Meadow Brook Theatre Presents REUNION, 2/9-3/6

Twenty-five years after the assassination of President Lincoln, a traveling group of actors and singers tells tales of the Civil War and our nation's struggle to remain together. Actual journal entries and letters from eyewitnesses, along with multimedia images of events, combine with songs of the period immerse the audience in the struggle to keep the Union together.

Jack Kyrieleison and Ron Holgate created the story, with book by Jack Kyrieleison and traditional music arranged by Michael O'Flaherty. "Reunion: A Musical Epic in Miniature" includes 26 songs, with some familiar titles including "Beautiful Dreamer" and "Marching Through Georgia."

The words come from the known and unknown. Source material was culled from the writings and memoires of the likes of Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, Louisa May Alcott and Harriet Tubman. Just as interesting, though, is the chance for the anonymous to have their say...nurses, preachers, writers, slaves, soldiers and spies tell how it felt to live through a war that tried to rip our country apart.

"Reunion: A Musical Epic in Miniature" runs Feb. 9 through March 6, 2011, at Meadow Brook Theatre, on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, Mich.

MBT favorite Tobin Hissong , most recently seen in "A Christmas Carol" plays Harry Hawk. Eric Gutman, from this season's hit "Dracula: A Rock Opera" is Augustin Lovecraft. The cast is rounded out by Rob Arbaugh as Tom Trudgett and Leslie Ann Handelman as Cordelia Hopewell, along with MBT newcomers Satori Shakoor as Cassandra Drumwright and David Aron Damane as Hannibal Drumwright.

"Reunion: A Musical Epic in Miniature" is directed by Travis W. Walter, MBT artistic director. Terry W. Carpenter is the stage manager, with set design by Brian Kessler, costumes by Liz Moore, lights by Reid G. Johnson and sound by Mike Duncan. Stacy White is the musical director with choreogrphy by Jennifer Geroge.

Tickets range from $24 to $39 and are available by calling the Meadow Brook Theatre box office at 248-377-3300 or going online at www.ticketmaster.com.  Student discounts are available at the box office. Groups of eight or more should call 248-370-3316 for group pricing. The schedule includes an American Sign Language interpreted performance on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m.

This production of "Reunion: A Musical Epic in Miniature" is made possible through the continued support of Extended Stay Hotels, the Meadow Brook Theatre Guild, the Observer and Eccentric Newspapers, and AT&T Yellow Pages.

Meadow Brook Theatre is located on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. For addition information, please visit www.mbtheatre.com. Meadow Brook Theatre is a nonprofit, cultural institution serving southeast Michigan for over 40 years.

Photo Credit: Rick Smith of Rick's Photography

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