Props! August 2021

THANK YOU FOR A GREAT SUMMER!

August 2021

Bringing you behind-the-curtain news and showing you how your donation makes a difference at Playhouse Square!

playhousesquare.org/support

The Choir of Man Presented by Penske Cleveland

IN THIS ISSUE

• Highlights of the past year • 15th Annual Golf Outing • Jimmy Awards • Legacy Circle • Corporate Donor Spotlight: Medical Mutual • And much more!

A MESSAGE FROM MICHELLE September has always been a favorite month of mine as it brings autumn leaves, football, sweater weather and, of course, Broadway! And this fall promises to be one to remember as we have the ability to enjoy live performances and events together.

On September 2, Partners will enjoy one of their first in-person events in more than 18 months. Hofbräuhaus will appropriately host the festivities where all of Cleveland’s Young Professionals are invited to reunite and celebrate.

Leading Ladies will gather on September 8 for their fall Kick-Off Event on the Amenities Deck of The Lumen.

Our unique locations such as the Hofbräuhaus and The Lumen are both

venues that are part of our mission – creating a destination that is a superior location for entertainment, business and residential living. It is fitting that the first event this fall on September 1 is to honor the person that helped create our Real Estate footprint. Tom Adler will receive the Falco Award at the 2021 President’s Dinner. The Award honors members of the Northeast Ohio community whose leadership, perseverance and dedication have contributed to the success of Playhouse Square. Congratulations and thank you, Tom. The thrill of reuniting with so many of you in person recently has been extremely gratifying. And the anticipation of seeing so many more of you when Broadway returns in October with the national tour launch of Disney’s The

Lion King is what drives so many of us each day.

Each and every one of you have been a gift to Playhouse Square throughout the dark days clouded by Covid-19.

While the road to recovery may not be perfectly smooth, rest assured that Playhouse Square is putting in place every health and safety protocol to ensure your return is comfortable and memorable. Thank you for sticking with us through the hard times and know that we are ready, willing and excited to welcome you back soon!

Michelle Ryan Stewart Senior Vice President of Advancement

Front cover: The cast of The Choir of Man perform an encore under the GE Chandelier.

DONOR RELATIONS STAFF Michelle Ryan Stewart Senior Vice President of Advancement 216-640-8410 michelle.stewart@playhousesquare.org

Karen Bridegum Donor Services Coordinator 216-640-8419 karen.bridegum@playhousesquare.org

Jason Bogdany Development Database Coordinator 216-640-8428 jason.bogdany@playhousesquare.org

Leanne Dewyer Director of Advancement 216-640-8411 leanne.dewyer@playhousesquare.org

David Turner Donor Circle & Box Holder Relations Coordinator 216-640-8418 david.turner@playhousesquare.org

Meg Colwell Gift Processing & Data Entry Coordinator 216-640-8409 meg.colwell@playhousesquare.org

Mary Winchester Assistant Director of Advancement 216-640-8412 mary.winchester@playhousesquare.org Cheryl Helden Foundations & Major Gifts Manager 216-640-8406 cheryl.helden@playhousesquare.org Sarah Stengel Partners Development Manager 216-640-8408 sarah.stengel@playhousesquare.org

Victoria Gray Donor Relations & Special Programs Coordinator 216-640-8422 victoria.gray@playhousesquare.org Annie Singer Development Coordinator 216-640-8407 annie.singer@playhousesquare.org

Claire Gliozzi Donor Relations Assistant 216-640-8413 claire.gliozzi@playhousesquare.org Steven Deliman Donor Relations & Special Projects Assistant 216-640-8426 steven.deliman@playhousesquare.org Katie Lang Donor Communications & Education Fund Coordinator 216-640-8664 katie.lang@playhousesquare.org

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PAST YEAR

2

$ MILLION More than

raised

through the Interlude

SAFER guest experience Cashless transactions

Digital tickets

Campaign: One-time

OPEN

donations from individuals and organizations to decrease the financial loss resulting from the 1,100 canceled and postponed performances.

