Measure for Measure

‘MEASURE FOR MEASURE’ adds up to thoughtful fun at GLTF

‘MEASURE FOR MEASURE,’ Shakespeare’s dark comedy/problem play, is in production at Great Lakes Theatre Festival . Though written more than 400 years ago, it is impossible to view the actions and not be aware how it resonates in the present day world.

The play centers on secret identities, manipulation, and the search for truth. The plot is complexly woven, and the resolution comes with the unraveling of the layers of intrigue. The Bard alludes to such questions as: Should an individual commit a sin in order to save another person? And, Is it moral for one person or group to condemn or vilify another because of his/her beliefs?

The story centers on the fate of Claudio, who has been arrested by Lord Angelo, the temporary leader of Vienna. Angelo was left in charge by the Duke, who pretends to leave town but instead dresses as a friar to observe the goings-on in his absence. Angelo is strict, moralistic, and unwavering in his decision-making. He decides that there is too much freedom in Vienna and takes it upon himself to rid the city of brothels and unlawful sexual activity. Laws against these behaviors and institutions already exist, and Angelo decides to strictly enforce them. Claudio is arrested for impregnating Juliet. Although they were engaged and their sex was consensual, Claudio is sentenced to death in order to serve as an example to others. We follow as the tale of intrigue unfolds to a satisfying and expected ending.

In a philosophical sense, the play is about a society desperately in need of finding a sound balance between repression and acceptance of human nature. One group preaches rejection and making outcasts of those who don’t follow their definition of morality—think the religious right. On the other hand, there are those who accept that humans are flawed, and be accepted for who they are—think social moderates.

Shakespeare appears to come down on the side of social moderates who, as represented by the Duke, apply laws and interpret dictates in a humane way. He also showcases the underhanded operations of people who act “holier than thou” but are, in reality, not living up to their preaching—again think of the number of recent politicians and religious leaders who have been exposed for leading double lives…one they preach and legislate, the other they live.

GLTF’s production, under the light-hearted hand of Risa Brainin, wraps the story in modern dress, contemporary settings, softened traditional speech patterns, while adding contemporary slang and a farcical twist to the proceedings. Though Shakespeare traditionalists might cringe, the over-all effect is an audience pleasing evening of theatre.

Richard Klautsch is excellent as the Duke of Vienna. He develops a clear, consistent and believable character. Kathryn Cherasaro makes Isabella, Claudio’s sister, a sensitive and convincing person whose beliefs are severely tested as she fights for the life of her brother who has committed an act of which she does not approve, but must show loyalty and sisterly devotion.

If you know Andrew May as portraying over-the-top lovable buffoons, you’ll have to switch mental gears to truly appreciate his portrayal of Angelo. May fine tunes the character of the hypocritical moralist. It’s nice to see May being given the opportunity to display the depth of his acting abilities.

Though a little over the top, David Anthony Smith (Lucio), complete with hippie hair and clothing, gives a sucker-sucking, farcical , audience pleasing interpretation to the role.

Russell Metheny’s scenic design is a practical work of sculpture. The linear, contemporary metal and plastic panels, much in the style of Yacov Agam’s optical and kinetic art, was used well to create a series of locales. Branin choreographed the scene changes with military cadence and precision.

Michael Klaers’s light design added to the overall effect.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: GLTF’s ‘MEASURE FOR MEASURE’ will please audiences who want their Shakespeare on the light side. It is a perfect vehicle for exposing students to the Bard in an intriguing way. On the other hand, Shakespearean purists may go running down the aisles exiting the theatre, but they’d better be careful, as the cast is constantly charging up and down the walkways.

Holy Ghosts

‘HOLY GHOSTS’—acting exceeds script

Romulus Linney, the author of ‘HOLY GHOSTS’ now being produced by Beck Center, holds a Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and is the father of Laurie Linney. Linney, spent his childhood in North Carolina and Tennessee. The author of three novels, thirteen plays and twenty-two short stories, he has used his southern experiences as a device for anchoring much of his writing.

‘HOLY GHOST’ centers on Nancy Coleman, a run-away bride. Her husband Coleman comes after her not only because he wants her back, but she has taken some of his family’s heirlooms. Coleman finds her at the rural meeting house of a southern Pentecostal sect. Nancy has not only been accepted into the family of the church, but has declared her interest in becoming the wife of the Reverend Obediah Buckhorn. Rich with atmosphere and the feel of southern rural life, the play probes into the circumstances and stories of the various sect members—culminating in a snake-handling scene in which the cynical Coleman, to his own amazement, is himself converted into a believer.

The play, as the Beck Center’s director states in the program notes, “probes the universal human need to believe.” It also shines the light on how some people test their faith in ways unimaginable to most of us as it examines how, through acceptance and love, people sometimes get what they need. What the attendee will take from the production is parallel to the person’s religious and philosophical beliefs. Some may be repelled by the fanatical faith of the characters. Others will identify with the need to “follow God’s words.”

In spite of Linney’s credentials, the play is generally not well written. Some of the dialogue is forced and unnatural. The transitions are weak. At times it appears that the bridges were written to tie together a series of pre-written monologues, much like the style used to create musical reviews.

In spite of the script problems, the Beck show generally works. Director Matthew Wright has done an excellent job of developing clear characters who understand their underlying emotions. However, a combination of Wright’s blocking, Richard Gould’s scenic design and the theatre space causes for difficulty in hearing some of the characters’ line. Wright often placed individuals so their backs were to a majority of the audience, usually facing the back wall of the set. The sound goes over the top of the low set and bounce off the theatre walls or get lost in the high ceiling. These problems were heightened when the characters shouted. And scream they did. Actors and directors often think that yelling at the top of their lungs is the only way to show strong emotions. It isn’t. Vocal inflection, intensity and pauses are often more effective, and some of this cast should learn that concept.

Nicholas Koesters (Coleman Shedman) developed a character that was both egomaniacal and pathetic. A little less shouting in certain places, more controlled emotional frustration and better diction might have helped polish the characterization.

Laurel Johnson was often unintelligible as Nancy Shedman. When she screamed and faced away from the audience, her words just floated away. Her realization scene at the end of the play was very effectively portrayed.

A. Neil Thackaberry straddled the line between fanatic and astute leader, with skill. Rhoda Rosen was properly school marmish. Curtis Young was effectively clueless to the realities of life as the preacher’s son. Only space restricts my listing each member of the cast as doing a very effective job.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: ‘HOLY GHOSTS’ may not be an easy production for some to sit through due to the preachy religious material and script weaknesses. On the other hand, the quality of the acting is strong enough so that anyone interested in quality performances will be wrapped up in the character developments. Don’t be surprised if you leave the theatre both mentally and physically exhausted.

Verb Ballet (Nature Moves 3)

Verb Ballets enters new era with a revised company

Verb Ballets’ recent ‘NATURE MOVES 3,’ a two-night program at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, marked a new era in the company’s development. Gone were Mark Tomasic, the company’s premiere male dancer, who has retired, and Jason Ignacio, the diminutive Filipino dynamo who lights up a stage when he appears in solo performance, who has moved to New York.

The loss of Tomasic is a major hit. Much of Artistic Director Hernando Cortez’s choreography centered on the handsome, muscular Tomasic as the fulcrum, around which the other dancers moved. Cortez will have to reconstitute that choreography as none of the males in the “new” company has Tomasic’s dominant presence. Some of the slack will be assumed by Brian Murphy, a strong dancer in his own right, but it’s like the Cleveland Indians minus Grady Sizemore or Victor Martinez.

Jason Ignacio, because of his size, often looked out of place in a line with the taller male dancers, but in specialty numbers he was terrific. His brother, Sydney, who joined the company last year, does not have the stage presence or the developed skills to make up for Jason’s loss.

Joining the company are former Verb dancers Robert and Brooke Wesner. Robert, who shines as a solo dancer, has shown in the past that he often looks out of place in corps lines as he fails to pull back and blend in. He does add a new dimension to the company as he is a competent choreographer.

Brooke Wesner, a tall, statuesque blond, is a strong and competent performer who adds yet another cog to the company’s already competent female dance ensemble.

The ‘NATURE MOVES 3’ program, which found the company for the third consecutive year at the Natural History Museum, featured two world premieres, a preview performance, and a company premiere.

‘SLAPPING STONES,’ choreographed by William Anthony to music by Tom Waits, centered on the theme, “We never learn to use what we know deep down.” Consisting of flowing contemporary moves, the world premiere was well danced. Though not overly distinctive, it held the audience’s attention and showcased the entire company. Suzy Campbell’s costumes and Trad Burns
lighting enhanced the offering.

The late Heinz Poll, the founder of Ohio Ballet, was an exceptional choreographer. Upon his death he left the rights to his creative works to those with whom he was associated. ‘DUET’ is the property of Richard Dickinson. He gave permission to Verb to add the dance to its repertoire. A traditional classical selection, the duo of Danielle Brickman and Brian Murphy were glorious. Brickman exhibited strong certainty on point as she moved easily and held prolonged toe positions. Murphy was confident in his partnering and displayed command of the balletic moves. The smiling duo flowed to the beautiful music by Johann Sebastian Bach which was well performed by pianist David Fisher and cellist Greg Fiocca.

Robert Wesner was commissioned by the Buffalo Symphony to choreograph a piece which will be performed on October 20 in Buffalo. Being presented as a “preview,” ’TICO TICO,’ a tango infused dance, was the third offering in the Nature Moves program. Well conceived by Brooke and Robert Wesner, who displayed strong partnering skills, the performance, which resembled a segment of TV’s “Dancing With the Stars,” received prolonged applause.

