Dreaming of a Better World!

Birmingham, MI – “Each year, Birmingham Village Players strives to select a season that appeals to all of our patrons’ tastes. Months are spent evaluating options and interviewing directors,” said Udi Kapen, the President of the Birmingham Village Players Board of Directors. “We are particularly excited to announce this 103rd season, which offers something for everyone: hope, passion, humor, song, conflict, and love. We can't wait to share it with the community!"

With the support of our Red Carpet Sponsors of the Season, Ameritax Plus of Berkley and United Wholesale Mortgage, Birmingham Village Players (BVP) opens its 103rd season this fall with five productions featuring dreamers who are all hoping for a better world and a better life.

The BVP season begins September 12-28, 2025, with Man of La Mancha. Inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ 17th-century masterwork, Don Quixote, and performed as a play-within-a-play, it tells the story of an elderly man who goes on a quest to right all wrongs in the world and refuses to give up his impossible dream. This poignant and moving five-time Tony Award-winning musical features the popular song “The Impossible Dream” and will be directed by Roberta Campion and Sue Chekaway. Written by Dale Wasserman with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, Man of La Mancha is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC (www.concordtheatricals.com). This production is rated for Mature Audiences.

Lost in Yonkers, the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning dramedy written by Neil Simon, steps onto the BVP stage November 7-23, 2025. This coming-of-age story explores the humor and heartbreak of two teenage boys and their dysfunctional family as they struggle to navigate their complicated family relationships in 1942. Lost in Yonkers will be directed by Eileen White and is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

January starts the new year with laughter and love. In Once Upon a Mattress, Princess Winnifred the Woebegone hopes to win the heart of Prince Dauntless, assuming she can pass the impossible tests devised by devious Queen Aggravain. This twist on the classic tale of “The Princess and the Pea” was recently seen on Broadway. It will be directed by Jay Kaplan and presented January 9-25, 2026, featuring music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. Once Upon a Mattress is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.

Wendy Kesselman's gripping new adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank, a play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett based upon Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, will be presented March 6-22, 2026. The Diary of Anne Frank depicts the deprivation faced by eight people hiding from the Nazis during World War II, while it shines a light on Anne’s indomitable spirit and her desire for a better world. By weaving in survivor accounts and recently discovered writings from Anne’s diary, Kesselman’s adaptation introduces a new generation to the atrocities of Nazi Germany. This riveting reimagining of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning original stage play will be directed by Michael A. Gravame. The Diary of Anne Frank (Kesselman) is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection.

You’ll be whisked away to a romantic weekend in the country May 1-17, 2026, by A Little Night Music. This delightful musical suggested by a film by Ingmar Bergman is set in 1900 Sweden and introduces you to the tangled web of affairs centered around an actress, her lovers, and their extended families. It features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, including his popular song “Send in the Clowns,” a book written by Hugh Wheeler, and orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. A Little Night Music was the winner of four Tony Awards and will be directed by Holly Conroy. A Little Night Music is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.

Various Flex Packages will be available in late spring, and individual tickets for all of the shows will go on sale to the public later in the summer. For additional information about season 103, contact the box office at 248-644-2075 or visit the website, www.birminghamvillageplayers.com.

About The Village Players:

The Village Players of Birmingham, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit community theater, presents high-quality dramatic, comedic, and musical productions. Everyone is invited to participate on stage, backstage, or as an audience member in the theater's main stage, youth theater, and Playwrights@Work productions and programs. The Village Players have been entertaining the community from its location at 34660 Woodward Avenue in Birmingham since 1926.