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<h1 style="background-color: #2D0D4E;
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padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom:5px; width:100%">Chagrin Valley
Little Theatre </h1>
<h2 style="font: bold 32px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;
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margin-bottom: 15px; text-align:center; border-bottom:3px double
#fdd44f; border-top:3px double #fdd44f; "><em>The Rocky Horror
Show</em><span style="font-size:20px"><span
style="font-weight:normal"><br>
by Richard O'Brien</span></span></h2>
<p style="font: bold 18px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;
margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom:15px; margin-left:15px;
margin-right:15px; color:#000000; text-align:center"><strong>FRIDAYS
&
SATURDAYS at 8 PM <br>
NOW
through AUGUST 20</strong></p>
<p style="font: bold 18px Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif;
margin: 15px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: center;"><strong>Call
440-247-8955
(Mon-Sat, 1-6 PM) or visit<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.cvlt.org/81stSeason/rockyhorror.php">http://www.cvlt.org/81stSeason/rockyhorror.php</a><br>
</strong></p>
<div align="center">
<p style="width: 460px; font: bold 14px Georgia,'Times New
Roman',Times,serif; margin: 15px; color: #2D0D4E; text-align:
center;"><strong>“</strong>I loved it! It was an amazing
performance! If I didn't live so far away, I probably would have
gone a second time!<strong>”</strong> <br>
~ Emily S.</p>
<p style="width: 460px; font: bold 14px Georgia,'Times New
Roman',Times,serif; margin: 15px; color: #2D0D4E; text-align:
center;"><strong>“We had a wonderful time and definitely intend
to return in the future... cast and crew were great!” <br>
~ Kelsie M.</strong></p>
<p style="width: 460px; font: bold 14px Georgia,'Times New
Roman',Times,serif; margin: 15px; color: #2D0D4E; text-align:
center;">“We had an absolute BLAST! Kudos to the cast and crew;
the performance was outstanding!” <br>
~ Miriam E.</p>
</div>
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<h3 style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:14pt" align="center">'Rocky
Horror' at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre bawdy, campy, fun</h3>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:11pt" align="center"><strong>MARJORIE
PRESTON<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" target="_new"
href="http://www.cleveland.com/sun/all/index.ssf/2011/07/rocky_horror_at_chagrin_valley.html">SUN
NEWS</a></strong></p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">The current Chagrin Valley
Little Theatre production of the musical <em>The Rocky
Horror Show</em> with music, lyrics and book by Richard
O'Brien, is a sexually charged romp through the campy
world of Dr. Frank-N-Furter's pleasure castle. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Soon-to-be-married
upstanding citizens Brad Majors (Damian Henri) and Janet
Weiss (Arianna Taxman) find themselves on a country drive
on a rainy night when their car blows a tire. Brad rings
the bell of a castle and the couple soon meets the
cross-dressing scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Steven R.
Tiderman) and his many servants who live in a secluded
castle. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> Their bawdy lives, which
Janet calls "unhealthy," are soon very apparent to the
couple, and Brad and Janet must decide whether to stay or
go. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> Taxman as Janet is
perfectly cast. She possesses a sweet, full, clear voice.
She shines brightest dancing around in her bra and slip in
the toe-tapping "Touch-A, Touch Me" that opens the second
act. Henri as Brad, who may remind audiences of Justin
Timberlake with his good looks and nerdy black-rimmed
glasses, is equally well-cast. His best moment is the
number that follows Janet's, the 50s-style ballad "Once in
a While," where his competent voice is displayed. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> Tiderman as Frank-N-Furter
owns the show as he pleasantly overdoes overdone in his
fishnets, high heels and red bustier. Everything he says
is dramatic, important and breathless, and both his ballad
"I'm Going Home" and his final moments on stage are dead
on. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> Rocky Horror (Ralph
Diludovico), the strong man created by Dr. Frank-N-Furter,
is physically perfect for the part (he did eight push ups
on opening night). </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> Narrator Don Bernardo is
especially fun as he breaks the rules of what a narrator
should be, drinking a martini or teaching the audience a
dance. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> Director Greta Rothman
managed to open <em>The Rocky Horror Show</em> in
conservative Chagrin Falls. Beyond that, she understands
parody and camp and makes sure everything goes big – big
dance numbers, grand entrances, sexy costumes. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> Choreographer Pamela
LaForce ably wrangles 21 cast members through multiple
high-energy, sweaty dance numbers with nearly flawless
execution, especially in the first act. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> Musical Director David
Keith Stiver has kept the action moving with high energy
numbers and musical underlays throughout. There is never a
dull moment. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> Costume Designer Brian
Smith has an eye for modernizing the traditional trashy <em>Rocky
Horror</em> wardrobe to hit the right note of dramatic
and debaucherous. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> Set, sound and lighting
are by Edmond Wolff, who has created a multi-media set
with video screens, shadow projections and live action
space in a grand castle. The production has used its
surroundings to the fullest. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> If you are ready to do the
"Time Warp," let go and have some campy fun at <em>The
Rocky Horror Show.</em></p>
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<td style="border:1px solid #666" width="30%"
bgcolor="#f4f4e9" valign="top">
<h3 style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:14pt" align="center">CVLT boldly
jumps to the left with 'Rocky Horror'</h3>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:11pt" align="center"> <strong>BOB
ABELMAN<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" target="_new"
href="http://www.news-herald.com/articles/2011/07/27/life/doc4e30a4684e6ca697513316.txt?viewmode=fullstory">NEWS-HERALD</a></strong></p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Each time the Chagrin
Valley Little Theatre strays from things safe and
Seussical, it is a small step in the right direction. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Venturing into the realm of
Richard O'Brien's <em>The Rocky Horror Show</em>-a
science-fiction rock-n-roll sex comedy-is a giant leap.
Well, more like a jump to the left and then a step to the
right. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"><em>Rocky Horror</em>
started out as a campy parody of the sci-fi and horror
B-movies of the 1940s and 1950s. It premiered in London in
1973 to so much fanfare that it was turned into a film in
1975, which failed miserably as did the subsequent New
York stage production. Picked up as a kitschy midnight
flick at an artsy Greenwich Village movie house, the film
developed a cult following and a penchant for rowdy and
racy audience participation, which spread to theaters
across the country. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">The renewed popularity of
the film resulted in renewed interest in the play that is
currently on stage at the CVLT.</p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> <em>Rocky Horror</em>
traces the one-night misadventure of straight-laced Brad
and Janet, who seek assistance at an eerie old castle
after their car breaks down. There they are introduced to
Transylvanian transvestite Frank-N-Furter and his
erotically clad clan of servants and ghoulish devotees. As
it happens, the couple arrives on a special evening, for
Frank-N-Furter will be giving life to his latest
creation-a muscle-bound mate named Rocky. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Clearly the story is not
this play's strongest suit. The dialogue is no great
shakes either. In fact, it is the inanity of the dialogue
that resulted in the counterpoint shout-outs, audience
reenactments and other assorted forms of patron
participation in the first place. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">The true allure of <em>Rocky
Horror</em> is its actual performance. If performed with
absolute abandon - that is, if the actors embrace all that
is campy and over-the-top in this parody, and the audience
wholeheartedly accepts what it is given - that the B-movie
storyline and the mindless dialogue take a backseat to the
sheer exhilaration of the storytelling. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">This is precisely what
occurs during the CVLT production under Greta Rothman's
very creative direction. She pushes all the fun to the
forefront and has put together a fine show. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">It starts with the music,
which doesn't so much accompany the play's sixteen musical
numbers as showcase them. A phenomenal six piece band
directed by David Keith Stiver rocks the rafters.</p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> The same hard-driving
energy in the music translates to the stage performances
thanks in large part to a thoroughly dedicated Greek
Chorus of phantoms, played by Patricia Welsh, Jen Ryan,
Kelly Aker, Brie Arko, Nikolai Fedyszyn, Samantha Gebler,
Alex LaForce, M.J. Mihalic, Laura Rightnour-Henri, Andrew
Kondik and Scott Zolkowski. As omnipresent Frank-N-Furter
fans, these creatures of the night are completely into
this production and, during the many ensemble musical
numbers, perform Pam LaForce's raucous and sexy
choreography without a hint of hesitancy or inhibition. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">The same can be said for
the featured players, who pay homage to the iconic film
versions of their characters but also add their own
particular flair.</p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> The charismatic Steven
Tiderman plays lingerie-clad transvestite Frank-N-Furter
to the hilt, owning the audience from the moment of his
dramatic entrance to his melodramatic demise.</p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> Damian Henri and Arianna
Taxman as enthusiastic do-gooders Brad and Janet are as
delightfully clueless as Brandon Hood, Leah Frires and
Michelle Unger are demonic in the roles of the disgruntled
servants Riff Raff, Magenta and Columbia, respectively.</p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> The diminutive Ralph
Diludovico, as Rocky, is more pumped up pull-toy than
beefcake poster boy but his charm and fine voice are a
winning combination. Chad Duwe as bad boy biker Eddie is
wonderful in his short but rocking cameo number "Hot
Patootie," while Eric Sofer as Dr. Scott and Don Bernardo
as the play's narrator turn in serviceable performances in
roles with less wiggle-room for originality. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Edmond Wolff's set and
lighting design and Andrew Rothman's video effects offer
just the right amount of macabre, technical bells and
whistles, and bizarre artifacts to keep things visually
interesting throughout the production. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">For <em>Rocky Horror</em>
first-timers, the CVLT provides a guide to proper audience
participation upon entering the theater.</p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> During the performance,
audience members are encouraged to partake in the "Time
Warp" choreography. This, like the show as a whole,
requires putting one's inhibitions aside, ignoring one's
preconceptions of what theater ought to be, and taking a
jump to the left.</p>
</td>
<td style="border:1px solid #666" width="30%"
bgcolor="#f4f4e9" valign="top">
<h3 style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:14pt" align="center">'Rocky
Horror' offers shock value at CVLT</h3>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:11pt" align="center"><strong>HERB
