THEATER
Let It Be
Oct. 4–13
Senior Class Readers Theatre
The Civic’s Readers Theater group will transport audiences to the turbulent times of the 1960s and ’70s in this revue of The Beatles music.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4–5 and 11–12 and 2 p.m. Oct. 6 and 13 at the Parish Theatre, 405 W. Lovell St. Tickets are $17–$32 and available by calling the Civic box office at 343-1313 or online at kazoocivic.com.
Let’s Have a Satanic Orgy!
Oct. 17–19
Queer Theatre Kalamazoo
This campy cabaret will have vignettes and music centered on sexual liberation and freedom from Puritanical norms and feature the doo-wop music of the rock duo Twin Temple.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17–19 in the performance hall of the Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition, 315 W. Michigan Ave. For ticket information, visit queertk.org.
Smart People
Oct. 18–27
Face-Off Theatre
This comedy, penned by Lydia Diamond, looks at four multicultural Harvard students searching for identity, love and success, but, despite how smart they are, find that when broaching the topic of race, they stumble and make wrong turns.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18, 19 and 26 and 2 p.m. Oct. 27 in the Jolliffe Theatre, in the Epic Center, 359 S. Kalamazoo Mall. Tickets are on a “pay-what-you-wish” basis and available online at faceofftheatre.com.
Ghost Stories
Oct. 18–26
New Vic Theatre
Just in time for the spooky season, New Vic will present an original production bringing ghost stories to life.
The program will feature a compilation of tales, including original stories and scary classics. Show times are 8 p.m. Oct. 18–19 and 25–26. Tickets are $33 and can be purchased online at thenewvictheatre.org or by calling 381-3328.
Haunting of Hill House
Oct. 25–Nov. 3
WMU Theatre
Spine-chilling suspense will be in the offing with the production of this play inspired by the Shirley Jackson novel and Netflix series.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25–27 and Nov. 1 and 2, 2 p.m. Oct. 27 and Nov. 3, and 7, 9 and 11 p.m. Oct. 31 in Western Michigan University’s Williams Theatre. Tickets are $7–$22 and available online at wmich.edu/theatre or by calling the box office at 387-6222.Finding Nemo Jr.
Oct. 25–Nov. 3
Civic Youth Theatre
Based on the popular Pixar film Finding Nemo, this musical is the latest in the Civic’s Penguin Project, which gives children with special needs the opportunity to participate in the performing arts.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, 10 a.m. Oct. 26 and Nov. 2, and 2 p.m. Oct. 26–27 and Nov. 2–3 at the Civic Auditorium, 329 S. Park St. Tickets are $15 and available by calling the Civic box office at 343-1313 or online at kazoocivic.com.
Ongoing Productions
- POTUS, Oct. 3–13, York Arena Theatre, WMU
- Jersey Boys, Oct. 3–6, Farmers Alley Theatre
MUSIC
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
Throughout the month
Various venues
During KSO concerts this month, audiences can tango, go to the movies and enjoy sounds from an immense organ.
The fiery rhythms and melodies of tangos will be played by KSO’s Artists in Residence at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at Bell’s Eccentric Cafe, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave. Tickets for Craft Music: Tangos are $5–$30.
Selections from iconic film scores for movies such as Jaws, Jurassic Park and Star Wars will be performed by the full symphony in The Music of John Williams, set for 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at Miller Auditorium. Tickets are $5–$68.
The mighty organ of the former First Baptist Church, now the Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition Building, at 315 W. Michigan Ave., will ring out with the music of Bach in Pipe Dreams, set for 2 p.m. Oct. 27. The concert features KSO Artist in Residence Karl Schrock on organ and Barry Ross on violin. Tickets are $10–$30.
For more information or to buy tickets, visit kalamazoosymphony.org.
Julius Rodriguez
Oct. 6
Bell’s Eccentric Cafe
The jazz pianist will perform with his quartet at 4 p.m. Oct. 6 at the cafe, 355 E. Kalamazoo Ave., as part of The Gilmore’s Rising Stars Series.
Rodriguez has performed with artists such as Kurt Elling, Wynton Marsalis and A$AP Rocky and is touring to support his new album, Evergreen. Tickets are $10–$28 and available at thegilmore.org.
