Observer Editor
Community Listing
Online Event
Creative Washtenaw Event
Free Event
Donation Suggested
Hybrid Event
Events in January 2023
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Looking for live music tonight?
Visit our Nightspots listing.
January 27, 2023
“Cultural Exchange Rate”: University Musical Society.
Jan. 24–29. Lebanese artist Tania El Khoury shares her family’s memories of life in villages on the border of Lebanon and Syria through this interactive performance art piece in which each ticketholder is invited to peek into various boxes to explore the sounds, images, and textures hidden inside that are built out of recorded interviews with El Khoury’s late grandmother, material from her newly discovered relatives in Mexico City, and family memories of more than a century of border crossings. Timed entry every 90 minutes, 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. U-M Stamps Gallery, 210 S. Division. Tickets $25 (students, $12) in advance only at tickets.UMS.org. 764–2538.
“The Plastic Bag Store”: University Musical Society/U-M Museum of Art/U-M Graham Sustainability Institute.
Jan. 17 and every Wed.–Sun., Jan. 18–Feb. 5. Film and theater director Robin Frohardt’s public art installation and immersive film screening uses humor and a critical lens to question our culture of consumption and convenience, with a focus on the effects of single-use plastic addiction. Shelves are stocked with thousands of original sculptures of everyday goods—produce and meat, dry goods and toiletries—all made from discarded single-use plastics. Several times a day, the “store” is transformed into a film screen that uses puppetry, shadowplay, and handmade sets to tell a darkly comedic story of how what we value least may become our most lasting cultural legacy. The Plastic Bag Store premiered in Times Square in 2020 and has toured across the U.S. 8 p.m. (Tues.), 6 & 8 p.m. (Wed.–Fri.); 2, 4, 6, & 8 p.m. (Sat.); & 2, 5, & 7 p.m. (Sun.), location TBA at tickets.ums.org. Mask required if Washtenaw County is in the CDC’s high-risk category. Tickets $30 (students $12) in advance at tickets.ums.org, at the Michigan League box office, & by phone, and (if available) at the door. 764–2538.
“You on the Moors Now”: Pioneer Theatre Guild.
Jan. 27-29. Alex Leydenfrost & Julia Glander direct high school students in Jaclyn Backhaus’s 2019 play, a work of feminist meta-fiction that brings together a quartet of 19th-century literary heroines—Jane Austen’s Elizabeth Bennet, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Louisa May Alcott’s Jo March, and Emily Brontë’s Catherine Earnshaw—who, after rejecting marriage proposals from their respective suitors, turn tradition on its head and speak freely and farcically about love, relationships, social pressures, and the patriarchy. 7:30 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.) & 2 p.m. (Sat. & Sun), PHS Little Theater, 601 W. Stadium. Tickets $15 (students & seniors, $10) in advance at bit.ly/phsyouonthemoorsnow & at the door. kelmigianj@aaps.k12.mi.us.
Preschool Storytimes: AADL.
Rise and Shine Exercise: Pittsfield Township Senior Center.
Crafting Social Hour: Pittsfield Township Senior Center.
“Stories and Science: All About Weather”: AADL Pittsfield.
“Investigate Labs”: U-M Natural History Museum.
“Living with Osteoarthritis”: Pittsfield Township Senior Center.
Coffee & Conversation: Pittsfield Township Community Center.
Chime Concert: Kerrytown Market & Shops.
Tai Chi: U-M Turner Senior Wellness Program.
Duplicate Bridge: Ann Arbor City Club.
Every Tues., Thurs., & Fri. All invited to play ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge (Tues. & Fri.) or a 499er game for players with no more than 499 ACBL master points (Thurs.). 1–4 p.m. or so (arrive by 12:45 p.m.), City Club, 1830 Washtenaw Ave. $6 per person. If you plan to come without a partner, email kahanae@yahoo.net or ronmeade@comcast.net beforehand.
“D & D Adventures”: Sylvan Factory.
“Your Kingdom”: Literati Bookstore.
Brown University literary arts professor Eleni Sikelianos discusses her new poetry collection, a lyrically experimental ode to our animal origins that finds solace in the complexity of our natural lineage as we face the present environmental precarity. 6:30 p.m., Literati, 124 E. Washington. Free. 585–5567.
