Tag Archives: Williamston Theatre

Tuesday Potpourri-Hodgepodge-Mishmash-Medley of Things

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What a great time to be a Dad.  I am more and more impressed with my amazing kids every day.  Why?  Let me tell you…

*Last week, at lunch with my daughter, at Jimmy Johns: Not only did she order the giant Italian Nightclub sub – she had them put hot peppers on it.

*Going to an event where we had to be a little dressy, my 15 year old son asks to borrow a tie.  “Sure – grab one out of my closet”, I say.  Out of the almost 20 ties I have hanging in my closet…. he picks the one with the Starship Enterprise on it.

Parenting Win, Level AWESOME.

The Family June 2015

The Family June 2015

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Saw a GREAT quote today:

“If you don’t have time for what matters, stop doing things that don’t.”

–  Thanks to Courtney Carver at Be More With Less for sharing it!

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Outside Mullingar has been PACKING the audiences in at Williamston Theatre.  What a beautiful script, done beautifully – I’m so proud of the whole team.

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I’m looking forward to our upcoming Summer show at Williamston Theatre (The Art of Murder), and I’m amazingly excited for the lineup of our 2015-2016 Season!  For fun, here’s the assortment of logos for the season!

Rounding Third by Richard Dresser

Rounding Third
by Richard Dresser

Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol By Tom Mula

Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol
By Tom Mula

Too Much, Too Much, Too Many By Meghan Kennedy

Too Much, Too Much, Too Many
By Meghan Kennedy

The Decade Dance By Joseph Zettelmaier

The Decade Dance
By Joseph Zettelmaier

Chapatti By Christian O'Reilly

Chapatti
By Christian O’Reilly

Summer Retreat By Annie Martin

Summer Retreat
By Annie Martin

Pic Post Saturday

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Random photos from the life of a Dad, Husband, Artistic Director!

Our new season promo.

 

The amazing folks at the Ringwald Theatre!

I updated the Team Tony page on my website and added some pictures, including this one from the amazing folks at the Ringwald Theatre!

Williamston Theatre did a reading of Joseph Zettelmaier's new play "Campfire" at the Renegade Theatre

Williamston Theatre did a reading of Joseph Zettelmaier’s new play “Campfire” at the Renegade Theatre

This just made me laugh.

This just made me laugh.

A night at the Red Brick with the three most important people in the world.

A night at the Red Brick with the three most important people in the world.

Maggie and I

Maggie and I

Jeanne and Maggie went away for the weekend, so Max and I had some quality time... like a video game and pizza binge!

Jeanne and Maggie went away for the weekend, so Max and I had some quality time… like a video game and pizza binge!

I don't know who this guy is, but I was at the Oddball Comedy Fest and saw his shirt, and now I want one!

I don’t know who this guy is, but I was at the Oddball Comedy Fest and saw his shirt, and now I want one!

 

 

 

 

Announcing the 2014-2015 Williamston Theatre Season!

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I’m really excited about our lineup for next season! Comedy, drama, murders, World Premiers, Michigan Premiers, it’s going to be terrific!

The Gravedigger: A Frankenstein Story

A World Premiere by Joseph Zettelmaier
September 25 – November 2, 2014
Directed by John Lepard
Set in the late 1700s, in one of Bavaria’s forgotten cemeteries, a lone gravedigger finds a hideously scarred man hiding in a freshly dug grave. Thus begins a journey of discovery and friendship, leading to a crossroads where both men face their shared past. From the writer of Ebenezer, And The Creek Don’t Rise, and It Came From Mars, comes a seasonally haunting tale of pursuing the monster within.

Miracle on South Division Street

by Tom Dudzik
November 28 – December 28, 2014
Directed by Rob Roznowski
Meet the Nowaks of Buffalo, NY. Clara and her three grown kids have always known they were special, ever since the miraculous night in 1942 when the Blessed Mother appeared to Grandpa in his barbershop. Since then, Clara and her three children have kept the faith and tended to Grandpa’s sidewalk shrine, which has been a beacon of hope to the neighbors and given prestige to the family. The entire family’s faith is shaken to the very core when a deathbed confession causes the local legend to unravel. This charming tale of family, legacy and tolerance will bring warmth to your heart this holiday season.

The Best Brothers

by Daniel MacIvor
January 29 – March 1, 2015
Directed by Lynn Lammers
After losing their free-spirited mother in a freak accident, brothers Kyle and Hamilton Best have to find a way to work together to make the final arrangements. In the bustle of obituary-writing, eulogy-giving, and dog-sitting, sibling rivalry quickly reaches its peak and years of buried contentions surface. As each struggles to understand the other, the brothers begin to see more deeply into themselves and the unconventional woman who gave them life. The Best Brothers is a bittersweet comedy from one of Canada’s most beloved playwrights that explores the many ways in which we grieve, and the love we find in unexpected places.

