Hold the Fort

May 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Hold-the-Fort-p-Bethany-Shorb-n-Sky-Burial-detail

On Sunday, Historic Fort Wayne will be filled with music, art, poetry and wisdom. The first-of-its-kind spectacular, “Hold the Fort” runs from noon to 10 p.m. on May 26.

Organizers are working to establish an annual expo to inspire and engage future generations through the transformative power of creative collaboration. The program will bring together local and global artists, innovators and builders, local food vendors and community groups who will be creating a temporary world that provokes the imagination and stimulates participatory engagement.

Equally, organizers also want to reactivate this important historical site and allow participants to draw inspiration from Detroit’s rich history in building its future.

  • Art Installations: Select art installations include “Home Mender” by Monica Canilao, “Gon Kirin” mobile installation by Ryan Doyle, a musical house installation by Airlift New Orleans, “Sky Burial-As Above so Below” by Bethany Shorb, Light installations by Kunsthalle-Detroit, and a laser piece by Matthew Schreiber .
  • Fort The Record! Sheik ‘N’ Beik in coordination with local and international artists will attempt to secure a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, and break the world record for the largest back-to-back DJ set on vinyl.
  • Project showcase of innovative companies in Detroit
  • Food by local vendors and crafts to be sold onsite, beir garten.

Shuttles will be provided during “Hold the Fort” for the trek back and forth from Hart Plaza to Fort Wayne, where the Movement Electronic Music Festival will be happening.

The image above is a detail from “Sky Burial – As Above, So Below” an amazing installation by Bethany Shorb.

For complete information, click here.

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Mel Brooks: Make a Noise

May 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Mel Brooks Make a Noise

Mel Brooks, the American Master of Comedy, is profiled Monday, May 27 at 12 a.m. on Detroit Public Television Channel 56 and PBS. Laugh along as comedy giant Mel Brooks shares stories about his personal life and career in “Mel Brooks: Make a Noise.”

Mel Brooks is the comic mastermind behind such classics as “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein.” The PBS American Masters program “Mel Brooks: Make a Noise” profiles the larger-than-life, yet very private comedy giant. He has never authorized a biography and has requested that his friends not talk about him, making his participation in this AMERICAN MASTERS film a genuine first. Features new interviews with Brooks, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Cloris Leachman, Carl Reiner and Joan Rivers.

 Mel Brooks tweeted today:

Dear Twitters! I’m on @Pbsamermasters <https://twitter.com/PBSAmerMasters>

‘Mel Brooks: Make A Noise’ on @PBS <https://twitter.com/PBS> tonight at 9/8c! Please watch me or don’t. http://to.pbs.org/12ErdIo

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Kickstart Your Summer with the Arts!

May 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Edsel and Eleanor Ford House and Daffodil Garden by Stephen J. Brown

WRCJ 90.9 FM and Edsel & Eleanor Ford House invite you to Kickstart Your Summer!

Don’t miss a fun filled event for families, students and arts and cultural organizations. You also can be part of a live radio broadcast on WRCJ 90.9 FM, hosted by Dave Wagner and Chris Felcyn.

Join us on the grounds of the historic Edsel & Eleanor Ford House on the shore of Lake St. Clair on Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Among the fun:

  • Free Admission and Free Parking
  • Live entertainment will be provided by musicians from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Livonia Symphony, Macomb Symphony, Cantata Academy Chorale, The Detroit Children’s Choir, Grosse Pointe Community Chorus, Motor City Brass Band and many others
  • Over 40 Exhibitors – Arts, Music, Educational and Civic Organizations
  • Instrument “Petting Zoo” and other children’s activities
  • Tours of the historic Edsel & Eleanor Ford House will be available with an admission fee of $12 for adults, $11 for seniors, $5 for children ages 6 – 12 and free for children under 5.

Families will be able to sample tasty food from Ford House’s Cotswold Café, Dirty Dog Jazz Café and Fresh Farms Market.

Representatives from the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, Cranbrook Academy of Art & Art Museum, Cranbrook Music Guild, Dearborn Symphony, Detroit Public TV, Grosse Pointe Symphony, Michigan Opera Theatre, Windsor Symphony, and many other arts and cultural organizations will be on hand with activities and information.

