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The theater was updated with new carpeting and paint in 2017, but retains its historic character. Next up, running one weekend from March 4-6, will be a production for young audiences titled “Mr. Popper’s Penguins.” Based on the classic children’s book of the same name, it’s the story of a struggling house painter named Mr. Popper who unexpectedly finds himself raising a family of hungry penguins. He has no idea how to make ends meet with so many extra mouths to feed until he hits on the idea of training the penguins to put on a traveling vaudeville act. On the other hand, “Miracle on 34th Street” also has really lovely ballads like “Love, Come Take Me Again” and plenty of fun tunes and production numbers, including a version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade and having toys come to life in Macy’s toy department.
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And the Croswell’s version would be well worth it for that music alone, because these particular performers do such a magnificent job with it. But above and beyond that, this production is so high-energy, and so well crafted, and so much fun, and all that only adds to the mix. There’s a little sexual innuendo, but more to the point there is a LOT of strong language, most especially one particular word or a variation thereof.
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Personally, I find Act II to be somewhat undeveloped plot-wise compared to Act I, but there are still plenty of nice moments in it, and of course lots of great music too all the way up to the raise-the-roof finale (which comes complete with audience participation). “Beautiful,” whose book was written by Douglas McGrath, is stuffed full of more than two dozen hits of the era, but in a somewhat different twist for a musical of this type, not all of the music is King’s. Obviously, it requires lead actors who have the vocal chops to sing that tight Four Seasons harmony, and a guy in the role of Frankie Valli who can handle all that falsetto, do it excellently, and not wreck his voice in the process. And for all those folks who’ve been waiting for the Croswell Opera House to finally be able to stage this musical, well, the wait is over and the results are something really special.
The Croswell's 2023 Broadway Season
Broadway Grand Rapids has announced $30 Student/Educator Rush tickets for all performances of To Kill A Mockingbird. We take pride in staging professional-caliber productions in a comfortable community theater setting. The high quality of our productions allows us to draw patrons from around southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio. Walt Disney Concert Hall -- Self parking $10Entrances are available on both 2nd Street and Lower Grand Ave.
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
“Beautiful” may exist for its music, but there’s plenty of humor underpinning it too. The story begins with a brief scene from King’s 1971 Carnegie Hall concert and returns to that performance at the end of the show, not only bringing things full circle but also allowing for a key character to return to King’s life in a gently sweet way. Scenic designer Doug Miller does his usual masterful work at bringing the show’s rather industrial-looking set to this production, and the cast makes great use of that set. In existence since 1866, the Croswell Opera House is the oldest theater in Michigan and one of the oldest continuously operating theaters in the United States.
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Crosby Slupe’s and Marty Flake’s scenic design is relatively minimalist where many Croswell shows are concerned, but it fits its purpose both in terms of setting each scene and in keeping the production’s overall pace going. This is of course a major role for any youngster, and Brazzil carries it off with absolute poise. She brings a kind of wide-eyed wonder to her version of Susan, and she’s just so solid and so delightful in this role. But on both counts, composer and writer Meredith Willson — best known for “The Music Man” — did pretty well. ” One of Davis’ other roles is as Little Eva, and her version of “The Locomotion” is another crowd-pleaser. And then there’s Katelyn Lesle Levering, who from both an acting standpoint and a vocal one is flawless as Cynthia Weil.
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All the sensational vocal work is complemented by a fine group of musicians under Novak’s direction. In this production, the orchestra is tucked away behind the set instead of being down in the pit, and in a nice touch they get to come out of their hiding space during the final bows so they can get their entirely deserved round of applause. The Croswell Opera House is Michigan's oldest theatre and one of the oldest in the country. The Croswell, one of the country's premier community theatres, offers the best available talent in live theatre, children's theatre and special events including fine art exhibits in their art gallery. The physical appearance of the Croswell changed several times over the course of the 19th century.
“Miracle on 34th Street” the original movie has a well-deserved place in the pantheon of Christmas classics. The musical version, overall, while yes it can be a bit overstuffed, still does a nice job of capturing the story’s magic and all those warm holiday fuzzies. And the Croswell’s production of it is a heartwarming, nostalgic show that’s a perfect way for the whole family to begin the Christmas season. Costumer Pam Krage does a fine job of outfitting the cast in a nice vintage look. The musical is set in the movie’s 1947 time frame, which gives it all the nostalgic feel of a simpler age. And the Croswell’s production, co-directed by Stephen Kiersey and John MacNaughton, does a nice job of re-creating that old-time feel.
Middle school life plays out on Croswell Opera House stage in 'Putnam County Spelling Bee' - The Daily Telegram
Middle school life plays out on Croswell Opera House stage in 'Putnam County Spelling Bee'.
