The Beck Center for the Arts

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.

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.

Is He Dead on stage at Beck Center

Is He Dead?
"New" Mark Twain Comedy Premieres at Beck Center for the Arts

Lakewood, OH - What happens when a group of poor artists stage the death of a friend to drive up the price of his paintings? A fake funeral, cross-dressing, and lovers' deceptions, to name a few.

Beck Center for the Arts presents the Cleveland premiere of the Mark Twain comedy, Is He Dead?, on the Mackey Main Stage, February 5 through 28, 2010. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Special 10 a.m. weekday matinees will take place February 11, 18, and 19.

Written by Twain in 1898, Is He Dead? richly intermingles elements of burlesque, farce, and social satire. Discovered by a Mark Twain scholar in 2003, Is He Dead? was adapted for modern audiences by talented playwright David Ives and staged on Broadway in December 2007 to strong critical reviews.

"This is pure comedy - a fictional, farcical Paris-set yarn about a young painter, the real-life Jean-François Millet, who fakes his death to score fame and fortune," said Playbill.com. And Variety called Is He Dead? "a ripely enjoyable confection."

"Is He Dead? is a tremendous piece of satire by one of America's greatest wits," says Director Matthew Earnest. "People from all walks of life will enjoy the high-speed antics of these kooky, Buster Keaton-style dimwits trying to protect their secret: that the gorgeous Widow Tillou is actually the great painter Jean-François Millet in a wig and heels. We're left with a very funny discussion of the value of things, and people, and a freewheeling discourse on gender and identity."

Playing Millet and Widow Tillou is the highly talented comedic actor Nicholas Koesters. Joining him as co-conspirators in the deception are Tom Woodward as Dutchy, Adam Thatcher as Chicago, and John Peters as O'Shaughnessy.

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, February 4, is $10 with general admission seating. Group discounts are available for parties of 13 or more.

Beck Center's production of Is He Dead? is produced through special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. and is sponsored by Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, Cox Communications, the Ohio Arts Council, and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

Flying Back to Cleveland by Popular Demand!
Peter Pan Returns to Beck Center for the Arts

Lakewood, OH-This holiday season, take off on a high-flying adventure as the Beck Center for the Arts presents Peter Pan, a musical based on the classic play by J.M. Barrie, on the Mackey Main Stage, December 4, 2009, through January 3, 2010. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays (no matinee performance on December 5), and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. There is a special 7:30 p.m. performance on two Sundays: December 27 and January 3. There will be no performances on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.

This encore production welcomes back John Paul Soto as Peter Pan, Kelly Smith as Wendy, Larry Goodpaster as musical director, and Martín Céspedes as choreographer. New this year, Beck Artistic Director Scott Spence directs, and George Roth, who most recently starred as Tevye in Beck's critically acclaimed Fiddler on the Roof, saunters in as perennial favorite villain, Captain Hook.

Also returning this year is the Sandham family, considered the "Von Trapps" of the Cleveland theater scene. They've added two more family members to the production, bringing the total to seven Sandhams! Let us know if you'd like to speak to any member of the Sandham family.

Peter Pan features such memorable songs as "I Won't Grow Up," "Neverland," and "I've Got to Crow," with music by Mark Charlap and Jule Styne and lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden, and Adolph Green.

Audiences will be enthralled when Peter Pan actually takes flight with technical support by ZFX Flying Inc., the same company that provided the special effects for the Broadway revival. During the production, Peter and the Darling children will be lifted into the air with the help of pixie dust…and the folks at ZFX. The actors will be fitted with harnesses that allow them to soar over the stage.

Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors (65 and older), $17 for students (22 and under with 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, December 3, is $10 with general admission seating. Group discounts are available for parties of 13 or more.

Beck Center's production of Peter Pan is produced through special arrangement with Samuel French Inc. and is sponsored by West Roofing Systems, First Federal of Lakewood, Soft Rock WDOK, Cox Communications, the Ohio Arts Council, and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

Beck's Facelift Nearly Complete
New mural to be unveiled mid-October!

