Katie Laban - Page 3

Macomb Civic Theatre was the first community theatre group in Macomb County to perform Matilda the Musical. Performances took place two weekends ago, June 6th through 9th, at Stevenson High School in Sterling Heights. The musical is based on the beloved Roald Dahl book about a gift girl with extraordinary powers. She is the daughter of dimwitted parents and a student of a terrifying headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, which makes Matilda bury herself in books and create her own stories. She takes a stand against the adults around her and teaches strength to her teacher and friend, Miss Honey, and classmates. Those around Matilda learn that life can be tough, but "nobody but me is gonna' change my story," so "sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty." For MCT's production of Matilda the Musical, the role of Matilda was shared by Abigail Patterson and Julianna Fergan. The set was even designed by 13-year-old, Lila Niespolo. It was a wonderful and fun weekend for the whole cast and everyone who came to see MCT's Matilda the Musical!

Meadow Brook Theatre is bringing a classic silent movie to musical life with The IT Girl to end their regular season! Currently running until June 23rd, The IT Girl tells the story of Betty (Sara Kmiec), a sassy department store clerk, that has something special. It's enough to win an advertising contest looking for the girl with 'IT,' but will it be enough to charm the heir to the retail empire that employs her? The show is a retelling of the 1937 Paramount Picture, 'IT,' which starred Clara Bow and MBT has paid homage to the era by setting the show in black and white. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a moment to chat with The IT Girl's leading lady, Sara Kmiec about her role of Betty Lou Spence, the charming show, and why the show has 'IT.'

Run, don't walk to The Ringwald to see their production of Head Over Heels! The production is the first one since the hot Broadway debut of the show that features songs of the 80s music icons, The Go-Gos, closed in January and will be at the beloved Michigan theatre until June 10th in Ferndale. The hilarious and inclusive musical celebrates love in its infinite varieties and includes iconic Go-Go's hits like 'We Got the Beat,' 'Our Lips Are Sealed,' and 'Vacation,' plus Belinda Carlisle's 'Heaven is a Place on Earth' and 'Mad About You,' and many more! It's the perfect show for The Ringwald's stage and the company does it marvelously. From the fantastic performances to the glorious costumes to the boppin' beat - The Ringwald's, Head Over Heels has it - and it should not be missed!

The Ringwald is absolutely thrilled to present the first production of Head Over Heels, running May 13th through June 10th, after its hot Broadway debut that features the songs of 80s music icons, The Go-Go's. The show was named one of Entertainment Weekly's Top 10 Stage Picks of 2018 and recently closed this January to the heartache of beloved fans. 'Head Over Heels combines The Go-Go's music with a gender-queer sensibility that everyone from 16-60+ will fall in love with,' said Joe Bailey, the director. 'It's energetic, funny, breezy and the perfect spring musical!' The hilarious and inclusive musical celebrates love in its infinite varieties and includes iconic Go-Go's hits like 'We Got the Beat,' 'Our Lips Are Sealed,' and 'Vacation,' plus Belinda Carlisle's 'Heaven is a Place on Earth' and 'Mad About You,' and many more! The show is based on The Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidney and Head Over Heels was conceived by Jeff Whitty and adapted by James Magruder. A modern musical fairytale where once-upon-a-time is right now, Head Over Heels follows the escapades of a royal family who set out on a journey to save their beloved kingdom from extinction only to find love and comedic complications along the way! BroadwayWorld Detroit spoke with Joe about directing Head Over Heels and why The Ringwald is so excited to be the first theatre to present the show since it closed on Broadway. Read our fun interview below!

