Midland Center For The Arts Celebrates 50th Anniversary Where It All Began, A Night At The Symphony

The Midland Symphony Orchestra is preparing to return to the Auditorium stage on Saturday for their first public performance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"50 Years is an incredible milestone for any organization, and after this past year of cancelled events and large gatherings, we are absolutely thrilled to be welcoming not only our loyal subscribers and donors into the Center for this performance, but also the public with a limited number of seats available for purchase," said Terri Trotter, Midland Center's President & CEO.

The Center's month-long celebration in 1971 began on May 1 and 2 with a concert by the Music Society Chorale and Midland Symphony Orchestra, performing the world premiere of the Cantata "Truth" by Dave Brubeck, who was in attendance for that event. As the Orchestra has continued to feature the greatest in guest artists and marvelous orchestral works, the 50th Anniversary performance will feature Great Lakes Bay Region native and Broadway veteran, Ryan VanDenBoom, performing alongside the Orchestra with his original concept to Camille Saint-Saëns' The Carnival of the Animals.

As a choreographer, dancer and performer, VanDenBoom will use his array of talents to guide the audience to explore animal quirks - "galloping" tortoises, strutting flamingos, glissading swans and more. "Each piece is short and silly at times, lyrical and beautiful, and I took the spirit of that and worked to infuse my own narrative which is this after-hours night at the zoo where the night shift janitor takes the audience behind the scenes of the inhabitants at the zoo," described VanDenBoom. "He (the night shift janitor) has a special relationship with them, and through my choreography, I wanted to highlight the physicality of these animals and how they move."

When describing what it means to VanDenBoom to return to the stage for this performance, he described his first rehearsal this week in one of the Center's rehearsal studios with two pianists, his first rehearsal in over a year with another person in the room. "With this being a new piece, I have been continually making tweaks and open to collaboration on my concept with other artists, and this morning, I was able to perform in a room with two people for a shared experience," explained VanDenBoom. "That exchange between people in the rehearsal process is so important, and prepares me for how I can connect with the audience. The immediate response from having an audience is truly a beautiful thing, and I never took it for granted before, but I surely craved it this past year while we have been unable to perform."

A limited number of tickets are still available for this special anniversary performance for just $25 by visiting midlandcenter.org. Limited capacity will be allowed in the Auditorium, with all parties seated socially distanced and masks required at all times. The performance will also be available virtual through the Center's online streaming platform, Virtual Pass, for just $9.99.

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