Review: A Magical Evening at Hill Auditorium…read more Attended with a meetup group and had my first taste of a live orchestra performed by PhD-level musicians from the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theatre & Dance. The concert ran close to two hours with a 15-minute intermission, and every moment was packed with talent and precision. The venue itself--Hill Auditorium--is absolutely magical. It's beautifully maintained, with acoustics that make every note feel immersive. Street parking was manageable, and the location is easy to access. What stood out most was the sheer artistry on display. From the world premiere of a contemporary overture to the grandeur of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, the performance was both intellectually rich and emotionally stirring. It's inspiring to see such high-level musicianship in an academic setting. They host monthly events, so if you're even slightly curious about orchestral music or just want a unique cultural experience, this is a gem worth revisiting.

The positives: Historic concert hall with beyond excellent acoustics and a massive pipe organ…read more Right in the heart of Michigan's central campus. Famous for hosting the best artists, including Segovia, and its annual performances of Handel's Messiah. As a kid I always enjoyed the auditorium with its older style interior and impressive organ pipes lining the backstage. Sure, the original seating leaves a lot to be desired (too narrow, cramped), but it's really about the performance here, especially spectacle and sound. Over the years I attended many renditions of Handel's Messiah, seen numerous shuffling of soloists, such as a boy soprano when I was in middle school, various altos, contraltos, and more recently, a contra tenor. The audience participates during the Hallalujah Chorus, but at some point over the years, free sheet music stopped being handed out. I came to prefer the Sunday afternoon performances. Sometimes the Saturday night opener shows had nerves on display and even faster tempos than the usual time signatures suggest. This recent reacquiantance after years away from Ann Arbor really impressed me. The outstanding musicianship, the conductor, the soloists, and a renewed inspiration for the Baroque orchestrations. Truthfully, I was imagining lifting some of those really fast strings lines and writing melodic heavy meal tunes. Postmodernism at its best.

Lovely theatre inside one of the UofM buildings. I had never been before so I got a little confused…read moretrying to find the place (it's on the 2nd floor of the building) and then when I did I discovered I had to visit the box office which was back on another floor to buy my tickets. The line was a bit long and I had arrived REALLY close to curtain so I was stressed but once I got to the front it was relatively painless. I sat in balcony and had a lovely view of the stage. The seats were fairly comfortable (I didn't even need to get up and stretch during intermission!) and I thought the sound in the space was fantastic. The decor is not ornate like a lot of theatres around here but it's still lovely and filled with a lot of beautiful dark wood detailing. Parking in the area can be kind of sticky but I did luck out and found a meter spot right next to the building. But don't count on that. There's a parking garage a little west of there. Leave early to give yourself ample time to park there and hit the box office if you don't already have your tickets in your hot little hand.

The Mendelssohn Theatre, is this place tucked away in the back of the UofM building. I've been here…read more4 times now and each time I wasn't quite sure if that was the place. Amazingly enough every time I went here I got a groupon discount for the opera or a play, so its always been a really good deal at something like 2 for $20. A great date night outing with your special someone if you happen to catch an event (or a groupon). Once you do find this place, it is a very beautiful theatre, with a strong 'well worn' feeling to its stage, the type of feeling that tells you "great things happened here!". The Opera's we've seen were all very enjoyable, and each time we had a blast. The last one however, had some issues with the guy manning the projector for the translation (italian to english). In some cases he would either be too slow, and then quickly skip through sections of dialogue and in other cases you could 'swear' that they spoke more than the 8 words being projected. Either way, overall a great experience. Technical difficulties happen, so I'm not too hung up about it, it didn't detract from the overall store of the Opera.

One of the funnest, hottest burlesque troupes around! I love their playful attitude and they were a…read moredream to work with for Yelp's Greatest Show on Earth! Not only are they a bunch of hot gals but they have such fun numbers like Mermaids and Sailors, Dancing Unicorns, and my favorite--Batman babes. Love the gal in the background throwing up the "POW! BANG! BOOM!" signs and their character appropriate nipple tassels as well! Hilars! If you have the opportunity PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make sure you go see them perform. I can guarantee you won't regret it.