Magic: The Gathering: Sylvan Factory.
Every Mon.–Wed., Fri., & Sat. All invited to play various forms of the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering. Mon. 6:30–10 p.m.: Power Cards, $10. Tues. 6–9 p.m.: MTG Pauper, a fun and fast format for all skill levels, $5. Wed. 5–8 p.m.: Casual Commander, the most popular form of the game, free. Fri. 6:30–10 p.m.: Magic rotating draft, cost varies. Sat. noon–3 p.m.: Intro to Magic: The Gathering, free. Sat. 6–10 p.m.: Commander Pods, casual groups of 4 players, free. Prizes paid in store credit. Various times. Sylvan Factory, 2459 W. Stadium. info@sylvanfactory.com, 929–5877.
“Chicago: Teen Edition”: Huron High School Players
Jan. 27-29 & Feb. 3-5. Huron students perform a stage adaptation of this 1975 musical, a satire on corruption in the criminal justice system and the “celebrity criminal” set in 1920s Chicago. Music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and book by Ebb and Bob Fosse, whose style is strongly identified with the show. 7 p.m. (Fri.-Sat.) & 2 p.m. (Sun.), HHS Ingram Theater, 2727 Fuller. Tickets $15 (students, staff, & seniors, $10) in advance at huronplayers.weebly.com & at the door. 994-2097.
“Facts and Fiction”: Booksweet Bookshop.
Readings by local writers. Jean Alicia Elster is the author of the 2021 young adult Black family saga How It Happens, and A.H. Kim wrote A Good Family, a semi-autobiographical 2020 domestic suspense novel. Mott Hospital infectious disease physician Janet Gilsdorf is author of the 2022 scientific suspense novel Fever, and Laura Morrison wrote the 2021 fantasy How to Break an Evil Curse. 7 p.m., Booksweet, Courtyard Shops, 1729 Plymouth Rd. Mask policy follows CDC guidelines. Free, but registration requested at bit.ly/local-writers-1-27-23. shopbooksweet.com.
“Left Behind: Rise of the Antichrist”: Fathom Events.
Fathom Events. 973–8424 (Ann Arbor 20), 316–5500 (Emagine). Tickets $11.50–$12.50 (except as noted) in advance at fathomevents.com/events and at the door. Ann Arbor 20 (4100 Carpenter) & Emagine (1335 E. Michigan Ave., Saline), different times.
Jan. 26-29: (Kevin Sorbo, 2023). Action sequel about a world left in chaos after millions of people vanish in a rapture-like event. 7 p.m. (Thurs. & Fri.) and 3 p.m. (Sat. & Sun.).
“Pokémon Trivia Night”: The Creature Conservancy.
All age 21 & up invited to answer Pokémon-related trivia questions and see a display of Pokémon-related animals, including a muntjac deer, wolf, skunk, coyote, and more. Alcoholic beverages available. 7–9:30 p.m., Creature Conservancy, 4950 Ann Arbor–Saline Rd. $35 in advance at TheCreatureConservancy.org. 929–9324.
Alex Harding and ORGAN NATION: Blue LLama Jazz Club
A powerful and innovative saxophonist, ALEX HARDING has a unique and contemporary baritone sound. ORGAN NATION is an exciting organ trio led by Harding, exploring all facets of African American music from deepest blues to the funkiest funk to the most swingin’ swing.
314 S. Main St ,Ann Arbor. Pre-Pay Light Fare+Libations or Dinner+Show at opentable.com $35–85. hello@bluellamaclub.com bluellamaclub.com 734-372-3200.Jake Mattera: Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase.
Jan. 26–28. This Philadelphia-based comic is known for his loveable brand of wholesome humor, a mixture of smart, silly, and self-deprecating jokes about marriage, parenthood, and daily life. His 2021 comedy album, A Soft One, is streaming on YouTube. Preceded by 2 opening acts. Alcohol is served. 7:15 p.m. (Thurs.–Sat.) & 9:45 p.m. (Sat.), 212 S. Fourth Ave. $18 ($13 Thurs.) reserved seating in advance at etix.com before 6 p.m. the night of the show; $20 ($15 Thurs.) general admission at the door. 996–9080.
