The Beck Center for the Arts is continuing its fine arts education during its winter and spring 2017 semester. As many Lakewood natives know, the Beck Center offers theater, visual art, music, creative art therapies, and dance classes for students of all ages,  as well as gallery showings, productions, and programs that exhibit their students’ and many others’ hard work. So far, they claim to have a lot in store for us.

The regional premier of Bring it On the Musical will run in the Mackey Theater this month, which features the trials and tribulations of cheerleader Campbell as she attempts to navigate her senior year in a new school. According to the Beck’s website, the musical consists of many songs written by the famed Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the critically acclaimed musicals Hamilton and In the Heights. The Beck Teen Theater is also performing Carrie the Musical, based on the Stephan King horror novel. Like the Beck Center’s former productions such as Annie and Marry Poppins, these shows are sure to be community hits.

The Beck Center for the Arts also has a successful dance program. This April, select members of the dance program as well as Beck Dance Workshop company members will perform The Ugly Duckling, a children’s ballet choreographed by Beck’s Associate Director of Dance Education, Melanie Szucs. Excerpts from the ballet Les Sylphides will also be performed exclusively by the Dance Workshop.

These shows are great ways to support the Beck Center, local theater, the Lakewood community, and the people within all these institutions. Additionally, they are a great reason to put down technology and head out with family and friends for an afternoon or evening full of entertainment curated by members of the Cleveland area community.