Joe Geez and Will Evo.

Where: TV Lounge, Corktown, Detroit
When: 10:00PM-2:00AM
Tix: $5.00, 18+

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Friday, October 10th

Saturday, November 1st: Blood, Bath & Beyond

It’s the necro-feel-good comedy of the season!
An original comedy adapted by: Shawn Handlon
Director: Jaime Moyer
8:00pm Fridays and Saturdays
October 10th- November 1st (plus devil’s night)
One Matinee, Sunday 26th, 2:00pm

Where: Planet Ant Theatre, Hamtramck
When: Fridays and Saturdays 8:00PM; matinee on Sunday Oct. 26th; special show on Devil’s Night, Thursday Oct. 30th
Tix: N/A
www.planetanttheatre.com

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Friday, October 10th-Saturday, October 11th

Winard Harper and His Sextet

Jazz Café at The Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts is thrilled to present drummer/ percussionist, Winard Harper and his Sextet, Friday and Saturday, October 10th and 11th, with two exciting performances each night at 10 PM and Midnight.

All About Jazz has declared Winard Harper “one of the most highly respected drummers in jazz today” while Glenn Astarita of Ejazznews was equally effusive, exclaiming that Harper’s dexterity and skills are, “largely driven by finesse and sheer firepower.”

As a pre-school youngster growing up in Baltimore, his father noticed him beating on cans and encouraged him to begin practicing the drums. By the age of five, he was performing with his older brother at local nightclubs, and as he grew into his adolescence, his proficiency and ingenuity in drumming proved to be at a henomenal level far beyond his years. Inspired by the late, great drummer, Billy Higgins, as well as Max Roach and the ubiquitous, Art Blakey, Harper has been the leader of an exceptionally talented sextet, and his latest album, “Make It Happen”, swings as hard as any of his six previous albums and really showcases not only his adeptness as a drummer, but also as a composer and band leader.

Beginning his career with the legendary Dexter Gordon and matriculating to Johnny Griffin and then he caught the attention of the improvisational vocal genius, Flint, Michigan’s, Betty Carter where he really blossomed into a world-class drummer. After his stint with Carter, Harper joined his brother Phil to form the Harper Brothers Quintet in the early 90’s.

He is a virtuoso on the drum set as well as the balafon, the West African equivalent of the marimba, which only adds another instrument to Harper’s arsenal of unique percussion, making his solos not only pyrotechnical, but light handed and melodic as well.

In addition to The Winard Harper Quintet, this versatile percussionist also continues to be a valuable sideman for the likes of, Steve Turre, Frank Wess, Joe Lovano and Avery Sharpe.

Where: Jazz Café at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Detroit
When: 10:00PM and midnight, each night
Tix: $15.00 advance, $20.00 day of show
www.jazzcafedetroit.com

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Friday, October 10th

Russian Summit at Eden Nightclub

EDEN NIGHTCLUB AND ULTRA LOUNGE welcomes Russian House superstar, DJ GRAD, Friday, October 10th, doors 10PM. It is also former Muscovite, now Detroit’s own DJ Jenny LaFemme’s Birthday party and will be spinning her deep House in a night to help stem the tide of the New Cold War, with sensual beats and slithering melodies- this is Dance Diplomacy, Russian-style, and the first Detroit area appearance by top Russian DJ, DJ Grad to Ferndale’s Eden Night Club.

DJ Grad, a former medical student and professional water polo player, also studied music before matriculating to electronic music in the early 1990’s in the world’s most northern city, Norlisk, in Russia. Inspired in part by by Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode as much as Techno DJ’s, by 1997, Grad was performing in Russia’s largest Dance Music Festival, KaZantip. By 1999, he had solidified his reputation as not only a DJ, but as a Music Promoter and festival organizer in Moscow for such events as, InStancia (in Gorky Park) and his popular radio show in Moscow, Radio 2000, where his name and fame spread to beyond Russia’s borders. In addition to residencies at such trendy Moscow Clubs like The Garage and XIII, Grad was also voted one of the top 5 sexiest DJ’s by Russian magazine, Ptyouch. Released in 2005, his first single, “Free Your Mind”, was a club smash as was his follow-up 2006 track, “Piano99”.
Latin meets Rock via Disco with a little tribal thrown in the mix underscores Grads deep influences DJ Grad will be embarking upon an American Tour this Fall with expat, DJ Jenny Lafemme in a reprisal of Grad’s triumphant 2000 Ibiza tour, “From Russia With Lust”.

Grad has also launched his new dance music show which is broadcast on Megapolis Radio and heard all over Russia. Grad will be opening for DJ Danny Tenaglia, one of the biggest superstars in world in the dance music today, on Sept. 25th.
To top it off, Grad was voted the #2 best Russian DJ in 2007 in the Russian music press.

DJ Jenny LaFemme, born and raised in Moscow, immigrated to Detroit with her parents in her late teens and was immediately seduced by American music. Soul, Hip-Hop and finally Electronica became this Russian beauty’s calling card. Promoting her own shows from her production company, Etomie, LaFemme has performed all over the world as well as producing Deep House events to discriminating club crowds from Detroit to Miami, Los Angeles To St Petersburg and all points in between. LaFemme is known for her almost anthropological musical mixture of sounds from the US, Europe and Asia into a minimalist swirl of beats and rhythms with exotic electronic lines that are irresistibly danceable.

Russia is now again a respected world power, and has embraced the western electronic genre and given it new life. Worldly, exotic and powerful, these new breed of Russian DJ’s such as Grad, LaFemme and KGBeats are as knowledgeable about classical music as they are about modern pop and electronic styles, making for intelligent, yet infectious Deep House- From Russia With Lust.

Eden and Eden Ultra Lounge is arguably one of the Metro areas hottest Dance club, known for amazing DJ pairings and The VIP Bed, make Eden the place to simultaneously, mix, dance and party.

Where: Eden Nightclub and Ultra Lounge, Ferndale
When: Doors 10:00PM
Tix: $10.00 in advance
www.neptix.com

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Saturday, October 11th

Paddy Homan at the Gaelic League

Paddy Homan, the Irish balladeer along with some friends will be at the Gaelic League for a fundraising event to benefit Irish Radio with Mike Galvin and others.

