This is suppose to be a review of Legacy of Light, this year’s featured production in Fusion Fest, the Cleveland Play House’s annual spring festival of new and collaborated works. In short, I really enjoyed Legacy of Light and I think you would to. I highly recommend seeing it.
Now what I really want to write about. Legacy of Light is the last production I will see at the Play House’s theaters located near the Cleveland Clinic between Euclid and Carnegie. I have been luckier than most middle class jocks from the other side of town, and have probably seen over the years more than a sixty productions there. I was first dragged there as a boy by some parents who wanted to make sure their kids grew up with a touch of culture in their otherwise typical middle class suburban lives. I attended a couple of field trips as a student at a high school who had English teachers who thought students needed to see live theater. But I really hit stride when I became one of those teachers, and spent some of the happiest days of a thirty year teaching career taking students to the matinees that both the Play House and the Great Lakes Theater Festival have offered. And as icing on the cake, I have been reviewing plays for the last five or six years, and when it didn’t conflict with my coaching calendar, attending media nights for almost every Play House production over the that time. And I have loved all of it, especially being a teacher taking so many students who otherwise would have never seen a professional play to a real live theater.
I have such mixed emotions about the Play House’s move downtown. I know it is the right thing, and for me it is the right thing for two reasons. The first is the cost and upkeep of their current facility is becoming too expensive. The second is the opportunities that will present themselves downtown, especially in their collaboration with Cleveland State. Good things are happening at CSU, and their plans with the Play House, if they pan out, could be wonderful for the school, the theater, and all of Northern Ohio.
With all positive changes come many good things and a few not so good. I worry about the bartenders, and parking lot attendants, and other support personnel who will probably not go downtown with the theater. I worry about the older patrons who have enjoyed being dropped off at the door and parking near by. I hope their will be some sort of special valet service for them at the Allen Theater. I’ve really enjoyed going to Stages before the show for a drink or two and some appetizers. What’s going to happen to everyone who works there? How many will lose their jobs?
I hope the Play House keeps offering great programs to the schools and students of the area. I hope they find a way to keep up their Christmas tree decoration tradition. I hope they soon revive The Christmas Story, I’ve seen it each year they produced and have never grown tired of what has become Cleveland’s Christmas story. I know there are a lot of great places to go before and after a show in the Play House Square area, but I hope they find a way to have their own place inside the theater similar to Stages.
And I wonder, with the move downtown, will this be the catalyst for the Play House and the Great Lakes Theater Festival to finely become one? I know they have explored it in the past and decided against it, but in these current economic times that don’t look to be getting much better, and now being in the same neighborhood across the street from each other, will it finally happen? This might be the time to be collaborating rather than competitive. With their new proximity, why pay for two administrative staffs? Why try to hustle money from the same people and foundations? Why pay for two advertising budgets? There are a lot of egos involved in our theater world, would those egos let something like that to happen?
Monday, April 18, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Charity Event on April 30
What: A Benefit to Raise Funds to Publish a Book of Poetry Written by the Men of the 2100 Lakeside Men’s Homeless Center
When: Saturday Night, April 30, 8:00 p.m.
Where: The Harp, 4409 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland
Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at the door, includes live music by Cats on Holiday, an appetizer buffet furnished by the Harp, a chance at some pretty cool door prizes
It has been awhile since we have thrown together a charity event. The last few we have been done have been quite successful and also a lot of fun, whether raising money for a friend going through a scary cancer treatment; starting an education fund for a young boy whose father unexpectedly died; or to furnish a rec room at a non profit adult center.
All of the above we I was aided by a whole bunch of friends and family, including my friend Nikki Krejci and Denis Devito, and Dennis’s band Cats on Holiday. We did a few events at the old 2527 Club, and the last one we did at the Harp on Detroit on the near West Side. When Nikki approached us about the latest cause she needed some funding for, we know we had to get involved.
Nikki works for Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries, which does a lot of non denominational charity work around Greater Cleveland. Amongst their projects is the 2100 Lakeside Emergency Men’s Shelter, which has over 260 beds that are all filled every night with men with nowhere else to go. Over the past year some of the men have started to take poetry writing classes, and some of the finished products out of the classes are pretty good. Good enough to do something with…
So that leads us to the event on April 30 at the Harp described on the flyer attached to this email. We are going to throw another gala event at the Harp with all the proceeds going to publish a book of poetry by the men of the 2100 Emergency Shelter. To do it right, we will probably need to raise some where between $3,000-$4,000, and we hope you will be a part of it.
