I didn’t know this was a MUSICAL! 

All Is Calm is Peppermint Creek's touching celebration of the Christmas Truce of 1914 during World War 1, written by Peter Rothstein. It is almost all MUSIC - with amAZing, close harmonies that are just exquisite. The songs range from Christmas carols to songs of the era, It’s a Long Way to Tipperary, Auld Lang Syne... and many more. Between the songs, the men offer heartfelt statements from actual letters from soldiers who where there.

The Ensemble — Ian Broughton, Ben Cassidy, John Dillingham, Tim Gates, Benjamin Hall, Patrick Harney, Jeremy Kratky, Matthew Penniman, Nathan Tykocki, and Alex Wassom — is made up of truly stellar singers, some music teachers, some with college a cappella group experience, and it shows.The blend and precision singing was outstanding.

Kudos to music Director John Dillingham who led this ensemble in their hour long show, with no accompaniment except Timothy Newman’s plaintive trumpet at the end. Director Chad Swan-Badgero kept the men moving and made the non-set (just one black box) come alive to enhance mood/situation, almost choreographed.

This beautiful holiday event is free of charge, but “sold out” since there are a limited number of chairs at these venues: Dec. 9 at Woldumar Nature Center and Dec. 10 at Allen Neighborhood Center...

BUT the LAST SHOW is open to everyone because there’s a lot of space and you can bring your own chairs.Saturday, DECEMBER 11 at 7 pm - Carpenter Tree Farm (11243 Barnes Rd, Eaton Rapids, MI 48827)*(Note, this show will be performed outdoors. Please dress accordingly). Patrons will be asked to remain masked when attending this event, regardless of vaccination status.

WOW - it’s great to be back at Wharton’s Great Hall — masked with the masses — to experience Hadestown, and to see what all the Tony awards were about. This sung-through show (no dialogue) is a thrilling musical/visual experience — and you don’t have to know that much about the myths of Hades and Persephone and Orpheus and Eurydice to be captivated by it. 

Levi Kreis is a charming Hermes “Messenger of the Gods.” He lures us in and moves the plot along with some recitatives and songs as our tour guide on the “Road to Hell” (one of the songs.) Nicholas Barasch as Orpheus has a superpower to make things right through song. His absolutely angelic high tenor voice contrasts with the dark, bass depths of the Hades, King of the Underworld, Kevyn Morrow. Kimberly Marable is the wild and wonderful Persephone, bringer of spring/summer, in a “troubled marriage” to Hades. Morgan Siobhan Green is a petite but powerful Eurydice, “the hungry girl” Orpheus loves. The three Fates and Workers Chorus are amazing, as are the on-stage musicians. 

The choreography (David Newmann) is infectious and acrobatic, sometimes with furniture joining in to create sculptures that bring the lyrics to life. The lighting is dramatic and even invades the audience at times, illustrating power, energy, and the glowing gates of hell (Scenic Design Rachel Hauck). It was “developed and directed” by Rachel Chavkin.

Triple kudos to Anais Mitchell, who wrote music, lyrics and book. Her show feels both old and new, with the myths, and old-fashioned New-Orleans juke joint style, but still alluding to modern themes of environmentalism and economic inequality, the differences between “the world we dream of and the world we live in now.” It’s a sassy, jazzy, fabulous trip to hell and back.

Wharton Center requires masks for audience (with many attendees equipped to give you a mask if you forgot) but no temperature-taking or proof of vaccine.

Hadestown continues through December 12. 
​https://www.whartoncenter.com/events/detail/hadestown