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Events - All

If you would like to post information about an MSU event, please submit your description through the Year of Arts and Culture system. For off-campus events, please contact us at phcATmsu.edu.

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MAMMA MIA! - 9/30/2008 - 10/5/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=481 The smash hit musical, MAMMA MIA!, is the ultimate feel-good show that is high in demand and keeps audiences coming back for more! The musical combines ABBA's greatest hits, which include, "Dancing Queen," "S.O.S," and "Take a Chance on Me." The music is the magical backdrop to an enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship. Don't let this opportunity pass you by!

Song and Dance Ensemble of West Africa - 10/22/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=485 The Song and Dance Ensemble of West Africa is a powerful group of musicians, coming straight to you from Mali. Their rich musical traditions come alive through this incredible ensemble led by Bamba Dembele. Their unique fusion of folklore and contemporary themes have gained great notoriety around the world. This is a performance not to be missed!

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago - 10/28/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=489 Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, is known as one of the most innovative and thrilling dance companies in the United States. Founded in 1977 by the inspiring leadership of artistic director Jim Vincent, this company is one of the most original forces in contemporary dance. The company has had collaborations with artists in music, visual arts and the theatre. They display an incredible prowess of versatility and unparalleled excellence. The Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, hopes to encourage audiences to think and explore emotions through the experience of dance. Chicago Sun Times exclaims, this dance company displays "fluid brilliance and understated virtuosity." You can't experience this awe inspiring performance anywhere else. Prepare to be moved and mesmerized.

GREASE - 12/9/2008 - 12/14/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=523 GREASE, TIME magazine's 2007 pick for "#1 musical of the year,"is rockin' across the country in this new production direct from Broadway! The one that you want is back! So throw your mittens around your kittens and Hand Jive the night away with the critically acclaimed Broadway musical, GREASE!!

Russian National Ballet - 1/8/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=525 The Russian National Ballet Theatre proudly performs Sleeping Beauty, which is often considered the finest achievement of the classical ballet. Set to the music of Tchaikovsky, Sleeping Beauty is a fairytale that comes alive amidst a lavish theatrical set with magical effects and courtly splendor. Do not miss this magical performance!

LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL - 1/13/2009 - 1/18/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=526 Sorority star Elle Woods does not take "no" for an answer! After her boyfriend dumps her for someone "serious" she decides to hit the books and go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard to study law! She proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style! Hailed by critics as "the funniest new musical of the year" and "sheer fun" this broadway show is created by Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Jerry Mitchel of Hairspray; composer and lyricist Laurence O'Keefe of Batboy; Nell Benjamin of Sarah Plain and Tall; book writer Heather Hach of Freaky Friday and scenic designer David Rockwell of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. TIME magazine says it's "an Elle of a show!"

DanceBrazil - 2/22/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=630 The soul-stirring live music and electrifying dance of the thrilling martial art of capoeira, brings the passion of Brazilian folk traditions to you in DanceBrazil's spirited performances. This performance captures all the life, energy and pulse of its scintillating culture. DanceBrazil has been touring the world for 25 years. It's your turn to experience Brazil's infectious rhythm and color with this gravity defying company. You'll be left cheering for more!

African Footprint - 3/3/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=634 After more than 3,500 performances, 2 1/2 years sold out in Europe, six months in Australia, tours in China, Israel and India, South Africa's longest running show is coming to Wharton Center! The hypnotic heartbeat of the African drum, the soulful saxophone and the haunting pennywhistle, meld Afro- and Euro-centric music and dance into an "explosive stampede of song and dance" that tells the vibrant and diverse history of South Africa. A cast of 30 energetic performers has created a show so exciting and entertaining that critics hail "African Footprint is to South Africa what Riverdance is to the Irish and Stomp is to the Brits!"

