Spring has sprung and there is much to do in Ann Arbor in April! The time has come to get out and enjoy some wonderful activities. A new variety of shows including Peter Pan and Charlotte's Web to comedy events including Cheech and Chong. Entertainment for all ages to enjoy and explore including animals, baking, dancing, live music, drinks and much more! Come and enjoy April in Ann Arbor!
___________________________________________________________________________
4/7/2010 - 4/28/2010
Comedy Jamm
Wednesday night it’s cut-loose comedy as we present the comedy of 12 of the current rising stars in the Detroit Metro area and beyond. You will see a variety of comedians from beginners trying their hand at comedy (sometimes they are the funniest) to established comics unveiling new material to the occasional comedian auditioning to perform at the Comedy Showcase. Anything can happen as we present this uncensored cacophony of comedy. …and a good time will be had by all!!
When: Wednesdays only at 8 p.m.
Cost: All tickets $5
___________________________________________________________________________
4/9/2010
Mason Jennings At The Ark
Minneapolis singer-songwriter Mason Jennings started writing music when his six-year-old son saw an electric guitar ornament on the family Christmas tree and asked what it was. Since the late 1990s he's accumulated a songbag of consistently high quality, covering themes from personal to political to historical.
A staple of outdoor festivals from the Midwest to California, Mason has toured with surfer-songwriter Jack Johnson and was recently signed to his Brushfire label. He comes to Michigan with a new release, his eighth: "Blood of Man." The album draws on Mason's childhood experiences, and all proceeds from the sale of the single "Sunlight" will go to the Surfrider Foundation, which is working to clean up beaches around the U.S.
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $25
___________________________________________________________________________
4/9/2010 - 4/11/2010
Orpheus Descending
Tennessee Williams' modern version of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is set in the American South of repressed desires. Guitar-playing drifter Val Xavier arrives in a small town looking for work and the opportunity to renounce his wild ways, where he meets Lady Torrance, a woman with a tragic past, trapped in a self-inflicted hell. Known as one of Williams' darker and more complex plays, "Orpheus Descending" explores the power of passion and desire to redeem a life and save a soul.
When: Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Cost: $5
___________________________________________________________________________________
4/9/2010 - 4/10/2010
University of Michigan Glee Club Alumni Concert
Hundreds of Men's Glee Club (MGC) alumni will gather to perform some of MGC’s greatest hits under the direction of former conductors Willis Patterson, Leonard Johnson, Patrick Gardner, Bradley Bloom, Jerry Blackstone, Stephen Lusmann, and current conductor Paul Rardin. The repertoire includes such favorites as Randall Thompson "The Last Words of David" and "Franz" Biebl’s "Ave Maria", as well as folk songs, spirituals, and Michigan songs.
When: 3 p.m.
Cost: $5
___________________________________________________________________________
4/10/2010
150th Annual Men's Glee Club Spring Concert
University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club celebrates 150 years of tradition, camaraderie, and musical excellence with this concert of music from around the world. Repertoire includes "Ständchen" by Franz Schubert, "Spaseniye sodelal" by Pavel Chesnekov, "Ka Hia Manu" arranged by Steven Hatfield, and world premieres of Chinese songs "Deng Guan Que Lou" and "Gao Shan Quin" arranged by assistant conductor Reed Criddle. Special guests: The Friars.
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $15
___________________________________________________________________________
4/11/2010 NEW!
Festifools
Festifools is Ann Arbor's homage to April Fools Day: an annual street parade featuring towering papier-mâché creations and various other hijinks.
Get outdoors. Come downtown. Feel the sunshine on your face. Shout “Yes!” to the spring. Marvel at the towering, papier-mâché creations. Dance. Sing. Clap. Stomp. Smile. (You gotta love this town.) Kids, adults, babies, college students, astronauts, bus drivers, thoracic surgeons, short-order cooks, barbers, xylophone prodigies, dairy farmers, restaurateurs-Festifools is for EVERYONE!