‘SONGS,’ choreographed by Hernando Cortez to “Songs of a Wayfarer,” by Gustav Mahler was another world premiere. The selection is the fifteenth original dance developed by Cortez since his joining Verb. A strong solo by Brian Murphy was the performance’s highlight. Another solo by Sydney Ignacio was full of fluidity and flair, but the dancer displayed a lack of concentration and polish. Filled with flowing movements and dramatic facial expressions and much reaching to heaven, the segment was competently danced, but not overly compelling.

CAPSULE JUDGMENT: Verb Ballets has a challenge ahead. Can it maintain its reputation with the loss of Mark Tomasic? From what was showcased at its recent ‘NATURE MOVES 3,’ as presently constituted, Verb is a very competent, but not a compelling or exciting presence. Let’s hope that they will meet the challenge and continue to be one of the premiere company’s in the region.

Dear World

‘DEAR WORLD’ a pleasant diversion at Kalliope

‘DEAR WORLD,’ which is now being staged by Kalliope Stage, is one of those plays that, on the surface, has all the elements that should have made for a long running Broadway hit. The musical, which opened in 1969, starred Angela Lansbury, was written by Cleveland native Jerome Lawrence and Elyria’s Robert E. Lee (‘MAME’ and ‘INHERIT THE WIND’) and had music and lyrics by Jerry Herman (‘HELLO DOLLY!,’ ‘MAME,’ and ‘LA CAGES AUX FAUX.’ To add to the mix, it is based on Jean Giradoux’s much acclaimed play ‘THE MADWOMAN OF CHALLIOT.’

So, why did ‘DEAR WORLD’ open to terrible reviews and run only 132 performances? The script went through many rewrites, songs were cut and others added, directors were hired and fired, choreographers came and went, artistic differences between Lansbury and each of the directors emerged. Most important, in the minds of some of the show’s cult followers, was that the intimate show was overwhelmed by massive production qualities and the theatre in which it opened was too large for what should have been an intimate show.

‘DEAR WORLD’ is the story of three "madwomen" (Aurelia, Constance and Gabrielle) who deviously scheme to stop some businessmen who plan to drill for oil in the neighborhood of Chaillot in Paris. And, as in all good musical farces, eventually the forces of “poetry, love, and idealism win over those of materialism, science, and greed.”

Kalliope’s 75-seat, four row theatre, is a perfect intimate venue. Be aware that Kalliope is staging a different script than the Broadway flop. The show has been rewritten and cut songs restored. The revised version received a 2000 production at Goodspeed Musicals and at Sundance Theatre in 2002. Both of these stagings received more positive reviews than the original Big Apple production.

Kalliope’s production is entertaining. Juliette Regnier (Mme. Constance) and Marla Berg (Mme Gabrielle) are total delights. They are the epitome of farce well played…broad, but believable. Omri Schein’s comic timing and mobile face light up the stage each time he appears as the Sewerman. Dash Combs is pleasing as the Mime. Jodi Brinkman, as always, sings and acts with positive effect.

Liz Rubino, who was forced into action twenty-four hours before the show opened, sang the role of Countess Aurelia well. She failed to develop the comic madwoman approach on opening night, but she is a talented actress and as the show runs, she should develop that aspect of the role.

Jared Sampson has matinee idol good looks and a nice voice. Unfortunately, his performance abilities don’t match his other attributes. He acts his lines and feigns facial expressions rather than experiencing them. The three Presidents were generally played much too subtly, not making the characters bigger than life…a requirement for bad guys in farces. (BTW..that fake cigar did little to enhance President One’s character.)

Russ Borski’s set worked well, especially considering the postage sized stage he had to work with. Unfortunately, the quality and design of his costumes left much to be desired.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: ‘DEAR WORLD’ is not a classic musical theatre script. In spite of a fine pedigree, the piece doesn’t command awe. With that said, Kalliope’s production, under the direction of Paul Gurgol, is entertaining and most attendees will enjoy themselves.

Spotlight on Greg Violand

Profile: Greg Violand…a working actor who is staying local!

Most native North Coasters who are interested in being in the theatre flee the area as soon as they are old enough or feel they have gained the ability to make it “big.” They migrate to New York, LA, or Chicago—the meccas of the entertainment industry. “There is just not enough work here to financial sustain me,” one such transient said.

Not so with Westlake resident Greg Violand. Violand, along with Maryann Nagel, his wife of 22 years, have remained in the area and are prospering, at least by “artist” standards. They are two of the few local theatre performance regulars who don’t teach, direct, “have real jobs” or do temping to pay their way. They are performers. They act, they model, they do industrial films, occasionally getting work away from here, but return to this area and make it their home.

Violand, a graduate of Elyria Catholic High School, is now appearing in ‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT,’ at the Hanna Theatre, where he gets to sing, dance and act, and do takeoffs of ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF,’ ‘SPAMALOT,’ and ‘THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.’ The show is scheduled to run through December 2.

Violand has been acting professionally for over twenty years. He has been seen on stage at such venues as Beck Center, Cain Park, Dobama, Actors’ Summit, Cleveland Play House, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Lakeland Theatre and Elyria Summer Theatre. He is a multi Times Theatre Tribute award winner.

It was through Elyria Summer theatre that I first met Greg when he played Fagin in ‘OLIVER.’ My son, Eric, was Artful Dodger in that production. Shortly after that meeting, I hired Greg to teach at Lorain County Community College. He much preferred performing to teaching, so he morphed into his role as “freelance actor.” “Versatility and availability are the keys”, he says, “ you have to have as many skills as possible to get a job and be willing to go anywhere at anytime to do them.” Last year found him in Hawaii for a job and he’s booked in Orlando in February. Most recently he was in ‘BECOMING GEORGE,’ a musical which received its world premiere at MetroStage in Alexandria, Virginia.

Other credits include the movies ‘FALLING IN LOVE,’ with Robert DeNiro and Meryl Streep and ‘MIRACLE DOG,’ which was shot in Chagrin Falls with Rue McClanahan, Kate Jackson and Stacy Keach. Greg recounted, during a recent interview, that he sometimes gets stopped at super markets when people recognize him as “that guy in the movie about the three-legged dog,” which gets regular play time on late night TV.

Why does he stay in the Cleveland area? His family is here, he prefers bringing up his tween-aged daughter in this area rather than in NY or LA. That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be interested in going somewhere else if the opportunity was right, but he considers himself a “working actor, not a star .”

He finds his latest assignment, working with the four-person cast of ‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY,’ to be fun. It gives him an opportunity to run in a show for four months rather than the usual two or three weeks. He recounts that the director, Bill Selby, is “a good guy,” who has done the show a long time. As for the cast, Greg smiles as he says, “I’m old enough to be their father.”

What happens from here? As is the case when you are in an industry where there is no security, no certainty of a tomorrow, he isn’t sure. He’ll continue to try out for shows that recognize his status in Actor’s Equity, the national actor’s union, do industrial films and commercials and voice-overs, and maybe, if the opportunity is right, venture off to other horizons. In the meantime, six times a week on the stage of the Hanna Theatre, among other characterizations, he puts on a dress and wig and mimics Harvey Firestone as a cross-dressing Tevya, in ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ meets ‘HAIRSPRAY.’

Arsenic and Old Lace

‘ARSENIC AND OLD LACE’ farces it up at Great Lakes Theater Festival

A major decision any director who is to stage ‘ARSENIC & OLD LACE’ must make is whether to present the material as a black comedy, letting the lines of the play develop the macabre humor and carry along the plot; or as a farce, in which exaggeration is used to heighten the hilarity; or as an enhanced farce, in which a lot of shticks and gimmicks enhance the already farcical situations and lines.

Drew Barr, the director of Great Lakes Theatre Festival’s ‘ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, has definitely decided to use the enhanced farce mode. There is nary a line or movement which does not scream, ‘Laugh at what I am doing, what I am saying.” This approach will probably delight most attendees as it makes for a funny, funny evening. Others may plead that the play can stand on its own and doesn’t need all that “unnecessary stuff” to make it joyful.

The script, a clever combination of the farcical and the ghoulish, centers on two elderly sisters. In their Brooklyn neighborhood they are noted for their charitable gifts and are beloved by the police and neighbors alike. What is unknown is that the “sweet” duo’s works of charity include poisoning lonely old men who come to their home looking for lodging. Their family home is also the residence of a nephew who thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt. They are often visited by another nephew, Mortimer, a theatre critic who eventually discovers that the aunts are hiding the corpses in the window seat until Teddy can take the “yellow fever” victims to be buried in the Panama Canal (graves dug in the basement.) A third nephew, who has a resemblance to Boris Karloff, appears after having escaped from a mental institution. What eventually happens? I’m not telling. All I can say is that the ending is obvious, but never the less a laugh delight!

Originally written by Joseph Kesselring, the script was adapted for its New York production by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse. Interestingly, when Kesselring taught at Bethel College, he lived in a boarding house, and many of the features of its parlor are reflected in the play’s description of the Brewster’s living room, where the action of the play is set. The murderous old lady plot line may have been inspired by events that occurred in a house in Windsor, CT where an older woman took in boarders and allegedly poisoned them for their pensions.


The play opened its New York run in January of 1941. Its form was perfect for the mood of the time. Playgoers were looking for some entertainment to take their minds off the war in Europe and the growing fear that America would be pulled into it. The production became an immediate critical and popular success, running for 1,444 performances. In 1944, Hollywood released a film version directed by Frank Capra, which stared Cary Grant. The film was a box office success.

