Monthly Archives: March 2021

March 23, 2021 · 10:21 am

CAA Announces 2021 Overture Award Winners

CAA_Overture Awards$25,500 Awarded for Excellence in the Arts

CINCINNATI, OH – The Cincinnati Arts Association is pleased to announce the winners of its Overture Awards Competition.  Due to the impact of the pandemic, all three rounds of the competition were held virtually, culminating in an online announcement and celebration ceremony on Tuesday, March 16, 2021 at 7:00 PM.  The competition awarded $2,000 for education and training to the winning students in six arts disciplines, and $750 to each of the eighteen runners-up.

The Overture Awards recognizes, encourages, and rewards excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12 and is the area’s largest solo arts competition. Students are nominated by their schools and/or private studios to compete in one of six disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Final, and Final.

Now in its twenty-fifth year, the Overture Awards was launched in 1996 by the Cinergy Foundation (now Duke Energy) and Class 19 of Leadership Cincinnati (a program of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber). The Overture Awards is funded and administered by the Cincinnati Arts Association, which operates and manages the Aronoff Center and Music Hall. The Overture Awards also relies on hundreds of volunteers from the community who help raise funds, adjudicate and manage the competitions, and nurture the program.

THE OVERTURE AWARDS ARE ENDOWED BY THE OTTO M. BUDIG FAMILY FOUNDATION. 

Overture Awards Presenting Sponsors: TriHealth; The Eleanora C.U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee; Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.; Otto M. Budig Family Foundation; Summerfair Cincinnati

Scholarship Sponsors: Arthur Murray – Cincinnati, Douglas Beal, Doreen Beatrice, Bonita Brockert, Brandon Etheridge, Maura Garuccio, Jozsef Parragh, Pebble Creek Group, Phoenix Rising Ballroom, Summerfair Cincinnati, Josh Tilford, Western & Southern Financial Fund, The William O. Purdy, Jr. Foundation

2021 OVERTURE AWARDS WINNERS

CREATIVE WRITING: Savannah Gripshover, grade 11, Conner Senior High School
HOMETOWN: Hebron, KY – Savannah Gripshover’s earliest memories include making her own stories and characters to write about. Currently, she’s in the young writers’ group at her school and dabbles in several projects, primarily poetry and novels. She hopes to pursue a career in the arts and spend her life appreciating them.

DANCE: Braylan Enscoe, grade 11, Laurel Springs School / Just Off Broadway
HOMETOWN: Cincinnati, OH – Braylan trains and teaches at Just Off Broadway, where she is a member of their nationally recognized performance team. She has won numerous regional and national dance awards, performed Clara in The Nutcracker, and was a cast member in the short film Moving Henry, which premiered at The Dance Film Festival. Braylan’s plans for the future include attending college in California or New York while majoring in dance.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC: Andrew Yang, grade 12, Seven Hills School / Won-Bim Yim
HOMETOWN: Cincinnati, OH – Violinist Andrew Yang is a senior at the Seven Hills School. He has served as concertmaster of the Ohio All-State Orchestra and the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. Andrew is also a two-time National YoungArts Winner, an MTNA National Competition Finalist, and a competitor in the 9th International Louis Spohr Competition for Young Violinists.

THEATER: Claire Northcut, grade 12, William Mason High School / Musical Arts Center
HOMETOWN: Mason, OH – Claire Northcut is a senior at William Mason High School and is very excited to be performing in the finals competition. She has been performing since she was six years old and is planning to major in musical theatre in college. She would like to thank her friends and family for their endless love and support!

VISUAL ART: Sydney Luebbe, grade 12, Lakota West High School
HOMETOWN: Liberty Township, OH – Sydney Luebbe was born and raised in Liberty Township, Ohio. She was introduced to art at a young age by her uncle, who’s an architect. Following in his footsteps, she developed a passion for science, mathematics, and art. Despite her challenging academic pursuits, she found comfort in expression through art.

VOCAL MUSIC: Mary Wilkens, grade 12, Ursuline Academy / Melody Wallace
HOMETOWN: Cincinnati, OH – Mary began performing at a young age and participates in Ursuline and St. Xavier’s theater programs. When not on the stage, Mary bowls for Ursuline, sings in her church choir, and sews costumes. Mary is a National Honor Society member and hopes to be a Speech Pathologist for vocal performers.

THE 2021 OVERTURE AWARDS FINALISTS
Winners listed in bold.

CREATIVE WRITING

  • Alexandra Frohn, grade 12, Seven Hills School
  • Savannah Gripshover, grade 11, Conner Senior High School
  • Jenny Hu, grade 11, Seven Hills School
  • Deeya Prakash, grade 11, Sycamore High School

DANCE

  • Braylan Enscoe, grade 11, Laurel Springs School / Just Off Broadway
  • Gracie Harper, grade 12, Anderson High School / The Studio for Dance
  • Trista Mullenix, grade 10, School for Creative and Performing Arts / Just Off Broadway
  • Emi Tao, grade 12, William Mason High School / Bing Yang Chinese Performing Arts Center

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC

  • Ashley Cai, grade 10, William Mason High School / Benita Tse Leung
  • Cole Kubesch, grade 12, Sycamore High School
  • Nicholas Wolfe, grade 12, Saint Xavier High School / Leung Studios
  • Andrew Yang, grade 12, Seven Hills School / Won-Bim Yim

THEATER

  • Benjamin Crane, grade 11, Homeschool / Lincoln Chapman Studio
  • Claire Northcut, grade 12, William Mason High School / Musical Arts Center
  • Bella Randle, grade 11, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy / Musical Arts Center
  • Madeline Ritter, grade 12, School for Creative and Performing Arts / Cincinnati Conservatory MTI 

VISUAL ART

  • Sydney Luebbe, grade 12, Lakota West High School / Stephanie Gauer
  • Marialinda Roblero, grade 12, Lakota West High School / Stephanie Gauer
  • Nathan Tyler, grade 12, Sycamore High School
  • Tiya Yempati, grade 12, William Mason High School

VOCAL MUSIC

  • Claire Hardek, grade 11, Indian Hill School / Dr. Kimberly Buczek, Cincinnati Academy of Performing Arts
  • Ella Vaughn, grade 10, Walnut Hills High School / Karl Resnik, Musical Arts Center
  • Mary Wilkens, grade 11, Ursuline Academy / Melody Wallace
  • Maria Zierolf, grade 12, Mount Notre Dame High School / Lincoln Chapman, Musical Arts Center

Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of two 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 700,000 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 1.8 million students. 

CAA is proud to be a member of Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Greater Cincinnati Alliance for Arts Education, Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce, and Performing Arts Center Consortium. 

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March 23, 2021 · 9:52 am

Auditions Announced for THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Brookville Community Theatre

BVCT_logoThe Brookville Community Theatre is holding auditions for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s THE SOUND OF MUSIC on April 12, 13, and 14 at 7pm.

This year, due to COVID, auditions will not be held on a walk-in basis. We will only allow 20 people in the building each night to audition to keep with the state of Ohio’s guidelines. Please follow the link below to fill out your audition form and to schedule which night you’d like to audition.

For auditions: Please prepare 15 bars of a song to be sung a cappella. You’ll also learn some choreography and do cold readings from the script. There will be proper social distancing measures in place during auditions, so please make sure you have a mask to wear.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC RunS June 24, 25, 26, July 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 and 11.

https://www.theaterforms.com/bvillecomm…/SOM/auditionform/

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March 22, 2021 · 11:40 am

CANDID CONVERSATION: Black Violin | Tues., April 6 via Zoom

CAA_Candid Conversations Black ViolinCANDID CONVERSATION: BLACK VIOLIN
April 6, 2021

CINCINNATI, OH – The second in a series of five Candid Conversations presented by the Cincinnati Arts Association will feature Grammy-nominated Black Violin artists Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste, who are no strangers to Cincinnati, having played to sold-out houses for school programs and the general public at Music Hall in 2019 and the Aronoff Center in 2018. On Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 7:30 PM via a live Zoom event, they will openly dialogue with local BIPOC artists about challenging stereotypes and status quo conventions, and how pathways to equity in the arts will require commitment and unwavering dedication by everyone involved in the process.

NOTE: This event does not include a performance by Black Violin.

Access to the online event may be purchased for $6.00 at www.CincinnatiArts.org or (513) 621-2787 [ARTS].  Purchasers will receive a registration link to the event after their purchase.

Candid Conversations is a five-event series designed to start a dialogue concerning the effects of racism on artists of color and on arts communities as a whole, as well as the journey toward change. Join national and local artists in intriguing discussions about the impact of their work on social justice, community wellbeing, and equity.

The Candid Conversation is moderated by  Marvin Hawkins – President & CEO, Hum Arts Collective; Grand Monarch Enterprises; Member, Cincinnati Arts Association’s Board of Trustees and Building Diverse Audiences Advisory Committee (BDAAC).

The local artists, arts educators, and arts administrators joining the Candid Conversation with Black Violin include:

  • Naimah Bilal — Chief Development Officer, Children’s Literacy Initiative; Host of Urban Consulate Cincinnati
  • Damian Hoskins – General Manager, Elementz
  • Kick Lee –  Founder, Cincinnati Music Accelerator; Music Producer, Composer, Sound Designer, and Instrumentalist
  • Bernardo G. Lopez – Director, My Cincinnati
  • Tracy Wilson – Director of Community Relations and Education, Cincinnati Opera 

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BLACK VIOLIN, INCLUDING VIDEOS:  https://blackviolin.net/ 

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS
Ameritas, ArtsWave, Fifth Third Bank, Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Honda Dealers, Procter & Gamble Fund, St. Gregory Group, TriHealth 

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 1.8 million students. For more information, visit www.CincinnatiArts.org.

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March 22, 2021 · 10:21 am

Roles Available for LADY WINDEMERE’S FAN Zoom Reading at Beechmont Players

BPI_logoBeechmont Players is going to hold another ZOOM play reading on SUNDAY afternoon, April 11th from 2:00 to 5:00. (It’s another long one—I promise we’ll go for a more reasonably timed farce the next time!)  The play is LADY WINDEMERE’S FAN,a periiod drama (see below).  But it’s by Oscar Wilde, so as usual it’s full of subtle and witty social commentary. 

