CLEVELAND THEATER CALENDAR—June-August, 2018

Though it seems like it will never be here, there will be summer and the Cleveland theater scene will heat up.  Here’s a list of some of the offerings that are being staged. 


BECK CENTER 
216-521-2540 or http://www.beckcenter.org
8 p.m. evenings, 3 p.m. matinees

BENT (June 1-July 1—Studio Theatre—Martin Sherman’s play follows a group of gay men finding ways to survive persecution before and after the Night of the Long Knives.

GYPSY (JULY 6-AUGUST 12—Mackey Theatre)—Based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the musical follows an overbearing stage mother and her two daughters during the 1920's when vaudeville was dying and burlesque was born. The score features songs that have become standards, and helped launch the career of Stephen Sondheim.

BLANK CANVAS  

440-941-0458 or www.blankcanvastheatre.com

HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH (June 8-23) Rock musical which tells of the search for love and identity by the “slip of a girlboy.”

WE WILL ROCK YOU (August 3-18) The Cleveland Premiere of a juke box musical, featuring more than 20 Queen songs, which tells the tale of two revolutionaries as they try to save Rock in a post-apocalyptic world.

DOBAMA
216-932-3396 or www.dobama.org
ON THE GRILL (June 21-July 8) The American premiere of Dror Keren’s 2015 Israeli Academy Award winning “best play,” is an intimate look into the hopes and heartbreak of an Israeli family and the community that surrounds them.   Featuring Dorothy Silver, David Vegh and Juliette Regnier.  (This production is supported by Cleveland-Israel Arts Connection, a program of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.)

CAIN PARK
216-371-3000 or http://www.cainpark.com
Thursday-Saturday 7 pm, Sunday 2 pm

MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL (June 14-July 10)—A juke box musical inspired by actual events, tells the story of a white radio DJ who wants to change the world and a black club singer who is ready for her big break.

CLEVELAND MUSICAL THEATRE
216-584-6808 or https://www.clevelandmusicaltheatre.org/jane-eyre

August 31-September 9--Cuyahoga County Community College-East/Simon Rose Mandel Theatre—The world premiere of Paul Gordon and John Caird’s revised musical based on Charlotte Brontë’s most famous female heroine, who is a strong-willed and resilient young womAn on her journey to find independence.

CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE
216-241-6000 or go to http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com
Wednesday-Saturday @ 7:30, Saturday @ 2:30, Sunday @ 2:30 and 6:30

HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN (June 7-17) Award-winning Hershey Felder brings to life the remarkable story of Russian-American-Jewish Composer, Irving Berlin ("Alexander's Ragtime Band," "Always," "Blue Skies," "God Bless America," "Puttin' on the Ritz," "There's No Business Like Show Business.”)

CLEVELAND SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Free admission. 
For times and places go to http://www.cleveshakes.com

TROILUS AND CRESSIDA (June 15-July 1)—An adaptation of Shakespeare’s tale of the angst that took place when Troilus, a Trojan prince, falls in love with Cressida, the daughter of a Trojan priest who has defected to the Greek side.

TWELFTH NIGHT (July 20-August 5)—An adaptation of Shakespeare’s comic tale in which hidden identity, cross-dressing, unrequited love and chaos take the stage. 

convergence continuum
convergence-continuum.org or 216-687-0074
Thursday-Saturday @ 8

AND ALL THE DEAD LIE DOWN (July 6-28)—The story of a gay couple dealing with stigmatization, family conflicts and their differing cultural backgrounds.

THE CASUAL TREE WARD (August 24-September 15)—The world premiere of Cleveland playwright/actor Robert Hawkes’ tale which asks the question, “Does the world really depend on this single tree (Yggdrasil), or is this a self-generating myth?”

OBERLIN SUMMER THEATRE FESTIVAL
Hall Auditorium, 67 N. Main Street, Oberlin
Free admission, reservations requested—440-775-8169
For details and dates go to  www.oberlinsummertheaterfestival.com

LITTLE WOMEN (June 22 to August 5)—A drama adapted from the novel by Louise May Alcott concerns the struggle to keep a family together while their father is away in the Civil War.

ROMEO AND JULIET (July 6 to August 4)—Arguably the greatest love story ever told comes to life.

PICNIC (July 20-August 4)—William Inge’s award winning play which centers on a group of lonely women in a small Kansas town whose lives are disrupted by a charming drifter.

OHIO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens (outdoor performances)
714 N. Portage Path, Akron
ohioshakespearefestival.com or 1-888-718-4253 opt.1

ROMEO & JULIET (June 29-July 15)—Shakespeare’s classical tale of love and loss.

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL (July 27-August 5)---A Shakespearean fairy tale turned on its head.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS:  AN ADVENTURE WITH MUSIC (August 9- 12)---Alexandre Dumas' classic tale of friendship, daring, romance, and intrigue...with music. (A family adventure for all ages.)

PLAYHOUSE SQUARE
216-241-6000 or go to www.playhousesquare.org.

BEAUTIFUL—THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL (June 5-17—Connor Palace)   A juke box musical based on the story of King’s rise to stardom.

HAMILTON (July 17-August 26—Key Bank State Theatre)—Key Bank Broadway Series—The mega hit about Alexander Hamilton, with book, music and score by Lin-Manuel Miranda, that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway.
    Pre-Broadway Buzz…featuring Joe Garry (July 17-August 11—upper Allen Theatre)
    Post show talk…featuring cast members (July 19-August 2--Key Bank State Theatre)

PORTHOUSE
http://www.porthousetheatre.com or 330-929-4416 or 330-672-3884

ANYTHING GOES (June 14-30)—Cole Porter’s timeless tale of boy meets girl and a ship full of singing and dancing sailors, gangsters and showgirls.

NEXT TO NORMAL (July 5-21)---A  rock musical that examines bipolar disorders, depression, grief, marriage, and adolescence.

ROGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S OKLAHOMA! (July 26-August 12)—The show that changed the very nature of what is American musical theatre!

2017 Summer Cleveland Theater Calendar

Though it seems like it will never be here, there will be summer and the Cleveland theater scene will heat up.  Here’s a list of some of the offerings that are being staged. 

