Theater Review: Beef and Boards: Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story

Maybe it is because I grew up hearing the Don McLean song, American Pie, but I have always had an interest in Buddy Holly. Now, Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre, Indianapolis, is featuring Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story on stage through Aug. 18.

Although McLean's lyrics were woven throughout more than a decade of disappointments, they all started because of that fateful night when Holly, an early pioneer of the Rock 'n' Roll genre, was killed at age 22, in a plane crash. The crash included other up-and-comers Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, Jr.

Kyle Jurassic dons the iconic black-rimmed glasses portraying Holly with enthusiasm and deft ability. Drawing you in with his exuberance and pace. Jurassic matches Holly's style perfectly.

Valens is portrayed superbly by Edward LaCardo, while Chuck Caruso turns in an impressive performance as The Big Bopper.

Tarra Conner Jones and Joshue L.K. Patterson rock the audience as performers at the Apollo Theatre when Holly and The Crickets perform due to a misunderstanding that Holly and crew were African-American. D.J. Hipockets Duncan, portrayed by Indy favorite John Vessels, brings his radio listeners (and the audience) updates on Holly's life and career throughout the show.

In just under three years, Holly rocketed to the top of the charts, producing hit singles, albums and appearing in top television shows American Bandstand and The Ed Sullivan Show. Touring was added in to reach audiences across the nation. With a frantic pace and bitterly cold winter conditions, Holly chartered a plane to take himself, Valens and Bopper to the next location. Just after takeoff, the plane plunged into the frozen ground immediately killing all upon board.

Featuring almost two dozen of Holly's hits, including Peggy Sue and Rave On, Valens' La Bamba and Bopper's Chantilly Lace, this production is easy to get lost in. It is family friendly, which means it is safe to take your grandma and older children.

Bottom Line: Beef and Boards' Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, with its powerful talented cast, is certain to become a summer hit.

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Theater Review: Beef and Boards: ELF the Musical

Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre continues on the path toward reinventing itself by switching its typical variety-style holiday production with a modern holiday classic: ELF the Musical.

The musical (and well known film, ELF (2003), starring Will Ferrell, Bob Newhart and Zooey Deschanel), retraces the life of an orphan human named Buddy, portrayed brilliantly by Dan Bob Higgins, who is raised by elves at the North Pole.

Walter Hobbs, Buddy's birth father, is given top-notch treatment as an insensitive and stressed out corporate executive by Mark Epperson.

Bringing an (at first) subdued-but-increasing exuberance match to the holiday-happy personality of Higgins' Buddy, is Lanene Charters as Hobb's personal secretary Deb. She and the elf are kindred spirits and Charters shines as Buddy allows her to show Christmas spirit once again. Jonathan Fluck is spectacular in his explosive, and too short, appearances as Hobbs' angry boss Mr. Greenway.

Love interest Jovie, a young woman who has stopped believing in anything happy or Christmas-y, is played by Emily Grace Tucker. Tucker knocks it out of the ballpark with her solo, "Never Fall in Love."

A few differences from film to stage include Santa (Doug  E. Stark), rather than the top elf, shares Buddy's tale. Also ... there isn't an angry elf racing across the boardroom table to throttle Buddy. Disappointing certainly, however Peter Dinklage is committed elsewhere these days (Game of Thrones, anyone?).

This zany and delightful production runs through December 31 at the north-side venue. However, if you plan on getting a table, buy tickets immediately. At last check there are verrrry few tickets left.

There's definitely a transformation this season at B&B. New talent, new shows and a new direction aimed at retaining its core audience while attracting the younger demographic. 
Check out the 2019 season lineup by clicking here.

Bottom Line: Beef and Boards' Elf: The Musical is the perfect family show to capture the holiday spirit. Don't miss it.

Images: JulieCurryPhotography.com

Elizabeth J. Musgrave is a fine-living, travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, performing arts, wine and restaurant critic. She also is a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Review: Dance Kaleidoscope: DIVAS!

Guest review by John Simmons ~

At first glance, Dance Kaleidoscope’s Divas is virtually critic-proof. After all, what’s not to like about an evening of dance choreographed to the music of some of the world’s most celebrated female singers? The evening promises to be one of pure entertainment … and DK’s Divas is certainly all of that.

But, if you look closer, you’ll see something far more interesting (and intriguing) going on.

Structurally, Divas is divided into halves: the first half features nine numbers choreographed by members of DK’s young dance troupe to the music of such world-class divas as Annie Lenox, Celine Dion, Adele, Stevie Nicks, Kelly Clarkson, Nina Simone, Shirley Bassey, Patti LaBelle and Barbra Streisand.

