Monthly Archives: September 2023

SWEET CHARITY Musical Rom-Com Runs Sept. 28-30 at CCM

CCM_Sweet CharityThe musical follows a happy-go-lucky dancer who is looking for love in ’60s New York

CINCINNATI, OH — UC College-Conservatory of Music’s (CCM) Musical Theatre program opens its 2023-24 season with SWEET CHARITY, a zany romp through the ups-and-downs of the life of a dance hall hostess in New York City. The musical, which premiered on Broadway in 1966 and was later adapted into a movie starring Shirley MacLaine, runs September 28-30, 2023, in Patricia Corbett Theater. Tickets are on sale now through the CCM Box Office.

Charity Hope Valentine’s name gives it all away: she’s a kind-hearted, optimistic dance-partner for-hire, and despite a string of bad luck in love, she never gives up hope that she’ll find her special someone. While her fellow dancers have a more jaded outlook, Charity never loses her chipper demeanor as she sings and dances her way through the highlife and lowlife of 1960s New York. After a series of bad boyfriends and glamorous dates, a chance encounter with a neurotic accountant named Oscar could just be her ticket to happy ever after.

The original production was directed by the legendary Bob Fosse, and starred his wife and muse, Gwen Verdon. Beloved for its music by Cy Coleman, the show also features lyrics by Dorothy Fields and a clever book by famed playwright Neil Simon. Iconic song and dance numbers like “Big Spender” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now” earned the production nine Tony nominations and a win for Fosse’s choreography.

“I love the music and the style of the show,” says director Diane Lala. The set, designed by alumni guest artist Joshua Gallagher (MFA Stage Design, ’21), “is reminiscent of 1960s variety shows,” she continues. “It is very colorful.”

The musical, full of laughs and show-stopping dance numbers, is brought to life on stage with performances and designs by CCM’s students, faculty and staff. “Our cast is amazing,” remarks Lala. “As always, our students are positive, hard-working and full of energy.”

View our digital program to learn more about the cast and creative team for CCM’s production.

CCM Musical Theatre presents Sweet Charity on Sept. 28-30, 2023, at Patricia Corbett Theater. Tickets are on sale now through the CCM Box Office.

Event Details:

SWEET CHARITY
Book by Neil Simon
Music by Cy Coleman
Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Based on an original screenplay by Federico Fellini.
Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano
Based on an original screenplay by Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano
Produced for the Broadway stage by Fryer, Carr and Harris
Conceived, Staged and Choreographed by Bob Fosse

SWEET CHARITY is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of TamsWitmark LLC. www.concordtheatricals.com

Performance Times

  • 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29
  • 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30
  • Estimated run time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, plus a 15-minute intermission

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets: $36 adult, $20 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student;
group discounts available.

Experiencing the magic of CCM OnStage has never been easier! Purchase your tickets:

CCM’s Box Office hours are Tue-Fri from 1-5 p.m. and one hour prior to curtain for ticketed performances. Hours subject to change based on the University of Cincinnati calendar. Our Box Office staff is always ready to answer your questions by phone at 513-556-4183 or email at boxoff@uc.edu.

Learn about additional ticket options for current UC students.

Directions and Parking
CCM is located on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. For detailed driving directions, visit ccm.uc.edu/directions.

Parking is available in UC’s CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Effective July 1, 2023, all University of Cincinnati Parking Services locations will become cashless. Pay for parking securely with your credit/debit card. All major credit cards accepted.

CCM OnStage patrons can add pre-paid parking to their checkout carts when purchasing tickets. Pre-paid parking is date/performance specific. CCM Garage parking rates for a performance or special event is usually available for $10-15. Learn more about parking at UC’s CCM Garage.

For additional information on parking at UC, please visit uc.edu/about/parking.

