The Sixteenth Season of Broadway Onstage Live Theatre, and the Twenty-Ninth Season of Dennis Wickline Productions, continues on Friday, September 11 with the Ron Clark, Sam Bobrick comedy MURDER AT THE HOWARD JOHNSON'S. Playing Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Select Sundays at 2pm, the farcical comedy will run through Saturday, October 10.
Select Sunday Matinees are only performed at Broadway Onstage when a prearranged group of 30 or more is scheduled to attend. Broadway Onstage Live Theatre is located at 21517 Kelly Rd. at Toepfer (8 ˝ Mile Rd.) in Eastpointe. It is the home of the patented TeeVeeStage™ Presentation system, which employs cameras above the audience and monitors above the stage to provide audience members with different viewing perspectives of the live stage performance. Broadway Onstage Live Theatre is also the home of Dennis Wickline Productions, Inc., which began producing Non-Equity professional live theatre on the Eastside of Detroit in February of 1980. |  |
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Ron Clark and Sam Bobrick are legendary authors and playwrights. Mr. Bobrick wrote for THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, GET SMART and THE SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR. He and Ron Clark also wrote for the KRAFT MUSIC HALL. Together, they have written some delightful comedies, including NORMAN, IS THAT YOU? and WALLY'S CAFÉ. MURDER AT THE HOWARD JOHNSON'S introduces us to three very interesting characters. Mitchell, a dentist, is having an affair with Arlene, a used-car salesman's wife. Paul, the used-car salesman, thinks he is coming to a room at a local Howard Johnson's to buy a group of stolen cars. In reality, Mitchell and Arlene are plotting to kill him and run off together. It is near Christmas, and the plot is comically botched and all three survive. By July 4th, Arlene has discovered Mitchell cheating on her, and Paul wants her back. In the same Howard Johnson's Hotel room Paul and Arlene plot to kill Mitchell. Another comically botched attempt at murder ensues and all three survive again. Act II brings us the final death plot, and the murder, mayhem and comedy come to a riotous conclusion. MURDER AT THE HOWARD JOHNSON'S is great fun.
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The cast of MURDER AT THE HOWARD JOHNSON'S at Broadway Onstage is comically gifted. Portraying Mitchell is Broadway Onstage favorite John Arden McClure. Mr. McClure was just seen at Broadway Onstage as Richie in LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS and as the title roles in DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE. Anne Marie Damman portrays Arlene. Ms. Damman is an extremely talented professional actress with a number of roles to her credit, both locally and nationally. The cast is completed by Patrick R. O'Lear as Paul. Mr. O'Lear is returning to theatrical performance after a brief absence. The production is under the able direction of Christopher Oakley who has directed a number of productions at Broadway Onstage, including last season's MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS.
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Tickets for Opening Night Friday, September 11 are $14. Tickets for all other performances are $16. Group Rates and Performances are available. Again, Broadway Onstage is located at 21517 Kelly Rd. at
Toepfer (8 1/2 Mile Rd.) in Eastpointe, Michigan. Ticket Reservations are recommended by calling (586) 771-6333.
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JOHN ARDEN MCCLURE (Mitchell) - John was just seen as Richie in LOVERS AND OTHER STRANGERS and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in our production of that classic story. He was also seen as Remnar in our 2007-2008 season closer ESCANABA IN DA MOONLIGHT and last fall in HARVEY as Mr. Wilson. He was also seen as CHUCK, one of the moving men, in MIXED EMOTIONS here this past spring. John was seen as Inspector Davies in SOMETHING TO HIDE, and also in A THOUSAND CLOWNS during our 2007-2008 season. His first appearance on our stage was in 2005 as Charley in THE BOOK OF MURDER. Since then he has been in numerous productions here, including Charles Wellington York in 2007's SHERLOCK'S VEILED SECRET and Dr. Zubritsky in FOOLS. He has also appeared as Benny in EPIC PROPORTIONS, Reverend Chasuble in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, Donnie in THE FOURSOME, Charlie Dugan in APRIL, MAE AND JUNE, and Mellersh Wilton in ENCHANTED APRIL. John is a theatrical veteran, having portrayed Ranger Tom in ESCANABA IN DA MOONLIGHT, Bozidar in DEAR SANTA, and Trent in THE LAST RESORT for Starbrite Dinner Theatre. He is also a member of Grosse Pointe Theatre, having portrayed Anthony Marston in TEN LITTLE INDIANS and Kenny Norman in PROPOSALS. We welcome him back to our stage. |  |
ANNE MARIE DAMMAN (Arlene) - Anne Marie received her MA in Theatre from Ohio State University, and has taught both performance and scholarly classes at several schools, including Central Michigan University. Some favorite roles include Anne Frank in THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (JET), Juliet in ROMEO AND JULIET (Waterworks) and Liesl in THE SOUND OF MUSIC. She is also a voiceover artist, and can be heard daily at www.outloudopinion.com. She would like to thank Broadway Onstage for this opportunity, her family and friends for their support, and Mitch for his love and patience. Welcome, Anne! |  |
PATRICK R. O'LEAR (Paul) - While this is Patrick's first appearance for us, he is no stranger to theatre, although this is his first stage appearange in several years. He was very active in theatre as a young man and minored in theatre at Mercy College (now U of D/Marygrove). He appeared in a number of productions at Macomb Community College including AUNTIE MAME and LOOK HOMEWARD, ANGEL (as W.O. Grant). He was also in a variety of productions at Mercy College, including LUV and THE CHERRY ORCHARD (as Simon Yephikodov). Patrick was also involved in local improvisational theatre, and created various roles for the annual Sterling Heights Fire Fighters Christmas Show, including "Mrs. On-Fire." Welcome, Patrick! |  |
CHRISTOPHER OAKLEY (Director) - Christopher directed our fall 2007 production of A THOUSAND CLOWNS and our fall 2006 production MISTER 80%. He directed Avon Players' 2007 production of A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, and also directed YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU there in early 2008. In September of 2006, he directed Grosse Pointe Theatre's opening production DIAL "M" FOR MURDER, and he directed our production of THE FOURSOME in January of 2006, and our EPIC PROPORTIONS in the spring of 2005. He has directed a number of our most successful productions, including BREAKING LEGS several seasons ago, and our production of CRIMES OF THE HEART in the summer of 2001. He also directed our spring 2002 production of MISERY. In January of 2002, Christopher portrayed Lord Fancourt Babberly to great acclaim in Grosse Pointe Theatre's CHARLEY'S AUNT. He has been with us since the beginning of Broadway Onstage. Thanks for everything, Chris! |  |
DENNIS WICKLINE (Producer, Set Design) - Dennis portrayed David O Selznick in MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS and Elwood P. Dowd in HARVEY last fall. He was seen as Major Powell in CORPSE and Frank in WEEKEND COMEDY here during our 2007-2008 season. He directed JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT for Grosse Pointe Theatre to close their 2007-2008 Season. Dennis portrayed Marc in ART and Weller Martin in THE GIN GAME here at Broadway Onstage several seasons ago. He was seen as Henry in THE BOOK OF MURDER in the winter of 2005, as Bradley in THE COCKTAIL HOUR in the fall of 2004. He is the producer of all shows at Broadway Onstage. He began producing theatre in February of 1980 at Stouffer's Eastland. This season is his twenty-ninth of producing non-Equity professional theatre in the Detroit Metropolitan area. He is the author of a number of plays and musicals, including THE NUTCRACKER'S NUTS. Dennis portrayed Vernon in THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG in the spring of 2000 here, and portrayed Herbert Bracewell in THE RETURN OF HERBERT BRACEWELL in 2001. He also appeared as Fagin in Grosse Pointe Theatre's 2001 production of OLIVER! and was seen as Joe Keller in their production of ALL MY SONS in March of 2005. Dennis was also seen here in the thriller THE WOMAN IN BLACK in the fall of 2002, portraying 5 separate characters. He also directed GPT's 2005 SHOWBOAT. |  |
