A full house on opening night at Avon Players Theatre was treated to an evening of playwright Neil Simon’s wise-cracking comedy Laughter on the 23rd Floor, running until March 29, 2025, in Rochester Hills, Michigan. With more than 30 plays to his name, Neil Simon racked up many awards over his illustrious career, including Tony Awards for writing The Odd Couple and Biloxi Blues and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Lost in Yonkers. In 1983, Simon was the first living playwright to have a … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Calamity and Comedy Collide in Avon Players’ ‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’
March 15, 2025 by Leave a Comment
REVIEW: Avon Players’ ‘Sweeney Todd’ is a Wicked Fun Mix of Murder and Merriment
September 7, 2024 by Leave a Comment
Avon Players opens their 78th season with a powerful production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street running through September 21, 2024, in Rochester Hills, MI. We all know the old proverb, ‘Revenge is a dish best-served cold.’ Well, in Sweeney Todd, it’s the house special. This musical originated in 1979, with music and lyrics by the legendary Stephen Sondheim (Company, Into the Woods) and book by Hugh Wheeler. Set in Victorian London, the opening number “The Ballad of … [Read more...]
Attend the Dark, Witty Tale of Avon Players’ ‘Sweeney Todd’
August 19, 2024 by Leave a Comment
Desperate deeds lead to dramatic ends in this iconic Stephen Sondheim musical Avon Players’ season begins with love, murder, and revenge set against the backdrop of 19th-century London in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street running September 6-21. From L to R: Mario Simone as “Sweeney Todd” and Joy Oetjens as “Mrs. Lovett.” Photo Credit: Bryan Clifford. In this haunting tale, Sweeney Todd (Mario Simone), an unjustly exiled barber, returns to Victorian London seeking … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, What’s All the Hype About ‘Hamilton?’
June 24, 2020 by 1 Comment
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...]
REVIEW: Oakland University’s ‘Urinetown’ Merges Merriment and Misery into One Mind-Blowing Musical Production
October 11, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Urinetown is a musical I’ve heard a lot about over the years but never found the time to see — until now. Oakland University School of Music, Theatre and Dance get their 2019-20 season off to a phenomenal start with their production of this Tony Award-winning musical running now through Oct. 20 in the Varner Studio Theatre. Have you ever thought about paying for the privilege to pee? Probably not, but this concept served as the inspiration for Urinetown. In the mid-90s, Greg Kotis (Lyrics and … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, Has Hollywood Run Out of Original Ideas?
June 18, 2019 by Leave a Comment
Dear Crabby, When I was watching the Tony Awards®, I noticed a number of the musicals are based off movies. For example, “Mean Girls,” “Pretty Woman,” and “Tootsie.” That got me thinking about how it seems recently there are more and more remakes happening in TV and movies. It seems to be everywhere. So, are the folks in Hollywood just lazy or have they run out of original ideas? Thanks! Chanel Changer Dear Chanel Changer, I was asked something similar last year and at the time I … [Read more...]
REVIEW: Life, Love, and the ‘Company’ You Keep is at the Heart of Avon Players’ Latest Production
May 18, 2019 by Leave a Comment
How do you solve a problem like Bobby’s? That’s the question on the minds of his married friends and the women in his life. And what is Bobby’s problem? He’s 35 and still single (gasp!). Welcome to composer Stephen Sondheim’s Company; an eccentric look at modern love in 1970's Manhattan and the closing production of Avon Players’ diverse 2018-2019 season, running now through June 1. When Company debuted on Broadway in 1970, it earned a record-setting 14 Tony Awards® nominations, of which … [Read more...]
Witness History Aboard Avon Players’ ‘Titanic’
August 16, 2017 by Leave a Comment
More than a century after the disaster, the story of the “unsinkable” Titanic continues to capture the public’s imagination. With lush music and gripping drama, Avon Players kicks off its 71st season with the musical depiction of the tragedy, Titanic running Friday, September 8 through Saturday, September 23. Based on the infamous 1912 maritime disaster in which a large passenger liner struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic and sank, resulting in more than 1500 casualties, Titanic chronicles … [Read more...]
Go Behind the Scenes with Oakland University’s Production of ‘A Chorus Line’
March 15, 2017 by Leave a Comment
A Chorus Line, perhaps the ultimate backstage musical, winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, will open at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 23, in Varner Studio Theatre at Oakland University. A Chorus Line, which is a stunning musical-vérité about dancers auditioning for the chorus of a Broadway show, is a powerful metaphor for all human aspiration. It highlights the achingly poignant ambitions of professional Broadway ‘gypsies’ to land a job. When it opened, the show’s … [Read more...]
Dear Crabby, When Will Women Be on Money?
June 13, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Dear Crabby, I was in Starbucks the other day and pulled out a $10 bill to pay when I remembered, weren’t they going to replace Alexander Hamilton with a woman’s picture? And if so, when will it happen? Thanks, Diana Diez Dear Diana Diez, That’s right. I had forgotten about the proposed switch-a-roo myself. I love history. In fact, I earned a medal in sixth grade for memorizing all the presidents and their bios and reciting it in front of the whole school, so I’m very qualified to … [Read more...]
