This week, Deb and Joe interview Eric Swanson, half of "Gerianne & Eric - The Dynamic Duo", a Broadway sing along at Pronto in Royal Oak.
Barefoot Productions: Auditions – The Roles I’ll Never Play Cabaret fundraiser, April 20-21, 7:00 PM
Downriver Actor’s Guild: Drop Dead Disco – Interactive Dinner Theater, April 21-29 at 7:30 PM
Grosse Pointe Theater: Shrek Jr (Youth show) - April 22-23 (at GP War Memorial) at 2:00 PM
Ridgedale Players: One Act Theater fundraiser – most of the play selections written by local playwrights, April 21 and 22 at 8:00 PM
Stagecrafters: Seascape – April 21-30, Fri/Sat 8:00 and Sun 2:00
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe interview one of Metro Detroit's most prolific stage managers, Justine Dearth.
Barefoot Productions: The 39 Steps – March 31-April 9, Fri/Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00
Downriver Actor’s Guild: Summer Theater Immersion Camp programs for kids starting at age 5 and up to teen-agers – camp and application info available.
Grosse Pointe Theater: Be Our Guest – Beauty and the Beast Tea with Belle – May 13, 12:30 PM. Includes meet and greet, tea and light lunch and a performance of Beauty and the Beast – tickets can be purchased on the GPT website. GPT Scholarship Auditions – live in GP, attend GP high school, be a child or grandchild of GPT member.
Lakeland Players: College and Camp scholarships available – application deadline is May 1. Hit their website for further details.
Stagecrafters: Red Velvet Cake Wars – through April 9
Starlight Theater: Auditions for Bridges of Madison County – April 3 at 7:00 and 4 at 6:00. Cinderella Jr. – through April 2
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe interview Mark Carley, director of Birmingham Village Players' production of You Can't Take it With You, opening this week.
Avon Players: The Mousetrap – March 10-25, Fri/Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00 Auditions for The Addams Family – Sun March 12, 5:30 and Mon Mar 13, 6:30
Clarkston Village Players: The House on the Cliff – Mar 10-18, Thurs 7:30, Fri/Sat 8:00 and Sun 2:00
Grosse Pointe Theater: The Glass Menagerie – March 12-25, Thurs/Fri/Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00
Dearborn Players Guild: The Lion in Winter – March 10-26, Fri/Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00 Auditions for the musical Sugar March 13 & 14, 6:30
Richmond Community Theater: The Complete Works of Wm Shakespeare (abridged) – March 10-12, Fri/Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00 Auditions for the female version of The Odd Couple – March 13-14, 7:00
Rosedale Community Players: Accepting script submissions for their one act play festival - deadline for submission is April 30. Check their website for details
Warren Civic Theater: Peanuts Pajama Party Sock Hop – March 11 from 6:15-8:30 PM at Warren Community Center with cast of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown – tickets are $5 or $10 (or $12 at the door)
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe are shocked to find out that Dopey and Doc have been renamed in a version of Snow White.
Director Jeffery Nelson and lead actress Anita Newby join us to talk about Stagecrafters' next show Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill.
Joe and Deb talk about some of their favorite non theater podcasts, including Deb's of Serial and Joe's of Hardcore History.
School of Rock – Feb 24 – March 5, Fri/Sat 7:30, Sun 3:00
The Mystery of Edwin Drood – Feb 24-26, Fri/Sat 7:30, Sun 4:00
Golden Age Musical Review – fundraiser for Chippewa Valley Schools (at Chippewa Valley High School)
Sat, Feb 25 at 1:00 and 7:00 www.cvchoirs.seatyourself.biz
Auditions for the youth show Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – Sun Feb 26 at 4:00, Mon Feb 27 and Tues Feb 28 at 6:30 at the Michigan School for the Arts in Pontiac
Urinetown the Musical – Feb 24 – March 12, Fri/Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00
Auditions for Picasso at Lapine Agile – Mon, Feb 27 at 7:00
Continuing to hold tap workshops for 42nd Street – Sat Feb 25 and Sat March 4 and Sat March 11 - 10:00-11:30 at the playhouse, cost is $15/per class
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Joe and Deb imagine what The Misanthrope, Jr. would be like. The talk about what a show producer does with prolific producer Bryan Conroy (Village Players -You Can't Take it With You.
