CELEBRATE THE MICHIGAN THEATER, “THE CIRCUS,” RUSS COLLINS, AND DEB POLICH
Come to the Michigan Theater on Sunday, January 5th, at 4:00 pm!
January 2025, marks the 97th anniversary of the Michigan Theater and Charlie Chaplin’s Academy Award-Winning cinema classic “The Circus.” On Sunday, January 5 at 4:00 PM, at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, there will be a special screening of “The Circus,” followed by a fun and festive celebration of Russ Collins, the accomplished and long-tenured Executive Director/CEO of the Michigan and State Theatres, and Deb Polich, the award-winning President/CEO of Artrain, Creative Washtenaw, and radio host of Creative Impact. Both are retiring from full-time work (they also happen to be husband and wife) and will begin their retirement journey by embarking on a celebratory trip around the world. Be a part of this special celebration, Sunday, January 5 (the Michigan Theater’s actual “birthday”). Showtime is 4:00 PM. The Bon Voyage reception for Russ and Deb is for Michigan Theater/Marquee Arts members only (but anyone can become a member).
Before the screening of “The Circus” there will be a special preshow concert and overture by the Michigan Theater’s Head Organist Andrew Rogers on the theater’s restored “Golden Throated” Barton Organ. After the screening there will be a reception on the stage of the Michigan Theater. The on-stage reception is only for Michigan Theater/Marquee Arts members and donors. If you are not a member and wish to become a member before this special event, go to https://marquee-arts.org/memberships/ to enroll and qualify to attend the on-stage reception.
Get tickets in advance at: https://marquee-arts.org/event-page/tickets/?showingId=907331. A not-to-be-missed, uniquely fun celebration of a great film, the beautifully restored Michigan Theater, and Russ and Deb’s long and dedicated service to the community. Admission is only $12.50.
OPENING THIS WEEK
"Moana 2" — NOW PLAYING AT THE STATE AND THE MULTIPLEX
Walt Disney Animation Studios' epic animated musical takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced. From directors David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller.
"Maria" — NOW PLAYING AT THE MICHIGAN
Academy Award®-winner Angelina Jolie is Maria Callas, one of the most iconic performers of the 20th century. From acclaimed director Pablo Larraín ("Spencer", "Jackie"), the film follows the American-Greek soprano as she retreats to Paris after a glamorous and tumultuous life in the public eye. The film reimagines the legendary diva in her final days as she reckons with her identity and life.
SPECIAL SCREENINGS DOWNTOWN
Warner Bros. Cartoon Shorts — PLAYS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29 AT 1:30 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
FREE for kids 12 & under! (must reserve free tickets)
Enjoy a laugh with friends and family as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and all of the Looney Tunes gang take over the silver screen of the historic main theater. The Michigan Theater will show a selection of Warner Bros. cartoons for all ages and offer the perfect pit-stop during the start of the busy holiday shopping season.
"White Christmas" (Sing-Along) — PLAYS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29 AT 7:30 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
Part of the Holiday Classics Film Series
Our annual Black Friday tradition returns! Join us for caroling from 7:00 - 7:30 PM with Randall Nicholls, song leader, and David Hufford on the Barton Organ - The film will begin at 7:30 PM after a brief introduction, please arrive early to grab your seats and concessions.
Singers Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) join sister act Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy Haynes (Vera-Ellen) to perform a Christmas show in rural Vermont. There, they run into Gen. Waverly (Dean Jagger), the boys' commander in World War II, who, they learn, is having financial difficulties; his quaint country inn is failing. So what's the foursome to do but plan a yuletide miracle: a fun-filled musical extravaganza that's sure to put Waverly and his business in the black! From director Michael Curtiz ("Casablanca").
"Elf" — PLAYS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 1 AT 1:30 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
Part of the Holiday Classics Film Series
Buddy (Will Ferrell) was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa's elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn't fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York, in full elf uniform, in search of his real father. As it happens, this is Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a cynical businessman. After a DNA test proves this, Walter reluctantly attempts to start a relationship with the childlike Buddy with increasingly chaotic results. From director Jon Favreau and also starring Zooey Deschanel, Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen, and Ed Asner.
More Free Holiday Classics Coming Soon:
- "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch" – Sunday, December 8
- "Miracle On 34th Street" – Sunday, December 15
- "A Christmas Story" - Sunday, December 22
"Branded to Kill" — PLAYS MONDAY, DECEMBER 2 AT 7 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
Part of the Noir International Film Series
When Japanese New Wave bad boy Seijun Suzuki delivered this brutal, hilarious, and visually inspired masterpiece to the executives at his studio, he was promptly fired. This film tells the ecstatically bent story of a yakuza assassin with a fetish for sniffing steamed rice (the chipmunk-cheeked superstar Jo Shishido) who botches a job and ends up a target himself. This is Suzuki at his most extreme—the flabbergasting pinnacle of his sixties pop-art aesthetic.