Where: Gaelic League Irish-American Club of Detroit, Detroit
When: 8:00PM
Tix: $15.00 donation
www.paddyhoman.com

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Sunday, October 12th

Walk Now for Autism

Autism Speaks, the nation’s largest autism advocacy organization, announced that SE Michigan’s 2nd annual Walk Now For Autism Walk will be held on October 12, 2008 at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Registration starts at 10:00 AM with opening ceremonies and walk starting at 12:00 noon. All proceeds from the event benefit Autism Speaks, the nation’s leading autism advocacy organization.

Toys“R”Us, Toys“R”Us Children’s Fund and Parade Magazine proudly serve as national sponsors of the Autism Speaks Walk Now for Autism program. Other sponsors are Meijer, and tonerforautism.com.

Walk Now for Autism is a unique fundraising event which creates a safe and fun day for families who are affected with autism. The day includes a 1 to 2 mile walk and Community Resource fair with educational sources, therapists, schools, recreational organizations, and creative child-friendly activities; a true “one-stop-shop” for families affected by autism. This year Toys“R”Us will have a tented space serving as home base for Geoffrey the Giraffe. Attendees will also be able to stop by and sign their children up for Geoffrey’s Birthday Club and pick up the “Ten Toys That Speak to Autism” handout, a list of toys that help build the skills of children with autism, created in collaboration with Autism Speaks.

Walk Chair, Kelly Kinney says, “We are excited about the response we have gotten from Michigan and are looking forward to growing Autism Speaks’ Walk Now for Autism event here in the Detroit area. This is a wonderful and important opportunity for our area to join forces raising the vital funds needed for autism research, awareness, family services and advocacy.”

The Walk Now for Autism events are the signature fundraising events for Autism Speaks, raising more than $26 million last year, alone, to support autism research. This year, over 70 Walk Now for Autism events will take place across the United States, as well as Canada and the United Kingdom.

Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills
When: Registration at 10:00AM, walk starts at noon
Tix: N/A (this is a fundraising event)
www.walknowforautism.org

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Sunday, October 12th

Sphinx Chamber Orchestra at the DSO

The young people of the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra (SCO), comprised of the top alumni of the National Sphinx Competition for young Black and Latino string players, are poised to take the Orchestra Hall stage on the Detroit leg of their first-ever National Tour. The all-African American and Latino ensemble performs Sunday, October 12 at 2 p.m. in a performance led by Chelsea Tipton II and co-presented by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the University Musical Society (UMS). The tour, also featuring violin soloist Elena Urioste and The Harlem Quartet, culminates in a grand finale at New York’s Carnegie Hall in October.

The program for the SCO concert at Orchestra Hall captures the diversity that is a trademark of the Sphinx Organization, ranging from classical masterpieces, such as Vivaldi’s Concerto for 4 Violins and the third movement of Mozart’s Divertimento in D Major, to more contemporary works by composers of color, including Astor Piazzolla’s Winter in Buenos Aires for solo violin and orchestra performed by Urioste as well as Michael Abels’ Delights and Dances and Wynton Marsalis’ Hellbound Highball, both performed by The Harlem Quartet.

The Sphinx Chamber Orchestra is made up of talented alumni of the Sphinx Competition. The New York Times called the ensemble “first-rate in every way” and described it as having a “more beautiful, precise and carefully shaped sound than some fully professional orchestras.” SCO earned rave reviews in December 2004 following its highly acclaimed debut at Carnegie Hall. The group returned to Carnegie Hall in 2006 and 2007 to present two more programs, both to a sold-out hall. Members of the Sphinx Chamber Orchestra have completed and continue to pursue their studies at the nation’s top music schools, including the Juilliard School, Curtis Institute of Music, Eastman School of Music, Peabody Institute of John Hopkins University, Harvard University and the University of Michigan. Additionally, several members hold professional orchestral positions, have been named Laureates of other prestigious international competitions and have appeared as soloists with major U.S. orchestras.

The Sphinx Organization is a national non-profit founded in 1996 by Aaron P. Dworkin, a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy and the University of Michigan (B.M. and M.M). A violinist himself, Dworkin founded the organization to help overcome cultural stereotypes in classical music and to encourage the participation of Blacks and Latinos in the field. In the 11-year history of the organization, Sphinx has reached over 65,000 students in 175 schools nationwide. Through its annual Sphinx Competition, held every year in Ann Arbor and Detroit, Sphinx has awarded over 1.6 million dollars in prizes and scholarships. The competition is open to all Junior High, High School, and College age Black and Latino string players residing in the U.S. Players compete under the guidance of an internationally renowned panel of judges and perform with established professional musicians in a competition setting. The competition’s primary mission is to encourage, develop and recognize classical music talent in the Black and Latino communities.

Maestro Chelsea Tipton II currently serves as Resident Conductor of the Toledo Symphony Orchestra. As a guest conductor, Tipton has appeared with major orchestras in the United States. As a clarinet player, he has performed with numerous major orchestras and virtuoso instrumentalists and has recorded for three record labels. Tipton has taught at Central Michigan University as an assistant professor, served as Director of the Central Michigan University Band and has been a visiting professor in clarinet and chamber music at Western Michigan University.

The members of The Harlem Quartet, made up of violinist Ilmar Gavilan, violinist Melissa White, viola player Juan-Miguel Hernandez and cellist Desmond Neysmith, are all alumni of the Sphinx Competition. The Quartet was established in 2006 with a unique and challenging mission: to advance diversity in classical music while engaging young and new audiences through the discovery and presentation of varied repertoire, highlighting works by minority composers. Dedicated to education, community engagement and superb classical performance, the members of this innovative and daring quartet serve as Principal Faculty at the Sphinx Performance Academy at Walnut Hill School in Massachusetts, one of the premier independent arts preparatory schools in the world, as well as Visiting Faculty at the Sphinx Preparatory Music Institute at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Elena Urioste, recently selected by Symphony magazine as an emerging artist to watch, was the winner of both the junior and senior divisions of the national Sphinx Competition in 2003 and 2007 respectively. In 2007, she won first prize at the Sion International Violin Competition where she also received the audience prize and the prize for best performance of the competition’s newly commissioned work. She has won other major competitions including the Kennett Symphony Concerto Competition and the Temple University Music Prep Concerto Competition. Urioste made her debut as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra at age 13 as winner of the Albert M. Greenfield Competition. Since then, she has appeared with major orchestras and at festivals around the world, garnering critical acclaim for her commanding stage presence, rich tone and the nuanced lyricism of her playing. She graduated from The Curtis Institute of Music last spring and recently began graduate studies at the Juilliard School of Music.

