ALADDIN STAGE SHOW COMING TO DETROIT OPERA HOUSE

The Detroit Opera House with its ornate 1920's era architectural details is a magnificent place to go for live theatrical performances.  It was built when performers had a more intimate connection with their audiences and there weren't the sound systems and special effects to enhance performances we have today so the theater was specifically designed to enhance the acoustics and atmosphere within the space. After an extensive renovation in 1996, the Detroit Opera House maintains the wonderful elements of a classic theater combined with modern, high-tech features making it a remarkable place for hosting concerts and shows.

I have seen a number of entertaining acts there over the years and even walked across its stage myself for my law school graduation ceremony.  So there are a number of memorable times that come to mind when thinking of the Detroit Opera House.  I'm looking forward to making some new memories tied to this great place when I take my little girl there for a daddy-daughter night out when Disney Theatrical Productions' ALADDIN comes to Detroit for a run at the Opera House from December 12, 2018 through January 13, 2019.

Tickets for this limited five week engagement start at $25 and are available to purchase now. You can purchase tickets to the play online at www.broadwayindetroit.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and by phone at 800-982-2787. You can also stop by the Fisher Theatre and Detroit Opera House box offices to buy tickets to ALADDIN.

This ALADDIN stage show originally opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre to critical acclaim on March 20, 2014. It quickly established itself as one of that theater's biggest blockbusters in recent years, breaking 13 New Amsterdam Theatre house records. Since then the production has expanded to include productions in Tokyo, Hamburg, London and Australia, in addition to two U.S. productions including this one visiting Detroit.

ALADDIN, adapted from the Academy Award®-winning animated Disney film and centuries-old folktales including “One Thousand and One Nights,” is brought to fresh theatrical life in this bold new musical. Aladdin’s journey sweeps audiences into an exotic world of daring adventure, classic comedy and timeless romance. This new production features a full score, including the five cherished songs from the Academy Award-winning soundtrack and more written especially for this play. The play also features costumes, props, and stage layouts designed by seven-time Tony-winning scenic designer Bob Crowley, six-time Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, and two-time Tony-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes.

Under the direction of Thomas Schumacher, the show features music by Tony Award and eight-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act), lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida) and four-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon).

For more information, visit AladdinTheMusical.com/tour, Facebook.com/Aladdin and Twitter.com/Aladdin.

TAIWANESE ARTS AND CULTURE FESTIVAL

Here is a fun weekend activity for Metro Detroit area families to enjoy that provides an interesting way to teach kids about a different culture from another part of the world in an entertaining way. The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) is hosting a Taiwanese arts and culture festival on Saturday and Sunday (September 15 - 16, 2018) from noon to 4 pm each day. Taiwanese Festival activities are FREE with museum admission, which is complimentary for residents of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties and DIA members. The festival is part of special Asian arts and cultures programs leading up to the opening of the DIA's newly expanded Asian art galleries on November 4, 2018. Festivities will include movies, performances, cooking demonstrations, traditional arts and crafts, puppets to play with and educational displays.

A highlight of the event for me is an appearance by Yenchih Huang who is a professional LEGO brick builder certified by the toy company. This master builder has worked with the LEGO Group since 2009 and has created numerous life-size brick sculptures for the company that have been on display at events and exhibitions in Asia. Yenchih Huang will display a large “Chaotian Temple LEGO” and demonstrates Taiwanese-style LEGO-building at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday in the Great Hall during this DIA event.

There will be a cooking demonstration at 2:15 p.m. in the Crystal Gallery Café where Shih-Wen Wu demonstrates how to make traditional Taiwanese pork dumplings and will provide copies of the recipe. National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan will be performing at 3 p.m. in the Detroit Film Theatre on September 15 and at that time in the Rivera Court on September 16. Enjoy a birds-eye view of the island nation by viewing the film “Beyond Beauty: Taiwan From Above” that will be playing in the Detroit Film Theatre at Noon on both days of the festival.

Kids will also enjoy these hands-on activities taking place from Noon–4 p.m. throughout the weekend in the DIA's Student Lunchroom:

•  Dough figurine: Make a simple dough animal using basic tools.
•  Lantern making & door gods coloring: Create a lantern decorated with Chinese characters that typically accompany the display of door gods and color your own door god. 
• Taiwan puzzles: Learn about Taiwan’s geography by playing with Taiwan maps and landmark puzzles. 

For more information, head over to dia.org

DOWNTOWN DETROIT STAR WARS ADVENTURE

I traveled to a galaxy far, far away for a fun Star Wars themed adventure with my kids by simply taking a drive down I-75 from our suburban home to the Cultural Center in downtown Detroit.  We had a stellar time participating in some Star Wars inspired activities at the Michigan Science Center. Then went across the street to tour the spectacular Star Wars and the Power of Costume exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts.  It was a wonderful afternoon in the D!

Our first stop was the Space Gallery of the Michigan Science Center. While there we enjoyed a private showing of the new planetarium presentation "Our Place in a Galaxy Far, Far Away" as part of a small audience that gave the science center's resident astronomer a practice audience before the public opening. The forty-five minute show took place within the science center's Dassault Systèmes Planetarium that has an impressive Digistar® II projection system that utilizes 13,000-watt Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and a 50-foot-wide, three-story-high-dome.

This live tour of outer space compares our solar system and galaxy to those far, far away. With nods to Star Wars, during the presentation you'll learn the real meaning of a parsec, what an asteroid belt looks like and get a glimpse of a real moon of Saturn called Mimas that resembles the Death Star. My son and daughter were impressed so don't miss out on seeing "Our Place in a Galaxy Far, Far Away" if you visit the Michigan Science Center while it is showing.

After enjoying the planetarium experience, the kids spent some time learning about how telescopes work and can help you stargaze.  We also checked out an original Apollo training capsule on display. I remember gazing into the opening of that same spacecraft with curiosity being the same age my kids are now when visiting the science center during my own childhood.

The kids were really enthusiastic about taking in the science center's "Science of Star Wars" stage show. Science experiment style skits show how sci-fi sound effects like blaster shots are created and demonstrate how lasers work.  They even do a mock up of how a light saber might work!

Before heading out, we had some fun interacting with some of the more than 250 hands-on exhibits at the Michigan Science Center.  These are great for sparking kids imagination and interest when it comes to STEM (science, technology, engineering & math). Also check out the Spark!Lab area which is hosted in partnership with the Smithsonian. While the Star Wars exhibit is on display at the DIA, Spark!Lab will be providing activities that tie-in to films. Kids can visualize an alien they think would live on a world like Hoth, build a real world droid, as well as design and test a space craft to see if it can do the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. Lots of fun Star Wars themed stuff to do that is entertaining and educational at the science center in Detroit's midtown neighborhood.

Speaking of the Star Wars exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts. That was our next stop. We walked across John R to see Star Wars and the Power of Costume at the DIA. This special exhibit will be on display until September 30, 2018.

My son and daughter has been asking to go see this exhibition and I surprised them with this visit. To say they were excited is an understatement!  Star Wars and the Power of Costume features authentic concept art that contributed to creating the look of the movies and screen-worn costumes used in the films.  No reproductions here … all original items on display in this exhibit. It is a fantastic opportunity to have the chance to be able to get close up looks at 60 costumes and more than 150 sketches used in creating the Star Wars motion pictures.



A nice aspect of the exhibit is everyone is given a hand-held electronic tour guide.  There are two audio-visual tours to choose from.  An adult version and a kids version.  The adult tour incorporates how the costumes on display were inspired by various art and historical influences and highlights noteworthy examples that are included within the DIA's permanent collection of artwork and artifacts.  The kids version has a Jedi Training storyline and focuses on pop culture references and Star Wars trivia.  My kids thoroughly enjoyed their audio-visual tour. In fact, noticing they were so tuned into it as we toured the exhibit, I switched over to it too. These electronic aides were very well done and really compliment the experience of walking through all this memorabilia.

You are going to roar like a Wookiee in excitement when visiting Star Wars and the Power of Costume at the DIA.  Whether you are a Star Wars fan or not, the intricacy and craftmanship of these costumes along with the artistic talent put into the sketches and drawings are sure to impress.  For more detailed overview of the exhibit, take a look at my ageekdaddy.com review from the media preview day I attended earlier in the summer.

We had a blast during our downtown Detroit Star Wars adventure! Don't be a couch potato! Get up and head over to the Michigan Science Center and Detroit Institute of Arts for some Star Wars fun! For more info on planning your visits, go to www.mi-sci.org and www.dia.org