DEBBIE DOES DALLAS
Blank Canvas Theatre
November 30-December 22, 2012

                                               440-941-0458 or www.blankcanvastheatre.com

Roy Berko

DEBBIE DOES DALLAS is the kind of show that will entertain some, irritate others, titillate some, offend others.  The script, the production, and the concept has all the makings of a cult musical (think—THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW), mainly aimed at a young, hip audience.

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

Christine Howey
Based on the iconic 1978 porno flick of the same name, D3 follows the activities of five nubile high school cheerleaders in Oklahoma who have pneumatic sexual desires and pompoms for brains.

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

Andrea Simakis

"Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical" is a scream, a clever send-up of skin flicks in the Ron Jeremy days, when production values were as low as the woodman's hairy gut. A special cheer is in order for the band, which nailed the sleazy wacka-wacka-bow-wow soundtrack of 1970s X-rated "movies."

To see a full review of this show go to: 
http://www.cleveland.com/onstage/index.ssf/2012/12/for_a_good_time_see_debbie_bla.html

Kory

Much like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MUSICAL, that launched Blank Canvas Theatre’s inaugural season, DEBBIE DOES DALLAS THE MUSICAL is a hit!

To see a full review of this show go to:
http://new102.cbslocal.com/2012/12/21/korys-review-debbie-does-dallas-blank-canvas-theatre/

TRUE WEST
convergence continuum
November 16-December 16, 2012
216 687-0074 www.convergence-continuum.org

Bob Abelman

Tremont’s con-con fails to find the true north of “True West,” opting to take the easy way around the play’s many complexities and, often, losing its way completely. 

To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's News-Herald article here

Christine Howey
Even though there are weaknesses in the playing of this piece, the brilliance of Shepard's concept, and the combustible energy of his words, comes through.

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

Andrea Simakis

In Cliff Bailey, director Clyde Simon has found a burly, deft comedian. Though he lacks the feline sexiness and menace of a Malkovich (who will forever be Lee to me), Bailey more than fills Lee's stained, strained wife-beater and has a wicked good time doing it. Like a buzzard eyeing a carcass, nothing escapes his tiny, shiny, red-rimmed eyes.

To read a full review of this show, go to http://www.cleveland.com/onstage/index.ssf/2012/11/sam_shepards_true_west_is_true.html

 Art Thomas

Sam Shepard's script plays as well today as it did thirty-five years ago in this faithful production. Two brothers are searching for meaning in their lives with many moments of emotional tension. In this production laughs win out however as Lee and Austin reconcile contemporary Hollywood with the Old West.

Click here to read the complete review at WestLife

 
MIRACLE AND WONDER
Ensemble Theatre
November 15-December 2, 2012
www.ensemble-theatre.com or 216-321-2930

Bob Abelman

Move over “Miracle on 34^th Street.”  There’s a new holiday entertainment in town whose quirky charm, sense of humor and tender message offer a unique brand of Christmas cheer.

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

Roy Berko

Ensemble’s Stagewright’s concept is an excellent means for local playwrights to try out their writing skills, get constructive feedback, and hopefully get their works staged.  Congratulations to Jonathan Wilhelm for developing the often delightful MIRACLE & WONDER.  Though it needs some refinements, and a more clearly directed concept, it is both entertaining and thought provoking and a change from the usual holiday theater fare.

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

Fran Heller

Cross "It's A Wonderful Life" with "Touched By An Angel" and you have "Miracle&Wonder," Cleveland playwright Jonathan Wilhelm's comedy about an angel (in this instance a Jewish one) who magically and mysteriously alights on folk with something missing in their lives and finds what connects them.
Principal weakness of play is an unwieldy plot that goes off on too many tangents and lacks focus.
Principal strength is sympathetic, funny and immensely likeable characters who take up residence under the skin.

To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News

Christine Howey

Ensemble Theatre is to be credited with trotting out a new entry in the genre, Miracle & Wonder, a play developed through their laudable StageWrights playwriting workshop. It's a comedy dripping with Christmas-time atmospherics and tender references to non-traditional family values. In short, a play one would love to love.

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

Marjorie Preston

Ensemble Theatre's current production, the World Premiere of “Miracle & Wonder,” by local playwright Jonathan Wilhelm, is a wacky comedy, smartly written and expertly acted, even though some of the explanations for events come late in the game and are a bit lengthy.  “Miracle & Wonder” can be a heady, abstract concept. But it can also be something right in front of us, if we choose to bear witness about the mysteries of life and those along for the journey.

