Reviewed by Roy Berko
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Stratford Festival of Canada, which is located in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. It’s approximately a 6-hour drive from Cleveland, through Buffalo. Bring your passport as nothing else will serve as identification to get you through the border.
The season, which runs through October, features 14 shows, stage-side chats, the Celebrated Writers Series, Night Music, Table Talks, pre-show lectures, lobby talks, public lectures, the teaching Shakespeare School and The Teachers’ Conference.
What’s the lodging like? Hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts abound to fit any wallet. My favorite is the Avery House.
Hungry? For moderate cost and high quality, try The Annex Cafe (38 Albert Street) and the new Stratford Thai Cuisine (82 Wellington Street).
Packages can be arranged by http://www.theatrevacations.com. Stratford Escapes, is an efficient way to make reservations. For individual tickets call 800-567-1600 or go on-line to http://www.stratfordfestival.ca.
Capsule judgements of some of the shows: (For the complete reviews go to: http://www.royberko.info.)
42nd STREET Stratford’s 42nd STREET is a total delight. Anyone who loves great dancing, fine singing, and creative staging should be enchanted by this production.
HIRSCH HIRSCH is an impressive story and staging which should be seen at The Festival, as it is the only physical venue where setting and person will clearly merge.
PIRATES OF PENZANCE The first act of PIRATES was a total delight. Consider leaving at intermission and assume that the rest is going to live up to the wonderful first act. As is, the show is a generally enjoyable experience, but it could have been completely wonderful.
THE BEST BROTHERS Your reaction to THE BEST BROTHERS will be based on whether you accept the production on its face value and enjoy what is on stage, or you think about what has transpired and need a clear purpose and path to that outcome.
WANDERLUST WANDERLUST, receiving its world premiere in the Tom Patterson Theatre at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, is a totally enjoyable experience. It is a creative production that examines the poetry of a dreamer with humor and music.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Roy Berko. Berko’s blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2012, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://RoyBerko.info. His reviews can also be found on NeOHIOpal and CoolCleveland.com.
Roy Berko, who is a life-long Clevelander, is a Renaissance man. Believing the line in Robert Frost’s poem “Road Not Taken,” each time he comes to a fork in the road, he has taken the path less traveled. He holds degrees, thought the doctorate from Kent State, University of Michigan and The Pennsylvania State University. His present roles, besides husband and grandfather, are professor, crisis counselor, author and entertainment reviewer… Read Roy Berko’s complete bio here