Clutch MOV

05/09/2023

Hi friends!👋 Did you know that you can still support Clutch MOV's mission of celebrating local culture, creativity, and community by following and supporting Clutch Collective? While the mission is met in a different way, the Collective aims to contribute to the creative culture here in the Mid-Ohio Valley by supporting local artists and musicians, bringing in new art, and hosting small scale events, including live local music and solo-exhibits.

Clutch Collective also recently revamped our monthly newsletter to include more on what's happening in our local creative community!

Follow along on Facebook: Clutch Collective
Instagram: www.instagram.com/clutchcollectivemov
And sign up for our newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/clutchmov/clutch-collective-sign-up

We miss you, readers, but we hope you'll still enjoy what we bring the MOV through Clutch Collective! 🧡

07/16/2022

🎵 Renegade Rebellion Music Festival premiered at the West Virginia Motor Speedway in Mineral Wells on Saturday, July 9th. The festival was originally scheduled for last September but was postponed due to the pandemic. The festival provided a full day jam-packed with stellar artists.

The West Virginia Motor Speedway is located at 2 Matheny Dr in Mineral Wells, WV, and was recently reopened after closing in 2013. New manager and promoter, Cody Watson, along with support from speedway owners, PM Company in Vienna, have breathed new life into the track after a several hundred thousand dollar renovation.

Artists included local singer Jake Binegar, Arlo McKinley, The Davisson Brothers, Seaforth, Trey Lewis, Lainey Wilson, and Tracey Lawrence.

Several artists and event organizers wandered through the crowd greeting fans and guests when they weren’t busy on stage or on duty. Watson was seen upgrading a few lucky guests’ tickets to VIP or providing meet and greet opportunities between the performers and guests. The overall atmosphere of the festival was upbeat and joyful. Everyone in attendance just seemed genuinely happy to be there, from the entertainers to the guests to the staff themselves.

🙌 Read the full story: https://clutchmov.com/renegade-rebellion-country-music-festival/

✍️ Story by Miranda Brace
📸 Photography by Michelle Waters Photo

07/14/2022

This Saturday, Marietta Main Street is hosting their Christmas in July Bar Crawl! 🍻🎅 Join MMS on Saturday, July 16th from 2pm - 6pm. Downtown restaurants will be offering drink specials to participants as they spend the afternoon in beautiful Downtown Marietta. Tickets are $15 each and do not include the cost of drinks.

Participating restaurants include:
🍺 740 Social
🍺 The Original Pizza Place
🍺 Gator's Easy Wind Pub
🍺 The Galley
🍺 Riverfront Bar & Grill
🍺 Over the Moon Pub & Pizza
🍺 Town House

Get your tickets today or at the door! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/christmas-in-july-bar-crawl-tickets-383413158077

Join us for our Christmas in July bar crawl. Enjoy special drinks at discounted prices in several downtown establishments.

07/09/2022

Renegade Rebellion Country Music Festival takes center stage today for a day full of chart topping country music, at the WV Motor Speedway in Mineral Wells! Check out for more info! 🙌 Photographer is on the scene, stay tuned for more!

📸 by

06/24/2022

Kiss Me Kate opens tonight at the Peoples Bank Theatre! Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate is a musical comedy set in 1950s Baltimore, Maryland. A “show within a show,” the play portrays nearly every cast member in two different roles: as an actor in a traveling vaudevillian theatre troupe, and a character performing a musical production of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

In Kiss Me, Kate, egotistical director and producer Fred Graham plays Petruchio opposite his movie-star ex-wife, Lilli Vanessi, who is playing Katherine. Their constant arguments include the fact that Fred is pursuing Lois Lane, a younger actress playing Bianca. After the troupe rehearses for the evening’s opening show, we meet Bill, Lois’s boyfriend who plays Lucentio. He missed the rehearsal to gamble away a large sum of money. Lovers’ quarrels and the arrival of two gangsters looking to collect their pay ensue.

