Hit The Wall

3.19-3.26.08
Hit The Wall

In this week’s issue:

Have we hit the wall yet? Our patience is worn thin with this record-breaking month of frozen precipitation—good thing Jennifer Keirn offers relief for weather-bound families. At the same time, we’re encouraged by the good news about Akron-Canton Airport’s $110M expansion, Mansfield’s bright ideas about urban farming, and the success of Audio Eagle Records and Fourth Wall Productions, all of which are featured below. Plus, the aggravation of the political primary season is behind us (why can’t we all just be Democrats?), and we are chuckling out loud at the similarities the Soundbite Laureate found between the housing crisis and the baseball steroid scandal. Just when you think you’ve hit the wall, along comes Cool Cleveland to put it all in perspective. —Thomas Mulready

Aaron Bonk & Sora Sol
SAFMOD

Aaron Bonk and Sora Sol make it all look so easy. While setting up to shoot our video interview, we watched as they meticulously rigged Sora’s 25-foot silks to the ceiling of the fly space in Cleveland Public Theatre’s Gordon Square Theatre stage. One miscue and Sora could slip and land on her head. Aaron, temporarily without his bag of juggling props (bowling pins, bean bags, flaming numchucks), locates identical scrap wood pieces and proceeds to offer a tutorial to Max and his sister on juggling and how to balance a broom on your chin. Some would call their work New Vaudeville, as good a term as any for the circus and street performance skills they’ve honed: death-defying juggling, aerial acrobatics, wild musical accompaniment, and a healthy dose of laughter to bring it all to a head. They perform in memory of, and as a benefit for the family of SAFMOD executive director Zoe Schultz who died suddenly last month. As they get ready to present Not Exactly DanceWorks this Thu 3/20-22, Aaron & Sora talk about the unique journeys that have brought them each to Cleveland, what they’re planning for this weekend, and where they’re going from here, which for both of them means leaving the country. http://www.SAFMOD.org

SPONSORED: 50% Discount on Cleveland Orchestra tickets this Friday with superstar violinist Midori! Hear the stunning Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and the blazing showpiece Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky. All conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero — who will be more than happy to share some of his insights into this great Russian music — just click here to view his Cool Cleveland video interview! Take advantage TODAY of this exclusive Cool Cleveland 50% discount for this Friday’s (March 21) concert at 8PM. Call the Severance Hall Ticket Office at 216-231-1111 or visit http://www.ClevelandOrchestra.com TODAY and order using promo code 4916. Offer expires at 6PM on Friday, March 21, subject to availability.

Homes and Homers
Life After Steroids

You know that feeling. It’s that queasy, rubber-legged, vertigo sensation you get just after stepping off of Cedar Point’s Blue Streak roller coaster. It all started when you sat down, buckled in, and then began your ascent on that slow, staccato uphill climb – clack, clack, clack, clack, clack, clack. The suspense was palpable, strangers conversed loudly and nervously, you could see the whole park from up there, and even some boats bobbing eerily in the distance. As the mutant spinal cord of a track methodically and obediently approached the zenith of its physical and legal limits, it appeared to pause momentarily just past the apogee – as if re-checking to see if the stove was turned off – before plummeting from this crescendoed perch, hurtling passengers – willing and not – towards its slithering depths, with whiplash promises and head-snapping assuredness.

Well folks, the ride has finally come to an end for both Homes and Homers, and that uneasy, exhausted feeling in the pit of your stomach portends to linger for a while. After years of tape-measure homes and tape-measure home runs, the irrational exuberance tied to these two national pastimes has finally arrived at the Opening Day of Reckoning. Like April showers and May flowers, springs’ warm sunny days traditionally welcome buyers and baseball to homes and homers… but not this year. In 2008, spring’s buying season is instead destined to usher in the boys of the summer of our discontent…
Read more from the Soundbite Laureate here

SPONSORED: The Mind of Cleveland is the work of Carl Pope, an internationally acclaimed conceptual artist who features quotes from Greater Clevelanders. He asked: “What do you think about Cleveland?” And here are some of the responses he received: “Cleveland is a city daring to reinvent itself”; “Cleveland brought me my love”; “I want Cleveland to be what New York was in the 1930s.” These thoughts and many more will be seen on billboards throughout the city and in the exhibit beginning Thu 3/27 at CIA. The goal of this project was to inspire dialogue and communal action of Clevelanders by logging on to www.themindofcleveland.com. Info: 216-421-7000 or www.cia.edu. The Cleveland Institute of Art…Making Art Work.

Arts Collinwood Brings Art And Kids Together How do you tell a mime from a sculpture? You’ll have to ask the kids in Arts Collinwood’s Art & Drama Camp this summer. The camp’s unusual blend of visual and stage arts is offering four distinct, one-week curriculums, starting with an exploration of ways to present ideas in three dimensions, through sculpture, and also through the ultimate three-dimensional device – the body – to communicate ideas. Details and dates at http://www.artscollinwood.org.

Bugged Out! The Bugman Kids can marvel at some of the biggest, baddest, funniest and ugliest exotic bugs from around the world when The Bugman, John Hurt of “Butterflies and Things” in Spencer, Ohio, presents an entertaining, educational show for the whole family. He hits the Cleveland Botanical Garden Sat 3/22 at 1PM. http://www.cbgarden.org.

National Poison Prevention Week Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital is partnering with The Children’s Museum of Cleveland to celebrate National Poison Prevention Week with a fun day of outreach and education for parents and their children on Sat 3/22 from 10AM – 1PM. This fun family event with a decidedly serious purpose is included at no cost with your membership or paid admission. A great education opportunity for kids and parents alike. 10730 Eucild Ave. http://www.clevelandchildrensmuseum.org.

How To Be a Megastar v2.1 The beat goes on as Blue Man Group returns to Cle for their wicked-cool rock show on Sat 3/22 at 7:30PM. The trio of mute performers (as embodied by the current touring company) are back by popular demand. Arguably the the most successful performance art troupe in the world behind Cirque. Manic, high-energy, brilliant stage display… and perfect for the kids. Quickens Loan Arena. Tickets here or call 241-2121. http://www.blueman.com.

Candy Chemistry Spring Break Day Camp How fun does that sound? Children in grades K – 8 are invited to explore the chemistry behind their favorite sweets, make candy and tour Chocolate: The Exhibition at the Great Lakes Science Ctr Sat 3/22 – Sat 3/29. No camp on Fri 3/28. Perfect for the scientific mind AND the sweet tooth in the family. Call 621-2400 to register. http://www.greatscience.org.

Guitar Hero Competition Get ready to “Bang Your Head” at the Lee Road Library’s first ever Guitar Hero Competition Wed 3/26, Thu 3/27 and Fri 3/28 from 2 – 5PM at the Lee Road Library. “Surrender” and come to the library during spring break, ’cause “School’s Out.” You’ll go “Round and Round” on Guitar Hero, so be sure to register so you can “Rock this Town”. Refreshments will be served, and fun will be had, but remember; only “One” will win the ultimate prize! (Sorry for the play on words, folks. We’re a little stir crazy). For students ages 11 – 19. http://www.heightslibrary.org or call 932-3600.

