Monthly Archives: October 2016

Just in Time for Halloweeen: Discover a New Horror in THE OTHER RHINE

A world premiere collaboration between Know Theatre of Cincinnati
and Hit the Lights! Theatre Co.

Taking place at The Mockbee
October 21-31, 2016

“Don’t Drink the Water…”

ktc_the-other-rhine-logoKnow Theatre of Cincinnati brings an all-new collaboration your way this Halloween with The Other Rhine – a Lovecraftian Horror.

The invitation seems innocent enough: You’ve been invited to join a special tour of an old abandoned brewery, right in the heart of Cincinnati’s Brewery District. It says “With your help, we can bring the Bellevue Brewery back to its former glory!”

But things may not be what they seem – and sometimes, buildings are abandoned for a reason.

Discover the horror where truth and fiction blur in this world premiere collaboration between Know Theatre and New York’s Hit the Lights! Theatre Co.

Inspired by New York’s hit immersive theatre experience Sleep No More and the classic horror writing of H.P. Lovecraft, The Other Rhine begins as a one-hour walking tour, where along the way a story of horror unfolds all around you.

Through this theatrical journey, you’ll discover a whole new side of The Mockbee, the recently reopened performance and events space that was home to the Bellevue Brewery more than 100 years ago (and, more recently, the setting for Walk The Moon’s Anna Sun video).

Winding through dark corridors, up and down darkened stairwells, you discover the story of The Other Rhine, uncovering dark legends buried deep beneath the streets of Cincinnati.

The Other Rhine has been a work in progress for more than three years now – but it wasn’t until Know Theatre Producing Artistic Director Andrew J. Hungerford saw HtL’s 2015 Cincinnati Fringe Festival hit dungeon that he knew how his dream of an immersive Lovecraftian horror performance should come to life.

Says Andrew,

“HTL! has such a unique theatre making aesthetic, one built on the work of an ensemble and expressed through the use of light and shadow: I immediately realized they were exactly the artists to build a totally unique theatrical experience inspired by the works of Lovecraft. And it’s such a privilege to give this young theatre company a laboratory in which they can stretch their artistic muscles to create their largest work to date.”

The Other Rhine is a homecoming for Hit the Lights! — all but one of this New York-based ensemble are alumni of University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music (UC-CCM).

And Hit the Lights! is most excited to be creating work that is hyper-specific to its location, right here in the Queen City. Says HtL’s Casey Scott Leach,

“Cincinnati is an incredible city with a long and unique history, which HTL! hopes to bring to life and twist ever so slightly to send chills down the audience’s spines. Due to the nature of the story, the history of the city, and the building it is presented in, The Other Rhine truly can only be told to and for Cincinnati.”

This production has given HtL! the chance to bring their unique style of devised theatre creation to a new generation of CCM students, as several current students have become joined the project as performers.

If you want to experience The Other Rhine, beware: Tour capacity is very limited, so get your tickets early!

The Other Rhine tour lasts a little under an hour, and features multiple timed entries per night: 7:00pm, 8:00pm, 9:00pm.

You’ll select your start time after you select the show date at time of purchaser.

The Mockbee’s bar will open at 6:30 on each performance night, so feel free to come hang out before your showtime and enjoy this truly unique gem of Cincinnati architecture and brewing history.

Please note: Because The Other Rhine involves 45-60 minutes of walking through dimly lit spaces with uneven ground and numerous stairs, performances are not accessible to those with limited mobility. All patrons will be required to sign a waiver before entry. Audience members under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Created and performed by: Hit the Lights! Theatre Co.

Also featuring: Sarah Durham, Ryan Garret, Spencer Lackey, Marissa Mishi, Julia Netzer, Josh Reiter, Michaela Tropeano

Calendar Listing

Production:   The Other Rhine by Hit the Lights! Theatre Co.

When:          October 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31

Show start times: 7:00 PM, 8:00 PM, and 9:00 PM

Where:         The Mockbee, 2260 Central Parkway Cincinnati, OH 45214

Tickets:        $35 regular Price

$25 Student tickets available for the October 22 performances only

Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or calling                                              513.300.5669 (KNOW).

About the Artists:
Hit the Lights! Theater Co. is an award-winning artistic agreement based in New York City.
We make theater.   We make music.  We make online content.
We are committed to telling simple stories in unconventional ways that explore the profound, and the profoundly silly. the disciplined and the irreverent. creative and mundane. goofy and delight.

