<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt">In
February, Dr. Martin Friedman, well-known in Cleveland theater circles for
frequently directing Stephen Sondheim musicals, will direct Sondheim’s <i>Merrily
We Roll Along</i> at Lakeland Civic Theater, a professional production
featuring some of Cleveland’s best-known actors. <span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt">But
in January, <i>Merrily</i> comes to the Nighttown stage when Friedman, adjunct
theater professor at Lakeland Community College and Baldwin Wallace, will
deliver a “<b>Master Class</b>” on why this musical that so many thought was
destined for success flopped on Broadway after only 11 performances – and why
over the last 30 years it’s become one of Sondheim’s most beloved musicals.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt">The
Nighttown “<b>Master Class</b>” includes music director Jordan Cooper and
Lakeland cast members performing several songs from <i>Merrily</i>.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt">Other
<b>Master Class</b> programs at Nighttown, with similar formats and different
directors, will be announced soon.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:10pt">Master
Class at Nighttown: “Deconstructing” Sondheim’s <i>Merrily We Roll Along</i></span></b><span style="font-size:10pt"> will be at Nighttown on Monday, January 22 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $10 and can be reserved online at </span><a href="http://www.nighttowncleveland.com"><span style="font-size:10pt">www.nighttowncleveland.com</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt">. But for special 2-for-1 ticketing, contact
Bruce Hennes at <a href="mailto:hennes@crisiscommunications.com">hennes@crisiscommunications.com</a>.
<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1in;text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:10pt">-----------------------------------------------------------------<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><b><span style="font-size:10pt">About
<i>Merrily We Roll Along</i> (from Wikipedia):<span></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><i><span style="font-size:10pt">Merrily
We Roll Along</span></i><span style="font-size:10pt"> is a musical with a
book by George Furth and lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim. It is based on
the 1934 play of the same name by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Furth
and Sondheim retained the basic structure and overall theme of the play but
updated it to encompass the period from 1957 to 1976. The story revolves around
Franklin Shepard who, having once been a talented composer of Broadway
musicals, has now abandoned his friends and his songwriting career to become a
producer of Hollywood movies. Like the play, the musical begins at the height
of his Hollywood fame and moves backwards in time, showing snapshots of the
most important moments in Frank's life that shaped the man that he is today.
The musical utilizes a chorus that sings reprises of the title song to
transition the scenes. The musical ran on Broadway for 52 previews and 16
performances in 1981.<span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style="color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aF_WuZurPU"><b><span style="color:red">”Merrily”
Highlights from City Center Encores</span></b></a><b><span style="color:black"><span></span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:1.5in"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background:lime">Merrily We
Roll Along will be on the boards at Lakeland Civic Theater, February 2 thru
February 16. For more details, click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/martin.friedman.58/posts/10155331239868175">here</a>.</span><span></span></p><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><p><b><span style="font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(153,0,0)">Hennes Communications</span></b><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(94,100,28)"> </span><span style="font-size:9pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br>
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