Monthly Archives: January 2025

January 27, 2025 · 5:24 pm

ACT Winter Forum on Feb. 15

The ACT Winter Forum is fast approaching! This year, it will be held on Saturday, February 15 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 Noon at the Mason Playhouse (5529 Mason Road). We have planned a very informative day to share information between subject experts, ACT responders, and theatre representatives. Keep in mind that this is free and open to EVERYONE in the ACT community (not just responders and presidents), so please spread the word throughout your organization. The more folks in the room, the increased sharing of knowledge!

Topics to be covered at this forum include:

  • JEDI / DEI Training (contingent upon securing a presenter)
  • Tech Talk . . . what is design vs. execution featuring a panel of experts including:  Eric Bardes, Jon Scheiding, Tom Peters, Christina Siciliano, and more!
  • How critiques can help you and how you can help critiques . . . a round table discussion detailing the current process and gathering feedback as to what we’re going right and how these can better serve your organization

Current ACT Responders are reminded that they are required to attend these sessions.  Coffee and donuts will be served for your convenience.  As sessions are finalized, additional information will become available on the ACT Website: https://www.actcincinnati.org/judging-info.

Let’s all work together to continue to improve theatre in our area.  Looking forward to seeing everyone!

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January 27, 2025 · 5:23 pm

Xavier University Theatre Presents PIPPIN, Feb. 14-22

(CINCINNATI, January 24, 2025) – Xavier University Theatre continues its 2024-25 season with Stephen Schwartz’s classic musical, Pippin. The show will run February 14-22.

Join the enigmatic Leading Player and their magical troupe as they lead Pippin and the audience on an immersive journey through a contemporary club scene.  Experience Pippin’s struggle to find their place in this dazzling and intoxicating world.

Carolyn Guido Clifford (she/her), who directs the show, is drawn to Pippin for a unique reason. “I see the musical as an exploration of gender and self. Pippin, like all of us, is trapped in a world eager to impose labels. The show invites us to question those definitions and explore what it means to find inner peace and confidence—even without having all the answers.”

Junior Leo Jenkins (he/him), who plays Pippin, is excited for audiences to be uniquely immersed in the world of the musical, being performed in the intimate Gallagher Student Center Studio Theatre. “Pippin is such an interesting story when it comes to finding oneself in the chaos that is the world. There are so many ways the show can resonate with members of the audience and actors, bringing everyone together to reflect on the tumultuous time that is finding your belonging and purpose in life,” he said.

Senior Kate Crisp (she/her), who plays Fastrada, points out the poignancy of the theme of self-discovery in college. She said, “Pippin explores the universal message of finding your place in the world, a theme that resonates deeply during the pivotal college years when young adults are discovering how they want to express themselves.”

The cast includes seniors Owen Clark (Charlemagne), Kate Crisp (Fastrada), Mary McMurray (Leading Player), and Tierra London Rush (Catherine); junior Jenkins (Pippin); sophomore Josi Pietrzyk (Berthe); and first-year student Loften Cooper (Lewis/Theo).

The show is directed and choreographed by Carolyn Guido Clifford. Music direction is by Erin McCamley. The design team includes Joe Leonard (technical director and set designer), Rob Holland (light designer), Jessica Pitcairn (costume designer), and Jason Sebastian (sound designer), and sophomores Darah Chandler and Loretta Rubin (props designers). The associate choreographer is sophomore Gracie Phlipot. The stage managers are senior Mattie Cieplak and first-year Anya Sperber, and the assistant stage managers are junior Brookelyn Duncan and sophomore Julianne Schultz.

Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. on February 14, 15, 21, and 22, and 2:00 pm on February 16 and 22. Tickets are limited and are available now. They are $20 each for adults and $15 each for Xavier students, faculty and staff. To purchase tickets, visit https://xaviertheatre.ludus.com/index.php?show_id=200455420.

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January 27, 2025 · 5:22 pm

Cincinnati Ballet Brings THE WIZARD OF OZ Back to the Stage at Music Hall Feb. 21-March 2, With Stunning New Projections

CINCINNATI, OH. (JANUARY 27, 2025) –The Wizard of Oz makes its way back to Cincinnati Ballet for the second time ever! Broadway meets ballet in this visually stunning production with new, out of this world projections that will transport audiences deeper into the heart of Oz. Join us for 10 performances February 21 through March 2 at Music Hall.

