Monthly Archives: June 2026

June 1, 2026 · 6:11 pm

Auditions Announced for KITCHEN WITCHES at Tri-County Players

Tri-County Players 2026-2027 Season Opener

KITCHEN WITCHES by Caroline Smith
Directed by Judy Berrens

Auditions:

Sunday, June 7th – Bell Tower Art Pavillion, Theatre – 7 PM
3270 Glendale-Milford Rd. Evendale, OH 45241

Monday, June 8th – Evendale Cultural Arts Center, History Room – 7 PM
10500 Reading Road Evendale, OH 45241 (second floor)

  • Cold reading from script
  • Bring a list of all conflicts between auditions and tech week as rehearsal days will vary as we will be using multiple libraries. Consideration will be given as to which library depending on those cast.
Cast requirements:
  • 2 women: 50 – 70
  • 1 man: 20-50
  • 1 either male or female, age range open “camera person”

Isobel Lomax and Dolly Biddle are two “mature” cable-access cooking show hostesses who have hated each other for thirty years, ever since Larry Biddle dated one and married the other. When circumstances put them together on a TV show called The Kitchen Witches, the insults are flung harder than the food! Dolly’s long-suffering TV-producer son, Stephen, tries to keep them on track, but as long as Dolly’s dressing room is one inch closer to the set than Isobel’s, it’s a losing battle, and the show becomes a ratings smash as Dolly and Isobel top both Martha Stewart and Jerry Springer!

Performances: August 21, 22, 23, 28 & 29 (Tech week 8/15-8/20)

Performances are at Evendale Bell Tower.

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June 1, 2026 · 6:11 pm

2026 Children’s Summer Theater Program at Sunset Players

Do you have a budding actor at home who’s ready to grow as a performer? The Sunset Players Summer Theater Program is a two-week intensive experience for kids ages 6-17 focused on developing real performance skills.

Students will strengthen their acting toolkit through lessons in character work, stage presence, movement, vocal performance, improvisation, scene study, rehearsal techniques, and ensemble collaboration. Designed to challenge and inspire performers at every level, the program helps young actors build confidence, sharpen their instincts, and deepen their understanding of storytelling and live performance.

Throughout the program, participants will work alongside fellow actors in a rehearsal-based environment. The experience culminates in a live performance, giving students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in front of an audience.

Whether your child is exploring theater for the first time or looking to expand their existing skills, the Summer Theater Program offers a chance to grow as a performer, connect with other young actors, and gain valuable stage experience in a creative and supportive environment.

The Sunset Players Summer Theater Program runs from June 8-19 from 9 am-12 noon, on weekdays. Fees are $55 per child.

To register, please visit www.sunsetplayers.org/product/2026-childrens-summer-theater-program

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June 1, 2026 · 6:10 pm

Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock: BACK TO THE ROCK LIVE | Sat., October 3, 2026 | Aronoff Center

JIM HENSON’S FRAGGLE ROCK: BACK TO THE ROCK LIVE
The first-ever live musical Fraggle Rock touring show 

October 3, 2026
Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall

Tickets on sale Friday, June 5 at 10:00 AM

Cincinnati, OH] – Jim Henson’s musical, fun-loving Fraggles are dancing their cares away across North America and coming to Cincinnati in Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE, the first-ever live touring show based on The Jim Henson Company’s beloved franchise. The show plays the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall for one performance only on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 2:00 PM as part of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s CAA PRESENTS! 2026-27 Season.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 5 at 10:00 AM at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-2787 [ARTS], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office. For group sales (10 or more), call (513) 977-4155. Prices include all applicable fees and taxes and are subject to change.

Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, and Boober Fraggle discover the legend of the Celebration Stone – an ancient Fraggle treasure that has the power to bring everyone together for the greatest party of all time, but was shattered and lost generations ago. As the Fraggles set off on an exhilarating, adventurous journey exploring exciting new caves within Fraggle Rock and even beyond, they discover magic that they never knew existed and learn to work together to unite the lost pieces of the magical artifact. Can the Fraggles succeed in their quest to bring the Celebration Stone back to Fraggle Rock so everyone can enjoy the most incredible party in Fraggle history? And, along the way, will they find something even more memorable and heartfelt than they could have ever imagined?

