SHREK THE MUSICAL brightens up holiday season at CVLT

 

When theatre-goers think of the color green, many automatically recall Elphaba of WICKED.  Yes, she is definitely green, but she’s not the only musical character of that hue.  Besides the misunderstood Wicked Witch of the West there is Shrek, an also misunderstood emerald-shaded-being.  (And, let’s not overlook his lady-love, Princess Fiona).     As Elphaba flies around in the newly released movie, WICKED:  FOR GOOD, Shrek and Fiona are on stage at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre.   The stage show, often dubbed the "I'm a Believer" musical, based on the show’s song which was originally played as the audience left the theatre.   Due to the tune’s popularity, it was incorporated into the score on October 2, 2009, and is now sung by the entire company during the curtain call.   SHREK is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film of the same name.   The Broadway production of the show received eight Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical.  It ran 441 performances. At the time, it was one of the most expensive musicals to open on Broadway, at an estimated $25 million.  It has gone on to be one of the most produced community theatre and high school scripts, as well as having numerous international productions and touring companies.   The tale starts with “two ogre parents sending their seven-year-old son Shrek out of their house and into the world to make his living. They warn him that because of his looks, he will be shunned by the world. Some years later, an embittered, grown-up Shrek is living contentedly alone in a swamp.  However, his solitude is disrupted when a refugee caravan of fairy tale creatures show up on his property. They explain of their banishment from the Kingdom of Duloc, by order of the evil Lord Farquaad (a dwarf with short legs and a nasty disposition), who banished them for being “freaks,” under penalty of death if they ever return. Shrek decides to travel to see Farquaad and try to regain his swamp.”   And, thus, we are thrown into a fantasy which includes coming in contact with a donkey with a twisted sense of humor, a band of fairy tale characters including Pinocchio, the Pied Piper, Peter Pan, the Cheshire Cat, the three bears, the Ugly Duckling, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Big Bad Wolf, a lot of singing and dancing, and high antics.  And, of course, since this is a fairy tale, a happy ending!   In attending a CVLT production, don’t expect a professional staging.  There is not an Actor’s Equity member in the cast.  These are amateurs who are performing for the love of theater, interest in developing some experience and entertaining an audience.     The cast is enthusiastic, the score outstanding, and the musicians, under the baton of Heidi Herczeg, outstanding, and Chris Bizub’s directing keeps the action rolling right along.    Highlight musical numbers include “What’s Up Duloc?”, “I Know It’s Today,” “Who I’d Be,” “When Words Fail,” “Build a Wall,” “This is Our Story,” and “I’m a Believer.”  The choreography by Lauren Stepanski is ambitious. The settings and projections designed by Steven M. Savanyu, nicely conceived.     Strong performances were given by Tom Jones as Shrek, Caralyn Steck as Princess Fiona, Kaity Poschner as Donkey and Cameron Zona as Lord Farquaad.   CAPSULE JUDGMENT:  SHREK THE MUSICAL is a green-tastic script, with a strong score. It’s moral is to accept others for who they are, rather than judging them by their appearance.  It teaches self-acceptance, finding your own true self, and the importance of friendship and love that embraces your quirks and imperfections.  Be aware that this is a stage show and children who have seen the movie may be expecting more gimmicks than will appear on stage.   SHREK THE MUSICAL runs through December 14.  For tickets go to CVT.org or call 440-247-8955.

Normally, in a who-done-it, the question facing the audience is to figure out who the killer is.  In DIAL M FOR MURDER, which is now on-stage at Great Lakes Theater, Jeffrey Hatcher, who rewrote the present play version of the epic, doesn’t leave us in the air. Early in the play we know who the bad guy is, the questions are, will he get caught or will he get away with perpetuating a perfect crime.  It isn’t until the very, very end that, as we sit at the end of our chairs, biting our finger-nails, we get an answer!

The script was originally penned by Frederick Major Paull Knott, an English playwright and screenwriter known for complex crime-related plots.  Hatcher’s adaptation has gone on to be one of the most-produced plays.

The plot is simple, “Tony Wendice married his wife Margot for her money; he now plans to murder her for the same reason. Tony arranges the perfect murder – he hires a scoundrel to strangle Margot, and arranges a brilliant alibi for himself.”  But, the obvious becomes less obvious, the apparent isn’t that apparent, and the best plans can often go astray.”

Set in a beautiful London art deco apartment, the suspenseful script, builds tension through plot twists and turns, gradually revealing Tony’s scheme, using sharp irony in what is apparent and real, often twists into the unexpected.  The plot dangles upon a key, a scissors and a stocking. 

Opening in 1952, the show was an instant success with critics and audience, alike.  So much so it was immediately bought by Warner Brothers and turned into a movie.  The flick was directed by the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock, and featured Grace Kelly as Margot and Ray Milland as Tony.

The story illustrates how greed, secrets and reputations often motivate what we do and why we do those things.  

The Great Lakes Theater production, under the steady directing of Sara Bruner, is a well-paced, excellently acted, and a technically fine staging.

Nick Steen, as has been the case in his twelve seasons with GLT, develops a clear-cad as Tony, who is intent in “doing-in” his wife and getting all her money.

Jodi Dominick is spot on as Margot, the wealthy woman who naively trusts her husband, Tony.

Carie Kawa, Margot’s best friend, and maybe rival for Tony’s affections, leaves us wondering, until the very end, of her real intentions and to whom she has loyalty.

Jeffrey C. Hawkins is fine as the sleezy would-be murderer, Captain Lesgate.

David Anthony Smith is on-target as the British inspector Hubbard.

Jeffrey Herrmann’s impressive fragmented set, Trad A Burns, lightening design complete with a menacing storm and stress-inducing illuminating levels, Matthew Webb’s oft-spooky sound effects and Darrin J. Pufall Purdy’s era perfect costumes, all add to the quality of the production.

Capsule judgment:  DIAL M FOR MURDER is the kind of play that, if well done, grabs and holds an audience.  The GLT staging is a well-done production that reaches that high level!  Go, enjoy a fun night of theatre!

Great Lakes Theater (GLT) continues its 64th season with DIAL M FOR MURDER, which runs through November 19, 2025, in the intimate Hanna Theatre at Playhouse Square.  Tickets range from $24–$119 (inclusive of all fees). $18 tickets available for patrons 25 and under. Groups of 10+ save up to 33%.

Next-up at GLT:  A CHRISTMAS CAROL, 11 28-12-21, 2025, Mimi Ohio Theatre.

HELL'S KITCHEN is everything a contemporary musical should be!

Normally, juke-box musicals, which are scripts created from pre-conceived music, have songs shoe-horned into what is generally an acceptable, but less-than well-written story (think MOULIN ROUGE! and MAMMA MIA!).
 
This is not the case with HELL’S KITCHEN, the semi-autographical Alicia Keys-centered musical, now on-stage Connor Palace, as part of the Key Bank Broadway series.  This show is a compelling, singing/dance-infused, well-written and crafted show, which has all the elements of what a contemporary musical should be!  
 
“Keys, was heavily involved in creating the musical.”  
 
Kristoffer Diaz’s book is well-developed and is one of the few books for this type of show that deserves kudos.
 
The music, which is a blend of R&B, soul, and hip-hop, often characterized by Keys’ classical piano skills and some electronic compositions, is infectious.  
 
Many of the songs turn into show-stopping musical concerts, complete with complex dancing and visual electronics.  Even the ballads lend themselves to individual and group movement.  All of these are well-choreographed. 
 
Using moving platforms, and scaffolds, Robert Brills’ sets and Peter Nigrini’s electronics, become part of the emotional dynamics.  Gareth Owen’s sound design allows for hearing words clearly, even with the loud musical sounds. 
 
Compositions include “The River,” “Seventeen,” “You Don’t Know My Name,"  “Girl on Fire,” “Perfect Way to Die,” “Fallin’,” “No One,” and “Empire State of Mind.” 

Alicia Keys, according to this narration, is a 17-year-old girl named Ali, being brought up in Manhattan by a single over-protective mother and a sometimes present, but mostly absent father.  

Ali feels, as many teenagers do, stifled by all the rules and constant supervision.  

We are introduced to the people in Ali’s life: the musicians who make up the artist housing in Manhattan Plaza; her friends, Tiny and Jessica; her mother Jersey, a singer and working woman; Knuck, a bucket drummer, who is part of a group that hangs out in the building; as well as her in and out of her life musician father.  Most importantly, we meet Miss Liza Jane.

Miss Liza Jane, who consoles her by pointing out the situation could be much worse, reflects on the racism she has experienced, and urges Ali to continue learning to play piano so she may continue a legacy of music.  In the process of learning and hearing Miss Liza Jane’s sage advice, Ali gains a self- identity and finds out what it means to be a member of a community.
 
The superb cast is headed by 18-year-old Maya Drake as Ali.  According to the program notes this is her professional debut and she has limited academic training.  She is not a product of a prestigious musical theatre program such as University of Michigan or NYU.  From her stellar performance this is shocking.  This is a talented young lady who can sing, dance, act and control the stage with seeming natural ability and ease.  Standing ovation, here!

 
Roz White hits all the right musical and emotional notes as Miss Liza Jane.  Kennedy Caughel is totally believable as Ali’s frustrated mother, trying to handle her own stresses along with being the parent of a teenage daughter.  Desmond Sean Ellington is incorrigibly correct as Ali’s slacker father.  Jon Avery Worrell has just the right tone for Ali’s boy-friend.
 
The choreography is dynamic!  The high intensity movements compel attention.  Congrats to not only Camille A. Brown, the choreographer, but to the outstanding members of the dance company, whose singing matched their physical skills.
 
Director Michael Greif’s creative genius is obvious.  His staging is outstanding.
 
CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  The touring production of HELL’S KITCHEN is special.  It far succeeds the expectations for a juke-box musical.  The director, choreographer, music-supervisor, technical staff, cast and crew well-deserved the extra-long-standing ovation the production received.  It is a show I could see again and again and be satisfied each time.  Bravo!
 
HELL’S KITCHEN runs through November 1, 2025 at the Key Bank State Theatre.  Go! Be bedazzled!
 
Tickets are currently still available and can be purchased by calling 216-241-6000 or online at playhousesquare.org
 
 

Thought-provoking WITCH, gets very high-quality production at Dobama

 

“The universal themes of transformation, belonging, and resistance found in [Jen] Silverman's work resonates with diverse audiences.  Her use of magical realism and inventive storytelling techniques invites viewers to reconsider familiar narratives, fostering empathy and reflection.”  
 
This is so true of WITCH, Silverman’s reimaging of the 1621 Jacobean drama THE WITCH OF EDMONTON, which is now on stage at Dobama.  
 
At the conclusion of the production, the “devil” stands downstage/center, a spotlight accentuating the tears running down his handsome face, as he asks the audience, “Do you have hope?”  
 
A man sitting behind me loudly said, “Hell no!”  He continued, “How can anyone have hope when our freedoms are being taken away, the miliary is taking over our cities, and the constitution is being run-over.  All this for the ego of a President out of control.”  A couple of people sitting in his area applauded.
 
What does all of this have to do with the play WITCH?  
 