The second half features world premieres of works choreographed DK’s Artistic Director David Hochoy (to the music of Janis Joplin) and Guest Choreographer Nicholas A. Owens (to the music of the great Aretha Franklin). Both halves are ably supported by Costumers Guy Clark and Cheryl Sparks, with especially noteworthy work done by Lighting Designer Laura E. Glover.

As you’d expect, Divas’ second half is highly-polished. In his remarks at intermission, David Hochoy spoke of his admiration – born at an early age – for the music of Janis Joplin, and his tribute to her is full of flashing colors, waves of movement and choreography that emphasizes the physicality of his young dancers. It’s a tribute that captures the energy of Joplin’s music, if not its (occasional) sadness. 

Nicholas Owens’ tribute to Aretha Franklin is somewhat more varied and, at times, more subdued – featuring such show-stopping numbers as (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and Respect (two songs that are certainly on everyone’s list of all-time favorite songs) and ending with the lovely and beautifully-choreographed First Snow in Kokomo.

In contrast, Divas’ first half is less a tribute to the divas whose music it celebrates and more of a look inside the minds of the next generation of choreographers, as they explore issues of concern to young people everywhere. Themes covered here include sex, love, the excitement of a first kiss, the joy of self-discovery and the loss of a parent. While technically polished, Divas’ first half is especially interesting because of the idiosyncratic, almost quirky, choices DK’s young artists make.

Jillian Godwin’s First Touch (performed to the music of Adele’s I Miss You), for example, is a very muscular, almost aggressive look at the rush that comes with a new relationship. Missy Trulock’s Edge of Seventeen (choreographed to Stevie Nicks’ song of the same name) features imagery that captures the challenges that women face in dealing with a society that wants them to be both empowered and angelic. Zach Young’s Missionary Man (choreographed to Annie Lenox’s song of the same man) features some sexy – if politically incorrect – choreography, exceeded only by the highly politically incorrect choreography offered by Timothy June’s Enlightenment, a hilarious exploration of diversity and self-discovery danced to Shirley Bassey’s I Am What I Am.

Stuart Coleman makes a bold choice for his Don’t Rain on My Parade (performed by Barbra Streisand) by featuring a single dancer in red (Aleksa Lukasiewicz), in a celebration of the simple joy a person feels in declaring their own self-worth and freedom from expectations (a celebration, Coleman says, that was inspired by the rush he felt when singing Parade solo in a karaoke bar!) These are just some examples of the many delights offered by each of Divas’ nine first half performances.

In his remarks at intermission, David Hochoy spoke about how proud he was of his young dancers and how their work on Divas represents an important first step in helping to preserve the legacy of modern dance. Divas certainly offers an evening’s worth of entertainment, as it celebrates the life and work of some of our most talented female artists. But it also makes you wonder what the future holds – and what works of art DK’s talented choreographers will one day create – as they continue on their journey of self-discovery and channel the artistic power of their own inner divas.

*Note* Dance Kaleidoscope will return with the performances:

April 1: Kaleidoscope of Dance Gala, The Westin, Indianapolis - Buy Tickets Online

April 6-9: DK & Friends, IRT - Buy Tickets

June 1-4: The Indianapolis Colts presents Dance is a Contact Sport, IRT - Buy Tickets

Images: Crowe's Eye Photography
Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Ticket Giveaway: Broadway in Indianapolis' Sound of Music

Ben Davis as Captain Georg von Trapp

Sound of Music is an American classic providing childhood memories for millions of children nationwide. Thanks to Broadway in Indianapolis, I am giving away two tickets to opening night, Tuesday, January 10, 2017. The show (which is looking to be a sell out all nights) will be performed at Old National Centre.

Check back to this site for a full review on Indiana native Ben Davis as Captain Georg von Trapp, and the entire cast.

HOW TO WIN

To win, simply share this link on your FB page and state your favorite part of Sound of Music. It could be a character, a song, or even a memory. I will check Sunday night at 9 p.m. on all who have shared the link. Whoever generates the most shares of the link from their FB page, WINS!

I will contact you via FB message with details on receiving your tickets.

Ready, Set, Share ~

Images: Matthew Murphy
Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Top Events to Check out in Indy April 2016

There are a few upcoming events in the Indianapolis area to keep on your radar and get tickets for asap. One of these is the show, which I will be checking out Sunday at the 2 p.m. performance, called In The Mood.

A 1940s Big Band musical, will perform for two shows only at Carmel's Palladium. The music of an entire generation and our nation’s veterans.The brassy, singing, dancing and all-American 1940s musical highlights Swing music, Big Band and WWII music and dance.

Perfect for taking grandparents, parents and children to help connect multi generations through live music can open discussion on true historical events and help younger generations understand what the older generations went through to keep freedom for this country.

Included in the show is music by: Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Erskine Hawkins, The Andrews Sisters, Frank Sinatra and other idols of the 1940s. Hit songs include Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Tuxedo Junction, Well Git It, On The Sunny Side of the Street, In the Mood and many more.

Venue: The Palladium at The Center for Performing Arts
Day/Date: April 3; 2 pm and 7 pm
Tickets: 317-843-3800 or at TheCenterForThePerformingArts.org.

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Also on the Gotta Go line up is this Saturday night ~ to be spent reviewing Beef and Boards' Guys and Dolls on its opening weekend. Having not seen it before (gasp), it will be fun to watch a story line so popular with no idea which way it will turn. I do know there is gambling and romance. I also noticed the buffet contains numerous gluten-free items on it as well.

Check back early next week for my review ~

Venue: Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre
Date: March 31 - May 15
Tickets: 317-872-9664 or BeefandBoards.com.

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The Naptown Roller Girls roller derby organization takes to the rink again at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Proving women can take the pain of roller action, the Tornado Sirens and Warning Belles vie for a victory at this family friendly event.

Image/JoanMarcus

Venue: Indiana State Fairgrounds

Date: April 2, 7 p.m.

Tickets: BrownTickets

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Broadway in Indianapolis will have Indy laughing it up again in The Book of Mormon. Returning for an encore performance, plan on the show to sell out quickly so get your tickets immediately or expect to be out of all the fun. Read my review from the original showing in town. I will be on hand to review this go 'round because you simply do not want to miss something this great.

Venue: Old National

Date: April 12 - 17

Tickets: BroadwayinIndianapolis.com

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Theater Review: Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre: Run for your Wife

 Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre, Indianapolis, opens its 43rd season with the return of a previous successful production: Run for Your Wife.

Continuing with its tradition of opening the new schedule with a comedy (typically a British farce), the 2016 season is no exception. The slapstick is set in 1985 London with John Smith (Eddie Curry) a cab driver.
An unassuming, congenial man, Smith is portrayed brilliantly by Curry once again to the delight of the audience. Playing the understandably nervous driver is a dead-on role for Curry whose other roles have included a Baptist minister, the unwizardly wizard of Oz and Clarence the Angel without Wings.
As the story unveils Smith has not just one wife, but two ~ living within just a few miles of each other, Curry makes you believe he is not a bad sort at all. In fact, you find yourself feeling sorry for the poor guy.

Sarah Hund steps into the role as one wife (Mary Smith), while Erin Cohenour takes on portraying the other wife (Barbara Smith). Hund's talents are well known in Indy, and shine once again in this show.

Jeffrey Stockberger brings his own comedic talents to the role of Stanley Gardner. Curry and Stockberger have been paired in many a comedy together on the B&B stage over the years giving them a polished rhythm. Stockberger seems to enjoy this role even more giving additional energy to the part of the shocked friend.

Bottom Line: Beef and Boards opens to a packed house with Run for Your Wife ~ and for good reason. It is a family friendly winter-blues beating show.

Images: JulieCurryphotography.com

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Theater Review: Beef and Boards: The Addams Family

The Addams Family, opened this past weekend at Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre, Indianapolis. Centering around daughter Wednesday (Samantha Russell) becoming secretly engaged to Lucas Beineke (Blake Spellacy), the Beineke family are to have dinner with television's favorite creepy family.

It is no surprise seats were full for the show's opening weekend, not only for the show's popularity but also for the cast, which includes numerous Indy favorite actors.
John Vessels and Sarah Hund keep the hilarity high as Mal and Alice Beineke the uptight and disconnected parents of Lucas. Hund and Vessels play off each other with barbed comments and connect with believable sweetness.

Eddie Curry completely rocks the role of Gomez Addams, a man willing to do anything for the love of his life, Morticia (Erin Cohenour). Curry's (Gomez') passion bubbles to the top, creating an energy on stage the audience can feel.
Although Cohenour's Morticia is technically correct with mannerisms, she lacks the inner sensuality necessary for the matriarch's position. Curry brings out her best, however, and creates a sizzling pace.

Amanda Butterbaugh is priceless as Grandma; her antics keep the audience laughing hysterically. Uncle Fester is portrayed gloriously by Shaun Rice, a veteran to this role, creating a flawless performance without making it stale (through repetition).

Bottom Line: This is easily in the Top 10 Beef and Boards' productions of all time ~ do not miss it.

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Phoenix Theatre 2015 - 2016 Season Includes a Merman, a Butler and a Hunter

The Phoenix Theatre, 749 Park Ave., Indianapolis, opens its doors for the 32rd season with a British farce set in the 1960s. Also included in this year's offerings are Ethel Merman, dolphins and the traditional holiday presentation of short skits and loud laughter from the audience.                                                                              Check back here for theater reviews.

Phoenix Theatre 2015 - 2016 Season

One Man, Two Guvnors

September 24 – October 18

Welcome to 1960’s England. Francis Henshall finds himself trapped into working for two bosses who are connected to each other in wildly improbable ways. He just has to keep them from discovering each other. Easy, right? One Man, Two Guvnors will have you falling out of your seats in hysteria, as Francis leads you through this topsy-turvy farce of love triangles and mistaken identities. His quest for love, a sandwich and keeping his two guvnors happy swept both London’s West End and Broadway with its hilarity and campy wit.

The Nether
October 22 - November 22

Welcome to The Nether, a virtual paradise of total sensory immersion. Just log in, choose an identity and indulge your every whim. When a young detective uncovers a disturbing realm within this virtual world filled with outcasts and criminals of society, she wonders on what level fantasy meets reality. Are some private dreams too dark and disturbing? Should people be free from consequences in their own imagination? Immerse yourself in this sci-fi thriller about a battle over technology and human desire.

A Very Phoenix Xmas X: Oh, Come Let Us Adore Us
November 27 - December 20

It’s year 10 of A Very Phoenix Xmas, and this year will be X-tra special! We’re back with another round of all new sketches, songs and dances, and in honor of this anniversary year, we may even bring back a few favorites. We’ve got everything on your list: traditional holiday music, madcap comedy skits, and some very talented people to help you celebrate this most joyful—and stressful—time of year.

Butler

January 7 – February 7, 2016

It’s the beginning of the Civil War, and lawyer Benjamin Franklin Butler has just been promoted to Union General at Fort Monroe, a Union hold-out in the state of Virginia. He soon finds himself face to face with Shepard Mallory, an escaped slave seeking asylum at the fort for himself and other slaves. Sworn to uphold the law, Butler prepares to return the slaves, until Mallory forces him to question whether what is legal is actually moral. Inspired by real events, Butler is part comedy, part historical drama.

Pulp

February 11 – March 6, 2016

In 1930’s Los Angeles, washed-up Private Investigator Frank Ellery takes on the strangest case of his life. A noted literary agent has been gruesomely murdered, and the four suspects are his remaining clients, all writers for different pulp magazines. Frank dives into the mystery, and his world turns upside down as life begins to imitate literature. In this new comedy, science fiction, romance, adventure and horror combine with one down-on-his-luck gumshoe who’s about to learn what really lurks between the lines.

On Clover Road
by Steve Dietz

March 10 – April 10, 2016

Kate Hunter has been searching for her daughter for more than four years. Now that she’s been located, Kate must carefully extract her from a cult by trusting a complete stranger to de-program her daughter at an abandoned motel on Clover Road. Will mother and daughter happily reunite? Or will the shadow of a memory she’s held on to for the past four years be all that Kate has left of the daughter she once knew?

Leyenda 

April 14 – May 1, 2016

Spanish for “legend,” Leyenda is a live adaptation of Latino folk tales, based on interviews with members of the Indianapolis Latino community, with performances in English and Spanish. Leyenda includes traditional music and dancing, and explores explanations of happenings in nature, life and mythology. The original play is part of the Phoenix Theatre’s Heritage Series, which explores the history, mythology and cultural inheritance of people of different races and cultural backgrounds, and is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts-Art Works.

Book of Merman
May 12 – June 12, 2016

The hit Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon, meets the First Lady of Broadway in this new comedy. When two Mormon missionaries ring Ethel Merman’s doorbell, they have no idea of the surprise awaiting them. With some dazzling parody music and Schwartz’s original songs, laughter ensues throughout The Book of Merman, catapulting you to places you didn’t know you wanted to go. Learn how to “Be a Merman” in this parody musical that will leave you smiling for weeks to come.

TBA

June 16 – July 17, 2016

Every season, we’ve got our eyes and ears on Broadway, with a mission of bringing the nation’s biggest hits to Indianapolis. Sometimes those plays win big awards - ahem, Tony’s - extending their run on Broadway, and delaying our negotiations. As soon as we have the rights, you’ll be the first to know.

