JERSEY BOYS @ PlayhouseSquare

May 6-18, 2014

216-241-6000 or www.playhousesquare.org

Bob Abelman

While Valli himself has no-doubt lost a few notes at the high end of the scale, this production of “Jersey Boys” is still as engaging, entertaining and ever-young as it was in 2011, 2008 and 2006. 

To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's CJN article here.

Mark Horning

This is the show that probably every subscription holder for the KeyBank Broadway Series has been waiting for and will not be disappointed by in any way.  High energy, great songs, a good story and well timed comedy combined with compelling drama makes this a must see conclusion to the season.  This is blue collar music that we all grew up with and you will find yourself fighting the urge to sing along.    
 
To see a full review of this show, read Mark Horning's blog.

Art Thomas

Although this is a traditional musical with a good story, the audience waits for the "performance pieces" and they are not disappointed with this production of "Jersey Boys". Reimagined lighting enhances the show with effects that were not invented when the show was written.

Click here to read the complete review at WestLife

CODE @ Theatre Ninjas

May 1-18, 2014
78th Street Studios

1300 West 78th Street, Cleveland 44102

tickets:  theaterninjas.com

Mark Horning

Theater Ninjas has a knack about breaking the fourth wall (as well as the 1st, 2nd and 3rd wall as well). “Code: Prelude” is a sensory overload of sight and sound that will leave you pondering on many levels. If you like your theater with a twist as well as a shove towards thinking original thoughts, this is the play for you to see. What at first seem to be random discourses (both verbal and displayed) are all interconnected with great thought and care. It’s a trip.    

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

Christine Howey

This is an expansive and boldly imaginative production, and for that it earns serious kudos. However, much of this excursion into the mathematical unknown, as directed by the pathologically-inventive Jeremy Paul, is sensory overload. 

To see a full review of this show, read Christine Howey's blog Rave and Pan

RING OF FIRE @ Actors' Summit

May 1-25, 2014

330-374-7568 or go to www.actorssummit.org

Bob Abelman

Although careful to avoid impersonating Johnny Cash, there is no sidestepping Cash’s trademark low notes in many of the songs that are sung during this show.  Not one of the featured performers is able to go to that place where heartache and hard times reside, which speaks volumes about this production of “Ring of Fire.”  

To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's CJN article here.


Kerry Clawson
 

Parts of "Ring of Fire" need polish, but the Actors’ Summit production as a whole captures the rebel spirit and brooding style of the American icon that was Johnny Cash. ...
If audiences are willing to overlook some inconsistencies in quality, there’s still a lot to like about "Ring of Fire," named for the 1963 Cash hit that Rolling Stone named No. 87 among the Greatest Songs of All Time.

To see a full review of this show, read Kerry Clawson's review here.


Mark Horning

What is lacking in a polished performance is made up by a hyper-enthusiastic audience who hung onto each note and rewarded the performers with loud clapping and cheering.  While not my cup of tea, fans of the man in black will flock to this show and love it despite its flaws.

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

SWIMMING IN THE SHALLOWS @ convergence continuum

May 2-24, 2014

convergence-continiuum.org or 216-687-0074

Bob Abelman

While the play’s shallowness is the source of its charm and appeal – like an episode of “Seinfeld” – it is also its downfall, for the play seems aimless and ends as abruptly and empty-handed as it begins.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that. 

To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's CJN article here.


Christine Howey
 

Oh no! Senator Rick Santorum’s twisted fever dream of the ultimate effects of gay sex have come true! But it’s worse! Santorum only imagined same sex coupling leading to “man-on-dog” relationships. But in Swimming in the Shallows, now at convergence-continuum, it is man-on-shark sex that is at issue. And as it turns out, that cross-species dynamic is the most interesting part of a production that disappoints at almost every level. 

To see a full review of this show, read Christine Howey's blog Rave and Pan


Art Thomas

Not a major work by any means, this show explores a variety of relationships through very short scenes. At an intermissionless one hour, that is more than enough time to check out both a gay wedding and a man enamored with a shark. 

