Brian Hilbrand - Page 2

Disney's The Lion King, currently playing through Sunday, December 1st at DeVos Hall. Making its Grand Rapids debut, after playing Detroit, Kalamazoo, and East Lansing in the past, Disney's The Lion King finally comes to Grand Rapids! Taking 17 full semi trailers to travel into town, It's full of the Lion King classic musical numbers and characters you know and love from the movie, and some new Musical numbers as well. They include the opening musical number a?oeCircle of Life', a?oeJust Can't Wait to Be Kinga??, to the always funny and humorous 'Hakuna Matataa?? and the moving a?oeCan You Feel the Love Tonighta??. These songs will be sure to have you singing along, having some goosebumps, and possibly some tears.

Grand Rapids Symphony presents 'Broadway Showstoppers - WEST SIDE STORY to WICKED', the second of six shows in the 2020/2019 Pops Series presented by Fox Motors. The goal of the over all series is to 'Bring back memories and create new ones with a mix of popular entertainers and musical favorites.' What would a show called Broadway Showstoppers be with without a Broadway star? How could this be made even better then to have them be sisters! Liz Callaway, and Ann Hampton Callaway.  When  each a performer in their own right, came to Grand Rapids for three nights of show tunes and other special numbers!

Mamma Mia! is playing Friday, November 8th through Saturday, November 16th at the Grant Public Schools Fine Arts Center.  Making its Grant stage debut as Lion Heart Productions 2019-2020 season musical, it is filled with hit after musical hit from the popular Swedish pop group ABBA such as 'Dancing Queen,' 'Take a Chance on Me,' 'Lay All Your Love on Me,' and many more catchy songs.  It's a unique take on the hit songs, with great costumes, and scenery as well.

Fiddler on the Roof, currently playing through Sunday, October 13th at DeVos Hall. Making its way back to Grand Rapids, where it also began the second season back in October 1989, it is a musical with full of hits you know and love.  They include the opening musical number a?oeTraditiona?? sung by Tevye (Yehezkel Lazarov), the beautiful and moving a?oeSabbath Prayera??, a?oeSunrise, Sunset,a?? to the always funny and humorous a?oeIf I Were A Rich Mana??. These songs will be sure to have you singing along and popping into your head on the way out!

The Grand Rapids Symphony definitely was 'Blessed' last night to have 'Jesus Take The Wheel' as guest song writers from Nashville perform there chart topping hits and tell the stories along with them, turning the ski area into a larger Blue Bird Cafe for the special event. As 'Went Out Last Night', we were 'Living in Fast Forward', and 'Playing Cinderella' and there might have been 'Something In The Water' as sweet as 'American Honey', some may have been a 'Real Good Man' or had a 'Girl Crush' but we all knew we'd be leaving 'When The Sun Goes Down'. Although leaving some people might have been thinking 'When I Get Where I'm Going', and thinking of the other great songs we heard.

Twenty-five years ago in Grand Rapids, the Van Andel Arena still was on the drawing board. Meijer Gardens had opened just three months earlier, but it would be many years before an outdoor amphitheater would be built as a venue for summer concerts.   At Cannonsburg Ski Area, on a steamy evening in mid-July, the Grand Rapids Symphony launched a brand new, outdoor concert experience called the Picnic Pops.   This season The Grand Rapids Symphony celebrates its 25th Anniversary of its D&W Fresh Market Picnic Pops with a series of three shows that are all time favorites with Picnic Pops audiences plus a special event capping off four weeks of concerts at Cannonsburg.

Anastasia, currently playing through Sunday, June 30th at DeVos Hall, by the Tony Award-winning creators of the Broadway classic Ragtime and inspired by the beloved films, Anastasia is the new dazzling Broadway Musical that transports the audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family.

Freaky Friday is a heartfelt, comedic, and unexpectedly emotional update on an American classic, based on the beloved 1972 novel by Mary Rodgers and the hit Disney films, that was developed by Disney Theatrical Productions expressly for licensing to theatres.   Freaky Friday is currently playing until May 18th at Circle Theatre in Grand Rapids. It features a book by Bridget Carpenter, the co-executive producer and writer of the beloved television hits, Friday Night Lights and Parenthood, and music and lyrics by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, the Pulitzer Prize-winning composers of Next to Normal and If/Then.  Circle Theatre's cast of performers, combined with an awesome orchestra will have you humming the songs for days after, since they are that catchy.  You will also be laughing at the many comical moments in the show!

Waitress, is in Grand Rapids playing at DeVos Hall through Sunday March, 5th.  It is brought to life by a groundbreaking, all female creative team, this Tony Award-nominated hit features original music and lyrics by 7-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles ("Love Song" and "Brave"), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and direction by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Finding Neverland_

Circle Theatre presents Freaky Friday, a story of an overworked mother and her teenage daughter who magically swap bodies and have just one day to put things right again. By spending a day in each other's shoes, Katherine and Ellie come to appreciate one another's struggles, learn self-acceptance, and realize the immeasurable love and mutual respect that bond a mother and daughter. The first show kicks off on Thursday, May 2nd and last week, there was a preview event for the press to learn about the show. We were given a special performance of 'I Got This' by the show's own Phoebe Dawson, who plays Ellie, and Emily Diener, who plays her mother. It was a catchy and somewhat witty number that takes place right after they switch bodies. It was a great event to get people excited for a fun musical!