The Couch is Calling

Okay, okay, enough already. We’ve heard all the statistics and gloom-and-doom predictions about childhood obesity and the horrors that will befall American children if they don’t change their habits. Like those from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that say that nearly 14% of preschoolers are now overweight (up from five percent in the early 80s), with the prevalence of overweight at 18.8% for kids six to 11, and 17.4% for kids 12 to 19.

And yeah, we’ve heard all the reasons too – too many hours of mind-numbing and muscle-flabbing TV and video games, and not enough physical activity. University of Michigan’s Fitness for Youth program estimates that the average kid gets just 15 minutes of vigorous activity a day, spends 20% of his or her waking hours watching TV and drinks about 20 ounces of soda a day. Keep up habits like these, say researchers from Johns Hopkins University, and 75 percent of Americans will be obese or overweight by 2015.

But come on, that’s not my kid they’re talking about! We’re pretty active … I think. We’re outside playing or riding bikes every chance we get … except that it’s been months since our endless Cleveland winter afforded such an opportunity. And when the temperature drops and the snow starts to swirl, there’s nothing I’d rather do than heed the call of the couch. Yep, as much as I hate to admit it, on the average winter day in Cleveland, my kids aren’t active enough and neither am I.

So what’s a snow-bound parent to do…?
Read more from Jennifer Keirn here

Cool Cleveland Kids Podcast Weekly roundup of cool events for kids & families from 11-year-old Cool Cleveland Kids correspondent Max.

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Cheapest gas prices are tracked by the County. Glad to see Auditor Frank Russo doing his job. Compare
Do the test and you may be surprised with your answer. Play.
Former Senator Howard Metzenbaum dies at 90. People’s champion of OH will be missed. Read
Learn more on global summit by ASAE The Center’s Global Summit on Social Responsibility info is here
Cleveland City Living? If it sounds good, click here
How about the new Hermes Sport and Social Club? If that sounds good, you should click here
Cleaner gasoline mandated for Cle-Akron area? Read
Locally produced LeBron Etch-a-Sketch video up for YouTube awards. Learn more and Watch here
In the spirit of Monday’s holiday parade here are 8 healthy reasons to drink beer
Famecast.com has Cle’s Soneboy as their homeboy. Watch
GLTF and Hanna project updates, progress can be tracked here
Are you and your kids getting CrossFit in Cleveland? Check them out here and here
Global Summit at Lkwd Library on social responsibility: ASAE & The Center’s Global Summit Details
Roberto Ocasio Latin Jazz Camp with Bobby Sanbria for ’08. Click here and here.

Akron-Canton Airport invests $110M

Talk about your classic over-achiever. Little Akron-Canton Airport, named the 2nd fastest growing airport in the US, is putting up a whopping $110M over 10 years for a slew of region-boosting projects: a new runway expansion (bigger planes will be able to reach Mexico); more aircraft parking; a new customs and border patrol station; more auto parking; a wider entrance; a bigger ticket wing; a larger TSA screening area; an expanded concourse; and to build the new Port Green Industrial Park. This is ClevelandPlus in action. Catch their sweet video here.

How far does your food travel before it hits your plate? View this cool video for some facts. Now meet City Fresh, an organization funded by the New Agrarian Center, for an easy way to purchase fresh local veggies, bagged and delivered to your neighborhood; grown by local farmers within 75 miles of your plate. Simply pre-order and pay for a bag of in-season produce and pick it up one of 14 designated locations weekly. Check ’em out at www.cityfresh.org.

Lakewood’s PRIZM shifts Annual demo report from Lakewood Public Library shows more Midtown Mix (Multi-Culti Mosaic, Close-In Couples) and more Affluentials (Executive Suites, New Empty Nests) but less Urban Uptown (Bohemian Mix, Money & Brains), and less Urban Cores (Urban Elders, City Roots). http://www.lakewoodalive.com/development.html

Help enrich the lives of children and adults this summer. The Holden Arboretum is accepting applications for volunteers for the spring and summer months. This unique experience offers an opportunity to share knowledge and love of the outdoors. http://www.holdenarb.org

Cuyahoga County Commissioners announced that a deal has been reached with Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. on the Medical Mart showroom and a new convention center to Cleveland.Cuyahoga County administrator Dennis Madden told Cool Cleveland that a memorandum of understanding worked out between negotiator Fred Nance and the MMPI will be presented for the Commissioners’ approval on Thu 3/20, and it will spell out the role of MMPI and Positively Cleveland (our CVB) in running the new Medical Mart and attached convention center. Critical details remain, however, regarding the Downtown location (either Tower City or the old Convention Center site), an attached headquarters hotel, and financing.

WVIZ/PBS Televised Auction This stalwart part of Cle television reaches a milestone in May as it celebrates its 40th anniversary broadcast. This important fundraiser for Northeastern Ohio’s public television choice has raised over $20M million for WVIZ/PBS. They have a $500K goal this go-around; the 4-day broadcast Tue 5/8 – Fri 5/11. Donate or participate: call 916-6154 or visit http://www.wviz.org.

Cool Cleveland Podcast Weekly roundup of cool events.

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SPONSORED: The big boxes have more or less killed the sale of classical music CDs in retail stores. But you can still browse among some 75,000 CD treasures on line through WCLV’s music partner ArkivMusic. Purchase CDs and DVDs at ArkivMusic through the WCLV website at http://www.wclv.com, find the CD you’re looking for and at the same time support WCLV’s classical music on the radio in northeastern Ohio. Click on the ArkivMusic found on each page of the WCLV website. http://www.wclv.com.

Hitting the Fourth Wall
Local Theater Company Goes For the Original

When I meet up with the bright young things at Fourth Wall Productions, they are PUMPED. They’re setting up for an open house in their brand new space: a 45-seat black box in the pristine Enterprise Center on E. 105th, just two blocks south of the Bratenahl line. They’re opening the brand new romantic comedy Just Shy of Closure, a Cleveland original by West Sider David Allan. They’ve put up a new theatrical trailer on their MySpace page. Now all they need is an audience.

“We totally love this space,” says actor Justin Tatum, leading me down the winding corridors to the arts wing — past ShoreBank offices, a host of non-profits, and an impressive ceramics studio – until we get to their roomy offices and performance space. I can see why: equivalent bootstrap producers in Chicago or New York would take one look and burst into bitter tears of envy. The black box is nicer than most small spaces I’ve worked in on either coast. Then there’s the company’s inviting lobby, green room, office, a monster-sized community room with comfy couches, free gated parking, and a location only a few blocks off the Shoreway. It’s to die for.

Fourth Wall got steered there by arts-friendly Enterprise Center manager Cornell Calhoun III – a playwright and frequent Karamu actor – who gave them a sweet start-up rental deal. They moved in and started renovating in December, had a rushed first production in January, but with Just Shy of Closure they’re settling in for the 2nd show of their 2nd full season…
Read more from Linda Eisenstein here

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

A Walk into the Sea Directed by Esther Robinson, with John Cale, Albert Maysles, Paul Morissey, et al. Independent filmmaker Esther Robinson attempts to excavate and reconstruct the short life of her uncle, Danny Williams, in this new portrait. Williams was a Harvard dropout who became a filmmaker at Andy Warhol’s “Factory” during the 1960s, as well as the artist’s lover. (Excerpts from his work are included in the film). In 1966, at age 27, he mysteriously disappeared. The Cleveland premiere of the film hits the CMA Wed 3/19 at 7PM. http://www.awalkintothesea.com. http://www.clevelandart.org.

