CenterStage at the Jewish Community Center

When you walk into CenterStage, you might at first feel like you’ve taken a trip back in time — to high school.
The theater looks very similar to my high school’s auditorium, with large polyester curtains covering the windows and the audience sitting on risers.
But don’t let that stop you! The talent I’ve seen come out of this theater — which has created a name for itself over its past 100 SEASONS (wow!) for performing Broadway musicals — rivals performances I’ve seen in New York and Chicago.
The casts are truly phenomenal and fully committed to their characters. «Community theater» does not adequately fit this awesome establishment. They’re so good that you’ll easily forget you’re in an auditorium and become sucked into the production. And they really make the most of the stage with inventive sets.
I saw my first CenterStage production earlier this year with «Spring Awakening,» a very raw and edgy play that explored such topics as rape, puberty, incest, abortion and teen suicide. And as the artistic director said before the play started, CenterStage does not shy away from avant-​garde or controversial productions. They don’t change a play to make it more PC but use that as fodder to explore more profound and adult subjects.
I like that!
And full disclosure: I was comped a ticket to see «Spring Awakening,» so I wanted to make a return visit — with me paying my own way — before writing a review.
Happily, I was able to do that this last week, when I saw «Sweeney Todd.»
This is another one that has a bit of an edge, though I admit their production was not gruesome just for gruesome’s sake. They handled — ya know — Sweeney Todd cutting men’s throats with his straight razor thoughtfully. There wasn’t spurting blood, but rather, the shock value came from the actors’ performances — perhaps as it should be.
I also like that CenterStage partners with non-​profits on most of its productions. At «Spring Awakening,» the theater raised funds for the Center for Women and Families.
During «Sweeney Todd,» the theater was raising funds for itself — and more specifically, replacements for those ghastly curtains! Bravo!
But they could put up paisley bed sheets over the windows if they wanted to – I would still gladly come to their shows.

I’ve seen several shows staged by CenterStage.
Each one of them has been a pleasure to attend. I love that they don’t shy away from potentially offensive matter (I LOVE Avenue Q and Spring Awakening, but they aren’t the norm for community theater because of the language and subject matter). Kudos for doing shows that might not normally be done. It offers a broader variety and opens the company up to a wider audience.
I am sure I will be back!