Based on the Emmy-winning Apple TV original series Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, this all-new, family-friendly, live stage adventure features colorful new walkaround versions of the Fraggles, new puppet versions of their industrious friends the Doozers, and visits from a giant Gorg, as well as exciting new puppet creature friends – all built by the renowned Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Featuring fan-favorite songs and exciting visual effects, this all-new musical stage adventure welcomes audiences on a joyful, nostalgia-filled trip to Fraggle Rock. With lots of music, laughter, and imagination, it’s an unforgettable live experience that will have Silly Creatures of all ages dancing in the aisles! 

Written and directed by John Tartaglia (Avenue Q, Shrek the Musical, Stephen Schwartz’s The Secret Silk), this interactive live musical features both new and classic Fraggle songs, eye-popping immersive stage effects, and all the hilarious, heartwarming magic that has kept Fraggle Rock captivating generations of audiences for over forty years.

Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE is produced by The Jim Henson Company with Catalyst Theatricals LLC as General Manager and Broadway & Beyond Theatricals as the show’s exclusive booking agency. Visit www.fragglerocklive.com for more information.

About The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over seventy years and is recognized as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics, and digital animation. The Company’s most recent credits include the hit holiday special for Apple TV The First Snow of Fraggle Rock, as well as the Emmy®-nominated Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip for Disney+, the Oscar®-winning Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio for Netflix, and the Emmy®-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock for Apple TV. Other television credits include Slumberkins and Harriet the Spy for Apple TV; Dinosaur Train, Splash and Bubbles, and Sid the Science Kid for PBS; Earth to Ned for Disney+; and the Netflix series Word Party and the Emmy®-winning The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Iconic catalogue titles include Fraggle Rock, The Storyteller, Farscape, and the ground-breaking fantasy classics The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

Headquartered in Los Angeles with additional locations in New York and London, the Company is also home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent puppet and creature-building group and industry leader in puppeteered digital animation, with international film, television, theme park, and advertising clients. 

About John Tartaglia
John Tartaglia is an acclaimed actor, director, writer, and puppeteer who is Tony-nominated for originating both Rod and Princeton in Broadway’s debut company of Avenue Q. His theatrical directing credits include Stephen Schwartz’s The Secret Silk and Jim Henson’s Inspired Silliness, both for Princess Cruises, Kinky Boots (3d Theatricals), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Maltz Jupiter Theater), Claudio Quest (six-time winner at NY Musical Theatre Festival, including Best in Fest and Best Director), Shrek the Halls (DreamWorks Theatricals), Because of Winn Dixie (Arkansas Rep and Goodspeed Opera House development), and Jim Henson’s Musical World (Carnegie Hall). 

Most recently, he finished production on the second season of the Emmy®-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, serving as an executive producer, writer, and puppet captain, and performing Gobo Fraggle, Architect Doozer, Gunge, Barry Blueberry, and Sprocket the Dog. 

John has worked many summer seasons at the country’s award-winning, oldest outdoor theater, the St. Louis MUNY, directing such shows as Shrek the Musical, The Wizard of Oz, Tarzan, Annie, Matilda, Mary Poppins, and most recently, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Other credits include the national tours of Jim Henson’s Dinosaur Train Live and Jim Henson’s Sid the Science Kid Live! as well as several shows for Sesame Place, PA. 

John can be heard every Sunday on Sirius XM’s On Broadway with his show “Sunday Funday with John Tartaglia.”

Cincinnati Arts Association SPONSOR 

The Cincinnati Arts Association is supported [in part] by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

Season Sponsors:  AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), MIAMI UNIVERSITY, ARTSWAVE, LOCAL 12 WKRC-TV, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, TRIHEALTH 

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:  21C Museum Hotel, altafiber, Bahl & Gaynor, Cincinnati Herald, CityBeat, Fairfield Inn & Suites Cincinnati Uptown/University Area, Harlan Graphics, Heidelberg Distributing, Kinley Cincinnati, Pepsi, Summerfair Cincinnati

#  #  #

CALENDAR INFORMATION

WHAT:                Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE

WHEN:                Saturday, October 3, 2026 – 2:00 PM

WHERE:              Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall

PRICES:               Start at $52.75 , inclusive of all fees 

INFO:                   Based on the Emmy-winning Apple TV original series Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, this all-new, family-friendly live stage adventure features colorful new walkaround versions of the Fraggles, new puppet versions of their industrious friends the Doozers, and visits from a giant Gorg, as well as exciting new puppet creature friends – all built by the renowned Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Featuring fan-favorite songs and exciting visual effects, this all-new musical stage adventure welcomes audiences on a joyful, nostalgia-filled trip to Fraggle Rock.

