Arts

Saturday, May 17th: starting at 4pm

Artists and art lovers will fill the sidewalks and businesses of Madison Avenue on May 17th, for another Madison Avenue- Lakewood ArtWalk. The Lakewood ArtWalk (formerly the MAMA LIA ArtWalk) was designed to increase exposure for participating local artists, organizations and area businesses, as well as further establish Madison Avenue as a vibrant and evolving neighborhood with a meaningful connection to arts and culture.

The Art Walk is a collaborative effort between MAMA (Madison Avenue Merchants Association) and LIA (Lakewood is Art) with the support of the Lakewood Observer and Cox Cable(who will be filming the event this time). Committee Members from LIA and MAMA worked together to give the community another opportunity to gain exposure to the various art that is abundant in our area...

Muralist Richard Haas toured Lakewood on February 1 and 2 to experience the city’s character and to research its history in preparation for two original interior murals he will execute on canvas for installation in the Grand Reading Room of the expanded Lakewood Public Library on Detroit Avenue. Spanning fourteen feet high by thirty three feet long, the two oils on canvas murals will be affixed to the east and west walls inside the Grand Reading Room.

On June 30th the Pop Shop Gallery will host its Bottle Rocket Show. This show will highlight contemporary works by local artists that go out with a bang. Even though a bottle rocket is not the biggest of the fireworks, we can always recognize it as it POPS in the air. The artists in this show reflect the same path that a bottle rocket has. They will impress viewers with their works, and will still be heard and respected by everyone.

One could rightly say that the most widely adored singer/songwriter over the past few generations is Bob Dylan. He has provided much influence over many people, beginning with the folk movement - writing and performing protest songs, including one about Medgar Evers' death. He directly influenced the music of the 60's counterculture (regardless of the fact that he did not want to be associated with "hippies"). Dylan's music was played on the Furthur bus, the famed Day-Glo painted bus owned by author Ken Kesey and ridden by his Merry Pranksters. Though some people do not know which songs he has actually written (his music has been covered by a wide range of artists), there are many Dylan fans out there who love him more than anyone could love any boy band, or any other pop band for that matter. I am one of those fans, so, of course I had to go to his concert on July 14th at the Plain Dealer Pavilion, in the hometown of rock 'n roll.

Now in its third year, Local Girl Gallery opened its doors on Friday, June 7 to an eager crowd of collectors, spectators, artists and press to celebrate its grand reopening.

The much anticipated evening of music with the talented Lakewood Guitar Consort will take to the stage June 1st. Months in the making, this concert featuring the seven-member classical guitar ensemble, under the direction of performer/teacher Christopher Ellicott is sure to be a highlight for late spring concert-goers.

 

 

 

The concert will take place Sunday, June 1st, 7:00pm at Cove United Methodist Church, 12501 Lake Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio. Refreshments will be served following the concert. Admission is free. A free-will offering will be taken. If you'd like more information, please call 216-702-4523...

Beck Center for the Arts announces the appointment of Melanie Szucs as Associate Director of Dance Education effective August 20, 2007. Szucs replaces long-time director, Lynda Sackett, who is retiring on August 31, 2007, after more than 40 years of service at Beck Center.

Peter Shaffer’s “Equus” should be seen by packed houses every night of its run at Lakewood’s Beck Center for the Arts. And not just because this is a brilliant and beautiful and riveting production, but because it is the kind of theater experience that is enhanced by being shared.

What happens when the lives of modern-day researchers intersect with that of 19th Century poet and adventurer Lord Byron? A ravishingly comedic mystery ensues! Beck Center Teen Theater presents Arcadia, written by famed British playwright Tom Stoppard, in the Studio Theater, January 30 through February 8. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3:00 p.m. Sundays. Nominated for three Tony Awards, Arcadia takes us back and forth in time between 1809 and the present, as a writer, a literature professor, and a post-graduate student in mathematical biology investigate a mysterious chapter in the life of Lord Byron. The play examines the philosophical questions of art, science, and history and how they intersect. Although the characters’ personalities and perspectives vary widely, their stories come together in the end, and the mystery is solved. It’s a heady piece, but Stoppard relates the story with verbal wit and sophisticated humor.  

