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Rising Stars 2025

Rising Stars / Freaky Friday the Musical

WED, JUN 25 - FRI, JUN 27, 2025 / 7:30 PM
In the Little Theater

Director & Choreographer / Anne McAlexander
Music Director / Sherri Angelotti

When an overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies, they have just one day to put things right again. Disney’s Freaky Friday, a new musical based on the celebrated novel by Mary Rodgers and the hit Disney films, is a hilarious, heartfelt, and contemporary update of an American classic. 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.

Book by Bridget Carpenter / Music by Tom Kitt  /  Lyrics by Brian Yorkey

The 2025 Rising Stars program is sponsored by Great Lakes LoonsCapital Power / MCV

2025/26 Season Subscription

Center Stage Theatre Series

Single tickets for these events will go on sale at later dates to be announced. Check back later this summer for audition details for SENSE AND SENSIBILITY.

Sense & Sensibility

NOV 7–8 & 14–15, 2025 / 7:30 PM
NOV 9 & 16, 2025 / 2 PM

Auditions details available in July!

When tragedy strikes and leaves the Dashwood sisters penniless and socially vulnerable, they must navigate a world in Regency England where love is ruled by wealth and gossip reigns supreme. Practical Elinor and passionate Marianne find themselves caught between romance and heartbreak, decorum and desire, as they struggle to secure their futures in a society that offers women little power over their own lives. Bursting with humor, wit, and bold theatricality, this highly acclaimed adaptation of Jane Austen's beloved novel brings the timeless story of love, loss, and sisterhood to the stage.

Adapted by Kate Hamill, based on the classic novel by Jane Austen

A Raisin in the Sun

FEB 27–28 & MAR 6–7, 2026 / 7:30 PM
MAR 1 & MAR 8, 2026 / 2 PM

Lorraine Hansberry's timeless drama follows the Younger family as they navigate ambition, hope, and injustice in 1950s Chicago. When a life insurance check arrives, each family member reflects on their dreams of a different future; one that promises freedom, security, or change in their life. As they face systematic barriers and personal struggles, the Younger family must decide what dreams are worth fighting for. A Raisin in the Sun is a powerful and deeply relevant story of resilience.

By Lorraine Hansberry

1776

APR 24–25 & MAY 1–2, 2026 / 7:30 PM
APR 26 & MAY 3, 2026 / 2 PM

It’s the summer of 1776, and the nation is ready to declare independence … if only the founding fathers agree to it! This musical follows John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson as they attempt to convince members of Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence. With humor and a stirring score, the Tony® Award-winning musical presents the frustrations and triumphs of our founding fathers. Presented in partnership with the Midland County Historical Society, and in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the United States. 1776 brings a fresh look at the people, and the compromises that defined a revolution.

Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards
Book by Peter Stone

A Midsummer Night's Dream

JUN 4 & 12, 2026 / 7:30 PM
JUN 6 & 14, 2026 / 2 PM

Shakespeare’s most enchanting comedy! On the shortest night of the year, runaway lovers, a troupe of amateur actors, and mischievous fairies collide in a magical forest where nothing is quite what it seems. As the rules of logic unravel, four young lovers are swept away in a tangled web of charms, feuds, and moonlit mischief. Whimsical and witty, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a joyful celebration of transformation and the strange spell of love.

By William Shakespeare

Information about the Great Lakes Bay Theatre Festival will be announced in late 2025!

Great Lakes Bay Theatre Festival
Join us for the Great Lakes Bay Theatre Festival in June 2026! A Midsummer Night's Dream celebrates an exciting collaboration between Midland Center for the Arts and The Friction Theatre. More information will be announced in Fall 2025.

Tickets for festival performances with The Friction Theatre are not included in a subscription package and will be sold separately.

Merrily We Roll Along, 2024
Merrily We Roll Along, 2024 / Directed by Chad William Baker
Matilda Jr., 2025
Youth Theatre: Matilda Jr., 2025 / Directed by Gina Kearly
The Diary of Anne Frank, 2024
The Diary of Anne Frank, 2024 / Directed by Kaeleigh Casavant
Anne of Green Gables, 2024
Youth Theatre: Anne of Green Gables, 2024 / Directed by Samantha Glasse
Steel Magnolias, 2024
Steel Magnolias, 2024 / Directed by Adam Garner-Northrop
The Wizard of Oz, 2024
The Wizard of Oz, 2024 / Directed by Bill Anderson Jr.
Rock of Ages, 2024
Rock of Ages, 2024 / Directed by Megan Krause
Rising Stars: Newsies, 2024
Rising Stars: Newsies, 2024 / Directed by Trent Soyster
Next to Normal, 2024
Next to Normal, 2024 / Directed by Tommy Wedge
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, 2024
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, 2024 / Directed by Chad William Baker
Youth Theatre: Disney's Frozen JR, 2024
Youth Theatre: Disney's Frozen JR, 2024 / Directed by Christopher Castanho-Kendrick
White Christmas, 2023
White Christmas, 2023 / Directed by Emma Lou DeLaney
Doubt: A Parable, 2023
Doubt: A Parable, 2023 / Directed by Elaine DiFalco Daugherty
The Prom, 2023
The Prom, 2023 / Directed by Bill Anderson Jr.
Youth Theatre: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, 2023
Youth Theatre: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, 2023 / Directed by Travis Kendrick
Footloose, 2023
Rising Stars: Footloose, 2023 / Directed by Katherine Quinn
The Sparrow, 2023
The Sparrow, 2023 / Directed by Emily Anderson, Gina Kearly, and Travis Kendrick
These Shining Lives, 2023
These Shining Lives, 2023 / Directed by Susie Polito
HONK!, 2023
Youth Theatre: HONK!, 2023 / Directed by Claudia Marsh
A Christmas Story, 2022
A Christmas Story, 2022 / Directed by Stephen Fort
Little Women, 2022
Little Women, 2022 / Directed by Sarah Smith
RENT, 2022
RENT, 2022 / Directed by Chad William Baker
High School Musical, 2022
Rising Stars: High School Musical, 2022 / Directed by L'ogan J'ones

More to Know

About Center Stage Theatre

Center Stage Theatre is a nationally award-winning volunteer theatre program. Its performance season draws tens of thousands of theatergoers from across the Great Lakes Bay Region and includes comedies, tragedies, and musicals, ranging from popular favorites to lesser-known titles.

Production photos by The Mattesons Photography

Experience the Performing Arts!

Explore our five performance series to discover a world of possibilities right here in the Great Lakes Bay Region.