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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>NEWS RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:line id="_x0000_s1026" style='position:absolute;z-index:251658240' from="0,0" to="457.2pt,0" strokeweight="2.25pt" /><![endif]--><![if !vml]><span style='mso-ignore:vglayout;position:relative;z-index:251658240'><span style='position:absolute;left:-2px;top:-2px;width:614px;height:4px'><img width=614 height=4 src="cid:image001.png@01CC0104.853F5900" v:shapes="_x0000_s1026"></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br style='mso-ignore:vglayout' clear=ALL><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>CONTACT: </span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> Kathleen Caffrey, 216.521.2540 x22 or kcaffrey@beckcenter.org<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> April 22, 2011<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoBodyText><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>Beck Youth Theater </span></b><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>& Dance Workshop<span style='color:red'> </span><span style='color:black'>presents <i>CATS<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Students perform Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning Musical<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoBodyText><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Lakewood, OH—</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Beck Youth Theater, in collaboration with the Beck Center Dance Workshop, presents the internationally renowned <i>CATS</i> <b>May 13-21, 2011 </b>on the Mackey Main Stage. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, with 3 p.m. matinees on Sunday, May 15 and Saturday, May 21. A special student matinee performance is also scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, May 19.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#006666'> </span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Based on the popular poetry of T.S. Eliot, <i>CATS</i> tells the story in song and dance of the annual gathering of Jellicle cats when one special cat is selected to ascend to the Heaviside layer. From the composer of <i>The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, </i>and <i>Jesus Christ Superstar,</i> this landmark show is pure entertainment from start to finish. A true musical theater phenomenon, <i>Cats</i> ran for a record-setting 21 years in London and more than 18 years on Broadway. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Featuring a cast of nearly 80 Beck Center students ages 6 to 19 years, <i>CATS</i> is directed by <b>Jonathan Kronenberger,</b> Beck’s associate director of Theater Education. “Performing <i>CATS</i> with this many actors and dancers requires a new way of imagining the storytelling and a new way of rehearsing,” said Kronenberger. Choreography for this production of <i>Cats</i> is led by Melanie Szucs and Devon Shriver and features 20 dancers from Beck’s Dance Workshop.”It has been an exciting challenge and a great learning opportunity for everyone involved,” added Kronenberger.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>This production also provides unique opportunities behind-the-scenes. Not only are Beck students working as stage crew, a course in make-up technique specifically for <i>CATS</i> began in February that will allow students to be part of the make-up team. Additionally, the cast was treated to a special “felinity” workshop led by New York actress and Beck Center alum Lisa Kuhnen. Ms. Kuhnen was a cast member of the international production of <i>Cats</i> and shared her experiences with the cast, and showed them how to move, react and behave “cat-like” for their roles.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Tickets for <i>Cats</i> are $12 for Adult/Senior and $10 for Children/Student (18 and under). Special discounted rates are available for groups of 13 or more. For tickets, visit </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.beckcenter.org"><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'>www.beckcenter.org</span></a><span style='color:black'> or call 216.521.2540 x10. </span>Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just 10 minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.<span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:red'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Beck Center’s production of <i>CATS</i> is presented through special arrangement with R&H Theatricals. The show is sponsored by Cox Communications and Music Is Elementary. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this production with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. This production is also generously supported by the public through a grant from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and creative arts therapies, and gallery exhibits featuring regional artists. For more information about the Beck Center, visit <a href="http://www.beckcenter.org"><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'>www.beckcenter.org</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>###<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>