Every Christmas, millions of viewers take a trip to fictional Bedford Falls to follow the trials and triumphs of George Bailey. This season, Avon Players offers a twist on the classic film with Joe Landry’s adaptation of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, running now through December 11 in Rochester Hills, Mich. Jonathan Farrell waits his turn while Kim Bertolini and Chloe Schultz man the special effects. Photo courtesy of Avon Players Theatre FB page As a radio play, this … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Avon Players’ ‘It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’ is a Bright Beacon of Blessings for the Holidays
December 4, 2021 by Leave a Comment
REVIEW: Avon Players’ ‘Night of January 16th’ Delivers Courtroom Drama and a Surprise Ending
September 26, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Avon Players welcomed eager theatergoers back for the opening night of Ayn Rand’s courtroom drama, Night of January 16th, running now until Saturday, October 9, 2021, in Rochester, MI. This moment is important because it marks the first live production since the shutdown in March 2020 when Lend Me a Tenor had to abruptly ends its run. And it is also a season of celebration as Avon Players commemorates 75 years of bringing creative and crowd-pleasing theatre to the area. Before the start of … [Read more...]
Avon Players Celebrates 75 Years
August 26, 2021 by 9 Comments
The year was 1947. On the world stage, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in his experimental jet airplane and Jackie Robinson became the first African American to take the field in a Major League baseball game. On the local stage in Rochester, Michigan, a community theatre group known as the Avon Players was born. An early Avon Players production (Courtesy of Avon Players) The Rev. Robert J. Burgess of Rochester’s First Congregational Church was a leading advocate for the formation of a … [Read more...]
Rochester Junior Women’s Club is Seeking Area Non-Profit Organizations to Benefit
February 24, 2021 by Leave a Comment
The Rochester Junior Women’s Club is looking for non-profit organizations that need assistance and can benefit from our fundraising. Each spring the club Donations Committee reviews requests submitted by local organizations requesting assistance. Based on the committee’s recommendations, annual recipients are selected for the major fundraisers as well as recipients for miscellaneous donations. The Rochester Junior Women’s Club (RJWC) has been serving the community since 1956. RJWC is a … [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...]
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: Avon Players’ ‘Deathtrap’ Thrills Audiences with Shocking Betrayals, Mistrust, and Misdirection
January 19, 2020 by Leave a Comment
It is rare these days to be truly surprised at the theatre. Especially by a play that is over 40 years old. And it’s also pretty rare for everything to come together in such a spectacular fashion on opening night. But that’s exactly what happens with Avon Players’ latest production Deathtrap. A heart-pounding thriller now playing until February 1. A thriller in two acts. One set, five characters. A juicy murder in act one, terror in act two, and an ironic and astonishing resolution. This is … [Read more...]
Avon Players Presents Taut Thriller ‘Deathtrap’
January 6, 2020 by Leave a Comment
There is no escaping the wicked charms of this play’s twists and turns Greed and desperation lead to a sinister plot in Avon Players’ surprise-filled thriller Deathtrap, running January 17-February 1 in Rochester Hills, MI. Living a seemingly comfortable life in his charming Connecticut home, playwright Sidney Bruhl (Jeff Stillman) is struggling to overcome a string of failures that have left him hurting for money. His luck seems on the verge of turning around when he receives a script … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Give Yourself the Gift of Avon Players’ Holiday Variety Show ‘Forever Christmas’
December 1, 2019 by 1 Comment
Three years ago as I sat waiting for this show to start, I was worn out and my Christmas spirit was nearly nonexistent. I had doubts if a holiday variety show would be able to change the way I felt, but it did. And I’m happy to say this year’s production, playing until December 14 in Rochester Hills, MI, sent my spirits soaring once again! In an age where you start to wonder if anyone has anything new or relevant to say, Avon Players President John (JD) Deierlein gifts us with his original … [Read more...]
Ring in the Holidays with Avon Players’ ‘Forever Christmas’
November 12, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Enjoy the music of the season and laugh alongside your loved ones at this original variety show Avon Players celebrates the sounds and sentiment of the holiday season with the newest installment of its very own Christmas variety show, Forever Christmas, running November 29 - December 14 in Rochester Hills, MI. Do you remember gathering with the family, freshly popped popcorn in hand, around the 19-inch color television set to watch Christmas specials from the likes of Bob Hope, Perry … [Read more...]
