The Rundown | Nov. 20, 2025- Now Playing!
- John Sloan III
- Nov 20
- 15 min read
Welcome to THE RUNDOWN, a quick hit highlight of the shows now playing on stage in Michigan. The leaves are falling, and holiday season is in full swing. This weekend is packed as amazing productions prepare to close, while others make their big debut. So, dive on in and keep an eye open for special discounts available ONLY to Encore Subscribers! You know what we're gonna say...Get On Up and Go See A Show!
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Here's THE RUNDOWN for Thursday, November 20, 2025.
CLOSING THIS WEEKEND
DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS | The Stratford Festival | Runs May 29 - Nov 23
Prepare for the Avon Theatre to be transformed into the glamorous French Riviera as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels hits the stage tomorrow, offering huge laughs and high energy. It showcases exhilarating performances by Shakura Dickson as Christine Colgate, Jonathan Goad as Lawrence Jameson, Liam Tobin as Freddy Benson, Sara-Jeanne Hosie as Muriel Eubanks, Derek Kwan as Andre Thibault, and Michele Shuster as Jolene Oakes.
MACBETH | The Stratford Festival | Runs through Nov 22
Robert Lepage returns to the Stratford Festival with a bold new production of Macbeth, Shakespeare’s compelling tale of unchecked ambition. Created in collaboration with Lepage’s company Ex Machina, the show features Tom McCamus in the title role and Lucy Peacock as Lady Macbeth.
Six years in the making, this fast-paced production will grab you with its startling opening scene and keep you in its grip through the thrilling final moments. It sees the clan loyalties and blood feuds of medieval Scotland come to vivid life in a biker gang war setting. In this story of a ruthless warrior empowered by prophecy, Shakespeare dramatizes the consequences of psychopathic ambition with a stark clarity that continues to shock audiences centuries later.
“Macbeth is always timely,” says Lepage, “because whatever the political system or the moment in history, there is always a Macbeth somewhere – an ambitious person who transforms a society into a dictatorship.”
Directed by: Robert Lepage
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK | Avon Players | Runs Nov. 7-22
One girl’s true account of a growing up in extraordinary circumstances makes for a harrowing and hopeful play as Avon Players Theatre presents The Diary of Anne Frank,
running November 7-22. In her secret attic, Anne comes of age: she laughs, plays, fights with her mother, and falls in love for the first time. “It was hard to imagine such events happening, and yet, they did happen,” Director Angel Maclean said. “I learned that the promise of a better future, even joy, can be found in the worst of conditions."
Written and Adapted by: Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett
1997 version adapted by Wendy Kesselman
Directed by: Angel Maclean
LOST IN YONKERS | Birmingham Village Players | Runs Nov 7-23
Rapid-fire jokes and crazy characters are a staple in Playwright Neil Simon’s
comedies. Lost in Yonkers, his coming-of-age story set in 1942, is no exception. Birmingham Village Players is delighted to give the community something to laugh about November 7-23, 2025.
Winning the Tony award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Neil Simon’s
Lost in Yonkers centers around the themes of love, responsibility and the importance of family.
“Arty is a sassy 13-year-old that the audience will grow to love,” said 12-year-old Brooklyn Brown of Huntington Woods, who is stretching her acting chops by playing the part of a young boy. “I am still working on posture and mannerisms, but it is a fun process.”
Written by: Neil Simon
Directed by: Eileen White
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OPENING THIS WEEKEND
SUNSET: A CYBER LAMENT | The Hinterlands | Runs Nov 20 - 22
Detroit-based experimental theatre company and 2018 Kresge Arts Fellows The Hinterlands presents their newest work - Sunset: A Cyber Lament - November
14-16, and 20-22 at 7:30pm hosted by Andy Arts (3000 Fenkell St Detroit, MI 48238).
Down into the Digital Otherworld journeys a virtuosic singer in search of his lost soul,
which was spirited away by an enchanting and mischievous technological force. Inspired by medieval retellings of the Orpheus myth and our collective internet-driven
madness, Sunset weaves technologies old and new - mask performance, live video
mixing, AI chatbots, electronic music, lamentations, spirit talking, Victorian illusion and
more - into a music-driven terrifying and embodied work that mythologizes our
relationship with technology, and how it has changed and shaped our imagination.
Created and performed by: Liza Bielby, Jenna Kirk, Richard Newman, and Renee Willoughby, with Jessica Annunziata.