To see a full review of this show, read Art Thomas' article in "WestLife" here

BEYOND THE HORIZON @ Ensemble Theater

April 25-May 18, 2014

www.ensemble-theatre.com or 216-321-2930

Bob Abelman

This production is worth seeing based on the merits of a young O’Neill’s not-yet evolved, not-often heard but still gorgeous prose and the quality of the actors speaking it.

To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's CJN article here.

Roy Berko

“Beyond The Horizon” is a Eugene O’Neill classic which gets few stagings.  The Ensemble production, in general, allows us to experience the beautiful writing of a master playwright. Ensemble is to be praised for continuing in its task to help keep the classics alive by producing this and other epic plays.

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


Christine Howey

Three characters in Eugene O’Neill’s Beyond the Horizon see their wishes come true, only to fall into regret and sadness. This play, O’Neill’s first Pulitzer Prize winner, shows its age with frequently clunky dialogue. But there is heat and passion at work here.

To see a full review of this show, read Christine Howey's blog Rave and Pan

AMERICAN IDIOT @ PHSQ/Palace Theatre

April 25-27, 2014
216-241-6000 or www.playhousesquare.org

Roy Berko

“Green Day’s American Idiot” is a loud, brash musical which attempts to tell the tale of modern day America.   In spite of a well-performed and musically proficient  performance, the thin script and redundant musical sounds resulted in a quickly to be forgotten theatrical experience.

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

Mark Horning

“Green Day's American Idiot” is the type of happening that all young people need to experience at some point in their fresh life (and perhaps some of their parents as well).  It is fast paced, raucous and wonderfully entertaining with a moral message snuck in as well.  If your head is in the right place, I guarantee that you will have the “Time of Your Life”. 

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

Kerry Clawson

There was a lot of raging but not much storytelling going on in the third national tour of "American Idiot," which landed for a five-performance run last weekend at Playhouse Square.

 The 90-minute, intermissionless show came across as a glorified concert rather than a book musical with a cohesive story. It was never clear just what the jaded, directionless, suburban young people in this tale are so angry about.

To see a full review of this show, read Kerry Clawson's review here.

INFORMED CONSENT @ Cleveland Play House

April 23-May 18 2014

216-241-6000 or www.clevelandplayhouse.com

Bob Abelman

Playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer and director Sean Daniels squeeze all the simultaneously disclosed science, personal crisis and philosophical debate into a beautifully woven, cleverly conceived and highly entertaining tapestry of storytelling. 

To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's CJN article here.

Roy Berko

“Informed Consent” is a play for all theater-goers.  There is intellectual interest, mystery content, and humor, all rolled into one well-written script, which gets a superb staging!  This is a must see production!


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

Kerry Clawson
In the world premiere of "Informed Consent," the fact that genetic anthropologist Jillian violates the trust of the Havasupai tribe is more heartbreaking than her personal reason for doing so: She’s in a race against time to find a cure for early-onset Alzheimer’s. ...
This play presents a disconnect when it comes to Jillian’s family relationships, which don’t feel genuine: I never really bought into Jillian’s personal turmoil as she lives in fear of discovering her daughter, too, may have the Alzheimer’s gene.

To see a full review of this show, read Kerry Clawson's review here.

Mark Horning

“Informed Consent” delves far deeper than the story of an overzealous scientist taking unauthorized advantage of a delicate spiritual situation.  It is a microcosm of the treatment of all native peoples at the hands of well meaning but misguided scholars who cannot see beyond the edge of their research.  See this play in order to learn and think.

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

Andrea Simakis

The seed of "Informed Consent," Deborah Zoe Laufer's drama about the promise and pitfalls of genetics research – thorny legal and moral issues that were unimaginable only a few years ago – was appropriately born using the most new-century of tools: Facebook.

To see a full review of this show, read Andrea Simakis' blog or visit Cleveland.com here.

Art Thomas

This play asks a loaded question: If humans are genetically 99% identical, what is it that defines us uniquely? There's lots of material for provocative discussion in the scrip, but there also are some clunky theatrical devices that struggle to unite the play's buckshot approach

Click here to read the complete review at WestLife

KIN @ Dobama

April 25-May 25, 2014

216-932-3396 or dobama.org

Bob Abelman

If the characters in Eugene O’Neill’s “Beyond the Horizon,” currently on stage at Ensemble Theatre and reviewed in this paper, happened to meet the characters in Bathsheba Doran’s “Kin,” currently on stage at Dobama Theatre, they would have a good laugh. 

To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's CJN article here.

Roy Berko

KIN is one of those special scripts that happily gets a superb production at Dobama.  It’s a play for everyone, whether the viewer is looking for thoughtful moments, humorous interludes, or fine acting.  KIN is a must see evening of theater.

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

Mark Horning

“Kin” does in 90 minutes what it takes couples a minimum of 25 years together (any less does not count) to realize.  That it takes an army of friends, relations…and yes strangers to help them find each other and stay together.  For the long married couple it will make them ponder their rich history and for the newly introduced twosome show what they have to look forward to. 

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

Christine Howey

Every romance needs a lot of good fortune as the two amorous participants try to surmount their own family demons and construct a viable relationship. And that is the magical journey that is so precisely (yet obliquely) depicted in "Kin" by Bathsheba Doran, now at Dobama Theatre.

To see a full review of this show, read Christine Howey's review at  Cleveland Scene

THE DROWNING GIRLS @ Cleveland Public Theatre

April 17-May 3, 2014
216-631-2727 or go to www.cptonline.org

Bob Abelman

‘The Drowning Girls’ delivers enthralling, ethereal, short-form theater.  Director Melissa Therese Crum embraces and embellishes all that is haunting in this story and places great faith in her three actors to do the waiflike storytelling that is required.  They do so remarkably well.

To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's CJN review here.

Roy Berko

“The Drowning Girls” is an intriguing script which gets a fine staging at Cleveland Public Theatre.  Be warned:  reading the program notes before the play may take some of the excitement out of experiencing the production. 
 
To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Mark Horning

 “The Drowning Girls” is the type of touchstone work that we need to see from time to time to measure just how far civilized society has advanced. Has much changed since 1912? What rights do women in our society have concerning being single or being married? What is there that needs to be done to improve the situation? Are women truly protected against spousal abuse? Come see this play, but be prepared to think afterwards.

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

Christine Howey

Although the three waterlogged actors in The Drowning Girls often seem to revel in the H2O all around them, this is no "aqua musical" of the kind the Hollywood mermaid Ms. Williams made famous in the 1950s. No, this regional premiere at Cleveland Public Theatre is, instead, a thoroughly compelling dramatization of a scandalous serial-murder spree that took place in England's bathtubs a century ago.

To see a full review of this show, read Christine Howey's review at  Cleveland Scene

Andrea Simakis
No review yet.
To see a full review of this show, read Andrea Simakis' blog or visit Cleveland.com here.

A KILLING GAME @ Cleveland Public Theatre

April 10-26, 2014 216-631-2727 or go to www.cptonline.org

Bob Abelman

"A Killing Game" is communal Cranium -- a living board game played by a handful of hesitant audience members, a smattering of extraverts picking up the slack, some inner-children set free and running wild and – during my evening of engagement – a few uninhibited inebriants keeping things interesting.  For immersive theater like this, random acts of art are as likely to rise as moments of inanity.  It is good fun for those willing to have it.

To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's CJN article here.


Mark Horning

The best part about this show is the fact that you, the audience, are able to actively participate in all the fun.   You will find yourself caught up in the maelstrom of action that carries you along for a delightful evening of solid entertainment.  See this show and more importantly, be a part of the show!        

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

Christine Howey

The seven performers give it their best and there are certainly some smiles to be had. Plus, if you're the type of person who just loves jumping up to play charades during cocktails, or if you're a hyperactive 12-year-old, this play will definitely light your fire. For others, it may feel like you've been locked on a cruise ship with a gaggle of overly-caffeinated activity directors.

To see a full review of this show, read Christine Howey's review at  Cleveland Scene

AS YOU LIKE IT @ Great Lakes Theatre

April 4-19, 2014

216-664-6064 or www.greatlakestheater.org

Bob Abelman

It is testimony to the quality of Shakespeare’s writing that, 415 years after its premiere, “As You Like It” still holds up as a delightful romantic comedy and beguiling piece of social commentary.