University Musical Society (UMS), now celebrating its 130th season, is one of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country. The organization is committed to connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experiences. With a program steeped in music, dance, and theater, UMS contributes to a vibrant cultural community by presenting approximately 60 to 75 performances and over 100 free educational activities each season. UMS also commissions new work, sponsors artist residencies, and organizes collaborative projects with local, national, and international partners. While proudly affiliated with the University of Michigan and housed on the U-M campus, UMS is a separate not-for-profit organization that supports itself from ticket sales, grants, contributions, and endowment income.

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION
SPECIAL EVENT
Sphinx Chamber Orchestra National Tour
Orchestra Hall
Sphinx Chamber Orchestra
Chelsea Tipton II, conductor
The Harlem Quartet: Ilmar Gavilan, violin; Melissa White, violin; Juan-Miguel Hernandez, viola; Desmond Neysmith, cello
Elena Urioste, violin

MOZART Divertimento in D Major, III (Presto)
PIAZZOLLA Winter in Buenos Aires for solo violin and orchestra
VILLA-LOBOS Fugue from Bacchianas Brasileiras No. 9
GEORGE WALKER Lyric for Strings
WYNTON MARSALIS Hellbound Highball
VIVALDI Concerto for 4 Violins and Orchestra in B Minor
MICHAEL ABELS Delights and Dances for String Quartet and Orchestra

Where: Max M. Fisher Music Center, Detroit
When: 2:00PM
Tix: $12.00-$25.00
www.detroitsymphony.com

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Tuesday, October 14th

Friends and Family Night at Affirmations

On Tuesday, October 14th, Affirmations hosts a special Friends and Family Night at their community center in Ferndale. The evening includes several discussion groups led by Detroiters who will share their story of learning a family member, spouse or
friend is gay and features the award-winning documentary, For The Bible Tells Me So, followed by an audience question-and-answer with Mary Lou Wallner, one of the mothers featured in the film.

Several local organizations will be on-site providing information, networking and support to parents, spouses, friends, and family members of those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender (LGBT), including: Parents and Friends of Lesbians And Gays (PFLAG); the Straight Spouse Network, Fortunate Families (for catholic families), and Dignity Detroit.

“’I’m gay’ can be very difficult words to hear from a child, a parent, a spouse or a friend,” said Affirmations Director of Programs, Knoll Larkin. Hearing those words can bring up a range of feelings and emotions, and we just don’t have enough comfortable places to talk about those feelings. That’s why Affirmations is setting aside this special night just for straight friends and family members.

Friends and Family Night is part of a week-long series of events celebrating National Coming Out Day (October 11). The week begins on Monday, October 13th with special discussion groups that address coming out and being a member of other communities - African American, Arab American, Latino/a, Asian Pacific Islander, Native American, people with disabilities, deaf, HIV positive, spiritual, and/or a member of the leather, bear, kink or BDSM communities. These unique discussions will be facilitated by leaders identifying with these community groups. The week wraps up with a fun Vegas-style night with Come OUT & Play on Saturday, October 18th, one of Affirmations’ largest fundraising events of the year.

Friends and Family Night starts at 4:00 p.m. with informational booths available to visitors. Discussion groups begin at 6:00 p.m. with the film shown at 7:00 p.m. This event is free to the public; all are welcome.

Affirmations is the community center for lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender (LGBT) people and their allies. Open since 1989 and located in the Detroit suburb of Ferndale, Affirmations provides a welcoming space where people of all sexual orientations, gender identities & expressions, and cultures can find support and unconditional acceptance, and where they can learn, grow, socialize and have fun. For more information, visit their website www.GoAffirmations.org.

Where: Affirmations Community Center, Ferndale
When: 4:00PM
Tix: Free admission
www.goaffirmations.org

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Wednesday, October 15th

Tastes of Cabernet Sauvignon at Enoteca Campo Marzio

“Tastes of Cabernet Sauvignon” An informative and fun evening tasting six Cabernet’s with sommelier Robert Bassett. A variety of light appetizers will be served. Tax and gratuity included. Reservations required. Space is limited.

Where: Enoteca Campo Marzio, Detroit
When: 6:00PM-8:00PM
Tix: $30.00
www.enotecadetroit.com

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Thursday, October 16th-Saturday, December 20th

Apartment 3A

The Purple Rose Theatre Company is proud to announce the revival of Apartment 3A by Jeff Daniels to open the 08 / 09 season this fall. The production will enjoy a ten-week engagement from Thursday, October 16 through Saturday, December 20, 2008.

Eight low-price previews of Apartment 3A will be performed from Thursday, October 16, through Thursday, October 23, with the Press Opening on Friday, October 24, 2008. Regular performances for the duration of the engagement are Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8:00 pm with Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 3:00 pm and Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm. All performances are held at The Purple Rose Theatre Company, 137 Park Street, Chelsea, Michigan 48118.

In Apartment 3A, Annie Wilson, director of fund-raising for PBS Channel 68, is faced with a series of personal and professional predicaments. Reeling from a broken heart, Annie chooses a new apartment in a different neighborhood and befriends a mysterious next-door neighbor who may hold the secret to a brighter future. This romantic comedy contains adult language, humor and polar bear love.

The PRTC presented the World Premiere of Apartment 3A directed by PRTC artistic director Guy Sanville in the fall of 1996. Since then, the play has had two off-Broadway runs – at the ArcLight Theater in 2006 and the Beckett Theatre in 2008 – and continues to appear in theatres across the country. In a review of the ArcLight Theater production for The New York Times, Jason Zinoman wrote that the play is “written with wit, conviction, and a real affection for its characters.”

“Apartment 3A is more timely now than when we first produced it twelve years ago,” says Sanville. “The play was prophetic in terms of where we were then and where we are now as a people and a culture. It’s a funny, sexy, heartbreaking love story that explores the loss of hope and the rebirth of faith by one of America’s best playwrights. It’s a thrill to get another shot at it.”