The GLTF production goes all out for laughs, and laughs it gets. The performers bump into doorways, trip over sofas, chase each other around like the Keystone Cops, and showcase over-exaggerated gestures and facial expressions. The overall effect is exhausting, and depending on your sense of humor and love of slapstick, either delightful or overdone.

This interpretation is perfect for mobile faced, double-take expert Andrew May. He is hysterical as Mortimer, the theatre-hating reviewer who appears to be the only member of the Brewster family who has any semblance of sanity. If you like May as an off-the-wall character, you’ll love his performance.

Lynn Allison makes for a sweet Abby Brewster. She plays the part more for realistic comedy than for farce. On the other hand, Laura Perrotta, sounding and looking like the late-Judy Holliday on hallucinogenic drugs with a stiff neck, is way over the top. She is an excellent actress who didn’t need to overdo everything to get laughs.

David Anthony Smith is perfect as Teddy. He not only looks the part, but sounds like Roosevelt. Dougfred Miller is properly evil as psychopathic Jonathan. Most of the rest of the cast follows the director’s lead and are over the top.

Russell Metheny’s set is excellent, as are Charlotte Yetman’s costumes.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: ‘ARSENIC AND OLD LACE’ isn’t a message play. It is a device to entertain the audience, and entertain the GLTF production does. One wonders, however, if the same enjoyment could have been engendered with a little more restraint.

Forbidden Broadway-Special Victims Unit

‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY’ delights at Hanna

“That was fun,” “The ‘LES MIZ’ part was hysterical,” “I didn’t get all the in-jokes but that didn’t matter, I still loved it.” Those were some of the comments I overheard as I was exiting the Hanna Theatre after the reviewer’s night of ‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY—SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT.”

In January of 1982, out-of-work actor Gerald Alessandrini, who needed a way to showcase his talents, assembled some musical parodies, and made them into a night club act. The result was a critical and audience praised production which morphed itself into ‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY,’ now the Big Apple’s longest running musical comedy revue.

Alessandrini nicely skewers shows, stars, playwrights, lyricists, choreographers and producers. He has an endless supply of new material as each Broadway season proceeds through its production year. As long as Broadway exists, there is potential for more Forbiddens.

Updated regularly, ‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY’ has had several editions, countless revisions, national and international tours, and thousands of special performances.

The show being staged in Cleveland, ‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY—SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT,’ is not as complete as other productions of the script. Thinking that local audiences will not have seen the latest Broadway hits, parts of the goings-on have been dropped. The result is delightful, but I wish that Alessandrini and Director/Choreographer William Selby had had a little more respect for North Coast audiences and given us the authentic material.

Alessandrini supposedly centers this reincarnation on a format of TV’s ‘LAW AND ORDER.” The idea is that heinous crimes are being perpetrated against hapless victims…those who attend the Broadway theatre by reviving old shows and keeping productions running well beyond when they should have.

As does the TV show, FB-SVU starts out with Jerry Orbach (Greg Violand) and B.D. Wong (Brian Marshall) investigating a murder. In this case it’s the gunning down of aged, cigarette-smoking Annie (Tricia Bestic), while standing center stage in her classic red dress and curly mop of hair, singing her signature tune “Tomorrow.” Well, in this case, it’s "I'm thirty years old/Tomorrow, Tomorrow.”

Unfortunately, the concept of the investigation of other crimes is never again specifically addressed as the show goes merrily along with the Special Victims Unit stars never again appearing. But, this is a review, not a well-written play, so this “minor” oversight can be forgiven.

Most of the shows that are referred to have toured Cleveland. A segment from ‘LION KING,’ in which the actors complain about the discomfort of the costumes and masks, is delightful. ‘BEAUTY AND THE BEAST,’ as well as many other Disney shows, are mocked. A fight for who is a better actress centers on the two female stars of ‘WICKED.’ Greg Violand convulses the audience in his take on ‘MONTY PYTHON.’ Violand, in great voice, also does a delightful bit mocking “THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.’ Brian Marshall is properly miffed because night after night he has to portray a feline, complete with flees, in ‘CATS.’ An argument between Chita Rivera (Carmen Keels) and Rita Moreno (Tricia Bestic), set to music from ‘WEST SIDE STORY,’ was an audience pleaser. A segment from ‘RENT’ also got extended laughter and applause.

Outstanding individual performances abounded. Violand did a fun take on ‘FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’ entitled ‘FIDDLER WITH NO JEWS’ complete with a Harvey Fierstein in drag take-off. Marshall brought forth an updated version of ‘CABARET,’ while Keels did a great Julie Andrews shtick. Bestic mocked Liza Minnelli and Ethel Merman, while Keels skewered Sarah Brightman.

The cast, composed of Cleveland performers, Tricia Bestic, Brian Marshall, and Greg Violand and New Yorker Carmen Keels is excellent. They all have fine voices and confident stage presence. Director Selby keeps the show moving swiftly along.

Often referred to as “A Cleveland treasure with at least three hands,” Marge Adler serves with wonder as the Musical Director, Pianist, and part-time performer.

Side note: It would have been helpful if the songs and/or shows were listed in the program in their order of presentation.

Capsule judgment: ‘FORBIDDEN BROAWAY-SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT’ will be a delight for all those familiar with Broadway shows and personalities. But what about the non-theatre regulars? I asked the couple sitting next to me, who confessed that they are not “theatre people,” their views of the production. Their answer? “We loved it! We’re going to bring friends to see it.”

Dale Wasserman reviews the reviewer

Dear Roy Berko,

I enjoyed your review of my LA MANCHA, even though it caused twinges of pain in the esthetic regions. The twisted concepts of "concept" directors diminish and damage a play which has very precise aims and intentions. Your Cleveland production is a poor imitation of the Court Theatre's Chicago production to which I gave my blessing in agreement that it was a valid vision, even if it differed from my original intent. Your Cleveland production simply plays tricks to be different--the differences warping the play as written.

My memories of Cleveland go all the way back to the Jelliffes of
Karamu House whom I knew very well. I have a new play about Haiti,
AN ENCHANTED LAND, born of the time I spent in sad, sad Haiti, while
I was manager of the Katherine Dunham Company which headquartered
there. I premiered this play in London, but it hasn't yet been seen
in this country, and I think it would be ideal for Karamu. May I
send you a copy to see if you agree?

With my very good wishes,

Dale Wasserman
(author to the book of 'MAN OF LA MANCHA")

Man of La Mancha

Is the Play House “different take” on ‘MAN OF LAMANCHA’ for better or worse?

(This review was altered from its original distribution following an email from Dale Wasserman, the author of the book for 'MAN OF LAMANCHA' which clarified some factual information.)

While visiting New York in 1965, a friend said he had tickets for a new show being staged at the ANTA Theatre that had opened several days before. He knew nothing about the play, but asked whether I was willing to attend. Always the theatre adventurer I said, “Sure.” The show? ‘MAN OF LA MANCHA.’ My reaction? I sat transfixed as Richard Kiley and Clevelander Joan Diener rolled out what has since been dubbed the “right the unrightable wrongs” musical. It was one of the greatest nights I have ever spent in the theatre. So great, that for many years, I refused to go to see any other production of the show. I didn’t want to ruin the “perfect” experience.

‘MAN OF LAMANCHA’ centers on Miguel de Cervantes, an aging failure in his varied careers as playwright, poet and tax collector, who has been thrown into a dungeon to await trial by the Inquisition for the offense of collecting taxes from the Catholic Church. Fellow prisoners attempt to steal his possessions, including an uncompleted novel entitled "Don Quixote." Seeking to save the manuscript, he proposes to tell the tale as a play to entertain his self-appointed convict jury.

Through such songs as "The Impossible Dream," "I Really Like Him," and "Man of La Mancha (I, Don Quixote)," the play celebrates the human spirit. In this present age of depletion of personal freedoms, a misguided march into another country for “their own good,” of certain religious groups attempting to set their agenda for all, the concept of individual human sprit is as relevant today as when it was originally written.

"MAN OF LA MANCHA" was conceived as a non-musical teleplay. Writer Dale Wasserman did not do an adaptation of the famous novel, but focused on a major theme, "Only he who attempts the ridiculous may achieve the impossible."

Years later Wasserman was requested to turn the idea into a musical. With lyrics by Joe Darion and music by Mitch Leigh, it opened in 1964 at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut. Rex Harrison was offered the lead, but the musical challenges dissuaded him. Enter Richard Kiley, whose career soared after portraying the dual roles of Cervantes and Don Quixote.

The Big Apple production won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical and best actor for Kiley. It was revived on Broadway in 1972, 1977, 1992 and 2002.

It was with positive anticipation that I went to see the Cleveland Play House’s production. Since it was being staged by Amanda Dehnert, who directed last season’s remarkable ‘MY FAIR LADY’ at CPH, I expected to be blown away. I was not blown away. In fact, though I think many of those who see the production will react positively, there were just too many gimmicks, and moving off-center of the story line, to make for my loving the production.

Dehnert has reinvented some of the script, the music and the concept. I am not opposed to innovation if it enhances the over-all effect and doesn’t move from the author’s intent and purpose. I remember sitting at the original production, eyes welling, awed by the pinspots of light on Kiely’s face as he sang the “The Impossible Dream.” I remember sitting in my seat at the end of the show, unable to move. At CPH, there was no emotional high. I left, basically psychologically unmoved.

