The Producers
Outrageous Musical Hit Storms into the Beck Center

Lakewood, OH — Beck Center for the Arts is proud to present the Tony Award-winning “boffo” hit musical, The Producers, on the Mackey Main Stage, July 16 through August 22, 2010. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays.

It’s 1959, and a new musical by Broadway producer Max Bialystock flops, closing after just one performance. Enter mousy accountant, Leo Bloom, who discovers that under the right circumstances a producer can actually make more money with a flop than with a hit. Max convinces Leo to enter a scheme to produce the worst flop ever, Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgarden, and bilk investors to the benefit of Max and Leo’s bank accounts.

Based on the classic Mel Brooks’ 1968 cult comedy film, The Producers was a huge hit on Broadway, winning a record 12 Tony Awards. The New York Times calls The Producers “fast, fierce, shameless, vulgar and altogether blissful.”

Beck’s production of The Producers welcomes the Beck debut of its two stars. Mark Heffernan, who plays Max Bialystock, is an Emmy Award-winning producer through his work with the Cleveland Cavaliers and WJW FOX-8. Brandon Isner, who recently returned to Ohio after 12 years in New York City, ends his decade-long retirement from the stage to portray Leo Bloom. This is also the Beck debut of Choreographer Mary Ann Black, well-known locally for her exceptional work at Porthouse Theatre.

“How could I not want to direct the musical version of my all-time favorite comedy film!? The movie’s stars, Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, were like gods to me growing up,” says Director Scott Spence. “It is my privilege to watch Mssrs. Bialystock and Bloom cavort across Beck's stage along with 40 other cast members playing 160 roles. Madness! Mayhem! Mel Brooks at his very best.”

Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors (65 and older), $17 for students (with valid ID), and $10 for children (12 and under). An additional $3 service fee per ticket is applied at the time of purchase. Preview night on Thursday, July 15, is $10 with general admission seating. Group discounts are available for parties of 13 or more.

For tickets, call the Beck Center box office at 216.521.2540, ext. 10, or purchase seats online at www.beckcenter.org. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

Beck Center’s production of The Producers is produced through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI) and is sponsored by Maloney + Novotny LLC, Ulmer & Berne LLP, West Roofing Systems, Cox Communications, the Ohio Arts Council, and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and creative arts therapies for special needs students, and gallery exhibits featuring regional artists.

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Beck Center Board Selects New Chair-Elect

CLEVELAND, OH—Beck Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the election of board member Mary Kim Elkins as the chair-elect of its board of directors.

The position of chair-elect was created to help ensure a smooth leadership transition over the next few months in preparation for Elkins to succeed the current board chair, Frederick Unger, who has been board chair since 2005 and will continue to serve as a member of Beck Center’s board.

"I believe the Beck Center is one of the most important arts organizations serving Northeast Ohio and especially valued by those who live in Cleveland’s West Shore communities,” says Elkins. “Under Mr. Unger’s leadership, the Beck Center board and staff and its financial condition have strengthened significantly. I look forward to building on this foundation and positioning the Beck Center to benefit from future growth in exciting professional theater and expanded arts education programming.”

Elkins, vice president, Operational Tax Strategy for Eaton Corporation, has a strong arts performance background. Winner of several solo dance competition awards while in high school and college, she studied classical ballet for 16 years at Carole Ogg Dance Studios in Mt. Vernon, OH, BalletMet's in Columbus, and New York’s Joffrey Ballet School, and was a member and president of the Troy University Dancers. She instructed classical ballet for five years at Carole Ogg Dance Studios and has volunteered to choreograph various dance routines for Ohio's Junior Miss Scholarship Program and the Mt. Vernon Players amateur summer theatre productions.

A graduate of Troy University and Capital University Law School, Elkins is a member of the Ohio Bar Association, Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants, American Bar Association, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

“The Beck board of directors is proud of the progress we have made in upgrading the managerial competence and volunteer leadership of the organization. We are confident that in Mary Kim Elkins, we have chosen a person whose skills, passion for the arts, and commitment to quality programming make her uniquely qualified to provide the leadership needed to achieve the organization’s goals,” says Unger. “I’ve enjoyed serving as chairman of the board and look forward to continuing my Beck board involvement and heading up strategic planning.”

“Mary Kim Elkins and Fred Unger are key leaders in the community, and the Beck Center is well-positioned for the future thanks to their commitment to the organization,” says Beck President & CEO Lucinda Einhouse. “We are especially thankful that the Eaton Corporation has continued its longstanding commitment to the Beck Center through our board leadership.”

Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions on two stages, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and arts therapies for special needs students, and gallery exhibitions featuring regional artists.

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Your Entertainment Escape in Lakewood
Beck Center Announces 2010/11 Professional Theater Season

Lakewood, OH - Beck Center for the Arts is proud to announce its 2010/2011 professional theater season, featuring something for every taste and the reopening of the Studio Theater.

"As is our tradition, our 2010/2011 theater season offers an eclectic mix of shows," says Artistic Director Scott Spence. "I am especially excited that our Studio Theater returns after a year's downtime. We have expanded and refurbished our seating to make your experience that much better. Come to Beck Center and find out what you've been missing!"

Subscriptions for the 2010/2011 professional theater season are now available. For more information, call 216.521.2540 ext. 10. Individual ticket sales begin August 1, 2010. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just 10 minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

My Fair Lady
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Adapted from George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion
Directed by Paul Gurgol
September 17 - October 17, 2010; Mackey Main Stage
Winner of six Tony Awards, My Fair Lady is a triumph. This esteemed classic musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion has stood the test of time to become a musical theater powerhouse and an all-time audience favorite. It marks the return of one of the area's top directors, Paul Gurgol, who brought us last season's critically acclaimed Fiddler on the Roof. He most certainly will showcase a "fair lady" for the ages.

Wings
Written by Arthur Kopit
Directed by Sarah May
Starring Dorothy Silver
October 8 - November 7, 2010; Studio Theater
Beck welcomes back Cleveland theater legend Dorothy Silver in a role that inspires and crackles. American playwright Arthur Kopit does the unimaginable: taking us inside the brain of former aviatrix Emily Stillson as she experiences and recovers from a potentially life-shattering stroke. Wings is a brilliant tour-de-theatre that manages to both illuminate and share a touching empathy with the audience. It's a truly uplifting journey that speaks to the strength of the human mind and body.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Directed by Scott Spence
December 3, 2010 - January 2, 2011; Mackey Main Stage
Beck continues its holiday tradition of fine family entertainment with this humorous retelling of the biblical story of Joseph of Canaan. Audiences will rollick over the many different musical stylings that Joseph provides: from Marleyesque reggae to French Café to spur-slapping country western to an Elvis-channeling pharaoh. Designer Trad Burns promises to treat the audience to an amazing light show while Martín Céspedes’ buoyant choreography will illuminate the stage further yet!

Jerry Springer: The Opera
Written by Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee
Directed by Scott Spence
Featuring Matthew Wright as Jerry Springer
February 18 - March 27, 2011; Studio Theater
Regional premiere! Strippers, cheating spouses, tap-dancing Ku Klux Klan members. Just another episode of America's favorite lurid TV talk show, The Jerry Springer Show. Come see what happens when Jerry and his show end up in Satan's world in this musical that London’s The Sunday Times calls "a shocking, irresistibly funny masterpiece." We promise this wickedly funny show, winner of London’s Best New Musical award, will leave you talking for a long time. Not to be missed, but leave the kids at home!

The Underpants
Steve Martin's adaptation of a play by Carl Sternheim
Directed by Matthew Earnest
April 1 - 23, 2011; Mackey Main Stage
If Jerry Springer whets your appetite for laughs, you won't want to miss the regional premiere of Steve Martin's The Underpants. Matthew Earnest returns after a triumphant turn directing last season's Is He Dead? Described by The New York Times as "laugh-out-loud funny," The Underpants is about a puritanical bureaucrat and his wife Louise, who becomes an instant celebrity when her underpants accidentally fall down in public. Steve Martin uses saucy jokes, witty wordplay, slamming doors, and sophisticated literary style to lampoon our contemporary culture's fascination with fame.

Hairspray
Book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan
Music and Lyrics by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by Scott Wittman
Directed by Scott Spence
Featuring Kevin Joseph Kelly as Edna Turnblad
July 8 - August 14, 2011; Mackey Main Stage
It's 1962, and pleasantly plump Baltimore teen Tracy Turnblad has only one desire - to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star, but she must use her newfound power to vanquish the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a TV network - all without denting her 'do! Don't miss the locally produced premiere of Hairspray, Broadway's musical-comedy phenomenon that inspired a major motion picture and won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Welcome to the '60s, but make sure to bring your Aqua Net!

Programming at the Beck Center is made possible through the generous support of the Ohio Arts Council. Beck Center gratefully acknowledges the generous funding provided by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions on two stages, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and creative arts therapies for special needs students, and gallery exhibits featuring regional artists.

