Radio Made in Michigan

Soon a little piece of Detroit’s history will join the marquees on Broadway. "Motown the Musical" will debut in New York in April. If you can’t make it to Broadway, you can find the story of Motown on display at the Motown Museum. WKAR’s Scott Pohl toured the museum with president and CEO of the Motown Museum, Allen Rawls. 

MLive's Lansing beat reporter Angela Wittrock joins us every Monday for a rundown of the latest news about the local economy, business and development.   

More Spartan Dawgs on life after MSU sports, business of agriculture in Michigan, growing up around alcoholism

Today on Current State: contracts for Lansing teachers; a look at the new Financial Empowerment Center; East Lansing high school's theater fundraiser; Michigan's 20-20 plan and reform options; sports check-in; Lansing's historic Albert Kahn building.

  The Lansing School District has a new contract agreement with its 915-member teachers’ union.  The Lansing Board of Education approved the new pact by an 8-1 vote last night. Guillermo Lopez, president of the Lansing Board of Education, discusses the new five-year deal.

In January, the city of Lansing announced that the city had been awarded a $1.5 million Bloomberg Philanthropies grant to establish a Financial Empowerment Center. Lansing’s center opened yesterday.

The center is modeled after one in New York City. It will offer free, one-on-one financial counseling to low-income residents over the next three years.

East Lansing high school presents "And The World Goes Round" tomorrow night, with a fundraising event after at the East Lansing Marriott. The "Gala of Gratitude" is part of the East Lansing Foundation's effort to raise $1 million for students  to support their theater tradition in East Lansing schools.

Many East Lansing high theater, music and arts grads will be attending the event on Saturday.

One of those people is Dana Brazil.  Brazil is the Associate Director of the MSU Federal Credit Union's Institute for Arts and Creativity at the Wharton Center.  She's a professional actress, teacher and M.F.A. acting student at Michigan State University.

WKAR's Peter Whorf spoke with Dana Brazil about her days at East Lansing High School.