Acid Dolphin Experiment

July 14 – August 14, 2016

Acid Dolphin Experiment tackles the life of Dr. John C. Lilly, a mid-century American neuro-scientist famous for exploring the nature of consciousness, and using isolation tanks, dolphin communication and psychedelic drugs … sometimes in combination … and frequently experimenting on himself. As a scientist, he risks his career, relationships and sanity, to decipher the subjective experiences often dismissed as “mere hallucinations.”

Ticket prices for 2015-2016 season
$20 Cheap Seats weekend (opening weekend)

$27 Thursdays and Sundays for remainder of run

$33 Fridays and Saturdays for remainder of run

A Very Phoenix Xmas X:
Oh, Come Let Us Adore Us ticket prices:

$22 Cheap Seats weekend (opening weekend)

$30 Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays for remainder of run

$35 Fridays and Saturdays for remainder of run

Wednesday and Thursday performances begin at 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday performances begin at 8 p.m.
Sunday performances begin at 2 p.m.

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel, wine and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker and media trainer. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Rum Review: Papa's Pilar Blonde and Dark Rum

We all knew it would eventually come to this. Once the craft and quality of bourbon, whiskey and tequila was embraced by the consumer, rum had to be next.

Thank goodness.

Rum has long been on the back of the bar humiliated by its forage into umbrella-ed drinks, cruise-line frozen concoctions and as a diet coke additive. Not known as worthy of sipping and discussing its subtle nuances, its popularity diminished alongside the more masculine spirits.

Ernest Hemingway stated, "Before an attack who can say anything that gives you the momentary well-being that rum does?"

What indeed?

And to have it arrive in a wood box, as these two bottles of Papa's Pilar rum did for review, makes life even more pleasant. The small crate was stamped with Republica Dominicana 14 Nov 2012. The aroma of the wood, the straw-like packing material and the two bottles gave me a flash of the style.

The Hemingway Estate sanctioned this rum, named after Ernest "Papa" Hemingway the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Pilar, the writer's beloved boat in which he had numerous adventures. With the rum's bold spices and a canteen-designed bottle, it's easy to tell the respect (and knowledge of) of the late veteran and outdoorsman by all involved.

Rums from  the Caribbean, Central America and the United States were pot- and column-distilled. They were then aged in bourbon and port barrels then finished off in sherry casks and blended in Kentucky. See Solera aging for the full process.

Swirling the amber liquid in a glass, aromas of caramel, spice and vanilla waft out. Although Hemingway was known for being succinct, the flavors of spice and nuts linger for a nice finish.

Giving the blonde a swirl, I notice notes of citrus on the nose. Slight flavors of vanilla are quickly followed by sheer heat and taper off into citrus.

Both will work well in cocktails, I particularly imagine the dark with mango nectar. However, they will equally satisfy the palate sans mixers.

Although Papa's Pilar rum has been on the market since 2013, it sneaked in stealthily so as not to disturb the bourbon revolution, I suppose. Now, it seems to be making some noise and I applaud it. Hemingway did not go quietly into that dark night and neither shall his namesake rum.

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and a restaurant and performing arts critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Broadway in Cincinnati 2014 - 2015 Season Includes Redheads, Lions and Elves

Cincinnati is only an hour and 15 minutes away from Indy and a skip across the river from Louisville. It only makes sense to include Cincy in your go-to towns, pop over and catch a live show and escape for a weekend.

This is particularly true if you see a show in the 2014 - 2015 season lineup that Indianapolis or Louisville doesn't have in its schedule (click here to see Indy's lineup), or (click here to see Louisville's schedule). Or, perhaps you missed the show in your own city.

Either way, Cincinnati has grand hotels, like Netherland, tasty food like in the hip OTR neighborhood or at Moerlein Lagerhouse, and listed below are the great shows to catch while in town.

Broadway in Cincinnati

2014 - 2015 Season

DIRTY DANCING

September 23 – October 5, 2014

It’s the summer of 1963, and 17 year-old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman is about to learn some major lessons in life as well as a thing or two about dancing. On vacation in New York’s Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, Baby shows little interest in the resort activities, and instead discovers her own entertainment when she stumbles upon the staff quarters when an all-night dance party is in full swing. Mesmerized by the raunchy dance moves and the pounding rhythms, Baby can’t wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle the resort dance instructor.

ONCE

November 11 – 23, 2014

Winner of 8 2012 Tony Awards including Best Musical, an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians play their own instruments onstage. A Dublin street musician is about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights. It's an unforgettable story about going for your dreams and the power of music to connect us all.

