A fresh twist

“The Pied Piper of Hamelin” tells the story of the medieval town of Hamelin, which hires a man to get rid of its rat infestation by playing his magic pipe. However, the town doesn’t pay the piper, so he uses his magic pipe to kidnap the children of the village.

Youth program coordinator Kathleen Miller believes that the moral of the tale makes it a perfect show for young audiences and their families.

“Here we have a classic tale for families and children, similar to Aesop’s fables, which are known for their morals,” said Miller. “And in this specific story the moral relates to greed.”

All-of-us Express uses children of all ages in all aspects of producing a play — from acting to set and costume design to construction. The group produces four major local productions a year, including an annual summer production.

“The summer show always has a different energy to it,” said Sarah Willis, artistic director of All-of-us Express. “That comes from the joyous challenge of having such a large cast of youth who are excited about everything.”

Willis graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2013 with a degree in creative writing and theater and began working with Allof-us Express in January 2014. She enjoys the challenge of working with the large group of children involved in the group’s productions.

“They are full of energy,” Willis said. “And they always have a story to tell you about something funny that happened to someone that you might not think is funny, but the way they tell it is certainly funny.”

The company last performed “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” in 2004, and Willis is eager to bring the work to life once again.

“This is one of our tried and true shows,” Willis said. “Part of the reason we chose it again is that it is infinitely expandable and you can add in a whole bunch of 6-yearolds who will just have a blast doing it.”

This production of “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” is directed by local theater mainstay Rick Dethlefsen, and he is adding his own twists to the play.

“I think audiences of all ages will enjoy the physical comedy added to the script by Rick,” Willis said. “The show is coming together smoothly — as long as you avoid the Piper and her trail of energetic rats!”

“The Pied Piper of Hamelin”

7 p.m. Friday, July 24; 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday, July 25; 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, July 31; 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Saturday Aug 1 $7/$5 children East Lansing Hannah Community Center 819 Abbot Road, East Lansing (517) 333-2580, allofusexpress.org

FRIDAY, JULY 24 >> THE ART OF: THE CART

Local celebrities Mark and Krysta McGee of Mark’s Gourmet Dogs will share their original gourmet recipes and explore traditional dog styles from around the country as the Broad Art Museum presents the "Art of: The Cart." The McGees’ food truck’s winning appearance on television show “Food Court Wars” earned the pair a year of free rent at the Lansing Mall Food Court. At Friday’s event they will share why they believe food carts and trucks are the new incubators of food innovation. The duo will also offer food samples and have meals for sale. Space is limited, so reservations are recommended. 6 p.m. $20/$15 members/FREE for children 12 and under. Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum, 547 E. Circle Drive, East Lansing. (517) 884-4800, broadmuseum.msu.edu.

FRIDAY, JULY 24 >> ‘TOTEMS’ OPENING RECEPTION

Bay City artist Mark Piotrowski will celebrate the opening of his latest exhibition, “Totems” with a Friday evening reception at the Lansing Art Gallery. Piotrowsky creates intricate, vibrant designs with enamel on shaped panels. Before the reception, Piotrowski will host an artist talk at 6:30 p.m. “Everything that we go through on a daily basis as people — be it joyous news, scandals, death, or bombings — we are still a community that is trying to look on the brighter side. My work seeks to represent this vision,” said Piotrowski. The exhibition opens Friday and will run through Aug. 27. 7-9 p.m. FREE. Lansing Art Gallery, 119 W Washington Square, Lansing. (517) 374-6400, lansingartgallery.org/totems.

SATURDAY, JULY 25 >> CIRCUS TEASE A GOGO

A circus is coming to town, but this one is not for the kids. Tease A Gogo, Lansing’s popular burlesque variety show, is bringing its risqué take on circus hijinks to the Avenue Café Saturday. This installment includes acrobats, fire tricks, aerial acts, and a circus-themed photo booth. The evening is hosted by Naughty Autie and features acts such as the Eastside Fire Tribe, the Klaw Mark Kittens, Vivacious Miss Audacious and many more. 9 p.m. $10. The Avenue Café, 2021 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. (517) 492-7403, on.fb.me/1DqD2DM.

SATURDAY, JULY 25 >> GONE 2 THE DOGS PET RESCUE DOG WASH

Do you hate giving your dog a bath? Let someone else do it and support a worthy cause at the same time as Gone 2 the Dogs Pet Rescue hosts a dog wash fundraiser Saturday. Volunteers will wash your dirty dogs for just $5, with all proceeds going to Gone 2 the Dogs Pet Rescue. 1-4 p.m. $5. Soldan’s Feed & Pet Supplies, 6201 W. Saginaw Highway, Lansing. (517) 323-6920, on.fb.me/1SxK28Q.

SATURDAY, JULY 25 >> TASTE OF DOWNTOWN

Prepare your taste buds for the sixth annual Taste of Downtown, back this summer with over 40 participating restaurants and over 100 wines to choose from. Restaurants offering food samples include downtown fixtures such as Clara’s Lansing Station and Troppo, as well as newcomers like Glazed and Confused and the Crafty Palate. The afternoon will also feature live music by the Pulse, Global Village, Third Coast Steel and the Black Barn Band. Discounted advance tickets are available until July 24. 3-8 p.m. $25/$20 adv./$5 children 12 and under. 100 block of S. Washington Square, Lansing. (517) 487-3322, tasteofdowntown.org.

SATURDAY, JULY 25 >> CAR CAPITAL AUTO & BIKE SHOW

Over 300 classic cars and motorcycles will take over the streets of downtown Lansing as the R.E. Olds Transportation Museum presents the 23rd annual Car Capital Auto & Bike Show. The event is a third-party judged show, with up to $6,000 available in award prizes. The event is free to attend, but if you’d like to show off your car or bike, pre-registration is $25 for cars/trucks and $15 for motorcycles with an extra $5 fee to register the day of the show. 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. FREE. Downtown Lansing. (517) 372-0529, reoldsmuseum.org/car-capital-auto-show-2015.