Monthly Archives: August 2018

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Presents Regional Premiere Musical FLY BY NIGHT, SEPTEMBER 1-29, 2018

ETC_Fly By Night logo

(Cincinnati, OH) Grab your guitars and look to the stars! Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati begins its 2018-2019 Season with the charming regional premiere of Fly By Night written by Kim Rosenstock, Will Connolly, and Michael Mitnick. This enchanting musical sparkles with humor and heart as two sisters follow their stars to New York City’s stage and food service industry where the light of love leads to unexpected discoveries about fate and fortune. Playing September 1-29. Directed by D. Lynn Meyers. Production Sponsor is The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.

In this darkly comic rock-fable, a gypsy prophecy propels melancholy sandwich-maker Harold and two bewitching sisters through a star-crossed journey of love and connection. Featuring a catchy score and inventive story-telling, this sweeping ode to young love culminates during the Northeast blackout of 1965 and is a tale about finding light in a world beset by darkness.

Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers says: “Having ended last season with Hedwig and the Angry Inch, I wanted to start this season with a musical celebrating the universal language of music. Fly By Night is a beautiful parable about fate—about accepting the good in our lives as well as the bad. Somewhere mixed up between the earth and the sky is our destiny. A lot of it is up to us, but a lot of it is about making sure we’re looking up to the stars for guidance.”

About the Cast

Michael Gerard Carr (Harold McClam) returns to Ensemble Theatre, where his favorite shows include First Date, The Legend of Georgia McBride, and Hands on a Hardbody. He is a proud graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Acting Program and a past ETC acting intern. He is also an adjunct instructor at the University of Cincinnati’s Musical Theater Department.

Brooke Steele (Miriam) has appeared numerous times at Ensemble Theatre, where some of her favorite credits include Violet, Cinderella, and The Marvelous Wonderettes. Most recently, Ms. Steele was seen at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company in Noises Off!. When not performing, she teaches with Community Arts Initiatives.

Maya Farhat’s (Daphne) is a proud graduate of Xavier University and the 2016-2017 ETC Professional Acting Intern Program. Her favorite previous credits include First Date and The Dancing Princesses at Ensemble Theatre and, most recently, The Bureau, which was Cincinnati’s Audience Pick of the 2018 Fringe Festival. She has also dabbled in film (Hallmark’s A Christmas Melody) and commercial work for Hulu. 

Michael G. Bath (Crabble) has appeared in ETC’s productions of The Dancing Princesses, Cinderella: After Ever After, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Hands on a Hardbody. His other regional credits include Superior Donuts with The Clifton Players and Angels in America at Know Theatre. Mr. Bath has also performed with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, the Performance Gallery, Showboat Majestic, and Stage First Cincinnati. 

Phil Fiorini (Mr. McClam) was last seen at the Ensemble Theatre in Violet, as well as Sleeping Beauty and Hands on a Hardbody. He performed in Taylor Mac’s Hir at Unicorn Theatre in Kansas City this summer where he then donned some large heels in La Cage Aux Folles and The Legend of Georgia McBride at Kansas Repertory TheatreMr. Fiorini was seen in The Realistic Joneses at the Clifton Performance Theatre and spent three years on the Broadway tour of The Lion King as Pumbaa the Warthog.

Nathan Robert Pecchia (Narrator) returns to Cincinnati from Washington state, where he played in Oklahoma! as an AEA Guest Artist for Wheatland Theatre Company. Born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, he is currently based in New York City. He is an alumni of Wright State University’s Musical Theatre Program, where his favorite credit was The Music Man. Some of his other recent credits include First Date, Ensemble Theatre; Spamalot!, Short North Stage; Miracle on 34th Street, Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts; and Sweeney Todd and the American premiere of Legendale: A New Musical, Human Race Theatre Company.

Patrick Earl Phillips (Joey Storms) received his BA in Theatre from Xavier University and was an Acting Intern at Ensemble Theatre during the 2014-2015 Season. He was last seen at ETC in This Random World, as well as Bloomsday, Cinderella: After Ever After, Violet, Luna Gale, and Love and Information. His other regional theatre credits include The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre; Henry VI, Part I, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; and Saint Joan and Relatively Speaking, Diogenes Theatre Company.

