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Events in March 2023
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March 19, 2023
“A Chorus Line”: U-M Musket.
Mar. 17–19. Chloe Cuff directs fellow U-M students in Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban’s long-running 1975 Broadway musical about a day in the life of 17 would-be Broadway dancers. The score’s many popular tunes include “What I Did for Love,” “At the Ballet,” “I Can Do That,” and “One.” 8 p.m. (Fri. & Sat.) & 2 p.m. (Sat. & Sun.), Power Center. Tickets $13 (students $7) available in advance at ummusket.org and at the door. musket.prod@umich.edu.
Square and Folk Dance: Pittsfield Township Community Center.
U-M Museum of Natural History Planetarium & Dome Theater.
Every Fri.–Sun. 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. Various times, MNH, 1105 North University. $8 at the door. Limited capacity. 764–0478.
“Annual Home, Garden, & Lifestyle Show”: Builders & Remodelers Association of Greater Ann Arbor.
Mar. 18 & 19. More than 120 area exhibitors show and demonstrate products and offer information on home improvement services. Concessions. 9 a.m.–6 p.m. (Sat.) & 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (Sun.), Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, 5055 Ann Arbor–Saline Rd. Admission $5 (age 12 & under, free) cash only. bragannarbor.net/homeshow.
“Journey to the Sugarbush”: Hudson Mills Metropark.
Every Sat. & Sun., Mar. 4–19. Maple tree tapping and a visit to the evaporator to see sap being made into syrup. Program takes place primarily outdoors. Followed by a picnic pancake breakfast (preorder only). $6 (family meal $26). Hourly 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Hudson Mills activity center, 8801 North Territorial Rd., Dexter. $5 (kids, $3, children under 2, free), preregistration required at bit.ly/hudsonmillsmar2023 by 4 p.m. the day before the program. Metroparks pass or $10 vehicle entry fee required. 426–8211.
“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 discussion. All invited to attend either online or in person to watch together. Once a month, Demo Rinpoche presents a story from the Jataka Tales (300 BC–400 AD) concerning the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. The Mar. 5 topic is “The Great Monkey,” a tale about benefiting others. 11 a.m., Jewel Heart, 1129 Oak Valley Dr. Also via Zoom; for URL preregister at jewelheart.org/jataka-tales. Free. 994–3387.
“Friendseder Community Brunch”: Zingerman’s Greyline.
All invited to a 4-course Seder-inspired brunch featuring Yemenite charoset parfait, Hungarian spiced deviled eggs, brisket roulade, and more. Also, rabbi Jeff Stombaugh discusses Passover rituals and other Jewish traditions. Co-sponsored by The Well, a Detroit nonprofit with a mission to use Jewish wisdom to help foster an accessible, inclusive and relationship-driven community. 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Greyline, 100 N. Ashley. Tickets $60 ($75, includes cocktail pairings) in advance only at zingermansdeli.com/events. 230–2300.
“Investigate Labs”: U-M Museum of Natural History.
“Scientist Spotlight & Forsythe Young Scientists’ Expo”: U-M Museum of Natural History.
H.A.C. Ultimate.
Drag Shows: Boylesque.
Mar. 17-19 (different Ypsilanti locations). Multiple daily performances by this popular Ypsilanti drag troupe. Also, bingo on Mar. 17 & 18 and brunch on Mar. 19. 7 p.m. (Mar. 17), Tap Room, 201 W. Michigan; 6:30 p.m. (Mar. 18), Stick’s, 39 E. Cross; 12:30 p.m. (Mar. 19), Sidetrack, 56 E. Cross. $20 (Mar. 17 & 18) & $12 (Mar. 19) in advance & (if available) at the door. Preregistration recommended at bit.ly/boylesque-tix.
“Creature Encounters”: The Creature Conservancy.
Every Sat. & Sun. Conservancy staffers show off some animals native to Australia, including the dingo, bearded dragon, and side-necked turtle (2 & 4 p.m.). Also, a zookeeper display of a carpet python (3 p.m.) and a chance to see the conservancy’s other animals, including a reindeer, bald eagle, macaws, and more. 1–5 p.m., Creature Conservancy, 4950 Ann Arbor–Saline Rd. $13 (kids ages 2–12, $11; under age 2, free) at the door; $1 discount for advance purchase at thecreatureconservancy.org. 929–9324.
