Cleveland Theater Reviews

Review: PIPPIN at BW Musical Theatre Program
by Roy Berko - November 21, 2023

What did our critic think of PIPPIN at BW Musical Theatre Program? In the Fall of 1971, while chaperoning a group of college students to New York, I saw PIPPIN, the Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics), Roger Hirson (book), Bob Fosse (director/choreographer) musical.  I had an instant love affair wit...

Review: SOMETING ROTTEN! at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre
by Roy Berko - March 30, 2023

What did our critic think of SOMETING ROTTEN! at Chagrin Valley Little Theatre?...

Review: THE OTHER PLACE at Dobama
by Roy Berko - March 12, 2023

What did our critic think of THE OTHER PLACE at Dobama?...

Review: ALADDIN at Connor Palace, Cleveland
by Roy Berko - March 09, 2023

What did our critic think of ALADDIN (TOURING PRODUCTION) at Connor Palace (Cleveland)? Disney, whether it's their theme parks, cruises or Broadway-style shows, has a special approach that excites kids as well as adults. ...

Review: THE RIVER at Ensemble
by Roy Berko - February 23, 2023

What did our critic think of THE RIVER at Ensemble? In the late 1950's through the 1980s The Theatre of the Absurd theatrical movement was the intellectual rage. Based on the concept of Existentialism which asks, 'what happens when human existence lacks meaning or purpose and communication breaks do...

Review: SENSE AND SENSIBILITY at Great Lakes Theater
by Roy Berko - February 20, 2023

What did our critic think of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY at Great Lakes Theater?...

Review: GHOST THE MUSICAL at Performances, Singing And Dancing Eclipse Script And Score In BW/Beck's GHOST THE MUSICAL
by Roy Berko - February 16, 2023

What did our critic think of GHOST THE MUSICAL at Performances, Singing And Dancing Eclipse Script And Score In BW/Beck's GHOST THE MUSICAL?...

Review: HADESTOWN at CONNOR PALACE (Cleveland)
by Roy Berko - February 03, 2023

What did our critic think of HADESTOWN at CONNOR PALACE (Cleveland)? When HADESTOWN, opened on Broadway on April 17, 2019, it was met with critical acclaim. Reviews contained such terms as 'inventive,' 'gorgeous, 'hypnotic,' 'high energy,' 'utterly fabulous' and 'immersive.' The critics went gaga ov...

Review: BEETLEJUICE THE MUSICAL at Connon Place
by Roy Berko - January 14, 2023

What did our critic think of BEETLEJUICE THE MUSICAL at Connon Place?...

BWW Review: ANTIGONE at Cleveland Play House
by Roy Berko - March 14, 2022

Cleveland Play House's Artistic Director, Laura Kepley, in her comments in the playbill for ANTIGONE states, 'We originally programed ANTIGONE to be produced during the 2019-2020 season. The play was in its second week of rehearsals when we had to make the heartbreaking announcement that the product...

BWW Review: PRETTY WOMAN Prettier than New York Reviewers Let On
by Roy Berko - March 10, 2022

The film PRETTY WOMAN, based on the Roy Orbison song, which was originally planned to be a tale about class and prostitution, but was reconceived into a romantic comedy, opened to both critical and audience delight. It still gets a considerable audience when it is shown on television. ...

BWW Review: HURRICANE DIANE at Dobama
by Roy Berko - January 22, 2022

HURRICANE DIANE, a 90-minute play without intermission, now on stage at Dobama, has been described as 'An astonishing new play which whirls ancient myth, lesbian pulp, ecological thriller and The Real Housewives of Monmouth County into a perfect storm of timely tragicomedy.'...