WITCH is a 2018 script that “follows a devil named Scratch who arrives in the village of Edmonton to buy souls, but finds himself unexpectedly intrigued by Elizabeth, an outcast woman accused of witchcraft. As the devil attempts to tempt her, he also encounters two young men, Frank [a poor charismatic farmer who has been befriended by Sir Arthur Banks, the wealthy owner of a castle] and Cuddy [Sir Arthur’s closeted gay son], who are willing to sell their souls for ambition and a desired inheritance. 
 
A series of events concerning who will be Sir Arthur’s heir, how the love/hate conflict between Frank and Cuddy turns out, who will gain the affection of Winnifred, the castle’s maid, and what will eventually happen to the witch and the devil, keep the action buzzing along.
 
Written in modern language, but set in an era gone-by, the play explores themes of social ostracism, power, and desire, but, most importantly, it asks, “at what point do you lose all hope?”
 
This is neither an easy script to perform or meet the demands of gaining and holding the audience’s attention.  The production, under the discerning eyes and ears of talented director Carrie Williams, handled the challenging content with competence and seeming ease.  
 
The cast, Lisa Louise Langford (Elizabeth Sawyer—the witch), Michael Glavan (Scratch—the devil), Mike Frye (Cuddy Banks--the son), Daniel Telford (Frank Thorney--the heir-apparent), Brian Pedaci (Sir Arthur Banks) and Bridgett Martinez (Winnifred—the Maid), each dressed in spectacular period costumes, designed by Inda Blatch-Gelb, were superb.  Each character was clearly etched and consistent.  Bravo.
 
Dobama’s stage, with no audience member more than 5 rows from the action makes it difficult to fake anything.  This made the brawl between Cuddy and Frank so outstanding.  It was impressively choreographed by fight director, Kelly Elliott.  Only the fact that after one of the characters is “killed” does any flaw appear.  Lying on his back, face up, it was apparent that he was still breathing.  Because of the severe realism of the battle, this flaw stood out.  Placing him on his stomach, or facing away from the audience, might have eliminated this problem. 
 
Laura Carlson Tarantowski’s set design, complete with a revolving platform, was era correct and added positively to the over-all effect, as did Josee Coyle’s lighting and Dred Geib’s props.
 
CAPSULE JUDGMENT:  From its inception Dobama has continued to stage challenging scripts with skill and effectiveness.  WITCH continues that tradition. This is a challenging script that in less talented hands could have been a very long and frustrating experience.  As is, it well developed the author’s intent and purpose.  Some will probably still find it obtuse, while others, like myself, will find it a very satisfying experience.

Due to the demand for tickets, the run of WITCH has been extended through November 2.  For tickets go to dobama.org or call (216) 932-3396.

Side-note:  In the lobby there is a visual tribute to the recently deceased Mary Jane Nottage, one of the earliest members of the Dobama acting family, and a generous donor to the theatre’s coffers.  She was a unique, funny, creative spirit who will long be missed by members of the Cleveland acting family.  She was a special person and a dear friend.  I miss her!

Next up:  THE HOBBIT, from the smallest beginnings come the greatest legends from December 4, 2025-January 4, 2026. 
Roy Berko
 
“The universal themes of transformation, belonging, and resistance found in [Jen] Silverman's work resonates with diverse audiences.  Her use of magical realism and inventive storytelling techniques invites viewers to reconsider familiar narratives, fostering empathy and reflection.”  
 
This is so true of WITCH, Silverman’s reimaging of the 1621 Jacobean drama THE WITCH OF EDMONTON, which is now on stage at Dobama.  
 
At the conclusion of the production, the “devil” stands downstage/center, a spotlight accentuating the tears running down his handsome face, as he asks the audience, “Do you have hope?”  
 
A man sitting behind me loudly said, “Hell no!”  He continued, “How can anyone have hope when our freedoms are being taken away, the miliary is taking over our cities, and the constitution is being run-over.  All this for the ego of a President out of control.”  A couple of people sitting in his area applauded.
 
What does all of this have to do with the play WITCH?  
 
WITCH is a 2018 script that “follows a devil named Scratch who arrives in the village of Edmonton to buy souls, but finds himself unexpectedly intrigued by Elizabeth, an outcast woman accused of witchcraft. As the devil attempts to tempt her, he also encounters two young men, Frank [a poor charismatic farmer who has been befriended by Sir Arthur Banks, the wealthy owner of a castle] and Cuddy [Sir Arthur’s closeted gay son], who are willing to sell their souls for ambition and a desired inheritance. 
 
A series of events concerning who will be Sir Arthur’s heir, how the love/hate conflict between Frank and Cuddy turns out, who will gain the affection of Winnifred, the castle’s maid, and what will eventually happen to the witch and the devil, keep the action buzzing along.
 
Written in modern language, but set in an era gone-by, the play explores themes of social ostracism, power, and desire, but, most importantly, it asks, “at what point do you lose all hope?”
 
This is neither an easy script to perform or meet the demands of gaining and holding the audience’s attention.  The production, under the discerning eyes and ears of talented director Carrie Williams, handled the challenging content with competence and seeming ease.  
 
The cast, Lisa Louise Langford (Elizabeth Sawyer—the witch), Michael Glavan (Scratch—the devil), Mike Frye (Cuddy Banks--the son), Daniel Telford (Frank Thorney--the heir-apparent), Brian Pedaci (Sir Arthur Banks) and Bridgett Martinez (Winnifred—the Maid), each dressed in spectacular period costumes, designed by Inda Blatch-Gelb, were superb.  Each character was clearly etched and consistent.  Bravo.
 
Dobama’s stage, with no audience member more than 5 rows from the action makes it difficult to fake anything.  This made the brawl between Cuddy and Frank so outstanding.  It was impressively choreographed by fight director, Kelly Elliott.  Only the fact that after one of the characters is “killed” does any flaw appear.  Lying on his back, face up, it was apparent that he was still breathing.  Because of the severe realism of the battle, this flaw stood out.  Placing him on his stomach, or facing away from the audience, might have eliminated this problem. 
 