Sirens

by Deborah Zoe Laufer
A collaboration with the MSU Department of Theatre
March 26 – April 26, 2015
Directed by Tony Caselli
When Sam first fell in love with Rose he wrote her a song — a song that has been covered by every recording artist and translated into every language. For twenty-five years, Sam has been trying to write the next song – to no avail. When the couple decides to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary with a cruise in the Mediterranean, Sam hears the most beautiful music he’s ever heard and, in an attempt to capture it, jumps overboard. As he grapples with the legacy of his song, and a temptress of Greek mythology, he struggles to find a way home and to win back his wife. Out of a contemporary love story that grapples with the terrors of middle age, and the tortures of creative failure, comes a mystical expedition to find home.

Outside Mullingar

by John Patrick Shanley
A Michigan Premiere
May 21 – June 21, 2015
Directed by John Seibert
Anthony and Rosemary are two introverted misfits straddling 40. Anthony has spent his entire life on a cattle farm in rural Ireland, a state of affairs that—due to his painful shyness—suits him well. Rosemary lives right next door, determined to have him, watching the years slip away. With Anthony’s father threatening to disinherit him and a land feud simmering between their families, Rosemary has every reason to fear romantic catastrophe. Their journey is heartbreaking, funny as hell, and ultimately deeply moving. From the Pulitzer, Oscar and Tony-award winning creator of Doubt comes a delightful new work about how it’s never too late to take a chance on love.

The Art of Murder

by Joe DiPietro
July 16 – August 23, 2015
Directed by Tobin Hissong
In a remote estate in the countryside of Connecticut, Jack Brooks, one of the most accomplished and eccentric painters of his generation, awaits the imminent arrival of his art dealer with his devoted wife Annie. But the visit is not a standard one. Wronged feelings, a quest for revenge and years of dishonesty threaten to blow apart Jack’s carefully constructed web of lies and deceit. In the 2000 Edgar Award Winner for Best Mystery Play, passion ignites all the players in this chess game. Who will be the last one standing?

“Over The River And Through The Woods”

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We opened our latest show at Williamston Theatre this weekend, and I couldn’t be happier with it.  It’s a piece that I love, because it’s all about a big Italian family, it’s very funny and very sweet, and it takes me back to my Grandma Caselli’s house when I was a kid!

We’ve been fortunate in that audiences are loving the piece as well.  It’s one of those plays that makes you both laugh and get a little weepy, it feels just right for this time of year, and the cast is fabulous.  We’ve gotten some great reviews so far, too:

MODOReview
Encore Michigan
Lansing Online News

“Over the River and Through the Woods” is a show that is a generous serving of laughter spiced with tears, longing, sadness and pure delight at all the wonderful things that family can be. It may not talk about the holidays at all, but it has the heart of the holidays. It is about the ways we love each other, grow away from each other and always carry with us the gift of where we came from.” – Bridgette Redman, Encore Michigan

EM_2150_OverRev

A Nice Week – And A Moment Of Thanks

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“After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” -Phillip Pullman

This Thursday, we had our first preview performance for The Woman In Black at Williamston Theatre.

I got up onstage just before the show to make the pre-show announcements, (“Hi! I’m Tony, turn off your cell phones, thanks for being here, turn off your cell phones, we have some folks to thank for their support, and if you have a cell phone please turn it off.”)

As I was talking, I said “Welcome to the first performance of our 8th Season!” and the packed house erupted into applause, cutting me off.  I smiled and looked out into the crowd, making eye contact with a lot of people who I’ve come to know over the life of Williamston Theatre.  (We have a lot of patrons who LOVE coming to the first couple of previews, they love the talk-back after the show: knowing that we’re still in rehearsals they’re participating in what is still a work-in-progress, and they enjoy the fact that they may contribute to what the piece ultimately becomes.  We love them!)

So, I’m standing, seeing all of these people applaud and cheer, and had a moment.  Just a quick “Wow” moment, but it was there.  One of those lump-in-the-throat,  I had better talk now because if I don’t I may not be able to in a minute kinda moments, because I was again reminded of how lucky we’ve been.

Starting our 8th Season.  Wow.  42 productions – well, 43 now!  Lessons learned.  Friends made.  Families made.  Hundreds of jobs provided to artists.  Many awards won.  And – most importantly – lots of stories told that have moved people.

“People don’t want more information. They are up to their eyeballs in information. They want faith–faith in you, your goals, your success, in the story you tell.” -Annette Simmons

So many people to thank for making all of that happen – board members, actors, volunteers, my 3 co-founders John and Chris and Emily, our families, donors, our apprentices, our stage managers, designers, directors, the MSU theatre department, Williamston business owners, the list goes on and on.

We’re not done growing, I hope – and in fact as the applause faded and I spoke, I laughed and said “Thank you – we’re as amazed as you are that we’re still here!” because in many ways, we are!

So, this post is a Thank You.  And an acknowledgement of the huge amount of hard work and faith and dedication that so many people have given to help keep a dream going.  It’s also a reminder, too : Sometimes, in the middle of all of the day-to-day running and grinding and putting-out-metaphorical-fires, take a minute… take a minute to look around and appreciate where you are, who helped get you there, because it’s important.  Remembering why you do what you do, why all the hard work is worth it – no matter what it is you do – that not only makes life worth living… it keeps it beautiful.

