April 1st is the date to mark. Mark and circled and underlined. That is the date when the Murder Mystery Company returns to Livonia for the Anna Bonde Benefit Mystery Dinner. This is one of the nights the typewriter looks forward to every year. It is just plain fun.

America's favorite murder mystery dinner theater is bringing murder to the mitten-- in a comedic way, of course! The Murder Mystery Company was founded in Michigan, so they are literally right at home in Livonia.

Unlike other theatrical shows, the Murder Mystery Company experiences are completely interactive and immersive. From the moment you enter to take your seat, you are a part of the action. You witness a crime, assemble clues, interrogate suspects, and solve the crime, all before you finish your dessert! Work with your entire table to solve their live-action game of Clue.

This year the Murder Mystery Company will present a fun, entertaining evening at the Anna Bonde Benefit Mystery Dinner. The theme this is  I Love The 80s To Death on Wednesday April 1st at Livonia's own Burton Manor. The evening is a steal again at only $27.   To get your tickets click here.  

What is the theme this year? Read on. . .

  It's the 80's again, and all of the big names are here for a big concert. Tensions run rampant as backstage secrets spill out into the spotlight with like, totally tragic results! This isn't an episode of Miami Vice! This is like...murder. It's up to you to bust it like a ghost, for sure! Peg your jeans, slouch your socks, flash some neon, put on way too much eyeliner and get that hair up! You are going to solve this crime in style. No time to be Too Shy! You are a Smooth Operator, and you know to listen to those Careless Whispers. It's time to put on your Sunglasses at Night and Relax. Time after time...You will solve the case.

Meet Anna Bonde

The Anna Bonde Benefit Mystery Dinner was established to honor the life of Anna K. Bonde. Anna, a graduate of Churchill High School who was active in the CAPA program while in high school, died on March 17, 2001 while en route to New Orleans where she and four of her St. Olaf College classmates planned to spend spring break volunteering at an elementary school. Their car was struck by a drunk driver driving the wrong way on a highway near Springfield, Illinois. Two of her friends also perished in the crash. Anna possessed a deep passion for all aspects of theater. She was also a person with a deep compassion for others and a desire to make the world a better place. 

The show at Burton Manor in addition to raising funds for the Anna K. Bonde Scholarship benefits students from the Creative and Performing Arts Program (CAPA) at Churchill High School. What makes the evening so special is that it also involves CAPA students giving them some acting experiences outside of the classroom. 

Our Hometown Livonia continues to take on the Opioid Crisis with Town Hall scheduled 

March 5th, 6:00 -- 7:30, Bennett Civic Center Library

Join Police Chief Curtis Caid, Families against Narcotics Lauren Rousseau,

Mitchell's Hope Michele Wagner and Growth Works Patrick Stropes

The importance of understanding the Opioid Crisis will the focus of a Livonia Opioid Town Hall hosted by State Representative Laurie Pohutsky. With the crisis afflicting and affecting Livonia this town hall becomes an important step of defining the issue, the impact of the issue and steps that might be taken to resolve the issue locally.

 

Pohutsky will be joined by an expert panel of special guests including: 

Livonia Police Chief Curtis Caid.  Caid is  a product of Livonia Public School system. He s tarted his college at  Schoolcraft College,  graduated from  Madonna University/ He says He is " pretty much Livonia through and through." H e started as a police cadet in 1979 and moved through the ranks and was appointed the job of top cop in 2011.

Lauren Rousseau from Families Against Narcotics. Lauren Rousseau is a professor of law at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School.  From 2010 to 2012, she was legal guardian of a young man who became addicted to heroin, and who lost his life after multiple attempts at treatment. Professor Rousseau's experience with this young man affected her profoundly, starting her on a path of service to families struggling with addiction.

Michele Wagner from Mitchell's Hope. Mitchell's Hope, Fowlerville Michigan is a grassroots organization formed by Michele Wagner after the tragic loss of her only child Mitchell in 2014 to accidental overdose. Mitchell's Hope aims to promote: awareness of the opiate pandemic, many pathways to recovery, education, prevention & support for those in the trenches. We also advocate to end the stigma surrounding Substance Use Disorder and Mental Illness; they go hand in hand! We provide free Naloxone training and host a mutual aide grief group.

Patrick Stropes from Growth Works.  Stropes counsels others struggling with addiction through a new program, Rescue Recovery, run by Growth Works Inc., a local human services agency.  Growth Works has a long, rich history of providing youth and family support and addiction counseling in Wayne County. Initially, Growth Works was founded in 1971 as a youth drop-in center to provide a place for local community children to be active in a safe environment. Providing such a space was an attempt to keep the local children engaged in positive activities, thus reducing the likelihood of substance abuse and delinquency. 

Lauren Rousseau

Michele Wagner

Patrick Stropes

Curtis Caid.

The panel is set up with four community activists who based on their experience will be able and willing to answer your questions and share information on available resources to support our family, friends or loved ones struggling with addiction.

 

The Town Hall will also provide updates on work being done at the state and local level to provide relief and assistance to those experiencing the effects of the crisis and to help end it.

 

When: Thursday, March 5, from 6-7:30 p.m.

Where: Livonia Civic Center Library Auditorium, 32777 Five Mile Road in Livonia

"PASSPORT TO SCANDINAVIA" Louis Schmidt Auditorium - 

Clarenceville H. S. @ 4:00  featuring: Japanese born pianists Yuki and Tomoko Mack.

 Yuki and Tomoko Mack have dazzled audiences on three continents.  From Bach to Piazzolla, their diverse repertoire includes a broad range of

 four-hands piano music and orchestral works.  After winning strong recognition as soloists, Yuki and Tomoko partnered to form the award-winning piano duo. "The Mack Sisters".  Together they've won top prizes in several  international competitions, including the "Dranoff International Two-Piano Competition" in Florida, and the "Ellis Two-Piano National Competition" in South Carolina.  They've also received both the first and "Kodama" prizes at the "International Piano Duo Competition" in Tokyo.  

Most notably, in 2006, they were selected as Steinway Artists - joining an impressive roster of world renown pianists. 

Additionally, the Mack Sisters have been featured in the "Gilmore International Keyboard Festival in Michigan, the "Symposium for Two Pianos" inFlorida and the keyboard festival at the "Quebec International Two-Piano Festival".  

Beyond the main-stage, they've performed live on radio in Sweden, Italy, Poland and the U. S.  In Chicago, Yuki and Tomoko performed on multiple WFMT radio programs.  They also were featured as guest artists on PBS in Michigan and in Florida.  Motivated by their passionate belief of music's ability to empower the human spirit, they have developed Master Classes and Community Outreach Programs that are very popular with students and audiences.

 

Currently, Yuki and Tomoko reside in Michigan.  With their deep roots in the musical community they've established themselves as highly sought-after educators and performing artists.  When not teaching or performing, they're recording.   Their collection of CDs include "Rhapsody", "American Mosaic", "Fantasy", and "Danse Montage" - all of which exhibit their unique sense of interpretation and flawless technique.

 

This summer they will once again join the faculty of the "International Summer Music Festival" in Naleczow, Poland.

And Don't forget to get your raffle tickets for this one of a kind guitar pictured here on the right. Tickets will be sold at the Livonia Symphony Concert February 22nd.

No one else does the arts better than our hometown Livonia.