All stories by Andrea Simakis on BroadwayStars

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Cleveland stage icon Andrew May returns to Great Lakes Theater as a writer in 'Misery' (preview) by Andrea Simakis

The role of Paul Sheldon is deceptively tricky, able to do what Hans Gruber and a slew of other terrorists couldn't in five "Die Hard" movies: It beat Bruce Willis.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:00AM
Sunday, February 4, 2018

The Art of Listening. Why 'How to End Poverty in 90 Minutes' can change the world: Andrea Simakis by Andrea Simakis

We aren't used to talking about poverty, especially with people we've just met.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:00AM

Great Lakes Theater's 2018-19 season to showcase powerful women, from 'Pride and Prejudice' to 'Mama Mia!' (preview) by Andrea Simakis

Cleveland's classic theater company brings Abba and Austen to Playhouse Square.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 05:51AM
Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Cleveland Play House's bio musical on Sister Rosetta Tharpe, 'Marie and Rosetta,' is packed with history but short on magic (review) by Andrea Simakis

The daughter of an evangelist mother, Sister Rosetta Tharpe executed her pioneering style, a fusion of gospel, blues and rock, with an electric guitar strapped across her chest.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 08:00AM
Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Dobama Theatre's 'Grounded,' a one-woman desert war drama, throttles into the wild gray yonder (review) by Andrea Simakis

Anjanette Hall is a hotshot pilot sidelined by pregnancy and redeployed to the UAV Chair Force.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 08:00AM
Sunday, January 21, 2018

'Marie and Rosetta' brings the music and moxie of Rock Hall inductee Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Cleveland Play House (Preview) by Andrea Simakis

Before Chuck Berry hopped and strummed his way across the stage, Sister Rosetta was shredding her ax to glorify God.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:00AM
Sunday, January 14, 2018

Fighting poverty one performance at a time: Andrea Simakis by Andrea Simakis

Who should decide how money to fight poverty gets spent -- social workers or the people who are struggling to get by?

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:03AM

Beck Center for the Arts to join Actors' Equity Association by Andrea Simakis

The move to join the powerful union representing American actors and stage managers has been a long time coming for the Lakewood theater.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:00AM
Sunday, January 7, 2018

Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Love Never Dies': For conductors, pleasing the composer is a labor of love by Andrea Simakis

There is talk of a Broadway production, but for now, the only way to see the sequel to "The Phantom of the Opera" in the States is the North American tour.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:00AM
Thursday, December 28, 2017

Year in Review 2017: From 'Junkie' to 'Lizzie,' standouts on Northeast Ohio stages by Andrea Simakis

Memorable achievements in Cleveland theater in 2017.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 08:00AM
Sunday, December 24, 2017

Searching for the meaning of Christmas with Raissa in Playhouse Square: Andrea Simakis by Andrea Simakis

Raissa, 17, sees her first play. It gives her a lot to think about -- "ideas about Christmas."

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:00AM
Sunday, December 17, 2017

No Moore partisan politics over decency, please: Andrea Simakis by Andrea Simakis

How can smart women defend the indefensible? It's easy. I've done it myself.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:00AM
Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Group tells Cuyahoga Arts & Culture to award more grants to artists of color by Andrea Simakis

The question: How to equitably distribute $400,000 in cigarette tax dollars to deserving artists?

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 08:00AM
Sunday, December 10, 2017

'On Your Feet!' at Playhouse Square is a joyous tribute to Gloria Estefan (review) by Andrea Simakis

"On Your Feet!" is a moving, joyful, big-hearted portrait of what makes America great -- the guts, talent and drive of immigrants.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 05:55AM
Saturday, December 9, 2017

Dobama Theatre's family show 'Sherlock Holmes: The Baker Street Irregulars' is slow going for all ages (review) by Andrea Simakis

The conundrum: find a December show as delightful as "Peter and the Starcatcher."