You have five chances to see this outstanding production, beginning with tonight's show at 8:00 pm. You won’t want to miss it! Grab your tickets at www.peoplesbanktheatre.com

📸 🙌 Photography by Michelle Waters Photo

06/16/2022

As they say in the forest, “free yourself of humduggery” and join the cast of Robin Hood at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players opening Friday June 17 at 7:00 pm. Your adventure includes a romp through Sherwood Forest, a night at the Blue Boar Tavern, and visits to the castle while you are immersed in the action as the cast uses the entire theater to bring this classic play to life. Directed by Amber Smrek with assistance from Angela Shrader and Sherri Knapp, the Players bring to life the adventures of a merry band of thieves under the direction of Robin Hood (or perhaps the beguiling Maid Marian) who steal from the rich and give to the poor all while thwarting the evil Sheriff.

But don’t let the idea of “classic” dissuade you from attending. This version of Robin Hood is hysterical with lots of biting sarcasm and action and even some drunken revelry. Ms. Smrek and her team choreographed an abundance of fight scenes. The cast fights with everything: long swords, short swords, large sticks, swords in one hand, swords in both hands. If they can fight with it, they do, with enthusiasm!

Read more: https://clutchmov.com/movp-presents-robinhood/

✍️📸 Story and photos by Cheryl Stahle

06/11/2022

Last night kicked off the first Black Diamond Music & Arts Festival at Hocking College! 🙌 Friday night’s lineup included stellar performances by The Steel Woods, Marty Stuart, and Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, to name a few.

Today, you can catch Nathan Whit, Sunny Sweeney, the Late Nite Drivers and more, with performances starting at 1:00pm.

Clutch MOV writer and photographer Olivia Reeder captured these photos from Day 1! Stay tuned for more coverage!

📸 by Olivia Reeder

06/08/2022

Parkersburg Pride is pleased to host their 4th annual family-friendly PrideFest in the area around the Band Shell at Parkersburg City Park on Saturday, June 11 from noon to 4:00 pm. This event is an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate Pride Month, which has been observed since 1970.

Jacob Collins, who performs as Lucy Lipps & serves as the VP of Parkersburg Pride (a 501c3 non-profit), said the group has been hard at work to bring this year’s PrideFest back. “Parkersburg Pride is committed to building community and providing the area with fun and inclusive events that allow residents of the MOV and beyond a chance to celebrate the beauty of diversity.”

Parkersburg Pride is pleased to host their 4th annual family-friendly PrideFest in the area around the Band Shell at Parkersburg City Park on Saturday, June 11 from noon to 4:00 pm. This event is an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate Pride Month, which has been observed sin...

06/06/2022

This summer, Hello June's schedule is full of shows in the Mid-Atlantic/SouthEast part of the United States. They will return to cities like Columbus (OH), Huntington (WV), Ashland (KY), and Marietta (OH) as well as visit new territory along the way. The band is excited to kick off the summer, beginning with their return to Marietta, Ohio at the Town House with Sockdolager and Roy F. Bush on June 11th, 2022. The band’s last Marietta show was at The Adelphia Music Hall with Angela Perley in 2019 for her album release, so they are eager to return.

Hello June first came onto the national scene in 2017 with their first EP, Spruce. From that EP, “Dance” was featured by NPR Music’s Heavy Rotation, putting Hello June into the airwaves of many across the United States. In 2018, Hello June was featured as an NPR Slingshot Artist, alongside Pho...

06/06/2022

This morning, Putnam Chocolate announced it would be closing effective July 30, 2022 after 27 years in business.

"It has been an incredible journey and [Shane] wants to thank all the people who have supported him since the beginning and all the friends he has made through the years. Being a part of the Marietta downtown business community has been a truly wonderful experience and he will remember each and every person who made his business a great success. It has been so rewarding to know that everyone that came into his business left with a smile and some sweets. Thank you all!" the Facebook post shared.