Disney's THE LION KING - 3/18/2009 - 4/19/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=635 Experience the phenomenon of Disney's THE LION KING when East Lansing's best-loved musical returns to the Wharton Center stage. Visually stunning, technically astounding and with a musical score like none you've ever heard. Giraffes strut, birds swoop, gazelles leap. As the entire savannah comes to life and as the music soars, Pride Rock slowly emerges from the mist. See the Tony Award -winning Broadway sensation that Newsweek calls "a landmark event in entertainment." The New York Times says, "There is simply nothing else like it." Marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals brought to life by a cast of more than 40 actors. Wonder at the inspiration of award- winning director Julie Taymor, who created visual images for this show that you'll remember forever. Thrill to the pulsating rhythms of the African Pridelands and an unforgettable score including Elton John and Tim Rice's Oscar-winning song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "Circle of Life."

A NEW Devised Performance Piece (w/ Melissa Thompson) - 3/27/2009 - 3/28/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=710 The Chicago-based performance artist and women's studies theorist, Melissa Thompson, is teaching and performing with groups of students throughout the year.

Swing Dance featuring Jazz Orchestra I (part of Jazz Spectacular) - 4/16/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=604 Co-Sponsored by the MSU University Activities Board

WKAR Digital Channel Launch - 11/4/2007 - 12/31/2050 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=310 WKAR adds to new channels to its digital tier. WKAR Life (23.3) features lifestyles, how-to and encore programs; WKAR World (23.4) features documentaries, history and current events.

The Key Said Run and the Door Said Fly - 10/3/2008 - 10/5/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=709 Devised by the Sacred Heart Archive, a multi-disciplinary arts project, The Key Said Run and the Door Said Fly reinvents the folk tale of Mr. Fox using physical performance, traditional songs, and found objects. Incorporating a daring use of autobiography, The Key Said Run and the Door Said Fly investigates issues of sexual violence, and the body's capacity to remember. The ultimate result is a compelling picture of the relationship between freedom and fear.

RAIN - 2/15/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=627 EXPERIENCE WHAT BEATLEMANIA WAS ALL ABOUT! FROM ED SULLIVAN TO ABBEY ROAD! RAIN covers the Fab Four from the earliest beginnings through the psychedelic 60s and their long-haired hippie, hard rocking rooftop days. It's a multi-media, multi-dimensional experience which fuses music, historical and hilarious footage together from the 1960s. The Boston Herald cheers "Uncanny! RAIN is a quartet of fine musicians in their own right...as The Beatles, they triumph!" They'll be singing favorites including "Let It Be," "Hey Jude," "Come Together," and "Can't Buy Me Love." Do not miss RAIN!!

No Holds Barred: Political Cartoons of the Gilded Age - 8/24/2008 - 12/31/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=466 In this feisty election season, the Michigan State University Museum presents a new exhibition with a political theme: No Holds Barred: Political Cartoons of the Gilded Age. Among the most important developments in the popularization of the Gilded Age press (the late 19th Century) was the increasingly sophisticated use of visual ridicule -- political cartoons that informed, aroused, and pronounced on myriad contemporary issues, explains Samuel J. Thomas, MSU professor of history and the exhibition's curator. Favorite targets included graft and fraud that then, as now, too often characterized political life, most often at the local and state levels, but also at times at the national level.

Visual Griots: An Exhibit of Photography by African Youth - 9/15/2008 - 3/15/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=467 A new, eye-opening image of Africa will be on display at the Michigan State University Museum, featuring the photos of a group of sixth grade Malian students from two small villages 500 miles southwest of Timbuktu. "Visual Griots," a project of the Academy for Educational Development, Washington, D.C., sent a team of Malian and U.S. photographers into the villages of Damy and Kouara to put cameras in the hand of youth, empower them to document their lives, and help them better connect with their communities and the world.

Our Journeys/Our Stories: Portraits of Latino Achievement - 9/16/2008 - 1/4/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=468 Our Journeys/Our Stories presents 25 portraits and narratives of well known Latino individuals - a Noble Prize-winning chemist, an astronaut, an athlete, an artist, a labor leader, to name a few -- and their personal stories, photos, oral history interviews and dichos (traditional sayings) to illustrate and celebrate this contemporary anthology of Latino accomplishments.

Islamic Manuscripts of Tombouctou Photography Exhibit - 9/28/2008 - 10/11/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=723 Photographer Alexandra Huddleston will be exhibiting her photography from Mali in the RCAH Lookout! Gallery while serving as an artist-in-residence.

