Friday, August 28, 2020

BERKO—HERE AND THERE…BLANK CANVAS, SHERLOCK HOLMES MEETS THE BULLY OF BAKER STREET, SPARX and more!

 

 


 

BLANK CANVAS THEATRE PRESENTS STILL STANDING A LIVE MULTIMEDIA, DRIVE-IN THEATRE EXPERIENCE

 

Blank Canvas Theatre is still here and we are excited to bring LIVE theatre back to Cleveland!  “The safety of both our audience and actors has been and will always be our number one priority, so we invite you to join us for a no-contact, socially responsible, multimedia performance in the 78th Street Studios parking lot.  Our show will feature songs from previous BCT productions that have a somewhat different meaning in our world today, as well as some tunes that will lift your spirits and make you want to dance and sing.” 

 

TWO NIGHTS ONLY! -- September 11 & 12--at 9:00 pm -- Run time: 60 mins (no intermission)

Rated: PG-13

$35 per vehicle 

(Please share a vehicle ONLY with those in your family/residence/quarantine pod)--All parking is first-come serve-- Parking lot opens at 8:15 pm

Advance sale only

To purchase tickets for this show CLICK HERE

 

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CLEVELAND PLAYWRGHT’S SCRIPT TO BE PRODUCED ON-LINE

 

Join the world’s greatest detective as he utilizes his remarkable skills of observation and deduction to confront his most sensational mystery – but who is the Bully of Baker Street? An intrepid band of actors will use humor, logic, and song to perform this original tale (adapted from the works of Arthur Conan Doyle) and provide important lessons in problem solving and empathy. 

 

Event Name: Sherlock Holmes Meets the Bully of Baker Street 

Dates & Times:   

Wednesday, September 9th at 6pm
Saturday, September 12th at 12pm
Sunday, September 13th at 3pm
Wednesday, September 16th at 6pm
Saturday, September 19th at 12pm
Sunday, September 20th at 3pm 

Location: Online via Zoom (pre-registration via Eventbrite required) 

Cost: Free  

 

This production is being created in Los Angeles, CA by Culver City Public Theatre, but it's a script written by David Hansen, a writer based in Cleveland.

 

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SPARX IN CLE--SEPTEMBER 11-12

 

SPARX is a community-wide event where Clevelanders get to explore the hidden arts and culture gems in Downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Tune in and explore a full line up of virtual experiences including trolley tours, galleries, live musical performances, make and take demonstrations and more all from the comfort of your home! Check out more details online at saprxcle.com. 

 

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SHAW FESTIVAL CANCELS REMAINING 2020 PERFORMANCES 

Many Clevelanders travel to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada each summer to experience the Shaw Festival.  This year, unfortunately, our hosts to the north have cancelled performances.  There were two shows left to open.  The hope of seeing them was dashed when the officials at the venue announced that, “As the country and world continue to deal with the impact of the pandemic, the Shaw Festival is unable to realize performances in fall 2020. As a result, the Festival has cancelled the remaining performances of Charley’s Aunt and Flush.
 
Performances of 
A Christmas Carol have not yet been cancelled in the hopes that The Shaw can welcome reduced-capacity audiences into the Royal George Theatre for the holiday season.

 

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Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Berko: Here and There--THE PARKING LOT SOCIAL, Alex Berko plays, LOVE NOEL, THE MUNY 2020 SUMMER VARIETY HOUR LIVE!, CPT receives award, and more….

 


 

THE PARKING LOT SOCIAL

 

With the ability to host up to 250 cars at each event, The Parking Lot Social represents the next evolution in the 'drive-in' experience and each tour stop will offer five nights of incomparable entertainment with the emphasis on having a fantastic night out while maintaining social distancing recommendations.  

 

At the event's core, and setting it apart from a traditional drive-in experience, is its unique, custom-designed performance space.  This spectacular installation is a blend of art and technology and consists of a fully covered stage, two 40ft. screens, a 52ft. Tall Rainbow-Shooting Fire Hydrant, and two, larger than life, inflatable ‘Parking Lot Social’ gorillas!

 

With tickets beginning at $29, here are a highlight of each night’s entertainment schedule.

