Baldwin Wallace students find new venue at Beaumont

Baldwin Wallace musical theater seniors will perform Disney songs at Beaumont on Oct. 4.

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For more than a decade, Nighttown in Cleveland Heights was an important resource for Baldwin Wallace University’s music theater program, giving students the opportunity to perform in a nightclub setting similar to what they would experience as working artists.

When Nighttown closed last year, it looked as though these budding theater professionals might lose the opportunity to hone this aspect of their performance skills; but, luckily, those students have found a new venue at Beaumont School.

Beaumont, an all-girls Catholic high school in Cleveland Heights, houses a 147-seat black box theater, with professional-grade sound and lights. When Beaumont was contacted about the possibility of using the space as a training ground for BW’s musical theater students, school president Wendy Hoke readily agreed.

Jim Wadsworth, of Jim Wadsworth Productions, noted that the move to Beaumont continues the Nighttown tradition and will again bring the students to Cleveland's East Side. Wadsworth handled the music at Nighttown and has been producing music events at a variety of regional venues since it closed.

The first production under the new arrangement will take place at Beaumont at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 4. Seniors in the Baldwin-Wallace music theater program will present an all-Disney show, featuring hits from several musicals.

Wadsworth noted that the kid-friendly show will appeal to audiences of all ages, and will provide the audience with a chance to see a new group of theater professionals as they prepare for careers on the national stage.

The Baldwin Wallace musical theater program, under the direction of Victoria Bussert, is recognized as one of the top programs in the country, with graduates actively working in the theater.

Tickets for the Oct. 4 event cost $15, and can be purchased at https://tinyurl.com/59v5fys9. To arrange for groups of 10 or more, call 216-978-2047. Proof of COVID vaccination will be required of those who are eligible for the vaccine. Children who are unvaccinated will be required to remain masked throughout the performance.