At t Beck Center for the Arts
Xanadu Beck Center for the Arts rolls out its new season with the locally produced premiere of Xanadu, the award-winning Broadway musical that follows the journey of a beautiful Greek muse on a quest to inspire roller disco. (Hey, it's the '80s.) Performances continue through Sunday, October 14, on the Mackey Main Stage; that's at 17801 Detroit Rd. in Lakewood. Showtimes are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $10 to $28 at 216-521-2540 or beckcenter.org.
The Eccentricities of the Velvet Gentleman — The Words and Music of Erik Satie: The innovative "chamber music theater" begins its new season by offering an aural portrait of Erik Satie, the great French composer hailed as one of the geniuses of contemporary classical music. Using Satie's own music, memoirs, and articles (the dude wrote for Vanity Fair, way back when), artistic director Tim Tavcar and Cleveland Institute of Music pianists Hyunsoo Kim and Andrew Rosenblum give some insight into the musician and his times. Performances are set for Friday, September 21, at the West Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, 20401 Hilliard Blvd. in Westlake, and Saturday, September 22, at the First Unitarian Church, 21600 Shaker Blvd. in Shaker Heights. Tickets are $10 to $20 at 216-712-6926 or at the door. For more information, visit wordstagevt.com.
Lombardi: Cleveland Play House presents this intimate and often hilarious exploration of the life of the famous Green Bay Packers coach. Performances continue through October 7. Tickets are $49 to $69 at 216-241-6000 or online at clevelandplayhouse.com. The Allen Theatre is at 1407 Euclid Ave.
The Motherf**ker With the Hat: Dobama Theatre serves up a real mouthful: the dark, raucous comedy The Motherf**ker With the Hat. See critic Christine Howey's review in this issue. Performances continue through October 7 at 2340 Lee Rd. in Cleveland Heights. Tickets are $10 to $26 at 216-932-3396 or at dobama.org.
Proof: Lakeland Civic Theatre opens its 2012-2013 season with David Auburn's drama about genius, mental illness, and mathematics. Written in 2000, the play snagged both a Tony and a Pulitzer before becoming a 2005 movie starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Tony Hopkins, and Jake Gyllenhaal — not too shabby for a work built around a subject that put most of us to sleep in high school. Lakeland's production is directed by Martin Friedman. Performances are set for September 21 through October 7 at 7700 Clocktower Dr. in Kirtland. Tickets are $7 to $13 at 440-525-7134 or at the door. Learn more at lakelandcc.edu.