The Virginia Marti College of Art and Design’s 21st Student Art Exhibition opened to the public May 16th and is on view until June 30th.

The V.M.C.A.D. students accepted into the juried exhibition have on display works of art that display their technical virtuosity and creative imagination. Many industry professionals view the show and it helps open the employment doors for many of the students. The art exhibition focuses on student creativity with the all too real restrictions of the design industry’s trends, customer analysis, and the need for marketability...

Pianists Andrea McAlister and Heidi Began, violist Scot Buzza and mezzo-soprano Fenlon Lamb will present a free recital of works by Brahms, Debussy, Dvorák, Gershwin and Joplin...

Beck Center for the Arts presents the rockin’, rafter-raising, soul-saving spoof, Altar Boyz on the Mackey Main Stage, July 18 through August 17. Winner of the 2005 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical, Altar Boyz is a fast-paced, booty-swinging musical comedy about a fictitious Christian boy-band performing the last concert of their “Raise the Praise” tour. Join heavenly heartthrobs – Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan, and Abraham as they dance and sing their hearts out to save the souls of the sinful...

Lakewood, Ohio – Two notable artists currently have their works on display in the art galleries at the Beck Center for the Arts. In cooperation with Tregoning & Company, the Beck Center presents Recent Paintings & Works on Paper by French artist Alain Pontecorvo in the Jean Bulicek Galleria, now through August 12, 2007. Drawings & Paintings by Alane Potokar Sandoval are on exhibit now through October 28, 2007 in the Music-Armory building. Both exhibits are free and open to the public.

As I watched laundry spin around in the washing machines of Coin Wash Laundry while residents commented on artwork hanging on the Laundromat’s walls, I realized how unique my city really was.

The 2nd Annual Lakewood ArtWalk was a smashing success this past Saturday, May 17th. Lakewood businesses, citizens and artists merged together for the various art showings, events, and activities...

To be or not to be…that is the question that will be explored at LakewoodAlive’s next forum on Tuesday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. at the Beck Center Armory, 17801 Detroit Ave.

Springtime has brought a welcome renewal to the Cleveland art scene. Tremont’s new gallery, exit (a gallery space), is hosting a unique exhibition of paintings by Andrzej Siwkiewicz through March 31. The exhibit, collectively titled “Apart - From Europa to Paradise,” consists of six paintings, which comprise years of work on the artist’s part.

Artists and art lovers filled the sidewalks and businesses of Madison Avenue on Friday, October 5th, for the inaugural MAMA LIA Artwalk. The comment "This is the best art show I've ever been to in Cleveland” was heard repeatedly throughout the evening. More than 500 people took pleasure in experiencing various art mediums, including visual art, dancing and a variety of live musical entertainment.

Beck Center presents My Favorite Year, a good old fashioned musical comedy on the Mackey Main Stage through June 8. Based on the 1982 hit film starring Peter O’Toole, My Favorite Year is a nostalgic look at the early days of television, capturing all of the comedy and drama of “live” TV.

Beck Center for the Arts will host a community celebration of the arts. INSIDE the Beck, a free family fun open house event and sale of vintage costumes and stage items, takes place on Saturday, June 7, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. at the Beck Center in Lakewood – 17801 Detroit Avenue...

Grieving the death of a loved one is a complicated process that is often endured but seldom discussed. That may change for audiences of Stars Fell All Night, a provocative new play by Lakewood playwright Mike Geither that will appear at the Cleveland Public Theater beginning March 1.

Yes, I realize these kinds of articles are supposed to come out in January. But since I’m not a “real” film critic who gets into press screenings for free, I don’t get to see a whole lot of movies first run in the theater. Like many of you, I expect, the vast majority of my film watching experience takes place at home. That means I’m just now getting close to caught up on all the movies I wanted to see last year. And there are still about a dozen movies from 2006 that I would have liked to have seen before writing this. So if you’re wondering why Pan’s Labyrinth or Letters From Iwo Jima aren’t mentioned here, for example, it’s because I haven’t seen them yet.

