Joe Moeller performs at the 2011 CYPT Reunion Benefit. Photo by Sarah Laubacher (C).
On December 27, 2011, Cincinnati Landmark Productions held its annual CYPT Benefit Reunion Concert at the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts. Now in its third year, the concert is equal parts fundraiser, entertainment and social mixer for alumni of the venerable 30-year program.
Recognition for distinguished alumni and friends of the program were given in the form of the third annual CYPT awards. The CYPT Founder’s Award – given to someone who fundamentally ensured CYPT’s success over its 30 years – was presented to Steve Papin and Tony Hungler for their efforts in the acquisition and on-going renovation of the Covedale Theater and for the incorporation of Cincinnati Landmark Productions.
Matt Miller, news director of Fox19, was awarded the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Life Achievement Award for his exemplary broadcast journalism career and for his commitment to keeping the arts in the news.
The 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award for Performing Arts was presented to Eric Bricking. Bricking founded Hyperion Productions, a New York-based tour management and production company that represents a number of popular touring shows.
The CYPT Hall of Fame Award – recognizing the work during a participant’s years in the program – was presented to Doug Berlon and Laura Zervic. Berlon was a mainstay in the early productions in CYPT history, starring as Harold Hill in The Music Man, as Sancho Panza in Man of La Mancha, as King Arthur in Camelot, among others. Zervic was a multi-talented veteran of CYPT, having stage-managed, produced and assisted directed many shows. She also starred in such shows as Jabberwocky, West Side Story and The Music Man.
Each year, two “graduating” participants of the program are presented with honorary Big Guys scholarships, named after the informal graduate club from CYPT’s early years. For their dedication to CYPT, Abby Bartish and Tommy Boeing were given $500 awards to use toward college expenses this fall.
The annual Name-the-Dressing Rooms promotion generated over $750. The two winners were: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1997) and Mack and Mabel (1991).
Through ticket sales, live auctions and other fundraisers during the event, the 2011 CYPT Benefit Reunion Concert raised over $12,000. The proceeds go toward off-setting the rising costs of the summer production and help to ensure that anyone who wants to participate in CYPT in the future can afford to.
In addition to awards and fundraisers, the Benefit was also a chance for notable alumni to return to the stage to offer a song or a story. Highlights of the evening included: Joe Moeller, Jerome Doerger, Heather Roush, Michelle Wells and duets from Sara Kenny and Andrew Maloney, Aaron Lavigne and Sarah Hiance, and Dan Bayer and Jeni Bayer Schwiers. An alumni dance troupe representing several eras from the program also performed a showstopper from Cabaret.
CYPT alumni and friends should mark their calendars for December 27, 2012 for the next edition of the benefit reunion concert.
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 