Monday, March 18, 2024

ORDINARY DAYS


ORDINARY DAYS

BALDWIN WALLACE MUSIC THEATRE PROGRAM

MARCH 15-17, 2024

PLAYHOUSE SQUARE/THE HELEN  

Roy Berko

It’s a shame that the show only ran four performances.  It is the type of production that develops a cult following and could have run on and on in an open-ended -format.  Personally, I was enamored by the script, found the members of the Downtown cast wonderful (the show is double cast, with Anthony Maja, Kenna Wilson, Luke Henson and Jessi Kirtey being the Uptown cast), and not only would I have liked to see that cast, but would have excitedly encouraged everyone to see the show!

To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.


Laura Kennelly
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Laura's posts at Cool Cleveland.


Sunday, March 10, 2024

It Happened In Atlanta @ Karamu House


Through March 30, 2024
(216) 795-7070

 

Roy Berko
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Howard Gollop
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review here.

Sheri Gross
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Sheri Gross' review here.

Mark Horning

This slice of urban Cleveland life will ring true especially with older married couples who would have sense enough NOT to play “the couples game” with each card being a hand grenade with the pin pulled and tossed aside. That fact withstanding, it was intriguing to see the created chaos and how each person worked to make everything right. A solid play with a solid performance worth seeing with your significant other.

To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.

Chris Howey
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.

Kate Klotzbach

No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Kate's posts here.

Dr. Yuko Kurahashi
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Yuko's posts here.

Joey Morona
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Joey's posts here.

 

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Something Clean @ Dobama Theatre



SOMETHING CLEAN
DOBAMA
MARCH 8-30, 2024
DOBAMA.ORG or 216-321-2930

Roy Berko

Combine the fine writing by Selina Fillinger, with the focused directing of Shannon Sindelar, add in the excellent technical aspects of the Dobama staff, and three finely-etched realistic portrayals, and the result is a superb evening of must-see theatre.


To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Howard Gollop
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review here.

Sheri Gross
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Sheri Gross' review here.

Mark Horning

What happens when undeserved blame is showered on the innocent? This play, ripped right out of the pages of the nation’s newspapers and social media feeds tells the unabashed story of a family in crisis and their manner of coping. You will feel yourself drawn in as the story unfolds and rooting for maybe not so much a happy ending but a fair one. See this show.      

To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.

Chris Howey
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.

Laura Kennelly
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Laura's posts at Cool Cleveland.

Kate Klotzbach
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Kate's posts here.

Dr. Yuko Kurahashi
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Yuko's posts here.

Joey Morona
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Joey's posts here.

 

Saturday, March 2, 2024

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby @ Ohio Shakespeare Festival



Through March 17, 2024
(330) 574-2537

 

Mark Horning

Personally, I would have wished for an earlier start time and perhaps dividing the show into two segments and alternating each piece on succeeding days. This would put far less stress on the actors and audience alike. With that said, it is a well produced show with just a couple of fixable problems that will right themselves as the show carries on. 

To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.

Chris Howey
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.


Dr. Yuko Kurahashi


Under the direction of Nancy Cates, the design team created an environment in which this epic story is told seamlessly. Scenic Designer Natalie Steen keeps the stage minimalistic, installing four different performable levels with several staircases.  The upper level “balcony,” as familiar in the Elizabethan theatres, serves as a performing area and a passage for the performers.  In addition, the actors use the second level of the auditorium of the Henry C. Bishop Stage in Greystone Hall. These spaces illustrate the world of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby: London, Yorkshire, and Portsmouth.  Within in each location are sub-locations that include the residence of Ralph Nickleby, the inn, the tavern, the millinery, and the backstage of the theatre in Portsmouth. Tables, tablecloths, chairs, and a chaise support the production’s numerous “scene changes” (without interruptions).


To see a full review of this show, read Yuko's posts here.


Saturday, February 24, 2024

RENT



RENT

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY--E. TURNER STUMP THEATRE
February 16-25, 2024
330-672-2787

Dr. Yuko Kurahashi

Kent State University School of Theatre and Dance’s production of Rent written and composed by Jonathan Larson and directed by Amy Fritsche is one of the most revealing, moving, and compelling works. We worry about if the current generation can grasp the breadth of this musical written and set in the 1990s. KSU School of Theatre and Dance’s cast nailed the show by their true understanding of the script and genuine compassion for each character.


To see a full review of this show, read Yuko's posts here.

