Ain't Misbehavin @ Great Lakes Theatre

Through May 21, 2023

https://www.greatlakestheater.org/

(216) 241-6000

 

Roy Berko

If you love, even like jazz and want to swing back into the long-gone era or the Harlem Renaissance this is a show for you!

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

Howard Gollop

Great music never goes out of style; likewise a show all about that great music.And when the music is by Fats Waller -- one of the leading songwriters and jazz icons of the 1920s,'30s and '40s (with a variety of celebrated lyricists) -- you can't wrong. But in the case of Great Lakes Theater's "Ain's Misbehavin," there's a lot talent that makes it extra right.

Since the show opened on Broadway nearly 45 years ago, the 1930's-'40s nostalgia craze that helped propel its popularity may have waned, but it magically returns for a few hours at the Hanna Theatre. That's when the singing-dancing dynamos Tyrick Wiltez Jones, Jessie Cope Miller, William Knowles (as the Fats Waller character), Britney Mack and David Robbins embrace the art-deco emblazoned thrust-stage (designed by Stanley Meyer and lit by Trad A. Burns) with the titular opening number, and the mood never swings anywhere but up.

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

Has April showers put you in a funk? Break out of it with the joyful noise of a show that will have you out of those doldrums in a hurry. This fast moving collection of beloved classics will have you smiling all the way home. This show cannot not help but give you anything but love. Definitely check this one out! 

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

Chris Howey

Ain't Misbehavin' is a five-person tribute to Fats, featuring songs composed and/or performed by Waller, and it's been produced by countless theaters over the past 45 years. In this iteration at the Great Lakes Theater, a talented Black cast under the direction and choreography of Gerry McIntyre give it their all and the result is mixed.
To see a full review of this show, read Chris Howey's Review here.

Laura Kennelly

Bottom Line: Unbothered by a plot (and that’s a plus and a compliment), this Great Lakes season finale is a delightful way to have a good time and to remember that your great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents were not always old.

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

Kate Klotzbach

If you’re looking for an exciting evening with great music and dynamo performers, Great Lakes Theater’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is the musical sunshine you need during this gray May in Cleveland. 

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

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

 

Head Over Heels @ Near West Theatre

Through May 7, 2023

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.  This review falls into that category.

Howard Gollop

Near West Theatre's energetic non-professional cast of varying abilities could easily leave this musical mashup a mess, were it not for the slick professionalism and creativity of director Trinidad Snider and choreographer Kristy Cruz, plus the rocking musical direction of Jordan Cooper. Even audience members who may not be in sync with the show's politics succumb easily to the new-wave beat of the Go-Go's.

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

Mark Horning

This frothy and exuberant musical is a perfect way to spend an evening at the theater. The much better than usual singing talent combined with well thought out dance numbers and easily remembered flashes from the 80s music scene will delight. They Got The Beat.

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

Can I Touch It? @ Cleveland Public Theatre

Through May 13, 2023

https://www.cptonline.org/

    (216) 631-2727 x501     

Mark Horning

I would never wish to be someone who would discourage anyone from going to the theater but I had a lot of issues with this performance. Judging by the polite applause at the end I feel that most were in agreement with me. Buy a ticket, check it out and discuss among yourselves the pros and cons of this show.

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

THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL

TINA

KEYBANK BROADWAY SERIES

April 25-May 14, 2023

216-241-6000 or www.playhousesquare.org

 

Roy Berko

If you love the music of Tina Turner…you will love THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL.  If you don’t know her music…you will love THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL.  If you don’t like musical theatre…you will love THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL.  Get the idea…you will love the TINA TURNER MUSICAL.

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

Howard Gollop

Unlike most celeb bios where the first act marks a rise to the top, only to be undone with the pitfalls of fame in the second act, "Tina" does the opposite. After a foreboding first act, "Tina" brings the heroine to a triumphant musical finale that's just as extravagant but far more dramatically resonant than any Vegas look-alike revue..

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

Judging by the unanimously joyful reaction to the show by the packed house on opening night this is a great show to see (especially if you are a Tina fan). There are loads of sing-along moments and a poignancy that elicited strong verbal reactions from the crowd. It is a joyful celebration of a diva’s life. Shake a tailfeather and see this show. 

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

Chris Howey

TINA is a genuine treat and leaves the audience drenched in Tina Turner's remarkable life and status as a rock icon. Ultimately, this show wants to take you higher, and it certainly does.

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

Laura Kennelly

Tina Turner’s road to fame was not all roses and rainbows, but it was fueled by her grit and blessed with music’s power.

That is the gist of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical now playing at the Connor Palace Theatre as part of Playhouse Square’s KeyBank Broadway Series. This jukebox musical offers an engaging mix of biography and song about one of rock’s biggest divas, Miss Tina Turner.

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

Joey Morona

If, by the end of “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” you don’t fall in love with the legendary singer and the actress playing her on stage, head straight to the emergency room. You might not have a pulse.

