Musical opens in combination with relighting of historic marquee Nov. 6

OWOSSO, Mich.–– Owosso Community Players will breathe new life into Ghost the Musical this November. Audiences can head to the Lebowsky Center Nov. 6 - 8 and 13 - 15 to fall in love all over again with Sam and Molly - a couple whose love transcends earthly bounds - in this captivating musical.

The award-winning Broadway musical, based on the beloved 1990 movie of the same name, Ghost follows Sam and Molly after their relationship takes a shocking turn. Trapped between two worlds, Sam refuses to leave Molly when he learns she is in grave danger. Desperate to communicate with her, he turns to a storefront psychic, Oda Mae Brown, who helps him protect Molly and avenge his death.

Mid-Michigan theater favorites Adam Woolsey and Mary Maurer star as Sam and Molly. Joe Quick and Jenise Cook round out the leading cast as Carl Bruner and Oda Mae Brown.

“It’s always a fun challenge to put a new spin on a favorite,” says Woolsey. “People who love the movie will love the musical, but for new and different reasons.”

The cast is rounded out by local theater veterans and newcomers alike, including Josh Holliday as the hospital ghost; Brennan Hattaway as the subway ghost; Mike Windnagle as Furgeson; Anna Owens as Mrs. Santiago; Mary Jo Damm-Strong as Ortisha; Shelby Dawson as Clara; and Tiesha Bunkley as Louisa.

Lyn Freeman directs, with Garrett Bradley serving as artistic director. Nick Frederick music directs. Erica Bradley Duffield choreographs.


“We’ve assembled a dream team with this cast and crew,” says Freeman. “The unusual technical elements really require perfect harmony among cast, crew and musicians, and we’ve been lucky enough to find just the talent to do that.”

No strangers to demanding shows, OCP will highlight several unique and impressive technical elements.

“One of the main illusions we’re working on is well over 125 years old and still going strong,” says technical director Michael Jordan. “This time honored illusion is still with us because when done correctly, works so well. You’ll have to come see the show to see it in action!”

Opening night on Nov. 6 brings additional excitement as OCP looks to debut its newly restored and updated historic marquee, being relit after a successful crowdfunding campaign to raise funds.

Ghost the Musical runs Nov. 6, 7, 13 and 14 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 8, 14 and 15 at 3 p.m. at the Lebowsky Center in Owosso. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and students and $10 for children 13 and under. Tickets are available by calling 989.723.4003 or online at www.owossoplayers.com/tickets. Ghost is generously sponsored by Nelson-House Funeral Home.

Set in a small town in Kentucky, The View from Here is a comedy about an agoraphobic. Fern, a woman in her mid thirties, has not left her house for six years. She takes in neighborhood babies for a living. Her nurturing talents are put to the test when her sister lands on her couch in a catatonic state and her neighbor, whose wife has just left him, moves in along with his abandoned baby. The View from Here is ultimately about healing and the pain that hope carries with it. --Samuel French

Performances are November 7, 8, 14 & 15 in Ixion's new home, the Robin Theater, 1105 S. Washington Lansing, MI. Tickets are $15 at the door or you can purchase online. (If you act quickly, you can get early bird pricing and save over 40% per ticket.) To order online follow the link below, which corresponds to the evening you would like to attend.

Saturday November 7 @ 8 p.m

Sunday November 8 @ 7 p.m.

Saturday November 14 @ 8 p.m.

Sunday November 15 @ 7 p.m. 

For more information or to make reservations, call 517.775.4246 or email ixionensemble@gmail.com.


To aspire
     To inspire
          To contemplate

www.ixiontheatre.com

11/5 - THE MAKING OF by Sarah Kathryn Willis, Directed by Carolyn Conover
7 p.m. Thursday, November 5
THE MAKING OF is a play about a group of 20-something New York artists, the making of themselves as people, and figuring out what they want of life. This show incorporates multi-media to tell their story. 

11/8 - THE ELDER by David Haddad, Directed by Danica O'Neill
4 p.m. Sunday, November 8
THE ELDER is about a 30 year old woman who runs afoul of the rules of the fundamentalist Christian church of which she is a member, and  the actions taken by the Elder of the congregation in response to her plight. This is an intense drama, with influences from Hardy, Ibsen, O'Neill and Sophocles.

RWT’s staged readings are fascinating presentations of NEW original works; free of charge, but with the usual donation box, optional.
www.riverwalktheatre.com

Riverwalk Theatre is conducting a new win-win-win campaign to help the theatre, performing arts students — and YOU. 

Only 200 tickets will be sold at $100 each. You could win $5000 if your ticket is drawn at the 2016 Barney Awards Celebration!  

The first $10,000 raised will be divided between the $5,000 prize and two $2,500 scholarships. The second $10,000 will support Riverwalk’s Building and Site Fund to improve and maintain the theatre. 

Tickets will be sold from September 1 through the Barneys intermission on June 18, 2016 (if they last that long!) At the Barney celebration, a $5,000 prize will be awarded to one ticket holder who need not be present to win. Two $2,500 scholarship winners will also be announced at the Barneys. 

Scholarship applicants must be accepted in a post-secondary performing arts program (theatre, theatrical design, performing arts management, dance or music) and have a history of participation in performing arts. Special consideration will be given for participation in Riverwalk Theatre productions. Information will also be available on the website.

