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Events in February 2023
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February 19, 2023
“Getting Dressed”: University Musical Society Digital Presentation.
Feb. 13–24: Online presentation for kids in grades preK–2. The U.K. dance company Second Hand Dance presents a series of 5 short, lively dance films in which everyday clothing is transformed into a celebration of individuality. With animations and an 80s-inspired soundtrack. Anytime from Feb. 13 until Feb. 24. For URL, go to ums.org/performance/getting-dressed, or preregister to be reminded. Free. 764–2538.
"Science Forum Demos”: U-M Museum of Natural History.
Every Sat. & Sun. (except Feb. 5 & 11). Hands-on 20-minute family-oriented demos for ages 5 & up. “Life: How Do We Find It?” (11 a.m.) features a re-creation of an experiment from the Mars Viking Landers expedition to show how scientists search for life on other planets. A Cow Eye Dissection (3 p.m.) explores how vision works in different animals and how to keep our eyes healthy. 11 a.m. & 3 p.m., MNH, 1105 North University. Free. 764–0478.
Museum Highlight Tours: U-M Museum of Natural History.
Every Sat. & Sun., except Feb. 5 & 11. 30-minute tour of the museum exhibits and galleries, including Evolution: Life Through Time and artist Jim Cogswell’s Unseen Worlds installation. Also, an introduction to some current U-M biological sciences research projects. Noon & 2 p.m., MNH, 1105 North University. Free. Limited capacity. Sign up at the welcome desk. 764–0478.
U-M Museum of Natural History Planetarium & Dome Theater.
Every Fri.–Sun. & Feb. 20. Three different audiovisual planetarium shows suitable for all ages. Sea Monsters (11:30 a.m.) follows a curious dolichorhynchops (an extinct species of marine reptile) as she travels through the most dangerous oceans in history. The Sky Tonight (12:30 & 2:30 p.m.) is an exploration of the current night sky, with tips on how to find the cardinal directions, constellations, and planets on your own. Mars: One Thousand One (1:30 p.m.) tells the story of what humans might face with the first manned journey to Mars. Also, at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 11, Did an Asteroid Really Kill the Dinosaurs? looks at cosmic collisions across the solar system including the 6-mile-wide asteroid that hit the earth 66 million years ago. Various times, MNH, 1105 North University. $8. Limited capacity. 764–0478.
“Weekend Walk for Birds at Nichols Arboretum”: Washtenaw Audubon Society.
“Rescue Reading”: HSHV.
Every Sun. (10–11:30 a.m.): Kids invited to read to adoptable animals to work on their reading skills, using their own or provided books. Also, a group read-aloud and a dog meet-and-greet. For kids ages 6–11. No adults. HSHV. $15. Preregistration required at tickettailor.com/events/hshv, humaneed@hshv.org, 661–3575.
53rd Annual Train Show and Sale: Ann Arbor Model Railroad Club.
Feb. 18 & 19. The Midwest’s largest model railroad flea market, with more than 300 tables, draws model railroaders, collectors, and train buffs from all over to display, trade, and sell model railroad equipment and memorabilia. Also, a kids’ zone, displays of model train operating layouts, clinics by model railroad club members, and a raffle. Concessions. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. (Sat.) & 10 a.m.–3 p.m. (Sun.), Saline Middle School, 7190 N. Maple, Saline. $6 (scouts in uniform, free; kids age 10 & under, free with a paid adult). 426–0829.
“Ancient Wisdom. Modern Times”: Jewel Heart Tibetan Buddhist Center Sunday Talks.
Every Sun. Livestream talks by Jewel Heart resident spiritual advisor Demo Rinpoche, followed by a discussion facilitated by Jewel Heart staffers. Once a month, Demo Rinpoche presents a story from Jakata Tales, the Indian canon of 547 poems, dated 300 BC–400 AD, that concern the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. The Feb. 5 topic is “The Pitcher,” a tale about avoiding intoxication. 11 a.m., for URL preregister at bit.ly/jeweldharmatalk. Free. 994–3387.
“Investigate Labs”: U-M Natural History Museum.
Sunday Salon Series: Catch Us While You Can.
Every Sun. A different lineup of activities each week, from readings, concerts, and show & sale of artworks to informal jam sessions and other impromptu events. Also, tea & croissants available for a donation. Feb. 5: Silver and gold jewelry, made using the remains of real honeybees by Chris Hippler. Feb. 12: North Country Opera songwriter Jay Stielstra reads from his first novel, Meet Me at the River (2022), a tale of murder and self-discovery set in the UP. Feb. 19: Live Celtic-grounded original music by local ensemble Nutshell. Also, a reading by local poet Sue Budin, whose 2022 collection is False Borders. Feb. 26: A preview of Reconstructed Landscapes, the Chenille Sisters’ Cheryl Dawdy’s book of collage art, poetry, and song lyrics. Also, Dawdy and friends perform some of her songs. 11 a.m.–1 p.m., A Makeshift Gallery, 407 E. Liberty. Free admission. Cheryldawdy.com, cldawdy@gmail.com.
