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

Filed Under: Fun, History, News, Video, Words Tagged With: , , ,

Echoes of War

May 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

River Raisin Centre for the Arts presents Echoes of War

On Saturday, June 22, the River Raisin Centre for the Arts will present Echoes of War. An evening of history and beauty, the multimedia event celebrates the rich history of Monroe and the region’s pivotal role in the history of the United States of America.

Echoes of War will approach the pivotal battle during the War of 1812  from both a literary and an historical standpoint, in grateful remembrance of the toils and risks of those who made possible our freedom today. The conflict will be remembered with exhilarating performances by dance companies, musicians, choral groups, poetry and spoken word.

The performance is based upon the poems, not of great poets, but upon “the simple, home-spun effusions of the American Muse breathing the spirit of time: contributions to contemporary papers by subscribers, who in most cases, would not even sign their names.”

The poetry used in this production are taken from a collection of poems relating to evens of our last war with England entitled: “War: Echoes of 1812-13,” found in the Published Quarterly by St. John’s University, Toledo, Ohio.

Echoes of War is produced by the River Raisin Centre for the Performing Arts and the Monroe County Historical Museum. You can enjoy a preview video on YouTube.

“Dance and the performing arts have the power to not only encode memory, but also evoke it.” — Lora Wilson Mau

 

Filed Under: Community, Education, Film, History, Spotlight, Video, Who We Are Tagged With: ,

The Green Room: the Drummer – Sean Dobbins

April 24, 2013 By

One of Detroit’s most sought after Jazz drummers Sean Dobbins shows us a slice of his very busy life.

The Green Room series is produced by Roy Feldman for Detroit Performs.

To see more artists in the Green Room, please click here.

Filed Under: Jazz, Music, Reviews, Video, Who We Are Tagged With: , , , ,

The Poet – The Green Room

March 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment

“Undercurrent” is the latest of poems by Victor “Billione” Walker, a native Detroit writer and activist who uses poetry as a method to share his cultural experiences. He is the founder and editor of Detroit Poetry Blog detroitpoetry.blogspot.com a source of information about poetry related events and venues in the Detroit Area. “Billione” will be releasing a collection of poetry entitled “Grand River” later this year.

PRODUCER NOTE: In an effort to remain true to the poet’s vision the location of each image was suggested by Mr. Walker.

ZOO WATER TOWER PICTURE: by William Archie used with the kind permission of the Detroit Free Press.

All other images by Roy Feldman.

The Green Room series is produced by Roy Feldman for Detroit Performs. To see more artists in the Green Room, please click here.

Filed Under: Detroit Inspires, Film, Photography, Reviews, Video, Words Tagged With: , , , ,

The Planets – DSO is Live Online Tonight

March 4, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Saturn from NASA Cassini probe

Look up, listen, and lift-off! Tonight, Saturday, May 4 at 8 p.m. you can experience the Detroit Symphony Orchestra perform “The Planets,” the monumental musical grand tour of the solar system by Gustav Holst. The program will be webcast live on DSO.org/live.

The DSO will be led by John Storgårds, conductor. Women of the MSU Chorale are featured artists.

The Program 

LIGETI Lontano for Orchestra

IVES Symphony No. 4*

HOLST The Planets

* Encore presentation conducted by Leonard Slatkin.

Of course, you can also get tickets and hear the concert in-person. Call: (313) 576-5111 or click: DSO.org.

 

Filed Under: Classical, Music, Reviews, Video Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Four Strings Like You’ve Never Heard

March 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Jake Shimabukuro

In the hands of a master, the ukulele can be a most amazing musical instrument. Its four strings are capable of sounding like a classical guitar or like the rhythm section of a jazz ensemble or a sound only a uke can make.

In the hands of Jake Shimabukuro, the ukulele is all that and then something else entirely. The instrument becomes a portal to special world where music brings people together in a very special way.

Experience for Jake Shimabukoro: Life on Four Strings comes to Detroit Public Television Channel 56 on Sunday, May 12 at 5 p.m. The program tells  the heartfelt story of a musical sensation who has catapulted the ukulele to never-before-imagined heights as he touches the lives of the young and old who inspire his brilliance.

Learn more online and catch the trailer at www.lifeonfourstrings.com.

In Michigan, ukulele’s have become a craze on the local music scene. They can be relatively inexpensive to buy and easy to play and learn. Some stores are catching the wave and sponsor “Intro to the Ukulele” classes. A number of adult summer music camps are also offering ukulele programs, as well.

 

Filed Under: Film, Jazz, Music, Popular, Video, Who We Are, World Tagged With: , , , ,

Gov. Rick Snyder at Wayne State University Online

March 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder announced today that he had determined the City of Detroit is in a state of financial emergency and that he will appoint an emergency financial manager to run Michigan’s largest municipality. Gov. Snyder made the announcement in a special program at Wayne State University Friday.

