Yes/No Detroit

This was another super busy week, but I suppose I should take advantage of the nice summer weather we've been having (no more 90 degrees days for a week or two!) before it starts to get cooler out.  "Cookie Bomb," from Iceburg Dearborn What I've been up to this week: Hanging out with friends . Two of my UM friends and I try to do a kayaking trip once a summer, but with the pandemic we keep getting foiled: last year we chose a weekend, and the kayak livery was shut down due to COVID, and this year the Huron River apparently had hazardous substances in it. Instead, we decided to do a UM Museum of Art (UMMA) day (see the reel here !), and had lunch at HopCat beforehand. We also visited Pinball Pete's, which is always fun.  Sonic Lunch with The Accidentals and Ceolsige . I also returned to Ann Arbor yesterday, meeting up with one of those same friends again, because The Accidentals was playing Sonic Lunch, a free outdoor concert in Ann Arbor which I've been to num

Jurassic World: Dominion is officially out on 4K, Blu-ray, and Digital today, and one of my lucky readers will win a digital Movies Anywhere code for themselves! About the movie: Four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, dinosaurs now live and hunt alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history's most fearsome creatures. My review: I saw this movie both in theaters (actually in 3D, which was a little bit scary, haha!) and via digital a few days ago.  I stand by my initial review of 4 out of 5 stars: if you're a fan of the Jurassic World franchise, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard are back in this installment. And, if you're a fan of the original Jurassic Park  movies, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Sam Neill are back for this one, so it was a fun mashup of both the original cast and the newer cast.  The p

HAMILTON tickets are going on sale this Thursday, August 18th, and I'm excited it is coming back to Detroit! I saw it the last time it was here, and it was fantastic. credit: Joan Marcus About the show: Producer Jeffrey Seller and Broadway In Detroit have announced that single tickets for HAMILTON will go on sale to the public on August 18 at 10:00 a.m. at Ticketmaster.com , BroadwayinDetroit.com , in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office or by calling (800) 982-2787. Tickets will be available for performances on November 15 – December 4.          There is a maximum purchase limit of eight tickets per account for the engagement. When tickets go on sale, prices will range from $59 to $169 with a select number of premium seats available from $199 for all performances. There will be a lottery for 40 $10 seats for all performances. Details will be announced closer to the engagement.   Jeffrey Seller notes, “It's tempting to get tickets any way you can. There are many sites and p

This week went by rather fast, and also had a lot of delicious foods, as my boyfriend's parents were in town so we went out with them a few times. This weekend is shaping up to be busy, too: I'm meeting a friend at Ocean Prime later for happy hour (even though I don't eat seafood, haha, but they have other things too), then seeing a movie. Tomorrow I'm hanging out with friends in Ann Arbor and on Sunday my boyfriend and I are seeing the Beach Boys at Meadow Brook.  What I've been up to this week: Seeing "Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations"   at the Detroit Opera House . This was probably one of the best musicals I've seen in quite a while. On Wednesday, a friend and I carpooled to Detroit, had dinner at Mootz (more on that below), and went to see this, at the Opera House. Because it was technically the "opening night" (even though the first performance was Tues.), they had a red carpet, and a lot of celebrities attende

We are somehow already into August, so now I am looking forward to my East Coast trip at the end of the month—we are going to sightsee and also see my extended family. As for this week, it was the usual mix of movies, food, TV shows, and fun events. Soft pretzels with cheese and mustard, at Royal Oak Brewery What I've been up to this week: Dining out + takeout. On Saturday, we were actually in my area for once, so we got Mr. Kabob Xpress in Troy for dinner, one of my favorite Mediterranean places. On Sunday, my parents and I tried the "ExtraMostBestest" pizza at Little Caesars, thanks to a $3 T-Mobile deal ($4 off the regular price). And on Tuesday, my boyfriend and I went to the Royal Oak Brewery before a movie screening at Emagine—they still do a fantastic happy hour, 3-6pm Mondays through Fridays, which includes $3.50 beers, half-off appetizers, and apparently $8.50 pizzas (reg. price: $14). On Tuesdays they also do $3 tacos although we didn't try those. The soft p

I went into Bullet Train  fairly blind—I knew Brad Pitt was in it, but didn't know about the A-listers in the supporting cast, and I knew it took place upon a train in Japan. What I didn't know, however, was that about 50-75% of the movie takes place on the train (and the rest is told in flashbacks), which made for a very compelling film.  We are introduced to the characters in this film via codenames, as a good portion of them are assassins/spies. "Ladybug" (Pitt) takes a last-minute job from a colleague; his assignment is to board the bullet train, look for a suitcase with a train sticker on it, grab the suitcase, and depart the train. What he doesn't know, however, is that there are other assassins there that will do anything to prevent this, including "Tangerine" (an unrecognizable Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his partner "Lemon" (Brian Tyree Henry); "Prince" (Joey King), who has her own agenda; "Wolf" (rapper Bad Bunny); a