Production team includes D. Lynn Meyers (Producing Artistic Director), Brian c. Mehring (Set & Lighting Designer), Jack Murphy (Technical Director), Matthew Hollstegge (Production Manager), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Master & Design Assistant), Matt Callahan (Sound Designer), Scot Woolley (Musical Director), Patti James (Choreographer), and Reba Senske (Costume Designer). Production Stage Manager is Brandon T. Holmes. Assistant Stage Manager is Lexi Muller.

Performance Information
Performances run Tuesday through Sunday. Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30 pm; Friday and Saturday, 8:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 2:00 pm; and Sunday, 7:00 pm. A complete calendar of performances is available online at www.ensemblecincinnati.org. 

Ticket Prices
Ticket prices start at $35 for adults; student tickets are $28; and children are $24. Half-Price Rush Tickets: All remaining tickets for the current day’s performance(s) are available two hours prior to each show time for half-price (discount does not apply to children’s tickets) when purchasing by phone or in person. $15 Student Rush Tickets: Students may purchase up to two $15 student rush tickets two hours prior to show time with valid student I.D. Available in person only.

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Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is supported, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

2018-2019 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Additional support provided PNC.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional theatre dedicated to producing world and regional premieres of works that often explore compelling social issues. We fulfill our mission through our stage productions and educational outreach programs that enlighten, enliven, enrich and inspire our audiences.

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NKU Theatre + Dance Program seeks boy actor for upcoming production of BIG FISH: The Musical

NKU_SOTA logoSeeking a boy actor, preferably age 9-10 (the character needs to look 6-7 yrs old) to play “Young Will” in BIG FISH, directed by Jamey Strawn.

This role requires the ability to deliver lines, learn movement, and a small amount of singing.

Rehearsals start Aug. 24. Rehearsals are typically in the evening Sun-Fri 7-10:30 p.m., although this role will not need to be at all rehearsals.

The show runs nightly Sept. 27 to Oct. 7. To apply, email headshot and resume to Jamey Strawn no later than Aug. 15. You may also include a YouTube link to performance material as well.

EMAIL: Headshot/Resume (and YouTube link if available) to: strawnj@nku.edu

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JALZ – Just When You Forgot Why You Stay Out of the Water

QCF_Jalz logo(CINCINNATI) – Queen City Flash, presents the quintessential Summer Blockbuster, JALZ, told by the man who lived it, from the Alzheimer’s wing of his nursing home.

Dylan grew up hearing the story from her grandfather: the summer of the attacks, his adventure at sea, that final, deadly confrontation. But his memory is failing, and his tales don’t match the town’s memory of their alcoholic Chief of Police who disappeared one summer to hunt “sea monsters.”

Family legacy takes on new life as Dylan recreates her grandfather’s tales in a final attempt to jolt his memory in this  deep-sea thriller where the only thing scarier than a monster is losing your mind.

The show features local actors Daniel Britt, Hannah Sheppard, and Jordan Trovillion, with script and original music by Trey Tatum, directed by Bridget Leak.  Queen City Flash (Ken Ham’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Complete Tom) invites you to enjoy the final weeks of summer with them, out on open water, in this new & final chapter of a Classic Summer Flick.

All performances are at Essex Studios, 2511 Essex Place, Cincinnati, OH 45206 (in Mikki Schaffner’s Photography Studio!) – Tickets are a $10-$18 sliding scale, with no one turned away due to financial hardship.

Tickets are available online https://queencityflash.ticketleap.com/jalz/

Performances are:

  • Friday, August 17 @ 8:00 pm
  • Saturday, August 18 @ 8:00 pm
  • Sunday, August 19 @ 7:00 pm (*note: earlier time)
  • Wednesday, August 22 @ 8:00 pm
  • Thursday, August 23 @ 8:00 pm
  • Friday, August 24 @ 8:00 pm
  • Saturday, August 25 @ 8:00 pm

For additional questions about accessibility, please email queencityflash@gmail.com.

Queen City Flash is a community-centric theater company dedicated to open access to the arts. By untethering the performing arts from physical space, prohibitive costs and traditional theatrical expectations, Queen City Flash unites local artists with their communities to create new, impactful theatre.

Currently, QCF programming falls under:  Flashmobs, Community, Activism, Flash|U, and Fringe.

