A full house traded in the bitter and snowy Michigan cold for the sunshine and slapstick of the Ozarks in Avon Players’ Farce of Habit, running until January 25, 2025, in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Farce of Habit was written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten. As the title implies, this play includes many absurd situations and zany characters whose quirks propel the action and humor. Director Jeff Stillman believes the humor is based on familiar patterns of human behavior: … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Murder and Merry Misunderstandings are the Catch of the Day in Avon Players’ ‘Farce of Habit’
REVIEW: Avon Players’ ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is Razor-Sharp Entertainment
As Avon Players brings another successful season to a close, it goes out on a hilarious high with the cult classic, Little Shop of Horrors running now, through June 8, 2024, in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Little Shop of Horrors is a quirky blend of genres that includes comedy, sci-fi, camp, and romance all set to a lively musical score of doo-wop, rock ‘n roll, and Motown sounds. And it was evident that the full house on opening night loved every minute of the energy happening on … [Read more...]
Avon Players Presents Romantic Comedy ‘Drinking Alone’
Regret and family resentments ignite in this play with humor and heart Adult siblings reckon with their complicated past with their father as well as their unsatisfying life paths to comic effect as Avon Players presents Drinking Alone, running March 8-23. Joe Todd (Luigi Murri) leads a lonely, dull life dutifully maintaining the family dry-cleaning business. His sister Carrie (Hosanna Phillips) is a local television star whose career is thriving while her marriage falls apart. When their … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Get Inside the Beautiful Mind of Avon Players’ ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’
Wellington is dead and Christopher’s ordered life becomes forever flipped upside down in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time running now through Saturday, February 3, 2024, at Avon Players Theatre in Rochester, Mich. Originally a 2003 mystery novel by British author Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is largely narrated from the first-person perspective of 15-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone (Robert Carrigan) who lives in Swindon, England. … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Believe in the Timeless Magic of Avon Players’ ‘Miracle on 34th Street’
‘I’ll believe it when I see it.,’ is a famous phrase. Well, believe me when I say you will want to see Avon Players’ production of Miracle on 34th Street running now through Saturday, December 9, 2023, in Rochester Hills, Mich. Avon Players last staged this show nearly a decade ago and it was refreshing to see the updates made to this production, while still staying true to the spirit of the story so many cherish. For those who may not know, there are two movie versions. The first is the 1947 … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Avon Players’ ‘The Full Monty’ is Cheeky Fun
Friday night, in front of a packed audience, Avon Players Theatre put the adage — ‘Fortune favors the bold’ — to the test with the comedy musical, The Full Monty running now until September 30, 2023, in Rochester Hills, MI. If The Full Monty sounds familiar, chances are you have either heard of or seen the 1997 British comedy film of the same name. In 2000, the Americanized version of the story hit Broadway as a musical with the book by Terrence McNally and score by David Yazbeck. And just … [Read more...]
Let Your Inhibitions Go with Avon Players’ Musical Comedy ‘The Full Monty’
Desperate circumstances lead to hilariously desperate measures in this stage adaptation of the popular movie A group of down-on-their-luck workers tests whether fortune really does favor the bold as Avon Players presents The Full Monty running September 15-30. Based on the hit film of the same name, The Full Monty follows the misfortunes of six unemployed steelworkers in Buffalo, New York. With no job, money, or prospects, these men are fed up with the state of their lives. When they … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Avon Players’ ‘First Date’ Makes the Right Impression
Adam Silorey as Aaron and Lori Smith as Casey in 'First Date.' Photo courtesy of Bryan Clifford These days, dating – especially first dates – are akin to maneuvering through a minefield. There is constant second-guessing over where to meet, what to wear, and what topics are ‘safe’ to discuss. All while in the back of your mind, you’re wondering, “Will this finally be THE ONE that gets you off the dating merry-go-round? Avon Players’ presentation of the rom-com musical First Date hysterically … [Read more...]
Fall in Love at First Sight with Avon Players’ Musical Rom-Com ‘First Date’
Crowd-pleasing comedy chronicles the horrors, humiliations, and occasional happy surprises of blind dating. The classic romantic comedy setup of two mismatched suitors navigating the minefield of relationships gets a fresh musical treatment as Avon Players presents First Date running May 26-June 10. When blind date newbie Aaron (Adam Silorey) is set up with serial-dater Casey (Lori Smith), a casual drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a hilarious exploration of modern … [Read more...]