Laura Croff, Best Supporting Actress (was it Supporting?)  for her portrayal of three characters in “What is Susan’s Secret”.
 
Philip Benedict, Linda Granger, Sherin Grossi and Cathy Wotring for the oversized Props in “Garage Sale”
 
Paula Sheynerman, Best Lead Actress in a Musical for Guenevere in Camelot.

CityPulse, 10-22-2014 » Page 12
Comic con
By PAUL WOZNIAK

Starlight opens its season with comical farce
Suspension of disbelief is critical to the comedy genre, where plot and the rules of reality are often discarded in service of a joke. That’s especially true Review for Starlight Dinner Theatre’s latest production, “What Is
Susan’s Secret,” an “American farce” by Michael and Susan Parker riddled with plot holes and inconsistencies that boggle the mind. What the script lacks in a coherent story, however, it makes up for with the series of eccentric characters that the cast playfully brings to life.
The story begins with elderly innkeepers Susan (Beth Webb) and Michael (Chris Klaver), co-owners of the Cider Mill Inn who offer a too-good-to-be-true discount to licensed professionals such as plumbers and electricians. Little do the guests know that the sign-in form is actually a finely printed “service contract” binding them into a full day’s labor. Forget where you think this is going. There’s no reverse con hatched by the guests (a la “Ocean’s Eleven”) or anything else to match the stakes of criminal extortion. From here, the focus is on farcical jokes supplied by a range of idiosyncratic guests and the relative sanity/senility of the innkeepers themselves.


“What Is Susan’s Secret?”
Starlight Dinner Theatre 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24-Saturday, Oct. 25 (6:30 p.m. dinner); 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 26 (1:30 p.m. dessert matinee) Waverly East Cafetorium 3131 W. Michigan Ave., Lansing Show and dinner: $36/$33 seniors and students/$20 children 12 and under; show and dessert: $20/ $13 children 12 and under; show only: $15/$10 seniors, students and children (517) 243-6040, starlightdinnertheatre.com


Klaver is especially committed as the severely senile Michael, acting out elaborate daydreams like a geriatric Walter Mitty. Susan keeps the audience abreast as Michael mentally moves from warzones to fictional characters like Sherlock Holmes within the span of a sentence. The lengthy list of costume and prop designers deserve kudos for their clever contraptions like a palace guard hat made from a duster wand taped to a bucket.
But the real treats are the three unique characters created by Linda Granger, Michael Mahoney, Laura Croff Wheaton and M.D. Nelson for each scene or act. The four actors give their best performances in the scenes directly before and after intermission. Their characters include the world’s most boring man (played by Nelson), a former army drill sergeant (Granger), a chopper-riding pacifist preacher (Mahoney), a dry witted drunk (Croff Wheaton). Well choreographed antics drive the show along.
The biggest hurdle opening night was timing, as some actors failed to keep the show’s quick pace going. Frequent flubs definitely took their toll on the audience. But the performance never dragged to a halt, thanks in part to director Lisa Sodman Elzinga. Even during the show’s jarring shifts in plot or tone (such as the twist resolution which veers sharply sentimental), Elizinga and the cast somehow make this absurd production feel purposeful and cohesive.
 

Nunsense garnered nominations for:

• Best Director for Susan Derosa
  
• Best Musical Direction for James Geer 
  
• Best Choreography for Fran Norton
  

Nunsense audience attendance numbers were the all-time high since Starlight opened, playing to a total of 968 people in 4 performances.

Jane Zussman received a Best Character Actress award for her performance of two characters in the world premiere of “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” – the hot-to-trot paramedic in the New York scene and the over-worked, elderly, sousaphone carrying waitress in the London scene. 

Director Linda Granger was recognized with a Best Set Dressing Award for Butterflies Are Free.

We thoroughly enjoyed the show and the guests at our table.  We thought the singing was so awesome and professional.  

Julie

To All--Bravo, Bravo---That was one fantastic and funny musical production you all put on last Sat. night of "Nunsense."  We all laughed so hard and enjoyed ourselves so much at that show. "Thank you all!" Everyone in the cast did a top-notch job. The meal was great too. They have the best Desserts. Thanks again to you all and we look forward to the next show in the Fall.  Have a great Summer.     

Sincerely,  Don & Doris

CityPulse, 05-14-2014 Sisters act
By TOM HELMA

Starlight’s ‘Nunsense’ musical gets surreal The sisters in Starlight Dinner Theatre’s “Nunsense: The Mega Musical” are a far cry from the stiff-upper-lipped guardians of one’s soul in traditional depictions.