“D & D Adventures”: Sylvan Factory.
“Seussical the Musical”: Horizon Performing Arts.
Mar. 16–19. Connor Thomas Rhoades directs local actors in the 2000 Lynn Ahrens–Stephen Flaherty musical comedy based on the children’s books of Dr. Seuss, with a plot that draws mainly from Horton Hears a Who!, Gertrude McFuzz, and Horton Hatches the Egg. The original production was panned by critics, but the show has had a second life as a popular production in regional and school theaters. 7 p.m. (Thurs.–Sat.), & 1 p.m. (Sun.), Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron, Ypsilanti. Tickets $18 ($16 seniors & students) in advance at horizon.booktix.com, and at the door.
Museum Highlight Tours: U-M Museum of Natural History.
Every Sat. & Sun. (except Mar. 19) and Mar. 27–31. 30-minute tour of the museum’s exhibits and galleries, as well as an introduction to some current U-M Biological Sciences research projects. 1 p.m. (Sat. & Sun.) & noon (Mar. 27–31), U-M MNH, 1105 North University. Free. Limited capacity. Sign up at the welcome desk. 764–0478.
Sundays at Cobblestone: Cobblestone Farm Museum.
“Eyes on the Forest: How You Can Help Prevent New Forest Pest Invasions”: Waterloo Natural History Association.
Michigan Forest Association executive director Georgia Peterson gives an illustrated talk on the exotic invasive pests that threaten Michigan’s forests, and how you can play a key role in critical early detection by adopting a sentinel tree. 2–3 p.m., Eddy Discovery Center, 17030 Bush Rd., Chelsea. Free. Preregistration requested by calling 475–3170. $12 Michigan recreation passport ($17 at the gate) required.
“Smitten with the Mitten”: Ann Arbor Concert Band.
New artistic director David Leach conducts this local volunteer ensemble in a program of music by 20th- and 21st-century Michigan composers and arrangers, including Jackson-based Chris Evans Hass’s “Breakneck,” Pioneer High School assistant bands director E. Benton Lilliefors’ “A Song for Charlotte,” Jim Stephenson’s “Luther in Canon” (commissioned by Concordia College and Pioneer High School), former U-M conducting professor H. Robert Reynolds’ arrangement of Morten Lauridsen’s “Contre Qui, Rose,” WMU bands director Scott Boerma’s “Persistence of Hope,” H. Owen Reed’s “The Heart of the Morn” with guest vocalist Alice Tillman, and more. 2 p.m., Michigan Theater. Tickets $10 (kids age 14 & under, free) in advance at michtheater.org and at the door. aaband.org, 668–8397.
Detroit Youth Choir & Community High School Jazz Band: Bethel AME Church.
Performances by the nationally known Community High School Jazz Band and the award-winning Detroit Youth Choir, which sings a varied program of gospel and contemporary music. Also, presentation of community service awards. Scholarship fundraiser. 2–4 p.m., Huron High School Meyer Auditorium, 2727 Fuller Rd. $53 (students, $37). Preregistration required at bit.ly/mar19-23-sounds.
Spring Benefit Concert: Ann Arbor Dance Classics.
Local young dancers perform in genres from ballet to jazz and modern dance to benefit Peace Neighborhood Center, a nonprofit for families in need. 2 p.m., Saline High School, 1300 Campus Pkwy., Saline. $17 ($20 at the door). Preregistration recommended at bit.ly/a2danceclassics. 302–4248, aadanceclassics@gmail.com.
“Once on This Island”: The Encore Musical Theatre Company.
Every Thurs.–Sun., Feb. 23–Mar. 12. Natalie Kaye Clater directs this local professional theater company in a production of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s 1990 calypso-flavored coming-of-age 1-act pop-rock musical about a rich boy and the peasant girl who rescues him from peril. Adapted from Rosa Guy’s 1985 novel My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl, a retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale The Little Mermaid. 7:30 p.m. (Thurs.–Sat.) & 3 p.m. (Sat. & Sun.), Encore Maas Main Stage, 7714 Ann Arbor St., Dexter. Tickets $54 (seniors & youth under 18, $52) in advance at theencoretheatre.org and at the door. $20 student rush tickets (if available) an hour before showtime. 268–6200.
International Folk Dance Party: Ann Arbor Community for Traditional Music and Dance.
Traditional Eastern European and Middle Eastern circle dancing and line dancing to live music by Veselba. No experience or partner needed. Wear loose-fitting clothing and clean, flat, non-slip shoes. Beginners welcome. Preceded at 2 p.m. by a lesson. 3–5 p.m., Concourse Hall, 4531 Concourse Drive, Ann Arbor. Well-fitted mask required. Pay what you can; $5 suggested. 709–8748.
“Tea for Dummies”: Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor.
“The Complete Organ Works of J.S. Bach”: U-M Music School.
See 12 Sunday. Today: The Fantasia and Fugue in C Minor, chorales from the Orgelbüchlein and Neumeister Collections, Toccata and Fugue in F Major, Fugue in C Minor, and the Fantasia con imitatione in B Minor. 4 p.m., U-M Moore Bldg., Blanche Anderson Moore Hall, 1100 Baits. For livestream see smtd.umich.edu/events. Free. 615–3204.
“The Complete Organ Works of J.S. Bach”: U-M Music School.
Mar. 12 & 19. Part of a series of 18 concerts in which U-M organ professor James Kibbie performs all of Bach’s 281 surviving organ works. Today’s program: The Fugue in F Major, Easter chorales from the Orgelbüchlein, chorales from the Leipzig Collections, and the Prelude and Fugue in D Minor. 4 p.m., U-M Moore Bldg., Blanche Anderson Moore Hall, 1100 Baits. For livestream see smtd.umich.edu/events. Free. 615–3204.
Percussion Ensemble: U-M Music School.
This music student ensemble is joined by NYC experimental electronic musicians Tristan Perich & Lesley Flanigan in a performance of “Hedera,” Flanigan’s hypnotic composition for voice and percussion. Also, works by Perich, contemporary Japanese composer Hiroya Miyura, and others. 4 p.m., U-M Moore Bldg. McIntosh Theatre, 1100 Baits (off Broadway), North Campus. Free. 615–3204.
"Cocktail Class: Ladies Sling the Booze": Tammy's Tastings
Bartending was traditionally a man’s world, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been women behind the bar and in the distilleries. We’ll celebrate Women History Month with a class where you’ll meet some of them through their cocktails, from golden age giants like Ada Coleman (head bartender at the Savoy in London), to wartime Bessie the Bartenders, to modern trendsetters like Audrey Saunders and Ivy Mix.
Your booking includes light snacks (pretzels, nuts). The Last Word is closed during the class, so no food service is available. The class includes a combination of history and stories, technique instruction, and hands-on making of cocktails. Plus sampling, of course! Total consumption is equivalent to 1.5-2 cocktails per person over the 2 hour class.
301 W Huron St ,Ann Arbor. https://www.tammystastings.com/events/ladies-sling-the-booze-7/ $59. tammylc@tammystastings.com tam 7342763215.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 Morris.
“Inside Michigan Basketball”: WTKA (1050 AM)/ WXYT (1270 AM).
Every Sun. Brian Boesch and Terry Mills host a live radio broadcast from inside the Pretzel Bell with popular U-M men’s basketball coach Juwan Howard and U-M women's coach Kim Barnes Arico. 7 p.m., Pretzel Bell, 226 S. Main. Seating limited. Free admission, but must order food & drinks to sit. bit.ly/insideMIbasket.
MercyMe: EMU Gervin Center.
This contemporary Christian pop band plays songs from their 2022 Always Only Jesus album, including “Then Christ Came,” “Better Days Coming,” and “To Not Worship You,” all staples on Christian radio. Openers: Christian pop singers Micah Tyler and Taya. 7 p.m., EMU Gervin Center, 799 N. Hewitt, Ypsilanti. $27–$95 in advance at emutix.com.
“Monk’s Modern Music Revisited'': Kerrytown Concert House.
A trio of highly respected local jazz veterans—pianist Rick Roe, bassist Rodney Whitaker, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson—reunite to perform music from their 1994 album of 12 Thelonious Monk compositions, Monk’s Modern Music, an important contribution to the Monk tribute catalog. 7:30 p.m., KCH, 415 N. Fourth Ave. $29–$50 (students, $19) in advance online and at the door. kerrytownconcerthouse.com, 769–2999.