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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Cincinnati Ballet announces departure of Artistic Director Jodie Gates

CB_logoBoard of Trustees names Cervilio Miguel Amador Interim Artistic Director

Cincinnati, OH (September 22, 2023) – Cincinnati Ballet’s Board of Trustees announced today that Jodie Gates, Artistic Director of Cincinnati Ballet and the Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy, has departed the organization to pursue other opportunities.

“This mutual decision ensures that Cincinnati Ballet can continue its mission to enrich, expand, and excel in the art of dance through world-class performance, a high-caliber academy, and impactful education and engagement, as well as allow Jodie to pursue other professional opportunities,” said Cincinnati Ballet Board of Trustees Chair Joel Stone. “The entire Board of Trustees is grateful for Jodie’s artistic impact on the 2023-2024 Season and wish her the best in her future endeavors.”

“It has been an honor to program the 60th Anniversary Season and I am proud of the work we have done together to ensure the artistic growth of the Company and the Academy,” said Jodie Gates. “However, at this time I wish to focus on choreographic projects, staging, and teaching. I sincerely thank the Board of Trustees, the artistic and administrative staff, the patrons, and the extraordinary dancers for an enriching experience.”

The Board has appointed Rehearsal Director Cervilio Miguel Amador as Interim Artistic Director. Mr. Amador was previously a Cincinnati Ballet principal dancer who retired during the 2019-2020 Season after 16 years as a company artist. “Cervi has been a trusted member of Cincinnati Ballet family and the community since 2004. As a beloved Company dancer and experienced artistic leader, Cervi brings a deep understanding of Cincinnati Ballet and is well-equipped to oversee the Company’s continued artistic excellence,” Stone said. “I look forward to working with Cervi and Cincinnati Ballet’s leadership team as we focus on future opportunities for the Company.”

About Cincinnati Ballet
Since 1963, Cincinnati Ballet has been the cornerstone professional ballet company of the region, presenting a bold and adventurous array of classical, full-length ballets and contemporary works, regularly with live orchestral accompaniment. Cincinnati Ballet is a creative force within the larger dance community, commissioning world-premiere works and exploring unique collaborations. With a mission to enrich, expand, and excel in the art of dance through performance, a high-caliber academy, and impactful education and
community engagement in local to global communities, Cincinnati Ballet reaches beyond the stage in programs that allow every person in the region to be part of the continued evolution of dance. To that end, Cincinnati Ballet presents exhilarating performances, provides extensive education and community engagement programs, and offers top-level professional ballet training at Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy.

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CLYDE’S, A Dramedy From Pulitzer-Winning Lynn Nottage Explores Community, Connection and Redemption at the Cincinnati Playhouse Beginning Oct. 14

PIP_ClydesCINCINNATI (SEPT. 21, 2023) – With vivid characters, witty dialogue and inspiring stories of redemption, CLYDE’S, the latest play by noted playwright and Pulitzer Prize-winner Lynn Nottage, begins Oct. 14 at Moe and Jack’s Place – The Rouse Theatre. The production, directed by Timothy Douglas, runs through Nov. 5 with opening night on Oct. 19. CLYDE’S is presented by Moe and Jack Rouse and Randolph Wadsworth.

At the truck stop diner CLYDE’S, which is owned by a formerly incarcerated individual of the same name, every sandwich has a story and the kitchen crew has plenty to tell. Though the world seems set up for them to fail, they recapture their imaginations and reclaim their lives as sandwich artists in this witty dramedy.

Director Timothy Douglas says of Nottage’s storytelling, “This visionary playwright expertly crafts epic tales for the stage that are accessible to contemporary audiences, in which they can ‘see’ themselves. In addition, no matter to what heights or depths her creative vision takes us, the journey remains fully rooted in authentic truth and learning.”
CLYDE’S was the most produced play of the 2022-2023 American playgoing season, inviting conversations about America’s prison system and the downstream effects on families and communities.

