Documentary About Broadway Shows

ShowBusiness — The Road to Broadway will hit stores in October. The film follows four Broadway musicals from inception through the 2004 Tony Awards. The musicals include Wicked, the hit Stephen Schwartz musical; Avenue Q, the Tony-winning musical; Taboo, the short-lived Boy George musical produced on Broadway by Rosie O'Donnell; and Caroline, or Change, the much acclaimed musical by Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori, which was directed by George C. Wolfe. For more information check out the Playbill website.

MARCEL MARCEAU 1923 - 2007

Marcel Marceau, the Frenchman whose name was synonymous with the art of mime, has died, according to Reuters. He was 84.

Marcel Mangel was born on March 22, 1923, in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, to a kosher butcher and his wife. He changed his family name to Marceau when his family was forced to flee their home at the beginning of the Second World War. His father was deported to Auschwitz in 1944. He was killed there. Marcel and his brother Alain fought against Germany as part of the French underground, helping children to escape to safety in neutral Switzerland.

From Playbill. For the complete article, click here.

Remember Naomi Landman?

The Landman's were once one of Jackson's premier theatre families. Betty Ann and Lou Landman starred in many community theatre productions together including Barefoot in the Park and Betty Ann appeared as one of the sisters in Arsenic and Old Lace. Son Ben also directed a memorable production of 'Night Mother. When they moved from the area it was a major loss.

Now their daughter Naomi is appearing in Maury Yeston's Phantom of the Opera. Maury Yeston, Tony-Award winning composer of such musicals as Nine, Grand Hotel, and Titanic also wrote a version in 1991, that continues to be produced by regional theatre across the country, including the current production by Porchlight Music Theatre in Chicago.

Naomi Landman "in a comic tour-de-force as opera diva Carlotta" is a delight. One reviewer refers to her "golden voice" and another talks about the fun she has playing the evil character.

Planning a trip to Chicago this fall? Phantom runs through November 11, 2007, at the Theatre Building Chicago, performing Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, and Sundays at 2:30 pm. For more information and tickets, visit www.porchlighttheatre.com or call 773-327-5252.

Cheaper By the Dozen Opens Friday

Don't miss the first production of our 2007 - 2008 season, Cheaper By the Dozen. This family comedy, directed by Julie Klee, opens on Friday, September 28th and runs for two weekends (9/28,29,30 & 10/5,6,7). Friday and Saturday evenings curtain is at 8:00 pm while the Sunday performance is a 3:00 pm matinee. Seating is general admission and all tickets are $10.00. Call 517-745-2835 for reservations or pay at the door.

STAN GRADY 1929 - 2007

Although Dr. Stanley H. Grady, D.D.S. was a dentist practicing in Addison for 28 years, the theatre community knew him from his participation in the pit of numerous local musicals. Many didn't know that he was also the leader of the Windjammers Dixie/Swing Band and co-director of the Jackson Jazz Ensemble. A complete obituary appears in today's Jackson Citizen Patriot. If you would like to send condolences to the family visit www.brownvanhemert.com or www.MLive.com/obits.

URINETOWN, THE MUSICAL: A COMIC GEM PAINTS CROSWELL YELLOW

You know the old saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Well, don’t judge a musical by its title! Urinetown, the Musical takes the stage at Adrian’s historic Croswell Opera House, September 14-16 and 21-23. The title may wrinkle your nose, but this word-of-mouth hot ticket became known as the second funniest show on Broadway — the ticket to try if you couldn’t see The Producers.

Urinetown is set in an unnamed, Gotham-like city so plagued by drought that private toilets have been banned. So everyone has to use “public amenities,” which are controlled by the evil, greedy and corrupt corporation Urine Good Company (yes, it’s that kind of humor) that keeps raising prices. Amid the people, a hero decides he’s had enough, and plans a pee-for-free revolution to lead them all to freedom.
Absurd? Of course it’s absurd. It’s a satire. Urinetown is a musical parody that follows only one rule: Expect the unexpected. It’s Broadway meets South Park, with a dash of The Family Guy.

Greg Kotis and Mark Hollman penned this comic gem. Kotis stated “This is a really clean show. There are no bad words, no nudity. It just has this ridiculous conceit.” And that provides a surprising flood of laughter.

Not only is Urinetown filled with silliness of a very high order, the eclectic score has everything from a Russian folk song, gospel anthem, rollicking rock tunes, to showstoppers with real melodies in the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway tradition.

Leading the ensemble in this bathroom adventure are Michael Yuen (Adrian) as our hero, Bobby Strong; Bruce Hardcastle (Brooklyn) as Caldwell B. Cladwell, a gracefully sinister villain; Nancy N. Scully (Adrian) as Hope, his daughter, with whom Bobby falls in love; James Swendsen (Palmyra) as Officer Lockstock, a corrupt cop who serves as the show’s narrator; John MacNaughton (Adrian) as Officer Barrel, his partner (there’s that humor again); Jamie Buechele (Ottawa Lake) as Little Sally, a street urchin who worries too much about too much exposition in the show; Elizabeth Palmer (Toledo, OH) as Little Becky Two Shoes; and Stephanie L. Stephan (Toledo, OH) as Penelope Pennywise, a tough urinal gatekeeper with a shocking secret.
Completing the ensemble are: Adrian residents Donna Bytwork, Heidi Hartwell, Aaron Morgan, Jessica Randall, Natasha Ricketts, and Peggy Snead; Tecumseh residents Barry Hartmann, Jesse Montie, and Sarah Nowak; Jonesville residents Barbara Crosby, Travis Roderick, and Trevor Roderick; Blissfield resident Emily Gifford; Jackson resident Steve Dietrich; Palmyra resident Lance Wiesmann; and Toledo, OH, residents Silvestre “Tito” Duran and Patrick Stengle.

Molding this production of Urinetown is director Douglas Miller (Adrian), of Siena Heights University, who also provides the scene and lighting designs. Todd Schreiber (Ottawa Lake) takes the baton as music director, with choreography by Alexandra Nelson (Tecumseh). Susan Eversden (Tecumseh) supplies costume design, while Amanda L. Raymond (Escanaba) acts as production stage manager.

Curtain times for Urinetown are 8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 3:00 p.m. on Sundays, September 14-16 and 21-23. Tickets for the orchestra and lower balcony are $25 adults, $22 seniors, and $20 students, with “Upper Peninsula” (upper balcony) seating at $20 adults and senior, and $15 students. Season packages and group rates are available. For more information, call the Croswell Box Office at (517) 264-SHOW (7469), visit the box office located at 129 E. Maumee, Mon.-Fri., 9-5, or visit the web site, www.croswell.org.

Color it different, but get there fast. You’ll never experience anything quite like it!

Little Women Holds First Cast Read Through

All cast members have received scripts and are under orders to learn lines and songs before official blocking rehearsals begin the end of September. Vocal Director Keith Drayton is already working with the cast on their songs. Costumer Ellen Yoakam has already measured the cast and is hard at work creating a look for the show. A second production meeting is scheduled to nail down the concept for the set so Director Ann Holt and Choreographer Joann Drayton can put their ideas in the space planned by Co-Designers Chris Fultz and KJ Rowan.