<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><b><i>LI'L ABNER</i></b></span></font>, Mercury Summer Stock's current musical offering is hosting several wild events in addition to the musical comedy playing now through July 24th:<div> <div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><b>Tonight</b></span></font> (Thursday July 15th) - The MSS Teen Board presents <font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><b>Sadie Hawkins Day</b></span></font> for young theatre lovers ages 13-19 and their families! Sadie Hawkins Day is the Dogpatch traditional foot
race in which the unmarried gals pursued the town's bachelors, with
matrimony as the consequence. Please come and wear you favorite hoedown
attire! Boys wear your running shoes! Pizza and Pop will be served. and festivities begin at 6:30 PM. The show is at 7:30 PM Tickets are only $7.00 per teen ($10 for accompanying adults/siblings)! <div><br></div><div>Friday July 26th and Saturday July 17th - show at 7:30 PM</div><div><br></div><div>Wednesday July 21st - Mercury's <b>Don't Break The Bank</b> <font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><b>Night</b></span></font> returns (<b>A</b><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><b>ll seats $10</b></span></font>). Tickets are going fast for the Discount Days- get yours today!</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></div><div><br></div><div>Thursday July 22nd - show at 7:30 PM</div><div><br></div><div>Friday July 23rd - North Coast Men's Chorus Night/ Talk Back - show at 7:30 PM</div><div><br></div><div>Saturday July 24th - Closing Night performance!</div><div><br></div><div>Call to make your reservation today! 216.771.5862.</div><div>www.mercurysummerstock.com</div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"><b><u style="text-underline:words">At A Glance</u></b></span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"><u style="text-underline:words">:</u></span></div><div><div class="Section1"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"> <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma">What: Mercury Summer Stock’s<b> <i>Li’l Abner</i></b></span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"> <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma">When: July 9-10, 14-17, & 21-24.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>All performances at 7:30PM<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"> <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma">Where: The Brooks Theatre in The Cleveland Play House. 8500 Euclid Ave. Cleveland. 44106<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"> <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma">Cost: $15.00 for Adults and $12.00 for Students (college and under) /Seniors (60 and up). See above for special events and discount nights!<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma"> <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma">For reservations and more information please call 216.771.5862, or order online at </span><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><a href="http://www.mercurysummerstock.com"><span style="font-family:Tahoma">www.mercurysummerstock.com</span></a></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma">.<o:p></o:p></span></div> </div> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><br clear="ALL" style="page-break-before:always; mso-break-type:section-break">- - - -- - - - </span><!--EndFragment--></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Tahoma" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Check out the first review!!!</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Tahoma" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br></span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Tahoma" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><div id="TopStoriesBox" style="display: block;"> </div> <div id="MainColumn"> <div id="ContentWellFull"> <div class="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://www.cleveland.com">Home</a> > <a href="http://blog.cleveland.com/parmasunpost/">Parma Sun Post</a> > <a class="category" href="http://blog.cleveland.com/parmasunpost/community/index.html">Community</a></div> <div class="full_entry entry_text"> <div id="article"> <h1> Mercury Theatre review: 'Li'l' Abner balances one-note comedy and satire </h1> <h5>Published: Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 11:21 AM </h5> <div class="author_info"><span><a href="http://connect.cleveland.com/user/tedlarsen/index.html">Ted Larsen, Sun News </a> <br><br></span></div><p>Scheduling “Li’l Abner,” a 54-year-old show based on a depression-era comic strip, seems an odd choice. Al Capp’s classic strip was, in its day, deeply topical — and more than a bit subversive. </p> <div class="box_gray_gray_ol clear" id="EntryStats"> <div class="box_top_left"><!-- --></div><div class="box_top_right"><!-- --></div> <div class="box_content" style=""> <div class="metric" id="m_comment"> <div class="box_white_gray_ol bubble"> <div class="box_top_left"><!-- --></div><div class="box_top_right"><!-- --></div> <div class="box_content">Can satire firmly rooted in The ’50s still resonate and entertain us today? In Mercury Summer Stock’s production, running at The Brooks Theatre at The Cleveland Play House through July 24, the answer is mostly yes.</div></div></div></div></div><p> Under its veneer of hillbilly corn and cardboard characters, “Li’l Abner” lampoons an incompetent U.S. government, corrupt politicians, science gone amok, and the general absurdity of human nature itself. </p><p> Filled with characters bearing monikers like Sen. Jack S. Phogbound and Appassionata Von Climax, the show cleverly walks the tightrope between inch-deep comedy and thoughtful satire. </p><p> The plot twists and turns around the effort to save Dogpatch (“the most unnecessary town in America”) from becoming a nuclear test site. Can the mystical powers of Yokumberry tonic save the town from destruction (and more to the point, save the townsfolk from having to get — gasp! — jobs)? </p><p> The cast brings unfettered joy to the production. In a star turn, <strong>Dan DiCello</strong> as Marryin’ Sam ignites his every moment on stage, and the ever-hopeful Daisy Mae is wonderfully funny as played by <strong>Annie Hickey</strong>. </p><p> Director <strong>Pierre-Jacque Brault</strong> has wisely seen that it’s impossible to overplay these characters, and his large cast has embraced the broad, cartoonish world. The odd exception to this is Abner himself, who is played more tepid Midwestern suburbanite than simple-minded hillbilly. But the affection between Daisy Mae and Abner, played by <strong>Jason Leupold</strong>, is sweet and effective, and Leupold’s strong clear voice carries the music with aplomb. </p><p> One of the hallmarks of Mercury Summer Stock is high-energy creativity, and on opening weekend, that creativity was displayed in spades. The cast and crew had to deal with a power outage, so they moved the show outside and performed under the fading sunlight (and eventually under car headlights). To see them adjust on the fly while not missing a beat was nothing short of amazing. </p><p> “Li’l Abner” stands as a highly entertaining example of musical theater that manages to breathe humor into the underlying satire. </p><p> <em>“Li’l Abner” runs through July 24. Call (216) 771-5862 or go to <a href="http://mercurysummerstock.com.%3C/em" target="_blank">mercurysummerstock.com.</a></em> </p></div></div></div></div></span></font></div></div></div></body></html>