and

91 leased

%

2020-21 School Year Completely remodeled

Served

4,274 classrooms Reaching

95,096 students + teachers in Northeast Ohio

Online playbills

GUEST RESTROOMS mezzanine + main floor

Replaced

2,700 SEATS

in auditorium

CONNOR PALACE renovations Auditorium + lobby

NEW CARPET taking design cues from the architecture

DRESSING ROOMS

modern restrooms, historic and contemporary finishes, updated dressing table and mirror lights

15TH ANNUAL PLAYHOUSE SQUARE GOLF OUTING Playhouse Square hosted its 15th Annual Golf Outing on June 7, 2021 at Westfield Country Club. The energy and excitement were high as we enjoyed one of our first in-person events of the calendar year! Trustees, donors, and corporate partners gathered for 18 holes of golf, on-course challenges, and an afternoon reception. While rain cut the day a little short, the event raised an incredible $32,000. All proceeds from the outing benefitted Playhouse Square’s growing virtual arts education programming.

Bill Royer, James Wilbanks, Lou Joseph, & Matthew Joseph

A special thanks go to our sponsors: Penske Cleveland Automotive presented the outing, Westfield hosted it, Union Home Mortgage, who provided our lunches, Medical Mutual, who supported our cocktail reception, and our hole sponsors – ABM, BakerHostetler, Calfee, Halter & Griswold, Cleveland State University, The Fedeli Group, Glenmede, Hughie’s, Integrity Parking Services, Roetzel & Andress, RSM, and Schindler Elevator.

Rick & Terry Desautels, Joan & Bob Ellis

Peter Waite, Sam Spittler, David Gipson, and Max Johnson – Lunch Sponsor, Union Home Mortgage

Scott & Amy Kuhn

INTRODUCING THE 2021-2022 PARTNERS CO-CHAIRS: REBECCA FISHMAN & ANNE FLEMING • Rebecca has been a member of Partners for 7 years and Anne for 6 years.

• They been a team for several years, having chaired the 29th Annual Jump Back Ball together.

Rebecca Fishman & Anne Fleming

E R ’ E W

BACK

• Anne and Rebecca both look forward to getting to know as many members as possible. If you see them at an event, make sure to introduce yourself!

• They are thrilled with the opportunity to lead Partners after a year of challenges and uncertainty.

Young Professionals Celebrate!

Thursday, September 2 6:00-8:30 p.m.

Hofbräuhaus Biergarten Learn more:

To learn more, visit playhousesquare.org/partners or email Sarah, Partners Development Manager, at sarah.stengel@playhousesquare.org.

Partners members experienced firsthand the encore performance under the GE Chandelier

On June 11, more than 40 Partners members and their guests attended the opening night of The Choir of Man Presented by Penske Cleveland. After a year of virtual events, they were glad to finally get together in person. Members enjoyed dinner in the biergarten at Hofbräuhaus prior to the performance.

Inspired by the show’s message, they grabbed a few drinks post-show at their favorite neighborhood pub, Parnell’s Pub.

Partners members at Parnell’s Pub post-show: Gina Ali, Anne Fleming, Gina Foti, Susan Kuilder, Jenny Tharp

Ryan Herman with Gina Vernaci, Playhouse Square President & CEO

Partners is the official young professionals group of Playhouse Square.

Their mission is to provide those in their 20s and 30s with unique social, leadership, and volunteer opportunities.

Partners members at Parnell’s Pub post-show

Partners members at Hofbräuhaus pre-show: Anne Markowski, Kim Merik, Cheryl Cervar, Stacey Phelps, Jenny Tharp

Anne Fleming & Gina Ali with The Choir of Man musical director & choreographer

ADAPTING OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS Last year, our Student Matinee Performances went virtual! Creating the Streaming Performances for Schools series allowed us to not only serve students throughout the pandemic, but to expand our geographical reach to additional counties and broaden the scope of students we serve. For example, by offering shows virtually, we were able to engage with students enrolled through the juvenile detention center who would not be permitted to attend in-person. In an effort to support our teachers in such an unprecedented year, our streaming performances were also paired with asynchronous, pre- and post-show content such as activities, artist Q&As, Behind the Scenes videos, Classroom Connection Workshops, and more – creating a full unit of instructional material for

teachers to connect to their curriculum.

