Tempo

With a generous blend of humor and pathos, P.S. Center Stage Players perform Brad Slaight’s “Middle Class,” an ensemble piece about teens navigating the treacherous waters of middle school. Directed by Penny Lynn Siler, the show follows the tribulations of young teens in middle school, or what used to be known as junior high. The ensemble cast, each of whom perform multiple roles, offer insight into the challenges young people face as the try to forge their own identity, form relationships, understand status, weather … [Read more...] about P.S. Center Stage Players present ‘Middle Class, a play about modern middle school

  The new musical “Trivoya Gold” will be delivered online April 30 to May 2 by the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance at Wayne State University, blending individual live performances with pre-recorded pieces. The show, with book and lyrics by Alana Jacoby and music by Scotty Arnold, is directed by Jill Dion, with Danielle Wright as musical director. “Trivoya Gold” is set on a small island off the coast of Norway, where it is so cold that human bodies do not decompose after death, and, as a result, its … [Read more...] about Death, nationalism and Olympic curling: WSU presents the musical, ‘Trivoya Gold’

In a parody-pairing of two cultural icons, the Ringwald presents “Murder, She Podcast: Baby One More Crime,” streaming virtually with the inimitable Jessica Fletcher and pop princess Britney Spears in an affectionate tongue-in-cheek comedy. The parody was penned by pandemic playwrights Vince Kelley and Matthew Arrington, who wrote the “quaran-teeny” parodies “The Golden Girls” and “Facts of Life,” as well as “Have Yourself A MISERY Little Christmas.” Brandy Joe Plambeck directed the show, which features Richard Peyton as Jessica … [Read more...] about Parody perfected: Ringwald streams, ‘Murder, She Podcast: Baby One More Crime’

  The house lights aren’t dimming, you aren’t in the hushed house and the coronavirus is still among us, but the creative minds of the theater world continue to make streaming shows available until the day when we can see them once again in person. The new British musical “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” by Richard Hough and Ben Morales Frost, explores the extraordinary world of a sorcerer and his rebellious daughter as she discovers her magical powers. Set in Northern Ireland, in a small town pushed to its limits by … [Read more...] about New musical ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ now streaming

  With theaters still in pandemic mode, Go Comedy! Improv Theater has expanded it streaming lineup through spring, while the Open Book Theatre Company is continuing its virtual offerings while planning its second season of Driveway Theatre. Go Comedy! of Ferndale recently announced it is expanding its lineup of streaming shows this spring, with the theater’s anchor show, “The Go Comedy! All Star Showdown” joining the two current streaming shows, “Showtime Tonight” and “Reality Check.” Streaming tickets, which start at … [Read more...] about Go Comedy! streams into spring; OBTC plans more virtual and driveway theater

  In a year that has kept theatergoers from their seats in the face of pandemic precautions, another announcement rocked patrons March 22, as the Nederlander Group, which provides Broadway shows at Detroit’s Fisher Theater, Music Hall and the Detroit Opera House, announced it was selling the Fisher Theater to the Ambassador Theater Group, a British subsidiary of International Holdings Inc. The sale is slated to be finalized March 29, with the selling price not being revealed until the final act. Broadway in Detroit staff … [Read more...] about Nederlander sells Fisher Theater to Ambassador Theater Group

  Three Downriver theaters recently received Michigan Stages Survival Grants: The Open Book Theater Company and the Downriver Youth Performing Arts Center, both in Trenton, and the Downriver Actors Guild, in Wyandotte. The grants, up to $40,000 per venue, were awarded by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to 101 of the 392 theaters which applied. On the national level, a Save our Stages Act was passed by Congress in December, as part of a larger stimulus package, but the application process has not yet … [Read more...] about Local theaters receive Michigan Stages Survival Grants

  The Players Guild of Dearborn returns to the footlights for three weekends, March 26 to April 11, with streaming one acts by Christopher Durang: “Mrs. Sorken,” “For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls,” and “The Actor’s Nightmare.” “Mrs. Sorken,” directed by Matt Ripper, features a middle-aged matron who is scheduled to give a lecture on “the meaning of theatre,” but when she forgets her notes, she decides to wing it, resulting in comments that are daffy yet endearing. Megan Sinclair plays the inimitable Mrs. Sorken. “For … [Read more...] about Players Guild streams laughter with ‘A Night of Durang One Acts’