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ROY BERKO:  VIRTUAL CLEVELAND AREA THEATRE

BWU AND BECK CENTER VIRTUALLY STREAM FIVE FIFTEEN-MINUTES NEW MUSICALS Baldwin Wallace University Music Theatre Program  & Beck Center for the Arts presents the virtual world premieres of five fifteen-minute brand new musicals, chosen by National Alliance for Musical Theatre.  Perpetual Sunshine and the Ghost Girls with music by Lynne Shankel and words by Sara Cooper, is an all-woman+ through-composed music theatre piece about the true story of women who fought United States Radium Corporation in the 1920s for knowingly poisoning them and subsequently changed United States labor laws forever.  Holo, set in 2189 in a holograph museum, the curator and holographic Kyle enter into a unique relationship which recounts the year 2020 and the pandemic that came with it on an ever-repeating loop. Book, music, and lyrics are by Nico Juber, an 18-year survivor of cancer and mother of two children. Rodeo Clowns is a queer, western epic about two eccentric outcasts who save the heart of their disintegrating town. This whip crack comedy act features a colorful musical-country score. Dale Sampson is the book writer and half the brains of “bits,” a street clown duo; Marc Campbell wrote the music. Marc is also known as a member of indie rock band MisterWives, dubbed by MTV as “the golden children of pop.”   Monster on the Lawn centers around Ricky, a six-year-old boy with a growing imagination, wakes up to see a whale-like creature laying on his front lawn. When an incoming hurricane threatens to separate Ricky from his family and his home, he seeks comfort in the presence of this strange and seemingly-quiet monster. Obed De La Cruz wrote book, music, and lyrics.   White Man’s Burden, an irreverently funny and powerful mini-rock musical, takes place inside of the world of sideshow "freaks" who have been killed because of the color of their skin. They are led by an emcee who is part ringmaster/part infomercial host. Eric Jones wrote book and lyrics with music by Joshua S. Davis. This limited virtual engagement runs from February 12 to February 28, 2021.   For more information on this world premiere music theatre project, please visit beckcenter.org. Tickets, priced at $20 for one viewer, and $30 for two or more viewers can be purchased at https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/44593.

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KARAMU HOSTS VITRUAL LIVE EVENTS

Beginning February 1, Karamu House and The Musical Theater Project (TMTP) present a multimedia concert of Shuffle Along, a legendary African American production that was the first-ever jazz musical and one of the first-ever Broadway productions to be written and performed by an all-Black cast. 

To read my 2019 review of the show go to:  https://royberkinfo.blogspot.com/2019/01/history-changing-shuffle-along-to-be.html

While free to access, individuals must register on the Karamu website to view the program. 
                                                                                                                     
CLICK HERE TO WATCH "THE IMPACT OF SHUFFLE                   
 

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CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE RE-UPS OR DOES IT EXPLODE?

Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT) is proud to announce additional performances of the Zoom adaptation of …Or Does it Explode?, written and directed by John Dayo-Aliya (CPT 2020/2021 Nord Family Foundation Playwright Fellow), performed by Austin Sasser, De Andre Hairston-Karim, and Dar’Jon Bentley. …Or Does it Explode? will perform live via Zoom at 7:00pm (ET) on February 11 and 12, and at 8:00pm (ET) on February 13.

This theatrical piece uses poetry, dance, and other contemporary theatre forms to explore questions of what it means to be Black, male, and young in the 21st century. …Or Does it Explode?, an unflinching portrayal of profound anger, hurt, and joy, blends stories gathered from men ages 16-35 in Akron, Ohio. Thought-provoking vignettes display social conditions. 

TICKET and SHOW INFORMATION

…Or Does it Explode? will perform live on Zoom at 7:00pm (ET) on February 11 and 12, and at 8:00pm (ET) on February 13. The run time is 60 minutes, and the virtual “house” is limited to 50 “seats”.
Tickets are $1; suggested donation $1 to $99. Patrons must use Zoom to see this work and will receive an email 1-2 hours before showtime with the meeting login information. Please note online sales for each performance will close 2 hours before each performance.

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CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE PRESENTS SIXTEEN SHORT PLAYS
 
Savory Taṇhā (sixteen short plays performed by a rotating ensemble) is a virtual memory play of longing and loss, happiness and hopefulness, and navigating the pathways of human desire. An ensemble of five performers will play different roles from the same text each evening. This will be a LIVE performance via Zoom and will not be available as a recorded video.

Performed by Anne McEvoy, Zyrece Montgomery, Zach Palumbo, Brian Pedaci, & Hillary Wheelock

February 17, 2021 - March 06, 2021

For tickets and information go to:

TICKETS

60 min
The virtual “house” will be limited to 50 “seats”

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