Jill Drapala (left) as Hope Harcourt and Nick Swider as Billy Crocker rehearse the dance routine for “It’s Delovely” in the Cole Porter musical “Anything Goes.” The show will run at 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturda with a 3:30 p.m. matinee Sunday at Divine Child High School, 1001 N. Silvery Lane in Dearborn.
The chorus rehearses the number “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” from the Cole Porter musical “Anything Goes.” The show will run at 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturda with a 3:30 p.m. matinee Sunday at Divine Child High School, 1001 N. Silvery Lane in Dearborn.
By Sue Suchyta
The Divine Child High School theater department will set sail for a musical adventure Thursday through Sunday in Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes.” Thursday through Saturday performances will be at 7:30 p.m. with a 3:30 p.m. Sunday matinee.
Set in the 1930s during Prohibition, the musical comedy takes place on a cruise ship on its way to England with a cast of colorful characters.
Among the Porter songs introduced in the show are the popular “I Get a Kick out of You,” “You’re the Top,” “All Through the Night,” “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” and the title song, “Anything Goes.”
Cast members include Jeff Grybel as Moonface Martin, Jillian Drapala as wealthy debutante Hope Harcourt and Haley Willman as nightclub singer Reno Sweeny. Nicholas Swider plays Billy Crocker and Alan Highe portrays Lord Evelyn Oakleigh.
“I am extremely excited to be back at Divine Child with “Anything Goes,” said Andy Ballnik, director of the musical and a DC alumnus. “We performed ‘Anything Goes’ my junior year at DC, and it’s always been a dream of mine to revisit this classic show.”
Ballnik added that he felt the music was the most important element of the show.
“There is a reason why this show is a musical theater staple,” he said. “We’ve added so much dance and energy to all of these great musical numbers that it’s hard not to have fun watching the amazing talent on stage.”
Tickets, which will be sold at the door, are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. The school is at 1001 N. Silvery Lane in Dearborn.
HFCC PRESENTS SHAKESPEARE’S ‘ROMEO AND JULIET’
Henry Ford Community College’s Fine Arts and Fitness Division will present a 90-minute condensed version of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” for two weekends, April 7 to 17 in Adray Auditorium at the MacKenzie Fine Arts Center in Dearborn.
Directed by Gerry Dzuiblinski, the show will be performed at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, with 2 p.m. Sunday matinees.
Seating for all performances is onstage, with only 100 seats available per performance. The 90-minute version has attempted to condense the story without sacrificing the wording, comedy or tragic elements that an audience would expect from the well-known work.
At 10 a.m. on April 11, 13 and 15 matinees will be performed for high school groups. Seats are $5 per student, and free for teachers and chaperones.
Other tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students with identification, and $6 for children age 12 and under. A $7 ticket price is available for groups of 10 or more.
For reservations and more information, call (313) 845-9817 or contact the director at gadzuiblinski@hfcc.edu.
DEARBORN ACTRESS IN HILBERRY’S ‘THE CIDER HOUSE RULES’
Wayne State University’s graduate level Hilberry Theatre has tapped into its undergraduate talent pool to present the epic two-part staging of “The Cider House Rules” adapted by Peter Parnell and based on the John Irving novel.
The show, which runs through May 14, is presented in two parts, each more than three hours long. Patrons may see the shows over two nights, or as a matinee and evening performance on a Saturday.
On March 31, audiences saw the opening of the first half of the saga, which featured 10 undergraduate Bonstelle actors and a dozen members of the graduate Hilberry Company.
Among the talented undergraduates are Kerianne Furgerson of Dearborn and Ashley Shamoon of Northville, both of whom play multiple roles.
“The Cider House Rules” is about an obstetrician, played by Christopher Ellis, who runs an orphanage and abortion clinic at a time when the procedure was illegal. He tries to keep his distance from the parentless children so they can transition more easily into their adoptive families.
One orphan, Homer, played by Andrew Papa, keeps turning up. His three stints in foster care resulted in traumatic experiences. The St. Cloud Orphanage, in contrast, seems like his best home thus far.
The show has a flavor that is part improv, part drama. So many of the ensemble members play multiple roles that it sometimes seems disconcerting to see a man dressed like a little girl, especially when his male overalls are peeking out from underneath his pinafore.
However, the acting and the technical elements rise to meet the epic challenge. Costumes strive for period authenticity, from the old fashioned nurses’ caps to the ladies’ classically styled winter coats and period hats.
The lighting crew ably sidestepped disaster opening night by dashing across the street to Old Main to retrieve a backup lighting board from the Studio Theatre’s temporary location in the Hilberry’s rehearsal hall when a component failed in the primary unit a few minutes before the show was scheduled to start.
The improvisational nature of the show will distract some audience members, but the trick is to let the talent of the cast create enough illusion to successfully carry off the story.
The entire company is talented. Among the standout graduate student performances are Samantha Rosentrator’s angry orphan Melony, the St. Cloud nursing team of Lorelei Sturm and Vanessa Sawson, Christopher Ellis as Dr. Larch and Andrew Papa as Homer Wells.
Notable undergraduate actresses include Caitlin Morrison as Mrs. Eames, Kerianne Furgerson as Billie Winkle, Ashley Shamoon as Megan and multiple other roles, Erin Hildebrandt of the ensemble and Samantha Moltmaker as Mrs. Eames’ daughter and Nurse Caroline.
Both parts of the show may be seen together for $45. Call the box office at (313) 577-2972 and mention code 30Q1 to receive the package price.
For more information, go to www.hilberry.com.