This is supposed to be an intense, intimate and emotional theatrical piece. In spite of the small theatre space which was ideal for the staging, I found the intimacy largely lost. Many of the songs were sung directly to the audience, rather than aimed at the person on stage to whom the lyrics are aimed. I question the casting of a man to play the housekeeper in drag. It was distracting. It got a laugh, but how did it move the plot along? There was a lack of choreography which had enveloped me in previous productions. I missed being carried on the quest when Don Quixote and Sancho “rode” into the battle. The ending in which Cervantes says goodbye to the corpse rather than Sancho left me confused. The rape scene was lacking the needed intensity. The scene was rushed, the horror not totally developed, the attack was brutal but not evil enough. The explicitness was necessary as we realize later that Quixote’s effect on Aldonza is so complete that even the horrific rape does not erase the respect for self that he has instilled in her. That he has, in fact, achieved the impossible dream, at least as it relates to her.

The production does have many positive aspects. Philip Hernandez is very credible as Cervantes/Don Quixote. He makes “The Impossible Dream” his own, not doing an imitation of those who proceeded him in the role. “Knight of the Woeful Countenance” gets an excellent interpretation. Rachel Warren is Aldonza. Her final scene is excellent as is her interpretation of “Aldonza.” Jamie La Verdiere is delightful as Sancho. His “I Really Like Him” was so pure of innocence and belief that it told the whole story of why some people do what they do, purely out of loyalty. The clarity of the spoken word by the entire cast helps the audience understand the story.

The musicians are good, though, at times, they got a little carried away and drowned out the vocals. Some viewers might be distracted by the musicians doubling as cast members. The question, again must be raised as to what that device did to further the plot.

Some of Dehnert’s “new” production elements, which are touted in the public relations and the program, aren’t that original. We’ve seen cast members playing musical instruments in the recent Broadway restagings of ‘SWEENEY TODD’ and ‘COMPANY.’ And, doing this script as a one-act/intermission-less show, has been done before, as has gender role reassignment.

Capsule judgement: I predict that most audience members will enjoy and have a positive experience at CPH’s ‘MAN OF LA MANCHA.’ My concern is that sometimes in the guise of being innovative, the message of the writer and the emotional responses of the viewer are set aside for the sake of gimmicks and for trying to be part of a new wave.

Rounding Third

Actors’ Summit hits homer with ‘ROUNDING THIRD’

When our son was six he participated for the first time in Little League baseball. During his initial game a player on the other team dropped a fly ball. When the kid came off the field his father charged over to him, yelled, “What in the *#&% did you do out there?,” and smacked the kid. Our son, his eyes wide with wonder said, “Do I have to play Little League?”

With kids no longer having the freedom to play pick-up games, but participate in sports organized by adults, questions are often raised. “Is the game for parents or the kids?” “Are parents living out their dreams through their son or daughter?” “Is this supposed to be fun or is it competition for winning which teaches that “life is not fair and you’d better learn that right now!”?

Richard Dresser’s comedy is a journey of two Little League coaches from their first meeting to the climactic championship game. The audience is the stand-in for the team, so the coaches speak directly to the viewers about competition, character, punctuality, and the importance of wearing the right equipment.

Don is a blue-collar, macho, win-at-all-costs veteran coach whose son is the star pitcher. Michael, a corporate executive, has always been the odd-man out, the last picked for any team. He believes that the job of a coach is to shield the kids from the intense pressure of competition and make sure they have a good time. Obviously, they are going to conflict. The results are hilarious, touching and thought provoking.

By the end of the play, both of the coaches’ lives and attitudes have changed and the audience leaves asking, “Whose philosophy is right?” And, incidentally, “What is my philosophy concerning winning, losing and life in general?”

Dresser is a good writer. His lines are real people speaking. Male viewers will easily see their neighbors, relatives and maybe even themselves in the well etched characters. Women might see the men in their lives.

Actor’s Summit’s production, under the adept direction of Constance Thackaberry, is on target. She has a good grasp of Dresser’s concept and has a keen understanding of the workings of the male mind. Maybe directing her husband (Keith Stevens) has something to do with that.

Stevens (Don) fully develops the win-obsessed baseball coach. He is consistent in his guy talk, interpretation of male friendship and womanizing. He reflects the highs and lows of his life with clarity.

Daniel Taylor (Michael) is not quite as consistent as Stevens , but does a good job of making Michael real. The character’s motivations seem clear, but Taylor sometimes loses the flow of conversation and some of his actions seem forced.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: ‘ROUNDING THIRD’ is both a delightful and thought provoking script. It gets a very good production at Actors’ Summit. This is definitely a “Yes, go see!”

Groundworks @ The Icehouse

GROUNDWORKS blends dance and music at Icehouse

Groundworks Dance is like the little engine that could. It is a small company which selects unusual places to perform its programs and succeeds in making each its psychological home. For nine seasons, since its inception, the company has performed in Akron’s Icehouse. The Icehouse was, as its name indicates, a storage site where blocks of ice from the river were brought and kept in the cavernous building. Later, when refrigeration was invented, ice was made and stored there. Now the facility is in the midst of an area which is becoming Akron’s arts center. It is an unusual place for a dance company with its pillars, high ceiling and dank atmosphere. But use it Groundworks does. And, they use it well.

For this year’s two weekend residence, David Shimotakahara, Groundworks’ Artisitic Director, decided to present a two dance and musical interlude program.

The first selection, ‘NANO,’ was in its Akron premiere. The piece was performed to a composition by Gustavo Aguilar, the company’s musical director, using only the sound of a snare drum. As is typical of Shimotakahara’s choreography, the moves perfectly fit the music. Though overly long, it showcased Aguilar’s skill in producing sounds from a single instrument. ‘NANO’ found the dancers creatively bumping into each other, pushing and lifting their own and other’s bodies, while gliding, turning, twisting and sliding. Arms were in constant motion. Amy Miller, the epitome of bodily control, did an audience-pleasing solo segment. A sector by Felise Bagley, Mark Otloski and Sarah Perrett was compelling. Dennis Dugan’s lighting helped highlight the dancing by casting moving shadows on the Icehouse’s dark and deeply scarred walls.

‘MUSIC INTERLUDE’ featured a trio of musical compositions created by John Luther Adams and performed by the Akros Percussion Collective. The musical sounds were supplemented by a dance segment performed with creative competence by Amy Miller and video images by Tug Video. The percussion music, using bells, marimba and gongs, was intriguing but overstayed its welcome. Each segment could have been shortened to heighten the overall effect.

‘ANNIE REDUX’ was a creatively devised piece by choreographer David Parker to the recorded music of Irving Berlin’s ‘ANNIE GET YOUR GUN.’ Interestingly, instead of using the well-known singing versions by Ethel Merman (Broadway’s first Annie Oakley) or that of Betty Hutton (who portrayed the sassy female wild west gunslinger in the film version), vocalizations by Judy Garland were used. Garland, who was originally cast in the film role, either dropped out or was fired, depending on which version you wish to believe. However, she had recorded the songs before departing from the filming. Like the recent Broadway hit, ‘MOVIN’ OUT,’ which was choreographed by Twyla Tharpe to the music of Billy Joel, the viewer needs to listen to the music, but accept that the words they hear are not going to develop the story of each song. Once that separation is accomplished, the piece becomes pleasurable. Consisting of some unusual lifts and captivating movements, the dancing parallels the sounds of the music. A wonderful simulated tap dancing without taps highlighted “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” In an interesting take, the role of Annie was danced by Miller, Bagley, Perett and David Shimotakahara. Bill was danced by Shimotakahara, Damien Highfield, Otloski and Perett. Each used his/her distinctive style to develop the character. All in all, this was a positive experience, especially for musical theatre buffs.

Capsule judgement: Shimotakahara is not afraid to take risks. His inclusion of a musical interlude sandwiched between dances was a different take on dance concerts. As always, the overall effect of the evening was positive, but several segments tested the theory that the mind can absorb what the seat can endure, and two of the segments definitely tested the audience’s endurance limits.

Reflections (Peggy Sings Leiber and Stoller)

Underwhelming REFLECTIONS at Beck

Frank Sinatra once said of Peggy Lee, who is the subject of ‘REFLECTIONS (Peggy Sings Leiber and Stoller)’, now on stage at Beck Center, that "Her wonderful talent should be studied by all vocalists; her regal presence is pure elegance and charm."

Norma Deloris Egstrom, better known to the world as Peggy Lee, was born in 1920. Her mother died when she was young. Her alcoholic father abandoned the family, leaving the children to be brought up by a verbally and physically abusive step mother. Eventually, Norma Deloris left home to pursue a musical career. Her march toward fame took off when she was offered a singing gig by band leader Benny Goodman. Lee, who is often recognized as one of the "classy" vocalists of the century, alongside Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan, was noted for her soft, sensual and cool singing style.

She was not only a stage and night club singer, song writer and recording artist, but appeared in numerous films including ‘PETE KELLY’S BLUES’ for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. She contributed to the score and was heard in the soundtrack of Disney’s cartoon feature ‘LADY AND THE TRAMP.’

Lee’s life was not a bed of roses. Besides her miserable childhood, her marriage to guitarist Dave Barbour, the one man she really loved, ended in divorce, as did several other marriages. In an attempt to hide from her pent-up emotions she became a workaholic and in the 1950s the intense work load took its toll. She suffered a long period of illnesses. In spite of her poor health she continued to perform into the 1990s, often seated in a wheel chair. She died in 2002, at the age of 81, of complications of diabetes.

‘RELFLECTIONS’ is not the first play that has been written about her. In the early 1980’s she appeared in ‘PEG,’ which was a flop.

Over the years, Lee, noted for her perfectionism, repeatedly used the same songs over and over. This tended to make her shows predictable. Her laid-back sexuality and teasing neuroticism eventually became, in the opinion of one critic, “underwhelming.”