 

MIDDLETOWN



MIDDLETOWN
Cleveland Play House (CWRU/CPH MFA ACTING PROGRAM)

The Helen Theatre

February 21-March 2, 2024
216-400-7000

Howard Gollop

A simple drama about small-town life turns out to be anything but warm escapism in Will Eno's "Middletown." Some striking and ominous visual effects by Ben Needham (sets) and Adam Ditzes (lights) help coax the audience into accepting the extraordinary emanating out of the ordinary. But what really propels the subtext is the nuanced performances of the members of the Case Western University and Cleveland Play House joint MFA program, so insightfully honed by director Donald Carrier.

To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review here.


Dr. Yuko Kurahashi

Set in Middletown, a small town where everybody knows everyone—but not quite, Will Eno’s Middletown is a nervous Our Town, minus Emily and umbrellas. Eno includes possible bits and pieces of references, renditions, and metaphors from Angels in America, Endgame, The Trueman Show, Expecting Isabel, many stories by Philip Roth, and Carl Sagan’s Murmurs of Earth. 

To see a full review of this show, read Yuko's posts here.


Thursday, February 22, 2024

Funny Girl @ Playhouse Square



Through March 10, 2024
https://www.playhousesquare.org/
(216) 241-6000

 

Roy Berko


FUNNY GIRL is a throwback to the traditional musical.  From the sprightly overture, to the sequential story line, to an I want song (“Who are You Now!), that sets the show’s storyline in action, to the big score which is nicely woven into the storyline, to several hit songs (“People” and Don’t Rain on My Parade”), it is meant to entertain audiences and, in spite of what some will think is a misinterpretation of the role of Fanny, entertain it does. 

To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Howard Gollop

The question becomes, does Katerina McCrimmon, a Cuban discovery from Miami, sound enough like the Streisand? Does she sound too much like Streisand to the point of imitation? How about comparisons to Lea Michelle, the star from TV's "Glee" who took over the struggling musical revival and reportedly enabled it to turn a profit last year? Well, good news: McCrimmon is a powerful interpretive singer in her own right, and she even manages a convincing Jewish accent that brings back Fanny Brice into focus as well. As for the rest of the musical, it's a joy to hear the complete original score by Jule Styne (music) and Bob Merrill (lyrics) in Isobel Lennard's original book (script), tweaked for the latest Broadway revival by Harvey Fierstein.

To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review here.

Sheri Gross

This is a revival that needed to happen. And although it got off to a rocky start on Broadway, Katerina McCrimmon, along with the rest of the talented ensemble, is just the actor to land this version of “Funny Girl” into a brand new spotlight of its own.

To see a full review of this show, read Sheri Gross' review here.

Mark Horning

In the proud tradition of the Broadway musical, this show has it all and then some. Brassy Ziegfeld Folly numbers, heartfelt romantic ballads, superb dancing numbers with exciting tap routines, flashy costumes, fantastic sets and superb acting makes this must see Broadway musical theater. Don’t let the weather rain (or snow) on your parade. Come on down for an evening of fun and find out what happy people do (hint, they see touring Broadway musicals).

To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.

Chris Howey

With a few wrinkles, this touring show at Playhouse Square provied a glimpse of what star power looked like about a century ago.

To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.

Laura Kennelly

Funny Girl, now at Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace, celebrates vaudeville star Fanny Brice’s rise to fame via the Ziegfeld Follies in the early 1900s. If you have seen the Barbara Streisand film version, you already know the plot and probably have favorite songs.

To see a full review of this show, read Laura's post here or at Cool Cleveland.

Joey Morona

“Funny Girl” is one of those shows whose success hinges on its central performance. The role of Fanny Brice is so powerful that it turned Barbra Streisand into a star and uncanceled Lea Michele. Newcomer McCrimmon absolutely shines on tour, capturing the essence of the character while making it her own with vibrant energy, a powerful singing voice and the comedic timing of a seasoned pro.

To see a full review of this show, read Joey's posts here.

 

Sunday, February 18, 2024

The Play That Goes Wrong @ Cleveland Play House


Through March 3, 2024

https://www.clevelandplayhouse.com/ 

(216) 241-6000


Howard Gollop


If ever a case can be made for less is more, "The Play that Goes Wrong" is the right show to prove that axiom. For the Cleveland Play House production, brilliantly (and self-destructively) mounted by scenic designer Czerton Lim, the performers needlessly punctuate the slapstick and intentional overacting of the amateur British company (billed as the Cornley University Drama Society) putting on the mystery "The Murder of Faversham Manor" to the point of turning the evening into a circus clown show. Then again, a clown show, expertly choreographed by fight and stunt director Jason Paul Tate, was all many escapism-hungry audience members needed on a cold, rainy night on Playhouse Square. Considering the show is still a hit off-Broadway (perhaps slightly more reigned in), even New York audiences would concur.
To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review here.

Mark Horning

Even if you have seen this work before, it is well worth seeing the Cleveland Play House version of this comic classic. The production values are top-notch, the comedy is spot on and the physical funny aspects are a work of art. It is a comic farce that will have you laughing all the way home. Share in the delight and silliness!

To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.

Chris Howey

"In sum, The Play That Goes Wrong will make many in the audience laugh till their sides ache, while others may feel like they've attended a limply amusing theatrical mugging."

To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.

Laura Kennelly

Whoops! If everything goes wrong in the Cleveland Play House’s current show, that means everything is going right! The Play That Goes Wrong, now at Playhouse Square’s Allen Theatre, shows farce at its best. One testimony to that is that the run of this play within a play has been extended to March 10, a week longer than planned, due to ticket demand.

Maybe it’s schadenfreude, but I think Clevelanders know how easy it is for things to go wrong and how cool it is to be able to not only make the best of it, but also to laugh about it. “River on fire? Bah, not stopping us,” etc. 

To see a full review of this show, read here or see Laura's posts at Cool Cleveland.

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Mother Courage and Her Children @ Ensemble Theatre


MOTHER COURAGE
Ensemble
February 9-25, 2024
ensembletheatrecle.org or 216-321-2930

 

Roy Berko


Theatre lovers, rejoice!  At 2 hours and 30 minutes MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN is a long sit, but a well-worth investment of time when realizing that you are seeing one of the epics of Western culture’s theatrical cannon which is getting an impressive staging.


To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Howard Gollop
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review here.

Sheri Gross
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Sheri Gross' review here.

Mark Horning

To say that this production is not one of my favorites would be an understatement. Perhaps it was an off night. If so, humor me, buy a ticket and see for yourself. For me there was no mother's love.

To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.

Chris Howey

"Mother Courage illustrates the fragility of human values, the ones we cherish and hold onto in the grim hope they will save us. And this trenchant production reveals them for what they are."

To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.

Kate Klotzbach

No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Kate's posts here.

Dr. Yuko Kurahashi

Ensemble Theatre’s Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht, translated (adapted) by Tony Kushner with music composition by Duke Special, and directed by Ian Wolfgang Hinz and Rebecca Moseley, is a powerful work that addresses multiple issues around war, business, and people. Although the play is set in the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648), these themes are universal, relevant to “any war, anywhere, at anytime” as the program states. The central character Anna Frierling, Mother Courage, is a middle-aged woman who pushes her wagon with her children, crossing the war-torn fields. They sell what they can sell—pots, pans, schnapps, soups, and sometimes, ammunition—to survive. The play is about survival, “war as a business,” sacrifice, bravery, courage, hypocrisy, and the devastation of human lives. 

To see a full review of this show, read Yuko's posts here.

Joey Morona
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Joey's posts here.

 

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

ALTER



ALTER
Cleveland Public Theatre
February 8-24, 2024
cptonline.org or 216-631-2727 Ext 501


 Roy Berko

It is always interesting to see a new script in its first full production.  With ALTER, the viewer not only gets to see the birth, but also experience a fine staging values.  Congrats to Tania Benites for developing a meaningful play and to Cleveland Public Theatre for giving the audience a fine experience. 

To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Howard Gollop
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review here.

Sheri Gross
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Sheri Gross' review here.

Mark Horning

What happens when we simultaneously become our biggest asset and worst enemy through the miracle of self-help aids. This is the twisted tale of two personalities inhabiting a single body. We cheer when Marie stands up to her over dominating co-working but agonize at the price she eventually pays. Come see this intriguing play.  

To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.

Chris Howey

"It's always exciting to see an original play hit a local stage, especially when it's written by a person raised in the northeast Ohio theater community. With Alter by Tania Benites, Cleveland Public Theatre and Teatro Publico de Cleveland join forces to present a work that, while flawed, has a neat twist in the storytelling that captures your imagination."

To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.

Kate Klotzbach

No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Kate's posts here.