Brought to life by a groundbreaking all-female creative team that features original music from six-time Grammy nominee, Sara Bareilles, Waitress is playing until May 19th at the Fisher Theatre. Jenna is an expert pie maker and as the title suggests, a waitress, who dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. A baking contest could be chance at a new start along with possibly the town's new doctor, but Jenna has to find to find the courage and strength to try. 'We have pie! There's pie in the lobby,' answered Ephie Aardema, who plays Jenna's friend and fellow waitress in the show, when asked about why Detroit audiences should see the show. 'It also has a lot of heart - more than most musicals.' See what else Ephie had to say about Waitress, tour life, and more below:

Derek Hough wowed Detroit audiences with his first solo tour on Tuesday, April 30th at the Fox Theatre. The moment the Derek Hough - Live! the Tour began, it was a non-stop, high-octane show that had the crowd cheering and filled with excitement over the eight dancers and a live band on the stage. Before arriving to the Motor City, Derek gave an interview to BroadwayWorld Detroit (click here to read it!) and was asked to describe his show in five words, but he could only narrow it down to six with the answer of 'fun, energetic, funny, exciting, passionate, and epic!' He was exactly right to use those six words as they were the perfect way to describe the night that the city of the Detroit had with the Derek Hough - Live! the Tour.

Barnum will be closing out Southgate Community Players Main Stage productions for the 2018-2019 season. Opening this weekend on Friday, May 3rd, this spectacular spectacle brings to life the story of P. T. Barnum the stage at the Davidson Auditorium inside Davidson Middle School in Southgate. Beloved characters based on the real-life performers that Barnum worked with during his career are woven throughout this high-energy musical. SCP's production of Barnum is packed with skills and tricks that will awe audiences of all ages! BroadwayWorld Detroit had a chance to speak with Tamara Laflin, the show's triple threat: director, music director, and choreographer, and she said, 'audiences should come see Barnum because it's a fresh take on a musical theatre classic.' Check out what she had to say below about why audiences will enjoy this spectacular spectacle that SCP has created with Barnum!

Derek Hough is coming back to Detroit! After the sold out successes of Move Live on Tour and Move - Beyond Live on Tour, he is returning with his own solo show, Derek Hough - Live! On Tour this Tuesday, April 30th at the Fox Theatre. It is a brand-new stage production featuring a live band with high-end choreography, and, as always, Derek's magnetic stage presence. It is a true fusion of dance and music as he explores styles ranging from ballroom and tap to salsa and hip-hop and everything between. Creative team and two-time Emmy winners, Napoleon and Tabitha Dumo, also known as NappyTabs, co-created, directed, and supervised choreography for the tour. Derek is an Emmy Award-winning and New York Times Best-Selling author, as well as the only six-time champion winner in franchise history on the hit ABC show Dancing with the Stars. This solo show has already been out on tour for a few weeks and pleasing fans across the country. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a chance to speak with Derek before one of his shows to find out what makes his Derek Hough - Live! on Tour show so unique and why Detroit fans are going to have a night to remember. Check out what he had to say below!

The Riverbank Theatre is welcoming Amy Petty and Jen Sygit for a special one only event this Saturday, April 27th in Marine City. Live Music with Singer-Songwriters Amy Petty and Jen Sygit with be an evening of acoustical guitar and vocals with two accomplished artist's that Michigan audiences are sure to enjoy. Petty's sound and songwriting skills are compelling, complex and original soundscapes weave a lush tapestry of folk, pop, rock, and blues. Sygit is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with her latest record being labeled as sometimes traditional, sometimes contemporary, yet always raw and honest. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a chance to speak with both Amy and Jen while they are getting ready for their performance. Read below to hear what they had to say about music, being Michigan artists, and what to expect at their concert!

The Owosso Community Players are presenting the Tony Award-winning play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, starting April 26th at the Lebowsky Center in Owosso. The play by Simon Stephens is based on the novel of the same title by Mark Haddon and the story follows the mystery surrounding the death of the neighbor's dog. Young Christopher Boone decides to investigate, and although he is exceptionally intelligent, he is ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. His pursuit of the truth leads him to far greater mysteries, revealing family secrets he could never have imagined. A number of special visual effects are employed to allow audiences to experience the world in a way Christopher does. 'This heartwarming story follows a young teenager in a quest to find his mother,' said Anna Owens, director. 'It shows that even in a chaotic world, the human spirit is strong.' BroadwayWorld Detroit had a chance to speak with Anna about directing this fascinating and special play and what audiences will experience when they see it. Read what she had to say below:

Slipstream Theatre Initiative is having a conversation that is long past due - gun violence. It's one they admit is uncomfortable, upsetting, and can make you cringe, but it is a topic that is long past time and very necessary right now. Now in their fifth season, Slipstream has always been determined to pair its productions with socially relevant issues and On The Exhale is no different. The one-woman play is set in a situation that could be a TED Talk or a college lecture and focuses on a woman whose second-grade son was killed in a school shooting. Through a recounting of the event and her irrational reaction, the audience is forced to question what it takes to become a mass shooter. Instead of describing a monster that none of us could imagine being, she describes the obsession with control, power, and life that goes hand in hand with being a gun owner. She exposes the human instincts behind turning in to a shooter. We realize soon realize that given the right set of circumstances, we are subject to becoming the thing we most fear. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a chance to speak with Slipstream's Artistic Director, Bailey Boudreau, about being director of this significant piece of art and why it is an important for audiences to explore it even though the content may be uncomfortable to them. Take a moment to read our insightful interview with Bailey to understand his passion about On The Exhale and the social issues the it revolves around.

When you see a high student support another high school student that is one of the best moments you can ever witness, but when you see over 2,000 students support one another the experience is astounding and one you will never forget! This was exactly the experience that happened at the Fisher Theatre on Thursday morning for the Hamilton Education Program, better known as EduHam, when the second of the two high school only Hamilton matinee performances happened. The students were greeted by Chaundre Hall-Broomfield, who plays Hercules Mulligan / James Madison, and then selected student took the stage to perform original projects inspired by their analysis of primary source materials and lyrics from the musical. That was followed by a Q & A with some members of the Angelica Tour company of Hamilton that is currently here in Detroit as part of the Broadway in Detroit season and the special matinee student performance. It was an experience that these students will never forget!

The residents of Flint and Ann Arbor, Michigan were treated to a very special event because of the University Musical Society (UMS): Yo-Yo Ma visited as part the performer's two-year journey to perform Six Suites for Solo Cello as a catalyst for social action and it marks the first time Ma extended the model beyond the Bach Project to a broader audience. Ma's visit was two-days filled of activities including a talk by him in the University of Michigan's Hill Auditorium on 'Culture, Understanding, and Survival,' as well as a Day of Action in Flint, Michigan with the theme, 'Flint Voices: Culture, Community, and Resilience.' At the Day of Action, Ma worked with community partners to transform lives and forge both a more connected world and a healthy and vibrant local community with the goal of the session to find new opportunities for collaborations across Flint's cultural communities and organizations. The strategy session was followed up by a community cultural show that was a celebration of Flint's vitality, diversity, and artistry. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a chance to speak with two of people heavily involved in brining Yo-Yo Ma and his Day of Action event to Michigan - Jim Leija (director of education & community engagement for UMS) and Natasha Thomas-Jackson (Flint-based arts advocate). Read our interview with them to see why this was an important event:

Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, the 2013 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, is here this weekend only for a limited engagement with three performances left - Saturday night and two shows on Sunday - at the Fox Theatre in Detroit as part of the Fox Theatre Series. With its fresh new take on the beloved tale of a young woman who is transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, this hilarious and romantic Cinderella combines the story's classic elements - glass slippers, pumpkin, and a beautiful ball along with some surprising twists. More than just a pretty face with the right shoe size, this Cinderella is a contemporary figure living in a fairytale setting. She is a spirited young woman with savvy and soul who doesn't let her rags or her gowns trip her up in her quest for kindness, compassion and forgiveness. She longs to escape the drudgery of her work at home and instead work to make the world a better place. She not only fights for her own dreams, but forces the prince to open his eyes to the world around him and realize his dreams too.

When I found out Andrew Rannells was writing a book I was immediately excited! Ever since I had the opportunity to see Rannells in The Book of Mormon, he has become one of my favorite actors - both in theatre and television. I couldn't wait to read all about his life and how he got where he is today - plus read stories about the amazing theatre productions, tv shows, and films that he has been in. You know those memes of 'expectations vs. reality' where the 'reality' is never quite living up to the 'expectations?' That was this book and my ideas about it except the only upside about the 'reality' of Too Much Is Not Enough was that it is a really good read for an autobiography. The actual story itself is just not what I expected, but to be fair, this is a far more interesting story that we are given as readers. It's definitely one I never expected to read with how intimate he let us get.

