'Fiddler on the Roof' at Encore Musical Theatre, 'Annie' at Dexter Community Players
U-M professor Stephen West stars in Encore Theatre's "Fiddler on the Roof."
Two of the most popular, most beloved, and most produced musicals in the American musical theater canon debut this week in Washtenaw County. Both are family friendly, and engaging for all ages, giving you the perfect opportunity to pass along the experience to the young people in your life.
At the very least, they’re bound to have a toe-tapping good time. And who knows - maybe this will be a first, or formative, theater-going experience for them, creating a passion for the art form and cherished memories for years to come.
Show: “Annie” book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, through July 15
Company: Dexter Community Players
Type of Company: Community
Venue/location: Center for Performing Arts at Dexter High School, 2200 N. Parker Rd. in Dexter
Recommended ages: All
Description: The heartwarming musical based on the "Little Orphan Annie" cartoon series features the hit songs "Tomorrow" and "It's a Hard-Knock Life." With iconic characters like Daddy Warbucks, Annie, and Miss Hannigan, "Annie" is a timeless tale about the power of the hope.
Fun fact: The original Broadway production opened in 1977 and ran for nearly six years, setting a record for the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre). It spawned numerous productions in many countries, as well as national tours, and won the Tony Award for Best Musical.
For tickets and information: dextercommunityplayers.com
Special ticket offer: Adults $12/Children 12 and under $7
Show: “Fiddler on the Roof” music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, book by Joseph Stein, through August 12th
Company: The Encore Musical Theatre Company
Type of Company: Equity Special Appearance and non-Equity
Venue/location: The Encore Musical Theatre Company, 3126 Broad Street, Dexter
Recommended ages: All
Description: In the village of Anatevka, Tevye, a poor dairyman, tries to instill in his five daughters the traditions of his tight-knit Jewish community in the face of changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia. Rich in historical and ethnic detail, the beloved show has touched audiences around the world with its humor, warmth, and honesty. http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/fiddler-on-the-roof-spotted-at-dexters-encore-theatre/
Fun fact: The show stars Stephen West (University of Michigan Voice Professor and opera star) as Tevye, and Detroit favorite: Judy Dery as Yente.
For tickets and information: www.theencoretheatre.org, 734-268-6200
Special ticket offer: Preview Thursday on July 12th - all tickets at $18
Show: “Buried Child” by Sam Shepard, through July 14
Company: Carriage House Theatre
Type of Company: Pre-professional (non-paid)
Venue/location: Carriage House Theatre, 541 Third St, Ann Arbor
Recommended ages: 13+
Description: Sam Shepard’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama is a harrowing, often unsettlingly funny look at a dysfunctional Illinois farm family that looms as a symbol of America’s loss of innocence. Upon returning with his new girlfriend to his grandparents’ farmhouse after years of separation, a prodigal grandson is barely recognized by a bizarre group of relatives concealing corrosive family secrets. http://www.annarbor.com/entertainment/carriage-house-theatre-to-offer-buried-child-and-illusionists-show/
Fun fact: Theater critic Harold Clurman wrote about Shepard's language "What strikes the ear and eye is comic, occasionally hilarious behavior and speech at which one laughs while remaining slightly puzzled and dismayed (if not resentful), and perhaps indefinably saddened. Yet there is a swing to it all, a vagrant freedom, a tattered song."
For tickets and information: http://carriagehousetheatre.weebly.com, CHTheatreA2@gmail.com
Show: “In the Next Room, or the vibrator play” by Sarah Ruhl, through July 15
Company: Performance Network Theatre
Type of Company: Professional Equity (SPT)
Venue/location: Performance Network Theatre, 120 East Huron, Ann Arbor
Recommended ages: 16+, Contains adult themes and language.
Description: Upon the dawn of electricity, the aptly named Dr. Givings invests in a buzz worthy new instrument used to treat female patients' “Hysteria.” As the number of blushing patients swells, the good doctor's curious wife breaks into his office to try the device for herself, unleashing an entirely new type of energy deep within. This stimulating comedy, which pulses with love, desire, and abundant laughs, was a 2010 Tony nominee for Best Play. http://www.examiner.com/article/pnt-presents-the-historical-hysterical-the-next-room-or-the-vibrator-play
Fun fact: Vanguard playwright Ruhl has described the psychology of her plays as "a more medieval sensibility of the humors, melancholia, black bile, and transformation." In 2006, when she received a MacArthur “genius” Fellowship, the announcement of that award stated: "Sarah Ruhl, 32, playwright, New York City. Playwright creating vivid and adventurous theatrical works that poignantly juxtapose the mundane aspects of daily life with mythic themes of love and war."
For tickets and information: 734-663-0681, www.performancenetwork.org/
Show: “On Golden Pond”, by Ernest Thompson, through September 1
Company: Purple Rose Theatre Company
Type of Company: Professional Equity (SPT)
Venue/location: 137 Park Street, Chelsea
Recommended ages: 13+ (some mature language)
Description: This charming love story follows Ethel and Norman Thayer as they return to their summer home in Maine. Their respite is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of their estranged daughter, her fiancé, and his teenage son. Over the course of the summer, an unlikely friendship develops between Norman and the boy, which sparks a renewed zest for life in the Thayer family. In the twilight years of marriage, Ethel and Norman rediscover the joy and romance of every day living. http://www.examiner.com/review/on-golden-pond-at-the-purple-rose-is-everything-summer-vacation-should-be
Fun fact: The role of Billy Ray is shared by two local high school students: Ian Bejster, of Dexter, and Milo Tucker-Meyer of Ann Arbor.
For tickets and information: 734-433-7673 or www.purplerosetheatre.org.