Dr. Yuko Kurahashi
Tania Benites’s ALTER, directed by Barclay, is a contemporary Faust, Dr. Jekyll & Hyde, or Frankenstein story. One wishes to become or want somebody ideal, and their wishes come true—and then it is too late to realize that they have sold their soul to a devil. Alter challenges the self-help industry and the “let’s transform” ethos in today's context. We are bombarded daily with numerous workshops, trainings, classes, and self-books, which all try to promote a “more assertive, powerful, productive, influential and happier” you.  It is funny that I just got an invitation to attend a Live Webinar training called “Assertive Speaking Skills for Professionals: How to Ask for What You Want and Get It!” Maybe I will attend it to see if I will meet with my alter ego—a better and more assertive version of me.

To see a full review of this show, read Yuko's posts here.

Joey Morona
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Joey's posts here.

 

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Ride The Cyclone - The Musical @ Beck Center For The Arts



RIDE THE CYCLONE
BECK CENTER FOR THE ARTS
FEBRUARY 9-25, 2024
216-521-2540 or beckcenter.org

Roy Berko

The strong directing, performances and production qualities of RIDE THE CYCLONE THE MUSICAL overcome the less than stellar book and music to make this is definitely worthy of a trip to Beck Center where the audience gets to appreciate and wonder at the talents of the students enrolled in the BW Musical Theatre program.

 To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Howard Gollop

It's hard to avoid the pun, but Beck Center for the Art's "Ride the Cyclone" is indeed a transcendental joyride of all things musical and ethereal about teens grappling with the afterlife after a tragic accident on a carnival rollercoaster. It's an amazing cerebral flip-side to those teen-tragedy "Final Destination" movies -- made all that more compelling by a magnificent production-lighting design by Trad A. Burns and Jack Anthony Ina and the rest of the magnificent cast and crew joining the Beck Center from the celebrated Baldwin Wallace University Music Theater Program.

To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review here.

Mark Horning

This is one of those little gems of theater that if you blink will race by before you know it. The marriage of Beck Center’s technical staff with the enormous talent found in the BWU Music Theater Program gives us an extraordinary evening of musical entertainment. This show has it all: heart, courage, love and music. This is a highly recommended show to see.

To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.

Laura Kennelly

If all your favorite musicals had a love child, Ride the Cyclone might be it. Funny, touching, philosophical and musical — above all musical — this Beck Center and Baldwin Wallace collaboration is a delightful, witty creation.

Directed by Victoria Bussert and written by Canadians Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, this regional première features a small, but mighty troupe. (It is double cast; I saw the Raptor team.)

To see a full review of this show, go here or read Laura's posts at Cool Cleveland.

Dr. Yuko Kurahashi

Set in the amusement park in a small town called Uranium City—to ominously suggest a post-apocalyptic world—five high school students who belong to the choir group get on the rollercoaster ride, “The Cyclone.” During the ride, they were thrown out of their seats to the ground due to a mechanical failure.

Each student--Ocean O’Connell Rosenberg, Constance Blackwood, Noel Gruber, Ricky Potts, and Mischa Bachinski--has their distinctive personalities, histories, and dreams—which would not be materialized. That’s why the stories they share in their “last playground” become meaningful and profound to the extent that their shared stories would determine who they really “were” rather than they would be remembered by others. Many familiar themes and story and narrative devices/structures that remind the audience of those in SIX, The Wizard of Oz, Spring Awakening, and A Chorus Line make the show even more appealing.

To see a full review of this show, read Yuko's posts here.


Sunday, February 11, 2024

Murder On The Orient Express @ Great Lakes Theater



Through March 3, 2024
(216) 241-6000

 

Roy Berko


Agatha Christie’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS gets a wonderful staging at GLT.  It challenges the imagination, it delights, it makes for a special evening of theatre.  Yes, if you want a couple of hours out of the time we are all spending in this stressful world, this is an absolute GO SEE!


To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Howard Gollop

After two major film versions and TV versions of Agatha Christie's iconic mystery novel "Murder on the Orient Express," it might be hard to propel Ken ("Lend Me a Tenor") Ludwig the 2017 stage version on the basis of its actual mystery. Instead, the Great Lakes Theater's production propels "Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express" with a train. Under the embracing direction of Charles Fee, the cast members deliver all the European color, flare and mystery of their potentially duplicitous characters, but nothing gets this production moving like the stage crew, dressed as conductors, who literally push the whodunnit drama forward on its tracks. The audience eagerly hops aboard.

To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review here. 

