Dear Crabby, What’s All the Hype About ‘Hamilton?’

Dear Crabby, Lately, my newsfeed has been filled with people geeking out over Hamilton the musical. Since all the theatres are closed, I can’t figure out what all the fuss is about. Do you have any clue? Thanks, K. George Will Dear K. George Will, I know we’ve all been sheltering at home these past few months, but it sounds like you’ve also been sheltering under a rock. First, a little background for those of you who slept through American history. Good old Alexander Hamilton is … [Read more...]

See how America works in ‘Working: A Musical’ at Meadow Brook Theatre

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...]

REVIEW: Pick Up and Go See ‘Hands on a Hardbody’ at Oakland University

Timing is everything. When Hands on a Hardbody arrived on Broadway in 2013, it ran for just 28 shows before the curtain came down. Many probably mused at how a musical about 10 down-on-their-luck Texans trying to win a truck was even relevant. Well, a lot can change in three years, and the Oakland University School of Music, Theatre and Dance couldn’t have picked a timelier subject to bring back to the stage. Based on true events and a 1997 documentary of the same name, the story centers … [Read more...]

REVIEW: Avon Players’ ‘Assassins’ Takes Aim at The American Dream

There’s something oddly ironic about watching a play—a musical no less—that centers around presidential assassins on the 15th anniversary of 9/11. And yet that’s where I found myself on Sunday along with what looked to be a full house. Truthfully, Avon Players could not have picked a timelier topic to open their 2016 – 2017 season considering anything remotely political seems to have taken over our lives. From Lin-Manuel Miranda making Alexander Hamilton must-see theatre (11 Tony Awards® don’t … [Read more...]