Pushing the Envelope This MOCACleveland Public Lecture bolsters their Nesnadny + Schwartz Visiting Critics Program, and features critic Gregory Volk Wed 3/19 at 6PM. The program is one in a series that provides critical dialogue and national exposure for artists living and working in our region and introduces our guest critics to the wealth of artist talent in Northeast Ohio. No cost, open to the public. http://www.mocacleveland.org.

Nancy Stahl Nationally known illustrator New York Artist Nancy Stahl will show images and give a presentation to the Northern Ohio Illustrators Society (NOIS) Wed 3/19 at 7:30PM at the Cleveland Institute of Art. The event is free and open to interested parties. Nancy most recently did the United States Post Office Christmas stamp. Cleveland Institute of Art Kulas Auditorium, 11610 Euclid Ave. Call 440-871-8325 for more information.

The Wines of Italy Master Sommelier Matthew Citriglia, the only Master in Ohio, is teaching The Wines of Italy right here in NEO at the Cleveland Wine School Wed 3/19 at 6PM. The class will include a lecture and a tasting of 8 different wines from the country shaped like a boot. Ciao Bella! Cleveland Wine School, 3355 Richmond Rd. #191, Beachwood. Call 831-9919 for more info. http://www.clevelandwineschool.com.

HOT Not Exactly DanceWorks presents “the internationally acclaimed Juggling Show Spectacular Extravaganza of Object Manipulation Specialist Aaron Bonk in a unique performance featuring the enthralling movement artistry of special guest Sora Sol, Cleveland’s premier Aerial Dancer.” Whew. That’s a mouthful. Experience this dynamic duo in a stunning display that will heighten your senses from Thu 3/20 – Sat 3/22 . Watch Thomas Mulready’s video of the pair from SAFMOD in this week’s CC. Their run of performance honors the late SAFMOD Executive Director, Zoe Schultz. Visit http://www.safmod.org for performace times and details.

HOT Just Shy of Closure Fourth Wall Productions is pleased to announce the opening of David Allan’s Just Shy of Closure in March of 2008. Their production starts Thu 3/20 at 7:30PM. 4WP is a theater geared for the 20-30 somethings using local talent and original plays. Read Linda Eisenstein’s Ingenious feature on the troupe and their home at the Enterprise in this week’s CC. http://www.fourthwallproductions.com.

HOT ArtMart 2008 is a non-juried, week-long exhibition and sale featuring the work of current members that launches at SPACES Gallery starting Fri 3/21 at 5PM with a bountiful Opening Reception. Enjoy art, mingling, music, delicious food, and great company! Artists will display and sell their work, while patrons expand their wonderful art collections. SPACES’ special exhibition is visible, popular and fun and runs through Fri 3/28. 2220 Superior Viaduct. http://www.spacesgallery.org.

Pride & Prejudice In a sparkling new adaptation, Jane Austen’s beloved novel is launched as a new Cleveland Play House production starting Fri 3/21 at 7:30PM. This adaptation, directed by Peter Amster, has received several nominations for the Joseph Jefferson Award when it was produced at Chicago’s Northlight Theatre under Amster’s direction. The show runs through mid-April. CPH’s Bolton Theatre, East 85th and Euclid. Schedule, details and directions at http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com. Big Austen fan? If you’re interested in Joseph-Beth Booksellers’ Jane Austen Night celebrating the CPH production, click here.

History Boys @ the Beck Troll down to our Instant Karma section in this week’s CC and you’ll see that the latest Beck Center production — Alan Bennett’s Tony Award-winning play — has a lot going for it. Dana Hart as Hector and the always-entertaining Dan Folino as Irwin are not to be missed. Show times are 8PM this Fri 3/21 and Sat 3/22. There is no matinee Sunday this week. http://www.beckcenter.org.

SPONSORED: This Friday 3/21 is Good Friday, and on “The Big Work at One”, WCLV will present a performance from Baldwin-Wallace’s Bach Festival of Bach’s St. John Passion. On Easter Sunday, 3/23, at 1PM, WCLV 104.9 FM will broadcast Bach’s Easter Oratorio and appropriate cantatas. On Friday, 3/28, WCLV is live at CIM’s Mixon Hall for a recital by Cleveland International Piano and Van Cliburn Competition medal winner Antonio Pompa-Baldi. Tony will play music by Debussy, Schumann and Liszt. Not to be missed. Full details on all of WCLV’s programming at http://www.wclv.com.

Men In Suits : Ladies in Little Black Dresses Tropical Rhythms & Grey Goose present “A Unique Opportunity to Show Off Your Classic Elegant Style” Sat 3/22 starting at 10PM at Sunset Lounge. Enjoy Hors D’ Oeuvres by Mallorca & Sunset, a no-cost Grey Goose Martini, live salsa with Noel Quintana and no cover charge before 11PM. Win cool, classy clothes for ladies and gents, courtesy of Style Lounge. Learn more at http://www.tropicalcleveland.com.

Yoga for Hunger Join in the fight to end local hunger by participating in a fun, family-friendly yoga fundraiser held in a beautiful 3,000 sq ft in Cle’s historic ArtCraft Building Sat 3/22 from 9AM – 2PM. Enjoy yoga classes, raffle, silent art auction, community art project, health vendor information, refreshments, and door prizes. Proceeds benefit Harvest for Hunger, one of the nation’s largest annual hunger relief fundraisers. 2570 Superior Ave., Suite #200. Kid-friendly activities are included. Call 221-3255 or visit http://pinklotusyoga.com/h4h.aspx.

HOT Marius Watz Europe’s leading generative artist will be in residence at the Mary Schiller Myers School of Art starting with a no-cost public lecture Mon 3/24 at 6PM. Watz’s residency features an array of free public events and coincides with Marius Watz: ElectroPlastiques, an exhibition of his work in the school’s Emily Davis Gallery in Folk Hall on the University of Akron Campus through Wed 4/23. The Norway native uses computers to generate work that he describes as “a particular brand of visual hedonism,” with drawing machines implemented in software, live visuals for music, and his signature large-scale projections. Folk Hall, 150 E. Exchange St., Akron. http://www.uakron.edu/art.

HOT Adaptive Re-Use of Old Urban Buildings for Local Food Like many so-called “shrinking cities,” Cleveland is full of great old buildings and under-utilized infrastructure. A class from Cleveland State University came up a plan for one of them in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood and you’ll learn about it Mon 3/24 starting at 6PM at this latest edition of City Fresh Monday. How can a local food economy help to stimulate the adaptive re-use of some of space and support urban agricultural production, food storage and distribution, value-added processing, or culinary education? Learn how the more than $3B spent on food each year in Cuyahoga Cty might provide opportunities to activate under-utilized spaces across Cleveland. Great Lakes Brewing Company, 2516 Market Ave. email: bradATgotthenac.org or visit http://www.gotthenac.org.

Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow The Cleveland Institute of Art’s biennial Kacalieff Lecture Series is bringing nationally and internationally renowned artists and scholars to the Cleveland community to tap their tremendous insights. This year’s lecture series asks the provocative question: “How do some of the most forward-thinking artists, designers, writers, and scholars imagine our future?” Speakers in the lecture series include performance and installation artist DJ Olive (who speaks this Tue 3/25 at 7PM), architect and designer Fritz Haeg, graphic novelist and filmmaker Marjane Satrapi, magazine founder and creative director, Amir Fallah, and actor/ director Crispin Glover. Complete schedule and listings at http://www.cia.edu.

British Sea Power This divine UK act appeared live on The Late Show with David Letterman this week; you can watch their performance of new single “No Lucifer” here and then catch them at the Grog Shop Wed 3/26 with special guests Pale Hollow (read Peter Chakerian’s review of PH in this week’s CC). 2785 Euclid Hts. Blvd., Cleveland Hts. http://www.grogshop.gs.

Send your cool events to: Events@CoolCleveland.com

SPONSORED: Haven’t You Always Wanted to Work in TV? Now’s your chance! Sign up to volunteer for the 2008 WVIZ/PBS Televised Auction. Volunteers are needed to help in every aspect of the Auction, preparing for the event and during the live broadcasts. Contact 216.916.6100 or www.wviz.org to learn more.

Tracking the Flight of Audio Eagle
Keeping up with Houseguest, Theodore Mallison and a hot label

Once upon a time in Akron there were two good friends from high school. One man went on to become half of the celebrated, occasionally-debated-by-sour-grapers-as-White Stripes-derivative Garage Rock/Blues 2-piecer, The Black Keys. The other man became his Chief Operating Officer at the record label he started due to his celebrity – Audio Eagle Records. This other man also joined a band – Houseguest – not nearly as debated or celebrated but hey! – still quite a good band. This is his interview; his name is Theodore Mallison. Cool Cleveland correspondent Daiv Whaley asks him lots of serious questions about the music industry and his band, and learns more about reverb and compression and the credentials for true nerdhood than he expected… below.

And since it’s Akron, of course there are blimp references…

Read more from Daiv Whaley here

A Poll Worker Has a Question:
“Why Can’t We All Just Be Democrats?”

I had the rare opportunity to work as a precinct poll worker in the recent historic primary election. My job was to pass out ballots to Democrats, Republicans and Independents. I shared a table in a suburban middle school with a number of other poll workers. We pulled a 16-hour stint during a raging snowstorm. It was during a lull before the storm that the idea struck me like a bolt of lightning: What if everyone in Cuyahoga County voted as a Democrat?

In my opinion, the Republican voters were basically wasting their efforts, backing candidates in the primary election that have little chance of winning in November. There already seemed to be a trend in that direction. The day after the primary, The Plain Dealer reported that 16,000 Cuyahoga County Republicans had jumped ship and voted on the Democratic ballot. We saw some of that action at our table but paid it little heed. Yet the old switcheroo put our local Democratic Party leaders in an uproar. They claimed that the Republicans crossed party lines only to influence whether Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama would face Republican Presidential candidate John McCain in November…
Read more of Peter Jedick’s comment here

Fred Franks on Sharepoint
FIT Technologies

When SchoolOne changed their name to FIT Technologies, it was an acknowledgment that their business model had evolved from the K-12 educational market to the wider sphere of business clients. One of the new technologies that FIT has assisted their clients with is the web-based collaboration and document management platform SharePoint, which allows anyone who has access to the web the ability to share workspaces and documents, as well as applications such as wikis and blogs. Cool Cleveland’s Thomas Mulready spoke with Fred Franks, FIT’s director of managed IT services, about how SharePoint works for large or small firms and non-profits with various approval paths to store and give access to standard MS docs like Word, Excel and PowerPoint with a robust search capability. http://www.FITtechnologies.net

How could your business or organization benefit from online video? Maybe Cool Cleveland can help: InfoATCoolCleveland.com

A hot selection of tech and business news & events from around the region. Got business news? Send it to: EVENTS@CoolCleveland.com

Civic Innovation Lab funds $90K to three new projects for Jodi Marchewitz, iGuiders.com; Eddy Eckart and Tom Dillon, Sustainable Community Housing Assistance (SCHA); and Lizalyn Smith and Mark Sorrells, NSBE Jr. http://www.civitinnovationlab.org.
Gilmore and Pine book Authenticity makes Time Magazine in a full-on feature story. Read
Putnam Named Top 10 Women’s Business Owner of NEO. Click
CSU to help trade export Nance and ITAC of NEO to collaborate. Read
The Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center rated the number one hotel in Cleveland by TripAdvisor. Now they’re dropping $2.5M on meeting space reno. http://www.clevelandmarriottdowntown.com
See the Midtown Brews Great Lakes Basin Compact discussion video, featuring occasional CC illustrator Ralph Solonitz here
See what CAK’s 2018 plan is all about by clicking here

Ohio wins Governor’s Cup award from Site Selection magazine, which “goes to the state with the most new or expanded capital projects the previous year.” It’s a credit to Ohio’s “development team, headed by Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher… that deserves the credit for executing [Governor Ted] Strickland’s vision of making Ohio a pro-business, low-cost location in which to grow industry.” Read how Ohio won, and how huge this is, considering who reads Site Selection magazine: businesses considering moving or relocating. Read.

Observer, Inc. expanding AGS Software/Ninth Estate media software, which currently powers the online and print Lakewood Observer and recently launched Heights Observer, has been contracted to build a “collaborative and hyper-local media” system in Geauga county, may add up to 3 new city papers to it’s stable within the month, and is entertaining serious offers from San Diego, Pittsburgh, Northants in England, and Cyprus, Turkey according to AGS Software, Inc. president Jim O’Bryan.

Accelerating Innovation Networking Luncheon and Webcast hits Wed 3/19 at 11:30AM feat Moderator/Host Dr. Stephen Brand, Innovation Fellow at NorTech. Register
Web Assoc. hosts informal CSU discussion on Wed 3/19 at 6PM on best practices in site architecture and web usability. Register
University Park Alliance (UPA) and SCORE “Counselors to America’s Small Business,” will offer a workshop on starting/marketing successful small businesses Tue 3/25 at 1PM. Register: 330-972-8859 or e-mail julie2@uakron.edu
Creating the latest wave in advertising or the next generation of hypochondriacs? AAF-Cle panel discussion decides Thu 3/27 at 2PM at Windows on the River. Click
Preparing/Enhancing the Cle Workforce is the subject of this Fri 3/28 day-long seminar at the Cle Conv Ctr. Details
Research ShowCASE 08 Scientists, scholars in 2-day collaboration highlighting research @ CWRU Wed 4/16 & Thu 4/17. More
Networked Approach to Building Prosperity in Regions 2-Day Wksp at Punderson Manor Resort beg Wed 4/23. Details
Cleveland Opportunity + Expo 2008 is designed to provide small and mid-size businesses in Cle an opportunity to promote and introduce products or services and establish new relationships. It hits Fri 5/23 at 10AM at the Galleria. Click

The “Greening” of Cleveland

Maybe the week that St. Patrick’s Day falls in is a good one to initiate a public conversation about turning Cleveland green — or at least substantially greener than it currently is. The idea certainly isn’t new, and there are other cities around the globe that are beginning to think along these same progressive lines.

The idea is quite simple… so simple in fact that one has to wonder why it isn’t already being attempted: Farming the vast tracts of empty fields that lie within the city limits. No, not merely planting little “city gardens” mind you, but actual tractor farming — starting profit-making ventures that rely on economies of scale to succeed. There are literally hundreds of acres just lying fallow that could be put under plow. While there certainly are hurdles to instituting such a project (anything worth doing poses challenges, doesn’t it?), they are not insurmountable… unless, of course, we convince ourselves they are, and consequently lack the political will, muscle, and brainpower to make it happen.

Like all other Greater Clevelanders I’d love for General Motors, Ford (or some other industrial giant) to announce they’re going to build new, job-creating plants on these vast, vacant and unused lots, but how long have we tenaciously clung to that out-dated dream while more and more of our industry is outsourced to China and India? Or, a better question is, how much longer will we foolishly continue to cling to it? But the one thing that can’t be outsourced is land…
Read more from Mansfield B. Frazier here

This week’s most active post on BrewedFreshDaily.com

Med Mart deal reached. Readers respond:

Read and add your comment here

Pale Hollow
Pale Hollow
Times Beach

OK, this might get a little tricky, so stick close and follow the bouncing ball: Pale Hollow was the brainchild of singer-songwriter Michael Allen, a man who knows a thing or two about crafting a catchy tune. When he arrived back in Cleveland from Detroit (where this sensational debut disc was concocted) he abandoned that moniker briefly to work with Nick Perry, Todd Thurman and Derek Poindexter under the namesake The Black Amps. Merger completed, they performed locally for a while that way and then assumed Allen’s old moniker. They now play many of the tunes from Pale Hollow and have been carrying on swimmingly ever since. Got it? Good. (I had to spell it out on virtual paper, because even I got confused).

Allen’s delectable hooks and acoustic-based folk-pop shine through on Pale Hollow; what you get is shimmering and absolutely melodic. With a wide range of influences and a broad palette of instrumentation, Allen offers up rich pedal steel, shades of alt-country and that jangle that recalls many of thos early records Mitch Easter produced. After “Gustav’s Dream,” “Soul Explosion,” “Satisfied Mind” (do kids under 35 even know who Al “Year of the Cat” Stewart is?!?) and “Roll the Stone Away,” you begin to thrill at Allen’s uncanny ability to nail a hook and blend pop, rock and folk components into something sublime. You get shades of the Kinks and Donovan, hues of early R.E.M., a hearty helping of Britpop (“Let the Change Begin” could be a sober Oasis) and just enough of that Don Kirshner 70s “Rock Concert” vibe to keep the active listener just so. Having witnessed Allen’s latest configuration of the Blac… er, Pale Hol… um, well, that band of his, I can’t wait to see what they do for a follow-up.

Check out Pale Hollow when they open up for the exquisite group British Sea Power at the Grog Shop this Wednesday March 26. Learn more about the gig at http://www.grogshop.gs. Check out Pale Hollow at http://www.myspace.com/michaelpatrickallen.

From Cool Cleveland Managing Editor Peter Chakerian peterATcoolcleveland.com

Wanna get reviewed? Send your band’s CD (less than 1 year old) to: Cool Cleveland, 14837 Detroit Avenue, #105, Lakewood, OH 44107

Links to interesting NEO blogs

The City of Cleveland budget areas increasing the most are back-office, support functions, while the program areas growing the least (or, in some cases, decreasing) are mostly functions that provide direct services to and provide for the health, safety, and welfare of the residents.
First Leg of Ohio Hub could be up and running in four years.
It’s been more than two years since Strickland’s campaign began storming the state and our economy has worsened, nothing has been done to improve tax fairness, and school districts in Ohio have seen no change in the way they are funded.

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Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall 3/6 Although the Thursday March 6 performance was not cancelled outright — as was the following Saturday’s thanks to a near blizzard — the Cleveland Orchestra still had bad luck. During Olivier Messiaen’s “And I Await the Resurrection of the Dead” a faint extra sound permeated the hall. It was audible where I sat and, according to another, also in the upper tier. Of course, it wasn’t as obvious at the beginning as it was later because the Messiaen work (first on the program) enjoys unusual combinations of woodwinds, brass, and percussion (including some cool bells) that sound in unexpected patterns and tonalities.

It was fun to see those instruments being played for a change because the usual screen of strings across the front rows was absent; there are no strings in this piece. But after intermission the high-pitched whine became more obvious. What was causing it? Who knows? It might have been a renegade hearing aid or it might have been due to the lights (someone thought it came on only when they were dimmed). But the net result was that the mood of Gustav Mahler’s nostalgic “The Song of the Earth” or “Das Lied von der Erde” — sounds better in German doesn’t it? Classier?

It was interrupted twice when conductor Franz Welser-Most stopped, turned to the audience and commented on it. The usually affable conductor appeared very upset with us the second time when the sound didn’t stop. The soloists, tenor Jonas Kaufmann and baritone Christopher Maltman, sang with confidence even though at times the orchestra smothered their voices. Well, perhaps it all made sense in the end since the text of Mahler’s work concerned the meaning of human life and a sense of weariness with it all. That buzz might have been the spirit of the composer laughing at us.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Laura Kennelly lkennellyATgmail.com
Comments? LettersATCoolCleveland.com

History Boys @ Beck Center 3/9 Snow wiped out the first two performances of The History Boys at Beck Center, but when the curtain finally went up for Alan Bennett’s six-time Tony Award winning play, the audience quickly knew that it was worth slogging through the snow. As one British reviewer stated about the play in its initial performance, “If I had to single out the season’s most intelligent, exhilarating evening of theater, Alan Bennett’s idea and humor rich play would win hands down.” I tend to agree with him.

The setting, a grammar school in England during the 1980s. Grammar school in Britain is the equivalent of U.S. public high schools. The students, like American seniors are concerned about getting into a prestigious university. The question arises, at what cost?

The story follows a group of male students who are being prepared for their Oxford entrance exams by three teachers, each with a contrasting style. Irwin, a young hotshot, teaches the essay style of generalities flavored with some facts and quotes. He basically believes the truth is irrelevant. It parallels the way the author, himself, learned to prepare. Hector, a senior member of the faculty, teaches knowledge with a bent toward English Literature, with an eye on on a well-rounded education. Exams are the enemy of all that he stands for. Mrs. Lintott has taught the boys the basics of history and is unconcerned about the approach of their writing, only that they know history.

The play blends both comedy and tragedy, with multiple layers and themes, including the subtleties of growing up, the purposes of education, teaching philosophies, homosexuality, and the English education system.

The play opened in London in 2004 in a limited engagement and played to sold out audiences. It reopened in 2005, again to packed houses. It came to Broadway in 2006 and swept the Tony Awards. The script was transformed into a movie which featured the original stage cast.

Just as American scripts are often hard for the English to produce, British material is difficult for American actors and directors. Not only are the accents daunting, but the tone and pacing of the material is often hard to develop. Director Sarah May grasps the underbelly of the play and has worked with the actors to develop clear and consistent characters.

Whether they are speaking, being “other” students in the classroom, or interacting with each other, the boys uniformly develop individual personalities. The pacing is appropriate, the conflicts well pitched, the humor nicely developed.