BECK CENTER 
216-521-2540 or http://www.beckcenter.org
8 p.m. evenings, 3 p.m. matinees

June 2-July 2—REALLY REALLY—A comic tragedy which was loosely inspired by the Duke University Lacrosse team scandal, in which the collegiate party of the year results in the regret of a lifetime, and one person will stop at nothing to salvage a future that is suddenly slipping away.

July 7-August 13--CITY OF ANGELS—The Tony award winning musical by Larry Gelbart (book), Cy Coleman (music) and David Zeppel (lyrics), is a tribute to 1940s film noir in which two plots simultaneously weaves between the ”real” world and the “reel” world.

BLANK CANVAS

440-941-0458 or www.blankcanvastheatre.com

June 9-24—PICASSO at the LAPÍN AGILE—A conversation between Einstein and Picasso before they became well-known, in which they debate the meaning of art, the power of thought and the essence of everything, as conceived by comedian Steve Martin.

August 11-26—EQUUS—A psychological puzzle in which a psychiatrist confronts a boy who has blinded six horses in a violent fit of passion.  (This show contains adult content and nudity.)

CAIN PARK
216-371-3000 or http://www.cainpark.com

June 6-25—ROCK OF AGES—The regional premiere of the jukebox rock musical featuring the songs of Def Leppard, Journey, Scorpions, Poison, Foreigner, Guns N' Roses, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett, Bon Jovi, Twisted Sister, Whitesnake, and REO Speedwagon.

August 5-6—THE MUSIC MAN IN CONCERT—Liza Grossman and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra present a concert of Meredith Wilson’s musical with a score that includes “Seventy-Six Trombones,” “Ya Got Trouble,” “Gary, Indiana,” and “Pick a Little, Talk a Little.”

CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE
216-631-2727 or go on line to www.cptonline.org

May 26-June 17—RED ASH MOSAIC-- An experiment in theatrical form, with interwoven and contradictory narrative threads, powerful physical action, chanting and poetic texts, which is designed not to show, but to invoke.  It begins in the daily doldrums of a video game store and erupts into a fracturing of realities and parallel lives of one man as he confronts his own death/life.

CLEVELAND SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Free admission.  http://www.cleveshakes.com
Varying locations…check site for times, dates and venue

JUNE 16-JULY 2--THE TAMING OF THE SHREW –Fortune-seeker Petruchio and shrewish headstrong Katherina, are forced into a relationship.  Initially, she is an unwilling participant; however, he "tames" her with psychological torments until she becomes a desirable, compliant, and obedient bride.

July 21-August 6—MACBETH—Shakespeare’s tragedy, in which a Scottish general receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth causes a bloodbath that results in his madness and death.

DOBAMA
216-932-3396 or http://www.dobama.org

June 15-July 2--HOW TO BE A RESPECTABLE JUNKIE--Based on real-life events, JUNKIE takes an in-depth look into the troubled soul of a man caught in heroin’s deadly grip.

convergence continuum
convergence-continiuum.org or 216-687-0074
Thursday-Saturday @ 8

July 7 - July 29—NEIGHBORS--A minstrel show, family drama and tragic farce takes racial rage head-on in our supposedly "post-racial" world with shocking, savage humor.

August 25 - September 16—RHINOCEROS--Existentialist playwright Eugene Ionesco’s tale of what happens when a brutish rhinoceros storms through a quiet neighborhood, infecting the townsfolk with the "rhino virus," causing them to become part of the mindless herd.

OBERLIN SUMMER THEATRE FESTIVAL
Hall Auditorium, 67 N. Main Street, Oberlin
Free admission, reservations requested—440-775-8169
For details and dates go to  www.oberlinsummertheaterfestival.com

June 16-July 30—THE MIRACLE WORKER—Follows Annie Sullivan who, as Helen Keller’s governess, tames and teaches the deaf, blind, mute, and completely out-of-control girl.

June 30-July 28—BAREFOOT IN THE PARK--Neil Simon’s romantic comedy about newlyweds during the contentious first days of marriage, as they learn how to live together.

July 14-29—THE WINTER’S TALE-- Shakespeare’s timeless romance of obsession and redemption which begins as an intense psychological drama, but midway jumps time and place to become a hilarious pastoral, and ultimately brings the two plots full circle to a magical and moving ending.

OHIO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens (outdoor performances)
714 N. Portage Path, Akron

June 30-July 16—AS YOU LIKE IT—A Shakespearean tale of forbidden loves, banished dukes, cross-dressing ladies, and three marriages.

July 28-August 13—THE WINTER’S TALE—A comic tragedy which tells a story of royal love, revenge, injustice, and family.  (Contains probably Shakespeare's most famous stage direction: "Exit, pursued by a bear.”)

PLAYHOUSESQUARE
216-241-6000 or go to http://www.playhousesquare.org
See the website for specific dates and times

June 20-July 9—AN AMERICAN IN PARIS—The multi-Tony Award Winning musical, filled with wonderful music and sensational dancing, about an American soldier, a mysterious French girl and an indomitable European city, each yearning for a new beginning in the aftermath of war.

Note:  One hour before each show, Joe Garry offers a free of charge Broadway Buzz Pre-Show Talk which is held in the Idea Center® at Playhouse Square (1375 Euclid Avenue).  Following the June 22, 29 and July 6 performances, cast members come on stage to chat with the audience, offering a chance to ask questions.

July 18-23—THE SOUND OF MUSIC--The Rogers and Hammerstein musical story of Maria and the von Trapp children, is presented in a new production, directed by Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien.

August 15-20—MOTOWN THE MUSICAL--Motown founder Berry Gordy's journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson and many more, which includes such songs as, “My Girl,” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.”

TAKE A HIKE TOURS, FREE--every Thursday at 6 PM, from mid-May through mid-September, 90-minute walking tours of the Playhouse Square District, with actors portraying important historic Clevelanders from the neighborhood.

PORTHOUSE
http://www.porthousetheatre.com or 330-929-4416 or 330-672-3884

June 15-Juy 1—9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL—With music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick, the musical, based on the 1980 hit movie, places a spotlight on three female coworkers who confront their sexist, egotistical boss.

July 6-22—AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’—The 1978 Tony Award winning jukebox musical is a celebration of the legendary jazz great, Fats Waller.

July 27-August 13—NEWSIES--Adapted from the Disney film of the same name, the dance-centered musical follows the plight of newsboy Jack Kelly as he takes on publishing giants Joseph Pulitzer and Willian Randolph Hurst as the powerful duo attempts to endanger the livelihood of a band of newsboys.

THE MUSICAL THEATER PROJECT
http://www.MusicalTheaterProject.org for tickets and information
(productions staged in review format with narration)


June 24—3 PM—PURE IMAGINATION— Geauga Lyric Theatre--Tickets—216-245-8687--An interactive performance for the entire family with tunes from Disney and Sesame Street featuring Ursula Cataan, Jodi Maile Kirk, Nancy Maier and Shane Patrick O’Neill

June 25—3 PM—PURE IMAGINATION
Lorain County Metro Parks, French Creek Theatre--Tickets:  440-949-5200 X221 or http://www.metroparks.cc/

2017 Winter/Spring Cleveland Theater Calendar

Here’s a list of some of the offerings of local theatres through the winter and spring seasons (January-May).  SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL THEATRES!

You can track my reviews on http://www.royberko.info/, or contact me to get on my direct review list.  You can see a synopsis of the local reviewers’ comments about the plays at http://www.clevelandtheaterreviews.com/

BECK CENTER 
  216-521-2540 or http://www.beckcenter.org
8 p.m. evenings, 3 p.m. matinees

BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL—February 10-26, 2017
This movie-based musical examines the complexities of friendship and what it takes to win a national championship in cheerleading.

A GREAT WILDERNESS—March 3-April 9, 2017
Regional premiere of Samuel Hunter's acclaimed drama which centers around a gay conversion therapy camp in the remote Idaho woods.

BLANK CANVAS  

440-941-0458 or http://www.blankcanvastheatre.com


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Thursday, Friday and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 7 pm

FLOYD COLLINS—March 10-25, 2017

Musical by Richard Rodgers grandson, Adam Guettel, based on a true story of how a Kentucky young man getting trapped in a cave caused it to become a tourist attraction.

PICASSO AT THE LAPINE AGILE—June 9-24, 2017

Comedian Steve Martin’s tale of an imagined conversation between Einstein and Picasso.

EQUUS—August 11-26, 2017

A psychiatrist confronts a boy who has blinded six horses in a violent fit of passion.  (Contains full frontal nudity.)

2017 BLANK CANVAS THEATRE BENEFIT—September 2

A concert to raise money for Blank Canvas.  Hors d’oeuvres and music from 7-7:50 pm followed by an 8 pm performance by some of Cleveland’s most talented actor-singers!

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW—October 6-28, 2017

The classic 1950s sci-fi rock musical.

URINETOWN—December 1-16, 2017

A musical which tells the tale of a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets.

CESEAR’S FORUM
216-241-6000 or go to http://www.playhousesquare.org

TBA

CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE  
216-241-6000 or go to http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com
7:30 Wednesday-Saturday, 2:30 Saturday and Sunday

KEN LUDWIG’S BASKERVILLE--January 21-February 12, 2017
Five actors play nearly 50 roles in this comic transformation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes classic mystery.

HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE—March 4-26, 2017
Pulitzer Prize winner follows Li’l Big as she takes a no-holds-barred trip back in time to her adolescence in 1960s Maryland and her relationship with an older man.

BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY—April 1-23, 2017
A darkly comic tale of truth, family and pride finds an ex-cop risking his family’s apartment because of a racially charged lawsuit.

FREAKY FRIDAY—April 15-May 14, 2017
A transformation of an American cult classic into a contemporary musical based on a mother and daughter swapping bodies for a day.

CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE
  216-631-2727 or go on line to http://www.cptonline.org

I CALL MY BROTHERS—February 9-March 4 (7:00 PM)
A car.  An explosion.  A city is paralyzed with fear.  A 24-hour journey inside a young man’s head.

BARBECUE—February 16-March 11, 2017 (7:30 PM)
An open-air intervention becomes raucous and unpredictable as familial stereotypes collide with realities and racial politics.

TEATRO PUBLICO DE CLEVELAND—March, 2017
Details TBA

STATION HOPE—April 29 (5:30 PM)
200 artists from across Northeast Ohio inhabit historic St. John’s Episcopal Church to celebrate hope and address many of the important issues of our time.  FREE

RED ASH MOSAIC—May 25-June 17, 2017 (7:30 PM)
An experiment in theatrical form with interwoven and contradictory narrative threads, powerful physical action, chanting and poetic texts.

convergence continuum
convergence-continiuum.org or 216-687-0074
Thursday-Saturday @ 8

HARM’S WAY – March 24-April 15

Major Jonathan Fredericks, a career army prosecutor charged with investigating soldiers for war crimes. His son was recently killed in Afghanistan. Bianca, tortured by her brother's sudden death, now makes it her mission to protect the boys her father is charged with prosecuting.

MASSACURE (SING TO YOUR CHILDREN) – May 19-June 10

José Rivera’s darkly comic play is one of those difficult Rorschach Tests-of-a-play whose narrative loopiness, supernatural meanings and political allegory will haunt and confound each audience member in a different way.

DOBAMA
 216-932-3396 or http://www.dobama.org
check the theatre’s blog for performance times

THE NIGHT ALIVE—January 20-February 12, 2017
In Dublin, Tommy defends a destitute woman against a violent attack, and a fragile glimmer of hope appears for him.

THE FLICK—March 3-26, 2017
In a run-down movie theatre in central Massachusetts, three underpaid employees attend to one of the last 35-millimeter film projectors in the state.   2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

HAND TO GOD—April 21-May 21, 2017
Best play Tony winner is a comedy that teaches that the urges that drive a person to give in to their darkest desires can fit like a glove.

ENSEMBLE THEATRE
  216-321-2930 or http://www.ensemble-theatre.com
Fridays and Saturdays @ 8, Sundays @ 2

THE PHANTOM TOLL BOOTH—JANUARY 13-22, 2017 (Friday and Saturdays @ 7, Saturdays @3, Sundays @2
A tale of Milo’s adventures in the Land of Wisdom force him to think about many new things.

RADIO GOLF! — February 3-26, 2017 (Fridays and Saturdays @ 8, Sundays @ 2)
August Wilson’s final installment on his ten-play Pittsburgh cycle.  Set in 1990s, it’s the story of a successful entrepreneur who aspires to become the city’s first black mayor.

THIS IS OUR YOUTH—February 9-19, 2017 (Fridays and Saturdays @ 8, Sundays @ 2)
Follows forty-eight hours in the lives of three very lost young souls at the dawn of the Reagan Era.

OCCUPATION DAD—March 17-April 2 (Fridays and Saturdays @ 8, Sundays @ 2)
Jason’s kid won’t walk.  His mother won’t help.  His older brother’s a jerk-off.  His sister’s kids are already perfect.  The Playground moms are psychotic.  Everything is just hunky-dory.

THE NORTH POOL—April 28-May 21, 2017 (Fridays and Saturdays @ 8, Sundays @ 2)
A psychological thriller in which a high-school vice principal and a Middle Eastern-born transfer student engage in a politically and emotionally charged game of cat and mouse, with dangerous consequences.

GREAT LAKES THEATER
  http://www.greatlakestheater.org or 216-241-6000
Wednesday-Saturday @ 7:30, Saturdays @ 1:30, Sundays @ 3

WAIT UNTIL DARK—February 17-March 12, 2017
A 1960s Greenwich Village apartment is the scene for a deadly game of cat and mouse when con-men terrorize an unsuspecting blind women.  What you can’t see can hurt you!

HAMLET—March 31-April 15, 2017
The world’s most famous tragedy!

FOREVER PLAID—May 5-21, 2017
A pitch-perfect jukebox musical with pop hits of the 1950s, directed by Victoria Bussert.

INTERPLAY JEWISH THEATRE  interplayjewishtheatre@gmail.com or 216-393-PLAY
(Play readings at Dobama are free, but reservations are required.  Presentations at the Maltz Museum are fee based)

NOW CIRCA THEN--APRIL 30 or MAY 2, both at 7 p.m. @ Dobama.   Set in a tenement museum on Manhattan's Lower East Side, a 20-something immigrant couple, circa 1890, as interpreted by a pair of curiously cast contemporary reenactors whose role-play dredges up the anxieties in their own lives.

KARAMU HOUSE  216-795-707) or www.karamuhouse.org
(Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday)

REPAIRING A NATION—February 9-26, 2017
It's 2001 and the Davis family gathers for a typical holiday celebration in their native Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Things go awry when Lois insists the family join a lawsuit seeking reparations for the Tulsa Race Riots that devastated the family 80 years ago.

YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU—April 20-May 7, 2017
The 1937 Pulitzer Prize winner for Drama centering on Grandpa, an eccentric old man who has never paid his income taxes.  Family members and assorted guests write sex-filled melodramas, make candy delivered with subversive notices, paint pictures of nudes, make fireworks in the basement which explode.  The FBI invades and chaos runs wild.

LAKELAND CIVIC THEATRE  440-525-7134 or http://lakelandcc.edu/academic/arts/theatre/index.asp

BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY (the musical) -- February 3-5, 10-12 and 17-19, 2017
Based on the book of the same name, BMC centers on Francesca Johnson, an Italian war bride living in Winterset, Iowa, in 1965, who has had an unfulfilling farm life. One day Robert Kincaid, a photographer comes to photograph the famous covered bridges of Madison County, stops to ask directions, and Francesca’s life changes.  (My Broadway review:  http://royberkinfo.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-briddges-of-madison-county-well.html

NEAR WEST THEATRE   216-961-6391 or nearwestheatre.org
THE WIZ—February 10-19, 2017
(Youth Cast, ages 9-15)
Infuses THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ with a mix of rock, gospel and soul music to create a funky sing along journey down the yellow brick road.

RISE! — MARCH 4, 2017 (6:30-10:30 PM)
(INTERGENERATIONAL CAST, AGES 7+)
Annual benefit party…food, drink, silent auction and musical performance.

MARY POPPINS—May 5-21, 2017
(Intergenerational Cast, 7+)
An imaginative convergence of the classic film musical and the children’s book combine to make a new script about the Nanny who can do no wrong:  It’s Supercalifragilisticexpalidocious!!!

none-too-fragile theatre   330-671-4563 or http://www.nonetoofragile.com

THE WHALE—February 3018, 2017
Award winning play about a six-hundred-pound recluse, who hiding away from the world and slowly eating himself to death, is given one last chance at redemption.

A SKULL IN CONNEMARA—March 17-April 1, 2017
The last play of the “Leenane Trilogy,” which included The Beauty Queen of Leenane,” is a funny whodunit concerning Mick Dowd who is hired to disinter bones in sections of his local cemetery to make way for the new arrivals.  As the time approaches for him to dig up the bones of his own late wife, rumors about his possible involvement in her sudden death resurface.

SALVAGE—May 5-20, 2017
Danny’s sister and mother have just laid him to rest and now find themselves racing against time to rescue his prized possessions from the family basement before a flood hits.  Enter Danny’s high-school sweetheart to lend a hand.  Is she here to pay her last respects or to keep Danny alive forever? 

OHIO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL  www.ohioshakespearefestival.com
(Winter and Spring Home:  Greystone Hall, Akron)

LONE STAR—February 10, 12, 16, 18, 2017
In the backyard of a small-town Texas bar we find a macho Vietnam vet who cherishes three things above all:  his country, his sexy wife and his 1959 pink Thunderbird.

THE UPSTART CROW—February 9, 11, 17, 19, 2017
Vincint Dowling’s tale of Susanna, Shakespeare’s daughter, who comes to the Globe Theatre after her father’s death.  She discovers life, love and comes to terms with the loss of the Bard.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS—April 14-30, 2017
Shakespeare’s comedy about what happens when two sets of twins find themselves in the same city, on the same day, resulting in a web of mistaken identities and confused lovers

PLAYHOUSESQUARE
   216-241-6000 or go to www.playhousesquare.org
See the website for specific dates and times

INTO THE WOODS—January 10-29, 2017
A musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine which intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests.

THE KING AND I—FEBRUARY 7-26, 2017
The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical which relates the experiences of Anna, a British schoolteacher hired as part of the King's drive to modernize his country.

CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME—March 21-April 9, 2017
Staged with numerous electronic media effects, the insightful script opens a window into the mind of an autistic. (My Broadway review:  http://royberkinfo.blogspot.com/2014/11/mesmerizing-curious-incident-of-dog-in.html

SOMETHING ROTTEN! — April 25-May 14, 2017
A clever musical, set in 1595, that follows the Bottom brothers, who struggle to find success in the theatrical world as they compete with the wild popularity of their contemporary William Shakespeare and wind up inventing a new theatrical form…the musical.  (My Broadway review:  http://royberkinfo.blogspot.com/2015/05/farcical-something-rotten-very-new.html

THE MUSICAL THEATER PROJECT
http://www.MusicalTheaterProject.org or 216-529-9411 for tickets and information
(productions staged in review format with narration)

HEY, BIG SPENDER! THE CY COLEMAN SONGBOOK—January 28, 2017 (9 PM) and January 29 (2 PM)—performed at the Hanna Theatre, Playhouse Square
Spotlight on Cy Coleman, the writer of such musicals as SWEET CHARITY, BARNUM, THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES and CITY OF ANGELS, performed by Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, the Joe Hunter Trio, Vince Mastro and Treva Offutt.

HELLUVA TOWN:  A New York Soundtrack
April 21, 2017 @ The Hunt Club
Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano make their Cleveland debut with this witty and exhilarating show which celebrates a love/hate relationship.

BEHIND THE MUSICAL ANNIE
April 29, 2017 (7 PM) @ Stocker Arts Center/Lorain County Community College and April 30, 2017 (3 PM) @ Chagrin Falls Performing Arts Center
It’s been 40 years since the red-headed orphan debuted on Broadway.  Martin Charnin and Charles Strouse’s score will be performed by Sheri Gross, Gilgamesh Taggett and Lexi Cowan.

2016 Summer Cleveland Theater Calendar

Though it seems like it will never be here, there will be summer and the Cleveland theater scene will heat up.  Here’s a list of some of the offerings that are being staged. 

ACTOR’S SUMMIT
330-374-7568 or go to www.actorssummit.org
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sundays @ 2 PM

TINTYPES, May 19-June 19—The great American songbook comes to life in this musical review of popular songs from 1890 to 1917, including “Meet Me In St. Louis” and “Yankee Doodle Boy.”

BECK CENTER 

216-521-2540 or http://www.beckcenter.org
8 p.m. evenings, 3 p.m. matinees

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL, May 27-July 2—Based on the 1989 film, it’s the musical tale of a teenage misfit who hustles her way into The Heathers, the most powerful clique in her high school, and falls in love with a dangerously sexy new kid.

BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL, July 8-August 14—Based on the 2000 Academy Award nominated film and the 2009 winner of 10 Tony Awards, it’s the story of a young boy in a depressed mining town in England, who discovers his extraordinary gift for ballet, and gets admitted to the prestigious Royal Ballet School.

BLANK CANVAS


440-941-0458 or www.blankcanvastheatre.com

THE WILD PARTY, May 20-June 4—A decadent musical filled with jazz blues, gospel and Tin Pan Alley, which remind us that no party lasts forever.

CAIN PARK
216-371-3000 or http://www.cainpark.com

THE TOXIC AVENGER, June 2-26—(Alma Theater)—Thursdays-Saturday @ 7, Sundays @ 2—A charming but toxic love story, with an environmental twist, which won the Award for Best Off-Broadway musical, about New Jersey’s first superhero (a seven-foot mutant freak with superhuman strength and a heart as big as Newark.

OPEN A NEW WINDOW:  THE SONGS OF JERRY HERMAN, July 21, 7 PM, presented by the Musical Theatre Project.

FOR GOOD:  THE NEW GENERATION OF MUSICALS, August 4, 2016, 7 PM, presented by the Musical Theatre Project.

CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE

216-631-2727 or go on line to www.cptonline.org

LINES IN THE DUST, June 2-18, 7 PM--Thu/Fri/Sat/Mon in the refurbished James Levin Theatre, is a new work centering on a mother who is determined to find a way for her teenage daughter to escape their impoverished inner city school and get the education she deserves.

CLEVELAND SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Free admission. 

KING RICHARD THE SECOND—presented at numerous settings, the adapted Shakespeare classic opens on June 17 at Peace Park, Coventry Park Neighborhood, Cleveland Heights.  For additional times and places go to http://www.cleveshakes.com

THE TEMPEST, an adapted version of the Shakespeare comedy, opens Friday July 22 at Peace Park and runs through August 7 at various locations.  For additional times and places go to http://www.cleveshakes.com

convergence continuum
convergence-continiuum.org or 216-687-0074
Thursday-Saturday @ 8

HARBOR, July 8-30, the story of two newlyweds, Kevin and Ted, living in tranquil affluent domesticity, until Kent’s vagabond, pothead sister and her 15-year-old daughter show up.

SELFIES AT THE CLOWN MOTEL, August 26-September 26, clowns can be funny, sad and sometimes scary, and in this world-premiere production, they can also be human.

OBERLIN SUMMER THEATRE FESTIVAL
Hall Auditorium, 67 N. Main Street, Oberlin
Free admission, reservations requested—440-775-8169
For details and dates go to  www.oberlinsummertheaterfestival.com

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, June 24-July 31—An aging brother and sister request an orphanage send a boy to help on theie farm.  A mix-up results and a romantic, hot-headed 11-year-old girl is sent.  The results are startling and charming.

MACBETH, July 1-30—A Shakespeare classic which chronicles the moral descent of a notable Scottish warrior driven by ambition.

INHERIT THE WIND, July 8-30—A gripping award-winning script by Cleveland Height’s native Jerome Lawrence and Elyria’s Robert Edwin Lee, that follows the events surrounding a young high-school teacher who is arrested for teaching Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. 

OHIO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens (outdoor performances)
714 N. Portage Path, Akron

THE TEMPEST, Shakespeare’s magical comedy about a wizard and his daughter exiled onto an enchanted desert island filled with air spirits and mutant monsters.
July 1-17, for performance information go to: http://www.ohioshakespearefestival.com/

ROBIN HOOD:  AN ADVENTURE, WITH MUSIC, an original musical family show about Robin, Marian and the Merry Men.
July 21-24 for performance information go to: http://www.ohioshakespearefestival.com/

MACBETH, considered one of Shakespeare’s best tragedies, it tells the fictional story of a Scottish lord who might be king but the price he must pay is dreadful.  Filled with witches and war.
August 5-21, for performance information go to: http://www.ohioshakespearefestival.com/

PLAYHOUSESQUARE

216-241-6000 or go to http://www.playhousesquare.org
See the website for specific dates and times

STEEL MAGNOLIAS, Allen Theatre, May 29-August 21, it’s the 1980s in Louisiana at Truvy’s Beauty Shop where “There is no such thing as natural beauty.”  A story of love, loss and enduring friendship produced by the Cleveland Play House as part of the Key Bank Broadway Series.

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, June 15-July 10, the return of the longest running Broadway musical in a new production featuring reconceived special effects, scenery and lighting designs, but the same marvelous story and musical score.

KINKY BOOTS, August 23-28, winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, it’s the inspirational story of a struggling shoe factory owner, who, with the help of the fabulous Lola, changes the world of shoes and lives of many.  Music by Cyndi Lauper.

TAKE A HIKE TOURS, FREE--every Thursday at 6 PM, from May 19-September 15,  90-minute walking tours of the Playhouse Square District, with actors portraying important historic Clevelanders from the neighborhood.

Broadway Buzz—One-hour before each major Broadway touring show, host Joe Garry gives the inside scoop about each show in the Idea Center @ Playhouse Square (1375 Euclid).  Free admission.  For the complete schedule go to  http://www.playhousesquare.org

PORTHOUSE
http://www.porthousetheatre.com or 330-929-4416 or 330-672-3884

SISTER ACT, June 16-July 2—When nightclub singer Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder, she ends up in protective custody, posing as a nun!  What follows is a musical delight!

RING OF FIRE, July 7-23—The music legend Johnny Cash comes to life in this Jukebox musical that weaves a story of some of America’s best know songs.

FOOTLOOSE, July 28-August 14—Based on the hit movie with Kevin Bacon, finds high school student Ren moving from Chicago to a rural town.  That place will never be the same!

THE MUSICAL THEATER PROJECT
 (productions staged in review format with narration)
see:  CAIN PARK listing

2016 Winter-Spring Cleveland Theater Calendar

Here’s a list of some of the offerings of local theatres through the spring season. 

You can track my reviews on http://www.royberko.info, or contact me to get on my direct review list.  You can see a synopsis of the local reviewers’ capsule comments about the plays they see at http://www.clevelandtheaterreviews.com

ACTOR’S SUMMIT
330-374-7568 or go to www.actorssummit.org
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 PM and Sundays @ 2 PM

JAN 21-FEB 7--SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR—Neal Simon’s romantic comedy follows Doris and George, married to others, who rendezvous once a year.

FEB 25-MAR 13—CHIAPATTI—When forlorn Dan and his dog Chiapatti cross paths with the amiable Betty and her nineteen cats, unexpected sparks fly as two people rediscover the importance of human companionship.

APR 14-MAY 1—TALLEY’S FOLLY— Set in Lebanon, Missouri in 1944, Lanford Wilson’s love story concerns the courtship of young Sally Talley and her Jewish suitor, Matt Friedman.

MAY 19-JUNE 19—TINTYPES—a tune-filled musical melting pot review of the Great American Songbook, which offers a snapshot of America from 1890-1917.  Songs include, “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “Yankee Doodle Boy,” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”

BECK CENTER 

216-521-2540 or http://www.beckcenter.org
8 p.m. evenings, 3 p.m. matinees

DEC 4-JAN 3—MARY POPPINS (The supercalifragilisticexpialidocious musical appears once again on the Mackey Main Stage.

FEB 12-FEB 28—IN THE HEIGHTS--The 2008 Tony Award-winning Best Musical about chasing dreams and finding a true home in NY’s Washington Heights transitional community.  (Mackey Main Stage)

APR 1-MAY 1--SHINING CITY—The 2006 Tony Award-winning play set in Dublin, in which a guilt-ridden man reaches out to his therapist after seeing the ghost of his recently deceased wife.  (Studio Theatre)

MAY 27-JULY 2--HEATHERS:  THE MUSICAL—A teenage misfit hustles her way into the most powerful clique in her high school, falls in love with a dangerous “bad boy,” with questionable results.  (Studio Theatre)

BLANK CANVAS


440-941-0458 or http://www.blankcanvastheatre.com

TBA

CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE

216-241-6000 or go to http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com
7:30 Wednesday-Saturday, 2:30 Saturday and Sunday

JAN 9-FEB 7—LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS—Mixing Motown, B-movies, and the American Dream, it’s a musical tale of a peculiar plant that might just bring Seymour, a floral clerk, fame and fortune and the girl of his dreams.

JAN 23-FEB 14--THE MOUNTAINTOP—April 3, 1968, The Lorraine Motel, Room 306, the night before Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot.  The portrait of the man behind the myth.

FEB 10-20—THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA—THE CWRU/CPH MFA ACTING PROGRAM’S production of Shakespeare’s comedy about what happens when two young men fall in love with the same woman. 

FEB 27-MAR 20—LUNA GALE—How do you make the right decision when there is no clear right?   A suspenseful play about parenthood, faith and love, by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rebecca Gilman.

