<\/p>\n
Kayla Boye<\/strong> has developed her own type of specialty stage production, and she excels at it.<\/p>\n The Chicago-based actor-playwright \u2013 who hails from the Mahoning Valley \u2013 has written, produced and stars in two one-woman shows that bring a legendary actor to life.<\/p>\n She presented her newest one, \u201cShake It Away: The Ann Miller Story,\u201d on Saturday before a packed house at the Playhouse Downtown theater.<\/p>\n It was a lively and fun characterization \u2013 and a great way to learn more about a stage and screen icon. In those ways, it mirrored her first show, \u201cCall Me Elizabeth,\u201d which covers the early life of Elizabeth Taylor. Boye presented \u201cElizabeth\u201d at the Playhouse in 2021.<\/p>\n Both shows find and fill a niche and do it in a unique way.<\/p>\n Each requires a cast of one person \u2013 that would be Kayla \u2013 and very few props or set pieces. They can easily travel from city to city.<\/p>\n Both shows are under 90 minutes long, which makes them ideal for an audience seeking high-quality entertainment with a shorter time frame.<\/p>\n The audience for both shows has no age limits. Both Taylor and Miller are timeless characters, and a film or stage buff of any age will find both plays fun \u2013 and educational.<\/p>\n \u201cShake It Away\u201d radiated the joy of Miller\u2019s bubbly personality and also her showbiz-workhorse mindset. That makes it\u00a0 different from \u201cCall Me Elizabeth,\u201d which carried the intrigue of an enormous star with a troubled life.<\/p>\n In both shows, these huge personas tell their own story \u2013 including the fears and situations that shaped them.<\/p>\n Most amazingly, Boye always looks the part. She has the movie-star beauty of both actors\u00a0 and also their body language.<\/p>\n In \u201cShake It Away,\u201d she even broke into tap dancing and singing on several occasions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boye is simply a 360-degree theater force: a playwright, producer and a great actor.<\/p>\n The \u201cShake It Away\u201d script, by the way, has a couple of moments that really hit home for the Youngstown audience.<\/p>\n In one scene, Miller is musing about a show she did in her hometown of Houston. \u201cIt gives you a lift when you perform in front of your hometown crowd,\u201d she has Miller saying \u2013 while Boye is doing the same thing in real life!\u00a0<\/p>\n In another moment, she has Miller talking about her summers spent doing shows with the Kenley Players in Warren, Ohio.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what\u2019s going on this weekend in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys:<\/p>\n Saturday will bring a doubleheader of Record Store Day<\/strong> and the Federal Frenzy<\/strong> rock festival. Admission to both is free, but let\u2019s hope the rain clouds somehow hold off.<\/p>\n Record Store Day will be celebrated at several local shops, each offering a huge selection of new releases that were made exclusively for this event. Shops include The Record Connection in McKinley Heights, Fat Hippy in Brookfield, State Street Records in Salem and Melusina Records in Sharon, Pa.<\/p>\n Live concerts will take place at both The Record Connection (The Vindys, Demos Papadimas and Radio Lark) and Fat Hippy (Poobah).<\/p>\n Learn more HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n Federal Frenzy will take place on West Federal Street in downtown Youngstown, with two outdoor stages and some indoor ones as well. Learn more about the event HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\n A concert Friday will deliver a welcome jolt to the tribute band format.<\/p>\n \u201cBeatles vs. Stones \u2013 A Musical Showdown\u201d<\/strong> will return to the Robins Theatre in Warren for a 7:30 p.m. show.<\/p>\n It\u2019s billed as \u201cthe ultimate British Invasion experience,\u201d with acts portraying The Beatles and The Rolling Stones on the stage.<\/p>\n The show has been around for more than a decade, with over 2,200 performances under its belt.<\/p>\n The two bands \u2013 Satisfaction: The International Rolling Stones Show and Abbey Road, a nationally touring Beatles tribute band \u2013 are put in a musical duel during the show.<\/p>\n It won\u2019t answer the enduring question, \u201cWho\u2019s better, Beatles or Stones?\u201d But there will be tons of hits.<\/p>\n Fans are encouraged to dress up in \u201960s-inspired apparel or don the gear of the favorite member of either band.\u00a0<\/p>\n For tickets, click HERE<\/a>.<\/p>\nLooking Ahead<\/h3>\n