Small Stars shining in Grand Rapids Ballet's Nutcracker this December!

New to the stage this year are two young students from the Company’s recently launched Explorer Dance program, a dance class for children with Down Syndrome.

Nine-year-old Annah Huisman and fourteen-year-old Maggie Fisher, of the Explorer Dance Class, take the DeVos Hall stage for the first time as party girls in the Act I street scene of The Nutcracker. “These girls are so excited to be part of the production. They have been working very hard in class and will shine on stage,” says Explorer Dance instructor Amanda Sekelsky. “I am proud of what they have learned and thrilled to have them included in the Company’s production.”

Grand Rapids Ballet introduced the Explorer Dance program in the summer of 2010. This class, designed for children ages 6-14 with Down Syndrome, teaches the concepts of rhythm, coordination, balance, and spatial awareness. The inclusive, creative environment allows students the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of ballet movement while discovering new possibilities. The program is sponsored by Amway’s One by One Campaign.

Performances include four matinees, Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12; and six evening shows, Dec. 3, 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12. Tickets may be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1.800.982.2787, http://www.ticketmaster.com/ or at the Ballet or DeVos Hall Box Offices. Prices range from $20-$53 with discounts available for children, seniors, and groups.

In The Heights Coming to Grand Rapids!

IN THE HEIGHTS, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards® and the 2008 Grammy® Award for Best Musical Show Album, is coming to DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, MI from January 4-9, 2011.

IN THE HEIGHTS tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind.

The performance schedule is Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday at 2:00pm & 8:00pm, and Sunday at 1:00pm & 6:30pm.

Tickets start at $27.50. Tickets are available at the DeVos Performance Hall box office, all Ticketmaster locations, www.Ticketmaster.com or via phone at 1-800-745-3000. Group discounts are available by calling 616-742-6185 or e-mail groupsales@smggr.com.

Church Girl: The Musical

“Church Girl” is more than a stage play, it is a life changing experience! Based on TRUE STORIES “Church Girl” follows the life of “Emily Franklin”, a pastor’s daughter who is lured into a dangerous and fast-paced world that leads her away from everything she has been taught since childhood. So hold on to your seats as the story takes you on a visual, musical and emotional journey that will make you laugh, cry and dance in the aisles!

Starring: Robin Givens (Boomerang), A’ngela Winbush (R&B star), Drew Sidora (The Game), Sean Blakemore (Motives 1&2), Karen Clark Sheard (The Clark Sisters), Wanda Nero-Butler (Gospel Artist), Tony Grant (Az Yet) and Demetria McKinney (House of Payne).

Tickets are $34.50-41.50 and can be purchased here, at Ticketmaster outlets, Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place box offices.

For more information, click here

Blues Rock Star Joe Bonamassa to Headline DeVos Performance Hall

Award-winning blues rock star, guitar hero and singer-songwriter Joe Bonamassa and his ace touring band will perform in concert at Grand Rapids’ DeVos Performance Hall on March 21, 2011 at 8PM.

Tickets are $39, $49, $59 and $69 and go on sale Saturday, November 6 at 10 am at Ticketmaster.com, DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena Box Offices, Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 800-745-3000

The one-night-only show is in support of his upcoming, as yet untitled album which will be released on Bonamassa’s J&R Adventures label in March 2011. Bonamassa’s last album, 2010’s Black Rock, debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Blues Albums Chart and #38 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart, a huge leap from 2009’s The Ballad of John Henry which debuted at #136 on the Top 200. In addition to the success of Black Rock and Black Country Communion’s stellar debut, 2010 kicked off with Guitar World dubbing Bonamassa “The Blues Rock Titan” and his song, “Lonesome Road Blues,” was included in Guitar Hero V’s New Blues Masters Track Pack. He was also honored twice in Guitar Player Magazine’s June 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards winning “Best Overall Guitarist” for the first time and “Best Blues Guitarist” for the fourth consecutive year. On June 26, he played the main stage at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago.

A child prodigy, Bonamassa opened shows at age 12 for blues legend B.B. King, who said after first seeing him play, “This kid's potential is unbelievable…He's one of a kind.” Bonamassa’s recording career began in the early ’90s with Bloodline, a rock-blues group also featuring Robby Krieger’s son Waylon and Miles Davis’ son Erin. His solo debut was in 2000 with the Tom Dowd-produced A New Day Yesterday.

Win a Chance to Meet The Von Trapp Children!

The Grand Rapids Symphony is bringing in The Von Trapp Children, the great-grandchildren of the Captain and Maria Von Trapp, whose story was immortalized in The Sound of Music. They will perform with the Symphony Nov. 12-14 -- and two lucky winners will have the chance to meet them during a rehearsal.

The Symphony has launched a contest called "My Favorite Things." Tell us just one of your favorite things in order to enter a drawing to meet the children and attend a performance. Additional prizes include CDs and signed copies of a new children's book by a Flint writer, V is For Von Trapp.

BLING! FLASH! ART! (PART 1)

Grand Valley Photograph and Graphic Design Graduates Exhibit their Senior Thesis Work in Bling! Flash! Art! (Part 1)

The public is invited to attend the first collaborative GVSU Senior Thesis Showcase, part of Grand Valley State University's 50th Anniversary Celebration.

The showcase is from November 17th until December 9th.

This years show features 12 Photographers and 10 Graphic Designers, showcasing a flash into their experiences.

Please join the artists during the opening reception held on Thursday, November 18th, from 5:00pm-7:00pm in the Grand Gallery Skywalk located in the DeVos Place

For More Information Please Contact:

Victoria Veenstra-616.331.3957

Chitra Gopalakrishnan-616.331.8164

Performing Arts Center Gallery-616-331-2564

Von Trapp Children Book Signing on Alpine!

Are your hills alive with the sound of music? Are you a huge "The Sound of Music" fan? Well, come and meet the Von Trapps for yourself!

The Von Trapp Children, who will perform with the Grand Rapids Symphony next weekend, will join Michigan author William Anderson at Schuler’s Books and Music for a special book signing and appearance on Saturday, Nov. 13.

The great-grandchildren of the famous Captain and Maria Von Trapp, whose story was immortalized in “The Sound of Music,” will appear from 11 a.m. to noon at the 3165 Alpine Ave. NW, Walker location of the bookstore. They will be joined by Flint resident and author William Anderson, who will be signing copies of his newly released V is for Von Trapp: A Musical Family Alphabet, which presents a behind-the-headlines look at the family.

The two-tiered alphabet format follows the early days of the Von Trapps in Austria, their escape from Nazi authorities, their love of America and their family lodge in Vermont. The release of the book coincides with the 45th anniversary of the film version of the beloved musical and the Nov. 2 release of a digitally restored, Blu-Ray limited edition collector’s set of The Sound of Music.

Tickets for The Von Trapp Children’s performance with the Grand Rapids Symphony start at $18 and are available by calling Ticketmaster at 800-982-2787, online at ticketmaster.com or in person at Ticketmaster outlets. Tickets may also be purchased in person at DeVos Place and Van Andel Arena box offices or the Symphony office.