CultureShift Events Guide: Musicals, movies and museums to check out this week

This week, we’ve got some big names coming to Detroit. From “Rocky Horror Picture Show” to “Ratatouille,” there’s something entertaining for everybody.

Plus, performances from some CultureShift favorites. Read on to learn more.

Must-see musicals

Join the original Brad Majors in celebrating the 48th anniversary of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” this Thursday, Oct. 12. Actor Barry Bostwick will present a screening of the original unedited movie with a live shadow cast and audience participation at the Fisher Theatre. Props and costumes from the movie will be on display, and guests can enter a costume contest, get tickets to meet Bostwick, and more. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., the show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets range from $45 to $90. Visit Broadway in Detroit to learn more.

Plus, see the Tony Award-winning revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s groundbreaking musical comedy “Company” at the Fisher Theatre Oct. 17-29. Directed by Marianne Elliott of “Angels in America,” the show explores the frustrations of getting older, being single and being alive in the 21st century. Tickets range from $35 to $135. For showtimes and more information, visit Broadway in Detroit.

Award-winning Afrofuturism

The Wright Museum’s latest exhibit features the work of Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design. Carter is a two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer, and over 60 of her original designs from films like “Black Panther,” “Malcolm X” and “Do The Right Thing” are on display at the museum now through March 31, 2024. Admission is free for members, $30 for adults and discounted for children and seniors. For more information, visit The Wright’s website.

Motown musicians

This Friday, Oct. 13, the DSO is kicking off their Paradise Jazz series with a double bill at Orchestra Hall featuring Endea Owens & the Cookout and Makaya McCraven with the Urban Art Orchestra. Both performances feature friends of WDET, with Endea Owens having performed on CultureShift in March and Urban Art Orchestra having been featured on Sam’s Jams Live in February. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets range from $19 to $99. For more information, visit the DSO’s website.

Another longtime friend of the station, Marcus Elliot, is also performing this weekend. The Marcus Elliot Quintet will be at the Blue Llama Jazz Club in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 14. The show starts at 8:30 p.m. and tickets range from $35 to $85. For more information, visit Blue Llama’s website.

Reimagined performances

This weekend, Matrix Theatre in Detroit premieres a new show titled “The Open Door: A Staged Reading of Work by Gregory Kiewiet.” Influenced by cubism, jazz and vanguard movements, these works explore cultural consciousness with poetry from “Book Two Begins,” a one-act play titled “A Beautiful Day” and an excerpt from the play “She’s A Beauty.” Performances will take place at 8 p.m. on Oct. 14 and at 3 p.m. on Oct. 15. Tickets are $18 for general admission or $15 for students, seniors and military. For more information, visit Matrix Theatre’s website.

This weekend is also your last chance to see Detroit Opera’s new production of “Madame Butterfly.” In this reimagined show, an all-Japanese and Japanese-American creative team transports Puccini’s tragedy to a virtual-reality setting, portraying the opera’s events through the fantasy of a modern-day Pinkerton. Performances will take place on Friday, Oct. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, Oct. 15 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets range from $90 to $140. For more information, visit Detroit Opera’s website.

Marathon watch party

This Sunday, Oct. 15 is the Detroit Free Press Marathon, and the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is hosting a free watch party at the Dequindre Cut Freight Yard. There will be food, drinks, music and poster-making supplies for guests to cheer on the runners as they pass through the Cut. Free parking, bathrooms and seating will be available onsite. For more information, visit their website.

Oktoberfest in Dearborn

Downey Brewing Company in Dearborn is hosting their Oktoberfest celebration featuring food from DeutschTroit on Saturday, Oct. 14 starting at 4 p.m. They will have Oktoberfest beer on draft and guests get $1 off their first beer when they come dressed for the fest. For more information, visit them on Facebook.

Student experiences

Award-winning Pixar animator Michal Makarewicz will be at the College for Creative Studies for a Toyota Lecture on Design on Friday, Oct. 13. He’ll explore the process of bringing characters to life in feature animation, as he did in films like “Soul,” “Ratatouille” and “Incredibles 2.” The lecture will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Wendell W. Anderson Jr. Auditorium. For more information, visit CCS’s website.

Plus, NPR’s third annual College Podcast Challenge is officially open for entries now through Jan. 5, 2024. Students of all ages pursuing an associate’s or bachelor’s degree can enter an original podcast on the topic of their choosing for a chance to win a $5,000 scholarship, with $500 prizes awarded to 10 additional finalists. For rules, entry forms and more information, visit NPR’s website.