'Liberace!' To Premiere At Theatre In The Circle

From TIC: Next up for Cleveland’s Theatre in the Circle is a lavish production of Brent Hazelton’s Liberace!, a solo-performer tour de force story starring virtuosic pianist and actor David Maiocco as the uniquely American icon and “Mr. Showmanship.” Liberace! runs February 14th through 17th, 2019, with all shows taking place at Judson Manor, 1890 E. 107th Street. Tickets are available in advance online at http://www.theatreinthecircle.com, or at the door ($20 general admission; $18 seniors 65 and up; $12 students).

Performance Schedule
Thursday, February 14 7:30 pm
Friday, December 15 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 16 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 17 2:00 pm

Says Theatre in the Circle’s Artistic Director Bill Corcoran: “With this production of Liberace!, we’re reclaiming the memory of a marvelously unique and completely original performer. His legendary appearances at Cleveland’s storied Front Row Theater are still remembered.”

“Liberace was relegated to the fringes of relevance by the circumstances and timing of his death. He was both a wonderful conversationalist and a fascinatingly complex and elusive subject.” Wladziu Valentino Liberace made millions of dollars entertaining audiences with his flamboyant performances, but there was a lot more to the man than rhinestones and candelabra. His controlling father wanted him to be a concert pianist, but failed to recognize his son’s need and ability to entertain audiences. Lee created his own persona who brought classical music into America’s living rooms with humor and style.

Liberace! is a moving and highly entertaining tribute to the performer and musician famous for his charm, glitz, and glamour. On a set reminiscent of his celebrated television program, Liberace relives the highs (and lows) of his prolific life, revealing the real person behind the persona of an enormously talented and acclaimed performer in American history. Interwoven with a rollicking piano score spanning classical and popular music from Chopin to “Chopsticks,” and Rachmaninoff to Ragtime, this solo-performer tour de force is the story of the life of a uniquely American icon.

Adds Theatre in the Circle Managing Director Mark Corcoran: “Liberace! will touch hearts and minds and will certainly be a feast for the senses. In the Liberace style of ‘more is not less, but more’ we are importing a $20,000 costume collection for this show. Some are exact replicas of Liberace’s performance costumes and some have been built to evoke the Vegas heyday of his career. Our star, David Maiocco, is a brilliant pianist in addition to being a gifted actor. This is a special production.”

Image via Shuttershock