Sheri Gross

All aboard the luxurious Orient Express for a fabulous, fast-paced farce full of murder, mystery, and mayhem, with a talented cast that will keep you guessing from curtain up to curtain call.  


To see a full review of this show, read Sheri Gross' review here.

Mark Horning

Even those who are familiar with the movie version (and thus the “surprise ending”) will still fall in love with the characters and the way the plot and characters are developed. It is an evening of superb theater that is guaranteed to sell out with each performance. Get your tickets NOW! It’s everything that is great about theater.

To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.

Chris Howey

"Of course, the ending is what makes this play  so enduring, as it tosses the concepts of punishment and justice into a cocked (and oh-so-decorous) hat. After all the splendid speeches and visual delights, it will leave you to mull the appropriateness of the outcome yourself. And that's a tasty ending to a luscious theatrical package."

To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.

Laura Kennelly

A shotgun wedding — an Agatha Christie thriller combined with playwright Ken Ludwig’s sense of the ridiculous — makes for a mystery-packed comedy production of Murder on the Orient Express at Great Lakes Theater.

While it may sound lovely to ride on an elegantly decorated express train from Istanbul to Paris, our story makes it obvious it is a mistake to ride anywhere with mystery writer Christie’s Detective Hercule Poirot. Trouble is bound to follow, at least in this well-paced play directed by Charles Fee.

To see a full review of this show, go here or read Laura's posts at Cool Cleveland.

Dr. Yuko Kurahashi

Ken Ludwig’s adaptation/dramatization makes the story simpler, more hilarious, and entertaining for the American audience.  According to the program note, Ludwig reduced the number of suspects from 12 to 8, making it possible for the audience to follow the characters and their relationships with the murder of Daisy. This murder case, which ties all the eight passengers together, reminds the audience of the kidnapping of Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. in 1932. Ludwig’s script ominously foretells the approaching Hitler’s invasion of the territories that the Orient Express traverses. And that unsettling atmosphere is implied—so I felt—by the sound effects similar to bombings in the last scene.    

To see a full review of this show, read Yuko's posts here.

Joey Morona

The official description calls “Alter” a workplace dramedy, but the playwright sees it as more of a dark comedy with thriller and horror elements.

To see a full review of this show, read Joey's posts here.

 

Friday, February 2, 2024

Breakfast At The Bookstore @ Karamu House



Through February 18, 2024
(216) 795-7070        

 

Roy Berko

 According to the program notes, Dot, the fulcrum around which the plot circulates, “represents the next generation of freedom fighters who refuse to be restricted by binaries and demand that we acknowledge their full humanity in all its complexity.”  Oh, if that were only true, and the playwright made this clearer in her writing.  As is, I doubt whether that erudite message was what many in the audience garnered from the presentation.

To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Mark Horning

If you are looking for a bit of something different with hard hitting social commentary, look no further. This is an entertaining two hours with a profound message and a magnifying microcosm of the Black/White situation in Cleveland and the world both past and present. Come to the show and be enlightened. 

To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.

Chris Howey

The Breakfast at the Bookstore, carries a powerful message about the ways people in Cleveland's Black community were seeking sustenance—physically, mentally and spiritually—back in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.

Yuko Kurahashi

Though The Breakfast at the Bookstore is packed with so many ideas—feminism, transgenderism, Black nationalism, Afrofuturism, and today’s activism, what comes back at the end of the show is “Free Breakfast.” A free breakfast program was started by the Black nationalist party in the late 1960s to nourish children—both their bodies and souls.  The “bookstore” was the venue that the Black activists used to educate and solidify their followers. Many Black-owned bookstore owners became the targets of the police and FBI harassment.    

To see a full review of this show, read Yuko Kurahashi's review here.

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Mamma Mia @ Connor Palace Theatre



Through February 4, 2024
https://www.playhousesquare.org 
(216) 241-6000   

 

Mark Horning

This is the time of year when we all need a little pick me up and Mamma Mia is just the ticket. For many this may be a repeat but this cast brings a freshness that is irrepressible. Familiar songs that we all have grown to love combined with an engaging story line makes for a great night of musical theater. Take A Chance!

To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.

Chris Howey


But let's make one thing perfectly clear. Don't think if you've seen the movie Mamma Mia! you've seen enough. This lively, sleek production directed by Phyllida Lloyd and choreographed by Anthony Van Last is a smooth, fast-paced and engineered to get you dancing in your seat.


To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.


