Yearly Archives: 2019

Photo by Tony Arrasmith/Arrasmith & Associates.

Joyous musical opens Playhouse season Sept. 7

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will begin the 2019-2020 season with the vibrant one-act musical, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND on Sept. 7 in the Marx Theatre. The production will run through Oct. 6, with opening night on Sept. 12.

Based on the novels My Love, My Love: or The Peasant Girl by Rosa Guy, this Calypso-flavored musical tells the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl in the Caribbean French Antilles, who is led on an epic adventure for love. But the pompous gods who preside over the island make a bet with one another over which is stronger: love or death, with the stakes being Ti Moune’s life.

Winner of the 1995 Olivier Award for Best New Musical following its original London production and 2017 Tony Award-winner for its Broadway revival, ONCE ON THIS ISLANDis directed and choreographed by Robert Barry Fleming. Fleming is the Artistic Director at the lauded Actors Theatre of Louisville and has served as Associate Artistic Director at the Cleveland Play House and Director of Artistic Programming at Washington D.C.’s Arena Stage.

“The heart of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND is the musical’s uplifting score by songwriting team Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, who have garnered countless theatre accolades,” says Blake Robison, Artistic Director of Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. “Together with the work of Robert Barry Fleming, the story will come to life for audiences with its themes of family, community and the power of love.”

The Playhouse’s $10 Tuesdays return during ONCE ON THIS ISLAND for the first two Tuesday performances of the run – on Sept. 10 and 17. A minimum of 100 tickets will be available each evening.

“Our $10 Tuesdays during In the Heights last season helped make the biggest show of the season accessible to anyone who loves theatre,” explains Robison. “We are going offer them periodically throughout the upcoming season, starting with two evenings during our season opener.”

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Ohio’s only two-time Tony Award-winning theatre, boasts productions that are both nationally recognized and locally crafted. The 2019-2020 season includes productions featuring actors, directors, and designers who regularly work on and off Broadway and at other leading professional theatres across the country. All productions are presented at the Playhouse’s iconic Eden Park setting.

CAST 
(in speaking order)

Rheaume Crenshaw (Mama Euralie); Kenneth Robinson (Tonton Julian); Lauren Chanel (Ti Moune); Colin Carswell (Daniel Beauxhomme); Ken Early (Armand); Alexis Louise Young (Andrea); Sharon Catherine Brown (Papa Ge); Christina Booker (Storyteller); Alfie Dale Jones (Storyteller); Bre Jackson (Asaka); Allan K. Washington (Agwe); Christina Acosta Robinson (Erzulie); Asada Austin and Morgan O. Reynolds (Little Girl).

PRODUCTION
Robert Barry Fleming (Director and Choreographer); Brandon Adams (Music Director); Jason Ardizzone-West (Set Designer); Lex Liang (Costume Designer); Alan Edwards (Lighting Designer); Daniel Perelstein (Sound Designer); Stephanie Klapper, CSA (Casting Director); Brooke Redler (Stage Manager); Jenifer Morrow (Second Stage Manager)

TICKETS
To purchase tickets or 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 www.cincyplay.com. Call 513-345-2248 for Telecommunications Device for the Deaf accessibility.

Performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, at 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Individual tickets start at just $35. Tickets to all 7 p.m. Sunday performances are priced at just $10 for college students with a valid school ID. Student tickets are just $15 on the day of the show for all other performances. Discounted ticket prices for children and teens are available for all productions and are $30 to $50, depending on seat location. Recommended for children ages 10 and up.

$10 Tuesdays
The $10 tickets may only be purchased in-person at the Playhouse Box Office beginning at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10 and Tuesday, Sept. 17. Limit two per person. No advance reservations or choice of seating.

EVENTS

Wine Tastings
Fridays, Sept. 13, 20, 27, and Oct. 4 | 6:30 p.m. at the Playhouse | Cost: $42 per person
Join us before Friday evening performances of Once on This Island for a special wine tasting and a three-course meal, catered by Chef’s Choice Catering! Reservations are required by the Monday before the tasting and can be made through the Box Office at 513-421-3888 or online at cincyplay.com/events. Cost of dinner does not include a ticket to the show.

SPONSORS

ONCE ON THIS ISLAND is sponsored by Johnson Investment Counsel and Clark Schaefer Hackett. Design Sponsor is Messer Construction Co. Artist sponsors are BHDP and Key Bank. Orchestra Sponsor is Barbara Weyand. The Marx Theatre season is presented by Schueler Group. The Season Sponsor of New Work is The Rosenthal Family Foundation.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign. 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.

ACCESS

The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs, and complete wheelchair access are available.

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