A VERY KALAMAZOO CHRISTMAS | Farmers Alley Theatre | Runs Nov 20 - Dec 14
Fresh off the heels of their box-office smashing hit production of Come From Away, Farmers Alley Theatre rings in the holiday season with a satirical love letter to holiday rom-coms in A Very Kalamazoo Christmas by Robert Hawlmark, opening November 20th and the show has already been so popular Farmers Alley Theatre has added six additional performances to the original run.
This hysterical comedy is written by a Michigan playwright and allows the actors the ability to fill the whip-smart script with fun local references and jokes about the Wolverine State and Kalamazoo.
Filled with snappy one-liners, quick costume changes, cheesy montages and a dash of Christmas spirit (plus a surprise cameo or two), this rollicking 90-minute comedy is like Love Actually and The Holiday morphed with the craziest episode of Saturday Night Live - performed on stage!
Written by: Robert Hawlmark
Directed by: Kevin Theis
A VERY NORTHVILLE CHRISTMAS | Tipping Point Theatre | Runs Nov 19 - Dec 21
Opening on November 19th, Tipping Point
Theatre (TPT) continues its 18th Season by presenting the return of a Southeast
Michigan favorite, A Very Northville Christmas by Robert Hawlmark.
A Very Northville Christmas is a play that parodies the concept of the “Hallmark Holiday” movie – a genre that features a handful of premieres centered around a busy career-focused woman who temporarily finds herself in her small hometown, where she reconnects with her simpler hometown ways and is caught in the conflict between her career ambitions and her growing love towards a local man.
Written by: Robert Hawlmark
Directed by: Julia Glander
AMERICAN HERO | Planet Ant Theatre | Runs Nov 21 - Dec 7
Planet Ant announces the opening of AMERICAN HERO by Bess Wohl at their historic Black Box theatre.
At a toasted subs franchise in a struggling mall, three “sandwich artists”—a teen, a single mom, and a downsized banker—try to build better lives one sub at a time. When their pursuit of the American Dream collides with corporate neglect and absurd misfortune, they must band together to survive in a post-recession world.
Bess Wohl’s darkly funny and compassionate comedy exposes the fragile optimism of workers clinging to the lowest rungs of the economic ladder while celebrating their resilience and humor. AMERICAN HERO is a supersized dark comedy about life, liberty, and the pursuit of sandwiches.
Written by: Bess Wohl
Directed by: Kymberli Skye
A CHRISTMAS CAROL | Meadow Brook Theatre | Runs Nov 21 - Dec 24
One of southeast Michigan’s favorite holiday traditions returns for its 43rd year when
Ebenezer, Tiny Tim and a handful of ghosts raise your spirits in A Christmas Carol at
Meadow Brook Theatre this November and December.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, original adaptation and staging by Charles
Nolte, runs at Meadow Brook Theatre on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester from November 21 through December 24.
Veteran MBT actor Phil Powers returns to the role of Ebenezer Scrooge this year after his spectacular debut in 2024.
SOFA STORIES SHORT FILMS | Every Soul Arts | Nov. 21, 6:30pm
Every Soul Arts, Detroit’s newest creative organization supporting young people
impacted by homelessness through the arts, will officially launch on Friday, November 21,
2025, from 6:30–8:30pm at Newlab at Michigan Central with the premiere of a new series of Sofa Stories short films and the kickoff of its end-of-year fundraising campaign. Timed to coincide with National Youth Homelessness Awareness Month, this special event brings together community members, supporters, and advocates to spotlight the experiences and creative power of young people impacted by homelessness and housing insecurity.
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NOW PLAYING
PRIMARY TRUST | Detroit Repertory Theatre | Runs Nov 7 - Dec 28
The Detroit Repertory Theatre begins its 69th Season with the Detroit Premiere of Pulitzer Prize-winning Primary Trust by Eboni Booth. The production opens on Friday, November 7, 2025 at 8pm, with a Champagne Afterglow, and runs through December 28, 2025, with four shows a week on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Primary Trust is an achingly beautiful tale that celebrates friendship, connection, and small acts of kindness that can change a person’s life—and an entire community.
Use The Code ENCORE for special $25 tickets.
Written by: Eboni Booth
Directed by: Antoine McKay
THE MUSIC OF HER LIFE | Lulu Fall & The Carr Center | Oct 2, Nov 6, Dec 17
Lulu Fall’s 3-Concert Series kicks off with Broadway Night with Lulu Fall.