Rodger's + Hammerstein's Cinderella, the 2013 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, is here this weekend for a limited engagement at the Fox Theatre in Detroit as part of the Fox Theatre Series. With its fresh new take on the beloved tale of a young woman who is transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, this hilarious and romantic Cinderella combines the story's classic elements - glass slippers, pumpkin, and a beautiful ball along with some surprising twists. More than just a pretty face with the right shoe size, this Cinderella is a contemporary figure living in a fairytale setting. She is a spirited young woman with savvy and soul who doesn't let her rags or her gowns trip her up in her quest for kindness, compassion and forgiveness. She longs to escape the drudgery of her work at home and instead work to make the world a better place. She not only fights for her own dreams, but forces the prince to open his eyes to the world around him and realize his dreams too. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a moment to speak with Sarah Smith, currently on the road with Cinderella, about her character and the magical show. Read our conversation with her below to get excited when Rodger's Hammerstein's Cinderella comes to Detroit for a magical time this weekend!

I And You is the final play in Wharton Center's Illuminate Series that runs this weekend, Friday and Sunday, for two performances only and the limited-engagement of Lauren Gunderson's play is sure to leave audiences wanting more. One afternoon, Anthony (Greg Hunter) arrives unexpectedly at classmate Caroline's (Tess Galbiati) door bearing a beat-up copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass, with an urgent assignment from their English teacher. Homebound, Caroline hasn't been to school in months, but she is as quick and funny as Anthony is athletic, sensitive, and popular. As these two let down their guards and share their secrets, this poetry project unlocks the deep mystery that has brought them together. I And You is a funny and touching ode to youth, life, love, and the strange beauty of human connectedness with an eye-popping, heart-pounding, and totally unexpected ending. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a chance to speak with Bert Goldstein, the director of I And You, about the show and how it's special. Check out what he had to say below:

Love always deserves another chapter. Or at least that is the theme of Neil Simon's 1978 Tony Award winning play, Chapter Two, that St. Dunstan's Theatre Guild of Cranbrook is opening up this week with in Bloomfield Hills. George is deeply is saddened by the death of his wife of 12 years and urged by his brother, Leo, to start dating again. After Leo arranges some disastrous blind dates, George meets Jennie and they fall in love and marry - after two weeks of dating! The romantic comedy explores what it means to truly love someone and if you can find a soul mate more than one life your life. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a chance to speak with Paul Dorset, the director of Chapter Two, on this lesser known Neil Simon play, why it is special, and how it can bring joy to audiences - just like it brought joy to Paul when he first encountered it. Plus, if the comedy in this interview is any inkling of the amusement we can expect from Paul's cast in Chapter Two, we know we are in for lots of laughter in the show!

Boeing Boeing is opening this weekend on March 22nd at Stagecrafters Main Stage in Royal Oak. The hilarious, fast-paced farced is about Bernard, a happy bachelor who has carefully arranged his life so that his three stewardess fiancees don't land on his door step at the same time. Everything is fine until Boeing develops a faster jet, wreaking havoc on his schedule when all three girlfriends land at the same time for a visit - Bernard flies into a full-blown panic! Filled with dizzying twists and turns and door-slamming entrances and exits, Boeing Boeing is a classic bedroom farce that won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a moment to speak with Erica Gunaca, who plays one of the girlfriends in the show, Gabriella, as she is getting ready for it to open about the hilarious show to get Detroit theatre fans excited about Stagecrafters' Boeing Boeing!

Before Wendy, before he was Captain Hook, before a boy was given the name Peter Pan, and before there was a Neverland, there was a starcatcher Apprentice named Molly, a pirate named Black Stache, and a nameless orphan. Together, they are about to be thrown in a dangerous yet wildly hilarious adventure on the high seas. Until March 24th,  audiences can go on an adventure with Molly, the Black Stache, the Orphans, and the Boy Who Would Not Grow Up - take a look at the pictures of this magical production of Peter and the Starcatcher!