LAKEWOOD, Ohio — It’s showtime at the Beck Center for the Arts in Lakewood today as the center gears up to host the show, "Razzle Dazzle: Unpause and Rewind.”
“Razzle-dazzle is an amazing musical, theatrical, acting drama stage experience,” said Ed Gallagher, Director of Education at the Beck Center for the Arts.
The all-encompassing musical performance was an idea turned reality 20 years ago. As Gallagher explained, “it is somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 songs all spliced together. Some are five to 10 seconds and longer, some are 30 seconds in length, and it is music from all the genres, all eras, all styles.”
Sue Duffy recalled past shows and the discussions surrounding the need to create something for adults with developmental disabilities.
“We started out trying to offer an opportunity, but we ended up creating a community,” Duffy said. “One of my favorite things about razzle dazzle from week to week during the rehearsals is watching the interactions between cast members.”
Now, the show includes about 34 adult actors.
“None of our actors or our cast or crew do this for a living. This is all a hobby for them, this is fun for them, this is a leisure skill for them,” Gallagher said.
The Razzle Dazzle experience is one of a kind, and as Duffy explained, “it’s something that you make time for.”
The Razzle Dazzle kicks off Friday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for that show are $15. The two free shows on Saturday are sold out, but you can purchase tickets to an online stream of the performance here.