The Carr Center presents a 3-concert series, featuring singer, award-winning songwriter and Broadway actor Lulu Fall. Each concert represents Lulu’s poignant life pillars, marked by major chapters and life changes, all from the lens of a first-generation African-American girl.
Lulu has graced Broadway productions such as the iconic HAIR and the groundbreaking Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.
In Detroit theatre, she was featured in the world premiere musical, Hastings Street, and earned a Wilde Award for Best Supporting Actress in Detroit Public Theatre’s production of Passing Strange.
All concerts begin at 7:30pm, and will last 60-70 minutes. The Carr Center is located at 15 East Kirby, inside the Park Shelton.
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF JAYNE AUSTEN | Open Book Theatre Company |
Runs Nov 14 - Dec 7 | www.openbooktheatrecompany.net
This November, Open Book Theatre Company (OBTC) invites audiences into a fast-paced, funny, and frenzied world of bonnets and balls with its production of The Complete Works of Jane Austen, Abridged. The comedy is a dizzying, delightful ride through the entire cannon of the celebrated
British author, condensing six major novels and her early juvenilia into 90 minutes or less.
This fast-paced show relies on the sheer, passionate energy of its cast. Actors Lisa Michaels, Kryssy Becker-Krenitsky, and Jeffrey Miller juggle dozens of characters, dialects, and quick-change props, maintaining a "frenzied, passionate energy" that Michaels says is one of the project’s central challenges.
Written by: Jessica Bedford, Kathryn MacMillan, Charlotte Northeast, and Meghan Winch
Directed by: Hannah Niece
BIRTH OF A HO' ASS NATION | Planet Ant Theatre | Runs Nov 14 - 29
A hilarious journey through the history of the American black experience, Birth of a Ho’ Ass Nation returns to the stage with both chapters in one night Nov 14-29 at Planet Ant Theatre, in Hamtramck.
Co-written and performed by Detroit comedian Jacob Russell, Birth of a Ho' Ass Nation - Part I & II is a fast-paced, one-man stage show that takes you through the 300+ year history of American history, and shines a light on the sometimes egregious, sometimes inspiring, American black experience.
In this one-man stage comedy, Jake travels through history and confronts many of the figures of the post-Civil War period. From meeting Abraham Lincoln to Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, and D.W. Griffith, this sequel will dig a little deeper into how America birthed a ho' ass nation.
Written by: Jacob Russell
Directed by: Rico Bruce Wade
A SHERLOCK CAROL | Williamston Theatre | Runs Nov 13 - Dec 21
Williamston celebrates the holiday season with A Sherlock Carol by Mark
Shanahan. Performances for this heartwarming tale begin Thursday, November 13 and run through Sunday, December 21. Tickets are now on sale.
Two beloved classic tales. One thrilling new mystery! When a grown-up Tiny Tim asks Sherlock Holmes to investigate the peculiar death of Ebenezer Scrooge, the Great Detective must use his tools of
deduction to get to the bottom of the crime. Reunite with the characters you love from Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, brought together in a story of intrigue and suspense, with a holiday helping of Christmas cheer.
Written by: Mark Shanahan
Directed by: Rob Rosnowski
THE STRATFORD FESTIVAL | www.stratfordfestival.ca
ANNIE | Runs May 27 - Dec. 14
The sun will come out tomorrow when the Stratford Festival begins its 2025 season with the fabulous musical Annie.
Ever-optimistic Annie makes it her job to improve the lives of everyone around her – except maybe Miss Hannigan, who has made life a misery for all the little girls in her care at the New York Municipal Orphanage.
Annieofficially opens on May 27 and runs until November 2 at the Festival Theatre.
“Where we came from and where we want to go define who and what we aspire to be – our vision shapes us,” says director Donna Feore.
“Annie... embodies the best of every human reaction to adversity and she speaks to us in a language so simple and clear that it’s hard to deny her power.”
Directed & Choreographed by: Donna Feore
Musical Direction by: Laura Burton
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COMING SOON
HIGHWAYS AND VALLEYS | Detroit Opera | Dec 7, 11, 13
Detroit Opera’s 25/26 opera season will open with two rarely performed American operas: William Grant Still’s Highway 1, USA and Kurt Weill’s Down in the Valley. Both operas will be presented on a double-bill entitled Highways and Valleys—Two American Love Stories. There will be three performances: December 7, 11, and 13. The Highway 1, USA staging was first seen at LA Opera in 2024, and Down in the Valley will be a world premiere staging for Detroit Opera. Both one-act operas feature stories about working people living at America’s margins, reflecting Detroit Opera’s season focus on America. Highway 1, USA and Down in the Valley were written by composers whose voices were excluded from the operatic mainstream: William Grant Still, the “dean of African American composers,” and the Jewish émigré Kurt Weill.