The Edsel & Eleanor Ford House is located at 1100 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores. For more information, visit us online at www.wrcjfm.org.

The image above of the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House and the Daffodil Garden is a detail from a photograph by Stephen J. Brown. Click here to see it and other photographs by Mr. Brown.

 

Filed Under: Architecture, Art & Design, Classical, Community, Culture, Dance, Detroit Inspires, Fun, History, Jazz, Music, News Tagged With: ,

Get Versed

May 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

InsideOut presents Get Versed

Get set to Get Versed! InsideOut Literary Arts‘ annual showcase happens Thursday, May 23 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. In the program, amazing students of letters will perform original works on stage. The curtain goes up at 5:30 p.m.

The  show has been hailed as one of the best ways to spend $5 in Detroit. The program takes place at the premier Detroit Film Theater inside the DIA.

The fast-paced show offers Metro Detroit a glimpse of the poetic, literary and artistic expression that happens each day as InsideOut writers-in-residence work show Detroit Public School students how to unleash their voices.

“We teach children to discover the beauty of their voices and to write a better world through their words,” Dr. Terry Blackhawk said. An award-winning poet and educator, Dr. Blackhawk founded iO in 1995 after years of working as a Detroit Public School teacher.

iO now serves more than 5,000 K-12 youth in over 30 schools per year, through a celebrated teaching model aligned with state standards in language arts education. iO creates a professionally printed literary journal for each school served.

Teens in Citywide Poets, iO’s after school poetry workshop, perform for local audiences in the thousands and travel across the US to meet and compete with other youth.

“By immersing students in the joy and power of poetry and literary self-expression, InsideOut inspires them to think broadly, create bravely and share their voices with the wider world,” Dr. Blackhawk said.

Tickets for the 2013 Get Versed arts showcase are available online: click here.

 

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Jamie and Jordan

May 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Performance Network Theatre presents Jamie and Jordan

The Children’s Theatre Network of Performance Network Theatre invites audiences to gather at the theater on Saturday, May 25 at 1 p.m. for the perfect family summer kickoff, “Jamie and Jordan,” a baseball-themed musical about health and friendships with book and lyrics by Kim Carney and music by Gene Gaunt.

Tickets are $7 for children, $10 for adults, and $20 for a family package of four. Tickets may be purchased at the door or online at performancenetwork.org, by calling (734) 663-0681.

Details from Performance Network:

This hilarious musical tale teaches children about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and healthy friendships. Born in the same hospital on the same day, neighbors Jamie and Jordan are lifelong best friends. When a twist of fate (and an ankle!) separates them, they learn that healthy choices are worth the extra effort. Parents and guardians will love the educational content and the positive message, and kids will love the entertaining songs and humor, as well as the free milk and snack reception in the lobby after the show.

Children’s Theatre Network is committed to providing education and entertainment to children and families in a safe environment. Although the Children’s Theatre Network Saturday Series is coming to a close over the summer, the learning will continue with the Build-A-Play two week workshop from July 8-18. Suited for children ages seven to 11, students will learn improvisation, movement, and storytelling from Children’s Theatre Network Director Becky Fox and Writer/Actor Anne Rhoades.

In addition to its Saturday Series, the Children’s Theatre Network provides classes and workshops, engages in school outreach with the revolutionary “Get in the Game” program, and tours its shows to area schools and communities. For more information or to sign up, call  (734) 663-0681.

Further information and ticket reservations can be found online at www.performancenetwork.org or by calling  (734) 663-0681 during box office hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays.

Founded in 1981, Performance Network Theatre has grown from a fledgling company to Ann Arbor’s only resident professional theatre. The Network reaches 40,000 theatre patrons and children each year through its year-round Professional Series and its Children’s Theatre Network.

Filed Under: Fun, Jazz, Music, Popular, Spotlight, Theatre Tagged With: ,

Frog Belly Rat Bone

May 14, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Matrix Theatre Company presents Frog Belly Rat Bone

The Matrix Theatre Company’s School of Theatre presents The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone. Written by Timothy Basil Ering, the story follows the adventures of a little boy who takes a journey to discover a very special treasure which ends with new friends and a colorful, joyous world.

