Last Night to See 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'The Wizard of Oz' on Stage

Lutheran North ("Beauty and the Beast") and the Macomb Ballet Company ("The Wizard of Oz) have their last performances Saturday night.

Books? Designers' Show House Has Them Covered

See how interior designers get clever with books galore in various rooms at the Junior League of Detroit Grosse Pointe Shores' home tour, which opens Saturday.

Books seem to be everywhere. Not only are they in homes and on bookshelves, but paperbacks and hardcovers aplenty are also adorning window displays at apparel shops and boutiques and in fashion designer and home-furnishings ad campaigns. There's even book-page wallpaper.  Books are wearable, too. Kate Spade, in fact, introduced clutches that replicate classic tomes, from Romeo and Juliet to Emma to The Importance of Being Earnest. Is this our way of holding on to physical books in our Nook-ish, Kindle-ized world of “E?”   Perhaps, and that may be why many of the designers at the Junior League of Detroit's (JLD) 2012 Show House used books in a variety of displays. They cherish books not only for design inspiration but also as intriguing …

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Ballet Troupe's 'Wizard of Oz' Brings Magic, Munchkins, Monkeys to Macomb Center

The Macomb Ballet Company presents "The Wizard of Oz" in four performances Friday and Saturday at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts in Clinton Township.

Just call M-59 the Yellow Brick Road and follow it this weekend to the Macomb Ballet Company’s production of The Wizard of Oz at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts. Although the ballet is based on L. Frank Baum’s original children’s novel and will use a classical score rather than the famed movie soundtrack, MBC Artistic Director Amber Megna-Michalik promises that her company’s production will be every bit as magical as the iconic 1939 film. “This show will appeal to all ages,” Megna-Michalik said. “This is a well-known and well-loved story with a classical ballet twist. The costumes, props and sets are unbelievable and rival any Broadway production. Our volunteers have spent countless hours working on all of the small details that …

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Designers' Show House Showcases Pewabic Tile

Want a glimpse of Detroit's artistic past? Check out the stunning, several-decades-old tile work during the Detroit Junior League's stylish house tour in Grosse Pointe Shores.

Soon, the Junior League of Detroit (JLD) will open the doors to its 2012 Designers’ Show House, located at 22 Webber Place in Grosse Pointe Shores. The massive 10,304-square-foot house, which was built in 1928 as the home of Oscar Webber, nephew of Joseph L. Hudson, is undergoing a magical transformation, thanks to design specialists who hail from everywhere from Clinton Township, Rochester, Troy and Grosse Pointe, to Ferndale, South Lyon, Plymouth, Royal Oak and Birmingham. For several weeks, dozens of interior designers, painters, electricians, power washers, boutique staff and more have been working at the renowned home, designed by architect Leonard B. Willeke. Open to the public May 5-20, the Show House features seven bedrooms, a …

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Behind-the-Scenes Peek at One Magnificent Mansion

Metro Detroit interior designers and volunteers aplenty prepare to wow tourgoers this May at the Junior League of Detroit Show House.

In a couple of weeks, the Junior League of Detroit (JLD) will open the doors to its 2012 Designers’ Show House, located at 22 Webber Place in Grosse Pointe Shores. The house will also feature fully landscaped gardens, a boutique, café and a greenery garden area, with items for sale.   For several weeks, dozens of interior designers, painters, electricians, maintenance professionals, boutique staff and more have been coming and going at the massive 10,304-square-foot house, which was built in 1928 as the home of Oscar Webber, nephew of Joseph L. Hudson.  The home will be open to the public from May 5-20; admission funds go toward programs for the JLD. Renowned architect Leonard B. Willeke designed the mansion. Tourgoers can view seven …

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Macomb Ballerina Travels to NYC to Compete in Youth America Grand Prix

Rylie McHale, 12, will perform contemporary and classical ballet solo pieces during the YAGP finals, which run April 22-26 in New York City.

Traveling to New York City for the Youth America Grand Prix finals this week, Macomb Township native Rylie McHale will put her talent to the test against aspiring ballet dancers from the U.S., Japan, Australia, South Africa, Brazil and other nations around the world. For the next two days, the 12-year-old McHale will compete in what is considered the world’s largest student ballet scholarship competition. The YAGP is held annually around the world and in New York City, and is open to dance students of all nationalities age 9 to 19. Every year, the competition awards more than $250,000 annually in scholarships to leading dance schools worldwide. McHale, who dances at the Rochester School of Dance, under the direction of Cornelia Sampson, …

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What's That Vase Worth? Appraisal Event Can Tell You

This Friday, DuMouchelles will appraise items for the public during a special event at the Troy Community Center.

Years ago, I discovered an old, dusty vase beneath the stairs in the basement of the home where I grew up. My mother asked, “Do you want that old thing?” I liked its design (magnolias adorn its surface, which is mostly green — one of my favorite colors). When friends saw it in my living room, they told me it was a valuable piece of Roseville pottery. I took it to an appraiser and sure enough, that old, dust-collecting vase from my parents’ cellar was valued at $450 for its stellar condition and 1940s heritage from the renowned Ohio pottery, which opened in the late 1800s (it’s no longer in business). Maybe you have a dusty vase or decorative object, and you wonder about its history and value. On Friday, an Antique Appraisal event by …

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Egg-citing Ways to Color Easter: Home-brewed Dyes and Designs

We crack open some ideas on how to achieve beautiful dyed eggs, whether from a kit or with natural coloring.

Are you an Easter egg fan? Do you color your hard-boiled beauties using kits from the store or do you like to go a more natural route? Whatever your color strategy, the stunning results are well worth the effort, said area "Marthas." Angela Butorac and her crafty friend, Susan Keels, recently tried their hands at a natural egg-dying process that involves using everything from coffee and tea to saffron powder and wine. Going “kit-free,” Butorac and Keels turned out a basketful of inspiring, inventive eggs, many of which feature an antiquated, rustic appeal. Others pop with colors as vivid as a garden full of tulips and hyacinths. “We love trying new things,” said Butorac of Sterling Heights. She runs Butorac Events and is an active member …

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Hungry for 'The Hunger Games'? Find Movie Times Here

Find movie times for "The Hunger Games" at theaters around Macomb Township here, courtesy of Moviefone.

The Hunger Games opens nationally in some 4,000 theaters across the U.S. today. The much-anticipated film is based on the lead book in Suzanne Collins' best-selling young adult trilogy. Local showings in IMAX or regular format are scheduled in Clinton Township (MJR Partridge Creek and AMC Star Gratiot 21), Sterling Heights (AMC Forum 30 and MJR Marketplace) and Chesterfield (MJR Chesterfield Crossing). Rated PG-13, some parents are still concerned the film may be too intense for younger children. What do you think? Is this film too extreme for your child or pre-teen? Chime in here.

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