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Seussical
Beck Center Youth Theater Brings Dr. Seuss Characters to Life

Lakewood, OH—Beck Center Youth Theater presents the loosey, gooseical adventure Seussical! on the Mackey Main Stage, May 14 through 22, 2010. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 16 and Saturday, May 22. The student matinee on May 20 is sold out.

Join the mischievous Cat in the Hat and his friends in this fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza. All your favorite Dr. Seuss characters come to life on the Beck stage, including Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie, and all of the Whos of Whoville.

Based on the works of Dr. Seuss, Seussical! was co-conceived by the Tony Award-winning creative team of Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and Eric Idle and features music by Flaherty and lyrics by Ahrens, including such memorable songs as "Biggest Blame Fool" and "ItÂ’s Possible."

Director Russ Stich leads an amazing cast of 74 talented young actors ages 6 to 18, who are all students from the Beck CenterÂ’s Dance, Music, and Theater Departments. "Seussical! is big, bright, fast, and fun," says Stich "and so is its cast of dedicated actors working to bring the world of Dr. Seuss to life."

Audience of all ages will enjoy the show’s colorful characters and spirit of imagination. Stich explains "This is a great show for everyone. Young and old, everyone can connect with the characters and the lessons learned, but most of all, to the fun associated with the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss."

Tickets are $12 for adults/seniors and $10 for students/children 18 and under. (Ticket prices include service fees.) Group discounts are available for parties of 13 or more. Reserve tickets online at www.beckcenter.org or call the Beck Center box office at 216.521.2540 ext. 10.

Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

Beck Center’s production of Seussical! is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), and is sponsored by Cox Communications, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, and Music is Elementary. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this production with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. This production is also generously supported by the public through a grant from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and creative arts therapies, and gallery exhibits featuring regional artists. For more information about the Beck Center, visit www.beckcenter.org.

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Community Celebration of the Arts
Beck Center's Annual Open House for the Community

Lakewood, OH- To show appreciation to the community for its support of the arts, the Beck Center for the Arts welcomes the public to its annual Community Celebration of the Arts on Sunday, May 16, 2010, Noon to 2 p.m., at the Beck Center for the Arts.

This fun event is free and open to families of all ages. Attendees can enjoy an afternoon of hands-on arts experiences, including:

• Learning dance moves in the Dance Studio,
• Drumming and playing music with early childhood music staff,
• Making pottery and spin art and watching pottery wheel demonstrations,
• Chalking art creations in Beck's front yard gathering space,
• Trying on costumes and having photos taken on the set of Sleeping Beauty Ballet, and
• Taking a backstage tour of the theater and seeing where the magic happens.

The event also marks the kick off of the Beck Café Red Stage Summer Concert Series in the front courtyard. Relax, sip a gourmet coffee, and enjoy folk, jazz, and classical music into the evening hours.

Attendees who sign up for 2010 summer camps and classes onsite will receive 10% off tuition.

Beck Center for the Arts is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. Free onsite parking is available. For more information, call the Beck Center at 216.521.2540 x10.

One of the region's largest arts organizations, Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and creative arts therapies for special needs students, and gallery exhibits featuring regional artists.

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Razzle Dazzle 10: Let’s Do It Again!
Beck Center and CCBDD Present Community Talent

Lakewood, OH— Beck Center for the Arts and the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (CCBDD) present Razzle Dazzle 10: Let’s Do It Again! on Friday, May 7 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, May 8 at 3:30 pm and 7:30 pm, at the Beck Center for the Arts Music-Armory Building.

Cast and crew members are made up of participants in the Rocky River Adult Activities Center’s (AAC) inclusive musical theater program, consumers served by CCBDD and Rocky River AAC, and community volunteers. They will perform highlights of the first decade of Razzle Dazzle, with scenes from “Tunes from the Tube,” “Songs from the Silver Screen,” “One-Hit Wonders,” “Rock & Roll Encore,” and our “Tribute to NYC,” complete with show tunes!

Friday evening will also feature a musical performance by Rocky River and Maple Heights Adult Activities Centers Choirs, an art exhibition with works from participants in Beck’s Creative Arts Therapies (CAT) program, and works for sale from HeARTworks, the CCBDD art gallery.

Tickets for the opening night performance on May 7 are $15 and benefit the Beck’s CAT program. A post-show reception includes a meet-and-greet with the performers, a Chinese raffle, and prize giveaways. Tickets may be purchased online at www.beckcenter.org, at 216.521.2540 x10, or at the door.

