Ain’t no doubtin’ you’ll have a good time at Performance Network this holiday season – Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Review) November 19, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Ann Arbor, Entertainment, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.Tags: Ain't Misbehavin' musical
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Performance Network has brought Ann Arbor an early Christmas present with their current production of Ain’t Misbehavin’, the Fats Waller musical show.
Winner of the 1978 Tony Award for Best Musical, (it surprisingly beat out On the Twentieth Century, not surprisingly The Act, Dancin’ and Runaways), the show revived musical reviews, and while it has no direct storyline, it follows a group of singers/performers in an after hours club as they sing, complain, flirt, booze it up, and generally have a fun time. The idea is, the audience should have a fun time as well. And they do.
Dan Walker’s excellent set invokes a basement-level nightclub, with band center stage, and some audience seated at cabaret tables on the sides (Note: I would recommend you NOT select the side seats for this production – virtually all action takes place facing front and center).
Darrian Ford, Jennifer Cole, Kron Moore, james Bown, and K. Edmonds comprise the 5-member cast, while Ryan MacKenzie Lewis and his four-piece ensemble can arguably be considered the sixth member (Ryan – piano; Brad Faryniarz – saxaphones; Chris Morelli – bass; Billy Harrington – drums). The entire ensemble swings; there is more energy on stage here than might be needed to light the Christmas lights on Main Street for the holidays.
Yeah, okay, so I can note some minor quibbles about the slightly pitchy vocals on opening night (especially in Act One); but all was well by Act Two (which is better written to begin with). It doesn’t really matter in a show which is well sung, well directed (by Tim Edward Rhoze), and well-choreographed (Robin Wilson). The hand-built costumes by Suzanne Young are exquisite. Charles Sutherland’s properties help evoke the era; and Mary Cole lights it all prettily, with red, green, and blue gels coming to life in the bigger numbers.
Each of the performers has plenty of opportunity to shine in solos, duets, and ensemble numbers; but its Darrian Ford that explodes across the stage, in particular making “The Viper’s Drag” a standout, as well as his dancing throughout. To be honest, it’s hard to recreate roles so tied to the likes of the larger-than-life Ken Page, Nell Carter, and Andre DeShields…but this cast holds its own in what is ultimately a highly entertaining holiday treat. Fats Wallers music is tuneful, sharp-witted, and often funny.
To be sure, I would rather have seen a book musical in this holiday slot — but Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a sure-footed entertaining evening. It’s the perfect compliment to dinner and drinks before the show in downtown Ann Arbor, so you can make a night (or afternoon) of it. Ask about the Prix Fixe dinner option at The Raven’s Club when making your reservations. Ain’t no doubtin’ you will have a good time.
Obsession at Croswell Opera House a fascinating musical premier (Review, kind of) November 8, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Entertainment, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.Tags: Adrian, Betsy Lackey, Croswell Opera House, Frankenstein, MI, Michael Lackey, Obsession the musical
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First, let me say right off the bat, it’s hard to review a workshop of a new show, even if it is fully staged. Because that is exactly what the production of OBSESSION, the musical (loosely based on Frankenstein) was this past weekend at the Croswell Opera House.
Fully staged and realized, the production was a fascinating look at a new musical in progress — originally written as a symphony and presented in Adrian, and now adapted as a stage musical, Betsy and Michael Lackey’s lyrical and tuneful musical takes risks not often seen at the local level. And how fortunate that Croswell Opera House was willing to take that risk to help develop this show.
I am not going to comment too much on the production itself, because if I did, I would end up in a long diatribe about how poorly directed it was, but how lovely it all looked and sounded. Let future directors find the humor and nuance in the script and score, and better manage the stage action.
What I will comment on are the tremendous performances, and the very strong musical score. Top to bottom the cast was top-notch and demonstrated excellent vocal technique. Michael Lackey (Henry/Monster); Eric Parker (Victor); Katy Kujala (Elizabeth); and Mackenzie Dryer (Justine) sang strong, confident roles. Deeply rooted in opera, the score demands a tremendous amount from the cast, and this group of performers delivered.
