Madonna Rama at Spiral: January 21, 2011

The Queen of Pop will be at Spiral dance bar this Friday, January 21. Playing all of the famed classics, Madonna’s mirror image, U.K.’s Melissa Totten, will take stage for the Madonna Rama Throwback Party, and will relive the 80’s and 90’s- a time when Madonna transformed the music world and gave way to the meaning of “vogue” and “material girls.”

Totten is a remarkable clone of Madonna; her voice sounds alike, her dance-moves are parallel, and most notably, her appearance is flawlessly identical.

She is acknowledged worldwide as the most realistic and genuine Madonna impersonator. She has traveled the globe making people from Singapore to Australia question whether they were seeing the true pop-icon or not. This lifestyle of constantly getting a double-take elevated Totten to fame, landing a contract to perform as an impersonator on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship and later a six-year spot in the legendary Las Vegas production Legends in Concert.
The Madonna lookalike now tours clubs all around the world and has even released her own edition of Madonna’s most popular tracks on the album, Forever Madonna. Her album, Madonnalicious, is available for preorder and includes a 12 page photo gallery of the Madonna twin.

On the night of January 21, those songs which embrace everything we know and love about pop are packaged up in one night of pure Madonna celebration, featuring the chart-topping favorites- Like a Virgin, Hung Up, and the more recent, 4 Minutes.

So, come out and celebrate Friday! 18+ are welcome and the vogueing will begin at 9p.m. Spiral is located at 1247 Center St., Lansing (517- 371-3221). Visit http://www.spiraldancebar.com/ or http://www.melissatotten.com/ for more information.

Hitchcock's The 39 Steps climbs up to Mount Pleasant

Hold on to your hats, kiddies. (Assuming you're actually wearing hats. Frankly, who really does that anymore?) This weekend, over at the Broadway Theatre in Mount Pleasant, Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps makes its way into our mind's eye, leaving a trail of fearful suspense in its impressive wake.

A production of the Bullock Creek High School Theatre, The 39 Steps combines the heart-stopping thriller aspects of the original Hitchcock film with an unprecedented injection of slackstick and general hilarity. You might just end up busting a gut – and we mean that in the scary way, too.

Playing January 7 & 8 at 7 p.m., tickets for this frightfully funny phenomenon are $8, and can be purchased at the door. For more info – if you can handle it – call the Friends of Broadway theatre org at (989) 772-2075.

A BackStage Pass Christmas Dec. 16

By: Brittney Schering

"A BackStage Pass Christmas" is a special performance featuring holiday favorites with original pieces by The Verve Pipe and The String Doctors.

All of the featured performers in the upcoming season of WKAR's "Made in Michigan" music series are included, providing a "sneak peek" into the upcoming season that premiers Jan. 20 on WKAR.

BackStage Pass is WKAR's "music made in Michigan" series. It begins a new season with nine acts ranging from blues to classical, tropic rock to jazz, along with several additional compilations.

Catch a preview of the new season when A BackStage Pass Christmas premieres on Thursday, Dec. 16 at 11 p.m. with a primetime repeat on Thursday, Dec. 23 at 10 p.m.

The new season begins Thursday, Jan. 20 at 10 p.m. with Those Delta Rhythm Kings. The holiday special will feature performances from artists on the upcoming season as well as previous BackStage Pass holiday favorites. Highlights include The Verve Pipe's new classic, "Merrily Caroling," Thom Jayne's evocative "Silent Night," Delilah DeWylde's "Santa looks a lot like Daddy," and several other timeless songs.

The Mickeys, Frog and the Beeftones, The MSU College of MSU Voice Faculty, Thom Jayne and the Nomads, and Groove Merchant are a small glimpse of what to expect on this season.

For more information on BackStage Pass, please check out www.wkar.org/backstagepass.

Shrek the Musical Coming to East Lansing

Everyone's favorite friendly green ogre is coming to East Lansing in a form you've likely not seen before. DreamWorks Theatricals and Neal Street Productions, Ltd. present Shrek the Musical at Wharton Center for Performing Arts this coming February, and tickets go on sale tomorrow, Dec. 3.

The award-winning cast and crew is performing for crowds across the country, and will be in East Lansing Tuesday, Feb. 8 through Sunday, Feb. 13. Tickets will be available at the Auto-Owners Ticket Office, online at WhartonCenter.com or by phone at 1.800.WHARTON tomorrow.

For more information visit www.ShrekTheMusical.com or WhartonCenter.com.

Lansing Symphony to present Songs of Winter

By: Brittney Schering

The Lansing Symphony will present a very unique MasterWorks program called, "Songs of Winter" on Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. at Wharton Center for Performing Arts. The program features three works that set the tone for the holiday season, no matter how you celebrate.

Beginning with "Winter" from Vivaldi's Four Seasons, featuring Concertmaster Seunghee Lee, then the MSU Choral Union and Chorale will join the orchestra. Together, they will present John Rutter's When Icicles Hang, a great collection of songs using poetry to celebrate winter.

The final piece on the program is truly monumental: Ernst Bloch's Sacred Service (Avodath Hakodesh), which was the first large-scale setting of the Jewish Sabbath Service for orchestra, cantor, and chorus.

Tickets start at $12. Purchase them by calling (517) 487-5001 or online at www.lansingsymphony.org.

Lansing Media/Theatre Project

In an effort to offer the Lansing community with an opportunity to explore cutting edge Broadway technology, Michigan State University and Riverwalk Theater announce the launch of the Lansing Media/Theatre Project (LM/TP).

The LM/TP is offering a series of three workshops during November 2010 and March 2011 with a production in June 2011. The aim of the program is to educate area artists interested in theatre, design and performance art.

The first of the workshops will be held tonight, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. All workshops are free to the general public and will be held at Riverwalk Theatere.

For more information visit http://theatre.msu.edu/lmtp. Register here.

Rebel Pictures Fundraiser Sunday

Come out and support the production of Rebel Pictures' third feature film Lucky this Sunday, Nov. 21 at 6 p.m. at Rum Runners in East Lansing.

Other films from Rebel Pictures include Fairview and Handlebar which have been accepted into 29 film festivals in 15 different states, winning a combined total of 13 major awards.

The event will include food, sneak preview footage and live music. If you cannot attend, you are still welcome to donate here.