2015-2016 Theatre & Dance Season

U of M students receive one FREE ticket to all productions
Tickets:
$15 for area students and senior citizens, $20 for adults

Spring 2016
Oklahoma!
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Music by Richard Rodgers
Feb 18-20 and 25-27, 2016
Mainstage Theatre l Directed by Jacob Allen

As refreshing and thrilling as the day it was written, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! is a musical that celebrates the American frontier spirit of community, optimism and patriotism. A timeless classic with boot-stomping energy and classic tunes such as "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'," "People Will Say We're in Love," "I Cain't Say No," "Oklahoma" and many more, making this a musical that will thrill audiences young and old.

Click below to listen to director Jacob Allen and Darel Snodgrass on WKNO's Checking On the Arts.

Momentum Dance Concert
April 8 and 9, 2016 @ 7:30pm
April 10, 2016 @ 2:00pm
The Rose Theatre
A Flea In Her Ear
By Georges Feydeau
Adapted by David Ives
April 14-16 and 21-23, 2016
Mainstage Theatre l Directed by Meredith Melville

One the greatest of French farces, perhaps the greatest farce ever written – A Flea In Her Ear hilariously stumbles upon cases of mis-identity, which lead to sexual tromps, drunken bellboys, and a gun wielding Spaniard; all centered around The Frisky Puss Hotel. Come see what it takes to watch the Chandebise's unravel and re-piece together this ridiculous and fun plot! Winner for best adaptation, "Ives' adaptation maintains the original's dazzling plot while communicating Feydeau's playful use of language to an American audience." — BackStage.
Fall 2015
Next to Normal
Music by Tom Kitt
Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey
October 1-3 and 8-10, 2015 @ 7:30pm
Mainstage Theatre l Directed by Swaine Kaui

A Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning pop rock musical with soul, Next to Normal is a poignant and powerful story of loss and the struggle to survive. Driven by an incredible score, the riveting story unmasks the seemingly normal façade of a suburban family revealing a not so normal life. At the center of the family is a mother who struggles with mental illness. The effects of her illness and treatment take a great toll on the family. Next to Normal vividly dramatizes the lengths two parents will go to keep themselves "sane" and their family intact – taking audiences on an emotional journey into the minds and hearts of each character, presenting their family's story with love, sympathy and heart.

The School for Scandal
By Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Adapted by Stephen Hancock
November 5-7 and 12-14, 2015 @ 7:30pm
Mainstage Theatre l Directed by Stephen Hancock

Oh, what a tangled web we weave... deception, double-dealing and backstabbing! Delighting in the trials and tribulations of others and masquerading behind the veneer of polite society, malicious characters aptly named Lady Sneerwell, Sir Joseph Surface, Lady Candour, Sir Benjamin Backbite and Snake trade gossip and ruin reputations for sport. Having amused audiences for over two hundred years, we see that human nature doesn't change: the foibles and desires on display in this 18th century classic are all too recognizable in today's social media, reality T.V. driven society making Sheridan's satirical morality play a timeless masterpiece.
New Voices Dance Concert
November 13-15, 2015 @ 7:30pm
CFA – 124 (limited space. Please reserve your seating beginning Monday, November 9)
Well
By Lisa Kron
November 20 and 21, 2015 @ 7:30pm
November 21, 2015 @ 2:00pm
Studio Theatre l Directed by Jazzy Miller

Dynamic and poignant, this play explores the many levels and meanings of illness and wellness – in the social and cosmic sense; of mind, body, spirit, community and family. Incredibly funny and rich with emotion Well walks a fine line dealing with issues of healthcare, racism and relationships reminding us that there are always two sides to the story. Woven into the fabric of the play is the real-life racial integration of West End neighborhood in Lansing Michigan in the late 60's comparing the dynamics of the time to our world today.