Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Through April 13, 2025

https://www.nearwesttheatre.org/ 

(216) 961-6391

WORTH NOTING: 

In order to bring attention to local productions of merit at theaters that are not on the Cleveland Critics Circle’s approved Equity Theater list, members of the Circle who attend a community or educational theater production that is perceived as of high quality will have the option of listing that production on the CCC blogsite.  These review(s) fall into that category.

Mark Horning

With its great music expertly performed this show is destined to be a huge success. Molly Andrews-Hinders was born to play Carole King with a supporting cast and ensemble that brings her story to life. This is theater just for the fun of it. It truly is beautiful.

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

El Coquí Espectacular and the Bottle of Doom @ Cleveland Public Theatre

Through April 5, 2025

https://www.cptonline.org/

(216) 631-2727 x501

 

Mark Horning

Sometimes when you go to the theater to witness some silly fun a profound message is found hidden in the mix. Such is the case with this show. Yes, it will make you laugh but more importantly it will make you think and that after all is what good theater is all about. Note also that the entire performance is in English.

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

Season's Greetings @ Playhouse Square

Through April 5, 2025

https://www.clevelandplayhouse.com/

(216) 400-7096

 

Mark Horning

To be honest, I thought that this production had great potential and for the most part it lived up to my expectations. It is a fine show with a lot of laughs and interesting situations. Perhaps we should commission Mr. Ayckbourn for a sequel. See the show and let me know what you think. Cheers!

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

Howard Gollop

To be sure, not much could be done to elevate a 1980s comedy from across the pond (as they say). Aykbourn has a lot going on, but not much in the way of character nuance. That burden is left up to a collegiate American cast who must first master casual British accents, then near-middle-age adults, and then characterizations that bring uniqueness to otherwise broad characters.

To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review at https://chroniclet.com/

The Half-Life of Marie Curie @ Clague Playhouse

Through April 17, 2025

http://www.clagueplayhouse.org

(440) 331-0403

WORTH NOTING: 

In order to bring attention to local productions of merit at theaters that are not on the Cleveland Critics Circle’s approved Equity Theater list, members of the Circle who attend a community or educational theater production that is perceived as of high quality will have the option of listing that production on the CCC blogsite.  These review(s) fall into that category.

 

Mark Horning

This is a show about friendship...nothing more and nothing less. Forget it is about two brilliant women who helped shape the world. Instead, it focuses on their comradery and their lives as women fighting against the wrongs that still face women over one hundred years later. This show is a frisky feminist crowd pleaser.

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

Twelfth Night @ Great Lakes Theater

Through April 6, 2025

https://www.greatlakestheater.org/ 

(216) 241-6000.    

 

Roy Berko

TWELFTH NIGHT gets a pleasing production at GLT.  It could have been enhanced by broader farce and more joyous attitude.  As might be said of the New Hampshire Board Education that banned the play, "The fool doth think he is wise, bit wise man knows himself to be a fool."  (AS YOU LIKE IT) 

 

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

Howard Gollop

Company artistic director Sara Bruner enthusiastically takes the directorial reins, putting proper focus on the initial tragedy that gives way to "the ecstasy of being," as she puts it in her program notes.

To see a full review of this show, read Howard Gollop's review at https://chroniclet.com/

Sheri Gross

Great Lakes Theater production of TWELFTH NIGHT is one that will have audiences riding the waves of bitter and sweet, comedy and tragedy, and lughter and intrigue to a satisfy shore.

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

Mark Horning

For those not familiar with live performances of Shakespeare, this would be a perfect “first play” to attend. The middle English dialogue is quite easy to follow, the comedy broad enough to comprehend and the main themes simple to learn from. Come see what all the fuss has been about for over 400 years.

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

Laura Kennelly

The Bard of Avon’s music-honoring, identity-mixing romantic satire, Twelfth Night, directed by Sara Bruner, closes the “Shakespeare requirement” for this Great Lakes Theater season.

******

Bottom Line: An oft chaotic, sometimes amusing, mix of comedy, romance, mistaken identity, and general horseplay brought to you by Great Lakes Theater’s merry crew.

Kate Klotzbach

To quote a famous line from the show - "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them." This production is, indeed, GREAT.

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

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

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

All City Musical's "Chicago" @ Mimi Ohio Theatre

Through March 23, 2025

https://tickets.playhousesquare.org/

(216) 241-6000

WORTH NOTING: 

In order to bring attention to local productions of merit at theaters that are not on the Cleveland Critics Circle’s approved Equity Theater list, members of the Circle who attend a community or educational theater production that is perceived as of high quality will have the option of listing that production on the CCC blogsite.  These review(s) fall into that category.