*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. The very last show I saw before the pandemic went into full swing in March 2020 was Fiddler on the Roof , and I consider myself lucky that I was able to go—I think I saw it the week of March 8th, and the show had to cut its full run after the pandemic started. Fiddler on the Roof  will be returning to the Fisher this October, and one of my lucky readers will win a 4-pack of tickets for opening night! About the show: Broadway In Detroit announced today that the individual tickets for the Detroit return of the Tony Award®-nominated Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof will go on sale August 5 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets will be available online at Ticketmaster.com , BroadwayinDetroit.com , charge by phone (800) 982-2787, and in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office. This production makes its long-awaited return after an abbreviated run in March 2020.   A beloved th

This has been a super busy week and past weekend. This upcoming weekend, I still have some things scheduled (mostly movies) but it should be a bit more relaxed. Belle dress, worn by Emma Watson, at The Henry Ford What I've been up to this week: Weekend with friends . One of my college friends was in town so on Saturday, we went to the Detroit Zoo together, with her husband and my boyfriend—in April, I had bought Zoo tickets for us but we ended up not going, due to snowy weather, so we had those to use, although we had to "upgrade" them to door price. The Zoo is always a fun time—I especially like seeing the penguins —and we ended up buying a membership there, too, since they let us put the cost of the daily ticket towards it. See my Instagram reel here . The next day, that Sunday, we went to The Henry Ford and Greenfield Village with them, since they have a membership and it allows admission for two extra adults. Their membership also allows for unlimited rides, which was

Gugu Mbatha-Raw I've said it before and I'll say it again: if you don't subscribe to AppleTV+ , you're missing out, and I'm not just saying that because I have press access through them. I believe it's only $4.99 a month—much cheaper than Netflix and Hulu—and the shows are very good.  Surface, starring The Morning Show 's Gugu Mbatha-Raw, will debut this Friday, July 29th, and I'm excited to share it with you. About the show, from AppleTV+: Set in high-end San Francisco, “Surface” stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“The Morning Show”), who also executive produces, as Sophie, a woman who has suffered a traumatic head injury that has left her with extreme memory loss, believed to be a result of a suicide attempt. As Sophie embarks on a quest to put the pieces of her life back together with the help of her husband and friends, she begins to question whether or not the truth she is told is in fact the truth she has lived. Through twists and turns and an unexpected love

I didn't sleep well last night, so I am super tired today. However, I am seeing Nope  at the theater later, the newest Jordan Peele movie, so that should be fun.  Marley Spoon Butter-Basted Steak and Parmesan Squash and Green Beans What I've been up to this week: Influencer events . On Sunday, my boyfriend and I drove down to the new Insomnia Cookies location, on Wayne State's campus in Detroit, as I had been invited via Instagram to try them out. We left with FOUR boxes of cookies, some of which I gifted to a coworker friend and my parents, and they were really good. For those who asked: they are different from Crumbl (definitely a lot thinner) but still delicious; if you get the standard-size cookie, it's only $2, too, and like 180-280 calories, which for one cookie (if you can JUST eat one, haha) isn't too bad. They also have Deluxe cookies for $3.50, and like 400-500 calories (aka Crumbl territory). My favorites were the S'mores (Deluxe one) and their regula

Dear Evan Hansen will be at the Fisher Theatre from Sept. 27 through Oct. 9, and one of my lucky readers will win a pair of tickets to see it on opening night, on September 27th! Click here to purchase tickets. About the show: A letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he’s always wanted: a chance to finally fit in. Dear Evan Hansen is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. Dear Evan Hansen has struck a remarkable chord with audiences and critics everywhere, including The Washington Post who says Dear Evan Hansen is “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theatre history.” The New York Times calls it “a breathtaking knockout of a musical.” And NBC Nightly News declares the musical “an inspiring anthem resonating on Broadway and beyond.” GIVEAWAY: Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Thursday, July

Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations will be at the Detroit Opera House from August 9-28, and one of my lucky readers will win a pair of tickets to see it on August 11th! Click here to purchase tickets. About the show: Broadway In Detroit is thrilled to announce the First National Tour of AIN’T TOO PROUD – THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS, the new Broadway smash hit musical, will make its Detroit Premiere at the Detroit Opera House August 9-28 as part of its 60th Anniversary Season. Tickets (starting at $35) are now available online at Ticketmaster.com , charge by phone (800) 982-2787, and in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office. Featuring the Grammy® winning songs and Tony® winning moves, AIN’T TOO PROUD is the electrifying new musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and unmistakable harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creatin

*Disclosure: I have an ongoing media relationship with Broadway in Detroit. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own. I'm a fan of Aretha Franklin's music, so I'm looking forward to seeing R.E.S.P.E.C.T. when it comes to Music Hall for two nights this October. Tickets are going on sale this Friday, July 22nd! Click here for info. About the show: Broadway In Detroit has announced that individual tickets for the Detroit engagement of R.E.S.P.E.C.T. will go on sale on July 22 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets will be available online at Ticketmaster.com, BroadwayinDetroit.com, charge by phone (800) 982-2787, and in person at the Fisher Theatre Box Office or Music Hall Box Office.   R.E.S.P.E.C.T. is the ultimate tribute to the legendary Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. The elevated concert experience brings a community together with timeless music that speaks to the complicated human condition, honoring the impassioned and transcendent music of one of America’s most beloved singer