The shows on May 8 are free and open to the public and will include a showing of a special Razzle Dazzle video retrospective. Doors open 20 minutes prior to the show.

“Razzle Dazzle 10 is one you don’t want to miss. There’ll be some flashbacks from the past and some new faces on the stage. The energy and enthusiasm generated to bring this production together is infectious,” says Tara Griest, Beck’s associate director of Creative Arts Therapies. “Partnering with the CCBDD and Rocky River AAC to make this come to fruition each year is truly a blessing and a fine example of teamwork on and off stage.”

For more information, call Tara Griest at 216.521.2540 x34 or Sue Duffy at 216.736.2722. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

Creative arts therapies are the prescribed use of the arts, therapeutically, to facilitate change or to maintain functioning, which contribute to the quality of life. Music and art therapists serve people of all ages with special needs. In therapy, the arts are used to encourage personal growth so all individuals may further develop skills that help maximize their potential.

One of the region’s largest arts organizations, Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and creative arts therapies for special needs students, and gallery exhibits featuring regional artists.

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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Tony Award-winning Musical Buzzes into the Beck Center

Lakewood, OH-Beck Center for the Arts presents the Tony Award-winning hit musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, on the Mackey Main Stage, March 26 through April 25, 2010. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. There is no performance on Sunday, April 4. A special adult version of the show will be performed Saturday, April 24 at 11 p.m.

Six adolescent outsiders learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. Cheer on this quirky yet charming cast of characters for whom a spelling bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time. Beck's production of Spelling Bee features Equity actress Robin Lee Gallo from the Broadway cast. Gallo performs as the multi-lingual, "all business" Marcy Park. She also worked behind the scenes as choreographer for the show.

Variety calls Spelling Bee "one of the funniest, sweetest and quirkiest small-scale musicals to come along in a long time." And the Boston Globe says it "has everything a rollicking musical should have: wit and grace, heart and soul, charm and a bit of a bite."

Gather your friends and show off your O-R-T-H-O-G-R-A-P-H-I-C prowess! A few lucky audience members will be selected at each performance to join the cast onstage to be a part of the show as a spelling bee contestant.

"Spelling Bee is a great ally to those of us who survived our geek-ified pre-teen years," says Director Scott Spence. "While championing the underdogs (and weren't we all?), Bee makes us laugh mightily along the way. It's a truly special musical."

Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors (65 and older), $17 for students (with valid ID), and $10 for children (12 and under). An additional $3 service fee per ticket is applied at the time of purchase. Preview night on Thursday, March 25, is $10 with general admission seating. Group discounts are available for parties of 13 or more.

For tickets, call the Beck Center box office at 216.521.2540, ext. 10, or request seats online at www.beckcenter.org. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

Beck Center's production of Spelling Bee is produced through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI) and is sponsored by Fleishman Hillard, Oatey Co., West Roofing Systems, Cox Communications, the Ohio Arts Council, and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and creative arts therapies for special needs students, and gallery exhibits featuring regional artists.

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Calling All Photographers!
Communities Collaborate for Focus 2010 Art Competition

Lakewood, OH-Beck Center for the Arts, in collaboration with Solon Center for the Arts, is proud to announce Focus 2010, a photography competition bringing communities together through art.

Amateur photographers (adults and students) are eligible to submit their competition entries no later than April 10, 2010. The competition is juried with cash awards in all categories-people/portraits, architecture/cityscape, nature/landscape, animals, botanicals, macro, and "Best in Show." Applications are available on the Beck Center website at www.beckcenter.org.

An opening ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 23 at the Solon Community Center at 35000 Portz Parkway. The FOCUS 2010 photography exhibition will be on display May 4 through May 23, 2010, at the Beck Center for the Arts, 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. For exhibition hours, call the Beck Center at 216.521.2540 ext. 10.

"This is our second year hosting the exhibition with our colleagues in Solon," says Susan Gallagher, Beck Center associate director of Visual Arts. "The collaboration between these two exceptional arts organizations is key to the success of Focus 2010, a celebration of artistic talent in Northeast Ohio."

Focus 2010 is presented by KeyBank with additional support from the Parks & Recreation departments of the cities of Aurora, Twinsburg, and Streetsboro. Programming at the Beck Center is provided by the generous support of Cox Communications, Ohio Arts Council, and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

Beck Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that offers professional theater productions on two stages, arts education programming in dance, music, theater, visual arts, early childhood, and creative arts therapies for special needs students, and gallery exhibits featuring local and regional artists.

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