To see a full review of this show, read Marjorie Preston's blog here.

Andrea Simakis

While discrete scenes, are well-acted and represent the stirring, sweet and funny sentiment shot through "Miracle & Wonder," the play never gels. The work feels more like a series of vignettes, partly because director Ian Hinz never figured out how to speed through a blizzard of scene changes. But I'd be a Grinch not to tip a tiara to Tim Tavcar, who gives a vanity-free performance as pot-bellied female impersonator Polly Esther.

To see a full review of this show, read Andrea Simakis's complete review, go to
http://www.cleveland.com/onstage/index.ssf/2012/11/miracle_wonder_at_ensemble_the.html

HOW HIS BRIDE CAME TO ABRAHAM
none too fragile theater
November 9-December 8, 2012330-671-4563 or nonetofragile.com

Roy Berko

In spite of good acting and an intense production, HOW HIS BRIDE CAME TO ABRAHAM has such a biased development that it fails to live up to the stated goal of educating the audience on hope and compassion as it relates to a pacifist attitude toward the Israeli/Arab conflict.

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


Christine Howey
As directed by Sean Derry, the two actors handling this ambitious material are starkly believable, even when the scenes are less so. 

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

Kerry Clawson

Actors Leighann Niles DeLorenzo and Gabriel Riazi bring to life with impassioned intensity the horror, hatred and distrust of Middle East warfare in this two-person play by Karen Sunde. This pair sets a ferocious tone from the opening moment they’re seen wrestling on the ground of a sandy, boulder-strewn stage, she wearing a keffiyeh on her head so that at first, Abraham is unaware she’s a young woman. 

To see a full review of this show, see http://www.ohio.com/the330entertainment/theater-reviews/middle-east-warfare-explored-in-piercing-drama-1.349471

THE WHIPPING MAN

 Cleveland Play House--Allen Theatre

November 2-December 2, 2012

                                              216-241-6000 or www.clevelandplayhouse.com
 
Bob Abelman

Baruch atah adonai eloheinu melech haolam mechaye hametim.  The saying of this Hebrew blessing for the revival of the dead by a Black slave during the final days of the Civil War is the first of many unexpected moments in Matthew Lopez’s gripping “The Whipping Man.”   This is a production free of missteps and false notes and, like the handiwork of the whipping man--who is unseen but whose presence is felt throughout the play-- this play strikes hard and true.

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


Roy Berko


THE WHIPPING MAN is one of the finest theatrical productions of this theatre season.  It is required viewing by anyone who wants to experience theatre at its finest.  This is one show that deserved a standing ovation.  Wow!
 
To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.


Kerry Clawson

Shattering secrets, lies and intrigue are set against the backdrop of a tumultuous turning point in American history in the stellar drama The Whipping Man at Cleveland Play House’s Second Stage. ...
Playwright Matthew Lopez presents arresting twists on the “family” ties that bind, stemming from complicated dynamics between masters and slaves that have developed through the generations. 

To see a full review of this show, read Kerry Clawson's review at http://enjoy.ohio.com/things-to-do.

Fran Heller

Giovanna Sardelli's hauntingly graphic direction and a trio of galvanizing performances burning with feverish intensity make for an evening of gripping theater.
Like all good drama, the play raises more questions than it answers.

To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News


Christine Howey

An amputation is just one of the startling moments in this intense three-hander. And while the script is not particularly inventive with the conflicts engendered by sudden freedom from slavery, leaning on some stereotypes in the process, the production fizzes with a trio of energetic, spot-on performances.

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

Kory

A powerful look into post-civil war relationships between former slave owners and their freed slaves, The Whipping Man is nothing short of incredible.

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

Andrea Simakis

 "The Whipping Man," now playing in the intimate Second Stage theater of the Cleveland Play House, is a production that achieves holistic perfection. It fires on all cylinders, right from the crash of thunder heralding the start of the tight, three-man drama, and never lets up, not once, like a Confederate mortar attack.

To see a full review of this show, go to
http://www.cleveland.com/onstage/index.ssf/2012/11/cleveland_play_house_delivers.html

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
Palace Theatre-Playhouse Square
November 6 - November 18, 2012
216-241-6000 or www.playhousesquare.org

Bob Abelman

“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” on tour is both beautiful and beastly.  Children will be charmed by this colorful equivalent of a musical theater theme park, while most adults may well feel cheated by the cost-saving production values and re-envisioned version of the original on Broadway. 