Saturday, April 30, is going to be a beautiful early spring evening; it will be nice enough to even have some cocktails on the patio at the Harp. Cats on Holiday will once again do a stellar job, the Harp will again put out a great buffet of appetizers and finger food, and the joint will be filled with the some of the usual colorful friends and family members, as well a knucklehead or two, and hopefully some new friends.
We have gotten pretty high tech in our endeavors, and that includes being able to sign up for this event before hand on the internet. Go to www.lutheranmetro.org/Shelter-Housing/ to sign you and your friends up for this gala event. Another cool thing about this event is everyone who attends, or pledges at least $20 towards the project, will get his or her name listed in the book as a patron. How cool is that, your name in print. For those of you who live out of town or can’t make it that night, you will still get your name in print by donating online.
Plans for the future include having two book store signings this summer after the book is finished, one at Mac’s on Coventry and the other at Visible Voices Books in Tremont. More info on those events will be sent to you in June.
Please pass this flyer on!
When: Saturday Night, April 30, 8:00 p.m.
Where: The Harp, 4409 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland
Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at the door, includes live music by Cats on Holiday, an appetizer buffet furnished by the Harp, a chance at some pretty cool door prizes
It has been awhile since we have thrown together a charity event. The last few we have been done have been quite successful and also a lot of fun, whether raising money for a friend going through a scary cancer treatment; starting an education fund for a young boy whose father unexpectedly died; or to furnish a rec room at a non profit adult center.
All of the above we I was aided by a whole bunch of friends and family, including my friend Nikki Krejci and Denis Devito, and Dennis’s band Cats on Holiday. We did a few events at the old 2527 Club, and the last one we did at the Harp on Detroit on the near West Side. When Nikki approached us about the latest cause she needed some funding for, we know we had to get involved.
Nikki works for Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries, which does a lot of non denominational charity work around Greater Cleveland. Amongst their projects is the 2100 Lakeside Emergency Men’s Shelter, which has over 260 beds that are all filled every night with men with nowhere else to go. Over the past year some of the men have started to take poetry writing classes, and some of the finished products out of the classes are pretty good. Good enough to do something with…
So that leads us to the event on April 30 at the Harp described on the flyer attached to this email. We are going to throw another gala event at the Harp with all the proceeds going to publish a book of poetry by the men of the 2100 Emergency Shelter. To do it right, we will probably need to raise some where between $3,000-$4,000, and we hope you will be a part of it.
Saturday, April 30, is going to be a beautiful early spring evening; it will be nice enough to even have some cocktails on the patio at the Harp. Cats on Holiday will once again do a stellar job, the Harp will again put out a great buffet of appetizers and finger food, and the joint will be filled with the some of the usual colorful friends and family members, as well a knucklehead or two, and hopefully some new friends.
We have gotten pretty high tech in our endeavors, and that includes being able to sign up for this event before hand on the internet. Go to www.lutheranmetro.org/Shelter-Housing/ to sign you and your friends up for this gala event. Another cool thing about this event is everyone who attends, or pledges at least $20 towards the project, will get his or her name listed in the book as a patron. How cool is that, your name in print. For those of you who live out of town or can’t make it that night, you will still get your name in print by donating online.
Plans for the future include having two book store signings this summer after the book is finished, one at Mac’s on Coventry and the other at Visible Voices Books in Tremont. More info on those events will be sent to you in June.
Please pass this flyer on!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” The Great Lakes Theater Festival at the Hanna Theater
Like thousands of other theater lovers I read the review in Ohio’s largest paper of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” now being performed by the Great Lakes Theater Festival at the Hanna Theater, and wondered if the reviewer saw the same show as I did. We were both at the Hanna last Saturday for Opening Night, so I assume we did.
The play is a good night of theater, and was enjoyed by most, but obviously not all, members of the audience. The play revolves around three characters as they rip through all of Shakespeare’s work, especially “Romeo and Juliet” and “Hamlet.” Paul Hurley, M.A. Taylor, and Jason O’Donnell do a good job keeping the play moving. Hurley and O’Donnell are Great Lakes rookies, while Taylor has nine years at Great Lakes on his resume. Director Charles Lee is also in his ninth season with the Festival.
The reviewer calls the production “occasionally funny, often vulgar, rarely edifying.” He also refers to two elderly patrons sitting by him who did not return for the second act. I don’t know what section he was sitting in, but in my section everyone found much humor in the play, yes, some of it bawdy (just like a lot of Shakespeare’s works), and everyone returned for the second act and enjoyed it as much as the first. And the audience participation parts in the second half were a hit, with most in the crowd playing right along.
