The Players Guild of Dearborn presents “Unnecessary Farce” March 7 to 23, with DJ Schneider (left) as Eric Sheridan, Maura Donovan as Karen Brown, Josh Beurer as Agent Frank, Ashley Gatesy as Billy Dwyer and Dominic Valentini as Todd, at the theater, 21730 Madison in Dearborn. For tickets and more information, go to playersguildofdearborn.org.
From the comedy “Unnecessary Farce” at the Players Guild of Dearborn to the North American tour of the Tony Award-winning dramatic musical “Parade” at the Fisher Theater, playgoers have an opportunity to escape winter’s wrath and disappear into the warm glow of local theaters.
PLAYERS GUILD OF DEARBORN PRESENTS ‘UNNECESSARY FARCE’
When two police officers tangle with three crooks and multiple doors in a cheap motel where an embezzling mayor is meeting with his female accountant, law enforcement hopes to videotape incriminating evidence. However, confusion ensues, and a hit man, missing money and a scantily clad accountant add humor and pandemonium to the mix in Paul Slade Smith’s comedy, “Unnecessary Farce.”
Director Jane Pfeifer said attendees should expect to laugh until they cry.
“Our talented cast can deliver comedy in every imaginable way,” she said. “Audiences should look forward to seeing actors really throwing themselves into these comedic roles.”
Pfeifer said the group has nailed the physical comedy and witty banter, and promises that the surprise ending is lots of fun.
Dominic Valentini, who plays Todd, said audiences can expect “donuts, water guns, hilarious buddy-cop antics and bagpipes.”
He said playing a loud, boisterous Scotsman is a delight.
“The hilarious physical comedy and dizzying, fast-paced dialogue will keep you on your toes.”
Others in the cast include DJ Schneider as Eric Sheridan, Maura Donovan as Karen Brown, Josh Buerer as Agent Frank, Ashley Gatesy as Billie Dwyer, Tom Varitek as Mayor Meekly and Andrea Crowe as Mary Meekly.
The show runs 8 p.m. March 7, 8, 14, 15, 21 and 22, with 2:30 p.m. matinees March 9, 16 and 23 at the playhouse, 21730 Madison in Dearborn.
Tickets are $24 and are available by calling 313-561-TKTS or online at playersguildofdearborn.org.
The North American tour of the 2023 Tony Award-winning Best Revival of a Musical “Parade” is coming to Detroit Feb. 25 to March 9 at the Fisher Theater, 3011 W. Grand Blvd. For tickets and more information, go to broadwayindetroit.com.
TONY AWARD-WINNING ‘PARADE’ COMES TO THE FISHER THEATER
The North American tour of the Tony Award-winning musical “Parade” arrives in Detroit Feb. 25 to March 9 at the Fisher Theater in Detroit.
The musical is a dramatization of the 1913 trial and imprisonment and the 1915 lynching of a Jewish American factory manager in Georgia falsely accused of raping a young girl.
The trial, sensationalized by the media, aroused anti-Semitic tensions. When the governor commuted Frank’s death sentence to life in prison, he was kidnapped and seized from the prison by a mob that subsequently lynched him.
The events led to the revival of the Ku Klux Klan and to the formation of the Jewish civil rights organization the Anti-Defamation League.
The key villains in the story are the factory janitor, who may have been the killer, and who testified against Frank, the corrupt prosecutor, and a rabidly anti-Semitic newspaper publisher.
The show was James Robert Brown’s first Broadway musical. It premiered on Broadway in 1998, with a 2023 Broadway Revival.
It received Tony Awards in 1999 for Best Score and for Best Book, and in 2023 for Best Revival of a Musical.
The music is a mixture of pop-rock, folk, rhythm and blues, and gospel.
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 to 28, March 1 and March 4 to 8, and 6:30 p.m. March 2 and 9, with 2 p.m. March 1 and 8 and 1 p.m. March 2 and 9 matinees.
Tickets start at $40 and are available at broadwayindetroit.com.