Spring finally showed up in metro Detroit, and the calendar filled up fast. This weekend, April 10 through 12, there’s a serious run of theater, dance, and live events spread across the city and the suburbs. Here’s what’s worth your time.
Riverdance Turns 30
The show that made Irish step dancing a global phenomenon is back, and this anniversary production at the Fox Theatre isn’t just a victory lap. Riverdance 30: The New Generation runs April 10 and 11 at 2211 Woodward Ave. in Detroit, and the entire cast is under 30 years old. New choreography, new costumes, and updated lighting and graphics give the show a forward-looking feel while honoring the tradition that launched it. Tickets start at $43 through 313presents.com. If you’ve never seen Riverdance live, this is a reasonable moment to fix that.
Two More Shows in Final Days
If you’ve been putting off tickets, stop. Both ”& Juliet” and “Come From Away” close out their runs this weekend at Detroit venues.
”& Juliet” plays through April 12 at the Fisher Theatre, 3011 W. Grand Blvd. Canadian writer David West Read, best known for his work on Schitt’s Creek, wrote this musical feminist remix of the Romeo and Juliet story. Juliet survives, decides she has a life to live, and the whole thing gets scored with modern pop anthems. It’s fun, genuinely funny, and the Fisher’s a great room for it. Tickets start at $46 through us.atgtickets.com.
“Come From Away” is also in its final weekend. That Tony Award-winning musical dramatizes what happened in Gander, Newfoundland on September 11, 2001, when nearly 7,000 airline passengers were diverted there after the World Trade Center attacks. The town took them all in. It’s a gut punch of a show, the good kind.
Paul Taylor Dance Company at the Detroit Opera House
This one deserves more attention than it’s getting. The Paul Taylor Dance Company, founded in New York City in 1954, trained some of the most important figures in 20th century modern dance, including Twyla Tharp, David Parsons, and Pina Bausch. This weekend’s program at the Detroit Opera House, 1526 Broadway St., honors Taylor’s legacy with performances of two signature works. “Company B” pulls from the anxiety and turbulence of the Great Depression era. “Esplanade” is something else entirely, a quiet meditation on the small gestures that make up ordinary life. April 11 and 12. Tickets start at $30 through detroitopera.org. Worth every dollar.
Broadway Rave in Ferndale
Not everything has to be high culture. Broadway Rave lands at The Loving Touch in Ferndale on April 10, and the premise is exactly what it sounds like. Theater lovers gather, the music plays, everyone sings along. New friends get made. Dignity is optional. Tickets are $26.49 at 22634 Woodward Ave. through ticketweb.com. Good option if you want something loose and social to kick off the weekend.
Gene and Gilda in Northville
Out in Northville, Tipping Point Theatre is running the Michigan premiere of “Gene & Gilda,” a romantic comedy about the real-life relationship between Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner. Worth noting: Radner was a Detroit native, which gives this production a bit of local resonance beyond the novelty of the subject matter. The show is intended for all ages and runs through May 3, so no urgency this weekend, but it opened recently and early buzz has been good. Tickets start at $25 at 361 E. Cady St. through tippingpointtheatre.com.
The full list of 26 weekend picks, including family events and more, comes from Hour Detroit, which publishes a weekly roundup worth bookmarking.
A Few Practical Notes
Parking around the Fox and the Fisher on a Friday and Saturday night means planning ahead. The QLine runs on Woodward if you’re coming from Midtown or New Center and want to skip the garage hunt entirely. For the Opera House on Broadway, street parking gets tight but the lots off Witherell fill up later than most people expect.
The weekend overall skews toward the arts in a way that doesn’t always happen in April. Don’t let it pass without catching at least one of these.
