Nude Noir brings “celebration of the human form” to Ann Arbor’s Michigan Theater

This story is part of a series about arts and culture in Washtenaw County. It is made possible by the Ann Arbor Art Center, Destination Ann Arbor, Larry and Lucie Nisson, the University of Michigan Arts Initiative, and the University Musical Society.

On Aug. 29 Ann Arbor’s Michigan Theater will be transformed for Nude Noir, a new event billed as a “celebration of the human form.”

Nude Noir will be part living gallery, part immersive art experience, according to Tara Calligan, director of marketing for Marquee Arts. Attendees are invited to roam the building at their own pace as various interactive activities and performances — from burlesque and drag to aerialists and contortionists — unfold around them.

“The entire Michigan Theater is going to be taken over for this very intimate experience,” Calligan says.

Calligan says Nude Noir is “going to be provocative, and it’s also going to be immersive,” but adds that there won’t be any actual nudity. (“Think nude illusion, and not exactly full frontal,” Calligan says.)

Attendees will enter to find a performer in a gigantic martini glass stationed in the grand foyer. Contortionists will perform on the staircase landing while silk aerialists and drag performers take the stage in the main theater. Burlesque performances have been curated and produced by Detroit-based performer Margaux Royale. They include performers Josephine Shaker, Joyce LeeAnn, and Leena Allure, among others. 

But attendees aren’t just invited to watch the festivities — they’re also invited to participate.

Live figure drawing will be led by artists from the Ann Arbor Art Center, which will also provide models, though attendees are invited to pose as well. Attendees are also invited to paint mannequins as part of a community art project. A boudoir photographer will give demonstrations for any interested attendees, and VIP ticketholders can take part in quick photo shoots.

General admission tickets (referred to as “The Experience”) confer “access to the entire event,” says Calligan. But the VIP experience (known as “The Full Monty”) also includes reserved seating for performances in the main theater and the Screening Room, a private bar with signature cocktails, exclusive admittance to an afterparty at Uplift, and parking. A limited number of “Full Monty” tickets are available.

The event’s burlesque performances will be offered at various times on the Smokler Stage in the Screening Room. These performances are the only timed or scheduled portion of the event, and tickets are offered accordingly: you can buy a ticket for an 8:30 p.m. burlesque show, for example, or one at 9:25 p.m., but that time slot doesn’t limit your experience as a whole. 

“You can show up at the event at 6 p.m. [and] stay until 11 p.m. if you want to,” says Calligan, who urges attendees to “choose what you like” and wander at will, “engaging with the beauty and complexity of the human form.”

Calligan says attendees should wear “whatever makes you feel comfortable, whatever makes you feel good in your skin, whatever makes you feel like you’re celebrating your body, as long as you are artfully covered. That’s all we ask.”

The event has been organized by the Michigan Theater in partnership with the Ann Arbor Art Center, Margaux Royale, Uplift (which curated the drag performances), and the Detroit Circus (which produced performances by contortionists, aerialists, and the martini-glass artist).

“It’s a cool way to showcase local talent,” Calligan says.

The event may remind some of popular Detroit events like erotic art show The Dirty Show or the dark, sexualized carnival atmosphere of Theatre Bizarre. But Calligan says Nude Noir will emphasize “the artistry of the human body” over an atmosphere with a “more extreme … sexual nature.”

“It’s going to be a completely different feeling, … definitely a different vibe [than the Detroit shows],” she says.

The event will end around 11 p.m. or 11:30 p.m., “depending on how much fun we’re all having in there,” according to Calligan. Attendees must be over 18; those 21 and over will be provided with wristbands and permitted alcohol.

Calligan says the Michigan Theater is hoping to make the event an annual one. She adds that it might take a year for attendees to fully catch on, since it’s “hard to explain to someone who hasn’t [already] experienced it” what Nude Noir is all about.

Calligan says Nude Noir is “absolutely” indicative of a shift in the kinds of programming the Michigan Theater intends to offer following recent changes in leadership. Executive Director and CEO Molly Rowan-Deckart replaced longtime leader Russ Collins last year after his retirement in 2024.

“We wanted to try something new that the Michigan Theater hasn’t done before,” Calligan says. “We wanted to show people a different side of our community — but also show that we are always willing to have an amazing time.”