Cleveland Theatre + Broadway News

BWW Reviews: I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE - A Joy

(5/14/2012) Every once in a while it’s nice to go to a theatre, relax, hear some pleasant music, enjoy stories of love and life, and smile. That’s the situation at Actor’s Summit with their present offering, I LOVE YOU, YOU’RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE.

Natasha Turovsky Mural to be Installed at Beck Center for the Arts, 5/12

(5/11/2012) In collaboration with Beck Center for the Arts, art dealer and Travel Art owner Paul Sykes has commissioned another, much larger, outdoor canvas art mural by internationally acclaimed surrealist artist, Natasha Turovsky to be installed Saturday, May 12, 2012 on the west wall of the Beck Center’s Creative Arts Therapies Building at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood.

Win Tickets to See IL DIVO in Concert!

(5/11/2012) The world's foremost classical crossover quartet IL DIVO is set to embark on its 2012 world tour, the group's fourth, which follows the release of the quartet's latest album, Wicked Game (on Syco/Columbia Records) and provides a new mark of achievement for the signature vocal blend and unique operatic arrangements which have captivated millions and launched a classical-crossover sensation. To celebrate the kick-off of this much-anticipated world tour, BroadwayWorld invites you to enter for a chance to WIN ONE PAIR OF TICKETS to see IL DIVO live in concert!

PlayhouseSquare's Gina Vernaci Named President of IPN

(5/10/2012) PlayhouseSquare’s Senior Vice President of Theater Operations Gina Vernaci has been elected President of the Independent Presenters Network {IPN} at the semi-annual conference in Tampa, FL. Vernaci will serve a two-year term - the first woman to hold that position and only the fourth president in the organization’s 20-year existence. IPN’s slate of officers include Rich Baker (Fox Associates, St. Louis) and Norbert Mongeon (Providence Center, Rhode Island).

Beck Center to Present BLOODY BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, 5/25-6/1

(5/10/2012) Beck Center for the Arts presents the regional premiere of the award-winning rock musical, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, May 25 through July 1, 2012 in the Studio Theater. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7 p.m. Sundays. There are no Sunday matinee performances for this production. Tickets are now on sale.

Beck Center Hosts Community Celebration of the Arts Today, 5/6

(5/6/2012) Beck Center for the Arts welcomes the public to their fourth annual Community Celebration of the Arts 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, May 6, 2012. This annual arts celebration is Beck Center’s way of expressing their appreciation to the community for its continued support. This free event, open to families of all ages, will be held on the Beck Center campus at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. Free onsite parking is available.

Great Lakes Theater Hosts 50th Anniversary STARRY, STARRY NIGHT Gala Tonight, 5/5

(5/5/2012) More than 400 guests are expected tonight, May 5, 2012 for Great Lakes Theater’s STARRY, STARRY NIGHT Gala, an exuberant celebration commemorating the classic theater company’s 50th anniversary, at the InterContinental Hotel. All proceeds benefit Great Lakes Theater’s nationally acclaimed mainstage and educational programming that will impact more than 100,000 adults and students this season.

Great Lakes Theater Seeks Child Actor for THE WINTER'S TALE, Auditions Today, 5/5

(5/5/2012) Great Lakes Theater (GLT) is seeking a male, child actor of any culture or background, aged seven to thirteen, to portray the character Mamillius in the company’s fall 2012 production of William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. Rehearsals begin on September 14th, with performance dates scheduled from September 28th through November 4th. The production’s run includes evening and student matinees during the week. Two young actors will be cast to split the role’s performance commitments.

Photo Flash: Beck Center Youth Theater Presents WILLY WONKA, Now thru 5/13

(5/4/2012) Beck Youth Theater presents Willy Wonka, a children’s favorite by Roald Dahl on the Mackey Main Stage, tonight, May 4 through May 13, 2012. Roald Dahl’s timeless story of the world-famous candy man and his quest to find an heir comes to life in this musical adaptation ofCharlie and The Chocolate Factory, featuring songs from the classic family film Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory including “Pure Imagination” and “The Candy Man.” See photos from the production below!

The Beck Center Presents WILLY WONKA, Now thru 5/13

(5/4/2012) Beck Youth Theater presents Willy Wonka, a children’s favorite by Roald Dahl on the Mackey Main Stage, tonight, May 4 through May 13, 2012. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are now on sale. The 10 a.m. student matinee on Thursday, May 10 is sold out.