The score is particularly tuneful and sometimes outright stunning: “What I’d Give” has a lyrical line that ranks with the best Broadway-type pop ballads, but the entire score is lovely to listen to. The lyrics are clever and have a subtle sense of humor (not captured well in this production). The Croswell sound system made it difficult to understand some of the lyrics, particularly in the choral numbers. The show leans more toward the style of “Jekyll and Hyde” than more serious poperettas.
Is the show ready for prime time? No. Is it well on its way, yes. I would love to see the show again, after some tweeks have been made. My own thoughts as to improvements:
- There is too much music; scene changes occur rapidly (seconds) but musical rifts run for minutes with no action on stage. Some of this could be covered with better direction, but there is still too much of it. Standardize scene change music so that it cuts off once the scene has been changed, not continue just for the sake of continuing.
-The Entr’Acte is too long. Pull the main theme, add a countermelody, and roar to a quick finish. Two mintues is great. 5 minutes is too long.
-Eliminate the narration by the lead (Victor). Either incorporate it into the choral numbers, or eliminate it completely. With the exception of one or two short moments where action can be identified otherwise, the narration is superfluous and repetitive.
-Pay attention to the choral action: too many maids and butlers on stage just to sing choral backup is never a good idea. Put the chorus into the orchestra pit and let them sing backup. Find a better way to incorporate your ensemble onstage without just putting them on, and pulling them off. Its getting there –but its not there.
Overall, this was a fascinating and very well performed production that hopefully will lead to the necessary tweaks and future productions. I’d love to listen to this score over and over again, it’s sumptuous. But listening to versus seeing a show are two different things. It needs work, but it shows beyond tremendous potential — it deserves to be fixed and developed. Congrats to all involved — and keep working at this piece: there is really good here. It just needs some TLC.
Simply put, “The Light in the Piazza” at Encore is their best production to date (Review) September 8, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Ann Arbor, Broadway Musicals, Entertainment, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.Tags: Adam Guettel, Encore Musical Theatre Company, The Light in the Piazza musical
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Take a superior score and script; add Encore’s strongest singing cast ever; stir in a new sound system and some terrific direction, and you have, quite simply, Encore Musical Theatre Company’s best production to date with “The Light in the Piazza”.
I have to disclose that I am partial to this show to begin with: many friends worked on the Broadway production both on the creative team and on stage. I saw it at the Vivian Beaumont a half a dozen times during it’s run. That being said, this cast is as strong as any I have seen in the show.
The production is Directed by Steve DeBruyne, Music Directed by Brian E. Buckner, Costumes are designed by Sharon Larkey Urick, Sets by Toni Auletti and Lighting by Matthew Tomich. I mention their names up front because it is their work that frames this sparkling production.
The action, played out on a sparse but lovely set, allows the actors to truly shine. And you have never heard a cast like this on the Encore stage. The very difficult score leans heavily toward legit voices (you know, opera voices for those of you not in the biz), and they sound fantastic on the new sound system that mixes the orchestra with the vocals.
I don’t want to give away too much of the storyline for those who don’t know. Suffice it to say it involves a mother (Barbara Scanlon) and her daughter (Stephanie Souza) who travel to Florence in 1953 and where the daughter finds love with a young Italian man (Brian L. Giebler). The will-they-or-wont-they romance plays out in a storyline that heaps levels of surprise and emotion in a deeply layered script that unfolds slowly over the course of the musical and leaves the audience as breathless as the cast by the end of the show.
Barbara Scanlon turns in a mesmerizing performance as Margaret Johnson, and Stephanie Souza plays her daughter Clara with aplomb. Brian Giebler as Fabrizio has a wonderful voice and stage presence to hold his own in a cast in which one cast member delightfully outshines the other throughout the evening. Scott Crownover plays a commanding Signor Naccarelli with Marlene Inman-Reilly turning on the vocal dazzlement as his wife. Sebastian Gerstner and Angela Kay Miller humorously play off of each other as the elder son and his wife. All smaller parts are played by an ensemble that includes Curt Waugh, Gil Bazil, Anne Bauman, Natalie Burdick, Lauren Conley, and Elliott Styles.
The vocal work here is dazzling — notes are hit and resound in the theater space which is superb for this type of show. The tone is exquisite — nothing is sharp, nothing is undertone…everything is right where it needs to be. The very difficult score includes large portions sung in Italian, often in counterpoint to English, and at times instantly alternating between the two. Adam Guettel’s lush score mixes contemporary romantic melodies with more adventuresome musical styles. This is a very difficult score and it is handled here expertly.
The requisite tears come — are they tears of sorrow? Or joy? Do you cry at a wedding? Or does something occur to throw it all out of balance. You’ll have to go see it for yourself, because it all plays out as well as any suspense story you’ve seen. From the romance of a hat blown through the air across a piazza, to the touching moments of a mother learning to come to terms with her own grief — it’s all there.
By all means see this. It is the best production Encore has done to date, and you will kick yourself if you don’t get a chance to experience it. Buy tickets for your parents. Send a pair to your grandparents. Take your husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/best friend. Go see it. I am personally getting tickets to see it again. I loved this production.
The Light in the Piazza continues through October 2nd. Tickets are available at the theater box office (3126 Broad Street, Dexter, MI) by calling (734) 268-6200, or online at www.theencoretheatre.org
The Book of Mormon…Catch Me If You Can…Sister Act…(Broadway, reviews) July 31, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Broadway Musicals, Entertainment, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.Tags: Catch Me If You Can musical, Sister Act musical, The Book of Mormon musical
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I can’t remember a time I spent a few days in NYC seeing musicals that there wasn’t at least one so-so show in the bunch…instead, all three musicals I saw this past weekend on Broadway were all excellent in their own ways, with their own strengths.
No doubt about it, Broadway’s hottest current ticket (and 9-time Tony winner) The Book of Mormon at the Eugene O’Neill theater is something else. It’s the strangest, dirtiest, and funniest musical I think you will ever see. And guess what — the tunes are hummable and pretty good!
The production is ensemble through and through, and while the leads are very strong, some of the ensemble members actually steal the show from time to time. And it’s meant to be that way. “Turn it Off”, a paean to repressed emotion, features the strongest song-and-dance sequence (although “Spooky Mormon Hell Dream” comes pretty close too.) This is a show where the music and lyrics are so intricately integrated into the book, that the show virtually races from scene to scene and neither overpowers the other. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea; the show uses language that could make a sailor blush — but it’s all in good fun. Personally, it’s one of those shows where my parents would walk out minutes into the show — but it’s not designed for them, nor for the casual musical goer. Call this “South Park” for adults, humor run amuck. I loved every second of this deliriously funny musical. The merchandise stands do very swift business selling “Hasa Diga Eebowai” t-shirts. I suspect NYC schools will ban them this fall — the rest of the country needs to find out what that phrase means for themselves. You can get them online at bookofmormonbroadway.com/
A block north, Catch Me if you Can has taken up residence at the Neil Simon theater. This one is all about Norbert Leo Butz, who outperforms lead Aaron Tveit in every scene he is in. Not to say that Aaron isn’t very good — he certainly is (and he gets the requisite hoots and hollers when he takes his shirt off), but there is nothing in this show that can eclipse the Tony-winning performance by Norbert. If you saw his number on the Tony awards, you know he has energy to spare. But there is a lot of good going on this show, not the least of which are wonderful performances by Tom Wopat and Kerry Butler in supporting roles.
From music and lyrics to set design and costuming, this is a whiz-bang entertainment. The story works well in this musical setting, and it’s another great evening out for adults (I can’t imagine anyone under the age of 15 will be able to sit still for this one — it’s themes of self-creation, ego-disintegration, and self-centeredness require some maturity and life experience to fully appreciate.). The story unfolds slowly, in spectacular show-within-a-show fashion. You know how it ends. Getting there is what makes this so fun. And the direction (Jack O’Brien) and choreography (Jerry Mitchell) are about as fluid as you will find on Broadway right now. The production itself owes a lot to the revival of “Chicago” 14 years ago. The orchestra is on a tiered set onstage (a convention I don’t like in any production), and set pieces fly and pop-up through stage traps. Things run efficiently and very quickly to cover locals throughout the US and overseas. Had The Book of Mormon not raised it’s delerious head, this show would have won the Tony for Best Musical this year hands down.