The Joy of a Rich Harvest
Oct. 6
Early Music Michigan
A concert with a distinct fall feel will kick off EMM’s season. The selections will include music celebrating autumn and include pieces by Vivaldi, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Joseph Bodin de Boismortier and James Oswald.
The concert is at 4 p.m. in Connable Recital Hall, in Kalamazoo College’s Light Fine Arts Building.
Tickets are $15–$50 and available at earlymusicmichigan.org.
WMU School of Music Concerts
Throughout the month
Various venues
Western Michigan University’s School of Music has an eclectic schedule of performances in October. Unless noted, the performances will be in the Dalton Center Recital Hall and are free. Scheduled this month are:
- WMU Symphony Orchestra, with 2024 Stulberg Silver Medalist Joshua Kovác, 3 p.m. Oct. 6, Miller Auditorium, $5–$15.
- University Jazz Lab Band, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8.
- Hub New Music, chamber music quartet, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9, with pre-concert talk at 7 p.m., $5–$15.
- University Jazz Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10, $5–$15.
- Choral Showcase, featuring Amphion, Anima & University Chorale, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12, $5–$15.
- University Bands, with University Wind Symphony, Concert Band & Symphonic Band, 2 p.m. Oct. 13, Miller Auditorium, $5–$15.
- JungHae Kim, harpsichordist, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23, with pre-concert talk at 7 p.m., $5–$15.
- Tubaween, tuba performance, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24.
- Western Winds, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29, $5–$15.
- Patricio Cosentino, tuba, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30, with pre-concert talk at 7 p.m.,
$5–$15.
To purchase tickets or for more information, visit wmich.edu/music/events.
Connecting Chords Music Festival
Throughout the month
Various venues
From silent movie soundtracks to a Syrian vocalist, the Connecting Chords festival is offering several performances this month:
- Live Music for Silent Classics will feature the chamber orchestra Silent but Deadly, playing original soundtracks during screenings of classic silent short films. The screenings are at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum. Admission is free, but tickets are required and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Donations to the Kalamazoo Valley Museum and Connecting Chords Music Festival will be accepted on site.
- Invoke, a quartet playing classical, folk & bluegrass music, will perform at 5 p.m. Oct. 13, at Kalamazoo College’s Light Fine Arts Building.
- The Dave Meder Jazz Ensemble, led by pianist and composer Meder, will perform at 7 p.m.
Oct. 21 at Western Michigan’s University’s Dalton Center Recital Hall. - Syrian vocalist Lubana Al Quntar will perform with the Bahar and Biyati ensembles and the children’s group Orchestra Rouh at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 at Kalamazoo College’s Stetson Chapel.
- Kitka, an American women’s vocal ensemble inspired by traditional songs and vocal techniques from Eastern Europe and Eurasia, will perform at 7 p.m. Oct. 25 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church,
247 W. Lovell St.
Unless noted otherwise, tickets for each performance are $5–$17 in advance. A festival pass for admission to all the 2024 Connecting Chords Festival concerts is $75. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit connectingchordsfestival.com.
VISUAL ARTS
Book Arts in Italy
Oct. 4–25
Kalamazoo Book Arts Center
Prints and books created by members of student groups that traveled in Italy this summer will be showcased in this exhibit.
The exhibit will open Oct. 4 at the KBAC Gallery, 326 W. Kalamazoo Ave., Suite 103A, with a reception from 5–8 p.m., and will remain in the gallery until Oct. 25. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday. For more information, visit kalbookarts.org.
Ongoing Exhibitions
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts:
- Legendary Voices: Art for the Next Century, through Feb. 16.
- Powerful Forces: Legends, Rituals & Warriors in East Asian Art, through
Jan. 19.
LITERATURE
Author Talks
Throughout the month
Various venues
A handful of talks by authors will happen this month:
Gina Stevens, author and illustrator of the children’s books A Tree Could Be and Color Me Blue, will speak at 6 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Richland Community Library, 8951 Park St. For more information, visit richlandlibrary.org.
Kathy Conder, author of Hauntings, Spirits, and Eats: Michigan, will talk about local and statewide haunts at 6 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Portage District Library, 300 Library Lane. To register for this event, visit portagelibrary.info.
Kelly J. Baptist, author of five children’s and young adult books, including Isaiah Dunn is my Hero and Eb & Flow, will speak at 5:30–7 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Kalamazoo Public Library’s Oshtemo Branch, 7265 W. Main St. For more information, visit kpl.gov.