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AN UNFORGETTABLE NAT KING COLE CHRISTMAS Starring Evan Tyrone Martin | Dec. 5-7, 2018 | Aronoff Center – Jarson-Kaplan Theater

CAA_An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas logo

CINCINNATI, OH – Warm up your holiday season with the Artists Lounge Live production of AN UNFORGETTABLE NAT KING COLE CHRISTMAS starring Evan Tyrone Martin from December 5-7, 2018 at the Aronoff Center’s intimate Jarson-Kaplan Theater.  All performances are at 7:30 PM.  The show is a part of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s 2018-19 Season.  

Tickets go on sale Friday, August 17 at 10:00 AM at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office. Group discount tickets for ten or more are available by calling (513) 977-4157.

Chicago sensation Evan Tyrone Martin (Jesus Christ Superstar, Side ShowOklahoma) warmly resonates the velvety vocal style of musical legend Nat King Cole. The Chicago Tribune calls the award-nominated Martin “Destined for Stardom: One of the Hot New Faces of Chicago Theatre”; The Chicago Sun-Times raves, “Evan Tyrone Martin is a golden-voiced actor of sweetness and grace”; and BCR News praises, “Martin’s vocal ease would have done Nat King Cole proud.” Martin intimately relates Cole’s personal journey, while presenting a festive cocktail of hits including “L-O-V-E,” “Mona Lisa,” “The Christmas Song,” and “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.”

Evan’s Chicago theatre credits include: Jesus Christ Superstar (Jesus; Black Theatre Alliance Award nomination), Oklahoma (Ali Hakim), Hair (Hud), I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett (Jeff Award nomination), Far From Heaven (Raymond; Jeff Award nomination), Dreamgirls (Curtis; Black Theatre Alliance Award nomination), The Little Mermaid (King Triton), Rent (Collins), The Color Purple (Harpo),Side Show (Jake; Jeff Award nomination), Violet (Flick; Jeff Award nomination), Kiss of the Spiderwoman (Valentin; Jeff Award nomination, Broadway World Award nomination), Floyd Collins, and Some Enchanted Evening. Regional credits include: The Little Mermaid (King Triton), Forever Plaid (Jinx), Hair (Berger), and Pippin (Leading Player). Concerts: Unforgettable: Falling In Love with Nay King Cole and An Unforgettable Nat King Cole Christmas. Martin is a graduate of Ashland University.

Artists Lounge Live is a dynamic concert series featuring popular music of yesterday performed by tremendous talent of today. Rising stars of stage and screen shine in heartfelt evenings of story and song. Dedicated to serving audiences across the nation, Artists Lounge Live brings acts from America’s entertainment capitals to communities of all sizes. Artists Lounge Live is created by performer/producer MichaelIngersoll. A favorite of PBS audiences, Ingersoll toured the country performing with his retro-rock vocal group Under the Streetlamp, whose television concert specials air in millions of homes nationwide. He is also known for starring as Nick Massi of the Four Seasons in Jersey Boys for the original Chicago, San Francisco, and Los Angeles companies. Ingersoll’s Artists Lounge Live mission states, “We believe in the restorative power of live entertainment.” artistsloungelive.com

CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION SPONSORS

SEASON SPONSORS:  AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), FIFTH THIRD BANK (Lifetime Endowment Partner), CINCINNATI-NORTHERN KENTUCKY HONDA DEALERSFURNITURE FAIRLOCAL12 WKRC, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:  21C Museum Hotel, Cincinnati Herald, CityBeat, Courtyard Marriott & Residence Inn-Rookwood, Heidelberg Distributing, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Hyatt Regency-Cincinnati, Macy’sPepsi, Prosource, Skyline Chili, TriHealth, Ultimate Air Shuttle, USI

Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts. Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves upwards of 600,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than 1.6 million students. For more information, visit www.CincinnatiArts.org.

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Cast Announced for SNOOPY the Musical at Union Community Theatre

UCT_logoUCT is proud to announce the cast of their fall production, SNOOPY the Musical.

Directed by Micheal Kiser
Produced by Amanda Emmons Shumate and Karen Franxman
Music Directed by Matthew Nassida
Choreographed by Kate Crotty

The cast incudes:

  • Snoopy – Trevor LaBree
  • Linus – Karl Bolinger
  • Charlie Brown – Sylas Craven
  • Peppermint Patty – Mary Vosseberg
  • Lucy – Kate Crotty
  • Sally – Ally Riegler
  • Woodstock 1 – Olivia Marita
  • Woodstock 2 – Bryn Studer

Performances run Nov. 15-18.

For more information visit www.unionct.net.

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