West Michigan's Arts & Entertainment Guide
Review: 'The Great Leap' is a Brilliant Play Exploring History Through Sports
Written by Marin Heinritz | Monday, 30 January 2023 11:32 |The conceit of Lauren Yee’s 2018 play The Great Leap, currently in production at Farmers Alley Theatre in Kalamazoo, is brilliant. Part fiction, part global history, part autobiography, it speaks to uniquely immigrant experiences through four characters and an imagined set of circumstances amid a very real, vivid historic moment.
Review: 'The Book of Mormon' at Miller Auditorium is Huge and Hilarious
Written by Marin Heinritz | Saturday, 28 January 2023 07:41 |A community of Ugandans giving God the middle finger in a most exuberant and tuneful way in response to the poverty and AIDS that has befallen them is but one of many surprisingly delightful numbers in the musical The Book of Mormon.
Review: Talent and Joy Abound in 'Once On This Island'
Written by John Kissane | Monday, 23 January 2023 12:28 |Anyone reading Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid” after watching the Disney film will find much that’s familiar. Its title character, who lives with her father and sisters, dreams of the world above her watery home.
Review: 'Six' is a Boldly Dazzling Musical for Today
Written by Marin Heinritz | Wednesday, 11 January 2023 14:26 |From all accounts, the six wives of King Henry VIII did not have a good time of it. Divorced, betrayed, beheaded, otherwise dead are just the headlines of their famous victimization. Or, as the rhyme that British school children learn to help them remember the fate of each wife goes: “Divorced, Beheaded, Died: Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.”
The Book of Mormon: Don't Judge By Its Cover
Written by John Kissane | Monday, 09 January 2023 11:10 |Eleven years after its release, The Book of Mormon still seems more likely to have been a fever dream than something that really happened.
Review: Hope and Joy Abound in 'It's A Wonderful Life: The Radio Play'
Written by Marin Heinritz | Wednesday, 21 December 2022 14:18 |With a story as beloved as that of George Bailey, it could be dicey to present in any other way than Frank Capra’s classic 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Review: Barn Theatre's Christmas Cabaret Overflows with Charm and Cheer
Written by Marin Heinritz | Monday, 12 December 2022 16:42 |Most of us enjoy time-honored holiday traditions, and for many of us, it simply isn’t Christmas until The Barn Theatre School welcomes us to their annual Christmas Cabaret.
Review: 'Mary Poppins' is Full of Magic and Joy
Written by John Kissane | Wednesday, 30 November 2022 10:49 |Mary Poppins is one of the most iconic characters in children’s literature, having been lifted into fame by the sturdy umbrella of P.L. Travers’ 1934 novel and, thirty years later, by the Disney movie.
Filling Seats: Local Theaters' Fight to Bounce Back
Written by Marin Heinritz | Monday, 28 November 2022 10:16 |“The show must go on,” the saying goes, and despite nearly three years navigating the twists and turns of an unpredictable, disruptive pandemic, Southwest Michigan’s dedicated local theatre professionals have proven it to be true.
Review: Joy, Merriment and Family at 'A Swinging Christmas'
Written by Marin Heinritz | Tuesday, 22 November 2022 15:53 |The legendary American pop and jazz singer Tony Bennett’s shimmering career has spanned 8 decades, producing 61 studio albums, 11 live albums, 33 compilation albums, and 83 singles; selling more than 50 million records worldwide; and winning 20 Grammy Awards as well as the love and admiration of legions of fellow artists, friends, and fans.