The Classroom Connections Workshops (CCWs), which used to be limited in-school offerings available at an additional cost, are now included to all schools remotely with their registration, increasing our outreach capabilities and making the program more available to underserved districts. As part of the effort to fight systemic racism, the Social Justice series was created to provide age-appropriate shows which showcase perspectives from artists of color and address continued issues facing the nation. The creation of these pre-recorded CCWs will continue, as well as our streaming performances and social justice series.

STREAMING PERFORMANCES FOR SCHOOLS This season, we will be presenting both in-person performances and streaming performances. Streaming Performances will remain free for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, or $20 per class for non-CMSD.

SCHOOL MATINEE PERFORMANCES Oct 11-29, 2021 | Streaming Event

BILLY GOATS GRUFF & OTHER PUPPET TALES

Oct 25-Nov 12, 2021 | Streaming Event

2021 Dazzle Awards Best Actor winner Wilson Ha (Hawken School) and Best Actress winner Lauren Claxton (Wadsworth High School) represented Playhouse Square and Northeast Ohio during the 2021 Jimmy Awards, June 20-July 1. This year, all coaching, rehearsals, and activities took place online. The industry coaches who mentored the nominees included: JENNI BARBER, JANET DACAL, EDEN ESPINOSA, MARYANN HU, ADAM KANTOR, and ELISEO ROMÁN. MICHAEL McELROY was the coach coordinator.

The annual Broadway-focused talent showcase aired on July 15, 2021 and included medley and production performances by all 72 nominees from 36 regions around the US and featured solos by select finalists.

Wilson and Lauren were both featured as soloists in a production performance during the showcase. The Jimmy Awards was directed by Van Kaplan and choreographed by Kiesha Lalama.

Michael Moricz was the musical arranger and conductor, and Mary Jane Brennan was the writer. All four have been with the Jimmy Awards for all 12 years of the program.

The “Journey to the Jimmy’s” segment is featured during the third episode of BuzzCast. Exclusively for Playhouse Square Donors and Season Ticket Holders, BuzzCast is a backstage pass and front row seat to what’s going on at Playhouse Square. Tune in to see more behind the scenes footage from Wilson and Lauren’s Jimmy Awards experience.

Visit playhousesquare.org/BuzzCast to learn more.

CHARLOTTE’S WEB

Jan10-28, 2022 | Streaming Event

THE CARP WHO WOULD NOT QUIT & OTHER ANIMAL STORIES

SOCIAL JUSTICE SERIES Nov 1-19, 2021 | Streaming Event

CITIZEN JAMES, OR THE YOUNG MAN WITHOUT A COUNTRY Nov 15-Dec 17, 2021 | Streaming Event

COMMANDING SPACE: THE RISE OF ANNIE EASLEY AND THE CENTAUR ROCKET Jan 17-Feb 4, 2022 | Streaming Event

MEMPHIS

Feb 28-Mar 18, 2022 | Streaming Event

The Dazzle Awards will return live and in-person on May 21, 2022.

HARRIET TUBMAN AND THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

May 2 - 20, 2022 | Streaming Event

FIVE DAYS WITH STEP AFRIKA!

ON SALE NOW Oct 1-15, 2021 | KeyBank State Theatre

DISNEY’S THE LION KING

Dec 8, 2021-Jan 2, 2022 | KeyBank State Theatre

WICKED

Oct 6, 2021 | Mimi Ohio Theatre

Apr 13, 2022 | KeyBank State Theatre

CELTIC WOMAN – POSTCARDS FROM IRELAND

NURSE BLAKE

June 7-26, 2022 | KeyBank State Theatre

Oct 7, 2021 | Mimi Ohio Theatre

KeyBank Broadway Series

MY FAIR LADY

SEX N’ THE CITY: A (SUPER UNAUTHORIZED) MUSICAL PARODY Oct 8, 2021 | Mimi Ohio Theatre

