Matt Clemens News

Moonlight and madness collide in an original backstage musical fable about the hopes and dreams of life on the stage. Learn all about the show!

This heart-warming musical follows the friendship of Alvin and Thomas, two men from a small town. These lifelong friends are reunited after Alvin's mysterious death. In the abstract world of his mind, Thomas struggles to write Alvin's eulogy while recounting the many turns that their lives have taken since meeting as children. Alvin searches through the manuscripts and stories in Thomas' mind to lead him on a journey of remembrance. Through music and song, these two friends recount their adventures, explore their past dissonance and ultimately discover what is at the base of every strong friendship... love. In person and streaming, performances run October 7th thru the 16th, 2021 at the Abbey Theater of Dublin, 5600 Post Road, Dublin, OH 43017. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.evolutiontheatre.org/

Evolution Theatre Company, Dublin's only professional theater company, brings to the stage Broadway performer Matt Clemens, and award-winning actor Joe Bishara, Theater Supervisor for the City of Dublin, Abbey Theater in a tour de force performance of the two-person musical, THE STORY OF MY LIFE, by Neil Bartram and Brian Hill.

New Albany Youth Theatre has announced the inaugural presenter of it bi-annual master class series - Broadway performer and Celebrity Cruise Lines Musical Director, Matt Clemens.

Performing on a linoleum checkered floor and sporting fashions straight out of a 1950s magazine, the boys of CATCO's latest show, "Forever Plaid," take audiences on a nostalgic journey back to the golden age of close-harmony quartets in this light-hearted musical revue.

Few moviegoers were thinking about the musical potential of DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS when it was released as a movie in 1988. However, the movie producers were.

If you holed up in hibernation through the Arctic Freeze that was Valentine's Day, and the slightly rising temperatures have you thinking about spring romance, you're in luck. CATCO'S "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" is just the perfect date-night fare to wake up your romantic side.

If you're sick of the drab, cold Ohio weather, sneak over and warm up in the Short North Stage's Garden Theater, where "It Might As Well Be Spring", and you'll be guaranteed "A Lovely Night" where you'll be humming "Something Wonderful" right on through the Central Ohio deep freeze.

This production is filled with so many novel approaches while maintaining the classic's integrity, that viewing it was much like unwrapping a gift. And don't let its humble 8 member cast fool you- good things do come in small packages. Arguably the best set designer in town, Michael S. Brewer creates a first impression in his lovely 1940's abandoned London theater set that immediately intrigues audience members as being both non-traditional and perfect, all at once. Director Joe Bishara combines the traditional tale with Patrick Barlow's twist- a group of actors who perform the play in said abandoned theater, and creates memorable scenes with a dynamic cast of only a few performers who play multiple roles, and a vintage marionette utilized as Tiny Tim.

It was something of a perfect storm of talent that occurred inside the Short North Stage last night. Sarna Lapine, the niece of Tony-Award winning author/director James Lapine, is directing the Columbus premier of the Sondheim musical for which her uncle penned the book. She has combined forces with the 2013 Tony Award winning sound designer, Leon Rothenberg, Broadway veteran Laura Griffith (Dot), and local musical tour de force, Matt Clemens (George) to create a show that has so many "points of light" its artistic merit is brilliant as its Chromolume counterpart.

You can almost smell the scent of misfit adolescence in the air down at the Vern Riffe Center, and as you take your seat surrounded by Set Designer Michael S. Brewer's all-too-realistic high school gymnasium stage, you can't help but feel the awkwardness and anxiety of your earlier years come flooding back.

I've often said that one of the best kept local theater secrets in Columbus can be found tucked away in the unobtrusive studios of the Vern Riffe Center downtown. CATCO's 'Forbidden Broadway's Greatest Hits: Vol. 1' might be the game changer though, because as soon as word gets out about this hilariously funny and exceptionally well cast production, there is really no chance that CATCO can be overlooked this summer.

If you liked Short North Stage's recent production of "Passing Strange", you'll love CATCO's current show, "Five Guys Named Moe". Both musicals, each show features a young, lost, African-American man who gets a schooling from some older, wiser musicians. While the former was a good show in its own right, CATCO's "Five Guys Named Moe" production is an entire ensemble as smooth as the jazz tones the characters sing, in glorious harmony.

The 7th Annual Voice of the City Vocal Competition presented by the Columbus Children's Choir was held last night, March 16, 2013, at Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio. NBC 4's Cabot Rea hosted the event with 26 finalists (ages 9-17) who sang in front of a panel of expert judges, including New York City talent agent, Nancy Carson. Other Judges included Broadway Actor, Matt Clemens; Professional Actor and Choreographer, Dionysia Williams; Broadway Actor, Larissa Thurston Bateman; and Inaugural Voice of the City Winner and Actor, David Bahgat.

SRO/ CATCO delivered a fun and entertaining performance of the Tony-Award winning 60's-style musical, "Hairspray", playing its second of three weekends at the Columbus Performing Arts Center. The story of big-hearted, plus-sized teenager, Tracy Turnblad (Logan Eva Rathmann), who dreams of dancing on the local TV dance show, is directed by CATCO's Joe Bishara, with Musical Direction by Matt Clemens, and Choreography by Liz Wheeler.

SRO Theatre Company in association CATCO is Theatre presents Hairspray, staged February 22 - March 10, 2013, at the Shedd Theatre in the Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Avenue, Columbus, OH.

"The Story of My Life" is a two-man musical, containing music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and based on the book by Brian Hill. It is acted out in a two member cast with Joe Bishara as best-selling writer Thomas Weaver, and Jeff Horst as his best friend- small town, family bookstore owner, Alvin Kelby. It does run during the holiday season, and contains multiple references to the classic Christmas film, "It's A Wonderful Life", but director Steven C. Anderson's diamond in the rough production has themes that transcend the wistful reminiscence of this time of the year, and leave the audience moved not only to tears, but to pondering their own lives and relationships long after the curtain has closed.

Tony Award-nominee Celia Keenan-Bolger, who currently appears in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, has been cast as the waifish Eponine in the upcoming Broadway return of Les Miserables

Drew Sarich, Doug Kreeger, Megan McGinnis and more round out the cast of Les Miserables, which returns to Broadway this fall