IRISH PUB NIGHT feat. BLACKTHORN – postponed until next January
JACKSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA – Postponed until next spring
ICE, WINE, BEER, AND BLUES featuring MATT SCHOFIELD – cancelled
THE VERVE PIPE – cancelled, Great news! Rescheduled for October 2!
JOE LOUIS WALKER – cancelled, but we are working on booking them for a date in the fall, so stay tuned!
SADIE BASS – cancelled
CHICAGO DANCE CRASH – cancelled
PETE SEEGER TRIBUTE – postponed until September 2021
THE SECOND CITY – cancelled
The safety of our patrons, staff, and performers is our top priority. Therefore, we adhere to all safety guidance from the state and the CDC. By purchasing a ticket at The Franke, you agree to cooperate with whatever safety protocols are in place. The specifics may change depending on what restrictions exist when a given show takes place, so please check on the show page for specific details. When visiting The Franke this season, you can expect to see some or all of the following:
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, this will be a limited-attendance, VIP show–so get your tickets soon!
Part of the Michigan Stars Series, Kalamazoo-based rapper, vocalist and cellist Jordan Hamilton weaves stellar vocals and sharp, thought-provoking lyrics over hypnotic cello loops to create a unique brand of Michigan hip-hop. Cellist of Last Gasp Collective and the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Jordan Hamilton merges songwriting, loop pedals, sample machines, and vocals to create a sonic landscape of experimental hip-hop, folk, soul, and classical music. The Western Michigan University graduate aims to find new ways for the cello, a traditional instrument, to relate to a modern audience where it can be found playing the music of Bach, the Beatles, or Chance the Rapper. Filled with an eclectic range of songs, Jordan’s set is sure to capture the heart and mind while reflecting on new horizons. Jordan is a Jammie Award winner and winner of the Local Spins’ Emerging Artist of the Year award for 2019.
Visit:http://www.jordanhamiltonmusic.com
The safety of our patrons, staff, and performers is our top priority. Therefore, we adhere to all safety guidance from the state and the CDC. By purchasing a ticket at The Franke, you agree to cooperate with whatever safety protocols are in place. The specifics for this show may be updated as the performance date approaches, but when visiting The Franke this season, you can expect to see some or all of the following:
Directed by Jennifer Conley Darling
Choreography by Beau Hutchings
This play will be rehearsed and performed at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds. Participants will be socially distanced and masked as COVID conditions require. The cast will be limited in size to 30 students and will be rehearsed in pods to the best of our ability.
Show dates June 4, 5, and 6, 2021 (Friday and Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 6pm)
A deviously delicious Broadway and Hollywood sci-fi smash musical, Little Shop Of Horrors has devoured the hearts of theatre-goers for over 30 years. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast, and Aladdin) are the creative geniuses behind what has become one of the most popular shows in the world.
The meek floral assistant Seymour Krelborn stumbles across a new breed of plant he names “Audrey II” – after his coworker crush. This foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore promises unending fame and fortune to the down and out Krelborn as long as he keeps feeding it, BLOOD. Over time, though, Seymour discovers Audrey II’s out of this world origins and intent towards global domination!
The Franke Center for the Arts is pleased to offer a new six-week guitar workshop with one of The Franke Center’s favorite performers, Kjell Croce. Croce will teach fingerpicking blues guitar techniques and the workshop will feature the songs of the great bluesman Mississippi John Hurt. Lessons will be geared toward intermediate players looking to expand their skills and learn new techniques. Guitarists who haven’t tried fingerpicking before will find this a great introduction while guitarists who are already comfortable with fingerpicking will add new skills to their repertoire. Basic chord knowledge and familiarity with the guitar will be necessary. The workshop will cover equipment and techniques and participants will learn Mississippi John Hurt songs including Creole Bell, Louis Collins, Stack O’Lee Blues, Sliding Delta, and Got the Blues, Can’t Be Satisfied in several keys. Each session will run 1 to 1 ½ hour.
Workshop dates will take place on Tuesdays: May 4, 11, 18, 25, and June 1 and 8, from 6 pm to 7:15 pm. The cost is $100, and guitarists ages 16 and up are welcome to participate.
Guitarist Kjell Croce is a musician who wears many musical hats. Now based in Marshall, Michigan he has traveled and lived in various parts of the United States, and has been fascinated by the abundance of musical styles throughout the country. From blues to bluegrass, folk to jazz with a big helping of rock and roll, he has absorbed these styles and made them into his own. He has shared stages with bluesmen Lonnie Brooks and Jimmy Johnson, singer/songwriters Ellis Paul, Kate Cambell, and Dave Ramont, and performed at the Michigan Talent Showcase, the Ann Arbor Dancing Lights Folk Festival, and Harmonyfest in Three Rivers. In addition, his last CD “Lightnin’ Rod” received airplay in the US and Europe with Ray Pieters-Dreesens of Radio Milo commenting, “Very expressive voice, strong lyrics, great rootsy and diverse sound.” In addition to his solo work, he can be seen performing with the group’s COW and 3LB CUT.
The workshop will take place in person at the Downstage Club at The Franke Center, and COVID-19 safety restrictions will be in place. Participants will need to sign in, sanitize their hands, wear masks, and maintain a distance of 6 feet from one another.
Click here to sign up!
Performances July 15, 16, 17 and 18
Auditions on May 17, 18, and 19
Rehearsals begin June 7
Directed by Jennifer Conley Darling
Choreography by Beau Hutchings
Music Direction Elinor Marsh
Will be rehearsed and performed at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds. This will be a socially distanced and masked process. Casts will be limited in size to 30 students and will be rehearsed in pods to the best of our ability.
Inspired by the twisted genius of Roald Dahl, the Tony Award-winning Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical is the captivating masterpiece from the Royal Shakespeare Company that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the inspiring story of a girl who dreams of a better life. With a book by Dennis Kelly and original songs by Tim Minchin, Matilda has won 47 international awards and continues to thrill sold-out audiences of all ages around the world.
Matilda is a little girl with astonishing wit, intelligence and psychokinetic powers. She’s unloved by her cruel parents but impresses her schoolteacher, the highly loveable Miss Honey. Over the course of her first term at school, Matilda and Miss Honey have a profound effect on each other’s lives, as Miss Honey begins not only to recognize but also appreciate Matilda’s extraordinary personality. Matilda’s school life isn’t completely smooth sailing, however – the school’s mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, hates children and just loves thinking up new punishments for those who don’t abide by her rules. But Matilda has courage and cleverness in equal amounts, and could be the school pupils’ saving grace!
Packed with high-energy dance numbers, catchy songs and an unforgettable star turn for a young actress, Matilda is a joyous girl power romp. Children and adults alike will be thrilled and delighted by the story of the special little girl with an extraordinary imagination.