Convergence-Continuum Presents DEVIL BOYS FROM BEYOND Tonight, 5/4

(5/4/2012) Convergence-Continuum continues its 2012 Season with the Ohio premiere of DEVIL BOYS FROM BEYOND, opening tonight, May 4th. This is the second play in convergence-continuum’s three-play series “Cosmic Conundrums Curiously Considered.”

Voting Opens for the 2012 BroadwayWorld.com Awards - Vote Now on the Best of the New York Season!

(5/3/2012) The TONY Awards Nominators had their say earlier this week and now it's your turn! We're pleased to announce that voting has now opened for the 10th Annual BroadwayWorld.com Awards!

Cleveland International Hall of Fame Inducts 3rd Class, 5/9

(5/1/2012) The Cleveland International Hall of Fame permanently recognizes those individuals who have made a valuable and lasting contribution to our multicultural society - and hopefully inspires a new generation of leaders. This is the 3rd class to be inducted May 9.

All-City FOOTLOOSE Set for Ohio Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, 6/1-3 - Tony Sias and Kimberly Brown Direct

(5/1/2012) The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) will present its thirteenth annual All-City Musical, Footloose to crown the District’s 2011-12 series of All-City Arts Programming. The production features the talents of over fifty CMSD students from across the District and will take place on the stage of the Ohio Theatre at PlayhouseSquare, June 1 - 3, 2012. Tony Sias, Director of Arts Education for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, co-directs the production with Kimberly Brown. Based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford, Footloose was adapted for the stage by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie. The show's music was written by Tom Snow with lyrics by Dean Pitchford. Additional music for Footloose was written by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman.

PlayhouseSquare's 3rd Annual International Children's Festival Runs Today thru 5/5

(5/1/2012) PlayhouseSquares-3rd-Annual-International-Childrens-Festival-Set-for-May-1-5-20010101 The third annual PNC International Children’s Festival presented by Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital runs today, May 1 through May 5, 2012 at PlayhouseSquare. The International Children’s Festival is a fun and interactive experience featuring performances, workshops and a large-scale art installation on the Hanna Building in The PlayhouseSquare District. Many of the Festival activities are free of charge. More than 15,000 students and families participated in the second International Children’s Festival held in May 2011.

Quiara Alegría Hudes Participates in New Ground Theatre Festival, Now thru 5/5

(5/1/2012) Playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, who will be coming to Cleveland Play House for a week-long residency as part of New Ground Theatre Festival, has just been awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play Water By the Spoonful. The Pulitzer is given “for a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life,” and includes a prize of $10,000.

BWW Reviews: GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES - Good, But Not All It Could Be

(4/30/2012) Last year Ensemble Theatre produced playwright Rajiv Joseph’s HUCK AND HOLDEN. It was filled with humor and creative storytelling. Those attending Ensemble’s newest venture into Joseph’s work, GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES, will experience the same type of storytelling, but will probably find the production less satisfying.

What's On: Upcoming Shows in Cleveland and Akron - 5/1 to 5/31

(4/30/2012) Check out what's playing in Cleveland and Akron for the month of May!

Comedian Mike Birbiglia Performs at PlayhouseSquare Tonight, 4/29

(4/29/2012) This time last year, Mike Birbiglia was a well-respected comedian, author and playwright, thanks to his popular stand-up comedy concerts, his regular guest spots on public radio’s This American Life, comedy CDs and his bestselling book, Sleepwalk With Me and Other Painfully True Stories (which he also turned into a long-running stage show). Fast forward to February 2012, and now Birbiglia has become an even bigger, more respected super-hyphenate as filmmaker, co-writer (along with Ira Glass), actor and director in his movie version of Sleepwalk With Me…which just won an award at the Sundance Film Festival.

Beck Center and Cleveland Orchestra Present PERCUSSION PARTNERS, 4/28

(4/28/2012) In partnership with The Cleveland Orchestra, Beck Center for the Arts will present Percussion Partners, the second of two special west side PNC Musical Rainbow concerts specifically designed for preschool children 10:30 a.m. today April 28, 2012, on the Mackey Main Stage. Tickets are on sale now.