Gov. Snyder also said Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and the Detroit City Council have 10 days to appeal the decision.

The presentation and discussion was hosted by the MiWeek team – Christy McDonald, Nolan Finley and Stephen Henderson.

Detroit Public Television aired the entire address live on our main channel, Channel 56. DPTV also made it available on the web at:  http://www.dptv.org/gov.

MiWeek will air a longer one-on-one interview with the Governor tonight at 7:30 on MiWeek.org.

Public Broadcasting – America’s Best Investment
We educate, entertain and inspire 170 million citizens, voters, and children
Speak up for public broadcasting at 170MillionAmericans.org

 

Filed Under: Community, History, Video, Who We Are Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Day Tripper Film Series

February 27, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Cave of Forgotten Dreams by Werner Herzog

Cranbrook Art Museum describes its new “Day Tripper” film series as “Art House Cinema, Close to Home.”

As those who appreciate the cinematic arts and sciences, we agree wholeheartedly. And if you’re anywhere in Southeast Michigan and enjoy the finest in filmmaking, we think you’ll agree.

The Day Tripper Film Series will run on Sunday afternoons and will begin at 2:30 p.m. by showcasing video and film shorts from current Cranbrook Academy of Art students. The feature film will follow at 3 p.m.

The films will be presented in deSalle Auditorium using Cranbrook Art Museum’s new state-of-the-art high-definition projector and screen ensuring an incomparable visual experience.

The films scheduled are:

February 10: “Paris, Texas” by Wim Wenders

February 24: “Slacker” by Richard Linklater

March 10: “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” by Werner Herzog (image pictured above)

March 24: “Wild at Heart” by David Lynch

 The “Day Tripper” film series is curated and introduced by Cranbrook Academy of Art student Chanel Von Habsburg-Lothringen. The program works in tandem with the current exhibition, “From Here to There: Alec Soth’s America.” The films presented ask the viewer to reconsider our shared conventions of the American road trip and to examine the characters we encounter along the way who become the center of our experience.

Each film is free with museum admission.

Thank you for the heads-up to David and Kathleen Marcaccio, publishers of the Weekly eCalendar of Detroit History and Cultural Heritage Events.

 

Filed Under: Art & Design, Culture, Film, Reviews, Video, Who We Are Tagged With: , , , , ,

To Market, To Market

February 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Luis Resto performs The Cut at Music Hall Jazz Cafe

Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings presents jazz pianist Luis Resto and cellist Debra Fayroian in “To Market, To Market,” a special collaboration on Sunday, April 28. The DCWS Structurally Sound series performance begins at 3 p.m. at the Red Bull House of Art in Detroit’s Eastern Market.

To Market, To Market will feature DCWS cellist Debra Fayroian and Detroit jazz pianist Luis Resto. DCWS’ newest chamber music series, Structurally Sound presents chamber music in architecturally significant or interesting spaces with repertoire that relates to the space’s unique qualities. Matthew Eaton, curator at the Red Bull House of Art, will speak at the concert.

Fayroian and Resto will perform a number of works for cello and piano including contemporary French composer Claude Bolling’s “Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano.” A skilled jazz pianist, Bolling’s work easily mixes the key elements of jazz and classical music for a lively and fresh look at both musical genres. The work will also include Dan Kolton on acoustic bass and Tom Brown on drums.

Other works for cello and piano will include the world premiere of a new work by Resto titled “E minor Menagerie” and Resto’s “Chant Native American” for electric cello and piano.

The concert will also feature a performance of “the Cut,” a multimedia presentation that is a collaboration between Luis Resto and photographer Michelle Andonian. The presentation visually explores the Dequindre Cut Greenway, a 1.35-mile path that runs behind Eastern Market in an ever-evolving multimedia presentation that pairs silent film and still photographs with a blend of traditional and synthesis music improvised by Resto. The video and stills are projected onto a screen with Resto in the middle playing his piano. His live performance becomes part of the video.

The Red Bull House of Art opened in May of 2012 with its first exhibit featuring the works of eight Detroit artists. The house allows up and coming artists the chance to develop their skill and showcase their abilities in a collaborative and inspirational environment by exploring new themes and innovative ideas.

Initial funding for Structurally Sound came as part of a larger grant awarded to DCWS by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan in honor of Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings’ 30th year. The grant was given to support new initiatives by DCWS.

Tickets for Structurally Sound are available by calling (248) 559-2095 or going online to detroitchamberwinds.org. Ticket prices are $35 for adults, $30 for seniors (60+), and $10 for students (under 25). Tickets will be $5 more at the door. The concert will take place in the Red Bull House of Art building in Detroit Eastern Market located at 1551 Winder Street. Space is limited, please call ahead to reserve.

