One for everyone
The Brothers Grimm helped author many of the templates for today’s TV shows and movies. With its upcoming production of “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon,” Lansing Community College is turning …
LCC’s ‘Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon’ fills family-friendly niche
The Brothers Grimm helped author many of the templates for today’s TV shows and movies. With its upcoming production of “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon,” Lansing Community College is turning all that history on its head.
The play attempts to mash together all 209 Grimm tales. There are the classics everyone grew up with, of course, like “Snow White,” “Cinderella” and “Hansel and Gretel.”
“Those are probably the big ones that audiences will know,” director Blake Bowen said. “Then there are a few off-kilter, different Brothers Grimm tales thrown in there that audiences will have no idea about.”
The play dives deep into the Grimmoire, pulling out bizarre and obscure stories like “The Devil’s Grandmother” and “The Girl Without Hands.”
The actors will take on the Disneyfication of many of the Grimm stories.
“The play talks, in a very fun way, a lot about how those tales have been Disneyfied and have lost some of their meaning,” Bowen said. “Most folks think of these as Disney stories, as opposed to folk tales that go back years and years before Disney arrived. It’s fun play on what Disney has done to these tales.”
The original Grimm tales were designed to go in succession: One character becomes the mother or father of another character in a different tale, and so on.
The playwrights took that idea and ran with it, loosely, “to show some sort of a plot line, although, admittedly, it’s just a device to kind of have the zany take on these different fairy tales,” Bowen said. “It’s very comedic, very family friendly. All ages are definitely welcome.”
Bowen said he chose the play because the theater season was missing a much-needed family show.
“We had our musical, and then in the black box that we just had the “Five Betties” show, which was definitely for adults,” Bowen said. “And then the next show, “1984,” definitely gets into big concepts about modern society. So, we really needed something for the community.”
He also wanted to give LCC students a chance to work on a production geared toward children, something that could come in handy once they graduate.
“A primary source of income for young actors is children’s theater. Being able to learn those skills and develop how to build large characters and how to work with an audience is important,” he said. “There’s definitely audience participation. That could be a nightmare for some actors and a lot of audience members, unless you do it the right way and kind of embrace it. So, we’re building these skills within our young actors.”
However, not all cast members are students, and not all students are studying theater.
“It’s a good message that, hey, anyone can audition for an LCC play,” Bowen said. “Everyone is welcome. If you want to work backstage — however we can get you in to be a part of this community.”
LCC aims to eliminate as many barriers as possible for people who’d like to see its shows, Bowen said. All performances are free to attend, with required tickets that can be obtained at the college’s box office. The proceeds from concessions, as well as donations, go toward scholarship funding.
“Especially if you have a family, you’re not just paying for your ticket — it’s your partner, if you have one, your children, then you go out and there’s concessions, and there are T-shirts,” he said. “So, one of our main things is really trying to eliminate those barriers. We want folks to come see the theater.”
He noted that seating in the black box is limited, and performances of “The Brothers Grimm” are expected to sell out.
“Especially if we have families and people bringing three or four people, which we really do hope they do,” he said.
February and early March theater productions:
“Dial M for Murder”
Thursday, Feb. 5-March 8
Opening weekend showtimes:
7:30 p.m. Thursday-Friday
2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Rest of run showtimes:
2 p.m. Thursday, Saturday-Sunday
7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Williamston Theatre
122 S. Putnam St., Williamston
Bare Bones Improv: “Let’s Kill Cupid”
8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6
7 and 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7
Riverwalk Theatre
228 Museum Drive, Lansing
“Beetlejuice Jr.”
7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6
3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7-Sunday, Feb. 8
Hannah Community Center
819 Abbot Road, East Lansing
allofusexpress.org
“Frozen: The Musical”
Feb. 13-15 and 20-22
7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday
2 p.m. Sunday
Delta Presbyterian Church
6100 W. Michigan Ave., Lansing
“Echoes from the Banks of the Red Cedar”
Feb. 14-15 and 18-22
7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday
2 p.m. Sunday
Fairchild Theatre
542 Auditorium Road, East Lansing
“Sally: A Solo Play”
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19-Friday, Feb. 20
2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21
Wharton Center Pasant Theatre
750 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing
“Frozen: The Musical”
Feb. 20-March 8
7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday
2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Lebowsky Center for Performing Arts
122 E. Main St., Owosso
“The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon”
Feb. 20-22 and 27-28
7 p.m. Friday-Saturday
2 p.m. Sunday
LCC black box theater
411 N. Grand Ave., Lansing
“The Pillowman”
Feb. 20-22 and Feb. 27-March 1
7 p.m. Friday-Saturday
3 p.m. Sunday
Stage One at Sycamore Creek Eastwood
2200 Lake Lansing Road, Lansing
“The Choir of Man”
7:30 p.m. Feb. 24
Wharton Center Cobb Great Hall
750 E. Shaw Lane, East Lansing
“Jesus Christ Superstar”
Feb. 26-March 1 and March 5-8
7 p.m. Thursday
8 p.m. Friday-Saturday
2 p.m. Sunday
Riverwalk Theatre
228 Museum Drive, Lansing
“Punchlines and Petty Crime”
6:30 p.m. Feb. 27-28
Howell Opera House
123 W. Grand River Ave., Howell
Dark Nights in Billtown staged reading: “Brave New World”
7:30 p.m. March 2
Williamston Theatre
122 S. Putnam St., Williamston
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