The Rundown | July 2, 2026 - Now Playing!
- 24 hours ago
- 10 min read
Welcome to THE RUNDOWN, a quick hit highlight of the plays, musicals, concerts, and cabarets now playing on stages in Michigan.
Summer's here and The 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 hot up here
A lot up here
It's hot up here
Forever
PLACES PLEASE, THIS IS YOUR PLACES CALL!
Here's THE RUNDOWN for Thursday, July 2, 2026.
CLOSING THIS WEEKEND
THE INSIDERS: A TRIBUTE TO TOM PETTY | Tibbits Opera House | July 2, 7:30pm
Get ready to run down the dream! Experience the sound, the soul and the songs that shaped a generation when The Insiders: A Tribute to Tom Petty come to Tibbits Opera House on Thursday, July 2 at 7:30 pm!
Close your eyes and you won’t know the difference. Open them and you still might be fooled! The Insiders bring the ultimate Heartbreakers tribute to life with six seasoned pros and a whole lot of heart.
Looking for talent? Teaching a workshop? Hiring new staff?
We've got you! Post your audition notice, job, or workshop information with Encore Michigan and reach thousands of performing arts professionals across the state. Your posting will get in front of people who want to audition, work, and learn at arts orgs statewide.
Posting is simple and easy!
ENCORE PARTNERS
EM is happy to announce a new program called Encore Partners. This exciting opportunity gives you, our Encore Michigan Subscribers, special discounts with productions across the state.
Look for this badge and check for discounts on tickets for plays, musicals, and productions with our dedicated Encore Partners.
We're thrilled to welcome our first three Encore Partners to this program:
Wayne State University
The Detroit Repertory Theatre
and Detroit Public Theatre!
Visit these amazing producing organizations and get special discounts available ONLY for EM Subscribers.
Interested in becoming an Encore Partner? Email info@encoremichigan.com and join the team!
NOW PLAYING
THE STRATFORD FESTIVAL
THE TEMPEST | The Stratford Festival | May 25 - Oct 24
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 its breathtaking scope, ethereal design and profound humanity.
Through romance, illusion and mischief, long-buried truths rise to the surface and hearts are irrevocably changed. The Tempest officially opens on May 25 and runs until October 24 at the Festival Theatre. Tickets are available at stratfordfestival.ca or by calling 1.800.567.1600.
Directed by: Antoni Cimolino
DEATH OF A SALESMAN | The Stratford Festival | May 28 - Oct 24
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.
Death of a Salesman officially opens on May 28 and runs until October 24 at the Avon.
Written by: Arthur Miller
Directed by: Dean Gabourie
GUYS & DOLLS | The Stratford Festival | Runs May 26 - Nov 1
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. Directed and choreographed by acclaimed theatre veteran Donna Feore, this high-spirited production stars Dan Chameroy as Sky Masterson, Jennifer Rider-Shaw as Miss Adelaide, Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane as Sarah Brown and Mark Uhre as Nathan Detroit, and features a score packed with Broadway favourites including “Luck Be a Lady,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” and “A Bushel and a Peck.”
Guys and Dolls officially opens on May 26 and runs until November 1 at the Festival Theatre. Learn more and Read The Full Encore Michigan Article Here!
Directed by: Donna Feore
WAITING FOR GODOT | The Stratford Festival | Runs May 30 - July 31
One of the most influential plays of the 20th century, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot arrives at the Festival Theatre in a highly anticipated production directed by Molly Atkinson. Taking the Festival stage for the first time in history, this strictly limited engagement stars acclaimed Canadian actors Paul Gross and Tom McCamus as Vladimir and Estragon, alongside Jonathan Goad as Pozzo and David W. Keeley as Lucky. With its strikingly minimal design, anchored by a solitary tree emerging from the Tanya Moiseiwitsch stage itself, this production transforms the Festival Theatre into a stark and haunting landscape unlike anything audiences have seen before.
SOMETHING ROTTEN | The Stratford Festival | Runs May 29 - Oct 31
Following overwhelming audience demand, the Stratford Festival brings the wildly popular musical Something Rotten! back to the Festival stage. Directed and choreographed by Donna Feore and led by a beloved cast including Starr Domingue as Bea Bottom, Henry Firmston as Nigel Bottom, Jeff Lillico as Shakespeare and Mark Uhre as Nick Bottom, this exuberant musical comedy transforms the Renaissance into a dazzling celebration of theatre, filled with spectacular dance numbers, infectious songs and riotous comedy. Hailed by critics as “the smartest and funniest new musical comedy” and named a Critic’s Pick by The Globe and Mail in its celebrated 2024 run, this Stratford favorite returns for another season of irresistible theatrical joy.