Posted: Fri, 26 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Mark Hyre reprises his role as Kris from the last time the Croswell produced the show (10 years ago), and he’s even better this time than he was then. Spot-on in his portrayal of the man who just might really be Santa, he gives the character an appealing warmth and even a joyfulness that makes Kris’ relationship with Susan especially charming. As for the other major characters, superb performances also come from Chris Stack as Don Kirshner (and, briefly, as one of two perfectly deadpan Righteous Brothers, alongside Jared Freeman) and Lydia Schafer as King’s mother Genie Klein. Goffin was a huge talent as a lyricist, as all the hits he created with King proves, but he had plenty of struggles and flaws too, and Kiss ably captures that complicated nature. He has to move between Goffin the phenomenal lyricist, Goffin the philanderer, and Goffin struggling with his mental health, and he does it all deftly and with all the vocal abilities Croswell audiences have come to know he can bring to bear.
Perhaps mobsters, petty criminals, and working-class people in general in 1960s New Jersey really did talk like that. But no matter what, it seems to fit, and especially when it’s done in that thick Jersey accent, sometimes it’s actually pretty funny in context. The show is roughly two and a half hours long not counting intermission, but it doesn’t seem nearly that long because the whole thing just crackles with energy the entire time.
Croswell Opera House to Stage “The Little Mermaid” - WLEN-FM
Croswell Opera House to Stage “The Little Mermaid”.
Posted: Tue, 14 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
She not only sparkles in the role, playing Weil with warmth and spunk, but she’s also a tremendous foil to Sam Ramirez as Barry Mann. Ramirez himself does a great job, besides giving Mann a certain hangdog nature that’s really pretty funny, and he and Levering play off each other to a T. The Croswell’s production, directed and choreographed by Debra Ross Calabrese, is a fine rendition of the show, with terrific performances throughout the cast list and from the first song to the last. After all, King was partly or completely responsible for a whole string of hit tunes as a composer and, later, as a singer.
The stage version of the much-loved 1947 film broadens some of the characters’ roles and expands the various relationships more, especially that of little Susan Walker and Kris Kringle, the man who claims to be Santa Claus. And Willson’s songs, while I can’t say they stick in your head like some of his work for “The Music Man” does, generally fit within the context of the story. Most years for a long time now, one of the things that has helped kick off the holiday season in Adrian is that the Croswell Opera House stages a family-oriented musical, whether specifically about Christmas or not. The production’s technical elements came together well on opening night, with Karl Kasischke’s projection design lending a nice touch to the visuals, and the orchestra under Josh Glover’s direction did a fine job with all the iconic music this show contains. All of those tunes are in “Beautiful” as well, because a big part of King’s story is the friendly rivalry she and her partner/husband Gerry Goffin were in with Weil and Mann. The two pairs of songwriters competed to see who could create the next hit tune and which megastar(s) of the era would record it, and it’s fun to watch how that rivalry plays out.
Vocally, they can channel their real-life counterparts like nobody’s business, and they’re equally fine at the emotional range (and occasional comic moments) required of these roles. All that great music forms the basis of the jukebox musical “Jersey Boys,” which tells the story of The Four Seasons’ birth and the group’s up-and-down career path, along with a relatively unvarnished look at their often-rocky interpersonal relationships. Some of the show’s songs serve specifically to advance the story, while others re-create performances of one sort or another. In existence since 1866, the historic Croswell Opera House is the oldest theater in Michigan and one of the oldest continuously operating theaters in the United States.
In addition to hosting many Croswell events and being open before and after every show, it is also available for private functions. As we embark on our 18th season, our commitment to bringing a diverse array of performances to the stage remains unwavering. From the revered classics of opera to the vibrant energy of Broadway, our productions are a blend of traditional artistry and modern sensibilities. We strive to bring you a season where each performance in the heart of the San Fernando Valley is an unforgettable experience, creating lasting memories for our audience. It all adds up to a first-rate rendition of this uplifting, heartfelt and funny tribute to one of pop music’s true trailblazers.
And for a lot of people around today, music like hers formed the soundtrack of their early lives. Wiley provided some of the choreography (Audrie Hafner is credited as the main choreographer) and worked with the cast to make all the show’s most iconic moments really pop, and you can see the results of his efforts all over the Croswell stage. Director Mark DiPietro, vocal director Michael Yuen, and conductor Ray Novak can be justifiably proud of their work on this show and of the tremendous effort put forth by the cast. So can Shonn Wiley, who as a longtime member of the Chicago cast of “Jersey Boys” knows the show like few other people do. Besides that, they’re onstage basically throughout the whole show, making the production a real tour de force not only vocally, but also in the sheer stamina it all takes.
Ticket holders parking a vehicle are encouraged to arrive at least 45 minutes before curtain. Parking is available in The Music Center Garage and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The Music Center garage entrance is located off Grand Ave between Temple Street and 1st Street, across from Grand Park.
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