The State of Michigan is a pretty amazing place. We have sand dunes and ski hills. We put America on the road. We've got a long history with cereal, furniture, cherries, and a ton of other things. The things that Michiganians have done over the years could fill up multiple leather bound books. It's a great state and I'm glad I moved here.
One of my favorite parts of the State is the dichotomy between the big cities and the small towns. The D is a sprawling metropolis of rebirth and decay, architecture and opportunity. Grand Rapids is the greenest city in America that took amazing chance on democratizing the concept of a juried art show. But in between these anchors, and throughout the State, there are amazing little towns that each have their own place in Maslow's Heirarchy of Michigan Cities. Some are one stoplight towns and some have a bustling downtown.
Chelsea falls into the second list. There are some cool shops and restaurants in Chelsea. They have an outdoor juried art show going on right now (A Sculpture Walk!). But one of the highlights of Chelsea, I would posit, is The Purple Rose Theater. Jeff Daniels decided that there was no reason that the midwest couldn't have an amazing theater company. So he founded one in the town he grew up in. The Purple Rose gives aspiring actors and playwrights (actually, anyone in theater) a place to work on their craft. And they do a great job. Ticket prices are affordable and there are usually four different productions a year. I saw The Poetry of Pizza there in 2008. It was the world premiere and it was a very good show. The theater is intimate, but still modern and seats 160ish. And it is right in the downtown, contributing to the vibrancy of this wonderful small town. Well worth checking out. Excellent date night, when combined with dinner at one of the nearby dinners. And you are supporting one of the more unique endeavors someone has undertaken in Michigan. And that, is Pure Michigan...
Chelsea falls into the second list. There are some cool shops and restaurants in Chelsea. They have an outdoor juried art show going on right now (A Sculpture Walk!). But one of the highlights of Chelsea, I would posit, is The Purple Rose Theater. Jeff Daniels decided that there was no reason that the midwest couldn't have an amazing theater company. So he founded one in the town he grew up in. The Purple Rose gives aspiring actors and playwrights (actually, anyone in theater) a place to work on their craft. And they do a great job. Ticket prices are affordable and there are usually four different productions a year. I saw The Poetry of Pizza there in 2008. It was the world premiere and it was a very good show. The theater is intimate, but still modern and seats 160ish. And it is right in the downtown, contributing to the vibrancy of this wonderful small town. Well worth checking out. Excellent date night, when combined with dinner at one of the nearby dinners. And you are supporting one of the more unique endeavors someone has undertaken in Michigan. And that, is Pure Michigan...
No comments:
Post a Comment