The Ann Arbor Summer Festival recently announced its headlining indoor performances as well as a special outdoor attraction for the 2011 season. From Hollywood celebrities and hip-hop circus to sequined drag artists and inflatable sculptures, the new season runs from June 17 through July 10, and features an eclectic mix of music, dance, comedy, theater, spoken word, circus, fringe and family entertainment.
Now celebrating its 28th season, the festival's Mainstage series features a wide variety of contemporary performing artists that include art rock virtuoso Andrew Bird with indie newcomer Haley Bonar; jazz funk sensation Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with local fusionists The Macpodz; New York's hottest literary ticket, The Moth Mainstage; comedian, actor and expert banjo player Steve Martin performing with The Steep Canyon Rangers; fiery Texas blues trio Los Lonely Boys with ex-punk-turned-roots-rocker Alejandro Escovedo; acclaimed vocalist k.d. lang and her new band, The Siss Boom Bang, with folk duo The Belle Brigade; the gloriously glittered Taylor Mac with his Bowie/Tiny Tim mash-up show; popular political satirists The Capitol Steps; daredevil Aussie acrobats Tom Tom Crew with their urban circus spectacle; and the festival return of the globetrotting, vintage-chic musical collective Pink Martini.
The festival's Mainstage performances take place in Power Center for the Performing Arts, Hill Auditorium and the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. The outdoor activities at Top of the Park continue at Ingalls Mall, located directly in front of the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies on Washington Street near the Burton Memorial Tower.
Similar to last year, the 2011 festival will present slightly fewer ticketed indoor performances than previous seasons, while it further expands and diversifies its outdoor program offerings. "As our audiences continue to grow at Top of the Park, we feel it's important to introduce new activities and experiences into the environment," said festival director Robb Woulfe. "We're always looking for creative ways to engage our community, so this year we're very excited to introduce an even wider range of programs, festival partners and event venues."
In what promises to be one of the highlights of the 2011 season, the festival will host a special four-day outdoor exhibition of the Amococo luminarium, a massive walk-in art installation created by England's acclaimed Architects of Air. The biggest of the company's luminaria, the approximately 10,000 square-foot inflatable structure will make its Michigan premiere on Palmer Field, a short walk from the Top of the Park site, from June 23 through June 26.
Amococo is a large scale, inflatable sculpture made up of labyrinthine tunnels, soaring domes and cavernous atriums. Constructed of translucent vinyl, the multi-sensory space welcomes, inspires and affects everyone who journeys inside. Islamic art and architecture, Archimedean solids and Gothic cathedrals meld together to form an inspiring monument to the unexpected beauty of color and light. Tickets for this interactive family attraction will only be available at the luminarium entrance on Palmer Field during the four days of exhibition. Admission is $5 per person; children 3 and under are free.
The Top of the Park lineup will be unveiled at a special announcement party hosted by Arbor Brewing Company from 5-8 p.m. May 2. The free public event will also serve as the launch for a special, limited-edition seasonal beer, Festival Saison, developed in partnership between Ann Arbor Summer Festival and Arbor Brewing Company. The new summer ale will be sold exclusively at Arbor Brewing Company in Ann Arbor throughout the summer months, with a portion of sales proceeds going to support Top of the Park.
The Ann Arbor Summer Festival is an exhilarating celebration of performing arts, outdoor entertainment and community spirit. A boutique music and arts festival, the three-week gathering offers an array of ticketed and free events, regional premieres and Ann Arbor exclusives with a progressive mix of local, national and international artists. Presenting over 100 scheduled events each season and attracting a diverse audience of 60,000 people, the festival continues to grow as a major cultural event in the Ann Arbor community, and as an internationally recognized celebration of arts that enriches the cultural, economic and social vitality of the region. For the latest updates on season information, visit the festival website at http://www.annarborsummerfestival.org. Tickets are on sale now through the Festival Ticket Office at 734-764-2538, or online through the website.
2011 Mainstage Performance Highlights
Andrew Bird
With special guest Haley Bonar
8 p.m. June 18, Power Center
$30-$45
Few artists better exemplify the term chamber pop than violinist, whistler, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird. A classically trained violinist, former swing jazz musician and now art rock virtuoso, Bird is one of the most imaginative and distinctive voices making music today. Essentially a one-man band, Bird plays and layers live loops, stacking sounds and rhythms, and offering an eclectic mix of gypsy ballads, jazz, folk and rock. Opening set by indie singer-songwriter Haley Bonar.
Steve Martin
Performing with The Steep Canyon Rangers
8 p.m. June 25, Power Center
$55-$75
Actor, comedian and writer Steve Martin has become the surprise ambassador of bluegrass. A dedicated banjo player for 45 years, Martin's fleet-fingered virtuosity and playful songwriting garnered him a 2009 Grammy for "The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo." Playing alongside North Carolina's broadly talented Steep Canyon Rangers, Martin delivers an unforgettable evening filled with bright, energetic bluegrass and uproarious interludes in support of his latest release, "Rare Bird Alert."
k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang
With special guest The Belle Brigade
8 p.m. July 1, Hill Auditorium
$35-$75
Canadian superstar k.d.lang returns to the Hill Auditorium to headline a spectacular evening of new originals and soulful classics. The winner of four Grammy Awards and eight Juno Awards, k.d. lang's powerful, sultry vocals and astounding range have made her one of the most sought after live performers for the past 25 years.
Her frequent collaborator Tony Bennett calls her "the best singer of her generation" and her performance of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Opening Games was nominated for a Juno Award for Single of the Year. Touring in support of her newest release "Sing it Loud" prepare to be astounded by k.d. lang and her new band Siss Boom Bang. Opening set by folk-rock siblings The Belle Brigade.
Taylor Mac in Concert
8 p.m. July 2, Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre
$25
Recommended for mature audiences
Gloriously larger than life, the fabulous Taylor Mac draws from the traditions of drag and performance art to create a style all his own. Combining dramatic flair, searing satire, poignant honesty, and – of course – plenty of glitter, Mac's newest show, "Comparison is Violence," was born after dozens of reviewers commented that he was a cross between David Bowie's alter ego and the cult figure Tiny Tim.
While praising his ukulele-playing and gender-bending performances, over 20 international publications have, of their own volition, described Mac as "Ziggy Stardust meets Tiny Tim." Being a queen who can take a hint, he decided to write and perform an original conversation about comparison, while singing Tiny Tim songs and selections from David Bowie's classic glam-rock album "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust." It promises to be a concert unlike any other.
The Capitol Steps
5 and 8 p.m. July 4, Power Center
$30-$45
The only group in America that attempts to be funnier than the politicians, the Capitol Steps provides an entertaining blend of musical and political comedy. Answering the call for more civil discourse, these former Congressional staffers' brilliant song parodies and hilarious sketches lampoon up-to-the-minute issues, events and personalities, poking fun at both sides of the aisle.