World's Greatest Magic Show - 11/16/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=518 Dare yourself to enter the world of illusion and enchantment, and witness some of the finest magicians in the business, together for the very first time! This group, known for their grand illusions, comedy, death defying feats and beautiful Vegas showgirls, are the recipients of the International Magicians' Society's "Show of the Year" for the past two years. Do not miss your chance!

KODO - 2/19/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=629 Japan's virtuoso percussion ensemble makes its triumphant return to the Wharton Center as part of its ONE EARTH TOUR. This performance will electrify the audience with their bold virtuosity, enormous strength and stamina. The performers showcase a sheer mastery of their instruments ranging from small drums as big as saucers to as large as a tree trunk. Their goal is to trascend barriers of language and custom and reminds us of our membership in that larger community: the world. Do not miss this inspiring performance!

WELL - 9/17/2008 - 9/28/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=696 Lansing native, Lisa Kron, wrote this affecting and hilarious memory play and performance art hybrid. Lisa has hired several actors to enact her multicharacter exploration of issues of health and illness and has included her mother onstage. We discover that though her mother has the power to heal a Lansing neighborhood she is unable to heal herself. When WELL played on Broadway in 2006 the NEW YORK TIMES called it Wonderful and delirious. WELL has a warmth and accessibility that makes you want to recommend it to everyone.

Department of Theatre: Lisa Kron - 10/2/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=711 Guest lecture of the play and the performance of Well by the playwright.

CABARET - 10/14/2008 - 10/19/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=697 There was a Cabaret and there was a Master of Ceremonies and there was a city called Berlin in a country called Germany. Christopher Isherwood's stories set the backdrop for this powerful musical that explores the last days of the Weimar era. The denizens of the cabaret perform satirical and emotional scenes that perfectly capture the turmoil of the time. The score contains some of Kander and Ebb's best work including Willkommen, If You Could See Her Through my Eyes, and the powerful title song.

ALMOST, MAINE - 10/28/2008 - 11/2/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=702 In a collection of scenes that deal with love, reconciliation and connection, the locals of Almost, Maine reveal a quirky take on romance. In each scene we meet inhabitants of this snowbound town who reveal a deeper understanding of the trials and tribulations of love than one might expect. This warmly romantic comedy makes a perfect date night for you and your quirky someone.

FROST/NIXON - 11/4/2008 - 11/9/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=496 Award winning-stage and screen actor Stacy Keach stars as Richard Nixon in this fast-paced, Tony Award-nominated new play, which presents determination conviction and the cunning of two men who face off in one of the most monumental television interviews of all time!

LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST - 11/18/2008 - 11/23/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=698 Several men agree to a three year self-imposed period of isolation with the promise of devoting themselves to study, vowing to not communicate with members of the opposite sex. When they receive a visit from a neighboring princess and her entourage, they find their hasty oath of celibacy strained and difficult to uphold. Comic situations and verbal puns abound in Shakespeare's love charged world of Navarre. This production is committed to being an entirely GREEN production using recycled and natural materials.

FRESHMAN SHOWCASE - 12/1/2008 - 12/2/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=703 The 2nd annual event designed to introduce MSU's newest actors and technicians to the community.

Junie B. Jones - 12/7/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=521 Junie B. Jones is finally graduating from kindergarten and moving on to the first grade! Follow her adventures as she writes everything down in her "top-secret personal beeswax" journal. Backed by popular demand, this lively musical, based on the books of Barbara Park, is guaranteed to delight theatre-goers of all ages!

SNAPSHOT - 1/28/2009 - 2/8/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=699 Some of today's hottest playwrights have combined forces to create an evening of scenes and monologues inspired by a single photograph. Using only Lee Friedlander's Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, 1969 as their inspiration, these playwrights have written thought-provoking material that ranges from broad comedy to compelling tragedy. Each playwright looks at the photo's themes through a different lens.

