Beck Center for the Arts Warms Winter Hearts

The holiday season can be stressful for many, but it's a time that should be filled with family and fun. Beck Center has created a great lineup of events to warm winter hearts with the arts! From magical theater and dance performances on tour, to an exhibition tradition and original youth theater, there's sure to be something memorable for people of all ages this holiday season.

Sure to get you into the holiday spirit is Beck Center's annual Limelight Holiday Exhibition. The opening Artists' Reception is Friday, December 1, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Both the reception and exhibition are free and open to the public. This exhibit provides a unique opportunity to view fine art by local artists including printmakers, illustrators, painters, jewelers, and more. These original handmade pieces make wonderful holiday gifts for even the most difficult person on your shopping list and support local artists! The exhibition is on display through Monday, January 8.

Beck Center's award-winning holiday production of Disney's The Little Mermaid returns to the Mackey Theater stage December 1 - 31. Evening performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and matinee showings will be 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Saturday, December 9 there will be both 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. performances. There will be no performance on Sunday, December 24. In the spirit of the holiday season, Beck Center is bringing some fan favorites from under-the-sea to the Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital. Princess Ariel, played by Kathleen Rooney, and friends will be visiting on Tuesday, December 19 at 11:30 a.m. And a Special Lecture, The Disney Musical: From Screen to Stage and Back Again, will be presented by Daniel Goldmark in collaboration with Siegal Lifelong Learning Program at CWRU on December 5 at 7:00 p.m.

Beck Center Dance Education's presentation of Making Spirits Bright - a dance performance with a mix of ballet, pointe, contemporary, tap, and jazz dance set to an eclectic mix of holiday music. Performances take place on Saturday, December 2 at 4:00 and 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, December 3 at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. Making Spirits Bright features original choreography by Beck Center Dance Faculty and is performed by Beck Center Dance Workshop, Jr. Dance Workshop, and Dance Education Students. Two sensory-friendly performances for those with special needs on Friday, December 8 at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. Making Spirits Bright will be hitting the road for an annual holiday tour on Saturday, December 9, visiting Lutheran Home Concord Reserve, St. Mary's of the Woods, and Brookpark Retirement Community, and heading to Cleveland Clinic Friday, December 22 to spread holiday cheer far beyond the doors of Beck Center for the Arts.

Beck Center's Youth Theater will give you all the more reason to be merry and bright with their production of All Greek to Me, written and directed by resident playwright Rachel Spence. This zany retelling of classic Greek Mythological tales will run December 8-17 in the Studio Theater. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. A student matinee will take place on Thursday, December 14 at 10:00 a.m.

All information regarding dates, times, and tickets is available online at beckcenter.org or by calling Customer Service at216.521.2540 x10. Beck Center for the Arts is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions on two stages, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and creative arts therapies for individuals with special needs, outreach education programming, and gallery exhibits featuring local, regional, and International Artists.

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