"I always love the Barn. The vibe, academy performance students, and "the pizza" top notch. The play, this the was disappointing. To be clear... let the students perform and write better! "What is Murder" was dismal. And I want more students on the stage."

Wynne Smith

"A STAR IS BORN in MY FAIR LADY
I have seen real transformation in HANNAH EAKIN singing Eliza Doolittle in a single moment that brings tears to your eyes and an audience to its feet. If you are on the way from nowhere on the road to somewhere (or between Chicago and NYC going either way) this week you must stop by the BARN THEATRE in Augusta, Michigan, between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.

I have attended fifteen years of Barn productions (not to mention thousands of others) and while always fun, good, talented, brilliant, as Eakin’s performances always are, MY FAIR LADY here is incomparable. I have never felt compelled to write things like this: THIS WEEK Eliza Doolittle transforms from a gutter snipe into a genuine lady and Eakin transforms with her into a star. Skillful, controlled, incomparable, her singing of “I could have danced all night” is indeed transformational, a kind of apotheosis! EAKIN with the slender swan-neck and noble silhouette of an Audrey Hepburn achieving perfect annunciation—even if she just swallowed a marble doing it—and with the demeanor and voice of a Julie Andrews at her perfect form, transforms herself and the whole Barn and brings us with her. A star is born and all the cast brings the transformation to fruition.

The Barnies and the Ragotzy family turn a country barn into as lively and skillful as any theatre anywhere. They are always hard working, always talented, always a joy. And omg, ERIC PARKER as Professor Higgins and RICHARD MARLATT as Colonel Pickering, and (wow) the man of many disguises JOHN JAY ESPINO as Alfred Doolittle show off how truly foundational and multifaceted their parts are and how talented they are at bringing it out—. That along with CHARLIE KING whose hair alone (much less his superb characterization of Karpathy) makes him brilliant and delightful, and MYCHELLE HOPKINS, IRIS LIEBERMAN and PENELOPE ALEX—just simply unmatchable. If you have never seen the Barn in action, this is the time—come see talented Barnies like DAKOTA MORENO and MICHELLE HOPKINS and WILL NYSSE and SAM HOPPER (who sings one of the best songs of all time “On the Street Where You live”). Along with all the cast and crew of excited and exciting Barnies, this is the street where theatre lives. And truly great actors are born.

Again, I have written nothing like this before (coming from disciplines of self-restraint)—or you could say this is just bias. Don’t miss this birth. And the rebirth of MY FAIR LADY."

William Eakin

"We attended the 6/27/25 performance of The Addams Family Musical at the Barn Theater last night. We have season tickets so we weren’t initially that excited but know it’s always a good night for live theater. THE SHOW WAS FANTASTIC! Robert Newman and Penelope Alex headed a PHENOMENAL cast. This show had us laughing from beginning to end. It was a packed house but if you can score tickets, I highly recommend watching this show. Truthfully, this is the 3rd show this season and it’s been the best in years. Thanks for a great evening and cheers to everyone - cast and crew - GREAT SHOW!"

Patricia Madsen