Yearly Archives: 2018

October 3, 2018 · 10:57 am

Cincinnati Opera Announces Chorus Auditions for 2019 Summer Festival

co_logoCINCINNATI—Auditions for Cincinnati Opera’s 2019 Summer Festival Chorus will be held at the Corbett Opera Center in Music Hall, 1243 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio on November 2, 3, and 4, 2018.

The Cincinnati Opera Chorus is a paid, professional chorus under the jurisdiction of AGMA, the American Guild of Musical Artists. Residents from outside of the greater Cincinnati area are welcome and encouraged to audition. However, applicants should be aware that most chorus members tend to be cast locally. Rehearsals and performances for the 2019 Summer Festival will begin in mid-May (exact start dates TBD) and run through the end of July.

Audition Process
Audition requests are now received exclusively through an online application process. Applications must be submitted no later than October 26, 2018. Please email auditions@cincinnatiopera.org with any questions. 

  1. Complete the online application at https://form.jotform.com/82743787894175. Applicants are required to upload a resume (PDF only, please) detailing performance experience. A headshot/photo is appreciated, but not required. 
  1. Notification of assigned audition times will be sent via email by October 29, 2018.
  1. Auditions will be held at the Corbett Opera Center in Music Hall (1243 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202). Singers should prepare two (2) contrasting arias in the original languages. An accompanist will be provided.

Please note that there is a separate application and audition process for those interested in 2019 Young Artist positions. Visit http://www.cincinnatiopera.org/jobs for more information.

2019 Season
Cincinnati Opera’s 2019 Summer Festival, which will run from June 13 to July 28, begins with a charming production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro in Music Hall’s Springer Auditorium. The season continues with the timeless romance Romeo and Juliet by Charles Gounod at Music Hall and Richard Strauss’s comic Ariadne auf Naxos at the School for Creative and Performing Arts. It’s followed by the world premiere of Blind Injustice, a new opera commissioned by Cincinnati Opera with music by Scott Davenport Richards and a libretto by David Cote, based on the true stories of wrongfully convicted persons freed by the Ohio Innocence Project. The season closes with an American masterpiece, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, filled with unforgettable music and a moving story of love and perseverance on Charleston’s hardscrabble Catfish Row.

For additional 2019 season and casting information, please visit cincinnatiopera.org.

Founded in 1920 and the second oldest opera company in the nation, Cincinnati Opera presents a thrilling season of grand opera every June and July. The company’s repertoire includes beloved classics and contemporary masterworks brought to life by some of the world’s most dynamic performers and creative teams. 

Cincinnati Opera’s 2019 Summer Festival runs June 13 through July 28, featuring Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, Charles Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet, Richard Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, the world premiere ofBlind Injustice by Scott Davenport Richards and David Cote, based on true stories of the Ohio Innocence Project, and The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. Cincinnati Opera’s 2019 season is made possible with support from ArtsWave, Ohio Arts Council, Macy’s, The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, and many generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. 

Cincinnati Opera’s mission is to enrich and connect our community through diverse opera experiences. 

cincinnatiopera.org

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October 3, 2018 · 10:41 am

MURDER ON THE NILE Runs Nov. 2-11

DPH_logoMURDER ON THE NILE
Dayton Playhouse
Nov. 2-11
[Dayton]

Directed by Tim Rezash
Produced by Tina McPhearson

Cast: Annie Sayers as Steward,  Janet Wasson as Ms. ffoliot-ffoulkes, Carrin Ragland as Christina Grant, Paul Dunn as Smith, Kelli Myers as Louise, Brian Laughlin as Dr. Bessner, Carly Risenhoover-Peterson as Kay Mostyn, Sean Mayo as Simon Mostyn, Brian Sharp as Canon Pennefather, Kari Carter as Jacqueline De Severac, Todd Rohrer as McNaught, Nelani Huntington as Beadseller & Shana Fishbein as Beadseller

The plot unfolds as the handsome Simon Mostyn marries Kay Ridgeway, a very wealthy woman, after breaking his engagement to Jacqueline de Severac, with whom he was in love and who was also Kay’s best friend. The couple are on their honeymoon on a paddle steamer on the Nile. During the course of the voyage, murder and mayhem ensue. By the time the steamer reaches its destination, Canon Pennefather, Kay’s guardian, has laid bare an audacious conspiracy and has ascertained that the criminals shall not go free.