Saturday, January 27, 2024

At The Wake Of A Dead Drag Queen @ Dobama Theatre



Through February 18, 2024
(216) 932-3396 

 

Roy Berko 

The show, which gets an acceptable performance, isn't for everyone. However, it should make audience members think and expose the average person to people and a way-of-life beyond their norm experience. It’s worth a go-see!

To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Mark Horning

If you have ever been curious about the behind the scenes world of drag queens, now is your chance to experience up close and personal a slice of their lives. This production delves beyond the surface to give us an in depth portrait of two very complex characters. Paint your lips, swing your hips and come experience a moving story...high heels optional.

To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.

Chris Howey

Preston Crowder’s directing is evocative, compelling, and engaging. Love scenes with small “beats” are well choreographed and accentuated by lights and movement. The scenes are raw, visceral, and graphic, demonstrating the characters’ hunger for love and connections.

To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.

Yuko Kurahashi

Dobama Theatre’s regional premiere of At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen, written by Terry Guest and directed by Preston Crowder, is a powerful and compelling work that makes its audience reflect on the journey of LGBTQ+ people and communities. Set in a gay bar in Albany, Georgia, in multiple times—past, present, and future—Courtney/Anthony Berringers, performed by Jason Eno, tells a story about them, her, him, and others ranging from West African Gods/Goddesses to Trina, Judy Garland, and Whitey Houston. Though Courtney/Anthony’s story is told in the bar, the audience is taken, at the meta-level, to different locations in different moments of the characters’ lives, including their childhood homes and a hospital room.

To see a full review of this show, read Yuko Kurahashi's review page here.

Thursday, January 11, 2024

MRS. DOUBTFIRE (KeyBank Broadway Series)


Connor Palace

January 10-28, 2024

216-241-6000 or www.playhouse.org

 

Roy Berko

As the much-reprised song, “I Want to Be There” states, you will want to be there…at the Connor Palace…to join Rob McClure, and the rest of the cast, and enjoy the wonderful, fun-filled Mrs. Doubtfire!  Go! Enjoy!

To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Howard Gollop
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review here.

Sheri Gross


Sometimes movies that are turned into musicals fall short; Quite often plot modifications are rejected by audiences who have an affinity for the movie, and sometimes the music can be sub par–or even detrimental to the show itself, begging the question, “Did this really need to be made into a musical?” In the case of “Mrs. Doubtfire” on stage at Playhouse Square, the answer to that question is a resounding “yes,” and this North American Tour is…no doubt…a show you shouldn’t miss.  

To see a full review of this show, read Sheri Gross' review here.

Mark Horning

With a collection of Broadwayish numbers, disco, rock and roll, Flamenco and more you will be solidly entertained by this show. Add to that the variety of dance numbers and it becomes even better. It is a show full of heart with a strong family theme that the entire family will enjoy. HELOOOOOOOO!   

To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's Review here.

Chris Howey

The production is funny in fits and starts, featuring a hard-working lead actor, Rob McClure, trying his best to occasionally touch the comedic heights Williams was able to effortlessly scale. But it labors mightily under inevitable comparisons with the film, with McClure ultimately gasping for breath after dealing with many challenges including more than 30 costume/mask/wig changes.


To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.

Laura Kennelly

Who is Mrs. Doubtfire? Well, she’s a nanny, but she’s no Mary Poppins. For that matter, she’s not even a she. What she is, is entertaining and a bit manic (and thereby hangs the tale, as we said in Olden Days).

Bottom Line: It’s a bit of a challenge to believe someone would not recognize Daniel — plastic face bits, wig or no wig. I know it’s a necessary part of theater, but sometimes disbelief is harder to suspend than other times — in this case I kept thinking “Well, no wonder they split; she hardly knew him.” But that’s on the writers, not the actors and they gave it their all. Go for slapstick laughs to brighten up dreary January.

See the middle section Here
To see a full review of this show, read Laura's posts at Cool Cleveland.

Kate Klotzbach
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Kate's posts here.

Dr. Yuko Kurahashi
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Yuko's posts here.

Joey Morona

“Mrs. Doubtfire” isn’t the perfect musical. It might even be offensive to some. But with a universal message about the nature of the modern family, the show is well-intentioned, big-hearted and funny... really funny. Of that, there is little doubt.

To see a full review of this show, read Joey's posts here.

