Into the Woods is one of my all-time favorite shows, and this version is a winner, filled with new faces, many from Homeschool Performing Arts backgrounds, with a nice 13-piece orchestra under the direction of Sean Duffy. Director Chase Buher has commandeered a cast of fantastic voices into a smooth spectacle.

Midway Theater's latest location, the Everett High School stage, offered fly space to support a versatile set including beautiful storybook panels and assorted tree trunks, with smoke and lighting to complete the maze-like metaphor of “the woods” where anything can happen.

In the first act we enjoy a collection of interwoven fairy tales, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, the Baker and his Wife attaining their wishes and supposedly living “happily ever after” — then the second act explores the unintended consequences of granted wishes and the accompanying moral conundrums. 

The entire cast was strong. I loved the Princes, Ethan and Daniel Schubkegel; I’m guessing they’re brothers (Also Ethan played the Wolf.) Jack (Luke Zeilenga) was also a treat with his Giants in the Sky song — and his versatile mother(? Again, guessing) Katie Zeilenga played Granny, Cinderella’s Mother and the Voice of the Giant. Casey Adams brought sweet emotion to the cute bone-mobile cow puppet Milky White. 

You can read Director Chase Buher’s director’s note in the QR-code program-on-your phone. https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/73cff411-d85c-4bae-a62f-5575bc7be7cd/Into%20the%20Woods%20Official%20Playbill02.pdf
He casts a more religious filter over this script than this secular humanist would, and I feel he “cleaned up” the Baker’s Wife’s “moment” in the woods with the prince to the point to where the answer to her subsequent lyric, “Did I kiss him back?” is “no.” 

Still, it’s a beautiful show, if long — about two hours and 45 minutes including the intermission, so not great for young kids, despite the fairy tale motif. Five shows left, 2 & 7 pm Saturdays and 7pm next Friday. Tickets at 
https://cur8.com/40462/project/131277

I think I enjoyed this SpongeBob Musical even more than when we saw it on Broadway years ago. The up-close-and-personal venue at Riverwalk envelops us in the both the silliness and the sincerity of this cartoonish musical adventure. 


The idyllic underwater world of Bikini Bottom is threatened by a volcano — plus secondary conflicts of competing restaurants, diabolical plots, ineffectual government, land-mammal prejudice, a frustrated squid, and friendship threatened by an adoring cult of sardines. Will the team of Sponge Bob, Sandy Cheeks and Patrick Star save the day?


Michael Palmer was an energetically captivating Sponge Bob with his trademark optimism and surprising wisdom. Teamed up with TJ Kelly as the adorably dim Patrick Star and Ny’Kieria Blocker as the earnest, inventive Sandy Cheeks — a land mammal trying to fit into an under-sea society — all three were excellent singers and made a team it was easy to root for.

Janus Huang was the conniving villain Plankton, aided by Karen the Computer (Kayla Henry.) Mr. Krabs (Christopher Pongracz) managed a benevolent air even while worshipping money and raining on the dreams of both his employee Sponge Bob and his daughter Pearl, played with rock-star pipes by Mikaila Orlowski. 

The cranky Squidward was beautifully portrayed by Elise Griffiths — sporting a well designed extra pair if legs and winning our hearts with his unrealized dreams and funny, touching “I’m not a loser” song (written by They Might Be Giants.) Not to mention the tap dancing! 

Kudos to the choreographers (Reyna Martinez, Lauren Muddy and Meghan Lassos) for ALL the dancing. Kudos to the set designers, Aja and Jay Jenks and their team of Bob Nees and crew who made a creative, movable, climbable “volcano” of the imagination — and to A.D. Rachel Daugherty whose scenography captured the undersea cartoon vibe. (Note the soup and pop cans had actual “barnacles” — possibly made of egg-carton parts? So cute.)

The cast of 24 played multiple smaller roles with many costume changes. And such costumes! Extremely colorful and inventive, suggesting sea creatures but not literally. Even the backstage crew (that was ONstage, too, doing set-choreography) wore tie-die shirts evoking undersea ripples. (Lead Costumer Camara Lewis aided by a team of nine!)

Music Director Alan Sloan led a great band of eight instruments, who were in the rehearsal hall with a monitor, I believe - somewhere separate, so that sound could be balanced by Brian Farnham and Leon Green. Wonderful extra sound effects, too. The suction-cup footsteps…!

Be sure to check out Director Marcus Fields’ program note with its interesting observations about the social context in which this show was written, and how it resonates even stronger today. SpongeBob won several "Best Musical” awards for its original Broadway incarnation, along with "Best Score" for its music composed by some 25 top-tier artists. Check out their names on the song-list page.

This is a full-length two-and-a-half-hour musical, with a 15 minute intermission. Though the fast pace, music and action will keep kids' attention, the length and complexity may be too much for preschoolers.

Note that concessions CAN be brought into the theatre. Quality Dairy has outdone itself with seaside cookies that include a little beach umbrella! 

Note that ALL evening shows start at 7pm. Saturday matinee 2pm shows will be “sensory friendly” omitting strobe and haze effects.

Get your tickets asap. I predict this will sell out. Runs through June 8. Tickets at http://riverwalktheatre.com
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Thanks to Reviewer Molly Woods:

The "Hamilton" National tour has returned for its third time to the East Lansing Wharton Center for Performing Arts.

I am grateful for the opportunity to attend the Thursday evening performance and to share not only my experiences but those of a span of ages (three adults, a high schooler, a middle schooler, and a 6th grade student). In preparation, I asked an amateur musical connoisseur friend about “Hamilton.” They eloquently called it  "a rhapsody of the human experience of founding a nation, building a legacy, and simply living for oneself regardless of the cost." And I agree, that is "Hamilton" in a nutshell!

The show opens with Alexander Hamilton's humble beginnings in the Caribbean of the 1770’s and continues through Hamilton's life (1780's), including other historically significant figures (ie. Aaron Burr, Marquis de Lafayette, John Laurens, and of course George Washington), the incidents that lead to war and the war itself, with bits of his personal life sprinkled in. Act one and the war end together. 

The second act tells of Alexander's life after the war (1790's-1800's), and the political change of the country he dedicated his life to, including his rise in political responsibilities and influence, his passion for his work (on the edge of obsession: 51 essays in 6 months defending the constitution!), additional historically significant figures introduced (ie. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison) and more bits of Hamilton's personal life.    

Songs lead right into each other with some characters barely taking a breath of transition, giving “Hamilton” a sense of a rap opera. My companion (highschooler) gave high praise to the choreography, which made me feel like I was watching a music video — with the lead vocalist highlighted front and center and the ensemble supporting the beat and emotion of the song through dance and back-up vocals. 

The sets and costumes were simple with few changes. The full back wall and sides of the stage looked like reddish brick and wood, visually representing the construction of New York buildings of that time period. The scene transitions were limited to the placement of minor furniture pieces brought in by ensemble members as needed.   

Compliments to casting, particularly to the Schuyler sisters Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy, played by Marja Harmon, Lauren Mariasoosay, and Lily Soto. My 6th grade consultant was quite taken by them. The elder two sisters had a greater influence on Hamilton's life; he was loved by Angelica and married to Eliza. Lauren Mariasoosay's performance of 'Burn' as the heartbroken Eliza was deeply emotional (well noted by the middle school student). Marja Harmon gave strength to the character of Angelica through her elegant carriage and the passionate singing. 

Justin Matthew Sargent’s small physical reactions paired with humorous lyrics and jaunty singing made the King George III a satire villain, on the brink of ridiculous— very entertaining. A.D. Weaver as George Washington was a delightful surprise. His commanding voice showed a very humanized Washington, a flawed human in times when the war was not going well, strained by concern for the people under his leadership.Thomas Jefferson, played by Jared Howelton (who also played Marquis De Lafayette in Act I) gave the only hint of fourth-wall-breaking. He loved the cheers the audience gave him on his entrance as much as the audience loved cheering for him.

"Hamilton" touches a lifetime of relationships evolving through time, distance, and war, leaving lessons behind such as the recurring theme “I am not throwing away my shot"  and words spoken by George Washington, "History has its eyes on you" and "Dying is easier than living". Though "Hamilton" has had overall fame, it may not be for those that find joy in the classics. The fast paced, modern and metaphorical lyrics can make story a challenge to follow, as one companion relayed to me. Note that on house left (left of the stage), a digital sign created closed captions of the dialogue, which I appreciated. Strong language is used at times, and infidelity occurs in description but not action.   

Run time is around 2 1/2 hours (Act I  1 1/2 hours, Act II 1 hour) and a 20 minute intermission. Tickets are still available for the remaining 8 performances through Sunday (June 1) and can be purchased at Whartoncenter.com 

This nostalgic, bittersweet comedy is all about adorable, exasperating FAMILY — notably Italian with all the classic flavors and immigrant history. It’s almost a period piece, first appearing in 1998, written by Joe DiPietro. The “new fangled” gadgets the grandparents can’t figure out are the answering machine and the VCR.

Nick (Mark Polzin) is the single grandson whose parents have fled New Jersey for Florida leaving him to dutifully dine with his four devoted adorably annoying grandparents every Sunday. How will they react when he announces a tempting job promotion will necessitate his moving to Seattle? With a plot to fix him up with the charmingly genuine Caitlin (Stephanie Vosburgh) Can we expect a repeat of the “romance” between these two actors in Starlight’s Harvey (2022)?

Starlight stalwart Chris Klaver played his lovable cranky cards, fighting the need to give up driving. Sandra Thomasson was his sweet, earnest food-is-love wife. (It’s a whole extra show to watch Sandy react to other actors’ stories.) Ruth Neumann Howard embodied the energetic matchmaker grandma, bringing in dream-date Caitlin. Mike Shalley was her believable bombastic husband — with a secret.

Over the River celebrates intergenerational connections and familial love balanced with inevitable heartbreaks as time passes. Nick twists and juggles his family bonds with his pursuit of personal dreams.

This production was generously underwritten by Dr. Julie A. Dodds allowing the cast extra rental time to rehearse on the stage at Waverly East on their elaborately homey set (Jim Lorenz, Bob Gehrls, James Webb) extremely well dressed with photos and doilies and more by authentic Italian American director, Linda Granger.


Lasagna was delicious! Next weekend only served Saturday, with Sunday a dessert matinee. Dinner and dessert reservations must be made 3 days before desired performance date and payment is required to hold any reservations, (check or credit card). Show Only tickets are available at the door. 

Menu:  Beef or Vegetarian Lasagna – (choice must be made when making reservation), Green Beans with Olive Oil, Garlic and Oregano, Italian Salad with Dressings on the side, Garlic Bread, Cherry Cheesecake Squares - catered by James Avenue Catering and Bakery of Williamston, MI.

Dates and Times:  Dinner 6:30 Show 7:30 Friday and Saturday May 9, 10, 17
Dessert Sunday: 1:30 Show 2:00 pm Sunday, May 18
Location: Waverly East Intermediate School, 3131 W. Michigan Ave 48917
Prices:  Show and Dinner: $33-$36.  $20 children 12 and under.
Show Only:  $17-$15.  $10 children 12 and under
Sunday Dessert Matinee $20.  $13 children 12 and under

Reservations:  517 599-2779 or email mailto:[email protected]
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