Laura Carlson Tarantowski’s set design, complete with a revolving platform, was era correct and added positively to the over-all effect, as did Josee Coyle’s lighting and Dred Geib’s props.
 
CAPSULE JUDGMENT:  From its inception Dobama has continued to stage challenging scripts with skill and effectiveness.  WITCH continues that tradition. This is a challenging script that in less talented hands could have been a very long and frustrating experience.  As is, it well developed the author’s intent and purpose.  Some will probably still find it obtuse, while others, like myself, will find it a very satisfying experience.

Due to the demand for tickets, the run of WITCH has been extended through November 2.  For tickets go to dobama.org or call (216) 932-3396.

Side-note:  In the lobby there is a visual tribute to the recently deceased Mary Jane Nottage, one of the earliest members of the Dobama acting family, and a generous donor to the theatre’s coffers.  She was a unique, funny, creative spirit who will long be missed by members of the Cleveland acting family.  She was a special person and a dear friend.  I miss her!

Next up:  THE HOBBIT, from the smallest beginnings come the greatest legends from December 4, 2025-January 4, 2026.

Finely directed, acted and sung SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at GLT

 Finely directed, acted and sung SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE at GLT

George Pierre Seurat was a French post-Impressionist artist best known for devising a painting technique entitled Pointillism, “a series of paint or crayon dots of multi-colored paint which allows the viewer's eye to blend colors optically, rather than having the colors physically blended on the canvas.” One of his most famous paintings, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”, which took over two-years for him to complete, is presently on permanent display at the Art Institute of Chicago.   The painting shows members of each of the social classes participating in various park activities. It was the inspiration for James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s musical, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE.   Interestingly, it also played significant symbolic role in the cult classic film, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Little known to many is that though Seurat is perceived today as an icon, a major figure in the art world, he supposedly did not sell any major piece of art during his life-time. “The plot revolves around George, a fictionalized version of Seurat, who immerses himself deeply in painting his masterpiece, and his great-grandson (also named George), a conflicted and cynical contemporary artist.”  Act I, which is mostly exposition, with music underscoring, tells of George, his obsession with developing the art work, his mistress, Dot, and the people who appear in the composition.  George, explains to the audience, "White, a blank page or canvas. The challenge: bring order to the whole, through design, composition, tension, balance, light and harmony." It is within this act that the audience is taxed with the responsibility to use their imaginations to help create the masterpiece, itself. Act II, which takes place many years later, with the same cast playing different roles, introduces us to the Maria, the daughter produced by George and Dot, now an old-women, as well as his grandson, George, a frustrated performance artist who is attempting to create an art form based on electronic aesthetics.   It is this act which gives true life to the work’s magnificent score and includes such compositions as “Putting It Together [Art Isn’t Easy], “Children and Art,” “Lesson #8,” “Move On,” and the stirring revival of “Sunday.” The musical won the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, two Tony Awards for design (and a nomination for Best Musical), numerous Drama Desk Awards, the 1991 Olivier Award for Best Musical, and the 2007 Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production.  In spite of mixed critical reviews, the musical ran 604 performances and 35 previews.  “GEORGE” almost didn’t come to be.  The story is told that after the failure and scathing critical reception of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG in 1981 (it closed after 16 performances), Sondheim announced his intention to quit musical theatre.   Sondheim, in his book, “Look I Made a Hat,” the sequel to his best-selling “Finishing the Hat,” which was named by the New York Times as one of the 10 Best Books of 2010,” states that after he and Lapine spent several days at the Art Institute of Chicago studying the now famous painting,  “he commented on how much Seurat’s depiction of the island looked like a stage set.  In addition, Lapine noted that one major figure was missing from the canvas: the artist himself. This observation provided the springboard for Sunday and the production evolved into a meditation on art, emotional connection and community.” The Great Lakes production, under the well-trained eye of Victoria Bussert, is mesmerizing.  It is a cacophony of music, vocalizations, pictures, acting and frozen movements, all blending into an impressive staged vision of not only the painting, but the humanization behind the white canvas turned into an important work of art.  It centers on the actual process of creating the painting, not the painting, itself. The cast, which contains many past and present Bussert students, is headed by Alex Syiek, another of Vicky’s “kids,” who is a multi-Cleveland Critics Circle and Broadwayworld.com-cleveland award winner as best actor in a musical.  Though not doing an imitation of Mandy Patinkin, who played George on Broadway, Syiek has many of the star’s visual and vocal qualities.  He inhabits the role of the moody, self-obsessed artist, whose life centered on the creation of art.. his form of art.  His vocals are filled with meaning.  He sings meaning not words. This is a star performance. As Dot, and later Marie, Jillian Kates, another of Bussert’s former students, is excellent.  Her vocals are well interpreted. Another standout is Laura Perrotta (Old Lady/Art critic), her duet “Beautiful,” sung with Syiek, is poignant. Music Director Matthew Webb’s work is note-on!  Kudos to scenic designer Jeff Hermann, costume designer Tesia Dugan Benson, Lighting designer Trad A Burns and sound designer Patrick John Kieman. CAPSULE JUDGMENT—SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, as directed by Victoria Bussert, and performed by the GLT cast, is a quality production.  It is a must see!  Congrats to the entire team on creating a special evening of theater. For tickets to the show, which runs through October 12th go to www.greatlakestheater.org or call 216-241-6000.

Compelling, must-see ANDY WARHOL IN IRAN at Beck

 

When one thinks of seeing experimental or area premieres of new contemporary scripts at local theaters, one normally doesn’t think of Beck Center for the Arts.  Those kinds of plays are for the likes of Cleveland Public Theatre, Dobama (the self-proclaimed Cleveland’s Off-Broadway theater) or even Ensemble.  Beck is usually the home of ELF, JOSEPH AND THE TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT and LITTLE MERMAID.   ANDY WARHOL IN IRAN, is a “new play,” so new that Sarah May, the director of Beck’s production, couldn’t even find a script after seeing, what she labels as a, “provoking, exciting and funny production” four years ago at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre.    But, May, one of the area’s top directors, who is known for her tenacity, sought out a script, and convinced Scott Spence, the Artistic Director of Beck, to let her stage the show, in a venue not known for experimentation.     Their gamble paid off!    Don’t be surprised if this production doesn’t get recognized as one of the area’s best plays of the year on both the Cleveland Critics Circle and Broadwayworld.com’s list of 2025 awards. Don’t also be surprised if director May and her fine two-person cast, also don’t get the award’s spotlight shown on them.   What’s it all about?     As May states in her program notes, “Journey with us back to exotic Tehran in 1976 with the Godfather of Pop Culture Andy Warhol who has come to do portraits of the Shah and his wife.  Caught in a country on the verge of revolution, our clueless artist encounters a young Iranian activist, and together they discover a surprising bond.”   It’s a play about self-discovery, intrigue, history (of both Iran and Warhol), freedom, justice, set in a plot filled with high emotion, fact and humor.  Yes, humor!   Written by Brent Askari, an award-winning Persian-American playwright and actor, who has written scripts for HBO, Paramount Pictures, Marvel Films and MTV, the script has had previous stagings in Chicago, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., but is having its area premiere at Beck.   Scott Esposito, one of the area’s most prolific actors, and multi-award winner for his performances, stretches his well-trained and experienced acting chops, as the eccentric Andrew Warhol.  This is a role which requires someone who has both the ability to play all ends of the performance gambit—high drama and profound comedy.  Esposito covers the spectrum with professional ease.  This is a very fine acting display!  Applause, applause, applause!   Esposito has a fine performance partner in the person of Kareem McGauran, who shows a breath of acting skills as Farhad, an enthusiastic, but probably misguided young Iranian terrorist. He engenders the youth whose intentions are right, but who seems naive in his means-to-a-questionable-end.     May’s direction is clearly evident in the clear characterizations and plot development.  She is aided by a strong technical staff.     Patrick Ciamacco’s projection designs well-capture the Iranian conflict, Warhol’s art work and the conflict in the middle east.    Cameron Michalak’s set design nicely captures the correct visual allusions of an Iranian hotel room.    Jeff Lockshine’s lighting and Tesia Dugan Benson’s costumes also develop the right images.     Esma Eddeb’s knowledge of the Iranian culture appears to have assisted in developing the right historical and cultural moods.    CAPSULE JUDGMENT:  ANDY WARHOL IN IRAN is a gem of a production.  The well-honed script, focused direction and fine acting all lead to the conclusion that this is MUST SEE show that exposes the audience to an understanding of Warhol, Iran and the Middle East conflict through high drama and humor!     ANDY WARHOL IN IRAN, which runs with no intermission, is on stage through November 2, 2025 in the Studio Theater of Beck Center.  Seating is limited.  Contact beckcenter.org or 216-521-2540 for tickets.

 

Well-written, directed, acted and emotionally-wrenching THE NOTEBOOK THE MUSICAL starts national tour in Cleveland   Roy Berko   THE NOTEBOOK THE MUSICAL tells the heart warming, and often heartbreaking life-long love story, of Allie and Noah.  It is based on a true tale inspired by author Nicholas Sparks’ wife’s-grandparents who shared a love story which started as a summer-romance and endured separation, renewal and Alzheimer’s.  It is filled with loving moments, humor and tear-inducing reality.   Set basically in a nursing home in the present day, it is framed by older Noah reading from a journal to his wife, Allie.  The story flashes forwards, and backwards, from the duo’s passionate summer as teenagers to their renewed connection as adults.    Covering over 52 years of the character’s lives, the tale illustrates parental prejudices, classism, and the harsh reality of aging and memory loss.  It exposes the raw strain of advancing dementia on both the victim and their caretakers, while centering on the enduring power of love that can transcend time and stresses.    The show features indie-folk-rock music created by Ingrid Michaelson.  In contrast to other contemporary musical dramas, there is no “Waving Through a Window,” as in DEAR EVAN HANSEN, or “It All Fades Away,” as in THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY or “I Miss the Mountains,” as featured in NEXT TO NORMAL.  In this score, there is no break-out hit that one might hum or sing as they exit the theatre.  The music, like the dialogue, is part of the whole.   It is well-crafted to be inseparable from the story.    Bekah Brunstetter’s book, based on Nicholas Sparks’ 1996 novel of the same name, flows seamlessly, using the unusual device of three different duos of performers to portray the characters as they grow from young adults, to a middle-age couple, to the older couple.  They are constantly, physically and emotionally, weaving within each other on stage, in a non-linear manner.     It is an ingenious way to illustrate the continuousness of life and the flow of the past, to the present, to the future.     While not being as emotionally charged as the tearjerker 2004 film, which starred James Garner, Gena Rowland, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, the musical still evokes strong emotional responses as displayed by the constant wiping of tears  as evidenced in the audience. The show, co-directed by Michael Greif (RENT, NEXT TO NORMAL, GREY GARDENS and DEAR EVAN HANSEN) and Schele Williams (Broadway debut), is meticulously-conceived, and tells the story by highlighting both the serious and comic moments of the script.  David Zinn and Brett J. Banakis’s effective set design features rolling platforms, pieces flying in from the loft, a proscenium space within the outer arch, and a realistic rain storm.  The set is highlighted with vertical light fixtures and a creative lighting design by Ben Stanton. The cast is excellent, each creating a real person rather than portraying a character.  They not only have well-trained vocal voices, but sing meanings, rather than song lyrics.  The six leads, three sets of Allies and Noahs, at various stages of their lives, include teenaged Allie and Noah (Chloe Cheers and Kyle Mangold)  who are separated by her parents; the middle couple (Alysha Deslorieux and Ken Wulf Clark) who meet again after ten years at which time Noah is now a Vietnam veteran and Allie is engaged to marry Lon, a lawyer; and the older couple (Sharon Catherine Brown and Beau Gravitte), now in a nursing home as Allie has developed Alzheimer’s Disease and Noah has chosen to live in the same facility to be near her. Connor Richardson (as Johnny, a physical therapist) is a total delight, who displays a wonderful sense of comic timing and provides stress-relief from the script’s many angst-invoking moments.  The musical opened on Broadway on March 14, 2024 and closed on December 15, 2024.  It received 3 Tony nominations, but unfortunately there were no wins. The touring production rehearsed in Cleveland and opened at the Connor Palace theatre on September 12th.   As David Greene, the Senior VP or Programming for Play House says in his program notes, “Cleveland continues to prove that it is not just a stop on the map:  It is a destination for world-class theater.”  He concludes with the statement, “Let it [the show] move you, challenge you and remind you of the power of love.” CAPSULE JUDGMENT: THE NOTEBOOK THE MUSICAL tells an emotional story of love, family, loyalty and compassion.  The touring production is a high-quality, well directed and performed show.  It should be well-received in the hinterlands where its less than sophisticated tone and tale should appeal to audiences more than it did in the high-powered less-than sentimental New York.  YES, GO SEE AN IMPRESSIVE PRODUCTION OF A WELL-CRAFTED AND CONCEIVED SHOW!  THE NOTEBOOK THE MUSICAL which is being staged at the Connor Palace will continue on through Saturday, September 27th. Tickets are currently still available for all performances and can be purchased by calling 216-241-6000 or online at playhousesquare.org.

OBERLIN ADDS MUSICAL THEATER PROGRAM TO ITS CONSERVATORY OFFERINGS

Did you know that Julie Taymor, director of THE LION KING, John Kander, composer of the scores for 15 musicals, including CABARET and CHICAGO, and Alison Bechdel, author of FUN HOME, are graduates of Oberlin College? 

Do you realize that until this Fall, Oberlin did not have a degree in Musical Theater?

Both of these statements are true!

As stated by College President Carmen Twillie Ambar, “Oberlin is known throughout the world for its deep commitment to the arts, theater, and music. It therefore seemed perfectly appropriate to add music theater to our repertoire of excellence.”

The commitment goes beyond just adding the program, it entails an investment in space and specialized faculty—industry professionals with decades of experience in the field. 

Designed by local award-winning J. Kurtz Architects, a new facility has been located on the ground level of the Peter B. Lewis Gateway Center alongside the Hotel at Oberlin.  It will serve as the home for music theater teaching and training and be the central space for music theater majors as they discover, experiment, and realize their fullest potential at Oberlin.

The first floor of the hotel, originally designed to be commercial space, has been converted into nine faculty offices. The glass-fronted area is now two state of the art dance studios and 4 practice rooms.

The facility also contains the William and Helen Birenbaum Innovation and Performance Space (The Birenbaum).  It is an off-Broadway theatre with 100-flex space seating. The program will also use multiple shared performance spaces on campus, including the 501-seat Hall Auditorium and the Wurtzel flexible black box theater that can accommodate up to 300 seats. Just recently, music theater majors performed along with students throughout the conservatory in a welcome concert for new and transfer students and their families inside a packed 1,200-seat Finney Chapel.

Heading up the program is Victoria Bussert, who has directed more than 500 shows on stages across four continents and has established herself as one of the premiere music theater educators.

Before coming to Oberlin, Bussert was director of the Baldwin Wallace University’s music theater program, named by Backstage as one of the top musical theater programs in the nation, and the Hollywood Reporteras one of the 25 best drama schools in the world. More than 90 of her programs’ grads have gone onto the Great White Way, as well as numerous others into touring companies, summer stock and regional theaters.

Besides Bussert, the Oberlin music theater faculty consists of experienced teacher-performers dedicated to providing individual instruction and mentorship in a curriculum that supports professional careers in music theater. 

The initial faculty are Matthew Webb, Laura Welsh, Lauren Marousek, Colin Briskey, Gregory Lee Harrell and Broadway veterans Cassie Okenka and Alex Sanchez. (Sanchez has appeared in 10 Broadway productions and was nominated for 2024 Lucille Lortel and Drama Desk Awards for co-choreographing THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA and Okenka has clocked more than a decade as a Broadway performer including her stints as an original Broadway company member of BONNIE AND CLYDE and SCHOOL OF ROCK and headlining as Glinda in the first national tour of WICKED.)

The Oberlin Musical Theatre program is part of an evolution of the art.  The first of such curricula was in 1969 at the Cincinnati Conservatory.  Many of the programs which followed duplicated the Cincy curriculum and teaching methods.  The Oberlin program, with the motto, “At Oberlin, music theater isn’t an afterthought—it’s an art form,” according to the program director, will start from scratch, creating a unique approach.

Though it will have its own faculty, students will take core classes from the conservatory faculty. 

Following the announcement of the major on August 19, 2024, over 600 applications for the Freshman class were received.  After prescreening their videos, there were 456 live auditions and an incoming class of 20 were selected.  In addition, 55 transfer students, sophomores through seniors, from multiple schools, were invited to join this year’s program. Ideally, in the future, each academic grade-level will have 18-20 students.

