Happy New year, theatre-goers! Yes, it is a bit late for that sentiment. Nonetheless, it is a good new year, full of new performances for you and I to go see. Let’s have a short review of the Log for this year before I dive into the topic for this post, which is Jedlicka Performing Arts Center and their new production, “A Grand Night for Singing.”

We have some interesting plays going on right now in several places. The Jackie Alexander play “The Legend of Buster Neal” is up right now at eta Creative Arts- Jackie is an award winning playwright whom eta has worked with before, namely on last year’s production of “Birthright”. Jackie’s plays are not something to miss! Also going on at the moment is Court Theatre’s new adaptation of Ralph Ellison’s classic “Invisible Man”, which is an epically proportioned performance that may catapult this text into award-winning theatre. Let’s not forget the Hyde Park Players who charm us with their homey-styled performances. Two Inge plays are going up at once with HPP- go out and support the little guys who make the real theatre world proud.

Finally, we get to Jedlicka Performing Arts Center, out on the fringe of the Weekly’s territory. JPAC is always putting up exciting productions of musicals, such as last year’s “Phantom”, which employed more gallons of fog machine liquid than actors- not to downplay the magnificence of the performance itself.

If you enjoy a large musical feeling without wanting to go downtown and paying through the nose to get it, head over to JPAC. Their current production, “A Grand Night for Singing”, is a revue of Rodgers and Hammerstein tunes, sure to give you that happy, old theatre world feel, sure to make you dance into the streets when it’s over. Here’s an interesting version of the revue, as performed at the University of Kentucky: http://youtu.be/jFpza3lVep8 . JPAC is sure to bring a similar, large musical feel to the play. S

One of the great things about JPAC is that it is located at a small college, which ensures that the students get to see quality theatre on a regular basis. Support for JPAC always feels good.

Go out and see a play before the winter comes back and snows us all in!

-Eric Shoemaker

The Log:

A Grand Night for Singing @ JPAC: Jan 13-28

Downward Facing @ Dream Theatre: Jan27-Feb20

Bittersweet Love: Two One-Act Plays- Glory in the Flower & The Strains of Triumph @ Hyde Park Players: Feb 10-12

Invisible Man @ Court Theatre: Jan12-Feb19

The Legend of Buster Neal @ eta Creative Arts: Jan12-Mar4

A Weekend of Original Workshops @ University Theater: Feb2-4

Drawer Boy @ Filament Theater: Jan19-Feb25