 Mark Horning

Once again the Cleveland School For The Arts has gathered together the absolute finest of talent from the thousands of students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to produce a Broadway worthy performance. This show will delight you with its music, dancing, gymnastics, singing, acting and high production standards (just the reasons you go to the theater). 

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

Weathering @ Karamu House

Through March 30, 2025

https://karamuhouse.org/

Mark Horning

Ask any mother (no matter how old) how she still feels about her “grown children” and you will get the same answer…“You will always be my child. Care does not shut off like a faucet. It is always on whether you want it or not. That is simply the way it is.” This is the gist of the play “Weathering”. It combines loss, laughter, tears, rage, dancing and some good common sense (or as we oldsters call it old school philosophy). Well worth seeing.

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

Dr. Yuko Kurahashi

In Act II, these women get together, forming a powerful united “being,” if not a “front,” providing a space for Lena and themselves to think and address women’s pains at a private and institutional level.  About the latter—the institutional healthcare inequality— is addressed in the director’s note in the program: “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the infant mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black infants in the United States in 2022 was 10.9 deaths per 1,000 live births, that is twice as high as it is for White infants. In Cuyahoga Falls specifically, the 2020-22 three-year-infant mortality rate was 7.3; the rate of death for Black babies was 13.4 compared to the white rate of 4.6.”

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

The Wolves @ Dobama Theatre

Through March 30, 2025

http://wwwdobama.org 

(216) 932-3396

 

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

Mark Horning

It is not easy being a female teenage athlete these days as there are people wishing to take this country back to the 50s. It is truly refreshing to see a play that gives notice of the trials involved in just growing up...no matter what or who you are. More than a girls night out this should be a family night out kind of experience.

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

Dr. Yuko Kurahashi
Dobama Theatre’s The Wolves, written by Sarah DeLappe and directed by Leighann DeLorenzo, unpacks many aspects of teenagers who devote themselves to varsity sports. It explores and presents multiple subjects through nine members of a girl’s indoor soccer team that “navigates big questions” about “society, sex, and soccer” (Program note). DeLappe portrays the women in a way that allows the audience to appreciate their humanity, compassion, energy, and intellect as they take an adolescent journey to find out who they are and what their lives could be and should be.

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

King James @ Cleveland Playhouse

Through March 23, 2025

https://www.clevelandplayhouse.com/ 

(216) 241-6000

 

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

Howard Gollop

Rather than a trite trifle of banal banter and unending wink-wink chamber-of-commerce references to Cleveland trivia, this play, well directed by Monteze Freeland, is a solid, quite engaging character study of endearing and enduring underdogs.

Go to Chroniclet.com to read Howard Gollop's review.

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

Mark Horning

Regardless of the title, this is not a show about LeBron James. It is as show about two men who through a quirk of fate become friends and as the years go by lend aid to each other because that is what friends do. At times sentimental, at times jarring but at all times believable it is a show worth seeing. Choose your sports gods wisely.

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

Bottom Line: The 2016 welcome home parade, when over a million Clevelanders filled downtown to celebrate the Cav’s triumphant return from defeating the Golden State Warriors, still lingers in local memories. Joseph’s play reminds us of the joy generated by sharing common values (and victories).

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

Dr. Yuko Kurahashi

Rajiv Joseph‘s King James portrays different aspects of friendship between Shawn and Matt, covering four key moments of LeBron James’s career as a catalyst. A co-production with City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh, PA, directed by Monteze Freeland, Cleveland Play House’s King James is a locally rooted, thought-provoking and self-reflexive work that would encourage the audience to reassess their “relationship/association” with LeBron and what friendship really means. The answer that the audience gets from the show may vary, but my perception is that one’s friendship can take many shapes and colors, and it would be easier to maintain friendship if there is at least one common activity to engage in.
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.

 

& Juliet @ Playhouse Square

Through March 23, 2025

https://www.playhousesquare.org/ 

(216) 241-6000

 

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

Howard Gollop

The result here is sort of a "Moulin Rouge" meets "Something's Rotten" (another Shakespeare spinoff in the contemporary vernacular). On the other hand, the soul of this show is sort of a "Dick Van Dyke Show" meets "Glee." This may sound like a perfect trainwreck, but, oddly enough, "& Juliet," spiritedly directed by Luke Sheppard, is also a frolicsome evening of theater. As most of the ovating audience seem to concur, "Baby One More Time.".

Go to Chroniclet.com to read Howard Gollop's review.

