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ENCORE MICHIGAN


An Arthur Miller's Classic at the Stratford Festival This Summer
Death of a Salesman Opens May 28 Arthur Miller’s Pulitzer Prize–winning classic Death of a Salesman takes the stage at the Stratford Festival, immersing audiences into the fragile, deeply human world of Willy Loman. Directed by Dean Gabourie and starring Tom McCamus as Willy alongside Lucy Peacock as Linda Loman, the production remains one of theatre’s most piercing explorations of ambition, identity and the cost of the American dream. In this searing portrait, an aging sa
May 142 min read


Fairy tales told. Lessons learned. Magic and music at Farmers Alley
(Kalamazoo, MI) Farmers Alley Theatre is set to produce an enchanting small-cast version of INTO THE WOODS by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, running May 28th-June 14th. It’s the stories you know, with the music you love, told in magical and inventive ways.
May 124 min read


Satire Takes Center Stage at Planet Ant with FRAT RAT
Planet Ant invites audiences to experience an immersive and silly theatrical event with FRAT RAT, an original satirical one act, written and directed by Helen Rose Consiglio III. Running May 29th–June 13th at the Planet Ant Black Box, the show explores what happens when a poorly behaved co-ed fraternity has to successfully elect their next chapter president and avoid being banned from campus…forever!
May 112 min read


A Storm Unleashed: THE TEMPEST at the Stratford Festival
Ashley Dingwell as Miranda, Marissa Orjalo as Ariel, Dakota Jamal Wellman as Ferdinand and Geraint Wyn Davies as Prospero, The Tempest. Stratford Festival 2026. Photo: Dariane Sanche. A theatrical event of rare scale and emotional resonance has arrived. The Tempest, directed by Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino in his final Shakespeare production before concluding his tenure at the end of the 2026 season, is now on stage at the Stratford Festival, captivating audiences with i
May 42 min read


Laugh Along with the Homicidal Hilarity of A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER at Avon Players
Avon Players’ 79 th season ends with the knock-‘em-dead, uproarious hit musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, running May 22-June 6.
May 42 min read


Tibbits Opera House Receives State and National Funding
COLDWATER – Tibbits Opera House has been awarded a grant of $39,785 from the State of Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to continue their mission of providing engaging opportunities in culture, education, entertainment and the arts and to preserve the historic opera house. The MACC grant was awarded through the MACC compliance review process and was one of 678 applications to compete for MACC fiscal year 2026 funding. Addi
May 42 min read


The Rundown | April 30, 2026 - Now Playing!
Welcome to THE RUNDOWN, a quick hit highlight of the plays, musicals, concerts, and cabarets now playing on stages in Michigan. This week's Rundown is JAM PACKED with new plays, musicals, film screenings, and concerts. And, as always, we have discounts available ONLY to Encore Subscribers! Come on now, you know what we're gonna say,.. Get On Up and Go See A Show! It’s an old song It’s an old tale from way back when It’s an old song But we’re gonna sing it again PLACES PLEAS
Apr 3015 min read


Broad British Comedy Bounds into Open Book Theatre
Lettice and Lovage Opens May 8 at The Open Book Theatre Company Kez Settle (left) as Lotte Schoen and Wendy Katz Hiller (Right) as Lettice Douffet. Photo by Jan Cartwright All Photos by Jan Cartwright TRENTON, MI – History is about to get a dramatic makeover at Open Book Theatre Company (OBTC). From May 8 to 31, 2026, OBTC presents Lettice and Lovage, the witty and heartwarming comedy by Peter Shaffer, the legendary playwright behind Amadeus and Equus. Lettice and Lovage fo
Apr 283 min read


An Intimate Epic Takes Stage at The Ringwald
Cider House Rules, a two-part play, opens May 15 Josiah Martelle (left), Rashna “Rashi” Sarwar (center), and Nick Easterling (right). Photo by Joe Plambeck FERNDALE, MI - April 27, 2026 – The Ringwald Theatre is thrilled to present their next production, the epic, two-part play The Cider House Rules. Based on John Irving’s beloved, bestselling novel, The Cider House Rules is an epic examination of family, reproductive rights, and what it means to call a place home The play
Apr 282 min read


All Bets Are On: GUYS AND DOLLS Launches at the Stratford Festival
Place your bets and roll the dice! From the electric streets of New York City to the sultry rhythms of Havana, the Stratford Festival ignites its 2026 season with the irresistible musical Guys and Dolls.
Apr 262 min read


