*PORTHOUSE THEATRE TO LAUNCH 2021 SEASON IN JUNE
Porthouse Theatre, on the grounds of Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls, will mount full season this year.
It opens with Quilters, the story of a pioneer woman and her six daughters. The show blends a series of interrelated scenes into a rich mosaic, which captures the sweep and beauty, the terror and joy, the harsh challenge and abiding rewards of frontier life. Porthouse’s producing artistic director Terri Kent directs the show, which runs June 17-July 3.
Bklyn the Musical is a play within a play where a group of street performers weave together stories from their lives to tell the tale of a young woman arriving in Brooklyn to find the father she never knew. Eric van Baars directs the show, which runs July 8-24.
Altar Boyz is a foot-stomping, rafter-raising musical comedy about a fictitious Christian boy band on the last night of their national “Raise the Praise” tour. The Boyz are five all-singing, all-dancing heartthrobs from Ohio: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham. The show is directed by Terri Kent and choreographed by Martin Cespedes. It runs July 29-August 15.
For more information go to kent.edu/porthouse.
*CAIN PARK WILL HAVE A 2021 SEASON
The 2021 season at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights, which typically opens in early June and runs through mid-August, will instead run July 9-September 19 with an abundance of free events to be announced (It’s already announced that it will be the site of the 42nd Tri-C JazzFest September 11-12). Check the website for more details.
*OHIO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL STAGES A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
The Ohio Shakespeare Festival will present A Midsummer Night’s Dream under the stars at Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens, July 15-August 15. This year only, the outdoor seating will be reserved (not first-come-first serve). This will allow us to more easily organize and socially distance customers. The box office is open 12-5pm every day except Monday. Learn more and get tickets at ohioshakespearefestival.com or call 330-574-2537.
*VERB BALLETS RETURNS TO LIVE PERFORMANCES
Verb Ballets returns to live performance on June 26th at the Breen Center for the Performing Arts in Ohio City. For this special celebration, the directors have chosen fan favorite, Bolero, to close the season. The program also features the new commission by sought-after dance maker Stephanie Martinez titled World of Another and the company premiere of Heinz Poll’s Triptych. Following the live performance, a virtual encore will be available via Verb’s streaming services from June 27- July 3. Tickets for the live performance are $25 & $30; a virtual pass is $25. Go here for info and tickets.
*RADIO ON THE LAKE THEATRE DELVES INTO SCI-FI
Radio on the Lake Theatre, the only professional theater company in Northeast Ohio exclusively dedicated to radio plays, will present Sci-Fi Summer, two evenings of live radio plays performed outdoors at the company’s studio at 18516 Scottsdale Blvd. in Shaker Heights.
On June 26 at 7:30pm, the company will perform The Day the Earth Stood Still. The radio play adaptation of the classic 1951 film was first presented by the Lux Radio Theatre, and tells the story of a humanoid alien visitor, accompanied by a powerful robot, who must deliver an important message that will affect the entire human race. On July 31 at 7:30pm, ROTLT will present two plays — the H.G. Wells classic The Time Machine, followed by The Hitchhiker, an original radio play that was adapted into one of the best known episodes of The Twilight Zone.
Tickets are now on sale for The Day the Earth Stood Still, and seats are limited due to COVID protocols. Masks are not required outdoors, but will be mandatory for anyone using the indoor restroom facilities. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite. To learn more about Radio on the Lake Theatre, visit Radio on the Lake Theatre.org.
[News compiled by Roy Berko]