The Breakup Notebook, February 22 - March 22
Dive back into the dating pool with Helen Hill, a 33-year-old lesbian who has recently been dumped by her girlfriend. With the help of her best friend, Bob and gal pals, Monica and Joannie, Helen goes on a series of dates from hell as she searches for the girl of her dreams.
This is the first production of this new musical outside of California or New York. Originally a play, the musical version made its world premiere at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood. Written by Patricia Cotter with music and lyrics by Lori Scarlett, The Breakup Notebook received the 2006 LA Ovation Award for Best New Musical and a standing ovation this past fall at the Festival for New Musicals in New York City – an annual invitation-only event sponsored by the National Musical Theatre Alliance (NAMT) and attended by theater producers from around the world.
Although entitled "The Lesbian Musical", Cotter believes The Breakup Notebook is "a universal show" and the reactions of audience members leaving the NAMT performance confirmed this as they confessed that "everybody's been through a breakup." The author thinks the songs that pertain specifically to lesbian affairs will connect with all audiences. Scarlett's songs have a "contemporary girl-band feel" and are "witty and tuneful" according to a Backstage review.
"Beck Center is truly excited to welcome back to the area composer Lori Scarlett who is teaming with her long-time colleague Vicky Bussert on this production," exclaimed Scott Spence, Beck's Artistic Director. "The life of a musical on its way to the top is always the most amazing of adventures, and the stop at Beck for The Breakup Notebook promises to be a fruitful one as the show continues to be reworked and refined. With a New York production a very strong possibility, I recommend you see it now while it's in Cleveland."
This premiere production is directed by acclaimed director, Victoria Bussert who is Resident Director of the Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Artistic Director at Cain Park and a Professor and the Director of Music Theatre at Baldwin-Wallace. She has directed locally at The Cleveland Play House, Cleveland Opera and Porthouse Theater; as well as shows regionally, national tours and internationally. The Breakup Notebook features Jodi Dominick as Helen with a talented supporting cast including Tracee Patterson *, Devon Yates, Libby Servais, Eric Van Baars, Kayce Cummings, Alison Garrigan, and Kim Godfrey.
Tickets are $28 for adults, $25 for seniors, $17 for students (22 and under with I.D.). Special group rates are available for groups of 13 or more. To reserve tickets, contact the Beck Center box office at (216) 521-2540 or online at www.beckcenter.org. Beck Center for the Arts is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. Free, convenient on-site parking is available.
This show is sponsored by Cox Communications, WCPN 90.3FM ideastream, FreeTimes and the Ohio Arts Council. Programming at the Beck Center is made possible through the generous support of The Cleveland Foundation, The George Gund Foundation, The John P. Murphy Foundation, The Kulas Foundation, The Eva L. & Joseph M. Bruening Foundation, The Abington Foundation, and the Thomas H. White Foundation. The Beck Center gratefully acknowledges the citizens of Cuyahoga County for their support through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.
*Actor appears courtesy of the Actors Equity Association (AEA), the union of actors and stage managers.