"Love Actually" — PLAYS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6 AT 9:30 PM AND THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12 AT 7 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
Part of the Late Night Classics Film Series
Nine intertwined stories examine the complexities of the one emotion that connects us all: love. Among the characters explored are David (Hugh Grant), the handsome newly elected British prime minister who falls for a young junior staffer (Martine McCutcheon), Sarah (Laura Linney), a graphic designer whose devotion to her mentally ill brother complicates her love life, and Harry (Alan Rickman), a married man tempted by his attractive new secretary. From writer/director Richard Curtis.
"The Wind" — PLAYS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7 AT 7 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
Live musical accompaniment by the Little Bang Theory, consisting of Frank Pahl, Terri Sarris and Doug Shimmin, will perform an ingenious original score performed live on-stage with toy instruments. A beautifully unique event not to be missed!
The final silent film for one of MGM’s greatest stars, Lillian Gish as Letty Mason, an emotionally fragile woman from Virginia who relocates to West Texas and finds herself unsettled by the ever-present wind and sand. Arriving at her new home at the ranch of her cousin (Edward Earle), she receives a surprisingly cold welcome from his wife (Dorothy Cumming). Soon tensions in the family and unwanted attention from a trio of suitors, including neighbor Lige Hightower (Lars Hanson), leave Letty increasingly disturbed, resulting in tragedy. Beautifully directed by Victor Sjöström ("The Phantom Carriage"), this is silent film at its finest.
"It's a Wonderful Life" — PLAYS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21 AND MONDAY, DECEMBER 23 AT 7 PM AT THE MICHIGAN
After George Bailey (James Stewart) wishes he had never been born, an angel (Henry Travers) is sent to earth to make George's wish come true. George starts to realize how many lives he has changed and impacted, and how they would be different if he was never there. From director Frank Capra and also starring Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, and Ann Arbor's own Virginia Patton Moss.
CONTINUING DOWNTOWN
After two decades as one of the most beloved and enduring musicals on the stage, Wicked makes its long-awaited journey to the big screen as a spectacular, generation-defining cinematic event this holiday season. The untold story of the witches of Oz, stars Emmy, Grammy and Tony winning powerhouse Cynthia Erivo ("Harriet," Broadway’s "The Color Purple") as Elphaba, a young woman, misunderstood because of her unusual green skin, who has yet to discover her true power, and Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and global superstar Ariana Grande as Glinda, a popular young woman, gilded by privilege and ambition, who has yet to discover her true heart. Also starring Oscar® winner Michelle Yeoh, Tony nominee Ethan Slater (Broadway’s "Spongebob Squarepants," "Fosse/Verdon"), Bowen Yang ("Saturday Night Live"), four-time Emmy winner Peter Dinklage ("Game of Thrones") and Jeff Goldblum as the legendary Wizard of Oz.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jon M. Chu ("Crazy Rich Asians," "In the Heights"), this is the first chapter of a two-part immersive, cultural celebration. Based on the bestselling novel by Gregory Maguire, it is adapted for the screen by the stage production’s book writer Winnie Holzman and by legendary Grammy and Oscar® winning composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz.
Presented in association with the U-M Kelsey Museum of Archaeology.
Years after witnessing the death of Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius must enter the Colosseum after the powerful emperors of Rome conquer his home. With rage in his heart and the future of the empire at stake, he looks to the past to find the strength and honor needed to return the glory of Rome to its people. From director Ridley Scott.
Mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
A 2024 historical war drama film written, produced and directed by Steve McQueen. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Harris Dickinson and Elliott Heffernan in his film debut. It had its world premiere as the opening film at the BFI London Film Festival on October 9, 2024.
Sir Steve McQueen's film follows the epic journey of George (Elliott Heffernan), a 9-year-old boy in World War II London whose mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) sends him to safety in the English countryside. George, defiant and determined to return home to his mom and his grandfather Gerald (Paul Weller) in East London, embarks on an adventure, only to find himself in immense peril, while a distraught Rita searches for her missing son.
Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled.
From director Sean Baker ('The Florida Project', 'Tangerine') and WINNER of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
Non-commercial, fact based reporting is made possible by your financial support. Make your donation to WEMU today to keep your community NPR station thriving.
Like 89.1 WEMU on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Contact WEMU News at 734.487.3363 or email us at studio@wemu.org