Told through puppetry, The Story of Frog Belly Rat Bone runs from Friday, May 31 through Sunday, June 2. All Friday and Saturday performances are at 7 p.m., and Sunday performances are at 3 p.m. Adult tickets are priced at $8. Students, seniors, and children are $5.

All performances are held at Matrix Theatre, 2730 Bagley in the heart of Detroit’s Mexicantown. Visit www.matrixtheatre.org to register online, or call (313) 967-0599. Call (313) 967-0999 for detailed information.

Frog Belly Rat Bone is a delightful fantasy about a very special boy who lived in a dull, gray endless place called Cementland. After much searching among piles of greasy toaster ovens and wet, smelly socks, he spies a box filled with hundreds of “tiny grey specks” and a wrinkled note that says: “Put these wondrous riches in the earth and enjoy.”

Horrified to learn that thieves are after his treasure, the boy scrounges the junkyard and creates a creature to stand guard – a scarecrow-like gardener with crooked bony arms, a giant belly, a jaunty crown, and preternatural wisdom: Frog Belly Rat Bone, king and protector of the specks. The story is full of surprises and an ending with an inspiring message on world beautification.

The Matrix Theatre Company’s School of Theatre, challenges and encourages students to become creators of their own work by writing and performing original works. They believe that everyone has a story to tell and that the best way to learn is by doing. Therefore, the School of Theatre at Matrix has its own season where students perform shows they have, in most cases, authored themselves.

 

Matrix Theatre Company

Celebrating 22 years as a non-profit community-based theatre, Matrix Theatre Company is located in southwest Detroit. By using the transformative power of theatre to change lives, build community and foster social justice, Matrix creates everything from scratch, from puppets of all sizes to more than 130 original plays. It provides creative opportunities for children, youth, adults and elders, especially those in isolated or challenged communities, to become creators, producers, and audiences of original and heritage theatre. For further information or to follow Matrix on Facebook, Twitter and Blogger, go to matrixtheatre.org.

Matrix’s Inclusive Theatre Initiative (ITI) strives to offer the transformative power of theatre to all. It aims to build a community for those with and without disabilities. It is a model of relating to people, rooted in the essential dignity and value of each person, offering ways to build deeper connections between people, places, and institutions.

 

Filed Under: Community, Culture, Fun, Spotlight, Theatre, Who We Are, Words Tagged With: , ,

Dossin Great Lakes Museum readies new course

May 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Dossin-Great-Lakes-Museum-Miss-Pepsi

All hands, hear this! After undergoing an expansion and restoration of six months, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum re-opened Saturday, May 18. One of the cultural jewels on Belle Isle, the Dossin is a must-see destination for people interested in the Great Lakes and Michigan’s waterways.

The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is now open on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Its non-profit parent organization, the Detroit Historical Society, also operates the Detroit Historical Museum and Historic Fort Wayne.

Robert Bury, executive director and CEO of the Detroit Historical Society, said one of the goals of the improvements was to make it easier for visitors to discover the stories of the men and women who made this region a place unlike any other in the world.

“Visitors can experience more than 500 years of Great Lakes history here and specifically the central role Detroit plays in the Great Lakes region,” Bury said. “This location is a unique place in the world. The museum’s new ‘Built by the River’ exhibit details how this location on the Detroit River gave rise to our special city. I especially enjoy the emphasis on the last 100 years.”

The last century represents a time in which Detroit and Southeast Michigan came to national prominence in terms of manufacturing, transportation and defense. The city and state attracted millions of new residents for the good jobs these industries provided.

“Built by the River” in the John A. and Marlene L. Boll Foundation Gallery is the Museum’s new permanent core exhibition that chronicles Detroit’s growth and development into one of the nation’s leading metropolitan regions. Through historic artifacts and interactive displays, the exhibit brings to life the ways Detroiters have used the state’s waters to build industries, engage neighbors and pursue sports and recreational passions.