Under the direction of Sanville, the cast of Apartment 3A includes PRTC associate artist Matthew David (Flint, MI), PRTC apprentice Stacey Livingston (Traverse City, MI), PRTC associate artist Michael Brian Ogden (Berkley, MI), PRTC associate artist Rhiannon Ragland (Flint, MI) and Will David Young (Milford, MI). (Editor’s Note: Cast interviews and complete biographies are available by calling 734.433.7782).

Design for this production includes set by Bartley H. Bauer, props by Danna Segrest, costumes by Vikte Jankus Moss, lighting by Daniel C. Walker and sound by Tom Whalen. Stephanie Buck stage manages with Michelle DiDomenico and Jessica Garrett as assistant stage managers.

This PRTC production is generously underwritten by THE MOSAIC FOUNDATION (of Rita & Peter Heydon) based in Ann Arbor.

Founded in 1991 by acclaimed actor and Chelsea native Jeff Daniels, The Purple Rose Theatre Company is a leading American theater dedicated to producing the new American play and creating opportunities for Midwest theatre professionals. The PRTC is a 501©(3) not-for-profit professional theatre operating under an SPT agreement with the Actors’ Equity Association. The PRTC promotes the development of new American theatre and its practitioners, provides valuable educational opportunities for young artists, and, through consistently high quality production values, has earned the respect of both local and national theatre communities.

PREVIEW PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Thursday, October 16 8 pm $20 talk back
Friday, October 17 8 pm $25 talk back
Saturday, October 18 3 pm $25 talk back
Saturday, October 18 8 pm $25 talk back
Sunday, October 19 2 pm $25 talk back

Wednesday, October 22 8 pm $20
Thursday, October 23 8 pm $20

REGULAR PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Friday, October 24 8 pm $38 Press Opening
Saturday, October 25 3 pm $33
Saturday, October 25 8 pm $38
Sunday, October 26 2 pm $33

Wednesday, October 29 3 pm $25
Wednesday, October 29 8 pm $25
Thursday, October 30 8 pm $25
Friday, October 31 8 pm $38
Saturday, November 1 3 pm $33
Saturday, November 1 8 pm $38
Sunday, November 2 2 pm $33

Wednesday, November 5 3 pm $25
Wednesday, November 5 8 pm $25
Thursday, November 6 8 pm $25
Friday, November 7 8 pm $38
Saturday, November 8 3 pm $33
Saturday, November 8 8 pm $38
Sunday, November 9 2 pm $33

Wednesday, November 12 3 pm $25
Wednesday, November 12 8 pm $25
Thursday, November 13 8 pm $25
Friday, November 14 8 pm $38
Saturday, November 15 3 pm $33
Saturday, November 15 8 pm $38
Sunday, November 16 2 pm $33

Wednesday, November 19 3 pm $25
Wednesday, November 19 8 pm $25
Thursday, November 20 8 pm $25
Friday, November 21 8 pm $38
Saturday, November 22 3 pm $33
Saturday, November 22 8 pm $38
Sunday, November 23 2 pm $33

Tuesday, November 25 8 pm $25
Wednesday, November 26 8 pm $25
Thursday, November 27 no performance Thanksgiving
Friday, November 28 8 pm $38
Saturday, November 29 3 pm $33
Saturday, November 29 8 pm $38
Sunday, November 30 2 pm $33

Wednesday, December 3 3 pm $25
Wednesday, December 3 8 pm $25
Thursday, December 4 8 pm $25
Friday, December 5 8 pm $38
Saturday, December 6 3 pm $33
Saturday, December 6 8 pm $38
Sunday, December 7 2 pm $33

Wednesday, December 10 3 pm $25
Wednesday, December 10 8 pm $25
Thursday, December 11 8 pm $25
Friday, December 12 8 pm $38
Saturday, December 13 3 pm $33
Saturday, December 13 8 pm $38
Sunday, December 14 2 pm $33

Tuesday, December 16 8 pm $25
Wednesday, December 17 3 pm $25
Wednesday, December 17 8 pm $25
Thursday, December 18 8 pm $25
Friday, December 19 8 pm $38
Saturday, December 20 3 pm $33
Saturday, December 20 8 pm $38 Closing Night

Where: The Purple Rose Theatre, Chelsea MI
When: See schedule above
Tix: See schedule above
www.purplerosetheatre.org

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Friday, October 17th-Saturday, October 18th

Bright Sheng Conducts the DSO

Composer, Conductor, Educator, Renaissance Man. Bright Sheng returns this fall to conduct the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in two performances of Suite No. 2 from Romeo & Juliet taking place in Orchestra Hal. The centerpiece of the concerts is Suite No. 2 from Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet based on Shakespeare’s tragic tale of star-crossed lovers, Romeo & Juliet. The program also includes Prokofiev’s Overture to War & Peace and two original compositions by Sheng, Nanking! Nanking! with pipa player Yang Wei and Tibetan Swing.

Immediately following the Friday, October 17 concert, concert attendees are invited into Allesee Hall where Sheng will lead an educational conversation about music, conducting and composition. The discussion is part of DSO Student Month. Throughout the month of October, all Detroit-area students, from elementary to college graduate level, may purchase $5 tickets to any performance presented by the DSO.

Proclaimed “an innovative composer who merges diverse musical customs in works that transcend conventional aesthetic boundaries,” composer/conductor Bright Sheng received the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship - the so-called “Genius Award” - in November 2001. Many of the world’s great orchestras, opera houses and music festivals, as well as the White House and the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, have commissioned and performed Sheng’s works. He is also a highly regarded pianist and conductor, appearing with orchestras around the world. Since 1998, Sheng has served as Artistic Advisor to Yo-Yo Ma’s “Silk Road Project.” He was the first Composer-in-Residence with the New York City Ballet and has held many prestigious posts around the country, including Director of the Festival of Contemporary Music at Tanglewood, Composer-in-Residence for the Art Institute of Chicago and Resident Composer of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Since 1995, Sheng has served on the composition faculty at the University of Michigan and has held the Leonard Bernstein Distinguished University professorship, the institution’s highest music honor, since 2005.

ROMEO & JULIET
Orchestra Hall
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Bright Sheng, conductor; Yang Wei, pipa

Friday, October 17, 2008 at 10:45 a.m.
Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 8:30 p.m.

