Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) is excited to announce that its box office opened on Tuesday, June 23rd! For the past three months, MBT has been busy searching for solutions to move forward in a way that most closely resembles the theatre everyone knows and loves. "The current pandemic requires that we all remain vigilant in caring for our community and not opening until it is deemed safe to do so," said Cheryl Marshall, MBT's managing director. "At MBT, we are committed to continuing our … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Classical Opera Gets the Slapstick Treatment in Avon Players’ Uproarious Production of ‘Lend Me a Tenor’
March 7, 2020 by 1 Comment
Mention the word ‘opera’ and likely the first image that springs to mind is a woman in a Viking hat with blond braids, wearing a breastplate, and hitting an impossibly high note that can shatter any nearby glass objects. Or perhaps it’s the 1957 Bugs Bunny cartoon “What’s Opera, Doc?” spoofing Richard Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen. And while there is such a thing as opera comedies, I find it hard to believe that any opera attendee would ever leave a performance with their sides aching from … [Read more...]
Drama ‘Mary Jane’ Shines a Light on a Mother’s Life with a Chronically Ill Child
March 3, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Running at Meadow Brook Theatre March 18 through April 12, 2020 Mary Jane loves her son, Alex. All she wants is for him to be healthy and happy. However, Alex is chronically ill, which makes life challenging. While Mary Jane is perpetually optimistic, she is also tired and scared. She needs to know she’s not alone. Sometimes support comes from unexpected places, and you learn family isn’t just the people you’re related to. Mary Jane, by Pulitzer Prize finalist Amy Herzog, runs March 18 … [Read more...]
Laugh Along with the Avon Players’ ‘Lend Me a Tenor’
February 24, 2020 by Leave a Comment
An impresario’s desperation leads to comedic confusion Metro Detroit audiences will get a humorous view of the world of opera as Avon Players presents the classic farce Lend Me a Tenor, running March 6-21 in Rochester Hills, MI. Henry Saunders (Joe Colosi), the general manager of a Midwestern opera company, is primed to welcome the world-famous Tito Morelli (Jonathan Farrell) for his one-night-only appearance as Pagliacci. The star arrives late and is accidentally given a double dose of … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Meadow Brook Theatre’s ‘Working’ Celebrates the Hope and Heart that Built America
February 17, 2020 by Leave a Comment
America was built by men and women who displayed tremendous ingenuity and grit. A new country didn’t happen overnight, so they rolled up their sleeves and put in the work — a lot of hard work. This past Saturday, Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) paid homage to the plight of the American worker with the musical Working, now playing until March 8 on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, MI. Based off the 1974 best-selling book by Studs Terkel, Working shines a spotlight on 26 average … [Read more...]
Meadow Brook Theatre Announces 55th Season
February 17, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Meadow Brook Theatre’s (MBT) 2020-2021 season has a lineup that has a show for everyone! “We’re excited to have several Michigan premieres and a North American drama premiere during our 55th season,” said Cheryl Marshall, MBT managing director. “We’ve got a fabulous variety of shows and, of course, we’re kicking things off with a great event this summer!" On July 18, Meadow Brook Theatre will hold its sixth annual Concert & Cuisine benefit. Featuring a silent auction, live auction, … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Oakland University’s ‘Macbeth’ Delivers a Powerful Examination of the Carnage Caused by Desire and Deception
February 7, 2020 by Leave a Comment
A little over five years ago I went to the Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada to see a production of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Once there I quickly learned through the grapevine that people either loved it or hated it; during some performances, people actually walked out. That is when it dawned on me there are two types of Shakespeare enthusiasts. First, the purists. Those who want only traditional costumes, settings, and no interpretation of the script. Second, are … [Read more...]
Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ Coming to Oakland University Stage
February 3, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Come Experience 'Double, double, toil and trouble' February 6 - 9, 13 - 16 Something “wicked” is coming to the Oakland University (OU) stage as the Department of Theatre presents William Shakespeare’s Macbeth — a cautionary tale about the trappings of power and what happens when vaulting ambition takes priority over the people one is expected to govern — from February 6-9, 13-16 in the Varner Studio Theatre on the OU campus. “With Brexit on the horizon, we have set our play in an imagined … [Read more...]
Children’s Series begins with ‘Rosie Revere, Engineer & Friends’ at Meadow Brook Theatre
January 28, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Ms. Greer's classroom includes three inquisitive out-of-the-box thinkers. Rosie Revere has big dreams. Iggy Peck has a relentless passion for architecture. And Ada Twist's curiosity can drive her teacher crazy. A fun new musical based on the books Rosie Revere, Engineer; Iggy Peck, Architect; and Ada Twist Scientist by Andrea Beaty, which spotlights the STEM curriculum (focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math). A Theatreworks USA Production brings Rosie Revere, Engineer … [Read more...]
See how America works in ‘Working: A Musical’ at Meadow Brook Theatre
January 28, 2020 by Leave a Comment
Running February 12 through March 8 Based on Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of interviews with American workers, the musical Working paints a vivid portrait of the men and women that the world so often takes for granted: the schoolteacher, the phone operator, the waitress, the mill-worker, the mason and the housewife, just to name a few. Nominated for six Tony Awards, this classic has been updated for a modern age. Working runs February 12 through March 8, at Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) on … [Read more...]