When: 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
___________________________________________________________________________
1/16/2010 – 4/11/2010 Tuesdays - Sundays
UMMA Projects: Cory Arcangel
Cory Arcangel (b. 1977, New York) is often described as a “digital media” artist, although he is more fully understood as an artist concerned with the forms and processes of digital and media culture. Having first gained widespread recognition for his reworking of obsolete video game systems, his practice has grown to encompass imagery and sound drawn from across popular culture, ranging from Guns and Roses' iconic Sweet Child of Mine music video to Glenn Gould’s landmark recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations.
Arcangel, who studied classical performance and electronic music composition (under tape-music pioneer Pauline Oliveros) at the Oberlin Conservatory, approaches these familiar sources—and the technology by which they are delivered—with the unusual but effective combination of compositional rigor and pitch-perfect deadpan humor. Arcangel’s work has appeared in numerous important group exhibitions and has attracted international attention in recent years. This will be Arcangel’s first solo exhibition in a North American museum. His installation at UMMA is a newly commissioned work.
On display Jan. 16-April 11, 2010.
When: Tues, Wed, Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thurs. and Fri. 10 a.m.-10 p.m.,
Sun. 12-5 p.m. Closed on Monday and Holidays
Cost: This is a free event
____________________________________________________________________________
4/12/2010
Cooking Class: Cooking with Asian Healing Herbs
This class will provide hands on experience on how to incorporate the use of various Chinese herbs into everyday cooking. There are over 2500 herbs used in Chinese Medicine which is rooted in 5000 years history. Come and learn how to use a few of these herbs to boost the immune system, improve energy, increase vitality and make food taste better.
When: 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $15
___________________________________________________________________________
4/13/2010
Algerian Jewish Dinner at Zingerman's Roadhouse
Zingerman's Roadhouse will take a deep peek at Algerian Jewish foods. Similar to many other North African cuisines, such as Morocco and Tunisia, Algerian Jewish cuisine is different because it has the added element of being kosher.
The foods of Algerian Jews reflect the dishes of the earliest Jewish arrivals beginning in the 4th century CE as well as the arrival of Sephardic Jews beginning in 1492. As will all new populations, individuals bring their food traditions, including dietary laws, and meld them with the ingredients and preparations available to them in their new home. Rebecca Wall will join us as a special guest to talk about the unique cuisine of Algerian Jews and how their foodways reflect their experiences.
When: 7 p.m.
Cost: $45
___________________________________________________________________________
4/15/2010 - 4/17/2010
Animal Farm at The Walgreen Drama Center
A multi-media production, in collaboration with University of Michigan students from Art and Design, Animal Farm is George Orwell's famous satirical fairy tale about the Revolution and Reformation of the animals of Manor Farm. The production will emphasize Orwell's criticisms, which are still pertinent in today's political society.
When: Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 7 p.m. & 11 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m.
Cost: Free
___________________________________________________________________________
4/15/2010 - 4/16/2010
Ragtime at The Power Center
A powerful look at America at the turn of the 20th century through the lives of three diverse families. Limited tickets available for Thursday and Friday.
When: Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m.
Cost: $19 - $24 per person
____________________________________________________________________________
4/17/2010 – 4/18/2010 NEW!
The Ann Arbor Orchid Festival
Orchid growers selling a wide variety of exotic orchid plants in bloom. Breathtaking exhibits of orchids in bloom from area societies and growers. Free informative talks and interesting demonstrations on orchid care.
When: 12 p.m.
Cost: Free
___________________________________________________________________________
4/22/2010
Tom Foss
Tom Foss is a high-energy, highly animated comic, who acts out his fascinating (and immense) archive of jokes reflecting on himself, his family, his home of West Virginia, and the world around him. Audiences and industry often
compare Tom to George Carlin and Robin Williams. We think he’d be perfect for the blue collar tour. Though his audiences will agree his show doesn’t need it, Tom is always working to improve. It’s not uncommon to see Tom with a pen in his hand, jotting down brand new material, seconds before he’s announced onstage.
Tom Foss has performed everywhere, from Las Vegas showrooms and Norwegian Cruise Lines, to Iraq. He’s always the consummate professional, and he passionately believes he owes every individual audience member the best show he has to give, every show.
