Encore Michigan

Don Calamia announces retirement from Encore Michigan

The Cranky Critic September 27, 2016
For some of you, this will sound familiar, but effective October 1, I will no longer be part of the editorial and management teams of... Continue Reading

Read Don Calamia’s look back in time, part 2

The Cranky Critic September 10, 2016
Although I retired from Between The Lines and EncoreMichigan.com in December 2014, reviews continued to appear courtesy of a handful of others who took over... Continue Reading

The Cranky Critic takes a look at the past

The Cranky Critic September 06, 2016
Every year around Wilde Awards time I'm asked the following questions: How many reviews have we done over the years? And how many shows have... Continue Reading

Read Don Calamia on theater programming

The Cranky Critic May 10, 2016
Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the closing performance of The Encore Musical Theatre Company's production of "Always...Patsy Cline," which was a near-perfect, two-hour... Continue Reading

Read Don Calamia on Two Muses’ perilous change in performance location

The Cranky Critic April 13, 2016
Imagine for a moment that you're a business owner. You've built your business quite nicely since its inception, as the number of patrons visiting your... Continue Reading

The Cranky Critic reflects on the state of Michigan’s theater

The Cranky Critic March 12, 2016
A couple of conversations I had in recent days reminded me I have a backlog of topics to discuss and questions to answer, and so... Continue Reading

Brief thoughts on four shows I’ve seen these past two weekends

The Cranky Critic March 08, 2016
In recent weeks I've had the opportunity to catch four shows around town, but given my schedule recently, I haven't had much time to write... Continue Reading

The Cranky Critic Speaks: Odd Couple, Butler R.U.R and Mr. Burns

The Cranky Critic March 07, 2016
In recent week, I've had the opportunity to catch four shows around town. But given me schedule recently, I haven't had much time to write... Continue Reading

Read The Cranky Critic on Kickshaw Theatre

The Cranky Critic February 26, 2016
New theaters seem to spring up like wild flowers; some wither almost immediately, while others enjoy a very long and fruitful existence. So when word... Continue Reading

Read The Cranky Critic on Slipstream’s appeal to younger audiences

The Cranky Critic February 11, 2016
One of many things many (if not most) producers are struggling with today is this: How do we get young people into our theaters? As... Continue Reading