Richard III, Great Lakes Theatre

(Lynn Robert Berg as Richard III)

It has been observed that corporate CEOs (okay, some of them) share a disturbing number of traits with sociopaths. Both groups tend to be narcissistic, care little to nothing about the fates or feelings of others, and are able to, um, kill people with impunity.

This comparison is brought home with powerful clarity in Richard III at the Great Lakes Theater. It features a gleaming, contemporary set comprised of glass and steel that any corporation could easily move into at a moment’s notice. And the power brokers vying for dominance in these halls are conniving and vicious.

None more so than the crippled “rudely stamp’d” King Richard, who prowls the bloody halls of England’s ruling class, eliminating his competition with a ruthless efficiency that has immediate bottom-line results.

Directed by Joseph Hanreddy, this production literally drips with blood. Queen Margaret, the widow of King Henry VI, pours a few gallons of plasma off the balcony into a waiting tub every time another person is dispatched.

It’s a stylish way to handle the gore, reflective of a production that is slick and entertaining from start to finish. The cast is led ably by Lynn Robert Berg as Richard, limping about on his twisted legs as he coos and snarls to put people in their place. It is a masterful and often witty performance that never becomes tiresome.

As Richard’s doomed henchman the Duke of Buckingham, David Anthony Smith cadges some chuckles along the way before his demise. And Laurie Birmingham as Queen Margaret almost out-does Uzo Aduba, the “crazy eyes” convict in TV’s Orange Is the New Black, flashing her haunted orbs as she looks daggers at Richard while lathering him with insults.

The double-cast J. Todd Adams is excellent as both hapless George, Duke of Clarence and as Richard’s merciless capo, Sir William Catesby. And Tom Ford uses his wry delivery to fine effect as Lord Hastings.

The production ends with a teeth-rattling battle scene that ends Richard’s brief tenure in the corner office. If only CEOs could be dislodged as easily.

Richard III

Through November 2 at Great Lakes Theater, Hanna Theater, 2067 E. 14^th St., 216-241-6000

Boeing, Boeing, Lakeland Civic Theatre

(From left to right: Beth Lee, Tess Elizabeth Burgler, Brian Zoldessy, and Jeffery Grover)

If humor is based on truth, then it’s probably not a good idea to build a comedy around a concept such as: Airline schedules are infallible! These days, the arrival and departure times for airplanes are more like rough estimates scrawled on a cocktail napkin that are easily amended or crumpled up entirely.

Not so back in the 1960s, when the French playwright and farceur Marc Camoletti wrote Boeing, Boeing. In this production at the Lakeland Civic Theatre, directed by Martin Friedman, fulltime lothario Bernard relies on the clockwork precision of airlines so that he can rotate three stewardess “fiancées” through his Paris flat without any of them being the wiser.

Once you accept the show’s premise as a charming anachronism, the stage is set for lots of door-slamming hijinks. And that does happen at times.  But the over-long and repetitive script, as translated by Beverly Cross and Francis Evans, eventually wrings a lot of the humor out of what should have been a sprightly romp.

Bernard is busy romancing an international goulash of stews: Gloria from TWA, Gabriella from Alitalia and Gretchen from Lufthansa. So feel free to duck as the stereotype characterizations and jokes, um, fly fast and furious. A complicating element is added when Bernard’s old pal Robert, a dweeb from Wisconsin, stops by for a quick visit and then decides to stay.

The suave Bernard is intent on educating Robert in his technique of engaging but never marrying women—two of whom who are flying to all parts of the world while he’s boffing the third one who’s on the ground. He is aided in this carousel of carnality by crusty Bertha, his aging maid with a nasty attitude.

The script, however, is quite creaky. There is so much repeated exposition of Bernard’s game plan early on that you want to scream, “Get on with it, already!” But it doesn’t, and we are past the one-hour mark of this 2½ hour piece before any comical sparks start flying.

During that time, there is a lot of set-up palaver between Bernard, Robert and Bertha that never ignites. As Bernard, a smooth and assured Jeffery Grover firmly establishes Bernard as a master of his universe. But he is so cool early on you never feel the passion of this man outside of his cringingly-intense, Al Gore-style kisses when a couple of the stews arrive.

The role of snarky Bertha calls for an actor who can create her own comedy magic (as Thelma Ritter did in the movie version). But Beth Lee makes Bertha unpleasant without being particularly funny, a rather deadly combination for this kind of farce.

Katie Nabors is cute and amorous as Gloria. But her momentary infatuation with Robert is based on a quirk that doesn’t track (and that isn’t worth repeating at the play’s conclusion).  Nancy Telzerow does the hot-tempered Italian thing as Gabriella. But neither her nor Nabors’ roles allow them to vent in more interesting ways

A couple of elements of this production work splendidly. As Robert, Brian Zoldessy is a limp, human sock-puppet of a man and, after the stultifying early scenes, he’s often hilarious. Using his bespectacled, sad-sack face and slumped posture, Zoldessy is a sight gag without even saying a word.

Benefitting from one of the best-written roles, Tess Elizabeth Burgler makes Gretchen a Teutonic tower of uncompromising need. Bossing Robert around before a surprising turn of affection, Burgler is a treat. And her scenes with Zoldessy crackle with the perfect pacing for fluff of this sort.

There are laugh-out-loud moments in Boeing, Boeing, but not nearly as many as one might desire. Cut out an hour of the scripting fat, and this could be a fast-paced one-act comedy sprint. But that’s as much of a dream as hoping, these days, for an on-time flight.

Boeing, Boeing

Through October 6 at the Lakeland Civic Theatre, Lakeland Community College Campus (Just south of Rt. 90 and Rt. 306 in Kirtland), 440-525-7034.

Woody Sez, the Life and Music of Woody Guthrie, Cleveland Play House

(David M. Lutken as Woody Guthrie)

If a combination of folk music and liberal politics (remember those?) sounds perfect for you, then you best hustle down to see Wooody Sez at the Cleveland Play House.

While the production is unsatisfying in some respects—acting being one of the primary shortcomings—the four talented musicians display a range of songs that have the potential to amuse, enlighten and even shock.

In a linear and dutiful manner the show tells the story of Woody Guthrie, the iconic songwriter and performer known for penning classic songs such as “This Land Is Your Land.” Finding his true voice during the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, Guthrie sang and composed songs that fought for the rights and the pride of the common men and women who are often trampled by society.

The piece is devised by David M. Lutken (with director Nick Corley and others) who also plays Guthrie and triples as the music director. In his Woody persona, Lutken has a comfortably rumpled down-home style of delivery that works well for the most part. And when he slows down to present a powerful song, such as “Dust Bowl Disaster,” you can feel the dirt and sand creeping into your pores.

The other three musician/actors are all fine as they smile a lot and expertly play a variety of instruments from fiddles and guitars to a dulcimer and a couple soup spoons. And the songs, from the lovely "Pastures of Plenty" to the rollicking "Biggest Thing That Man Has Ever Done,"are often thoroughly entertaining. But Helen Jean Russell, David Finch and Leenya Rideout never succeed in creating memorable minor characters who interact with Guthrie.

This throws all the responsibility onto Lutken, who manages to charm the audience for most of the show. Of course, the script suffers from the same old problem of many such musical bios: in trying to cover all the Wikipedia high points, it never takes the time to explore its subject in any depth.

And there is a lot of depth to be had, since Guthrie lived through many challenges including service in World War II and his family history of Huntington’s disease.

Absent a more penetrating perspective, we are left with a pleasant and well-executed raft of songs, which makes for a fine folk music concert. But as a theatrical piece Woody Sez doesn’t say nearly enough.

Woody Sez, the Life and Music of Woody Guthrie

Through October 6 at the Cleveland Play House, Allen Theatre, 1407 Euclid Avenue, 216-241-6000

Based on a Totally True Story, convergence-continuum

(Zac Hudak as Ethan and Clyde Simon as his Dad)

It’s always dangerous to write about your own life, especially when you have a desire to give all the characters (you, your loved ones and your friends) a positive gloss.

This is what playwright Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa does in Based on a Totally True Story, now at convergence-continuum. The central character, Ethan, is just like the playwright: a comic book writer and playwright who is in a gay romantic relationship. He is also dealing with a crisis between his parents, and has a deal brewing for a film of his work in Hollywood.

So, yes, the title appears to be accurate. Trouble is, as a true story it’s not a particularly interesting, insightful or surprising one.  The play is also saddled with structural difficulties (lots of phone conversations, lots of narration and exposition delivered direct to the audience) that director Cory Molner can’t fully overcome.

Set on a brightly-colored Sunday comics stage, nerd-geek Ethan is working on a dark play involving a sea monster and two dead children (a play, by the way, that sounds a good deal more engrossing than the one at hand). He’s also holding down a day job writing stories for “The Flash,” a speedy comic book superhero.

But his life changes when he and his soon-to-be-boyfriend Michael meet cute in a coffee shop, after Michael lands in the wrong java joint for a blind date. Soon they are doing all sorts of adorably cute New York-ish things like going to see a 1950’s French horror movie and sipping coffee at Barnes & Noble. Then they move in together.

Meanwhile a producer in Hollywood, Mary Ellen, is on the horn with Ethan pushing him to make goofy changes to his play so she can sell it to a film company. And then Ethan has to deal with his father, who announces he’s fallen out of love with Ethan’s mother and is seeing another woman.

On the surface, all this sounds promising. But the script almost defiantly refuses to make any of these scenarios distinctive. Mary Ellen’s intrusion on a writer's creative process is a LaLa Land trope we’ve seen played out dozens times, and done much funnier. As Mary Ellen, an overly stiff Lisa Wiley never captures the smooth, oleaginous Entourage-style vibe of the hard-charging flick pusher with a heart of gold.

As Ethan’s dad, Clyde Simon trots out a befuddled gruffness that works for a while, but the character is so nice one never gets a read on the challenging childhood Ethan claims to have had.

Bobby Coyne plays several small roles and shines as Tyler, Ethan’s energetic comic book editor. But his quick cameos as an Apple store flunky and a video store clerk are overwrought and weird instead of amusing. And his turn as a blond hunk who seduces Ethan on a California beach is too obvious to be sexy.

The central relationship is portrayed with skill by Zac Hudak, always a superb dweeb, as Ethan, and a sweet and sincere Stuart Hoffman as Michael. But it’s a tepid affair with chaste kisses, quick hugs and little emotional depth. Even when there is some tension around Ethan’s blossoming career, the friction generates no real sparks, just some damp fizzles.

Agurre-Sacasa crafts a number of effective laugh lines, at one point referring to the company that Ethan works for as owned by a series of corporate entities controlled by Satan. But his play collapses at the end in a welter of aphorisms as the characters sit on stage and provide individual epilogues about how they’ve grown.

Ultimately, the takeaway from this totally true story, which takes place over about 24 months, is that Ethan (and the author) had a totally nice two years, with some totally nice relationships that, even when they ended, turned out totally nice with everyone still friends.

That’s nice. And true. But theatrically, it’s not very good.

Based on a Totally True Story

Through September 14, produced by convergence-continuum at the Liminis Theatre, 2438 Scranton Road, Tremont, 216-687-0074.

Tuning In, University of Akron and Razzmatazz Productions

As we all saw on the now defunct TV show Smash, it ain’t easy to create a new musical. The pitfalls are many and the clashes of egos can be a disaster.

Of course, there might not have been any of that drama as the musical Tuning In was being developed here in northeast Ohio. With music and lyrics by Larry Kass and book by Kass and Ron Newell, this is not the kind of show likely to trigger backstage backbiting, a smoothie poisoning or on-stage meltdowns. (Oh, Smash, we hardly knew ye!)

Indeed, Tuning In is so earnest and straightforward, it could have been staged in Mayberry with Andy, Barney, Aunt Bee and Floyd in lead roles. There’s not a gram of irony or a speck of meta-anything in this show, and one has to congratulate the creators for their bold and unshakeable commitment to corniness in all its dimensions.

The story revolves around a radio station (call letters are WLK, short for Welk?) broadcasting “musical memories” from a retirement home called Harmony Hill, in Ohio, where a bunch of aging vaudeville and musical stars are spending their declining years.

