<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">AND COME SEE FOR YOURSELF!<div><br></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Christine Howey: Rave and Pan</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a href="http://raveandpan.blogspot.com">http://raveandpan.blogspot.com</a>/</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Aaron Krause: Norfolk Reflector</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><!--StartFragment--><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">PARMA — Musical tragedy.</span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">Now there are two words we don’t often use in the same sentence.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">When we think musical theater, images of dancing chorus girls, big, hummable show tunes and happy endings usually come to mind.</span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">But if we’re at all familiar with “Blood Brothers,” we know that musical tragedies do exist (see also “West Side Story,” a tragic musical based on “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, who also incorporated songs into his tragedies).</span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">“Blood Brothers,” which carries some echoes of “West Side Story,” runs through July 26 at the Parma Little Theatre in a Mercury Summer Stock theater production.!“Brothers” begins with a mother grieving over her dead twins. A haunting chant that is somber and funereal fills the stage. </span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">The story comes full circle; We flashback to the time before the twins are born, follow them through life and we end with their death on a dark street in Liverpool, England. The song at the end matches the opening chant in its somber quality; it is called “Tell Me It’s Not True,” one of the musical’s more emotional songs.</span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">Jennifer Myor, as the mother, Mrs. Johnstone, joins the rest of the cast in singing a heartfelt rendition of this number. Myor scrunches up her face in such a way that Mrs. Johnstone suddenly looks old, weary and spent. It is as though the tragic and unnecessary killing snuffed all life out of her.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">To lead up to this point, “Blood Brothers” author, composer and lyricist Willy Russell weaves an eye-opening tale about the rift between social classes, jealousy, family, fate and superstition and the real, often harsh, world.</span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">Mrs. Johnstone, a single mother with many children, works as a maid for the upper class Lyons family. The Lyons, who tried but could never have children, desperately want a baby. Mrs. Johnstone is pregnant with what she believes is a single child; she feels she can still cope — albeit barely — with one more addition. </span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">Then she learns she’s really pregnant with twins — one more child too many. Mrs. Johnstone, realizing how desperate her employer is for a child, hands over one of the pair. It is a decision she initially regrets, but Mrs. Lyons offers her employee no second chances. She is determined and desperate for a child, and makes her swear on the Bible never to take the child back. </span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">Mrs. Lyons (played as a snobby woman by Amiee Collier) uses Mrs. Johnstone’s superstitious nature against her: She tells her a set of twins separated at birth must never learn they are one of a pair; otherwise, they’ll both die. Sometimes, the past follows you, even stalks you, throughout life, as Russell vividly illustrates.</span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">Russell uses the device of a narrator, who is really a kind of conscience to the characters, as a reminder of the harsh, real world. Think of the narrator as a voice in the back of the characters’ minds, telling them what they already know, but cringe to hear. The narrator is played severely with foreboding eyes by a black suit clad Matthew Patrick.</span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">During the narrator’s appearances, glaring red lighting adds to the intensity of the scenes. </span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman"> Dan Marshall as twin Mickey Johnstone is equally impressive, effortlessly conveying intense, unaffected emotion, particularly in the final scene. It is one of those performances in which an actor thoroughly disappears into a character.</span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">“Blood Brothers” is not all depressing. In fact, a good number of the scenes and songs are upbeat. </span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman">We first meet the twins from the time they’re happy, innocent small children. We grow fonder and closer to them as the story progresses, so that their sudden, untimely and unnecessary demise deeply affects us.</span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none"><span style="font-family:Times-Roman"> We feel we’ve lost a part of ourselves as well.</span><span style="font-family:Helvetica"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">And Pick up the Sun Paper of West side with critic Ted Larsen. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br></div><div class="MsoNormal"><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="6" style="font: 24.0px Arial"><b>MERCURY SUMMER STOCK</b></font></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="6" style="font: 24.0px Arial"><b>presents</b></font></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="6" style="font: 24.0px Arial"><b>Brian and Dan Marshall </b></font></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="6" style="font: 24.0px Arial"><b>In</b></font></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="6" style="font: 28.0px Arial"><b>Blood Brothers</b></font></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="5" style="font: 17.0px Arial">Book, Music and Lyrics by: Willy Russell </font></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="5" style="font: 17.0px Arial"><b><i>“Their Lives Were World’s Apart. Their Destiny Joined Them Together.”</i></b></font></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Directed and Choreographed by Pierre-Jacques Brault</font></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Musical Directed by Evie Morris</font></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"><b>Opening Friday July 11th, 2008</b></font></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">At the Parma Little Theatre</font></p><p align="center" style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; text-align: center"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">6285 W 54</font><font face="Arial" size="1" style="font: 9.0px Arial"><sup>th</sup></font><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> Street, Parma, OH 44129</font></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Mercury Summer Stock is pleased to present an encore presentation of Willy Russell’s groundbreaking musical, <i>BLOOD BROTHERS</i>. The epic tale, which is the second offering of Mercury’s 10</font><font face="Arial" size="1" style="font: 9.0px Arial"><sup>th</sup></font><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> Anniversary Season, tells the captivating tale of twin boys, separated at birth only to be re-united by a twist of fate and a mother's haunting secret<i>. BLOOD BROTHERS</i> is the third longest running hit in musical theatre history, with the 1988 West End production still selling to capacity after a remarkable 21 years. Mercury Summer Stock’s staging of <i>BLOOD BROTHERS</i> will pair real-life brothers, professional actors Brian and Dan Marshall onstage as the fated twins.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">The legendary <i>BLOOD BROTHERS</i> tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with tragic consequences. The incredible score includes the British Billboard hits <u>Bright New Day</u>, <u>Not Saying A Word</u> and the emotionally charged hit <u>Tell Me It’s Not True</u>. Few musicals have received quite such praise as the multi-award winning <i>BLOOD BROTHERS</i>, which, having opened in 1988 to tremendous acclaim, continues to enjoy standing ovations at every devastating performance. No wonder <i>BLOOD BROTHERS</i> is now ‘The musical for all time’.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Brian Marshall (Edward Lyons) was last seen in Cleveland as Man #2 in The Playhouse Square Broadway Series mounting of <i>Forbidden Broadway SVU</i> at the pre-renovated Hannah Theatre. Dan Marshall (Mickey Johnston) played right next-door as Jeremy DiMini in the long-running <i>We Gotta Bingo</i>, at the 14</font><font face="Arial" size="1" style="font: 9.0px Arial"><sup>th</sup></font><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"> Street Stage. Both are members of Actors Equity and have enjoyed a successful careers off-Broadway, regionally and in tours across the USA. With Mercury Summer Stock, they have been seen onstage together in numerous shows</font><font face="Arial" size="5" style="font: 17.0px Arial">, </font><font style="font: 17.0px Arial"><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;">most recently in Mercury’s return engagement of Honk!</span></font></font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Also, featured in the cast are Cleveland favorite’s Aimee Collier as Mrs. Lyons, Jennifer Myor as Mrs. Johnstone, Molly Richards as Linda and Shane O’Neill as Sammy. Duke University student Matthew Patrick takes on the role of the Narrator and Mercury alums Danielle Renard, Jon Gellott, Max Chernin, Annie Hickey and Matt Wiederhold round out the cast. Blood Brothers is directed by Artistic Director Pierre-Jacques Brault with Music Direction by Evie Morris.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Tickets for<b> </b><i>BLOOD BROTHERS</i> are available by calling Mercury Summer Stock box office at <b>(216) 771-5862</b>.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"><u> </u></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial"><b>At A Glance</b><u>:</u></font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: 13.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">What: <b>Mercury Summer Stock</b> presents: <b>Brian and Dan Marshall in <i>BLOOD BROTHERS</i></b></font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">When: July 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, & 26; All performances at 7:30PM</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Where: Parma Little Theatre (Adjacent to Parma Senior High) 6285 W. 54</font><font face="Arial" size="1" style="font: 9.0px Arial"><sup>th</sup></font><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">, Parma OH 44129</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">Cost: $15.00 for Adults and $12.00 for Students (college and under) /Seniors (65 and up)</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 11.0px Arial"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Arial">For reservations and more information please call (216) 771-5862 and visit our website at <a href="http://www.mercurysummerstock.com/"><font color="#002bd8" style="color: #002bd8"><u>www.mercurysummerstock.com</u></font></a></font></div></div> <!--EndFragment--> </div></div></body></html>