WELCOME TO MATRIX:MIDLAND!

Our year-round professional programming offers an extraordinary mix of headline performers and emerging new artists. You're certain to have a favorite or two: Amos Lee, Norah Jones, the Mythbusters, Mitch Albom, or Whose Live Anyway?

If you're looking for a special night out, a new entertainment experience or looking for family fun, MATRIX:MIDLAND offers something for everyone.

New events are added all year long, too - check back often for upcoming performances!

JUNGLE JACK HANNA

Friday, September 18, 2009 @ 7 pm
Auditorium

Jungle Jack Hanna is host of Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild and Director Emeritus, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Recognized around the country as America’s favorite zookeeper, Jack has made countless television appearances since 1983 on shows such as Good Morning America, CNN’s Larry King Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Fox News Programs, and the Late Show with David Letterman.

Jungle Jack’s live show features many of his favorite animal friends, as well as fascinating and humorous stories and footage from his adventures around the world. Audiences give Jack rave reviews – everyone from the youngest child to the oldest adult is entertained and inspired.

Jungle Jack took his infectious energy to the airwaves by creating two of his own nationally syndicated television programs: Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures and most recently, Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild. Into the Wild is unscripted and action-packed as Jack and his family explore the corners of the globe and discover amazing animals and cultures. In its first season, Into the Wild won an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Series.

There will be handheld camera on stage and video screen so every seat will have great view.

Admission: Adults $22; Students $16

Single tickets on sale beginning July 21, 2009

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ROMEO AND JULIET
Actors From The London Stage
Thursday, February 4, 2010 @ 8 pm
Friday, February 5, 2010 @ 8 pm
Saturday, February 6, 2010 @ 8 pm
Little Theatre

One of Shakespeare's earliest plays, Romeo and Juliet has become an iconic romantic tragedy, as two innocent young lovers fall victim to family hatred and cruel destiny. It was among Shakespeare’s most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays. 

She was a Capulet. He was a Montague. At 16, they met and fell in love, a love touched by passion, hatred, innocence and betrayal. Actors From The London Stage brings this ultimate and tragic love story to life in a dynamic contemporary production

Five superb actors from such prestigious companies as the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre take on all the roles with minimal sets and costumes, creating an unusually intimate theatrical experience.

The self-directed ensemble of professional actors brings to life the rich and ever-relevant works and words of William Shakespeare. The result is a highly enjoyable and accessible performance for all ages to enjoy.

The actors will also conduct a week-long residency of classes and workshops at area campuses and at Midland Center for the Arts.

Now in its 33rd year, Actors From The London Stage (AFTLS) is one of the oldest established touring Shakespeare theater companies in the world. It was developed by Professor Homer Swander at the University of California-Santa Barbara and founded by the renowned British actor, Patrick Stewart.

This presentation is supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art, with additional contributions from Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, General Mills Foundation, and Land O’Lakes Foundation.

 

Admission: Adults $25; Students $16

Single tickets on sale beginning August 17, 2009

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PILOBOLUS
Saturday, February 27, 2010 @ 8 pm
Auditorium

Pilobolus infuses dance with attitude and innovation -- creating a unique, organic style that has been featured in several memorable television commercials and on stage during the 2007 Academy Awards.

First formed in a Dartmouth College dance class in 1971, this dance company combines breathtaking acrobatics, theater and mime for an evening of entertainment that explodes with imagination.

These dancers will astound you with their contoring human sculptures. They twist, organize, and mold their bodies into amazing shapes while making you laugh at the same time. You'll be awestruck! 

United Press International: "quirky, creepy, sexy, witty and gravity-defying choreographic creations danced with formidable athleticism."

Admission: Adults $32; Students $16

Single tickets on sale beginning August 17, 2009

Become an MCFTA Season Subscriber! Learn more...

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AN ACOUSTIC EVENING with LYLE LOVETT and JOHN HIATT
ON STAGE TOGETHER
Sold Out Performance
One of the most distinctive songwriters to come out of Nashville, four-time Grammy Award-winner Lyle Lovett is equally comfortable in pop, rock, blues and country. Eleven-time Grammy nominee John Hiatt melds rock, acoustic, folk, new wave and Mississippi Delta blues into songs recorded by some three dozen artists over the last three decades, from Three Dog Night to Eric Clapton.