Dana Hart (Hector) and Dan Folino (Irwin) are excellent as the teachers with conflicting views of the world of education. As with the students, they develop clear and consistent characterizations. Dede Klein (Mrs. Lintott) is excellent as the fulcrum between the opposing forces of her fellow faculty members. Michael Regnier perfectly portrays Felix Armstrong, as the up-tight Headmaster.

All of the students deserve hurrahs. Matthew Martin Thomas is impressive as Posner, who is undersized, Jewish and gay and in a search for self-identity. Stuart Hoffman (Rudge) continually looks like he is appropriately in a state of confusion as the “dumb” jock. Adam Day Howard effectively develops Scripps, the pianist and religious moralist. Eric Fancher is totally believable as Dakin, the charismatic, sexual mastermind of the group, who uses his powers to overwhelm his classmates, the young female school secretary, as well as the occasional teacher.

There is an excellent attention to detail in the production that is reflected not only in the performances but in Trad A. Burns’ set and lighting.

”Capsule judgment: Beck’s production is one that must be seen. Do so before it becomes history on March 30.”

For more info, visit the Beck online at http://www.beckcenter.org”.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Roy Berko royberkoATyahoo.com

Roy Berko’s blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info.

Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall 3/13 Classical fantasy ruled Thursday night when Ilan Volkov swept into Severance Hall to conduct Tchaikovsky’s Fantasy-Overture, Opus 18 ( “The Tempest”) and Ravel’s “Daphnis and Chloe” and (sandwiched in the middle of these sweepingly emotional and dramatic pieces) Eino Tamberg’s Trumpet Concerto No. 1. “The Tempest,” with shimmering violins and the rumble of low brasses, brought to mind the crashing of the sea and, of course, Shakespeare’s play (and the TV Series “Lost”) about castaways on an island kingdom. “Daphnis and Chloe” began with sweet melodies chasing each other like pastel shepherds and shepherdesses on an 18th-century vase, but once the wild dance that ends the piece began the flutes and clarinets played so wildly that one knew the sheep they watched must have felt confused by all the partying. Tamberg’s Trumpet Concerto gave the Michael Sachs, Principal Trumpet of the Orchestra, free reign to show off his considerable skill, finesse, and (whew) energy in a non-stop 15-minute tour-de-force. It was the sort of program — full of fire and dash and drama — that always brightens spirits.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Laura Kennelly lkennellyATgmail.com

History Boys @ Beck 3/13 Dana Hart seizes the part of Hector, an iconoclastic teacher at a boys’ school, and doesn’t let go. In the central scene of the play, for example, a one-on-one tutoring session with one of the boys about a poem by Hardy, “Drummer Hodge”, Hart shows his terrifically empathetic insight into the essence of the student-teacher relationship. His character, Hector, has just been fired by the headmaster for impropriety, and the conflict between Hector’s personal grief and Hector’s impassioned belief in teaching plays out across Hart’s face and through his body language as Hector engages the student in a discussion of the poem. This is the scene that has to be magnificently acted for the whole play to be meaningful, and Hart makes it seem easy.

Dan Folino as Irwin is equally persuasive as the tempted teacher. His scene with a student who has found out Irwin’s secrets is impressive. Folino again employs the technique of seeming to separate the lower half of his body from the upper half in portraying a character with a deep-rooted conflict, as he did as Jekyll/Hyde. Folino’s Irwin is as uncomfortable in in his walk as he is master of the classroom standing or seated; it is evident in the comfortable ease of his posture while teaching. Folino does a really good job of playing conflict in this young teacher, which contrasts richly with Hart’s demonstration of Hector’s casual familiarity with the boys – a familiarity that is finally what gets Hector in trouble.

The boys themselves, led by Eric Fancher’s Dakin and Matthew Martin Thomas’s Posner, present a series of teaching and personal challenges to Hector and Irwin. The central issue is the conflict between two of the three kinds of love the Greeks identified: philos and eros (the third, agape, really doesn’t enter into this play). Hector and Irwin are both caught, in different ways, by their confusion of the two. Hector claims at one point that the teaching process is itself an erotic act, and Dede Klein, as the history teacher Mrs Lintott, in a brilliant piece of acting timing, destroys that illusion, one hopes, once and for all. Teaching is a kind of love, of course, a reciprocal love for and of knowledge – and the great danger of the teaching profession is the confusion of love of knowledge, philos, with physical love of another person, eros. This is the center of the play: the danger of that confusion.

The boys, again. Effectively played by Tom Kondilas, Javar La’Trail Parker, Mack Shirilla, Stuart Hoffman, Adam Day Howard, and Max Chernin, along with Eric Fancher and Matthew Martin Thomas, they are the foils for the teaching dilemma that Hector and Irwin face. Director Sarah May gets them to play crisply and loudly as the smartest of the smart boys, stepping on one anothers’ lines and presenting all the charming pugnacity of kids who have it all before them. May does a good job of organizing them into a sort of Greek chorus commenting on the problems of their teachers.

In the film, the boys were the stars, acted on in various ways by the teachers; but in the play, the teachers are the main characters, and the boys are, as students always are, part of the long passing line of names and faces. May has emphasized that aspect of the boys, and it works well.

Dede Klein plays Mrs Lintot, with brio. Her set piece about Woman’s Role In History is worth the price of admission. Klein has a small part, but her craft brings a small role to life – there is not a moment she’s on stage that you don’t believe she’s who she seems to be.

Michael Regnier, as Felix Armstrong, the Headmaster, is entirely enjoyable as the kind of pompous ass that we all want to believe all Headmasters are – but Regnier has the class not to go too far. He’s fit his character right into the balance of the play. He’s just right.

Jeff Glover gives us his characteristic growl, especially as the long-suffering TV Director, and Aubrey-Kristen Fisher does not overplay the flounce as the headmaster’s assistant.

The set, by Trad A. Burns, is excellent – the illusion that we’re moving into and out of corridors, classrooms, offices, and the teacher’s lounge is well done. The scene changes are quick and effective because of Burns’s design.

If you want to see a serious play, one with major educational issues, social significance, and emotional importance, but leavened with enough comedy and song, this is it. You’ll have a great time.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Marcus Bales marcusATdesignerglass.com

Cleveland Orchestra @ Severance Hall 3/13 It’s rather comforting to be presented with relatively unknown works of the major composers. Maybe not as a steady diet, but to point out that even the heaviest hitters don’t always hit a grand slam! It’s hard to imagine that anything by Tchaikovsky would be less than spectacular, but I fear his lesser-known Fantasy-Overture based on a Shakespeare play falls into that category. Of course The Tempest, being Op. 18 is a rather early work, but it is still worth hearing, even if not with the frequency of the others — Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet.

Or maybe one shouldn’t try to follow the story idea, just listen to (and enjoy) the music itself, as what it is. The beginning is a very impressionistic image of a sea voyage, and later, after the storm, there’s a clearly-depicted love story. Guest conductor Ilan Volkov led the Cleveland Orchestra in a sweeping, sumptuous rendition on Thursday evening.

The orchestra’s principal trumpet, Michael Sachs, was the soloist in the Cleveland premier of Estonian composer Eino Tamberg’s Trumpet Concerto No. 1, Op. 42. From the very first brilliant, declamatory, fanfare-like notes, this work clearly states it’s purpose: a show-piece for both soloist and orchestra. It’s almost a ‘fasten your seatbelts’ type of experience for everyone involved. The result was a totally refreshing, dazzling event.