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

Roy Berko

The touring production of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST doesn’t have the charm of the original staging.  It’s more Saturday morning television  cartoons and over-done farce than enchantment, but, as evidenced by the response of the opening night audience, audiences will generally like it.

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

Fran Heller

Fairy tales aren't just for kids. They're for grown-ups too.
With plenty of stage magic and storybook appeal for the younger set, and lots of heart and wisdom for the rest of us, this warm and fuzzy re-invention of the Disney classic is a feel-good family production with something for everyone.

To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News

Christine Howey

Youngsters won’t be disappointed by this touring show, even though they may squirm a bit as it lumbers along for almost three hours, with intermission. Adults, however, could find entrancement hard to come by in a production directed with children’s theater broadness by Rob Roth. 

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

Kory

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is a classic, but this production lacks the pixie dust you’d expect from a show with “Disney” in the title.

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

SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO
Ensemble Theatre
November 3-5, 2012
www.ensemble-theatre.com or 216-321-2930

Marjorie Preston

“Sexual Perversity in Chicago” by David Mamet, the inaugural production at Ensemble Theatre's new “Second Stage” space, ambitiously tries to cover kinky sex, lesbianism, molestation, premature ejaculation, living together, the power struggle between the sexes, pornography, bestiality, and gender stereotypes, but understandably, in just over an hour, only pursues these topics shallowly. The funny and realistic script seems to have a short attention span, jumping quickly from one subject to another in pursuit of completely covering the entire territory of sexual relations.

To see a full review of this show, read Marjorie Preston's blog "Brava!" here.

MARBLE CITY
THEATER NINJAS
November 1-17, 2012
http://theaterninjas.com

Christine Howey

The show is performed with unflagging commitment and vocal as well as physical precision. And while the flaws outweigh the strengths, it is a laudable, multilayered and challenging effort.

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

A BRIGHT NEW BOISE
Dobama Theatre
October 26-November 18, 2012
216-932-3396 or dobama.org

Bob Abelman

Walking into the Dobama Theatre’s production is like stepping into Edward Hopper's iconic 1942 painting, “Nighthawks.”   On the surface, “A Bright New Boise” appears to be telling a simple, two-dimensional story.   But then it reveals the playwright’s aptitude for dark comedy, his remarkable capacity to capture in words the intense desperation of human suffering, and the many layers of complexity he hides just below its surface.  Director Nathan Motta digs deep and his superb cast uncovers everything.

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

Roy Berko

Though the message, due to the abstract nature of the concept of Rapture and religious differences may turn off some viewers, Dobama’s A BRIGHT NEW BOISE, featuring superb acting and focused directing, is a production well worth seeing!
 
To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Fran Heller

Winner of the 2011 OBIE award for Best Playwriting, "Boise" is a beautifully written play whose quirky, eccentric characters may seem alien to you or to me, but who grow on the viewer in ways that are humorous and heartbreaking.  The deeply moving Dobama production under Nathan Motta's piercingly intelligent direction features an ensemble whose richly etched characterizations make for an evening of thoughtful and rewarding theatre.

To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News

Christine Howey

Using minimum-wage workers at a typical craft store as his palette, the playwright attempts a thematic reach-around. While plumbing the depths of one character's personal search for meaning, Hunter also tries to diddle the complexities of a father-son relationship. It's an ambitious gambit, garnished with a surprising number of laughs. 

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

Marjorie Preston
  
Dobama Theatre's current production, “A Bright New Boise,” by Samuel D. Hunter, confronts religion's effect on each of the characters working at a Hobby Lobby in Boise, Idaho. Religion may be a coping mechanism, but in this drama that is also heavily comic, it is an escape from the harsh realities of life.  The cast of “A Bright New Boise” rises to the occasion and delivers a thoroughly engrossing, thought-provoking and funny evening of theater.
To see a full review of this show, read Marjorie Preston's blog here.

Andrea Simakis

Despite some flaws in the script and pacing issues -- a few scenes needed a swig of Red Bull -- Samuel D. Hunter's 2011 Obie-winning play resonates now more than ever, and the Dobama Theatre production wrings both tragedy and comedy from the quiet desperation of clock punchers. Though worth seeing, the show leaves you in purgatory

To see a full review of this show, go to
http://www.cleveland.com/onstage/index.ssf/2012/10/dobama_theatres_a_bright_new_b.html

THE MISANTHROPE
Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House MFA Acting Program
October 24-November 3, 2012

                                      216-241-6000 or go to www.clevelandplayhouse.com


Roy Berko

CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Programs’,  THE MISANTHROPE, is a delightful production of a historic classic.
 
