Back by popular demand for the Seventh Holiday Season in a row, Broadway Onstage Live Theatre is again pleased to present the Holiday Comedy by Dennis Wickline, THE NUTCRACKER'S NUTS. THE NUTCRACKER'S NUTS is the most popular show ever presented at Broadway Onstage Live Theatre and tells the story of a retirement community's efforts to present a new holiday production. There will be six evening performances of this Holiday Treat on Friday, November 30 at 8pm, and additional Friday and Saturday evenings December 1, 7, 8, 14, and 15 also at 8pm, with three special 2pm Sunday Matinees on December 2, 9, and 16.
Tickets for the performances are $16, and this year Broadway Onstage is again offering special Holiday Group Rates for this popular production. Groups of 13 or more pay only $13 each, and groups of 21 or more pay only $11 each. 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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Originally premiered in December of 2001, the comedy has been presented every December since then to great acclaim. Another production of THE NUTCRACKER'S NUTS was also licensed in 2004 by The Midland Theatre Guild, which presented seven sold-out performances in early November of that year at the Midland Center for the Performing Arts. The Midland production was directed by Denyse Clayton, Mr. Wickline's sister. There have since been other productions of THE NUTCRACKER'S NUTS in Saskatune, Canada, Kentucky, Upper Michigan and other locales.
THE NUTCRACKER'S NUTS takes place in the Northern Lower Penninsula. Simon's Rest is a retirement community in Frankfort, Michigan. Every Christmas the residents perform their traditional, boring, and harder and harder to produce version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Every Christmas, that is, except this one. Minnie Winchester, an elderly piano teacher, suggests that the residents do something new, something like THE NUTCRACKER. Everyone agrees that it would be wonderful to try something new and THE NUTCRACKER is accepted immediately. Tickets are quickly sold out. Just as rehearsals begin, however, the retirees discover one important and overlooked detail, THE NUTCRACKER is a ballet, and Minnie Winchester, a rather rotund lady who always wanted to play Clara, the lead, doesn't know how to dance.
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Three of the cast members have been with the show since the beginning. Shirley Urkshus appears as Elvira, the bitchy former bait store owner. Jann Hight returns as Alberta, a retired school teacher, and Joe Urkshus returns as Hector, the former Scrooge who kept forgetting his lines and is now cast as The Nutcracker. Michael Kowalski returns to the role of Malcolm, the President of the Resident's Council.
CeCe Reuter Lesner returns to her role of Dorothy, the former ballroom dance teacher from the Benzie County Library, who becomes the director of The Simon's Rest production of THE NUTCRACKER. Attic Theatre veteran and former Grosse Pointe Theatre President Donna DiSante takes on the role of Minnie, the prima ballernia in this year's production. Choreographer for the production since the beginning is Arlene Marie Schoenherr. Directing the production this season is Dennis Wickline.
Tickets for Opening Night, Friday, December 1 are $14. Tickets for all other performances are $16. Again, Broadway Onstage is located at 21517 Kelly Rd. at Toepfer (8 1/2 Mile Rd.) in Eastpointe, Michigan. Ticket Reservations are strongly recommended by calling (586) 771-6333.
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DONNA DISANTE (Minnie) - Donna has directed each prior version of this production and now takes on the role of Minnie. She also appeared on our stage three seasons ago in two productions. She was Miss Prism in our season closer in 2005, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST and appeared as Person 1 in EPIC PROPORTIONS. Donna also directed our production of ARSENIC AND OLD LACE at the Golden Lion Dinner Theatre in 1984. She was very involved in the early years of the Attic Theatre, and the Grand Circus Exchange in Detroit. She is a Past President of Grosse Pointe Theatre, and has directed a number of productions for them, including SABRINA several seasons ago. She is always a joy to work with, and we're happy to have her lend her considerable talents to THE NUTCRACKER'S NUTS. Thanks, Donna! |
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CECE LESNER (Dorothy) - CeCe was seen as Flavia in GIFT OF MURDER and as Irene Adler in SHERLOCK'S VEILED SECRET last season. She was also seen as Kandall in our summer 2006 production of IMPOSSIBLE MARRIAGE. She was seen as Theresa in CHEATING CHEATERS, our 2004 summer production. CeCe was also seen as Ouiser in STEEL MAGNOLIAS here at Broadway Onstage several seasons ago. She appeared as Dorothy in THE NUTCRACKER'S NUTS during our first two versions of the show in 2001 and 2002, and repeated her performance for the last two years. She has appeared in a number of productions here at Broadway Onstage, including COME BACK TO THE FIVE AND DIME, JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN and BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, among others. She has also performed in other theaters in performances of LET'S MURDER MARSHA and THE CEMETERY CLUB. Thanks,CeCe. It's always a joy working with you. |