MAR 16-26—METAMORPHOSES-- THE CWRU/CPH MFA ACTING PROGRAM’S production, adopted and inspired by Ovid’s epic poem, Mary Zimmerman reinterprets ancient myths and stories for a modern audience by using movement, song, vivid drama, and comedic storytelling.

APR 2-24—MR. WOLF—Clevelander Rajiv Joseph makes his CPH premiere with this story of a family’s desperate and determined attempt to heal each other and rebuild their world.

MAY 21-AUG 21—STEEL MAGNOLIAS—It’s the 1980s at a beauty shop in Louisiana and six Southern spitfires, who are all sass and brass, gather each week to gossip and support each other through thick and thin.

CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE
 
216-631-2727 or go on line to http://www.cptonline.org

JAN 7-23—INCENDIARIES—Explores conflicts between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

JAN 7-30—FRANKENSTEIN’S WAKE—A twisted, one woman adaptation of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece, FRANKENSTEIN, stars Holly Holsinger.

FEB 11-MAR 5—MR. BURNS—A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY—A post-apocalyptic tale of survival, passion and the enduring power of Bart Simpson.

MAR 3-19—TEATRO PUBLICO DE CLEVELAND—SPANISH LANGUAGE PRODUCTION—Teatro Publico de Cleveland presents a scripted work by a Latin American playwright.

MAR 24-26—SEXCURITY—OUT OF THE BOX SERIES—James Levin Theatre—Daniel can’t write.  He can’t keep a boyfriend.  He can’t stand the thought of moving home to help his Israeli parents with their failing business.  Yuval Boim explores sex, identity and belonging.

MAR 31-APR 2—DON QUIXOTE:  A PILGRIMAGE—OUT OF THE BOX SERIES—James Levin Theatre--A remix of Cervantes’ classic explores the story of Isabel, making a pilgrimage across modern-day Spain, who confronts a past she has been avoiding for many years.

APR 30—STATION HOPE—St. John’s Episcopal Church, 260 Church Street—A free multi-arts event that celebrates the triumphs of the Underground Railroad, Cleveland’s social justice history, and contemporary struggles for freedom and justice.

MAY 5-22—WRESTLING JERUSALEM—A man grapples with the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

MAY 26-JUNE 11—BLUE SAND DREAMING—A new work based on “The Egyptian Book of the Dead.”

convergence continuum
convergence-continiuum.org or 216-687-0074
Thursday-Saturday @ 8

FEB 11-13, 18-20--NEOMFA PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL (see the theatre’s website for specific offerings)

MAR 25-APR 16—BOOTYCANDY by Robert O’Hara is a kaleidoscope of sketches that interconnect to portray growing up gay and African American.  O’Hara states, “Everyone is welcome, no one is safe.”

MAY 20-JUNE 11—THREE TALL WOMEN is Edward Albee’s personal exorcism which centers on a 90-year-old woman who reflects on her life with a mixture of shame, pleasure, regret and satisfaction.

DOBAMA
 
216-932-3396 or http://www.dobama.org
check the theatre’s blog for performance times

JAN 22-FEB 14--THE REALISTIC JONESES—Will Eno’s comedy centers on Bob and Jennifer Jones and their neighbors, John and Pony Jones.  Its about identical homes, shared last names, idyllic fantasies and imperfect realities.

MAR 4-APR 3—THE REVISIONIST—Actor Jesse Eisenberg’s tale of David, a young writer who arrives in Poland with a desire to be alone.  Staying with his seventy-five year old cousin, (portrayed by Cleveland legend Dorothy Silver) who reveals details about her postwar past that tests the idea of what it means to be family and challenges the concepts of truth and fantasy.

APR 22-MAY 22—MARIE ANTOINETTE—Times have changed and Marie is no longer the darling of the French people.  How’s a queen to keep her head in the middle of a revolution?

ENSEMBLE THEATRE 

216-321-2930 or http://www.ensemble-theatre.com
Friday and Saturdays @ 8, Sundays @ 2

FEB 5-28—SLOW DANCE ON THE KILLING GROUND—William Henley’s tale of a refugee from Nazi Germany, a hunted young black man, and an 18-year old dancer whose fates are played out on the killing ground of life. (Mainstage Theatre)

FEB 5-28—GOLDEN LEAF RAG TIME BLUES—A story of a young African American and an old Jewish man who are thrown together because of circumstances beyond their control.  Through music and stories they illustrate how basic needs transcend the barriers of race, religion and age.  (Playground Theatre)

2016 COLOMBI NEW PLAYS FESTIVAL
MAR 17-27—CHOICES—Cynthia Dettlebach’s exploration of what happens to  a Jewish family when their firstborn son brings home a Muslim girlfriend.. (Mainstage Theatre)

MAR 31-APRIL 10—A KIND OF COURAGE—An examination of a relationship between thirty-year old Jennifer, who has a dark secret, and Ben, a thirty-seven year old college professor. (Playground Theatre)

APR 29-MAY 22—JERUSALEM— Based on Blake’s eponymous poem of the same name, Jez Butterworth puts a spotlight on Johnny “Rooster” Byron and carnival week in Pewsey, Wiltshire.  (Mainstage Theatre)

GREAT LAKES THEATER 

http://www.greatlakestheater.org or 216-241-6000
Wednesday-Saturday @ 7:30, Saturdays @ 1:30, Sunday @ 3.

FEB 26-MAR 20–AND THEN THERE WERE NONE—When a group of ten strangers are lured, in this Agatha Christie class murder mystery, to a remote English island, mysterious machinations are set in murderous motion.

AP 8-24—LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST—Shakespeare’s labor of love and laughter centers on how the court turns topsy-turvy when the King decrees that his court be free of women so that he and his men may study without distraction.

MAY 13-29—A romantic musical about one young couple, two “feuding fathers” and an infinite love that transcends time.  The longest professional running American musical.  Songs include, “Try to Remember,” “Soon It’s Gonna Rain,” and “I Can See It.”