TREY KENNEDY The Are You For Real? Tour Oct 29, 2021 | Mimi Ohio Theatre

FORTUNE FEIMSTER Nov 2, 2021 | Mimi Ohio Theatre

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 LIVE

Dec 8, 2021 | Connor Palace

DAVE KOZ AND FRIENDS CHRISTMAS TOUR 2021 Dec 10, 2021 | Hanna Theatre

THE UNCLE LOUIE HOLIDAY VARIETY SHOW Dec 12, 2021 | Connor Palace

STRAIGHT NO CHASER Back In The High Life Tour Jan 14-16, 2022 | Hanna Theatre

THAT GOLDEN GIRLS SHOW – A PUPPET PARODY

June 10, 2022 | Connor Palace

TOM SEGURA I’M COMING EVERYWHERE – WORLD TOUR Sep 23, 2022 | Mimi Ohio Theatre

CLANNAD – IN A LIFETIME – THE FAREWELL TOUR

Jan 21, 2022 | Connor Palace Nov 7, 2021 | KeyBank State Theatre

HASAN MINHAJ The King’s Jester

SET IT OFF

Jan 21, 2022 | KeyBank State Theatre

Nov 26 - 28, 2021 | Hanna Theatre

WINDBORNE’S THE MUSIC OF QUEEN

JIM BRICKMAN: THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS Nov 28, 2021 | Connor Palace

CLEVELAND POPS ORCHESTRA “HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS 2021” Dec 3, 2021 | Hanna Theatre

Feb 2-20, 2022 | Connor Palace JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR KeyBank Broadway Series Mar 2, 2022 | KeyBank State Theatre

THE PRICE IS RIGHT LIVE Mar 19, 2022 | KeyBank State Theatre

VIC DIBITETTO LIVE

ALTON BROWN LIVE: BEYOND THE EATS

Dec 4, 2021 | KeyBank State Theatre

Mar 24, 2022 | KeyBank State Theatre

THE GREAT DIVORCE

PANDORA PRESENTS DISNEY PRINCESS THE CONCERT

Nov 2-21, 2021 | Connor Palace

THE PROM

Mar 8-27, 2022 | Connor Palace

PRETTY WOMAN THE MUSICAL Apr 26-May 15, 2022 | Connor Palace

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD July 12-31, 2022 | Connor Palace

AIN’T TOO PROUD

Aug 11-Sep 11, 2022 | KeyBank State Theatre

DISNEY’S FROZEN* Tickets will go on sale this winter.

For a complete list of performances, visit playhousesquare.org/events.

We are excited to share that Playhouse Square will be part of the national tour of An Officer and a Gentleman on April 22-24, 2022. The An Officer and a Gentleman company and creative team spent four weeks in a bubble with us at Playhouse Square in November 2020 as they workshopped the show. This well-spent time with us gave them the opportunity to have a brand new show ready to go for the 2021-22 season.

UPCOMING DONOR EVENTS Save the date for these upcoming in-person events at Playhouse Square:

WE’RE BACK!

ANNUAL PRESIDENT’S DINNER

YP CELEBRATION

Honoring Tom Adler For Donor Circle members at the Gold Founder level and above.

Hosted by Playhouse Square Partners For Partners members and all young professionals (ages 21-40) in the community.

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Thursday, September 2, 2021 Hofbräuhaus Biergarten

LEADING LADIES 2021 KICK-OFF

RJF PRESIDENTS’ CLUB REOPENING

For Leading Ladies members.

Wednesday, September 8, 2021 The Lumen at Playhouse Square

CORPORATE AND FOUNDATIONS RECEPTION

From the Bicknell Fund: Nicole Lincoln, Gwynne Gretter, Samantha Crowley, Renee Van De Motter

For Donor Circle members at the Gold Founder level and above.

Accepting dinner reservations now for October 1, 2021 and beyond!

From Lubrizol: Abe Arenberg, Rich Bedell, Beth Grove, Abby Poulos

On August 11, members of our corporate donor and foundation community gathered to celebrate the return of live theater.

Guests enjoyed a pre-show cocktail reception, followed by a performance of The Choir of Man Presented by Penske Cleveland.