TICKET INFORMATION – on sale Friday, June 5 at 10:00 AM

  • www.CincinnatiArts.org  
  • (513) 621-ARTS [2787]
  • Aronoff Center Ticket Office
  • Group sales (10 or more): (513) 977-4155

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June 1, 2026 · 6:10 pm

Auditions Announced for THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY at Footlighters, Inc.

Footlighters is proud to announce auditions for THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY

Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Book by Marsha Norman

Director/Choreographer: Jerry Wiesenhahn
Producers: Mary Stone and Megan Horton
Music/Vocal Director: Greg Dastillung

Audition dates:
Sunday, July 12, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Monday, July 13, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Invited callbacks, if needed:
Wednesday, July 15

Performance Dates:
November 5 – 22, 2026 (Thursdays – Sundays)

The human heart has a way of making itself large again, even after it’s been broken into a million pieces.
Francesca Johnson, a beautiful Italian woman who married an American soldier to flee war-ravaged Italy, looks forward to a rare four days alone on her Iowa farm when her family heads to the 1965 State Fair. When ruggedly handsome National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid pulls into her driveway seeking directions, though, what happens in those four days may very well alter the course of Francesca’s life. This musical is based on the best-selling novel and was developed by Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, Parade, Songs for a New World) and Pulitzer Prize winner Marsha Norman (‘night, Mother; The Secret Garden; The Color Purple). The Bridges of Madison County captures the lyrical expanse of America’s heartland along with the yearning entangled in the eternal question, “What if…?” Winner of the 2014 Tony Award for Best Score and Orchestrations, this sweeping romance about the roads we travel, the doors we open, and the bridges we dare to cross will leave audiences breathless.

No roles have been precast. All auditionees must be 18+ to audition for this show.

For more information and to sign up for your audition time, visit our website. 
 

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June 1, 2026 · 6:09 pm

Cast Announced for 1776 at Footlighters, Inc.

Running September 10 – 27, 2026
 
The Cast
  • Jen Drake | John Adams
  • Kendra Struthers | Benjamin Franklin
  • Maika Miller | Thomas Jefferson
  • Amy Waldfogle | John Dickinson
  • Adria Whitfill | Edward Rutledge
  • Monica Tenhover | John Hancock
  • Virginia Venegas | Dr. Josiah Bartlett
  • Sandy Gates | Stephen Hopkins
  • Catherine Fields | Roger Sherman
  • Diane McCarty | Lewis Morris
  • Becca Wiesman | Robert Livingston
  • Ashley Olivia Matt | Rev. John Witherspoon
  • Hannah Richardson | James Wilson
  • Abby Schwarz | Caesar Rodney
  • Gina Stack | Col. Thomas McKean
  • Abigail Cavallaro | George Read
  • Sofie Tedesco | Samuel Chase
  • Sienna Glaze | Richard Henry Lee
  • Alexis Duncan | Joseph Hewes
  • Elizabeth Leigh Taylor | Dr. Lyman Hall
  • Ellen Godbey | Charles Thomson
  • Lara Gonzales | Andrew McNair
  • Helen Campbell | Leather Apron / Artist
  • Mary Mills | Courier
  • Annie Bloemer | Martha Jefferson
  • Colette Noël Thomas | Abigail Adams

Directed by Libby Beiting-Lipps with vocal direction by Elizabeth Venia, choreography by Abigail Dirr and produced by Mary Stone.

Congratulations to the cast!

Single tickets and new season subscriptions will go on sale July 1, so keep your eyes peeled for updates. You won’t want to miss it as we bring history to life with a unique spin!

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