Mostly Musical Theatre

Hodgepodge from UM, Tigers, Jackson, etc. October 17, 2011

Yeah, lots going on, and no particular single topic to write on….

Jackson Michigan saw a pretty dandy production of [title of show] this past few weekends. Still waiting for this to have a decent production in the Ann Arbor area now that it’s available royalty-wise. Jackson’s The Fourth Wall presented a critically acclaimed production that hopefully some of you got to see. This is a super show that somehow has just not caught on in the local theater circuit.

University of Michigan musical theater program put on a dandy production of The Full Monty musical which continues this coming weekend. I haven’t reviewed it, not because its undeserving, but because its just one of those shows that doesn’t work as well with a cast of hunky 19 year old boys in the leads, who should be in their 30’s and early 40’s. Not to say that this isn’t a great production — the show looks great, sounds great, and the cast is magnificent (as they should be, given that they are in a professional musical theater training program). But it just didn’t work for me. When Dave complains of being fat and he looks like he weighs about 160 pounds, the realism seeps right out. Mark Esposito’s choreography, however, is something to behold. It’s a great show. Go see it. But unlike the Broadway production, don’t expect to be emotionally moved by it.

The Detroit Tigers had an awesome run of their own, losing in the 6th game of the ALCS to the Texas Rangers. They went much further into the post season than anyone would have thought even a month ago, and they knocked the Yankees out of contention for this year’s title, so they are the darlings of the entire nation right now. Better luck next year, guys, what an awesome run you gave us this year!

UM, as has become usual, folded under MSU’s much better defense; and Denard Robinson just disappeared in a game where he should have been front and center. All for the best, as attention can now be paid to the UM Hockey Team, who are off to a great start for the season, and who have always been nearer and dearer to my heart than the football team will ever be. Go Blue!

Coming up within the next few months?….Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Performance Network, My Fair Lady (tour) at the Fox, Les Miserables (Stranahan, Toledo, tour), Wicked (Detroit Opera House, tour), battling White Christmas’s (tour at the Fox, community theater productions throughout SE Michigan and Ohio – from the Croswell Opera House to Howell), A Christmas Story, the musical at the Fisher (tour), and yet another revision of It’s A Wonderful Life at Encore in Dexter. Busy musical theater season coming up. Look for reviews as we go.