The production features several returning artists: director Kaneza Schaal, who previously staged Detroit Opera’s production of Blue in 2021; soprano Nicole Heaston; mezzo-soprano Rehanna Thelwell; tenor Victor Ryan Robertson; bass-baritone Davóne Tines; and baritone Babatunde Akinboboye. Music Director Roberto Kalb will conduct.
MARIACHI VARGAS de TECALITLAN | Detroit Opera | May 9
Detroit Opera House presents Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán for a special performance on May 9 at 7:30pm, the day before Mother’s Day, which is celebrated in the U.S. and in Mexico on Sunday, May 10, 2026. Mariachi Vargas has performed internationally for six generations and is widely recognized as “El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo” (the best mariachi in the world). The legendary Mariachi Vargas ensemble brings more than a century of tradition, virtuosity, and passion to the performance. The musicians perform with tight ensemble precision, featuring polished arrangements that often include vocal solos, duets, or trios. Sets span a variety of mariachi styles: sones, rancheras, huapangos, polkas, valses, and more, with singers joined by violins, trumpets, harp, guitarron, vilhuera, and guitar.
Tickets for Mariachi Vargas go on pre-sale Monday, November 3 at 12pmET at Ticketmaster, detroitopera.org, and in person at the Detroit Opera House. The public on-sale date is Thursday, November 6 at 12pmET. Tickets start at $39. Special VIP seating with beverage service is available.
DPT HOLIDAT CABARET | Detroit Public Theatre | Runs Dec 4 - 21
Detroit Public Theatre (DPT) is thrilled to announce the cast for their 3rd DETROIT PUBLIC THEATRE HOLIDAY CABARET, Directed and co-created by Co-Founder and Co-Producing Artistic Director, Courtney Burkett.
The cast of DPT’S HOLIDAY CABARET includes returning cast members, Eric Gutman and Bryana Hall, plus NEW cast members, Lulu Fall, X. Alexander Durden and Mariah Colby.
What began as a playful end-of-year event has grown into one of DPT’s most anticipated offerings, attracting both returning fans and new audiences eager for a festive, Detroit-forward celebration. This year’s production features all new music, two returning and three new cast members, and DPT’s signature mix of bawdy, beautiful, and heartwarming performances.
The Saturday, December 13 performance is a Relaxed Performance. This will be the first of its kind at Detroit Public Theatre and provides a welcoming environment designed to let theatre patrons express themselves freely, without judgment or inhibition. This live theatre experience invites and encourages individuals with autism, ADD, ADHD, dementia and/or sensory sensitivities to enjoy the performance in a “shush-free” zone. Lighting and sound will be adjusted to support audience needs for the performance, fidgets will be available, and patrons will be welcome to come and go from the space as needed. The content of the production will remain the same.
Directed by: Courtney Burkett
DJ WHITTINGTON'S KOOL KAT: A HIP-HOP PANTO | Theatre Nova | Runs Dec 5 - Jan 4 | www.theatrenova.org
The holiday hilarity of our annual Panto returns. Bring the whole family to this rollicking all-ages entertainment with a hip-hop twist. Cheer the hero, boo the villain, and enjoy original tunes and kid-friendly parodies of popular hip-hop songs -- set to The Kool Kat’s sick beats.
Directed and music directed by Mike Sandusky, the cast features Nic Folson, Mo Murray, and Alaina Kerr. The production team includes Jade Guerriero (lights), Mary Perrin (costumes/props), and Briana O’Neal (set/stage manager). “DJ WHITTINGTON'S KOOL KAT: A HIP-HOP PANTO” will run December 5, 2025- January 4, 2026 at Theatre NOVA (410 W Huron St, Ann Arbor). Performances are Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 3pm and 7:30pm, and Sundays at 2pm. General admission tickets are $32 for adults, $12 for kids ages 16 and under, $25 for seniors ages 65 and over, and $15 for students with student IDs at the door. Tickets may be purchased online at www.TheatreNOVA.org
SCROOGE IN ROUGE | The Inspired Acting Company | Runs Dec 5 - 21
The Inspired Acting Company has announced the cast for their upcoming production of “Scrooge in Rouge,” playing December 5-21. A bawdy musical in the British Music Hall style, the show centers on a troupe of actors set to perform the Dickens holiday classic — but 17 of the 20 players fall ill. The remaining three must keep the show going, covering all the parts between them in a flurry of wigs, costume changes, and double-entendres. “Brace yourself for cheeky humor, corsets in chaos, show tunes gone sideways, and a whirlwind of accents that defy both logic and geography,” says director Jeff Thomakos.