Little clusters of rapid, tuneful notes alternated with lyrical portions that alternated with frenetic tempos in this virtuosic work. Especially interesting were the brief trumpet phrases that were echoed by the xylophone, then the flute and the oboe. The piano was extremely busy during the cheeky first movement. The second movement Lento allowed Mr. Sach’s beautiful sound to absolutely sing, and in one portion that was muted, his playing seemed to imitate the English horn! There were interesting sounds from the myriad percussion instruments. The final measures reflected the melodic beginning. Mr. Sachs was vigorously applauded by his colleagues and the audience.

And then there was Ravel. It’s all too easy to run out of superlatives when reviewing Ravel, as this performance demonstrates so well. The perhaps not-so-familiar Suite No. 1 from Daphnis and Chloé is perfectly lovely in its own right, from the wind machine heralding the glorious sunrise, through the limpid flute solo over the languid pizzicato of the strings, especially the basses, the gorgeous alto flute, followed by the ecstatic solo violin as the Suite No. 2 comes to a conclusion.

For exotic sounds, no one exceeds Ravel: it required eight players (as opposed to the usual five) plus a brief appearance of pianist Joella Jones to produce the effect desired by the composer. Magnificent.

This weekend guest conductor Giancarlo Guerrero returns along with violin soloist Midori in four concerts before the ensemble leaves for the March Florida residency. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the ticket office at 216.231.1111 or visit the web-site: http://www.clevelandorchestra.com

From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATroadrunner.com

The History Boys @ Beck 3/14
School Daze: Alan Bennett’s Tony Award-winning play looks at 2 competing philosophies of education – love of learning for its own sake versus “get ahead at all costs”. They’re embodied by 2 influential but flawed British teachers, whose blithe, bright pupils are trying to get into Britain’s top universities. In Sarah May’s production, it’s the kids who make most of the sparks, especially Matthew Martin Thomas as a moonstruck gay kid, Eric Fancher as the Adonis-like Dakin, and Stuart Hoffman as a thick but pragmatic rugby player.
Caveats: Dana Hart is too pedestrian to soar as the eccentric Hector, who inspires his young charges despite copping the occasional feel; he has a shaggy energy, but fails to break your heart. As his furtive rival, Dan Folino fares better, but his role is murkier and hobbled by a barely credible plot point. Bennett’s script has several annoyances (like a mute female sexpot) that got on my last raw nerve, as did Richard B. Ingraham’s club-music sound design.
Details: Thru 3/30, Beck Center, Lakewood. http://www.beckcenter.org
From Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein
LindaATcoolcleveland.com

Arcadia @ CPH Brooks 3/14 Tom Stoppard is a very witty, literate writer in love with words. This means that his plays tend to be of the ‘talky’ variety, which is not necessarily a bad thing. He can make the most obscure topic interesting, even fascinating, but in order for that to happen, one must be able to understand the words being spoken. Unhappily, that’s not always the case in the current production of Arcadia being presented by the first year (class of 2010) MFA candidates in the CASE/CPH program.

The young actors are all excellent, and for the most part the accents are right on, thanks to dialect coach Jerrold Scott. The problem is that several of them speak very rapidly, causing the language to get lost in the rush. Visually, however, one could not possible imagine a more perfect cast and costumes. The gorgeous Regency era costumes (by Kristine L. Davies) are a more than subtle contrast to the imitation ones conjured up for the modern-day costume ball. The set by Jill Davis is very clever, considering the size of the Brooks Theater stage, which at times must house a huge table, chairs and 8 to 10 people. Lighting by Michael Boll and sound by Mike Pope enhance the overall effect. The whole was effectively managed by stage manager Jon Boomershine

This play, like a fine wine, needs room to breathe, and had director Ron Wilson chosen to take it just a tad slower, it might have alleviated some of the language difficulties. However, there is much to be said for keeping a brisk pace for such a large and possibly unweildy play such as Arcadia, which moves back and forth between 1809 and the current day. At times, inhabitants of both eras appear together on the stage at the same time, although oblivious of each other.

Thomasina Coverly is the precocious thirteen-year-old daughter of the house, with an unreal aptitude for mathematics. She is being tutored by the handsome and virile Septimus Hodge, some ten or so years older than she is, and who was also a school-mate of Lord Byron. Although spoken of frequently, Bryon does not appear in the play, although her mother, an uncle, the butler, a landscape designer, and a house-guest are all present at various times. There may or may not have been a duel between two of the men, and a hermit, as illustrated on a drawing. Certainly there is a mystery involving Byron’s sudden departure from England.

In the now, Hannah Jarvis, a writer, and Bernard Nightingale a professor of literature converge on the house. She is investigating a hermit who may have lived on the grounds, while he is trying to uncover the mysterious chapter in the life of Byron. The current resident of the house, Valentine Coverly, a post-graduate student in mathematical biology, is drawn into the mystery in spite of himself.

Lindsay Iuen is a luminous Thomasina, whether investigating mathematics or the engaging Septimus Hodge of Zac Hoogendyk. Her mother Lady Croom is brought to splendid life by Sarah Nedwek, who doubles as the sexpot Chloe Coverly in the modern portion. Other able doubles are AJ Cedeño as Jellaby the very precise butler and Captain Brice, both from the Regency section, and Tom White who goes almost over the top in both his roles: the Regency landscape gardener Richard Noakes and the ambitious professor, Bernard Nightingale. Andrew Lund is a winsome Gus/Augustus Coverly in either era. Tom Picasso is the slightly muddled Valentine Coverly, Leigh Williams is determined as Hannah Jarvis and Michael Flood is the rather easily confused Ezra Chater, whose errant wife sets off the Regency scandal.

It could have happened that way, and a teen-aged female mathematical genius is not so far-fetched as one might think. There actually is a precedent for this character. It was after all, Lord Byron’s real-life daughter, Ada Lovelace, who became known as the “Enchantress of Numbers” and the mother of the modern computer. Ada was born in 1815.

I’m going back to see Arcadia again. There are still five performances left before Saturday evening, when the run ends. For tickets or more information, call the ticket office at the Play House at 795-7000 or visit the website http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATroadrunner.com

The Fantasticks @ Ensemble 3/14 The Fantasticks, which is now being staged at Ensemble Theatre has the honor of being the longest running in musical theatre history. It opened off-Broadway in 1960 and ran until 2002, 17,162 performances. Not bad for a show that opened to generally blah reviews. Its investors received a 19,465% return on their original $16,500 investment. Written by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, the show features such classics as “Try to Remember,” “They Were You,” and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain.”

The show is normally observed as a coming-of-age story featuring a starry-eyed teen female (Luisa) whose view of life has been honed by reading romance and swashbuckling novels and her equally naïve but self-proclaimed “worldly” boyfriend (Matt) who believes his college experiences have taught him all there is to know. Throw in two matchmaking fathers who scheme to get their children together, a suave rogue (El Gallo), a has-been Shakespearean actor and his “Indian” sidekick, a mute who plays a wall, and a prop person, and the play appears to be a slight bit of fluff, whose purpose is solely to delight audiences. Well, ‘taint so.

Yes, the first act is fluff…delightful fluff. And, in the Ensemble production, that segment, under the adept direction of Pierre-Jacques Brault, is delightful. Brault leaves out no shtick in order to please the audience.

