[theater]
preview Since it’s October, you know at least one of these plays has to be spooky in the way of ghosts, murder and folk tales. However, there are a few other shows that are scary in their own ways, Fiddler on the Roof. PHOTO BY JOAN MARCUS
examining issues like loneliness, tragedy, and whether you can we have plenty of comedies as well. Take a look at the list below
parts of Legally Blonde — Ann holds nothing back in the portrayal of the legendary Texas governor.
and mark your calendar for some fantastic theater. BY DANA CASADEI
THE WORLD GOES ‘ROUND, Oct. 18-27, $10
really have a “happily ever after.” If you’re looking for some levity,
DOG STORY THEATRE 7 Jefferson Ave., Grand Rapids dogstorytheater.com, (616) 425-9234
SLEEPY HOLLOW, Through Oct. 6, $20 Based on the short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, this play couldn’t be more appropriate for such a spooky season. Brom Bones looks into a series of murders related to the wealthy Baltus Van Tassel while Katrina Van Tassel chooses the love of her life. Plus, the town’s new schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, is full of mysteries, and a seance goes wrong, leading to a ghostly appearance. We haven’t even got to the headless horseman yet. A lot goes down in this play, so you’ll have to see it for yourself.
FARMERS ALLEY THEATRE KALAMAZOO 221 Farmers Alley, Kalamazoo farmersalleytheatre.com, (269) 343-2727
CAMELOT, Oct. 4-27, $34+ Opening the theater’s 12th season is a newly reimagined chamber version of Camelot. Audiences will hang out around the Round Table with Arthur, Guenevere and Lancelot, all while they take on songs like “If Ever I Would Leave You,” “I Loved You Once in Silence,” and the titular number. This production has been pared down for a smaller cast and borrows from the infamous Arthurian legends.
NAKED MOLE RAT GETS DRESSED, Oct. 12-26, $15
GILMORE THEATRE/ WMU THEATRE 1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo wmich.edu/theatre, (269) 387-3227
AMADEUS, Oct. 4-13, $20 It’s Antonio Salieri versus Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Peter Shaffer’s Tony Award-winning play. The former is an established composer who has given himself to God so that he might realize
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his sole ambition: to be a great composer. The latter is a foul-mouthed brat, but even Salieri can admit he’s a genius. Still, that won’t stop Salieri from setting out to destroy the young composer.
URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL, Oct. 25-Nov. 3, $23
GRAND RAPIDS BALLET COMPANY
341 Ellsworth Ave. SW, Grand Rapids grballet.com, (616) 454-4771
FIREBIRD, Oct. 18-20, $26+
ACTORS’ THEATRE, GRAND RAPIDS
160 Fountain St. NE, Grand Rapids actorstheatregrandrapids.org, (616) 234-3946
GLORIA, Oct. 10-19, $24+ MacArthur Genius grant winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins has written an exceptionally dark comedy focused on cutthroat business culture. Based in New York, Gloria follows a group of 20-something editorial assistants who work at one of the big city’s most esteemed cultural magazines. It seems like a normal day until it isn’t, leading the title character to do something pretty horrific. The rest of the play looks at the aftermath of the tragedy, as each character tries to deal with what happened while fighting over who should get a book deal based on the events.
KALAMAZOO CIVIC THEATRE
329 S. Park St., Kalamazoo kazoocivic.com, (269) 343-1313 Matilda the Musical, Sept. 20-Oct. 6, $25
ANN, Oct. 11-20, $10 If you don’t know who Ann Richards was, you’ll find out at this Carver Center Studio Series comedy, appropriately titled Ann. Written by Holland Taylor — the woman who played Evelyn on Two and a Half Men and who was one of the best
| REVUEWM.COM/ARTS | OCTOBER 2019
HOLLAND CIVIC THEATER
50 W. 9th St., Holland hollandcivictheatre.org, (616) 396-2021
Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein find themselves stuck in a shelter. At first, they pretend to be widows before realizing they’re the last people on Earth. Once that realization comes to fruition, they can live openly as quiche-loving lesbians.
BROADWAY GRAND RAPIDS
122 Lyon St. NW, Grand Rapids broadwaygrandrapids.com, (616) 235-6285
OUT OF ORDER, Oct. 3-19 Ray Cooney’s play, with special arrangement by Samuel French, is the sequel to Two into One. As to be expected with a Cooney work, Out of Order is a farce, this time focused around a government junior minister, Richard Willey, who plans to spend the evening with Jane Worthington, one of the opposition’s typists. Naturally, this plan goes catastrophically — and hilariously — wrong.
GRAND RAPIDS CIVIC THEATRE
30 N. Division Ave., Grand Rapids grct.org, (616) 222-6650
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Oct. 8-13, $40+ If Tevye were in fact a rich man, this multiple Tony Award-winning musical probably wouldn’t exist. Taking place in early 1900s Russia, this North American tour — given a fresh take from Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher — watches Tevye deal with his three oldest daughters getting married, each going further and further away from the traditions he holds dear. As if that wasn’t enough for the Jewish milkman, he has to also deal with the growing anti-Jewish sentiment in his country.
CENTRAL PARK PLAYERS
FROZEN JR., Oct. 18-27, $15
421 Columbus Ave., Grand Haven centralparkplayers.org, (616) 843-3906
MUSKEGON CIVIC THEATRE
INTO THE WOODS, Oct. 11-19
425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon muskegoncivictheatre.org, (231) 722-3852
PETER PAN, JR., Oct. 12-13 For the third year, the theater will work with the Penguin Project. The peer mentor program partners a young artist with a disability with an age-level peer who does not have a disability. The peers are also onstage together the entire time in the same costume. This year’s production is the Broadway classic, Peter Pan, Jr.
QUEER THEATRE KALAMAZOO
315 W. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo qtkalamazoo.com, (269) 929-6781
Off to grandmother’s house we go! This James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim musical gives an in-depth look at some of your favorite fairy tale characters’ pursuit of happiness. Can Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack (of the beanstalk), Rapunzel, the Baker, and more find what they’re looking for? And once their wishes do come true, what happens? Can they have their happily ever after? All we can really say is: Be sure not to leave after Act I.
GVSU THEATRE
290 Lake Superior Hall gvsu.edu/theatre, (616) 331-2300
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, Sept. 27-Oct. 6, $16
5 LESBIANS EATING A QUICHE,
NEW VIC THEATRE
Oct. 18-27, $15 Evan Linder and Andrew Hobgood’s short play takes place during the aftermath of an atomic explosion, when the women of The Susan B.
DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE, Oct. 11-Nov. 2, $25
134 E. Vine St., Kalamazoo, thenewvictheatre.org, (269) 381-3328