I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high and life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving
Then I was young and unafraid
And dreams were made and used and wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung, no wine untasted.

-- Fantine in "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Misérabels"


I, too, have dreamed a dream -- that "Les Misérables" ended just into the second act. Look, "Les Miz" probably is my favorite musical -- I've certainly seen it several more times than any other -- but I've come to realize just how little I care about Act II.

And, with Tuesday's opening-night performance of the touring production doing a week of show at PlayhouseSquare's Palace Theatre, I decided to live my dream. I sat relatively riveted during Act I, as the company belted out such classics as "At the End of the Day," Master of the House," "Stars" "One Day More" and, of course, the aforementioned emotional song by Fantine. And because what is perhaps my favorite number in the show, "On My Own," opens the second act, I stayed through intermission.

And then I fled in the night like Jean Valjean.

Shameful, you say? A true fan would never do that?

Maybe, but consider my case:

-- Again, I've seen it, several times over the last 15 years, including the recent film that is up for the best picture Academy Award.

-- I am not writing the review of this production for The News-Herald and www.News-Herald.com, instead leaving that duty in the very capable hands of correspondent Bob Abelman, who does a fantastic job reviewing theater for us.

-- I was a little under the weather and very tired.

By the time the first act ended -- about 9 p.m. -- I was dreaming a dream about my couch. And yet I stayed for "One My Own," which has to say something. And boy was it worth staying for.

I was worried right before the show started when it was announced that one of the understudies for the role of Eponine, Erin Clemons, would be performing the role. I really love that song, and I am often a little disappointed by performers' interpretations of it, but bravo, Ms. Clemons. Well done. She knocked it out of the proverbial park.

In fact, if you're also maybe a little "Les Miz"ed out at this point, this production may still be worth seeing simply for the talent on stage.

With the movie still fresh in my mind, it's hard not to compare some of the performances. While I'll still take the key female performers in the film -- Anne Hathaway (Fantine) and Amanda Seyfriend (Cosette) over their respective counterparts, Genevieve LeClerc and Lauren Wiley, the latter pair was just fine. On the other hand, I thought Peter Lockyer made a better Valjean than Hugh Jackman and Andrew Varela a better Javert than Russel Crowe. In a show such as "Les Miz," it all comes down to the singing, and this pair of fellas really delivered, especially Varela. His rendition of Javert's signature number, "Stars," just about blew the roof off the place.

 Andrew Varela performs a fantastic rendition of Javert's "Stars."

And if you've seen the movie but not a stage production, I strongly encourage you to head downtown to see this show. It's interesting to see how the two are similar and different. The key difference, I think, is the way the songs are sung. For the movie, director Tom Hooper ("The King's Speech") wanted more dramatic, less sing-songy renditions of the songs. It's best paid off with "I Dreamed a Dream," which alone could earn Hathaway the best supporting actress Oscar. (As lovely as it is, LeClerc's just seemed inconsequential by comparison.) On the other hand, it's nice to hear these songs really SUNG again. Truly, this is the better show for your ears.

 "Master of the House," led by Thénardier (Timothy Gulan, top center) and his wife (Shawna M. Hamic, front right, was a real crowd-pleaser Tuesday night, as the catchy and funny number tends to be.

The eyes are another matter. This scaled-down production of "Les Miz" -- first in Cleveland two years ago -- can't hold a candle to previous, more elaborately staged productions or to the film. The staging is well done, of course, but it just all seems too small for the show. (For years, "Les Miz" was performed on the much larger stage of PlayhouseSquare's State Theatre, and recently the touring production of "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" had to be moved from the Palace to the State because it just wouldn't fit on the former's stage.)

With apologies to folks in set design, though, the performances are what matter most, and they are topnotch.

And apologies to anyone offended by my early exit, and hopefully counted among them are none of my generous hosts from PlayhouseSquare. I promise to stay for all of "Sister Act," a musical opening at the Palace March 5.

UPDATE: Abelman's glowing review is live. Check it out. 

-- Mark Meszoros | Entertainment@News-Herald.com | @nhfeatures

Follow along with the actors and shows nominated for tonight's 66th annual Tony Awards:




Are you on Twitter? Follow the list 2012 Tony Awards.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Truth be told, I'm typically not all that interested in dance shows.

Don't get me wrong. Professional dancers and choreographers are tremendously talented people, and there's plenty to love about the world of dance. But, as someone who's worried about falling down when he tries to walk and chew gum, I don't relate to that graceful world all that much.

Yet, as someone who greatly appreciates music and high-quality audio, I was very interested in a specific aspect of "Come Fly Away," the latest entry in the current Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare in Cleveland. One of the many shows choreographed by the renowned Twyla Tharp, "Come Fly Away" is built around a collection of songs recorded by the late Frank Sinatra.