The Beck show is also “underwhelming.” In spite of a fine performance by Laura Theodore, who has perfected Lee’s vocal and oral sounds, there is a flatness to the evening. Much of the problem is the script which glosses over and underplays the trials of Lee’s life. Yes, Lee was self-contained, rolled with the punches, and that doesn’t necessarily make for good theatre. So, maybe Lee wasn’t the best choice about whom to develop a musical drama. Maybe a musical review highlighting her many hit songs would have been a better decision. As is, there is little in the way of drama, little to no comedy, and little to any action in ‘REFLECTIONS.’.

The exclusive use of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller’s music, is also problematic. Much of the music, at least in the arrangements used, tends to sound very much alike. The orchestrations, even to such songs as “I’m a Woman” and “Is That All There Is?” are understated.

The script, by Tom Fulton and Laura Theodore, is sometimes confusing and lacks texture and fails to create the needed emotional levels to engage an audience. There is a lack of emotional highs and lows, a lack of the needed creation of empathy. Time jumps back and forth. Conflicts are glossed over. Even death is understated.

The use of multi-media often distracts the flow of ideas. To add to the problems is that the quality of the videos is sometimes poor. The sync between the spoken word and the visual image is occasionally off. Our attention is unnecessarily drawn away from the stage by the inserted audio-visual.

The sound of Larry Goodpaster’s orchestra is outstanding. Martin Cespedes’s choreographed segments provide some of the few exciting segments of the production. Bravo to dancers Jose Ayala and Devon Shriver.

The cast is good. Given the weakness of the script, they do extremely well. Jeff Grover is fine as Dave Barbour. Erin Bunting is properly nasty as the stepmother. Tween-aged Lisandra Stebner makes for a believable young Peggy. Don Irven is a pathetic father.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Beck should be praised for attempting to mount a world premiere production. Unfortunately, the script, or maybe it’s the subject matter, just doesn’t allow for the quality production that we have become used to at Beck. The experience isn’t bad, but one must ask, in the words of one of Ms. Lee’s signature songs, “Is That All There Is?”

The Magic Fire

THE MAGIC FIRE’ burns out at Ensemble

‘THE MAGIC FIRE,’ which is now in production at Ensemble Theatre, is a semi-autobiographical saga by actress and playwright Lillian Garrett-Groag. It centers on the life of her immigrant relatives (both the Italian and the assimilated Jews from Austria) who have moved to Argentina to escape the Nazi onslaught in Europe. The play itself takes place in Buenos Aires in June and July of 1952, during the reign of Juan and Eva Peron.

The family had perceived Argentina as a land of hope, freedom and unbridled entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, the rise of Peron, much like the rise to power of Hitler and Mussolini, destroyed that illusion.

The family tries to insulate itself from reality by turning to the arts. They discuss opera, classical music and drama. They listen constantly to the waltzes of Johann Strauss and soaring arias of Giuseppe Verdi. In spite of blocking out the sounds and sights around them, reality eventually hits home.

Beyond the family’s protective cocoon, Eva Perón, referred to by family members as “that woman,” lies dying, and police sirens disrupt the night and innocents are dragged away, never to be heard from again. The family is spared because of the protection of their neighbor, General Fortannes, who is a high-ranking member of the Peron regime.

The play, which examines family ties and the effect of politics on the individual, asks whether art and culture are necessarily opposed to political struggle? Eventually, we see that “art separated from life withers and dies, or enters the sterile service of the elite.”

The script is overlong and riddled with clichés and abstract musical illusions. Only in a fast-paced and well-envisioned creation will the audience be captivated. Unfortunately, the Ensemble production is plodding and poorly conceived by director Licia Colombi. It is almost painful to watch the quality actors in the cast struggle to keep their heads above water due to poor blocking, lack of clear character development and misplaced accents which come and go or are never there. No one seems to completely understand what’s going on. There’s a lot of emoting, with little underlying meaning coming through.

All is not lost. Lee Mackey, one of the dowager empresses of Cleveland theatre, is delightful as the old Italian grandmother who insists that she was kidnapped by her husband (spit, spit) and brought to this country where “even the cows are too big.” She keys many of the play’s laughs.

Tween-aged Sarah DeGirolamo, gives the right tone to Young Lise, whose acid tongue and incessant questions (e.g., “What’s a foreskin?”) is a perfect metaphor for youthful naïveté. (She alternates with Camille Rekhson in the role.)

Annie Kitral, as the frustrated old maid Paula, has some wonderful moments.

The rest of the cast tries hard, but never quite hits the right pace or allows the audience to feel the feelings of the people they are portraying.

Capsule judgement: ‘THE MAGIC FIRE’ is not an easy sit. Between the talkiness of the script and the lack of concept by the director, there is little to grab and hold attention. The magic is missing. The fire doesn’t burn.

Barbara Stuckey reviews the reviewer

Mr. Berko,

With great enjoyment I just read your review and insights from
interviewing Martin. Having performed with him in Le Cid and having seen some of his productions and rehearsals, I consider him a directorial genius. His interpretations always surprise or delight me; I go to his work, and to him as a person, knowing that "this" will be as powerful as the time before.

From you particularly the praise ranks very high. You know what
performers have to do: the work behind the curtain must produce the suspended moment for the audience. You not only hold the community to that demand, but you know it when you see it and say so. I admire your standards and abilities to articulate them and who achieves them. I'm so glad you have seen and said the magic Martin makes.

(Barbara Stuckey is a Washington DC dancer.)

Pump Boys and Dinettes

Tepid ‘PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES’ at Carousel

Sean Cercone, the Artistic Director of Carousel Dinner Theatre, and director of the venue’s present production, ‘PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES,’ states in the program that on one-hand, PBD is a “fun musical revue about a group of mechanics and waitresses with wonderful music abilities.” He also states that others will see the show as “a high energy concert with a variety of musical styles.”

To be honest, I don’t like the script because of its attempt to make a story out of songs that really don’t fit cohesively together. So, I think the best way to review the production is to examine it using Cercone’s explanations.

“With wonderful music abilities.” Yes, yes, yes, the Carousel cast play instruments with talent and zeal. On the other hand, the singing was not of the same quality. Many of the vocal blends were off and several songs were misinterpreted.

“Fun.” The Carousel production is short on the fun aspect. The pace is too slow. The jokes often don’t work. Attempts to engage the audience generally failed. Part of this is due to the size of the theatre, which discourages interaction unless the cast roams the aisles. In addition, Canton’s Pat McRoberts, who was so brilliant in Carousel’s ‘BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY,’ just doesn’t have the stand-up comedian style to pull off the adlibbing and high-jinks needed for the requisite fun. A great singer he is, but a comedian, he isn’t. Many of the other performers had the same lack of comic timing.

“A high energy concert.” High energy? Nope. Those who saw PBD at Porthouse earlier this season saw high energy, and by the way, also the fun aspect, but Carousel’s production, at least on opening night, was flat. The tepid applause at the curtain call was evidence to that. On the other hand, the encore segment was high energy and the audience responded to that segment with enthusiasm. Too bad the rest of the show wasn’t on a “Red Bull” high.

“A variety of musical styles.” Yes, the musical score covers rock, country, ballads and many more styles. The musicians did an excellent job of varying the sounds so that each mode became distinctive.

High points of the production included “Mamaw,” a plaintive song performed by Pat McRoberts, and ”Be Good or Be Gone” by Kate Margaret. A nice tap dancing interlude in “Drinkin’ Shoes’ brought sustained applause.

On the other hand, T.N.D.P.W.A.M. (“The Night That Dolly Parton Was Almost Mine”) lacked the necessary plaintive feeling of loss. The always amusing “Farmer Tan” failed to delight. Both of these songs were performed by Steven Ray Watkins. He plays a mean piano, but didn’t let loose in the songs meant to add “fun” to the show.

Kate Margaret wailed and commanded the stage in each of her presentations. Her voice was so strong that she drowned out the small vocal sounds of Sarah Nischwitz who lacked needed dynamism.

The impressive set by Robert Kovach was well conceived, but the massive size of the stage, with all the real gas pumps, cars and realistic diner, overwhelmed the small cast.

One of my favorite theatre professors, Kent State’s Bill Zucchero, once said, “You should not come out of a musical whistling sets and costumes.” Interestingly, as I was walking out of the theatre, the people who I exited with were talking about the set and not the quality of the staging or the music.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Hopefully, as ‘PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES’ runs at Carousel, the pace will pick up, Pat McRoberts will play more with the audience in a comfortable and natural way, and Steven Ray Watkins will let loose and enjoy himself and make his songs more fun. If that happens, PBD will be a delightful experience.

Spotlight on Martin Cespedes

SPOTLIGHT ON MARTIN CESPEDES—CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE THE BEST THEATRE CHOREOGRAPHER ON THE NORTH COAST

Who is the best theatre choreographer in the Greater Cleveland area? If awards and critical acclaim are the measuring stick, Westlake resident and Lorain Admiral King graduate Martin Cespedes could well be the correct answer.

The forty-six year old Cespedes is the recipient of nine Times Theatre Tributes Awards. He was nominated by Northern Ohio Live for their Theater Award in 2005, 2006 and again this year. He was named by Scene Magazine as Cleveland’s Best Choreographer of 2006. He was highlighted for his theatrical work by Bravo magazine.

Cespedes’s creativity has recently been seen in Cain Park’s ‘NINE’ and ‘OLIVER,’ and Beck Center’s ‘EQUUS’ and ‘JEKYLL AND HYDE.’ He directed and choreographed ‘SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE’ and ‘FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE’ at Beck and ‘AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ and ‘MY WAY (the music of Frank Sinatra)’ at Weathervane Playhouse.

