Don Calamia
Regan's back at the Network - with a vengeance
A seemingly random act of violence in the food court of a shopping mall results in a life-threatening head injury to the unsuspecting victim and a jail term for the perpetrator. But who else suffers as a result of the vicious attack, and what [...]
TV comedy classic returns - but on stage
Chris Fusco as Carol Burnett in TNT Productions' 'The Carol Burnett Show.' Photo: Courtesy TNT From Television City in Wyandotte – better known as The Biddle Hall – it's "The Carol Burnett Show." Yes, the legendary TV show that ran for 11 seasons [...]
It's a busy month for Michigan theaters
(front) Celeste Blanch, Bethany Rydzewski, Kate Rasmussen, Donna Edwards and Sara Rydzewski star in 'Little Women – The Broadway Musical,' the opening show of Stagecrafters' 2009-10 season. Photo: Lance Luce. Theater begins busting out all over this [...]
No yawns from the house at Tipping Point
While a play about insomnia could put its audience to sleep, Tipping Point Theatre's slickly staged and superbly acted season opener, "A Sleeping Country," does anything but – thanks to director Julia Glander and her top-notch cast who skillfully [...]
Rain rarely stops (except for laughs)
Dyan Bailey fights with Tommy Simon, while Pete Jacokes and Jeff Mansk watch in a scene from 'Douche Douche Bhang Bhang' Photo: SMyers With a title that makes newspaper editors nervous, one might assume "Douche Douche Bhang Bhang" at Go Comedy! [...]
I Cain't Say No' to Encore's 'Oklahoma!'
Oh, what a beautiful production of 'Oklahoma!' Photo: The Encore Musical Theatre I suspect most theater critics would never admit this, but the musical "Oklahoma!" holds a special place in my heart. Sure, by today's standards, the plot seems to hold [...]
Stuffing the box: 14 plays (and two critics) at 'BoxFest '09'
'BoxFest Detroit '09' celebrates women directors through Aug. 22. Photo: Boxfest Since 2004, women thespians throughout Southeast Michigan have joined together to stage an annual festival of plays to showcase the work of female directors. The event [...]
Sweet, irreverent mini-musical charms audiences in Ferndale
It's extremely rare that it takes me longer to drive to a theater than it does to watch the show I'm reviewing – especially if the theater is only 15 miles away, and I take the freeway for at least half the trip. It's also rather unusual to attend a [...]
But seriously: Thursday laughs in Ferndale
Most nights at Go Comedy! Improv Theater, patrons are treated to what the company name implies: a night of made-up on-the-spot comedy. But Thursdays have morphed into an evening of original sketch comedies, and if the crowd's uproarious reaction to [...]
No bluff: 'Sweet' season end at BoarsHead
At first blush, "Bluff" at Lansing's BoarsHead Theater appears to be yet another variation of the typical "boy meets girl" story that has fueled playwrights and entertained theatergoers for centuries. But only seconds into the performance, Jeffrey [...]
The laughs aren't cheesy at The Ringwald
As I watched the opening night performance of "The Book of Liz" at The Ringwald Theatre, my mind kept flashing back to one of my all-time favorite TV series, "The Carol Burnett Show." But instead of Carol, Harvey, Vicki and Tim, I was mesmerized by [...]
Life, death and love: TLC at the PRTC
Theaters risk low ticket sales and iffy reviews any time they produce a brand new play written by a first time or an up-and-coming playwright – especially in a decaying economy that seems to demand mostly safe and familiar comedies. So when one of [...]