Roy Berko
(Cleveland Critics Circle, American Theatre Critics Association)
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
MATILDA (July 12-August 11) -- Based on the novel by Roald Dahl, the musical tells the tale of Matilda who takes a stand against oppressive forces, thus taking her destiny into her own hands. (SAVE! Use code MISSHONEY before July 12 when ordering tickets and get $5 off on adult or senior tickets.)
BLANK CANVAS
440-941-0458 or www.blankcanvastheatre.com
THE TOXIC AVENGER (July 12-27) -- Melvin Ferd, the Third, wants to clean up Tromaville, the most polluted town in New Jersey. Foiled by the mayor's bullies, Melvin is dumped into a vat of radioactive toxic waste, only to reemerge as The Toxic Avenger, New Jersey's first superhero. A musical delight!
LOBBY HERO (August 23-September 7) -- A young security guard with big ambitions clashes with his stern boss, an intense rookie cop and her unpredictable partner.
DOBAMA
216-932-3396 or www.dobama.org
33 1/3 A WORLD PREMIERE MUSCAL (June 26-July 14)— A musical tale of four young people who experience a tumultuous New Year's Eve and make a decision
that will change all of their lives.
CAIN PARK
216-371-3000 or http://www.cainpark.com
Thursday-Saturday 7 pm, Sunday 2 pm
RAGTIME (June 13-30 Alma Theatre)— Called, “The Ultimate Musical of Our Time,” this sweeping musical portrait of early-twentieth-century America tells the story of three families in the pursuit of the American Dream. Together, they confront history's timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair...and what it means to live in America.
FOR GOOD: THE NEW GENERATION OF MUSICALS, VOL.4 (July 17 Alma Theatre) -- In partnership with The Musical Theater Project--From the cutting edge BE MORE CHILL to the contemporary KINKY BOOTS, musicals produced since 2000 have awakened audiences to new possibilities for America's great art form. Hosted by Nancy Maier and Sheri Gross the production features singers Bridie Carroll and Eric Fancher.
THE LAST FIVE YEARS (July 25-27 Alma Theatre) -- Jason Robert Brown’s classic musical about love, loss and the moments we wish we could do over. (Presented by The Passion Project.)
CLEVELAND SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Free admission, except where noted.
For times and places go to http://www.cleveshakes.com
O FOR A MUSE OF FIRE (June 8)— 6-10 pm at Ensemble Theater—food, cash bar, silent auction, raffle--$25 (a benefit for The Cleveland Shakespeare Festival)
HENRY V (June 21-July 7)— The political situation in England is tense: King Henry IV has died, and his son, the young King Henry V, has just assumed the throne. A quest for power follows!
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (July 19-August 4) -- A respectable nobleman lives in the idyllic Italian town of Messina. He shares his house with his lovely young daughter, his playful, clever niece, and his elderly brother. What ensues is Shakespeare at his creative best!
convergence continuum
convergence-continuum.org or 216-687-0074
Thursday-Saturday @ 8
STATEMENTS AFTER AN ARREST UNDER THE IMMORALITY ACT (May 24-June 15) -- Set in apartheid South Africa, where interracial relationships were a criminal offense, a black man and white woman meet secretly in the library to share their hopes and fears.
TOM AT THE FARM (Jul 12-Aug 3) -- After the sudden death of his lover, Tom travels from the city to a remote farm for the funeral, and finds a religious family who know nothing of his existence. Tom is threatened by the deceased’s brother and is drawn into a brutal, sexually-charged game.
SHAKESPEARE’S R & J An Adaptation (Aug 30-Sep 21) -- In a boys' boarding school, four students discover a forbidden text of Shakespeare’s play and secretly enact the play in a deluge of agitation, terror, and fierce desires that parallel their own lives.
OBERLIN SUMMER THEATRE FESTIVAL
Hall Auditorium, 67 N. Main Street, Oberlin and other venues
Free admission, reservations requested—440-775-8169
BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE by Leonard Gershe, William Shakespeare’s MEASURE FOR MEASURE, LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT by Eugene O’Neill, and A MUSICAL CABARET, run in repertoire. For details and dates go to www.oberlinsummertheaterfestival.com
OHIO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens (outdoor performances)
714 N. Portage Path, Akron
ohioshakespearefestival.com or 1-888-718-4253 opt.1
HAMLET (June 28-July 14)— The king is dead. His brother had taken the throne and married the queen. For young prince Hamlet, something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
MEASURE FOR MEASURE (July 26-August 11) -- Intrigues, disguises, and amorous plots propel this twisted, comedic adventure to its unexpected conclusion.
PLAYHOUSE SQUARE
216-241-6000 or go to www.playhousesquare.org.
PORGY AND BESS (June 1)— Cleveland Opera presents this most famous American opera which includes such songs as “Summertime,” “A Woman Is A Sometime Thing,” “My Man's Gone Now,” “I Got Plenty of O’ Nuttin’.”
ROCK OF AGES TENTH ANNIVERSARY TOUR (June 6 @ 7:30)— A musical that captures the iconic era that was the big bad 1980s Hollywood, featuring the music of hit bands such as Styx, Poison and Twisted Sister.
DEAR EVAN HANSEN (June 11-30)— Winner of six Tony Awards, this is a deeply personal and profoundly “must see” contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. (Part of the Key Bank Broadway series.)
COME FROM AWAY (July 9-28) -- A true story of 7,000 stranded airline passengers and the small town of Gander, Newfoundland that welcomed them on 9-11. Cultures clashed, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. (Part of the Key Bank Broadway series.)
THE LION KING (August 7-September 1)— Giraffes strut. Birds swoop. Gazelles leap. The entire Serengeti comes to life. And as the music soars, Pride Rock slowly emerges from the mist. This is Disney's THE LION KING, making its triumphant return to Playhouse Square! (A Huntington Bank feature performance.)
PORTHOUSE
http://www.porthousetheatre.com or 330-929-4416 or 330-672-3884
MAN OF LAMANCHA (June 13-29)— The “Impossible Dream” musical inspired by Miguel de Cervantes' masterpiece DON QUIXOTE, follows the journey of a dying man determined not to abandon his ideals or passion.
TINTYPES (July 4-20)— A collection of snapshots of America prior to World War I featuring such patriotic and ragtime classics as "The Yankee Doodle Boy," "Stars and Stripes Forever," "Meet Me in St. Louis," "America the Beautiful," and "You're a Grand Old Flag."
THE MUSIC MAN (July 25-August 11)— The “Seventy-Six Trombones” musical story of a fast-talking salesman who arrives in River City, Iowa to con the townspeople and hurry off with their money, but he doesn't count on falling for the town librarian in the process. (See this classic at Porthouse before its scheduled fall Broadway revival.)
