November 2020
Bringing you behind-the-curtain news and showing you how your donation makes a difference at Playhouse Square!
playhousesquare.org/support
A VIDEO MESSAGE FROM MICHELLE
Michelle Ryan Stewart Senior Vice President of Advancement
Click here for a special video message from Senior Vice President of Advancement, Michelle Ryan Stewart
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! DONOR RELATIONS STAFF Michelle Ryan Stewart Senior Vice President of Advancement 216-640-8410 michelle.stewart@playhousesquare.org
Sarah Stengel Partners Development Manager 216-640-8408 sarah.stengel@playhousesquare.org
Jason Bogdany Development Database Coordinator 216-640-8428 jason.bogdany@playhousesquare.org
Leanne Dewyer Assistant Director of Development 216-640-8411 leanne.dewyer@playhousesquare.org
Karen Bridegum Donor Services Coordinator 216-640-8419 karen.bridegum@playhousesquare.org
Meg Colwell Gift Processing and Data Entry Coordinator 216-640-8409 meg.colwell@playhousesquare.org
Mary Winchester Senior Manager of Development 216-640-8412 mary.winchester@playhousesquare.org
David Turner Donor Circle & Box Holder Relations Coordinator 216-640-8418 david.turner@playhousesquare.org
Claire Gliozzi Donor Relations Assistant 216-640-8413 claire.gliozzi@playhousesquare.org
Cheryl Helden Foundations & Major Gifts Manager 216-640-8406 cheryl.helden@playhousesquare.org Carrie Lombardo Development Manager 216-640-8417 carrie.lombardo@playhousesquare.org
Victoria Gray Donor Relations & Special Programs Coordinator 216-640-8422 victoria.gray@playhousesquare.org Annie Weiss Development Coordinator 216-640-8407 annie.weiss@playhousesquare.org
Steven Deliman Donor Relations & Special Projects Assistant 216-640-8426 steven.deliman@playhousesquare.org Katie Lang Donor Communications and Education Fund Coordinator 216-640-8664 katie.lang@playhousesquare.org
DONOR ANNUAL MEETING This year’s Donor Annual meeting was held via livestream on October 20. President & CEO Gina Vernaci and Board Chair Amy Brady gave an update on Playhouse Square. Vice President of Community Engagement & Education Daniel Hahn announced exciting new online content in a streaming performance and arts learning update. If you missed the meeting you can view it again here.
DONOR
CIRCLE
Leading Ladies connect create celebrate
We’ll miss you this year – enjoy the holidays!
Leading Ladies is all about making connections at Playhouse Square. We will one day be able welcome everyone back to our wonderful theatres, but in the meantime, we have been hosting
some fun virtual events! In June, the Ladies experienced a live virtual tour of the Lumen, from the safety and comfort of their homes. In October we hosted a Zoom Fall Gathering with President &
Sponsored by
CEO, Gina Vernaci and Vice President of Community Engagement & Education, Daniel Hahn. We look forward to our next virtual gathering soon.
Visit playhousesquare.org/leadingladies or contact Leanne Dewyer at 216-640-8411.
THE LUMEN IS COMPLETED Playhouse Square recently celebrated the completion of the largest residential project undertaken in downtown Cleveland in 40 years. Standing 396 feet tall on a oneacre site at the corner of Euclid Avenue and East 17th Street, the newly-constructed Lumen apartment tower offers residents commanding views of the city and Lake Erie, thoughtfully curated amenities and a spacious, fresh and healthy environment. Residents of the building’s 318 apartments enjoy 22,000 square feet of rejuvenating community amenities including: •
n outdoor terrace with gas grilling stations, fireside A lounge and heated lap pool
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Fitness center with on-demand classes and yoga studio
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B usiness center and workstations
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R ooftop deck and lounge with warming kitchen
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P et spa and dog run
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F irst-class, 24-hour concierge service
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ttached parking garage with a private entrance for A members
Anyone interested in scheduling a tour or learning more about becoming residents at The Lumen are invited to visit TheLumenCleveland.com or to call 216-508-7161.
EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AT PLAYHOUSE SQUARE A vital part of Playhouse Square’s notfor-profit mission is our commitment to advancing arts education. Despite the challenges COVID-19 has placed before us, that commitment is unwavering. For this season, Playhouse Square is adjusting its educational programming to serve students, teachers and families to fit current circumstances. With input from educators and parents, we have been working with artists and experts, and putting our skills to work in new ways, to deliver streaming content with the same dedication to quality and excellence that we have always had.
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e are grateful for the generosity W of donors, foundations and our board members which makes our educational programming possible.
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ith the help of students, teachers, W artists and experts, we are delivering quality streaming content for schools and the community.
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e will add to our sensory-friendly W content, presented by Denise G. and Norman E. Wells, Jr., a free, streaming concert and create a web page.
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e will help schools maintain their W musical programs through Disney
Musicals in Schools, presented by Dee and Jimmy Haslam, utilizing Disney’s “The Lion King Experience”, an immersive, project-based exploration of theater-making. •
T he Dazzle Awards program, presented by Pat and John Chapman, will be adjustedd for online master classes and streamed auditions for a Best Actress and Best Actor to represent Playhouse Square and Cleveland at the virtual Jimmy Awards, the National High School Musical Theatre Awards.
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I just had to email someone directly to say thank you for the opportunity for my students to see this play online. We had a field trip scheduled and all were really bummed we couldn’t go due to these unprecedented times. I have watched the pre and post- video activities and part of the play. I CANNOT wait to share this with my students. So to all of you at Playhouse Square, thank you! thank you! thank you!
Disney Musicals in Schools
The Dazzle Awards
– Emily, Teacher
Disney Musicals in Schools
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First off, I love that you’re doing this. Having been a special needs mom/caregiver for 20 years, it’s so refreshing to see this on a site that’s not exclusive to our children’s particular disability. I can’t tell you what that means to folks like me... I wish I could, but there aren’t words. It is everything! – Suzanne in Twinsburg
The Dazzle Awards
Dan and Claudia Zanes
FUN FACTS ABOUT PARTNERS 1. Partners was founded in 1990 when former Playhouse Square President & CEO Larry Wilker asked nine individuals to “create the future.” Two years and many jello shots later, Playhouse Square Partners was born!
PARTNERS TURNS 30! This year marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of our favorite young professionals group! To celebrate, we are sharing highlights from the last three decades.
2. The first Jump Back Ball was held on Saturday, February 29, 1992. The name “Jump Back Ball” is a play on Leap Day.
Celeste Martin and Amy Pappas
3. Members love Playhouse Square so much that several of them have become RedCoats. 4. In 2004, Partners Encore Society – previously known as Partners Leadership Society – was formed as a way to give members who give at higher donation levels more exclusive opportunities to experience Playhouse Square and network with local business leaders. 5. Partners have always understood the importance of getting young people involved at Playhouse Square – including children! They have created programs and events to get young children inside the theaters, and are some of the biggest advocates for Playhouse Square’s children’s programming.
Adam & Rebecca Fishman, Sandra & Guido Travaglianti at the 1980s Murder Mystery Party
Bridget Manke, Allen Kacenjar and the Radio City Rockettes
Encore Society Tour of KeyBank State Renovations
6. Jump Back Ball sells out every year, but the event broke a record in 2012, selling out in 10 days!
Volunteering at International Children’s Theater Festival
Partners Board 2012-2013
To learn more about the official young professionals group of Playhouse Square (ages 21-40), visit playhousesquare.org/partners or contact Sarah Stengel at 216-640-8408.
FUN FACTS ABOUT PARTNERS (cont’d) 7. Over the years, four Partners members have graduated to serve on Playhouse Square’s Board of Trustees: Sara Stashower, Larry Hatch, Neil Weinberger, and Margy Judd. 8. Partners have donated thousands of dollars in gift cards to the schools participating in the Disney Musicals in Schools program, helping them purchase costumes and set pieces for their productions. They’ve also shown their support to the teachers – who donate countless hours of their time to these productions – by providing them with care packages.
