Every Color and Every Line
We readily admit that S&C is lightly sprinkled with sarcasm from time to time, but autism is something we address seriously at this desk – and any opportunity to bring positive attention to it is a welcome one. Connecting Through Art: Faces of Autism at Royal Oak's Judson Center is a marvelous exhibit of works by talented youngsters and also an insightful glimpse into how therapy is joined successfully to the creative impulse. We're pleased to be on board with this project and we hope you'll show up on 5/12. 4410 W. 13 Mile Rd. Please check judsoncenter.org for additional info.

"La Commedia ..."
Several years ago a Princeton professor announced that he was going to pen an opera based on the life of John Wayne Gacy, a project he grandly described as "a post-modern Pagliacci with a satirical riff or two on our consumer culture." This magnum opus from Jersey has yet to appear (and hopefully never will), but we're pleased with the more welcome news that Leoncavallo's masterpiece will be performed at the Detroit Opera House starting 5/12. Odds are you've heard this music all your life and have always assumed that the guy wearing the motley and greasepaint was named Pagliacci. Nope, the title actually means "The Clowns," and the word ironically belies the tragedy of the plot. A troupe of performers arrives in a village and announces a show. The star of the ensemble is Canio, a man twisted in body and soul, whose sole redeeming virtue is his passion for Nedda. Alas (or predictably, since this is an opera), Nedda's heart beats more eagerly for a muscled chap named Silvio – a fact which has not escaped the attention of a rejected and unscrupulous wooer named Tonio. What ensues is a fevered hurricane of jealousy and revenge. This Michigan Opera Theatre production will be highlighted by several innovative features, including a flashback sequence before the second act. Antonello Palombi and Gregory Carroll will alternate in the role of Canio. This is one of the definitive operas, folks. NOT to be missed! More: MichiganOpera.org.

The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number ... Amen!
Any play that zeroes in on soap operas, political activists, celebrity mania, and male prostitution is obviously going to please somebody in the audience, right? Right. Looks like Magenta Giraffe has struck gold, then, with Nicky Silver's black comedy, The Altruists. Meet Sydney, star of a popular afternoon drama, now enjoying the spotlight after an embarrassing murder. Her socially enlightened friends are keen on keeping her out of jail, however; especially since her bank account is their community war chest for protests and stink bomb replenishment. A funny, wicked and (in many respects) sobering appraisal of what passes for idealism in this confused world of ours, Altruists is what Shaw might have written if he had gotten a day job at TMZ. The Giraffe gang got itself a stage at 4126 Third Street thru 5/26. Now here's a twofold confession! We've always loved movies about nuns and we think Charles Busch is a theatrical genius. Looks like Who Wants Cake? found the right recipe with Divine Sister. Paying homage to every starched wimple in Tinseltown history, this Ferndale comedy has Mother Superior (Joe "Hatha Yoga" Bailey) dealing with sexual hysteria, former romantic suitors, visiting bureaucrats, and (of course) money for new school buildings. Simply divine in every sense. Thru 6/4 and there's theringwald.com for ticket info.

Putting Some Fun In Dread, Anxiety, and All That
We are indebted to the lovely Leucosia Nox for two reasons. First, she reminded us that the Gateway Gallery in Oak Park is still thriving. Second, she made certain we knew about Art Audio Angst IV. The latest installment in a series produced by Doc Colony, this 5/12 jamboree at the Tangent will offer up a feast of visual, musical, and performance delights supplied by an impressive roster of familiar and honored names: Tiffani Amber, Jeff Beach, Zacharia Ribera, Diane Irby, B.P. LeGault, DJ Saint, Julie Fournier, and Lady Fuchsia and others. 4-11 p.m. at 715 E. Milwaukee. Check the Facebook event page for more info.

Hirchak Is Back!
Martin Hirchak's fans (and they are legion) will be pleased to know that the talented guy did NOT join the Foreign Legion after all! He's been busy at Eastern Market, and equally busy setting up a 5/13 art show at the Black Lotus in Clawson. We're happy that he's still on track with Ditko-Mania, but happier still to see that his latest canvases are moving in a new direction. Opening reception at 1 E.14 Mile.

Paris Can Keep Crazy Horse, Thank You
Detroit's shimmy sorority will be at the Elizabeth Theatre above the Park Bar on 5/12 for a show to benefit Motor City legend Val Valentine and the Burlesque Hall of Fame. Dizzy Dames, Hayley Jane, Chloe Bowie, and ... Satori Circus? Oh, why not? If the G-string fits, wear it. 8 and 10:30 p.m. $25 gets you a seat for both shows! More: detroitdizzydames.com. | RDW