Joe Plambeck News

Opening July 12, 2019 at The Ringwald Theatre in Ferndale, Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical tells the famous rags-to-riches story in an hilariously new way!

The regional premiere of Head Over Heels rocked The Ringwald from May 13 through June 10.

Tipping Point Theatre's upcoming production, Funnyman by Bruce Graham, takes a serious look behind the scenes of a celebrated comic's life. It's 1959, and Chick Sherman's funnyman career is beginning its decline into irrelevancy. That all changes when an experimental playwright specifically requests his talents, teaching Chick that not everything in life has to have a punchline.

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!

Hot off its Broadway run, Head Over Heels-featuring the songs of 80s music icons The Go-Go's-will rock The Ringwald from May 10 to June 10. The Ringwald presents the first production of this smashing show after its Broadway debut.

Opening March 29 at The Ringwald, The House by Michigan native, Brian Parks, is a hilarious take on good manners going bad.

Death of A Salesman, running through March 11th at the Ringwald Theatre in Ferndale, is a powerful spin on an American classic. Written by Arthur Miller, Salesman won the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well as the 1949 Tony Award for Best Play. The story follows the character of Willy Loman, a failing salesman, who can't seem to win happiness and success. In this powerful spin on a classic, audiences will be transported into Loman's lonesome world, and will witness how the quest for one man's dream tears an entire family apart.

The Ringwald Theatre's production of Arthur Miller's classic American tragedy Death of A Salesman will open on Friday, February 15 and run for four weeks.

The Ringwald Theatre is always throwing surprising twists at their audiences and this holiday season is no different. Taking a break from their usual SantaLand Diaries, they are ready to bring on the laughs with Merry Christmas to Everyone! (Except Christina), a brand-new play - think of it as a Mommie Dearest Christmas - the perfect Christmas spoof we never knew we needed until now! It weaves together Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, A Christmas Carol, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Mommie Dearest, and your other gay and/or Christmas favorites. It's a big gay Christmas gift from your favorite Ferndale theatre that is directed by Dyan Bailey and stars Joe Bailey as Joan Crawford, Richard Payton as The Ghosts, Brandy Joe Plambeck as Christina Crawford, and Kevin Kaminski as Christopher Crawford. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a chance to speak with founders and married couple of The Ringwald Theatre, Joe Bailey and Brandy Joe Plambeck, to discuss the theatre, the show, and campy twists that everyone always expects from The Ringwald - the best part about the interview, BWW Detroit spoke with them each separately, so it was really fun to see where they think alike and differ!

Opening January 4th at The Ringwald Theatre, contemporary comedy Significant Other by Joshua Harmon takes on the stereotypes of the 'gay best friend' and takes aim at the lives of late-twentysomethings in the early 21st century.

Taking a break from the usual SantaLand Diaries performances, this year The Ringwald will stuff your stockings with Merry Christmas to Everyone! (Except Christina), a sort-of Mommie Dearest Christmas!

Opening November 16 at The Ringwald, Bekah Brunstetter's acclaimed comedy-drama The Cake takes a political hot-button and bakes it into something deeply and sweetly personal.

To make a long story short (too late!), Clue-the classic board-game-turned-movie-now turns into a crowd-pleasing on-stage farce at The Ringwald Theatre, from October 5th through November 5th.

This weekend in honor of Matthew Shepard, 20 years after his murder, The Ringwald presents a four-show engagement of The Laramie Project, a landmark play by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. Performances begin Friday, September 14th and run through Monday, September 17th at The Ringwald in Ferndale. The Laramie Project remains an important piece of work in the political climate of 2018 and is an inspiration for director and Ringwald co-founder, Brandy Joe Plambeck, who is also a Wyoming native. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a chance to speak with the director before the show opens this weekend.

In honor of Matthew Shepard, 20 years after his murder, The Ringwald presents a four-show engagement of The Laramie Project, a landmark play by Moises Kaufman and Members of the Tectonic Theater Project. Performances begin Friday, September 14 and run through Monday, September 17.

It's time to do the Time Warp again, as The Rocky Horror Show returns to The Ringwald Theatre this summer for a four week run of cross-dressing, sexual exploration, and science fiction.

Phone rings, door chimes, in comes Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's musical Company, which closes out The Ringwald Theatre's 11th season exactly on the theatre's 11th birthday-May 11. Winner of 6 Tony Awards in 1971, Company also happens to celebrate a birthday. Bobby is 35 and single. His friends are married and nosy. Bobby isn't getting any younger. And his friends won't let him forget it. Many of Sondheim's most celebrated songs (The Ladies Who Lunch, Being Alive, Getting Married Today, Another Hundred People) come from this impressionistic concept musical.

Phone rings, door chimes, in comes Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's musical Company, which closes out The Ringwald Theatre's 11th season exactly on the theatre's 11th birthday-May 11. Winner of 6 Tony Awards in 1971, Company also happens to celebrate a birthday. Bobby is 35 and single. His friends are married and nosy. Bobby isn't getting any younger. And his friends won't let him forget it. Many of Sondheim's most celebrated songs (The Ladies Who Lunch, Being Alive, Getting Married Today, Another Hundred People) come from this impressionistic concept musical.

Planet Ant is set to close out its 2017-18 season with Appropriate by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins April 27 - May 19 at Planet Ant Black Box Theatre. Tickets ($10-$20) are on sale now at www.planetant.com or in person 30 minutes prior to show time at the theatre box office.