Written by: Ricky Graham, Jeffery Roberson, Yvette Hargis, Jefferson Turner
Directed by: Jeff Thomakos
STEEL POINTSETTIAS | The Ringwald | Runs Dec 5 - 21
The Ringwald Theatre’s annual holiday parody has come to town! Steel Poinsettias, the unauthorized parody sequel to Steel Magnolias lands at the Ferndale theatre just in time for the holidays. Performances run December 5–21, 2025, with shows on Fridays, Saturdays, and Mondays at 7:00 pm, and matinees on Sundays at 3:00 pm.
The beloved gang from Truvy’s Beauty Spot are back! As the ladies prepare for the holidays, a monkey wrench is thrown into the proceedings as Shelby’s son, Jackson, Jr., announces a life-changing decision that throws M’Lynn for a loop. Truvy, Annelle, Clairee, and Ouiser, along with Annelle’s daughter (also named Shelby), band together to get the holidays back on track and to keep everyone in Chinquapin Parish happy, healthy, and in the pink (well, Blush and Bashful).
Packed with razor-sharp humor, outrageous antics, and everyone’s favorite emotion – laughter through tears, Steel Poinsettias is a love letter to its source material and the perfect campy holiday confection!
Written by: Vince Kelley
Directed by: Vince Kelley & Brandy Joe Plambeck
LIVE HOLIDAY CONCERT EXPERIENCES | West Michigan Symphony | Various Dates
West Michigan Symphony presents its annual Home for the Holidays concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 19 in the inspiring setting of the beautiful, historic Frauenthal Theater, surrounded by a magically decorated downtown Muskegon.
Multifaceted Jazz artist Paul Keller Brings his Celebrated Quintet to The Block for A Jazzy Christmas The Michigan-based Paul Keller Quintet is dedicated to delighting audiences with their unique brand of high-energy, top-shelf jazz and swing. They have recently added a 4 p.m. performance of A Jazzy Christmas at The Block on Saturday, December 13.
Clickity Clack Ho Ho Ho Unique Storybook Series Returns to The Block What would the holidays be without the West Michigan Symphony Brass Quintet “reindeer” performing great seasonal music for youngsters? Based on the book by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin, Clickity Clack Ho Ho Ho takes the audience on a visit to Farmer Brown’s barn to find out what the animals are up to for Christmas.
SCREENINGS & STREAMING
SOFA STORIES SHORT FILMS | Every Soul Arts | Nov. 21, 6:30pm
Every Soul Arts, Detroit’s newest creative organization supporting young people
impacted by homelessness through the arts, will officially launch on Friday, November 21,
2025, from 6:30–8:30pm at Newlab at Michigan Central with the premiere of a new series of Sofa Stories short films and the kickoff of its end-of-year fundraising campaign. Timed to coincide with National Youth Homelessness Awareness Month, this special event brings together community members, supporters, and advocates to spotlight the experiences and creative power of young people impacted by homelessness and housing insecurity.
TI'MON | The Obsidian Theatre Festival
The Obsidian Theatre Festival, the flagship program of the GhostLight Arts Initiative (GLAI), is proud to announce the streaming release of Season 4 Feature content. Having gained national recognition as a platform for emerging Black voices, OTF continues to break new ground through the streaming of original plays, musicals, music, and conversation.
This year's streaming schedule kicked off with the debut of TI’MON, a bold new musical by Ashlee and Ziyan, centered on the immigrant experience, family, and imagination. What makes this piece truly unique is the accompanying behind-the-scenes documentary following the development process with dramaturg Kanoa Sims. TI’MON premiered on Tuesday, July 22nd on the GhostLight YouTube channel . The full feature piece is now available to stream on obsidianfest.org.
THE GOLDEN LOC | The Obsidian Theatre Festival | Premiering August 19
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
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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