 

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

CLEVELAND CRITICS CIRCLE 2023 THEATER AWARDS




CLEVELAND CRITICS CIRCLE 2023 THEATER AWARDS

 

For more than 50 years, the CLEVELAND CRITICS CIRCLE (CCC) has provided support and recognition for professional theaters in our community and for the talented individuals who create and stage their productions. CCC members include local theater critics who write for print and/or online publisher(s); or who have established a distinct, credible, and consistent online presence (blog, etc.) for their reviews. 

 

On the CCC website, www.clevelandtheaterreviews.com, visitors will find capsule reviews of professional productions in the 216/440/330 area, with links to the reviewers’ full articles.

 

In addition, each year CCC honors outstanding local productions as well as select performers, directors, designers, and playwrights. (Note: The organization does not separate award recipients by gender identities.)

 

Eligible plays include those staged by Cleveland-area professional theaters during the 2023 calendar year. 

 

Members of the CCC who voted for the 2023 Awards are:  Sheri Gross (Cleveland Jewish News, The Lorain Journal, The News Herald), Mark Horning (WIX, Chagrin Valley TimesThe Solon Times), Howard Golub (The Chronicle Telegram), Christine Howey (Cleveland Scene) and Roy Berko (Broadwayworld.com, CoolCleveland.com, theatrecriticism.com, www.royberko.info).  Additional nominators:  Laura Kennelly (CoolCleveland.com) and Kerry Clawson (Akron Beacon Journal)

 

(Duplicate winners and honorable mentions are listed in alphabetical order, not by order of excellence.)

 

BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTION

NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, GREAT LAKES THEATER

            Honorable Mention

            BLACK NATIVITY, KARMAU HOUSE THEATRE

            CABARET, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

                        FUN HOME, CAIN PARK

            ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, BECK CENTER           

            

BEST NON-MUSICAL PRODUCTION 

            LITTLE WOMEN, DOBAMA THEATRE

                        Honorable Mention

                        DOUBT: A PARABLE, BECK CENTER

                        MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN, CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE

                                    SKYLIGHT, NONE TOO FRAGILE THEATRE

                        THE ISLAND, ENSEMBLE THEATRE

                                   TRUE WEST, NONE TOO FRAGILE THEATRE

 

BEST PERFORMERS–MUSICAL

ALEX SYIEK, NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, GREAT

         LAKES THEATER

            ISRAELJAH REIGNONCE ON THIS ISLAND, BECK CENTER

JESSIE KIRTLEY, NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, GREAT 

LAKES THEATER

JODI DOMINICK, NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, GREAT

LAKES THEATER

            KRIS LYONS, PIPPIN, BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY

            MICHAEL SNYDER, ROCKY, BLANK CANVAS THEATER

            SCOTT ESPOSITO, FUN HOME, CAIN PARK

                        Honorable Mention

                            MADISON SHANNON, CABARET, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

                            CARLYN DEMANELIS, ROCKY, BLANK CANVAS THEATER

            

BEST PERFORMERS – NON-MUSICAL

CHRISTOPHER BOHAN, DOUBT: A PARABLE, BECK CENTER

DERDRIU RING, FAITH HEALER, NONE TOO FRAGILE THEATRE

KATIE SIMÓN, LUNGS, ENSEMBLE THEATRE

MARIAH BURKS, LITTLE WOMEN, DOBAMA THEATRE

NNAMDI OKPALA, THE ISLAND, ENSEMBLE THEATRE

ROB GRANT, LUNGS, ENSEMBLE THEATRE

ROBERT WILLIAMS, THE ISLAND, ENSEMBLE THEATRE

            Honorable Mention

    NATALIE GREEN, TRUE WEST, NONE TOO FRAGILE THEATRE

    RACHEL LEE KOLIS, TRUE WEST, NONE TOO FRAGILE THEATRE

    RON NEWELL, A FUGITIVE’S LESSON, CESEAR’S FORUM

    TRACEE PATTERSON, THE OTHER PLACE, DOBAMA THEATER

 

RISING STAR

            JULIANA SHUMAKER, FUN HOME, CAIN PARK

                        

BEST DIRECTOR – MUSICAL

            VICTORIA BUSSERT, NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812,

                 GREAT LAKES THEATER

                        Honorable Mention

                              JOANNA MAY CULLINAN, FUN HOME, CAIN PARK

                              TERRI KENT, CABARET, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

            

BEST DIRECTOR – NON-MUSICAL

            MELISSA CRUM, LITTLE WOMEN, DOBAMA THEATER

                        Honorable Mention

        DONALD CARRIER, DOUBT: A PARABLE, BECK CENTER

        JEANNINE GASKIN, TROUBLE IN MIND, SEAT OF PANTS ENSEMBLE

        SARAH MAY, THE ISLAND, ENSEMBLE THEATRE

                                SEAN DERRY, SKYLIGHT, NONE TOO FRAGILE THEATRE  

 

