Beck Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the 2011/2012 professional theater season, featuring six productions new to Northeast Ohio. "I am more than thrilled that the Beck Center will offer audiences so many opportunities to see local and regional premieres next season," says Artistic Director Scott Spence. "Six of the seven productions are either brand new to local audiences or have only been seen in national tours. As always, we are trying to offer great diversity in both title and content." 

The Marvelous Wonderettes, Sept 16 - Oct 16, 2011, Mackey Main Stage

Race, Oct 21 - Nov 20, 2011, Studio Theater

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Dec 2 - 31, 2011, Mackey Main Stage

Spring Awakening, Feb 3 - Mar 4, 2012, Mackey Main Stage

The Velocity of Autumn, Mar 23 - Apr 29, 2012, Studio Theater

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, May 25 - July 1, 2012, Studio Theater

Legally Blonde The Musical, July 6 - Aug 12, 2012, Mackey Main Stage

Click here for complete show descriptions.

Subscriptions for the 2011/2012 professional theater season can be purchased after May 15, 2011. Individual ticket sales begin August 1, 2011.

The Beck Center Dance Workshop participated in the All Ohio Dance Festival on Saturday, April 2 at Cuyahoga Community College East Campus. The festival is open to all Ohio dance schools and companies. Participants spent the afternoon attending several master classes followed by an evening concert featuring 13 companies from throughout Ohio. The Dance Workshop presented two pieces chosen by committee based on originality, technique, and style - Simple Gifts, choreographed by Beck Dance Workshop Artistic Director Melanie Szucs, and :=D, choreographed by Beck dance faculty member Megan Pitcher. We are extremely proud of our talented young dancers.

Beck Center's Parade the Circle ensemble is growing in numbers each week, and our wonderful artist directors, Darrelle Centuori, Stephen Chipps and Susan Gallagher are helping and guiding new participating artists to create their own special character for the parade at University Circle on Saturday, June 11, 2011.

Our theme this year is "TO THE MAX!", with participants drawing upon the colorful vibrant, psychedelic art of the self-proclaimed Guru of Peace, Love and Beauty; Peter Max.

Workshop days are Sundays, May 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29, from 3:30 to 5:30 pm at the Beck Center. If you've been thinking of joining us, please do so now, as the weeks are flying by and Parade the Circle will be here before you know it!

For more information email sgallagher@beckcenter.org.

BECK CAFE IS "MAXED" OUT!  Visit the Beck Café later in April to view the artwork of Peter Max. Owner Paul Sykes has selected pieces of Max's work from his private collection to share with Beck Center visitors. Please stop by and enjoy this blast from the past - running full speed into the future! And we hope this exhibition will serve as inspiration for our Parade the Circle artists as they prepare our "TO THE MAX!" entry for the parade. Peace!

Beck dance and theater students were introduced to the original choreography of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony Award- winning musical CATS at a "felinity" master class in early April. Over 80 Beck Center students participated in two individual workshops in the Recital Hall.

New York City actress and dance teacher, Lisa Kuhnen, a Beck Center alum and cast member of the international touring production of CATS, taught students how to move, react and behave like a cat for their upcoming roles in Beck Youth Theater's production of CATS on the Mackey Main Stage, May 13-21, 2011. This production is in collaboration with the Beck Center Dance Workshop.

Order your CATS tickets now!

Special thanks to CAST and the Dance Alliance for covering the cost of these workshops. Meow!

Area preschoolers will soon have more opportunities to experience the arts thanks to a $15,000 grant recently awarded to the Beck Center from the PNC Foundation. The donation, part of PNC's Grow Up Great initiative, is earmarked specifically to fund early childhood programming.

"The Beck Center is well respected for providing quality artistic programming to thousands of local preschool children each year, instilling in them the joy of music, dance, theater and visual arts at an early age," said Paul Clark, PNC regional president for Northern Ohio. "This in turn helps create stronger, smarter and healthier children. Through PNC Grow Up Great, our 10-year, $100-million effort in support of school readiness, we are working with organizations such as Beck to help prepare our local children for success in school and life."

Thanks to the grant, the Beck Center will partner with the West Side Ecumenical Ministry's Head Start program to offer dance, music, theater, and visual arts programs for children ages 3 to 4 years. In all, a total of about 100 children will benefit from the programs, which start in May and run through the school year.

"We are thrilled to receive this generous grant from the PNC Foundation," said Ed Gallagher, Beck's director of education. "The Beck Center is grateful to the PNC Foundation for believing in our programming."

"We will bring all four art forms into the classroom with the goal of expanding the students' experience while also providing in-service training for the teachers," said Gallagher. A cornerstone of the program, he added, will be providing resources - instructional aids, expertise and materials - for the teachers to use after the program has ended.

Learn more about the PNC Grow Up Great program.

At the Beck Center, you and your family are guaranteed to have a fun-filled summer while keeping your creative minds and spirits engaged. Sign up for half- and full-day camps and workshops in dance, music, theater, and visual arts.

Can't decide? There's even an arts sampler if you love all art forms!

New this summer, especially for music lovers, try our Fiddler's Camp, Singers' Camps, Songwriting Workshop, and World Beat Percussion Workshop. In addition, we offer more than 80 classes, lessons, and programs each week.

Have double the fun this summer! Register for two or more camps and save 10%*. Camps fill up quickly so don't delay - register today!

Download the complete summer catalog.

To register call 216.521.2540 x10 or stop by the Customer Service desk Mon-Thu 9 am to 8 pm and Fri-Sat 9 am to 5 pm.

*Restrictions apply. Call for details.