First United Methodist Church Conversations About Science and Religion.
H.A.C. Ultimate.
“Critter House Open Hours”: Leslie Science & Nature Center.
“Annual Chili Cook-Off”: Ann Arbor Civic Theatre Fundraiser.
“Valentine Partner Yoga”: Ann Arbor YMCA.
All age 13 & up welcome to learn partner poses from YMCA yoga teacher Matt Edwards. Open to all body types and levels of experience. Couples, parent-and-child duos, and friend duos are welcome. 1–3 p.m., Ann Arbor YMCA, 400 W. Washington. $45 per person ($35, YMCA member). Preregistration required at bit.ly/valentineyogaYMCA.
“Bonnets: How Ladies of Good Standing are Induced to Murder”: U-M Theatre Department.
Feb. 16–19. Priscilla Lindsay directs drama majors in American playwright Jen Silverman’s 2020 absurdist and campy exploration of love and violence. The plot subverts the historic illustrations of well-behaved women, jumping between the 17th- and 19th-century in France, England, and Salem (MA) to tell the story of 3 young women driven by patriarchal power to commit murder in a variety of ways. 7:30 p.m. (Thurs.), 8 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.), & 2 p.m. (Sun.), Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. $27–$34 in advance at tickets.smtd.umich.edu and at the door. 764–2538.
“Depths of Wikipedia”: Ann Arbor District Library Nerd Nite.
“Human Error”: Purple Rose Theatre Company.
Every Wed.–Sun., Feb. 3–Mar. 18. Lynch Travis directs the Michigan premiere of Ohio-based playwright Eric Pfeffinger’s political comedy about a liberal couple trying to start a family whose fertilized embryo is accidentally implanted in the uterus of a small-government-supporting NRA cardholder. Cast: Henrí Franklin, Alex Leydenfrost, Kristin Shields, Kevin Theis, and Meghan VanArsdalen. 3 p.m. (Wed., Thurs., & Sat.), 8 p.m. (Thurs.–Sat., except Feb. 9), & 2 p.m. (Sun.), Purple Rose Theatre, 137 Park St., Chelsea. Tickets $21–$52 in advance at PurpleRoseTheatre.org and by phone, and (if available) at the door. Discounts available for students, seniors, teachers, military personnel, and groups. 433–7673.
“Stick Fly”: EMU Theatre Department.
Feb. 10–12 & 17–19. Fraser High School drama teacher Randy Stewart, an EMU grad, directs EMU drama students in Detroit native Lydia Diamond’s witty 2006 comic drama about a Black family gathering on otherwise all-white Martha’s Vineyard during which adult children, their new love interests, and their parents argue about family secrets, privilege, and race. Suggested for mature audiences. 7 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.) & 2 p.m. (Sun.), EMU Legacy Theatre, 124 Judy Sturgis Hill Bldg., Ypsilanti. Tickets $7–$18 in advance at emich.ludus.com & at the door. 487–2282.
“The Importance of Being Earnest”: U-M Musical Theatre Studio.
Feb. 16–19. Vincent Cardinal directs U-M musical theater students as they work on their acting skills in Oscar Wilde’s deliciously irreverent comedy of manners, a late Victorian classic whose strongest attraction is Wilde’s wonderfully etched epigrammatic language. The story concerns a foundling who must establish his bona fides to the satisfaction of his prospective mother-in-law, London’s leading social dragon, who is not about to allow her daughter to marry a nobody. 7:30 p.m. (Thurs.), 8 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.), & 2 p.m. (Sun.), U-M Walgreen Drama Center Arthur Miller Theatre, 1226 Murfin, North Campus. Tickets $23 in advance at tickets.smtd.umich.edu and at the door.
“The Language Archive”: Theatre Nova.
Every Fri.–Sun., Feb. 3–26. Carla Milarch directs this Michigan premiere of Julia Cho’s whimsical 2010 romantic comedy about a man obsessed with documenting the dying languages of far-flung cultures even as his own capacity to communicate, along with his marriage, is deteriorating. 2 p.m. (Sun.), 7:30 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.), & 3 p.m. (Sat.), Theatre Nova, 410 W. Huron St. Mask & proof of vaccination required. Tickets $22 ($10 for kids under 17) in advance at theatre-nova.ticketleap.com and (if available) at the door. 635–8450.
“Vernal Pool Patrol”: Waterloo Natural History Association.
Naturalist Doug Jackson discusses woodland pools and their residents, creatures such as translucent fairy shrimp, fingernail clams, and freeze-tolerant wood frogs, which survive winter buried in the mud with the water in their bodies frozen around their vital organs. He also talks about how to participate in a statewide citizen scientist program collecting data to protect these important ecosystems. 2–3 p.m., Eddy Discovery Center, 17030 Bush Rd., Chelsea. Free. Preregistration required by calling 475–3170; space limited. $12 ($17 at the gate) recreation passport required.