Thank YOU, Shane, for serving the community and making life in the Mid-Ohio Valley that much sweeter! ❤️❤️

📸 Photos by Knobel Photography

06/03/2022

🍀 The Camp Hervida Board and its Planning Committee invite past, present, and future campers to come to Camp Hervida for an event designed to celebrate 100 years of camping tradition on this beautiful property located at 1260 Camp Hervida Road in Waterford, Ohio. The celebration takes place Saturday, July 2nd and Sunday, July 3rd. Most activities throughout the weekend are free for everyone to enjoy.

There is something for everyone. Some of the activities include: browsing through photos, crafts, guided hikes, guided creek walks, swimming, meals in the dining hall, an ice cream social, flag-raising/lowering, a vespers program, campfire, and camp dances! A full schedule is available at www.camphervida.org.

The Camp Hervida Board and its Planning Committee invite past, present, and future campers to come to Camp Hervida for an event designed to celebrate 100 years of camping tradition on this beautiful property located at 1260 Camp Hervida Road in Waterford, Ohio. The celebration takes place Saturday,....

06/03/2022

The PAC 713 Market is excited to bring small venue performances to their space. On Saturday, June 11 the 2022 West Virginia Folk Artist of the Year is coming to the Parkersburg Art Center’s shop at 7:00 p.m. as part of his statewide storytelling tour.

Join storyteller Adam Booth in concert as he presents historical West Virginia tales featuring Tony Beaver, our native son lumberjack in a program called The Tall Tales of Tony Beaver! The program is free and open to the public.

Adam says, “The stories are suitable for a general audience (ages mid-elementary school through late adulthood), so bring the family and friends. On this tour I will be sharing old, rarely heard West Virginia tall tales about our giant lumberjack.”

Read more: https://clutchmov.com/free-storytelling-program-the-tall-tales-of-tony-beaver/

06/03/2022

The Marietta City Schools’ Board of Education is in the process of recruiting a new superintendent and has scheduled Focus Group Sessions on June 3, June 7, and June 17 to facilitate discussion with staff and community members.

“Our goal is to increase the accessibility of these input sessions and allow for the public and our staff to share openly and honestly,” shares Board Vice President Sam Tuten. “By bringing each of these groups into the room, we can create a holistic picture of what Marietta seeks in the next leader for Marietta City Schools to make an informed selection.”

Board Vice President Sam Tuten and Board Member Cody Parman will host a survey station on the Armory Lawn, 241 Front Street, during Marietta Main Street’s First Friday festivities downtown on Friday, June 3rd.

The anonymous survey is hosted by the board’s partner in the superintendent search, the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA), for all district families, staff, and community partners to share the specific experiences and leadership skills the Marietta community needs in the next leader of the school district.

Read more: https://clutchmov.com/marietta-city-schools-to-host-focus-groups-in-superintendent-search/

06/01/2022

Clutch Collective, an art retail shop located in downtown Marietta, announces the opening of its first solo exhibit featuring Marietta artist Joe Ryckebosch. A reception will be held on Thursday, June 2nd from 5:00 to 7:00 pm to celebrate the exhibit’s opening.

The exhibit is called “Altered Images” and features dozens of Ryckebosch’s original mixed-media works. “This work is a collection of found imagery, wherein graphic art tape and assorted mixed media have been used to redirect the original intention of the piece,” said Ryckebosch.

Read more: https://clutchmov.com/clutch-collective-hosts-solo-exhibit-opening-featuring-local-artist-joe-ryckebosch/

Clutch Collective, an art retail shop located in downtown Marietta, announces the opening of its first solo exhibit featuring Marietta artist Joe Ryckebosch. A reception will be held on Thursday, June 2nd from 5:00 to 7:00 pm to celebrate the exhibit’s opening. The exhibit is called “Altered Ima...

06/01/2022

Jimmy Carrano, the owner of Jimmy Avocado's, has been cooking for pretty much his entire life. When he was growing up, his father ran restaurants and he would go in and do prep work with him for extra money. He began regularly working in restaurants as a teenager and completed culinary school in his twenties. He’s worked as both a private chef and a corporate chef but says running his own restaurant is more about passion. “I enjoy what I do. To quote the movie Chef: There are people who cook food they believe in,” he said. He has a lot of Hispanic influence in what he cooks because of the nature of kitchens and the people that are typically employed in them with whom he’s interacted.

Carrano started the food truck in the early part of 2021 and added the Marietta location in March of this year. The Marietta restaurant has been a popular choice among the local community with them having been nominated for the Marietta Times Readers Choice Awards after being open for less than a year. The eatery is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and Tuesdays from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm. They’re adding a second location inside the food court at the Grand Central Mall that will hopefully be open in June. Starting soon, the food truck will be at Point Park every Wednesday evening during the free yoga at the point classes.

Jimmy Avocado’s offers a wide variety of flavorful menu options, including vegetarian and a true vegan menu with soy-based chorizo, tofu tacos, and plant-based cheese. All of their food is made from scratch with the exception of the tortillas and chips because they sell too many of them to have the time to make them themselves. They get some of their ingredients from local produce shops and a couple of the local meat markets. Carrano said his personal favorite dish they serve is the pork carnitas tacos, a soft corn shell filled with slow-roasted carnitas marinated in orange citrus zest, chipotle sauce, pickled red onions, and pineapple. “That citrus meeting with that caramelization pork gets when it’s slow-roasted in the oven is just awesome. I feel like you get a lot of the flavors you’d get from pork belly without that crispness of pork belly,” he described.

Read the full story: https://clutchmov.com/jimmy-avocados/

✍️ Story by Miranda Brace
📸 Photography by Shannon Brown Photography

05/31/2022

On May 19, a gathering of generous women produced great results for the community. As members of the Women’s Giving Circle came together to catch up with friends and boost their awareness of local issues, they invested in the initiatives of three local nonprofits.

A companion group of Marietta Community Foundation, the Women’s Giving Circle encompasses local women passionate about improving their community. By engaging in participatory philanthropy, group members can pool their financial support with other community-minded women to create a large impact.

Read more: https://clutchmov.com/womens-giving-circle-invests-7000-in-local-women-and-youth-initiatives/

On May 19, a gathering of generous women produced great results for the community. As members of the Women’s Giving Circle came together to catch up with friends and boost their awareness of local issues, they invested in the initiatives of three local nonprofits. A companion group of Marietta Com...

05/30/2022

Today and every day, let us honor, remember, and thank our brave soldiers. Thank you to the families of our fallen veterans for carrying the solemn burden of these losses, so that we may live free. 🇺🇸

Photo by Bruce Wunderlich of the Putnam Street Bridge

05/27/2022

Up-and-coming wedding, event and design business, Ivory & Rust, LLC invites the Mid-Ohio Valley community to several events throughout the summer, including a regular pop-up mini market. To find Ivory & Rust, just look for the eye-catching 1994 miniature horse trailer turned mobile bar, “Miss Daisy.”

Making an appearance at the June 3 First Friday Artist Walk in downtown Marietta, Ivory & Rust will host a vintage pop-up featuring thrifted items from ReThread and Roam.

On the August 5 First Friday Artist Walk, Ivory & Rust will be selling hand-selected trendy pieces from Baker & Baker Jewelers, Just Lovely Apparel, and Free Society Boutique. Alongside the pop-up, Marietta Henna will be hosting a flash sale for henna tattoo.

🙌 Read more: https://clutchmov.com/miss-daisy-event-trailer-popping-up-around-the-mov-this-summer/

Up-and-coming wedding, event and design business, Ivory & Rust invites the Mid-Ohio Valley community to several events throughout the summer, including a regular pop-up mini market. To find Ivory & Rust, just look for the eye-catching 1994 miniature horse trailer turned mobile bar, “Miss Daisy.”...

