Roy Berko - Page 17

Cesar's Forum, which might be thought of as the little theater company 'that could and can,' is at it again. The organization, which is a financial and one-man adventurehas won both Cleveland Critics Circle and Broadway World Theatre Tribute recognitions for past performances.

Like much of the works of Stephen Sondheim, from the start, 'Little Night Music' proves to be a different type of musical. Rather than a traditional overture, one-by-one, a quintet of singers, who will act like a Greek chorus throughout the production commenting on varying situations, introducing the audience to characters and clarify the plot's goings on, enter, tuning up their voices. Eventually, they blend into an overture composed of different songs from the score.

Charlotte Bronte's book, 'Jane Eyre,' is a gothic melodrama which centers on strong-minded Jane's cruel treatment by her sadistic cousin and aunt, being shipped off to jail-like boarding school, departing to become a nanny for the ward of the wealthy but psychologically tortured Edward Fairfax with whom she falls in love, and the resulting angst of secrets revealed.

CTE is a 'neurodegenerative disease found in people with multiple head injuries.' It often occurs in athletes involved in boxing, football, wrestling, ice hockey, rugby and soccer, all activities that include the participants being hit in the head, often resulting in concussions.

What does Steven Dietz, the author of 'Bloomsday,' which is now on stage at none-too-fragile, have in common with Tennessee Williams and Edward Albee? Yes, they are all American playwrights, but, believe it or not, they are all tied for number eight on the list of the Top Ten Most Produced Playwrights in America.

This past season, NBC aired 'Rise.' The television show spotlighted a high school in a conservative working class neighborhood. The school's new drama teacher, portrayed by Josh Rado, decided rather than staging a traditional, escapist musical, that the students and community would grow from doing 'Spring Awakening,' an exploration of 'young people navigating a world full of pain, frustration, growing up and peopled with not only teens, but adults who often don't have the best intentions.'

The Shaw Festival, located in Niagara-on-the Lake, is often like being in downtown Cleveland on game day. Lots of 216/440 residents migrate North for a day, days or a week to visit 'the most beautiful little city in Canada,' as Niagara-on-the Lake is often called. They purchase peaches, cherries, and nectarines, tour the wine country and attend plays at The Shaw. It also doesn't hurt that the present exchange rate is $ .77 American for the Canadian dollar. (For the non- mathematical-Americans get a little over 20-cents back for every dollar they spend. Use credit cards to get the highest exchange rate.)

Before the opening night performance a representative of Actors' Equity presented the theatre with a proclamation in honor of their 50thanniversary which included praise for not only Porthouse and Kent State University, but for Terri Kent, who has been leading the endeavor for 18 successful years. The words praised the venue for not only setting high professional theatrical goals, but for being a place where support, encouragement and respect is stressed.

The story goes that while on vacation from performing in his hit Broadway show 'In the Heights,' Lin-Manuel Miranda read a copy of the biography, 'Alexander Hamilton' by Ron Chernow.

On April 15, 2009, 'Next to Normal' opened on Broadway. It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize, the Tony for Best Musical and to become part of a small group of musicals including 'Rent,' 'Spring Awakening,' 'Dear Evan Hansen,' 'Come From Away,' 'The Band's Visit' and 'Hamilton' which would change the nature of the American musical from pure entertainment to 'message musicals,' which tell tales of significant social relevance including examining such topics as mental and physical illness, rape, political intrigue, historical conflicts and suicide.

In September of 2015, when Tony F. Sias was appointed as President and CEO of Karamu, the country's oldest African-American theatre, the organization was at its lowest point. In financial trouble, having slipped in the quality of its arts programs and seemingly rudderless, the future looked bleak.

The 1950s was a period of racial stress in much of the south. Lynchings, school segregation, separate lunch counters and drinking fountains, blacks to the back of the bus, laws against black and white mixing. Even separate black and white radio stations was the custom, as were black and white musical styles. Patty Page, Perry Como and 'nice music' was the white style. Rock and Roll was for blacks.