To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Fran Heller

Moliere's bittersweet, darkly satiric masterpiece about an idealist who cannot function in the hypocritical society in which he lives remains timeless.  The production sparkles under the knowing direction of Donald Carrier, and an ensemble perfectly attuned to Richard Wilbur's translation in rhymed couplets, making the 400-year old comedy of manners accessible and enjoyable.

To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News

KID SIMPLE: a radio play in the flesh
converence-continuum
October 5 through October 27
 convergence-continiuum.org or 216-687-0074

Christine Howey

Centered on a most intriguing concept, the play veers off into uncharted territory. And that could be a good thing. But due to one less than inspired performance and fuzzy direction by Geoffrey Hoffman, the whole enterprise basically (sfx: bowling ball dropped into a box of wet mud).

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

THE COLOR PURPLE
KARAMU PERFORMING ARTS THEATRE
October 4-28
216-795-7077 or www.karamuhouse.org

Roy Berko


THE COLOR PURPLE, which is an appropriate selection for Karamu’s mission, gets a good, but somewhat flawed production, filled with some wonderful singing and acting.

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


Fran Heller

Credit belongs to artistic director Terrence Spivey for bringing this mega-musical to Karamu House.  With a cast of 46, most of whom are non-professional actors, 15 scenes and as many set changes, and more than 25 songs in this operetta-style musical, 'Purple' is a monumental challenge that the Karamu production meets with uneven results.

To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News


Christine Howey

There are so many good things in this ambitious production of The Color Purple at Karamu House that it almost seems churlish to point out a couple major problems. Trouble is, those problems affect the overall impact of the piece, and that’s most unfortunate.

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

THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED
Beck Center for the Arts
October 5-November 11
216-521-2540 or http://www.beckcenter.org

Bob Abelman

For a play full of characters who readily admit an inability to identify their feelings in a police lineup, it is not for want of trying or for a lack of eloquent verbiage to do so.  Douglas Carter Beane’s “The Little Dog Laughed” is the kind of theater that requires and rewards a careful listening to. 

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

Roy Berko

THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED continues the recent trend of area theatres to probe into the gay phenomenon.  Though it is somewhat dated due to changing attitudes towards gays in the arts, it still makes for an interesting theatrical experience.

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

Fran Heller

The acerbic comedy parallels the lies and deceptions of the movie industry with the lies and deceptions of two gay men in denial about their real identity.
Play takes on Hollywood's hypocritical stance about homosexuality.
This dog bites at Beck..

To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News

Christine Howey

This sneaky, snarky play by Douglas Carter Beane is about a film star, Mitchell, whose flickering fascination with gay sex is causing problems for his razor-edged agent, Diane. And under Scott Plate's propulsive direction, the humor lances all the right targets.

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

Kory

If you are offended by the male form, this is not the show for you. Period. If you can get past the random scattered booty, or if it’s your primary motivation, you will thoroughly enjoy this incredible production playing now at Lakewood’s Beck Center For The Arts.

To see a full review of this show, link to http://new102.com/korysreviews

Andrea Simakis

Plate's "The Little Dog Laughed" is entertainment for grown-ups, and
the director assumes his audience is urbane enough to handle a show
that depicts sex between two men with fearless frankness. And what a
show it is.

To see a full review of this show, read Andrea Simakis' review on Cleveland.com go to:http://www.cleveland.com/onstage/index.ssf/2012/10/beck_centers_the_little_dog_la.html

STANDING ON CEREMONY:  THE GAY MARRIAGE PLAYS
CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE
October 4-20
216-631-2727 or go to www.cptonline.org

Bob Abelman

“Standing on Ceremony” will not win converts.  It is, in fact, preaching loud and clear to a choir of gays, lesbians, and sympathetic straights.  But this comfortably casual portrayal of tradition and traditional values with a twist creates a reaffirming sense of normalcy where once there was none.  This play’s power lies in the air of social acceptance it breathes and in its delightful presentation at the CPT.  

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


Roy Berko

STANDING ON CEREMONY;  THE GAY MARRIAGE PLAYS is a must see production for anyone who has empathy toward the same sex marriage movement.  It should be required seeing for conservatives who don’t understand why there is a need for a “gay agenda.”


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

Fran Heller

"Standing on Ceremony" explores how far society has come in terms of same sex unions and how far it needs to go.  While the play serves as a platform for the gay agenda, it remains an evening of very entertaining theatre.

