Don Calamia
Beloved novel comes to life at The Encore
"Little Women" continues at The Encore Musical Theatre through Feb. 27. Photo: The Encore Musical Theatre The last time I saw the musical "Little Women," I sat in a cavernous theater and wondered why I was rather unimpressed and ambivalent about the [...]
A near-perfect 'Tale' at The Jewish Ensemble Theatre
Way back in 2002 I reviewed "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife" at the Fisher Theatre, but I left the opening night performance somewhat nonplussed and only mildly amused. Even though Valerie Harper seemed well suited for the title role, something [...]
The Box almost closes the deal
The Box Theatre, Mt. Clemens' only professional theater, started life earlier this season with a string of comedies, which was a smart move – especially since history has shown that audiences prefer to laugh during tough economic times than ponder [...]
Life's ups and downs at The Ringwald
Every now and then as a theater critic you'll walk out of a show and wish you'd liked it better than you did – which is what I felt as I left the opening night performance of "Based on a Totally True Story" at Ferndale's Ringwald Theatre. But in [...]
Making merry at the Hilberry
Just like the character of Arlecchino in its current production, Detroit's Hilberry Theatre is also "The Servant of Two Masters." But while the comical buffoon needs only to satisfy his bosses, Wayne State University's Department of Theatre must [...]
A few minutes with Joe Bailey of 'Based on a Totally True Story' at The Ringwald
Joe Bailey Since opening its doors in 2007, The Ringwald has become one of metro Detroit's hottest and most talked-about theaters – where patrons can expect anything and everything from the latest comedy to edgy dramas – and, of course, the [...]
Late night drama stuns at Planet Ant
While bible-thumpers and "throw-the-book-at-them" jurists may tell you that certain Judeo-Christian and legal pronouncements are immutable, those of us living in the real world understand that life is not all black and white or good and evil. [...]
Magenta's beautiful music sings sad tune
Kevin Young and Anne Marie Damman star in Magenta Giraffe Theatre Company's production of "The Last Five Years." Photo: Charles Nowak It's fairly unusual for a musical – or any stage production, for that matter – to end at pretty much the exact [...]
Saving the best for last: 'Jersey Boys'
A typical touring show arrives in town long after media hype machines have pelted potential theatergoers with an almost nonstop barrage of adjectives and sound bites that try to convince anyone and everyone that this production is the best slice of [...]
Engaging 'Seagull' flies into the Hilberry
There's a lot of lovin' going on in Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" at Detroit's Hilberry Theatre. Struggling writer Konstantin Gavrilovich Treplyov loves aspiring actress Nina Mikhailovna Zarechnaya, but she has eyes for only popular novelist Boris [...]
Dickens' classic tale, with a twist (or two)
For some reason, people love to watch a crisis unfold before their very eyes. Fires, traffic accidents, and an assortment of other tragedies all attract large crowds of onlookers – all of whom are thrilled that the action in front of them is [...]
The sun comes up, but on an uneven 'Annie'
Anytime a director puts an adorable group of young girls and a pooch with a mind of its own on stage, you can pretty much guess the outcome: The audience – packed with proud family members and dog-lovers alike – will leap to its feet and give the [...]