Summertime is Michigan is a great time to be outdoors, and the Open Book Theatre Company’s annual Driveway Theater offering blends summer weather and fast-paced entertainment with the comedic murder-mystery “Retire in Peace.” Driveway Theatre began in the summer of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when an outdoor venue was the only way to safely present shows. It proved to be a fun and different theater option, so OBTC has chosen to continue it each summer since. For $200 and a “pass the bucket” … [Read more...] about OBTC offers fast-paced murder-mystery ‘Retire in Peace’ as summer Driveway Theatre offering
Tempo
Shakespeare Royal Oak presents ‘Twelfth Night;’ upcoming Fisher season tickets available
Whether you enjoy a Shakespearean comedy or a beloved Broadway musical, the metro Detroit area offers upcoming treats on local stages. SHAKESPEARE ROYAL OAK PRESENTS ‘TWELFTH NIGHT’ “Twelfth Night” will entertain buffs of the Bard as Shakespeare Royal Oak presents its annual offering July 25 to Aug. 5 at Starr Jaycee Park, 1321 W. 13 Mile in Royal Oak. The group also offers summer youth programs: KidsAct! for students entering grades 1 to 8, and the SRO Teen Ensemble for entering high school freshmen … [Read more...] about Shakespeare Royal Oak presents ‘Twelfth Night;’ upcoming Fisher season tickets available
Ringwald presents ‘Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors;’ DATA announces youth theatre awards
The Ringwald Theater kicks off summer with the Michigan premiere of Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen’s “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” June 7 to July 1, while the Dearborn Area Theatre Association honored local youth theater participants and supporters both onstage and off May 21 at the Crestwood High School auditorium. RINGWALD PRESENTS ‘DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS’ The Ringwald Theater provides a summer show to “sink your teeth into” with the Michigan premiere of “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” June 7 to July 1 on the … [Read more...] about Ringwald presents ‘Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors;’ DATA announces youth theatre awards
Trenton theaters take to the sea with DYPAC’s ‘How I Became a Pirate’ and OBTC’s ‘Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea’
Two Trenton theaters are embracing nautical themes in May, with the Open Book Theatre Company launching “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” and the Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center presenting “How I Became a Pirate.” OBTC PRESENTS ‘DONTRELL, WHO KISSED THE SEA’ Trenton’s Open Book Theatre Company presents Nathan Alan Davis’s “Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea” May 17 to June 9 at the playhouse, 1621 West Road. When 18-year-old Dontrell decides to sail across the Atlantic Ocean in search of an ancestor … [Read more...] about Trenton theaters take to the sea with DYPAC’s ‘How I Became a Pirate’ and OBTC’s ‘Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea’
Enter laughing: SCP presents Neil Simon’s ‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’
Southgate Community Players present the Neil Simon comedy “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” May 10 to 19, taking audiences back to the ’50s with a play mirroring when Simon and his brother Danny were writers for the TV comedy variety programs “Your Show of Shows” and “Caesar’s Hour.” Through his alter ego, Lucas Brickman, Simon follows the team of comedy writers through their antics and arguments in the writers’ room and their battles with the network executives while offering an inside glimpse at the social and political … [Read more...] about Enter laughing: SCP presents Neil Simon’s ‘Laughter on the 23rd Floor’
‘Mama Mia’ and the music of ABBA take the Fisher by storm
The musical “Mama Mia!,” featuring the songs of ABBA, brings its energy to Detroit April 23 to 28 at the Fisher Theater. Set on a sunny Greek island, Sophie, the daughter of single mother Donna, is about to marry. She wants her biological father to walk her down the aisle, only to discover that she has not one but three possible candidates. As the guests start arriving on the island, including Donna’s former girl group sidekicks, Tanya and Rosie, and the three candidates for Sophie’s father, which include … [Read more...] about ‘Mama Mia’ and the music of ABBA take the Fisher by storm
Four musicals on local stages: CHS’s ‘Anastasia,’ DHS’s ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ MHS’s ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ PGD’s ‘Into the Woods’
A quartet of much-loved musicals will open soon on local stages, including Crestwood High School’s “Anastasia,” Dearborn High School’s “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” Melvindale High School’s “Little Shop of Horrors” and the Players Guild of Dearborn’s “Into the Woods.” DEARBORN HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS ‘DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST’ The Dearborn High School theatre department invites audiences to “be their guest” as they perform the much-loved musical “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” April 24 to 27 in Valentine … [Read more...] about Four musicals on local stages: CHS’s ‘Anastasia,’ DHS’s ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ MHS’s ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ PGD’s ‘Into the Woods’
Dearborn Symphony presents season finale, ‘Carmina Burana,’ May 3
DEARBORN –The Dearborn Symphony’s 62nd season finale will be May 3 with a veritable feast for the senses, “Carmina Burana.” The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center, 15801 Michigan Ave. Carl Orff’s choral celebration of love, lust and youthful excess in medieval times is as iconic as ever — at once gloriously bawdy and touchingly beautiful. The concert will feature the Dearborn Symphony joined by over 125 voices, including the Vanguard Grand Chorus, directed by G. Kevin … [Read more...] about Dearborn Symphony presents season finale, ‘Carmina Burana,’ May 3
From comedy to musicals: Eclectic mix on local stages
Whether you seek a comedy, musical or something thought-provoking, there’s a rich mixture of offering on local stages. The Detroit Mercy Theatre Company offer the high-energy, hysterically funny comedy “The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) [revised] [again],” while Henry Ford College offers the thought-provoking debut of “The Detroit Wall Project.” On the musical front, the talented teens at the Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center offer a youth version of “Phantom of the Opera,” while Wayne State University … [Read more...] about From comedy to musicals: Eclectic mix on local stages
Southgate Community Players present ‘While the Lights Were Out’
The Southgate Community Players present Jack Sharkey’s comedic murder mystery, “While the Lights Were Out” March 29 to April 7 at the SCP Corner Playhouse, 12671 Dix-Toledo Road in Southgate. When the power is disrupted during a nighttime thunderstorm, a scream and a pistol shot ring out before the lights return to reveal blonde woman wearing black lace standing over a dead man with a bloody dagger in her hand. However, the man has been strangled, not stabbed, which launches a story of mayhem, plot twists and … [Read more...] about Southgate Community Players present ‘While the Lights Were Out’