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, restaurant tasting and one-night-only concert by Felix Cavaliere’s Rascals, Concert & Cuisine has become a favorite of MBT patrons. Tickets are on sale now at the box office! The regular season kicks off in October and features six shows sure to please, plus our holiday special.
The season opens with Clue based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn, written by Sandy Rustin, with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price. Based on the Paramount Pictures Motion Picture and the Hasbro board game, this show will be running October 7 – November 1, 2020. Join the iconic oddballs known as Scarlet, Plum, White, Green, Peacock, and Mustard as they race to find the murderer in Boddy Manor before the body count stacks up. Featuring original music by Michael Holland, Clue is a madcap comedy that will keep you guessing until the final twist.
The regular season then breaks for the special 39th holiday production of A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, adapted by Charles Nolte, running November 14 – December 24, 2020. Subscribers to the MBT season receive a 20 percent discount for tickets to A Christmas Carol.
Nana is back at MBT in 2021, and will be bringing a Michigan premiere comedy with her! Nana Does Vegas by Katherine DiSavino will run January 6 – January 31, 2021. Nana has taken a gamble and moved to Las Vegas, where she and her sidekick, Vera, are working as seamstresses for a show…What could possibly go wrong? Everything! If you liked Nana’s Naughty Knickers, you’ll love Nana Does Vegas!
Next up is another Michigan premiere – this time a musical! Writing Kevin Taylor, with book and lyrics by Josh Halloway, and music and lyrics by Will Van Dyke will run February 10 – March 7, 2021. New York City novelist Kevin Taylor is in a rut. With two successful books to his name and a much-anticipated third book overdue, he has lost his way – and his marriage. After a very public meltdown on TV, he resigns himself to life as a bachelor…until an enthusiastic teenage superfan arrives on his doorstep offering to be his intern. Come see this heartfelt story about finding unlikely friendship in unexpected places.
Ladies in Lavender will run March 17 – April 11, 2021. This North American premiere was adapted for the stage by Shaun McKenna, from a screenplay by Charles Dance, and is based on a short story by William J. Locke. The year is 1936. When a handsome and talented young Polish violinist bound for America is washed ashore in Cornwall, the Widdington sisters take him under their wing to nurse him back to health. However, the presence of the mysterious young man disrupts their peaceful lives and the community in which they live.
The Pin-Up Girls by James Hindman and Jeffrey Lodin is yet another Michigan premiere! A patriotic musical running April 21 – May 16, 2021, The Pin-Up Girls sing a cavalcade of hits inspired by letters home from our troops overseas! While singing at their local VFW hall, Leanne and her friends stumble upon a huge stash of letters that go back a hundred years. Inspired by what they find funny, romantic, heartbreaking and…sexy, the ladies put on a show that celebrates the guys and gals who fight to defend our country.
The season concludes May 26 – June 20, 2021 with A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline. This nostalgic musical by Dean Regan tells the tale of Little Big Man, a disc jockey from Patsy Cline’s hometown of Winchester, VA. He traces the late singer’s footsteps from early honky-tonk and radio days through her rise at the Grand Ole Opry, plus her appearances at Carnegie Hall and Las Vegas. A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline chronicles Patsy’s compelling journey and features her greatest hits, including “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “Crazy” and “I Fall To Pieces.” This production will transport you back in time. With great tunes, a great band, and country music’s greatest lady, this show will have you singing the whole way home!
Season tickets are currently available by calling the Meadow Brook Theatre box office at 248-377-3300. They range from $180 to $234 per seat for the six-play season. When you subscribe to the 2020-2021 season, you may also purchase tickets for A Christmas Carol at a 20% discount before they go on sale to the general public.
Single tickets go on sale Monday, August 31, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. Tickets range from $36 to $46 for individual plays.
Meadow Brook Theatre is also proud to present its annual Children’s Series. Details will be announced soon. These shows are often presented with two performances per day. So don’t miss out on this wonderful chance to share live theatre with the ones you love. Subscribers to the MBT season receive a 20% discount for tickets to the Children’s Series.
For additional information on Meadow Brook Theatre, please visit www.MBTheatre.com. Meadow Brook Theatre is a non-profit, cultural institution serving southeast Michigan for more than 54 years.