International Folk Dance: Ann Arbor Community for Traditional Music and Dance
Join for International Folkdance. There will be one hour of teaching starting at 2 pm, then two hours of open dancing starting at 3 pm, with special attention to requests.
Please bring a water bottle and a good-fitting mask. AACTMAD events require participants to be masked).
“Moby Dick! The Musical”: Ann Arbor Musical Theater Works.
Thurs.–Sun., Feb. 9–19. Ron Baumanis directs local actors in this high-camp 1990 West End (London) hit about a theatrical adaptation of Melville’s Moby-Dick by an all-girls school staged in a swimming pool to hilarious effect. With a pop-rock score and book by Robert Longden and Hereward Kaye. Adult material; ages 13 years and up only. 7:30 p.m. (Thurs.-Sat.) & 2:30 p.m. (Sun.), Children’s Creative Center stage, 1600 Pauline St. Tickets $25 at annarbormusicaltheaterworks.com 546–5087.
“Get SCRAPpy!”: AADL Traverwood.
“Bound to the Fire: How Virginia’s Enslaved Cooks Helped Invent American Cuisine”: Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor.
“Mr. B’s Birthday Bounce”: Kerrytown Concert House.
Popular annual concert by world-renowned local blues pianist Mark “Mr. B” Braun, an exuberant, powerful performer whose repertoire includes both boogie-woogie and blues classics, along with some originals in the same vein. With guest artists TBA. 4 p.m., KCH, 415 N. Fourth Ave. Livestream also available. Tickets $29–$50 (students $19) in advance at kerrytownconcerthouse.com and (if available) at the door. Reservations recommended. 769–2999.
“Pupusas”: Bløm Meadworks Makers Series.
Pilar’s Tamales owner Sylvia Nolasco-Rivers shows how to make pupusas, Salvadoran stuffed cornmeal cakes, and curtido, a cabbage slaw. Followed by a tasting. 4–6 p.m., Bløm, 100 S. Fourth Ave. $48 includes a 12 oz. pour of Bløm mead or cider (nonalcoholic options available), recipes and ingredients (vegetarian and gluten free). Preregistration required at drinkblom.com/events/2023-makers-series-pilars. 548-9729.
BLØM MAKERS SERIES: Pupusa Workshop w/Pilar's Tamales: Bløm Meadworks
Sylvia, owner of Ann Arbor’s beloved Pilar’s Tamales, will lead a workshop on how to make pupusas, a stuffed and griddled cornmeal cake from El Salvador, and curtido, a Salvadoran slaw. All ingredients, instructions, and recipes will be provided. Each attendee will make 4 pupusas, and will have the opportunity to cook one or two to eat together as a group along with a drinkl The rest can be taken home. **All ingredients used in this class will be vegetarian and gluten free**
Ticket includes: class instruction, ingredients, recipes, and a 12oz pour of Bløm mead or cider (N/A options available)! 4 pupusas + curtido per attendee.
100 S 4th Ave Suite 110 ,Ann Arbor. https://www.drinkblom.com/events/2023-makers-series-pilars $48. hello@drinkblom.com https://www.drinkblom.com/events 7345489729.“National Theatre Live: The Seagull”: Michigan Theater.
Broadcast of a taped National Theatre (London) performance of the Chekhov tragicomedy about the making of art, the juggernaut of time, dashed dreams, and misguided desires. This stripped-down revival was called “maverick” and “strangely gripping” by The Guardian, but “flattened” and “a production that doesn’t fly” by Variety. Directed by Jamie Lloyd and starring Emilia Clarke, who won fame in HBO’s Game of Thrones. 5 p.m. $22 (University Musical Society members, $18) in advance online (recommended) & at the door. For updated schedule, see MichTheater.org.
P.O.R.K. - Phil Ogilvie's Rhythm Kings: Zal Gaz Grotto
10-piece early big band led by Chris Smith, specializing in music of the 1920s and 30s. Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Duke Ellington and other jazz legends are prominent in their repertoire. For listening or dancing.
2070 W. Stadium Blvd ,Ann Arbor. cash at the door $10. cdsmith68@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/porkjazz 248-446-0403.Ann Arbor Go Club.
Yoga with Cats: Humane Society of Huron Valley.
Every Thurs. & Sun. Humane Society education reps introduce all ages to the basics of hatha-style yoga. Also, interact with adoptable cats. Dress prepared to work out. Suitable for age 12 & up, all 16 & under must be accompanied by adult. 7:30–8:30 p.m. (Thurs.) & 8:30–9:30 a.m. (Sun.), Tiny Lions, ste. A1, 5245 Jackson Rd., $10. Preregistration required at tickettailor.com/events/hshv, humaneed@hshv.org, 661–3575. [5x] [2 Thurs]