A LEGACY SUSTAINED

BY LEANNE DEWYER, DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT If this past year has taught us anything, it is that resiliency can be accomplished through perseverance, collaboration, and learning from the legacy of those who came before us. In March 2020, we quickly witnessed our theaters go dark in a matter of days as the th health and safety of our community took precedence. Our understanding of the future was unknown.

I wonder if this was what it felt like to those visionaries who, in the early 1970s, came very close to witnessing the destruction destruction of Playhouse Square’s historic theaters. At that time it was the weight of a wrecking ball, and a potentially hopeless cause, threatening the theaters’ demise as many were neglected and abandoned. The future was unknown. Sound familiar?

Yet the visionaries, who knew Playhouse Square needed to be saved and restored, did not let fate have its way. They banded together, persevered and triumphed in what may have seemed an impossible feat. The legacy of all who have come before us to remain resilient and imagine something greater continues to be Playhouse Square’s success story.

Fast forward 40 years. Our current day threat was the extreme weight of a world-wide pandemic, physically isolating our communities and bringing live performance to a halt for However, one fact remains very clear. There isn’t a wrecking ball big enough or pandemic wide enough that will take the one thing away that makes Playhouse Square so special – you!

Each donor, season ticketholder, volunteer, audience member, staff member, student, teacher, artist, musician and cast member is the legacy of Playhouse Square. The commitment, dedication, and passion are the exact right ingredients that fueled the rebirth 40 years ago and will continue to inspire Playhouse Square’s greatness now and for generations to come.

The Legacy Circle (formerly known as The Muse Society) recognizes those who have included Playhouse Square in their future financial plans. The legacy you leave to your family and community are important. There are many ways you can accomplish these goals through a planned gift.

Legacy Circle members, Larry and Linda Hatch, describe their plans as a way to continue their support of Playhouse Square.

“We are grateful for all that Playhouse Square has done for our community, and, in addition to our annual giving, we chose to make planned gifts of life insurance and a charitable gift annuity. None of it was very complicated to put in place, and all of it is a great way to support the capital and future needs of the organization!”

If you are interested in learning more, visit playhousesquare.org/legacy or contact Leanne Dewyer.

SPECIAL THANKS TO LARRY AND LINDA HATCH AND ALL LEGACY DONORS!

CORPORATE DONOR SPOTLIGHT:

MEDICAL MUTUAL

“

We know we’re supporting meaningful work. Theater is about human connection — something I know we’ve all been missing out on over the last year and a half. We know that the Covid-19 pandemic has had an especially devastating impact on the arts community. My favorite

PROUD TO SUPPORT PLAYHOUSE SQUARE

benefit of being a donor is the community benefit. It is seeing the arts make their comeback.

From the actors, playwrights and stage crew members, all the way to leadership, marketing and the RedCoats – you are the ones doing all of the heavy lifting. But when we support you, we get to be part of the magic, too.

ANDREA HOGBEN Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer and Playhouse Square Trustee

For Medical Mutual, supporting Playhouse Square isn’t just about a corporate responsibility to the community, it’s two-way street. What has developed into a true partnership, Medical Mutual has gone beyond their annual donation – they sponsor special events, galas, and supported the Advancing the Legacy capital campaign. In return, they’ve become our health insurer and have the chance to support an organization near and dear to many of their employees’ hearts. “As an organization comprised

of nearly 3,000 individuals, we are also your volunteers, season ticket holders, donors and superfans. Because our relationship is multifaceted, the ways we support Playhouse Square vary as well,” says Andrea.

As live theater has returned to Cleveland, Medical Mutual decided to give their employees the ultimate treat: they bought out several performances of show, The Choir of Man Presented by Penske Cleveland, that ended Playhouse Square’s extended intermission!

“

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Cleveland, OH Permit No. 2295

Playhouse Square Foundation 1501 Euclid Avenue Suite 200 Cleveland, OH 44115-2108

JOIN OUR TEAM! Ticket Scanners • Greeters • Ushers Tour Guides • Administration Learn more at playhousesquare.org/volunteering