Why is it that whoever reviews a play at the Play House or at Great Lakes for Ohio’s largest newspaper too often comes across like he was watching a completely different production? Even though the reviewer was different, the attitude of the reviewer for this production was the same for the recent Ginger Rogers musical at the Cleveland Play House. The audience loved that one on Opening Night also, but you would have never gotten the message if you read their review.
“The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” is playing at the Hanna Theater until this Saturday, March 27. Go see it, it’s a great night of theater, no matter what you read else where. For more information visit www.greatlakestheater.org.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Spring 2011 Concert Preview
There are so many great shows scheduled for this spring at area venues, a music lover could find something to do almost any night of the week. Nighttown has a full schedule mixed with local born artists returning home and national touring jazz acts including on St. Patrick’s Day two shows from The New Barleycorn; Saxophonist and Smooth Jazz Star Walter Beasley and his band play March 18 & 19; Cleveland raised, Reno based vocalist CeCe Gable on March 20 for a matinee show; On March 25 versatile singer/actress from NYC and the soap opera All My Children Joan Crowe performs; April 5 finds the 22 Piece Senior Big Band TOPS Swingband under the direction of Arranger, Composer, and Trombonist Dick Wooley doing a show; from Austin, Texas, The Hot Club of Austin performs on April 11; the legendary vocal group The Four Freshmen return to Nighttown on April 15 &16; on Friday, April 22, is the return of the Sammy DeLeon/Jackie Warren Latin Jazz Sextet; and on April 21 is the return of Jen Chapin, daughter of Harry and a fine talent in her own right. For information on these shows and all the other great things going on at Nighttown visit www.nighttowncleveland.com.
The Winchester will be hosting s diverse line up of shows over the next few months including indie rockers the Trashcan Sinatras on March 18; Michael Jackson’s former lead guitarist Jennifer Batten on March 25; Columbus, Ohio, country rock legends McGuffey Lane on April 2; Jefferson Airplane founder Marty Balin on April 7; and original member of England’s the Faces Ian McLagan on June 7. Check out www.thewinchester.net for more information on this great Lakewood venue and their shows.
The Kent Stage hosts the quietly legendary David Linley on March 27; local guitar virtuoso Neil Zaza performing his new CD “212” on April 15; and the lovely and ageless folk diva Judy Collins on May 6. For more info go to www.kentstage.org.
Downtown at the House of Blues there is a full slate of shows including the Saw Doctors on March 18; a pretty good version of Yes on March 22; the ageless Willie Nelson and Family on March 25; and Scottish hipsters the Average White Band on April 13. Go to www.hob.com/Cleveland for more information.
The Beachland Ballroom gets its twelfth year off to a good start with the Blasters appearing on March 18; local legends Pere Ubu come in on March 19; Paperboy Reed plays on March 24; there is a Big Band Brunch on March 27 featuring Ernie Krivda and the Fat Tuesday Band; on April 6 Kent’s Jessica Lea Mayfield makes an appearance; blues women extraordinaire Candye Kane will play on April 20; Terri Clarke appears on April 27; Youngstown’s favorite trio Glass Harp does a show on May 7; Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks return on May 13; and on Sunday, May 15, is the lovely and terrific blues pianist and vocalist Marcia Ball and her band. Go to www.beachlandballroom.com for information on these shows and a whole lot more.
The Winchester will be hosting s diverse line up of shows over the next few months including indie rockers the Trashcan Sinatras on March 18; Michael Jackson’s former lead guitarist Jennifer Batten on March 25; Columbus, Ohio, country rock legends McGuffey Lane on April 2; Jefferson Airplane founder Marty Balin on April 7; and original member of England’s the Faces Ian McLagan on June 7. Check out www.thewinchester.net for more information on this great Lakewood venue and their shows.
The Kent Stage hosts the quietly legendary David Linley on March 27; local guitar virtuoso Neil Zaza performing his new CD “212” on April 15; and the lovely and ageless folk diva Judy Collins on May 6. For more info go to www.kentstage.org.
Downtown at the House of Blues there is a full slate of shows including the Saw Doctors on March 18; a pretty good version of Yes on March 22; the ageless Willie Nelson and Family on March 25; and Scottish hipsters the Average White Band on April 13. Go to www.hob.com/Cleveland for more information.
The Beachland Ballroom gets its twelfth year off to a good start with the Blasters appearing on March 18; local legends Pere Ubu come in on March 19; Paperboy Reed plays on March 24; there is a Big Band Brunch on March 27 featuring Ernie Krivda and the Fat Tuesday Band; on April 6 Kent’s Jessica Lea Mayfield makes an appearance; blues women extraordinaire Candye Kane will play on April 20; Terri Clarke appears on April 27; Youngstown’s favorite trio Glass Harp does a show on May 7; Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks return on May 13; and on Sunday, May 15, is the lovely and terrific blues pianist and vocalist Marcia Ball and her band. Go to www.beachlandballroom.com for information on these shows and a whole lot more.
10 Reasons to Hop on the Cleveland State Basketball Bandwagon
1. A genuine alternative at the fraction of the cost to several certain underachieving professional sports franchises: Real collegiate cheerleaders and dance team; a great spirit band; genuine audience interaction; no “narcisstic” pro athletes in sight.
2. Norris Cole: The senior guard is one of twenty finalists for the Bob Cousy Award for the best point guard in the country.
3. The women’s team: Fighting for another league championship in a rebuilding year after going to the NCAA’s two out of the last three years. Coach Kate Peterson Abiad’s team is in the running to make it three out of four. Guard Shawnita Garland is always the smallest person on the court, yet leads the team in minutes played.
4. Big Stuff: An opportunity to check out the campus and the new student center, the new rec center, the new law library, and the new education building; and, yes, dormitories with real college students living in them.
5. Gary Waters and staff: The best coach and best staff in any sport on any level in Ohio.
6. Anton Grady from Cleveland Central Catholic: The best high school player in the city, who will be a part of a great recruiting class coming to CSU next fall.
7. Junior Big Men: Aaron Pugh and Joe Lantas, tough defense minded inside players.
8. Jeremy Montgomery and Trevon Harmon: CSU’s defensive stalwarts/3 point shooting junior guards.
9. Tim Kamczyc: A local product from Strongsville, an over achieving walk on who now starts and is on scholarship. The 6’6’’ forward leads the Vikings defense.
10. Saturdays at the Wolstein Center: Cheap hot dogs, games for the kids, it can’t be beat.
Cleveland State has two big games this week that will play a big part in both winning the Horizon League crown and making it to the NCAA tournament. Check out the Vikings this Thursday, February 3 vs. Valparaiso at 7:00 p.m., and this Saturday at noon vs. Butler. For more info visit www.csuhoops.com.
2. Norris Cole: The senior guard is one of twenty finalists for the Bob Cousy Award for the best point guard in the country.
3. The women’s team: Fighting for another league championship in a rebuilding year after going to the NCAA’s two out of the last three years. Coach Kate Peterson Abiad’s team is in the running to make it three out of four. Guard Shawnita Garland is always the smallest person on the court, yet leads the team in minutes played.
4. Big Stuff: An opportunity to check out the campus and the new student center, the new rec center, the new law library, and the new education building; and, yes, dormitories with real college students living in them.
5. Gary Waters and staff: The best coach and best staff in any sport on any level in Ohio.
6. Anton Grady from Cleveland Central Catholic: The best high school player in the city, who will be a part of a great recruiting class coming to CSU next fall.
7. Junior Big Men: Aaron Pugh and Joe Lantas, tough defense minded inside players.
8. Jeremy Montgomery and Trevon Harmon: CSU’s defensive stalwarts/3 point shooting junior guards.
9. Tim Kamczyc: A local product from Strongsville, an over achieving walk on who now starts and is on scholarship. The 6’6’’ forward leads the Vikings defense.
10. Saturdays at the Wolstein Center: Cheap hot dogs, games for the kids, it can’t be beat.
Cleveland State has two big games this week that will play a big part in both winning the Horizon League crown and making it to the NCAA tournament. Check out the Vikings this Thursday, February 3 vs. Valparaiso at 7:00 p.m., and this Saturday at noon vs. Butler. For more info visit www.csuhoops.com.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Winter Music Highlights
After a very busy holiday season, Northern Ohio’s favorite live music venues have some good shows lined up to get fans through the winter.
One of the highlights of the winter each year is the Tri-C Rock Off at the House of Blues, taking place most weekends until the finals on February 12. Local favorite Paul Fayeweather is doing a show at the HOB on February 4, and blues guitarist Robert Cray and his band appear February 15. Check out more info at www.hob.com/cleveland.
