WEDNESDAY-
SATURDAY • 20-23
The Elephant Vanishes
THEATER
The absurd and fantastic can emerge even from the daily grind; that’s the premise of The Elephant Vanishes, a multimedia work that is surreal yet familiar, disturbing yet humorous. Based on Haruki Murakami’s short story collection of the same name, the play explores modern Japanese consciousness yet resonates across cultural lines. Rarely staged in the United States, it’s being performed by the London-based company Complicite in Japanese with English supertitles. A presentation of the University Musical Society at the Power Center (121 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor) with shows nightly at 8 p.m. Call 734-764-2538 or visit ums.org.
THURSDAY-Friday • 21-22
Elvis to the Max
MUSIC
Hail to the king, baby. Elvis Presley may have long since departed to that great deep-fried peanut butter and banana sandwich in the sky, but his legacy lives on thanks to folks like Detroit’s Max Pellicano. Pellicano began his career as an Elvis impersonator (or “tribute artist”) in the ’70s. He’s a pro at playing the hip-swiveling young Elvis, before the extra weight and fistfuls of opiates were added to the lifestyle equation. Max and his Las Vegas dancers will dazzle, whether you’re a casual listener or a full-blown fan. At 7 p.m. at the Andiamo Italia Celebrity Showroom (7096 E. 14 Mile Rd., Warren); tickets start at $20. For reservations or info, call 586-268-3200. Thank ya, thank ya very mush.
FRIDAY • 22
Black Tie & Tails
FUN FOR ALL
For animal lovers with open wallets, the Dearborn Animal Shelter presents its fourth annual Black Tie & Tails Benefit. This gala includes a champagne reception, dinner, dancing, a raffle for a new car, and silent and live auctions — along with irresistible big brown eyes, fuzzy nuzzles and wagging tails. Be prepared to bid on a trip to Florida or to come home with a new four-legged friend. Just remember: white kitty + black rented tux = lint roller. Proceeds benefit the shelter and related programs. From 7 p.m. to midnight at the Dearborn Inn (20301 Oakwood Blvd.). Tickets are $125. For more info call 313-943-2697 or visit
dearborn-animals.com.
SATURDAY-
SUNDAY • 23-31
Rigoletto
MUSIC
The lives of a cursed court jester, his beautiful daughter and a lecherous duke fatefully intertwine in this beautiful and tragic operatic tale. Considered one of Giuseppe Verdi’s masterpieces, Rigoletto runs the gamut of human emotions, from nobility to treachery. Don’t be surprised if the music seems familiar, or if it sticks in your head long after the show is over. Rigoletto kicks off the Michigan Opera Theatre’s 2004 season on Saturday, Oct. 23, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 31, at the Detroit Opera House (1526 Broadway, Detroit). Call 313-237-7464 or visit michiganopera.org.
SATURDAY • 23
Sweet Honey iN the Rock
MUSIC
According to Shakespeare, music is the food of love; but to take it one step further, music can nourish the very soul. Since 1973, Sweet Honey in the Rock has been feeding the spiritual with its captivating blend of African chants, gospel, jazz, blues, reggae and rap. An award-winning a cappella ensemble, Sweet Honey strives to inspire unity through its musical message of peace, love and justice. At the Metropolitan United Methodist Church (8000 Woodward Ave., Detroit). The show starts at 8 p.m.; tickets are $25. Call 313-875-7407 or visit metroumc.org.
Saturday • 23
Theatre Bizarre
FUN FOR 21-PLUS
Yes, the organizers of this riotously twisted Halloween event swore that 2003 was their grand finale. But as with horror movies, the dead rarely stay that way for long. This zombie kegger a-go-go is rising from the grave for (at least) one more blowout. Gory and ghoulish entertainment will be provided by the Detroit Cobras, Snakeout, Fire Fabulon, Country Bob and the Bloodfarmers, Terror at the Opera and more. Tickets are $35 until Oct. 22 (at theatrebizarre.com), and $40 at the door; the event is 21 and over. Costumes are mandatory — and since this is an outdoor event, skip the skimpy lingerie in favor of something with a nice thick coat. On the south side of West State Fair Road between Woodward and I-75.
Saturday • 23
The Severance Fall Fashion Event
ART
Fashion mavens, do you feel like all Detroit has to offer is rap, rock and roadsters? Longing for the runways of Paris or Milan? Never fear: The Severance Fall Fashion Event is the answer to your Vogue-induced dreams. The evening will feature a fashion photography exhibit from local artists and a runway show highlighting the fall fashions of area designers and clothiers such as Flair Boutique and Unicorn Couture. At Severance Gallery in Eastern Market (2714 Riopelle St., Detroit) from 7 p.m. until midnight, with the runway show beginning at 9 p.m. Complimentary food and drink will be served; a $4 donation is required at the door. The photography exhibit is ongoing. Call 313-832-3744 or visit s3v3ranc3.com.
Sunday • 24
Yiddish Yes!
FUN FOR ALL
If your knowledge of Yiddish culture stems exclusively from Mel Brooks films, you have a lot to learn, young mensch. Try Yiddish Yes: A Day of Yiddish Culture, an event that celebrates all things Yiddish, with Yiddish language lessons, art projects, song and dance workshops, and traditional folktales and games. The day’s events conclude with a traditional kosher dinner with live music. Don’t be a meshuggener and miss this one! At the Jewish Community Center’s Jimmy Prentis Branch (15110 W. 10 Mile Rd., Oak Park). The event kicks off at 12:15 p.m. For info and reservations call 248-545-0985.
SunDAY • 24
Creeps and Monsters
ART • MUSIC
This delightfully atypical multimedia offering was cooked up by pixie-about-town Gwen Joy and the folks at Padded Cell. A Halloween warm-up, the show features music from Lee Marvin Computer Arm and the Heroine Sheiks of New York, plus bizarre and twisted artwork from Pete Wordowski, Tim Burke, Mark Heggie and others. The action takes place at Detroit Art Space, 101 E. Baltimore, Detroit. Tickets are $9; for more info call 313-664-0445.
Tuesday • 26
John Cale
Music
Rock’s best-known cellist has spent more than three decades bowing a crazed zigzagging path between the underground and just above surface, between art songs and rock tunes, between working with John Cage (at one extreme) and Iggy Pop (at another). A founding member of the Velvet Underground, Cale is the kind of visionary who turns “Heartbreak Hotel” into a paranoid dirge and celebrates Ezra Pound in song. Cale’s current tour follows the release of HoboSapiens, his first record in eight years. At the Magic Bag (22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale); call 248-544-3030.
Tuesday-Friday • 26-29
The New Yorker
College Tour
Literature
As America’s exposé king, Seymour M. Hersh has raked the muck on scandals from the My Lai massacre to the Abu Ghraib prison abuses. As his current employer, The New Yorker, kicks off its first college tour, Hersh will hold an open discussion with his editor, David Remnick. The talk is part of a four-day event, involving nearly a dozen New Yorker writers and editors, and includes visits to classrooms, public talks, book-signings and an exhibit of New Yorker political cartoons at Duderstadt Center Gallery. Hersh and Remnick speak at 4 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 26, at Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre in the Michigan League (911 N. University, Ann Arbor). See full details at www.newyorkercollegetour.com.
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