THEATER

Fall Theater preview: What's coming to stages around Metro Detroit

Melody Baetens
The Detroit News

Theater season is upon us, and this fall Detroit area audiences will be entertained with returning classics, new shows, stuff for kids and some off-the-wall productions, too. 

Among the classics — including "A Christmas Carol" at Meadow Brook Theatre and "Sweeny Todd" at Detroit Opera House — this year's stage lineup has not one, but two, shows inspired by the award-winning sitcom "The Golden Girls." 

Here are some of the other highlights to be found on stages around town from now through the end of the year. 

"Rent" celebrates 20 years with a stop at the Fox Theatre, Oct. 11-12

Fox Theatre

2211 Woodward, Detroit. (313) 471-7000 or 313Presents.com

"Rent" 20th Anniversary Tour, Oct. 11-12

"Peppa Pig Live!," Oct. 13

"A Fun Conversation with Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin," Oct. 30

"Baby Shark Live!" Nov. 3

"Mystery Science Theatre 3000 Live: The Great Cheesy Movie Circus Tour," Nov. 9

John Leguizamo: "Latin History for Morons," Nov. 13

Alec Baldwin: "A Hilarious Uncensored Conversation," Nov. 14 CANCELLED 

"Price is Right Live —  Stage Show, Nov. 15

"Disney Junior Holiday Party," Nov. 27 

"The Illusionists — Magic of the Holidays," Nov. 29-30

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical," Dec. 1

Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Dec. 13-15

Moscow Ballet's "Great Russian Nutcracker," Dec. 22

"The Spongebob Musical," Dec. 26-Jan. 5

City Theatre

2301 Woodward, Detroit. 313Presents.com.

"Evil Dead: The Musical," through Nov. 2

"Little Black Dress," Nov. 7-10

"Sister's Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi's Gold," Nov. 30

"Twas a Girl Night Before Christmas: The Musical," Dec. 5-8 

"Evil Dead the Musical" returns to the City Theatre in Detroit Sept. 26-Nov. 2

Detroit Opera House

1526 Broadway, Detroit. 

"Don Giovanni," Oct. 19-27

Joffrey Ballet, Nov. 2-3

"Sweeney Todd," Nov. 16-24

"The Nutcracker," Nov. 30-Dec. 1

Fillmore Detroit

2115 Woodward, Detroit. (313) 961-5451 or livenation.com

"Xanadu the Musical," Oct. 20

Detroit Public Theatre

At the Max M. and Majorie S. Fisher Music Center

3711 Woodward, Detroit. detroitpublictheatre.org

"Paradise Blue," through Nov. 3

"Temples of Lung and Air," Nov. 14-Dec. 8

Fisher Theatre

3011 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit. (313) 872-1000 or broadwayindetroit.com

"Come From Away," through Oct. 13

"Hello, Dolly!" Nov. 19-Dec. 1

Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

350 Madison, Detroit. (313) 887-8500 or musichall.org

"The Page Turner Adventures: Mixed Up Fairy Tales," Sunday

"August Wilson's Jitney," Nov. 12-16

"Body Traffic," Nov. 22

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar," Nov. 24

"A Drag Queen Christmas," Nov. 29

"A Very Electric Christmas," Dec. 15

Detroit Repertory Theatre

13103 Woodrow Wilson Street, Detroit. (313) 868-1347 or detroitreptheatre.com. 

"Channel Cat," Nov. 7-Dec. 29

Wayne State University

Hillberry Theatre, 4743 Cass, Detroit. theatreanddanceatwayne.com

"Blithe Spirit," through Sunday

"Heathers the Musical," Oct. 11-27

"Sweat," Nov. 1-17

"Reckless," Nov. 15-Dec. 8

Bonstelle Theatre, 3424 Woodward, Detroit. theatreanddanceatwayne.com

"A Christmas Carol," Dec. 4-15

Planet Ant

2357 Caniff, Hamtramck. (313) 365-4948 or planetant.com

"Hot Flashbacks! A Golden Girls Musical Parody," Friday

"As They Like It," Oct. 11-27

Ringwald Theatre

22742 Woodward, Ferndale. (248) 545-5545 or theringwald.com.

"Tiny Beautiful Things," Oct. 11-Nov. 4

"A Very Golden Girls Christmas," Nov. 22-Dec. 16

Stagecrafters at Baldwin Theatre

415 S. Lafayette, Royal Oak. (248) 541-8027.

"Ragtime," through Sunday

"Frankenstein," Oct. 18-31

"Noises Off," Nov. 8-24

Meadow Brook Theatre

378 Meadow Brook, Rochester. (248) 377-3300 or mbtheatre.com

"Murder on the Orient Express," through Oct. 27

"A Christmas Carol," Nov. 8-Dec. 22

Farmington Players 

32332 W. 12 Mile, Farmington Hills. (248) 553-2955. 

"Ripcord," Oct. 4-19

"Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly," Dec. 6-21

Open Book Theatre Company

1621 West Road, Trenton. (734) 288-7753 or openbooktheatrecompany.net.

"In the Watson Intelligence," through Oct. 12

"Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly," Nov. 15-Dec. 14

Theatre Nova

410 W. Huron, Ann Arbor. (734) 635-8450.

"Admissions," through Oct. 13

"Follies in Concert," Nov. 7-17

"DJ Whittington's Kool Kat: A Hip-Hop Panto," Nov. 29-Dec. 29

The Whiting Auditorium

1241 E. Kearsley, Flint. (810) 237-7333 or thewhiting.com. 

Cirque Mei, Sunday

"The Color Purple," Nov. 1-2

"Snap," Nov. 13

"Harlem 100," Nov. 15

John Crist, Nov. 17

"Nutcracker" presented by the Film Institute of Music, Dec. 7

"Hip Hop Nutcracker," Dec. 12

Purple Rose Theatre Company

137 Park, Chelsea. (734) 433-7673 or purplerosetheatre.org

"Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Fallen Soufflé," through Dec. 21