[NEohioPAL] Berko preview: The Winter Theatre Offerings

[Roy Berko]

Go to the theatre--a list of winter theatre offerings 

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--
Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview 
Times

--coolcleveland.com-

You know Cleveland…it's going to be cold and snowy in the coming months.  It's a 
perfect time to go to live theatre and escape from all the stress.  Here's a 
partial list of what's on the boards:

CLEVELAND PLAYHOUSE
Tickets: 216-795-7000 or go to www.clevelandplayhouse.com.

BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS
Jan 7-30 o Bolton Theatre
A toe-tapping musical about the public and private life of Ginger Rogers.

THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL
Feb 4-27 o Drury Theatre
The tale of an elderly woman who wishes to escape from  the confines of her 
over-bearing daughter-in-law and son. Performed by an African-American cast.

MY NAME IS ASHER LEV
Mar 4-27 o Baxter Stage
An adaptation of Chaim Potok's coming-of-age story of a Hasidic Jew who tries to 
balance his artistic genius with the demands of his observant family. 

DOBAMA
Tickets: 216-932-3396

A STEADY RAIN
Feb 25-Mar 20
A mystery in which the audience becomes the jury.  

PLAYHOUSESQUARE
Tickets: 216-241-6000 or going to www.playhousesquare.org.

ALTAR BOYS
Jan 13-30 o Hanna Theatre
A pop-music parody that tells the story of five small-town boys trying to save 
the world one screaming fan at a time. Produced by The Beck Center. 

LAST CALL CLEVELAND
January 14, 15, 28, 29 o 14th Street Theatre
A  "sketch comedy troupe with a terrible name” brings their unique mix of 
sketches, songs and audience interaction to PlayhouseSquare.  

CATS
_January 21-23, 2011 o Palace Theatre
Andrew Lloyd Webber's longest running show in Broadway history is filled with 
timeless melodies, including "Memory."

JOSHUA SETH'S BEYOND BELIEF
January 23, February 23, March 3, 24 o Kennedy's Theatre
Mystery entertainer Joshua Seth's one man show, which combines psychology, 
intuition, and hypnosis.  (_No children under 12.)

GOLDA'S BALCONY
January 29, 2011 o Palace Theatre
A portrait of Golda Meir,   Stars four-time Tony and two-time Emmy 
Award-nominated Tovah Feldshuh.

SOUTH PACIFIC
Feb 1-13 o Palace Theatre
The revival musical  which won seven 2008 Tony Awards, features a cast of 34 and 
a full orchestra of 26 members.  (Part of the KeyBank Broadway Series.)

CELEBRITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Feb 3-6  (Other performances through March 13.)  
_14th Street Theatre
Features a comedic ensemble performing from the actual memoirs of a wide range 
of celebrities in the celebrities' own words. 

SHREK THE MUSICAL
March 1-13 o Palace Theatre
Based on the Oscar-winning film, the musical brings the story of everyone's 
favorite ogre to life.   (Part of the KeyBank Broadway Series.)

STOMP
March 18 - 20 o Palace Theatre
A unique dance show which features matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage 
cans, Zippo lighters, hubcaps-to create music.  

THE COLOR PURPLE
March 25-26  o Palace Theatre
The Tony Award winning musical based on the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel 
and film about a black woman who finds her unique voice in the world. 

GREAT LAKES THEATE FErSTIVAL
216-241-6000 or visit www.greatlakestheater.org
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED)
March 11-27 o Hanna Theatre
Three actors, armed with an outrageous assortment of outerwear and props, cram 
the Bard's entire canon of plays into two hours of Elizabethan-esque. 

BECK CENTER
216-521-2540.  

JERRY SPRINGER:  THE OPERA
FEB 18-MARCH 27
A  regional premiere.  See what happens when Springer's show ends up in Satan's 
world.  (Leave the kids at home!)

ACTOR’S SUMMIT
330-374-7568 or go to www.actorssummit.org.  Actors' Summit is located on the 
6th floor in Greystone Hall at 103 South High Street in Akron.

ROMANTIC FOOLS
Jan 13-30
A comedy which looks at all humans as romantic fools.

BECKY'S NEW CAR
Feb. 10-27
A farce about what happens when two lives collide!

LADIES MAN
March 17-April 3
A French bedroom farce complete with slamming doors and mistaken identities.

CLEVELAND PUBLIC THEATRE
216-631-2727 or go on line to www.cptonline.org

DARWIN II: THE COMEUPPANCE OF MAN
March 3-19
The new Broadway musical which asks, “Cristobal has stolen the original Charles 
Darwin manuscripts from rare book libraries around the world. Why?” 

KARAMU THEATRE
2355 East 89th Street, Cleveland
216-795-7070

AND HER HAIR WENT WITH HER
Jan 28-Feb 20
The story of a beauty parlor operator's interchanges with her parade of patrons.

GOD'S TROMBONES:  SEVEN NEGRO SERMONS IN VERSE
March 18-April 10
James Weldon Johnson's poetic classic presented in a hand clapping, foot 
stomping, uplifting spiritual celebration.

LAKELAND THEATRE
Lakeland Community College
440-525-7526

ASSASSINS
February 4-20
Sondheim's musical examines power and celebrity in American by exploring 
hundreds of years of assassinations.  (For mature audiences). 

ENSEMBLE THEATRE
216-321-2930

FREE MAN OF COLOR
February 10-27  (presented at Notre Dame College, S. Green Road, South Euclid)
 Examines the life of a man who must choose between making a life in the US or 
finding a new home for his people in Africa.
 
Roy Berko's blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 
2010, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at 
http://royberko.info.  His reviews can also be found on www.coolcleveland.com 
and www.NeOHIOpal