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JOE URKSHUS (Hector) - Joe appeared as Edvard, the groom, in our summer 2006 production IMPOSSIBLE MARRIAGE and as Inspector John Smith in OVER MY DEAD BODY. He appeared as D.W. DeWitt in our spring 2005 comedy EPIC PROPORTIONS. He also acted as Stage Manager for our season closer in 2005, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Joe appeared as Henry, a thoughtful philosophy professor, in our production of CLIFFHANGER several seasons ago. He has also appeared as Hector in all of our productions of THE NUTCRACKER'S NUTS. He also portrayed Jonathan Small in SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CURSE OF THE SIGN OF FOUR several seasons ago. Joe appeared as Gary in our production of I HATE HAMLET in the fall of 2001 to great acclaim. He first appeared for us in 2000, as Father Mac and the Bingo Caller, in THE QUEEN OF BINGO. Joe has been seen in a number of local venues on a community and professional level. He was seen in NOISES OFF for Avon Players several seasons ago, and he was recently seen in the comedy MURDER AT THE HOWARD JOHNSON'S for RJO Productions. It's a pleasure to have him back with us again. |  |
MIKE KOWALSKI (Malcolm) - Mike appeared as Dennis in last January's GIFT OF MURDER. He appeared as Ralph, the father, in our summer 2005 production MY DAUGHTER'S RATED "X". He also appeared in our spring 2005 comedy, EPIC PROPORTIONS. He appeared as Bozo in our summer 2004 production of CHEATING CHEATERS. Mike portrayed Sherlock Holmes in SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CURSE OF THE SIGN OF FOUR four seasons ago, and is appearing as Malcolm for the fifth time. He has been involved with our productions since he portrayed the Kralahome in our version of THE KING AND I at the Golden Lion in 1990. Since then he has portrayed Moriarty in SHERLOCK HOLMES, Ernst in CABARET, and many other roles to great acclaim. Mike was in our first two productions here at Broadway Onstage, BANG, BANG, YOU'RE DEAD (as Hugo Armando) and THE GREAT AMERICAN SEX FARCE (as Captain "Bangs"). Mike was also seen here as the Judge in our production of MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. He has also been seen at Dave and Busters and other professional venues. Welcome back, Mike! |  |
SHIRLEY BIGGS-URKSHUS (Elvira) - Shirley was just seen as Sarah in our summer production RED HOT MAMAS. She portrayed Dora Winslow in our fall 2006 production OVER MY DEAD BODY. She directed our season closing production THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST three seasons ago. She also appeared onstage as Lane/Merriman in that production. Shirley portrayed Polly in CLIFFHANGER here three seasons ago to great acclaim. This is the seventh time she has portrayed Elvira. Shirley appeared in our production of I HATE HAMLET, in 2001, as Felicia. In addition, she appeared as Sis in 2000's production of THE QUEEN OF BINGO to everyone's delight. Shirley first appeared for us several seasons ago in our original murder-mystery THE THEATRE MURDERS aka THE DINNER THEATRE MURDERS as Mrs. Buldheiss/Olivia. Shirley has also directed for other companies, including such productions as STEPPIN' OUT, among others. Welcome back, Shirley! |
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JANN HIGHT (Alberta) - Jann just appeared as Claudia in our summer production RED HOT MAMAS. She also portrayed Anne, the mother, in THE COCKTAIL HOUR here at Broadway Onstage three seasons ago. She recreated her role as Clairee in STEEL MAGNOLIAS in 2002, which she first performed for Wickline Productions at the Golden Lion in 1991. She has been in many productions here at Broadway Onstage. She is also from the original production of THE NUTCRACKERS NUTS, appearing for the seventh time as Alberta. Jann was also seen in 2001's I HATE HAMLET, and 2000's YOU KNOW I CAN'T HEAR YOU WHEN THE WATER'S RUNNING, in which she portrayed three very different and complicated ladies. We're honored to have her back again. Thanks, Jann.
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ARLENE MARIE SCHOENHERR (Choreographer) - Also recreating her work from the original production of NUTCRACKER'S NUTS, Arlene was in our very first production at Stouffer's Eastland Dinner Theatre, MINNIE'S BOYS. She choreographed that production as well. Arlene directed a number of productions for us at Stouffer's and at the Golden Lion, including LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS, CAROUSEL and CORPSE! Arlene is also very involved in Grosse Pointe Theatre, and directed their production of ANNIE three seasons ago. She also was Co-Choreographer for GPT's production of SHOW BOAT to end their 2004-2005 Season. Welcome back, Arlene! |
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DENNIS WICKLINE (Producer, Author) - Dennis portrayed Marc in ART and Weller Martin in THE GIN GAME here at Broadway Onstage two 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-seventh 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 directed GPT's production of SHOW BOAT in May of 2005 and will be directing their season closer JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT.
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