Gospel à la King

Some of gospel music’s hottest artists will perform for the Greater Lansing Area Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission’s fifth annual “Music of the Dream” concert.

Co-headlining the show are Tamela Mann (pictured top left) and Tye Tribbett (bottom left.) Mann is an accomplished gospel singer who began as a featured soloist with Kirk Franklin and the Family before striking out on a solo career. She has released four albums, and her 2012 release, “Best Days,” peaked at #1 on the Billboard gospel charts and #14 on the Billboard 200.

“We selected Tamela because the community was very interested in bringing her in,” said Elaine Hardy, council chairwoman.

In addition to her vocal talents, Mann is also a popular actress. She is best known for the role of Cora Simmons/Brown in Tyler Perry’s “Madea” films, a role she carried over into the TBS television spinoff “Meet the Browns.” Her husband, David Mann, is a formidable talent himself. He also began his career as a singer with Kirk Franklin, and plays the role of Deacon Leroy Brown, Cora’s father, in “Meet the Browns.”

A new reality show starring the couple, “It’s a Mann’s World,” made its debut last week on BET. According to BET, viewers will have a chance to watch the couple as they “balance being celebrities, entrepreneurs, and parents to four adult children — all while maintaining their 26-year-old marriage.”

Tribbett, making his second appearance at “Music of the Dream,” is back by popular demand. His performance at last year’s event left the audience begging for more.

“He is one of the most energetic praise leaders you will encounter,” Hardy said. “He reminds you of a Christian version of Prince.”

Tribbett is a versatile vocalist and multiinstrumentalist, who has collaborated with artists as diverse as Faith Hill, Don Henley, India Arie, John Mellencamp and The Roots. His latest release, “Greater Than,” netted him two Grammys: Best Gospel Album and Best Gospel Song for the track “If He Did It Before…Same God.”

The concert will also feature up-and-coming singer Geoffrey Golden. Golden is the season seven winner of BET’s “Sunday Best,” a competition show for gospel singers. Winning the competition earned him a cash prize and a recording contract with Kirk Franklin´s Fo Yo Soul/RCA record label.

Local pastor Larry Trice Jr. will open the event with his new Music of the Dream Orchestra. This new project will fuse gospel music with orchestral string and wind arrangements.

“We’re excited to bring symphonic music to a gospel audience,” Hardy said.

In its fifth year, the “Music of the Dream” concert has become a popular local event. “We started in a church, but we ran out of space,” Hardy explained.

Last year the event moved to the Wharton Center’s Great Hall to accommodate a larger audience.

While the commission’s events are focused around the February holiday, the group is active throughout the year. The commission awards scholarships for graduating high school students, holds an essay contest for junior high and high school students and recognizes local citizens for exemplary public service.

According to a statement from the commission, it has awarded over $90,000 in scholarships and $50,000 in grants to community organizations.

The “Music of the Dream” concert is the finale in a full slate of holiday events organized by the commission. This year is especially meaningful for the group; the commission is recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March and is celebrating its own 30th anniversary.

“Our challenge is to help the community remember the legacy of MLK,” Hardy said. “We want to pass this legacy on to the next generation.”

—TY FORQUER

“Music of the Dream”

7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24 $38.50-$61.50 Wharton Center 750 E. Shaw Lane (517) 353-1982 whartoncenter.com

THURSDAY, JAN. 22-25 & JAN. 29-FEB. 1 >> ‘OR YOU COULD KISS ME’ AT PEPPERMINT CREEK

Peppermint Creek Theatre Co. presents an epic love story that spans from Theater the not-too-distant past to the not-too-distant future in their production of “Or You Could Kiss Me.” The play revolves around two gay men in South Africa in the winter of 2036 reflecting on their relationship, which began in the summer of 1971. The time-spanning narrative is told through a minimalistic production that uses few actors but employs sophisticated, nearly life-size puppets to help tell the story. The puppets were designed by the Handsping Puppet Co., famous for designing the horses for the Broadway play “War Horse.” 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $16/$11 students and seniors 65 and over. Miller Performing Arts Center, 6025 Curry Lane, Lansing. (517) 927-3016, peppermintcreek.org.

SATURDAY, JAN. 24 >> ROBERT BURNS’ 256TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Lansing’s Glen Erin Pipe Band salutes the birth of “Scotland’s favorite son,” poet and lyricist Robert Burns, with a night of traditional music, dancing and food. Chris Holman emcees the evening, which will begin with a Celtic jam by the Seisiun Band. The event will also include a peppered flank steak and haggis dinner, Scottish pastries and shortbread, cash bar, highland dancers and the pipes and drums of the Glen Erin Pipe Band themselves. It’s hard to imagine you’ll walk away from a Robert Burns celebration without a community sing along of “Auld Lang Syne,” so be ready. 5:30 p.m. $45. Eagle Eye Golf Club and Banquet Center, 15500 Chandler Road., Bath. glenerinpipeband.com.

SUNDAY, JAN. 25 >> LSO’S FAMILY SERIES AT THE LIBRARY

In the vein of Benjamin Britten’s “The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra,” the Lansing Symphony Orchestra aims to teach young children all about the vital components that make up timeless music with their “Family Series at the Library” mini concerts. This installment, titled “Woodwind Quintet,” will teach audience members all about the oboe, clarinet, bassoon, flute and French horn. 3 p.m. FREE. Capital Area District Library Downtown Lansing Branch, 401 S. Capitol, Lansing. (517) 487-5001, lansingsymphony.org.

SUNDAY, JAN. 25 >> SCHUBERTIADE

Before classical music lovers start breaking out the party favors for Mozart’s 259th birthday on Monday, the MSU College of Music is celebrating the work of another January born classical music master, Franz Schubert, with their 11th annual Schubertiade. Schubert was a highly prolific composer in his relatively brief life, and the evening will include a rich sampling of his large body of work. Performances by MSU faculty and students will include classics “Auf dem See,” “An die Musik” and more. 3 p.m. $10/$8 seniors/students FREE. Hart Recital Hall, MSU Campus, 333 W. Circle Dr., East Lansing. (517) 353-5340, music.msu.edu.

TUESDAY, JAN. 27-FEB 1 >> ‘PIPPIN’ AT WHARTON CENTER

Theater Hot on the heels of its reappearance on Broadway, the long running musical “Pippin” comes to Wharton Center. “Pippin” tells the story of a young prince who braves a journey full of conflict, violence and passion in search of the meaning to his very existence. The show features music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, famously known for his work on the immensely popular Broadway musical “Wicked.” This revamped national-touring show includes death-defying acrobatics by the Canadian performing art collective, Les 7 Doigts de la Main. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets starting at $34. Wharton Center, 750 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing. (517) 353-1982, whartoncenter.com.