Barefoot Productions: The Misanthrope – February 17-26, Fri/Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00
Grosse Pointe Theater: Love, Loss and What I Wore – February 16-26, Fri/Sat 8:00, Sun 2:00 – at the Purdon Studio Theater - performing at Grosse Pointe Woods Presbyterian Church on Mack Ave.
Pontiac Theater 4: Treasure Island – children’s theater - February 17-25 Fri/Sat 7:30, Sun 2:00 – at the Michigan School for the Arts in Pontiac
Rosedale Community Players: Readers Theater – February 17 at 7:00 at their theater in Southfield
St Dunstan’s: Tap classes in prep for auditions for 42nd Street – Saturday, 2/18 10:00-11:30 am at the playhouse $15/session to drop in
Starlight Theater: Peter Pan Jr. – through 2/19
Auditions – Cinderella Jr. – 2/19, 6:30-8:00 PM
Auditions – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Mon/Tues, Feb 20 and 21 youth at 6:30 and adults at 7:30
Auditions for Sweet Charity – Sun, Feb 19 at 6:30, callbacks on Mon, Feb 20
Warren Civic Theater: Auditions for You Can’t Take it With You – Sun, Feb 19 and Thurs, Feb 23 – go to their website to schedule your audition time. Callbacks Sat, Feb 25 3-5:00
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe talk to Jerry Nehr, director of Other Desert Cities at the Fine Arts Society of Detroit.
In our Tech Talk segment, stage combat expert Brian Moultrup discusses the best way to take a punch on stage.
Becky's New Car opens this week at Farmington Players.
Special thanks to Birmingham Village Players for letting us record interview segments in their green room.
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe talk to master set designer Drew Hall about what goes into creating a great set.
Mike Trudel shares the plight of Grosse Pointe Theater and his newspaper opinion piece which set off a community firestorm.
Auditions this week include Oliver at the Downriver Actors Guild and A Chorus Line at Southgate Community Players.
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe traveled to Rosedale Community Players in Southfield, where The Kings of Unionville opens on January 27, 2017. Director Lance Alan and assistant director Karen McHugh discuss the show.
RCP Promotions Director Chuck Goddeeris discuss the theater and his involvement in the Community Theater Association of Michigan.
Upcoming auditions include The 39 Steps at Barefoot Productions in Plymouth.
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe interviewed the director Gerry Haines and lead Gary LaKind of In the Heights, opening at Stagecrafters in Royal Oak on January 20, 2017.
Listen to commercials for Arsenic and Old Lace by director Paul Bruce and Doubt: A Parable by theater president Kathleen Duffy.
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe discussed holiday shows:
Christmas Then and Now at the Downriver Actors Guild.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at Farmington Players.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at the Starlight Theater.
Sing in the Season at Birmingham Village Players.
Jef Fisk and Theresa Selvaggio from Grosse Pointe Theater talk about GPT leaving the Grosse Pointe War Memorial after 58 years and what the future holds for the theater.
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe discuss the impact the recent election could have on participation in community theater. They also talked about actors auditioning for roles in shows.
Shows playing:
Stagecrafters - The Best Man (Nov 17-19 – 8:00, Nov 19 also at 2:00 pm)
Grosse Pointe Theater - The Sunshine Boys (Nov 17-19 – 8:00)
St Dunstan’s – The Misfit Elves Epic Pirate Adventure – children’s show (Nov 19-20 at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm
Upcoming opening:
Avon Players - Forever Christmas (Nov 25-Dec 10, Fri-Sat, 8 Sun, 2)
Paul’s Players - Steel Magnolias (One weekend only- November 18-20
Fri-Sat, 7:30, Sun, 2)
Auditions:
Avon Players - Escanaba in da Moonlight (Nov 28-29, starts at 6:30)
Downriver Actor’s Guild – School of Rock (Sun, Nov 27 – 5-9:00 Tues, Nov 29 – 6:30-10:00)
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe travel to Richmond Community Theater to talk to Craig McNabb, director of Dinner with Friends, opening on October 21.