In an interview with the Art for Justice Fund, Nottage discussed her personal connections to the story: “My father worked in corrections in the 1960s and ‘70s, and my brother is a D.A. I have family members who spent the majority of life incarcerated. And so my life in some ways revolves around this system that has really been designed to punish Black men.”
Nottage is a celebrated writer known for holding a mirror to society and creating plays that are accessible and relevant to contemporary audiences. Two previous plays, Ruined and Sweat, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

“What increasingly resonates with me from the in-depth discussions I’ve had with Lynn Nottage over the years is her fervent commitment to exposing the beating hearts and radiating souls of her characters,” Douglas says. “Each one of them goes through very human and often harrowing experiences, yet all emerge with their authentic resiliencies intact.”

CAST (in alphabetical order)

Rafael                         Juan Arturo
Montrellous               Michael Cornelious Chenevert, Jr.
Letitia                          Shannon Dorsey
Jason                          Austin Kirk
Clyde                           Maiesha McQueen

PRODUCTION 
Playwright                               Lynn Nottage
Director                                   Timothy Douglas
Set Designer                           Se Hyun Oh
Costume Designer                  Trevor Bowen
Lighting Designer                    Harold F. Burgess II
Sound Designer                      Matthew M. Nielson
Casting Director                      Stephanie Klapper, CSA
Stage Manager                       Brandon T. Holmes
Assistant Stage Managers      Rachel Pelgen Locke, Shelby Scaffidi, Andrea L. Shell

TICKETS
Tickets begin at $35. Preview performances take place Oct. 14, 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. Opening night is Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Performances will take place on Tuesday-Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. A weekday matinee will be offered on Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. 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 http://www.cincyplay.com. Patrons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind or speech disabled: dial 711 to connect to the Box Office via Ohio Relay Services.

EVENTS
Opening Night: Thursday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
Share the excitement of Thursday opening nights with a lively post-show cast party.

ART TALKS

  • Friday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, Oct. 22 at 2 p.m.
  • Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m.

Stay after select performances for a behind-the-scenes discussion with members of the artistic team.

ADVISORY
Clyde’s is suitable for older teenage and adult audiences only. A crew of people recently release from prison find purpose in sandwich-making while using very strong adult language and discussing mature topics including sex, substance abuse and illegal activities.

SPONSORS
Presented by Moe and Jack Rouse and Randolph Wadsworth. Artist Sponsor is Jennifer and Woody Taft. Season Sponsor is the Schueler Family.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of almost 40,000 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.

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2024 Season Announced by Brookville Community Theatre

BVCT_logoThe Brookville Community Theatre is excited to announce our 39th season:

HARVEY (Comedy)
by Mary Chase
Directed by Jonathan Emmert
Auditions: December 18th & 19th, 2023 @ 7pm
Performances: February 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18

THE ELEPHANT MAN (Drama)
by Bernard Pomerance
Directed by Sara Bortz
Auditions: February 13th & 14th, 2024 @ 7pm
Performances: April 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21

THE MUSIC MAN (Musical)
Book, Music & Lyrics by Meredith Willson
Directed by James Nelson
Auditions: April 16th & 17th, 2024 @ 7pm
Performances: June 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30, July 4, 5, 6, 7

BUS STOP (Romantic Comedy/Drama)
by William Inge
Directed by Sherron Henry
Auditions: July 9th & 10th, 2024 @ 7pm
Performances: September 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15

LITTLE WOMEN (Musical)
Music by Jason Howland
Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein
Book by Allan Knee
Directed by Adonis Lemke
Auditions: September 10th & 11th, 2024 @ 7pm
Performances: November 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17

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Cast Announced for NUNCRACKERS: The Nunsense Christmas Musical at Middletown Lyric Theatre

MLT_logoThe cast includes:

  • Peggy Allen
  • Robert Brumberg
  • Summer Evans
  • Grace Gould
  • Mary Grace Griffith
  • Melodie LaNicca
  • Joey Mason
  • Abbie Miller
  • Mary Nunnery
  • Karen Oehler

Directed by Charley Shafor
Music direction by Mary Ellen Clinard

Performances run Dec. 1-9.

For more information visit www.middletownlyric.org

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