PROKOFIEV Overture to War and Peace, Op. 91
BRIGHT SHENG Nanking! Nanking!
BRIGHT SHENG Tibetan Swing
PROKOFIEV Suite No. 2 from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64b

A Conversation with Bright Sheng takes place in Allesee Hall immediately following the Friday, October 17 concert and is open to students, their parents and their teachers.

Where: Max M. Fisher Music Center, Detroit
When: Friday 10:45AM, Saturday 8:30PM
Tix: $19.00-$71.00. 50% off rush tickets available to seniors aged 60+. October is student month at the DSO, with all student tickets only $5.00.
www.detroitsymphony.com

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Friday, October 17th-Sunday November 16th

To Kill a Mockingbird

Matrix Theatre Company is proud to announce the first production of its 2008-2009 Season, To Kill a Mockingbird by Christopher Sergel. The play was adapted by Sergel from the Pulitzer Prize Winning novel by Harper Lee. Directed by Eric W. Maher, the production opens October 17th and runs every Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 4 & 8 pm, and Sunday at 4pm until November 16th at the Marlene Boll Theatre located at 1401 Broadway inside the YMCA.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Christopher Sergel is a thrilling adaptation of Harper Lee’s classic novel. Matrix Theatre Company invites you to follow Scout and Jem on a journey of discovery about a man called Boo. It is the summer of 1938 within the limits of the quiet town of Maycomb; a crime has been committed and the neighborhood seeks justice. Through the innocent eyes of these two children, experience what it means to be an outsider, the importance in understanding right from wrong, and the true cost of growing up.

Where: Boll Family YMCA, Detroit
When: Fridays 8:00PM, Saturdays 4:00PM & 8:00PM, Sundays 4:00PM
Tix: $15.00
www.matrixtheatre.org

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Friday, October 17th:

Love and Human Remains

What’s Halloween without a few dead bodies? Opening Friday, October 17th, Who Wants Cake? is thrilled to unleash Brad Fraser’s Love and Human Remains at Ferndale’s The Ringwald Theatre. Love and Human Remains will play Fridays-Mondays for an exclusive four week engagement.

Seven Detroit friends are on the prowl - for relationships, fun, love, or just plain sex. Many types of couplings are explored in Brad Fraser’s Love and Human Remains: gay, lesbian, straight, with a dash of S&M tossed in for spice. All the while, a serial killer is on the loose. As one-night stands lead to bad feelings, and the stalker
becomes the stalked, the true nature of love becomes entangled in the true nature of lies, and it becomes apparent that the killer is dangerously close to them all.

CAST
David played by Joe Bailey (Ferndale)
Candy played by Melissa Beckwith (Ferndale)
Bernie played by Jon Ager (Bloomfield Hills)
Benita played by Christa Coulter (Royal Oak)
Kane played by Chris Jakob (Detroit)
Jerri played by Vanessa Sawson (Ferndale)
Robert played by Brian Rohe (Chesterfield)
Directed by Joe Plambeck (Ferndale)

Quick Bites
Performances will begin Friday, October 17th and play Friday-Mondays through November 10th.
Show times are Friday, Saturday, and Monday nights at 8:00 PM. Sunday performances are at 3:00 PM.
Ticket Prices are $20 for Friday and Saturday performances, $15.00 Sunday matinees and Monday is our HALF OFF night at $10 a chair! PLEASE NOTE: First Sunday performance, October 19th at 3PM is PAY WHAT YOU CAN!
The Ringwald Theatre is located at 22742 Woodward Avenue in the Times Square of Ferndale.
The box office opens 45 minutes before performances and cash and Visa/Mastercard accepted at the door.
Reservations may be made by calling 248-545-5545 or online at www.WhoWantsCakeTheatre.com.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Friday, October 17 8PM $20
Saturday, October 18 8PM $20
Sunday, October 19 3PM PAY WHAT YOU CAN
Monday, October 20 8PM $10
Friday, October 24 8PM $20
Saturday, October 25 8PM $20
Sunday, October 26 3PM $15
Monday, October 27 8PM $10
Friday, October 31 8PM $20
Saturday, November 1 8PM $20
Sunday, November 2 3PM $15
Monday, November 3 8PM $10
Friday, November 7 8PM $20
Saturday, November 8 8PM $20
Sunday, November 9 3PM $15
Monday, November 10 8PM $10

Where: Ringwald Theatre, Ferndale
When: See schedule above
Tix: See above
www.whowantscaketheatre.com

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Friday, October 17th-Sunday, October 26th

Soccer Moms

Before there were “hockey moms,” there were “soccer moms.” Politicians and demographers are always asking what makes them tick. Some answers may be found in Village Players of Birmingham’s next production, SOCCER MOMS, a new comedy by Kathleen Clark taking place at the Village Players Playhouse in Birmingham. The play explores the lives of three women who have chosen to devote their lives to their families and children.

All of this is revealed from the sidelines of a boys vs. moms soccer game that takes place off-stage during the play. The mothers intend to let the children win; but as the game progresses, they become intent on victory. The game becomes a metaphor for life. Gradually, the three women reveal what makes each of them tick, and they and the audience better understand who they are.

Although a few boys occasionally come on and off the stage, this comedy is a three-woman show. The youngest and the soccer enthusiast is played by Royal Oak resident, Marni Raitt. Marni actually played soccer in a co-ed league in 1997. As she says, “I broke my jaw during a game. Haven’t put on the shin guards or cleats since.” Raitt is Assistant Director of Public Relations for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Her dog Oliver, rescued in 2007, is a therapy dog at West Bloomfield Convalescent Center and is the apple of her eye.

Playing the most sophisticated of the moms is Tamara Gries. Her character is an ex-model who aspires to become a professional photographer. but never has time to develop her pictures. Gries has been a Bloomfield Twp. resident for the past few years and says, “Love the area.” She has never played soccer.

Another non-soccer playing actress is Amanda Marie Sproule of Royal Oak. She plays the third mom, a dedicated PTA member who is seems to have it all together. The listening skills which this soccer mom honed as a social worker, help her bring out the other two characters. Sproule was very active on and off-stage when she attended Michigan Tech. She is particularly interested in improvisational acting. She has just started training in swimming, cycling, and running in preparation for her first triathlon.

