About Sarah Hovis

Freelance wordsmith, arts appreciator, grammar geek, sports spectator, stationery snob, and world traveler, Sarah charts her own course as the owner of saliho creative. She uses her creative mind and engaging dialogue to fearlessly bring the written word to life in print and online… all while keeping a watchful eye out for the next literary adventure. You can reach her at sarah@rochestermedia.com.

REVIEW: Misery Loves Company in Avon Players’ Clever Comedy ‘Drinking Alone’

Drinking Alone centers around a family reunion no one wants to attend, but you should snag a seat for this must-see production running at Avon Players in Rochester Hills, Mich., now through March 23, 2024. Written by Canadian playwright Norman Foster, Drinking Alone combines hilarity and insight into the tribulations of everyday life. Similar to the style American playwright Neil Simon is known for. The plot centers on the Todd family whose dysfunctional dynamics offer up plenty of humor and … [Read more...]

REVIEW: Get Inside the Beautiful Mind of Avon Players’ ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’

Wellington is dead and Christopher’s ordered life becomes forever flipped upside down in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time running now through Saturday, February 3, 2024, at Avon Players Theatre in Rochester, Mich. Originally a 2003 mystery novel by British author Mark Haddon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is largely narrated from the first-person perspective of 15-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone (Robert Carrigan) who lives in Swindon, England. … [Read more...]

REVIEW: Say ‘Yes!’ to the Riotous ‘Father of the Bride’ at Meadow Brook Theatre

Dum-dum-de-dum. Here comes the bride… and her very frazzled father! Holy matrimony turns into a cavalcade of chaos in Father of the Bride running now through February 4, 2024, at Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) on the campus of Oakland University (OU) in Rochester Hills, Mich. Before audiences saw Spencer Tracy and Steve Martin lose their minds in their respective film versions, Father of the Bride began as a 1949 novel by Edward Streeter. Since then, it has been brought to life on stage and … [Read more...]

REVIEW: Believe in the Timeless Magic of Avon Players’ ‘Miracle on 34th Street’

‘I’ll believe it when I see it.,’ is a famous phrase. Well, believe me when I say you will want to see Avon Players’ production of Miracle on 34th Street running now through Saturday, December 9, 2023, in Rochester Hills, Mich. Avon Players last staged this show nearly a decade ago and it was refreshing to see the updates made to this production, while still staying true to the spirit of the story so many cherish. For those who may not know, there are two movie versions. The first is the 1947 … [Read more...]

REVIEW: Huzzah! It’s Time to Celebrate ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Meadow Brook Theatre

Every year as the air grows colder, a debate starts heating up – when does the holiday season officially start? Is it when 100.3 WNIC starts playing Christmas music? Or is it when the switch is flipped during Lagniappe and the Big Bright Light Show illuminates downtown Rochester? In my opinion, it is neither. The official holiday season begins when Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) brings its beloved version of A Christmas Carol to life. And the time to see it is now through Dec. 24, 2023, on the … [Read more...]

REVIEW: Varner Act II Gala Honors Oakland University’s Musical Past While Shining a Bright Spotlight on its Future

Varner Hall, on the campus of Oakland University (OU), has spent the last two years going through much-needed renovations and is finally ready for its close-up. To celebrate, the esteemed OU School of Music, Theatre and Dance is staging the Varner Act II Gala — a show-stopping musical revue under the direction of Teri Hansen in the Varner Studio Theatre. Hansen, a visiting assistant professor, brings a wealth of screen (Film/TV) and stage (Broadway/London's West End) experience to this fresh … [Read more...]

REVIEW: ‘Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Adventure’ Brings Murder and Comedy Together for a Killer Good Time

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle may have tired of his ‘consulting detective,’ but Sherlock Holmes still mesmerizes audiences. And nowhere was this more evident than at the Michigan Premiere of Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Adventure running now through October 29, 2023, at Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. Picking right where they left off this summer with Noises Off, MBT kicks off their 57th season with this wickedly funny … [Read more...]

REVIEW: Oakland University’s Multilingual ‘¡Farsa/Farce! (An Affair of International Laughter)’ is Relevant in Any Language

Oakland University Department of Theatre opened its 2023-2024 season with one of the most unique productions in recent memory — ¡Farsa/Farce! (An Affair of International Laughter) which runs now until Oct. 15 in Varner Studio Theatre on the campus of Oakland University (OU). Directed by David Gram, ¡Farsa/Farce! encompasses two plays. The first is El suplicio del placer (“The Agony of Ecstasy”) by Mexican playwright Sabina Berman, and the second is Non tutti i ladri vengono per nuocere (“The … [Read more...]

REVIEW: Avon Players’ ‘The Full Monty’ is Cheeky Fun

Friday night, in front of a packed audience, Avon Players Theatre put the adage — ‘Fortune favors the bold’ — to the test with the comedy musical, The Full Monty running now until September 30, 2023, in Rochester Hills, MI. If The Full Monty sounds familiar, chances are you have either heard of or seen the 1997 British comedy film of the same name. In 2000, the Americanized version of the story hit Broadway as a musical with the book by Terrence McNally and score by David Yazbeck. And just … [Read more...]

REVIEW: ‘Noises Off’ Brings Down the House at Meadow Brook Theatre with Hijinks and Hilarity

This season, Meadow Brook Theatre (MBT) has taken audiences on a journey that has included the blues (Blues in the Night), honky tonk (Honky Tonk Angels), complex relationships (Birthday Club, Harry Townsend’s Last Stand), and a killer plant (Little Shop of Horrors). However, they may have saved the best for last with Noises Off, which runs until June 25, 2023, at Meadow Brook Theatre on the campus of Oakland University in Rochester Hills, Mich. Written by English playwright Michael Frayn in … [Read more...]