Robert Sadler, commumications director of the Detroit Historical Society, said he personally enjoys the Dossin’s collection of watersports history. The exhibits will make visitors’ hearts race, preserving the stories of famous drivers and teams, including Roy Dossin, Bill Muncey, J. Lee Schoenith, Chuck Thompson and the historic vessels they drove. One example is Miss Pepsi, a 36-foot unlimited hydroplane created by Roy, Walter and Russell Dossin. The racer is carefully preserved in its own facility at the museum where guests can walk around and inspect the marvel of ingenuity and bravery.

 After inspecting the new facility personally, Detroit Performs can report the changes do not detract in any way from the special character of the Dossin, an institution renown for putting visitors right into the middle of the story, whether the magnificent smoking room of the Great Lakes sidewheel steamer SS City of Detroit III or inside the wheelhouse of the giant ore carrier SS William Clay Ford.

 

Special Re-Opening weekend hours:
noon – 6 p.m. Saturday, May 18
11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday, May 19

Regular hours of operation resume May 25:
Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The Museum will be closed during the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix, June 1 -2, and the Orion Music Festival, June 8 – 9, 2013.

Directions
The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is located on the shores of Detroit’s historic Belle Isle, just east of downtown Detroit.
The island is accessible via I-75, I-375, Grand Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue.
The museum is located at:
100 Strand Drive, Belle Isle
Detroit, MI 48207
313.833.5538

Until Saturday, May 18, visit online.

Filed Under: Community, Fun, History, Reviews, Who We Are Tagged With: , , ,

Palmer Woods Music in Homes – Afro Cuban Jazz

May 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Orquesta-La-Inspiracion-i3

The paradisal spring gardens behind a stately Palmer Woods Mansion will be swaying with the hot rhythms of Orquesta La Inspiracion’s horns, percussion and vocals for the upcoming Palmer Woods Music in Homes concert on Saturday, May 25 at 8 p.m. A delicious Mexican feast will be served during intermission, and the main floor of the home will be open for a tour prior to the concert.

Orquesta La Inspiracion is led by award-winning jazz pianist and music director Bill Meyer. Bringing together veterans of Detroit’s Latin and jazz scenes, his ear respects and his hand reveals these distinct ­traditions to produce authentic music derived from the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. Meyer’s new musical structures also include elements of Yoruban, Congolese, and Dahomean traditions.

This is a concert where the audience is encouraged to not keep still. ­Propelled by the rhythms and tones of Afro-Cuban pop and salsa, those within earshot instantly become part of the unique Latin pulse and are often up on their feet dancing.

The Palmer Woods Music in Homes series presents outstanding live music set in the magnificent homes of one of the City of Detroit’s most beautiful and historic neighborhoods. The 2012-2013 season launched in December, followed by a jazz, classical or world music concert each month in a different magnificent home. The spring-summer concerts are held in beautiful gardens, shelter by a spacious tent.

Tickets, $40 each or $35 for groups of 10 or more, can be purchased at palmerwoods.org or by calling (313) 891-2514. The address of the concert home in Palmer Woods is revealed when tickets are purchased. The concerts are special opportunities to hear world-class musicians who have Detroit-area roots. Included is a reception with delicious food, beverages and desserts (often related to the musical style).

Long considered to be one of Michigan’s premiere communities, Palmer Woods actively works to preserve and enrich the quality of life in Detroit. The concerts help raise funds for neighborhood preservation and improvements, as well as support the arts and project a positive and creative image about Detroit. Performances are held in different historic Palmer Woods mansions and cool homes.

The “concert halls” have included homes designed by legendary architects Minoru Yamasaki, Albert Kahn, Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Marr and others. Concerts are produced by the Creative Arts Collective. The Palmer Woods Association and Creative Arts Collective present Palmer Woods Music in Homes to strengthen our neighborhood and Detroit’s image, showcase Palmer Woods as a wonderful place to live and visit, and enrich the quality of life and cultural environment in our city. Concerts are supported in part by Be Well Medical Center in Berkley, Barefield DesignWorks, Blossoms in Birmingham, City Living Detroit, DMC-Sinai Grace Hospital and WRCJ 90.9 FM.