We’ll do that by making knee-slapping, gut-wrenching, brain-bending, heart-pounding, and ultimately entertaining entertainment.  We are inspired by anime, by video games, by hip hop and indie rock, by reality television and literature, mythology and cat videos, world politics and pirate jokes. but mostly less talk, more rock.

Know Theatre is Cincinnati’s Theatrical Playground. The Know showcases unexpected voices, new works, and plays that embrace the inherent theatricality of the live experience. Know Theatre seeks to be a place where artists and audiences feel welcome to take artistic risks, creating work that is cutting edge and accessible.

Know Theatre’s work is made possible, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Know Theatre with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Know Theatre is also supported by The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, helping to change our communities for the better through collaboration and innovation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving.

Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group and an Associate member of the National New Play Network.

# # #

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

CCM Presents Broadway Hit A CHORUS LINE Oct. 20-30

ccm_a-chorus-line-promo

Photo by Mark Lyons.

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s Mainstage Series continues with nine-time Tony award-winning musical, A CHORUS LINE. Directed and choreographed by Diane Lalawith musical direction fromRoger Grodsky, A CHORUS LINE runs Oct. 20-30 in CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater.

Centered around Broadway dancers as they audition for roles in the next smash hit, A CHORUS LINE offers a candid look at the backstage world of musical theatre.  Director and choreographer Diane Lala and musical director Roger Grodsky stay true to the show’s origins by setting it in the 1970s,  when A CHORUS LINE was written.

“This show is very special to performers, theatre dancers especially,” says Lala, CCM professor of Musical Theatre. “Everyone wants to know what it feels like to get to that moment in the finale that everyone has been waiting for and sing ‘One’ as the lights pulse and the audience goes crazy. There is nothing better.”

The original director and choreographer of A CHORUS LINE, Michael Bennett, wanted to create a show about so-called Broadway “gypsies” who constantly move from show to show to audition for new productions. Bennett brought some of these migrant performers together to discuss their experiences, both in and out of show business, and recorded the sessions. This dialogue became A CHORUS LINE, with part of the script pulled directly from the recordings. Some of the interviewed performers joined the musical’s original cast to play themselves on Broadway.

“By the end of the show, the audience feels as though they have really gotten to know the dancers and roots for them to succeed,” says Grodsky, CCM professor of Musical Theatre. “The illusion that the audience was watching an actual audition taking place was reinforced in the original production by the orchestra being invisible. This was one of the first shows that completely covered the orchestra pit.”

A CHORUS LINE focuses on the experiences and perspectives of musical theatre performers, but Lala says the show has universal appeal for non-performers as well.

“It is really a universal quest, right?” she suggests. “People in ‘regular’ jobs also are just looking for work, and some are hoping for that next promotion or to be stars in their own profession. This show puts that desire, struggle, hope, success and disappointment out there for the audience to see. I think that is why this is such a powerful show. People feel and can instantly associate with the characters onstage.

“If you are someone with a love for it,” she continues, “everything you go through is worth it to get to stand up there and do what you have trained your whole life for.”

James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante wrote the book for A CHORUS LINE. The music is by Marvin Hamlisch, with lyrics by Edward Kleban. The show opens on Thursday, Oct. 20 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 30 at the College-Conservatory of Music’s Patricia Corbett Theater. Tickets are on sale now.

Performance Times

  • 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21
  • 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22
  • 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23
  • 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26
  • 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28
  • 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to A CHORUS LINE are $31-35 for general admission, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID. Customizable subscription packages are also available.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/mainstage/chorus-line.html.

Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visituc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
____
CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s
____
Story by CCM graduate student Alexandra Doyle

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Auditions Announced for THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) [REVISED] at Sunset Players

SSP_logoThe Sunset Players are happy to announce AUDITIONS for THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) [REVISED] by Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield.

Directed by Mike Burke

WHEN ARE AUDITONS?

  • Sunday, November 6th, 7-9pm
  • Tuesday, November 8th, 7-9pm

WHERE?
The Art Center at Dunham, 1945 Dunham Way, Cincinnati, OH 45238

QUESTIONS?
Contact Michael Burke!
Michaelwburke@yahoo.com
513-709-8231

ABOUT THE SHOW:
A high-speed roller-coaster type condensation of all 37 (gasp!) of Shakespeare’s comedies, tragedies and histories in one wild ride that will leave you breathless with laughter. This hilarious, fast-paced show is the Reduced Shakespeare Company’s flagship production. Performed for decades, all over the world, it brings together Shakespeare, satire, sight gags, pop culture references, improv, and some audience interaction for a great night of theatre.