THE COLOR PURPLE - 2/4/2009 - 2/8/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=624 From the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the moving film by Steven Spielberg, comes a soul-stirring new musical and landmark event. It's an inspiring family saga which tells the unforgettable story about a woman finding the strength to triumph over adversity, through love. According to New York Times it's "a bright odyssey of survival and triumph with a fairy-tale sense of wonder, 'Purple' strikes sparks." A must see musical event!

HEDDA GABLER - 2/20/2009 - 2/28/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=700 Desperate. Dangerous. Caged. Cagey. Volatile. Vulnerable. One of Ibsen's most compelling and conflicted characters, Hedda Gabler is trapped in a marriage that she desperately wants to escape. Imperious yet isolated, Hedda finally decides to take action, setting in motion a series of tragic events. Hedda's complex contradictions make for a perfect connection with the Department of Psychology. This show will be directed by Williamston Theatre's Artistic Director, Tony Caselli.

SPRING AWAKENING - 2/24/2009 - 3/1/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=631 Winner of 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Spring Awakening is one of Broadway's most talked about new musicals. It's a groundbreaking fusion of morality, sexuality and rock&roll. It's the unforgettable journey from youth to adulthood with a power, poignancy and passion you won't soon forget! "Haunting and electrifying! This brave new musical has a shivery sensual allure unmatched by anything in the theatre right now" says Charles Isherwood of the New York Times. A moving performance not to be missed!

Nate the Great - 3/1/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=632 If there's a mystery that needs to be solved Nate the Great is the one to call! He's found balloons, slippers, chickens and even a lost goldfish, but will he be able to solve the mystery of the missing painting? Find out in this new musical based on the book by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat.

THE WHO'S TOMMY - 4/9/2009 - 4/19/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=701 Young Tommy witnesses a terrible murder, leaving him traumatized. When Tommy is discovered to have amazing talents at the pinball arcade he becomes an instant celebrity. THE WHO'S TOMMY contains great classic rock songs, including Pinball Wizard, I'm Free and Acid Queen. Working with Telecommunications to update the pinball game for a Wii generation promises a TOMMY unlike any you have ever seen.

FAR AWAY and THIS IS A CHAIR - 4/28/2009 - 5/3/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=704 This double bill of Caryl Churchill's searingly playful political theatre features stubborn children, new romance, suicidal drug dealers, exquisite hats and a global war in which Canadians, mosquitoes, Russian swimmers, children under five , mallards, Thai butchers, crocodiles, deer, and Latvian dentists have repeatedly proved traitorous.

MSU Museum: 150 Years of Discovery - 8/1/2007 - 12/31/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=50 The MSU Museum celebrates a landmark 150 years as Michigan's natural history and culture museum, and the state's first Smithsonian Institution affiliate

The Federal Art Project: Supporting Good Artists in Bad Times - 1/27/2008 - 8/24/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=61 Among the many projects to come out of the Great Depression and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal government programs to combat massive unemployment are those that dealt with the arts, architecture and crafts of American workers. Michigan State University Museum presents an exhibition of pieces from public work projects in Michigan and on the Michigan State College campus during the 1930s and early '40s. More than 8,500,000 Americans were hired through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) mostly to build roads, public buildings and parks. Unemployed artists and writers were also given work through branches of the WPA known as the Federal Art Project and the Federal Writers' Project. Their lasting legacy can still be seen and enjoyed throughout the state and the nation. Michigan State University and MSU Museum collections are rich with examples of a WPA legacy of art and craft.

Study Abroad Fair - 9/25/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=712 The Fall Study Abroad Fair is a comprehensive information fair for students, faculty and staff interested in learning more about the many exciting study abroad opportunities available at MSU. Over 100 exhibits displaying information about MSU's more than 250 programs provide a one-stop shopping experience!

Threads of Change: The Transformation of African Textiles - 1/18/2009 - 8/30/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=727 Curated by educator and fabric artist Chris Worland, this exhibit of West African traditional and contemporary fabrics at the MSU Museum will include the work of three guest Artists-in-Residence (Kandioura Coulibaly and Boubacar Doumbia of Groupe Kasobane in Mali and American Janet Goldner) who will also participate February 2-16, 2009 in Worland's spring 2009 RCAH 291 Fabric Art Workshop and in several community outreach and engagement projects. Other linkages planned include gallery tours at the MSU Museum and RCAH workshop space for local community and school groups.