ELF The Musical

December 2 – 7, 2014

 

Buddy, a young orphan child, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

CINDERELLA

January 6 – 18, 2014

 

This production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love—the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more—plus some surprising new twists. Be transported back to your childhood as you rediscover some of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” in this Broadway experience for anyone who’s ever had a wish, a dream... or a really great pair of shoes.

ANYTHING GOES

February 17 – 22, 2014

All aboard for this winner of three 2011 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and Choreography as Cole Porter’s musical comedy is sailing to Cincinnati. When the S.S. American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention get tossed out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true love…proving that sometimes destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, an exotic disguise and some good old-fashioned blackmail. Peppering this timeless classic are some of musical theatre’s most memorable standards, including “I Get A Kick Out Of You,” “You’re the Top,” and of course, “Anything Goes.”

Disney’s THE LION KING

March 31 – April 26, 2015

Cincinnati’s best-loved musical makes a triumphant return to the Aronoff Center following its record-breaking 2007 engagement. Marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals brought to life and thrill to the pulsating rhythms of the African Pridelands and an unforgettable score including Elton John and Tim Rice’s Oscar-winning song “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.” Let your imagination run wild when the Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation returns to the stage.

I LOVE LUCY LIVE ON STAGE

June 2 – 14, 2015

It’s 1952 and you are a member of the studio audience awaiting the filming of two hilarious and oh-so-familiar I LOVE LUCY episodes. Stepping back in time onto the Desilu Playhouse soundstage, a charming host entertains and enlightens you to the behind-the-scenes filming process, the 1950s hi-fidelity technology and this brand-new thing called “television.” The episodes begin and you witness, firsthand, the side-splitting antics in the Ricardo’s New York apartment and thrill to the Cuban sounds of “The Ricky Ricardo Orchestra” at the famed Tropicana Nightclub. In-between scenes? The Crystaltone Singers perform live advertising jingles of the show’s newest sponsors in perfect 50s style harmony. Can you say “Brylcreem?!”

For tickets: BroadwayinCincinnati.com

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Phoenix Theatre 2014 - 2015 Season Includes Gable, Streisand and Typhoid Mary

Phoenix Theatre, located in the Arts District of Mass Ave, Indianapolis, is a year 'round theater. Starting its 2014 - 2015 season lineup with a dark comedy, the schedule continues with twisted holiday offerings and shows to make you think.

Check back here for reviews.

For tickets and complete details, visit PhoenixTheatre.org.

Phoenix Theatre

2014 - 2015 Season

Clark Gable Slept Here

September 18 - October 19

As one of the silver screen's brightest stars charms his way through the Golden Globe Awards ceremony, his staff tries to figure out what to do with the dead male prostitute in his hotel room at the famed Chateau Marmont. This glamorously dark satire explores the make-believe world of Hollywood, where nothing is ever what it seems and closets are used for so much more than hanging up your tuxedo.

Old Jews Telling Jokes

October 23 - November 23

This Off-Broadway hit comedy pays tribute to and reinvents classic jokes of the past and present. Think you’ve heard them all before? Not this way. If you’ve ever had a mother, visited a doctor or walked into a bar with a priest, a rabbi, and a frog, Old Jews Telling Jokes will sit in the dark, give you a second opinion and ask you where you got that. You'll laugh 'til you plotz.

A Very Phoenix Xmas 9: Flashing Through The Snow

November 28 - December 21

Share your holiday with us! We’re back with another round of all-new sketches, songs and dances! We’ve got everything on your list: traditional holiday music, madcap comedy skits, and some very talented people to help you celebrate this most joyful—and stressful—time of year. We turn the holidays on their head with local and national playwrights putting a new spin on all things traditional. An Indy favorite!

River City

January 8 - February 1

Shaken by her father's death, Mary sets off to uncover three generations' worth of family secrets buried in the West End of Louisville, Kentucky. Mary's journey spans four decades and investigates race, memory, and the ghosts that haunt one American city. River City is a fascinating and funny story about how you find your “people” when you check more than one box to define your cultural heritage.

The Cripple of Inishmaan

February 5 - March 1

When a Hollywood director visits a remote Irish island to cast his latest film, the locals clamor for their once-in-a-lifetime chance at movie stardom. But it's Billy, a frail young man with the odds stacked against him, who has the biggest Hollywood dream of them all. Direct from a smash-hit run on Broadway, this dark comedy features a cross-eyed look at Irishness and what it means to follow your heart, twisted as it may be.

