Yearly Archives: 2019

The World-Premiere Musical Adaption of CASPER Kicks Off The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s 2019-20 Season

TCTC_new logoCincinnati –The nation’s oldest professional theatre for young audiences celebrates “The Power of a Child” with MainStage musicals following four young central characters with strength, grit, and a drive to succeed. From the not-so-scary Casper the Friendly Ghost and everyone’s favorite blockhead, Charlie Brown, to the spunky orphan Annie and the magical Matilda, audiences both young and old will enjoy every moment of this sensational season!

Producing Artistic Director, Roderick Justice says, “We wanted our season to celebrate the immense power children possess. Through these musicals centered around four bold young characters, we will entertain and inspire our young audiences, ages 4 to 104, to be the best versions of themselves.

TCTC_Casper logoWe kick off the season with an exciting world-premiere adaption of Casper the Friendly Musical. This show is filled with wonderful songs and relevant themes around loyalty, teamwork, kindness, and friendship. 2019 marks the 80th anniversary of Casper’s debut, entertaining generations through comics, books, television, film, and now the stage! This show will be a great way to gear up your kids for Halloween! (But don’t worry, the show isn’t scary at all.) Dress up and test those spooktacular Halloween costumes before they hit the streets!

Each year, we get hundreds of requests to revive our 2015 production of A Charlie Brown Christmas. We are excited to bring the beloved TV special back to life on our stage this December, as we celebrate the season with the whole Peanuts gang. The show you loved in 2015 is back and will be even better than before!

The classic musical Annie has always been one of my favorites. She may only be 10 years-old, but Annie is my hero. Seeing someone rise above their difficult circumstances always made me feel anything is possible. And of course… who doesn’t love a live dog on stage!

Finally, Matilda closes our season. This recent Tony Award winning Broadway-hit will be sure to delight audiences of all ages.  Plus, you might see a few familiar faces on the stage… ahem… hint hint…

This season will be a celebration you will not want to miss!” 

About the 19-20 MainStage Season at the Taft:

CASPER The Friendly Musical
October 12-21, 2019
Book and lyrics by Stephen Cole. Music by Matthew Ward. Adapted by TCT and Roderick Justice. With special arrangement from Universal Theatrical Group.

TCT takes Casper center stage in this world-premiere musical adaptation for young audiences! Everyone’s favorite friendly ghost and his three uncles live a rather uneventful existence in the family mansion. Fifty years after their lives were cut short in a lightning storm, Magdalena, their former maid, re-enters their (after)lives! Now a celebrity TV Host, she is looking for the deed to the mansion… not because she wants the house, but because she believes there’s a message on the back that will lead her to a “great treasure”. As competition reality TV is all the rage, she hosts a live treasure hunt in the mansion on Halloween. One lucky young contestant could win $1 million if they find the deed! It is up to young Casper and his new friends, the contestants, to save the mansion from Magdalena, and discover the greatest treasure of all!

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS
December 7-16, 2019
By Charles M. Schulz.  Based on the television special by Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelson.
Stage adaptation by Eric Schaeffer
By special arrangement with Arthur Whitelaw and Ruby Persson. A Charlie Brown Christmas is presented by arrangement with TAMS-WITMARK.

Back by popular demand, bring your family and celebrate the season with our live rendition of your favorite holiday TV special! Don’t let the hustle and bustle of the holidays get you down. Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang are here to remind us about what’s most important during the Yuletide season. 2019 marks the 54th anniversary of the animated TV special, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Produced by Lee Mendelson and directed by Bill Melendez, the CBS program debuted on December 9, 1965. 

ANNIE JR.
February 29-March 9, 2020
Book by Thomas Meehan, music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, presented on Broadway by Mike Nichols, originally produced by Irwin Meyer, Stephen R. Friedman, Lewis Allen, Alvin Nederlander Associates, Inc., The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Icarus Productions.
Based on “Little Orphan Annie”® by Permission of The Tribune Media Services, Inc.

Leapin’ Lizards! Kick off Leap Year with us! The popular comic strip heroine takes center stage in one of the world’s best-loved musicals. With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s hearts, despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find her parents, who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of an orphanage run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan.

Roald Dahl’s MATILDA The Musical
April 27-May 4, 2020
Book by Dennis Kelly. Music and lyrics by Tim Minchin.

Broadway’s biggest little hero, Matilda, is an extraordinary little girl with a vivid imagination. Unloved by her cruel parents, Matilda is armed with astonishing wit, intelligence and mysterious powers. At school, she catches the eye of her sweet schoolteacher, Miss Honey, but also the mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, who loves to think of clever ways to punish children. Matilda and Miss Honey have a profound effect on each other and together they dare to take a stand against Miss Trunchbull to change their destiny. 

New subscriptions to the 2019-2020 Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati MainStage season at the Taft Theatre will be available in early June after existing subscription renewals are completed.  Subscriptions range from $43 to $123 for all four productions.  Single tickets go on sale August 30.  For information call 513-569-8080 ext. 10 or visit www.thechildrenstheatre.com.

Important to note: The Children’s Theatre’s four Broadway-style MainStage productions are performed in the historic Taft Theatre in downtown Cincinnati. 

TCT EXTRAS:

The following productions will be performed on TCT’s Showtime Stage at Red Bank: 

SUFFRAGETTES: With Liberty and Voting for All
September 21-22, 2019 

BAH-HUMBUG! A One-Man Christmas Carol
November 30-December 1, 2019

MRS. CLAUS SAVES THE DAY!
December 21-22, 2019 

CORETTA SCOTT KING
January 18-19, 2020 

HARRIET TUBMAN: Straight Up Outta the Underground
March 14-15, 2020 

DOROTHY IN OZ
May 16-17, 2020

CINDERELLA WORE COWBOY BOOTS
June 5-7, 2020

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati is supported by ArtsWave and the generosity of almost 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign.  The Ohio Arts Council helps to fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

-end-

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Caesar’s Ford Theatre Extends Call for Submissions

CFT_logoThe Board of Trustees has made the decision to extend the submission deadline to May 22, 2019 to accommodate playwright requests for additional time to perform historical research. The Board would also like to see additional submissions regarding Col. Charles Young, the Shawnee Nation, and Ohio’s wonderful aviation history. Caesar’s Ford Theatre, Inc is seeking a variety of dramatic genres and especially encourages submissions from diverse writers including women, African Americans, and Native Americans.

Caesar’s Ford Theatre, Inc is looking for short dramatic scripts based about Ohio history to be included in “History in ACTion: A Festival of New Historic Drama”, to be presented as staged readings September 21, 22, 28, 29, 2019. The festival will take place in an outdoor theatre venue. Playwright and student playwright festivals will occur on separate weekends. Original one-act plays, monologues, or scenes from longer works will be considered. Each script should require no more than 10 performers and run somewhere between 10 and 30 minutes in length. All scripts should be based on stories from the history and culture of Ohio. Visit www.caesarsford.com for some suggested subjects and further details. Fictional characters and incidents can be included but historical accuracy is a priority. Scripts should not be based upon previously published works.

Writers should be residents of Ohio, a graduate of a college or university located in Ohio, or has a significant tie to the state. Student writers should be residents of Ohio and attend a charter, parochial, private, or public middle school or high school. Students who are home schooled or students living out-of-state but have a significant tie to the State of Ohio are also invited to participate. The authors of scripts chosen for inclusion in the Festival will be offered compensation for performance rights, ranging from $25 to $100, depending on the length of the material. Caesar’s Ford Theatre, Inc is particularly interested in material that might further be developed into a trilogy of full length plays to be presented in an Ohio outdoor theatre venue in the future. Writers are permitted to submit more than one script. There is no submission fee. Scripts can be submitted in an attachment to info@caesarsford.com , in Word or PDF format, or they can be sent in hard copy to Caesar’s Ford Theatre, Inc PO BOX C Xenia, Ohio 45385-0692. Electronic submission is preferred. For more information please contact Caesar’s Ford Theatre, Inc at info@caesarsford.com .

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Cincinnati Landmark Productions Adds Managing Director

CLP_Rodger Pille2Cincinnati Landmark Productions announced today the promotion of Rodger Pille to the role of Managing Director.

Pille previously served as Communications/Development Manager for CLP, one of the region’s fastest growing arts organizations, since 2012.

Landmark is the owner/operator of the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts and the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater. It merged with Madcap Puppets in 2017 and oversaw the construction and opening of the new Madcap Education Center in Westwood. In addition, CLP is the producer of the Cincinnati Young People’s Theatre (CYPT), the region’s long-running, national award-winning teen summer theater program.

Pille served as Project Manager for those two recent capital projects: the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater and the Madcap Education Center.

As Managing Director, Pille will now oversee operations and staff of CLP’s three venues as well as fundraising, strategic planning, marketing, public relations and development for the organization.

“When CLP was ready to make the next step in its evolution, I hired Rodger,” said Tim Perrino, founder and Artistic Director of CLP. “His ability to manage projects and build a collaborative team made both the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater and the Madcap Education Center developments a reality. As Managing Director, he’ll see to the success of all CLP’s exciting venues and programming.”

Before coming to CLP, he worked in the marketing communications departments of Newport Aquarium (2008-11) and Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal (1997-2008), managing public relations and social media initiatives.

He’s also well acquainted with the theater. Pille began his relationship with CLP in 1990 as a teen participant in CYPT. In college and for many years after, he performed on the Showboat Majestic stage for CLP, and later at the Covedale and Incline venues.

Pille is a 1995 graduate of the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. He and his wife Krista reside in Western Hills with their son Charlie.

For more information about CLP, visit http://www.clpshows.org or call (513) 241-6550.

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CCM Musical Theatre Stages Epic THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

CCM_Hunchback of NotreFrom the Oscar-winning team of Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz comes a lush retelling of Victor Hugo’s epic story of love, acceptance and what it means to be a hero

CINCINNATI, OH — The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s (CCM) Mainstage Series production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame opens on Thursday, March 7 and continues through Sunday, March 10, 2019, at CCM’s Corbett Auditorium. Directed by CCM Musical Theatre Chair Aubrey Berg, the beloved musical features the college’s musical theatre stars of tomorrow with musical direction from Stephen Goers.

Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame features the film’s Academy Award-nominated score, as well as new songs by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. Peter Parnell’s book features verbatim passages from Hugo’s gothic novel. Parental discretion is advised.

This isn’t the first time Berg has brought one of Victor Hugo’s dramatic tales to the CCM Mainstage. Berg staged a critically acclaimed production of Les Misérables at CCM in March 2014. CityBeat’s Rick Pender called CCM’s production “powerful and memorable, one of the best musical theater productions on a Cincinnati stage this season.”

“With Hunchback, we are employing similar techniques,” Berg says. “Set designer Lindsey Purvis has created a 40-ton timber cathedral of the mind — a poetic rather than literal space — in which the action unfolds. Dean Mogle is supplying a boatload of Medieval costumes and Kelly Yurko and her elves are creating wigs and make-up that would be at home in any painting by Brueghel. Oliver Tidwell-Littleton, currently under contract to the Walt Disney Company, is creating the lighting.”

“There is quite a lot to look at, but the stars of the production are the hard-working actors who play a multitude of roles to bring the story to life. They are true ‘triple threats,’ singing and dancing and acting their hearts out to tell this moving tale.”

The musical begins as bells sound through the famed Notre Dame cathedral in 15th-century Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer, observes all of Paris reveling in the Feast of Fools, but he is held captive by his devious caretaker, the archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo. He escapes for the day and joins the boisterous crowd, only to be treated cruelly by all but the beautiful Esmeralda. Quasimodo isn’t the only one captivated by her free spirit, though — the handsome Captain Phoebus and Frollo are equally enthralled. As the three vie for her attention, Frollo embarks on a mission to destroy the gypsies and it’s up to Quasimodo to save them all.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, CCM Musical Theatre took the No. 3 spot in Playbill Magazine’s list of “10 Most Represented Colleges on Broadway” in the 2018-19 season. Cincinnati audiences get the chance to see CCM’s stars of tomorrow perform locally before students move on to the worlds stages.

Berg first came to CCM 32 years ago to direct Nine as part of the college’s Hot Summer Nights performance series. He says that he particularly enjoyed working on CCM’s productions of Evita, West Side Story, The Secret Garden, Into the Woods and Les Misérables. “None of these would have been possible without the help of my collaborators, the musical directors, choreographers and designers who give their all to teach our students professionalism and discipline,” he adds.

“A lot of blood, sweat and tears have gone into making the Musical Theatre program at CCM one of the best in the nation,” Berg says. “But the rewards of seeing our graduates on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in national and international tours, and in every facet of the performing arts, have been rewarding indeed.”

Don’t miss your opportunity to see CCM’s stars in the college’s epic production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame on March 7-10, 2019. Tickets on sale now through the CCM Box Office.

CCM’s production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame will last 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Book by Peter Parnell
Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney film
Originally developed by Disney Theatrical Productions

Creative Team

  • Aubrey Berg, director
  • Stephen Goers, musical director
  • Katie Johannigman, choreographer
  • Erin Magner*, production stage manager
  • Dean Mogle, costume designer
  • Oliver Tidwell-Littleton*, lighting designer
  • Matthew Tibbs, sound designer
  • Aria Braswell*, assistant director
  • Kelly Yurko, hair and make-up designer
  • Lindsey Purvis*, scenic designer
  • Hankyu Lee*, associate sound designer
  • k. Jenny Jones, fight choreographer
    * CCM Student

Cast List

  • Andrew Alstat as Lieutenant Frederic Charlus
  • Bryce Baxter as Claude Frollo
  • Jack Brewer as Father Dupin
  • Kevin Chlapecka as Clopin Trouillefou
  • Matt Copley as Jehan Frollo
  • Dylan Dougal as Saint Aphrodisius
  • Madison Hagler as King Louis Xi
  • Kendall McCarthy as Florika
  • Jenny Mollet as Esmeralda
  • Sam Pickart as Tribunal
  • Alex Stone as Quasimodo
  • Frankie Thams as Captain Phoebus de Martin
  • Madelaine Vandenberg as Madam
  • Jordan Alexander, Michael Canu, Madison Deadman, Sofie Flores, Kylie Goldstein, Zoe Grolnick, Chip Hawver, Joshua Johnson, Camila Paquet, Bryn Purvis, Mikayla Renfrow, Aaron Richert, Hank Von Kolnitz, Ethan Zeph as Multiple Roles
  • Leo Carmody, Samuel Cohen, Britta Cowan, Christian Feliciano, Carina Florio, Ashton Francis, Colton Harksen, Kai Horvit, Jack Johnson, Christian Kidd, Anna Chase Lanier, Tyler J. Martin, Cassandra Lyn Maurer, Drew Minard, Chesney Mitchell, Stone Mountain, Eli Owens, Ben Pimental, Brandon Schumacker, Matthew Skrovan, Eleanor Zambarano as The Voices of Notre Dame
  • Dance Captains: Joshua Johnson, Bryn Purvis
  • Vocal Warm-Ups: Ben Pimental

Understudies:

  • Quasimodo – Aaron Richert
  • Esmeralda – Camila Paquet
  • Male Cover – Ben Pimental
  • Swings – Tori Heinlein, Sammy Schechter

Performance Times

  • 8 p.m. Thursday, March 7
  • 8 p.m. Friday, March 8
  • 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9
  • 8 p.m. Saturday, March 9
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, March 10

Location
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Ticket prices start at $32. Discounts are available for UC and non-UC students. Service changes may apply for online orders.

Student rush tickets will be available one hour before each performance to non-UC students, based on availability. UC students can receive one free student rush ticket with a valid Bearcat ID, based on availability.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online through CCM’s e-Box Office.

Parking and Directions

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 visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

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

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.

Mainstage Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Musical Theatre Production Sponsor: Dr. & Mrs. Carl G. Fischer

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI, 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 Tel: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 www.MTIShows.com

A preeminent institution for the performing and media arts, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is the largest single source of performing arts presentations in the state of Ohio. All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events, please visit us online at https://ccm.uc.edu/.

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Auditions Announced for JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH at Bart’s Bards

BB_logoBart’s Bards is excited to announce the auditions for their 2019 summer show, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH. (Music by Justin Paul & Benj Pasek). We’re looking for anyone ages 6 and up!

Director: Maddy Weinkam
Music Director: Danielle Reynolds
Choreographer: Elenya Stephani

Show runs June 20th-23rd with 5 performances

Audition dates and times:

  • March 23rd from 1:00-4:00
  • March 25th from 7:00-9:00
    Callbacks, March 26th from 7:00-9:00

Audition location:
John Paul II school at St. Bartholomew Parish (9375 Winton Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231)

Signup for an audition time here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A044DAEAA22A5FA7-james

**We are more than happy to accept walk-ins, but please know scheduled auditions will be taken first.**

Please prepare 16-32 bars of a Broadway song NOT from James and the Giant Peach. An accompanist will be present, but feel free to bring accompaniment tracks if that is preferred. There will be a choreo audition following three groups of audition time slots. Please wear appropriate clothing and shoes (no open toed shoes).

If you are out of high school and over the age of 18, you must be willing to be Virtus trained through the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to participate in this show. We will be offering a training session after the show has been cast on March 30th in the afternoon, but feel free to attend another training session prior to auditions if you know you want to be in the show! Link for times and dates for trainings is below:
https://www.virtusonline.org/virtus/reg_list2.cfm?theme=0

**If you have been in a Bart’s Bards show before and ONLY want to be in the ENSEMBLE, please email BartsBardsPeach@gmail.com and we will add you to the list**

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