 

Filed Under: Architecture, Community, Fun, Jazz, Music, Spotlight, World Tagged With: , ,

Oakaloosa Takes Historic Fort Wayne

April 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Historic Fort Wayne

It’s a music festival with a great message and a good cause. The region’s first fully philanthropic music festival, Oakaloosa will take place at Historic Fort Wayne in Detroit July 27.

A percentage of every dollar raised will be put towards the restoration of Historic Fort Wayne in order to help return the Fort to its previous glory and preserve it for future generations to admire and enjoy.

Headlining the festival are national artists Girl Talk and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. Local stars include Royce da 5’9’’, Jessica Hernandez, Trick Trick, Kaleido and Robert James, AKA Robert Ritchie Jr., the 19-year-old son of Kid Rock. Also performing are DJ A.M.F., Ro Spit, Hir-O, Freddy Todd and Paulina Jayne.

Tickets are $45 for general admission. They are available online at www.oakaloosa.com. The first 313 buyers will get a $10 discount.

Oakaloosa is organized and supported by Detroit Sports Zone, Inc., a non-profit group committed to exposing people of all ages to sports, cultural arts, mentoring, life-skill development and character building activities. Additional proceeds from the festival will be used to support the youth sports and mentoring programs provided through Detroit Sports Zone, Inc.

 Detroit Sports Zone Inc.

Founded in 2011, based on the vision of former Harlem Globetrotter Ernest “Wag” Wagner, Detroit Sports Zone, Inc. is committed to exposing youth, adults and older adults to sports, cultural arts, mentoring, life-skill development and character building activities. Detroit Sports Zone, Inc. is a State of Michigan 501c3 non-profit organization and is a pending IRS/501c3 non-profit organization.

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Fly to the Moon

April 21, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Jack Lousma NASA Astronaut EVA Skylab

The Yankee Air Museum has launched its first-ever traveling exhibit and NASA Fly Me to the Moon is out of this world in every way. The opening starred Jack Lousma, former NASA astronaut and always a Michigan hero.

NASA Fly Me to the Moon  includes interactive exhibits, historic artifacts, incredible models and will be on display through May 10, 2013. Yankee Air Museum is located at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti and open Tuesdays through Saturdays. For more information: yankeeairmuseum.org.

A Michigan native, Mr. Lousma is pictured above, high above Earth, on an Extra-Vehicular Activity while a member of the second manned crew on the Sklyab Space Station. He later served as commander of the third Space Shuttle mission, the test flight STS-3.

Skylab space station

Mr. Lousma also served on the astronaut support crews of the Apollo 9, 10, and 13 missions. The line made famous in the movie “Apollo 13″ — “Houston, we have a problem” — was received at NASA Mission Control in Houston by Jack Lousma.

The NASA Fly Me to the Moon exhibition represents the first ever travelling exhibition hosted by the Yankee Air Museum. The exhibit is made possible through the services of the Kalamazoo Air Zoo and NASA.

The exhibition features one-third scale models of the Apollo Command/Service Module and Lunar (Excursion) Module. Visitors will learn about science gained though manned space exploration, including America’s first manned space observatory aboard Sklylab, which provided groundbreaking information about solar physics.

Exhibits and activities also include:

  • Interactive Science Experiments
  • Shuttle Repair Station
  • Astronomy Observation Station
  • Moonwalk
  • Velcro Wall
  • Bungee Run
  • The chance to fly an education simulator in a NASA F-18 over Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral

 

Apollo 17 Commander Eugene Cernan salutes the flag of the United States of America

Apollo 17 Commander Eugene Cernan salutes the flag of the United States of America during the mission’s first of two lunar EVA. In the background are the Lunar (Excursion) Module and the General Motors-built Lunar Rover. Cernan and astronaut-geologist Harrison Schmitt stayed on the surface of the moon in the Taurus-Littrow lunar valley for three days while astronaut Ronald Evans piloted the Command Module overhead.

Filed Under: Fun, History, Reviews, Science, Who We Are Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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