DYPAC offers holiday cheer with ‘Frosty Follies;’ ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ returns to the Fisher

 

Whether it’s in a local theater or under the bright lights of the Fisher, the holidays are a great time to gift family and friends with seats to a show. The national touring companies of the musicals “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,” “Frozen” and “Ain’t Too Proud” are a great way to kick off the holidays, while 2024 tours like “Wicked” and “Pretty Women” make great stocking stuffers. If your budget favors local shows, the Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center in Trenton sets holiday spirits soaring with its annual “Frosty Follies.”

DYPAC’S ANNUAL ‘FROSTY FOLLIES’ OFFERS HOLIDAY REVUE

Trenton’s Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center offers a return of the “Frosty Follies,” an annual holiday revue that features children and teens ramping up holiday cheer Dec. 15 to 17 with ice fairies, toy soldiers, a living nativity and more. 

As DYPAC celebrates its 25th anniversary, alumni of the program will serve as guest announcers, sharing their memories of past seasons. 

DYPAC Administrator Debbie Jackson said the first “Frosty Follies,” in 2006, was well-received, and it became an annual tradition, interrupted only by the pandemic. 

“Performers are ages five to 19, and your holiday spirit meter is guaranteed to rise when experiencing the sweet voices, talent and enthusiasm,” she said. 

Director Mary Zaleski said the format of “The Frosty Follies” accommodates a large cast, with participants from 15 Downriver cities. 

“The audiences and performers love it, and a variation of ‘Frosty Follies’ has happened over and over, with this being the 14th version,” she said. “The audience and performers have come to love the traditions like the Salute to Soldiers, Gloria, the toys soldiers and the snow people.”

Zaleski said each year, new numbers are added, while rotating in the favorite numbers and keeping the cherished traditions. 

“This year being DYPAC’s 25th year, we have invited alumni to join us and announce the numbers, sharing their DYPAC memories,” she said. “It is a full-circle experience and it warms the hearts of the adults involved that we have had such a positive response from the alumni.” 

Cast member MacKenna Tocco, 17, of Brownstown Township, said she loves performing as well as mentoring younger cast members. 

“Making memories is what the holidays are all about,” she said. 

 Cast member Kira Saiti, 16, of Riverview said she is excited to be a toy soldier this year, which she longed to be when she was younger.  

“‘Frosty Follies’ hold many special memories,” she said. 

The cast includes: Allen Park residents Isaac Clark, Delainie Eskin, Selena Malnar, and Jasmine and Melanie Walker; and Brownstown Township residents Madelyn and Noah Bibee, Matthew and Nicholas Bond, Sofia Castrillon-Ibarra, Mia DeAngelis, Beckett Dettore, Andie and Rylie Evans, Jocelyn Floetke, Parker Forgach, Lyric Fountain, Laura and Leah Gill, Evan Langlet, Harmonee Reid, Avery Scrivner, Edward and Nathan Sullivan and MacKenna Tocco.

Also in the cast are Carleton residents Ivy and Lily Krause, Piper Lucas and Lexi Pitock; Dundee residents Evelyn, Luke and Makenna Lombardo; Flat Rock residents Brianna and Kiera Gray, Liv Harrison, Noah Rodriguez, Ava Sturgill, Hudson Veltman, and Parker and Sawyer Watson.

Others include Grosse Ile Township residents Evelyn Bensky, Ella Evans, Delia Henderson, Evangeline Miles, Fiona Olivero, Kennedy Oubeck, Leo Safko, and Nora and Rory Wallace; Lincoln Park resident Allison Hilliard; and New Boston residents Grace Luker and Spencer Watters.

Also in the show are Riverview residents Abby Akers, Maisie DiClaudio, Amelia Hachenski, Alicia Harris, Ciana Litten, Maggie Lozowski, Samantha Plunkett and Kira Saiti; Romulus resident Georgia Boud; Southgate resident Genevieve Dassow; and Taylor residents Elena Boase, Ava Fair, Addison, Gracie and Peyton Powers, and Delaney and Wade Ryan. 

Other cast members include Trenton residents Karter Adams, Grayson Burk, Gwen Fisher, Layton Gonzales, Lolamoon and Pearl Hale Delcamp, Finn Jamison, Chelsea Kings, James and Joseph Sherrard, Maya Vines and Aurora Zmijewski; Woodhaven residents Charlie Cotton, Mackenzie Fitzsimmons, Violet Gates, Izabelle Miskell, Brady Pippin and Emberlyn St. John; and Wyandotte residents Josie LoCicero, and Max and Will Pratt. 

Performances of “Frosty Follies” are at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 and 16 and 2 p.m. Dec. 16 and 17 at the Trenton Village Theater, 2447 W. Jefferson Avenue in Trenton. Tickets are $12 to $16, and are available at showtix4u.com. For more information about the show, go to dypac.com. 

 

‘AIN’T TOO PROUD’ RETURNS TO DETROIT’S FISHER THEATER

“Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations” returns to the Fisher Theater Dec. 19 to 23 for eight performances of the musical that tells the story of the Motown musical legends. 

The show follows the Temptations’ rise from the streets of Detroit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

The group’s dance moves and harmonies earned them 42 top ten hits, with 14 of them reaching the number one spot. 

Their story follows their personal struggles and the political conflicts and civil unrest of the era, as well as the bonds of kinship, mixed with both loyalty and betrayal. 

The hits in the show include “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.” 

Audiences will also enjoy “Baby Love,” “Come See About Me,” “For Once in My Life,” “Gloria,” “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “In the Still of the Night,” “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted” and “You Can’t Hurry Love.” 

Showtimes are 8 p.m. Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 to 23; 1 p.m. Dec. 20 and 21, and 2 p.m. Dec. 23, with no Sunday performance on Christmas Eve. Tickets start at $39 and are available online at BroadwayInDetroit.com and in person at the Fisher Theater box office, 3011 W. Grand Boulevard in Detroit.