Trouble is, the heartless corporate owner of the retirement home wants to change the format of the station, or eliminate it all together. So the denizens of the home band together to put on a radio-thon fundraiser to save their beloved station as it is.

The show is packed with 25 songs (no reprises!), many of which showcase Kass’s ability to fashion lovely melodies reminiscent of a bygone era. The lyrics, however, are often highly predictable and bland, falling into the “moon-June” sort of sentiments and rhyme schemes that can eventually wear thin.

The production, staged by director and choreographer George Pinney, has plenty of movement. This is augmented by a rather forced plot device involving a gaggle of students who are visiting the home and provide some high kicking that the elderly residents (and actors) can’t manage.

With all those songs and three simultaneous love affairs progressing, there is certainly enough material here for a show. And Newell and Kass have their hearts in the right place, celebrating old-fashioned entertainers and their passion for the footlights.

In this cast, Dan Farrell leaves tooth marks on every inch of the scenery as the ex-vaudevillian Ruby Waxman, and Natalie Green shines in her songs as the young Shannon O’Rourke. Also, Tina D. Stump and Angela Gillespie-Winborn add some sass as the Johnson sisters.

But in order to be fully involving, it would help to have some real conflict among the characters, and not just the cardboard villain from the corporation (deftly named Mr. Coffin). One only has to read the memoirs of older vaudeville and Broadway stars to note that their lives were often rude, randy and not nearly so squeaky clean.

With some musical trimming and a bit more realistic wit, Tuning In, which closes it’s abbreviated four-show run today, might hit all the right notes. But for those who love the old tunes, these new versions are a comfy and non-threatening dip into the past.

Tuning In

Produced at the E.J. Thomas Hall by the University of Akron’s School of Music and Razzmatazz Productions

Peter Pan, A Musical Adventure, Mercury Summer Stock

(The Lost Boys)

If you want to mount a show about Peter Pan, whether it’s the 1950’s version that Mary Martin made famous or this version written in the 1990’s, you have to love the idea of magic and fantasy.

And this production at Mercury Summer Stock, so visually arresting in many respects, has a firm grip on the magical idea of a flying fairy carting off three Earth-bond kids to Never Never Land.  Indeed, the final tableau of this show, with Peter raised high on shoulders against a lovely backdrop, is quite captivating.

But there are a number of air pockets in this supposedly soaring show, where this production experiences theatrical turbulence

The new tunes by George Stiles (music) and Anthony Drewe (lyrics) are pleasant and tuneful, but not particularly memorable. And the book by Willis Hall is quite matter-of-fact, without the flourishes of fresh humor that could help propel these characters on their most unusual journey.

Director and choreographer Pierre-Jacques Brault has added innovative touches, many of which work splendidly. Instead of actors swinging on cables, the flying Peter Pan and his Darling kids get air on the up-stretched arms of other actors, or ride piggy-back. This is not only cost-effective, it has the charm of children playing backyard games that resonates wonderfully with the material.

Also, Tinkerbelle is not a dot of light but a ballerina (Brittany Basenback) who leaps about with the aid of her dancing partner and embodies this fanciful creature in a whole new manner.

The uncredited set design features several white leafless trees that are stark and beautiful at times, accented by suspended lights that fade in and out. But at other moments, such as those on the pirate ship, the trees are just weirdly out of place (if kids were playing pirate ship, they’d likely not do it in a grove of trees).

The story progresses just as you would expect, from the Darling house to Never Never Land and then on to Captain Hook’s watery demise. Along the way, some of the songs and dances—particularly “There’s Something in the Air Tonight,” Mrs. Darling’s “Just Beyond the Stars” and the boyishly exuberant “The Lost Boys Gang” are definite winners.

In the title role, Brian Marshall sings his parts with the confidence of a seasoned performer. But his eternal boy is lacking the sense of fun and flashes of impish rascality that he needs. Indeed, Marshall often comes across as a fairly serious sophomore Accounting major, rather than a never-growing-up kid who can fly.

