FOOTLOOSE leaves them on their feet, yelling and applauding at Porthouse

The 1984 movie Footloose became a cult movie among teens and young twenties, not only because it showcased a rebel with a cause standing up for his rights, and displaying victory over misguided-adults, but because of the performance of Kevin Bacon as Ren McCormick.

Rumor says that the then 26 year-old Bacon was so intent on making his portrayal of a small town teen realistic that he enrolled as a student in a public high school to observe the students.  His charade only lasted until mid-day, but, obviously created enough credibility to make Bacon a generational icon, similar to James Dean (Rebel Without a Cause), Tom Cruise (Risky Business) and Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off).

In 1998, a musical, based on the film’s motifs of book burning, a fatal car crash, anti-dance regulations and Bible Belt beliefs, became a reality.  Footloose:  The Musical opened on Broadway on October 22, 1998  to mixed critical reception.  The general consensus was that the script was weak but the music and the production were top notch.  It ran for 709 performances and was nominated for four Tony Awards.

Footloose: The Musical, with music by Tom  Snow, with additional songs by Kenny Loggins, Sammy Hagar, Jim Steinman and Eric Carmen, and lyrics by Dean Pitchford (except, “Footloose” which was co-written by Pitchford and Kenny Loggins), and book by Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, is now in production at Porthouse Theatre.

The musical, like the film, follows the move of Ren and his mother, Ethel, following their abandonment by their father and husband, from Chicago to the small town Bomont.  (As one of his Chi-friends moans, “Where in the hell is Bomont!?”).  Bomont, where his conservative aunt and uncle have offered the destitute duo a place to stay. 

The mother and son attend a church service and encounter minister Shaw Moore, the town’s authority figure, where they learn that dancing, the reading of certain books, and defying of the word of the minister, is prohibited. 

Of course, since this is a musical that needs a conflict to establish its purpose in being, Ren becomes obsessed with defying authority, falls for the preacher’s rebellious daughter, inspires wrack and ruin among his new pack of followers, and sings and dances up a storm. 

The play’s “moral” is spotlighted as Ren gives an impassioned speech to the Town Council to change the rule regarding dancing, is voted down, goes to talk to Reverend Moore, and “brings forth a miracle.”  That, of course is a change of heart by the Reverend, and explodes into a wild version of “Footloose,” leaving the audience stomping, clapping, and on its feet, which transitions into a standing curtain call ovation.  (What, you were expecting something else?)

The Porthouse production, under the joyful direction of personable Terri Kent, delights the audience.  She knows her crowd and she gives them all they want…a hokey story with a nice moral, dynamic dancing (thanks to the creativity of choreographer MaryAnn Black), swing musical sounds (created by the talented orchestra lead by Jonathan Swoboda), nice vocalizations, an ever-moving and captivating set (bows to Nolan O’Dell), appropriate costumes, including 1980s formal clothes that are a visual hoot, created by costume designer Anne Medlock, and some nice lighting effects by Yu (Leo) Lei.

Studly Paul Schwensen, who was mobbed by tweens after the show for autographs, mooning over his big blue eyes and sparkling white teeth, created a very credible Ren.  His Joffrey Ballet training was well put to use.  His renditions of “I Can’t Stand Still,” and “Dancing Is Not a Crime” were well presented.

Pretty, recent Kent State grad, Lindsay Simon, created Ariel Moore, the Reverend’s daughter and Ren’s girlfriend, with the right amount of rebel and conflicted daughter.  The Ren/Ariel ballad, “Almost Paradise” was tenderly sung. 

Simon was nicely supported by her girl friends, Urleen (Emma Wichhart) Wendy Jo (Katey Sheehan) and Rusty, Solon High grad, Kristen Hoffman, who vocally wailed and whose frustrating relationship with the shy Willard (portrayed to comic perfection by Dan Gettler) was well-developed.  Gettler’s “Mama Says” stopped the show.

Other show stoppers were “Still Rockin’,” “Holding Out For a Hero,” “Let’s Hear It For the Boy,” and “I’m Free/Heaven Help Me.”

In adult roles, the always portrayal-right Tracee Patterson (Ethel McCormack), Bernadette Hisey (Vi Moore, the Reverend’s wife, whose “Can You Find It In Your Heart?” was a vocal performance highlight) and Rob Albrecht (Reverend Moore) all developed clear characters, though Albrecht could have created more empathy when he finally “saw the light” if he had developed a more embittered man, early in the production.

Kudos to the often overlooked musicians:  Jonathan Swoboda, Alex Berko, Craig Wohlschlager, Ryan McDermott, Erin Vaughn, Don T. Day, Sean Young and Scott Thomas for supporting rather than drowning out the singers and creating the right sound for the show.

CAPSULE JUDGMENT:  Artistic Director Terri Kent knows her Porthouse audience, and her show selection, casting, choice of support staff and directing all lead to a very happy full-house exiting the theatre on opening night of Footloose.   And, what delights will next season bring?

Footloose runs until August 14, 2016 at Porthouse Theatre.  For tickets call 330-672-3884 or go online to www.porthousetheatre.com.  Curtain times are 8 PM Tuesdays through Saturdays and 2 PM Sundays. The picnic grounds at Porthouse open 90 minutes prior to curtain time.

Nicely conceived A WOMAN OF NO IMPORTANCE pleases at The Shaw

Oscar Wilde is one of Britain’s best known turn of the century authors.  He is the writer of the theater masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) and the much praised, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890).

Wilde satirized English upper class society.  Often filled with biting satire, his writings also concerned decadence, duplicity and beauty.

His A Woman of No Importance showcases his talent as a writer of comedy and tragedy.  It parallels, in some ways, Wilde’s own life.  A lover of young beauty, especially youthful males, he idealized the best of society.  He loved being the center of attention, whether through sporting fancy clothing or being seen with beautiful people. 

Because of losing a lawsuit which centered on his contending he was slandered when the Marquess of Queensberry, the father of Wilde’s lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, accused him of gross indecency with men, he went to jail for two years, lost his societal standing and wealth, and eventually died a pauper, almost forgotten, at a young age.

A Woman of No Importance, referred to as Wilde’s “weakest play,” because of its structure.  The first act-and-a-half reflects witty conversations of members of the upper-class, and the drama, the message of the play, is shoe-horned into the last half of the second act. 

The play was written to take place in “the present,” 1894.  Eda Holmes, Shaw’s director, chose to set it in 1951, the year that, in Britain,  the Conservatives ousted the Labor government.  Both the late 1800s and the 1950s were periods that were highlighted by society having “the power to make or break the individual.”  As it mattered little to the meaning of the play, her choice may have been nothing more than to give a chance to showcase the Dior styled costumes that populated the stage.

