Michigan Theater Reviews

Review: THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE at Smith Theatre
by Emily Schenk - November 19, 2023

The Tony Award-winning musical follows a group of 'wonderfully unique and vibrant adolescents' competing for a bee championship that illustrates the importance of inclusion and community. ...

Review: MRS. DOUBTFIRE THE NEW COMEDY MUSICAL at Fisher Theatre
by Emily Schenk - November 19, 2023

What did our critic think of MRS. DOUBTFIRE THE NEW COMEDY MUSICAL at Fisher Theatre?...

Review: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at Wharton Center is a Thoughtful Tale of Family and Race in the 1930's Deep South
by Stefani Chudnow - October 05, 2023

Through this Sunday, October 8th, you can catch the new production of To Kill a Mockingbird at Wharton Center in East Lansing....

Review: RAIN ON FIRE at Flint Repertory Theatre
by Emily Schenk - September 18, 2023

Rain on Fire begins with Marie when she comes home to plan her addicted mother Lorraine's funeral. 'Rain' left a surprising final wish for Marie and her cousin Caleb, a meth user, to fulfill together. Marie struggles with her anger and loss in a tense and often funny play that deals with the opioid ...

Review: GOLDEN GIRLS THE LAUGHS CONTINUE at Royal Oak Music Theatre
by Emily Schenk - July 30, 2023

The Golden Girls are back! 2023 finds Sophia out on bail after being busted by the DEA for running a drug ring for retirees. Blanche and Rose have founded CreakN, a thriving sex app for seniors. And Dorothy is trying to hold it all together with help from her new, young sex-crazed stud. Presented by...

Review: RAGTIME at Flint Repertory Thetare
by Emily Schenk - June 13, 2023

Step into history to see this exciting new take on Ragtime at Flint Repertory Theatre. Ragtime will be playing at Flint Repertory Theatre until June 25th....

Review: WICKED at Wharton Center Bewitches Audiences With a Legendary Story Told by a Star-bound Cast
by Stefani Chudnow - May 17, 2023

Wicked, the 20-year Broadway sensation, is making its comeback at Wharton Center until May 28th, 3 years after the pandemic forced the tour to close down just before coming to East Lansing....

Review: ASSASSINS at The Ringwald
by Emily Schenk - March 08, 2023

Assassins will run through March 20th. Tickets are $30 for performances Fridays-Sundays and $20 for Monday performances. Tickets are currently available at theRingwald.com. Performances on Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays are at 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 3:00 PM. The Ringwald is located inside Affirmat...

Review: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at The Fisher Theatre
by Emily Schenk - March 01, 2023

Jesus Christ Superstar is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks of the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. The legendary score includes 'I Don't Know How to Love Him 'Superstar.' Now playing at the Fisher Theatre through Mar 5, 2023....

Review: JAGGED LITTLE PILL at The Fisher Theatre
by Emily Schenk - February 21, 2023

SOME SHOWS YOU SEE. THIS SHOW YOU FEEL. Joy, rage, love, heartache, strength, wisdom, catharsis, LIFE: everything we've been waiting to see on a Broadway stage is back, in this exhilarating, fearless new musical based on Alanis Morissette's world-changing music. Jagged Little Pill will perform at T...

Review: THE FUTURE IS FEMALE at Flint Repertory Theatre
by Emily Schenk - February 07, 2023

The Flint Repertory Theatre is proud to present the world premiere comedy of The Future is Female, written by and starring Nandita Shenoy. The Future is Female will perform at the Flint Repertory Theatre from February 3rd-19th, 2023. For more information on the production and to buy tickets, please ...

Review: BEETLEJUICE at Detroit Opera House
by Emily Schenk - February 02, 2023

It's showtime! The ghost-with-the-most will make his Detroit debut in this edgy and irreverent new Broadway musical comedy. BEETLEJUICE will play at the Opera House from January 31 – February 12, 2023. Tickets go on sale Friday, November 4 at 10:00 a.m. and will be available online at Ticketmaster.c...

Review: A NEW BRAIN at Varner Hall on the Campus of Oakland University
by Emily Schenk - November 07, 2022

A New Brain was a great production. While the show explores some serious topics, the audience saw some of the rawest performances from Oakland University's theatre program. This cast inspired me, and I highly recommend attending a show at the Varner Theatre. I very much look forward to returning to ...