However, unlike Tharp's "Movin' Out" -- built around the songs of Billy Joel -- a vocalist wasn't cast to perform the songs. Instead, "Come Fly Away" cast Sinatra's himself -- or at least recorded performances by him -- and combines them with a live big band on stage.

How would this work? Would it sound good. Would it feel natural? (Pretty well, mostly and sort of are the respective answers.)

Sitting about seven rows back on Tuesday's opening-night performance, Sinatra's voice and the band backing it did not sound like a cohesive whole. The sound of the band sounded like it came, from, well the band. Sinatra's vocals, on the other hand, sounded like they came from above. Perhaps it was meant to sound as if he is singing from heaven, but it's a bit odd. (It should be noted, though, that when I moved to the back of the Palace Theatre at the show's end, the sound was more unified, so maybe good seats come at more than one kind of a price.)

I'm leaving the actual News-Herald review of "Come Fly Away" to Bob Abelman, a regular contributor of well-written, thought-provoking theater reviews, but I will say the show did boast lovely and sensual -- even downright sexy -- dance numbers, and it was great to hear the Chairman of the Board's voice for an hour and 15 minutes. ("Come Fly Away" is a short show with no intermission, which may help you drag someone who isn't a fan of dance down to the theater. Tuesday's show started a little after 7:30, and I was home in Willoughby before 9:30.)

Courtesy of PlayhouseSquare

Anthony Burrell and Ashley Blair perform 

one of the sexy numbers in "Come Fly Away."

There is not one line of dialogue in "Come Fly Away," so all the communication comes via Tharp's choreography and Sinatra's music. And while Sinatra may not have sounded as if he was standing with the big band, he sounded great singing truncated versions of "That's Life," "My Way" and scads of other tunes.

So start spreadin' the news: Sinatra's in town ... sort of.

-- Mark Meszoros | Entertainment@News-Herald.com | @nhfeatures

I couldn't have been more excited to see "Jersey Boys" for the second time this weekend at the State Theatre.

"Jersey Boys" is a two-act musical about the Four Seasons told in - fittingly - four seasons. Each one of the Four Seasons narrates one of the four season:

• Tommy DeVito narrates spring, the formation of the group
• Bob Gaudio narrates summer, when he wrote hit after hit, launching the group to success
• Nick Massi narrates fall, when tension in the group is high
• Frankie Valli narrates winter, looking at the group's ups and downs through present day (including its Rock Hall induction)

"Jersey Boys" has received numerous accolades, and it's easy to see why. The show is tightly written with great music behind the dialogue, and the minimalist set allows for quick transitions for the fast-paced action. The show is almost like a Four Seasons concert, with a storyline bridging together hit after hit (see the musical numbers here). While the cast members aren't the Four Seasons, they perform the heck out of those songs. (I own the original Broadway cast recording and it rocks.)

Friday evening's audience especially enjoyed "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," performed by Joseph Leo Bwarie as Frankie Valli. After he finished, the crowd gave him a semi-standing ovation. I've never seen a mid-performance reaction quite like that. Bwarie himself looked somewhat taken aback by the reaction, but allowed the crowd to applaud before continuing the performance.

My favorite parts of the show include the Four Seasons' TV appearances, which are filmed and projected on a big screen behind them - how neat! I also love the group's big stage performance: The clever use of bright lights puts the audience on stage with the Four Seasons, seeing exactly what they would have seen.

My less favorite parts of the show: the giant graphic images projected on screens on the set. Several times in the show, the backdrop is transformed into a New Jersey skyline with changing colors in the sky, which I really like. But several more times in the show, giant graphic images that are generally related to what's happening in the show are projected on screens in front of that. They're a little cheesy.

Jonathan Hadley, as producer/writer Bob Crewe, was one of my favorite performances in the show. And can anyone confirm for me if the actors playing Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi were actually playing their guitars? Being able to act, sing, dance and play an instrument night after night in a successful touring show also would rank up there in my favorite things about "Jersey Boys."

The show is not intended for all ages. A sign posted in the lobby even warns the audience of bright lights, loud noises and "authentic profane Jersey vocabulary." But those who enjoy the Four Seasons are probably old enough to handle the mature situations in the show. If you like the ensemble's music, you're probably going to love the show, and you should do yourself a favor and get tickets before the show's run in Cleveland ends July 17.

More on the show

Click here to read Mark Meszoros' preview of "Jersey Boys," and what it takes to play Frankie Valli. Check back to News-Herald.com/Life later this week for Bob Abelman's review of the show.

Click here for information on the Cleveland portion of the "Jersey Boys" tour, or here for more information on the touring company.

Watch a montage of the Broadway show below:



-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl