Upstage Produces Fiddler on the Roof

UpStage Players, now in its 23rd year, will produce Fiddler On The Roof, Jr. on March 24 and 25 with a Sunday afternoon matinee on March 26th.  Evening performances are at 7:30, doors open at 7 p.m. and the matinee is at 2:30 with the doors opening at 2 p.m.  Enjoy the performance at the Cleveland Public Library Lakeshore Facility, 17109 Lakeshore.  The stage will be shared by 54 children in cast and crew as well as a welcome back for alumni from the 23 years. 

UpStage Players is unique in that it is an all-volunteer group which has put together a variety of Broadway Shows through the years with an estimated of over 3500 children participating through the years.  Some have gone on to perform in community theatre with, Brandon Fleming, just completing his third cruise ship tour as an entertainer.  Many participate in their high school musical programs with this year seeing Corbin Gray, Luke Johnson, Lauren Banasik and Liz Toth in Euclid’s Big Show, Foot Loose.  Corbin, a junior, will be featured as the lead.  Lake Catholic will also produce Fiddler On The Roof in April with former UpStager Maria Woijtila playing Golda and Euclid resident and UpStage alumni Meghan Bretz and Thomas Sweet also in the cast.  St. Joseph Academy will feature Mary Walsh-Hilf in their spring production.  UpStage is proud of all the hard work by both present and former members.

In addition to being on the stage a Builders Club sponsored by Kiwanis Club #2 of Cleveland works diligently throughout the year visiting nursing homes, making blankets for residents and its latest endeavor creating a Little Free Library that will be located at O. H. Perry School off 185th Street.  When the UpStagers learned of the library concept, they took on the task of building one that is a small theatre.   The group will partner with the Kids’ Book Bank to provide books that students may take with some of those books dealing with the performing arts.  The Little Free Library movement is a global phenomenon. In Cleveland, the Kids’ Book Bank provides free books to children in need through distribution partners – organizations, schools and Little Free Libraries. They support approximately 80 libraries in neighborhoods where kids need more access to books. To learn more, visit kidsbookbank.org.  It is a thrill that both groups will work to provide books to the children of North Collinwood.

We hope your schedule permits you to be part of the applause in March as we enjoy a Tradition of Theatre!