I was introduced to these charming dames thanks to Annette's skilful organization of Yelp's…read moreGreatest Party on Earth at the Detroit Yacht Club. Tickled Fancy's troupe is made up of lovely, expressive ladies not afraid to strip their clothes off to music in the truest burlesque style, mixing charm and a touch of coy smarm. Laughter is welcome with these delightful dolls. Their routines split between groups and solo performances, covering a gamut of different styles; mermaids and sailors opened our act, with all the posturing, fin-fanning, and peering over giant aviator sunglasses at heaving bosoms an audience could want. A hula-hoop wearing clown stripped down to her striped-sock skivvies, and that girl was adorable. I've never wanted sparkly red glitter-lipstick so badly after seeing the hostess of events shining in the limelight; that's a good thing, right? The piece de resistance was the superhero choreography where villains and heroes of DC Comics squared off on the stage. Robin, Batman, Catwoman (I think) and Poison Ivy duel in a feat of swaying hips, thrown punches, and dangling ornaments from pasties (yes, the bat symbol.). Poison Ivy stole the show on that one for me, though everyone was fantastic; I guess I've got a thing for deadly redheads with voluptuous curves and a killer "POW!" "SMACK!" choreographic sign behind her head. Thoroughly professional and entertaining, the Tickled Fancy company is an awesome troupe who I hope to see again. Thank you, ladies!

This place is "off the map", in a way. Younger locals know that it's a place where you can see an…read moreart opening or hear a band play. My first experience there happened to be a photo shoot that my friend Sarah did for her Alter Ego exhibition. I was very impressed by the studio space -- it was very roomy. In one part I saw Roost Roast's coffee roasting equipment (but no sign of Roost to bug him for a cup!). There was also a desk hosting a vintage typewriter and a curious manuscript. Another section had interesting tye dyed shirts? My friend Paul's spot had some equipment for music, and it was actually his band that I got to see perform later on in that space. It was very nice, you'll see familiar faces around town. It's non-smoking, but that's ok because the porch is a very cozy place to light one. You get a great view of the night sky -- plus it's juuuust far enough from downtown to be able to kick back and relax.

This is a really cool space for dance parties, DIY film screenings, shows, art showings, you name…read moreit. Love that there's a parking lot and that it's close enough to downtown for walking, but far enough that it has that tucked-away, off-the-beaten-path vibe. The porch is a cool place to hang out and strike up a conversation with a stranger. There is only one small bathroom, which is definitely a bummer, but I can deal considering the opportunities Yellow Barn affords for the talented go-getters in this town.

What a gem of a small live theater producing a nice mix of musicals, comedies and dramas each…read moreseason. Ann Arbor Civic Theater splits their plays between two theaters, both affiliated w/ the University of Michigan. Excellent local theater with reasonable season ticket pricing. Five stars.

Ann Arbor Civic Theatre provides excellent opportunities for the community to come together to…read moreparticipate in and enjoy the theater arts! I have been the cast of a show and watched several shows as an audience member. I have been consistently impressed with the quality of the acting and productions! I particularly enjoyed "How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying," which was a fun show with a dynamic cast and creative staging. I also enjoyed "To Kill a Mockingbird," which was a beautiful rendition of one of my favorite stories. Tickets are an excellent value. For just a little bit more than seeing a movie, you can enjoy an evening of live theatre. I highly recommend you check out one of A2CT's future productions.

I went to this venue for the first time yesterday for a chamber music concert. It was a…read morecomfortable, intimate room, with good, natural sound, perfect for hearing small ensembles. The place comes by the House part of the name honestly - it is a house and it feels like home. If you are a fan of small group and chamber concerts, you owe yourself a visit here.