Other openings:
Rosedale Players – Minus Some Buttons
October 28-November 12, Fri/Sat at 8 and Sun at 2
Starlight Theater– The Toxic Avenger
October 28-November 6, Fri/Sat at 7:30, Sun at 2
Also – auditioning Best Christmas Pageant Ever – already had first night but second night is this Sunday, Oct 23, 2:30-4:00 (adults and kids)
Birmingham Village Players – Mame
October 28-November 13, Fri/Sat at 8, Sun at 2
Auditions:
Clarkston Village Players – Consider the Oyster (farce comedy)
October 23-23, starts at 6:00 PM at Depot Theatre
Downriver Actor’s Guild – Chicago
October 24-25, starts at 6:30 PM
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe take the show to the St. Dustan's Theater in Bloomfield Hills. Deb is appearing in "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and we discussed the show with Director Marcus Laban and Board member Stephanie Peltier discussed their upcoming season.
Upcoming shows:
Downriver Actors Guild (Wyandotte) – Bonnie & Clyde
Oct 14-29, Fri/Sat 7:30 and Sundays at 3:00
Also upcoming….auditioning Chicago – Oct 24-25, 6:30-10:00
Spotlight Players (Canton) – Haunting of Billop House
Oct 20-23, Thurs/Fri/Sat, 7:30, Sat/Sun matinee at 2:00
St. Dunstan’s (at Cranbrook) – Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Oct 14-29, Fri/Sat, 8:00, Sun 2:00
Also upcoming…auditioning August, Osage County - Oct 17-18, starting at 6:30 (callbacks following second night of auditions on 10/18)
Stagecrafters 2nd Stage (Royal Oak) Trevor
Oct 14-23, Thurs/Fri/Sat, 8:00, Sun 2:00
Also upcoming…auditioning In the Heights on the Main Stage – Oct 15 registration starting at 9:00 AM and auditions starting at 10:00, Oct 16 – call backs only, starting at 5:00 PM
Auditions:
Grosse Pointe Theater (Purdon Studio) – Love, Loss and What I Wore
Oct 15, 2:00-5:00
Callbacks Oct 16, 6:00-8:00
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe head to the Baldwin Theatre in Royal Oak, home of Stagecrafters.
Deb shares audition details for Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells at Barefoot Productions in Plymouth and the opening of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap at the Starlight Theater in Waterford.
David Musslewhite, director of Trevor on Stagecrafters' 2nd Stage, discusses the Michigan premiere of this show. Shar Douglas, director of The Best Man, discusses that show and the rest of the theater's season.
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe take the show to the venerable theater on 12 Mile Road known as "The Barn," home of Farmington Players.
Deb and Front Row Podcast get mentioned this week in a Detroit News article.
Show openings this week include "Sleepy Hollow - A Musical" at the Downriver Actors Guild and "The Vast Difference" at Farmington Players. Upcoming auditions include "Fiddler on the Roof" at Grosse Pointe Theatre and "Elf, The Musical" (youth production) at the Village Players of Birmingham.
Our special guests this week are Tony Targan and David Reinke. Tony (director of Spamalot) discusses the history of The Barn (it really was a barn) and about the theater in general. He shares the upcoming season of "The Vast Difference," "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever," "Becky's New Car," and "Monty Python's Spamalot." David, the director of "The Vast Difference" talks about the show and his involvement in the premier production of the show in the nineties.
Learn more about Farmington Players by reading Tony's blog.
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
Deb and Joe take the show to the Players Guild of Dearborn this week.
The coming of International Podcast Day on September 30, 2016 excites Joe into a state of mania.
Show openings this week include Two by Two at the Players Guild, South Pacific at the Spotlight Players in Canton Township and Singin' in the Rain at Grosse Pointe Theatre.
Our special guests this week are Ron Williams and Brian Townsend. Ron shares a little history about the theater and shares the upcoming season of Two by Two, Legally Blonde, Arsenic and Old Lace, A Lion in Winter and Sugar. Ron, the director of Legally Blonde discusses the upcoming auditions for the show. Brian shares his experience with being a member of the cast of Two by Two and promotes the theater's upcoming fundraiser Murder at the Courthouse, coming up on October 29th.
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
In FRP 005, Deb and Joe visited Ridgedale Players in Troy (248-988-7049).