Born in New York, Cespedes is a first generation American. His mother, who was a professional singer, is Puerto Rican. His father is Spanish.

When did he become interested in theatrical dance? He says, “Though I lived in New York, as a child I never had seen a Broadway show. When I was 7, I saw the movie ‘WEST SIDE STORY’ on television and was hit by a lightening bolt. We were quite poor and lived in a building with a fire escape and I spent a lot of time out there reliving that musical.”

He started to gain his dance knowledge when, in fifth grade, he was selected to participate in the elite Jacques d’Amboise’s National Dance Institute in New York City’s PS 161 Program. He was active in that group until, after his parent’s divorce, he moved to Lorain to be near his mother’s family.

During his Admiral King days, he danced in and choreographed local shows and was selected to appear on Cleveland TV’s ‘DANCE FEVER’ and NBC’s ‘WEEKDAY FEVER.’ After graduation he continued his training as an apprentice at the Denver Dance Theatre. While studying there, he saw a casting call for a professional western area tour of ‘GUYS AND DOLLS.’ He tried out, was selected, dropped out of the Denver company, and his professional career was underway.

He went on to appear in the national tours of ‘MAN OF LA MANCHA’ with Jack Jones, ‘THE KING AND I’ with Hayley Mills, ‘SOUTH PACIFIC’ with Robert Goulet and ‘WEST SIDE STORY’ with Bebe Neuwirth. He danced in opening acts for “Earth, Wind and Fire” and the “Bee Gees.”

Cepedes worked as John Kenley’s assistant, and performed and ran dance rehearsals, during the legendary producer’s last several seasons in Akron. He recently served as associate choreographer and fight captain for the PBS production of ‘LE CID’ with Placido Domingo. He has also choreographed for Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Cleveland Opera and University of Akron Opera Department.

In addition to choreographing, Cespedes has taught dance for the School of the Cleveland Ballet and at Beck Center.

What is Cespedes’ choreographic style? He states, “Dancing original choreography of musical theatre classics has helped me forge my own craft and made me somewhat of a hybrid choreographer.”

His personal life? As he states, “I have none. Between touring and long rehearsal times I not only don’t have time for socialization, but I even miss important family events like weddings and holidays. Sometimes people in the shows I’m working on don’t understand why I don’t go to cast parties or out with them after rehearsals. They don’t understand that my personal privacy is very important to me and sometimes I just need to be alone.”

What’s in the future? Having just been inducted into SSDC, the national union for directors and choreographers, Cespedes feels he is “at the point where I am ready to break out.” Does this mean he will leave Cleveland? Though locals may hope not, it is going to be hard to keep this talented man in the area if Broadway or other prestige venues call.

Whatever happens in the future, the contributions Martin Cespedes has made to the local theatre scene will never be forgotten!

(The factual information for this article was supplied by Martin Cespedes.)

Theatre calender, Fall/2007

An overview of some local Fall ’07 theatre offerings

Around this time every year I’m asked, “What should I see this fall?” I can’t tell you what to see, at least not until I’ve seen the productions, but I can tell what’s scheduled at some of the local theatres and give a quickie preview of what each show is about.

PLAYHOUSE SQUARE CENTER

‘CHICAGO’
October 9-14
A razzle dazzle musical tale of sin and celebrity.

‘THE DROWSY CHAPERONE’
October 16-28
A musical comedy with tons of laughs and the most 2006 Tony Awards of any musical that opened last year on Broadway!

Hal Holbrook in ‘MARK TWAIN TONIGHT’
November 3
Samuel Clemens returns to the banks of the Cuyahoga River when Hal Holbrook comes to Playhouse Square.

DISNEY’S HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
November 13-18
Disney Theatrical Productions have created an exciting stage version of the phenomenal Disney’s High School Musical!

TWELVE ANGRY MEN
November 27 –December 9
What seems like an open-and-shut murder case becomes a twisted puzzle of prejudice and intrigue.

Tickets: 216-0241-6000 or 1-800-766-6048 or online at www.PlayhouseSquare.org


HANNA THEATRE

‘FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT’
September 12-December 2
The latest version of the inventive and scathing production that pays homage to Broadway’s biggest shows and brightest stars.
Performance times are Wednesday through Friday evenings at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 5:00 pm and 8:30 pm and Sunday at 2:00pm.

Tickets: 216-241-6000 or 1-800-766-6048 or online at www.PlayhouseSquare.org


DOBAMA

‘TAKE ME OUT’
August 17th - September 9th, 2007

A Tony-award winning play in which a major league baseball player announces that he is gay. Dobama’s impressive production explores character, friendship, and what it means to be a man. (Note: The show contains full-frontal male nudity) For a review of this show: www.royberko.info

Presented at Cleveland State Factory Theater, East 24th Street and Chester Avenue

For tickets call 216-932-3396 and leave a message. Tickets will be held for you at the performance. Or go on-line at www.ticketleap.com.


KALLIOPE STAGE

‘DEAR WORLD’
September 27 - October 21 2007

Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman, Book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
Based on the play THE MADWOMAN OF CHAILLOT by Jean Giraudoux, it asks, “Who will save Paris from greedy oil tycoons determined to blow it up in search of black gold?” Enter a madcap rescue team of bohemians who believe poetry, love and idealism conquer all.

Box Office: 216.321.0870 or tickets@kalliopestage.com


KARAMU

‘PURLIE VICTORIOUS’ (Classic Comedy) by Ossie Davis
September 28 - October 21
Newly ordained preacher, Purlie Victorious Judson, returns to his family’s sharecropper cabin to reacquire the local church and ring the “Freedom Bell.”

‘BLACK NATIVITY’ (Gospel Musical) by Langston Hughes
December 7 -30
Black Nativity is focused on the religious and spiritual aspects of the Christmas story. It is performed with gospel music and colorful costuming within a dance context.


GREAT LAKES THEATER FESTIVAL

‘ARSENIC AND OLD LACE’ by Joseph Kesselring
A drama critic learns that his beloved maiden aunts are homicidal and that insanity runs in his family. Bodies in the window seat, murder as an act of kindness and Teddy Roosevelt leading a charge. Let the fun begin!

‘MEASURE FOR MEASURE’ by William Shakespeare
One of the Bard’s problem plays, often classified as a comedy, in which the Duke of Vienna leaves the government in the hands of a strict judge who is known to be a hard-liner on matters of sexual immorality. Let the conflicts begin!

‘ARSENIC AND OLD LACE’ and ‘MEASURE FOR MEASURE
‘ are presented in repertory from September 21-October 21

‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ by Charles Dickens
November 23-December 23
Tiny Tim, Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. Let the holiday season begin!

Tickets” 216-664-6064 or www.greatlakestheater.org


BECK CENTER FOR THE ARTS

‘REFLECTIONS’ (PEGGY SINGS LEIBER AND STOLLER) by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
September 14 – October 7
WORLD PREMIERE…A kaleidoscope of beautiful love songs, hilarious send-ups of Broadway, haunting tunes of days gone by, and reflections of the pure joy of living.

‘DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST’ by Linda Woolverton, Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice
November 30 – December 30
The Beck continues its holiday tradition with this third and final production of the classic Disney musical with many of the same cast. Fred Sternfeld again directs.

‘HOLY GHOSTS’ by Romulus Linney
September 28 – October 21
A tale of a Smokey Mountain sect blends both drama and dark comedy which builds to a startling climax.

‘ALL THE GREAT BOOKS (ABRIDGED)’ by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor
November 16 – December 16
CLEVELAND PREMIERE…a wild evening concerning everything you didn't get around to reading in high school and college!

Tickets: 216-521-2540


THE BANG AND CLATTER

‘THE DEAD GUY’ by Eric Coble
September 21-October 21
You have one million dollars to spend in seven days. At the end of that time, the audience decides how you are going to die!

’BUG’ by Tracy Letts
November 2-December 2
Things are going well for a waitress with a fondness for cocaine and a soft spoken Gulf War drifter, until her abusive ex-husband is released from prison.

‘POUNDING NAILS IN THE FLOOR WITH MY FOREHEAD’ by Eric Bogosian
December 7-December 30
A one-man show that delivers searing commentary on topics from panhandlers to barbecue-crazed millionaires.

Tickets: 330-606-5317


NEAR WEST THEATRE

‘BEAUTY AND THE BEAST’
November 16 - December 2
Based on the Academy Award winning animated feature.
Plays performed at St. Patrick’s Club Building, 3606 Bridge Avenue,.

Tickets and information call 216-961-9750


THE CLEVELAND PLAYHOUSE, MAINSTAGE

‘MAN OF LA MANCHA’ by Dale Wasserman
Drury Theatre, September 14 – October 7
Winner of five Tony Awards, the “Dream the Impossible Dream” musical, is an adventure narrated by a prisoner who recounts a fable of righting all wrongs and winning the heart of one’s true love.


‘SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE FINAL ADVENTURE’ by Steven Dietz
A mystery featuring the world’s greatest detective, the King of Bohemia, a notorious photograph, a kidnapping, and of course, Holmes’ great nemesis, Professor Moriarty.

‘THE CHOSEN’ by Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok
Drury Theatre, November 2-25
Set amid the intellectual and religious turmoil of the 1940’s in America, the play dramatizes the universal challenges of coming of age and a heartfelt path to understanding and reconciliation.