“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” -Joan Didion

Logos for next season!

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Boy, it’s been a busy couple of weeks!  We got a show open at Williamston Theatre, I went to San Diego Comic Con, life has been good!

Here, just for fun, are the logos for the 2013-2014 Season at Williamston Theatre!  A couple may undergo minor tweaking, but this is the general look of the season, and I love it.  I am beyond excited about the lineup for next year – the scripts, the casts, the production teams  – so much goodness!

Woman In Black (option)

Over RiverLion In WinterFrankieOld Love (final)BIG BANG

Finally! Williamston Theatre’s FULL 2013-2014 Season!

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We’ve finally got the rights secured to our 6th show for next season, so we can eliminate that pesky “TBA” from our 2014 Summer Slot!

So, here’s the COMPLETE Williamston Theatre 2013-2014 season.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK
Adapted by Stehen Mallatratt from the book by Susan Hill
October 3, 2013 to November 3, 2013

It was a dark and stormy night…
Join us for a spine tingling tale of things that go bump in the night. A neighborhood is held hostage by the shadowy figure of a woman who haunts the locale where her illegitimate child was killed years before. Legend holds that any soul encountering her will perish on the spot! Two men attempt to solve her mystery, and release their neighborhood from her spell, by recreating the events leading to her first sighting. But will they solve the mystery before they, too, fall victim to her deadly gaze?

OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS
By Joe DiPietro
November 29, 2013 to December 29, 2013

Meet Nick – a single guy from New Jersey with four adoring, and adorable, grandparents. Frank, Aida, Nunzio and Emma fold Nick into their warmth every Sunday for a traditional dinner with la famiglia, and try to impart to him the importance of family, a good meal and a good wife. When he tells them of his plans to move across the country for the job of his dreams, the news doesn’t sit so well. They go into full crisis mode and pull out every scheme in the book to get him to stay close to home – including baiting him with pretty Caitlin O’Hara, the girl next door. This is one to share with your family this holiday season.

THE LION IN WINTER
By James Goldman
January 23, 2014 to February 23, 2014

Uneasy is the head on which the crown lies, and uneasy the truce between a matchless king and queen. This is the legendary story of King Henry II of England, and the battle between his fiercely competitive sons to be chosen next in line for the thrown. Add in his banished Queen, the notorious Eleanor of Aquitaine, mother of said sons and equally competitive, and King Louis of France, and two countries find themselves on the brink of bloody war at the whim of a temperamental and power hungry family. This classic tale of deception, manipulation and world dominance will draw you into its irresistible web, and might not let you go without a fight.

FRANKIE AND JOHNNY IN THE CLAIR DE LUNE
By Terrence McNally
March 20, 2014 to April 20, 2014

Frankie is a waitress at a second rate restaurant who gives in to the temptation of a one-night stand with her co-worker Johnny after a few weeks of working together. But Johnny has other ideas. A compulsive talker, and hopeless romantic, Johnny begins the process of wooing Frankie, hoping that she will return his proclamations of love. World-weary and battle-worn, Frankie needs a lot of convincing that this won’t be yet another disappointment in life. As their night together unfolds, they are surprised by the discoveries they make about each other, and themselves. Winner of the Dramatists Guild Hull Warriner Award, this bittersweet comedy combines poignancy and laughter as it traces the unlikely romance that begins to develop between two middle-aged “losers.”

OLD LOVE
By Norm Foster
May 15, 2014 to June 15, 2014

He’s recently divorced. She’s newly-widowed. He’s a man who won’t give up, and she’s a woman who won’t give in. In a story that spans three decades, we travel with two unlikely companions who encounter each other at strange and inopportune times. When the time is finally right, will they be able to give in to their desires for courtship? Find out if a trip to the circus is what it takes to start over, again.

THE BIG BANG
Book and Lyrics by Boyd Graham
Music by Jed Feuer
July 10, 2014 to August 17, 2014

Jed and Boyd need your cash!  Have you ever wanted to invest in a Broadway Musical?  In this outrageous musical comedy, two wanna-be tycoons are desperate to line up funding for their new project, “The Big Bang”, so they’ve set up a “backers’ audition” and you’re invited!  With a cast of hundreds, the overblown extravaganza they’ve written is the biggest thing Broadway has ever seen and depicts the entire history of the world – from the formation of the planets right through the most important events – Adam and Eve!  The Pyramids!  Cher!  Will Broadway ever be the same?  This zany song-and-dance romp will leave you breathless!

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I’m really excited about this season, some terrific pieces and some challenges for us.  I love the blend of the contemporary stuff and some classics, some heartwarming stuff and a lot of life affirming joy.  Plus, next season we’ll be bringing back our Dark Nights In Billtown festival, as well as announcing a few more special projects.  The future looks good!  🙂