<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV><STRONG>I WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE - THIS PRODUCTION IS ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!! IT'S WORTH TWICE THE PRICE OF ADMISSION! I went only because I knew several cast members...but almost dreaded sitting through something I had seen so many times in so many forms. I was thoroughly enchanted and WOWed by what Mercury Summer Theater is able to do on a minimal budget by using creativity and thinking outside the box. A MUST SEE! </STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Mary Faktor (the actor ;-)</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG><A href="http://www.FaktorsTalentNetwork.com">www.FaktorsTalentNetwork.com</A></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>888-913-3473 </STRONG></DIV>
<DIV><BR><BR>--- On <B>Thu, 6/25/09, Bob Abelman <I><r.abelman@adelphia.net></I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid"><BR>From: Bob Abelman <r.abelman@adelphia.net><BR>Subject: [NEohioPAL] Review of "Cinderella" at Mercury Summer Stock<BR>To: neohiopal@listserve.com<BR>Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 11:41 AM<BR><BR>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">Seeing ‘Cinderella’ with eyes wide open </SPAN></B></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'"> </SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">Bob Abelman</SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><I><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">News-Herald, Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times, Geauga Times Courier</SPAN></I></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">Member, International Association of Theatre Critics </SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><I><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'"> </SPAN></I></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #1f497d; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">This review appeared in the <I>Times </I>papers 6/25/09</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">Since the 1930s, Walt Disney made it possible, and socially acceptable, for adults to derive child-like pleasure from watching fairy tales.<SPAN> </SPAN>Sure, his animated musicals were meant for children.<SPAN> </SPAN>But the quality of their production allowed adults to step outside themselves and, for 90 minutes, be kids again. </SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">In 1957, CBS followed suit with a live, made-for-TV theatrical production of <I>Cinderella</I> featuring Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s remarkable music and lyrics, and starring Julie Andrews in the title role.<SPAN> </SPAN>The broadcast was seen by over a 100 million viewers, many of whom are still humming “Ten Minutes Ago” and “In My Own Little Corner.”</SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">The production was adapted for the stage shortly thereafter and is currently being performed by the Mercury Summer Stock theater troupe. <SPAN> </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">The acid test for the transfixing and transformative powers of this timeless tale came last Wednesday night, when <I>Cinderella</I> was performed for an audience that had never seen live musical theater.</SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'"></SPAN> </DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="BACKGROUND: white; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'"><SPAN> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">"My First Musical" is Mercury Summer Stock’s new program designed to give underprivileged children and their parents from the Parma City School District and other educational institutions an opportunity to see their first musical theater show at <SPAN>no cost.<SPAN> </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">At first glance it appeared as if this production of <I>Cinderella</I> was more children’s theater than theater capable of exorcising one’s inner child.<SPAN> </SPAN>Little attention was paid to production values, which serve to establish time and place, facilitate the magic one expects from a fairy tale musical, and draw in the adults in attendance.<SPAN> </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">There was no scenery or set pieces, save for large clocks hanging above the stage, and the costuming by Tiffany Hu seemed random and out of sync with the classic story being told. </SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'"> </SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">There was no musical accompaniment to the show’s magnificent score, save for music director Eddie Carney at a piano anchored at center stage.</SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">There were no special effects save for a half-hearted blast of dry ice during the opening scene<SPAN> </SPAN>and some animal puppetry handled without any semblance of expertise.</SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">None of that mattered to the room full of unseasoned and unspoiled theatergoers, young or old.<SPAN> </SPAN>Through their eyes, which were wide open, this play was magical.</SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">What this audience encountered and readily accepted was a burlesque-filled playground that permitted over-the-top actors dressed in brightly colored clown clothes to serve as doors, a carpet and a lamp and, of course, a fairy godmother, royalty, a dysfunctional family, and a servant girl who would be a princess.<SPAN> </SPAN>They were totally lost in the unadulterated fun and broad fantasy envisioned by director Pierre-Jacques Brault and enacted by his talented cast and crew. </SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">In this world, the audience was left breathless by the sheer brilliance of Rodgers and Hammerstein, even without orchestration. They were introduced to color-blind (and, in the case of the stepmother, gender-blind) casting, which only added to the fantasy of this fairy tale.<SPAN> </SPAN>They were subjected to a modernization of the script through contemporary quips, as well as clever pieces of business and in-jokes (the invitation to the Ball was on Disney Princess stationary).</SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">The audience was treated to Emily Grodzik as Cinderella and Nicholas Varricchio as the Prince, whose playfulness and energy were contagious.<SPAN> </SPAN>Their wonderful voices and stage presence made this production soar. </SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'"> </SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">Ample doses of broad comedy came in the form of the hilarious Kelvette Beacham and Jennifer Myor as the witless stepsisters, Robert Gibb as the wicked stepmother, and Brian Marshall as the flamboyant Herald.</SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'"><SPAN> </SPAN><SPAN> </SPAN>Christopher Fortunato, Kimberly Aldrich-Ceja and Lynette Turner were absolutely charming as the King, Queen and Fairy Godmother, respectively, and the large ensemble of young performers was exceptional.</SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'"> </SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">In short, the audience experienced a world that embraced the key lyric from the song that closes Act 1:<SPAN> </SPAN>“Impossible things are happening every day.”<SPAN> </SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial', 'sans-serif'">With eyes wide open. That is the way to watch a fairy tale fantasy, whether you are an avid theatergoer or new to the enterprise.<SPAN> </SPAN><I>Cinderella</I> continues in Parma until June 27.</SPAN></DIV>
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