And it is testimony to the integrity of Great Lakes Theater that, 52 years after its inception, it is still conjuring up new, effective and entertaining ways to re-imagine Shakespeare’s work.

To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's CJN article here.

Roy Berko 

Great Lakes Theater’s “As You Like It,” though it doesn’t fully develop director Edward Morgan’s philosophical objectives, is delightful.  The many students who will attend should go away with a very positive concept of the Shakespearean comedy at its best.

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

Mark Horning

What better way to end another exceptional season with Great Lakes Theater then the production of William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”.  This is an excellent introduction for those novices out there who think Shakespeare too “high brow” or hard to understand as well as the veteran theater patrons looking for something wonderful.  This is a fast moving, comedic delight that brings Shakespeare to life.  Don’t miss this one.

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

Christine Howey

Their production of As You Like It, directed with wit and snap by Edward Morgan, is a simply glorious romp that lands in C-town at the perfect moment. You needn’t wait until May 2^nd for the world’s largest outdoor chandelier to light up down the street—this play will dazzle PlayhouseSquare for the next two weeks. And you’re a bigger fool than Touchstone if you don’t samples its many delights.

To see a full review of this show, read Christine Howey's blog Rave and Pan

GIDION'S KNOT @ none too fragile theater

April 4-17, 2014

none to fragile theater

Roy Berko
 
If it is the purpose of theatre to have a life-awakening experience and to get the audience so emotionally involved that they forget they are in a theatre, then none too fragile’s GIDION’S KNOT fully fulfills that goal!   This is theatre at its finest and is an absolute MUST see.  Please avail yourself of the wonder of this  fine theatrical offering!  Bravo!
 
To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.


Christine Howey

 In less than 80 minutes, Gidion’s Knot provides a snarl of feelings generated by the animal protectiveness of parents and the subversive yet unavoidable influence institutions have on our lives. In short, it leaves you plenty to talk about for the rest of the evening.

To see a full review of this show, read Christine Howey's blog Rave and Pan

FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL @ The Palace Theatre

April 1-13, 2014

216-241-6000 or www.playhousesquare.org

Bob Abelman

It was announced on NPR’s “All Things Considered” last week that a remake of the 1941 classic film “Citizen Kane” is premiering in Toronto.  Starring in the movie is Keanu Reeves as Charles Foster Kane.  This story, of course, aired on April 1. 

Watching “Flashdance: The Musical,” currently on stage at PlayhouseSquare, is like April Fool’s Day all over again.  A musical based on a dated, music-video-inspired film about a female welder/exotic dancer who wants to be a ballerina?  Really?  A show that never actually played on Broadway being a part of the Keybank Broadway Series?   April Fools!  Right?

 “Flashdance: The Musical” is all glitz and no guts.   Its only saving grace is a hard-working cast and the fact that that Keanu Reeves is not among them.

To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's CJN article here. 

Roy Berko

“Flashdance The Musical” is one of those musicals that delights audiences, while not being a well-written show.  It has strong music, great choreography and Corey Mach, local kid makeing good.  That ought be more than enough to please the Cleveland faithful.

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

Howard Gollop

It's been 30 years after Hollywood unveiled the rags-to-high-heels-and-rags saga about a would-be prima ballerina who's been molded out of the steel mills of Pittsburgh. By golly, that leg-warmer-clad heroine is still the "Solid-Gold" maniac to be reckoned with today. 

It turns out "Flashdance" is no flash in the pan.

Mark Horning

“Flashdance” is one of those shows that we wait the entire season to come around.  It is a superb evening of musical escapism that is the hallmark of great Broadway type shows even though it is not a true “Broadway Production”.  In spite of the fact that it is a bit farfetched and weak as far as story line, it is the superb cast that pulls off the exceptional magic.   I fear that tickets may be scarce for this production.  If you have not already ordered your tickets I suggest you do so without fail.

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

Christine Howey
This is a production that seeks to pummel the audience into submission with deafening music, cornea-searing laser lights, 80s pop music and dance steps of every description. What is missing is any emotional clarity or honesty.

To see a full review of this show, read Christine Howey's review at  Cleveland Scene

Andrea Simakis

"Flashdance" is a classic yarn with a timeless theme. At its core, the piece is really all about following your dream, obstacles be damned. 
To see a full review of this show, read Andrea Simakis' blog or visit Cleveland.com here.