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CHEF MICHELLE BOMMARITO
"Super Power Foods" & "Royal Icing Sugar Cookie Decorating" Two great culinary presentations by Chef Michelle Bommarito from cable television's Food Network!

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AN EVENING WITH COLIN MOCHRIE & BRAD SHERWOOD
Get ready for an evening of non-stop laughs when these two comic stars from the Emmy-nominated "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" take the stage!

Using only their lightning-fast wit, Mochrie and Sherwood take suggestions from the audience to instantly invent hilarious, unrehearsed skits, games and songs.

Don't miss this evening of wholesome fun intended for the whole family. This is genuine improvisational comedy at its very best!

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"HOW'S YOUR DRINK?"
Cocktails, Culture and the Art of Drinking Well with Eric FeltenCocktails are king once more! But after almost four decades of obscurity, they seem like curious artifacts from a lost civilization. Where do they come from? What do they mean?

Satisfy your curiosity by spending an elegant evening with award-winning columnist Eric Felten, author of “How's Your Drink? Cocktails, Culture and the Art of Drinking Well.”

During this witty and insightful presentation, Felten will illuminate the culture of the cocktail, showing how it has been an essential part of American life, making its mark on literature, music and even politics.

Along the way, enjoy complimentary hors d'oeuvres and a sampling of some extensively researched and taste-tested cocktail recipes!

Felten has a vast knowledge, a sly sense of humor and a knack for telling wonderful stories that makes the evening both stimulating and satisfying – just like a great cocktail.


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FROM FLAPPING BIRDS TO SPACE TELESCOPES:
The Modern Science of Origami

If origami, the centuries-old Japanese art of paper-folding, only conjures up images of flapping paper birds and “cootie catchers,” think again.

This intriguing craft has undergone a revolution, developing mathematical techniques that have led to some surprising practical applications, from safer airbags to unfolding “stents” that expand clogged arteries to gargantuan space telescopes!

Physicist-turned-artist Robert Lang is one of the world's leading masters of origami and a pioneer in the marriage of origami and mathematics. His repertoire includes some of the most complex origami designs ever created, displaying unbelievable detail and realism.

In this fascinating presentation, Lang will provide some demonstrations of this art as well as discuss how geometric concepts of origami have shed light on long-standing mathematical questions and even solved practical engineering problems – from simply folding paper.

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CIRQUE MECHANICS IN BIRDHOUSE FACTORY

Roll right up and see how a woeful widget factory becomes a frolicsome funhouse! The incomparable Cirque Mechanics fly, climb and contort their way through rotating gears, trampoline walls and aerial hoops.

These twelve agile and inventive performers – including veterans of the Moscow Circus, Cirque du Soleil, and other world-renowned companies - take an unlikely setting for a circus - a factory - and transform the "workers" into acrobats and the "mechanics" into circus props!

Enjoy this seamless blend of dance, acrobatics, and theater in an inventive production ideal for audiences of all ages. Much more than just cogs in a wheel, these literally off-the-wall performers ignite endless “oohs” and “aahhs.” Birdhouse Factory is industrial-strength circus fun for the whole family!

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PURSE UNIVERSE

“Lose your handbag and you lose your mind.”

Does a woman's purse provide a window into her soul? Absolutely, says writer and photographer Barbara G. S. Hagerty, author of Handbags and Purse Universe.

Find out why at this fanciful and entertaining visual presentation and learn how a purse often becomes an extension of a woman's personality and essential self. Enjoy a delightfully southern Charleston Tea and be sure to bring your own favorite or outrageous handbag for a chance to win prizes!

A purse is, says Hagerty, "more than a mere utilitarian container, a purse is, I realize, an extension of the person who carries it, a miniature portrait in cloth, beads, plastic, leather or feathers."

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BLAKE SHELTON LIVE IN CONCERT

The multi-platinum artist will turn up the heat while performing songs from his new album Startin' Fires. “She Wouldn't Be Gone,” currently in the Top 10 on the country charts, quickly followed his 2008 chart-topper “Home.”

He's a young man with an old soul, playing New Traditional country music like he's lived each song he sings. Shelton's voice is warm and passionate and his appreciation for country music is evident in his charming vocal tone.

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