For this edition of Theater Talk on Stateside, David Kiley of Encore Michigan joins the show to talk about four productions currently on stage across Michigan. Two are Academy Award-nominated films adapted into musicals (and only one of them is authorized), one is a drama about a single mom's intimate encounter with a U.S. Senator, and another is a Tennessee Williams classic that's making a rare appearance in the state.
When people drive past the Max M. Fisher Center next to Orchestra Hall in Detroit, they probably don't know there's a great company called the Detroit Public Theatre tucked in there. It's only been open for two full seasons, and they are currently showing a drama called The Harassment of Iris Malloy. The "ripped from the headlines" type of story chronicles the fallout after a single mom and a U.S. Senator spend the night together.
Over in Ferndale, the Ringwald Theatre is showing something a little different: an unauthorized musical parody of the Oscar-winning 1991 movie Silence of the Lambs. It's called Silence: The Musical.
Silence: The Musical: The Trailer
"This show is great fun," Kiley said. "If you've never been to the Ringwald, it is a charming, no-frills theater with plenty of places around to have a bite to eat or drink before the show or after. It's a storefront theater, but don't let that deter you. The work that they do inside is award-winning, and there's a wonderful local actor named John DeMerell who is playing Hannibal Lecter."
Listen to the full interview above to hear about a rare run for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the What A Do Theatre in Springfield, and a musical version of The Bridges of Madison County at The Dio in Pinckney.
Support for arts and culture coverage comes in part from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.
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