  • Fri-Sat, Nov. 2-3 at 8pm
  • Sun, Nov. 4 at 2pm
  • Fri-Sat Nov. 9-10 at 8pm
  • Sun, Nov. 11 at 2pm

Official page |

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October 3, 2018 · 10:05 am

CHAPATTI Runs Nov. 2-11

TROY_Chapatti logoCHAPATTI
Troy Civic Theatre
Nov. 2-11
[Troy]

Directed by Marilyn Mays

Cast: Barbara Lurie as Betty & Jim Walker as Dan

Romance is a distant memory for two lonely animal-lovers living in Dublin. When forlorn Dan and his dog Chapatti cross paths with the amiable Betty and her nineteen cats, an unexpected spark begins a warm and gentle story about two people re-discovering the importance of human companionship

  • Fri-Sat, Nov. 2-3 at 8pm
  • Sun, Nov. 4 at 2pm
  • Fri-Sat, Nov. 9-10 at 8pm
  • Sun, Nov. 11 at 2pm

Official page | Facebook event |

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October 3, 2018 · 9:56 am

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE Runs Nov. 2-4

SSCC_Arsenic and Old Lace logoARSENIC AND OLD LACE
SSCC Theatre
Nov. 2-4
Southern State Community College Daniels Auditorium [Hillsboro]

Directed by Rainee Angles

Cast: Justin Hatfield, Madison Hatfield, Aidan Holmes, Mark Holmes, Quinn Pickering-Polstra, Jonathan Stewart, Shawn Thomsen, Matthew Waits, and Terry Washburn.

If you’re a lonely, elderly gentleman, steer clear of the old Victorian rooming house that Abby and Martha Brewster (played by Leslie Holmes and Bronwyn Jones) run – it may be your last room on Earth! The charming and sweet old sisters populate their cellar with the remains of socially and religiously “acceptable” roomers. Add to this, the antics of their nephew who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt (Zebadiah Pickering-Polstra), another who is disfigured and insane (Andrew Marler), and yet another who is lovesick (Shane Taylor) … well, you have a recipe for mayhem and hilarity!

  • Fri-Sat, Nov. 2-3 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, Nov. 4 at 2:30pm

Official page | Facebook event |

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October 2, 2018 · 3:36 pm

THE ROOMMATE Review

PIP_TheRoommate_02

Margaret Daly as Sharon & Mary Jo Mecca as Robyn. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

THE ROOMMATE presented by the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park through Oct. 21. Click here for a synopsis and more information on the production. I attended the opening night performance.

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park kicks off its Shelterhouse Theatre season with the two-woman dark comedy, THE ROOMMATE. Described as a “The Odd Couple meets Breaking Bad”, the Playhouse’s production seems to lean more toward to the former at the expense of the latter.

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Margaret Daly as Sharon & Mary Jo Mecca as Robyn. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

The humor of the first half of the performance relies heavily on the old city mouse vs. country mouse stereotypes. While the script does generate some good laughs, it doesn’t really cover any new territory. It also, for me at least, tends to skew the time period of the show a bit older than present day.

As Iowan divorcee Sharon, Margaret Daly handles the comedy of the role well. But as her character begins to explore the darker side of her personality, it seemed to be something that Sharon was more playing at then truly embracing.

Mary Jo Mecca’s portrayal of Robyn doesn’t have the edge to her personality that I would expect from a Brooklyn native. I understand the idea of pulling back a bit to give a good impression for her fresh start, but there is a lackadaisical quality to the character that doesn’t quite ring true to me.

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Mary Jo Mecca as Robyn & Margaret Daly as Sharon. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

Since the characters don’t quite work individual, their relationship doesn’t seem to evolve too much as the story jumps forward in time. For me, this lessens the impact of the final scene.

Overall, on opening night, this production of THE ROOMMATE doesn’t have the bite it needs to meet the demands of the script.

My rating: 4 out of 5.

I would enjoy hearing what you think about the show or my review. All I ask is that you express your opinion without attacking someone else’s opinion. You can post your comments below.

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