Martin Fried News

'The Frogs,' Stephen Sondheim and Burt Shevelove's musical adaptation of Aristophanes' ancient Greek comedy, had a novel introduction to the stage. In 1974 it was produced in Yale University's Swimming Pool by the Yale Repertory Theatre.

Lakeland Civic Theatre's THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA is a special night of musical theatre. To appreciate the show, the viewer must put aside any attitude of what a musical should look and sound like and embrace this creatively 'different' approach. I, for one, loved the story, the music and the production, and would declare it a MUST SEE!

It is the purpose of THE CLEVELAND CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS to recognize outstanding Cleveland area productions, performers, directors and designers who contributed to the professional theatre scene during the 2013 season. For a listing of the theatres considered for 'Best of' and 'Superior Achievement' awards, go to: clevelandtheaterreviews.com

Voting is now underway for Cleveland! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Greater Cleveland is blessed with a vital theatre scene. It is the purpose of the TIMES THEATRE TRIBUTES to recognize theatrical experiences that, in the view of this reviewer, were excellent and deserve recognition.

Voting is now underway for Cleveland! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Voting is now underway for Cleveland! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Voting is now underway for Cleveland! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Voting is now underway for Cleveland! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

'If you hear a song in blue Like a flower crying for the dew That was my heart serenading you My prelude to a kiss'

Voting is now underway for Cleveland! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Farce is light comedy which contains exaggerated, extravagant and improbable situations. It often contains slapstick incidents and lots of people ducking in and out of slamming doors. Though farce was supposedly started in the 13th century, the modern tone for this format, which is highlighted by the works of the likes of The Three Stooges, The Marx Brothers, The Keystone Cops, Lucille Ball, Tim Conway and Carol Burnett, was etched by Moliere, a Frenchman, and is best represented by his TARTUFFE.

Ensemble Theatre announces it's 34th consecutive season. "ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE". This season's selection of plays are all in one way or another, some kind of love story.

If you were an investor in Broadway shows and someone came to you proposing a rock musical about a mother with worsening bipolar disorder, that was going to be performed as an operetta (all singing, few spoken sentences), with no show stoppers, no dancing, no chorus numbers, few laughs, and an unnerving ending, written by an author who has never had a big hit, would you invest? Well, a group did, and the result was NEXT TO NORMAL which won three 2009 Tony Awards and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and had a smash 733 performance-run on Broadway, and is now touring to sold out audiences.

It is the purpose of THE CLEVELAND CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS to recognize outstanding Cleveland area productions, performers, directors and others who were involved in those offerings during the 2012 year. Awards are considered for those theatres which the members review and the categories agreed upon by the members of the organization. (For a listing of these theatres go to: clevelandtheaterawards.com)

What happens when you combine a perfectly perceived script, which tells a meaningful story, and a gets masterfully staged show? You get Lakeland Theatre's PROOF. This is a production everyone interested in a good story and a great production must see!

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 land, which is fraught with land mines?

Famous pop star siblings Jimmy & Cherry, along with their manager Captain Leo and pet monkey Boots, have been kidnapped while leaving their recording studio and whisked into another galaxy by an Evil Alien Overlord who threatens to blow up the planet Earth unless they entertain him. As our heroes try to plot their escape they must circumvent the efforts of their foil, Jane, the sexy housekeeper, who might just be a robot spy! Take off into outer space with Radio Deluxembourg, a multimedia, rock musical, sci-?, comedy experience!

Famous pop star siblings Jimmy & Cherry, along with their manager Captain Leo and pet monkey Boots, have been kidnapped while leaving their recording studio and whisked into another galaxy by an Evil Alien Overlord who threatens to blow up the planet Earth unless they entertain him. As our heroes try to plot their escape they must circumvent the efforts of their foil, Jane, the sexy housekeeper, who might just be a robot spy! Take off into outer space with Radio Deluxembourg, a multimedia, rock musical, sci-?, comedy experience!