In order to make their education affordable Oberlin will meet all students’ demonstrated need, ranging from full scholarships to limited aid.

This coming year, students will participate in on-campus productions including NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 (Wurtzel Theater, December 3-10), TICK, TICK. . .BOOM! (The Cat and the Cream, March 12-13),the academic premiere of STRANGER SINGS! THE PARODY MUSICAL (Birenbaum Theater, April 23-May 3), SPRING AWAKENING (at Beck Center for the Arts, February 12-March 1) and THE WORLD GOES ROUND, a musical review of the music of writing team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, presented by Great Lakes Theater at the Hanna Theatre in Playhouse Square (May 16-17) and at Hidden Valley, located in the foothills of the Santa Lucia Range in the Carmel/Monterey, CA area (January 30-February 1). 

In addition, a fourth-year student showcase will be presented in New York March 23 and 24 at the Alvin Ailey Theatre for agents, managers, and casting directors.

The evening of March 24 following their final showcase, students will perform a concert at 54 Below.

Seniors will have an earlier opportunity to strut their stuff in NYC in October as part of "Broadway Sings," produced by Cory Mach, another one of Vicky's grads to make a career on and off-Broadway.

One of the program’s goals is to help every student meet the requirements to get their Equity card by the time they graduate.

An exciting aspect of the program is the master class series that invites 10 New York agents, managers, and casting directors to campus to hear students sing and offer their critiques. This allows music theater faculty to immediately incorporate real-world feedback to better equip students for careers post-graduation.

Additionally, representatives of 10 summer stock and regional theaters are invited to campus each year to audition students for summer work.

It is with great anticipation that the theater world looks to Oberlin to observe the development of its new program and count how many of its students will be added to the list of “Vicky’s Kids” who have made it in the professional world of the theater. 

Dynamic, A CHORUS LINE excites at Beck Center

 

A CHORUS LINE is considered by many theatre experts to be one of the shows that set the pattern for what is labeled the American Musical Theater.    First came THE BLACK CROOK (a smash-together of a melodrama and ballet).  Some of the other significant shows include SHOW BOAT (a story musical), OF THEE I SING (first musical to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama),  OKLAHOMA (the recognized model for the “book musical,” a musical in which the songs and dances are fully integrated into a well-made story), RENT (the script which many credit as the catalyst for the development of the serious dramatic musical), and A CHORUS LINE, (the show which stressed dance as the foundation for developing a musical theater production). A CHORUS LINE is a 1975 musical conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by Nicholas Dante and Elyria’s James Kirkwood, Jr.. A CHORUS LINE had a different path to Broadway than most musicals.  It started out as a series of interviews of dancers of past and present Broadway shows conducted by director and choreographer Michael Bennett.    From the many hours of personal and professional information, a script was developed providing a glimpse into the personalities of the performers, as they describe the events that shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers. The original Broadway production ran for 6,137 performances, becoming, at that time, the longest-running production in Broadway history.  It received twelve Tony Award nominations and won nine, in addition to the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The show opens during an audition for a fictional upcoming Broadway production. The director and his assistant are putting the dancers through their paces. Every dancer, expresses their individual and collective hopes in "I Hope I Get It” their individual “I want song.”    After a round of cuts, 17 dancers remain.    Zach tells them he is looking for a dancing chorus of four boys and four girls, wants to learn more about them, wants each to introduce themselves. Reluctantly, they reveal their pasts with stories and songs of hope, pursuing of dreams, picking one’s self up and starting over again.   What is different in this show than the book musical format that Rodgers and Hammerstein laid out in OKLAHOMA?  Among other factors, there is no overture, no single structured story, and the curtain call is a choreographed dance number that is integrated into the production.     Little known facts about the development of the script are that the dancers who participated in the story-telling collection meetings originally received only $1 for their stories, and that some whose personal tales are told had to try out for the show.  Some of those were not cast.   A CHORUS LINE is a difficult show to stage.  The cast each has to dance, sing and act, all on a high level.  It is also an intense show to perform as the cast members are on-stage most of the time and are tasked with numerous exhausting routines.   Beck’s director and choreographer, Christopher Chase Carter’s cast is excellent in all aspects of their performances, though several of the males preened and “posed” at being, rather than actually “being” their characters.     Most of the performers are present or past students of the Baldwin Wallace’s Musical Theatre program or Oberlin’s Conservatory of Music.   Memorable moments were rendered by Jimmy Metz (Paul), whose tale of being a pony dancer in a sleezy theater evoked a spelling-binding hold on the audience, Julia Martin’s (Cassie) compelling dancing in “The Music and the Mirror,” the trio of Eilana Taub (Sheila), Bebe Moss (Bebe), and Andi Brooke Keller (Maggie) who sang “At the Ballet,” the wistful melody, whose harmonies grow and build, Dakota Krouse (Mike) who sings the delightful “I Can Do That,” and Abigail Sanford (Val) who teasingly belts the provocative “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three.”   Kudos also to Scott Sumerak (Zach) and Nic Rhew (Larry), the entire cast for their vocal blending and fine solo work, as well as Orchestra Director David Robinson and his finely tuned orchestra and the lighting and scenic designs of Cheri Prough DeVol, as well as Christopher Case Carter’s choreography, which nicely duplicated and enhanced Michael Bennett’s original dance movements.     The only technical flaw was the poorly balanced sound system of the Senney Theater which continually makes it difficult to hear performers placed extreme stage right and left.   Capsule judgement:  The Beck show is a fine example of what happens when a fine script is staged by a talented director/choreographer, who has the fortune of finding a well-trained and talented cast.  The enthusiastic audience left on an emotional high, humming and singing one of the many memorable songs of the score, realizing that there are those in the world of theater who constantly illustrate, “What I Did for Love!”     A CHORUS LINE runs through August 10, 2025.  For tickets go to beckcenter.org or call 216-521-2540.