Sheri Gross

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

Mark Horning

For those of us who questioned “The Bard” on his choice of endings (theatrical blasphemy) a refreshing and delightful welcomed change of pace has arrived. We are introduced to William’s wife and his marriage strife along with a “second chance” ending that many will love.  

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

Take a tragic romance and modern times, mix well, stir and shake, and you get & Juliet, the latest musical at Playhouse Square. It’s a crazy cocktail that sizzles, sparks, generates laughs, and occasionally indulges in iambic pentameter.

This musical look at Renaissance England (and its most famous bard) feeds on Grammy-winning songs by songwriter/producer Max Martin and a book by the Emmy-winning writer David West Read. The mix of Martin’s pop and Read’s quirky take (if you’ve seen Shitt’s Creek you’ll know what to expect) makes a spicy delight.

To see a full review of this show see, 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.

 

Showin' Up Black @ Cleveland Public Theatre

Through March 8, 2025

https://www.cptonline.org/ 

(216) 631-2727 x501

 

Roy Berko

Message BodyCapsule judgement:  SHOWIN’ UP BLACK gives a thought-provoking view of a non-traditional Black family.  Though there are times when the script writing seemed forced, the over-all effect is positive.  It is a production worth seeing.

Message Body

Capsule judgement:  SHOWIN’ UP BLACK gives a thought-provoking view of a non-traditional Black family.  Though there are times when the script writing seemed forced, the over-all effect is positive.  It is a production worth seeing.

Mark Horning

Worlds collide and tempers flair as two social classes square off against each other. Caught in between are the children who are trying to make sense of their world and their place in it. This show is a revelation and revolution all in one. Tickets will go fast.

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

Waitress @ Beck Center/BWMT

Through March 9, 2025

https://www.beckcenter.org/

(216) 521-2540

 

Roy Berko

WAITRESS is the kind of production that audiences love.  Though the script is shallow, the plot obvious, and there are no memorable songs, it matters little.  In the hands of the talented and well-directed cast, the standing ovation was well-deserved.  Go, see emerging young talent which will soon be featured in Broadway shows, and enjoy yourself!

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

Howard Gollop

Like previous productions of "Waitress" in Northeast Ohio, this Beck Center confection may be too cerebral to call “easy as pie,” but the audience will certainly want to savor it as if it were.

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

Mark Horning

This is a delightful show that hits all of the emotional marks while taking us on a great ride. If you had seen this show downtown at Playhouse Square as part of the KeyBank Broadway Series you would find this production equal if not better. A fun evening for all who love pie.

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

Laura Kennelly

 This charming production embraces food, melody and movement to celebrate life’s unexpected events — after all, you can’t plan everything. However, if you love musicals then odds are you’ll be satisfied by the delights served by Beck Center’s Waitress.

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

Romeo and Juliet @ Ohio Shakespeare Festival

Through March 2, 2025

https://www.ohioshakespearefestival.com/

(330) 574-2537

 

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

Seldom will you find productions of the Shakespearean masterpiece “Romeo and Juliet” done with such attention to detail right down to the youthful ‘teenage’ appearance of the principles. This is a smooth error free production that will leave you feeling fully entertained. Make the drive to Akron.

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
Mielcarek and scenic designer Natalie Steen created a simple staging with a few props, including storage chests that transform into benches, beds, and stone sarcophaguses. Mielcarek, a veteran of OSF, finds it important to use props with multiple transformational possibilities to provide quick transitions and swift changes. The balcony area of Juliet's chamber is used as an additional performance space suggesting different locales, including the entrances to the two families—stage right for the Capulets and the stage left for the Montagues, and the entrance to the Capulets’ family vault.
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.

 

Fat Ham @ Cleveland Play House

Through February 23, 2025

http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com 

(216) 400-7096

 Howard Gollop

Occasional Shakespearean quotes break through the realistic conversational dialogue as Juicy addresses the audience, but IJames' play stays in the often assaulting and uncomfortable world (and netherworld) of black America. Nathan Henry's direction ably hones a talented cast working on Shaun Motley's engagingly realistic backyard set, complete with an ominous roasting pig. The confluence of dramatic tropes render the play frustratingly ponderous at times, but craftsmanship of the play and the production always remains apparent.

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 is one of those off kilter shows that has a delayed action on your perception of the production. It will take a couple of days for your mind to sort through the weirdness. It is also an invitation to revisit the original “Hamlet” for clues as to what everything means in both shows. Deep waters lie beneath the still surface of this show. You will not be disappointed.    

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

Laura Kennelly

Director Nathan Henry serves up a comic feast in the Cleveland Play House’s production of Fat Ham by James Ijames. This engaging play, set in contemporary North Carolina, seasons a backyard family barbecue with irreverent splashes of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Bottom Line: Festive and delicious, Fat Ham, now playing at the Cleveland Play House, is so terrific I’m (almost) running out of adjectives. No wonder it won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It’s the perfect play for this dark, icy, dire winter February.

To see a full review of this show go here or 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

Though contemporary, vibrant, and entertaining, with many references to pop culture and social mores from over five decades—the 1970s through the 2010s—the universal theme that ties different agendas addressed in the play echoes Shakespearean questions about how the individual could and should act in front of the enormous pressure from the family/society. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet's case, his family is the kingdom.

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

Joey Morona

With Ijames’ sometimes overly verbose dialogue and demonstrative stage action, “Fat Ham” could’ve easily devolved into an over-the-top farce. However, under Henry’s deft direction, the play triumphs as a humorous yet unexpectedly layered meditation on identity and self-determination. Shaun Motley’s impressive set design and Yvonne L. Miranda’s bold costumes complete the immersive experience.

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

 

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

Great Lakes Theater

2-7 through 3-2, 2025

216-241-6000 or www.greatlakestheater.org

Roy Berko

After a tepid first act, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER explodes into a farcical, creative and enjoyable production in the second act under the direction of Jaclyn Miller.  Observation:  Though there were lots of kids at the Sunday afternoon staging, the show seems a little too sophisticated for anyone less than tweens as the younger children seated near me were generally very restless.

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

Howard Gollop

Like the Broadway musical "Wicked," the 2012 Broadway version of "Peter and the Starcatcher" regales the audience in an intriguingly convoluted plot of orphans, pirates, young love, a lost islands and shipwrecks -- defying the dramatic odds of getting us up to the moment Peter flies off to meet young Wendy back in Victorian-cum-Edwardian England. There's an unmistakable patina of Monty Python to the work, although, surprisingly, there's no actual British pedigree. The play actually originated in 2009 at the LaJolla Playhouse in California. As for this production, despite its cutthroat pirates, rioting native islanders and foreboding seastorms, the audience gladly grabs a chance to escape from the truly treacherous Cleveland winter outside for a moment in this slice of joyous paradise.

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

Mark Horning

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

Laura Kennelly 

Over 100 years after it first appeared, J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan still inspires imagination as seen in Peter and the Starcatcher (2011), the play currently offered by Great Lakes Theater in the Hanna Theatre. The story, adapted by Rick Elice from the 2004 novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, offers an engaging account of the flying-never-aging boy’s origins.

 Scenic designer Courtney O’Neill, assisted by Rick Martin (lighting) proved form follows function with a simple setting. The stage, filled with undulating waves of sturdy black and white levels dotted, when need be with sails and trunks, offered a surprisingly useful surface for actions and settings.

 Costumes designed by Esther M. Haberlen and hairpieces by wig designer Caitie Martin also helped us follow the story as actors shifted (via a hat or a jacket, etc.) from one character to another. It worked surprisingly well. Puppets designed by Davey Collins and Hayden Pedersen added supernatural effects, as did other touches by designer Josh Brinkman.

 Program notes quote director Jaclyn Miller’s statement that “Theater is a team sport.” Based on the show’s opening night, the skilled (and nimble) cast proved Coach Miller’s analysis as they worked together to create a world. Especially amusing was watching as they left the stage as one believable character and emerged almost immediately as a completely different one.

 Leading the team, a charismatic Benjamin Michael Hall morphed from orphan child in dire peril of being a pirate slave to Peter Pan, the magical champion of his fellow castaways. Once Peter meets Molly (Angela Utrera) a beautiful and kind young woman, they join forces with the other lost boys to fight the dreadful pirate, Black Stache (Joe Wegner).

 Other players—all outstanding contributors playing everybody everywhere all at once (almost)--included Theo Allyn, Dar’Jon Marquise Bentley, Jeremy Gallardo, Nic Hermick, Grayson Heyl, Jesse Cope Miller, James Alexander Rankin, Evan Stevens, and M.A. Taylor.

 I’d like to see it again because I think I might have missed some of the play’s reputed verbal wit that was swallowed up as characters jumped from one area to another or wielded weapons in mighty fights. But, by closing night, all should be perfect—and it nearly was opening night anyway.

 What wasn’t perfect that night was the weather. A snow/sleet storm engulfed Cleveland right before the show, but it didn’t stop the stalwart audience. Most seats were filled. Great Lakes fans are the best.

 Bottom Line: Indeed, why grow up? Not when the unsettled land of childhood’s possibilities still remains to be claimed and explored—at least for a few hours—while watching this delight-filled show. Go team Peter Pan!

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

Great Lakes Theater’s Peter and the Starcatcher is a delightful, educational, and philosophical work that draws audiences of all ages to the world of the Neverland created on Hanna Theatre’s stage. I saw a Broadway production and one regional theatre production, but what I got out of this production was genuinely impactful, visually, atmospherically, and thematically.

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

 

Through February 23, 2025

www.ensembletheatre.org

(216) 321-2930

 

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

Ensemble Theatre is well known for “fighting above their weight class” taking on progressive and socially pertinent works. With the recent changes in our nation’s capital it is work such as this that we need to serve as a wake-up call. This refreshing upgrade of an 1882 classic still reverberates strong feelings today. Well worth the drive and walk to the theater.

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.

 

Parade @ Playhouse Square

Through February 23, 2025

http://www.playhousesquare.org

(216) 241-6000

 

Roy Berko

In the present era of rising antisemitism in this country, PARADE stands as a vivid reminder of the past history of such hideous actions.  The touring company, headed by local actor Max Chernin, is a compelling production that deserves respect and accolades by paying homage to the pain of prejudice.

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

Howard Gollop

"Parade's" original run in 1998 and subsequent tour packed a punch, but it pales in comparison to this much more focused and clarified production, with a compelling new script/book by Pulitzer-winning Alfred Uhry. Even music director and conductor Charlie Algerman seems to draw more out of Jason Robert Brown's haunting score, evoking echoes of the old South, alternating with winsome tones of Yiddish sentimentality.

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

Sheri Gross

This production is worth seeing for the incredible performances of this talented cast, but even more important is the fact that it forces us to confront the brutal realities of our history while recognizing the undeniable echoes of our present day.  As antisemitism continues to persist, we are reminded, ong after the final notes fade, and the curtain falls, that never again is now.  Don't look away.

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

Mark Horning

This is an extremely intense show that is not for the weak of heart. At the entrances there is a disclaimer stating “Please be advised that this production includes themes of racism, antisemitism and historical connections to white supremacy. While these elements are employed to allow the story to unfold we do not condone or support such behavior in any form”. As the show was an opening night sell-out and will continue through its run it shows what the citizens of Northeast Ohio are made of...grit, tolerance and resolve.

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

Laura Kennelly

This Broadway Series offering won the 2023 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical (Harold Prince’s 1998 Award-winning creation). It is directed by Michael Arden, with book by Alfred Uhry and music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. Although described as a “musical” (it does have great voices for the over two dozen musical numbers listed in the program), what works best (and stays longest in memory) are the tragic events that inspired Parade.

**********************

Bottom Line: A very dark play for a very cold winter. In a way, it’s another example of how Leo Frank’s life and death is still used as fodder for spectacle. “A Town Without Pity” (1961 song not in this show) might well be an earworm after seeing Parade. (It’s on Spotify — and points out “No, it isn’t very pretty what a town without pity can do.”)

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

Dr. Yuko Kurahashi

Parade is the work that interrogates and puts White supremacy on stage. It is poignant particularly today as the United States is becoming a lawless nation as people with power and money take laws into their own hands with the considerable assistance of the media industry and the masses. Though Parade is often perceived as a musical about a tragic Jewish man, the work is about violence, including lynching, as everyday practice for Blacks and other minorities, as depicted through the characters of Newt and Minnie McKnight, who are forced to make false statements as they fear for their own lives. This musical’s political backdrop—the normalcy of governing the state and its (in this case, the state of Georgia’s) people using fear, false information, intimidation, and retribution mirrors what we now witness daily at the national and global levels —sadly echoes the state we are in, led by those who hunt for sensational decrees, orders, and actions to promote themselves, just like Hugh Dorsey and Tom Watson succeeded in the 1910s. The musical also hints at the realities of exploitation and abuses, including unprotected child labor.

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

Joey Morona

Cleveland native Max Chernin brings ‘edgy, profound’ musical ‘Parade’ to Playhouse Square.

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

Murder on the Orient Express @ Chagrin Valley Little Theatre

Through February 8, 2025

http://www.cvlt.org

(440) 247-8955

 WORTH NOTING: 

In order to bring attention to local productions of merit at theaters that are not on the Cleveland Critics Circle’s approved Equity Theater list, members of the Circle who attend a community or educational theater production that is perceived as of high quality will have the option of listing that production on the CCC blogsite.  These review(s) fall into that category.

Mark Horning

There is a good reason why CVLT has kept the stage lit for 95 years. Great people with great works attract great audiences. It is a partnership that is bound to succeed. Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express” comes alive in all its glory in spite of the small venue. Well worth checking it out.

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

Little Shop of Horrors @ Near West Theatre

Through February 16, 2025

http://www.nearwesttheatre.org

(216) 961-6391

 WORTH NOTING: 

In order to bring attention to local productions of merit at theaters that are not on the Cleveland Critics Circle’s approved Equity Theater list, members of the Circle who attend a community or educational theater production that is perceived as of high quality will have the option of listing that production on the CCC blogsite.  These review(s) fall into that category.

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

Opening night saw an enthusiastic and exuberant crowd cheer on the robust performance of local talent. This is a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts with a very tight cast who work flawlessly together. I would highly recommend seeing 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.

 

The Hot Wing King @ Dobama Theatre

Through February 26, 2025

http://www.dobama.org

(216) 932-3396

 

Roy Berko

The 135- minute play, with intermission, is filled with many moments of laughs and angst, enough to hold the audience’s attention.  In spite of this, the sometimes soap opera-like script just doesn’t garner the quality to be expected from a Pulitzer Prize winning script.  Go, see, but realize that ANGELS IN AMERICA this is not! 

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

While some may be offended with this “in your face” portrayal of new family values it is a window as to the changes being made in regards to the nuclear family. In the end, someone must bear responsibility for the children. The balance of high drama and comedy bordering on the ridiculous makes for a very entertaining evening of theater. If you are a person who would take a dare (especially concerning spicy chicken wings) then by all means buy a ticket and have fun. What he said.

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

Dr. Yuko Kurahashi

The play's theme is, as Artistic Director Nathan Motta explains in the program note, “love, support, responsibility, choices,” as depicted in the family.  Each member of the family (and friends) grapples with their identity and expectations (upon them), and gradually, they move toward building a new community (or family) to raise the teenager, Everett.  Music, basketball, and cooking are instrumental in bringing all together to support this young character. 

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

OPUS @ Clague Playhouse

Through February 16, 2025

www.clagueplayhouse.org

(440) 331-0403

WORTH NOTING: 

In order to bring attention to local productions of merit at theaters that are not on the Cleveland Critics Circle’s approved Equity Theater list, members of the Circle who attend a community or educational theater production that is perceived as of high quality will have the option of listing that production on the CCC blogsite.  These review(s) fall into that category.

 

Mark Horning

 “Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll” turns more into “Lack of, Pharmaceuticals and Going For Baroque” as intense personalities clash in a pressure cooker atmosphere of professional string quartets. Soothing music is inter-spaced with intense arguments giving an interesting counter point of which much is to be found in the music itself. No love or knowledge of classical music is required for this fast moving theater nugget. Check this one out. 

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

CLEVELAND CRITICS CIRCLE 2024 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 publications; 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 and higher education theaters during the 2024 calendar year.

 

Members of the CCC who voted for the 2024 Awards are:  Sheri Gross (Cleveland Jewish News, The Lorain Journal, The News Herald), Mark Horning (WIX, Chagrin Valley Times, The Solon Times), Howard Golub (The Chronicle Telegram), Roy Berko (Broadwayworld.com, CoolCleveland.com, theatrecriticism.com, www.royberko.info), Laura Kennelly (CoolCleveland.com) and Yuko Kurahashi (PlayShakespeare.com).

 

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

 

BEST MUSICAL PRODUCTION

INTO THE WOODS, GREAT LAKES THEATER

            Honorable Mention

            ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE, GREAT LAKES THEATER

            BEAUTIFUL, CAROLE KING, THE MUSICAL, BECK CENTER

            IN THE HEIGHTS, CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE

            RIDE THE CYCLONE, BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY/BECK                                                                 CENTER        

           

BEST NON-MUSICAL PRODUCTION

            AMADEUS, CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE

            POTUS, DOBAMA THEATER

                        Honorable Mention

             A DOLL’S HOUSE PART II, BECK CENTER

             A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, GREAT LAKES THEATER

             JITNEY, BECK CENTER

             MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, GREAT LAKES THEATER

                       

 

BEST PERFORMERS–MUSICAL

DANNY BÓ, RIDE THE CYCLONE, BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY/PLAY                                     HOUSE SQUARE

            JAEDYN LATTER, INTO THE WOODS, GREAT LAKES THEATER

            MATT KOENIG, RIDE THE CYCLONE, BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY/BECK                                CENTER

            MATTHEW GITTINS, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, PORTHOUSE/KENT STATE                                 UNIVERSITY

            REESE HENRICK, BEAUTIFUL, THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, BECK CENTER

                        Honorable Mention

                        CHRISTINA ROSE HALL, ALWAYS…PATSY CLINE, GREAT LAKES                                                  THEATER

                        COLEEN LONGSHAW JACKSON, NUNSENSE, PORTHOUSE/KENT STATE                                 UNIVERSITY

                        DARYLL LEWIS, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, BLANK CANVAS

                        JILLIAN KATES, INTO THE WOODS, GREAT LAKES THEATER

                        ZACHARY PALUMBO, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, BLANK CANVAS                                         THEATER

           

BEST PERFORMERS – NON-MUSICAL

            AAMAR-MALIK CULBRETH, JITNEY, BECK CENTER

            ANJANETTE HALL, DOLL’S HOUSE-PART II, BECK CENTER

DEIDRIU RING, SOMETHING CLEAN, DOBAMA THEATER

MAGGIE LACEY, WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME, CLEVELAND PLAY                             HOUSE

PRICE WALDMAN, AMADEUS, CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE

            Honorable Mention

                        DYRELL BARNETT, PURLIE VICTORIOUS, KARAMU HOUSE THEATRE

                        MARIAH BURKS-DOT, THE BREAKFAST AT THE BOOK STORE, KARAMU                                             HOUSE THEATRE

                        SCOTT ESPOSITO, THE CRUCIBLE, BLANK CANVAS THEATER

                        WILL BLUM, AMADEUS, CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE

                       

RISING STAR

            PARKER TOWNS, ANNIE, PORTHOUSE/KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

                       

BEST DIRECTOR – MUSICAL

            VICTORIA BUSSERT, INTO THE WOODS, GREAT LAKES THEATER

                        Honorable Mention

                        VICTORIA BUSSERT, RIDE THE CYCLONE, BALDWIN WALLACE

                                   UNIVERSITY/BECK CENTER

                        SCOTT SPENCE, BEAUTIFUL, CAROLE KING, THE MUSICAL, BECK                                                                      CENTER

                        TERRI KENT, ANNIE, PORTHOUSE/KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

           

BEST DIRECTOR – NON-MUSICAL

            DON CARRIER, A DOLL’S HOUSE-PART II, BECK CENTER

            LAURA GORDON, AMADEUS, CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE

                        Honorable Mention

   CARRIE WILLIAMS, POTUS, DOBAMA THEATER

   JIMMIE WOODY, JITNEY, BECK CENTER

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER

LAUREN TIDMORE MAROUSEK, RIDE THE CYCLONE, BALDWIN WALLACE

UNIVERSITY/BECK CENTER

Honorable Mention

            LAUREN TIDMORE MAROUSEK, BEAUTIFUL, CAROLE KING, THE                                                                  MUSICAL BECk CENTER

            LIZ BAUMGARTNER, GROUNDHOG DAY, BLANK CANVAS THEATER

            MARTIN CÉSPEDES, ANNIE, PORTHOUSE/KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

            MARTIN CÉSPEDES, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, PORTHOUSE/KENT                                             STATE UNIVERSITY

 

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION 

MATTHEW WEBB, ALWAYS PATSY CLINE, GREAT LAKES THEATER

Honorable Mention

            ALEXANDRE MARR, ANNIE, PORTHOUSE/KENT STATE UNIVERSITY

             MATTHEW WEBB, RIDE THE CYCLONE, BECK CENTER

 

BEST SCENIC DESIGN

            RICK MARTIN, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, GREAT LAKES THEATER

Honorable Mention

CHERI PROUGH DEVOL, BEAUTIFUL, CAROLE KING, THE                                                                    MUSICAL, BECK CENTER

LARRY HEYMAN, THE CHERRY ORCHARD, CASE WESTERN               RESERVE UNIVERSITY/CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE        

RAUL ABREGO, WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME, CLEVELAND                                    PLAY HOUSE

                           TRAD BURNS, RIDE THE CYCLONE, BALDWIN WALLACE/BECK CENTER

 

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

            RICK MARTIN, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, GREAT LAKES THEATER

                        Honorable Mention

                        ADAM DITZEL, A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2, BECK CENTER

                        JAKYUNG C. SEO, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, PORTHOUSE/KENT                                             STATE UNIVERSITY

                        JEREMY PAUL, SOMETHING CLEAN, DOBAMA THEATER

                       

BEST PROJECTION DESIGN

            JACK-ANTHONY INA, RIDE THE CYCLONE, BALDWIN                                                                                        WALLACE UNIVERSITY/BECK CENTER

                        Honorable Mention

                        JEREMY PAUL & WAYNE SMITH, WENDY/PETER, DOBAMA THEATER

                        PATRICK CIAMACCO, GROUNDHOG DAY, BLANK CANVAS THEATER

             SCOTT ZOLKOWSKI, LAST SHIP TO PROXIMA CENTAURI,                                                  CONVERGENCE-CONTINUUM             

  T. PAUL LOWRY, BREAKFAST AT THE BOOKSTORE, KARAMU HOUSE                           THEATRE

 

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

            DANIELE TYLER MATHEWS, THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, GREAT LAKES                            THEATER

            ESTHER HABERLEN, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, GREAT LAKES                                 THEATER

                        Honorable Mention

                        MIEKA van der PLOEG, A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT’S DREAM, GREAT                                           LAKE THEATER

                        OLIVERA GAJIC, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, GREAT LAKES THEATER

                       

BEST SOUND DESIGN

            CARLTON GUC, RIDE THE CYCLONE, BALDWIN WALLACE

UNIVERSITY/BECK CENTER

            Honorable Mention

            PATRICK JOHN KIERNAN, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, GREAT                                     LAKES THEATER

 

BEST TOURING PRODUCTION 

            BACK TO THE FUTURE, PLAY HOUSE SQUARE

                        HONORABLE MENTION

                        MJ, PLAYHOUSE SQUARE

 

BEST NEW PLAY BY A LOCAL PLAYWRIGHT

RACHEL ZAKE, THE PROSPECT OF EQUALITY, ENSEMBLE THEATRE

                        HONORABLE MENTION

                        LISA LANGFORD, BREAKFAST IN THE BOOKSTORE, KARAMU HOUSE                                     THEATRE

 

BEST ENSEMBLE (BEST CAST LEADS AND CHORUS) IN A MUSICAL

            RIDE THE CYCLONE, BALDWIN WALLACE UNIVERSITY/BECK CENTER

                        Honorable Mention

                        BEAUTIFUL, CAROLE KING, THE MUSICAL, BECK CENTER

           

BEST WORLD PREMIERE IN THE CLEVELAND AREA

            THE PROSPECT OF EQUALITY, ENSEMBLE THEATRE

                        Honorable Mention

                        ALTER, CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE

           

SPECIAL MENTION

CHARLES FEE, GREAT LAKES THEATER--FOR HIS MANY SUCCESSFUL AND CREATIVE YEARS AS THE THEATER’S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR.

 

CHRIS HOWEY—A LONG-TIME OFFICER AND ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE CLEVELAND CRITICS CIRCLE, SHE WAS WELL KNOWN AS THE ACERBIC THEATER CRITIC FOR THE PLAIN DEALER AND SCENE. HER EXTENSIVE THEATER BACKGROUND INCLUDES WORK AS A DIRECTOR, ACTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT, INCLUDING THE PLAY AND MOVIE EXACT CHANGE, IN WHICH SHE WROTE AND PERFORMED HER OWN TRANSITIONING STORY.  SHE HAS RECENTLY RETIRED FROM REVIEWING AND MOVED TO NEW JERSEY.

 

MARY JANE NOTTAGE--ACTRESS AND THEATRE PHILANTHROPIST, WHO PASSED AWAY ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2024 AT THE AGE OF 90. A TALENTED ACTRESS--IT WAS HER LIFE AND PASSION.  SHE STARTED HER CAREER AT THE CLEVELAND PLAY HOUSE AND WENT ON TO DISPLAY HER TALENTS AT SUCH VENUES AS KARAMU, ENSEMBLE, NONE-TOO-FRAGILE, MAMAl, CASSIDY, CLAGUE, ACTOR'S SUMMIT, CHAGRIN VALLEY, LAKELAND, TRI-C, BALDWIN-WALLACE AND CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE.

 

ROY BERKO FOR BEING RECOGNIZED BY BROADWAY WORLD AND GOOGLE BECAUSE HE WAS

"DEEMED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND INFLUENTIAL ARTS JOURNALISTS/CRITICS IN THE CLEVELAND AREA. THIS IS A TESTAMENT TO THE AMAZING WORK HE HAS DONE SUPPORTING AND CONTRIBUTING TO LOCAL ARTS."

 

FAYE SHOLITON FOR HER EFFORTS, THROUGH INTERPLAY, TO KEEP JEWISH THEATRE PRESENT IN CLEVELAND.