The second act, however, is a totally different matter. As reality of love and life set in, the girl’s fantasies are challenged. The disillusioned boy goes out to find the “real” world. The fathers argue. The question arises: as we each go round and round in the world, what is reality? Can we cover our eyes and escape from the truth of life simply by putting on a mask?

It is in the second act that the Ensemble production stumbles. When El Gallo, the mature worldly-wise schwashbuckler, assumes the role of mentor and takes Luisa out of her walled-in world to see the real world, with all its faults, we need to truly gain an understanding of Schmidt and Jones’s existential message. The effect of the show basically centers on the staging and musical interpretation of the song “Round and Round.” We must see Matt, who has gone on his adventure, stumble and fall and come to a realization of life as it really is. We must share with Luisa her angst of not being totally able to put on her mask to hide the realities of existence… wars, famine, torture, cruelty.

In this production, the staging of “Round and Round” is one dimensional. Matt hangs as the Christ figure on the cross, never acting out the illusions of the song. The vocal and visual interpretation fail to stress the meaning of the words. The music fails to build to climax, thus avoiding the heightening of the needed tension. We never see Luisa gain awareness.

As the young lovers, Paul Rawlings (Matt) and Emma Ruck (Luisa) are basically charming. Rawlings often swallows the endings of words when he sings in the lower registers and Ruck sometimes gets a little shrill, but, in general, they both do a nice job. (BTW… at one point in the show’s long run off-Broadway, local actor and BW graduate Rex Nockingust played Matt.)

Mark Cipra (the boy’s father) acts well, but his voice is a shallow. Dan Call has strong vocal qualities, but sometimes forgets that he needs to blend, not dominate in duets.

The star of the show is George Roth as the Old Actor. He glows, dominating the stage in every entrance. His performance is luminous. He is ably supported by Dustin Jesberger as the non-Indian Indian who specializes in dying. Jon Gellott does everything he needs to do as the Mute.

Unfortunately, though he tries hard, Joe Monaghan is miscast as El Gallo. He needs to be suave, sensual and have worldly maturity. Monaghan just doesn’t control the stage as, for example, Jerry Orbach did in the original production. He also doesn’t have the vocal chops to belt out “Round and Round” and to create emotional illusions in “Try to Remember.”

I understand that Brault’s original concept for the show was to cast two males in the leading romantic roles. The idea was, I’ve been told, vetoed. Too bad, it would have been appropriate to the theme of the play, to see their “real” world through the eyes of gay lovers.

”Capsule judgment: Ensemble’s prouction should delight most audience members. However, if they are interested in gaining the message of the Schmidt and Jones musical, they won’t get it from this production.”

‘The Fantasticks” continues through March 23 at Ensemble Theatre, which is staging its plays at the Cleveland Play House. For information call 321-2930.”’

From Cool Cleveland contributor Roy Berko royberkoATyahoo.com

Roy Berko’s blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2007, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://royberko.info.

Arcadia @ CPH Brooks 3/15
Champagne script: If scripts were vintages, Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia would be top shelf Dom Perignon, able to make a theatre connoisseur swoon from its impossibly rich language and intricate, time-shifting puzzle of a plot. Most professional theatre companies don’t have the chops – or the stones – to take it on. Ron Wilson’s lovely production, featuring the 1st year class of the CWRU/Cleveland Play House MFA program, does it proud. Standouts: Leigh Williams and Tom White as dueling academics mucking about in historical documents while weaving their fantastical, off-the-mark theories about 19th century events we’ve just seen in previous scenes; a sympathetic Zac Hoogendyk as the tutor to a young genius (Lindsay Iuen), and Tom Picasso’s wonky mathematician.
Caveats: Sit close, the better to hear and understand the fiendishly challenging rat-a-tat dialogue, ripe with mathematical & scientific conceits expressed in British accents. But if you love language, don’t miss it: it’s a pleasure from start to finish, one worth savoring.
Details: Thru 3/22, http://www.clevelandplayhouse.com
From Cool Cleveland contributor Linda Eisenstein lindaATcoolcleveland.com

Coronation of Poppea @ Oberlin Opera Theatre 3/15 It’s extremely difficult to pull off early operas, but the Oberlin Conservatory of Music production of Claudio Monteverdi’s “The Coronation of Poppea” (with libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello) goes a long way toward translating the1642 opera originally written to appeal to the Venice smart set. It’s a racy, superficial soap opera of an opera and Jonathan Field directs it that way.

Poppea is the Emperor Nero’s mistress and it’s the straight-forward story of how she got rid of Nero’s wife, Ottavia (and, as a by-product, of the philosopher Seneca). Field (who can always be counted on to keep audiences alert) worked with a double cast, except for Ottone (fantastic counter-tenor Nathan Medley). Much of the action turns on Ottone who has a passion for Poppea (but ends up with Drusilla, who has always loved him). The night I was there Elias Traverse and Alexandra Becerra as Nero and Poppea were delightful as they managed to sing the demanding vocal parts and turn up the sexual heat at the same time (at one point in an S&M routine with kinky outfits with Nero blindfolded and Poppea tickling him with a whip).

Elizabeth Zharoff’s Drusilla stole the show. Her bright manner and mesmerizing energy combined with a lovely lyric soprano were a delight as she chased the oft-tormented Ottone, sung with baroque perfection by Medley. John Harper’s deep-voiced and stately Seneca sounded fine, but the script gives him so long to poison himself that one wanted to give him a stronger potion. The chorus behind him while he asked for cup after cup of poison kept us amused because they spoofed the whole political scene (and kinda reminded me of the Fox news feeding frenzy going on at the time over the now ex-governor of New York). Conductor Stephen Stubbs, who also played the chitarrone, led the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra in a nuanced and lovely performance. It was an over-the-top show that would still play well in Venice.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Laura Kennelly lkennellyATgmail.com

Most clicked
Here are the Top 5 most clicked links from last week’s issue, with one more chance for you to click.

TOP 5
Most clicked
Here are the Top 5 most clicked links from last week’s issue, with one more chance for you to click.

1) Dennis, Dennis he’s our man… by Cindy Barber.
www.CoolCleveland.com

2) Cleveland Cupcake Company launches their new website (2nd week in the Top 5!).
www.ClevelandCupcakeCompany.com

3) Where CSU students nosh in C-town.
www.CSUCauldron.com

4) Sandra Pianalto video interview Chair of United Way and Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
www.CoolCleveland.com

5) Mansfield Frazier The Coin Toss and the Coz.
www.CoolCleveland.com

You Can’t Make Bricks Without Straw… which is why the Hard Corps are so invaluable. Our “wall of fame” this week includes Peter Chakerian, T.L. Champion, George Nemeth, Steve Copley, Linda Eisenstein, Kelly Ferjutz, Mansfield B. Frazier, Jennifer Keirn, Laura Kennelly, Doug O’Bryon, Roy Berko, Daiv Whaley and introducing Peter Jedick. This episode was brought to you by a decaf lapse. And lastly, though certainly not least, thanks to our readers and everyone who partners with us. Want to volunteer and contribute your writing to Cool Cleveland? Send your reviews, articles, or story ideas to: Events@CoolCleveland.com.

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