Roy Berko - Page 39

Fanatics of chick flicks virtually swoon when they hear the words, 'Love means you never have to say you're sorry,' or someone hums a bar or two of 'Where Do I Begin?' Ah, yes, Andy Williams crooning the theme song from the 1970 film, LOVE STORY, which starred Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw and holds the #9 place on the American Film Institute's list of 'most romantic films of all time.'

Probing into the lives of real people often yields fascinating theatre. The classical musical CHORUS LINE was based on interviews that Elyrian, James Kirkwood, wove into a fascinating tale of the true life and theatrical experiences of Broadway singers and dancers.

Nicky Silver's absurdist play, THE LYONS, gets an excellent production at Dobama. The balance between comedy and tragedy should get positive audience response and inspire some personal awareness.

The plot: self-made vindictive wealthy person, inhibited daughter, handsome suitor who may be after her money, parent attempts to torpedo the relationship. Sound familiar? It should. That's basically the storyline of the Henry James novella WASHINGTON SQUARE and the play and film, THE HEIRESS. It's also the basic description of Victoria Stewart's RICH GIRL which takes from the past, but the play which is opening Cleveland Play House's 2013 NEW. THEATRE. FESTIVAL., adds comedy, infuses a little intrigue, and takes a 21st century twist.

Eugene O'Neill, along with such writers as Anton Chekhov, Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg, transformed western theatre. They transitioned the stage from a place for escapist ideas into a mecca for the examination of real life problems. The quartet laid the foundation for what is now known as 'the modern theatre' and laid the groundwork for such luminaries as Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams and William Inge.

The Cleveland Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, and the Children's Chorus and three soloists combined to perform Orff's masterpiece, CARMINA BURANA, for four sold out performances.

WHITE PEOPLE is very well worthwhile for anyone who thinks that gaining insight into personal ideas and values is a mission of theatre. You won't leave this production the same person as when you entered. This is compelling theater!

Want to get away this spring, summer or fall? Drive to Canada for great theatre, good food, and nice scenery. This year marks the 61st anniversary of the Stratford Festival of Canad

One of the fears of seeing a show which I regarded as one of the most mesmerizing that I've ever seen, was that the touring company of WARHORSE would fade by comparison. It did, somewhat, but still came out an exciting winner in the derby called theatre.

The great fear of realizing that MOTHERHOOD OUT LOUD is a series of vignettes which look at varying phases of motherhood, is that it will turn out to be a Hallmark sentimental mindless experience. Fear not. The eighteen authors of the vignettes avoid making the experience sappy and purely entertaining. Instead, there is a balance of humor, pathos, and social commentary.

For those who are interested in seeing a version of what may be the very little performed PERHAPS PERICLES, the Cesear's Forum's showing is a good opportunity.

At the conclusion of FELA!, the Afrobeat political awareness musical, now on stage at the Palace Theatre, caskets are carried onto center stage and piled up. On top of the stack of caskets, emblazed with names such as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X and words such as 'freedom,' 'bullying' and 'oppression,' was a vertical box of death entitled, 'Chardon High School.' Yes, FELA! is filled with music, but it is a wrenching tale of genocide, oppression and death, not only in Nigeria, where the show is set, but across the world, including a Cleveland suburb.

STRUCK, now on stage as Cleveland Public Theatre is an interesting piece, much in the vein of Arthur Kopit's WINGS, which had a startling production at Beck Center starring Dorothy Silver, in which the ramifications of a person having a stroke is investigated.

Boy hates girl. Girl hates boy. Boy overhears that girl is secretly in love with boy; girl hears vice versa. Other boy and girl love each other, but something gets in the way of their happiness. That's the basic premise of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, which is now on stage at Great Lakes Theatre. Throw in a couple of interesting subplots, including an idiotic sheriff, a phony death, an irrational lover (is there any other kind?), and a vengeful half-brother, and you have the makings of one of William Shakespeare's best comedies. In fact, the fifth best of all of the Bard's plays, according to a renowned Shakespeare expert.

The con-con production of SORDID LIVES is a hoot. Simon has pulled out all the farcical stops. His cast has fun, the audience has even more fun. If you want an evening of outlandish theatre, this is it!

NICK AND JEREMY is an electric, kool-aid acid trip, minus the drugs, which would make Timothy Leary, the proponent of the use of psychedelic substances and believer in' tune on, tune in, drop out,' very happy. It should be of great interest to deep or pseudo-deep thinkers.

CPH's GOOD PEOPLE is one of those special evenings of theatre that combines a well-written script, excellent direction, and fine acting into an evening of humor and pathos to create a must-see production.

'A man's home is his castle, unless it's a zoo' is the banner used to describe author John Guare's THE HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES, which is now confounding audiences at Beck Center for the Arts.

John Guare, author of SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION, which is now being staged at Karamu Theatre, is noted for his highly theatrical scripts. His writing often tries to expand the theatre's boundaries, which reflects his attitude that 'the chaotic state of the world demands it.'