CLEVELAND THEATER REVIEWS

In 1939, Hattie McDaniel was the first African-American to win an Oscar for her portrayal of Mammy in GONE WITH THE WIND. She was also the first African American to be an invited guest to attend the Oscars. Ironically, she was required to sit alone at the back of the Cocoanut Grove, the site of th...

When Martin Friedman, Artistic Director of The Lakeland Civic Theatre, announced he was staging Stephen Sondheim's ANYONE CAN WHISTLE, there were some raised eyebrows in the theatre community. Friedman is a Sondheimophile. He knows the master's works well. Why would he even adventure into Whistle...

At the start of the Karamu production of THE BLUEST EYE we hear the voice of Shirley Temple singing. Yes, Shirley Temple, the cute Caucasian child movie star with the curly blond hair and bright blue eyes. That song harbors what is to come....

Miss Abigail, a highly sought-after relationship expert to the stars, makes a stop at the 14th Street Theatre with her handsome Latino assistant, Paco, to share her views on dating, mating and marriage. In one hour and eighteen minutes, she manages to dole out untold tidbits of (mostly) tried and tr...

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: SPRING AWAKENING is an emotionally stirring, relevant, and well staged production. This is not a should see, it's a must see presentation. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!...

CAPSULE JUDGMENT: IN ARABIA WE'D ALL BE KINGS gets an impressive production and is a perfect vehicle to open CPH's new Lab Theatre. Due to its language and subject matter, it's not a play for everyone, but those interested in having an up-front emotionally involving theatrical theatre experience, ...

From the moment the house lights dim and the opening chords of 'Aquarius' fill the theatre HAIR is a non-stop, energy-driven force of nature. It's also interactive, with members of the Tribe filling the aisles, making connections with members of the audience whenever possible, whether passing out fl...

Ask any actor or stage technician and they'll probably tell you that the real drama of the theatre occurs backstage and not onstage where the audience can see it. This simple fact is the premise behind TEN CHIMNEYS, currently running now through February 5th at Cleveland Play House's new Second Stag...

Cleveland Play House continues to make a name for itself in the theatre world by producing the world premiere of Ken Ludwig's THE GAME'S AFOOT (OR HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS)....

Broadway stars Nicole Parker and Alli Mauzey opened the Akron Symphony Orchestra's 60th anniversary season with WICKED DIVAS....

What happens when you put a veteran lighting designer with a museum day job in the director's chair for his first time at the helm of a show about museums? Magic. Cory Molner's freshman directing debut THE MUSEUM PLAY features amazing performaces by Clyde Simon and Lauren B. Smith, and is not to be ...

Looking for rollicking tunes, heartfelt love songs, skilled dancing, raunchy fun and one of the best casts assembled at the Cleveland Play House in ages? You can get all that and more at the smash hit Ain't Misbehavin', now in its final weekend....

The Banks house in Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's theatrical version of Mary Poppins is a wonder to behold. Designed by Bob Crowley, the huge structure opens like a storybook, spins to reveal more secrets and has the magical ability to cause a gasp of delight from both parents and children alike. I...

After pulling off the most difficult feat of appealing to both diehard Monty Python fans and newcomers to the British humorists, Monty Pythons Spamalot enjoyed a healthy and audience-pleasing run on The Great White Way before closing earlier this year. The touring version of the show is not dead yet...

To create a touring production of a Broadway hit, the production team usually has to scale down large sets, trim the corners and sometimes cut down the cast. With the ?Spring Awakening? touring production, it was just the opposite: the show would have to be made bigger. Gone would be the cozy feel o...