Arts and Culture

Northern Michigan University Theater and Dance will present the world premiere of the full-length ballet, East of the Sun, West of the Moon. This twist on the classic Scandinavian folk tale features original choreography by director Jill Grundstrom and original music composed by Griffin Candey. The production is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, through Saturday, Jan. 26, in Forest Roberts Theatre. Admission is $15 for general public, $10 for students and $5 for NMU students. All theatre and dance majors and minors are invited to attend free of charge.

Singer-songwriter Annie Humphrey, the Native American Music Awards' 2018 Artist of the Year, will perform at Northern Michigan University on Saturday, Feb. 16. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. in the James A. Panowski Black Box Theatre. Humphrey's performance is being held in conjunction with the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center's exhibition, Ancestral Women. Tickets are $5 for the general public and $1 for NMU students.

Northern Michigan University’s Forest Roberts Theatre will present a modified performance of its world-premiere ballet East of the Sun, West of the Moon aimed at children and adults who are either on the autism spectrum or have sensory issues. The goal is to preserve the entertainment value of the show so families can enjoy it together while also creating a supportive environment. The performance is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26. Free admission for those with sensory issues is made possible through private donor support.

Northern Michigan University will honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a week-long celebration. A Day of Service will be held on Monday, Jan. 21. The event kicks off with a campus march for equality. Participants will assemble at noon in the lobby of the Forest Roberts Theatre. The march will proceed to the Lodge at The Woods student housing complex for a program titled “Poetry Without Borders: Let Freedom Ring” and light refreshments.

Men typically outnumber women in theater technical production jobs, but this underrepresentation is not an issue at Northern Michigan University’s Forest Roberts Theatre (FRT). Ten of the 15 students working at the FRT scene shop on Scrooge! and other productions are women who handle everything from lighting, set and sound design to props and even technical direction.

Northern Michigan University’s Forest Roberts Theatre will introduce a few surprising twists to its longstanding holiday production of Scrooge!, a musical retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Performances will be held at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12–Saturday, Dec. 15, with additional shows at 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16.

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum is hosting the School of Art and Design's Fall 2018 Senior Exhibition. The work of graduating seniors from all concentrations is being showcased. The exhibition will end with a closing reception from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 14. It is free and open to the public. 

Northern Michigan University's music department will host its third annual Holiday Collage Concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, in Reynolds Recital Hall. It is free and open to the public, but donations are appreciated. The concert will feature the NMU band, choirs, orchestra and a variety of student soloists and ensembles. 

A Northern Michigan University Mexican theater class will perform two plays starting at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4, in room 2902 of the West Science building. They will be presented in Spanish, with English subtitles. Total run time for both is about 45 minutes. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.

Northern Michigan University's Native American Student Association will host a screening of the movie Wind River. The event is scheduled from noon -2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 27, at the Whitman Hall commons. It is free and open to the public.

This film follows a veteran hunter as he helps an FBI agent investigate the murder of a young woman on a Wyoming Native American reservation. A discussion will follow.