4 THU • MUSIC Kathleen Battle — Need a little holiday cheer? Why not make your way to Orchestra Hall at the beautiful Max M. Fisher Music Center? Five-time Grammy Award-winning soprano Kathleen Battle will be gracing the D with her high-pitched chops. She’s appeared on stages from the Metropolitan Opera to Vienna and Paris; Battle’s voice has often been referred to as a “worldwide treasure.” And with an impressive repertoire spanning from opera to baroque to jazz, her offering of classical favorites and carols (as part of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Festival) is sure to evoke chills. Start off your holiday season at the Max M. Fisher Music Center (3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit). Call 313-576-5100 for more information.
4 THU • MUSIC Bobby Rush — If you caught “The Road to Memphis” as part of Martin Scorsese’s The Blues series on PBS this fall, you no doubt remember blues great Bobby Rush. He’s a bona fide Mississippi bluesman — whose popularity on the chitlin circuit has made him one of the most beloved musicians of his genre; his rugged live shows are replete with the booty-shaking-est dancers you have ever seen. He’s coming to town as part of the promotional tour for his new CD/DVD two–disc set, Bobby Rush: Live At Ground Zero, on Deep Rush Records. See this show at George & Harry’s Blues Café (22048 Michigan Ave., Dearborn). Call 313-359-2799 for more information.
5-6 FRI-SAT • FILM Coal Miner’s Daughter — Loretta Lynn once said, “I don’t even like to be up on a stage, really. I like to be where I can look at ya. I don’t want to sing down to you. I want you to sing with me.” And nothing captures the sugary down-home wholesomeness of this honky-tonk gal like 1980’s Coal Miner’s Daughter, starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones. Telling the story of a young Lynn and her travels from abject poverty to stardom, Spacek (who won an Academy Award for her portrayal of the pint-sized star) not only sings all of Lynn’s classics, but does a beautiful job to boot. At the Redford Theatre (17360 Lahser, Detroit). Call 313-383-0133 for more information.
6 SAT • ART Mark Dancey: Flying Circus — One of the highlights of this year’s Detroit Gallery Crawl will be local artist Mark Dancey’s exhibit at CPOP. Dancey, who may be best known as co-founder of Motorbooty Magazine or from his days as member/“propagandist” of one of Detroit’s most beloved rock ’n’ roll outfits, Big Chief, is back on the scene. OK … he never left. But this particular portraiture series is a sight to behold, as it homes in on the naked (both literally and metaphorically) psychology behind the subjects’ images. See it at CPOP Gallery (4160 Woodward, Detroit). Call 313-833-9901 for more information. Runs through Dec. 30.
6 SAT • FUN FOR ALL Wild Winter at the Detroit Zoo — Why not join the polar bears for winter fun? The Detroit Zoo has put together a terrific series of cold weather and holiday-themed activities for parents and children alike. Dubbed Wild Winter, these festivities will begin with a breakfast with Santa at the Zoo’s Wildlife Interpretive Gallery and will continue through the end of February. For $35 per adult/$30 for children, guests can enjoy a pancake breakfast while meeting Santa Claus. (Children will receive a present from the jolly old elf.) At the Detroit Zoo (8450 W. 10 Mile Road at Woodward, Royal Oak). Call 248-398-0900 for further lowdown.
7 SUN • FUNDRAISER Honest?John’s Shakedown Society’s 13th Annual DIPPS for Toys — C’mon, you know you wanna hop in the questionably sanitary, unarguably freezing-cold Detroit River! It’s for the kids, after all! Join everyone’s favorite irascible saint, John Thompson of Honest?John’s Bar and No Grill, and his cast of wacky philanthropists decked in strange costumes, as they plunge into the icy-cold water off Belle Isle. The party kicks off at the bar at noon — admission is $10, and all proceeds go to purchasing toys for Detroit Public Schools. The moment of truth takes place at 4:30 on Belle Isle; the bar offers shuttles to and from the dipping point. Honest?John’s Bar and No Grill is located at 488 Selden in Detroit. Call 313-832-JOHN for more information.