One Book, One Community - 8/20/2008 - 9/23/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=705 The annual One Book, One Community (OBOC) program, co-sponsored by the City of East Lansing and Michigan State University, encourages the city-university community to read the same book and come together to discuss it in a variety of settings. The book is also an assigned reading for all incoming MSU freshmen. OBOC Events The OBOC program offers a number of events centered around the themes of the book. Kick-Off Meet the Author Benjamin Ajak Wednesday, August 20; 7:30 p.m. East Lansing High School Auditorium, 509 Burcham Drive The event is free. Admission will be first come first serve (no tickets required) Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Thursday, August 21; 9:30 a.m.&1:30 p.m. University Welcome for Incoming MSU Students Wharton Center for Performing Arts, MSU Campus Public is welcome Writing workshops follow: Tuesdays in September.

International Coffee Hour - 8/29/2008 - 12/5/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=707 Want to connect with MSU's vibrant international community? MSU hosts students and scholars from more than 130 countries and the world is literally on our campus. The Office for International Students and Scholars sponsors the popular International Coffee Hour every Friday from 4 to 6 pm in the International Center. Everyone is invited to share friendship and conversation over a cup of coffee or tea.

Computerized Cognitive Rehabilitation Training with Ugandan Cerebral Malaria Survivors - 9/5/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=708 INPEP lecture

Canadian Thanksgiving - 10/8/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=714 Come join the Canadian Studies Center as they celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving in honor of the Canadian holiday. Please R.S.V.P. by Oct. 1st.

Louis CK "Hilarious" - 10/9/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=724 Age Rating: Contains strong language and is recommended for mature audiences. With more than twenty years as a stand-up, Louis C.K. is one of the most honest and respected comedic voices of his generation, finding success in television and film as well as the live stage. He will bring his comedy tour Hilarious to Wharton Center on October 9. As a stand-up, Louis has made the leap from stand-up clubs to theaters with his last national theater tour, Louis C.K.: Chewed Up. His first hour special, Louis C.K.: Shameless, premiered on HBO on January 13, 2007 to critical acclaim. As a filmmaker, Louis is best known for his cult classic Blaxploitation spoof, Pootie Tang, which he wrote and directed. Louis created and starred in HBO's first traditional sitcom, Lucky Louie, about the struggles of first time parenthood and he is currently co-creating a sitcom for CBS with Pamela Adlon who played his wife on Lucky Louie. The two will star in the comedy about a married couple who have been together too long and have too many children. Louis will also star in the new Ricky Gervais film, This Side of the Truth, alongside Jennifer Garner and Rob Lowe. He was recently seen in Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins.

Margaret Atwood - 11/17/2008 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=519 As Canada's literary legend, Margaret Atwood is an internationally respected novelist. She's anticipated, explored and changed the popular preoccupations of our time. She writes about issues on a personal and worldly scale. The Sunday Times exclaims Atwood, "one of the most inventive, enthralling and accomplished authors writing in English." Not to be missed!

Joan Borysenko - 2/16/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=628 As a distinguished pioneer in integrative medecine, behavioral scientist Joan Borysenko is a world renowned expert in the mind/body connection. Her work has been foundational in an international health care revolution and continues to be. Her brilliance, humor and authenticity make her a compelling and inspiring speaker and writer.

Richard Dawkins - 3/2/2009 http://www.artsandculture.msu.edu/database_eventview.asp?id=633 Richard Dawkins is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and popular science writer. Dawkins first came to prominence with his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, which popularized the gene-centered view of evolution. He has since written several best-selling popular books, and appeared in a number of television and radio programs, concerning evolutionary biology, creationism, and religion. His most recent book The God Delusion was on the bestsellers list for almost a year.

Public Humanities Collaborative
100 Linton Hall • Michigan State University • East Lansing, MI 48824
Phone: 517.432.3910 • Fax: 517.355.0159 • E-mail: phc at msu.edu

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