HAMMER<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true" target="_new"
href="http://www.chagrinvalleytimes.com">CHAGRIN
VALLEY TIMES</a></strong></p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Greta Rothman has created
something rare as a director. She has taken a raunchy,
nearly plotless rock musical and turned it into a comic
sensation. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Richard O'Brien's <em>The
Rocky Horror Show</em> was once a shocking attack on
established morality. In the 1970s, the younger population
waiting for this kind of weird sex-driven show, a show
that was adapted to the screen and has become a classic
cult film in the midnight-movie market. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">The stage version, due
mostly to Miss Rothman's remarkable creativity, while no
longer a shock, could easily run through the rest of the
year. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Chagrin Valley Little
Theatre has thrown Chagrin Falls morality to the winds and
has given Miss Rothman and her creative team free reign.
The results are astonishing. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">There is a plot of some
sort for those who choose to pay close attention, but it's
clearly not worth the effort. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Brad and Janet arrive at a
very strange castle. While driving in a rainstorm, they
have a flat tire. They need help from somewhere. Upon
entering the castle, they find more weird than one could
ever imagine. The phantoms (actually the chorus) have been
waiting for them. After an enormous amount of singing and
dancing, the master of the house, if you choose to call
him that, appears. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Arriving from high up in
the set, Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a hilarious transvestite,
greets our two ingénues and takes them to his laboratory.
Here he brings to life a muscular fellow known as Rocky
Horror. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">The plot then proceeds to
go haywire with sex of more kinds than you might want to
know about. By the way, nobody takes their clothes off,
not all of them anyway. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">What makes this show
memorable is the very talent of the large troupe.
Choreographer Pamela LaForce has done her best work to
date. She's helped by having a terrific, willing, working
cast.</p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">The dances are highly
creative and often appear to be made up by the dancers as
the show moves on.</p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Damian Henri is perfect as
the naive Brad. Not to be outd style="border:1px solid
#666" one, Arianna Taxman, as Janet, is a bright innocent
teen who eventually goes wild.</p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt"> Leading the way is the
hilarious Steven Tiderman, as Dr. Frank-N-Furter. His
every moment on stage is a laugh riot. Costume designer
Brian Smith helps with his often hilarious creations. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Edmond Wolff's sets are his
best ever with sound and lighting to match. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Though Mr. O'Brien's songs
are pedestrian at best, the singers at CVLT are able to
make them all winners. </p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Music director David Keith
Stiver and his band keep the music exciting.</p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">Those who have seen the
midnight movie version known to everyone as <em>The Rocky
Horror Picture Show</em> will surely like the stage
show. Unlike the movie, though, the stage play doesn't
have as much audience participation, though it tries.</p>
<p style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;
color:#000000; font-size:10pt">With special effects that
raise the humor to more heights, <em>The Rocky Horror
Show</em> is more stage fun than CVLT has produced for
some time. It is not meant for children.</p>
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<p style="font: normal 14px Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif;
color:#000000; margin: 15px; font-style:italic; text-align:center"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.Facebook.com/ChagrinTheatre">FACEBOOK.com/ChagrinTheatre</a>
| <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.Twitter.com/ChagrinTheatre">TWITTER.com/ChagrinTheatre</a></p>
<p style="font: normal 12px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times,
serif; margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom:15px; margin-left:15px;
margin-right:15px; font-style:italic; text-align:center;
color:#000000;">Chagrin Valley Little Theatre is generously funded
by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program or organization
with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational
excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.</p>
<h1 style="background-color: #2D0D4E;
font: bold 1.75em Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;;
letter-spacing:.25em;
border-top: 1px solid #fdd44f;
border-bottom: 1px solid #fdd44f;
text-align: center;
padding-top:5px; padding-bottom:5px;
margin-top: 15px;
margin-bottom: 15px;color: #fdd44f; width:100%">CVLT.org -
440.247.8955</h1>
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