REVIEW: Misery Loves Company in Avon Players’ Clever Comedy ‘Drinking Alone’

Drinking Alone centers around a family reunion no one wants to attend, but you should snag a seat for this must-see production running at Avon Players in Rochester Hills, Mich., now through March 23, 2024. Written by Canadian playwright Norman Foster, Drinking Alone combines hilarity and insight into the tribulations of everyday life. Similar to the style American playwright Neil Simon is known for. The plot centers on the Todd family whose dysfunctional dynamics offer up plenty of humor and … [Read more...]

Avon Players presents ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’

A startling discovery is but the first step on a path of life-altering exploration A best-selling novel turned much-lauded play will give audience members puzzles to ponder as Avon Players presents The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time running January 19-February 3 in Rochester, Mich. Fifteen-year-old Christopher (Robert Carrigan) has an extraordinary brain: He is exceptional at mathematics but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the … [Read more...]

A holiday classic comes to life as Avon Players presents ‘Miracle on 34th Street’

Rediscover the magic of believing with this holiday play for the whole family Theatergoers can check one thing off their holiday wish list: an enchanting live performance suitable for all ages as Avon Players presents Miracle on 34th Street running November 24-December 9. Kris Kringle (Chris Stepnitz) and Susan Walker (Moxie Dubuc) from MIRACLE ON 34th STREET. Photo Credit: Bryan Clifford Doris (Patty Hegel), a desperate event coordinator, hires a last-minute replacement who calls … [Read more...]

REVIEW: Avon Players’ ‘It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’ is a Bright Beacon of Blessings for the Holidays

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’ ‘Night of January 16th’ Delivers Courtroom Drama and a Surprise Ending

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

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

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’

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’

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

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...]