INTERPLAY JEWISH THEATRE
%Dobama  Theatre, 2340 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights
interplayjewishtheatre@gmail.com or 216-393-PLAY
(Play readings at Dobama are free, but reservations are required, presentations at the Maltz Museum are fee based)

April 3--GOOD--A choral reading of a play set in Frankfurt in the early 1930s which centers on a German Literature professor who is recruited for the Nazi propaganda machine.  (Acconpanies he Maltz Museum exhibit: "Operation Finale; the Capture and Trial of Adolph Eichman")--Maltz Museum

May 1 & 3--OH GOD--A psychologist meets a new client (God) who is in dire need of counseling.  Dorothy Silver directs @ Dobama.

KARAMU HOUSE
216-795-707)  or www.karamuhouse.org

FEB 5-28--DETROIT ’67—Dominique Morisseau examines two siblings and what happens to them in Detroit in the middle of the 1967 riots.

MAY 20-JUNE 19—GOD’S TROMBONES: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse—Based on the poems of James Weldon Johnson.

LAKELAND CIVIC THEATRE
440-525-7134 or http://lakelandcc.edu/academic/arts/theatre/index.asp

FEB 5-28—INTO THE WOODS—Steven Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical retelling of several Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests.

none-too-fragile theatre
330-671-4563 or http://www.nonetoofragile.com

JAN 28-FEB 13—PURE SHOCK VALUE—A satirical comedy that updates the post-Tarantino generation of Silver Lake Slackers.

MAR (TBA)—A KID LIKE JAKE is a story of intimacy and parenthood and the fantasies that accompany both.

AP 22-MAY 7—THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE—a dark comedy about a lonely woman and her manipulative aging mother.

PLAYHOUSESQUARE
 
216-241-6000 or go to www.playhousesquare.org.
See the website for specific dates and times

JAN 12-17—ANNIE—Connor Palace—Leapin’ Lizards, the little red head is back in this new incarnation of the iconic original.

JAN 23—JOSHUA SETH—PSYCHOLOGICAL ILLUSIONIST—Combining mind reading comedy, and some old fashioned showmanship, this is a performance of laughter and mystery.

FEB 5-7—BLUE MAN GROUP—Connor Palace—the enemy of monotony, remedy for boredom, promoter of joy and elation, it’s a comedy, theater, rock concert, and dance party all rolled into one.

FEB 9-21—IF/THEN—Connor Palace—a contemporary original musical about living in New York today, and all the possibilities of tomorrow, from the creators of NEXT TO NORMAL.  (Get the inside scoop on IF/THEN from host, Joe Garry, one-hour before selected performances. Broadway Buzz Pre-Show Talks are held in the Idea Center at Playhouse Square (1375 Euclid). Admission is free.

MAR 8-13—MAMMA MIA—Connor Palace—Based on ABBA’s greatest hits, the ultimate feel-good musical about love, laughter and friendship, returns once again.

MAR 13—POSTSECRET:  THE SHOW—Ohio Theatre—A visual, auditory and emotional journey through the beauty and complication of our deepest fears, ambitions and confessions.  Reaches beyond the confines of the stage, reminding the audiences that no matter what you may be facing, you are not alone.

MAR 23-26—IN THE MOOD--Ohio Theatre—Now in its 22 nd season, this review celebrates America’s 1940s pop music with a big band, singers and dancers.

AP 5-17—BEAUTIFUL:  THE CAROL KING MUSICAL—Connor Palace—The musical tale of Tony and Grammy Award-winning Carole King, the woman who wrote the soundtrack to a generation.  (Get the inside scoop on BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL from host, Joe Garry, one-hour before selected performances. Broadway Buzz Pre-Show Talks are held in the Idea Center at Playhouse Square (1375 Euclid). Admission is free.

MAY 3-22—MATILDA—State Theatre—A musical based on the novel by Roald Dahl that tells the story of a girl who, armed with a vivid imagination, dares to stand up and change her own destiny.  (Get the inside scoop on MATILDA from host, Joe Garry, one-hour before selected performances. Broadway Buzz Pre-Show Talks are held in the Idea Center at Playhouse Square (1375 Euclid). Admission is free.  

MAY 21-AUG 21—STEEL MAGNOLIAS—Allen Theatre—Through clouds of hairspray and the buzz of blow dryers, six southern spitfires gather each week to gossip and support each other.

THE MUSICAL THEATER PROJECT
http://www.MusicalTheaterProject.org or 216-529-9411 for tickets and information
(productions staged in review format with narration)

JAN 30 (8PM) and 31 (2 PM)—CURTAIN UP AT THE COTTON CLUB—Hanna Theatre—In the 1920s and 30s, Harlem’s Cotton Club was the citadel of the NY jazz scene.  Join Bill Rudman, Paul Ferguson, members of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, the Joe Hunter trio, and Evelyn Wright to learn about the history of the era and The Club.

FEB 14 (7 PM)—ANYTHING YOU CAN DO—Vosh Lakewood—It’s a Valentine’s Day cabaret which is a mash-up of musical theater songs that explain the why of the battle of the sexes.  Featuring Nancy Maier, Joe Monaghan, Kelly Monaghan and Bill Rudman.

MAR 5 (7 PM) and MAR 6 (2 PM)—Mixon Hall—Cleveland Institute of Music—BERNSTEIN ON BROADWAY—Leonard Bernstein believed that Musicals are America’s brand of opera.  The program, featuring arrangements by Cleveland composer Ty Emerson, will take a close look at Bernstein, the man behind the theatre music of WEST SIDE STORY, ON THE TOWN, WONDERFUL TOWN and CANDIDE.  Co-hosted by Bill Rudman and Nancy Maier, and featuring Benjamin Czarnota, Sheri Gross and others.

APR 30 (7 PM)—Lorain County Community College and May 1 (3 PM)—Notre Dame College—BEHIND THE MUSICAL/THE FANTASTICKS—Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt’s tiny show which is now the longest continuous running musical in American theatre.   Songs include, “Try to Remember,” “Soon It’s Gonna Rain,” and “I Can See It.”  Co-hosted by Bill Rudman and Nancy Maier, featuring Shane Patrick O’Neill, Fabio Polanco, George Roth and a vocalist TBA.