Lakewood, OH-Beck Center for the Arts will unveil Lakewood's newest public art on Thursday, October 15, 2009, 5 p.m., at Beck Center for the Arts, 17801 Detroit Avenue, Lakewood.

Mayor Edward FitzGerald will lead the celebration of the unveiling of the new outdoor mural by artist Natasha Turovsky and the dedication of the Red Stage Courtyard at the Beck Café. The Beck Café is a winner of the 2009 Beautiful Business Award from the Keep Lakewood Beautiful Committee.

People have already been commenting on the new façade at the Beck. Warm blue walls and open picture windows have replaced the formerly drab brown exterior, and the Beck Café brings activity to a once quiet corner.

Now the Beck has a wonderful piece of installation art to call its own.

Born in Russia, Natasha Turovsky is a Montreal-based surrealist artist, professional musician, and filmmaker whose work has been acclaimed throughout the United States and Canada. Her works are in many private and corporate collections in the U.S., Canada, England, Spain, France, Russia, China, and Iran.

A reception and a special performance by pianist Vanessa Haynes will follow the ceremony in Daniels Lounge at the Beck Center. Vanessa, a 12-year-old prodigy from China, has taken top prize in four international piano competitions. She's currently in Cleveland studying at the Cleveland Institute of Music.

"We are very excited to celebrate our new look with the community," says Beck Center President & CEO Cindy Einhouse. "We are grateful to our supporter Paul Sykes, owner of the Beck Café, and the City of Lakewood's Façade Renovation Grant program for making this beautification possible. It greatly enhances our street presence and reflects the creative energy exhibited every day here at the Beck Center."

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 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 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.

Fiddler on the Roof
Beck Center Kicks Off 2009/2010 Season with Classic American Musical

George Roth* as Tevye and Adina R. Bloom* as Golde Beck Center for the Arts proudly presents its production of the Tony award-winning classic, Fiddler on the Roof, on the Mackey Main Stage, September 19 through October 18, 2009. Show times are 8:00 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3:00 p.m. Sundays. A special Thursday evening performance will take place on October 15 at 8 p.m.

One of the most acclaimed musicals on Broadway, Fiddler on the Roof has touched audiences around the world with its humor, warmth, and honesty. The New York Times comments, “It catches the essence of a moment in history with sentiment and radiance.”

The Daughters: From left to right, Dani Apple as Chava, Patricia O’Toole as Hodel and Morgan Greene as Tzeitel Set in 1905, Fiddler on the Roof takes place in Anatevka, a small village in Russia. The story revolves around a poor Jewish dairyman named Tevye, who wants to preserve the traditions of his family despite a changing society. Winner of nine Tony Awards, Fiddler on the Roof’s universal theme of tradition cuts across barriers of race, class, nationality, and religion and leaves audiences crying tears of laughter, joy, and sadness.

George Roth* as Tevye Beck Center is pleased to mark the Beck directorial debut of Kalliope Stage's former artistic director, Paul Gurgol. The production also features one of Cleveland's most talented actors, George Roth, as Tevye, the Milkman.

Beck Center is offering special family-friendly pricing so the entire family can enjoy this musical classic. Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors (65 and older), $17 for students (22 and under with 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, September 17, is $10 with general admission seating. Group discounts are available for parties of 13 or more.

To reserve tickets, call the Beck Center at 216.521.2540 ext. 10, or request seats here. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just 10 minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

Fiddler on the Roof begins Beck’s 2009/2010 professional theater season. It also includes Peter Pan, Mark Twain’s Is He Dead?, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and The Producers. Beck’s Artistic Director Scott Spence had this to say about the season, “It fills me with great hope. Not only is Beck able to continue to offer some amazing local premieres of recent Broadway successes, but we are able to give our theater goers many great laughs along the way. And who doesn't need that in these challenging times?”

