[NEohioPAL] Berko special feature: Up Cabaret and KSU's Visiting Director's Series

[Dr. Roy Berko]

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UP
CABARET and KSU’S VISITING DIRECTOR’S SERIES
Roy Berko
(Member, American Theatre Critics Association,
Cleveland Critic’s Circle)
 
UP
CABARET—a new entertainment in the Cleveland area    
 
On Saturday, April 14 the lights went up on a new small
entertainment stage in Cleveland area.  The space, upstairs of the Cleveland Public Theatre, is the home of UP
Cabaret, the brain child of Paul Hoffman.  
 
CPT’s Artist Raymond Bobgan agreed with Hoffman that Cleveland
could benefit from a regular Cabaret room.  It’s a place where live entertainment night club acts will
appear on a regular basis.  For six
weeks this spring, UP CABARET will light up the stage at 10:20 p.m. on Saturday
night.  (Doors open at 9:30) Cabaret
tables, a cash or credit wine and beer bar, and local stars will be available
for an entrance fee of only $5 (payable at the door).
 
The series opened with Cabaret Smack Downfeaturing Lora Workman and Monica Olejko.  The rest of the spring series will be: 
 
April 21--SOLE
MATES starring Nicole McLaughlin, singing about her love of shoes.
 
April 28--NOT
MENOPAUSE, featuring Tina Stump, Jean Zarzour, Paula Klein Messner, June
Lang, Maryann Nagel, and Dyan Beder, the original cast of the local production
of MENOPAUSE.  Ton Bonezzi serves
as the Musical Director.
 
May 5--Adina Bloom and Paul Hoffman entertain in THE TWO OF US, 
a show about relationships in 5 sighs and 15 songs.  Heidi Hertzog will be the musical
director.
 
May 12--Laurel Held and company (Wendy Morgan
 Cove, Michelle Moye, Isabell Tuma and Ayeshah Douglas star in SONG BIRD, MUSIC OF EVA CASSIDY.   David Dettloff is the musical director.
 
May 19--Donnie Long explains I SLEPT WITH MY MOTHER ON HER 70TH
BIRTHDAY with David Dettloff as the musical director.
 
 
ROE
GREEN SPONSORS VISITING DIRECTOR’S SERIES AT KSU
 
Local arts patron and activist Roe Green is at it
again!  Much of Cleveland theatre
is stamped with the Roe Green tag.  She’s the sponsor of the Cleveland Critic’s Circle’s ClevelandTheaterReviews.com.  She’s the fairy godmother to the Kent
State University’s theatre program, as her foundation recently built their new
theatre and dance center.  She
serves on the KSU Foundation, School of Theatre and Dance and Porthouse
Theatre’s Advisory Boards.  She
serves on the board of The Cleveland Play House and has been the honorary
producer for their Fusion Fest.  She sponsored the theatre program at
the Jewish Community Center for many years. She has also donated to other area
theatres.  
 
Her latest foray into the arts is KSU’s Roe Green Visiting
Director’s Series
which brings in a playwright and/or writer to work with
students and create an original theatre piece.  This year’s director/playwright is Ami Dayan.  Dayan, who has studied and worked
professionally in the U.S., Europe and Israel, was recently commissioned by The
Denver Center Theatre Company and the Colorado Shakespeare Festival to craft
new works.  He is the president of
Maya Productions, an independent theatre company (see
www.mayaproductionsinc.com).
 
Dayan  has
adapted Gotthold Ephraim Lessing’s 1779 literary masterpiece NATHAN THE WISE,
one of the earliest pieces celebrating religious tolerance into a play with
music.  In actuality, it is a
full-ledged musical drama with some comic overtones.   The script is a plea for religious tolerance between
Judaism, Islam and Christianity.  
 
The KSU production succeeds on many levels.  It is entertaining, tells its tale in
an audience involving mode, and has some interesting, if not memorable
music.  As is the case with any
work-in-progress, it needs some tweaking.  
 
The student cast members do a nice job of developing their
roles.  The singing is generally
very good, the musical sounds enhanced the show supporting rather than drowning
out the performers.
 
Again, thanks to Beachwood High School grad Roe Green for
her continued support of the arts.
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