And around the corner, Sister Act has what is sure to be a longterm home at the Broadway Theater. In a multi-million dollar production, the show is crowd-pleasing and family friendly (not something that can be said for most of the seasons other new shows).
The real find here is Patina Miller in the role created by Whoopi Goldberg. Her voice soars in the many gospel-cum-Broadway songs, and her stage presence in a force to be reckoned with….it’s the rare performer who can make someone like Victoria Clark (in a superb performance as the reverend mother) fight for her right to party. But she has had several years of experience stealing the spotlight: she also played the role on London’s West End where the show originated.
Granted, the storyline here is relatively thin — it’s up to the music and the very strong ensemble company to make this one shine. And shine it does. The crowd ate it up. You will too. Skeptics need not apply (see Book of Mormon instead).
Tickets for Catch Me If you Can and Sister Act are readily available online and at the box office. The Book of Mormon is another story altogether. I purchased my tickets while I was in NYC in December. The first good tickets I could find were this past weekend (in July). Tickets are on sale through 2012, and don’t expect to get any tickets for months – this is Broadway’s hottest ticket since The Producers, and because it isn’t reliant on specific “stars” it will continue to sell no matter whom is in the cast. By all means get tickets — just expect to wait.
Outstanding “The Last 5 Years” at Encore (Review) May 27, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Ann Arbor, Entertainment, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.Tags: Dexter, Encore Musical Theatre Company, Jason Robert Brown, MI, Steve DeBruyne, Thalia Schramm, The Last 5 Years
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Steve DeBruyne (Jamie) and Thalia Schramm (Cathy) turn in two excellent performances in Encore’s current offering, Jason Robert Brown’s “The Last 5 Years”. These two performers sing-through 75 minutes of intermission-less ballads, pop songs, and story songs to tell the tale of a 5-year relationship; her tale beginning at story’s end and working backwards, his starting at the beginning and working towards its end. They meet only once, at the middle of the story during their wedding.
With a simple, effective, and very clever set design (Steven V. Rice), the audience is seated on two sides of the black box theater space, and it works very well for this production. Steven must also be mentioned for his outstanding lighting design — possible the best I have seen in an Encore production.
The orchestra, under the nimble direction of Brian E. Buckner sounds terrific — Brian also plays keyboard, joined by Fran Wakefield on Violin, and Alex Massingill on bass. Director Daniel Cooney keeps the action flowing quickly from scene to scene (assisted by Carrie Jay Sayer, and co-directed by Steve DeBruyne). Thalia Schramm’s costume design is simple and efficient, and works just right for the many scenes and the passage of time.
I particularly enjoyed Steve’s story-song “The Schmuel Song” and Thalia’s “A Summer in Ohio” — which contains the funniest lyric in the show, about the “summer in Ohio with a gay midget named Karl playing Tevye and Porgy”. Those unfamiliar with Jason Robert Brown’s superb score will find that it is beautifully presented here, and it’s so good that you will want to see the show a second time to admire the expert musical craftsmanship at play in this work.
In short, I loved this production. I loved the performances. And I loved that Encore continues to provide some of the better current musical theater pieces available in the modern repertoire. More of this! Less of Annie!
Go see it. Highly recommended.
The Last 5 Years continues at The Encore Musical Theatre Company through June 5th — 3126 Broad Street, Dexter, MI — 734-268-6200 — www.theencoretheatre.org
AUDITIONS – “The Wedding Singer” April 24, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Ann Arbor, Entertainment, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.Tags: Ann Arbor auditions, Auditions, Dexter, MI, SE Michigan auditions, The Wedding SInger
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Yep, I’m directing another one….come one, come all (16 and older, that is, or at least look at least 16 on stage)…
Dexter Community Players will be presenting the outrageously funny 80’s musical comedy THE WEDDING SINGER on July 22-24, 2011 at the Dexter Center for the Performing Arts. The show will be directed and choreographed by myself. John Tartaglia is music directing. Debbie Mahoney is producing.