Partners Board 2019-2020
9. The 25th Annual Jump Back Ball raised a record-breaking net income of more than $186,000. These funds, and the funds from every year, benefit Playhouse Square’s community engagement & education initiatives. Christmas Eve in July Celebration
25th Annual Jump Back Ball
10. Since its founding, Partners has raised more then $4.7 million for Playhouse Square’s education initiatives!
• CLICK HERE •
FOR 30 REASONS TO JOIN PARTNERS Cindy Reville & Nikitha Sambamurthy at Shop Night
Wine & Paint Night
26th Annual Jump Back Ball
Jen & Clayton Smith, Sheri & Rick Terens
First Allen Theatre Restoration
PLAYHOUSE SQUARE DONOR
When the musical Beautiful came to Playhouse Square, I was very excited. My friends and I had always been Carole King fans. We all grew up in Western PA and had since moved away. Two of us are in the Cleveland area, one in West Virginia and one in Florida. We had always remained in touch through the 40 years since high school graduation but had not really seen one another all together since shortly after high school. When I learned of the musical coming to town, I immediately contacted everyone to see if they would be interested in getting together, along with their spouses, for a long weekend culminating in attending the show. Prime Playhouse Square seats were purchased and a memorable weekend was in the works. Although one couple could not stay in town for the show, they were in for the weekend. We had a fantastic weekend. True to Cleveland, it actually SNOWED on that weekend in April! None-the-less, my husband and I had a fantastic time showing all of the sites of Cleveland. Detroit Shoreway / Gordon Square and our home in Detroit Shoreway, the West Side Market, Little Italy, and of course, our fabulous Playhouse Square. The show itself was beyond incredible. The Carole King story and all of the music brought back many a memory, and certainly a nostalgic tear or two. The question – “in Cleveland????” was answered over and over again with – “YES! This is Cleveland” What a fantastic weekend we had showcasing “our” city (my husband and I are both
transplants) and recognizing that the arts in Cleveland are, in fact, world class. Thank you, Playhouse Square, for one of the most memorable weekends of my life. John McIntyre
1 The 2018 performance of Hamilton brought us back to season ticket holding! After waiting and listening for more than a year the performance was everything we hoped it would be! Beyond the masterful performance, the cast was so gracious and encouraging to my son Jonah, then 11, that he has talked of little other than pursuing his theater aspirations since! He even laughs that he’s “been photo bombed” by George Washington! Since the first performance I attended as a child more than 30 years ago Playhouse Square has held a special place in my heart. Sharing this love with my son is one of the greatest gifts of my life. We can’t wait to come back! Samantha Stump
2 Favorite memory – Going with my Brother and Sister and our families to see White Christmas! Rose Heathcote
3 We started taking our 5 children to Playhouse Square when they were young. I had worked to raise funds to save the theaters when in my 20’s!
Seeing the first Lion King with them as children and then this last Lion King with all of them again as adults was a great memory! Come From Away, Beautiful, and Hamilton are our favorites but we love many shows we’ve seen at Playhouse Square and on Broadway. Not being able to go to the shows is one of the hardest things about the Pandemic! Looking forward to attending shows again! Sarah Stratton Kesselem and Paul Kesselem 4 My fiance (soon to be husband) and I love Playhouse Square. We love it so much, in fact, that my fiance proposed to me right outside the theaters on Euclid Avenue! Attending PHS shows is our favorite date night, and we can’t wait until we can visit our beautiful theaters again soon! Katie Karpinski
5 For my son’s senior year of high school I bought a season ticket package so we could create some memories before he left for college. There were so many amazing shows! We loved them all. Our favorite performance was either Miss Saigon or Come From Away. We look forward to seeing more shows together in 2021. Christine Sivak
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My best memory of Playhouse Square is the first time Les Miserables came to Cleveland in the 80’s, when we were relatively new season ticket holders. I knew nothing about it, but my wife Donna had read the book and said the plot was a real downer, and she couldn’t imagine how anyone could think a musical could be made from it. With so many doubts, we struggled trying to figure who we could invite to go with us, and finally arranged with an older couple to join us. We went with low expectations, but at the end of the first act, with tears running down my face, I turned to Donna and said “If the second act is anything like the first, this is the best play I have ever seen!” The second act was also brilliant, of course, and we have gone back to see it time and time again when it returns to Cleveland. Our friends bought season tickets the next day. We have since enjoyed many outstanding performances at Playhouse Square theaters, but I will never forget the first play that really blew me away. Bruce Jackson
