Wow! You, your cast and crew, outdid yourselves this time! From appetizers to curtain call, it was GREAT! Thanks for your great efforts and continued entertainment. Can hardly wait till the May show!
Wow! You, your cast and crew, outdid yourselves this time! From appetizers to curtain call, it was GREAT! Thanks for your great efforts and continued entertainment. Can hardly wait till the May show! CityPulse, 03-12-2014 ‘Butterflies’ affects By PAUL WOZNIAK Timeless themes keep period piece fresh with Starlight romance When community theaters stage 40-yearold plays, the results can be as stale as a forgotten bag of chips. But Starlight Dinner Theatre’s production of “Butterflies Are Free” feels fresh, lively and contemporary. Unlike Starlight’s standard lineup of broad farces, this polished revival of Leonard Gershe’s 1969 script draws its abundant laughs from the intimate pain of reality. Jeffrey Kennedy plays Don Baker, a blind aspiring musician with an overprotective mother (Terry Minor). Don has recently moved out of his childhood home where he instantly clicks with his neighbor, Jill Tanner (Amelia Rogocka), recently divorced and extremely spontaneous. After Jill and Don’s encounter turns romantic, Don must navigate around unrealistic expectations and heartbreak. Gershe’s script spends considerable time poking holes into the stereotypes and misconceptions of blindness. Jill has never met a blind person before Don, and remarks he seems “so adjusted.” “As long as you don’t move anything, I’m as good as anyone else,” Don retorts. The marvel of their banter is its universality. As Don’s character frequently reminds Jill, and later his mother, his lack of vision does not make him an alien — just a normal person without sight. As a sighted actor, Kennedy is especially convincing in his role. There’s no need for indoor sunglasses or trademark gestures; Kennedy simply plays Don as a nice, tidy guy with a searing sense of humor. Similarly, Rogocka avoids any ridiculous accents or attempts to “play a hippie” in 1969; she brings Jill to life by simply embracing the world of an impulsive, sheltered 19-yearold. Their combined chemistry simmers beautifully throughout. Minor does excellent work as Mrs. Baker, laying down blistering commentaries on Don’s apartment and lifestyle. (“Perhaps it’s a blessing you can’t see what you’re living in,” she sneers.) In Act II, Minor gently transitions from a rude and judgmental disciplinarian to a mother who cares deeply for her only child. Finally, Adam Pruden kills in his walk-on role. As Jill’s latest lover Ralph Austin, Pruden exudes conceited cockiness with swagger and a checkered suit. It’s a small role, however Pruden leaves a big impression. Considerable credit should clearly go to director Linda M. Granger and assistant director Angela Dill for the strong acting, smooth scene transitions and coordination of all technical elements of the production. It is impossible, however, to overstate the value and selection of a good script. In this case, Granger and her company give “Butterflies” flight with great preparation and care. “Butterflies are Free” Starlight Dinner Theatre 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 14-15 (6:30 p.m. dinner) Waverly East Cafetorium, 3131 W. Michigan Ave., Lansing. Dinner reservations required 48 hours in advance. Show and dinner: $33/$28 seniors and students/$20 children 12 and under. Show only: $15/$10 seniors, students and children. (517) 243-6040, starlightdinnertheatre.com We thought “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” was darling. The back stage crew moved around swiftly with sooooo many bodies on stage. Outstanding job of redecorating with every scene. It was a charming play. We had such nice NEW table mates. It was their first experience and we told them you have a beautiful evening every time. Sure glad you had full houses, it must be rewarding to see your baby just get better and better each year. Have a good winter and thank you again for pleasing us with such touching and humorous productions. Connie and Gordon CityPulse, 10-16-2013 ‘Crazy’ in love By PAUL WOZNIAK Starlight keeps audiences in stitches with original comedy vignettes When the moon hits your eye/ Like a big pizza pie/ That’s amore. / When the humor is broad/ but the Review pace tends to plod / That’s a-“Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” The world premiere of Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten’s joint script feels custom written for the Starlight Dinner Theatre stage. The show is a series of situational comedy sketches — generously, straightforwardly written —set under a particularly romantic moon. Although Friday night’s debut struggled to maintain a steady pace by the second act, the generally uproarious audience response certified the script as comedic gold. The strength of the script is its structure; five mini-scenes instead of one feature length narrative. Each scene’s premise ranges from silly to preposterous, but the abbreviated length of each segment allows the writers to resolve each scenario naturally without burdensome complications. In the first scene, a news anchor expresses her desire for her co-anchor — on camera. Scene two follows a philandering used car salesman confronted by all three of his mistresses at the same time. From there the action jet sets to New York City, then to London and finally to a hotel room in Honolulu. Generally, the Starlight cast tends to ham up the jokes, telegraphing punchlines to the audience without regard to sincerity or character — an acting style the audience agreed to. But actors Michael Hays, Rick Dethlefsen, and Angela Dill ground their performances in the real world and bring their characters and the script closer to its full comedic potential. Some of the show’s best moments are the sight gags. Jane Zussman supplies one of the best examples during the London rooftop scene as an old and hobbling waitress attempting to fulfill a patron’s request for live music. Her instrument choices are top-heavy to say the least. Fortunately for the cast, the dialogue is extremely light if somewhat familiar. Jokes like how to tell if a man is lying (“His lips are moving”). are hardly original, but Jones, Hope and Wooten somehow keep their script sounding fresh. That freshness transfers through the cast who appear to be having a ball. On July 2, 2013, The Lansing State Journal awarded Thespies to Winifred Olds (posthumously) and Linda Granger for their performances in Steel Magnolias. Props and Set Dressing was also awarded to Mary Pomeroy and Diane Erley (posthumously) for Steel Magnolias. Laura Croff Wheaton was awarded for her portrayal of Fairy May in The Curious Savage.
