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BWW Review: Farcical BAT BOY THE MUSICAL is a Blood-Sucking 'Hoot' at Blank Canvas
In June 23, 1992, if you believed the supermarket tabloid, 'Weekly World News,' you'd have accepted that a 'large-eyed, fanged human child' was found in a southern West Virginia cave....
BWW Review: Cesear's Forum's THE INVESTIGATION is an Excruciating Personal Experience
As the actors lined up for the curtain call of Cesear's Forum's THE INVESTIGATION, Peter Weiss's play about the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials of 1963-65, I was on an emotional trip far, far way....
BWW Review: Memerizing Production of Arthur Miller's THE CRUCIBLE at Cleveland Play House
Arthur Miller, the author of THE CRUCIBLE, which is now in production at the Cleveland Play House's Outcalt Theatre, was one of the most important modern American playwrights. Credited with being the developer of the contemporary definition of the American tragedy, he would have been 100 this year. ...
BWW Review: Shakespeare's Epic Tragedy KING LEAR at GLT is a Moving Experience
In his program notes for Great Lakes Theater's production, director Joseph Hanreddy states, 'KING LEAR, with its titanic range of emotional, vast physical landscape, dark ironic humor and snarl of mysteries, contradictions, ambiguity and paradoxes, render it one of the theater's greatest challenges ...
BWW Review: Aesthetically Exquisite THE SECRET GARDEN at GLT
Every once in a while a theater-goer is privileged to participate in a staged production that aesthetically enfolds them. Under the creative direction of Victoria Bussert, Great Lakes Theater's THE SECRET GARDEN, is such a creation....
BWW Review: Poignant, Compelling, MOTHERS AND SONS Captivates at Beck
In her directorial notes for the Beck Center's production of Terrance McNally's MOTHERS AND SONS, Sarah May states, 'I was so struck by this play when I saw it on Broadway. Here was an unwritten chapter of the terrible AIDS Crisis!'...
BWW Review: The Theatre of the Absurd...WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF at Lakeland Civic Theatre
Edward Albee, author of WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF, now in production at The Lakeland Civic Theatre, 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 existentialism, and asks 'what is ...
BWW Review: Emotionally Draining, Intellectually Satisfying DEATH OF A SALESMAN at Ensemble
Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning drama, now on stage at Ensemble Theatre, is universally recognized as one of, if not the greatest modern American play. Others that are recognized as top classic plays are LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT (Eugene O'Neil), ST...
BWW Review: Well-conceived THE SPITFIRE GRILL at Beck Center
Opening night of THE SPITFIRE GRILL was a special evening for the Beck Center for the Arts. It was the start of the organization's 82nd season and Scott Spence's 25th anniversary as Artistic Director....
BWW Review: World Premiere of Ken Ludwig's A COMEDY OF TENORS Delights at Cleveland Play House
The Cleveland Play House opened its 100th season in a lavish and theatrically exciting way. An invitation only group of CPH financial supporters, politicians, and theatre enthusiasts, draped in tuxedos and high fashioned gowns, entered the beautiful Allen theatre lobby to have their pictures taken w...
BWW Review: Surprising OR, at Dobama
Dobama Theatre's mission statement indicates that it is its purpose to 'premiere the best contemporary plays by established or emerging playwrights.' Why, then, are they opening their 2015-16 season with a play set in 1666-1670?...
The Under-Belly of Politics Well-Explored at Ensemble Theatre/In Memorium: Kyle Jean Baptiste
What could be more appropriate in this year, which leads up to a presidential election, than to examine the political hacks who run the campaigns. Voila, for the start of its 36th season, Ensemble Theatre has chosen Beau Willimon's 2008 drama, FARRAGUT NORTH, which examines the lust for power among ...
BWW Review: TEAR IT OFF, a Romance Novel Comes Alive at convergence-continuum
Book buyers spend an estimated $1.08 billion dollars each year purchasing romance novels. Since 1972 when Avon printed Kathleen Woodiwiss's 'The Flame And The Flower,' supposedly the first U.S. published book of that genre, almost 55% of all paperbacks sold in the U.S. have centered on romantic rela...