 

Wednesday, August 19th - Tickets

Parking LOL Comedy Night – Come out and relieve some stress through the medicine of laughter, as a variety of local stand-up acts will ensure endless LOLs in your car at this dedicated stand-alone event.

 

Thursday, August 20th - Tickets

Neon 90’s Movie Night – Join us for a special drive-in showing of a classic 90's movie on our two MASSIVE 40ft screens. And check out our very own Throwback DJ on the main stage playing all the biggest hits from the decade straight to your car stereo. Themed costume encouraged!

  • Thursday Night Movie: Back to the Future II

 

Friday, August 21st; Saturday, August 22nd  Tickets

The Parking Lot Social – Engine Off, Party On! Experience the main event of the tour with a thrilling mix of Car-A-Oke, Boom Boom Bingo, Silent Disco DJ Battles, Trivia Contests, and much more. 

 

Friday, August 21st; Saturday, August 22nd  Tickets

Midnight Movies - Late night thrills are guaranteed at the showing of our midnight movies across our two massive 40ft screens. Live DJs complete the lineup.

  • Friday Night Movie– The Fast and the Furious
  • Saturday Night Movie- The Purge

 

Saturday, August 22nd; Saturday, August 23rd  Tickets

Social Kids – Families can enjoy The Parking Lot Social experience with a more kid-friendly environment that features: The Big Family Trivia Contest, Boy v Girl and Parent v Kid Silent Disco, kid’s themed Car-A-Oke and Bingo! A fun, safe day out for the entire family is guaranteed. 

 

Sunday, August 23rd  Tickets

Family Movie Night – Grab the family and jump in the car for a classic drive-in movie experience that's suitable for all ages. Sing-along laugh along and don’t forget to share the popcorn as we deliver a truly memorable experience. Our mainstage DJ will get you all in the mood for an awesome family night out. 

  • Sunday Night Movie – Grease

 

Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds

19201 East Bagley Road

Middleburg Heights, OH 44130

 

For tickets and the complete The Parking Lot Social schedule, visit https://theparkinglotsocial.com/.

 

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FOR YOUR LISTENING PLEASURE:  ALEX BERKO PLAYS “ANGRY YOUNG MAN”

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5Ige-cvaPQ

 

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LOVE, NOEL by the Irish Rep


LOVE, NOËL: THE SONGS AND LETTERS OF NOËL COWARD,A PERFORMANCE ON SCREEN


Starring Steve Ross and KT Sullivan

 

RESERVATIONS ARE FREE (Irish Rep suggests a $25 donation per viewer for those who can afford to give.)

Advance reservations are required. Your event link will be emailed 2 hours before your selected performance begins.

Wednesday, August 12 at 3pm & 8pm, Thursday, August 13 at 7pm, Friday, August 14 at 8pm, Saturday, August 15 at 3pm (all times are EDT)

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THE MUNY 2020 SUMMER VARIETY HOUR LIVE!

The St. Louis Muny has revealed the lineup for its final episode of THE MUNY 2020 SUMMER VARIETY HOUR LIVE!, a free series featuring footage from past summer shows at the outdoor venue, new songs and dances from Muny artists across the U.S., and more.

The live stream, scheduled for August 17 at 9:15 PM ET, will be available on the Muny's YouTube channel.

For information go to:

https://www.playbill.com/article/clips-from-a-chorus-line-gypsy-thoroughly-modern-millie-more-to-stream-on-munys-final-2020-summer-variety-hour-live?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PlaybillPost

 

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CPT will receive the National Theatre Conference's (NTC) 2020 Outstanding Theatre Award (OTA) this December.

 

NTC is a group of distinguished members of the American Theatre Community committed to connecting, supporting, and advocating for the American Theatre.

 

The organization, declaring "Cleveland Public Theatre is a truly outstanding organization" has announced that CPT will receive the Outstanding Theatre Award.

 

The award will be presented at NTC's 2020 Virtual Conference on Saturday, December 5th at 1:00 PM (ET)

 

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THE CITY IS OUR STAGE

 

Trad Burns, Sarah Morrison, and Chuck Karnak announce the brand-new event, The City is Our Stage. Created to celebrate and showcase some of Cleveland’s best Singers, Dancers, Actors, Musicians, Aerialists, and Performing Artists who currently don’t have a live performance outlet due to the Covid-19 crisis. With the temporary closure of Cleveland performance venues, The City Is Our Stage will take you, our Artistic Travelers, on an adventure through Cleveland's wide-ranging neighborhoods to discover a mystery bag of sight-specific artistic performances from the comfort of your automobile. 

As travelers, you will be able to purchase a ticket by choosing from an East Side, West Side, Downtown, or "Surprise me" location. Then you will have the opportunity to see different performances of varying styles. As an artistic traveler, you will have no idea what performance style you will get to see next, truly making this an adventure.

 

Each artistic journey will take around 2 hours, including short travel times between performances. Starting times vary by location.

 

For tickets, please visit.  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-city-is-our-stage-tickets-113906110242

 

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VERB BALLET PRESENTS PETER AND THE WORLD

Verb Ballets presents Peter and the Wolf live online! The ballet choreographed by Pamela Pribisco is a captivating story of Peter and the Wolf as told through dance. The ballet introduces the plot through the different instruments of an orchestra and the dancers bringing the colorful characters to life. There will be an opportunity to learn the movements of some of the characters prior to the beginning of the performance! The tickets are pay what you wish of $5 or more.

 

August 14, 2020 6:00pm
Private Virtual Live Stream Show

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NEWSIES 

Playbill will stream Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical August 21. Part of the Playbill Playback series, the 7 PM ET stream will benefit The Actors Fund. Watch a trailer from the original theatrical release of the musical above.

The free stream, presented in arrangement with Disney Theatrical Productions and Disney+, will be available for viewing for one night only on Playbill.com. The event will also include appearances by Newsies cast members and will conclude with a new video, featuring cast members from the Broadway and North American tour productions of the Disney hit.

Saturday, August 01, 2020

Berko: THE ARTS--HERE AND THERE—U OF AKRON RIFFS THEATRE STAFF, APPOLLO’S FIRE PERFORMS, BROADWAY BARES and RADIO OF LAKE THEATRE and MUSICAL THEATRE LYRICS


 
UNIVERSITY OF AKRON HAS FIRED ALL OF ITS THEATER FACULTY

According to Cleveland Critics Circle and Akron AKRON [Ohio]BEACON JOURNALEntertainment writer, Kerry Clawson, “At the end of last school year, the University of Akron theater program had two full-time faculty members and three staff members. Now it has none.”

James Slowiak and Robin Prichard, the two professors cut this week by the board of trustees, are now left wondering and worried about the future of those programs.

"My question is, who is taking responsibility for the curriculum and for making sure the classes get taught, and taught in the way they should be taught, and students are receiving what they need in terms of a theater major or minor?" Slowiak asked. "Who's supervising the students?"

Also cut from the program are staff members Irene Mack-Shafer, manager of costume design; Chris Hariasz, technical director; and Danny Durst, master carpenter and technical assistant.

That leaves UA with no theater faculty or staff and no part-time faculty hired yet for the fall, Slowiak said.

Slowiak said he was expecting 25 theater majors this fall, including 10 incoming freshmen. Those numbers come three years after a revamped theater program began that created new degree tracks in applied theater and social entrepreneurship, applied theater and business entrepreneurship, physical theater, and theater and film studies.

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APOLLO’S FIRE PRESENTS PARKING LOT CONCERTS

What? New 1 hour Outdoor Summer Concerts--TUSCAN SUN--Rustic Music from Baroque Italy

“DRIVE-IN” PARKING LOT CONCERTS
Bring a lawn chair and sit next to your car, if you wish! Please wear a mask. 
$20/adult, $5 for youth under 18.

(Cars will be parked with 1 empty space between each car. If you sit in your lawn chair, please sit within the parking space next to your car.) 