Raffle tickets and more information are available from the Riverwalk Theatre office, from Riverwalk Board members and at: 
www.riverwalktheatre.com/scholarship 

Not a sports fan? Then you are in luck this Saturday, October 17th! For the 3pm matinee of Rounding Third, we are offering Buy One Full Price Ticket and get one FREE!! Offer good on new reservations only. Cannot be combined with any other coupon, discount, or special offer. Call the box office at (517) 655-7469 and use the code GO GREEN to get your free ticket!

Join us for Conversation Sunday on October 18 at 4pm to discuss the play with the actors, the director Tony Caselli, Costume Designer Holly Iler, Set Designer Amber Marisa Cook, and Lighting Designer Shannon Schweitzer. All patrons welcome, whether you are seeing the show on Sunday or another day. No reservations needed.

www.williamstontheatre.com

Based on the Washington Irving classic
Book by Vera Morris
Music and lyrics by Bill Francoeur
Directed by Nancy Sisson
Production dates: October 16 – October 25, 2015 with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. 
Performances will be held at the Happendance Studios. 3448 Hagadorn Rd. in Okemos in the Big Red Barn at the intersection of Hagadorn and Jolly Rds.
For further information, please contact the theatre via email: mmftlansing@gmail.com.
Visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/MidMichiganFamilyTheatre
www.mmft.org


Mid Michigan Family Theatre is looking volunteers in many aspects of their operations. In particular are looking for a person with an accounting background and and someone interesting with costuming. Please send us an email: mmftlansing@gmail.com.
Thanks!!!!

Bill Gordon
Mid Michigan Family Theatre at the Big Red Barn
3448 Hagadorn Road
Okemos, MI 48864
(517) 339-2145 business

Broadway Babies
8 pm Saturday, October 17 
Black Box stage

Amanda Harvey, Alison Grojean & Meg Eldred ..with the John Dale Trio
Singing Broadway favorites such as My White Knight from The Music Man, Popular from Wicked, I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady, You Could Drive a Person Crazy from Company, At the Ballet from A Chorus Line... and more! Have a great time with these talented ladies of the stage — supported by the acclaimed John Dale Smith at the keyboard, with Jerry Krause on Bass and Tuba and Colin McCall on drum kit.


$20 at the door - or website; includes 2 WINE vouchers
Reservations: 482-5700 or reserve online at RiverwalkTheatre.com
See you there!
J

10/23 - 24 - WHARTON CENTER AND MSU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS’ DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE PRESENT
FOR TONIGHT – A Staged Concert

Friday, October 23, and Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 7:30 p.m.
Pasant Theatre
$15.00 ● plus applicable fees

whartoncenter.com

517.432.2000 or 1.800.WHARTON

EAST LANSING, Mich. ― A key part of Wharton Center’s and the MSU Department of Theatre’s mission is focused on creative collaboration. This idea has sparked a new artistic endeavor called the ĭmáGen project. ĭmáGen partners the MSU Federal Credit Union Institute for Arts & Creativity at Wharton Center with the MSU College of Arts and Letters’ Department of Theatre and local high schools. Together, they create two nights of extraordinary theatrical entertainment – highlighting the best of Broadway talent alongside East Lansing’s brightest students. This year, the group presents FOR TONIGHT – A Staged Concert, an indy-rock love story and the second smash ĭmáGen production.

Joe Barros, a New York theatrical director, has been hired to direct the performance, which will be presented on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24 in Wharton Center’s Pasant Theatre. Tickets are available at the official source to purchase Wharton Center tickets online, whartoncenter.com, at the Auto-Owners Insurance Ticket Office, or by calling 1-800-WHARTON.

Brand new and freshly written, FOR TONIGHT takes place in a small Welsh village, where three siblings – Thomas, Haydon, and Nettie – find themselves living on their own following the death of their beloved parents. Armed with nothing but a guitar and empty pockets, Haydon heads off to Liverpool to try to fill the missing pieces in his life and find a place that he can truly call home.

Kirk Domer, Chair of the MSU Department of Theatre, says, “It’s a revolutionary program for MSU and high school students. It will allow them to work with Broadway professionals...and will attract the highest-quality students.” Bert Goldstein, Director of the MSUFCU Institute for Arts & Creativity, says “Most people who begin a career as an actor are certainly able to use the skills that they learned and apply them to other things. I’m hoping that all of this is about creating a well-rounded, extremely creative human being who can ask great questions, solve problems, and do all of the things that the arts can instill really well.”

Another treat for our Riverwalk Theatre audiences!  We will be hosting another Cabaret Music Revue Saturday, October 17th at 8pm.  Come see Amanda Harvey, Alison Grojean and Meg Eldred along with the John Dale Trio singing Broadway favorites such as My White Knight from The Music Man, Popular from Wicked, I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady , Raunchy from 110° in the Shade, Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree/Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy arranged by Raymond Berg from Sisters of Swing, Broadway Baby from Follies (of course) and more!!

Tickets are $20.00 and include 2 wine vouchers.

Limited seating in our black box auditorium.  Call for reservations now! 482-5700
www.riverwalktheatre.com