None of the actress soccer moms has children in real life. But they can rely on Director Julie Tillotson to give them advice on motherhood. Tillotson, a Royal Oak resident, has raised two of her own children and two of her nieces. Her grandchildren total seven. She saw an ad for SOCCER MOMS in a theatrical publication, sent off for a copy and found in it a play that she really wanted to direct. “It’s beautifully written. The characters are very well defined and require excellent acting. It’s both fun and funny.”

Village Players is sending information about the play to soccer and women’s organizations in the area. Assistant Director Diane D’Agostino of Bloomfield Twp. says, “We want to reach the soccer moms, but this a play that has universal appeal for women–women of all ages.”

Where: Village Players Playhouse, Birmingham
When: Fridays and Saturdays 8:00PM, Sundays 2:00PM
Tix: $15.00
www.birminghamvillageplayers.com

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Friday, October 17th-Sunday, October 26th:

The Madwoman of Chaillot

In a world full of bad news and shocking stories, those whom society considers optimistic can appear to be “mad.” Sometimes, however, a healthy level of such “madness” can generate new insights into the world we live in. The Bonstelle Theatre explores this idea with the presentation of Maurice Valency’s adaptation of The Madwoman of Chaillot by Jean Giraudoux.

Many of the themes in the comedy pertain more to today’s world than when it was originally produced in 1945. The first scene opens with a meeting between a corrupt president of a corporation, an ignorant baron who offers only his reputation to the corporation, and a broker who has generated massive profits for them by engaging in shady deals and spreading rumors of success. Countess Aurelia, the Madwoman, overhears these greedy men’s plans to dig underneath the city of Paris in search of oil to further their incomes and decides to take action, in the hope of trying to stop them.
In a society where the rich are getting richer and the poor are left to envy those who are rich, the Madwoman’s positive outlook (and exotic dress) cast her as strangely out of touch with how the world works. She believes people are good and charitable, further insisting that everyone around her should think that way, too. The Countess lives in a self-created world where the values within people are more important than greed for worldly goods and power. The show begs the question – is the Countess mad for believing in her own alternate reality, or is it the world itself that is mad?

Where: The Bonstelle Theatre, Detroit
When: Fridays 8:00PM, Sundays 2:00PM
Tix: $15.00 regular, $12.00 students, seniors and faculty
www.bonstelle.com

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Saturday, October 18th-Saturday, October 25th

Margaret Garner

Michigan Opera Theatre opens its 2008 fall opera season, made possible by Ford Motor Company, with the triumphant return of Margaret Garner, October 18-25, 2008 at the Detroit Opera House. The product of an unprecedented collaboration between Grammy Award-winning composer Richard Danielpour and Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, the opera made its world premiere at the Detroit Opera House in May 2005 to international critical acclaim and sold-out performances. Based on one of the most significant and controversial fugitive slave stories in pre-Civil War America, the opera recounts the compelling, tragic, and inspiring story of Margaret Garner’s quest for freedom.

Since Margaret Garner made its highly-publicized world premiere in Detroit in 2005, the opera was performed by project co-commissioners Opera Company of Philadelphia and Cincinnati Opera, as well as by New York City Opera and Opera Carolina. Following the five performances in Detroit, Michigan Opera Theatre’s production of Margaret Garner will tour to Roosevelt University in Chicago for five performances at the Auditorium Theatre, November 1-9, 2008.

Margaret Garner is inspired by the true story of an enslaved family’s quest for freedom. Fleeing Richwood, Kentucky’s Maplewood Farm to Cincinnati Ohio in 1856, Margaret Garner made the horrific decision to sacrifice her own children when capture was at hand, rather than see them returned to the bonds of slavery. Her trial resulted in a major legal debate about whether she should be charged with murder or “destruction of property.” The Garner trial addressed crucial issues in constitutional law and posed key questions at the core of the rift in the Union during the pre-Civil War era.

Many of the artists who created the roles for the world premere in 2005 are returning to Detroit in 2008. Alternating in the title role of Margaret Garner are Denyce Graves (18, 22, 25), who created the role in the world premiere performances, and Tracie Luck (19, 24) who created the role for the New York City Opera production. Reprising the role he created for the 2005 world premiere is Gregg Baker (18, 22, 25) as Robert Garner, who alternates in the role with Patrick Blackwell (19, 24), who made his professional debut in the world premiere of Amistad at the Lyric Opera of Chicago in 1997. The role of Cilla will be alternately sung by two sopranos making their MOT debuts, Karen Slack and Mary Elizabeth Williams. The role of plantation owner Edward Gaines will be alternately performed by James Westman (18, 22, 25) and Timothy Mix (19, 24).

Returning to direct the production is acclaimed Broadway director Kenny Leon, whose most recent Tony Award-winning project includes A Raisin in the Sun on Broadway with Phylicia Rashad and Sean “P. Diddy” Combs. Critically-acclaimed conductor Stefan Lano also revisits Margaret Garner to conduct the return engagement in 2008. As in the 2005 premiere, the 2008 performances will feature detailed sets by Marjorie Bradley Kellogg and fantastic period costumes by Paul Tazewell.

Where: Detroit Opera House, Detroit
When:
Saturday, October 18, 2008 6:00 p.m.
Sunday, October 19, 2008 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 7:30 p.m.
Friday, October 24, 2008 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 25, 2008 7:30 p.m.
Tix: $28.00-$120.00
www.motopera.org

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Sunday, October 19th:

Simon Shaheen at the DSO

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra launches a new season of World Music this fall with a melodic voyage to the Middle East showcasing virtuoso musician Simon Shaheen and his ensemble Qantara. One of the most significant Arab performers and composers of his generation, Shaheen’s work incorporates and reflects a rich legacy of Arabic music while embracing diverse styles ranging from jazz to Western classical. Internationally acclaimed for his mastery of the oud and violin, Shaheen joins the DSO to perform the World Premiere of his brand new composition commissioned by the DSO, Concerto No. 1 for Oud and Orchestra. On the podium will be Tito Muñoz, Assistant Conductor of The Cleveland Orchestra. The first performance of the DSO’s 2008-09 Northwest Airlines World Music Series, this concert takes place Sunday, October 19 at 3 p.m. in Orchestra Hall.