The majority of the first act centers on Lady Caroline Pontefract and American visitor, Hester Worsley, gossiping, learning that Lord Arbuthnot, a powerful political figure, may be appointing Gerald Arbuthnot as his secretary, and discussing that Lord Illingworth wanted to be a foreign ambassador.  Gerald offers to take Hester for a walk, Lady Hunstanton and Lady Stutfield share observations about Hester’s background and wealth.  You get it…much ado about nothing.  But, due to Wilde’s way with words, the goings on are fun.

The wrinkle in the fabric comes when Mrs. Arbuthnot sends a note that she is coming to the party.  A question comes as to who she is.  The response, “A woman of no importance.”

But, of importance she is, as we find out that Mrs. Arbuthnot is Gerald’s mother, and Gerald is the illegitimate son of Lord Illingworth. When it is revealed to Gerald who his father is, he insists it is the duty of Mrs. Arbuthnot and Lord Illingworth to get married.  And, we finally have the dramatic segment of the script which leaves the audience to consider whether the marriage will take place.  Fear not, Mrs. Arbuthnot decides that Lord Illingworth is a “man of no importance.”

The story is weak, but Wilde’s writing is not.  The dialogue is filled with bon mots.  Included are:  “Nothing spoils romance so much as a sense of humor in the woman.”  “To get into the best society, nowadays, one has either to feed people, amuse people, or shock people - that is all!”  “The happiness of a married man depends on the people he has not married.” “No woman should have a memory. Memory in a woman is the beginning of dowdiness. One can always tell from a woman's bonnet whether she has got a memory or not.”  And, one of the most quoted lines from the script, “Duty is what one expects from others, it is not what one does oneself.”

The Shaw production is nicely conceived.  The sarcasm, the wit, is present, the pacing such that the attention is kept, and the fact that the tale is shallow becomes secondary to the writer’s cleverness, which flows from his characters.

The Dior costumes are elegant, the incidental music helps set the mood, and the acting excellent.

Capsule judgment:  Though A Woman of No Importance is not of the quality of some of Irish playwright Oscar Wilde’s other comedy of manners plays which satirize English upper society, such as The Importance of Being Earnest, there is enough going for this production, including quality acting, nicely timed laughs, beautiful costumes, and original music, to strongly recommend it.
 
A Woman of No Importance is presented in the Festival Theatre through October 22 at The Shaw Festival and is a tribute to George Bernard Shaw and his writing contemporaries.  The Shaw has been dubbed “One of the great repertory theaters in the English-speaking world.”

For theatre information, a brochure or tickets, call 800-511-7429 or go on-line to http://www.shawfest.com.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND, a visual must-see delight at The Shaw

There have been straight plays, movies, television shows, and of course books. Now there is a musical version of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland being showcased at The Shaw Festival of Canada.  

Yes, Alice in Wonderland, the Victorian tale of a young girl who “falls” down a rabbit hole and has a series of adventures.  In other versions, she falls asleep, in some steps through a looking glass.

The surface tale concerns Alice who, in the Shaw version, is floating in a boat, on a lovely pond.   She follows the Rabbit into a hole, falls down and down, finds herself in a hall with lots of doors, finds a key, is too tall to go through the door, drinks a potion, shrinks enough to go through, and then is thrust into a series of adventures including being surrounded by a sea of tears she shed while she was full-sized, attends a tea party with a strange group of characters, fantasizes about a huge Cheshire cat, plays a rule-less game of croquet with a “real” flamingo as her mallet and hedgehogs as balls, attends a trial of the Knave of Hearts, listens to a mock turtle sing a melancholy song about turtle soup, is attacked by a deck of cards, gets bigger and smaller as a result of eating cake, then mushrooms, then more liquid.  “Oh, what is one to do?”

There have been many attempts to explain the Lewis Carroll’s story.  Alice encounters numerous puzzles in her adventures, with each having no clear solution.  Like most of us, Alice expects answers to such frustrations as what are the rules and meaning of the Queen’s croquet game? What is the answer to the Mad Hatter’s riddle? What is the cause of the constant hurry of the White Rabbi?   Why does Alice keep changing sizes?

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the man known as Lewis Carroll, was a precocious child, who showed an early interest in writing and mathematics.  He grew up to be an eccentric who wrote tales to entertain, edify and enlighten.

An advocate of freedom and wisdom for children, his tales amused, but often were not totally understood.  His awkwardness around adults caused him to spend a great deal of time with children.

As a logician, the author knows there are no answers to many of life’s conundrums, and that may be his very point, that life is filled with frustrations, expectations and situations that resist interpretation and can’t be solved.

The Alice stories were supposedly written for the amusement of Alice Lidell, the young daughter of the Dean of Christ Church.  They started out as an oral tale, which eventually he wrote down. 

The morals to be gained from the tale: An inevitable loss of childhood innocence as one grows up and confronts the reality of the real world, and that life is a puzzle and filled with underlying menace and inexplicable experiences.

The Shaw production, under the creative direction of Peter Hinton, who also adapted the material for stage, is visually enchanting due to the electronic effects created by Beth Kates and Ben Chaisson.  William Schmuck’s costumes and Kevin Lamotte’s lighting designs enhanced the visual delight.

The huge cast is excellent, many transforming themselves into believable fantasies such as a French Mouse, Queen of Spades, Eagle, Duck, Owl, Monkey, Woodpecker, Chipmunk, and Lobster. 

Special hurrahs to Ben Sanders as the White Rabbit, Jennifer Phipps (Cheshire Cat), Graeme Somerville (Mad Hatter and Mock Turtle), Moya O’Connell (Queen of Hearts) and Patty Jamieson (Dormouse).  The appearance of the multi-peopled Caterpillar brought extended applause.

Capsule judgment:   The technical aspects of The Shaw’s Alice in Wonderland are outstanding.  Compelling projections, magical costumes, dancing lobsters, a talking rabbit, an ever-smiling bigger than life Cheshire cat, a beautiful river with a floating boat, and ever-growing and shrinking Alice, all combined to make this a must see production.   (BTW---reputation not withstanding, this is not a show for young children.)

Alice in Wonderland is presented in the Festival Theatre through October 16 at The Shaw Festival, a tribute to George Bernard Shaw and his writing contemporaries.  The Shaw has been dubbed “One of the great repertory theaters in the English-speaking world.”

For theatre information, a brochure or tickets, call 800-511-7429 or go on-line to http://www.shawfest.com.