‘A CHRISTMAS STORY,’ adapted by Philip Grecian
Bolton Theatre, November 29 – December 23
Based on the movie filmed in Cleveland in 1983, this classic holiday comedy is a funny and sweet tale of growing up in the 1940s. Suitable for ages 5 and up –back by popular demand!

Tickets: 216-795-7000

New at CPH: Sweetwater Restaurant Group, operated by Gary Lucarelli, will operate a public restaurant in the space formerly occupied by The Cleveland Play House Club. The new restaurant, Stages at The Cleveland Play House, opens in mid- September.

ACTORS’ SUMMIT

‘ROUNDING THIRD’ by Richard Dresser
September 13-30
The tumultuous journey of two Little League fathers, with different philosophies of life and winning, who co-coach a team to the climactic championship game.

‘MEDEA’ by Euripides, translated and adapted by Robinson Jeffers. October 18-November 4
Having saved her husband’s life, Medea is spurned by him when he re-marries for political power. She wreaks aweful and awful revenge on him.

‘A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS IN WALES’ adapted to the stage by Jeremy Brooks and Adrian Mitchell
November 29-December 23
Dylan Thomas’s boyhood memories of Wales.
Tickets: 330-342-0800. Mail orders can be sent to Actors' Summit, 86 Owen Brown Street, Hudson, OH 44236, and email orders may be sent to: info@actorssummit.org

CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE

GORDON SQUARE THEATRE
Oct. 11- 27: ‘AT-TEN-TION SPAN: A FESTIVAL OF 10-MINUTE PLAYS.’ An evening of work by local and national writers.

Nov. 9 –11: ‘THE Y-HAVEN PROJECT’
An original work created and performed by the Men of Y-Haven based on their personal experiences.

Dec. 6 –22: ‘THE SANTALAND DIARIES’
David Sedaris' hilarious retelling of his days as a Macy’s elf.

JAMES LEVIN THEATRE

Oct. 18 – Nov. 3: ‘Osama the Hero” by Dennis Kelly. In this angry, explosive, controversial new work, garages are blowing up all over the neighborhood and vigilantes hunt down someone to shoulder the blame. Ohio and regional premiere

Nov. 8 –18: “LITTLE BOX’
A series of staged readings modeled after the successful Big Box series but on a smaller scale. Designed to foster works by local playwrights and producers at an earlier stage of development.

Nov. 29 – Dec. 22: ‘PULP’ by Patricia Kane, music by Amy Warren and Andre Pluess, lyrics by Patricia Kane.
A sexy and over-the top all female musical comedy takeoff of the lesbian pulp fiction of the 1930’s through the 1950’s. Ohio and Regional Premiere.

Tickets: 216.631.2727 or go to www.cptonline.org.

Michael May reviews the reviewer's review

Hi, Mr. Berko.

This is Michael May from the show "Take Me Out". I'm writing to thank you for your attendance and review of the show. I'm very glad that you enjoyed it. Thank you for recommending it to your readers.

Thank you, also, for your suggestions for the improvement of it. You were very fair and accurate in your comments. The importance of articulation was something that our director was consistently on us about. Particularly, because of the type of space we were performing in, we needed to be, and still need to be, mindful of that.

I don't have much else to say. I just wanted to say "Thank you", so "Thank you".

Best wishes to you,
Michael May

Seussical! The Musical

Entertaining ‘SEUSSICAL! THE MUSICAL’ at Mercury Summer Stock

Pierre-Jacques Brault, the founder and Artistic Director of Mercury Summer Theatre, which is now staging ‘SEUSSICAL! THE MUSICAL,’ has a difficult task. He is working with a company that has a shoe-string budget, performs in a Parma theatre with little stage space, and needs to locate performers and technicians who are willing to spend long rehearsal hours for little or no pay.

In spite of these drawbacks, Brault finds a way to stage audience-pleasing productions. The talented, enthusiastic and ever-smiling Brault, has accomplished this by building a group of loyal disciples who follow the person who, one of his advocates describes as, “The heart and soul of Mercury” and “who I’d do anything for.”

Now, make no grandiose assumptions. Mercury’s productions are not shows that compare with stagings by the area’s professional theatres, but that’s not the mission of Mercury. They want to “serve the community by entertaining, enlightening and celebrating the best of human spirit through art.” And, with all their limitations, they do a nice job.

Mercury’s final production of their 2007 season is ‘SEUSSICAL! THE MUSICAL.’
The show, which is based on the books of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, had its debut on Broadway in 2000. During the Broadway run, such luminaries as Rosie O'Donnell and Cathy Rigby played the role of the show’s narrator, The Cat in the Hat.

The play's story is an amalgamation of many of Seuss' most famous books.
The lynch pin of the show is Horton, the sweet and naive elephant, who endeavors to protect the people of Who-ville while sitting on an abandoned bird’s egg.

Lynn Ahrens and Steven Flaherty’s music and lyrics include such delights as “Alone in the Universe,” “Oh, The Thinks You Can Think!” and “It’s Possible.”

Brault’s staging is generally cute and clever. His choreography fits the level of the dancers. The cast, as is the case with most community theatre amateur productions, is uneven.

Daniel Marshall switches personas easily as the Cat In The Hat. Though his singing quality is inconsistent, he is endearing. Dan Dicello, is appealing as the lovable Horton, though he is also erratic in his vocalizations.

Molly Richards is absolutely delightful as Gertrude McFuzz. Her “The One Feather Tail of Miss Gertrude McFuzz” is a show stopper. Kelvette Beacham wailed as Sour Kangaroo.

Noah Weinstein and Annie Hickey were right on as Thing One and Thing Two while Miles Sternfeld had some nice moments as Jojo. Brian Marshall and Danielle Renard were wonderful as the Mayor of Who and the Mayor’s wife.

As is the case when a play is child-appealing, I took a member of my “kid’s reviewing squad” to ‘SEUSSICAL!.’ Eleven year-old Alex Berko gave the show an 8 1/2 on a scale of ten. He loved the comedy elements, but thought the singing was “not as good as it should have been.” He thought the Cat, who was one of his favorites, made every joke work. He loved Gertrude McFuzz and thought Jojo was “really good.” He felt the show started slowly, but said, “I guess they had to tell the audience who everyone was, because not everyone has read the Seuss books, but it did slow things down.” As a musician (he’s a talented pianist), he thought the orchestra sounded a “little tinny.” The show’s messages? “A person’s a person no matter how small” and “we all need someone to believe in.”

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Mercury’s ‘SEUSSICAL! THE MUSICAL,’ is a pleasant theatrical experience. Smaller kids may have a little trouble sitting through it as the story doesn’t follow each Seuss tale in order or detail. But, in general, they should do fine and adults will enjoy themselves as well.

Take Me Out

Dobama hits a home run with ‘TAKE ME OUT’

Homophobia, racism, the meaning of masculinity, and the search for identity are at the very core of ‘TAKE ME OUT,’ Richard Greenberg’s drama with comic overtones, now being performed by Dobama .

‘TAKE ME OUT,’ which opened off-Broadway in 2003, became an instant success and was transferred on-Broadway later that same year. It ran for 355 performances and garnered the Tony Award for Best Play.

Professional sports is a world unto itself. There are written and unwritten rules, not only on how to play the game, but how to protect the “men’s club” that has been perpetuated in the world of athletics. For example, to date, no male major league baseball, football or basketball player has openly declared his homosexuality while being an active participant. The closest was Glenn Burke, the creator of the “high five” gesture, who played with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland Athletics from 1976 to 1979. He was out to his teammates and team owners, but not to the general public.

In ‘TAKE ME OUT,’ Greenberg uses the precedence to ask the question,’ “What would happen if an active major league player did come out?”

Darren Lemming, a mixed-race star for the Empires (a Yankee-like team) is at the top of his career. He has a spotless reputation. For some unexplained reason he decides to "out" himself during a press conference. The result is a series of incidents which exposes how his relationships with teammates, media and fans changes.

While Lemming is the central character in the play, Greenberg uses another player, Kippy Sunderstrom, as the narrator to describe the action. As he leads us, we watch games unfold, locker room interactions, behind the scenes problems develop. We see how Lemming’s admission affects the team and individual relationships.

The situation reaches its climax when Shane Mungitt, a southern, uneducated, unworldly, new “phoneme” relief pitcher is asked a question at a press conference. Not knowing the “rules,” he goes off about “spics, gooks, niggers” and even the “faggot” he has to shower with after the game. In reality, his answer is not unlike that given by John Rocker, a former Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indian’s relief pitcher, who caused a ruckus with is description of New York City in a Sports Illustrated article in January 2000. He said, "Imagine having to take the 7 Train to the ballpark, looking like you're riding through Beirut, next to some kid with purple hair, next to some queer with AIDS, right next to some dude who just got out of jail for the fourth time, right next to some 20-year-old mom with four kids.” The result, much like that in the play, was a public outcry and Rocker’s eventual suspension.

Dobama’s production, under the wise direction of Scott Plate, is outstanding. The acting is consistent, the pacing is generally excellent. The exception was the startling ending of the second act which was rushed and did not allow the audience to truly experience the extent of the havoc which they have just seen. A slow fade and holding the lights out at the end of the scene would have added to the tension. But, considering everything, that’s a minor issue.

Michael May evoked the necessary positive personal self-confidence and slightly below the surface vulnerability to make Lemming a real person.

Phil Carroll was attitude-perfect. He made it easy to understand why the intellectual and personable Kippy was the team’s leader, soul and conscience.