On Wednesday, October 7, 2009 master acoustic guitarist Brian Henke appeared at an open-mic event at Lakewood's new Beck Center Cafe. Brian and I go way back to the days when he dragged around his guitar in an old sack, and played the guitar using his thumbnail for a pick! On his website, it tells that Brian was a winner of many acoustic and electric guitar awards, and that Brian's also been a finalist in the National Fingerstyle Contest in Winfield, Kansas. His successes also include being a finalist at the Guitarmageddon regional finals in Boston, as well as being in the New Age Reporters Top 10 for 2006.

In 1968, Robert Lawther was serving as Mayor of Lakewood and singing tenor in the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus. Frustrated by the lengthy commute required to sing on the East Side, Lawther became determined to form a chorus of equal quality and professionalism closer to home...

Beck Center for the Arts Youth Theater presents The Wizard of Oz (An adaptation of the film by John Kane of the Royal Shakespeare Company), a musical fantasy on the Mackey Main Stage, April 18 through 27. Directed by Douglas Collier, this adaptation is based on the classic motion picture starring Judy Garland. Audiences, young and old, will be swept “over the rainbow” as they follow their favorite characters – Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Toto too, on their journey along the yellow brick road...

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It’s 1927 Chicago, and these blues musicians have a story to tell! The Beck Center for the Arts presents Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom on the Mackey Main Stage, January 30 through February 22, 2009. The drama, featuring many of Ma Rainey’s great hit songs, examines timeless African-American themes of suffering, endurance, and the audacity of hope in Wilson's spellbinding voice. Shows begin at 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 pm on Sundays.

Beck Center for the Arts Children's Choirs announce placement auditions for their Performing and Chamber Choirs. Singers, ages nine and up, with unchanged voices are welcome. Auditions are scheduled for August 16, 20, 23, 27, and 30 and in September by appointment. Choirs rehearse on Tuesday evenings beginning in September. For more information or to schedule a placement audition, call the Beck Center Music Department directly at 216-521-2540 ext. 37...

Beck Center for the Arts Teen Theater presents The Laramie Project, a deeply moving play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project, in the intimate Studio Theater, January 18 through 27, 2008...

The 30th Annual Lakewood Arts Festival will be held on Saturday, August 4, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Detroit Ave. between Elmwood and Belle.

As Carl Sandburg once said, “Nothing happens unless first we dream.” Did you ever dream about the day you would leave for college, where would you go, what would you study? Or maybe you had a vision of what your wedding would be like? Would you get married in a park, or perhaps a church? How would you fund such an event? Well, that would take a lot of planning. There are so many things to consider, and think about...

Remember the things we loved and hated about school, the young ideals we all shared, and the memorable teachers who inspired us? Go back to school and experience those moments again with The History Boys at the Beck Center for the Arts, March 7 through 30 on the Mackey Main Stage...

Under the vigilant and dynamic direction of Dr. Lisa Hanson, the Lakewood High School choirs proved themselves musically accomplished once again with concerts on May 17th and 20th. The first, an annual spring concert, featured students from the five LHS choirs, plus the Vive L’Four barbershop quartet. Each ensemble sang with precision and musicality and five promising underclassmen soloists in Concert Choir and Freshman Choir were also featured individually.

Early in his new memoir, Still Alive! A Temporary Condition, Lakewood native Herbert Gold asks the intriguing question: “Where are the flower folks now?” At age eighty-four, Gold is uniquely positioned to address that question, since he has long been a chronicler of the Beat Generation. In fact, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac were his classmates at Columbia University in the 1940s.

Gold has enjoyed a lengthy and distinguished writing career, having published a large variety of novels, short stories, essays, and journalism. Although he was raised in Lakewood, he lived in New York City, Paris, and Haiti (among other places) before settling in California. Over the past five decades he has become synonymous with the San Francisco literary scene...