Art Thomas

It's a movie from the 1980's that has been enhanced and expanded to fit perfectly with the hip sensibilities of today's younger theatergoers. The cast are best in the first act's ensemble dance numbers, but the new songs lack variety to this older pair of ears.  

Click here to read the complete review at WestLife

HANDLE WITH CARE @ Actors Summit

March 27-April 13, 2014

For tickets:  330-374-7568 or go to www.actorssummit.org

Bob Abelman

Though well delivered, “Handle With Care” comes COD by asking its audience to forgive the playwright’s creative trespasses and accept fine storytelling in lieu of a fine story. 

To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's CJN review here.

Roy Berko

“Handle With Care” isn’t a great script, but makes for a smiling evening of theatre.  Seeing the show with a group of Israeli, Hebrew-speaking students, added a dimension of understanding of culture and language.

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

Kerry Clawson

HANDLE WITH CARE is a play on the rise, recently ending its New York premiere Off-Broadway and soon to be published by Dramatists Play Service. Yet the script is peppered with unnatural-sounding dialogue and some emotional connections are lacking between characters in a current production at Actors’ Summit in Akron.

To see a full review of this show, read Kerry Clawson's review here.

Mark Horning

Although the story line is very predictable, it is the energy and skill of the actors that carries the day in this delightful morsel of escapism.  Bring a friend or a loved one to share this show with.  It is an unpretentious package that you will enjoy unwrapping. 

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

CLYBOURNE PARK @ Cleveland Play House

Runs through April 13, 2014

For tickets call 216-241-6000 or go to http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com 

 Bob Abelman

Despite some ungainly and inconsistent acting choices, CPH's “Clybourne Park” is wonderfully staged and a pleasure to watch.  With its Pulitzer Prize pedigree, it is also a pleasure to listen to.  And think about afterward. 

To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's CJN article here.

Roy Berko
 

Pulitzer Prize winning ‘CLYBOURNE PARK’ is an emotionally moving and thought-provoking script that effectively highlights the still present distrust between members of different races.  It does that while inserting enough natural humor to keep the audience engaged.  It gets an acceptable, but not spellbinding production at CPH.  It’s a significant play worth seeing.

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

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

Howard Gollop

Directed by Mark Cuddy, the extremely intelligent, perfect-pitch Play House cast members embrace the deep, profound drama lurking behind every deceptively benign verbal exchange. 

Oddly, enough, this drama of ideas becomes more fluid than static.

Of course it didn't hurt to have the enveloping house set and easily convincing period costumes by designer G.W. Mercier.

Mark Horning

Clybourne Park is the entire theater package.  There is a strong double story line that runs parallel to each other, great comedic moments (especially with the facial exchanges between cast members), high drama and a pertinent story line that we can all learn from  The pacing starts out slow in each segment in order to build to an exciting climax by the end of each act.  This is a great cast that gives its all to the performance.  See this show.

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


Christine Howey
The script is fiendishly clever in many ways, as its double-cast players make the leap from 1959 in the first act to 2009 after the intermission. But there is a major speed bump in the writing that makes the play less impactful than it could be. And while the performances by the CPH players are fine in most respects, a couple missteps interrupt the smooth meshing of these dramatic gears.

To see a full review of this show, read Christine Howey's review at  Cleveland Scene

Andrea Simakis

"Clybourne Park" is the sort of play you wish you could rewind after the final scene and watch again. Immediately. It's that complicated, thorny and disturbing. And let's not forget funny – the kind of funny that elicited nervous laughter and shocked guffaws of the "did she just say that?" variety on opening night at the Allen Theatre.

To see a full review of this show, read Andrea Simakis' blog or visit Cleveland.com here.

Art Thomas


How can an issue charged with deeply serious emotions be presented with so much humor? That's what you'll see in "Clybourne Park", a deserving celebrated play that exposes the nerves when "that other" kind of person wants to move into your neighborhood. The Play House production, another "joint" one, shows the value of partnering with another theater. The cast, direction and physical production are all superb. 
 
Click here to read the complete review at WestLife