BWW Review: Classic OUR TOWN Gets Nice Traditional Read at Blank Canvas
I consider OUR TOWN, which is now being performed at Blank Canvas, to be one of the greatest plays of the 20th century. It not only won the Pulitzer Prize in 1938, it has become one of the most performed and studied plays in the English language. It, along with Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN, E...
BWW Reviews: Must See HAIRSPRAY Leaves 'em Dancing in the Aisles at Porthouse Theatre
The farcical yet message-loaded 'Hairspray' is the type of musical that in a bad production falls flat, but in a good production leaves the audience energized and dancing in the aisles. Fortunately the must see production at Porthouse Theatre is dynamic, creative, full of joy!...
BWW Blog: A Clevelander's View of the Shaw Festival 2015
Jackie Maxwell, the Shaw Festival's Artistic Director, states, 'I have always found that theatre is at its best when the audience spans several generations - a guarantee that the story being told on stage is being taken in and reacted to in a variety of ways, enriching the experience for all.'...
BWW Reviews: Groundworks Dance Theater Captivates at Cain Park
As the capacity audience was settling in on opening night of Groundworks Dance Theatre's summer concert in Cain Park's Alma Theatre, there was a loud electronic sound stage right. As the eyes shifted in its direction, a lawn mower was pushed on stage. This was followed by a series of other sounds an...
BWW Reviews: Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT is A Mixed Bag at Beck
Local theatres each tend to have a niche audience based on the venue's play selection. Dobama leans toward intellectual contemporary which are having their local premiers. convergence-continuum tilts toward off-beat writers and plots, many with homosexual themes. Cleveland Public Theatre thrives on ...
BWW Reviews: THE RECKLESS RUTHLESS BRUTAL CHARGE OF IT or THE TRAIN PLAY Confounds at Convergence-Continuum
Liz Duffy Adams, whose play, 'The Reckless Ruthless Brutal Charge Of It, or The Train Play' is now on stage at convergence continuum is noted for being an American abstract writer. The word 'abstract' may be the key to confronting 'The Train Play.'...
BWW Reviews: Opinions Differ on TRIASSIC PARQ THE MUSICAL AT BLANK CANVAS
As I sat shaking my head in disbelief of what I was seeing and hearing on the Blank Canvas Theatre stage, those around me were howling with uncontrollable laughter. What I was seeing was ridiculous, unbelievable, and basically poorly performed. I'm not sure what was making my audience-mates laugh so...
BWW Reviews: 'Prepare Ye' - Updated Musical Arrangements and Script, 'All for the Best' in Cain Park's GODSPELL
The story goes that in 1970, while attending college in Pittsburgh, John-Michael Tebelak went to church on Easter Sunday. A theology student before he decided he wanted to be a theatrical director, he found the service to be devoid of feeling....
BWW Reviews: A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC Opens 2015 Season at Porthouse
What do 'West Side Story,' 'Gypsy,' 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,' 'Company,' 'Follies,' 'Sweeney Todd' 'Sunday in the Park with George,' and 'Into the Woods,' all have in common? Yes, they are shows which have music written by Steven Sondheim....
Videos
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La Malasangre ( Bad Blood) LatinUs Theater Compay (5/22-6/07) |
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C.S. Lewis On Stage: Further Up & Further In Playhouse Square (6/20-6/21) |
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Walk On: The Power of Carousel Cleveland Museum of Art, Gartner Auditorium (6/14-6/14) |
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Elijah: Prophet of Fire Ohio Star Theater (5/15-11/05) |
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A Beautiful Noise – The Neil Diamond Musical The Stranahan Theater (6/16-6/21) |
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The Producers Short North Stage - Garden Theater (3/12-4/11) |
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'Alex Bevan And Friends' bringing his Surfing The Edge Of Legacy tour to The Kent Stage June 6th The Kent Stage (6/06-6/06) |
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My Dear Aunt Flow Starcatcher Theater (8/07-8/09) |
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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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C.S. Lewis On Stage: Further Up and Further In Playhouse Square (6/20-6/21) |
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