By DANA CASADEI
Published in the City Pulse, May 15th, 2013 Golf farce crushes the comedy with solid writing, acting Playwright Ken Ludwig's Review comedy "The Fox on the Fairway" ends Starlight Dinner Theatre’s season on a hilarious note. Directed by Linda Granger, the show takes place over a weekend at the Quail golf tournament as the home team goes up against the Crouching Squirrel Golf Club. Club presidents Henry Bingham (Chris Klaver) and Dickie Bell (Ron McNeill) make a wager before the tournament, and then the real fun begins. What follows is the pressure of winning for the recently hired Justin Hicks (Jeff Kennedy, who has an easy charm and a warm smile) and lovers' quarrels between both the newly engaged Hicks and Louise Heindbedder (Rachel Mender) and the long-married Bingham and his wife, Muriel (Diana Lett). The duo of Henry Bingham and Pamela Peabody (Charlotte Ruppert) is the one to watch for. As individuals, Klaver and Ruppert bring their A-games, but as a couple they only heighten each other’s comedic skill set. Each also plays well to the script’s more extravagant moments, such as when they both get drunk and then, later, when another character experiences "hysterical blindness." Shining moments, both. Ludwig's script obviously has moments created for large physical comedy and huge exaggeration, but this production doesn't play it as loudly, or boldly, as it could have been. Paul Sisson's fantastic set takes viewers inside the country club. The show calls for a lot of entrances and dramatic leavings, so having four ways for the actors to leave quickly was a smart choice. by Dana Casadei Published in Lansing Online News In the middle of Act Two, Florence (Laura Potter) looks at her fellow cast mates and tells them that dents give antiques character. Much like antiques the characters in John Patrick’s “The Curious Savage” all have dents of their own, with the cast proving the more dents the more fun to watch.
The two-hour show, directed by Harlow Claggett, takes viewers into the world of “The Cloisters,” which is basically a loony bin in Massachusetts. Sorry there isn’t a nice way to say “crazy home.” While the five residents we are introduced to are in their “final stages of treatment,” Mrs. Ethel Savage (Eve Davidson) is just beginning hers, all thanks to her greedy stepchildren. After her husband’s death, where she gained a large amount of money, she had hopes of starting a foundation in his honor, and getting to live out some of her dreams. Her stepchildren didn’t take lightly to that, which is how she ends up at a “sanitarium.” Beat you wish your kids were this awesome. Ethel’s stepchildren are a stark contrast to her new friends and fellow residents. There’s Florence, Jeffrey (Greg Pratt), Mrs. Paddy (Jan Ross), Hannibal (Dave Sincox in an extremely warm and comforting role) and my favorite, Fairy May (Laura Croff Wheaton), but more on her in a minute. As eccentric as these five are they help Ethel in their own unique ways, and she does the same for this group of misfits. What plays out is a show that has a few surprising twist and turns, and one that earned a standing ovation. Davidson plays Ethel with likeability, and more depth, than expected. She’s sassy and witty, but has a heart of gold, especially in regard to her newest housemates. Davidson is simply a treat to watch. Now on to Wheaton. Within the first five minutes it’s made obvious why she was cast as Fairy May. She’s by far the most eccentric of the group, and that’s a compliment in every sense of the term. Wheaton has the movements of an antsy toddler, with her arms constantly moving around as she speaks and most of her stories are told with the excitement of a child. Giving credit to Patrick’s script Fairy May also gets some of the best zingers of the evening, all delivered by Wheaton with as much gusto and amusement as the last. A few personal favorites, “Ahhhhh, a queen of spades. Someone’s going to dieeeee,” and “This is so exciting. I wish we could open a door and have a body fail out.” Linda Granger and Nancy Sisson’s costumes are a phenomenal touch, as is Paul Sisson’s set design. Both do great things for the show and the characters, with all the little details being an added bonus. A curiosity, indeed, is Ethel Savage, a wealthy widow who wants to donate her late husband’s millions to charity rather than to her three cranky, selfish, ne’er-dowell adult stepchildren. “The Curious Savage” is a perfect fit for the elder madams of the Red Hat Society and the rest of the senior ilk that is Starlight Theatre’s target audience. First performed in 1950, John Patrick’s play takes place at The Cloisters, a bucolic sanitarium in the country. It is a home where traumatized, emotionally ill adults from families of means are sent to recover in the midst of the healing powers of nature. Ethel