THE HOBBITT | The Stratford Festival | Runs May 30 - October 23
The curtain rises on the 2026 season with a thrilling tale of magic, adventure and discovery as Kim Selody’s stage adaptation of The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien arrives at the Stratford Festival. Directed by Pablo Felices-Luna and featuring Richard Lee, Tim Campbell, Sara-Jeanne Hosie and Aaron Krohn, this beloved tale of quiet bravery began performances at the Avon Theatre this May.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM | The Stratford Festival | Runs May 27 - Sept. 26
As twilight gathers and enchantment stirs, the Tom Patterson Theatre opens its 2026 season with Shakespeare’s most beguiling comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Directed by Graham Abbey and developed in collaboration with Groundling Theatre, this spellbound classic features André Sills as Oberon, Michael Spencer-Davis as Nick Bottom and Sara Topham as Titania. A world of mischief, romance and moonlit wonder comes alive as performances began this May.
Get A Gig!
Wanna be booked and busy?!
Check out the Encore Michigan jobs board to find opportunities across the state.
SCREENINGS & STREAMING
THIS ABOVE ALL | The Stratford Festival | April 27th premiere
The Stratford Festival is delighted to announce that This Above All: The Theatrical Life of Antoni Cimolino, a film by Melbar Entertainment Group, will make its world premiere at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival this month.
Directed by Barry Avrich and produced by Mark Selby, the documentary follows Antoni Cimolino as he prepares for his final season as Artistic Director of the Stratford Festival after nearly four decades with the organization.
The documentary will premiere at Hot Docs on Monday, April 27, at 7:45pm at the TIFF Lightbox, with a repeat screening Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 11:15am.
Following the premiere, This Above All: The Theatrical Life of Antoni Cimolino will air on The Documentary Channel on Sunday, August 30 at 9pm ET/PT with a CBC Gem release to follow on Friday, September 18.
Directed by: Barry Avrich
AN AUTUMN SUMMER | Blue Harbor Entertainment
An Autumn Summer tells the tale of Kevin (McKenna) and Cody (Maxwell), a young couple spending the final month before college in a magical Michigan lake town, chasing an endless summer.
Starring Lukita Maxwell (Apple+ hit series Shrinking, upcoming in A24's Backrooms) & Mark McKenna (Sing Street, YouTube cult series Wayne).
Written & Directed by: Jared Isaac
THE WINTER'S TALE | Stratfest@Home | The Stratford Festival | Now Streaming
The Stratford Festival’s acclaimed 2025 production of The Winter’s Tale is now available to audiences worldwide on the Festival’s exclusive streaming platform Stratfest@Home. Directed for the stage by Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino and for film by Nicholas Shields, this visually stunning adaptation reveals new emotional depths in Shakespeare’s enduring tale of atonement, forgiveness and renewal.
The Winter’s Tale is now available on Stratfest@Home, the Stratford Festival’s subscription streaming service. Subscribe to Stratfest@Home for just $7.99 a month and gain access to the best in Canadian digital theatrical productions, including the Stratford Festival’s acclaimed Shakespeare films, selected productions from our past seasons, exclusive behind-the-scenes videos and podcasts and original, award-winning digital content from around the world.
(TITLE PENDING) | The Obsidian Theatre Festival | Now Streaming
Watch the hilarious comedy title pending, now streaming.
Featured during The Obsidian Theatre Festival's 2023 season, this raucous new play features several amazing Detroit artists and is written by New York playwright, April Amara.
A small, black theatre company in Poughkeepsie, New York, is deep in the rehearsal process when suddenly, they receive word that the estate of the play’s legendary playwright has revoked their rights to the script. To save the already flailing company, artistic director Tommy enlists the help of world-renowned famous playwright, Marcel Lamareaux, to premiere his new play, launching the theatre (and its actors) into stardom. But everything comes to head when Marcel sustains a possibly life-threatening injury in the midst of a tense workshop process. Do they call an ambulance to save his life, damning the company in the process? Or can they come together to find a way to ensure all their big plans come to fruition… with or without Marcel Lamareaux?
Written by: April Amara
Directed by: Asia Mark
BLACK SANTA | The Obsidian Theatre Festival | Now Streaming
The Obsidian Theatre Festival releases BLACK SANTS for streaming, this December 13th.
Before Abbott Elementary, there was Patrice at Dartmouth Day School....Shortly before Christmas break, a third grader named Sharifa stands in front of her class and says, “Santa Claus is a black man from Detroit," sending the school into an uproar. To quell the storm, Patrice Patterson, the school's only black teacher, is asked to create an ad campaign within the school to make Santa white again. As events unfold, Sharifa’s enrollment is placed in jeopardy, and Patrice must decide how to protect Sharifa and ultimately herself. This absurdist comedy examines how race and racial bias can have a foothold on one of the most benign figures—Santa Claus.
Written by: Aaron Mays
Directed by: Will Bryson
TI'MON | The Obsidian Theatre Festival | Now Streaming
TI’MON is a bold new musical centered on the immigrant experience, family, and imagination.
