With over 120 youth enrolled in the Center Stage Youth Choirs at Midland Center for the Arts, the Center is working to bring art into the living rooms for local families amidst COVID-19 social distancing precautions. “In these challenging times we turn to one another for support, which is why we have created a virtual community,” said Terri Trotter, President & CEO. In order to accomplish this, the Center began a series of online video rehearsals as a direct extension of the #MakeArtVirtual initiative.

During the golden days of Rock & Roll, a young man with glasses rose to fame with the 1957 hit “That’ll Be the Day,” and shortly after recorded dozens of iconic songs from the all-too-brief period of Buddy Holly’s musical career. His story, which has been adapted into multiple films about his life and legacy, was built into a jukebox musical that opened on Broadway in 1990, and is now celebrating its 30^th Anniversary Tour coming to Midland Center for the Arts on March 15, 2020 at 3 p.m.

This past fall, history was made when two NASA astronauts completed the first-ever spacewalk by an all-woman team, what you could say is ‘one giant leap for mankind,’ and more importantly, womankind. These two astronauts made history only 35 years after the first woman to spacewalk, and now more than any time in our history, women are entering the workforce for careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

When we experience the traditions and lifestyles of a new culture through the worldly perspective of an artist, we open the window for further dialogue and cultural exchange. This is the purpose of the Windows on the World Series at the Midland Center for the Arts. The Center is proud to partner with the Midland Area Interfaith Friends for an evening of music and conversation with Arab-Jewish ensemble Shesh Besh on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. at the United Church of Christ, 4100 Chestnut Hill Drive, Midland, MI. The ensemble will perform several selections from both Eastern and Western repertoire, and answer questions while facilitating conversation about life in the Middle East and their goal of building bridges across religion and culture through the art of music. The event is free and open to the public.

The Center is ‘giving a ball’ and one local princess will be perform a solo at the Broadway Princess Party! An iconic trio featuring Broadway’s original Cinderella, Belle, and Anastasia come to Midland Center for the Arts on Feb. 7 for this hit concert, direct from New York City. Princesses of all ages are invited to share a video singing one of Disney’s animated favorites: “Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog, “Just Around the Riverbend” from Pocahontas, or “When Will My Life Begin” from Tangled.

Remember back to reading your history book as a student, witnessing the portraits of prominent leaders, honored and depicted through the art form of portraiture? Do you remember more portraits of women or men? The Midland Center for the Arts is taking a look at prominent women on a local and national scale who have had achievements in civil rights, public policy, philanthropy, art and science. Seeing HERstory, the role women have played in history.