Things are off to a good start for 2015: The touring production of Cinderella at the Aronoff is a very entertaining retooling of music by Rodgers and Hammerstein into a more contemporary version of the classic fairy tale. It’s the same story, but the attitudes are of the 21st century, with a “power to the people” thread running through it and Cinderella conveying a populist message, convincing her prince that democracy is the way to go. The music is charming and there’s some magical things done with quick changes in and out of ball gowns that will keep audiences guessing as to how it’s done. I gave this one a Critic’s Pick with my CityBeat review. Tickets: 513-621-2787.
Another classic musical is onstage at Covington’s Carnegie: West Side Story. The show requires a lot of dancing and strong orchestral support, and this production offers both.The leads have excellent voices, although I felt (CityBeat review here) they were a tad too operatic for “kids” affected by gang warfare. Nevertheless, this show has some of the finest music ever written for the stage — the score is by Leonard Bernstein and the lyrics by Stephen Sondheim — so it’s definitely worth seeing. Tickets: 859-957-1940.
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company opens its production of one of the 20th century’s great stage works, Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot this weekend. I haven’t seen it yet, but with a cast feature stage veteran Bruce Cromer and longtime Cincy Shakes actor Nick Rose, it’s sure to be watchable. Here’s a fun fact: Cromer has played Scrooge in A Christmas Carol at the Cincinnati Playhouse for eight years; this year Rose understudied the role and actually had to cover several performances when Cromer was out of commission with a twisted ankle. I expect their onstage chemistry to fuel a production that audiences will enjoy. 513-381-2273.
CCM voice professor Pat Linhart presents her annual faculty recital on Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. It’s a free event at Patricia Corbett Theater on the UC Campus. Every year Linhart assembles a program of zany humor and heartfelt singing, accompanied by the inestimable Julie Spangler. There are always a few surprises, and this year should be no exception. The theme is “It’s My Party” celebrating Pat’s 65th birthday, and I’m envisioning party hats and noisemakers for everyone in the audience.
Rick Pender’s STAGE DOOR blog appears here every Friday. Find more theater reviews and feature stories here.
This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2015.