“The overture is about to start,
You cross your fingers and hold your heart,
It's curtain time and away we go,
Another op'nin', another show”
Joe and Deb space on the show of origin of that song while introducing the big opening week in Detroit community theatre. Joe was sure that the Cole Porter tune is in Anything Goes, so of course it can actually be found in Kiss Me Kate.
Show openings include Once Upon a Mattress at Richmond Community Theater, Assassins at Avon Players, Plaza Suite at Village Players of Birmingham, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Barefoot Productions, Lend Me a Tenor at Clarkston Village Players and the season kickoff fundraiser of I’ll Be Waiting at Rosedale Community Players, Disney’s The Little Mermaid at Stagecrafters and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown at our host theater, Ridgedale Players.
As the hosts offered each cast to “Break a Leg,” Deb explained the origin of that phrase. You can find many of these in an article by Eddie Deezen.
Our special guests this week are Eileen White and Aaron Filipski of Ridgedale to talk about their new season (You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, The Haunting of Hill House, Urinetown – The Musical and Picasso at the Lapin Agile. Eileen and Aaron discuss the two things Ridgedale Players are known for: great theater and serving sandwiches after each showv performance, a tradition dating back to the Great Depression.
Subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website. Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
This week, Deb and Joe traveled to 315 Fisher Road in Grosse Pointe Farms, home of the legendary Grosse Pointe Theatre!
Discussion kicked off with recognition of Sterling Civic Theatre winning the 4 The Best award for Best Theater Group for the fourth year in a row.
Grosse Pointe Theatre's vice president, Danielle Caralis, talked about the upcoming season: Singin' in the Rain, The Sunshine Boys, Fiddler on the Roof, The Glass Menagerie and Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Visit their website for ticket information or call (313) 881-4004.
Zak Shugart discussed his starring role as Don Lockwood in Singin' in the Rain.
You can subscribe to Front Row Podcast in iTunes, or visit our website.
Contact the show directly via email info@frontrowpodcast.com or leave your comments on our hotline at 248-631-4077.
In FRP 003, Deb and Joe run down auditions at: Stagecrafters for The Best Man, Spotlight Players for Moon over Buffalo and Warren Civic Theatre for Shrek The Musical, Jr.. Show openings include: The Starlight Theater for Disney's The Lion King, Jr. Richmond Community Theater's Once Upon a Mattress.
Legendary community theater choreographer Valerie Mould says goodbye to our community during our feature interview. She discusses memories from both on and off stage during her thirty years in this area, as well as what the future holds.
Contact Front Row Podcast at the website or email at info@frontrowpodcast.com
In FRP 002, Deb and Joe visit Village Players of Birmingham. Kathleen Duffy, the president of Village, discussed the upcoming season and her own acting pursuits - appearing soon in the Players Guild of Dearborn's upcoming production of Two By Two. Michael Gravame, director of Village's production of Mame, discussed the show and the upcoming auditions.
Contact Front Row Podcast at the website or email at info@frontrowpodcast.com
Front Row Podcast - All about Community Theatre in the Metropolitan Detroit area. Hosted by Deb Dworkin and Joe Munem, the show focuses on the talented artists working on all levels in local community theatre.
FRP 001, the premier episode of the podcast, was recorded at Avon Players in Rochester Hills. Deb and Joe discuss what the show is all about, a little about their own backgrounds in theatre and in life. They promoted upcoming auditions for shows in the Detroit area: Downriver Actors Guild - "Bonnie & Clyde," Grosse Pointe Theatre - "The Sunshine Boys," The Lakeland Players - "Heaven Can Wait," Pontiac Theatre IV - "Disney Beauty and the Beast," Rosedale Community Players - "Minus Some Buttons," Spotlight Players - "The Haunting of Billop House," St. Dustan's Theatre Guild - "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," Stagecrafters - "Trevor" & "The Best Man," The Starlight Theater - "The Mousetrap," Village Players of Birmingham - "Mame."
In this episode, two local theaters were thrown into the spotlight: Joe interviewed Larry O'Grady of Sterling Civic Theater. Both Deb and Joe spoke with JD Deierlein, president of Avon Players and the director of their season opening show Assassins.
Contact Front Row Podcast at the website or email at info@frontrowpodcast.com