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

 

THE BUBBLY BLACK GIRL SHEDS HER CHAMELEON SKIN @ Karamu

THE BUBBLY BLACK GIRL SHEDS HER CHAMELEON SKIN

KARAMU

APRIL 21-MAY 14, 2023

kamamuhouse.org

 

Roy Berko

No, it’s not a production better than Broadway, but THE BUBBLY BLACK GIRL SHEDS HER CHAMELEON SKIN gets a very creditable production and continues the role of Karamu in presenting Black-themed shows to its appreciative and enthusiastic audiences.

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

Sheri Gross

In spite of some uneven vocal performances, Kirsten Child’s “The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin” feels like a grown up sandbox and a perfect place for some important self discovery. 

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

Mark Horning

This coming of age story of a young black girl discovering her true self is an inspiring tale that young Black youngsters should be exposed to. They and their parents will be able to relate to the nuances of chasing one’s dreams and finding one’s own identity. This is well worth the effort to go see.

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

Chris Howey

The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin earns its long title thanks to a talented cast, most of whom shoulder multiple parts and flourish in playwright Kirsten Childs' word and music playground. The dazzlingly inventive and precisely detailed direction by Nina Domingue helps the almost two-hour one act to fly by, leaving many in the audience (at least this one) wanting more.

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

WHAT WE LOOK LIKE @ Dobama

WHAT WE LOOK LIKE

Dobama Theatre

APRIL 21-MAY 14, 2023

216-932-3396 or www.dobama.org

Roy Berko

Often with plays of new playwrights, over-complicated plots, over-done premises, and the need for extensive cutting waters down the effect of the premise.  This is the case with WHAT WE LOOK LIKE.  The Dobama staging, under the direction of Darius J. Stubbs, does an adequate job of creating as good a production as possible with the often unfocused and overly-long script.

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

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

Mark Horning

First off, this show is very believable. Reactions from the mixed audience attested to that fact. While some parts are extremely funny and approaching poignant it is a show trying to do too much with too much time on its hands. A bit of sanding down, editing of redundant scenes and toning down on the emotions would make this a much better vehicle...but it is still worth seeing.

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

Chris Howey

It would be accurate to say that What We Look Like is not a bad play. But it is a play that doesn't realize how good it would be if it were edited with vigor and staged with more verve.

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.

Becoming Dr. Ruth @ Cleveland Play House

Through April 23, 2023

https://www.clevelandplayhouse.com/ 

(216) 241-6000.

Roy Berko

If you only go to one theatrical production this year, make it BECOMING DR. RUTH!  Bravo!  Bravo!  Bravo!

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

Howard Gollop

A thrust stage (open to the audience on three sides) bedecked with sculptural piles of white boxes of various sizes, some adrift in mid-air, would hint of a rather surrealistic evening with the unlikely sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer.

But like the media sensation herself, "Becoming Dr. Ruth," the decade-old off-Broadway hit by Mark St. Germain, is a surprisingly pedestrian, accessible evening with a convivial grandmother -- who happens to be a Holocaust survivor, transported orphan not unlike "Annie," a sniper for the Israeli underground, a thrice-married swinger, a best-selling author and media personality primarily of the 1980s and '90s.

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 show is nearly perfect in its presentation with Naomi Jacobson as Dr. Ruth. One minute you will find yourself laughing, the next minute crying. It is simply that great of a show. It is the purest art of entertainment that you will find on stage and is a delight to the mind and soul. Do not miss this show.

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

Chris Howey

In this one-woman play starring Naomi Jacobson, playwright Mark St. Germain employs a chronological structure for Dr. Ruth's life, throwing in flashbacks and flash-forwards along the way to delve into assorted nooks and crannies in her life. But the play doesn't linger very long on any of them. The result is a bit like reading a Wikipedia entry for 90 minutes—or rushing through a sexual liaison so you don't miss the cold open on Saturday Night Live.

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

Faith Healer @ None Too Fragile

Through April 22, 2023

                                                          https://www.nonetoofragile.com/ 

                                                                      (330) 962-5547

Chris Howey

None Too Fragile's take on Faith Healer may not be the definitive evocation of this play. But it is solid overall and features one performance that will be a keepsake for those who love the fragile, evanescent art of live theater.

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

Mark Horning

If you have any issues with depression or mental health I would suggest you sit this play out and stay home. It is depressing to the eighth degree as most Irish drama works are. If, however, you feel that you are suitably stable in mind and body to be able to absorb this litany of mental anguish you should avail yourself of this extraordinary example of pure Hibernian dramatization to witness some of the best acting to hit a local stage. I leave it up to you.

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

After The Blast @ Convergence-Contiuum

Through April 22, 2023

https://www.convergence-continuum.org/

(216) 687-0074

 

Roy Berko
No review yet.
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
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

It is an intriguing story with a couple of interesting plot twists at the end, unfortunately the show takes the long road to get there. Fans of Con-Con will enjoy the excellent acting, well designed set and special effects and will probably not mind the long sit. Worth seeing, especially if you are a sci-fi fan.

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.

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