The gift of 'Hamilton': Shaker High students make their history teacher's Broadway dream come alive by Andrea Simakis

History teacher Tim Mitchell wanted Lin-Manuel Miranda's John Hancock as a sort of war prize

Karamu House regains its nonprofit status, announces slate of shows for 2016-17 by Andrea Simakis

Karamu brass applied for reinstatement of the organization's 501(c)(3) designation on May 7, asking the IRS to expedite the request.

Akron's Actors' Summit shutting down after 17 seasons by Andrea Simakis

Theater going dark with the retirement of artistic director MaryJo Alexander.

'Hamilton' coming to Cleveland as part of Playhouse Square's 2017-18 KeyBank Broadway Series by Andrea Simakis

How far will you have travel to see this great American musical? New York? Chicago? Nah. Just head to Euclid Avenue.

Playhouse Square shutting down 'Phantom of the Opera,' 'Steel Magnolias' on Wednesday for Cavaliers celebration by Andrea Simakis

Playhouse Square brass, performers want to cheer the Cavs too.

Skillful reboot ushers a newly restrained, minimalist 'Phantom of the Opera' into the 21st century by Andrea Simakis

With "Phantom 2.0," creators Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh have satisfyingly reanimated a production that had become unavoidably moth-eaten around the edges.

New play on Tamir Rice shooting draws young actors with poise, passion (photos) by Andrea Simakis

"Objectively/Reasonable: A Community Response to the Shooting of Tamir Rice" to premiere in August.

Throwing light on the revamped 'Phantom of the Opera' and its signature chandelier (photos) by Andrea Simakis

Get a first look at the new "Phantom" chandelier.

The new 'Phantom of the Opera' opening Wednesday in Playhouse Square reimagines a Broadway warhorse (photos) by Andrea Simakis

Get a first look at the reimagined "Phantom" haunting Playhouse Square.

Is 'Hamilton' headed to Playhouse Square? You can bet on it. The question is when by Andrea Simakis

When will Cleveland see Lin-Manuel Miranda's white hot Tony-winning ode to Alexander Hamilton?

Cleveland had a leading role in the making of Eugene O'Neill's 'Long Day's Journey Into Night,' up for 7 Tonys by Andrea Simakis

The Tyrone family of "Long Day's Journey Into Night" is not simply inspired by Eugene O'Neill's actual clan, it is a supremely poetic diary entry, a "play of old sorrow, writt…

Tony Awards 2016: Best play, musical nominees, reviews by Andrea Simakis

Tony Awards 2016: Best revival of play, musical nominees, reviews by Andrea Simakis

Tony Awards 2016: Best actor, actress in musical nominees, reviews by Andrea Simakis

Tony Awards 2016: the play's the thing, best actor and actress by Andrea Simakis

Tony Awards 2016: 'Hamilton' is king but will it best 'The Producers' for most wins? by Andrea Simakis

Is it any surprise everyone has started calling this year's awards the Hamiltonys?

The hair is teased high and the good times roll in an uproarious 'Steel Magnolias' at the Allen Theatre by Andrea Simakis

"Steel Magnolias" is the big-haired, big-hearted production now running in Playhouse Square.

Women still lagging in behind-the-curtain theater professions, despite their ticket-buying clout by Andrea Simakis

Just how groundbreaking is "Steel Magnolias' " all-female design team?

Cleveland Play House, Playhouse Square co-production of 'Steel Magnolias' is a time for women to shine by Andrea Simakis

All-female design team to bring powerful (and powerfully funny) portrait of women's friendship to the stage.

Students sparkle in Dazzle Awards 2016 at Playhouse Square: Complete Winners List by Andrea Simakis

Two Northeast Ohio high school students will move on to national competition

Ensemble Theatre's 'Jerusalem' is a gloriously sprawling homage to William Blake and evisceration of 'progress' by Andrea Simakis

Sprawling over three acts, "Jerusalem" has the chewy, muscular language of a work by Eugene O'Neill.

'Wrestling Jerusalem' at Cleveland Public Theatre is one man's earnest, conflicted take on the Israeli-Palestinian quagmire by Andrea Simakis

On his first trip to Israel in 1993, a 25-year-old Aaron Davidman kissed the tarmac at the Ben Gurion airport, the asphalt burning his lips.

Great Lakes Theater offers a winsome, inventive reimagining of the off-Broadway classic 'The Fantasticks' by Andrea Simakis

Artful clowning and powerful artistry buoy the sturdiest soap bubble ever built at the Hanna Theatre

2016-17 season at Cleveland Public Theatre serves up Robert O'Hara's 'Barbecue' and presidential satire just in time for the election by Andrea Simakis

Also on tap: 'I Call My Brothers' and 'The Ghosts of Lote Bravo'

Aurora native Sean Grandillo celebrates three Tony nods for 'Spring Awakening' by Andrea Simakis

On Tuesday, the Aurora native learned Deaf West Theatre's remarkable production -- which also happened to be his Broadway debut -- had earned three 2016 Tony nominations.