Porthouse Theatre’s SCHOOL OF ROCK proves that “the show must go on!”

What happens when a musical film earns over $131-million on a $35-million-dollar investment?  If you are Andrew Lloyd Webber, you buy the rights and turn it into the stage musical, SCHOOL OF ROCK, with lyrics by Glenn Slater and book by Julian Fellowes. 

 

What happens when a lead actor experiences an accelerated heart beat mid-production and can’t continue in the show?  In the case of Porthouse Theatre, you pause the show, ask the audience if there is a medical person in attendance, then 20-minutes later, following the old theater adage, “the show must go on,” continue the staging with another actor, script in hand, acting and singing to the delight of the audience and wonderment of this reviewer!

 

So, what’s it all about? 

 

The musical starts with a performance by the No Vacancy Band.  Dewey Finn (Douglas F. Bailey II), who has an ADHD-type personality, has difficulty pulling back his exuberance and keeps upstaging the lead performer.  Enough is enough, and he is kicked out of the group.

 

With no income, he moves in with and mooches off Ned (Morgan Thomas-Mills), his long-time easily manipulated college band buddy, and part-time teacher, much to the irritation of Patty (Kiara Sylvie Durbin), Ned’s domineering girl- friend. 

 

When a call comes for Ned to substitute at Horace Green, a prestigious prep school, Dewey accidentally answers the phone and sees a chance for some much-needed money by posing as Ned. Despite the doubts of Rosalie Mullins (Audra Casebier), the uptight principal, he gets the gig.

 

The kids are wary of him, especially the uber-organized Summer (Parker Towns).  He also has to confront the problems of Tomika (Ava Kimble), the extremely shy daughter of gay men, who turns out to be a superstar singer; Zack (Elliott Wancata), the son of an uptight businessman who doesn’t realize his son is a musical prodigy; Lawrence (Josh DiSantis), who has no confidence, but is a keyboard wizard; Freddie (Axel Schmidt) who everyone thinks is intellectually slow, but once he gets a pair of drum sticks in his hand, he shows how talented he really is; and Billy (Mason Cooper Brosch), who is flamboyant, has an interest in fashion design, but is not appreciated by his macho father.  Each of the other kids also has untapped talent which the creative Dewey brings out through non-traditional means.

 

Dewey decides to enter them in the Battle of the Bands.  They get to the tryouts after sneaking out of school, but they arrive after the deadline time to play in the qualification round.  Summer, the brainiac, tells the casting director that all the children have an illness called “stickittothemanis,” pleads for some mercy. The manager lets the kids perform. 

 

What follows is a series of manipulations, implausible coincidences, and some out and out stretching of dramatic license.  The result?  Farce running wild and the audience having a heck of a good time.

 

Do they win the Battle of the Bands?  That’s not important.  What is significant, is that Dewey and the kids find love and self-respect and new parental understanding for these geeky kids.

 

The musical score, which includes iconic songs from the film, adds well-crafted additional theatrical melodies.  Among the show stoppers are, “You’re in the Band,” “Stick it to the Man,” “Math is a Wonderful Thing,” and “School of Rock.”  Throw in “If Only You Would Listen” and “Time to Play,” and you have the makings of a solid score.

 

A positive staging of SCHOOL OF ROCK requires adorable music-talented kids, an uninhibited slacker dude to portray Dewey, an on-point rock band, and creative staging. 

 

Fortunately, theater director Terri Kent and choreographer Martin Céspedes have found most of the right ingredients.

 

In the original production, most of the kids played musical instruments to the awe of the audience.  In this staging only four of the munchkins actually play, with Jennifer Korecki and her off-stage band providing back-up. 

 

Considering how hard it is to find 5^th graders who can proficiently play musical instruments, it is an acceptable method of meeting one of the scripts challenges.

 

Even with this needed solution, begging the question, why?, several of non-instrumental kid cast members are way too old to be elementary students, and some of the Ensemble are too young to be playing the parents of the kids.

 

Douglas F. Bailey II did the role of irrepressible Dewey in excellent production of SCHOOL OF ROCK at Cain Park several summers ago.  He was “slacker perfect” in that presentation.  Therefore, I was a little off-put in early scenes when he dialed down the broad farce in this production.  Now I realize why the characterization was somewhat off when, during the second act the show was halted and we eventually found out that Bailey was ill and couldn’t continue to the final curtain. (Morgan Thomas-Mills, did the last scenes, sing and acting” with script in-hand.  (BTW…he was quite good and, if the director hadn’t wanted to have a look-alike of Jack Black, who played Dewey in the film version, Thomas-Mills would have creditably played the role.)

 

Special kudos to Josh DiSantis, Parker Towns and Ava Kimble for well-crafting their roles and to all the rest of the kids in the cast for their nicely textured performances.

 

As is usually an issue at Porthouse, due to the open walls of the tent-like theatre, the sound was an issue.

 

The last scene where the kids and Dewey really break loose should have found them in funky rock costumes, not in assorted garments which looked like they were scarfed together.

 

In the long run, at-least not on the rain-filled Sunday matinee, where many of the audience brought bouquets of flowers to give their children after the standing ovation curtain call, did anything matter except for the fact that the show went on.

 

Capsule judgment:  SCHOOL OF ROCK is a fun-filled show with a moral message. The Porthouse production was nicely done, in spite of some age-casting problems and a mid-production medical issue. The music rocked.  The cast entertained.  It’s the kind of show that audience’s love.  

 

SCHOOL OF ROCK runs through August 3, 2024 in the Porthouse Theatre on the grounds of Blossom Music Center.  For tickets call 330-672-3884 or go online to www.porthousetheatre.com.