Written by Tanya Terry, with featured photo by Tanya Terry
A packed house was at FIM Whiting Auditorium May 18 for the FIM 26-27 Season Reveal, where overarching themes of creativity, collaboration and curiosity for the season were celebrated.
“People come out, and it’s a party,” said Rodney Lontine, president and CEO of the Flint Institute of Music, commonly known as FIM
“It’s a way for us to both unveil all the great new shows we have and also thank our audience with a party.” Lontine added. “We have food, we have some beverages and a little entertainment.”
The food was provided by Jay Jacobs Catering. The music outside the auditorium was provided by the FIM Flint School of Performing Arts Youth Percussion Ensemble, which included percussionists and a xylophone player.
The main highlight of the event, however, was the seasonal reveal itself, showcasing snippets of upcoming performances.
FIM offers diverse programming including Repertory Theatre productions, cabaret series, family shows, comedy, rock and roll, country western, rhythm and blues and Broadway shows. FIM also features touring productions like Cirque du Soleil, which blends high level acrobatics, theatre, dance, original live music and elaborate costumes into immersive storytelling experiences.
“There’s a tremendous number of shows between the Flint Symphony Orchestra, the Flint Repertory Theatre, the Capitol and the FIM Whiting.,” Lontine said.
“I’m really kind of really excited about the Repertory Theatre. We had a really good partnership last year with the University of Michigan – Flint. We actually did some plays at their theatre while we renovated the Bower Theater. The theatre will be open for this season, so we’re returning back to The Repertory Theatre, which is housed within the FIM Bower Theatre.”
August Wilson’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” will be shown September 18-October 4 at the Elgood Theatre through the Flint Repertory Theatre. The production, by August Wilson, focuses on the life of legendary blues singer Ma Rainey and the tension she had with her band and white producers. It will explore themes of race, art and determination.
“We like to open the season with kind of an American classic,” said Ashley Poirier, FIM director of patron communications.
She added: “We’ve done that for the last several years.
“August Wilson is a modern classic playwright. So, this play in particular has a musical component. It’s blues-infused, and you’re going to hear that in the production!
“And, as always, the Flint Repertory Theatre always puts on very unique, innovative productions.”
On November 27-December 13, “Rent” will be shown at Bower Theatre, also through the Flint Repertory Theatre.
Poirier said she expects the musical about a group of young artists struggling to survive in New York City’s East Village to be performed in an “immersive” and “interesting” way.
The Capitol Theatre will feature “Who’s Bad-The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute on October 16. The show was founded in 2003.
“Michael is a pop icon whose memory will live on forever with his fans and in music history. People love Michael. So, I’m really excited to have that super high-quality tribute artist doing all the iconic moves and the songs. It’s got to be great!”
“Rocky in Concert: 50th Anniversary with the Flint Symphony Orchestra” will be shown February 27, 2027, at the Whiting Auditorium.
“It’s actually the 50th anniversary of the film, which is really cool. It’s the fourth year that we’ve done a live picture with the Flint Symphony Orchestra. So, the orchestra will be on stage playing the score live, and the movie will be playing on the big screen, which is a really cool experience!”
Season Reveal attendees were full of “oohhs and aahhs” when it was revealed that Tony Award winning Broadway musical “The Wiz” would be performed June 6, 2027, at the Whiting.
“That’s like at the very end of the season. It is a twist on a classic story. It’s a great film, and everybody knows Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. It has great music that I think is just iconic. So, I’m not surprised that that our community is excited about that one.”
Patron Dr. Sharon Simeon, a Genesee County resident who has attended the season reveal for at least five years, praised the institute as a wonderful gem and cultural asset to the community, expressing enthusiasm about the diverse programming.
She said she supports the Genesee County Arts Education and Cultural Enrichment millage. The millage is a voter-approved tax that provides funding for reduced ticket prices for live performances and programs at the Flint Institute of Music, Whiting Auditorium and Capitol Theatre, among having other benefits for county residents.
FIM’s Lontine stated: “Music is a universal language. Performances mean different things to different people, but it touches you. I mean, you remember a song from 20 years ago. When you hear it, it takes you right back to that place. Our music therapy is actually healing when we do music classes and music therapy at the Hurley and at other places.
“But you know, the arts are special. They’re not only entertaining, they’re also an economic driver. The arts bring so much economic impact to a community through not just the sales, but people coming into town. They go to the restaurants, they’re gassing up their car, they’re coming back for other things. So, it means a lot.”
Learn more about FIM at Home – Flint Institute of Music (thefim.org).
