Cheers Live on Stage
Grayson Powell and Jillian Louis
The beloved TV series Cheers won a whopping 28 Emmys during its prime-time run. Adapted for the stage by Erik Forrest Jackson and director Matt Lenz, the new theatrical take on the classic comedy premiered in Boston (naturally!).
Anchored by the irresistible push and pull of Sam Malone and Diane Chambers’s blooming romance, the interactive show will also feature Everyman barfly Norm Peterson, blunt waitress Carla Tortelli, unreliable know-it-all Cliff Clavin, and childlike elder statesman Coach.
In addition to showcasing those finely etched characters and their sparkling repartee, the show subtly taps into deeper themes. These misfits may not be related, but together they’ve managed to create their own alternate family. They’re all are fighting their particular demons, albeit with incredible good humor. And in finding each other, they’ve discovered the one place they’re able to most be themselves. In this place—where, yes, everybody knows their name—they feel most truly at home.
“I left cheering. And dumbfounded. How did they do it? Cheers Live On Stage doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it sure knows how to drive this vehicle.”
— WBUR 90.9 Radio
“As the lights come up and the sitcom’s theme song plays, you leave in a pleasant daze. For two hours, you were transported to a place where everybody knows your name, and you never wanted to leave.”
— Boston.com
“Most other shows that try to capitalize on sitcoms can’t overcome the episodic problem. Cheers Live On Stage wisely drops all references to television and can be enjoyed by someone who never saw the TV show.
Give this one a look.”
— Chicago Tribune
From left: Jillian Louis, Barry Pearl,
Grayson Powell and Paul Vogt