The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Spring musical season poised for strong finish
With Easter approaching and many schools about to go on spring break — or having done so already — spring musical season is, believe it or not, starting to wind down for many of our area young thespians.
But that doesn’t mean audiences looking for an evening’s entertainment are out of options. In fact, the season appears to be going out with a bang. Read on:
Mentor High School
As they frequently have done under director John Greene, Mentor Theatre is looking forward with another ambitious production to grow their program. What is ironic is that to do so, they are actually reaching into the group’s past.
This weekend, Mentor Theatre proudly presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical, “A Chorus Line.” Performances are at 7 p.m. April 6, 7 and 8 and at 2 p.m. April 9 Tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for students under 18 and seniors, and are available by going to eventbrite.com or at the box office.
This classic show, with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante, was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and won nine. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1976 and went on to perform 6,137 times, making it the longest-running show in Broadway history until it was surpassed by “Cats” in 1997.
The story revolves around a group of dancers auditioning to be members of a chorus in a new Broadway musical in 1975. Unlike spectaculars like “Mary Poppins,” “Titanic,” and “Phantom of the Opera” — all of which Mentor Theatre has staged in recent years — this show takes place on a bare stage. The drama comes from the characters and from the huge amount of dancing and choreography.
This makes the production a huge challenge for any school. Adding to the difficulty are the challenging language and subject matter that the show uses to let us in on the lives of these dancers hoping to land a job.
“We are incredibly fortunate that we have an administration that fully supports the arts and taking challenges,” Greene tells me. “I’m always looking for shows that will stretch the members of the program and push them to their limits. ‘A Chorus Line’ has challenged the cast by pushing them to dance in ways that they are not necessarily accustomed to. It also touches about many mature themes that are not commonly found on a high school stage.”
Not one to shrink from a challenge, Greene found support from the Mentor administration.
“When I met with the principal last year to go through the script, he commented about the maturity the program always exhibits and that most of the content, in his opinion, was fine. That is a testament to the students and also the community,” Greene says.
Many of our area schools have supportive administrations. Nevertheless, few attempt “A Chorus Line” despite its historic pedigree. In fact, the only area high school I can recall attempting it in the last 30 years is — Mentor.
“The show would not have been done had it not been for the efforts of Mr. Joe Lorek and the entire production of ‘A Chorus Line’ he produced in 1988 at Mentor,” Greene says. “They charted the course Mentor Theatre was to take and without their tireless efforts, we would not be tackling this show. It is presenting challenges not only for the cast, but the sound and lights crew as well. There are long sequences where performers have brief solos or monologues which have to have quick light and sound cues to match.”
I can personally attest to the difficulty, as the 1988 production Greene references was my senior show. It was a landmark production that helped launch the fine Mentor Drama program of the 1980s into the more professional Mentor Theatre program we see today. The show also was such a huge part of the lives of the 1988 cast, that many of them will be back for the Saturday night production. It should be an awesome evening.
The current cast is coming to understand the challenges that the show presents.
“Unlike other musicals,” says Kayla Riebe, who plays Cassie, “‘A Chorus Line’ is an extremely dance-driven show. I am so impressed with our choreographers that transformed a bunch of high school students with no experience into ‘dancers.’ ”
Longtime choreographer Hannah Ziegler has been joined with 1988 choreographer and 2017 Mentor Theatre Hall of Fame inductee Marlene Leber to shepherd the dancers to opening night.
“The thing I found most rewarding about my role was conquering and feeling confident on my intense five-minute dance solo,” Kayla says. “I will truly never forget how wonderful it was to play Cassie my senior year of high school.”
Lauren Hodkey plays Diana, and is excited at the prospect of singing an encore with the 1988 “Diana,” played by Marta Brock.
“Putting on ‘A Chorus Line’ as my senior show is so exciting, especially because it’s so different from shows Mentor has done in the past few years,” Lauren says. “I think the fact that all of these alumni are coming back really shows the impact high school theater can have on someone. It’s so special to have Marta back and I’m so excited to sing with her on Saturday. Performing ‘What I Did For Love’ with both casts will definitely be an emotional moment.”
Watching a Broadway musical doesn’t really capture what it is like to actually be IN one. “A Chorus Line” does. Don’t miss this can’t-miss production.
Lake Catholic High School
While Mentor has a great production going on this weekend, you can head right down the street and catch another classic at Lake Catholic High School as students perform in their musical production of “Fiddler on the Roof.” Interestingly, while Mentor is reprising a production they staged in 1988, Lake Catholic’s musical is performing almost 30 years to the day since they staged a fine production of “Fiddler On the Roof” in 1987.
I remember that production very well, because my best friend, Dan Bobeczko, and I crossed “enemy lines” to see it and support our new friend from Lake, Elisabeth Kriesen (Brown), who had come to see our fall show, “Funky Winkerbean’s Homecoming.”
Not an even trade there, I don’t think. But we were rewarded for our efforts. We all went on to college together at Miami University, and today, she is the godmother of my oldest daughter, Mallory.
Who says the arts don’t bring people together?
“We posted a picture of the 1987 program we found to our Facebook page and it quite literally exploded,” says R. Scott Posey, director. “We had people sharing memories and pictures and we found out that one of our current cast members is the child of one of the cast members from the 1987 production!”
This staging is under the direction of Posey, teacher and performing arts director. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. April 6, 7 and 8; and 3 p.m. April 9 in the Lake Catholic High School auditorium.
