Cars, Trees & Traditions Exhibition at the Walter P. Chrysler Museum:
Offering a look back at holiday celebrations from the early 1900s through the 1980s, this annual year-end exhibit features 23 vignettes highlighting evergreen trees nostalgically- and thematically-decorated in holiday fashion, paired with Chrysler vehicles of the same eras. Following the narrative from one vignette to the next, guests see how vehicle progression – from horseless carriages to enclosed, more comfortable and better engineered models – helped change the season's festivities. Vehicle improvements, coupled with the introduction of paved roads and, later, interstate highways, expanded the holidays on all levels. Homemade ornaments and gifts were replaced with commercial goods from stores that became more accessible. And celebrations grew to include extended family and friends who traveled from afar. Through Dec. 30.
All Aboard! Model Railroad Display at the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm:
The Stoney Creek Model Railroad Club transforms the Dairy Barn into a display of transportation in times past. Members will be on hand to run the trains and share their passion with kids of all ages. Trains will operate every Saturday, as well as Wednesday, Dec. 23; Tuesday, Dec. 29; and Wednesday Dec. 30. Through Jan. 2.
Three exhibits at the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society and the Pine Grove Historical Museum:
Victorian Winter Wear: In the clothes press on the Wisner Home's second floor landing are some examples of the types of winter clothing that Governor and Mrs. Wisner would have worn when living at Pine Grove. These items are part of the Museum's period clothing collection.
Military Uniforms and Equipment: Artifacts and uniforms from the armed services may be seen on the main floor of the Wisner Home.
Book Larnin': Nineteenth Century Education in Michigan is on display in the Drayton Plains One-Room Schoolhouse. This exhibit presents a history of the educational materials used in one-room schoolhouses in Oakland County and Michigan.
While visiting the museum check out their
2010 calendar featuring classic cars of Oakland County.
Explore the Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield Hills:
So many things to see and do, from permanent exhibitions to the planetarium, there is something for everyone in your family.
- Artology: The Fusion of Art and Science at Cranbrook: Cranbrook Art Museum and Cranbrook Institute of Science present a pioneering collaboration of exhibitions and programming titled "Artology: The Fusion of Art and Science at Cranbrook." Artology showcases the work of artists whose creations intersect with and complement science at a very fundamental level. Artology will include two large exhibitions -- "Animal Logic: Photography and Installation" by Richard Barnes and "Cape Farewell: Art and Climate Change." Both exhibitions will be accompanied by a series of educational programs designed for school groups, families and adults. Through June 4.
- The Bat Zone is home to over 90 bats from around the world, a two-toed sloth, great-horned owls, flying squirrels and much more. Surrounding the Bat Zone are three hundred acres of woodland trails, a glacial boulder path, and pole-mounted bat houses. The Bat Zone is open to guests that attend an "Incredible Bats" live bat program.
For some laughs check out Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle in Royal Oak.
The Big Bang now playing at Jewish Ensemble Theatre (J.E.T.):
Imagine trying to get backers for an $83.5 million 12-hour staged history of the world! Just picture eighteen side-splitting numbers portraying, among others, Adam and Eve, Attila the Hun, the building of the pyramids, plus Julius Caesar and Columbus. Visualize the writers trying to promote their show in an opulent "borrowed" Park Avenue apartment, singing and clowning their way through inventive recreations of the past, and stopping occasionally for a little supplicating showbiz patter. An entertainment extravaganza long on historical hilarity! Music by Jed Feuer, Book and Lyrics by Boyd Graham. Through Jan. 3. (Includes two New Year's Eve performances.)
Wild Winter Weekends at the Detroit Zoo:
Beat the winter blues this season during our Wild Winter Weekends at the Detroit Zoo. Wild Winter is a unique, fun way to experience the magic of the Zoo in winter. Enjoy your favorite habitats indoors and out, along with special activities including children's music, zookeeper talks, crafts, and much more. The Wild Winter festivities will be on select weekends in January, February and March from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Event held at Ford Education Center. Wild Winter activities free with regular Zoo admission.
Also at the Zoo is Wild Winter Carnival:
Step right up to the Wild Winter Carnival at the Zoo. Kids are invited to try their luck at our carnival games, enjoy live entertainment, have their face painted and much more! Jan. 9-10.
Little Christmas Tea at the Birmingham Historical Museum:
Enjoy a light tea and sweets and scones at one of two seatings: 1-2 p.m. or 2:30-3:30 p.m. Cost is $10 per person and an advance reservation is required. Call 248-530-1928 before Dec. 30 to reserve your spot.
Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings presents Nightnotes: Go for Baroque:
Two of the area's most celebrated musicians, oboist Donald Baker and violinist Kimberly Kaloyanides Kennedy, provide an unforgettable evening of music hailing from the 17th and 18th centuries. Friday, Jan. 15, 8 p.m. for refreshments, Concert at 8:30 p.m. at Hagopian World of Rugs, 850 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham.
The Full Monty presented by Stagecrafters at the Baldwin Theatre, Royal Oak:
If necessity is the mother of invention, then these unemployed steelworkers from Buffalo, New York, are well on their way to making "ends" meet. When these cash-hungry guys see how much their wives enjoy watching male strippers at a girls' night out, they decide to grin-and-bare-it themselves at a local club. This toe-tapping salute to men and the lengths they will go to win back their dignity will have the audience screaming with laughter. Are you willing to go The Full Monty? Plays Jan 15-17, 21-24, 28-31, and Feb. 5-7.
Escanaba in da Moonlight at St. Dunstan's Theatre Guild of Cranbrook, Bloomfield Hills:
Da hunting story to beat ALL hunting stories... Cross the "Big Mac" into the Superior State (otherwise known as Michigan's U.P.) for a weekend at the Soady Deer Camp as Rueben is on the verge of becoming the oldest Soady man to never have bagged a buck. To change his luck and rid himself of the curse, Rueben tries to convince his father and brother to change some of the rituals of their annual hunting pilgrimage, which sets off a series of uncanny incidents. Written by Michigan native, Jeff Daniels, the Ann Arbor News heralded "ESCANABA…a Super Yooper Comedy." Jan. 15-16, 22-24, 29-31.
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