This enthusiastic ensemble has reasonably good singing voices — and in the case of Sister Robert Ann, played by Amanda Dill, serious comedic acting chops as well.

What paltry plot there is borders on bizarre: 48 of a convent’s 52 nuns die suddenly of accidental food poisoning, and four of their bodies have been frozen in the food locker until time might provide a proper burial. “Nunsense” takes the idea of strange plots for a musical to a new level of surrealism.

The play moves along briskly, through an array of musical numbers in which various sisters get to shine, singing in solos and duets. Beth Webb as Reverend Mother Mary Regina belts out a semi-drunken show-stopping number ending Act I. Jane Zussman’s loopy Sister Julia Child-of- God shtick, in which she channels the original Julia Child, got much audience applause. A quartet consisting of three brothers and a priest add a finely tuned barbershop harmony to the mix. Kudos to Marty Underhill, Charlie Martin, Dan Templin and Mike Barger for these melodic contributions.

There is audience participation here as well, with nuns interacting in character as they wandered through the spectators before the play and at intermission. This works well. Corny Catholic jokes cracked up the crowd. There are several sets of stand-up vaudevillian jokes, straight lines that invite pathetically pun-like punch lines that invite begrudging groans and the amused shaking of heads. Saturday night there was a sell-out crowd of close to 300 people, many of whom gave the performers a standing ovation.

“Nunsense” is a gentle play. It appeals to our sense of naivety and yet also reminds us that underneath the habits, nuns are real people, women who care, who give their entire lives to the service of others. It’s a nonsensical nod to nostalgia, designed not to offend but merely to amuse.  

CityPulse, 05-14-2014 » Page 17
Sisters act
By TOM HELMA

Starlight’s ‘Nunsense’ musical gets surreal
The sisters in Starlight Dinner Theatre’s “Nunsense: The Mega Musical” are a far cry from the stiff-upper-lipped guardians of one’s soul in traditional depictions.
This enthusiastic ensemble has reasonably good singing voices — and in the case of Sister Robert Ann, played by Amanda Dill, serious comedic acting chops as well.
What paltry plot there is borders on bizarre: 48 of a convent’s 52 nuns die suddenly of accidental food poisoning, and four of their bodies have been frozen in the food locker until time might provide a proper burial. “Nunsense” takes the idea of strange plots for a musical to a new level of surrealism.


“Nunsense: The Mega Musical”
Starlight Dinner Theatre 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 16-17 (6:30 p.m. dinner) Waverly East Cafetorium, 3131 W. Michigan Ave., Lansing. Show and dinner: $33/$28 seniors and students/$20 children 12 and under. Show only: $15/$10 seniors, students and children.
(Dinner reservations required 48 hours in advance.)
(517) 243-6040, starlightdinnertheatre.com


The play moves along briskly, through an array of musical numbers in which various sisters get to shine, singing in solos and duets. Beth Webb as Reverend Mother Mary Regina belts out a semi-drunken show-stopping number ending Act I. Jane Zussman’s loopy Sister Julia Child-of- God shtick, in which she channels the original Julia Child, got much audience applause. A quartet consisting of three brothers and a priest add a finely tuned barbershop harmony to the mix. Kudos to Marty Underhill, Charlie Martin, Dan Templin and Mike Barger for these melodic contributions.
There is audience participation here as well, with nuns interacting in character as they wandered through the spectators before the play and at intermission. This works well. Corny Catholic jokes cracked up the crowd. There are several sets of stand-up vaudevillian jokes, straight lines that invite pathetically pun-like punch lines that invite begrudging groans and the amused shaking of heads. Saturday night there was a sell-out crowd of close to 300 people, many of whom gave the performers a standing ovation.
“Nunsense” is a gentle play. It appeals to our sense of naivety and yet also reminds us that underneath the habits, nuns are real people, women who care, who give their entire lives to the service of others. It’s a nonsensical nod to nostalgia, designed not to offend but merely to amuse. 

Last evening our group of 11 Wild & Crazy Red Hat Ladies attended "Butterflies are Free."  We want you to know that, though we have always thought the plays were outstanding and the meals wonderful, we found our experience on Saturday, March 15 EXCEPTIONAL ~ play AND dinner.  We could not believe the amount of dialog those two young people memorized.  Wow!!  The play was GREAT fun and the meal was absolutely outstanding.  That beef was awesome and thanks for the sour cream.  We are all excited for the May 10th performance of "Nunsense."  It will be fun to attend with a room full of red hatters. 

Thanks again, Marlene