The Players Guild of Dearborn announces its upcoming shows, including a summer youth production of the teen version of “Chicago,” followed by a five-show 99th season consisting of, “Disaster,” “The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon,” “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” “Noises Off,” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”
The Players Guild of Dearborn will sponsor a five-show 99th season, which includes three musicals and two comedies: “Disaster!” “The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon,” “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” “Noises Off” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”
The summer youth productions (which are not part of the season) include a pre-teen performance of “Newsies Jr.” June 26 and 27, followed by an older youth production of the teen version of “Chicago” July 23 to 26.
The season begins with the musical “Disaster!” by Jack Plotnick and Seth Rudetskey, which is a campy, jukebox musical parody of 1970s disaster films.
Auditions are July 6 and 7, with performances weekends Sept 18 to Oct. 4 at the theater.
Set in 1979 on a floating riverboat casino, the stereotypical characters face earthquakes, tidal waves and fire, which are accompanied by hit songs from the ’70s. The show is filled with humor, pop cultural references and tongue-in-cheek references to the disaster movies of the era.
The second show in the season is a comedy, “The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon,” with auditions Sept. 21 and 22, and Nov. 13 to 29 performances.
The show, a parody of holiday rom-coms, combines the holiday magic of six Christmas movie plots. Set in a small town, there are plenty of single folks poised to fall in love with their soulmate.
Among the characters are royals and movie stars looking for true love, while bad guys threaten charming inns and Christmas tree farms.
Starting out the New Year is the musical “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” with auditions Nov. 16 and 17 and Jan. 8 to 24 performances.
The show, which debuted 60 years ago, with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner, is based on the Charles M. Schultz “Peanuts” comic strip.
The story follows Charlie Brown and his friends through struggles with homework and crushes, and features the well-known songs “Happiness” and “Suppertime” as it explores youthful friendships and the simple joys of childhood.
The comedy “Noises Off” is next, with auditions Jan. 11 and 12, and March 5 to 21 performances.
The comedy, by Michael Frayn, is a play-within-a-play, following an inept and hysterical theatre troupe through three disastrous performances of a mediocre play entitled “Nothing On.”
The show begins with a terrible final dress rehearsal, followed by a disastrous matinee from the backstage perspective, and the final, closing performance, which reflects the escalating tension and animosity between the cast and crew.
It has slammed doors, slapstick and a running sardine joke while revealing the absurdity and hilarity of putting on a play.
The season concludes with the musical “Little Shop of Horrors,” which the Guild performed in the spring of 1989.
Auditions are Feb. 21 and 22, with May 7 through 23 performances.
The horror-comedy rock musical, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics and book by Howard Ashman, follows a meek florist shop assistant who collects unusual plants and ends up with a bloodthirsty Venus-flytrap specimen that promises people their hearts desire in exchange for human sacrifices, ending with the prophetic warning “Don’t feed the plants!”
The theater is located at 21730 Madison in Dearborn. Friday and Saturday shows will start earlier this year, with a 7:30 p.m. curtain, with matinees still at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
For more information on the Players Guild of Dearborn and season ticket sales, go to PlayersGuildOfDearborn.org.