Buyer and Cellar

March 5 - April 5

Alex More has a story to tell. A struggling actor in L.A., Alex takes a job working in the Malibu basement of a beloved megastar, Barbra Streisand. One day, the Lady Herself comes downstairs to play. It feels like real bonding in the basement, but will their relationship ever make it upstairs? This hugely successful Off-Broadway hit is an outrageous one-man comedy about celebrity, the oddest of odd jobs and the pursuit of utopia.

Dontrell Who Kissed The Sea

April 9 - April 26

18-year-old Dontrell Jones III decides that it is his duty and destiny to venture into the Atlantic Ocean in search of an ancestor lost during the Middle Passage. But his family is not at all ready to abandon its prized son to the waters of a mysterious and haunting past. Blending poetry, humor, wordplay and ritual, Dontrell, Who Kissed the Sea is a present-day hero’s quest exploring the lengths and depths we must go to redeem history’s wrongs.

Typhoid Mary

April 30 - May 24

You’ve probably heard of “Typhoid Mary,” but most of us are unfamiliar with Mary Mallon, the cook behind the name. This quirky, anachronistic telling of the discovery of Mary’s peculiar disease, as well as her forced quarantine, unfolds in front of a backdrop of changing notions of medicine, morality and cleanliness – Did she willfully infect others? Was she a victim of a misguided medical authority? Or is the truth even stranger?

Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play

July 9 - August 9

What will endure when the cataclysm arrives—when the grid fails, society crumbles and we’re faced with the task of rebuilding? This imaginative dark comedy propels us forward nearly a century, when what begins as a simple reminiscing of foundation a past episode of The Simpsons eventually leads to the development of the of a new civilization. Mr. Burns is a vibrant exploration of how the pop culture of one era might evolve into the mythology of another.

Images provided

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Buck Creek Players 2014-2015 Season Includes Champs, Ghosts and A Few Good Men

Besides the plays I performed in (including portraying Tiny Tim at the age of 12), throughout middle and high school my first live theater experience was at a community theater. Immediately hooked on this way of immersing myself into a story, I was forever hooked on live stage performances.

Buck Creek Players' 2014-2015 season has drama, comedy and holiday spirit to please everyone. And, being located near Buck Creek Winery is an added bonus ~

No, I didn't write a review back then, I simply sat enthralled at the tale coming to life before my young eyes. The story has remained dear to me ~ Harvey. Lighting, shadows and talented performers created the six-foot, three-and-one-half-inch tall pooka that looked like a rabbit with a protective and quirky attitude.

Community theaters are a wonderful addition to any town, providing a creative outlet for those with "day jobs," working on progressing to the big leagues and people who want to give back in their own way. I encourage everyone to support community theaters by attending at least one performance throughout the upcoming season. Check back here for theater reviews.

Buck Creek Players

2014-2015 Season

For tickets, location,and show times, visit BuckCreekPlayers.com

THINGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME

October 3-12, 2014

Olivia and Gabe have just packed all of their belongings and driven halfway across the country to start a new life together in Chicago. Moving day doesn't go exactly as planned, though, and things become slightly more complicated when all of their parents show up to help.

A DICKENS’ CHRISTMAS CAROL

December 5-21, 2014 

From the bonny shores of England comes a stuffy old traveling troupe embarking on their 15th annual farewell tour of the Dickens' tale. The company diva pretends to be ill, certain the production will be cancelled. Mayhem ensues as this professional company scrambles to keep the show going, and everything that could possibly go wrong does…to hilarious, ridiculous results.

COLD STORAGE

January 30-February 8, 2015 

This intimate masterpiece and dark comedy examines health care and end-of-life issues at a cancer hospital. This cynical, life-affirming, and absurdly humorous Dramatists Guild award-winning play focuses on two patients at Hope Memorial Hospital, as they coax and banter their way toward the meaning of life. 

A FEW GOOD MEN

March 27-April 5, 2015 

The story of military lawyers at a court-martial who uncover a high-level conspiracy in the course of defending their clients, two United States Marines accused of murder. This riveting courtroom drama investigates both the nature of our military mentality and the Marine code of honor.

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE

June 5-21, 2015

An eclectic group of six mid-pubescent children vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. Six spellers enter; one speller leaves. At least the losers get a juice box.

THE MUSIC MAN

July 31-August 2, 2015

Quickly becoming an audience favorite, the Play-A-Part Fundraisers separate themselves from traditional productions in that all roles are "won" through an online silent auction with no required auditions. Veteran musical theater performers join first-timers to give this classic musical a comedic twist much like The Carol Burnett Show. 

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre 2015 Season Lineup Includes Odd, Crazy, Kooky and Drowsy

Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre opens its 2015 season with a classic romp with roommates of polar opposite personalities carrying through the year with music, adventure and holiday shows.