CANCELLED: The Audition That Wasn't. The Story Behind Michigan's Cancelled Auditions
This weekend, six Michigan theatre companies were supposed to come together to host another unified audition. But what followed was a storm of chaos, as actors asked questions that artistic directors struggled to answer. What resulted was a cancellation of the Michigan General Auditions, leaving many in the community upset and confused.
Apr 2510 min read


The Rundown | April 23, 2026 - Now Playing!
Welcome to THE RUNDOWN, a quick hit highlight of the plays, musicals, concerts, and cabarets now playing on stages in Michigan. This week's Rundown is JAM PACKED with new plays, musicals, film screenings, and concerts. And, as always, we have discounts available ONLY to Encore Subscribers! Come on now, you know what we're gonna say,.. Get On Up and Go See A Show! I Have Often Walked, Down This Street Before. But The Pavement Always Stayed Beneath My Feet Before. PLACES PLEA
Apr 2314 min read


An Historic Operetta Debuts in an Historic Local Venue
The How Well We Live Foundation, in association with SLK Media Group, and in cooperation with the Livingston Arts Council, will present one of opera’s most beloved comic works, THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE at The Howell Opera House.
Apr 213 min read


The Poignant PLAYHOUSE CREATURES to Tour West Michigan
he West Michigan-based Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company will present April De Angelis’ Playhouse Creatures at three different Michigan venues from May 1-May 22, 2026. The production is directed by Kristina McCloskey. The play portrays a time period shortly after King Charles II of England decreed that female roles in plays should be played by women.
Apr 191 min read


One Love Story, Three Possibilities
The Last Wide Open Debuts at Theatre NOVA ANN ARBOR, MI -- What if love isn’t about destiny—but timing? Theatre NOVA, Ann Arbor’s resident nonprofit professional theatre specializing in new plays, presents the Michigan premiere of The Last Wide Open by Audrey Cefaly, a tender, time-bending romance unfolding across parallel possibilities. The production runs May 22 – June 14, 2026. Across three brief acts, the lives of weary waitress Lina and immigrant dishwasher Mikołaj inter
Apr 143 min read


Dinosaurs Roar at Planet Ant Theatre
JURASSIC PARK: THE MUSICAL Roars Back to Planet Ant Theatre DETROIT, Mich. – Hold onto your butts! Jurassic Park: The Musical , the hilarious, high-energy parody of the beloved 1993 blockbuster, is roaring onto the Planet Ant Theatre stage once again after a sold-out 2025 debut. Fans of the original film — and newcomers alike — can expect chaos, dinosaurs, and show-stopping songs in this over-the-top comedic extravaganza. WHEN: April 24–26, May 1–3, May 8–9 Fridays and Sat
Apr 122 min read


Rock Rolls in at Meadow Brook Theatre with a Broadway Smash Hit
Million Dollar Quartet rocks ‘n rolls into Meadow Brook Theatre
The 1956 jam session-inspired musical runs April 22 through May 17, 2026
at Meadow Brook Theatre on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, Mich.
Apr 92 min read


Michigan Shakespeare Festival Returns to Tibbits Opera House
The Michigan Shakespeare Festival will return to Tibbits Opera House to perform “Romeo &
Juliet” as part of their school programming series. The Michigan Shakespeare Festival performed
“Romeo & Juliet” at Tibbits Opera House in 2019.
Apr 92 min read


Umich Grads Headline a Groundbreaking Broadway Smash with Local Company
Graduates from The University of Michigan's School of Music, Theatre, and Dance (SMTD) lead a new production of RENT, presented by The Encore Musical Theatre Company (April 9–May 3, 2026, in the Maas Theatre).
Apr 72 min read


The Rundown | April 3, 2026 - Now Playing!
Welcome to THE RUNDOWN, a quick hit highlight of the plays, musicals, concerts, and cabarets now playing on stages in Michigan. Dive in to this week's Rundown and make sure you don't miss a thing! New plays, musicals, events, and concerts. And, as always, we have discounts available ONLY to Encore Subscribers! Come on now, you know what we're gonna say,.. Get On Up and Go See A Show! Try Not To Get Worried, Try Not To turn Onto, Problems That Upset You, Oh Don't You Know
Apr 315 min read
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