[NEohioPAL] Review of "The Spitfire Grill" at Beck Center for the Arts

[Bob Abelman via NEohioPAL]

Beck Center saves ‘Spitfire Grill’ from itself



Bob Abelman

Cleveland Jewish News, The News Herald, The Morning Journal

Member, International Association of Theatre Critics





Some musicals have an impressive literary pedigree.  The Tony Award-winning “Cats” is based on the whimsical verse of poet T.S. Eliot.  “South Pacific” is an adaptation of James A. Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel.  



“The Spitfire Grill,” on stage at the Beck Center for the Arts, seems inspired by Hallmark.  



Every sentiment in this show has a song with a greeting card title and temperament absconded from the “condolence” and “inspiration” racks, including “When Hope Goes,” “Come Alive Again” and “Shine.”  



And every song is written with the same kind of wholesome, emotion-laden prose solely intended to pull at a heart-string or give voice to those private moments in our lives or serve up a plain-spoken and highly digestible truth.  



The lyrics are accompanied by the resonating sound of string instruments only – a keyboard, violin, cello and guitar – just in case the words alone don’t bring you to tears or inspire a post-show phone call to a neglected loved one.



In truth, “The Spitfire Grill” is based on a 1996 film written by Lee David Zlotoff – a film that critic Roger Ebert described as “unabashedly manipulative,” which it is, and others have likened to “Fried Green Tomatoes” and “Steel Magnolias.”



The movie served as the basis for the 2001 Off-Broadway musical production of the same name with music and lyrics by James Valcq and Fred Alley.  Though short-lived, that production was better able to tap the poignancy embedded in the material than the film ever could.  



The current Beck Center rendition, which is really quite lovely under director William Roudebush’s artistic vision, does so even more.





For more of this review, go to www.clevelandjewishnews.com/columnists/.  
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