Auditions will be held Monday May 23rd and Tuesday May 24th from 7 to 9 pm, with callbacks on Wed the 25th at 7:00 as needed. Please arrive about 15 minutes early so that you can fill out the audition forms. We’ll post them here in advance so you can fill them out and bring them with you. You should only attend one day of auditions. Auditions will be held at Copeland Auditorium, 7714 Ann Arbor Street, Dexter, MI.
Prepare 16-32 bars of an upbeat song. The show is comprised of 80’s pop rock sounding songs, and is generally Broadway belt. You may sing a song from the show, or anything else upbeat. Please bring your sheet music. An accompanist will be provided (or you may bring your own, but no sing-along tapes please!).
Dress to move — there will be a short dance audition — While not all roles require dancing, they all require some degree of moving to the beat. There will also be cold readings from the script.
This is a large-cast show with plenty of parts and supporting roles and a large dancing/singing ensemble. Cast members should look 16 years old at a minimum on stage, although there is no specific age cut-off for auditions. Please note that while the show is appropriate for audiences of all ages, there are no children’s parts in this show.
The Original Broadway Cast Album is readily available where CD’s are sold, and at iTunes. There are plenty of show excerpts on YouTube. You might want to take a look at the Tony Award performance here, complete with funky asian subtitles!!:
Here’s a cast breakdown:
Robbie Hart (Rock Tenor, 20 – 35) a musician and lead singer for a trio that plays at weddings – very charismatic yet insecure with “puppy dog” appeal
Julia Sullivan (Soprano, 20 – 35) Robbie’s friend – a sweet and understanding yet naive waitress for a catering firm – comedic ingenue
Glen Guglia (Baritone, 25 – 45) a calculating, money-loving Wall Street type
Linda (Rock belt, 20 – 30) Robbie’s trashy, oversexed girlfriend – Pat Benetar type
Holly (Pop belt, 20 – 30) Julia’s bubbly, uninhibited, & loveable cousin
Sammy (20 – 35) Robbie’s friend and trio guitarist, not terribly bright but well meaning and supportive
George (strong falsetto, comic role 20 -35) Robbie’s flamboyantly gay, eccentric friend and fellow trio member, think Boy George in 1985
Rosie (Soprano, comic role, 50+) Robbie’s feisty grandmother
Impersonators:
Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Mr. T., Tina Turner, Imelda Marcos, Billy Idol and Cyndi Lauper
Many other small roles with lines as assigned from the ensemble.
Count yourself lucky if you have a ticket to BRIGADOON, University of Michigan Musical Theatre Program (Review) April 17, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Ann Arbor, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.Tags: Brigadoon, Brigadoon University of Michigan, University of Michigan Musical Theater
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To put it simply, the best musical theater in the region is consistently presented by the University of Michigan’s Musical Theatre Program. The productions from performance to stagecraft are indistinguishable from Broadway staging and tours (which is as it should be, since this one of the best musical theater training programs in the country). Brigadoon is no exception, and it is one of their finest.
Program artwork by David Zinn
Running one all-too-short weekend at the Power Center, Brigadoon shows what can be achieved when the performance, artistic, and technical aspects of musical theater come together in the perfect combination. The show itself falls into the dangerous territory of veering into light opera (where it is, alas, frequently produced). But this is a production whose grounding is solidly in the world of theater and musical comedy. This particular production could be lifted intact into any Broadway house, and thankfully, not into any opera house.
Thank Linda Goodrich for her fine direction; Mark Esposito for dazzling dance sequences; Catherine Walker Adams for pitch-perfect musical direction; Vince Mountain’s deceptively sparse and beautiful set (which is actually composed of huge pieces of rolling and flying stock); Shawn McCulloch’s colorful costume design (in particular the tartan clan costumes for the wedding); Rob Murphy’s colorful lighting design; and Jim Lillie’s excellent sound design.