February is filled with great shows at the Kent Stage including Max Weinberg’s Big Band on February 2; Leon Redbone on February 4; Columbus country rock legends McGuffey Lane on the February 26; and singer/songwriter Rodney Crowell on March 5. For more information go to www.kentstage.org.
The Winchester will be holding the fort down on the west side with shows including the Dan Reed of the Dan Reed Project on January 28; Commander Cody and his Band on February 11; a CD release party and comedy show featuring Mike Polk and Last Call Cleveland on February 12; and an encore performance of Jonah Koslen and Stage Pass Now on March 4. Go to .www.thewinchester.net for their complete schedule.
The Beachland Ballroom will be busy all winter, with shows leading up to their 11th Anniversary in March. Friday, January 28 is a day for local favorites with Cats on Holiday in the Tavern and the Schwartz Brothers in the Ballroom; Thursday, February 3 is Shelby Lynne; Saturday, February 5 is Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings; Friday, February 18 is Martin Sexton. The club’s anniversary weekend of March 4-6 includes a Friday double header with Paul Thorn and his Band in the Ballroom and Wayne “The Train” Hancock in the Tavern, and another double dip on Saturday with the Spampinato Brothers (from NRBG) in the Tavern and Jonathon Richmond in the Ballroom. Go to www.beachlandballroom.com for more information.
Jazz fans at Nighttown won’t be left out in the cold either, amongst their many shows this winter are Sunday, January 23, with rising trumpet star Dominick Farinacci and his Quartet; Friday, January 28, with alto saxophonist Richie Cole & Northstar; Sunday, February 13, Concord Recording Artist and Grammy Winning vocalist Kurt Elling doing two shows at 6 & 8 PM; Thursday, February 17, The Good Lovelies Juno winning trio from Toronto playing Folk-Roots and Western Swing; Friday, February 18, Violinist from the Cleveland Orchestra Lev Polyakin and his jazz group Russian Blue; and Saturday, February 19, rising alto saxophonist Bobby Selvaggio and his Quartet. Check out www.nighttowncleveland.com for the complete schedule and starting times.
One of the highlights of the winter each year is the Tri-C Rock Off at the House of Blues, taking place most weekends until the finals on February 12. Local favorite Paul Fayeweather is doing a show at the HOB on February 4, and blues guitarist Robert Cray and his band appear February 15. Check out more info at www.hob.com/cleveland.
February is filled with great shows at the Kent Stage including Max Weinberg’s Big Band on February 2; Leon Redbone on February 4; Columbus country rock legends McGuffey Lane on the February 26; and singer/songwriter Rodney Crowell on March 5. For more information go to www.kentstage.org.
The Winchester will be holding the fort down on the west side with shows including the Dan Reed of the Dan Reed Project on January 28; Commander Cody and his Band on February 11; a CD release party and comedy show featuring Mike Polk and Last Call Cleveland on February 12; and an encore performance of Jonah Koslen and Stage Pass Now on March 4. Go to .www.thewinchester.net for their complete schedule.
The Beachland Ballroom will be busy all winter, with shows leading up to their 11th Anniversary in March. Friday, January 28 is a day for local favorites with Cats on Holiday in the Tavern and the Schwartz Brothers in the Ballroom; Thursday, February 3 is Shelby Lynne; Saturday, February 5 is Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings; Friday, February 18 is Martin Sexton. The club’s anniversary weekend of March 4-6 includes a Friday double header with Paul Thorn and his Band in the Ballroom and Wayne “The Train” Hancock in the Tavern, and another double dip on Saturday with the Spampinato Brothers (from NRBG) in the Tavern and Jonathon Richmond in the Ballroom. Go to www.beachlandballroom.com for more information.
Jazz fans at Nighttown won’t be left out in the cold either, amongst their many shows this winter are Sunday, January 23, with rising trumpet star Dominick Farinacci and his Quartet; Friday, January 28, with alto saxophonist Richie Cole & Northstar; Sunday, February 13, Concord Recording Artist and Grammy Winning vocalist Kurt Elling doing two shows at 6 & 8 PM; Thursday, February 17, The Good Lovelies Juno winning trio from Toronto playing Folk-Roots and Western Swing; Friday, February 18, Violinist from the Cleveland Orchestra Lev Polyakin and his jazz group Russian Blue; and Saturday, February 19, rising alto saxophonist Bobby Selvaggio and his Quartet. Check out www.nighttowncleveland.com for the complete schedule and starting times.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)