MRS. WARREN'S PROFESSION misses the mark at The Shaw

At the start of The Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession we are told that we are in the London [England] New Lyric Club.  It is Sunday, 5 January, 1902.  The reason the play is going to get a staging at the club, rather than in a theatre, is that the Lord Chamberlain, Britain’s official theater censor, has banned the G. B. Shaw play.  As such, it cannot be performed in a public venue.  Thus, the use of the private men’s club. 

The play, which was written by Shaw in 1893, was taboo, due to Mrs. Warren’s Profession—prostitution.  Because she had a good head for business, she ran a series of brothels.

Mrs. Kitty Warren was driven into what was considered then, and still is regarded as a degrading line of work, by the limited number of opportunities available to women.  Besides getting married and being taken care of and the serving as the property of her husband, females had few opportunities for gainful employment.  Being a nun, a nurse or a barmaid, headed the list.

The tale centers on the relationship between Kitty and her daughter, Vivie, who has no idea how her mother was providing the money to support her journey through residential private schools and college.  In fact, as the play opens, we are apprised that the young lady, who has just graduated from university, has come home to become acquainted (not reacquainted) with her mother.

When Kitty, in a telling and well-presented, underplayed compassionate speech, reveals her profession, and what led her down that occupational path, she exposes Shaw’s thesis of the hypocrisy of British nineteenth and early twentieth century attitudes toward women, the limited opportunities available to females in Victorian Britain, and the general hypocrisy of the society regarding sex and prostitution, in particular.

The daughter, a modern young woman, with an honors degree in Mathematics, rather than being interested in a suitor, desires to be a business woman and fend for herself rather than being the chattel of a man.

In spite of her daughter’s desires Mrs. Warren, who is not married, in spite of using the “Mrs.” title, arranges a meeting between Vivie and Mr. Praed, a handsome and desirable architect.  Things get complicated when Sir George Crofts, who is 25 years older than Vivie, wants to take her for his wife. Frank Gardner, who is romantically interested in Vivi, is revealed as being after her only for her money, and the married Reverend Samuel Gardner, Frank’s father, is revealed as Vivie’s out-of-wedlock father, making Frank Vivie’s half-brother.

The tale comes to its conclusion when Vivie takes an office job, ends her relationship with Frank, and disowns her mother.

Shaw supposedly said that he wrote the play to shine the light on “the problematic double standard of male privilege and deeply entrenched objectification of women,” which he saw “pervading all levels of Victorian society down to the most basic nuclear element, the family.”

The Shaw production, under the direction of Eda Holmes, develops the Shavian intention, but there are staging decisions and performance instances which are problematic.

We are told at the start of the play that the action will take place in the London [England] New Lyric Club’s main hall.  That we will be using our imagination to “see” the cottage garden, inside the cottage, and the Rectory garden.  Fine, we are prepared.  Why then, were the furniture and adornments of the room changed during the production?

Though Mrs. Warren’s speech to her daughter regarding her profession was well done by Nicole Underhay, why did she so overact other dramatic segments, especially the final scenes?  She lost the reality of the role by her melodramatic speech and action patterns.   The same could be said for Shawn Wright who stayed on the surface, feigning a character as Reverend Samuel Gardner.

The physical differences between the petite Vivie (Jennifer Dzialoszynski) and the hulking Sir George Crofts (Thom Marriott) were so dramatic that it made their joint scenes look like a farcical illusion. 

Acting honors go to Jennifer Dzialoszynski (Vivie), Wade Bogert-O’Brien (Frank) and Gray Powell (Praed).

Capsule judgment:   Mrs. Warren’s Profession is classic Shaw, filled with a critique on the economic system, the double standards applied to men and women, the objectification of women, the British family system, marriage, and parent-child relationships.  Unfortunately, the well-conceived script gets a less than stellar production due to some questionable directing decisions and a disappointing performance in the title role.

Mrs. Warren’s Profession is presented in the Royal George Theatre through October 16 at The Shaw Festival and is a tribute to George Bernard Shaw and his writing contemporaries.  The Shaw has been dubbed “One of the great repertory theaters in the English-speaking world.”

For theatre information, a brochure or tickets, call 800-511-7429 or go on-line to http://www.shawfest.com.

Shaw’s Uncle Vanya, an example of realistic theater at its finest

European theater in the mid-1800s centered on escapist comedies, entertainment for the upper classes.  Little which appeared on stage centered on the problems of the people. 

In the late years of the century Henrik Ibsen, August Strindberg and Anton Chekhov started writing “slice of life” plays which showcased the issues of the people.  The movement of these three seminal figures was dubbed “modernism.”  Alternate titles for this “new” type of play were “theater of mood” and “submerged life in text.”

Anton Chekov, the author of Uncle Vanya, which is now in production at The Shaw Festival, was a Russian who wrote four major plays, each considered a classic.  He also wrote a series of pieces of short fiction and some minor theatrical works.

Interestingly, Chekov was trained as a medical doctor, not a writer.  He once said, “Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress.”   His medical practice funded his playwriting.

Chekov’s first major play, The Seagull, was panned by critics when it was staged in 1896.  But, it was revived in 1898 to great acclaim.  The difference, it seems was where it was staged and who directed it.  The latter production was performed by the Moscow Art Theatre, which subsequently staged his Uncle Vanya, as well as Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard, all staged by Constantine Stanislavski.

Quotes from Chekov explain the concept of theatrical realism—“slice of life,” “Life must be exactly as it is, and people as they are.”  “Let everything on the stage be just as complicated, and at the same time just as simple as it is in life.”  His use of language is often soliloquies to which no one on stage listens, punctuated by silence pauses and stillness.

When challenged for upsetting audiences by showcasing that the lives of upper-class theatre goers were a “wasted life,” Chekov insisted that “the role of an artist was to ask questions, not to answer them.”  He also felt that the arts were a means for change.  Since his plays foreshadowed the major changes that were about to take place in Russia, he is sometimes dubbed, “The literary father of the Russian Revolution.”

Uncle Vanya centers on the visit of an elderly professor and Yeléna, his beautiful young second wife, to an estate that supports their urban life style.  Vanya, brother of the Professor’s first wife, manages the estate and keeps it going.  Angst sets in when the Professor announces that he intends to sell the estate, thus setting Vanya, the staff and his family adrift.

The script showcases the frustrated hopes and the “wasted lives” of the characters.   It also looks at the outside forces affecting society.  The plays’ speeches about destroying the forest and the disappearance of birds and beasts is one of the first recorded theatrical passages about ecological problems.

The Shaw script was adapted by Annie Baker, working with a literal translation by Margarita Shalina from the original Russian text.  It updates that language introducing such modern terms as “creep,” “guys,” “women’s liberation,” “climate control,” yet maintaining Chekov’s intentions of illustrating such concepts as “hopelessness, waste, boredom and suffocation, ” within a dialogue sprinkled with comic commentary.

The Shaw production , directed by Jackie Maxwell, is well paced.  The cast is universally excellent.  Patrick McManus as Astrov, Neil Barclay as Vanya, Moya O’Connell as Yelena and Marla McLean as Sonya all deliver textured performances.

Sue LePage’s representational set uses the small Court House Theatre’s thrust stage effectively.  Rebecca Picherack’s lighting enhances the production

Capsule judgment:  Jackie Maxwell’s direction of Chekov’s classic tragicomedy, Uncle Vanya, is filled with a focused  reflection of the hopelessness, waste, boredom and suffocating world of Russia in the late 1800s.   The quality cast and technical crew set the right tone for the required realistic aspects of the script.

Uncle Vanya is presented in the Court House Theatre, through September 11, 2016.

For theatre information, a brochure or tickets, call 800-511-7429 or go on-line to http://www.shawfest.com.

Engaged, a Victorian farce, is escapist delight at The Shaw

W. S. Gilbert is best known as the “word man” of the Gilbert and Sullivan duo who wrote such delightful comic operas as Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado, and H. M. S.  Pinafore.  He is less acknowledged as a playwright of comedies.  An example of his escapist satires is Engaged, now on stage at The Shaw Festival’s Royal George Theatre.

Engaged is seldom done and is not well known.  Why?  It has little redeeming value for a modern day audience, except as an escapist experience.

Gilbert wrote the script as a social satire which skewers the social order and capitalist imperative, while making fun of marriage.  As a period comedy it is filled with sight gags, ridiculous situations, exaggerated language and Victorian nonsense.

The author shares his belief that the pursuit of money is the basis for decision-making, whether it is for life, in general, or marriage.   In a typical speech, a character states that  she will not marry a man because, “business is business, unless I can see some distinct possibility that your income will be permanent.”

The 1877 show was staged in New York and London.  An English review of the day noted, “the laughter was almost incessant.”

The Shaw production, directed by Morris Panych, hits all the right notes.   It follows the dictate of the author that “It is absolutely essential to the success of this piece that it should be played with the perfect earnestness and gravity throughout.  There should be no exaggeration in costume, make-up, or demeanor; and the characters, one and all, should appear to believe, throughout, in the perfect sincerity of their words and actions.”   

The farcical nature of the work, complete with its poetic, satirical and romantic language, is properly over-done to make it clear that this is a comedy of manners and not realism. 

Gray Powell as Cheviot, the unrequited lover who pledges his love to every woman he meets, is delightful.  As a stand-in for the author he relates, “Marriage is a risky thing; it’s like Chancery, once in it you can’t get out of it, and the cost are enormous.  There you are—fixed.  Fifty years hence, if we’re both alive, there we shall both be –fixed.  That’s the devil of it.  It’s an unreasonable long time to be responsible for another person’s expenses.  I don’t see the use of making it for as long as that.  Besides—one never knows—one might come across somebody else one liked better.”

Julia Course as Maggie McFarlane and Martin Happer as Angus are endearing as “innocent Scottish rustics” who, true to Scottish tradition, put money ahead of all else and gladly throw over romance in favor of monetary gain.  Mary Haney delights as Maggie’s mother.  The rest of the cast is equally character-correct.

The second act opened to extended applause for Kent MacDonald’s glorious rose covered set, complete with a settee constructed of huge flower petals and walls painted with huge blooms.

Capsule judgement:  If you are in the mood for a Victorian romp, filled with physical and verbal slapstick and shticks, Engaged is going to be your “thing.”  Don’t expect a realistic moral, profound wisdom or thought provoking insights.  But you might ask yourself between laughs, “Why did I do it?”

Engaged is presented in the Royal George Theatre, through October 23 at The Shaw Festival and is a tribute to George Bernard Shaw and his writing contemporaries.  The Shaw has been dubbed “One of the great repertory theaters in the English-speaking world.”

For theatre information, a brochure or tickets, call 800-511-7429 or go on-line to http://www.shawfest.com.

Thought-provoking THE ADVENTURES OF A BLACK GIRL IN HER SEARCH FOR GOD compels at Shaw

George Bernard Shaw’s views on religion may be summarized by his statement, “People believe anything that amuses them, gratifies them, or promises some sort of profit.” 

He showcased his anti-organized religion and doubt of God in his The Adventures of a Black Girl in Her Search for God, a novella he wrote after returning from five weeks in Africa in the winter of 1932.  He imagined a young black girl roaming the “darkest of Africa” in search of God.  It was intended to be read, not staged.  Some would call it a “closet drama.”  But, in production it is, as part of the Shaw Festival’s lunch-time theater, in an adaptation for the stage by Lisa Codrington.

It basically tells the tale of an African girl who has been abandoned by her missionary for asking too many questions.  Questions about God, religion and philosophy that the missionary couldn’t answer.   The Black Girl sets out on her own mission to find God, since she has been taught, “Seek and you shall find me,” which she takes to mean, “seek out and actually speak to God.”

Unfortunately, she is confronted by want-to-be gods, pseudo-gods and false prophets.  Eventually we, like the Black Girl, come to the conclusion that, “There are a lot of old men pretending to be gods in this forest [the world].”

When Shaw published Black Girl in 1932, it was so controversial that, probably much to his delight, he was decried as a “blasphemer.” 

Black Girl was published with a companion essay that disclaimed the supernatural origin of the Bible, a book without divine authority.  He did admit that he viewed the Bible as important for its ethical messages and valuable as history.

There have been a number of responses to the work, including The Adventures of the Brown Girl (companion to the Black girl of Mr. Bernard Shaw) in her Search for God (1933), The Adventures of Gabriel in his Search for Mr. Shaw (1933), The Adventures of the White Girl in Search for Knowledge (1934), and The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for Mr. Shaw (1934).

In the Shaw essay, which becomes a play, the Black Girl meets a vengeful deity of the early books of the Bible, a philosophical version as exposed in the Book of Job, and two versions of Jesus…a kindly but ineffective young man and another posing for an artist who is depicting him on the cross. 

She also meets an atheist-behaviorist, and others who explain that the speculations about God are passé.  She finally is confronted by an elderly man who persuades her to abandon her quest and settle down “with a red-haired Irishman and rear a charmingly coffee-colored family.”  (Note:  at one point in his writing career, Shaw started a general furor by proposing intermarriage between blacks and whites as a solution to racial problems in South Africa.)

The a-little-less-than-one-hour staging is illuminating, delightful and was the recipient of a long, standing ovation.

Natasha Mumba (Black Girl) displayed a fine sense of comic timing as she fully textured her presentation, clearly becoming the protagonist. 

The rest of cast, Guy Bannerman, Tara Rosling, Ben Sanders, Kiera Sangster, André Sills, Graeme Somverville and Jonathan Tan were up to the comic challenges of the show. 

Ravi Jain’s creative directing and staging sharpened Shaw’s attacks to the delight of the audience.  Camellia Koo’s design was creative and definitely added to the over-all effect.

Capsule judgment:  The commentary,  The Adventures of a Black Girl in Her Search for God, is one of the most compelling hour productions that has been staged at The Shaw.  Ravi Jain’s direction and Natasha Mumba’s performance make this a must see production.  Bravo!

The Adventures of a Black Girl in Her Search for God is presented in the Court House Theatre, through September 11 at The Shaw Festival and is a tribute to George Bernard Shaw and his writing contemporaries.  The Shaw has been dubbed “One of the great repertory theaters in the English-speaking world.”

For theatre information, a brochure or tickets, call 800-511-7429 or go on-line to http://www.shawfest.com.

Clevelander’s invade Canada for the Shaw Festival—2016

Walking down Queen Street, the main shopping boulevard in beautiful Niagara-on-the Lake, during the third week of July, was like being in downtown Cleveland.   Cav championship t-shirts and Indian’s garb were worn by many of the strollers.  Our Toronto friends shared that in almost every play they attended, their neighbors on one or both sides of their seats were from the Cleveland area.

Why the population shift?  According to some, they wanted to escape the hordes of “foreigners” who were invading the area lovingly called 216/440 (the local area codes) because of the Republican convention.  Others contended that “flower-wise” this was “the” time to be in “the most beautiful little city in Canada, as Niagara-on-the Lake is often called.  Some liked that this was the height of the fruit season in the area allowed them to purchase peaches, cherries, and nectarines.   Others were pleased with the offerings in Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell’s last season at The Shaw.

Several mentioned that this is an economically wise year to go north.  The U.S. dollar value is high against the Canadian currency, making the trip a bargain.  At the time I went, the exchange rate gave Americans a 30-cent advantage on each dollar (e.g., a $100 (Canadian) purchase cost around $70).

The theatre season, entitled “Curiouser and Curiouser,” intended to highlight “a great diversity of work,” including many of Maxwell’s favorite plays.


The Shaw Festival is a tribute to George Bernard Shaw, his writing contemporaries,  and contemporary plays that share Shaw’s provocative exploration of society and celebration of humanity.  


It’s a good idea to make both theatre and lodging reservations early, especially with the B&Bs on weekends. Our home away from home is the beautiful and well-placed Wellington House (http://www.wellington.house@sympatico.ca), directly across the street from The Festival Theatre, within easy walking distance of all the theatres, where the breakfasts are great and the furnishings lovely.  I also like the Two Bees B&B (1-289-868-9357).  For information on other B&Bs go to www.niagaraonthelake.com/showbedandbreakfasts


There are some wonderful restaurants.  My in-town favorites are The Grill on King Street (905-468-7222, 233 King Street) and Ginger Restaurant (905-468-3871, 390 Mary Street), with Old Winery, (2228 Niagara Stone Road/905-468-8900), a worth while very short ride.

Having just returned from the Festival, I offer these capsule judgments of some of the shows:

Engaged by W. S. Gilbert, through October 16, is a comic look at love, marriage and money.
Capsule judgement:  If you are in the mood for a Victorian romp, filled with physical and verbal slapstick and shticks, Engaged is going to be your “thing.”  Don’t expect a realistic moral, profound wisdom or thought provoking insights.  But, if you are married, you might ask yourself between laughs, “Why did I do it?”

A Woman of No Importance by Oscar Wilde, through October 15, is a social commentary which states, “Men marry because they are tired; women because they are curious.  Both are disappointed.”
Capsule judgment:  Though the script is not of the quality of some of Irish playwright Oscar Wilde’s other comedy of manners plays which satirize English upper society, such as The Importance of Being Earnest, there is enough going for this production, including the quality of the acting, nicely timed laughs, beautiful costumes, and original music, to strongly recommend it.

The Adventures of a Black Girl in Her Search for God, adapted for the stage by Lisa Codrington from a short story by G. B. Shaw, through September 11, illuminates, “There are a lot of old men pretending to be gods in this forest.”
Capsule judgment:  The commentary labeled The Adventures of a Black Girl in Her Search for God is one of the most compelling hour productions that has ever been staged at The Shaw.  Ravi Jain’s direction and Natasha Mumba’s performance make this a must see production.  Bravo!

Mrs. Warren’s Profession, by G. B. Shaw, through October 16, offers the author’s view that “There are no secrets better kept than the secrets everybody guesses.”
Capsule judgment:  Mrs. Warren’s Profession is classic Shaw, filled with a critique on the economic system, the double standards applied to men and women, the objectification of women, the British family system, marriage, and parent-child relationships.  Unfortunately, the well-conceived script gets a less than stellar production due to some questionable directing decisions and a disappointing performance in the title role.

Uncle Vanya, Anton Chekov’s script adapted by Annie Baker from the original Russian text, through September 11, carries that author’s message that, “What still gets me is beauty.  I’m not indifferent to beauty.”
Capsule judgment:  Jackie Maxwell’s direction of Chekov’s classic tragicomedy is filled with a focused  reflection of the hopelessness, waste, boredom and suffocating world of Russia in the late 1800s.   The quality cast and technical crew set the right tone for the required realistic aspects of the script.

Alice in Wonderland, adapted for the stage by Peter Hinton, with music by Allen Cole, and based on the book by Lewis Carroll, through October 16, follows Alice down the hole in pursuit of the white rabbit because, “I’ve never seen a rabbit with a pocket watch before … or a waist-coat pocket to take it out of, for that matter.”
Capsule judgment:   The technical aspects of The Shaw’s Alice in Wonderland are outstanding.  Compelling projections, magical costumes, dancing lobsters, a talking rabbit, an ever-smiling, bigger than life Cheshire cat, a beautiful river with a floating boat, and ever-growing/shrinking Alice, all combine to make this a must see production.   (BTW---reputation not withstanding, this is not a show for young children.)

Master Harold . . . And the Boys, Athol Fugard’s examination of apartheid in South Africa, through September 10.
Since this show is in previews, though I saw it, I am not allowed to review it.  However, I don’t think the powers that be will be upset by my comment to a friend that I “found the production to be compelling, thought-provoking and of the highest quality.  The cast was superb, the directing spot-on.”

I did not see Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street A Musical Thriller, Our Town, or Dance of Death.

To read the complete reviews of the shows I saw, go to:  http://www.royberko.info



For theatre information, a brochure or tickets, call 800-511-7429 or go on-line to http://www.shawfest.com. Ask about packages that include lodging, meals and tickets. Also be aware that the festival offers day-of-the-show rush tickets and senior matinee prices.

Go to the Shaw Festival!  Find out what lovely hosts Canadians are and see some great theatre! 

Don’t forget your passport as it’s the only form of identification that will be accepted for re-entry into the U.S. and figure in time to get through customs at the U.S.-Canadian border.

Impressive Assassins @ Near West Theatre

“There’s Another National Anthem, folks. For those who never win . . . for the ones who might have been.”  A line from a Trump election advertisement?  No, its from the Stephen Sondheim, John Weidman musical, Assassins, now on stage at Near West Theatre.

Assassins seems an ideal script to choose at this time of year, as the Republican convention is in town and there is a general feeling of discomfort and mistrust sweeping the nation.  Political conflicts, racial distrust, police shootings, and left/right belief disagreements are running rampant. 

Assassins is based on a concept of Charles Gilbert, Jr..  It examines, in musical review style, men and women who have attempted to assassinate Presidents of the United States.  The musical score parallels the music popular at the time of each President.

Never noted as one of Sondheim’s great musicals, it has some interesting ideas and does contain a “signature song,” “Everybody’s Got The Right To Be Happy.” The defining song is a common element in Sondheim musicals.  Think, “Agony,” Into the Woods, “Tonight,” West Side Story, “Another Hundred People,” Company, and “Johanna,” Sweeney Todd.  They keynote a major element of the script.

The musical opened off-Broadway in 1990 and ran only 73 performances. A review stated, “Assassins will have to fire with sharper aim and fewer blanks if it is to shoot to kill.”  There have been productions in London and numerous other cities.  None of them seemed to have completely dealt with the show’s problems.

There are three different versions of the script (original, London and Broadway).   The major difference is the treatment of the song, “Something Just Broke,” which was added for the London production, but dropped from the 2004 Broadway revival.  (The Near West Side production includes this song.)  Also, in some scripts the Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald are blended into a single role.  NWS has them as separate characters, alleviating some confusion as to the relationship between Oswald and the Balladeer.

Near West is a family-oriented theatre, with many of the cast members and audience tweens and teens.  It is therefore surprising that they chose to do Assassins, which contains mature content, gun use, representations of death and violence, and very strong language.  It is bold, disturbing and alarming.

But, director Bob Navis, Jr. decided to put aside the possible negatives, confront the issues of today, accept the language and subject matter of the script, and, the results is that he has staged a winner.  The interpretation, singing, stage movements, choreography and, most importantly, the quality of the acting that makes real people, not caricatures, of the assassins, is impressive.

Cameron Caley Michalak’s massive set works well.  Matthew Dolan’s musical direction has the cast singing impressively and the orchestra in good tune.  Rob Wachala has created unique and appropriate lighting that aids the tone of the staging.  Same for Josh Caraballo’s sound design.  Sarah Russell has dressed the very large cast in era correct designs.

The cast is strong, and considering they are high school and college students, they are nothing short of amazing. 

Strong performances were given by Marco Colant as Lee Harvey Oswald, Molly Walsh as Sara Jane Moore, Anna Parchem as Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, Leah Windahl as The Proprietor, Patrick Hanlon as Leon Czolgosz, Edward Gale as John Hinckley, Peter Bradley as Charles Guiteau, Antonio DeJesus as Giuseppe Zangara, Dylan Toth as Samuel Byck and Michel Knobloch who persevered in a long, important speech, when his microphone went out. 

The Balladeers—Clye Black, Jabri Johnson, Scott Pyle and Nick Sobotka sang and danced well, bridging the segments of the show nicely.

Though the almost two-hour intermissionless play stressed the attention and bladder span of some, the long sit was worth it!

Capsule judgement:  Near West Theatre’s Assassins is an impressive production.  The cast shows maturity well beyond their years and well develops  the concept, “Everybody’s got the right to be happy,” even if the person is delusional.  Congrats to Bob Navis, Jr., the cast and crew for weaving a fine evening of theatre.  This is a production well worth seeing!

Assassins runs at New West Theatre through July 31, 2016 at their new home, 6702 Detroit Avenue.  Valet parking is available Friday and Saturday for $6 and lot and street parking  is available.  Call 216-961-6391 or go to http://www.nearwesttheatre.org for tickets and information.   

Harbor attempts to examine “what’s a family” at convergence continuum

What happens when a happily married gay couple’s home is invaded by one of the duo’s pot-headed, manipulating sister, with her teen daughter in-tow?  According to Chad Beguelin, the author of the play Harbor, which is now on stage at convergence-continuum, the answer is angst, frustration, revelations and a surprising, if less than expected, conclusion.

Ted, a successful architect and his younger husband Kevin, an unproductive writer who has been working on a novel for ten-years, are living a comfortable life in the upscale community of affluent Sag Harbor, New York.  The spouses appear to be in a loving and caring relationship, with Ted as the breadwinner and decision-maker and Kevin as the passive partner.

One evening, with no pre-notice, Donna, Kevin’s sister, and Lottie, her precocious daughter, appear on the doorstep, expecting to stay for “the night.”  That night stretches out to many months as Donna reveals she is pregnant, wants the “boys” to become the child’s father, and pay her for her “services” as the surrogate mother.   The goings on center on manipulation, a power struggle, discovery of self values, and a path toward the future that few would expect.

Beguelin has a background in writing light-weight musicals such as Elf and The Wedding Singer. This background seems to have imbued him with a writing style that centers on speeches that don’t sound like words a person would say in a realistic play.  His script is full of stereotypes of gays and the less affluent.

The writer goes for one line “yuks.”  Donna, who has little education, but lots of street smarts, states, “I thought the word misogynist meant someone who gives massages” and in describing the men she has dated relates, “I’ve seen so many assholes I could be a proctologist.”  That kind of “humor” may work in escapist musicals, but aren’t as effective in what is supposed to be a message show.

The 2013 off-Broadway production of Harbor received a positive reception, more for the production than for the script.  Yes, the concept is interesting, while the development somewhat weak.   For the show to have a chance of working, there must be a clear development of the characters, as was done in NY.

The con-con production, under the direction of Cory Molner, isn’t terrible, but doesn’t fare as well as its off-Broadway counterpart. 

Talented Maya Jones gives a very strong performance, portraying the 15-year old Lottie in a totally believable, well-textured manner as a bright, polite and creative young lady.

Patrick Gladish, as Ted, has some nice moments.  Especially effective is his outburst about hating children, entitled parents and double-wide strollers.  He states, in one of Beguelin’s stereotyping speeches, “One of the best benefits of being gay, aside from the really great taste in window treatments, is that kids aren’t expected to be part of the equation.”  His rant about Ted’s pampered, idle life was also effective.

Gideon-Patrick Lorete (Kevin) and Cat Kenney (Donna) unfortunately create caricatures rather than living, breathing people.  Preplanned, unnatural gestures, rolling eyes and pouts often accompany over-done speeches.

Molner needed to work to create realism, not representationalism.  He does add an interesting dimension by using ethnic-blind casting, resulting in a gay white/Asian couple, a mother with an African American daughter and an Asian/white brother/sister.

Clyde Simon’s set design works well.  Working in a bandage-sized stage, he has wrangled the multiple spaces needed to visually realize the show within the theatre’s small budget.

Yes, con-con works on a petite budget, but when a whole segment of the script raves about the birthday cake that is about to appear, and when what comes out is five cupcakes with some plastic flowers, the results, like the over-all effect of the play, is disappointing.

Capsule Judgement:  Billed as an “uproarious and moving comedy,” though the cast tries hard, this play basically misses out on both concepts.  It’s not all the director’s fault.  The script doesn’t hold up its part of the bargain, either.  Too bad…the concept is very thought provoking.

Harbor runs through July 30, 2016 at 8 pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at convergence-continuum’s artistic home, The Liminis, at 2438 Scranton Rd. in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood.  For information and reservations call 216-687-0074 or go to http://www.convergence-continuum.org

convergence-continuum’s next show is Cleveland Height’s playwright Eric Coble’s Barking Dog present the weekend of August 11-13.   It will be followed by the world premiere of Chris Johnston’s Selfies at the Clown Motel, running from August 26-September 17.

Billy Elliot sings and dances its way onto the @ Beck Center stage

The year is 1984.   Margaret Thatcher, the first woman British Prime Minister, declared war on the coal labor unions, closed 20 mines and laid off 20,000 workers in what she called “the process of bringing the British coal industry up to competitive levels.”

In County Durham, an area nestled into the middle of Great Britain’s coal mining district, workers went on strike.  A disastrous strike that lasted over a year, brought the workers and their union to its knees, forever changed the industry and made Thatcher the most hated person in some parts of the United Kingdom.

A. J. Cronin wrote the book, “The Stars Look Down” as a vision of what happened to the miners’ families and what went on within many communities, overlaid with the story of Billy Elliot, a talented tween with dance talent, who trades in his boxing gloves for ballet shoes.

A 2000 film, named after the boy, was inspired by the book, and was transformed into Billy Elliot the Musical, with book and lyrics by Lee Hall, who had written the screenplay, and music by Elton John.

The musical opened in London in 2005 and won four Olivier Awards.  The New York version won ten Tony Awards.

Billy Elliot is not a typical musical.  It requires an awareness of the background to the story.  The question facing any director is how to achieve that information.  In the case of the Beck production, the decision was made to show a news reel about Thatcher and her strike-breaking decision.  Since the opening number, “The Stars Look Down” and the second act curtain raiser, “Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher” and the numerous script references to the strike and its effect on the coal miners are made, the decision to show the newsreel seems to be overkill.

Once past the opening, the strike story overlays that of eleven-year old Billy who is forced, against his desires, to take boxing lessons.  One day, he is told to stay behind after his fight instruction to give the keys to the gym to Mrs. Wilkinson, who runs a ballet class. 

Through a series of incidents, Billy winds up involved in the class (“Shine”), Mrs. Wilkinson quickly ascertains that he is a talented dancer, and the groundwork for a conflict of wills between the teacher and Billy’s macho father and brother is laid. 

With all the emphasis on the strike, the clashes with the strikebreakers, and the need for the community to stick together, Billy’s continuing to dance gets overlooked. 

The reality of the strike is well-developed in the song “Solidarity,” which not only highlights the conflict, but Billy’s skills. 

Eventually, his father and brother discover Billy’s ballet participation.  In spite of the family’s objections, Mrs. Wilkinson encourages the boy to audition for the Royal Ballet School in London. 

Billy and his friend, Michael, confront the restrictive nature of their working class community and break the barriers in “Expressing Yourself,” when the boys cross-dress, dance and sing, and find their hidden selves.

Questions abound.  Will Billy get to try out for the ballet school?  If he does, will he get in?  If so, how will the family pay for his schooling?  What will be the result of the strike?

Billy Elliot, The Musical is a difficult musical to produce.  It requires two tween boys who can sing, act and dance, an entire cast who can produce the difficult North Eastern English speech sound with consistency, and the proficient singing of a score that often has difficult melodic blends.  Most important is the fact that this is a dance show, which requires many choreographic effects.

The Beck production is blessed with having Martin Céspedes as its choreographer.  Most of the stage movements, even those that aren’t danced, are stamped with Céspedes’s creativity.  Movements of chairs (showing barricades and attitudes being constructed and torn down), marching into the mines after the miners are defeated with head lamps on and then turned off one by one (symbolizing the closing of the mines until total darkness descends on the nation’s entire coal industry), the controlled chaos of the dance classes, and the individual and group ballet creations, are much of the visual basis for the show.

The production has both high and low points.  The cast is to be commended for creating both the right verbal sounds (kudos to Dialect Coach, Mathew Wright) and consistent characterizations.

Allen O’Reilly nicely textured the role of Billy’s dad, clearly illustrating the polar pulls of loyalty to the union coupled with the region’s strong macho image, and the need to show caring love for his son. 

Katherine DeBoer is spot on as Mrs. Wilkinson, Billy’s ballet teacher.

Riley Ewing gives a strong performance as Billy’s older brother.  Hester Lewellen delights as Billy’s Grandma. Brittni Shambaugh Addison sings well as Billy’s dead Mum.  Michael Hinton does an impressive ballet solo as the Older Billy.

Houston native, Seth Judice, displays a fine singing voice as Billy.  His “Electricity,” an exhausting dance and singing marathon which illuminates the tenacity of the character, is a show highlight.   His speaking accent is excellent.  He is a well-trained dancer, but sometimes broke the effectiveness of his movements by rearranging his bangs and straightening his shirt after many of his turns and leaps.  As he becomes more comfortable in the role, hopefully these distracting movements will cease. 

Vancouver, Canada resident, Maurice Kimball IV, dances well and was generally effective as Michael.  Both he and Seth needed to be more physically and vocally free and have more fun, especially in their “Expressing Yourself” segment.

The orchestra was fine, but the production would have been enhanced by a more plush sound.  The vocal solos and choral blendings were excellent.

Unfortunately, as is the case in the Mackey Theatre, the inadequate sound system often causes difficulty in clear hearing and problematic balance between the orchestra and the singers.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  As evidenced by the many bursts of applause following dance numbers and vocal solos, in spite of some questionable conceptual and execution aspects, audiences should appreciate the production.  Praise to Martin Céspedes for his choreographic concepts.

Billy Elliot, The Musical is scheduled to run through August 14, 2016 at Beck Center for the Arts.  For tickets and information call 216-521-2540 or go on line to http://www.beckcenter.org

Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash jukebox musical, delights at Porthouse

Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association, Cleveland Critics Circle)


Johnny Cash, “The Man in Black,” was noted as a somber singer of such songs as “I Walk the Line,” “If I Were a Carpenter,” and “Ring of Fire.”  The latter was chosen as the title for Richard Maltby, Jr.’s jukebox musical, now on stage at Porthouse Theatre, which loosely centers on the trials and tribulations of Cash’s life.  While not autobiographical, per se, there is enough of the tale of the man to gain an understanding of Cash, his music, his strong belief in social causes, and his personal problems.

Cash’s deep, calm bass-baritone voice set the gold standard for the sound for other male country music icons, making him one of the most influential musicians of the 20 th century.  He sold more than 90 million records worldwide.

Ironically, though most would identify the man as a country icon, his songs and sounds encompassed not only country music but rock and roll, alternative rock, rockabilly, blues, folk, gothic and gospel.  And, though he was noted for his sincerity, he also is identified with such ditties as “A Boy Named Sue,” “Egg Suckin’ Dog, and “Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart.”

Born in 1932, in Kingsland, Arkansas, to Scottish and English parents, his family’s roots trace back to 11th century Scotland, where, to this day, locations such as Cash Loch (Lake) bear the family name.

Johnny was close to his older brother, Jack, who, in 1944, at the age of 15, was killed when he was pulled into a whirling saw blade at a mill where he was working.  The song, “Sweet Bye and Bye” was written in his memory.  This and other songs, such as “The Far Side Banks of Jordan” and “Why Me, Lord?” hint at the performer’s spiritual ties.

Cash served a stint in the Air Force, married young, had four daughters and divorced.   Following his service time, in 1955 he brazenly walked into the offices of Sam Phillips, the legendary owner and producer of Sun Records.  Phillips was responsible for finding and mapping the careers of Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis.   Cash sang a gospel song, was told that Sun wasn’t recording gospel any longer and was supposedly sent away with the message, “go home and sin, then come back with a song I can sell.”  Legend has it that Cash came back the next day with “Cry! Cry! Cry!,” which became a country hit parade success.

In the late 1950s the pressure of performing hit Cash and he started drinking and became addicted to amphetamines and barbiturates.  Those demons, in spite of several attempts at rehab, shadowed him for the rest of his life.

The addictions created a frenetic creativity, which produced the likes of “Ring of Fire,” a crossover hit that reached No. 1 on the country charts and was in the Top 20 on the pop charts.

Interestingly, though he cultivated an outlaw image, he never actually served a prison sentence.  He did, however, feel a strong compassion for prisoners, and not only performed in many prisons, he performed songs such as “Folsom Prison Blues,” illuminating the need for prison reform.

By the early 1970s Cash had established his public image as “The Man in Black.”  Why did he perform in all black, including a long black knee-length coat?  It was probably good showmanship as well as a statement of opposition.  Other country singers wore rhinestone suits and cowboy boots.  How to be different?  Wear a somber color.  It was also his identification with the poor, hungry, his tie to the prisoners and his strong anti-Vietnam War stance which caused him to state that his clothing choice was worn “in mournin’ for the lives that could have been.”

He had a long term relationship with June Carter of the famed Carter Family.  They fell in love, married and had a son.  Their duet, “Jackson,” which closes the first act of Ring of Fire, reveals the inklings that became their life story, and foreshadowed the many duets the couple would perform.

Cash passed away on September 12, 2003, at the age of 71, supposedly from complications from diabetes.

“Ring of Fire” had a short run on Broadway in 2006.  It uses songs recorded by Cash between 1955 and 2002, both those he wrote and those written by other composers. 

The Porthouse production, co-produced with the CATCO Theatre, had an extended run in Columbus before being staged locally.  Under the direction of Steven Anderson, with high quality musical direction by Travis Smith, the production is creatively staged and well sung.   Anderson won the Times Tribute Award last year for his directing of Porthouse’s Violet.

Anderson’s concept alters the Broadway production by using only 5 performers (4 males—Brian Mueller, Travis Smith, Mathew Smolko, and David Goins) and a female—Amy Fritsche) instead of the six used in the Big Apple, where three heterosexual couples--young, middle-aged and older) sang the roles.

Anderson has all of the cast become “Johnny Cash,” singing Cash, June Carter and various band members, stressing the songs rather than who sung them.  The talented ensemble plays all of the music on electric guitars, banjo, washboard, harmonicas, ukulele, bass, piano, drum, tambourine, auto harp, spoons, metal pipes and chains.  No off-stage band is used.  All of the performances are top notch!

The cast was so proficient that listing the songs they each sang so well is impossible.  The up-beat “Get Rhythm,” the weeper, “Cry, Cry, Cry,” the pretty, “I Still Miss Someone,” the humorous, “I’ve Been Everywhere,” were the less well-known tunes that deserve recognition.

Special notice should be made of last year’s Cleveland Critics Circle Best Actress in a Musical, Amy Fritsche, for her performance in Violet, who will be appearing in Best Intentions at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival, as well as in London, in August.

Terry Martin’s set centers on a conceived barn with a wall on which various instruments are hung.  Jakyung Seo’s lighting effects help develop the song moods by creating the correct  emotional illusions.  While Nathan Rosmarin’s sound design makes for clarity of hearing and nicely inserted special effects.

The intimate Porthouse thrust stage is a perfect venue for the show…it makes the action up-close and personal and allows the cast and audience to interact.  (Many of the audience, obviously Cash fans, were mouthing the words to many of the songs.)

CAPSULE JUDGMENT:  If you like jukebox musicals that concentrate on a series of songs, rather than developing a clear story line, are a Johnny Cash fan, want to see and hear a wonderful cast sing and play musical instruments at a high level of proficiency, and want to be in a theatre set within the lovely grounds of Blossom Center, Ring of Fire should be on your must see list! 

Ring of Fire runs until July 23, 2016 at Porthouse Theatre.  For tickets call 330-672-3884 or go online to www.porthousetheatre.com.

NEXT UP AT PORTHOUSE:  FOOTLOOSE, which proves that dancing can be a fun part of life, from July 28-August 14, 2016.  Curtain times are 8 PM Tuesdays through Saturdays and 2 PM Sundays. The picnic grounds at Blossom open 90 minutes prior to curtain time.