[NEohioPAL]Berko: Times Theatre Tributes--2004

[Roy Berko]

TIMES THEATRE TRIBUTES--2004

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--Times Newspapers--
Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times

Greater Cleveland is blessed with a vital theatre
scene.  It is the purpose of the TIMES THEATRE
TRIBUTES to recognize those theatrical experiences
that, in the mind of this reviewer, were excellent.  
	
No attempt is made to name the best in each
classification.  Actors are not separated by gender or
leading or supporting roles.  It is also recognized
that I did not see all of the productions in the area,
so only shows that I reviewed were considered. 
Selections are limited to locally produced
performances, so none of the professional touring
shows are recognized, though actors, directors and
technicians who were imported by local theatres were
considered.

If you would like to read any of my reviews for the
year, please go to www.royberko.info, enter the 
web-page and click on “2004 Reviews.”
	
Thanks to the following for making the 2004 theatre
scene in the Cleveland area vital and exciting.  

Productions
“Agnes of God,” Beck Center
“By Jeeves,” Beck Center
“Confessions of Punch and Judy,” CPT
“Copenhagen,” Actors’ Summit
“Five Guys Named Moe,” Beck Center
“Hot ‘N’ Throbbing,”  convergence-continuum
“Julius Caesar,” GLTF
“Leading Ladies,” CPH
“Miss Saigon,” Beck Center
“Nickel And Dimed,” GLTF & CPT
“Our Town,” Ensemble
“Private Lives,” GLTF
“Ragtime, The Musical,” JCC
“Summer of ‘42,” Kalliope
“Vincent in Brixton,” CPH

Directors
Raymond Bobgan, “Confessions of Punch and Judy,” CPT
Risa Brainin, “Julius Caesar,” GLTF
Victoria Bussert, “Private Lives,” GLTF
Victoria Bussert, “tick, tick...Boom!,” Cain Park
Martin Cespedes, “Five Guys Named Moe,” Beck Center
Lester Currie, “Nine,” Cassidy Theatre
Seth Gordon, “Vincent in Brixton,” CPH
Seth Gordon, “Lobby Hero,” Beck Center
Seth Gordon, “Agnes of God,” Beck Center
Paul Gurgol. “Summer of ‘42,” Kalliope
Melissa Kievman, “Nickel and Dimed,” CPT & GLTF 
Ken Ludwig, “Leading Ladies,” CPH
A. Neil Thackberry, “Copenhagen,” Actors’ Summit
Ray Roderick, “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now
Change,” Playhouse Square
Michael Rogaliner, “By Jeeves,” Beck Center
Clyde Simon. “Hot ‘N’ Throbbing,” 
convergence-continuum
Scott Spence, “Miss Saigon,” Beck Center
Fred Sternfeld, “Ragtime, The Musical,” JCC
Gregory Vovos, “Charge,” TITLEWave THEATRE 

Performances
Catherine Alberts, “Amy’s View,” Dobama
Brent Barrett, “Leading Ladies,” CPH
MaryAnn Black, “Guys and Dolls, Porthouse
Christopher Bohan,, “Lend Me A Tenor,” Actors’ Summit
Lucy Bredeson-Smith, “Hot ‘N’ Throbbing,” 
convergence-continuum
Lucy Bredeson-Smith, “Tone Clusters,”
convergence-continuum
Lucy Bredeson-Smith, “Copenhagen,” Actors’ Summit
Jodi Brinkman, “Summer of ‘42,” Kalliope
Sherri Britton, “Agnes of God,” Beck Center
M. R. Culver, “Guys and Dolls,” Porthouse
Greg DeTorto, “Of Mice and Men,” Beck Center
Nina Domingue, “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered
Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf,” Karamu
Nina Dominque, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” CPT
Christopher Duva, “Leading Ladies,” CPH
Lavonda Elam, “Crowns,” CPH
Sandra Emeric, “Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat,” Beck Center
Paul Floriano, “Highway Ulysses,” Dobama
Douglas Frederick, “Importance of Being Earnest,” GLTF
Robin Lee Gallo, “Miss Saigon,” Beck Center
Joel Hammer, “Ears on a Beatle,” Dobama
Geoffrey Hoffman, “‘La Turista” convergence-continuum
Renee Matthews-Jackson, “Bee-Luther-Hatchee,” Karamu
Theatre
Patrick Janson, ‘tick, tick...Boom!,” Cain Park
Matthew Joslyn, “Lobby Hero,” Beck Center
Alicia Kahn, “Agnes of God,“ Beck Center
Charles Kartali, “Bright Room Called Day,” CPT
Simon Kendall, “Vincent in Brixton,” CPH 
Richard Klautsch, “Julius Caesar,” GLTF
Tannis Kowalchuk, “Confessions of Punch and Judy,” CPT
Emily Krieger, ‘tick, tick...Boom!,” Cain Park
Andrew May, “Taming of the Shrew,” GLFT
Andrew May, “Private Lives,” GLTF
Robert McCoy, “Of Mice and Men,” Beck Center
Larry Nehring, “By Jeeves,” Beck Center 
Connor O’Brien, “Miss Saigon, Beck Center
Tracee Patterson, “Seussical, The Musical,” Beck
Center
Tracee Patterson, “Bright Room Called Day,” CPT
Laura Perotta, “Private Lives,” GLTF
Laura Perrotta,  “Taming of the Shrew,” GLFT
Scott Plate, “The Last Five Years,” Dobama
Kyle Primous, “Ragtime, The Musical,” JCC
Kyle Primous, “Five Guys Named Moe,” Beck Center
John Regan, “Hot ‘N’ Throbbing,” 
convergence-continuum
Derdriu Ring, “Amy’s View,” Dobama
George Roth, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” CPT
Clyde Simon, “Tone Clusters,” convergence-continuum
Maggie Stahl Wirfel, “Ragtime, The Musical,” JCC
Sean Szaller, “Ragtime, The Musical,” JCC
A. Neil Thackaberry, “Copenhagen,” Actors’ Summit
Wayne Turney, “Copenhagen,” Actors’ Summit
Wayne Turney, “Give “Em Hell Harry,” Actors Summit
Ker Wells, “Confessions of Punch and Judy,” CPT
Angela Gillespie Winborn, “Crowns,” Cleveland Play
House
Alex Wyse, “Summer of ‘42,” Kalliope

