By Daniel Skora From the Hip side: It’s exciting, enormously entertaining, and what Rolling Stone calls “The Best Rock Musical Ever”. It’s funny and heartbreaking, relevant and inclusive, provocative and ahead of its time. It won 4 Tony Awards in 2014, including Best Musical Revival. It’s “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and it’s playing now … More “Hedwig”, From Both Sides of the Aisle
By Daniel Skora The latest classic to get the Slipstream Initiative Theatre makeover is Robert Louis Stevenson’s “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde”. The revamped version is called “Dr. Heidi Jekyll”, and though the play still deals with the transformation of its title character from a good, decent (wo)man to a self-centered, … More Slipstream’s “Dr. Heidi Jekyll” Remakes a Classic
By Daniel Skora If you’re not already a jazz fan, you can’t help but have some of Frank Boyd’s enthusiasm for the music rub off on you. Boyd is creator and writer of his one-man show “The Holler Sessions”, currently being presented by Detroit Public Theatre. Boyd plays Ray, a disc jockey working out of … More No Hoots But Lots of “Holler” at DPT
By Daniel Skora It’s safe to say that Christian Rock has never been blessed with a musical group as unconventional as the Altar Boyz. Irreverent, brazen, and streetwise, the Boyz put a face to Christianity that you won’t see in church. They’re doing the final concert of their Raise the Praise Tour right here in … More “Altar Boyz” Rocks the Masses at Meadow Brook
By Daniel Skora “There are two kinds of people”, says Corie Bratter as she lectures her husband Paul during the first big argument of their barely one week old marriage. “There are doers and there are watchers…” she declares, “…and I’m a doer and you’re a watcher”. And something Corie is capable of doing that … More Going “Barefoot in the Park” an Issue at The Dio
By Daniel Skora It’s George Bernard Shaw to whom the sentiment “It’s a shame that youth is wasted on the young” is usually attributed. Had Mr. Shaw given his creative juices free rein the day he wrote that little gem, he could very easily have followed it up with this: “It’s a shame that riches … More Two Sisters Have Dramatic Reunion at Williamston
By Daniel Skora There’s a lot going on in Lanford Wilson’s “Lemon Sky”, the current presentation of The Puzzle Piece Theatre. Partly autobiographical, the play’s main character Alan (Jeffrey Miller) leaves his home in Nebraska as a seventeen year old for the Promised Land of California. Wilson did the same in 1956, heading for San … More “Lemon Sky” at Puzzle Piece Reflects Soured Relationships
By Daniel Skora “Noises Off” is a phrase used to describe those sounds that are made offstage during a theatrical play that are part of the performance and meant to be heard by the audience. It’s also the title of the hilariously funny comedy that’s currently playing at The Encore Musical Theatre. “Noises Off!” is … More “Noises off!” Become Noises On at Encore Musical
By Daniel Skora Disney’s “The Lion King” is back in town for a return engagement at the Detroit Opera House. The original production opened on Broadway in 1997 and won 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical. It’s currently still in production and is the third longest running show on Broadway right behind “Chicago” and “The … More “Lion King” roars again at Detroit Opera House
By Daniel Skora There were many journeys – physical, spiritual, temporal, and mystical – that T.S. Elliot had in mind when he wrote these words for his famous poem “Four Quartets” : And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first … More Laundry, Sexy and Otherwise, Gets Aired at Tipping Point