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER 

JACLYN MILLER, NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, GREAT                     LAKES THEATER

Honorable Mention

        LAUREN TIDMORE, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR 

    DREAMCOAT, BECK CENTER

                    MARTIN CESPEDES, CABARET, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

                    MONICA OLEJKO, FUN HOME, CAIN PARK

                    SARAH CLARE, LEAP OF FAITH, BLANK CANVAS THEATER

 

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION  

MATTHEW WEBB, NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812,                             GREAT LAKES THEATER

Honorable Mention

            BRADLEY WYNER, RENT, CAIN PARK

            DAVID M. THOMAS, BLACK NAIVITY,

KARAMU HOUSE THEATRE/CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE

            LARRY GOODPASTER, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, BECK CENTER

 

BEST SCENIC DESIGN

JEFF HERMANN, NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812,                             GREAT LAKES THEATER

Honorable Mention

    LEX LIANG, MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN, CLEVELAND PLAY

         HOUSE

    SEAN DERRY, SKYLIGHTNONE TOO FRAGILE THEATRE  

 

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN 

JAKYUNG C. SEO, MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN, CLEVELAND PLAY

     HOUSE

                        Honorable Mention

                            RUSS BORSKI, GHOST, BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY/BECK

                                 CENTER     

    TRAD A BURNS, NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF                     1812GREAT LAKES THEATER

 

BEST PROJECTION DESIGN

            JEREMY PAUL, THE OTHER PLACE, DOBAMA THEATER

                        Honorable Mention

        BRITTANY MERENDA, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR 

    DREAMCOAT, BECK CENTER

                                KASUMO, GHOST, BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY/BECK

                                     CENTER 

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

            INDA BLATCH-GEIB, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, BECK CENTER

                      Honorable Mention

    INDA BLATCH GEIB, BLACK NATIVITY, KARAMU HOUSE THEATRE 

THEATER/CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE

    MEIKA VAN PLOEG, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, GREAT LAKES THEATER

                MICHELLE HUNT SOUZA, CABARET, KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

    TESIA DUGAN BENSON, NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET               OF 1812, GREAT LAKES THEATER

 

BEST SOUND DESIGN

            ANGIE HAYES, FUN HOME, CAIN PARK

                        Honorable Mention

RICHARD INGRAHAM, BLACK NATIVITY, KARAMU HOUSE 

THEATER/CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE

                        SHARATH PATEL, MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN, CLEVELAND 

PLAY HOUSE

TOM MARDIKES & STAN KOZAK, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, GREAT 

            LAKES THEATER

 

BEST TOURING PRODUCTION  

            DEAR EVAN HANSEN, PLAYHOUSE SQUARE

 

BEST NEW PLAY BY A LOCAL PLAYWRIGHT

A LIGHT IN THE NIGHT:  A HANUKKAH PLAY, LES AND ELANA HUNTER,                    TAILSPINNERS CHILDREN’S THEATRE

 

BEST CHORUS IN A MUSICAL 

            NATASHA, PIERRE AND THE GREAT COMET OF 1812, GREAT LAKES THEATER

                    Honorable Mention

                            RENT, CAIN PARK

                            ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, BECK CENTER

      JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, BECK

               CENTER

            

BEST WORLD PREMIERE IN THE CLEVELAND AREA

   A LIGHT IN THE NIGHT:  A HANUKKAH PLAY, LES AND ELANA HUNTER, 

                TAILSPINNERS CHILDREN’S THEATRE

 

SPECIAL MENTION

 

PATRICK CIAMACCO FOR HIS CREATIVITY IN PRESENTING HIGH-QUALITY THEATRE ON A SHOESTRING BUDGET AT BLANK CANVAS THEATER

 

GINA VERNACI FOR HER MANY YEARS OF INSPIRED SERVICE WITH PLAYHOUSE SQUARE

 

ENSEMBLE THEATRE’S WORKSHOP READING OF A COMMISSIONED PLAY, THE PROSPECT OF EQUALITY BY RACHEL ZAKE

 

AND, A REMINDER FROM THE PAST...

REUBEN AND DOROTHY SILVER FOR THEIR 21 YEARS OF STELLAR INVOLVEMENT WITH KARAMU HOUSE THEATRE