Indianapolis stage favorites Eddie Curry and Jeff Stockberger will team up for The Odd Couple. Check back here for a review as I do not plan on missing that one.

The classic South Pacific is also included with the year's offerings, reminding us love will always find a way. The lovable Addams family characters will creep across the stage and the northside theater will bring its traditional holiday show to round out the season.

Below find the full schedule with the link for tickets and full details by clicking here.

Beef & Boards 2015 Season

The Odd Couple
Dec. 28 – Feb. 2, 2015

Two Beef & Boards favorites will star in this tale of mismatched roomates, with Jeff Stockberger as the easygoing Oscar Madison and Eddie Curry as the uptight Felix Ungar, who moves in with Oscar after his marriage falls apart.

Crazy For You

Feb. 6 – March 30

The stage is filled with all things Gershwin as it presents the story centering around Bobby Child, who is sent to Nevada to foreclose on a theatre. When he falls in love with the local postmistress, he devises a plan to save the theatre. Songs include “I’ve Got Rhythm,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.”

The Drowsy Chaperone

April 3 – May 11

This parody of American musical comedy of the 1920s makes its Beef & Boards debut. A middle-aged musical theatre buff plays the record of his favorite musical, the (fictional) 1928 hit The Drowsy Chaperone, and the show comes to life – with two lovers on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theatre producer, gangsters posing as pastry chefs and an intoxicated chaperone.

Peter Pan

May 15 – June 29

The imaginations of the young and young at heart will soar to Neverland. Fly with Peter and his friends in this musical adaptation of the play by Sir James M. Barrie to a land of mischievous fairies, an Indian tribe, a ticking crocodile, bungling pirates and the famous Captain Hook, played by Jeff Stockberger.

Smoke on the Mountain: Homecoming 

July 5 – Aug. 17

The lovable – and imperfect – Singing Sanders Family returns for the third installment of the popular comedy series. The story takes place in 1945 – seven years since the Sanders Family first came to Mount Pleasant Baptist Church for a Saturday Night Sing. Rev. Mervin Oglethorpe has been called to preach in Texas and is giving his last service before he leaves with his wife June, who is eight months pregnant. Young Dennis Sanders will take over as the pastor, but not before more hilarious and touching stories, and two dozen toe-tapping Bluegrass Gospel favorites.

South Pacific

Aug. 21 – Oct. 5

Set in an island paradise, two parallel love stories are threatened by the dangers of predjudice and World War II. Nellie, a spunky nurse from Arkansas, falls in love with a French plantation owner, Emile, but is conflicted by what she learns about him. And a strapping lieutenant falls for an island girl, but battles his own fears and prejudices. Adapted from a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, South Pacific won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Score for songs that include “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Nothing Like a Dame” and “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair.”

The Addams Family
Oct. 9 – Nov. 23

On stage for the first time at Beef & Boards and just in time for the spooky Halloween season, it’s the Tony Award-nominated macabre musical comedy. Gomez Addams faces every father’s nightmare when his daughter, Wednesday, falls in love. What’s worse, she begs him not to tell her mother, Morticia. Everything will change for the family on the fateful night that they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.

A Beef & Boards Christmas 2015 

Nov. 28 – Dec. 23

The holiday season is celebrated with the theatre’s original production, featuring beautiful costumes, heartwarming songs, dazzling dancing and even Santa himself. A tradition at Beef &Boards for more than 20 years.

CHILDREN’S THEATRE

The Pyramid Players also announce their 2015 Live Theatre for Kids series. Designed to entertain children of any age, these shows are a great way to introduce preschoolers to live theatre. Youngsters also have the opportunity to meet the cast after the show for pictures and autographs.

Charlotte’s Web

Feb. 20 - March 21

The beloved children’s tale kicks off the Live Theatre for Kids season. Based on E.B. Webb’s popular children’s book of the same name, this musical brings to the stage the tale of an unlikely friendship forged between a young pig and a spider.

Snow White

Oct. 16 - Nov. 14

This classic fairy tale, made popular by the Brothers Grimm, centers around a beautiful princess, who is forced to flee from her home and finds refuge in the forest with some new friends. This musical adaptation includes magic mirrors, seven silly dwarfs and a heroic prince.

A Christmas Carol

Dec. 5 through 21

Returning in 2015 is Beef & Boards’ one-hour adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, on stage for select performances. Enhanced with holiday carols, this iconic tale of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge who is given a second chance is the ideal way to enjoy the holidays.

Images furnished

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.