Joe Carroll and Holland Mariah Grossman make for excellent time-crossed lovers Tommy and Fiona. Their “Almost Like Being in Love” is an Act I highlight. Will Burton plays a fine sarcastic and comic Jeff; Grace Morgan a fine Meg. Dereck Seay and Laura Reed turn in fine singing and dancing performances respectively as Charlie and Jean.
I particularly enjoyed Sam Lips as Harry Beaton — he has very strong stage presence and his dance skills are exceptional…his funeral brought a tear to the eye because he infused Harry with a like-ability that is frequently missing in this part.
The entire ensemble is excellent from top to bottom. But what makes this Brigadoon stand out from the crowd is Mark Esposito’s choreography — the show moves from beginning to end, fusing Scottish-laden dance sequences with ballet, modern dance, and a fluid movement that makes the show at once rich in dance technique and yet light on it’s feet at the same time. It’s as if the cast is virtually willing us to dance through the heather in the highlands of Scotland and all will be well.
This is a brilliant production of Brigadoon, and those of us lucky to have tickets will cherish this performance for years to come — indeed, it will become one of the landmarks by which future UM Musical Theater productions will be compared.
Stranahan Theater (Toledo) announces 2011-12 Season March 25, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Broadway Musicals, Broadway Tour, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.add a comment
Looks like a much better season at the Stranahan this coming season:
Les Miserables, November 8 – 13
My Fair Lady, Dec 15 – 18
Jersey Boys, Feb 7 – 26, 2012
Beauty and the Beast, March 29-April 1, 2012 (non-Equity tour)
“Nevermore” at Encore (Review) March 20, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Ann Arbor, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.Tags: Dan Cooney, Dexter, Edgar Allen Poe, Encore Musical Theatre Company, Matt Conner, MI, Nevermore
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Simply put, Encore Musical Theatre Company’s “Nevermore” is the best production they have presented. Period.
Dan Cooney is exceptional in a role he originally created for the Signature Theater in Arlington, and here both stars and directs. And he is surrounded by a terrific supporting cast of five women. Weaving lyrics adopted from the writings of Edgar Allen Poe into a cohesive whole telling the story of Poe’s demon-driven life and relationships, the music by Matt Conner is melodic, the Book by Grace Barnes is satisfying, and the performances here terrific.
Set design, sound design, lighting design, orchestra, and costume design are all first-rate here, and the entire production can simply be described as Encore’s first all-around professional caliber offering.
Supporting Cooney (as Poe) are outstanding performances from Elizabeth Jaffe (Virginia); Erin Donevan (The Whore); Thalia Schramm (Elmira), Sonja Marquis (Muddy), and Marlene Inman-Reilly (Mother).
But it’s Cooney’s show from start to finish. He strikes just the right note in every single moment of this 90-minute musical and vocally is at the top of his form. His performance is exceptional — look for his name come award-time in Detroit at the end of the season. Bravo.
When Encore first opened its doors a couple seasons ago, this was the type of musical theater most of us had hoped for and envisioned, not the generic community-theater caliber shows they have generally presented. Curiously, they call this a part of their “On the Edge” series when it should be exactly the type of theater that they should always be producing if they truly wish to consider themselves “professional” and put themselves on the map.
Sadly, I saw the closing performance of this production since I was in Europe since it’s opening a few weeks ago. I would happily have seen this show a second time, and brought more friends along to introduce them to the theater. It’s something Encore should be very proud of. At last.
I say, get rid of the “on the edge” monicker, start doing more productions like this, dump the Annie’s and Sound of Music’s and leave those to the community theaters, and start watching audiences arrive from all over the southeast Michigan area.