To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News


Christine Howey

Concise, sometimes hilarious, and often touching, the pieces find pro-gay marriage truths that need telling. And even if a couple of the vignettes are just skits, and some of the acting a bit forced, the absurdity of denying gay marriage and "reducing the amount of love in the world" comes storming through.

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

Kory

Regardless of what side of this issue you sit on, STANDING ON CEREMONY: THE GAY MARRIAGE PLAYS is wildly entertaining and sure to leave a lasting impression.
To see a full review of this show, link to http://new102.com/korysreviews

Andrea Simakis

"Standing on Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays" makes no apologies for being what it is -- a piece of agitprop theater gift-wrapped as a collection of one-acts by some of America's hottest playwrights. Sure, it's good for you like dried kale, but Cleveland Public Theatre's first major work of the season tastes great, too. It's screamingly funny, moving and shot through with a ripped-from-the-headlines urgency. Best of all, it's about something.

To see a full review of this show, link to www.Cleveland.com/onstage

 read Andrea Simakis' blog or visit Cleveland.com here.

WILL ROGERS' U.S.A.
Actors' Summit
October 4-28, 2012

                                               330-342-0800 or go to www.actorssummit.org


Roy Berko

Will Rogers was a great American humorist and philosopher.  His understated humor is sage wisdom, but does not make for compelling theatre, in spite of a nice presentation by Neil Thackaberry at Actors’ Summit.  

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

Kerry Clawson

There’s a lot of love going around Actors’ Summit for American folk hero Will Rogers, the legendary trick roper, humorist and film star who entertained the country from the Roaring ’20s through the Great Depression.  Neil Thackaberry cuts a gum-snappin’, cowboy-hat-wearin’ figure as the loquacious Rogers. But on opening night Friday, he slid in and out of a subtly folksy accent back into his normally clipped elocution, which didn’t help his characterization.

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


Fran Heller

For 90 non-stop minutes, Thackaberry as Rogers regales with pithy aphorisms and wry observations on subject matter ranging from American Indians, politics, medicine and education to foreign policy and war, sentiments that sound uncannily contemporary more than 75 years later.
To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News

IMAGINARY INVALID
GREAT LAKES THEATER
October 5-November 3, 2012
216-664-6064 or www.greatlakestheater.org

Bob Abelman

What starts out as a madcap makeover through the infusion of 1960s pop culture and original music reveals drastic cosmetic surgery on a 17th century satire.  Fortunately, it is not of the Joan Rivers variety.

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

Roy Berko

Tracy Young’s direction and the efforts of her cast pay off in a presentation of THE IMAGINARY INVALID that, from the reactions of the opening night audience, pleased many.  On the other hand, Moliére purists, and those who think comedy is comedy and not farce, will probably not be overjoyed.

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

Fran Heller

In an election year, with the hotbed issue of health care buzzing around the candidates and the nation like a swarm of bees, "The Imaginary Invalid," Moliere's 17th century comedy of manners about a hypochondriac at the mercy of his mercenary doctors couldn't be more timely.
Great Lakes Theater's slightly naughty and wildly imaginative romp of a production under the knowing wink of director Tracy Young is the perfect antidote for whatever ails you.

To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News

Christine Howey

If you've lost touch with your inner four-year-old, the one who loves nothing more than poop/butt/fart jokes, you'd be an ass not to see The Imaginary Invalid, now at Great Lakes Theater. This is a show so laden with cheeky puns about buttocks and bung holes, an audience member may qualify for a proctologist's license by the time the curtain falls.

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

Kory

Unlike some of GLT’s more polorizing work, read: Shakespeare, THE IMAGINARY INVALID gives a classic play a modern upgrade and does it to perfection. This show has a little something for everyone and is guaranteed to entertain.

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

Andrea Simakis

The lowbrow sensibility that pervades "The Imaginary Invalid" is meant to evoke the commedia dell'arte -- the Punch and Judy people's theater of Moliere's time. What does that look like on the contemporary stage?  Sight gags about leeches, suppositories and hypodermics (a 4-foot-long Wile E. Coyote-style needle is plunged into the rump of an apothecary who looks like a buff Andy Warhol), slapstick involving narcolepsy, groaning puns ("It's a light opera," a character quips, one with "fewer calories") and, of course, fart jokes.