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 08:00AM
Friday, December 8, 2017

Eugene O'Neill's 'The Hairy Ape' at Ensemble Theatre loses some steam even as it still packs a sting (review) by Andrea Simakis

Eugene O'Neill's brutal, expressionist meditation on the gulf between the haves and the have-nots is timely as ever.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 08:10AM

'The Loush Sisters Get HARD for the Holidays' as the boozy, bawdy duo storm back into Cleveland Public Theatre (review) by Andrea Simakis

The Loush Sisters -- that's loose and lush, but fancy -- send-up "Die Hard."

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:00AM
Sunday, December 3, 2017
Sunday, November 26, 2017

Raissa and her refugee family find a haven in Cleveland, but how to make it a home? Andrea Simakis by Andrea Simakis

In Kigali, she had friends and sunny days, but food was hard to come by.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:01AM
Friday, November 24, 2017

Holiday Arts Guide 2017: Naughty and Nice Offerings on Cleveland's Stages by Andrea Simakis

Have Holly and Jolly for Christmas this year.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:00AM
Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Cuyahoga Arts & Culture gives $12.3 million in grants but cuts stir controversy by Andrea Simakis

Some 250 people packed the CAC board meeting Monday, jamming parking lots and hogging meters.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:00AM
Friday, November 10, 2017

Cleveland Public Theatre masters 'The Art of Longing,' while stiff performances put 'The Lake Effect' on ice at Karamu (reviews) by Andrea Simakis

Cleveland, rife with theatrical potential, has remained criminally underrepresented as a setting.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 03:50PM
Sunday, November 5, 2017

P.E.A.C.E. plan talks stall in Cleveland Heights over fate of Coventry School: Andrea Simakis by Andrea Simakis

Activists fight city hall to save a corner of Cleveland Heights for arts and culture

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 05:00AM
Saturday, November 4, 2017

Cleveland Play House's 'Diary of Anne Frank' overcomes script woes to offer a moving ode to life (review) by Andrea Simakis

The ensemble is lovely, its members never leaving the stage, including during intermission -- a shrewd directorial choice that maintains the feeling of their being marooned in a world gone m…

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 08:00AM
Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Andrew May, Cleveland's favorite leading man, returning to the Great Lakes Theater stage in November by Andrea Simakis

Andrew May to headline the Great Lakes Theater production of "Misery."

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 10:00AM
Friday, October 27, 2017

Karamu alumnus Terrence Spivey partners with pastor to launch new African-American theater company by Andrea Simakis

The Rev. Andrew D. Clark attributes the partnership that formed Powerful Long Ladder Ensemble to "divine intervention."

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 08:00AM
Sunday, October 22, 2017

'Waitress' serves up a delicious slice of life in all its messy, complicated beauty (review) by Andrea Simakis

In building her tour, director Diane Paulus has created the perfect bite of a show, a forkful of joy that is sneakily fortifying, too.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:30AM
Saturday, October 21, 2017

Dorothy Silver shines as a woman facing down love, death and technology in Dobama Theatre's 'Marjorie Prime' (review) by Andrea Simakis

Dobama stages the regional premiere of the sci-fi meditation on love, death, artificial intelligence and the things that make us human.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:00AM
Friday, October 20, 2017

Eric Coble's world-premiere farce 'The Family Claxon' at Cleveland Public Theatre is a fun-house mirror for America (review) by Andrea Simakis

in 'The Family Claxon,' Eric Coble explores the current state of the America soul.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:00AM
Monday, October 16, 2017

Cuyahoga Arts and Culture faces pushback over 20 percent cut in operating support grants for 2018-19 by Andrea Simakis

At issue is how to spend a dwindling pool of cigarette tax dollars.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 07:23PM
Sunday, October 15, 2017

When tragedy broke their hearts, friends and family of Kyle Jean-Baptiste had two choices: Andrea Simakis by Andrea Simakis

Baldwin Wallace alumni gather to sing from the heart at Nighttown to honor Kyle Jean-Baptiste.

SOURCE: Cleveland.com at 06:00AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards