CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK PRESENTS BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, OCT. 13 – NOV. 10
(CINCINNATI) – The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will continue its Marx Theatre season with Neil Simon’s BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS. This delightful and heartfelt coming-of-age story begins previews in the Playhouse’s Robert S. Marx Theatre Oct. 13 and continues through Nov. 10.
It’s 1937, and 15-year-old Eugene Morris Jerome lives in close quarters with his extended family. While the daily dramas of his parents, brother, cousins and aunt swirl around him, Eugene spends his days dreaming of playing for his beloved Yankees … when he’s not thinking about girls or setting the table for dinner. Neil Simon’s semi-autobiographical play is a heartfelt love letter to his own Jewish childhood and proof that family harmonies and disharmonies transcend time and place.
Artistic Director Blake Robison chose BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS to be part of his first Playhouse season because he wanted to produce a variety of work. According to Robison, “Neil Simon is an American master, and BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS is his masterpiece. When I learned that Simon had never been done at the Playhouse, I knew this play would be a welcome addition to the season. It’s a moving and sincere play, spiced with the comic wit that we expect from the playwright.”
The original stage presentation of BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS premiered on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre on March 27, 1983. It starred the American film and stage actor Matthew Broderick, who won a Tony Award for his featured role in the performance. Following the opening of BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS, the Alvin Theatre was renamed the Neil Simon Theatre in honor of his great successes as an American playwright, and in the same year BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS won the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play. In 1986 the play was adapted into a movie of the same title directed by Gene Saks.
The cast of BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS includes Michael Curran-Dorsano as Stanley, Ryan DeLuca as Eugene, Tony Campisi as Jack, Christianne Tisdale (Emma) as Blanche, Aly Viny as Nora, Jamey Jacobs Powell as Laurie and Lori Wilner as Kate.
Steven Woolf, the artistic director of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, will direct BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS. For the Cincinnati Playhouse, he has also directed The Crucible, Skylight, The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, The Voice of the Prairie, You Can’t Take It With You and Red.
The design team for BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS includes Set Designer Michael Ganio, Costume Designer Elizabeth Covey, Lighting Designer Phil Monat and Sound Designer Rusty Wandall. The Stage Manager is Becky Merold and Second Stage Manager Jenifer Morrow.
Prices for BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS range from $30 – $70, with $25 tickets available for teenagers and students. Prices are subject to change.
Discounted tickets for preview performances of BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS are just $30 in B, C and D sections. Preview performances include 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13; 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 17. Some restrictions apply. The official opening night is Thursday, Oct. 18 at 8 p.m.
Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sundays.
Tickets to BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS are on sale now. For more information, call the Playhouse box office at 513-421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800-582-3208) or visit http://www.cincyplay.com. Call 513-345-2248 for TDD accessibility.
The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs and complete wheelchair access are available.
The Playhouse is supported, in part, by the generosity of the tens of thousands of individuals and businesses that give to ArtsWave.
The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.
The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Special Performances
Meet the Artists
These free programs allow audiences to interact with cast members and others associated with the production following the show.
- Sunday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m.
- Wednesday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m.
- Thursday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m.
Audio Described Performance
- Saturday, Nov. 3 at 4 p.m.
Signed Performance
- Sunday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m.
Playhouse Perspectives
A free, pre-show lecture series featuring theatre artists and experts. Funding provided by Roderick and Barbara Barr. The featured speaker will be Dr. Gary Zola from Hebrew Union College. Time: Sunday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m.
Dining Options
Karlo’s Bistro at the Playhouse offers full-service dining prior to most evening performances. Dinners include salad, entrée and dessert. Reservations are required by noon on the day of the show. The price is $27. Karlo’s Casual Fare offers busy theatre patrons an alternative light, quick bite prior to the show. Options include salads, sandwiches, soups, pasta and desserts. No reservations are required. Credit cards are now accepted.
Sponsors
- Production Sponsor: Humana
- Design Sponsor: Huntington Bank
- Artist Sponsor: Bill and Barbara Weyand
The 2012-2013 Marx Theatre Series is presented by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
The 2012 -2013 Robert S. Marx Season Design Sponsor is Macy’s
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 