For more than 50 years, Ross Summer Music Theatre has produced a musical. Founders, Jerauld (Jerry) Reinhart, choral director at Merrillville High School for 39 years, and his wife, Margilee, envisioned a summer performance venue, an onstage classroom, for teens and young adults. They have been so successful, the MHS auditorium has been named the Reinhart Auditorium in their honor.
**** Recommended I loved "POTUS Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive", a new political comedy at Hammond’s Towle Theater. POTUS doesn’t have enough doors to be a farce, but it has most of the other elements – an absurd situation, stereotypical characters, over-the-top personalities, witty dialog, lightning fast timing, pratfalls, and bawdy humor. It also has an all-female cast, a rarity in comedy. The language is a bit salty but it fits the situation. 4 Spotlights
**** Recommended Sometimes I’ll see a play which will just resonate. Hammond Community Theatre’s production of "Now and Then" is one of those plays. As the story unfolded, I found myself totally involved with the characters, hoping things would work out for them, even as I could see the writing on the wall. The cast is really good at making the odd and unusual seem normal. 4 Spotlights
Towle Theater’s first production of their 22nd season did not disappoint. The musical, “The Mad Ones,” tells the story of 18- year-old, Sam ( played by Lauren Reece), who loses her impetuous best friend, Kelly (played by Madison Meeron), who is killed in an accident.
Over the years I’ve been to many a Halloween show at M & M Productions’ Center Stage Studio Theatre. This year, the show is "Ghost Writer 1989" written & directed by Mike and Melinda’s son, Jacob Reinhart who took the tired “teens in an isolated cabin” trope and added his own creative plot twists. Kudos! Don’t miss this show.
4 Spotlights! Towle Theater’s production, The Spider or the Fly?, a psychological thriller by Sam Bobrick, explores the relationship between Maura (played by Mary Margaret McCormack) and Scott (played by Martin Downs) who are serving on a jury for a murder trial. They become romantically involved, but soon discover they are at odds on what they believe should be the verdict of the trial.
**** Highly Recommended The Marian Theatre Guild production of "Birthday Candles" is a definite must-see. Kudos to Susan Bobos on her tour de force performance. I don’t mind telling you that this beautiful play made me laugh and moved me to tears. It’s a shame that MTG only does four performances of their plays. This one deserves more! 4 BIG Spotlights
*** Recommended "The Story of My Life," was a lot like watching a funeral, what with the flower-flanked podium situated in front of an arch, placed exactly in the center of the stage. The rest of the stage is strewn with notebooks and loose sheets of paper. This is a show about a pair of childhood friends who grew up in a small town. One left and one stayed behind. All those sheets of paper contain the stories of their lives together. Although it’s billed as a musical, I’d call "The Story of My Life" a play with music. It’s both poignant and lyrical. 3 Spotlights
**** Recommended The Drama Group production of "The Addams Family" is fun, fun, fun! Audiences are loving the show! The talented cast has totally embraced the Addams zaniness. Director Tyler McMahon has the cast playing these already over-the-top characters relatively straight, adding to the crazy! The costumes are spot-on, the set is equipped with all the latest torture devices – and a hidden passage or two. Throw in a disembodied hand, swash-buckling swordsmanship and a taste of tango and you have the recipe for an Addams hit. A tiny warning, you’ll only hear that signature Addams finger snap in the overture. 4 Spotlights
**** Recommended **** The Towle Theater production of "Women in Jeopardy" is a lot of fun, a comedy of errors involving three divorced gal pals, a clueless, self-involved girl, a spacey, cougar-obsessed boy and a creepy dentist. Are two of the gals jealous because the third met someone – or is it really about his weird vibes? I had to laugh out loud at the funny dialogue and improbable situations in this light-hearted comedy. 3 ½ Spotlights
