'Murder' and 'Jorgensen' bring 1950s to 2025 on Playhouse Square

IF YOU GOWHAT: "Dial M for Murder" / Great Lakes TheaterWHEN: Through Nov. 9 (times vary)WHERE: Hanna Theatre, 2067 W. 14th Street, Playhouse Square, ClevelandTICKETS: $18 to $118INFO: (216) 241-6000 or ClevelandPlayhouse.com IF YOU GOWHAT: "The Christine Jorgensen Show" / Cleveland Play HouseWHEN: Through Nov. 16 (times vary)WHERE: Outcalt Theater, next to Ohio Theatre, 1511 Euclid Ave., Playhouse Square, ClevelandTICKETS: $30 to $90INFO: (216) 241-6000 or boxoffice@clevelandplayhouse.com LGBTQ+ seems to be going mainstream with two great shows running this month on Playhouse Square. 'Dial M for Murder' Yes, it's (mostly) the same Frederick Knott play turned into the 1950s Alfred Hitchcock 3-D movie thriller starring Grace Kelly. But with a few extra twists and turns, Great Lakes Theater's "Dial M for Murder" ascends into a new realm of intrigue and timeliness. It's hard to review a murder mystery without giving away the layered mystery, but in a new adaptation by Ohio's own Jeffrey Hatcher (from Steubenville), a pivotal romantic dalliance that results in a blackmail attempt and darker consequences involves a secret romance between two women, quite a departure from the male/female norm of the early 1950s. Hatcher is smart enough not to allow the play to become ABOUT gender, but this conceit does add a fresh lens to a familiar genre. Sara Bruner directs with naturalness, smartly seasoned with the right dramatic punches and even canny musical punctuation. The audience remains riveted throughout. Performances are likewise top notch, but Nick Steen manages a multidimensional rendering of a finagling husband who may be up to something worse than matrimonial betrayal. Perhaps the only questionable choice is by set designer Jeff Herrmann, leaning a bit too heavily on the Mid-Century Modern chic. Although it may be suitable for Palm Springs or a Scandinavian retro store, it's a bit jarring for upper-class London in the 1950s. Likewise, Darrin J. Pufall Purdy's otherwise striking costumes run the gamut between Broadway "Guys and Dolls" and the later 1950s Hollywood "Guys and Dolls." But in light of a production that draws the audience into its own unique world and doesn't let go until curtain call, the matter of aesthetic authenticity seems secondary to the sheer joy of old-fashioned theater in a new-fashioned light. 'The Christine Jorgensen Show' Even today, general audiences might see a blurry line between a true transgender woman and a transvestite or drag queen. If anything, Cleveland Play House's "The Christine Jorgensen Show" sharply defines the utter uncampy nature of the former. In fact, the character of the show's title, ostensibly the world's first transexual woman (as it was termed in the 1950s), was exceedingly shy and reserved. A New Yorker of Scandinavian heritage, Jorgensen was thrust into the national spotlight and spent most of her life negotiating celebrity status reluctantly, at least according to Donald Steven Olson's intriguing new drama with music (having its initial full production last year at New York's LGBTQ+ Theatre). As the anthem more than a decade later goes, "Life is a Cabaret." So what better way for Jorgensen to realize her ascension from "Headline to Headliner" (as her mentor, accompanist and costar promises her) than a club revue? So goes the dramatic thrust of the play, with exceptionally talented singing, dancing, piano-playing Scott Ahearn greeting authentic Augustine Lorrie as the alarmingly timid Jorgensen in his homely New York studio and proceeding to coax heretofore unimaginable talent and personality from the sometimes sullen would-be star in preparation for a club act that might be destined for Las Vegas. But for this play, the studio stage set, craftily and realistically realized by designer Riw Rakkulchon, spins around into the intimate stage of a nightclub in ... Pittsburgh, where the show behind "The Christine Jorgensen Show" had its humble beginnings. This second part of the play (with no intermission) recreates a rather middling revue of middling original songs and dances by playwright Olson with additional music by Mark Nadler that at their best capture the spirit of late Tin Pan Alley as well as capture the enigma of the star who performs them. Ultimately, the whole play -- and its show-within-a-show -- is satisfyingly elevated by the entire Play House production quality, steadfastly paced by Artistic Director Michael Barakiva's direction. Scott Ahearn more than ably doubles as the production's musical director, and he infuses as much energy and style to the musical numbers as he does to his performance as the struggling vocal, dance and personality coach for the titular character. No, Christine Jorgensen is not Liza Minnelli, but she was and is a fascinating personality, and so is this show reflecting her unique showbiz journey. 'Dracula' Although not a theater work per se, The Cleveland Ballet's recent successful production of "Dracula" last week was a canny reminder of how a narrative ballet brings the best of dance and the best of storytelling together in a highly entertaining piece. It also reminds us that there's a lot more to the reborn Cleveland Ballet than another go-round of "The Nutcracker" (Dec. 12 through 21 at Playhouse Square's Connor Palace Theatre). By all means, enjoy the company's rich, full season. Contact Howard Gollop at howieeg@gmail.com.