is anything but insane, placed there as punishment for hiding the family fortune. This play draws upon the history of exaggerative vaudevillian humor to establish itself early on as a comic farce. Director Harlow Claggett has assembled a cast whose distinctive acting styles add up an entourage of endearing nutcase bozos. This is a seasoned ensemble cast, with veteran Eve Davidson bringing gravitas as Ethel in the calm center of the vortex. The rest of the patients, however, are a baffled and bewildered mix of merry maniacs, a babbling band of batty bumpkins, led by Fairy May (Laura Croff Wheaton), an ingénue with conversational non sequitur gambits. Wheaton flits and frets her way across stage, evoking many laughs. She is joined in comic intensity by a disheveled Jan Ross as the perpetually hostile Mrs. Paddy, who compiles and recites ever-expanding lists of all that she hates. Both of these actors are at the top of their games and steal the stage at times. The three other residents, in considerably more minor roles, provide these delightful divas with straight lines galore. Laura Potter plays Florence, who carries around a doll version of a lost 5-year-old and is poignantly touching. Dave Sincox, meanwhile, portrays Hannibal, a nerdy, delusional statistician, and Greg Pratt plays Jeffrey, whose imaginary facial scars leave him unable to return to his previous brilliance as a concert pianist. Ethel’s stepchildren also contribute much buffoonery. Colleen Patton leads the pack in this trio, displaying a snooty serious- ness that makes her character, Lilly Belle, all the funnier. Adam Bright is the not-very-bright U.S. senator named Titus, and his brother Samuel is a Freudian-looking, stuffy old judge. Rounding out the cast are Dan Pappas as the doctor-in-residence and Sarah Hauck as his most important nurse assistant, both of whom are bit loony-tunes themselves. This play is not a darkly deep existential drama that you will be discussing all the way home, and yet the idea of someone wealthy giving away money to charity for sheer delight is curiously attractive. “The Curious Savage”
Starlight Dinner Theatre Through March 16 Waverly East Intermediate School 3131 W. Michigan Ave. Lansing Fridays and Saturdays: dinner 6:30 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. Dinner & show: $33 general/$28 seniors, students/$20 children Show only: $15 general/ $10 children (517) 243-6040 starlightdinnertheatre.com By Mary C Cusak for the Lansing City Pulse Published October 24, 2012 Starlight Dinner Theatre founder Linda Granger must have had nerves of steel to not only stage a community theater production of “Steel Magnolias,” but direct and star in it as well. And, thanks to some quality acting, it’s a challenge that paid off. The exposition-heavy story takes place entirely in a small-town Louisiana beauty shop. It begins with preparations for wedding and, 31 months later, ends with preparations for a funeral. In between, the ladies of Truvy’s (Granger) beauty shop deal with all manner of life issues. The acting styles of the cast members don’t always mesh perfectly, yet each performer had her strengths. Granger, who played Truvy eight years ago, is completely comfortable in her role. She is every bit the sweet and funny stylist with whom one can while away an afternoon. Marci Balogh is outstanding as Shelby Eatonton Latcherie, beginning the story as a self-absorbed, pampered bride and transforming into a completely selfless mother. Her chemistry with the rest of the cast is so solid that one would never guess that she wasn’t there from day one of rehearsals. The real surprise is Tina Brenner as Shelby’s mother M’Lynn. Brenner’s performance is low-key throughout most of the play, but when she finally has her breakthrough breakdown, it is so unexpected and emotionally raw that it leaves the audience stunned. While the piece is undeniably the stage version of a chick flick, the “other half” will be engaged nonetheless. After all, the setting of a beauty shop as a haven where women can speak freely is no different than the barbershop where men do the same. To believe that men don’t talk about family, life and loss is naïve and sells them short. “Steel Magnolias” Oct. 19- 27 Waverly East Intermediate School 3131 W. Michigan Ave. Lansing Fridays and Saturdays: dinner 6:30 p.m., show 7:30 p.m. Dinner & show: $33 general/$28 seniors,students/$20 children Show only: $15 general/ $10 children (517)-243-6040 starlightdinnertheatre.com Posted by Jim Fordyce
"Friday night we went to see A Murder Is Announced at the Starlight Dinner Theater. This show was marvelous. The cast was great and included Winfred Olds as Miss Marple. She is Mid Michigan’s version of Helen Hayes and Angela Lansbury all rolled into one lady who we all love." |
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