Master Class Series Comes To Nighttown

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — Nighttown is launching a new event series called Master Class, which will see directors and other experts break down different musical topics. The first session in 2018 will be an in-depth look at Stephen Sondheim musical "Merrily We Roll Along."

The session will be led by Martin Friedman, an adjunct theater professor at Lakeland Community College and Baldwin Wallace. Friedman is also directing a production of "Merrily We Roll Along" that will debut at the Lakeland Civic Theater in February.

Friedman will discuss why "Merrily" flopped during its original Broadway run, flaming out after only 16 performances, and why it has become so beloved in the three decades since its debut. Friedman will be joined by music director Jordan Cooper and Lakeland cast members, who will perform songs from show.

"This is one of Stephen Sondheim’s most accessible and difficult scores. It is most certainly about friendship and its importance in the lives of three people," Friedman said in a press release.

The first Master Class will be held Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. A second session, on the same topic, will be held Jan. 22. Tickets are $10 per person and can be reserved online at at www.nighttowncleveland.com.

Nighttown said it would announce subsequent Master Class sessions soon. Each session will have different directors and different formats.

The Lakeland production of "Merrily" will open Feb. 2 at Lakeland Community College’s Rodehorst Performing Arts Center. The production will enjoy a three-week run.

Here are some highlights from a recent New York City production of "Merrily We Roll Along" that starred Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Photo from Google Earth