Beck Center Hosts Community Celebration of the Arts, 5/6

(4/27/2012) Beck Center for the Arts welcomes the public to their fourth annual Community Celebration of the Arts 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 6, 2012. This annual arts celebration is Beck Center’s way of expressing their appreciation to the community for its continued support. This free event, open to families of all ages, will be held on the Beck Center campus at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. Free onsite parking is available.

Great Lakes Theater Presents WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? Conversation Tonight

(4/27/2012) Great Lakes Theater (GLT), Cleveland’s Classic Company, presents an extraordinary pre-show discussion and performance event exploring the science behind attraction, entitled What’s Love Got to do With It?: The Science of Attraction, in conjunction with the company’s production of Shakespeare’s classic Romeo & Juliet, at the Hanna Theatre, PlayhouseSquare tonight, April 27th. Commencing at 6:00 p.m. with a pre-show discussion featuring area experts in the area of Psychiatry, Anthropology and Health in the Hanna Theatre’s Salon, the event will culminate in a performance of Great Lakes Theater’s main stage production of Romeo & Juliet at 7:30 p.m. as part of GLT’s Classics and Conversations audience engagement series.

PlayhouseSquare and Great Lakes Theater Present SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM, 5/16-7/8

(4/26/2012) Spend an unforgettable evening commemorating the life and works of Tony Award-winning composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim, as PlayhouseSquare and Great Lakes Theater present the musical SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM, May 16 – July 8 at the Hanna Theatre at PlayhouseSquare. The production is a part of both the KeyBank Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare and the 50th Anniversary Season of Great Lakes Theater.

BWW Reviews: IN THE NEXT ROOM Vibrates With Humor - Now Through 5/13

(4/25/2012) When you think of vibrators, the Victorian era generally doesn't come to mind. Most people would probably find the sexual revolution of the 1960s a far more appropriate time frame … and yet Sarah Ruhl's IN THE NEXT ROOM, or the vibrator play, takes place in 1880s post-Civil War America when vibrators were regularly used as a medical tool.

Convergence-Continuum Presents DEVIL BOYS FROM BEYOND, 5/4

(4/23/2012) Convergence-Continuum continues its 2012 Season with the Ohio premiere of DEVIL BOYS FROM BEYOND, opening May 4th. This is the second play in convergence-continuum’s three-play series “Cosmic Conundrums Curiously Considered.”

Fair on the Square at PlayhouseSquare Set for Today

(4/23/2012) The Community Engagement & Education Department at PlayhouseSquare will welcome hundreds of educators from all over Northeast Ohio to the 19th annual Fair on the Square presented by The Huntington National Bank on Monday, April 23 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the State Theatre. At this free arts education and field trip expo, the only event of its kind in Greater Cleveland, educators can network with colleagues and prepare for next school year.

BWW Reviews: Hysterically Funny GOD OF CARNAGE at Dobama Theatre

(4/22/2012) GOD OF CARNAGE is a well written comedy that evokes constant laughter. It gets a top-notch production at Dobama. If you want an evening of totally delightful entertainment, to experience rationality being replaced by riot, this is a must go-see!

THE ADDAMS FAMILY Ends Cleveland Debut Tonight

(4/22/2012) The national tour of the new musical THE ADDAMS FAMILY, based on the bizarre and beloved family of characters created by legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, will make its Cleveland premiere April 10 – 22, 2012 as part of the KeyBank Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare.

Great Lakes Theater Presents RAISING ROMEO & JULIET Conversation, 4/22

(4/22/2012) Great Lakes Theater (GLT), Cleveland’s Classic Company, will present a pre-show discussion and performance event with parenting coach and national presenter with Loving Guidance, Inc. and Senders Parenting Center, Amy Speidel, entitled Raising Romeo & Juliet, in conjunction with the company’s production of Shakespeare’s classic, Romeo & Juliet, at the Hanna Theatre, PlayhouseSquare on Sunday, April 22nd. Commencing at 1:30 p.m. with a pre-show discussion featuring Amy Speidel in the Hanna Theatre’s Salon, the event will culminate in a performance of Great Lakes Theater’s main stage production of Romeo & Juliet at 3:00 p.m. as part of GLT’s Classics and Conversations audience engagement series.

Great Lakes Theater Seeks Child Actor for THE WINTER'S TALE, Auditions 5/5

(4/21/2012) Great Lakes Theater (GLT) is seeking a male, child actor of any culture or background, aged seven to thirteen, to portray the character Mamillius in the company’s fall 2012 production of William Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. Rehearsals begin on September 14th, with performance dates scheduled from September 28th through November 4th. The production’s run includes evening and student matinees during the week. Two young actors will be cast to split the role’s performance commitments.