Ensemble cast performances
“Menopause the Musical,” June Lange, Maryann Nagel,
Tina Stump, Dyan Beder, Playhouse Square
“Nickel and Dimed,”Nan Wray, Sheffia W. Randall, Nina
Domingue, George Roth, Tracee Patterson, Jill Levin,
GLTF & CPT
“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change,” Tricia
Bestic, Julie Hogan, Nicholas 	Koesters and Larry
Nehring,  Playhouse Square

Technical Elements
Russ Borski, scenic design, “Summer of ‘42,” Kalliope
Kim Brown, costume design, “Summer of ‘42,” Kalliope
Trad Burns, set design, “Bright Room Called Day,” CPT
John Ezell, set design,  “Private Lives,” GLTF 
Richard Gould, set design, “Ragtime, The Musical,” JCC
Zach Humes, sound design, “Charge,” TITLEWave THEATRE 
Todd Krispinsky,  set design, “Nickel and Dimed,” GLTF
& CPT
Kim Krumm Sorenson, costume design, “Importance of
Being Earnest,” GLTF
Richard Morris, Jr., lighting and stage design, “For
Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the
Rainbow is Enuf, ” Karamu
Richard Morris, set design, ”Bee-Luther-Hatchee,”
Karamu Theatre
Dana Romeo, costume design, “Ragtime, The Musical, JCC
Tony Straiges, scenic design, “Enchanted April,” CPH
Alejo Vietti, costume design, “Enchanted April,” CPH
Gage Williams set design, “Importance of Being
Earnest,” GLTF
Charlotte Yetman, costumes, “Private Lives,” GLTF

Choregraphers
MaryAnn Black, “Godspell,” Porthouse
Martin Cespedes, “Ragtime, The Musical,” JCC
Martin Cespedes, “Seussical, The Musical,” Beck Center
Martin Cespedes, “Miss Saigon,” Beck Center
Janiece Kelley-Kiteley, “Anything Goes,” Carousel
Dinner Theatre

Musical Directors
David Dettloff, “Nine,” Cassidy Theatre
Larry Goodpaster, “By Jeeves,” Beck Center
Larry Goodpaster, “Miss Saigon,” Beck Center
Brian Laakso, “Godspell,” Porthouse
Josh Senick, “Highway Ulysses,” Dobama
David Williams, “Five Guys Named Mo,” Beck Center

Special Recognition To
•Joyce Casey for her tenacity in keeping Dobama
theatre operating
•James Levine for his many years of service to
Cleveland Public Theatre and the area’s theatre
community
•Fred Sternfeld for NEohioPAL, the most important
source for keeping the local theatre community
informed
•The Board of the Jewish Community Center for
fulfilling its promise to 
reinstitute the organization’s drama program
•David Hansen for his development of and performance
in “I Hate This” and his dedication to Bad Epitaph
Theatre
•Ricky Grant Friedman and Marji Dodrill who will long
be remembered for their contributions to the Cleveland
theatre scene


=====
Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.


		
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