As Wendy, Kelly Monaghan delivers her songs with precision and conveys her confusion of being called upon to mother the Lost Boys when she wants a mother herself. At this performance, Dana Aber played Mrs. Darling (a part that is double cast) with plenty of heart.

Of course, the juiciest role in this show, regardless of the authors, is Mr. Darling and Captain Hook. Although he could go farther with his histrionics, Eric van Baars buckles his swash with spirit as Hook, and provides much of the comedy in a show that desperately needs more of the same.

One missing element is some physical representation of the ticking croc who swallowed Hook’s right arm (along with a clock) and that haunts and bedevils the Captain. Brault employs a phalanx of clocks at one point, and a single clock at others, to represent this menace. But it all falls pretty flat, unless you have chronomentrophobia (a fear of timepieces).

Smaller roles are handled well, including Dan DiCello as Hook’s right-hand-(you should excuse the term)-man Smee, and Dani Apple as Tiger Lily. The hard-working ensemble of pirates and Lost Boys add loads of singing and dancing energy.

This is a show that is often lovely to look at and listen to, but a slightly slow pace within scenes sucks a good deal of the energy from the proceedings. So that when the storyteller (a game Hester Lewellen) is finally identified, the impact is softer than it should be.

Still, the Mercury crew attacks big musicals like this with passion and youthful professionalism. And that amounts to a fine treat for any August day.

Peter Pan, A Musical Adventure

Through August 17 at Regina Hall, Notre Dame College, Green Road between Mayfield Road and Cedar Road in South Euclid, 216-771-5862.

On The Line, None Too Fragile Theater

(Dynamite Trio: From left--Mark Mayo as Jimmy, Andrew Narten as Mikey, and Robert Branch as Dev)

If you’d like to experience ensemble acting that’s tighter than Beyonce’s bustier, in service of a show that explores blue-collar friendships under stress, then you absolutely have to see On The Line, now at None Too Fragile Theater.

This script by Joe Roland is a tight-cornering roller coaster ride, as a trio of production line workers, who’ve been pals since the First Grade, try to maneuver themselves in the adult world of callous company bosses, desperate unions, and a strike that ignites a major meltdown.

Set in the mid-1990s, the white and black hats are predictable, with the unseen managers pulling the strings of their hard-working, hard-drinking employees. But thankfully, Roland makes his workers—Dev, Jimmy and Mikey—a conflicted and often outrageously comical bunch, as they each react to offers of management positions from the company in different ways.

But most notably, the performances under the whip-smart direction of Sean Derry are true, real and dazzling. Mark Mayo, Andrew Narten and Robert Branch mesh like a finely tuned Porsche engine, continually finding new gears as the demands of the script increase.

As the strike looms, Mikey decides to accept a job with management and is branded a traitor by Dev, who stands foursquare with the union. Jimmy meanwhile takes a job as the union’s agent. Thus, the battle lines are drawn and these bosom buddies start sniping at each other over shots, beers, and darts in their off hours.

Among many stellar moments, there are definite high points.  When Mayo’s Jimmy and Branch’s Dev watch a football game on TV, weaving their game commentary into Jimmy’s attempts at calming Dev’s rabid union views, the result is a verbal ballet that is hilarious and pungent.

And when Branch smoothly delivers a monologue about his view of management-labor relations and compares it to a cruise ship in mid-catastrophe, the metaphor seems incredibly apt. At the conclusion, as he imagines himself drowning in five feet of water because he no longer has the strength to stand up, the effect is sublime and powerful.

In the second act, Narten is in a suit and tie pushing the company line (“What’s good for the company is good for you.”). But his real feelings are oozing through the cracks in his polished façade.

Director Derry paces this work with vigor and precision. The only small wrinkle is relying a bit too much on the dart playing, which doesn’t allow the actors to bounce off each other as often as they might.

Early in the play, the guys refer to themselves as a miracle alloy, stronger by far than any of the individuals by themselves. And the same can be said for these three actors. It’s a performance so free and yet so well controlled, it’s a privilege to share the same space with them.

On The Line

Through August 24 at None Too Fragile Theater, 1841 Merriman Road (enter through Pub Bricco), Akron, 330-671-4563.