[NEohioPAL] Berko: A quick look at upcoming events: Shaw Festival, Anne Frank, Verb Ballets, Wicked, Urban Bush Women, Defending the Caveman, Puccini, Wonderland

Tue Jan 15 19:46:53 PST 2008

A quick look at upcoming events

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

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

THE SHAW FESTIVAL, housed in Niagara-on-the-Lake,
Canada has announced its 2008 season:  ‘AN INSPECTOR
CALLS,’ ‘WONDERFUL TOWN,’ ‘MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION,’
‘THE STEPMOTHER,’ ‘A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC,’ ‘BELLE
MORAL,’ ‘GETTING MARRIED,’ ‘THE LITTLE FOXES,’ ‘AFTER
THE DANCE,’ ‘THE PRESIDENT’ and ‘FOLLIES: IN CONCERT’
(in limited engagement).  The box office is now open. 
The toll free North American number is 1-800-511-SHAW
(7429) or go on-line to www.shawfest.com.

‘DIARY OF ANNE FRANK,’ Beck Center is bringing back
its award winning production of last year’s ‘DIARY OF
ANNE FRANK’ with the original cast.  Though most
stagings are reserved for schools, the 8 p.m.
performances on Friday, February 1, Saturdays, January
26 and February 9 and the 3 p.m. Sunday, February 3
are available to the general public.  For tickets call
(216) 521-2540. Ticket prices are $28 for adults, $25
for seniors and $17 for students (22 and under with
I.D.).  Group discounts are available for parties of
13 or more.  Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit
Avenue in Lakewood. Free, convenient on-site parking
is available.

VERB BALLETS returns to Playhouse Square's Ohio
Theatre for one night only with their popular New
Classics Collection
on Saturday, January 26, 2008, at 8:00 p.m.  The
program will include a world premiere, a reconceived
revival and the return of two audience favorites.  
Reserved seats are $18 - $25 and are available by
calling 216-241-6000 or
through www.playhousesquare.org. 

‘WICKED,’ which broke box office records in its 2006
Cleveland run, will return to Playhouse Square’s State
Theatre from February 6 – March 9.  The role of
Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) will be played by Carmen
Cusack, and Glinda (the Good Witch) will be played by
Katie Rose Clark.  The Wizard will be played by
Canton-native Lee Wilkof.  Tickets, which range in
price from $29.50 - $84.50, can be obtained by calling
(216) 241-6000 or visit the Playhouse Square Ticket
Office or log onto PlayhouseSquare.org.  For discounts
on groups of 20 or more, call 216-664-6050.

URBAN BUSH WOMEN AND COMPAGNIE JANT-BI will present a
new and innovative collaborative work, ‘LES ÉCAILLES
DE LA MÉMOIRE’ (‘THE SCALES OF MEMORY’), on Saturday,
March 1 at 8:00 p.m. at the Ohio Theatre in Playhouse
Square.  The program is co-presented by DANCECleveland
and Cuyahoga Community College Performing Arts.  
Three years in the making, the evening-length work
features seven dancers from each company in a
high-energy piece that explores the importance of
place and the role of identity within a community.  
Tickets, which start at $15 are available at
216-241-6000.  For group tickets call 440-914-0744. 

‘DEFENDING THE CAVEMAN,’ the longest running solo play
in Broadway history, will have local performances on
February 9th at 5:00 and 8:30 p.m. and February 10th
at 7:00 p.m.  Actor Michael Van Osch will star as the
Caveman.  The show is an insightful look into the ways
men and women relate.  Tickets, which range in price
from $35 - $45, can be obtained by calling
216-241-6000 or online at PlayhouseSquare.org. 
Discounts for groups of 12 or more are available by
calling (216) 664-6050 or (800) 888-9941.

‘PUCCINI - THE MAN AND HIS MUSIC’ is an evening of
arias from the ten operas of Italian composer Giacomo
Puccini, interspersed with segments of the composer’s
life as portrayed by local actor Kelly Holt.  It will
receive its world premiere on Friday, January  25,
2008.  This production by Opera Per Tutti will be
presented at the Solon Center for the Arts, 6315 SOM
Center Road.  A second performance will be given at 3
p.m. on Sunday, January 27.  For tickets call
440-337-1400.  General admission is $15, while tickets
for seniors and students are $12 and $10. The web-site
for Opera Per Tutti is http://www.operapertutti.org .

WONDERLAND: A TAP TRIBUTE TO STEVIE WONDER, which will
be presented at the Ohio Theatre at 7:30 on February
8, combines tap dancing and the music of Stevie
Wonder.  Tickets are currently on sale at 216.241.6000
or PlayhouseSquare.org.

Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info

Roy's theatre and dance reviews appear regularly on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://mailman.listserve.com/listmanager/listinfo/neohiopal.  His reviews also appear on www.coolcleveland.com

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