Simon Shaheen’s unique contribution to the world of arts was recognized in 1994 when he was honored with the prestigious National Heritage Award at the White House. A Palestinian born in the village of Tarshiha in the Galilee, Shaheen’s father was a professor of music and a master oud player (a pear-shaped, stringed instrument that is a predecessor of the western lute). The younger Shaheen began playing oud at the age of five, and a year later he began studying violin at the Conservatory for Western Classical Music in Jerusalem. After graduating from the Academy of Music in Jerusalem in 1978, Shaheen was appointed its instructor of Arab music, performance, and theory. Two years later, he moved to New York to complete graduate studies in performance at the Manhattan School of Music and, later, in performance and music education at Columbia University.

In 1982, Shaheen formed the group Near Eastern Music Ensemble to perform the highest standard of traditional Arab music. Since 1994, he has produced the annual Arab Festival of Arts in New York, called “Mahrajan al-Fan,” which presents the work of the finest Arab artists encompassing a broad scope of Arab culture. In 1997 he founded the Annual Arabic Music Retreat, held each summer at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. As a composer, Shaheen has received numerous grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, Meet the Composer and others. His theatrical repertoire includes Majnun Layla, The Book and the Stranger (from Kalilah Wa-Dimanah), Possible City and Collateral Damage with Vanessa Redgrave. In addition to performing with his two bands, the Near Eastern Music Ensemble and Qantara, Shaheen tours internationally as a solo artist and serves as a lecturer throughout the academic world promoting awareness of Arab music.

Qantara, whose name means arch in Arabic, brings to life Shaheen’s vision for the unbridled fusion of Arab, jazz, Western classical and Latin American music, transcending boundaries of genre and geography. In 2001, Shaheen and Qantara made their full length recording debut with a Blue Flame which earned eleven Grammy Award nominations. National Public Radio called the release “a staggering tour-de-force of technique and passion” while the College Music Journal labeled it “a new benchmark in Arab-Western fusion.” Traveling throughout the U.S., Europe and the Middle East, Qantara’s appearances have included the Beiteddine Festival in Lebanon, New York’s Central Park Summer Stage, the Chicago World Music Festival, the International Souk Ukaz at the historic citadel in Amman, Jordan and the Yabous Festival in the historical Tombs of Kings in East Jerusalem.

SIMON SHAHEEN & QANTARA
Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Tito Muñoz, conductor; Simon Shaheen, oud; Qantara

Sunday, October 19 at 3 p.m.

SHAHEEN Concerto No. 1 for Oud and Orchestra
(Commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, World Premiere)

Where: Max M. Fisher Music Center, Detroit
When: 3:00PM
Tix: $19.00-$50.00. October is student month at the DSO; students can purchase tickets with valid student ID for only $5.00 for any performance.
www.detroitsymphony.com

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Thursday, October 23rd:

Silver Oak Wine Dinner

Presented by National Sales Manager Tom Johnson

Passed Appetizers
Smoked Salmon Rilletets, Pernod Cream
Komamoto Oyster with Red Wine Shallots
Groth Chardonnay

First Course
Butternut Squash Bisque, Foie Gras and Pomegranate
2005 Twomey Pinot Noir Russian River

Second Course
Seared Quail with Chantrelle, Quinoa and Pear Vanilla Sauce
2004 Twomey Merlot Napa Valley

Third Course
Grilled Kona Kampachi, Smoked Honycrisp Apple Chutney Frozen Cider
2004 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Main Course
Roast Ostrich Tenderloin with Sweet Potato Gratin, Celery Root, Carrot and Haricot Vert
2002 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
2003 Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Dessert
Chocolates and Cheeses

Where: Big Rock Chophouse, Birmingham
When: 6:30PM-9:30PM
Tix: $150.00, inclusive of tax, tip, and valet
www.thereservebirmingham.com

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Thursday, October 23rd

Marsalis Brasilianos

Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts is proud to present Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis, along with members of the Philharmonia Brasileira, as they coalesce to form the unique and exhilarating music of Marsalis Brasilianos.

Marsalis Brasilianos, brings together Branford Marsalis, one of the giants of the jazz world, with a remarkable 35 piece Brazilian orchestra - The Philharmonia Brasileira (Gil Jardim, conductor) on the main stage at Music Hall, Thursday, October 23rd @ 8PM. Together they celebrate the rich and sensual music of Heitor Villa-Lobos . Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) combined Brazilian folk music with the European classical tradition to create soothing yet powerful melodies. Marsalis Brasilianos gives Branford Marsalis a chance to demonstrate his talent, as he uses his “mastery of both jazz and classical music [to allow] the language of Villa-Lobos’ compositions to truly shine.

Branford Marsalis, the New Orleans-born jazz artist and this Brazilian ensemble find a point of departure in the work of Villa-Lobos, whose music draws on Afro-Brazilian folk influences (the roots of 1950s bossa nova—the now-classic meeting of jazz and Brazilian music) as well as an admiration for classical composers such as Stravinsky, Bach, and Milhaud.

This is an amazing musical hybrid that should not be missed. The perfect acoustics of Music Hall will provide the ambience for a potentially, magical evening of up-tempo rhythms and steamy hot jazz – flavored to the classical tradition, yet swings with an unbridled Brazilian passion.

Where: Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Detroit
When: 8:00PM
Tix: $27.00-$47.00
www.musichall.org

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Thursday, October 23rd-Saturday, November 1st:

Blues for Alabama Sky

The Studio Theatre is proud to open its 2008-2009 Season with Blues for an Alabama Sky by Pearl Cleage. Young African-American Detroiters who are committed to furthering their educations and expanding their horizons at Wayne State University comprise the cast. The ensemble consists of Erica Fuller as “Angel,” Benjamin Williams as “Guy,” Brittany Fortune as “Delia,” William Bryson as “Sam” and Justin Crutchfield as “Leland.” The show opens on October 23 with performances at 8:00 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and runs until November 1.

Blues for an Alabama Sky is an eye-opening commentary focusing on the musicians, artists and social activists in poverty-stricken 1930s Harlem. Within that context Pearl Cleage addresses several social taboos: religion, homosexuality and abortion. The rich cast of characters struggles to survive the hard economic times brought upon by the Great Depression, but “Guy Jacobs” encourages his friends to look beyond 125th street for the fulfillment of their dreams.

Today’s Detroit is in similar economic straits, but the community continues to strive to rise above these challenges. Currently, the citizens of Detroit are making efforts to ensure that young adults are receiving opportunities to improve their quality of life through education and the arts, and Wayne State University is at the forefront of that initiative.

