MUSIC
WMU School of Music Concerts
Throughout the month
Various venues
With guest artists and a program celebrating the trumpet, the music school is offering a full slate of performances this month. Unless otherwise noted, the performances will be in the Dalton Center Recital Hall, and tickets are $6 to $18:
• TAK Ensemble, chamber quintet, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1, with a pre-concert talk at 7 p.m.
• Carlos López, bassoonist, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3
• University Symphony Orchestra and Zekai Chen, Stulberg silver medalist, 7 p.m. Oct. 5, Miller Auditorium
• Ilan Morgenstern, bass trombonist, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6
• University Jazz Lab Band, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7
• Best of MAT, multimedia arts technology, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8, free
• University Jazz Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9
• Trumpet Summit Finale Concert, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11
• University Bands, University Wind Symphony, University Symphonic Band and University Concert Band, 2 p.m. Oct. 12, Miller Auditorium
• Choral Showcase, Amphion, Anima and University Chorale, 3 p.m. Oct. 26
• Western Winds, woodwinds, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28
• Multimedia Concert, faculty and guest recital, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29
• Gold Company Sneak Preview, vocal jazz ensembles, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31
To purchase tickets, visit wmich.edu/music/events.
Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
Throughout the month
Various venues
The KSO is offering three performances this month:
• Composing Tomorrow, featuring composers Marisol Gentile, Jens Ibsen, Benjamin Krause and Matthew Lam, who will premiere new pieces at 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at Kalamazoo College’s Dalton Theatre, in the Light Fine Arts Building. Tickets are $5 to $25.
• Mozart & Tchaikovsky, featuring masterpieces by these composers and an oboe concerto by Ruth Gibbs, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at Miller Auditorium. Tickets are $5 to $68.
• Oktoberfest, showcasing waltzes, polkas & more, at 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. Oct. 22. Tickets are $30.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit kalamazoosymphony.org.
Vamos: The Spirit of Latin American Music
Oct. 17
Kalamazoo Choral Arts Chorus
A sacred mass, fiery folk music and a sprinkling of Latin jazz are on the program when the KCA joins with the Kalamazoo College Singers, a live band and guest vocalists for this performance at 7:30 p.m. at Lincoln International Studies School, 912 N. Burdick St.
For ticket information, visit kalamazoochoralarts.org.
A Kaleidoscope of Conductors
Oct. 18
Kalamazoo Concert Band
Several local school band directors will join KCB Assistant Conductor Brian Shelterly to conduct their favorite compositions at 7 p.m. in Chenery Auditorium, 714 S. Westnedge Ave.
Jason Fettig, former conductor of The President’s Own Marine Band, will also perform.
The concert is free, and more information can be found at kalamazooconcertband.org.
Rufus Reid Quartet Jazz Show
Oct. 2
Crawlspace Theatre
Jazz bassist and composer Rufus Reid will perform with his quartet at 7:30 p.m. Reid, who has been active on the jazz scene since the 1970s, has recorded more than 500 albums, including 25 under his own name. Among his own is 2014’s Quiet Pride — The Elizabeth Catlett Project, which received two Grammy nominations.
Crawlspace Theatre is located at 315 W. Michigan Ave. Tickets are $10 to $25 and available online at crawlspacecomedy.com.
VOCES8
Oct. 22
Fontana Chamber Arts
The Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 brings its a cappella artistry to WMU’s Dalton Center Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. The internationally acclaimed group — hailed for its “impeccable quality of tone and balance” by Gramophone — will present a program that spans diverse musical styles.
Tickets are $5 to $35 and available at fontanamusic.org.
• Luther S. Allison Trio
• Giorgi Gigashvili
Oct. 4 & 5
The Gilmore
The Gilmore will present two rising stars this month.
Jazz artist Luther S. Allison, winner of a 2024 Grammy for his work with vocalist Samara Joy, will perform at 5 and 8 p.m. Oct. 4. He will lead a trio featuring Anwar Marshall on drums and Zwelakhe-Duma F. Bell le Pere on bass.
Pianist Giorgi Gigashvili will perform at 4 p.m. Oct. 5. Selected as the BBC New Generation Artist 2023–2025, he has been nominated as an ECHO (European Concert Hall Organization) Rising Star for the 2025–26 season. The 25-year-old will perform lyrical romantic works by Mendelssohn, Chopin and Schumann.
Both artists will perform in the Epic Center’s Cori Terry Theatre. Tickets are $10 to $28 and can be purchased at thegilmore.org.
LITERATURE
Poets in Print
Oct. 4
Kalamazoo Book Arts Center
Poets Elaine Seaman and Robin Gadient will read at 7 p.m. in this event at the KBAC.
Seaman published her first book of poetry, Rocks in the Wheatfield, in 2004. Her self-published book, My Mother Sewed Dresses for Five (2019), contains images of quilts she made and poems she wrote that share quilt titles.
Gadient will release her new chapbook, Two for Joy, at the event. This small letterpress book, which was set, printed and bound by hand, contains her poetry and two monotype prints by Caroline Allen. Each copy of the book is unique, with different hand-painted images. The book was printed in an edition of 75.
For more information, visit kalbookarts.org.
THEATER
• Utopia
• Cats
Oct. 9–25
WMU Theatre
WMU Theatre presents two stage productions this month — one thought-provoking and one whimsical.
Utopia, which opened in September and runs until Oct.12, explores a world where people live together without the barriers that divide us. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2–4 and 9–11 and 2 p.m. Oct. 5 and 12 at Western Michigan University’s York Arena Theatre.
At the end of the month, WMU students will stage the Broadway classic Cats, with its iconic score by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24–26, Oct. 30–Nov. 2 and Nov. 6–8 and 2 p.m. Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 and 9 in the Williams Theatre.
Tickets to each production are $7 to $22 and available at wmich.edu/theatre or by calling the box office at 387-6222.
Queer Shorts Festival
Oct. 3–5
Queer Theatre Kalamazoo
Six 10-minute plays, including three by Kalamazooans Mars Wilson and Weslee Innes, will be featured in this festival at Crawlspace Comedy Theatre, 315 W. Michigan Ave.
In addition to the locally written plays, works by playwrights from Ann Arbor and New York also will be performed.
Show times are 9:30 p.m. Oct. 3 and 4 and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5. Tickets are on a name-your-price basis and available at queertk.org.
Villains Cabaret
Oct. 10 & 11
Dormouse Theatre
You might see your favorite villain — whether it’s a Disney icon or a baddie from a Broadway play — singing and dancing in this production directed by Jack Ford-Teich.
Show times are 7 p.m. Oct. 10 and 11 at Dormouse Theatre, 1030 Portage St. For tickets, visit dormousetheatre.com.
Ghost Stories
Oct. 17–Nov. 1
New Vic Theatre
You can celebrate the spooky season with these eerie tales blending the supernatural with local legends.
Show times are 8 p.m. Oct. 17, 18, 24, 25 and Nov. 1 and 10 p.m. Oct. 31. Tickets are $33.50 and available at thenewvictheatre.org.
Madagascar: A Musical Adventure Jr.
Oct. 24–26
Center Stage Theatre
Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the Hippo and plotting penguins as they escape the zoo in this production based on the animated movie Madagascar.
Youthful cast and crew members will stage the show at Comstock Community Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24–25 and 2 p.m. Oct. 26. Tickets are $12 to $15 and can be purchased at kzoocst.com.
Other Productions
Come From Away, through Oct. 12, Farmers Alley Theatre
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, opens Oct. 10, Kalamazoo Civic Theatre
Disney’s Frozen Jr., opens Oct. 24, Kalamazoo Civic Theatre
VISUAL ARTS
New Exhibitions
Opening this month
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
The two new exhibitions at the KIA are:
•Washi Transformed: New Expressions in Japanese Paper, featuring two-dimensional works, sculptures and installations by nine Japanese artists, opens Oct. 4. Washi, a Japanese paper, is prized for its strong natural fibers, translucency and malleability. It has been fundamental to Japanese culture for more than a thousand years. The exhibition will run until Jan. 11.
• The Kirk Newman Art School Faculty Review, opening Oct. 11, will feature works by more than 50 professional artist-educators from the KIA’s art school. The exhibition runs until Jan. 25 and will feature a variety of media, including ceramics, sculpture, painting, jewelry, photography and fiber.
The hours for the KIA are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday; and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 to $10.
20th Anniversary Exhibition
Oct. 3–30
Kalamazoo Book Arts Center
Marking the KBAC’s 20th year, this exhibition will include works by current and former students of the center.
A celebration with demonstrations and live music by bluegrass band Willy Central will be held from 6–8:30 p.m. Oct. 18.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. For more information, visit kalbookarts.org.
New Exhibitions
Opening this month
Richmond Center for Visual Arts
Three exhibitions will open Oct. 21 at Western Michigan University’s Richmond Center:
• The Faculty & Staff Exhibition, featuring works by Gwen Frostic School of Art faculty and staff, will run until Nov. 22 in the Albertine Monroe-Brown Gallery.
• The Steamroller Print Exhibition, featuring prints made using a steamroller, will run until Oct. 31 in the DeVries Student Gallery.
• And In Our Wildest Dreams, a show of paintings by 2005 WMU graduate Sara Strong Glupker, will run until Nov. 22 in the Netzorg-Kerr Gallery.
For more information, visit wmich.edu/art.
