The Boys in the Photograph, the reworking of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton’s The Beautiful Game, opened last weekend in Toronto at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. This is a stunning work of theatre not to be missed this season. Where The Beautiful Game told the story in big-budget West End style, this is aContinue reading ““The Boys in the Photograph” stirring new musical in Toronto”
Category Archives: Theatre
Bloodless, emotionless Sweeney Todd at Encore
When you drain the blood out of Sweeney Todd (the current musical at Encore Musical Theatre Company) you drain the emotion out of the piece as well. When the emotion is gone, there isn’t much to this Sondheim masterpiece. Walter O’Neil (Sweeney Todd) and Sarah Litzsinger (Mrs. Lovett) “By the Sea” Steve DeBruyne (Anthony) andContinue reading “Bloodless, emotionless Sweeney Todd at Encore”
Musicals that are appropriate for small venues (Musical Theater 101)
Seeing the announcement of yet another inappropriate musical in a small venue local theatre, I thought I would help them out by listing, from a directing and design point of view, musicals that are appropriate for small venue theaters and those that are not. I list appropriate shows in alphabetical order, followed by inappropriate showsContinue reading “Musicals that are appropriate for small venues (Musical Theater 101)”
OKLAHOMA! at Encore Musical Theatre Company
One step forward, two steps back…just when GUYS AND DOLLS and LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS started to turn the corner for professionalism, along comes OKLAHOMA, now playing at Encore Musical Theater Company, in Dexter, MI. Sebastian Gerstner as Will Parker, Sarah Litzinger as Ado Annie, and Steve DeBruyne as Ali Hakim (Photos courtesy Encore MusicalContinue reading “OKLAHOMA! at Encore Musical Theatre Company”
CITY OF ANGELS at Croswell is jazzy and “reel” fun…
Croswell Opera House has a doozy of a show in the Tony-winning CITY OF ANGELS currently playing in Adrian. Considered by many to be Cy Coleman’s best score, from the rhythmic driving beat with scat vocal quartet accompaniment to the patter of “Everybody’s gotta be somewhere” and the lush jazzy “It needs work” the scoreContinue reading “CITY OF ANGELS at Croswell is jazzy and “reel” fun…”
Professional Musical Theatre – Detroit Regional 2009-2010
Broadway is alive and well across the region during the coming musical theatre season. Note that the following list is not comprehensive, and it does not include any community theatre listings nor small venues, only professional theatre in full-sized houses. I have included UM and MSU seasons at the end. This includes Detroit musical theatreContinue reading “Professional Musical Theatre – Detroit Regional 2009-2010”
Superb cast salvages “The Producers” at Croswell Opera House
First — there are huge fans of Mel Brooks’ musical THE PRODUCERS, and there are those who are not (me) 12 Tonys notwithstanding (I voted for “The Full Monty”). It’s an actor’s dream to perform these roles — its another task entirely to sit for three hours in an audience being inundated with mean-spiritedness. TheContinue reading “Superb cast salvages “The Producers” at Croswell Opera House”
“Billy Elliot” has Big Night at the 2009 Tonys
As predicted in this blog a month ago (and most blogs about Broadway, lets be fair) Billy Elliot had a big night at the Tony awards last night, winning 10 awards, including Best Musical. The voters took pity on Next to Normal by awarding it Best Score, one of only two major awards that BillyContinue reading ““Billy Elliot” has Big Night at the 2009 Tonys”
Encore’s “Little Shop of Horrors” is a Tasty Early Summer Treat
Getting better and better with every show, Encore Musical Theatre Company in Dexter, MI opened a terrific production of Little Shop of Horrors tonight. Funny, well directed, well performed, and well designed, Little Shop is an early summer treat. Steve DeBruyne plays Seymour to nerdish perfection, and I can’t say enough good things about SarahContinue reading “Encore’s “Little Shop of Horrors” is a Tasty Early Summer Treat”
Shrek; 9 to 5; Billy Elliot — Broadway Musicals
While on a quick weekend trip to NYC this weekend, I had the opportunity to see three top notch musicals, all of them adaptations of movie screenplays…and surprise of surprises not one of them was a clunker — Like The Wedding Singer and Legally Blonde the past few seasons, Shrek, 9 to 5, and BillyContinue reading “Shrek; 9 to 5; Billy Elliot — Broadway Musicals”
Mostly Musical Theatre 
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