05/24/2022

What a beautiful day in the neighborhood! 🙌😍🌹

05/23/2022

Clutch MOV recently spoke with local band Cutler Station over Mexican food and margaritas to discuss influences, origins, and what music means to them and to snag some details on their highly anticipated upcoming album.

Cutler Station is best described as dynamic, fun, and absolutely chock full of talent! The band consists of brothers John and Kirby Evans, Steve Lipscomb, Jason Swiger, John Borchard, and Jake Dunn. All the members are local; with Lipscomb, and the Evans brothers living in Vincent, Swiger in Cutler, Borchard in Athens, and Dunn in Belpre.

The guys in Cutler Station have all been playing music for most of their lives, with Lipscomb, Swiger, and the Evans brothers beginning to play together as teenagers. Cutler Station as we know it today really began to take form about 10 or 11 years ago when Lipscomb, Kirby and John Evans were all living in Columbus and decided to form a band where they could do whatever they wanted and have it be more democratic than bands they’d been in previously. Swiger joined in on drums shortly afterward.

The most recent addition is Jake Dunn, formerly of Jake Dunn and The Blackbirds, Elephant Head, and Sadsquatch. When asked what it was like joining the already well-established band, Dunn said “They are all so enthusiastic about what it is. On a scale of just daily enthusiasm, they’re just always ready to go. They’re always excited about what’s coming. They were all so welcoming, I feel like I’ve been in this band for a long time.”

🙌 Read the full story: https://clutchmov.com/cutler-station-is-way-more-than-just-ok/

✍️ Story by Miranda Brace
📸 Photography by Michelle Waters Photo

05/23/2022

The Jan Dils 2022 Freedom Fun Run 5K is back in person and virtually this year after being canceled in 2020 and held virtually in 2021. It is being held in person on Saturday, July 9th at 8am and virtually from Saturday, July 2nd to Friday, July 8th. Participants can register for the race at: https://raceroster.com/events/2022/58879/freedom-fun-run-5k

Online registration for the in-person race closes at 12pm on Friday, July 8th. Online registration for the virtual race closes on Friday, July 1st at 12pm.

Participants in the virtual race must use a fitness tracker to record their time and submit a photo of proof and their timed results. Those who fail to do so, will not qualify for awards.

In-person race sign-in begins at 7am the day of the race. Registration for both the in-person and virtual races is $20 per participant.

The in-person race begins in front of the Jan Dils office at 963 Market Street, starting south on Market Street making a small loop utilizing 9-1/2 Street, Avery and 11th Streets back to Market. It then makes a large loop via Market Street going past the courthouse to 2nd Street, turning left onto Avery Street and then left on 18th and Market Streets, continuing on Market Street back to the start/finish area at the Jan Dils office.

Virtual race participants may run in any location as long as they complete the required 5 kilometers.

After the in-person race, refreshments and entertainment will be available in the Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law parking lot. The awards ceremony will begin 15 minutes after the race ends.

Awards available are:
● Veterans award
● Runners award
● Walkers award
● Best “Furry Running Partner” Selfie Award
● Most Creative DIY Finish Line Photo Award
● Best Scenic Race Route Photo Award
● Most Patriotic Selfie Award
● Best Family Fun Runners Photo/Selfie Award
● Best Race Recovery Photo Award
● Best Community Participation Award

Client-centered focus is a number one priority for the firm. They serve veterans and want to continue to show our support in our community. Community is one of their core values. Although they’ve always been really active in our community, they haven't added it to their official core values until recently.

Mary-Michael McClung, who is HR for the firm, summed it up as “showing up for your community members lets people know that we're not just there for the money or for a show of it. We honestly do care about these people that we serve and the people in our communities and it makes us better people as a result.”

100% of the Freedom Fun Run 5K proceeds will benefit Operation Transportation, We Have Your Six – Parkersburg Division, as well as the Jan Dils Foundation Scholarship for Veteran Recipients.