Pleasant and inviting The Local Girl Gallery in Lakewood held the opening for “Architectural Renderings” featuring artwork from Paul G. Jira and John Musarra Jr. Both artists covered the subject of local and regional landmarks thoroughly; some you might expect, others might surprise you...

Beck Center for the Arts announces its 2008/09 season featuring the much anticipated return of some ‘oldies but goodies,’ an electrifying new drama, plenty of scandalous entertainment, and the Mother of Blues.

“I feel like we’ve hit the mark yet again!” says Scott Spence, Beck Center’s Artistic Director, referring to the eclectic mix Beck has become known for. "Beck continues its tradition of providing Northeast Ohio audiences with a great balance of titles they know, and area premieres…all directed by some of the area’s most respected directors."..

The glam-rock spectacle of Hedwign & the Angry Inch is returning to Cleveland. The smash transgender musical returns for a five week run, opening Friday, September 4th. The production will play every weekend until closing on Friday, October 3rd. Original Cleveland cast members Dan Folino (Hedwig), Alison Garrigan (Yitzhak), and Dennis Yurich (Skszp) will bring the musical to life again, joined by Brian Hager (Kryshtoff), Jason Giaco (Schlatko), and Derek Poindexter (Jacek). The Angry Inch band will be the members of Cleveland's premier glam-rock band, Vanity Crash.

This theatrical run will be uniquely presented in an actual night club, which works well with the musical's setting, which happens to be a night club itself. The Hi-Fi Concert Club in Lakewood will be host to Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
 
Hedwig and the Angry Inch premiered in Cleveland eight years ago at Cleveland Public Theatre. Featuring Cleveland's musical voice Dan Folino (Evil Dead, Sweeney Todd, Beauty and the Beast, Jekyll and Hyde), the sold out run was "…easily, the highest grossing revenue production in CPT's twenty year history" (James A. Levin) attracting a diverse audience including Hedwig devotees from around the world, young kids, hipsters, middle-aged and older folks alike.
 
Hailed as the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" of this generation, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is the story of an ambitious glam-rocker who comes to America after making a great sacrifice, determined to find fame, fortune and his "other half".

I was really looking forward to experiencing a show in Beck Center's Studio Theater for the first time. The studio theater, or black box theater, is very small and as the name suggests it is painted entirely black. There are few if any props and lighting is minimal. Black box theaters were created in the 1960’s and 1970’s when experimental amateur theater groups were looking for low cost spaces to present their avant-garde pursuits. The audience sits so close to the actors it feels as if you can speak directly to them and that they can speak to you, and that actually happened when I went to see Talking Heads 2...

Why Dance? “Every original act asserts our commitment to living. Our program encourages our students to strive for their personal best. This helps them learn to experience life fully. When we create, we plant ourselves firmly in the moment and teach ourselves that what we do matters”--Miss Donna

How has Donna Rakerd, aka Miss Donna, succeeded in building a vibrant dance studio in town? A clue might be in west side location, one of two of Silhouette’s dance studios in Lakewood. More evidence might be found in it’s large picture windows, pristine dance floor and lofty ceilings that heighten interest from those walking or driving by while affording to students a positive learning environment. Another clue would be the table lined with a multitude of upcoming dance classes from Ballet to Jazz to Acrobatics to Hip Hop to Yoga and Bellydance...

Lakewood’s growing profile as an art destination has received yet another shot in the arm with the opening of the Galleria D’Arte, a new gallery located in the heart of Lakewood and featuring the works of several local artists.

The owner of this new gallery is Theresa Busser, a longtime Lakewood entrepreneur and former owner and proprietor of the Merry Arts Pub and Grille which is across the street from the gallery...

Take a “creative break” this summer! You can learn how to make a simple, yet unique crystal bracelet that also helps local mission teams return to Haiti in the fall. Team members and jewelry artists Lynn Scheerhorn and Shelley Gross will lead a two-hour workshop—open to all—on Wednesday, July 16, from 7-9 pm at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Lakewood, 14560 Madison Avenue...

The Lakewood Arts Festival prides itself in supporting young artists. Each year, at least one student residing in Lakewood is awarded a scholarship toward a college degree in an art-related field. Since 1981, more than 75 students have received the honor.

A hip, youth-oriented rock concert series, Band2gether, will feature the sounds of talented local musicians of middle school and high school age. This free, outdoor youth concert series, which kicks off this Summer in Lakewood, is expected to draw many people downtown and to give Lakewood’s young musicians an opportunity to showcase themselves...

Beck Center for the Arts invites its neighbors and the community to attend BeckFest, a free family-friendly event on Sunday, May 19, 2013 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the Beck Center campus. Participants will enjoy art activities, cycling themed artwork, Zumba, yoga, food trucks, and stunt cycling performances by 216Bike; as well as musical entertainment on the Red Stage featuring Jerry Popiel, Chris Hatton, Fireside, The Madison Crawl, and Revolution Brass Band.

Cycling enthusiasts may also ride in the second annual Bike for Beck, a fundraiser to benefit the arts education programs at Beck Center. Cyclists choose from 12-, 15- or 60-mile routes through the scenic Cleveland Metroparks with snack and water stops along the way. Rider registration and the bike tour begin at 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. at Beck Center. A $40 registration fee includes a Bike for Beck t-shirt and rider packet. For more information visit bikeforbeck.org.  

This coming December, the Beck Center celebrates 60 years of Saturday mornings filled with the sound of children’s laughter. The tradition dates back to 1948, when the Lakewood Little Theatre School began. As the Beck Youth Theater Education Program prepares for its 60th Anniversary Homecoming Celebration, staff and alumni reflect on six decades of challenges and laughter. “It’s an incredible place,” says former student, Maggie Fishell. “The people who have passed through the program created an absolutely magical experience for those of us who followed them...”

Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham, otherwise known as The Altar Boyz are performing now through August 17th on the Mackey Main Stage at The Beck Center in Lakewood. The fictional group has brought along their Sony Soul Sensor DX12 in an attempt to deliver your soul, but no worries; there are plenty of giggles and even a few belly laughs along the road to salvation in this musical lampoon of a Christian boy band...

Beck Center for the Arts presents My Favorite Year, a good old-fashioned musical comedy written by Joseph Dougherty with music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, on the Mackey Main Stage, May 16 through June 8, 2008. Based on the 1982 hit film starring Peter O’Toole, My Favorite Year is a nostalgic look at the early days of television, capturing all of the comedy and drama of “live” TV...

Local Artist Offers Innovative Class 

On Thursday, September 18, 2008, the West Shore School Districts - Lakewood, Bay Village, Rocky River, and Westlake - and the Beck Center for the Arts will come together to celebrate arts and communication education and unveil the Arts & Communication Technology Program, a new program of the West Shore Career and Technical School District. The evening will include all four West Shore school districts and an impressive list of partnering organizations, colleges, universities, and media sharing the many arts opportunities that will comprise the program. At a time when many school districts across this state and nation are reducing or eliminating arts and communications programs, the school districts on the West Shore continue their strong tradition in both program areas...

Carabel Beauty Salon & Store will join the rest of Madison Ave on Oct 11 2008 for the Lakewood ArtWalk. Saturday between the hours of 4:00 pm and ending at 9:00 pm we are giving to every ponytailed gal a free ponytail holder. Our manikins will be styled in a variety of ponytails ...

A local family foundation has issued a challenge grant to the Beck Center for the Arts: the foundation will match dollar-for-dollar every contribution the Beck Center receives – up to $35,000 – from individuals in the community. The Beck Center for the Arts is a non-profit, performing arts organization which for over 75 years has been dedicated to enriching the quality of life for the West Shore community, offering professional theatrical productions with curriculum-based education in creative arts therapies, dance, music, theater, and visual arts...

Beck Center for the Arts proudly presents "The Pitmen Painters," May 31 through July 7, 2013 in the intimate Studio Theater. Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are now on sale.

Written by Tony Award-winning author Lee Hall, "The Pitmen Painters" is inspired by a book by William Feaver about the Ashington Group, a group of Northern England coal miners who took an art appreciation class and became overnight art-world sensations. Like Hall’s acclaimed film and musical Billy Elliot, this script tells another inspiring story about the way the arts can change lives and examines the lives a group of ordinary men who did extraordinary things. Heralded in London’s West End and on Broadway, "The Pitmen Painters“ was described by Variety as "a feel-good, make that a feel-great hit…inspirational…heartbreakingly funny.” For more information about the Ashington Group, visit http://www.ashingtongroup.co.uk/home.html.

Musician’s Hall of Fame 2009 Induction Ceremony - Review

This November, Lakewood citizens will get a little taste of Hungarian village life as the Hungarian Scout Folk Ensemble celebrates their 35th anniversary at the Lakewood Civic Auditorium. On November 15th, the ensemble will present an evening of song, dance, and music showcasing the seasonal customs of Hungary. The performance will feature local musicians Walt Malhovich and other members of Harmonia as well as Kalman Magyar from Toronto...

Lakewood, Ohio -- Many changes, from those easily recognized to those less apparent, are occurring around the Beck Center for the Arts campus.

You may have noticed while traveling down Detroit Avenue that the landscape has changed. Beautiful trees, shrubs and rose bushes now line the Beck Center’s entrance drive. This was the big project early last month as Matthew Carlson, a “Life” scout with Troop 435 of the Lakewood LDS Church chose the Beck Center for his Eagle Scout project. Matt worked tirelessly with 30 other members from his troop, along with additional volunteers and Beck staff as the rainy morning turned into blue skies and sunshine. They worked for hours digging out the old and planting the new...

What do mothers want? What do mothers deserve? These and other tough questions are explored in BIRTH, the critically acclaimed play by Karen Brody.

The cause of publicly funded national health insurance, derided and betrayed and postponed for forty years, has never lacked for enemies or misfortune.

 

And now (so I thought) along comes Michael Moore, who paid his country such a disservice with Fahrenheit 911, with his new movie, “Sicko,” to demonstrate that good causes can attract the worst of friends.

The Beck Center for the Arts presents a dynamic art exhibition featuring the works of two talented young artists, Jenna Fournier and Lauren Voiers. Their vibrant paintings will be on display in the Jean Bulicek Galleria now through August 24...

Whether you’ve been inspired by an art class or dazzled by a play, it would be nearly impossible to imagine life without the Beck. In celebration and recognition of the individuals whose passion and dedication started it all, the Beck Center invites you to take a journey back in Lakewood’s cultural history. President and CEO, Lucinda Einhouse, says she’s proud to share the inspiring history of Beck’s earliest years… “This is the story of people who not only created a thriving community theater from nothing, they used their passion for the theater to entertain and raise spirits during the most difficult times of depression and war...”

Where does Peter Pan live?  Second to the right and straight on ‘til morning…but until January 4, he will be making his home at The Beck Center in Lakewood as they present the beloved musical Peter Pan.

Are all the children in Lakewood little angels or are they just being good because Santa Clause is coming to town?  The little ones in the audience at the matinee I attended were very obedient and attentive.  Maybe that’s a testament to how endearing the story of Peter Pan is.  Not to mention, who can resist the mesmerizing affects of pirates, Indians, alligators, lost boys and the ubiquitous Tinkerbell. 

The Pop Shop Gallery in Lakewood (on Madison and Cordova) is currently hosting “The Bad Apple” art show through August 10th which features 15 Cleveland-based artists.

 

“It’s a catch all show,” said Jeff Hulligan, an art director and manager at the Pop Shop, as well as a contributing artist. “It’s the idea that every artist has something kind of twisted to them.