Intimate concert venue in middle of downtown showcasing art exhibits and other small events…read moreprobably that can accommodate close to 60 people. Actually Invited by fellow yelper Friend and Artist herself Madhurima Ganguly and decided to check this place. She along with 2 other artists had displayed amazing exhibits . I had the pleasure of talking with them about their work. You can see more of Madhurima's work on her Instagram: madhurimag1 Pros : --------- In Downtown Close to parking lots and street parking Available Next to Farmer's market Affordable Event Space

4.5 stars- We saw…read moreFrozen in the theatre in January and walked out to it snowing outside- this theater apparently has magic weather powers. ;) We had a lot of fun in this theater, though it was very intimate/ smaller than I thought it would be. I thought it was a little pricey, but I was amazed at the local talent and honestly, if some is going to the actors, I don't mind *as much* supporting local, though it means I'm not always going to bring kids due to price. I thought it was quite good, though I the inside of the theater could have been a little cleaner/ nicer for the price. Definitely will be back!

Came here on a Friday night to See Smokey Joe's Café. The musical review was excellent. All the…read moreactors were great. It was a really good experience, with the exception of the chairs. The seating was a little bit uncomfortable.

I'm surprised there's only one review on here for Rackham. I've been going since I was a UM student…read more(2005-09) but had the opportunity to go back this past Friday for a Taylor Jenkins Reid reading. Compared to Hill, Rackham's seats are incredibly spacious ... Leg room for days! I looked it up and it holds about 1040 people (was wondering, because the event I attended was mostly sold out. There were also plenty of ladies bathroom stalls, we had to wait in line for a few minutes but that was it. As a student I saw some musical events here too and also went to my Hopwood Award ceremony here. Overall, my time here this week was really nice and I'd return for another event in the future.

Like the Union and the League, the Rackham building and auditorium date from a time when they had…read morethe priorities straight: decorate, decorate, decorate! The whole building is magnificent -- especially since a recent rehab job. In the auditorium you can enjoy pseudo-Egyptian pillasters, painted designs on the ceiling, multi-colored walls and deep plush velvet seats (with more legroom than an airline could imagine in its wildest dreams). The overlapping circles on the ceiling have often kept me hypnotized through a long concert -- even when I liked the performers.

Just a fun homemade- community made festival and parade. We have never been to the Friday night…read morepart of the fest, we attend the Sunday parade. We have been going from time to time since the kids were really little, at least a decade. We have not always made it out here, but we were able to attend this year then take a nice walk around the city. This is a fun little event, nothing fancy, but great for all ages and the kids love the bubbles.

The kickoff to the Ann Arbor festival season and by far one of the funnest gatherings in town…read more Festifools is split up into two events--the original and flagship "Festifools" and a younger twilight party called "FoolMoon." Here's the dish on each. Firstly--Both typically take place on the second weekend of April. FoolMoon goes down on Friday night and Festifools on Sunday. FoolMoon is a night time processional through several streets of Ann Arbor made up of locals who have made luminaries and are dressed up in lovely glowing garb (in the weeks leading up to FoolMoon you can attend luminary workshops to help make your own or buy kits at a few local shops like Downtown Home and Garden). The processionals all end downtown by Washington and Ashley for a nightime block party filled with cool sights, light projects and shows, beer, food, music and merriment. And all those eye popping and impressive luminaries. The party, on a nice weather night, goes until midnight. So it's truly a party. In general FoolMoon is my favorite of the two and is one of my favorite things to do in town. Sadly this year it was raining and I'm just not built for elements like that so I didn't make it down but next year I shall be sure to return. Festifools is what they call "a gigantic public art spectacular, created by members of the community and U of M students." Folks get together in the weeks leading up to the event and make huge papier-mâché puppets (most of which need several people to help control) which they then take to Main Street and march in a parade (along with costumed revelers and marching bands) for folks to enjoy. The puppets typically veer into the silly, the surreal, and maybe a little creepy. This year I saw some Pac Man ghosts (silly), big headed replicas of notable locals (the surreal), and a big fat baby with a phone that said "send nudes" (the creepy). There was also a huge Vincent Van Gogh, little kids dressed up as robots, Chinese dragons, an octopus controlled by about 10 walkers, and so so much more. This event is short, it only runs about an hour (4-5 pm) but they pack in a lot into it. Lots of fun, great for kids, pet friendly (I walked my dog down to watch the processional), and most importantly-- FREE! Great cheap fun for the whole family! Or just curious onlookers on the street! Happy to have such a cool, creative community in town working on this. Hoping they continue this tradition for many many years into the future!