Marija Temo of Flamenco Completo Hosts Concert and Workshop, 4/21 & 22

(4/21/2012) Fairmount Center for the Arts will welcome Flamenco Completo™, starring former Akron resident, Marija Temo and Ulrika Frank, for two exciting events - a concert, Mano a Mano (Hand to Hand), at 7:30 p.m. on April 21st at the Mayfield Village Civic Center, located at 6622 Wilson Mills Road, in Mayfield Village, Ohio.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY Cast to Host Dance Class, 4/18

(4/18/2012) The PlayhouseSquare is set to welcome the bizarre and beloved THE ADDAMS FAMILY national tour from April 10 through the 22. During its run at the Palace Theatre, the cast of the production will be offering a master dance class, teaching locals the moves and routine to the show's opening number. Participants must be advanced level high school or college students, or local professional artists. Ages 14 and up only, please. Others are welcome to observe. Participation is free, however, advance registration is required.

BWW Interviews: Talking Shakespeare With ROMEO & JULIET'S Christian Durso

(4/17/2012) Los Angeles native Christian Durso stars as Romeo in Great Lakes Theater's current production of ROMEO & JULIET at the intimate Hanna Theatre in downtown Cleveland. I recently had the opportunity to ask Christian Durso a few questions about Shakespeare, a topic he is obviously passionate about.

Quiara Alegría Hudes Participates in New Ground Theatre Festival, 5/1-5

(4/17/2012) Playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes, who will be coming to Cleveland Play House for a week-long residency as part of New Ground Theatre Festival, has just been awarded the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play Water By the Spoonful. The Pulitzer is given “for a distinguished play by an American author, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life,” and includes a prize of $10,000.

UP CABARET: New Cabaret in Cleveland

(4/17/2012) On Saturday, April 14 the lights went up on a new small entertainment stage in Cleveland area. The space, upstairs of the Cleveland Public Theatre, is the home of UP Cabaret, the brain child of Paul Hoffman.

BWW Reviews: GLT's ROMEO & JULIET Is a Captivating Romance – Now Through 4/28

(4/16/2012) The tale is one everyone is familiar with – Romeo and Juliet, two star-crossed lovers – fall in love despite the fact they are the children of two feuding families. Their tale ends in tragedy when a series of duels forces them apart … but ultimately reunites them in death.

Photo Flash: First Look at ROMEO AND JULIET at Cleveland's Great Lakes Theater thru 4/28

(4/14/2012) Cleveland's Great Lakes Theater presents ROMEO AND JULIET through April 28 at the Hanna Theatre, PlayhouseSquare. The greatest love story ever told, Shakespeare’s powerfully poetic tale of love and loss will steal your heart and leave you breathless. Transcending the hate of warring families, two star-crossed lovers risk all they have to be together. Written by William Shakespeare and directed by Charles Fee.

SHATNER’S WORLD: WE JUST LIVE IN IT Comes to PlayhouseSquare, 4/14

(4/14/2012) Television and movie legend William Shatner will bring his one-man show, SHATNER’S WORLD: WE JUST LIVE IN IT (www.shatnersworld.com) to PlayhouseSquare Sat. April 14th at 8 pm.

BWW Reviews: IPHIGENIA 2.0 Aassaults the Senses at Cleveland Public Theatre

(4/13/2012) In IPHEGENIA IN AULIST, which was written by Euripides, the classic ancient Greek writer of tragedy, Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek coalition is about to enter into a battle during the Trojan War. In order to appease the goddess Artemis, and encourage his troops to go into the battle in honor, he sacrifices his daughter, Iphigenia. Euripides uses tragic irony, a writing device in which the audience knows the tragic hero is making a mistake, even as the character is making it, to envelop the viewers in the action. We know he is making a mistake but are powerless to stop him.

Cesear's Forum Announces ELEGY FOR A LADY and THREE WOMEN for April

(4/13/2012) Cesear's Forum will present two one-act plays, ELEGY FOR A LADY by Arthur Miller and THREE WOMEN by Sylvia Plath, in an April-May engagement at Kennedy's Down Under, PlayhouseSquare, Cleveland. The show will play 4/13 to 5/26.