WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY JANUARY 6-10
Boeing-Boeing
STEWARDESS HOTTIE ALERT
This '60s slapstick French comedy was a bust when it premiered on Broadway back in '65, but a recent award-winning revival has birthed new respect for the farcical tale of sky-high sexual entanglements. A swinging bachelor makes the most of his time by carrying on affairs with an international trio of busty and beautiful flight attendants who, thanks to opposite schedules on different airlines, are in no danger of finding out about each others' existence. Until, suddenly, they are — cue the shenanigans! Boeing-Boeing makes its Michigan debut at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday, and 2 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Meadow Brook Theatre, 207 Wilson Hall, Rochester; 248-377-3300; mbtheatre.com; performances through Jan. 31.
THURSDAY-SUNDAY JANUARY 7-10
K2
SCALING THE SUMMIT
Manly men and their favorite, dangerous pastime is at the heart of K2, an adventure play about two American climbers who are trapped on an icy ledge on Pakistan's K2, the world's second-tallest and most dangerous mountain. The pair is missing crucial supplies thanks to an avalanche, one man has a broken leg and darkness is closing in. Their perilous situation leads to the predictable yet touching contemplations of their lives and perhaps imminent deaths, as well as many tense, gasp-worthy moments — from daredevil climbing attempts to an onstage avalanche. Oh Boy! K2 preview performances take place at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday, and continues through Feb. 7, at the Performance Network Theatre, 120 W. Huron St., Ann Arbor; 734-663-0681. Theater buffs on a budget should note that Thursday's performance is pay-what-you-can, $10 suggested.
FRIDAY JANUARY 8
Monica Blaire
SOULFOOD
The multi-talented Monica Blaire will just not go away. And we dig that. Coming off the heels of "Renaissance State of Mind," her hot collab with rapper Ro Spit that put a Motor City spin on Jay-Z and Alicia Keys' "Empire State of Mind," Blaire is performing two shows in the DFT auditorium as part of the DIA's ongoing Friday Night Live series. With a full tank of soul, Blaire performs a funkified set where poetry meets gospel, where rock and hip-hop dance together on shared rhythm. Hers is a voice that can send! (Hear "Renaissance State of Mind" at tinyurl.com/ygkkwva.) At 7 and 8:30 p.m. at the Detroit Institute of Arts; 5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-7900 and dia.org.
FRIDAY JANUARY 8
Made of Wood: Multiple Perspectives
TIMBER!
Thirteen artists from across the country attack one basic element in Made of Wood: Multiple Perspectives. While the material is the same, the works are wildly different, demonstrating each artist's individual process and perspective. Local artists who cut, carved, glued, screwed or in other ways used, abused and transformed wood for the exhibit include Larry Cressman, Teresa Peterson, Darcel Deneau and Victor Pytko. Opens with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. at Northville Art House, 215 W. Cady St., Northville; 248-344-0497; northvillearts.org; on display through Jan. 30.
FRIDAY-SATURDAY JANUARY 8-9
The Cookers
HOT JAZZ NAMES
It's a wee bit early for such declarations, but one jazz wag who has our ear has pre-emptively declared this among the best shows of 2010. Well, there's certainly the potential. Consider the supergroup lineup: saxophonists Billy Harper and Craig Handy, trumpeters Eddie Henderson and David Weiss (the group leader), bassist Cecil McBee, pianist George Cables and drummer Billy Hart. The name comes from the classic Freddie Hubbard disc The Night of the Cookers, which tells you they're rooted in all the up-rooted energy of the mid-'60s. Shows at 8:30 and 11:30 p.m. in the Jazz Café at Music Hall, 350 Madison Ave., Detroit; 313-887-8501.