To see a full review of this show, link to

http://www.cleveland.com/onstage/index.ssf/2012/10/great_lakes_theater_puts_a_gro.html

Art Thomas

This production is the epitome of Great Lakes mission, "reimagining the classics." With Moliere's simple plot as the base, director Tracy Young adds layers upon layers, including America's 1960's disco fashion and dance as well as contemporary political references. The production delights those with open minds, but it's a bit like a two-pound box of chocolates into which three pounds have been stuffed. 

Click here to read the complete review at WestLife

THE KARDIAC KIDS
Cleveland Public Theatre
October 4-20, 2012
216-631-2727 or www.cptonline.org

Roy Berko

You don’t have to be a Cleveland football fanatic, or even a Clevelander to enjoy Eric Schmiedl’s THE KARDIAC KIDS.  You don’t have to, but it helps.

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


Fran Heller

Cleveland playwright Eric Schmiedl loves the Cleveland Browns.
His affection comes across loud and clear in "The Kardiac Kid", a memory play and warmhearted valentine to the team, the fans and the city.
More than a monologue about football, the game becomes a metaphor for life, and how life can change, like the outcome of a game, in a heartbeat.

To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News


Christine Howey

The Kardiac Kid is a poignant love letter to the Browns, to the city and to those who suffer to this day in our orange and brown knit caps. With a pom pom on top.

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

NEXT FALL
Blank Canvas
OCTOBER 5-21, 2012 
440-941-0458 or
www.blankcanvastheatre.com

Roy Berko

NEXT FALL continues the Blank Canvas’s streak of well conceived productions of challenging scripts.  Though viewers may have to set aside their own individual beliefs in order to buy into the play’s ending, this is an overall positive theatrical experience and very well worth seeing.

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

Fran Heller

A strong cast coupled with Patrick Ciamacco's sensitive and intelligent direction brings this quietly affecting story about love and friendship, death and religious faith to stirring life.
Strength of play is the playwright's compassionate, nonjudgmental approach to all sides of the religious divide.
There isn't one false emotion or move in this ensemble of actors, who make their characters utterly believable.

To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News

Christine Howey
On the way to a questionable ending, this is one of the most genuinely warm and funny scripts in recent memory. And the talented cast, under the compassionate and assured direction of Patrick Ciamacco, misses very few beats in telling this story of love and loss.

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

ANYTHING GOES
PlayhouseSquare
October 2-14, 2012
216-241-6000 or www.playhousesquare.org

Bob Abelman

This play, this touring production of it, and the performances within it are of such high caliber that it is the perfect example of what is so great about the Great White Way.  These traveling dignitaries, in the first city on the first leg of their year-long national tour, will leave you breathless.

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


Roy Berko

ANYTHING GOES is a total delight and a must see!  You’ll come out of the theatre thinking of the show that “It’s De-lovely,” that “I Get a Kick Out of You” because “You’re The Top,” and so “Easy To Love.” 
  
To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.

Fran Heller

Triple threat Rachel York is beautiful to look at, lovely to listen to, and delightful to watch as Reno Sweeney, leading the ensemble in such show-stopping numbers as the tap-dancing phenomenon, "Anything Goes" and the sensual "Blow Gabriel Blow" which blew the audience away in sustained applause and rightfully so. "Anything Goes" is showbiz at its seductive best.

To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News

Christine Howey

This is another chance to see and hear those great Porter songs, and another opportunity to see ensemble tap dancing that virtually lifts you out of your seat. And should be worth a ticket in anyone’s budget.

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

Kory
If you like a big, ‘old broadway’ flashy, flawless, hilarious, musical theatre spectacle, there is no way ANYTHING GOES will disappoint!
To see a full review of this show, link to http://new102.com/korysreviews

Andrea Simakis

Rachel York embodies the brash, bawdy Reno Sweeney -- made famous by Ethel Merman when "Anything Goes" first set sail on Broadway in 1934 -- with a wink and a purr. And her pipes? Gather 'round, brothers and sisters, and prepare to receive the gospel: Her voice combines paint-peeling power with a luxe smoothness, like a ribbon of dark chocolate spiked with cayenne pepper.

 To see a full review of this show, link to
http://www.cleveland.com/onstage/index.ssf/2012/10/playhousesquare_production_of.html  

Art Thomas

Less than three months closed on Broadway, this "Anything Goes" emphasizes the strengths of the cast and director--dance. It helps that many of Cole Porter's best tunes are in this show. On the  opening night of the tour, the snappy dialogue resonated with the audience who stood and cheered at the end. There's nothing dated in this production. It is a bright, clean, and energized show. 

Click here to read Art Thomas' complete review at WestLife