The Musical Theater Project

09/03/2026

Tonight! Join us for Let’s Go to the Movies...at Home! as we watch and discuss Mississippi (1935). 🎬🎶

Bing Crosby plays a Philadelphia Quaker engaged to a Southern belle, only to become a social outcast when he refuses to fight a duel. Enter W.C. Fields, who hires him to perform on his riverboat and promotes him as “Colonel Steel... the notorious Colonel Steel... the singing killer.”

It’s classic Hollywood, riverboat mischief and musical comedy all in one.

Join the Zoom discussion tonight and enjoy the movie with fellow classic musical fans.

Discussion Date: September 3
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Virtual Event
Join the Discussion: https://us02web.zoom.us/s/6191233524?pwd=YXI0S2owK0swRVk0NUtUT3M3c2pTdz09

08/20/2026

Your favorite songs. Your stories. Your night.

Kick off the TMTP season with an evening unlike any other! Enjoy cocktails and dinner in an intimate setting. Then listen as Bill Rudman, Nancy Maier and friends share words and music from Broadway and Hollywood that you requested in notes to us.

Maybe someone will ask for “Some Enchanted Evening” or “I Could Have Danced All Night” or another piece that sends half the room quietly back in time — a song that means the most to you and helps create a marvelous cabaret for all.

Beloved favorites and delightful surprises....No two Rendezvous performances are ever the same. That is the tradition!

Friday, October 2, 6 PM Chagrin Valley Hunt Club

Tickets: $135 Includes dinner, cabaret and cocktail Make your reservation at MusicalTheaterProject.org or by calling Ashley at (216) 860-1518 x701.

08/17/2026

You can have dinner with any composer, lyricist, performer or director from musical theater history.

Who is sitting across the table—and what is the first question you ask them? 🍽️🎭

We would need several hours, a very large table and absolutely no limit on follow-up questions.

07/25/2026

A heartfelt thank you to the Cleveland Chamber Choir.

We were honored to welcome the extraordinary artists of the Cleveland Chamber Choir back to the TMTP stage this past June 14th for Walk On: The Power of Carousel, following their wonderful collaboration with us on Brigadoon in 2024.

Their remarkable talent, tireless preparation and generous spirit brought tremendous beauty and emotional depth to the performance. Every voice reflected the skill, care and hard work of an ensemble devoted not only to musical excellence but to making choral music accessible and welcoming to all.

To Artistic Director Gregory Ristow, Executive Director Kira McGirr and every member of the Choir who shared their gifts with us: thank you for being such exceptional collaborators and for helping make Walk On an unforgettable afternoon.

We are deeply grateful—and already looking forward to the next time we can make music together.

07/22/2026

Who we are, what we do and why we do it.

For 27 years, The Musical Theater Project has served as a living museum—preserving and honoring the 20th-century American musical on stage and screen through songs, stories and social history.

Through live performances, school programs, national radio broadcasts, online discussions and recordings, we invite audiences to discover the art form’s past and form personal connections with the music and stories that continue to shape our culture.

We believe history should be explored with honesty and care. Rather than erase difficult chapters, TMTP provides the context needed to understand the social forces behind the works we celebrate and the world in which they were created.

At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to inclusion and the belief that musical theater can bring people closer together through greater understanding, joy, hope and love.

In an increasingly polarized world, that work matters more than ever.

07/20/2026

This hour belongs to the leading men.

On July 25, Footlight Parade presents “The Testosterone Brigade,” a celebration of some of musical theater and popular music’s most commanding male voices.

With only three token women and even tenors in short supply, Frank Sinatra, Yul Brynner, Elvis Presley, Lin-Manuel Miranda and 14 other larger-than-life performers strut their stuff in an hour filled with confidence, charisma and unmistakable musical presence.

Tune in for the voices, personalities and performances that know exactly how to take center stage.

07/17/2026

Coming soon: TMTP’s 2026–27 The Song Is You! season! SAVE THE DATES
A new season of music, stories and discovery is taking shape—and we can’t wait to share it with you.

🎶 Rendezvous: The Annual All-Request Cabaret
Hosted by Bill Rudman and Nancy Maier
Friday, October 2, 2026
Chagrin Valley Hunt Club

🎄 A Christmas Cabaret
December 11th at Stocker Arts Center at Lorain Community College and December 12th at First Baptist Church of Greater Cleveland
Additional details coming soon

🎤 Legendary Black Singers—Great Broadway Songs
Hosted by Dee Perry
Sunday, February 21, 2027
First Baptist Church of Greater Cleveland

🌙 Blues in the Night: Music by Harold Arlen
Co-produced with Cleveland Jazz Orchestra and hosted by Bill Rudman and Paul Ferguson
Saturday, April 24, 2027
Maltz Performing Arts Center

🎭 Rodgers & Hammerstein Rediscovered
Hosted by Ted Chapin, Nancy Maier and Bill Rudman
Saturday, June 12, 2027
Playhouse Square, Hanna Theatre

Some artists, dates and venues are still to be announced, but there is already so much to look forward to. Mark your calendars and join us for another season celebrating the songs, artists and stories that make musical theater unforgettable.

For tickets and information, call 216-860-1518 ext. 701 or visit MusicalTheaterProject.org.

07/15/2026

Sometimes imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery.

This Saturday, July 18, Footlight Parade presents “Good Imitations,” an hour celebrating songwriters who earned high marks by brilliantly borrowing the sound and spirit of another musical style.

From operetta and rock ‘n’ roll to torch songs and ragtime, these gifted “copycats” knew how to capture the familiar qualities of a genre while creating something fresh, theatrical and entirely their own.

Tune in and see whether you can recognize the styles being imitated.

07/13/2026

What happens when the words of Johnny Mercer meet 11 unforgettable voices? You get a remarkable celebration of the Great American Songbook.

Mostly Mercer brings together 16 classic songs performed by stars including Rosemary Clooney, Eydie Gormé, Anita O’Day, Kaye Ballard and Nancy LaMott.

From “I’m Old Fashioned” and “Blues in the Night” to “Hooray for Hollywood,” “How Little We Know” and many more, this terrific recital celebrates the wit, warmth and enduring brilliance of one of America’s greatest lyricists.

Discover—or rediscover—the magic of Johnny Mercer through a remarkable collection of voices and songs.

07/12/2026

We're looking forward to this afternoon's performance and seeing our friends at American Musical Productions!

Final matinee of The Desert Song at 3 pm today at Firestone Theatre, Firestone CLC in Akron. FREE tickets available at the door.