Through their own individual challenges, the Detroit actors in Blues recognize the uphill social climb they face due to their ethnicity and because they live in a time of economic recession. But they do not let such difficulties deter them. As they work toward their Bachelors Degrees they continue to dream, taking the essential steps to rise above adversity.

Yet, taking the actions necessary to improve your quality of life isn’t an easy task. In order to change it takes commitment, dedication and courage. As seen in the play, “Guy” dreams about plans beyond his Harlem neighborhood and actively pursues those dreams. “Angel,” on the other hand, is self-destructive and ruins any chance she might have for happiness. The director, Darryl Davis, “believes the play lends itself to the examination of what is ailing the black community in Harlem and subsequently in the African-American Community of today.”

Blues for an Alabama Sky is directed by Ph.D. candidate Darryl Davis. The designers include Adam Crinson as scenic designer, Susan Campbell as assistant scenic designer, Kristal Firman as costume designer and Katie Casebolt as assistant costume designer.

Where: The Studio Theatre (downstairs from the Hilberry), Detroit
When: Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 8:00PM
Tix: $12.00 regular, $10.00 students, seniors, and faculty
www.wayne.edu

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Friday, October 24th:

Zombie Dance Party 5

We look forward to this every year.

“When there’s a chill in the air and leaves underfoot, Zombies will rise and
dance like crazy!”

ZOMBIE DANCE PARTY 5
Friday, October 24, 2008
9pm Doors
18+
$10

Featuring live performances by:
F’ke Blood
Hidden Ghost Balloon Ship
Sonic Boom

Dancable music provided by special guest DJs: Defying Death Bicycle Club

This year marks year five for ZOMBIE DANCE PARTY! In three weeks, the undead will take over The Magic Stick and dance their heads off! Guests will see and hear live music all night and have the chance to spin THE WHEEL OF DOOM! Zombies take a spin and win a prize!

Also back by popular demand “The Zombinator", zombie makeovers on the spot!

And new to ZDP5… A Midnight Snack! Every party should have food.

Advance tickets on sale at Ticketmaster for any out of town creatures…

Why do ghouls and demons hang out together anyway?
Because demons are a ghoul’s best friend!

Where: The Magic Stick, Detroit
When: Doors 9:00PM
Tix: $10.00
www.myspace.com/zombiedanceparty

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Friday, October 31st

The GO Record Release Party

From the GO:

The GO: record release party!!! This is a Halloween, costume, dance party. We’re releasing our first double album on CD & Vinyl!!!! Yikes. This is a big one.
20 tracks of the alternate “Haunted Beat” record.

Live performance by:
The Haunted Beat Band
(featuring Dan Kroha)
The Magic Shop (of Horrors)
Infinity People & Druid Perfume

This is a show not to be missed… full of strange surprises that we’re not at liberty to disclose at this time.
More info later.

Luv,
The GO

Where: The Magic Stick, Detroit
When: 8:00PM
Tix: N/A (yet)
www.majesticdetroit.com
www.thegodetroit.com

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Saturday, November 1st

‘80s Halloween Party

The new Elements Art Gallery in Corktown is throwing an ‘80’s-themed Halloween bash this year with DJ Sicari and DJ Dan and a 50/50 costume contest.

Where: Elements Art Gallery, Corktown, Detroit
When: Doors at 9:00PM
Tix: $5.00, 18+

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ONGOING:
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Friday, September 26th- Monday, October 6th

Revival of The Facts of Life: The Lost Episode

Back by popular demand, the hilarious Jamie Morris parody, The Facts of Life: The Lost Episode will take over Ferndale’s The Ringwald Theatre for an exclusive two week, eight performance engagement starting Friday, September 26, 2008.

The current Who Wants Cake? Production, Speech & Debate will close one week early, on Monday, September 22nd at 8PM.

After packed audiences and record sales this summer, the wildly popular The Facts of Life: The Lost Episode returns to Detroit for two weeks only! Written by Jamie Morris, creator of the LA Weekly Theatre Award winning comedy Mommie Queerest, The Facts of Life: The Lost Episode will once again feature an all-male cast as the girls from Eastland. The lost episode in question is titled “The Best Little Whorehouse in Peekskill.”

Budget cuts are threatening to force Mrs. Garrett (Joe Bailey) to leave Eastland. But like the theme song states, “You take the good, You take the bad” and Blair (Richard Payton), Tootie (Jerry Haines), Natalie (Joe Plambeck) and Jo (Jamie Richards) are willing to do anything to raise enough money for her to stay. Anything.

NOTE: The Facts of Life: The Lost Episode contains adult situations and does not incorporate actual episodes. This is a new unauthorized parody inspired by the beloved sitcom.

Who Wants Cake? opened the doors to their resident home, The Ringwald, in May 2007 with Fatal Attraction: A Greek Tragedy. Quickly, The Ringwald became a mainstay of Detroit’s theatre community. Their first season offered up slice after slice of successful shows including Southern Baptist Sissies, Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical, and Bug. Who Wants Cake? was recently named the 2008 Best Theatre Group in Channel 4’s Vote 4 The Best contest.

THE FACTS OF LIFE: THE LOST EPISODE
Quick Bites
Performances will begin Friday, September 26th and play Friday through Mondays through October 6th.
Show times are Friday, Saturday, and Monday nights at 8:00 PM. Sunday performances are at 3:00 PM.
Ticket Prices are $20 for Saturday performances, $15.00 Sunday matinees and Monday is our HALF
OFF night at $10 a chair!
The Ringwald is located at 22742 Woodward Avenue in the Times Square of Ferndale.
The box office opens 45 minutes before performances and cash and Visa/Mastercard accepted at the
door.
Reservations may be made by calling 248-545-5545 or online at www.WhoWantsCakeTheatre.com.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Friday, September 26 8PM $20
Saturday, September 27 8PM $20
Sunday, September 28 3PM $15
Monday, September 29 8PM $10
Friday, October 3 8PM $20
Saturday, October 4 8PM $20
Sunday, October 5 3PM $15
Monday, October 6 8PM $10

Where: Ringwald Theatre, Ferndale
When: See schedule above
Tix: See above
www.whowantscaketheatre.com