 

REPERTOIRE

Chant Native American for electric cello & piano……………………………..Luis Resto

The Cut………………………………………………………Michelle Andonian and Luis Resto

Apres un Reve………………………………………………………………………….Gabriel Faure

Vocalise…………………………………………………………………………………..Rachmaninoff

E minor Menagerie piano & cello (WORLD PREMIERE)…………………..Luis Resto

Suite for Cello & Jazz Piano Trio………………………………………………..Claude Bolling

 

ABOUT DETROIT CHAMBER WINDS & STRINGS

Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings is an ensemble committed to bringing to life the body of repertoire that utilizes between 6 & 20 musicians. DCWS musicians are drawn primarily from the Detroit Symphony and Michigan Opera Theatre orchestras. Now in its 31st year, Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings presents an annual subscription series, the Nightnotes series, and new in 2012, the Structurally Sound series. Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings was named Crain’s Detroit Business 2010 Best-Managed Nonprofit. For more information, call (248) 559-2095 or visit www.detroitchamberwinds.org.

The image above shows Luis Resto performing The Cut at Music Hall Center for the Peforming Arts’ Jazz Cafe. In addition to outstanding music, video and images from Dequindre Cut Pathway linking downtown with Eastern Market are projected onto various surfaces  to create an extraordinary experience. For some, the performance evoked a sensation of being part of the Detroit scene today and part of the City’s future.

Filed Under: Art & Design, Classical, Community, Culture, Jazz, Music, Photography, Reviews, Video, Who We Are Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Ten Buildings That Changed America

February 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Cranbrook-Academy-of-Art

The always-colorful and interesting Reed Kroloff, architect, editor, educator, and Director of the Cranbrook Academy of Art, is featured tonight on “Ten Buildings That Changed American,” an upbeat DPTV program that also features the Ford Highland Park Plant.

“10 Buildings” is a one-hour dash through more than 200 years of the remarkably creative output of American architecture, and we hope you enjoy it. The program airs Thursday at 9 p.m. and again this Sunday at 4 p.m.

Details from PBS:

Ever wondered how your house got its plan? Or why you occupy your office the way you do? How would you have designed an airport if you didn’t know what a jet was?

These questions and more are addressed in the new PBS documentary “10 Buildings that Changed America,” airing this week on Detroit Public Television. As its title suggests, the program considers how 10 landmark buildings reshaped life as we know it in the United States.

Hosted by Geoffrey Baer, the program features interviews with leading architects, historians, and critics, including Reed Kroloff, Director of the Art Academy. Speaking from the living room of Saarinen house, Reed appears in a number of the show’s ten segments, which includes an analysis of Eero Saarinen’s Dulles Airport, the original model of which now resides in the Cranbrook Art Museum.

 

So, what are the most important buildings
and greatest architecture in Michigan? 

We asked The Michigan Architectural Foundation for an answer.

They recommended Great Architecture of Michigan by John Gallagher (author) and Balthazar Korab (photographer).

As Senator Carl Levin points out in the forward to the book, “The State of Michigan, almost entirely surrounded by the world’s greatest fresh waters, has one of the most distinctive and easily recognizable boundaries on the planet.  But the state’s geography is just one of the forms that has shaped Michigan’s story of growth and production.  Another enduring backdrop is the buildings that have housed some of Michigan’s finest moments, with architecture that is as diverse and eclectic as the people of Michigan.”

Looking for more information about Michigan’s architecture? 

The Michigan Architectural Foundation is an excellent resource to connect people with architecture in Michigan, through a variety of tools, including the library that is under development.

The Michigan Architectural Foundation serves as a resource to connect people with architecture in Michigan through a comprehensive collection of resources published on MichiganArchitecturalFoundation.org – from grants to facilitate historic preservation to scholarships to support the profession and perpetuation of architecture.  Educational resources also are available through the Michigan Architectural Foundation, including a curriculum for elementary grades, an architectural handbook for high school students and summer camps held across the state.  The Foundation has just begun efforts to assemble a Library of Architecture that will be housed in existing libraries.

Want to stay connected to Michigan architecture?  Join the Foundation on Facebook, Twitter or Linked in, or sign up to receive their blog or e-newsletter.

Michigan Architectural Foundation is dedicated to the promotion, perpetuation and preservation of architecture as a fine art. By serving as a visible resource for funding, information and educational programs, we increase the public’s appreciation for architecture, which encourages cohesive, sustainable communities, increasing economic value, enriching experiences and adding beauty.

 

 


 

Filed Under: Architecture, Art & Design, Culture, Detroit Inspires, History, Painting, Reviews, Sculpture, Video, Who We Are, Words Tagged With: , , , ,
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