Operation Transportation is an organization that supplies free bus passes to local veterans. Jan Dils is the sole contributor to that organization. They fund the entire program through their spaghetti dinner and the 5k. The veterans can use those bus passes unlimitedly. We Have Your Six is an organization that also supports local veterans in the Parkersburg area in a variety of ways, mostly relating to housing.

The Jan Dils Foundation Scholarship for veterans is brand new this year. It will be awarded to a veteran or a child of a veteran anywhere in the country. The application process will open this fall.

✍️ Story by Miranda Brace //

05/20/2022

Did you hear the news?! 🙌 DORA hours have been extended to 12:00 pm to 12:00 am Wednesday through Saturday in Marietta! DORA drinks must be purchased from participating restaurants that are authorized to sell DORA cups in partnership with Marietta Main Street and the City of Marieta.

🍻 Grab a drink and walk around downtown to enjoy the beautiful weather, local shops, and more!

For a full list of participating restaurants, visit: mariettamainstreet.org/dora

📸 by Olivia Reeder

05/09/2022

On Saturday, May 14, Downtown PKB will be holding their annual spring cleanup event! 🌸 Volunteers will be planting flowers, pulling w**ds, and picking up trash in downtown Parkersburg. Interested volunteers should meet at Bicentennial Park at 9 a.m. rain or shine and continue until noon. Volunteers will work in teams and will be provided gloves and trash bags. Afterward, all are invited to enjoy lunch on Downtown PKB!

Along with their cleanup day, Downtown PKB is also holding their “Adopt-a-Pot” program. This program is a commitment by businesses/community members to water, w**d, and maintain their sponsored flowerpot(s) from mid-May until October. Soil and flowers will be purchased by Downtown PKB and planted on the cleanup day. A sign with the sponsor’s name or business will be placed in the flowerpot.

For more information on the cleanup day, the Adopt-A-Pot program, or sponsorship, email [email protected] or [email protected].

05/06/2022

Lovers of drama know the Mid-Ohio Valley is a hotbed of good community theater. That leads to the question, however, of where all those remarkable actors and singers and techies come from. There are several answers to that question, but one of them is definitely the quality drama and music departments in our local high schools. One of those programs can be found at Warren High School, which is preparing to stage the Rice-Webber classic, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Under the combined direction of Courtney Clark, Angela Erb-Gentile, Lori Flesher, and Jimmy Sundquist, this joyous musical recounts the life of the biblical patriarch Joseph, who goes from being his father Jacob’s favorite to being sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, only to become Pharaoh’s favorite too by accurately interpreting the monarch’s dream and saving Egypt from a seven-year famine.

With the support of a chorus from Warren Middle School and a strong sixteen-piece orchestra made up of a mix of students and adults, the story is told by the Narrator, beautifully portrayed by Elanor Wilcox. This character steps in and out of the story, alternating between telling the story and being a member of the chorus. Because this person is practically onstage nonstop from beginning to end, the quality of the actor playing the part is crucial to the success of the show, and the directors chose well in casting Wilcox.

Also central to the quality of the show is, of course, the titular character. Ein Leonard does a fine job of portraying the somewhat egotistical (though if anyone deserves to have some ego, he would) Joseph. His voice and dancing are polished and professional. Professional is the word for the production in general. From costumes to choreography, this show is well done. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Garrett Biddinger, who nails the show-stealing Pharaoh, portrayed in the show as Elvis. His part isn’t big, but he plays it for all it’s worth.

Sundquist mentioned this is the first musical the school has attempted since 2016, but judging by the quality of this production, there won’t be another such gap. If you love musical theater, you need to see this show. But don’t dawdle, as there are only three performances to choose from and they are all this weekend. Opening night is Friday, May 6 at 7:00 pm, with another evening performance on May 7. A matinee will go off at 2:30 pm on Sunday, May 8. All shows are in the auditorium at Warren High School. Discounted tickets are available in advance by going to the school’s site until one hour before each performance. Immediately before the show, tickets will also be sold at the door. Get your tickets soon—you’ll be glad you did!

✍️📸 Review and Photography by Joe Stephens

05/06/2022

Anna Maria Jarvis may not be a household name like Woodrow Wilson or General George McClellan, but just like these men that her life intersected with, she created a legacy still remembered in the present day. Anna Jarvis, and by all inspiration, her mother, Ann, are the women that first brought the idea of celebrating mothers, and the work they do, to the people of the United States of America.

As a young child, Anna and the Jarvis family moved into the city of Grafton, WV, and Anna and her mother Ann Reeves Jarvis began to attend the Methodist church in town, even though her father, a minister himself, attended the Baptist church. Ann Reeves Jarvis was very dedicated to her faith, even helping to construct the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church that stands today, housing the International Mother’s Day Shrine dedicated to all mothers, living and deceased. Though it was Anna who petitioned the church leaders to enact a celebration for her mother after her death, it had been the elder Jarvis’s dream to create something such as this to honor the work that mothers do. Even closing one of her Sunday School children’s sermons with a prayer that she hoped someone, somewhere, would create a memorial to honor mothers everywhere.

Read more about the origins of Mother's Day, which began in Grafton, WV! https://clutchmov.com/honoring-your-mother/

✍️📸 Story and Photography by Angela O'Curran

Anna Maria Jarvis may not be a household name like Woodrow Wilson or General George McClellan, but just like these men that her life intersected with, she created a legacy still remembered in the present day. Anna Jarvis, and by all inspiration, her mother, Ann, are the women that first brought the....

04/29/2022

Actors Guild of Parkersburg presents The Producers!

Max Bialystock is a washed-up Broadway producer who is, how to put it, morally fluid. After his latest musical closes almost before the opening night curtain goes down, he’s out of ideas, out of options, and out of money. Until, that is, he meets Leo Bloom, an accountant with enough neuroses to fill a textbook. When Bloom, upon examining Max’s books, jokes it would be possible, with some creative bookkeeping, to make more money from a flop than with a hit, Max seizes upon the idea, recruiting his malleable new accountant friend to help. All they have to do is raise two million dollars, find the worst play ever written and hire the worst director and actors in the world. Simple, right? It would seem so until Springtime For Hi**er, a musical comedy, hits their desk. It’s a can’t miss flop. A musical in which the N***s were the good guys and won the war has to bomb, right? Right?

The Producers, a Mel Brooks Musical, produced by Actors Guild of Parkersburg, is to put it bluntly, as rude and raunchy as you would expect from a Mel Brooks production. And it’s also every bit as gut-achingly hilarious as you would expect from a Brooks piece. Under the direction of Brent Null, with musical direction by Mike Lockney, this is laugh-out-loud show starring R.J. Lowe as Max Bialystock, a part seemingly written for the inimitable Lowe. Chris Parsons as Leo Bloom, his partner in crime, is more than equal to the task of trading quips with Lowe. Alexis Parsons is quite memorable as Ulla, Max’s and Leo’s bombshell of an assistant, as is George Litman as Franz Liebkind, the playwright with a soft spot for der Feuhrer. As is always true with the Guild, the whole cast is stellar, as is the set.

I mean no disrespect to the rest of the cast, but this is R.J. Lowe’s show. He has never submitted a poor performance at the Guild, but this might well be his best. So if you are a fan of his, you definitely do not want to miss it. So, get your tickets immediately. Be aware that the dates originally published have been slightly altered due to the first weekend being scrubbed. Here are the new dates. Opening night is now scheduled for Friday, April 29 with 2:30 and 8:00 performances on Saturday, April 30 and a 6:00 pm showing on Sunday, May 1. The next week will consist of 8:00 shows on May 5, 6, and 7, along with another 2:30 pm show on May 6. Get your tickets before they all sell out. You’ll be glad you did!

https://clutchmov.com/actors-guild-debuts-the-producers/

✍️ Review by Joe Stephens
📸 Photography by Shannon Brown Photography!