From 'Mary Poppins' to 'Sweat,' Lansing-area performances run the gamut

Correction: Caitlin Christenson is playing the role of Mary Poppins. Maddi Muncaster is a cast member. There names were misspelled in an earlier version of the story.

Act I: Evolve invites audiences to cavort with Mary Poppins

It’s a family affair as Evolve launches its spring musical, “Mary Poppins.”

In a production that features flying, tap dancing, singing, ballet and plenty of fun, the company will take to the stage at the Grand Ledge High School Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. on March 31, April 1 and 2 p.m. on April 2.

The musical is based on both the books by P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film. Caitlin Christenson takes on the role of the famous nanny as she intervenes with the Banks family, sprinkling her magic to help heal their relationships. It is narrated by Andrew Muylle who plays Bert, the chimney sweep.

Nor is it just the plot that features a family. The crew and 35-person cast include nine family groups:

• Real-life husband and wife Josh and Nicole Martin play George and Winifred Banks; their two children, Jack and Wendy, are also in the cast.

• Lorena Krauss plays Jane Banks and her sister Lyla Krauss is also cast.

• Liam Grams plays Michael Banks, and his siblings, Harper and Sawyer Grams are part of the cast.

• Father/daughter Marty and Jocelyn Snitgen perform

• Director Helen Hart is joined by her son Philip Franke

• Sisters Hannah and Kayla Campbell perform

• Spouses TJ Kelly and Carmen Zavala-Kelly perform

• Mother and children Beatrice Maldonado, Bobby Maldonado and Beatrice Haman perform together

• Family Scot, Mollie, Maddi and Callie Muncaster are all in the cast

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and children 18 and under are $15 and can be purchased at www.evolvetheatrics.com.

Act II: MSU performs award-winning play by Lynn Nottage

In a season about community, Michigan State University’s Department of Theatre is turning to a Pulitzer Prize-winning play to explore what happens when economics and workplace uncertainty shake the bonds people have with each other.

“Sweat” runs now through March 26 in Studio 60 of the Auditorium Building.

The playwright, Lynn Nottage, is the only woman who has twice won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. This show is set in a working-class bar where several groups of characters from friends and co-workers to a parole officer and ex-convicts gather to drink and socialize.

“The play moves between the year 2000 and 2008 in Reading, Pennsylvania, allowing audiences to see how the characters’ current struggles are shaped by their personal histories and the larger forces of economic and social change,” said dramaturg and B.A. Theatre student Basil Rae. “Nottage’s nuanced and realistic portrayal demonstrates the toll that economic hardship takes on individuals and groups, and the ways in which this can breed fear, resentment and even violence.”

An intense show that the playwright developed after several interviews with people living in Reading, it portrays themes of poverty, addiction, racism and xenophobia. The Department of Theatre warns that it includes strong language including race- and gender-based slurs and sexual references. Physical violence is acted out on stage.

Directed by Ryan Welsh, the show is free for MSU students with an ID, $23.50 for general admission and $21.50 for MSU faculty, staff and seniors.

Act III: Three shows under way after moves and rescheduling

Audio Air Force postponed its Valentine’s Day show because of the Feb. 13 shooting at Michigan State University. It is now presenting “Acts of Love: A Night of One-Acts…of Love” on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Hannah Community Center in East Lansing.

The show features six original scripts written by members of the theater company, a nonprofit organization that produces recreations of classic radio and audio programs and original scripts. The plays are performed with live sound effects, actors and music.

The six shows range from lovers meeting in a funeral home to AI love to social media polls and more. Tickets are $10 at the door.

“Begets: Fall of a High School Ronin” by Ixion has moved from its original Lansing Mall location to 908B Jefferson Road in Grand Ledge. They’re performing for one more weekend— Friday and Saturday at the smaller venue. Last week’s show sold out on Saturday. Performances are at 8 p.m.

“Daddy Long Legs” by Peppermint Creek had to cancel its second weekend when one of the two cast members came down with COVID. It is now returning to Bestsellers Books & Coffee, 360 S. Jefferson in Mason for three nights, at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. It has limited capacity.

Encore!

• The MSU College of Music hosts the annual Barbara Wagner Chamber Music Competition Showcase at 6 p.m. April 1 in the Fairchild Theatre. It features rising chamber music stars who are competing for recognition and prizes. Audiences can vote on the People’s Choice Award in addition to the ones given by the panel of judges. The four competing chamber groups include Novak Trio, a string and piano trio; Grand River Brass, a brass quintet; Clap 7, a saxophone quartet; and Aereus, a trumpet ensemble. Tickets to the 3-hour event are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and free for students.

• The final concert in the West Circle Series celebrates influential composers in American music across all genres in “All American” at 7:30 p.m. April 3 in the Fairchild Theatre. Tickets are $17 for adults, $15 for seniors and $7 for students and those under 18.

• Imani Winds takes over the Cobb Great Hall at Wharton Center Saturday night at 8 p.m. The wind quintet brings a concert titled “Black and Brown,” showcasing work by composers of color, including Wayne Shorter’s “Terra Incognita” which was written for the ensemble in 2006. It is a tribute to the music legend who died on March 2 this year. Tickets start at $23.

• Cyrille Aimee, a rising jazz star, performs at Wharton’s Pasant at 7:30 p.m., March 30. A vocalist with a hot club-style jazz, the French singer has been described as a saucy blend between Michael Jackson and Sarah Vaughan. Tickets are $43 and up.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: From 'Mary Poppins' to 'Sweat,' Lansing-area performances run the gamut