Beck Center’s production of Fiddler on the Roof is presented by special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI) and is sponsored by Cox Communications, Ohio Arts Council, and Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

Open for Imagination
Community helps Beck Center enter next phase of planning

“These tough times are trying, but this is when giving matters most.” –Ashtabula resident

The community spoke this month, and we heard them loud and clear! Beck Center for the Arts is pleased to announce that it has exceeded its Phase I kick-off goal to raise $150,000 from the community by the end of April 2009. Thanks to a challenge grant from the Nordson Corporation Foundation and the generosity of more than 800 donors, the Beck Center raised a total of $151,295 in the month of April.

The Open for Imagination campaign is Phase II of the fundraising campaign. The Phase II goal is to raise $600,000 by the end of August 31, 2009 (in addition to the annual operating campaign for the current fiscal year).

Due to a severe decline in contributions and revenue in the first quarter of 2009, the Beck Center sent an urgent appeal to the community on March 31 to secure much needed short-term funds. As with all arts organizations, the Beck Center relies on philanthropy to support its theater and education programs and has an ongoing need for donations from the public.

Along with gifts, donors have shared their stories about the value the arts center provides to their families and to the community. Here are some testimonials the Beck has received:

“The Beck teaches self-confidence, effective communication skills, and the ability to think ‘outside the box’ to our young people.” –Fairview Park parent

“It’s well worth the drive six times a year to see the exceptional shows at the Beck.” –Chagrin Falls patron

“My kids would be much less rounded individuals without the Beck Center in their lives.” –Rocky River parent

“For 10 years my Saturday mornings meant donuts and classes at Beck Center’s Youth Theater. Beck made me who I am today and gave me a passion for the stage that I am indebted for.” –Facebook posting

“My great-grandson has found such joy with the theater. I don’t want this to end for him.” –Rocky River grandmother

“The Beck Center is an extraordinary, unique organization.” –Gates Mills resident

“We are not a family very talented in the arts, but anyone living in Lakewood knows what a valuable asset the Beck Center is!”

“I used to say my car could drive itself to the place with all the classes, rehearsals, and performances my family enjoyed over the course of 16 years.” –Olympia, WA resident

“It is quite obvious from the overwhelmingly positive response we received from the community that they want us here and that we bring value to their lives,” says Beck President & CEO Cindy Einhouse. “We are deeply touched by the outpouring of support from so many people. They include a high school student who donated the $100 cash prize she won from the recent Lakewood-Rocky River Rotary Club student art contest, the cast of Beck’s The Farnsworth Invention who donated back their paychecks, and the owner of The Designer Consignor in Lakewood who gave 50% of her April net proceeds. These are just a few examples, and we are confident the community will continue to support our efforts. Community involvement through donations, class registrations, and theater ticket buying is absolutely essential to our success.”

In order to position the Beck Center for long-term sustainability, the Beck Center Board of Directors has launched a Strategic Growth Initiative, headed by Executive Committee board member Don Carlson, to create a working capital fund so that the Beck Center is able to survive in the future. The City of Lakewood’s commitment is the lead gift to show support for this long-term campaign.

“The Open for Imagination campaign to raise $600,000 toward capitalization needs will continue the comprehensive planning initiative the Beck Center undertook in 2006 to become a healthy organization,” says Carlson. “We’ve made great strides to achieve that, including continuous financial improvement. This campaign will allow us to ‘finish the job’ of creating a sustainable operating model that will serve the needs of Northeast Ohio for generations to come.”

Board Chairman Fred Unger agrees. “We are grateful to the community for helping us to jumpstart this campaign to put the Beck Center on a strong financial footing. This organization contributes $10 million annually to the regional economy, so it’s important that we protect this vital Northeast Ohio resource. The Beck Center board thanks Don Carlson and his task force for stepping up and leading this initiative.”

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 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.

April 24, 2009
Your Entertainment Escape in Lakewood
Beck Center Unveils 2009/2010 Professional Theater Season

NOTE: "Fiddler" will now play the Beck Sept. 19-Oct. 18, while "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" moves to March 26-April 25.