Review: The Ringwald Theater now performing a stage adaptation of Stephen King's thriller Misery
by Emily Schenk - October 25, 2022

Do you love horror films? Are you looking for a fun spooky season activity? Do you wish you could be immersed in a live-action scary movie? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you must head to Ferndale to The Ringwald Theater to see Stephen King's thriller Misery, playing at their Ferndal...

Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Meadow Brook Theatre
by Emily Schenk - October 18, 2022

Little Shop of Horrors will perform at Meadow Brook Theatre on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester through October 30, 2022. Fair warning, though, Little Shop of Horrors isn't your grandmother's musical, and it is definitely not your average fairy tale. This show had some tremendous talent...

Review: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at The Fisher Theatre
by Emily Schenk - October 14, 2022

Fiddler on the Roof returns to The Fisher Theatre nearly 60 years after opening the production for previews in Detroit in 1964. This Broadway classic from Tony-Winner Joseph Stein is a revival of the 1964 musical. This show explores tradition, star-crossed lovers, and opposing religious communities ...

Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Stagecrafters Astounds With Feats in Puppeteering and Local Talent
by Stefani Chudnow - October 04, 2022

America's favorite musical about a man-eating alien plant, Little Shop of Horrors, has come to Stagecrafters in Royal Oak, now through October 23rd....

Review: Grand Rapids Symphony Season Opens With Beethovens-Fifth, Sarah Change, and The World Premier of Immortal Beloved!
by Brian Hilbrand - September 28, 2022

What did our critic think of: Grand Rapids Symphony Season Opens With Beethovens-Fifth, Sarah Change, and The World Premier of Immortal Beloved! I was fortunate enough to kick off another season with the Grand Rapids Symphony. The 2022-2023 season marked the anniversary season conducted by Marcelo ...

BWW Review: MOTHERHOOD THE MUSICAL at Lion Heart Productions
by Brian Hilbrand - May 07, 2022

Lion Heart Production’s Motherhood The Musical, written by Sue Fabisch is a musical about how having a baby is just the beginning and how motherhood is for life. Motherhood is a funny, yet loving look at being a mom at any age. It’s climbing the emotional mountain only to find that there’s laundry...

BWW Review: THE BAND'S VISIT at The Fisher Theatre is a Love Letter to Middle Eastern Music and Culture
by Stefani Chudnow - April 23, 2022

Now playing the Fisher Theatre through May 1st, recent Tony Award darling The Band's Visit is a musical with a lot of heart and a deeply ingrained mission to unify cultures, rather than divide. The genius of The Band's Visit lies not in flashy musical numbers or costumes, but in the honest (and mode...

BWW Review: WAITRESS at The Detroit Music Hall Is An Absolute Delight!
by Brian Stanczak-Tuscany - March 16, 2022

The National Tour of Waitress, running now through March 20th at the Detroit Music Hall, is something spectacular. Waitress tells the story of Jenna - a Waitress and expert pie maker in a small southern town. She dreams of a way out of this small town and away from her broken marriage and abusive hu...

BWW Review: SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL at the Fisher Theatre is a Fresh Take on Jukebox Musicals
by Stefani Chudnow - March 11, 2022

Looking for some 'hot stuff'? From now until March 20th, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical is playing at Detroit's Fisher Theatre. Summer played on Broadway throughout 2018 and later toured North America in 2019....

BWW Review: MEAN GIRLS at Wharton Center is a Witty, Sharp Musical With a Powerful Message
by Stefani Chudnow - March 03, 2022

Broadway's Mean Girls is at Wharton Center in East Lansing until this Sunday, March 6th. Based on the 2004 movie, Mean Girls premiered on Broadway back in 2018 and it went on to be nominated for 12 Tony Awards....

BWW Review: SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS at Ringwald Theatre is a Delightfully Unconventional Exploration of the Need to Connect
by Stefani Chudnow - March 01, 2022

As part of The Ringwald Theatre's comeback season, Small Mouth Sounds is a delightfully unconventional play that you can catch until March 14th. Originally written by Bess Wohl, this dramedy is a fascinating look into the sheer human existence of six individuals on a silent retreat....

BWW Review: DISNEY'S THE LION KING at the Detroit Opera House Transcends with Ingenious Costuming and an Epic Score
by Stefani Chudnow - January 31, 2022

Disney's The Lion King, a groundbreaking musical and the third longest-running musical on Broadway, is in the middle of its nearly month-long reign at the Detroit Opera House, where it will stay until February 20th....