Just in time for Mother’s Day, our talented young people are in the spotlight this week. The Neutral Zone teens’ eclectic “Breakin’ Curfew” (now in its 9th year) is on Friday, and high school vocalists from four states compete in "The Great American Songbook Competition" on Saturday.

Both performances feature the talents, initiative, hopes, and dreams of young people interested in the arts. From rock and klezmer bands put together by Ann Arbor teens to tin-pan alley standards sung by Broadway hopefuls, there’s sure to be loads of inspiration as the stars of the future take the stage.

Any performer will tell you that there’s nothing like playing to a full house, so if you want to really encourage these young people, come on out to one or both of these events. Be sure to get your clapping hands and stomping feet ready to make their mommas proud!

Show: “Breakin’ Curfew” one-time event, Friday May 11 at 8 p.m.

Company: The Neutral Zone and UMS

Type of Company: Teen produced variety show

Venue/location: The Power Center, 121 Fletcher St., Ann Arbor

Recommended ages: All

Description: The 9th annual Breakin’ Curfew will unfold Saturday evening in the Power Center with around 20 acts. Genres run from rock and rap to bhangra dance and poetry. “We have a pretty big range this year. We have some genres we’ve never done before,” said Amanda Heckenkamp, Pioneer High School senior and one of the show’s teen curators. “We have a metal band called Peace Be Still; we have a klezmer group. We have Bad Television, which is like an emo kind of rock group (and) the Ins & Outs, which is like a local cover band—they started out as an Eagles cover band and now they are doing different stuff.” http://annarbor.com/entertainment/this-years-breakin-curfew-teen-variety-show-could-be-a-sign-of-the-octopolypse/

Fun fact: The show, which targets an audience of all ages, is a joint production of the Neutral Zone teen center and UMS, the University of Michigan’s nonprofit concert presenter—which contributes some of the technical know-how, arranges the venue and helps sell tickets.

For tickets and information: UMS Michigan League Ticket office, 911 N. University Ave., 734-764-2538.

Show: “Michael Feinstein’s Great American Songbook Competition” one-time event, Saturday May 12 at 7 p.m.

Company: Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative

Type of Company: Vocal Performance Competition

Venue/location: Kerrytown Concert House, at 415 N. 4th Ave.

Recommended ages: All

Description: High school vocalists from Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio will compete in the Great American Songbook Vocal Academy and Competition, the only U.S. competition dedicated solely to the music from Broadway, Hollywood musicals and the Tin Pan Alley era of the early to mid-twentieth century. Regional winners will travel to Indianapolis for a four-day “boot-camp” led by local and national celebrity performers, including Feinstein. The classes are intended to prepare finalists for the final competition at The Palladium concert hall in Carmel, Indiana, when each student performs two songs and the top three winners will be announced. http://annarbor.com/entertainment/feinsteins-great-american-songbook-regional-vocal-competition-for-high-school-students-coming-to-ker/

Fun fact: Ann Arbor judges include UM Musical Theatre faculty Jerry DePuit, local choral conductor and music director Catherine Walker Adams, and local actress and Performance Network Associate Artist Naz Edwards.

For tickets and information: http://www.thecenterfortheperformingarts.org/Great-American-Songbook-Inititative.aspx

Show: “Red” by John Logan, through May 27

Company: Performance Network Theatre

Type of Company: Professional Equity (SPT)

Venue/location: Performance Network Theatre, 120 East Huron, Ann Arbor

Recommended ages: 16+, Contains adult themes and language.

Description: For two years from 1956-58, the abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko worked feverishly in his Bowery St. studio on Manhattan's lower East side, on what was at the time the highest paid commission since the Sistine Chapel. A Russian immigrant from humble beginnings, he worked on a series of enormous murals that would adorn that bastion of capitalism - the famous Four Seasons Restaurant in Mies Van der Rohe's Seagram Building. John Logan's Tony-winning play paints a picture of the fiery artist as he works intensely on the paintings, with the help of his apprentice Ken, and struggles with his personal demons to bring forth what would ultimately be his life's greatest achievement. http://www.freep.com/article/20120503/ENT05/205030345

Fun fact: Mark Rothko was famous for his "multiform" paintings, a term applied by art critics; but never used by Rothko himself. Rothko described these paintings as possessing a more organic structure, and as self-contained units of human expression. For Rothko, these blurred blocks of various colors, devoid of landscape or human figure, possessed their own life force.

For tickets and information: 734-663-0681, www.performancenetwork.org/

Special Offer: Moms get free concessions before the show at the Sunday matinee performance of “Red” (limit two items per Mom.)

Show: “White Buffalo” by Don Zolidis, through June 2

Company: The Purple Rose Theatre Company

Type of Company: Professional Equity (SPT)

Venue/location: The Purple Rose Theatre Company, 137 Park Street, Chelsea

Recommended ages: 14+ (contains some adult language and content)

Description: When Carol Gelling discovers that a buffalo born on her farm is pure white, she thinks it’s nothing more than a curiosity. She soon learns that the birth of the white buffalo fulfills an ancient Sioux prophecy -- the coming of peace on earth and unity of mankind. Almost overnight, her small farm becomes a hotbed of spiritual outpouring -- from Native American pilgrims to the Dalai Lama. When a mysterious businessman offers to buy the calf, Carol must decide whether the white buffalo signals the end of her financial hardships or the beginning of her own spiritual enrichment. http://www.examiner.com/review/white-buffalo-makes-worthy-world-premiere-at-purple-rose-theatre

Fun fact: The memorial monument of Chief Crazy Horse, which is mentioned in White Buffalo, has been under construction since 1935. When completed, it will be the world's largest sculpture.

For tickets and information: 734-433-7673, www.purplerosetheatre.org

Special Ticket Offer: Mother's Day Special - Buy One Ticket, Get One Free. Valid only for 5/13/12, limit 4 tickets. Mention Code AAM-12 when making reservation.