The Beck Center for the Arts is proud to announce its 2009/2010 professional theater season featuring many crowd favorites and laughs on the Mackey Main Stage.

As the school year begins, join us for a childhood rite-of-passage with the Tony Award-winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The laughs come at you non-stop, and the music is original and tuneful. Look for special celebrity guest "spellers" at each and every performance!

The Beck is also proud to continue its tradition of providing spectacular holiday entertainment for the entire family with the highly anticipated return of the musical Peter Pan, everyone’s favorite tale of a boy who wouldn’t grow up. The performances regularly sold out in 2008.

The season continues into 2010 with the regional premiere of Mark Twain’s Is He Dead? This hilarious farce was written by Twain in 1898. Unearthed in 2003 from the Twain archives, it was faithfully adapted by David Ives and had its world premiere in December 2007.

Spring brings us a cornerstone in American musical theater, Fiddler on the Roof, the first production of this classic on the Beck’s stage. Kalliope Stage's former artistic director, Paul Gurgol, makes his Beck directorial debut alongside one of Cleveland's most talented actors—George Roth as Tevye, the Milkman.

And wrapping up our season is the local premiere of Mel Brooks’ deliriously funny musical The Producers. As someone once noted, "There won't be a dry seat in the house!"

“The 2009/2010 Beck professional theater season fills me with great hope,” says Artistic Director Scott Spence. “Not only is Beck able to continue to offer some amazing local premieres of recent Broadway successes, but we are able to give our theater goers many great laughs along the way. And who doesn't need that in these challenging times?”

Subscriptions for the 2009/2010 professional theater season are now available. (The holiday show Peter Pan is not part of the subscriber series.) For more information, contact Linda Hefner at the Beck Center Box Office at 216.521.2540 ext. 29. Individual ticket sales begin August 3, 2009. Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just 10 minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free onsite parking is available.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Music and Lyrics by William Finn
Book by Rachel Sheinkin
Directed by Scott Spence
~~September 19 – October 18, 2009~~ March 26 - April 25, 2010

Six adolescent outsiders learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser. The show’s Tony Award-winning creative team has produced the unlikeliest of hit musicals about the unlikeliest of heroes: a 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.

Peter Pan
A musical based on the play by James M. Barrie
Music by Mark Charlap and Jule Styne
Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Directed by Scott Spence
December 4, 2009 – January 3, 2010
Back by popular demand! The Lost Boys, Darling children, and the dastardly Captain Hook return for another high-flying musical adventure in Neverland. A holiday treat for the entire family.

Is He Dead?
A New Comedy by Mark Twain
Adapted by David Ives
Directed by Matthew Earnest
February 5 – 28, 2010
Written by Twain in 1898, Is He Dead? richly intermingles elements of burlesque, farce, and social satire. A group of poor artists in Barbizon, France, stage the death of a friend to drive up the price of his paintings. In order to make this scheme succeed, the artists hatch some hilarious plots involving cross-dressing, a full-scale fake funeral, lovers’ deceptions, and much more.

Fiddler on the Roof
Book by Joseph Stein
Music by Jerry Bock
Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Directed by Paul Gurgol
~~March 26 – April 25, 2010~~ September 19 - October 10, 2009 (Note: opens on Saturday)

Fiddler on the Roof has touched audiences around the world with its humor, warmth, and honesty. It’s universal theme of tradition cuts across barriers of race, class, nationality, and religion, leaving audiences crying tears of laughter, joy, and sadness. The Beck production features George Roth as Tevye.

The Producers
Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks
Directed by Scott Spence
July 16 – August 22, 2010

Bialystock and Bloom! Those names should strike terror and hysteria in anyone familiar with Mel Brooks’ classic cult comedy film. Now a big Broadway musical, The Producers once again sets the standard for modern, outrageous, in-your-face humor. A truly “boffo” hit, winning a record 12 Tony Awards.

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.