Please email Steve Phelan at stevephelan7588@gmail.com if you would are interested in taking a role (and which role(s) you are interested in).  He will cast this first-come, first serve, but with preference to people who haven’t participated yet (or much), so we all get a chance to join in the fun!  Once cast, he’ll send an electronic copy of the script to each cast member. [He encourages people to play with an English accent, but it is NOT a requirement]

ZOOM readings aren’t the same as live, but they provide a great chance to experience unknown shows, practice your acting skills, and socialize with your theater buddies.  And we hope they’ll be a reminder of why we started working with Beechmont Players in the first place!

Just want to watch?  Put the date on the calendar and watch our social media accounts for the Zoom link!

The story concerns Lady Windermere, who suspects that her husband is having an affair with another woman. She confronts him, but although he denies it, he invites the other woman, Mrs Erlynne, to his wife’s birthday ball. Angered by her husband’s supposed unfaithfulness, Lady Windermere decides to leave her husband for another man. After discovering what has transpired, Mrs Erlynne follows Lady Windermere and attempts to persuade her to return to her husband and in the course of this, Mrs Erlynne is discovered in a compromising position. It is then revealed Mrs Erlynne is Lady Windermere’s mother, who abandoned her family twenty years before the time the play is set. Mrs Erlynne sacrifices herself and her reputation to save her daughter’s marriage…

The roles (descriptions and ages are given just to guide character and perspective) for LADY WINDEMERE’S FAN are:

Lord Windermere plays a major role in the play. Society sees him as the perfect man and great husband. He is the center of the conflict because there are rumors being spread about him. 

Lord Darlington is good friends with Lord and Lady Windermere. He is a charming bachelor in society. He has feelings for Lady Windermere. He goes along with the rumors to try to get Lady Windermere to leave with him.

Lord Augustus Lorton is a sweet, older man. He is in love with Mrs. Erlynne. He allows her to tell him what to do and he doesn’t mind it one bit. He just wants to have a women by his side and spend the rest of his life with someone.

Mr. Dumby is the typical Englishman of high society.

Mr. Cecil Graham is very eccentric. He is part of high society but he is not like the other men. He has a witty sense of humor.

Mr. Hopper is an Australian businessman in high society. He is in love with the Duchess of Berwick’s daughter Lady Agatha. He is an outsider in the London high society because he is Australian. Doubles with Parker, Butler 

Lady Windermere is the wife of Lord Windermere and the mother of his child. She tends to forget her duties as a mother and starts to think of leaving her husband because of the rumors going around the town. She is the daughter of Mrs. Erlynne but never actually finds out about that herself. The play takes place during her twenty-first birthday party.

The Duchess of Berwick is considered a noblewoman by high society. She is a talkative person and highly interested in scandal and drama.

Lady Agatha Carlisle is the Duchess of Berwick’s daughter, who throughout the whole play only says “Yes Mamma.” She is in love with Mr. Hopper. Doubles with Rosalie, Maid

Lady Plymdale is the typical London woman of high society. She thinks highly of herself and behaves in an acceptable manner.

Lady Stutfield is a typical representation of a woman of high society.

Lady Jedburgh is always in the background of scenes during the party talking incessantly.

Mrs. Cowper-Cowper flutters around during the play. She does what she needs to do to stay a part of high society.  

Mrs. Erlynne  A woman in her forties who left her husband years ago. The town knows her as a loose woman. They all judge her and have labeled her as a woman who sleeps with married men. The conflict in the movie is Lord Windermere is paying her off but for what purpose? The reader doesn’t find out until the very end that she is the mother of Lady Windermere. Lord Windermere pays her off so she doesn’t come out and ruin Lady Windermere’s reputation. She starts out the play as a conniving woman but towards the end redeems herself and helps out her daughter.

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March 22, 2021 · 10:00 am

Director for Fall 2021 Sought by Footlighters Inc.

FLI_logoIn lieu of producing a large scale musical this fall, the Footlighters Board has decided to produce a well-known, small cast, non-musical play for Fall 2021. Assuming all Commonwealth of Kentucky mandates are lifted, Footlighters plans to open this show in September/October to join our previously announced shows for the 2021-2022 season. This show will welcome and entice our Footlighters patrons to return to our theater to enjoy in person performing arts. Footlighters is seeking directorial candidates who feel they can bring a fresh and inclusive perspective to these fan favorite plays, and encourages directors from diverse backgrounds to apply, whether you’ve directed for Footlighters before or not:

  • The Odd Couple by Neil Simon
  • Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling
  • The Odd Couple, Female Version by Neil Simon

To apply, please submit your directing resume and which of the selections above you would like to direct to Committee Head Cathy Lutts at preciousmoment65@gmail.com no later than Sunday, April 11th.  Any questions, or for further information, feel free to call Cathy at 513-205-5610. Interviews will be scheduled at a later date once all applications have been received. Footlighters is committed to serving everyone in our community and we look forward to fostering an equitable creative team for this production.

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