WHAT WE NEED:

  • We are looking for 3 cast members (male or female).
  • The cast must be able to move and execute a fast-paced, physically demanding show.
  • Improv experience may be a bonus but not required

PERFORMANCE DATES:
Feb. 17, 18, 24, 25, 26, Mar. 2 ,3 ,4
All shows are at 8PM
(except Thursday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 3 PM)

Leave a comment

Filed under Auditions, On Stage

Auditions Announced for ALL SHOOK UP at Footlighters Inc.

fli_logoFootlighters Inc. announces auditions for ALL SHOOK UP by Joe DiPietro
Inspired by and featuring the songs of ELVIS PRESLEY

Directed by Emily Carroll
Choreographed by Amanda Emmons Shumate

Auditions

  • Saturday, November 5   2:00-5:00pm
  • Sunday, November 6   6:00-9:00pm

Callbacks

  • Wednesday, November 9  7:00pm

Location:  Stained Glass Theatre, 802 York St, Newport KY

Sign up for an audition slot at http://bit.ly/Footlighters_Audition_AllShookUp

Please prepare a 30 second musical theatre or pop song in the style of the show for auditions and expect a short dance combination to be taught and some people may be asked to stay and cold read.

Performance dates:  May 4-20, 2017

Synopsis: It’s 1955, in a square little town in a square little state. Suddenly, in rides a guitar-playing roustabout who changes everything and everyone he meets! This hip-swiveling, lip-curling musical fantasy will have you jumpin’ out of your blue suede shoes with such Elvis Presley classics as “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Don’t Be Cruel.” Librettist Joe DiPietro’s tale of mistaken identity and romance that ensues was inspired by Twelfth Night and other Shakespearean comedies. The show is all-new, but the music is all Elvis!

Cast of Characters:

  • NATALIE HALLER (Early 20’s): a mechanic.
  • CHAD: a great-lookin’, motorcycling, guitar-playing, leather-jacketed roustabout.
  • JIM HALLER (mid 40’s-50’s): Natalie’s widowed father.
  • SYLVIA (mid 40’s): the no-nonsense, African-American owner of SYLVIA’S HONKY-TONK.
  • LORRAINE: Sylvia’s 16 year-old daughter.
  • DENNIS: a young, awkward, aspiring dentist.
  • MISS SANDRA: the beautiful, intellectual caretaker of the town’s museum.
  • MAYOR MATILDA HYDE (mid 40’s-50’s): the town’s conservative mayor.
  • DEAN HYDE: Matilda’s 16 year-old son. He has grown up at a military boarding school.
  • SHERIFF EARL (mid 40’s-50’s): the law in town. A man of not many words.
  • CHORUS

Leave a comment

Filed under Auditions

Call for Summer 2017 Musical Directors at Bart’s Bards

BB_logoBart’s Bards, a Christian theatrical ministry of St. Bartholomew Parish, is holding an Open Call for Directors for our Summer 2017 Musical. Dates for the run are not confirmed, but will likely be June 22-25, 2017. The show is performed on the Ray Sowell Commemorative Stage in the Fr. William F. Krumpe Activity Center in Springfield Township, OH.  Interested persons should email Erica Mason aterica.mason@cchmc.org to confirm a 30-minute appointment time on one of the following dates:

  • Saturday, November 5, 2016, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Monday, November 7, 2016, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM

You can pitch up to 3 shows:

  • ANNIE (required)
    Choose one of the following: PETER PAN (no flying), THE KING AND I or FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
  • Your own show choice, it must include a significant number of children in the cast.  Widely recognizable shows are preferred.

Please note: while we will be as flexible as possible if more time is needed to pitch multiple shows, timing may be restricted due to the number of directors presenting.

Please be prepared with the following items:

  • Your theatrical resumé and contact information.
  • List of production or technical crew persons that work with you on a regular basis.

For all shows presented, please be prepared to answer the following questions:

  • What technical issues does the show present?
  • How would you resolve them?
  • Are there any foreseen casting difficulties with the show?
  • How would you overcome them?
  • What draws you to want to be a director?
  • What would make someone want to see this show?

For PETER PAN, please be prepared to answer the following questions:

  • How would you put this show on stage without the ability to fly the actors (this will most likely not fit into the budget for this year’s production)?
  • What barriers do you see to making this show a success without the ability to fly the actors?
  • How would you overcome these?
  • How much would you expect not flying the actors to impact ticket sales?

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Bart’s Bards Board Co-Chairwoman, Erica Mason, at erica.mason@cchmc.orgerica.mason@cchmc.org.

Thanks for your interest.

Leave a comment

Filed under Casting Call