Septime Webre’s reimagining of the beloved story of a young girl swept to the magical land of Oz, where she teams up with the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion to find the Wizard and return home is one you won’t want to miss. This production has everything you’d expect from Dorothy’s iconic adventure—plus adorable puppets, flying monkeys and of course, incredible dancing!

Cincinnati Ballet first performed The Wizard of Oz in 2019, only a year after Webre’s revolutionary vision came to life at the Kansas City Ballet. The show includes puppetry by Nicholas Mahon, who worked on the 2018 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, and costumes by designer Liz Vandal, best known for her whimsical work for Cirque du Soleil, and an original score by Matthew Pierce that will be performed live by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $29 at cballet.org.

PERFORMANCE DATES AND INFORMATION

WHO: Cincinnati Ballet
Choreography: Septime Webre
Music: Matthew Pierce, performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

WHAT: The Wizard of Oz

WHEN:

  • Friday, February 21 – 7:30 pm
  • Saturday, February 22 – 2:00 pm
  • Saturday, February 22 – 7:30 pm
  • Sunday, February 23 – 1:00 pm
  • Wednesday, February 26 – 7:30 pm
  • Thursday, February 27 – 7:30 pm
  • Friday, February 28 – 7:30 pm
  • Saturday, March 1 – 1:00 pm
  • Saturday, March 1 – 7:30 pm
  • Sunday, March 2 – 1:00 pm

WHERE: Music Hall – 1241 Elm St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Cincinnati Ballet 2024-2025 Season Sponsors:
Margaret and Michael Valentine, Julie and John Richardson | SugarCreek, ArtsWave, Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Ohio Arts Council, The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation

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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January 21, 2025 · 6:54 pm

ALTAR BOYZ Runs Feb. 13-March 2

ALTAR BOYZ
Footlighters, Inc.
Feb. 13-March 2
Stained Glass Theatre [Newport]

Directed by Bunny Arszman
Vocal Direction by Libby Beiting-Lipps
Music Direction by George Drewyor
Choreography by JV Katz

Cast: Alex Devore as Matthew, Michael Richart as Mark, Christopher Ball as Luke, Ray Garcia as Juan & Jacob Gildenblatt as Abraham

Get ready for a foot-stomping, rafter-raising musical comedy about a fictitious Christian boy band on the last night of their national “Raise the Praise” tour. The Boyz are five all-singing, all-dancing heartthrobs from Ohio: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan, and Abraham. With tight harmonies and spectacular choreography, the Altar Boyz delight their audiences with a message of unity: “there is no star as bright as its constellation, no harmony in a single voice.”

  • Thu-Sat, Feb. 13-15 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, Feb. 16 at 2pm (cancelled due to snow)
  • Thu-Sat, Feb. 20-22 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, Feb. 23 at 2pm and 5pm (added for cancelled 2/16 performance)
  • Thu-Sat, Feb. 27-March 1 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, March 2 at 2pm

Official page | 

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January 21, 2025 · 6:37 pm

Agatha Christie’s THE MOUSETRAP Runs Feb. 6-9

Agatha Christie’s THE MOUSETRAP
Tree County Players
Feb. 6-9
Tree County Playhouse [Greensburg, Ind.]

Directed by Jeff Lincourt
Produced by Amanda Gault

After a local woman is murdered, the guests and staff at Monkswell Manor find themselves stranded during a snowstorm. It soon becomes clear that the killer is among them, and the seven strangers grow increasingly suspicious of one another. A police detective, arriving on skis, interrogates the suspects: the newlyweds running the house; a spinster with a curious background; an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef; a retired Army major; a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift; and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone.  When a second murder takes place, tensions and fears escalate. This record-breaking murder mystery features a brilliant surprise finish from Dame Agatha Christie, the foremost mystery writer of her time.

  • Thu-Sat, Feb. 6-8 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, Feb. 9 at 2pm

Official page |

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