As the premiere of Meadow Brook Theatre's romantic comedy The Angel Next Door quickly approaches, we sat down with the stars of the show, Chris Stinson and Olivia Ursu, who play Oliver Williams and Margot Bell. In this interview, Stinson and Ursu discuss their current and previous experiences working with Meadow Brook Theatre, what drew them to The…

Come From Away is one of those musicals that celebrates a bright spot in one of the darkest days in American history. It tells the true story of the little town of Gander in Newfoundland, which took in about 7000 passengers grounded during the September 11th attacks. While exploring such a heavy topic, the story and cast of Come From Away also wish…

The Glass Menagerie, the University of Detroit Mercy Theatre Company's adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play, arrives at the Marlene Boll Theatre on February 7th and runs through the 16th. Ahead of its debut at the Marlene Boll Theatre in Downtown Detroit, we spoke with director Joe Bailey, who is also the Art Director of The Ringwald Theatre i…

In the joint interview, Graham Stevens and Jeff Skowron discuss the pressure of playing such iconic and recognizable characters from CLUE, how they can put their own spins on the characters, and how they keep up the intensely funny energy for 90 minutes! Thanks for checking out the interview, don't forget to like, comment and subscribe to be alerte…

In this episode of The Cosmic Curtain, hosts Brian Kitson and RJ Miller-Zelinko share their thoughts on the global phenomenon of Six The Musical. Having journeyed outside of New York City, this musical is traversing North America and recently came to our neck of the woods, thanks to Broadway in Detroit, as a bonus show in their 2024-2025 season! Ha…

In this episode of The Cosmic Curtain, hosts Brian Kitson and RJ Miller-Zelinko share their thoughts on A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical. What is their exposure to Neil Diamond before A Beautiful Noise? Did they enjoy the use of frame storytelling to move along the narrative? What did they think about the exploration of mental health? An…

Beginning on January 10, Footloose The Musical is looking to wow audiences in this incredible collaboration between professional playhouse Meadow Brook Theatre (Rochester, MI) and Oakland University's School of Music, Theatre, & Dance! Ahead of the show's premiere, we sat down and spoke with the director of Meadow Brook's production, Tyrick Wiltez …

Six the Musical is poised to return to Broadway in Detroit, and just ahead of its royal entry into the 313, we were able to sit down with Carlina Parker, an alternate on the North American Tour. In this exclusive interview, Carlina Parker talks about her time on SIX the Musical, how she prepares to take on any three of the queens at a moment's noti…

In this episode of The Cosmic Curtain, hosts Brian Kitson and RJ Miller-Zelinko discuss the North American tour of Les Misérables! They explore their relationships with the musical (and films) prior to seeing the Broadway in Detroit show at the Fisher Theatre in Michigan, what aspects of the musical they were drawn to, and which performances and ac…

If you're in the Rochester, Michigan area and looking for some Christmas fun for the entire family, then be sure to check out Meadow Brook's 42nd annual production of A Christmas Carol, which runs from now until December 22! Beginning a few weeks back and running through December 22, A Christmas Carol is a staple holiday experience, one that we enj…

Matt Crowle plays Thénardier in the North American touring production of Les Misérables, who serves as a bit of comedic relief within the serious and tragic tones of the musical. In this exclusive interview, Crowle talks about how his past in comedy helped influence some of his character choices, what it's like to be touring for two years in the sa…

Join hosts RJ Miller-Zelinko and Brian Kitson as they talk about all things Wicked on this episode of The Cosmic Curtain! With both well-versed in the Broadway show, these two Box Seat Babes discuss how the film compares to the stage production, what they enjoyed about this film, changes that didn't sit well with them, and which moments stood out! …

Join hosts Brian Kitson and RJ Miller-Zelinko aka The Box Seat Babes, as they discuss all their thoughts on Mean Girls the Musical. How do they feel like it compared to the original film starring Lindsay Lohan & Rachel McAdams? Did they like how it was updated for a new generation of fans? Which songs impressed them, and which ones didn't? You can …

Mean Girls The Musical is currently on its North American Tour and playing at the Fisher Theater as part of the Broadway in Detroit series of shows from November 19 through the 24. Before its arrival, we spoke with one of its stars, Joshua Morrisey, who plays Damian! In this exclusive Cosmic Circus Broadway interview, Morrisey talks about his time …

Join Brian and fellow co-host and Box Seat Babe RJ as we explore the show and life of one of the greatest musical prodigies of our time. In this MJ the Musical episode, we break the story on stage, how the musical uses an interesting transition technique to flash back and forth through Jackson's life, and how the music in this jukebox musical enhan…

On the day of its opening night, Brian Kitson sat down with the director of the Ridgedale Players' production of Fun Home, Scott Steiger. Steiger talks about the challenges of bringing this musical based on Allison Bechdel's work to life on stage, what his approach to directing is and how it may change depending on what level of actor he's working …

The examination of the human condition and the factors that make up a person that are front and center in Ridgedale Players' production of Fun Home. While this in-depth look at what makes up a human is largely due to the incredible source material of queer cartoonist Alison Bechdel, magic is created on stage in the staple theatre in Troy, Michigan,…

Everyone remembers their first time. It's unforgettable, isn't it? The awkward energy as you are surrounded by more experienced people just looking for a good time and showing the virgins how to do it. There's no denying that seeing The Rocky Horror Picture Show live with a shadow cast is a life-changing experience that you definitely have to see t…

