Staying true to its contemporary theme, the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum rotates in three new exhibits this week.

Washington Heights is a neighborhood in the New York City borgough of Manhattan, known for its large Domincan population. This weekend, Peppermint Creek Theatre Co. is bridging the geographical and cultural gap between Lansing and that neighborhood with their latest show, "In the Heights."

If you have a portrait hanging in your living room, chances are it's from a major life milestone —a graduation, a wedding, the beginning of a senior year — and certainly of someone you know. But the 1,182 Lansing-area people who took part in "The Gift," one of the debut exhibits at the recently opened Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, have been tasked with displaying large-scale, black-and-white photographs of complete strangers in their homes.

"If you build it, he will come" is one of the most iconic lines in movie history. Local director Emily English Clark may not have built the set for "August: Osage County," the play she's directing — or been hoping for dead baseball players to audition —but the line still rings true.

While some Lansing residents may be fighting over Furbies in the toy aisle this holiday season, others will be helping real pets — as in local abandoned puppies and kittens — find homes. And come on: who doesn’t love puppies?

Over the last few years, ensemble films with multiple characters and storylines and an overall theme have become increasingly popular. "Valentines Day" and its pseudo-sequel "New Year’s Eve" are two of the more prominent examples.

In the 16th century, revenge plays were all the rage. Audiences enjoyed the violence, plotting and planning, and one of the bloodiest works of the era was Shakespeare’s "Titus Andronicus." It was actually deemed too violent during the Victorian Era before its popularity bounced back during the middle of the 20th century.

Not all children get to tiptoe down a flight of stairs on Christmas morning to see what Santa has left for them — for many local kids, there are no presents. It's like waking up in Who-ville after the Grinch has taken all of the Who-pudding and Who-roast beast. But two local fundraisers are trying to un-Grinch-ify this holiday season for some needy children.

This month, you might find a holiday show that has fake snow, Santa and maybe a few elves, but the one playing at Riverwalk Theatre certainly has something that makes it stick out from the crowd: goblins.

The month of horror is almost here. Ravenous, blood-sucking creatures are crawling out of the woodwork for your soul … and your vote. Oh yeah, and Halloween is coming too. Every four years, politicians and pundits go head-to-head with zombies and vampires for your attention, and this October is shaping up to be a doozie.