As part of
Comic's On Duty in 2005-2007, Tom Foss traveled around the world seven times and was on top of it once! Entertaining our troops in
Iraq three times, Afghanistan three times, Kuwait four times, Italy, Spain, England, Greece, Belgium, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Africa, USS Enterprise, USS Boxer, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Greenland, Hawaii and all across The United States. While entertaining the troops overseas, Foss has managed to keep a foot back here in the states as a regular at the
Improv's and Funnybones. He can also be heard regularly on
XM Radio, Sirius Radio and
“The Bob and Tom Show.” High-energy, rapid-fire, and very funny comedy is what you'll see at his show.
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $7 in advance or $9 at the door
___________________________________________________________________________
4/24/2010 – 4/25/2010
Zingerman's Bakehouse Bake-cation Weekend
Join us at Zingerman's Bakehouse for an action packed hands-on baking getaway. We'll make some of our favorite pastries including scones, pies, cinnamon rolls, croissants, angel food cake and pound cake. Also includes breakfast and lunch each day. You'll leave BAKE! with several tested recipes, the knowledge to recreate them at home, a full stomach and loads of pastries you made in class.
Cost: $500
___________________________________________________________________________
4/22/2010 – 4/24/2010
Hubbard Street Dance Company at the Power Center
This innovative and exciting American dance company presents sophisticated work by both American and international choreographers with an energy that literally jumps off the stage and into the audience.
The company’s unconventional and innovative repertory by choreographers such as Jírí Kylián, Nacho Duato, Lar Lubovitch, and William Forsythe breaks down preconceptions about dance by juxtaposing pieces based on a variety of dance traditions and genres. The result? An engaging, seductive, human, and often edgy performance that inspires audiences to think, but also to have fun — in short, a terrific introduction to dance. The company performs a variety of distinct repertory over the course of the three-night run, including dances by Alejandro Cerrudo, Jorma Elo, Jírí Kylián, and others.
When: 8 p.m.
Cost: $20 - $48
___________________________________________________________________________
4/22/2010 - 4/25/2010
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is one of the world's most celebrated musicals. It was first produced on Broadway with Mary Martin and Cyril Richard and more recently as a major hit starring Cathy Rigby. Here is all the charm of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, the children Wendy, Michael and John, pirates and Indians, embellished with show-stopping songs, "Never Never Land", "I Won't Grow Up" and "I'm Flying".
Come experience the thrill of visiting Never Never Land. Join 110 of the area’s young people, ages 5-17, as they soar to the magical realm of the Lost Boys and the Pirates and the Indians and all things fabulous.
When: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Cost: $15 for Adults/$10 for Children
__________________________________________________________________________
4/25/2010 – 4/29/2010
Jewish Film Festival
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Ann Arbor, in association with the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit and the Michigan Theater, will bring the Lenore Marwil Jewish Film Festival to Ann Arbor for its ninth year. The festival will showcase 14 films and 2 lunch and learn programs over five days.
Cost: $10 a person, $75 a festival pass
___________________________________________________________________________
1/2/2010 - 5/29/2010 - Saturdays Only
Mozzarella Class at Zingerman’s Creamery
Zingerman’s Creamery invites the public to learn how to make fresh, handmade mozzarella from milk and from curd. Space is limited, so call early to reserve your spot!
When: 12:00 p.m.
Cost: $45
___________________________________________________________________________
1/3/2010 - 5/30/2010 - Sundays Only
Zingerman’s Creamery Tours
Cheesemaker and managing partner John Loomis leads the whey and gives the inside scoop on how they make artisan cheeses and old-fashioned gelato (that’s Italian ice cream)!
Admission is $5 per person. You will receive a $5 coupon to spend in The Cheese Shop. Call 73-929-0500 for reservations.
When: 2 p.m.
Cost: $5
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Above was a sampling of the activities occurring in our community during the month of April. Please be sure to check out one of the many events being held during the month and have good time.
To view the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors Bureau,
click here and choose your own criteria and dates.
Click here to search all Ann Arbor Area Michigan
homes and condos with pictures and tours – FREE
