PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date:
2/28/2020
Contact: Andrew Rothman
From: Chagrin Valley Little Theatre
40 River Street
Chagrin Falls, OH 44122
Phone: 440-247-8955
E-mail: cvlt@cvlt.org
Website: www.CVLT.org
Chagrin Valley Little Theatre
presents streaming musical double-feature March 19-21
Subhead: “Right Down
Broadway” and “The Pirates of Penzance” selected in memory
of two CVLT luminaries
CHAGRIN
FALLS, OH - Chagrin Valley Little Theatre, which continues
to suspend in-person programming for the time being, will
offer an online double-feature in March 19, 20 and 21 with
video encores of “Right Down Broadway” and “The Pirates of
Penzance”. A pay-as-you-can admission provides password
access to both videos throughout the weekend via the
theatre’s website at CVLT.org.
CVLT
has paired these two particular productions in memory of
Don Edelman and Rollin DeVere II, two past Board
Presidents and monumental volunteers who provided decades
of service to the Little Theatre both on stage and off.
Mr. Edelman passed away at age 91 in September 2020, and
Mr. DeVere at age 89 in January, both due to complications
from COVID-19. These two men were instrumental in building
and maintaining CVLT over much of its 90-year history, and
between directing, performing, fundraising, writing,
organizing, and handling day-to-day operations large and
small, they shaped the organization’s success.
“Right
Down Broadway”, filmed in 2016, was the last of Edelman’s
many directorial turns and one of several collaborations
between CVLT and conductor Stephen A. Eva’s Chagrin Falls
Studio Orchestra. This 90-minute cabaret features a troupe
of talented vocalists (Ben Merold, Ron Davis, Gene Karlen,
Greta Rothman, Colleen O’Leary, Libby Merriman, Amy
Hesslein-Grant, and Sharon Lloyd) fronting the 40-piece
orchestra through a variety of Broadway’s greatest hits
from all eras.
“The
Pirates of Penzance”, Gilbert and Sullivan’s 1879 comic
opera about an apprentice pirate who falls in love with a
Major General’s daughter, was staged in the summer of
1984. Mr. DeVere appeared as Major-General Stanley,
delivering a memorable rendition of the show’s iconic
patter song “I am the very model of a modern
Major-General”. He noted the role as a favorite among the
over sixty in his acting career. The video has been
restored from the theatre’s VHS archives for this online
presentation, and features a full orchestra under the
direction of Edward Battaglia II, who also founded the
Cleveland Choral Arts Society.
This
double-feature is one in a series of online presentations
that CVLT has offered throughout the pandemic. Upcoming
events include weekly online youth theatre classes for
ages 5+ beginning March 13, a filmed-for-the-web version
of “War of the Worlds” from the original 1938 radio script
in April, and Arthur Miller’s “The Price” in May. Details
and admission are online at CVLT.org.
Chagrin
Valley Little Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded
through individual and corporate contributions. Our
programming is made possible in part by the citizens of
Cuyahoga Country through Cuyahoga County Arts and Culture
and by state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature
to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency
that funds and supports quality arts experiences to
strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and
economically.
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