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BWW Review: JUST FOR LAUGHS COMEDY SONGS FROM MUSICALS at The Musical Theater Project
What do 'Avenue Q,' 'Spamalot,' 'Something Rotten' and 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum?' have in common? They are all American Musical Theater comedies, meant to entertain and evoke laughter....
BWW Review: Karamu's DAY OF ABSENCE Loses its Message due to Misdirection
As Douglas Turner Ward, the author of 'Day of Absence,' explains it, 'The time is now. The play opens in an unnamed Southern town of medium population on a somnolent cracker morning - meaning no matter the early temperature, it's gonna get hot. The hamlet is just beginning to rouse itself from the s...
BWW Review: Creative staging, quality singing featured in Kent's CHILDREN OF EDEN
When one thinks of Stephen Schwartz, the lyricist and composer of theater titles 'Godspell,' 'Pippin,' and 'Wicked,' or the films 'Pocahontas,' 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame,' and 'Enchanted' come to mind. How about 'Children of Eden'? Probably not....
BWW Review: Compelling SWEAT Tells an Emotional Tale of the Fall of the American Working Middle Class and its Effect on the Nation
Lynn Nottage, who has been called 'as fine a playwright as America has,' started to craft 'Sweat,' which is now getting a production at Cleveland Play House, in 2011, just before the height of the national malaise, but not before Reading, Pennsylvania and similar areas were hit by layoffs, plant clo...
BWW Review: Dobama's JOHN Too Much To Do About Nothing
Annie Baker is the author of 'The Flick,' which had an award-winning production at Dobama last March (e.g., Cleveland Critics Circle and Broadwayworld.com recognitions). That script was clever, thought-provoking and generally mesmerizing....
BWW Review: Superb WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? @ Beck Center
Edward Albee, author of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf,' now in production at Beck Center for the Arts, is one of the best known Theatre of the Absurd American writers. This form of theatre, which was at its apex shortly following World War II, is based, in part on philosophical existentialism, whi...
BWW Review: Less than clever CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL raw @ Blank Canvas
As Blank Canvas's program notes states, 'Before 'South Park.' Before 'The Book of Mormon. There was 'Cannibal! The Musical!'...
BWW Review: Beautifully Crafted “Pride and Prejudice” at Great Lakes Theater
Great Lakes Theater has found a perfect combination of scripts to start its 57th season. The fun, escapist juke box musical, 'Mamma Mia!,' had the audience excitedly on its feet for the extended curtain call. 'Pride and Prejudice,' the epic story of class-stratification and misunderstanding feelings...
BWW Review: Finely Built FENCES at Karamu
August Wilson is considered one of the most prolific sources for documenting the twentieth century African-American experience. His ten-play cycle, basically set in Pittsburgh's Hill district, started with 'Gem of the Ocean,' representing the 1900s and ended with 'Radio Golf,' shining the spotlight ...
BWW Review: GLT's MAMMA MIA! Leaves Audience Singing & Dancing in the Aisles
'Mamma Mia!,' now on stage at Great Lakes Theatre, as has been the case on Broadway and in its many local tour stops, is a thoroughly entertaining theatrical experience. The audience was on its feet for the extended curtain call, dancing, clapping, and singing....
BWW Review: Quality performances make PLATH AND ORION interesting evening at Cesear's Forum
Cesar's Forum, which might be thought of as the little theater company 'that could and can,' is at it again. The organization, which is a financial and one-man adventurehas won both Cleveland Critics Circle and Broadway World Theatre Tribute recognitions for past performances....
BWW Review: Well-performed, But Uninspired A LITTLE NIGHT Music At Lakeland Civic Theatre
Like much of the works of Stephen Sondheim, from the start, 'Little Night Music' proves to be a different type of musical. Rather than a traditional overture, one-by-one, a quintet of singers, who will act like a Greek chorus throughout the production commenting on varying situations, introducing th...
BWW Review: Music, staging, performances makes reimagined “Jane Eyre” special
Charlotte Bronte's book, 'Jane Eyre,' is a gothic melodrama which centers on strong-minded Jane's cruel treatment by her sadistic cousin and aunt, being shipped off to jail-like boarding school, departing to become a nanny for the ward of the wealthy but psychologically tortured Edward Fairfax with ...
BWW Review: Playwrights Local and Dobama Present DOWN BY CONTACT
CTE is a 'neurodegenerative disease found in people with multiple head injuries.' It often occurs in athletes involved in boxing, football, wrestling, ice hockey, rugby and soccer, all activities that include the participants being hit in the head, often resulting in concussions....
BWW Review: Surreal “Bloomsday” gets impressive production at none-too-fragile
What does Steven Dietz, the author of 'Bloomsday,' which is now on stage at none-too-fragile, have in common with Tennessee Williams and Edward Albee? Yes, they are all American playwrights, but, believe it or not, they are all tied for number eight on the list of the Top Ten Most Produced Playwrigh...
BWW Review: Topically Important SPRING AWAKENING Impressively Staged at Near West Theatre
This past season, NBC aired 'Rise.' The television show spotlighted a high school in a conservative working class neighborhood. The school's new drama teacher, portrayed by Josh Rado, decided rather than staging a traditional, escapist musical, that the students and community would grow from doing '...
BWW Review: Clevelanders Invade Canada for the Shaw Festival 2018
The Shaw Festival, located in Niagara-on-the Lake, is often like being in downtown Cleveland on game day. Lots of 216/440 residents migrate North for a day, days or a week to visit 'the most beautiful little city in Canada,' as Niagara-on-the Lake is often called. They purchase peaches, cherries, an...
Videos
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La Malasangre ( Bad Blood) LatinUs Theater Compay (5/22-6/07) |
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The Producers Short North Stage - Garden Theater (3/12-4/11) |
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Long After Crystal Night Chagrin Valley Little Theatre (CVLT) (6/05-6/21) |
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A BEAUTIFUL NOISE The Stranahan Theater (6/16-6/21) |
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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Cassidy Theatre (8/07-8/23) |
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Rush at Rocket Arena Rocket Arena (9/17-9/18) |
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Frankly Ben Franklin: A Musical Memoir Theatre in the Circle (6/04-6/07) PHOTOS VIDEOS |
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Honk! Near West Theatre (2/12-2/28) |
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A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum Near West Theatre (4/16-5/02) |
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The Fray & Dashboard Confessional Jacobs Pavilion (8/12-8/12) |
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