6 This is me and my grandson Gannon (then 6) at Billy Elliot in November 2010. He is now 16 and recalls fondly many performances I have taken him and his younger brother to over the years. Cathleen Graf I was 7th of 9 kids, so needless to say, my mom and dad didn’t have a lot of money to spend on any kind of family outings, much less a night at the theater. But in the early 1970’s when I was about 10 years old, Playhouse Square presented the Sierra Leone Dance Company and the tickets must have been either free or pretty darn cheap or the 11 of us probably couldn’t have attended. I remember my mom getting us dressed up, I so distinctly remember the exact moment when the lights dimmed and the crowd went silent and the curtain went up. A chill went up my spine as I had never seen a live show before and I knew in that instant I was hooked for life. I’ll also never forget my mom & dad’s faces when the women in this African dance
troupe appeared on stage topless, and the look in my teenage brother’s eyes as they worked to comprehend art, nudity, their Catholic upbringing… it was priceless. And kudos to my parents who just let them enjoy the beauty of the show! Margy Judd 7 Grandchildren at The Lion King! Joan & Bob Ellis On Dec 7th 1957, Joanie, my now wife of 58 yrs, and I had our first date at the State Theater, to see the movie, Around The World in 80 Days, starring David Niven. Tom Adler
WANT TO SHARE YOUR FAVORITE MEMORIES WITH US? What to submit: • What was your favorite performance? • Tell us about your favorite donor event. • Share a picture of you at Playhouse Square.
How to submit: Click here or email mary.winchester@playhousesquare.org Submissions may be shared on future Playhouse Square emails and social media outlets.
NEW APPAREL!
LIMITED EDITION!
Just in time for the holiday season, Playhouse Square branded apparel is now available online! Perfect for the theater lover on your list and a portion of the proceeds benefit Playhouse Square. The store will close Sunday, November 15 to ensure items will arrive in time for the holidays.
CHECK IT OUT HERE!
COMING SOON LAURA BENANTI LIVE FROM THE WEST SIDE Streaming Concert Series November 14
VANESSA WILLIAMS LIVE FROM THE WEST SIDE
JIM BRICKMAN PRESENTS COMFORT & JOY AT HOME
A benefit for Playhouse Square Streaming Event « December 5
Streaming Concert Series December 5
Playhouse Square
AT HOME
IN MEMORIAM In years such as this, we must make a concerted effort to see the light that seems hidden in the challenges of these overwhelming times. Amidst the darkness that has blanketed the theaters of Playhouse Square, this is especially true after the recent and devastating losses of John Lewis and Kevin Moore. And so it is with hearts that are heavy, yet grateful, that we pay homage to two exceptional men who not only embodied the spirit of Playhouse Square, but breathed life into its current foundation and ongoing evolvement.
John and Cathy Lewis at Dazzle the District, 2014
John Lewis was one of the founding fathers of Playhouse Square’s renaissance in the 1970’s and 80’s. He joined our board in 1976 and was elected chairman on July 2nd, 1980. Prior to accepting this leadership role, John discussed with his family the sacrifices he likely would make sitting at the helm of Playhouse Square during such a critical period. With the unanimous support of his family, John played the role of board chair with great gusto through 1985. So consequential were John’s contributions that in 2012, he received Playhouse Square’s prestigious Chairman’s Award, an honor typically reserved for industry insiders at the national level. John would have been 88 on October 25.
Kevin Moore and Baryn Yoon at Celebration Gala, 2011
At the age of 59, Kevin Moore left us far too soon. He joined Cleveland Play House as Managing Director in 2007 and left indelible marks on the organization throughout his tenure. He was instrumental in the building of the Outcalt and Helen theatres and renovating the Allen for CPH’s new home at Playhouse Square. He was a tremendous partner in creating a world-class theater district in downtown Cleveland and his commitment to CPH and the greater community was unwavering. He believed deeply in the unique role theatre can play in building community and in using the power of theater to promote civil discourse about significant issues.
Although John and Kevin are deeply mourned, during this time of Thanksgiving our hearts are full with appreciation for having two such men so intrinsically entwined in the fabric of Playhouse Square. It was a privilege to know them and an honor to celebrate their instrumental roles in Playhouse Square’s rich history. They will be missed.
Interlude Campaign
HELP KEEP PLAYHOUSE SQUARE THRIVING!
Our theaters may be dark, but the commitment to our mission endures. You can help make that possible.