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

Recipe for a musical:

*Mix four talented humans in huge city (yes, NYC).

*Allow them to meet.

*Step back to allow chemistry and fate to complete the work.

Ordinary Days, with music and lyrics by Adam Gwon, does just that, and in doing so, weaves a simple tale spun by chance encounters into a meditation about life.

*****

Bottom Line: Impressive performances from multi-talented performers. The appealing student quartet melded Ordinary Day’s character sketches into a compelling and coherent whole. The musical itself (and its celebration of random chance) proved positive and refreshing. Looking forward to following Mejia, Wilson, Henson, and Kirtley as they pursue their own careers and NYC life — -or, as one note that fell near me said, “On the road of Life, Let no Obstacle, Great or Small, Stand in your way.”

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

THE LIGHTNING THIEF THE PERRY JACKSON MUSICAL

THE HELEN--PLAYHOUSE SQUARE

April 22-24, 2022 

Roy Berko

Though the BW/PhSquare staging needs more schticks and awe to make it into the fantasy the story required, it gave the student performers a chance to do a different kind of musical and the audience a chance to get outside of their normal space and wander into an epic quest.  Guess the kid behind me was right, however, when he said, “When is this going to be fun like the movie?” 

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

Laura Kennelly

Imagine your surprise if you learned your father is a Greek god. That shocking discovery means, as Percy Jackson discovers, he is a demi-god.

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical begins with that premise and romps merrily through the resulting action when Percy goes to a summer camp for teens. There, our hero discovers not only who he is, but also who his classmates and teachers are. On top of all that, he is assigned a quest (something all heroes must have). He must find Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt before all-out war descends upon the lesser gods and demi-gods.

The show is a real feast for fantasy lovers (hand raised here). The Helen’s stadium seating suggests classic Greek theatre structures — albeit on a much smaller scale.

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