Every year as the air grows colder, a debate starts heating up – when does the holiday season officially start? Is it when 100.3 WNIC starts playing Christmas music? Or is it when the switch is flipped during Lagniappe and the Big Bright Light Show illuminates downtown Rochester? In my opinion, it is neither. The official holiday season begins when Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) brings its beloved version of A Christmas Carol to life. And the time to see it is now through Dec. 24, 2023, on the … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Huzzah! It’s Time to Celebrate ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Meadow Brook Theatre
November 18, 2023 by Leave a Comment
REVIEW: Varner Act II Gala Honors Oakland University’s Musical Past While Shining a Bright Spotlight on its Future
November 17, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Varner Hall, on the campus of Oakland University (OU), has spent the last two years going through much-needed renovations and is finally ready for its close-up. To celebrate, the esteemed OU School of Music, Theatre and Dance is staging the Varner Act II Gala — a show-stopping musical revue under the direction of Teri Hansen in the Varner Studio Theatre. Hansen, a visiting assistant professor, brings a wealth of screen (Film/TV) and stage (Broadway/London's West End) experience to this fresh … [Read more...]
REVIEW: ‘Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Adventure’ Brings Murder and Comedy Together for a Killer Good Time
October 8, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle may have tired of his ‘consulting detective,’ but Sherlock Holmes still mesmerizes audiences. And nowhere was this more evident than at the Michigan Premiere of Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Adventure running now through October 29, 2023, at Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. Picking right where they left off this summer with Noises Off, MBT kicks off their 57th season with this wickedly funny … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Oakland University’s Multilingual ‘¡Farsa/Farce! (An Affair of International Laughter)’ is Relevant in Any Language
October 6, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Oakland University Department of Theatre opened its 2023-2024 season with one of the most unique productions in recent memory — ¡Farsa/Farce! (An Affair of International Laughter) which runs now until Oct. 15 in Varner Studio Theatre on the campus of Oakland University (OU). Directed by David Gram, ¡Farsa/Farce! encompasses two plays. The first is El suplicio del placer (“The Agony of Ecstasy”) by Mexican playwright Sabina Berman, and the second is Non tutti i ladri vengono per nuocere (“The … [Read more...]
‘Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Adventure’ opens season at Meadow Brook Theatre
September 19, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Comic-mystery makes Michigan premiere on the campus of Oakland University The game’s afoot when everyone’s favorite detective returns in the Michigan premiere of Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Adventure. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are investigating the Bohemian king’s stolen letters. Faced with their toughest case yet, the duo joins forces with American actress, Irene Adler, and encounters dozens of other characters. As the international mystery unfolds, they discover spies, … [Read more...]
REVIEW: ‘Noises Off’ Brings Down the House at Meadow Brook Theatre with Hijinks and Hilarity
June 5, 2023 by Leave a Comment
This season, Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) has taken audiences on a journey that has included the blues (Blues in the Night), honky tonk (Honky Tonk Angels), complex relationships (Birthday Club, Harry Townsend’s Last Stand), and a killer plant (Little Shop of Horrors). However, they may have saved the best for last with Noises Off, which runs until June 25, 2023, at Meadow Brook Theatre on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Mich. Written by English playwright Michael Frayn in … [Read more...]
‘Noises Off’ wraps up season at Meadow Brook Theatre
May 23, 2023 by 1 Comment
Backstage farce runs May 31 through June 25, 2023, on the campus of Oakland University. In Noises Off, we join the cast of the fictional play “Nothing On” for a hysterical peek behind the curtain. In only hours they’ll be faced with opening night. Will they be able to pull things together? If they do, will they manage to keep them together for the run of their play, or will the flubbed lines, falling trousers, and flying sardines keep the show from going on? Noises Off, by Michael Frayn, … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Meadow Brook Theatre’s ‘Honk Tonk Angels’ Will Restore Your Faith in the Power of Dreaming Big
April 30, 2023 by 1 Comment
In 2021, Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) premiered FANCY, a Country Jukebox Musical. The following year they doubled down with A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline. And in 2023, MBT proves that good things come in threes with the divinely inspirational Honky Tonk Angels, running through May 21, 2023, on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Angela (Stacy White) shows what housewives from Texas are made of. Photo credit: Sean Carter Photography Written by Ted Swindley, this … [Read more...]
‘Honky Tonk’ Angels at Meadow Brook Theatre
April 11, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Country hit-filled musical runs April 26 through May 21, 2023, on the campus of Oakland University. Country hits like “Stand By Your Man,” “9 to 5” and “Harper Valley PTA” tell the tale of three gutsy gals who follow their dreams of being country music stars. They may come from different backgrounds, but all roads to stardom lead to Nashville. Honky Tonk Angels, by Ted Swindley, runs from April 26 through May 21, 2023, at Meadow Brook Theatre on the campus of Oakland University in … [Read more...]
The Rochester Symphony Orchestra Presents its 2023 Season Finale – ‘A NEW HORIZON’
April 4, 2023 by Leave a Comment
Join the Rochester Symphony Orchestra (RSO) on Friday, May 12, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 620 Romeo Road, Rochester, Michigan for a tribute to five extraordinary American performers conducted by music director and conductor Maestro Zeljko Milicevic. In addition, there will also be a performance by Shaun Lee, winner of the 2023 Young Artist Competition. The evening's entertainment will highlight... Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, an American … [Read more...]