Where?  First Baptist Church, SHAKER HEIGHTS, Saturday, August 22, 3:30pm, 5:30pm, 7:15pm and St. Noel Church, WILLOUGHBY HILLS, Sunday, August 23, 5:30pm and 7:15pm

Information:  https://mail.yahoo.com/d/folders/1/messages/105561?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9sb2dpbi55YWhvby5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHhFJ2XZQprnZnAYEsK4QGdIrOHKv3Ol76TAQ404hdD0M0JCXFR-d-Ly42hS9EqSRg1KXTNcKIkzhRFiyVQjgAk0MftaZARs1sbXHNEB2DZDd3VkiZhT7f7nQrpchLyhrzUFTql
 
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TOUR TIMES SQUARE AND BEYOND
 
Take a virtual tour through the historical theaters of Times Square and beyond! Hosted by the owner of Broadway Up Close, Tim Dolan.  (I have taken Tim’s tours and they are both educational and fun!)
 
Cost - $9.99 (which includes the tour and a pre-sent map so you can follow your journey)
 
https://events.eventzilla.net/e/at-this-theatre--playbill-selects-2138797319

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BROADWAY BARES: ZOOM IN

At 9:30 pm Eastern on Saturday, August 1, BROADWAY BARES: ZOOM IN will be screened. 
 
Watch full numbers never-before shared online, plus you'll see how Broadway's best make socially distanced dancing sexy.
 
The stream is free on TheaterMania, but you can save lives and support people affected by HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and other critical illnesses by donating throughout the evening.
 
Information and stream connection: https://mail.yahoo.com/d/folders/1/messages/105586?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9tYWlsLnlhaG9vLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHlm3lUrK5J_Dh-vcJxj-oMRrQBimBWn-aGF_fXnQHVS2uiI0KawobLILD4YFznhSDfrwpTA9a8be9fDLCH-l9p16t5yXmU5t1xBcdy-2HWqpn4KWJBGrtVOn9QwG1054MA-UmJY

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CURRENT AND UPCOMING FREE LIVE STREAMS OF STAGE PRODUCTIONS

Present Laughter
July 31 – August 28
PBS.org
Kevin Kline, Kate Burton, Cobie Smuthers, and Kristine Nielsen star in the 2017 revival of Noël Coward’s comedy.

Broadbend, Arkansas
Through August 16
TransportGroup.org
Justin Cunningham and Danyel Fulton star in the Transport Group's 2019 Off-Broadway staging of Ellen Fitzhugh, Harrison David Rivers, and Ted Shen's musical about a Black family grappling with decades of inequality, violence, and suppression in the South.

Carousel
Through September 8
Lincoln Center's YouTube Channel
Kelli O’Hara and Nathan Gunn star in the New York Philharmonic’s 2013 production of the classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. The cast also includes Stephanie Blythe, Shuler Hensley, Jason Danieley, Jessie Mueller, Kate Burton, John Cullum, Robert Fairchild, and Tiler Peck.

Much Ado About Nothing
Through September 12
PBS.org
Danielle Brooks, Grantham Coleman, Chuck Cooper star in the 2019 Public Theatre Shakespeare in the Park production.

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RADIO ON THE LAKE THEATRE

Radio on the Lake Theatre, the only theater company in Northeast Ohio illuminating the art of the radio play, has announced a refreshed website, and two exciting upcoming performances with community partners.
 
Radio on the Lake's new website focuses on the company's dedication to the unique radio play art form, and features numerous audio performances of classic scripts from the golden age of radio, as well as seldom-heard suspense and science fiction gems, and new plays written by elementary and middle school students from the Shaker Heights school system in partnership with Story Forum.
 
The City is Our Stage - August 15 - ROTL will perform the "alien invasion" scene from the infamous Mercury Theatre classic War of the Worlds (for information and tickets, visit https://www.thecityisourstage.com/
 
Maltz Performing Arts Center - September 9 - ROTL will perform Double Indemnity as part of Live! Streamed @Silver Hall (for information, visit https://case.edu/maltzcenter/livestreamedatsilverhall

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THINK YOU ARE A MUSICAL THEATER MAVEN?
 
Can you fill in the blanks in these songs from Broadway musicals?
 
https://www.playbill.com/article/can-you-fill-in-the-blanks-of-these-broadway-lyrics?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PlaybillPost
 
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