As the Bible and The Byrds famously stated, ‘For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.’ For those of us in the metro Detroit area, this means once again it is that magical time of year for seeing A Christmas Carol, running now through December 24, 2022, at Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. L to R: Conrad Nichols (Tiny Tim), Tamara Della Anderson (Spirit of Christmas Present), Thomas D. Mahard (Ebenezer Scrooge), … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Meadow Brook Theatre’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ Celebrates Community and the Resiliency of the Human Spirit
November 30, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Meadow Brook Theatre Celebrates 40 Years of Holiday Magic with ‘A Christmas Carol’
November 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Running November 18 through December 24, 2022, on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan One of southeast Michigan’s favorite holiday traditions returns for its 40th year whenEbenezer, Tiny Tim, and a handful of ghosts raise your spirits in A Christmas Carol at MeadowBrook Theatre (MBT) this November and December. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, original adaptation and staging by Charles Nolte, runsat Meadow Brook Theatre on the campus of Oakland University in … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Avon Players ‘A Few Good Men’ Inspires with Commanding Performances that Electrify
November 12, 2022 by Leave a Comment
“A pushy broad, a smart Jew and a Harvard mouth" walk into a military courtroom to take on the United States Marine Corps in Avon Players’ powerful production of A Few Good Men, running from now until November 26, 2022, in Rochester, Mich. L to R: Lance Cpl. Harold Dawson (Matt Druminski), PFC William Santiago (Kyle Kiesler), and PFC Louden Downey (Jacob Rayl) find themselves caught up in deadly lies and deceit. Photo courtesy of Avon Players' Facebook. Thanks to the popularity of the 1992 … [Read more...]
Rochester University Presents ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’
November 6, 2022 by Leave a Comment
RU Students London Nesbitt, Nathan Freundl, and Nilla Kanjoma (L to R) in rehearsals for Peter and the Starcatcher. Photo by Rachel Corp. Rochester University’s Theatre & Music Department presents Peter and the Starcatcher, a play by Rick Elice, based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, with music by Wayne Barker, and directed by Courtney Dunbar. Originally produced on Broadway by Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Greg Schaffert, Eva Price, Tom Smedes, and Disney Theatrical Productions. In … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Oakland University’s ‘A New Brain’ Probes Deep into the Insecurities that Plague Us All
November 5, 2022 by Leave a Comment
It is rare to be able to review a show blind and even more unexpected to come away having thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite the underlying seriousness of the subject matter, A New Brain did exactly that and you only have this weekend to catch the remaining performances in the Varner Lab Theatre on the campus of Oakland University (OU). In her notes, director Rachel M. Stevens discusses the process with which the OU School of Music, Theatre and Dance (SMTD) went about curating the shows for this … [Read more...]
Avon Players Presents Military Legal Drama ‘A Few Good Men’
October 24, 2022 by Leave a Comment
The play that inspired the popular feature film will dare audiences to see the truth Secrets will be uncovered in a contest of wills penned by a master of sharp dialogue as Avon Players presents A Few Good Men running November 11-26. From L to R: Joe Danz as “Lt. Daniel Kaffee,” and Marie Burchi-Skipinski as “Lt. Cmdr. Joanne Galloway.” Photo Credit: Bryan Clifford. A Few Good Men tells the story of naval officer and JAG attorney Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee (Joe Danz). When … [Read more...]
Oakland University presents ‘She Kills Monsters’
October 24, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Oakland University (OU) School of Music, Theatre and Dance will present She Kills Monsters from Thursday, October 27 – Sunday, October 30 in Room 100 in the Oakland Campus West Student Center. Directed by OU Lecturer Kelli Crump, She Kills Monsters tells the story of Agnes Evans as she leaves her childhood home in Ohio following the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. When Agnes finds Tilly’s Dungeons & Dragons notebook, however, she finds herself catapulted into a journey of discovery … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Quirky and Charming, Meadow Brook Theatre’s ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ Gives Audiences Plenty to Root For
October 7, 2022 by Leave a Comment
The campy noir musical Little Shop of Horrors has invaded Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, MI. from now until Oct. 30, 2022. Confession: I have never watched the movie or attended a live performance before, so this review is about as unvarnished as it comes. Also, I’m glad my first exposure was courtesy of MBT's talented cast and crew because this production is fantastic! Little Shop of Horrors is absurdly funny. It shouldn’t work. You shouldn’t … [Read more...]
Fan-Favorite Musical ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ kicks off Meadow Brook Theatre’s 56th season
September 20, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Out-of-this-world musical runs Oct. 5 through Oct. 30, 2022, on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, MI. While working as an assistant in a floral shop, shy Seymour stumbles across a new breed of plant. He names it “Audrey II,” after the coworker he has a crush on. But Audrey II isn’t as “proper” as Audrey. In a deep, R&B voice, it promises unending fame and fortune to Seymour as long as he supplies it with BLOOD! But just what does Audrey II have in mind for Seymour... and the … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Avon Players’ Season Debut ‘Bright Star’ Radiates Optimism in the Face of Love, Loss, and Longing
September 10, 2022 by 1 Comment
Avon Players opens a new season with Bright Star, a musical that takes the audience on a sweeping emotional journey, now through September 24 in Rochester Hills, MI. Bright Star is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in the mid-1940s, with flashbacks to 1923. While there are dual storylines intertwining throughout the performance, the main plot point belongs to idealistic Alice Murphy (Caitlin O’Brien) and the trajectory of her life from an innocent teenager to a mature, but … [Read more...]