Based on a Tony Award-winning Musical, which in turn is based on a graphic novel by Queer cartoonist Alison Bechdel, Fun Home explores one woman's look inwardly at the family dynamics that made her. Family is messy, but so is life, and Fun Home examines how every decision (and every trauma) makes us who we are. This musical pushes away the black-an…

With the Wicked movie adaptation just around the corner, The Cosmic Curtain host Brian Kitson wanted to revisit the novel and musical to explore what people can expect from the first Wicked movie. Joining him in this Wicked discussion is the incomparable Izzy Friedman, a fellow writer at The Cosmic Circus and Broadway enthusiast. Listen as the duo …

MJ the Musical explores Michael Jackson's life through the songs that made him a pop music sensation. Having won four Tony Awards and becoming one of the highest-grossing musicals of all time, it makes perfect sense that MJ The Musical would tour North America! Ahead of its premiere here in Detroit at The Fisher Theatre as a part of the Broadway in…

With Strangers on A Train beginning its run last week, we've sat down with Meadow Brook Theatre's Artistic Director, Travis Walter, along with stars of this play, Ron Williams and Stephen Blackwell! In this interview, the two stars and director discuss why Strangers on a Train felt like the perfect show to begin the season with, what drew them to t…

Simon Henriques and Skylar Fox wrote The Grown-Ups, which The Ringwald is opening up their 2024-2025 season with! The show opened this past weekend and runs through November 4, and just before its debut, we were able to sit down with the director of this production of The Grown-Ups, Jennifer Goff! In this exclusive interview, Goff discusses what dr…

Ahead of the production's debut on October 25th, Brian Kitson sat down with Krista Schafer, the director of the University of Detroit Mercy's Witch. In this interview, Schafer discusses what drew her to this production, how working with college actors differs from some of her past directorial work, how she's grown in this role, and what themes from…

If you're looking for the perfect stage show for Halloween, the University of Detroit Mercy's theatre department has the show for you, as they bring Jen Silverman's Witch to life on their stage! Ahead of the production's debut, I sat down with one of the Witch's cast members, Katherine Mutschler, a senior at the university. In this interview, Mutsc…

The second show in Broadway in Detroit's 2024-2025 season, Some Like It Hot is an adaptation of a 1959 film starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe! This musical adaptation is not an exact remake of the film, as it makes some major updates to some of the stories and characters. Hosts Brian Kitson and RJ Miller-Zelinko were excited to …

Broadway in Detroit is looking towards the next show that is arriving in just a few weeks. Some Like It Hot, an adaptation of the 1959 film starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe, opens in the Metro Detroit area on October 1st! We sat down with Stephen Michael Langton, who is a part of the ensemble as well as the understudy for Osgoo…

Hosts Brian Kitson and RJ Miller-Zelinko saw Moulin Rouge! The Musical on opening night at the Detroit Opera House and couldn't wait to share their thoughts in the latest episode of The Cosmic Curtain! In this episode, they break down some of the show's highs and lows, whether the addition of more pop songs to the stage show from the film enhances …

Hello, chickens! And welcome to the Moulin Rouge, a magical place full of wonder and excitement! We're beyond excited for Moulin Rouge the Musical to finally make it to Detroit, as it's one of our favorites! Based on the 2001 Baz Luhrmann musical of the same name, this revamped jukebox musical brings a healthy dose of romance and just as much drama…

This weekend at The Ringwald Theatre located inside of The Affirmations building in Ferndale, MI, the Ringwald Reprise presents Applause, the first show of its kind at the theater! Being described as a staged concert version of the 1970 Tony Award-Winning musical, which in turn is based on the film All About Eve, Applause is looking to charm the au…

Listen in as RJ Miller-Zelinko and Brian Kitson share their experience with Shrek from childhood to a more recent live show based on the beloved film Shrek The Musical via it's North America Tour. Have you seen Shrek the Musical? What was your experience? Let us know your thoughts on social media @mycosmiccircus and @boxseatbabes or comment below! …

It's been about a month since our last episode of The Cosmic Curtain came out, which kicked off our new podcast dedicated to our love of Broadway and theatre in general. While we're waiting for the 2024-2025 season of Broadway in Detroit to begin, which kicks off with Shrek the Musical, we've been filling our time with local productions around our …

I'm sure everyone in my age bracket remembers the Dreamworks film Shrek. Released in 2001, the story follows the disgruntled green orge who wants peace in his swamp. But first, he has to save a princess from a tower and return her to the Lord of the land. However, nothing is as simple as it seems, and Shrek finds himself in the middle of some hilar…

The biggest and brightest night for Broadway has finally arrived, with the 77th Tony Awards! Hosted by Ariana DeBose, The Tony Awards pulled out the red carpet and was ready to celebrate all the fantastic theater from the past year. With so many incredible shows up for many awards, the excitement was never higher in the Cosmic Circus Broadway strat…

Everyone says that New York City is the city that never sleeps and with the way that the lights on Broadway shine so brightly, I know that has to be true. Having always been a musical lover, over the past couple of years Broadway has begun to feel like a second home. You're amongst your people every time you step into a theater, ready for a new exp…

Remember the 90s classic rom-com Pretty Woman? It's a Cinderella story in its own right, as Julia Robert's character is whisked away into a life of luxury. Although, the transition comes with some challenges. This film was a staple in my home, as it was one of my mother's all-time favorites. So to see that Pretty Woman The Musical was finally makin…

Dracula, perhaps the most well-known vampire of all time, has been around since the late 1890s when Bram Stoker put pen to paper. The story, set in Victorian England, explored topics of gender, sexuality, and race, through the lens of a time long past. Well, Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen are looking at them through a different lens this time, in…