Beetlejuice, Broadway and Black identity: Lots of theater in metro Detroit this weekend
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This weekend in Detroit is packed with theatre, art and music. Here are just some of the options available for your Valentine's weekend entertainment:
Jump in the line
A classic comedy film gets a stage musical makeover with “Beetlejuice: The Musical” at the Detroit Opera House. Based on the outrageously innovative 1988 Tim Burton hit, the smash Broadway musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a “strange and unusual” teen whose life changes when she moves into a very haunted house. Its 2019 Broadway run snagged eight Tony nominations, including Best Musical. It runs through Feb. 12, so there’s still plenty of time to turn on the juice and see what shakes loose!
Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway St., Detroit. 313-237-7464. www.broadwayindetroit.com. Tickets start at $29.
Black identity through style
On Saturday, Feb. 11, Playground Detroit will debut Black + _______ ("Black plus Blank"), an exhibition by Black, queer portrait and fashion photographer Lo Braden, also known as Lo Cayne. Braden, a Detroit native, documents Black people whose identities include various sexual orientations, gender, disability and ages, highlighting the ways they express their individuality through style or dress. Additionally, Saturday and Sunday, Braden will host individual portrait sessions by appointment; the sessions are available on a reduced rate and sliding scale. Saturday’s opening reception runs 6-9 p.m.
Playground Detroit, 2485 Gratiot Ave., Detroit. 313-649-7741 playgrounddetroit.com. Free to attend; visit website for regular gallery hours.
An August Wilson masterpiece
Detroit Repertory Theatre’s staging of “Gem of the Ocean” brings to life the acclaimed ninth show in playwright August Wilson’s Twentieth-Century Cycle. Set in 1904 Pittsburgh, “Gem” delivers a suspicious traveler to the home of 285-year-old Ester Tyler, keeper of Black history and cleanser of souls. When she meets the man seeking asylum, she guides him on a spiritual journey that changes his life. The original Broadway run in 2004 starred Tony winner Phylicia Rashad as Aunt Ester; the Rep’s production features an ensemble cast entirely from in and around metro Detroit. Tickets are in high demand, and the final two weekends are almost fully sold out.
Detroit Repertory Theatre, 13103 Woodrow Wilson St., Detroit. 313-868-1347. detroitreptheatre.com. Runs through March 5. Advance tickets $25, same-day tickets $30. Theater opens one hour before curtain and shows begin exactly on time; latecomers will not be seated.
Hometown jazz piano
The Michael Malis Trio will play two shows Friday and Saturday nights at Cliff Bell’s in downtown Detroit. The Detroit-based pianist has performed at the Kennedy Center, New York City’s Birdland and more, and his music has been praised by All About Jazz. The composer and area music educator will play at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. both nights.
Cliff Bell’s, 2030 Park Ave., Detroit. 313-961-2543. cliffbells.com. $25 admission.
A rocky proposal
Northville’s Tipping Point Theatre presents “The Light” through Feb. 19. In the two-person play, the day of a planned marriage proposal goes off the rails as accusations from the past bring heat and change to the present, casting the entire relationship into question. Drama, comedy, romance and reckoning come to the surface as the couple grapples with major questions.
Tipping Point Theatre, 361 E. Cady St., Northville. 248-347-0003. tippingpointtheatre.com. Tickets start at $28.
A viral artist
Detroit artist Jonathan Harris, whose controversial “Critical Race Theory” painting received international attention last winter, will open his first solo exhibition of 2023 on Saturday from 5-9 p.m. at the Detroit’s Liberal Arts Gallery. The show is titled “Critical Condition” and will feature 12 paintings, half of which have already sold. Next weekend, on Feb. 19, the gallery will hold an artist talk from 4-6 p.m.
Liberal Arts Gallery, 3361 Gratiot Ave., Detroit. 313-925-9578. www.liberalartsgallery.com. Free to attend.
More:Viral 'Critical Race Theory' painting created overnight fame for Detroit artist
Questioning the system
In Detroit Public Theatre’s “The Peculiar Patriot,” ‘Betsy’ LaQuanda Ross educates herself and the audience on systemic inequalities within America’s prison complex system and its effect on inmates, their families and their friends while visiting loved ones in upstate institutions. A profound solo piece based on playwright Liza Jessie Peterson’s extensive work in prisons, including Riker’s Island, “Patriot” is a partnership between DPT and Shakespeare in Prison, featuring a post-show dialogue after each performance. A limited number of free and discounted tickets for all performances are available for those who’ve been impacted by the justice system.
Detroit Public Theatre, 3960 Third Ave., Detroit. 313-974-7918. detroitpublictheatre.org. Tickets start at $35. For tickets, discount codes and more information, email patriot@detroitpublictheatre.org.
Swoon-worthy swing
Detroit Symphony Orchestra's "Frank & the Great Ladies of Song" celebrates Valentine's weekend with a rundown of hits from the Great American Songbook era. Conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez will lead the DSO and award-winning vocalists Capathia Jenkins and Tony DeSare through classics such as "Love Is Here to Stay," "Night and Day," "My Way," "Come Fly With Me," "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," "New York, New York," and more. A big-hearted love letter to an era of glamour, this show is sure to please music fans of all ages. Performances at 10:45 a.m. and 8 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 pm. Sunday.
Orchestra Hall, 3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit. 313-576-5111. dso.org. Tickets start at $26.
Romeo, Reimagined
Break the Chain Theatre and Matrix Theatre Company join forces to present the world premiere of “The R & J Project” written by director Craig Ester and staged at Southwest Detroit’s Matrix. The show follows a fictional production of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” as its cast and director navigate backstage and onstage drama. The show opens Friday, Feb. 10 and runs through Feb. 26; a special “afterglow” performance will be held Sunday, Feb. 12 featuring a talkback with cast and crew and a special reception catered by Goblin Detroit. Masks are required for each performance.
Matrix Theatre Company, 2730 Bagley St., Detroit. 313.967.0999. matrixtheatre.org. Tickets start at $20.
Blind justice
The Farmington Players’ “Wait Until Dark” runs through Feb. 18. A modern classic that opened on Broadway in 1966 and earned Audrey Hepburn her final Best Actress Oscar nomination the following year, it’s about a blind housewife who unwittingly comes into possession of a doll filled with heroin. Some dangerous men are after it, and they’ll stop at nothing to get the doll back. What seems a simple task becomes a ferocious battle of wits leading to a shocker climax.
The Farmington Players, 32332 W. 12 Mile Rd., Farmington Hills. 248-553-2955. farmingtonplayers.org. Tickets start at $20.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Beetlejuice, Broadway and Black identity: Shows to see in metro Detroit
