The Croswell Opera House is pleased to announce its 2018-19 Special Event Series. This series begins in October and runs through April.
Plays and musicals
Sweeney Todd (School Edition): January 26 to February 3. This Tony Award-winning Stephen Sondheim musical has shocked, thrilled and delighted audiences for nearly 40 years! This student adaptation of the show is the Croswell’s annual all-area high school musical.
Aglio e Olio: February 14-17. This immersive one-woman show, originally written by actress Meg Persichetti and directed by Adrian native Laura Gilkey, uses the kitchen as the setting for a story that takes the audience into the narrator’s memories of her father. Family and food are tied together in a communal experience that ends with the audience sharing a meal together. The play will have four performances and will be staged in the Blissfield home of Croswell supporters Frank and Brenda Baker.
The Glass Menagerie: March 1-10. This is the classic play that launched Tennessee Williams’ career!
The Perfect Dog: March 22-30. The Croswell’s annual children’s theater production, The Perfect Dog is a musical that follows 12-year-old Sam in her quest for a flawless dog to enter into a contest, learning in the end that there’s no such thing as perfection. On opening night, audience members will also be invited to bring their dogs to the show.
Concerts, films and other one-night events
Islands Without Cars: Friday, October 5, at 7:30 p.m. Can you imagine a world without cars, trains, or buses? It may seem like a bygone era, but for some it is a modern reality. Islands Without Cars, produced by Lenawee County native Melissa Sage Fadim, is a series of half-hour programs exploring remote islands that have kept a well-worn foot in the past by restricting or altogether forbidding the use of motorized vehicles. This series is not a dry hike uphill through the mountains of history, but rather a fun and engaging romp. The Croswell will show three installments, followed by a Q&A with the creators.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Wednesday, October 31, at 8:30 p.m. Join us for a Halloween showing of this cult classic!
Gordon Lightfoot Tribute: Sunday, November 4, at 5:30 p.m. This five-piece tribute band will entertain you with some of the legendary Canadian troubadour’s greatest hits!
Branson on the Road, Christmas Style: Saturday, December 15, at 5:30 p.m. All the fun and excitement of a Branson country-western show is coming to Adrian this Christmas! Join Debbie Horton and friends for an evening of friendship, laughter, and just plain great music.
Carols and Candlelight: December 20 and 21 at 6:30 p.m. Michael Lackey and friends present a holiday celebration in the Croswell’s James E. Van Doren Studio, with a variety of sweet and savory hors d’oeuvres from the Hathaway House.
You Rock, Valentine! Friday, February 15, at 7:30 p.m. Join Dave Rains and friends for an evening of the greatest rock love songs, from the ’50s to today.
The Magic of Stuart MacDonald: Saturday, April 6, at 7:30 p.m. Adrian magician Stuart MacDonald, fresh off of a trip to the World Championships of Magic in South Korea, comes back to his hometown stage for an evening of magical entertainment!
First Tuesday Play Readings
The Croswell is pleased to announce a series of play readings in the Van Doren Studio! The readings will take place at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month, except for January.
- October 2: Shakespeare in Love, adapted for the stage by Lee Hall.
- November 6: She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen.
- December 4: Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris and The Eight Reindeer Monologues by Jeff Goode.
- February 5: Morning After Grace by Carey Crim.
- March 5: The Zoo Story and The American Dream by Edward Albee.
- April 2: Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks.
“A Life in the Arts” speaker series
Our speaker series featuring Croswell alumni who are now working professionally in the performing arts will continue with performer and educator Michael Kirk Lane on October 9 and hair and makeup designer Alyssa Battersby on a date to be determined in the spring. Details will be posted at croswell.org/speakers when available.