With an incredible score and amazing heart, this piece was featured as part of The Obsidian Theatre Festival's 2024 season.
What makes this piece truly unique is the accompanying behind-the-scenes documentary following the development process with dramaturg Kanoa Sims. The documentary is available on the GhostLight YouTube channel . The full feature piece is now available to stream on obsidianfest.org.
Written by: Ashlee K. Tomas & Ziyan Yang
Directed by: Rueben Echols
THE GOLDEN LOC | The Obsidian Theatre Festival | Now Streaming
Prentiss Matthew III's award-winning play for young audiences, The Golden Loc, is set to premiere on August 19th. The piece, which was presented as part of The Obsidian Theatre Festival's 4th Season, was directed by Asia Mark and starred local actors Khalia Damali, Jarquita Evans, DeNitria Gibson, Tayler Jones, Princess Beyonce Jones, Chelsea King, and QueenMakeeda Taylor as "Zia".
The show received the "Best Play" award in 2024 from BroadwayWorld Michigan and recently became available for production through Plays For New Audiences.
Written by: Prentiss Matthews III
Directed by: Asia Mark
COMING SOON
OLIVER! | Nicely Theatre Group | Runs July 17 - 26
Nicely Theatre Group will present Lionel Bart’s beloved musical Oliver! this July for six performances only at The Berman Center for Performing Arts in West Bloomfield. Directed by Mitch Master, with music and vocal direction by Dan Greig and choreography by Mark McCleese, this classic production will bring the heart, humor, and unforgettable music of Charles Dickens’ timeless story to the stage.
Based on Dickens’ Oliver Twist, Oliver! follows a young orphan as he searches for belonging in Victorian London, encountering a colorful cast of characters along the way. Featuring iconic songs including “Food, Glorious Food,” “Consider Yourself,” “Where Is Love?” and “As Long as He Needs Me,” the musical continues to captivate audiences of all ages.
Directed by: Mitch Master
Music Direction by: Dan Greig
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW SPOOKTACULAR TOUR | Wharton Center
October 25, 7PM | www.whartoncenter.com
EAST LANSING, MI—The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the longest-running theatrical release in film history, returns to Wharton Center for an evening of musical comedy, live interaction, a costume contest, an onstage Shadow Cast, and more that will leave you doing the Time Warp for days. Tickets will be available at the Wharton Center Ticket Office, online at whartoncenter.com, or by calling 517.432.2000 or 1.800.WHARTON.
Fans will be able to meet and talk with Barry Bostwick—acclaimed star of this original cult classic—in person. Bostwick iconic portrayal of “Brad Majors” has thrilled generations of fans for 50 years.
LABRINTH UNDOING TOUR | Detroit Opera | September 3, 8pm
Detroit Opera House will present Labrinth on September 3, 2026, as the final stop of his seven-city U.S. tour entitled Undoing Tour Presented by the cosmic opera. This special orchestra performance will feature Labrinth performing his acclaimed catalog and new material from Cosmic Opera Act II alongside the Detroit Opera Orchestra. Blending cinematic composition, emotional storytelling, and live symphonic production, this unique concert experience bridges contemporary music with orchestral artistry. Local pre-sales begin Thursday, April 23 at 12 p.m. ET at Ticketmaster, detroitoperahouse.org, and in person at the Detroit Opera House. The public on-sale date is Friday, April 24 at 12 p.m. ET.
THE VOICE OF WHITNEY | Detroit Opera | October 10, 8pm
Audiences will experience Whitney Houston’s astounding musical legacy, when The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration comes to the Detroit Opera House for one night only, Saturday, October 10, 2026.
The Voice of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration concert tribute will feature original master and remastered recordings of Whitney’s actual vocals, set to new orchestral arrangements of her classic hits and landmark songs, backed by the powerhouse Detroit Opera Orchestra, led by Sean Mayes.
Tickets start at $39 (plus fees) and go on pre-sale January 21 at 12:00 p.m.
PUCCINI'S TOSCA | Detroit Opera | Nov 1, 5, 7
Detroit Opera announces three performances of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca at the Detroit Opera House on November 1, 5, and 7, conducted by Music Director Roberto Kalb and featuring Louisa Proske’s staging that debuted at the Glimmerglass Festival in 2025. Tosca will be the first opera production in Detroit Opera's previously announced season-long exploration of faith.
The cast of Tosca will feature, in the title role of Floria Tosca, the stunning South African
soprano Masabane Rangwanasha, whose 2025 Metropolitan Opera debut as Liù in
Turandot was “ravishingly nuanced” (Bachtrack) and whose voice the London Times has
described as “one of the glories of the age.”
AND THAT'S THE RUNDOWN! There is so much going on across the state, and WE KNOW this isn't a comprehensive list. So, if you think there's something we missed, please reach out.
Until Next Time. Break Legs!
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