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Brian Michaels - Page 6

Brian Michaels

Brian Michaels got his start in radio at the age of 15 back in 1989. The early 90s saw a move to Moorhead, MN (Fargo, ND) for school and more radio opportunities. Brian found his niche in 1997 when he started a brand new weekly radio show called The A cappella Hour. Over the past 20 years Brian built up his knowledge and contacts in the a cappella world, as well as his CD collection (over 5000 a cappella CDs). Brian has been a judge at the Denver and Chicago Harmony Sweepstakes competition numerous times as well as a judge and nominator for the CARA’s (Contemporary A Cappella recording Awards) as well as serving as the Midwest regional Ambassador for CASA (The Contemporary A Cappella Society). Brian’s yearly holiday radio special “Holiday Harmonies: an a cappella Christmas” has been heard around the country. Brian grew up watching his sister and friends perform on stage, as well as all 3 of his own children. Brian has been involved in the local theatre community for over 10 years and in 2019 launched a new podcast focusing on the local theatre scene. This podcast is called Stage Notes with Brian Michaels.




LEARN MORE ABOUT Brian Michaels

First Show:

Traveling production of Jersey Boys

Favorite Show:

Hard to pick one, a few favorites: Newsies, JCS, Matilda, How to Succeed and Beauty and the Beast



BWW Review: FREAKY FRIDAY at Trollwood Performing Arts School
BWW Review: FREAKY FRIDAY at Trollwood Performing Arts School
July 13, 2019

Stories about adults and kids swapping bodies have been around for a while. Of course, you have some classic 80's movies like 18 Again! (1988) Starring George Burns, Like Father Like Son (1987) with Kirk Cameron and Dudley Moore and even Vice Versa (1988) with Fred Savage and Judge Reinhold.

BWW Review: BE MORE CHILL at Empire Arts Center
BWW Review: BE MORE CHILL at Empire Arts Center
June 23, 2019

For this review I decided to take a road trip up to Grand Forks and I can tell you all this is was worth it. For those of you not familiar with this show, that just opened on Broadway this year, this is based on a 2004 book of the same name written by Ned Vizzini. This tells the story of Jeremy Heere who is an average teenager. That is, until he finds out about 'The Squip' - a tiny supercomputer that promises to bring him everything he desires most. This is a great show, although it may not be family friendly due to some language etc. I had never heard of the show until this week and I was sure to not read or listen to anything about it before I attended.

BWW Review: WEATHER THE STORM at Cass Act Players
BWW Review: WEATHER THE STORM at Cass Act Players
June 15, 2019

It's not very often you get to write a review for a locally written, composed and produced musical theatre production. The story of Weather The Storm was written by local writer Tracy Frank and she also wrote lyrics for the songs. Local music composer Topher Williams wrote the music and also wrote lyrics. This show is a fictional tale based on real events. It takes place in Fargo, North Dakota around June of 1957 when the historic tornado hit the area that left 12 people dead, over 100 injured and destroyed more than 1,300 homes.

BWW Review: MAMMA MIA! at Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre
BWW Review: MAMMA MIA! at Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre
May 14, 2019

Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre continues to bring us top notch show after show and Mamma Mia is no exception.

BWW Review: THE DROWSY CHAPERONE at Shanley High School
BWW Review: WHO MAID WHO at Harwood Prairie Playhouse
BWW Review: WHO MAID WHO at Harwood Prairie Playhouse
March 24, 2019

Harwood Prairie Playhouse presents WHO MAID WHO?

BWW Review: LEGALLY BLONDE at Oak Grove Theatre Arts
BWW Review: PIRATES OF PENZANCE at West Fargo Sheyenne High School
BWW Interview: Michael Walling of TROLLWOOD MAINSTAGE MUSICAL at Trollwood Performing Arts School
BWW Interview: Michael Walling of TROLLWOOD MAINSTAGE MUSICAL at Trollwood Performing Arts School
February 5, 2019

I am going to start doing interviews with local theatre directors, actors etc. To kick things off my first interview is with Michael Walling, the Artistic Director for the Trollwood Mainstage Musical.

BWW Review: DANI GIRL at Wheelhouse Theatrical Productions At Theatre B
BWW Review: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME at FMCT
BWW Review: THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME at FMCT
February 2, 2019

This play is based on an award winning novel by Mark Haddon and tells the story of 15 year old Christopher who decides to solve a crime. The play doesn't come out and say it but Christopher seems to be on the autism spectrum.

BWW Review: MOON OVER BUFFALO at West Fargo High School
BWW Review: MOON OVER BUFFALO at West Fargo High School
February 2, 2019

Moon Over Buffalo is a 1995 play by Ken Ludwig that marked the return to Broadway for Carol Burnett after a 30 year absence. This is a funny, family friendly play that is sure to bring laughter to the whole audience. The story focuses on the Hay family in the 1950's who are stage legends. It's a small but powerful cast, with many faces that local theatre lovers will recognize.

BWW Review: A CHRISTMAS STORY at Fargo Moorhead Community Theatre
BWW Review: MAMMA MIA! at Fargo Davies High School Theatre
BWW Review: MAMMA MIA! at Fargo Davies High School Theatre
December 8, 2018

The music of Abba always seems keep coming back, and with the adaption of stage musicals and movies based on that music it is more popular than ever. Rebecca Saari and the Fargo Davies Theatre Department decided to bring that music to the stage this year. Director Saari even dedicated the show to her own mother JoNell.

BWW Review: NEWSIES at Moorhead High Theatre
BWW Review: NEWSIES at Moorhead High Theatre
November 19, 2018

There is a reason that many consider Moorhead High Schools Theatre Department as one of the top in the area. They always seem to step it up every single year and this was no exception. Director Rebecca Meyer-Larson said that she was waiting online and secured the rights for Newsies about 30 seconds after they became available. This is a show she has wanted to put on since the 1992 movie.

BWW Review: BLOOD BROTHERS at Fargo South High
BWW Review: THE SECRET GARDEN at West Fargo High
BWW Review: THE SECRET GARDEN at West Fargo High
November 6, 2018

Another show I knew almost nothing about going in, but those usually end up to be some of the best ones. In the lobby before the show I did hear one attendee telling someone 'most of the characters are actually dead' so that was my basic knowledge of the show before it started. I won't give a lot away because I thought it was great to be surprised.

BWW Review: NEWSIES at Fargo North High
BWW Review: NEWSIES at Fargo North High
October 31, 2018

If you need any more evidence that Newsies is popular just look around Fargo-Moorhead as 3 different productions of the show are being put on this year. What I love about our local theatre community is that you can watch multiple productions of the same show and each school puts their own special touches into the shows. Fargo North High and directors Tom & Rachel Gillen are the next to tackle this show and they did not disappoint. Led by a 22 member pit orchestra directed by Greg Schultz to get the music flowing. I assume most are familiar with the story, but just in case Newsies is based on the real life newsboy strike in New York in 1899.

BWW Review: YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN at Shanley High School
BWW Review: THE LARAMIE PROJECT at FMCT
BWW Review: THE LARAMIE PROJECT at FMCT
October 18, 2018

For anyone not familiar, The Laramie Project is a play from 2000 originally created by Moises Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project. This play is about the reaction to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay student from them University of Wyoming in Laramie. Moises and other members conducted hundreds of hours of interviews to create the production.






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