Cara Lieurance

With a cast of 32 on-stage performers and two dozen in the support crew, the Kalamazoo Civic's Youth Theatre production of Frozen Jr will begin its run on Friday, Mar 13 (continuing through Mar 22). Cara Lieurance speaks with the creative team about putting the running of a stage musical into the hands of young people by using the themes from the musical itself to foster connection and support. Director Sandy Davis, music director Julie Davis (co-directing with Brent Decker), choreographer Kris Allemang-Stahl, and the Civic's director of marketing, Janet Gover talk about the experience.

The Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo offers several different grants to fund a range of Kalamazoo-area creative activity, including the KADI grant, or Kalamazoo Artistic Development Initiative grant. Cara Lieurance talks to Kristen Chesak, the executive director of the Arts Council, and  Ashley Daneman, a 2020 KADI grant recipient for her concert-series-with-a-twist concept, Authenticity Kalamazoo.  Other recipients this cycle include artists like Kelly Van Der Kley, who will use her grant to learn more about book-making techniques in Venice, then share them locally through her work with Kalamazoo Book Arts. 

Gustav Mahler famously said, "A symphony should be like the world. It must contain everything." As it turns out, most musicians crave the chance to return to Mahler's world-building music. In an interview with Cara Lieurance, Julian Kuerti, the music director of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, introduces listeners to Das Lied von der Erde, or "The Song of the Earth."

No Copland, no Gershwin, no Bernstein. Instead, music director Andrew Koehler programmed Florence Price, Lou Harrison, and Roberto Sierra for the Kalamazoo Philharmonia's concert at 4 pm on Sunday, Mar 8 in the Light Fine Arts Center at Kalamazoo College. In a conversation with Cara Lieurance, Koehler says he put these unknown composers upfront to highlight their music and acknowledge the orchestra's tradition of musical discovery in its 30th season. 

20 musical acts, nine workshops, and 25 vendors will fill the halls and stages of the Kalamazoo Valley Museum and Kalamazoo Valley Community College's downtown campus this Friday and Saturday, March 6 and 7 for the 15th annual Kalamazoo Fretboard Festival. Museum director Bill McElhone and festival curator Bryan Heany share the details with Cara Lieurance, highlighting the solo and group acts, pop-up concerts, beginner and intermediate workshops, and kid-friendly fun that makes this free festival draw over 4,000 people each year.