Caleb Sekeres was nothing short of astounding as Mason Marzac, a physically slight, nebbish-like gay financial planner, who was thrust upon Lemming after the star came out and the “big financial guns” didn’t want to be tainted by dealing with the now tarnished player. Sekeres not only falls in love with Lemming, but the game of baseball. His monologue when he exclaims, “Baseball is better than democracy--at least democracy as practiced in this country,” was a show highlight. It’s worth going just to experience Sekeres’s performance.

Fred Maurer, complete with ticks, spitting, confused look and verbal slurring, makes Shane Mungitt so very, very real. It’s a hard part to develop as Mungitt must be made to be sympathetic while being despicable. Maureer succeeds. Again, one of those special performances!

A combination of general poor articulation and disproportionate screaming in a key scene, made David Lemoyne (Davey Battle) often difficult to understand. He could have shown the same emotions without the excessive theatrics and yelling.

The rest of the cast was very proficient with each developing a consistent characterization. Adding to all of the usual character development issues was the need to feel comfortable while nude in several locker and shower scenes. There was no apparent discomfort on the part of the audience because the actors appeared at ease with their nudity and Plate had directed the scenes as a natural part of the entire locker room experience.

‘TAKE ME OUT’ is an intimate play. Jeff Herrmann’s set and Jeff Lockshine’s lighting helped establish the proper mood. Though the theatre in the square configuration sometimes led to not being able to hear some lines, depending on where the audience member was sitting, this was generally not a major problem. Aimee Kleiuber’s costumes were excellent. The mood of each scene was well set by sound designer Richard Ingraham’s selection of the different versions of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” as they play progressed.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: ‘TAKE ME OUT’ is another of those outstanding productions that has become the hallmark of Dobama. It is a must see for anyone interested in baseball, social issues or just good theatre!

Some Girl(s)

‘SOME GIRL(S),’ another Neil LaBute play at BANG AND CLATTER

Bang and Clatter, North Coast’s creative little theatre, is now staging Neil LaBute’s ‘SOME GIRL(S). LaBute is the red-hot playwright who penned such gems as ‘IN THE COMPANY OF MEN,’ which became a hit movie; ‘THE MERCY SEAT,’ which was one of the first major theatrical responses to the September 11, 2001 attacks; and ‘FAT PIG,’ which was given a compelling staging earlier this year by B&C.

LaBute, who is noted for writing “revenge plays,” in which women get even with a man who has wronged them, again skewers a man in ‘SOME GIRL(S).’

The story centers on Guy. We watch, well, kind of eavesdrop on him in various hotel rooms, as he revisits five major ex-girlfriends—as well as several others we don't see—prior to his forthcoming marriage. According to Guy, his motive for the visits is to apologize and make up for the breakups. In reality, he is acting out a much deeper psychological problem...his obsessive love ‘em/leave ‘em/feel no regrets way of life.

As the plot develops we start asking about Guy’s real intentions. Is he a “good guy” trying to make amends, or, is he a “bad guy” looking for new material for a tell-all story like the one he recently published, and with which some of the girls were not thrilled.

As is true of LaBute’s writing, each woman we meet has a highly individual language and personality. Eventually, true to LaBute’s theme, each repays Guy in her own way as reconciliation turns into retaliation, one with a slap, another through seduction, a third via guilt, a fourth via humiliation, and the fifth walking out when he expresses deep love for her.

The play opened for a professional run in 2005 in London with David Schwimmer of TV’s ‘FRIENDS’ playing the lead. When the show was transferred to NY in 2006, Schwimmer had another commitment so he was replaced by Eric McCormack of ‘WILL AND GRACE’ notoriety. The off-Broadway cast also included Fran Drescher (“THE NANNY’), Judy Reyes (‘SCRUBS’) and Maura Tierney (‘ER’). The play, in both productions, was a smash hit.

The Bang and Clatter production is quite acceptable, but not sterling. Its pace is too languid in many scenes, in fact most of the first act. Some of the tensions and laugh lines are lost due to the lack of keying of lines. The audience was forced to work too hard to grasp LaBute’s message and keep involved in the action.

Daniel McElhaney, though he tries hard, as can be witnessed by the cascades of sweat pouring down his face, isn’t totally up to the role of Guy. He does not have the charisma or physical appeal of Schwimmer nor the good looks or quirkiness of McCormick. It is rather difficult to believe that McElhaney was able to attract and bed all of these women. To be a “chick magnet” he needs to have some deep appeal, charisma and warmth. What is McElhaney’s? As for his acting, many of his lines, especially in the important ending of the play, seem undeveloped, without a concept of understanding nor clarity of meaning.

Sam (Margaret Morris), was Guy’s high school sweetheart whom he left with no explanation. She is now in an unfulfilling marriage and saddled with multiple children. Morris conveys an attitude of being properly angry, but much of her angst is displayed with contorted facial expressions that detract.

Tyler (Rachel Roberts) is a free spirit, nonintellectual and promiscuous. She and Guy enjoyed some kinky sex, and their breakup apparently suited her just as much as him, but she, too, makes him pay! Roberts physically fits the role of the beautiful Tyler, but seems a little uncomfortable with the demands of the part. This is the most talky scene, which seems to drag on and on.

Reggie (Lisa Siciliano) was twelve when eighteen year-old Guy kissed and inappropriately touched his best friend’s young sister. She was both confused and enthralled by the action. Johnson shows all the signs of someone in deep conflict, conveying the mood swings that are the results of the conflict between desire and guilt.

In Boston, where Guy was a college instructor, he had a clandestine adulterous affair with Lindsay (Laurel Johnson), an older colleague who was married to another academic. When their carryings-on were discovered, Guy fled and left her to face the humiliation alone. Johnson is excellent as the wronged Lindsay. She embodies the role and seems to have the clearest understanding of the whys of the revenge she plots.

Finally, in Los Angeles, there is Bobbi (Alanna Romansky), another who was loved and left. She may have been Guy’s real love, but he was unable to rid himself of his love ‘em but leave ‘em past. Romansky develops her role well and is generally believable.

Sean Derry’s set design and the set changes by the female members of the cast are quite clever. As Guy stays in hotels of the same chain, the rooms in which the encounters take place are marked by the same furniture, but through slight shifts of the scenery, they become superficial like Guy.

Capsule judgement: ‘SOME GIRL(S)’ is a thought provoking play with an interesting premise. Though acceptable, the production needed a leading man who more fit the physical and personality needs of the role, and who also understood the underlying motivations of the character. As is, it’s a show worth seeing, but is far from what it should be.

Lion King

Spectacular ‘LION KING’ roars into State Theatre

When it was proposed that the film ‘THE LION KING’ be transformed into a stage musical, there were many nay-sayers. How could animated animals be successfully portrayed by real people? How could the stage include such vast and sweeping elements as the rolling African savannah and the plot-necessary wildebeest stampede?

Enter Julie Taymor. She not only conceived the concept for the production, but directed the show, devised the costumes, co-designed the masks and puppets, and wrote additional lyrics to supplement those used in the Disney movie. The result of her creative genius is a spectacular visual and artistic production.

The stage version opened in New York October 1997. It was an instant success, going on to win Tonys for Best Musical, Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design, Best Choreography (Garth Fagan) and Best Direction of a Musical (Julie Taymor).

The story line centers on the animal kingdom of the African veldt. Simba, a young lion prince avenges his father's murder by his treacherous uncle. In the process he ventures into the jungle, discovers new and eccentric friends, finds his true love, and discovers his destiny. The message? “You can run from your past, or learn from it.”

One of the concerns of attending a touring show, especially of a production that has already been around in its original traveling version, is that there will be a watering down of theatrical elements. Fear not. The production appearing on the State Theatre stage is every bit as vibrant as the Broadway production. The sets, the costumes, the masks, the special effects, the musical sounds, the acting talent---they are all on our local stage.

Appearing on that stage are over 200 puppets; 25 kinds of animals, birds, fish and insects; 12 bird kites; 18-foot giraffes; 39 hyenas; 52 wildebeests and a 13 -foot elephant. It takes two 48-foot semi-trailers to transport the production’s puppets from city to city. There are 143 people directly involved in each production, including 53 cast members, 21 musicians, 17 wardrobe people, 5 hair/makeup artists, 3 puppet craftsmen, 13 carpenters, 10 electricians and 3 sound people.

Right from the parade of the animals at the beginning of the show when the human/puppets traverse down the aisles, it is apparent that this is an audience pleasing epic. The applause and “ohs” and “ahs” started immediately and continued throughout the show, climaxing in a screaming ovation as the curtain fell.

Those familiar with the movie version, which has music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, will be reacquainted with such songs as: “The Circle of Life,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Hakuna Matata.” Added are pieces from “The Rhythm of the Pride Lands,” a recording inspired by the film, which sets a sound and mood of South Africa.

There are no well known names in the cast, but each performer is excellent. No second rate, “making their acting debut” performers here, which is often the case in some touring shows.

Since my “kid’s point of view” assistants, grandsons Alex and Noah Berko, are at sleep away camp, I was curious about how children were reacting to the show. Between the dark moments, the scary hyenas, the death of the lion king and the explosions, I was wondering how little ones were affected. Most parents of those four and above indicated the kids were thrilled, except for the fact that “it wasn’t like the movie.” Cries of terror during certain scenes indicated that some of the littler ones weren’t faring as well. Anyone planning on taking young children should be aware that the show is long and that there are some scary parts. Watching an animated character die on television is not the same as seeing a real person expire or get attacked so it is essential to evaluate the emotional sensitivities of your child.

Capsule judgment: If you are going to see ‘THE LION KING’ in its full glory, you need to get to the State Theatre and see this, the final official touring production. Though local theatres may attempt to stage the script, it will be nearly impossible to reproduce the spectacle elements!