Professional Musical Theater – Detroit Regional Update (2011-2012) February 22, 2011
Posted by ronannarbor in Broadway Musicals, Broadway Tour, Detroit, musical theater, Musicals, Theatre.2 comments
2011 Musical Theater Seasons (local professional and tour-B contracts)
Updated 2/22/11
Broadway in Detroit - Fisher Theater
Burn the Floor – February 22 to March 6
Les Miserables – March 22 – April 3
Mamma Mia! – April 13 – 17
Chicago – May 17 – 22
Come Fly Away – Sept 13 – 25
A Christmas Story, the Musical – Nov 15 – 27
Million Dollar Quartet – Jan 24 – Feb 05, 2012
Shrek The Musical – Feb 28 – March 11, 2012
Beauty and the Beast – April 10 – 22, 2012
Blue Man Group – May 01 – May 13
Green Day’s American Idiot – Jan 17 – 22, 2012, Detroit Opera House
Wicked – Dates TBA
Rock of Ages – Dates TBA Feb 2012
Olympia Entertainment – Fox Theater
The Color Purple – April 8 – 9 (non-equity tour)
Madagascar Live! – April 29 – May 1
My Fair Lady – Oct 22 – 23
Irving Berlin’s White Christmas – Nov 8 – 13
South Pacific – March 2 – 4, 2012
Stranahan Theater – Toledo
Madagascar Live! – February 22
The Color Purple – March 10 – 13 (non-equity tour)
Legally Blonde – May 5 – 8 (non-equity tour)
Les Miserables, November 8 – 13
My Fair Lady, Dec 15 – 18
Jersey Boys, Feb 7 – 26, 2012
Beauty and the Beast, March 29-April 1, 2012 (non-Equity tour)
Broadway at Wharton Center – East Lansing
Chicago – May 12 – 15
Cats – June 10-11
Jersey Boys – September 28 – October 16
West Side Story – November 8 – 13
Rock of Ages – December 13 – 18
Million Dollar Quartet – January 10 – 15, 2012
The Addams Family – January 31 – February 5, 2012
Memphis – March 27 – April 1, 2012
Les Miserables – April 3 -8, 2012
Wicked – June 27 – July 8, 2012
Dancap - Toronto Center for the Performing Arts (North York)
South Pacific – February 15 – April 10
9 to 5 – June 29 – July 10
Next to Normal – July 19 – July 31
Come Fly Away – August 16 – 28
The Addams Family – November 16 – 27
Memphis – December 6 – 24
Mirvish Productions – Toronto
Billy Elliot – now playing in sitdown production
The Secret Garden – February 8 – March 19
The Lion King – April 19 – June 12
Chess – September – October
Mary Poppins – November – December
Hair – March – April 2012
Broadway in Western Michigan Series, Kalamazoo Miller Theater
Spamalot, May 10 – 11 (non-equity tour)
My Fair Lady — October 18, 19
Rock of Ages – Jan 31, 2012
In The Heights – Feb 24, 2012
Jersey Boys — March 20 – April 1, 2012
Young Frankenstein – April 24, 25, 2012
Broadway Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids
Grease, March 1 – 6 (non-equity tour)
Chicago, April 5 – 7
Shrek, the Musical, June 21 – 26
The Whiting Center, Flint
The Color Purple, April 10 (non-equity tour)
Macomb Center for the Performing Arts, Clinton Township
The Wizard of Oz, March 5 (non-equity tour)
Meadowbrook Theater, Rochester
Reunion, A Musical Epic in Miniature . February 9 – March 6
Shout, the mod musical , April 20 – May 15
Playhouse Square Broadway Series, Cleveland
Shrek, the Musical , March 1 – 13
Les Miserables, April 5 – 17
West Side Story, May 3 – 15
Next to Normal. June 7 – 19
Jersey Boys, June 22 – July 17
Broadway in Chicago, Chicago
Les Miserables, February 2 – 27
Working, February 15 – May 8
Hair, March 8 – 20
Next to Normal, April 26 – May 8
Spring Awakening, May 3 – 8 (non-equity tour)
Beauty and the Beast, June 29 – August 7 (non-equity tour)
Memphis, November 22 – December 4
Hilberrry Theater, Detroit
The Full Monty, April 15 – 24
A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine, September 23 – October 15
Hairspray, April 13 – 22, 2012
