[TITLE OF SHOW] Comes to Playhouse Square in April

Playhouse Square and the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Performing Arts will present their 18th annual collaboration, [title of show]. Performances will be held Friday April 25 through Sunday, April 27 at the Helen Theatre at Playhouse Square.  The show will feature current students in the Baldwin Wallace Music Theatre Program under the direction of Victoria Bussert, head of the music theatre program at BW. This will be the 18th year that the collaboration between Playhouse Square and the Baldwin Wallace Music Theatre Program as well as the Arts Management and Entrepreneurship Program will occur. 

As Bussert concludes her remarkable tenure with Baldwin Wallace, she sees [title of show] as a fitting finale. "This is the perfect show to end my 28th year," she reflects, "though I prefer to think of it not as ending but just stepping off.”

This particular show also has special meaning. The first time it was staged at Playhouse Square was in 2009, as only the second title to be produced in the newly fledged Baldwin Wallace/Playhouse Square collaboration partnership. At that time the only other place the show had ever been staged was on Broadway, by the creators themselves, which meant they put considerable trust in Bussert and her team to premiere it elsewhere. This trust sparked a relationship that remains to this day.

"Hunter [Bell, book writer for [title of show]] and Jeff [Bowen, music and lyrics], are friends of mine," Bussert notes, adding that she admires the show's minimalist approach. "With just four chairs and a keyboard, you can make magic out of nothing."

Bell notes the special connection between Bussert and the production, saying, "Vicky is such a part of the history of the show. I hope the cast has a blast with this love letter to the theatre."

Bell also emphasizes that the show's unique structure invites performers to bring their authentic selves to the stage. "The secret to this show is letting your full authentic self show up," he explains. Bell will be attending the Saturday performances and participating in a talkback immediately following the 8:00 pm performance. The talkback is open to all ticket holders for that evening’s performance.