RESCHEDULED for Mar. 3 & 4 - “Wine, Women, & Song XXI: Coming of Age”: Kerrytown Concert House.
Originally scheduled for Fri. Jan. 27-Sun., Jan. 29, 2023; rescheduled to Fri. Mar. 3 & Sat. Mar. 4, 2023. Current ticketholders see KerrytownConcertHouse.com for details on how to get their tickets transferred. Remaining tickets will go on sale once all transfers have been honored.
Jan. 27–29. Popular annual show, with local female vocalists TBA presenting musical numbers about friendship, irreverence, fun, and dressing up. Piano accompanist is R. MacKenzie Lewis. 7:30 p.m., KCH, 415 N. Fourth Ave. Livestream available at KerrytownConcertHouse.com. Tickets $29–$80 in advance online and (if available) at the door. 769–2999.
“Into the Labyrinth: A History of Physics From Galileo to Dark Matter”: U-M Center for World Performance Studies.
U-M music professor Michael Gould, Oakland University music professor Alberto Rojo, and U-M grad student Nicholas Balla premiere their original mixed-media piece highlighting turning points in the history of physics that alternates spoken word fragments from the writings of 13 of the most prominent physicists (including a newly translated work by Nobel laureate Elfriede Jelinek) with original songs based on each fragment. The songs are set to music blending elements of jazz and Argentinian folk music that is performed by a 20-piece music student wind ensemble conducted by Balla and featuring Rojo on guitar and vocals and Gould on drums. With narration by U-M drama professor Malcolm Tulip. 8 p.m., U-M Residential College Keene Theater, 701 E. University. Free; limited capacity so arrive early. 936–2777.
“Seeing in Depth”: U-M Detroit Observatory.
Observatory staff discuss a topic TBA related to discoveries, astronomers, and people from the Observatory's past. Followed by the chance to peer through the observatory and rooftop telescopes (weather permitting) and to view planetarium shows. 8–10 p.m., Detroit Observatory, 1398 Ann. Preregistration required at detroitobservatory.umich.edu. Free. 764–3482.
“The Legacy of George Crumb”: U-M Music School.
See 25 Wednesday. Tonight: Jayce Ogren directs the music-student Contemporary Directions Ensemble in Crumb’s string quartet Black Angels and the 3rd volume of his acclaimed Makrokosmos series for 2 pianos and percussion. Also, shorter works by Bartók, the late U-M music professor Ross Lee Finney, contemporary Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov, and up-and-coming avant-garde American composer Gabriela Smith. 8 p.m., Hankinson Rehearsal Hall, 1100 Baits. Free.
Aaron Diehl Trio: University Musical Society.
Acclaimed Harlem-based virtuoso jazz pianist Diehl, who has performed with Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Philip Glass, and Cécile McLorin Salvant, leads his trio in “Mirrors,” a showcase of its fluency in both the classical repertoire and dynamic jazz improvisation. The program explores the connections between J.S. Bach’s counterpoint and the improvisational vocabulary of bebop by interspersing solo sections from The Well-Tempered Clavier with works by Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Bud Powell, and Diehl’s own music in corresponding keys. With bassist David Wong and drummer Aaron Kimmel. 8 p.m., Rackham Auditorium. Mask required if Washtenaw County is in the CDC’s high-risk category. Tickets $29-$61 (students $15-$53), in advance at tickets.ums.org, at the Michigan League, by phone, and (if available) at the door. 764–2538.
“Mulholland Drive”: State Theatre.
State Theatre. Film screenings every Wed.–Sun. Tickets $10.50 unless otherwise noted (children under 12, students, seniors age 65 & older, & U.S. veterans, $8:50; MTF members, $8) in advance online (recommended) & at the door. For updated schedule, see MichTheater.org.
Jan. 27: (David Lynch, 2001). Neo-noir mystery thriller, set in a dream-like L.A., about the aftermath of a car crash and a woman’s search for her true identity. 9:30 p.m.