Advanced tickets for the musical may be purchased through the school’s Spirit Store from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday evenings. Advanced tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors/ alumni, and $5 for students high school age and younger.
Groups of 10 or more may purchase advance tickets for a group rate of $7.50 per ticket. They must all be for the same performance. Box office and doors open a halfhour before the show. Tickets the night of the show are $10 for adults and $5 for students high school and younger. Questions can be directed to 440-578-1020, ext. 266.
This production is a monster. A cast of 56 will portray the different characters that make up this ensemble with another 36 crew members working in various positions backstage. The protagonist of the story will be portrayed by senior Michael Aveni and cast opposite of him is senior Maria Wojtila as his sharp-tongued wife, Golde.
Posey has been teaching and directing plays and musicals at Lake Catholic for the last 18 years as well as performing with local community theaters, including Rabbit Run Theater in Madison. He is excited to see what other surprises this production may have in store and invites alumni to come and take a stroll down memory lane.
Break a leg to our Mentor friends.
Mayfield High School
Mayfield Choral Music Boosters presents “Addams Family the Musical” at Mayfield High School at 7 p.m. April 7 and 8, and 2 p.m. April 9. Tickets are available in advance at www. mayfieldmusical.yapsody. com and are $11 general admission, and $9 for students and seniors. Tickets are available day of show are cash only and $1 extra.
Lead characters in this classic cartoon macabre family — made familiar in two 1990s films and now the Broadway musical — include Gomez Addams (Lou DeNardo), Morticia Addams (Stellina Scacco), Wednesday Addams (Katie Gressley), Pugsley Addams (Kaitlyn Anderson), Uncle Fester Addams (Nick Kocsis), Grandma Addams (Sarah Young), Lurch (Michael Pawlusik), Lucas Bieneke (Dhimitri Lako), Mal Bieneke (Travis Cilik), and Alice Bieneke (Emma Powers).
These principals are joined by 24 more cast members playing Addams Family ancestors and ensemble. There are more than 75 people total involved in the production from cast, crew and orchestra.
Larry Braun has directed and choreographed the musical for the last eight years at Mayfield High School. His distinguished team includes Brian Fancher, who returns as the instrumental director/conductor. Costume designer David Glowe has worked on Broadway touring shows and the “Sesame Street Live Tour.” Technical Director Vinny Polowy and Asst. Tech Director/Scenic Artist Jenny Walker have returned for their fourth year and — so I’m told — have “really outdone themselves” this year with an ambitious set.
Snaps to Mayfield this weekend!
Euclid High School
Not to be outdone, Euclid High School is doing its own big show this weekend. In fact, they always call it “Big Show.” The 2017 “Big Show” is “Footloose the Musical” under the direction of Ken Ferlito. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. April 6, 7 and 8, with weekend matinees at 2 p.m. April 8 and 9. All shows are at the Euclid High School Auditorium at 711 E. 222nd St. in Euclid.
Euclid is especially excited this year because for the second year, it will be participating in the Dazzle Awards with Playhouse Square. Last year, its Big Show was nominated for Best Choreography, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor. Cast principals Corbin Gray (Ren), a junior and three-year “Big Show” member and Dazzle 2016 Best Supporting Actor Nominee, and Lauren Banasik (Ariel), a senior and four-year “Big Show” member, hope they can nab some more nominations this year.
“The things I will miss most about Big Show is the professionalism and passion,” Lauren says of looming graduation. “Mr. Ferlito and the entire cast are so incredibly dedicated and passionate about what they do. So much effort is put into every rehearsal you would think it was a Broadway production and not a ‘high school’ production!”
“Not a high school production” — that’s my favorite comment on any of our young thespians productions, and you hear it a lot.
“The family atmosphere felt between castmates is so strong and loving and very rare to find in any other extracurricular activity,” Lauren continues. “‘Footloose’ is certainly more uplifting and happier than last year’s production of ‘West Side Story,’ but there is a sense of reality, dread and fear in every scene which can ground it as a more serious production in certain scenes.
“We are a bunch of kids ‘cutting loose’ and having fun, but we’re also dealing with problems that many face with day to day. It makes us realize just how complex each character is, whether it’s Ren’s in-depth monologue or the raw reactions from the high school kids at the end of Act I.”
Adding to the drama is looming graduation for seniors Kourtney Price (Rusty), Abbie Dickerson (Wendy Jo), Kasey Johnson (Urleen), Gerald Crosby (Chuck Cranston), Jackson Meany (Willard), Jarius Mathius (Travis), Morgan Manning (Vi Moore), Jan Robinson (LuLu Warnicker) and Elizabeth Toth (Student technical director)
In addition to those seniors are dozens more talented Euclid thespians make up the cast and crew of 70 plus kids.
“I am going to miss this so much when I am gone as this is my last year,” Lauren says.
Cut loose with these seniors one last time — along with the rest of their “Big Show” team.
Fine Arts Association
The Fine Arts Association in Willoughby also closes this weekend with performances of the classic musical “Once Upon a Mattress.” Performances are 7:30 p.m. April 7 and 2 p.m. April 8 and 9. Tickets are reserved seating and are $17 for adults, $15 for seniors and students 11 years and up, and $10 children for children 10 years and under.
“Once Upon a Mattress” is directed by Sandy Kosovich Peck, with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer. Call 440-951-7500 for more information and for ticket availability.