SATURDAY JANUARY 9
No Vacancy
CREATIVE DISCONTENT
No Vacancy explores dissatisfaction as the impetus for creation, viewing art as the end product of artists' attempts to reconcile the difference between the way the world is and the way they think it should be. More than 20 artists from across the country are represented in the exhibit, offering works that provide answers, questions, solutions, hope, joy or comfort, giving viewers the opportunity to contemplate alternate ways of thinking about this mortal coil. Featured artists include Michael Anderson, Sam Bassett, Kate Gilmore, Andrew Guenther and Shannon Lucy. Opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Butcher's Daughter, 22747 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; 248-808-6536; on display through Feb. 23. An afterparty follows the reception from 9 p.m. to midnight at the Centaur bar in Detroit. Space is limited; RSVP by calling the gallery or online at thebutchersdaughtergallery.com.
SATURDAY JANUARY 9
The Sleeping Beauty
THE BIG SLEEP
Now that we've gotten our fill of that other Tchaikovsky ballet, 50 dancers from the Moscow Festival Ballet perform what many consider his finest, The Sleeping Beauty. With spinning turns, graceful leaps and elegant lifts set to Tchaikovsky's incomparable score, the dancers tell the story of Princess Aurora who, although spared from death, is cursed to sleep for 100 years until awakened by a kiss from a prince. A classic tale of good triumphing over evil and a helpless dame being saved by a handsome dude, The Sleeping Beauty takes place at 2 p.m. at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, 44757 Garfield Rd., Clinton Twp.; 586-286-2222; $17-$52.
SATURDAY JANUARY 9
Behind the Scenes — John K. King Used & Rare Books
BOOKWORMS IN PARADISE
The Detroit Historical Society's popular Behind the Scenes Tour series offers guided excursions into historic locations throughout metro Detroit, giving history buffs the inside scoop on a wide range of venues, from the grandiose Fisher Building to the utilitarian Fort Street Post Office. This week, visitors can get the skinny on John K. King Used & Rare Books, the largest used and rare book emporium in the state. The tour will visit the massive public areas, home to hundreds of thousands of titles, as well as gambol through the Rare Book Room in the Art Annex. At 11 a.m. at John K. King Used & Rare Books, 901 W. Lafayette Blvd., Detroit; for info and tickets contact the Detroit Historical Society at 313-833-1801 or detroithistorical.org; $30, $20 Historical Society members.
SATURDAY JANUARY 9
Disappears
DIG THE DRONE!
This quartet is a band to watch, and their Krautrock-inspired drone is starting to earn them buzz beyond the Windy City borders. Their sound flirts with the outer edges of pop, but drowns it with heavy doses of reverb and distortion layered over melodic guitars and throbbing rhythms. Disappears began in early 2008 as a recording project of singer-guitarist Brian Case of the Ponys and 90 Day Men fame, but quickly evolved into a full-fledged band with a must-see live set. Fresh off a New Year's Eve gig supporting the Jesus Lizard, Disappears hits the stage at PJ's Lager House, 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; 313-961-4668; $7; with the Johnny Ill Band and Solar Temple Cult.
TUE-WED0112-13
Lady Gaga
"HALF PSYCHOTIC, SICK, HYPNOTIC"
Stefani Germanotta, aka Lady Gaga, was the shootin' pop star of '09, thanks to her irritatingly catchy glam rock-dance fusion, outlandish fashion statements and extroverted, panty-dropping personality. She charted a record, breaking four No. 1 hits on Billboard's pop countdown, and was christened by Barbara Walters as one of the most fascinating people of the year. She keeps the glitter flying in 2010 with a traveling spectacle known as the Monster Ball. Not a boring old pop tour, but a so-called "pop-electro opera," this multimedia extravaganza is so large it had to be relocated from the Fox Theatre to Joe Louis Arena. The hoopla promotes Lady Gaga's second disc, The Fame Monster, a reissue of her debut padded with eight bonus tracks. The star and her no-doubt-unwieldy wardrobe touch down at 7:30 p.m. at Joe Louis Arena, 600 Civic Center Dr., Detroit; tickets ($35 & $45) available through Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000.