The Book of Mormon, the nine-time Tony Award-winning Best Musical makes a special engagement run back for its second time to Grand Rapids playing a limited engagement until March 24that DeVos Performance Hall. With script, lyrics, and music by Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez, and Parker and Stone being known for creating the animated comedy South Park.

Lion Heart Productions Escanaba in da Moonlight is a tale that director, Mike Gesler has been waiting a long time to present at Lion Heart as a director, and the timing just fell into place for this season. It is a show full of comedic moments that will have you laughing in your seats. Escanaba in da Moonlight is currently running until March 24 at the Dogwood Center for the Performing Arts in Fremont. Shows are March 23rd at 2pm, March 23rd at 7:30pm, and March 24th at 2PM.

Mamma Mia is a jukebox musical that is based on the songs of ABBA written by British playwright Catherine Johnson. It has a very familiar set list including "Dancing Queen," "Take a Chance on Me," "Lay All Your Love on Me," and many more catchy ABBA tunes scattered throughout the show. The musical takes on a new light at Grand Rapids Civic theatre in their current production that runs through March 17th in Grand Rapids. 

On Your Feet! is the story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, two people who believed in their talent, their music and each other, and because of that, they became an international sensation. Get ready to get on your feet Grand Rapis, and dance to the smash hits 'Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,' '1-2-3,' 'Live For Loving You,' 'Conga,' and many more until February 14th at DeVos Performance Hall as part of the Broadway Grand Rapids Series. 

A magical world comes to life in the Grand Rapids Symphony's updated version of the classic children's tale, Hansel & Gretel, featuring Grand Rapids Ballet.  Set to music from 'The Wand of Youth' by Sir Edward Elgar, our modern-day Hansel and Gretel go out into their neighborhood, looking for adventure. There's a cell phone, a babysitter who's glued to the TV, and a pair of fun-loving main characters.

School of Rock - The Musical is based on the movie by the same name originally staring Jack Black is currently playing at DeVos Performance Hall until January 13thin Grand Rapids. Andrew Lloyd Webber added some songs and made it a musical. One part that people find hard to believe is that the kids in the show must be able to play the instruments live. The kids can sing and dance, but it is taken to another level when they are playing instruments better than most adults can perform live on stage, show after show, some of them learning their instruments in only a few years or specifically for their audition for this show!

School of Rock will be arriving to DeVos Place on January 8th-13th in Grand Rapids to kick off the second half of the Broadway Grand Rapids season.  Bringing along with it is a talented cast of kids, who all play all their instruments live on stage every single night! Broadway World Detroit had a chance to catch up with one of the young rock stars on the tour, guitarist Mystic Inscho, who plays Zack Mooneyham, to see what he had to say on tour life, what he enjoys doing in his down time, and even what he'd like to do in the future post School of Rock. 

It's the most wonderful time of the year! This past Thursday we headed out to do what has become an annual tradition and attend a Christmas show. This year we headed down town Grand Rapids to DeVos Performance Hall to take in the sounds of the Grand Rapids Symphony. Under the baton of conductor Bob Bernhardt for the Symphony, Pearl Shangkuan for the Symphony Chorus, and Sean Ivory for the Symphony Youth Chorus all take us on a magical journey through the sounds of Christmas. The concert would also not be a Christmas event with out a few surprises such as bass-baritone Justin Hopkins, and the Embellish Handbell Ensemble.

Jersey Boys is a musical biography of The Four Seasons that showcases their most iconic hits and reveals the story behind the music that entertained audiences for a limited engagement in Grand Rapids this past weekend. It includes many of their well-known musical hits that will have you singing along including: "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Sherry," "December 1963 (Oh What A Night)," "Stay," "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," "Beggin," and many more.Far from a show filled with only the group's musical hits and other numbers, Jersey Boys gets to the heart of the relationships at the center of the group. It does have special focus on front man, Frankie Valli, the small kid with the big falsetto. In the show each member of the group takes a turn narrating events, illustrating how a rough and diverse group of guys from New Jersey, and their long friendships, became music history. 

They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note.  They had a sound nobody had ever heard... and the radio just couldn't get enough of. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story-a story that has made them an international sensation all over again. Go behind the music and inside the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons in the Tony Award®-winning true-life musical phenomenon, Jersey Boys. From the streets of New Jersey to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this is the musical that's just too good to be true.  The premiere engagement of Jersey Boys in Grand Rapids in 2013 was seen by over 15,000 theatregoers in our city at DeVos Performance Hall.  I recently talked to former Jersey Boy Actor and choreographer about His role with the production not only on the Canadian tour, and North American tour as well as currently on the Norwegian Cruise Line ship. This is what he had to say: