Author Archives: robbucher

January 2, 2020 · 11:53 am

Behind the Curtain Breaks 300,000 Views in 2019

Rob MFYHappy New Year Everyone!

The Behind the Curtain Cincinnati blog received 302,886 views from 137,598 visitors in 2019, the first time the blog has exceeded 300,000 views in one year.

Of the 1,280 blog posts (an average of 3.5 posts a day), the top 50 posts are lead by auditions, cast lists and season announcements (hint, hint -Rob). Breakdowns by category and group follow the list.

Top 50 Viewed Posts of 2019:

  1. 2019 Season Announced by La Comedia Dinner Theatre – 4,047
  2. Auditions Announced for AMERICAN IDIOT at The Carnegie – 2,163
  3. 2020 Season Announced by La Comedia Dinner Theatre – 1,977
  4. Auditions Announced for JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT at The Carnegie – 1,906
  5. Cast Announced for AMERICAN IDIOT at The Carnegie – 1,734
  6. Auditions Announced for DRIVING MISS DAISY, THE ADDAMS FAMILY and ROCK OF AGES at Cincinnati Landmark Productions– 1,468
  7. CCM Announces Initial 2019-2020 Performance Lineup, New Subscription Offerings – 1,462
  8. Cast Announced for ROCK OF AGES at the Incline Theatre – 1,323
  9. Cast Announced for CABARET at Cincinnati Music Theatre – 1,270
  10. Cast Announced for MAMMA MIA! at Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre – 1,171
  11. Cast Announced for THE ADDAMS FAMILY at Covedale Center – 1,141
  12. Auditions Announced for HEATHERS: The Musical at CenterStage Players – 1,099
  13. Cast Announced for MAMMA MIA! at Footlighters Inc. – 1,065
  14. Cancellation of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Announced by Dayton Playhouse – 1,019
  15. Cast Announced for JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT at The Carnegie – 990
    (tie) Auditions Announced for PROOF at The Carnegie – 990
  16. Auditions Announced for MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, ALL SHOOK UP and THE LAST FIVE YEARS at Cincinnati Landmark Productions – 986
  17. 2019-2020 Season Titles Announced for Footlighters Inc. – 963
  18. Local A Cappella Quartet to Compete at World Level, Releases New Video – 937
  19. 2019-2020 Season Announced by Cincinnati Music Theatre – 909
  20. Auditions Announced for ANNIE GET YOUR GUN at Footlighters Inc. – 877
  21. Cast Announced for SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS at Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre – 861
  22. The Carnegie Announces 2019-2020 Theatre Season – 851
  23. Titles Announced for 2019-2020 Season at Wright State University – 842
  24. Auditions Announced for NEWSIES at Inspiring Arts – 831
  25. TITUS ANDRONICUS Quick Review – 803
  26. Auditions Announced for MAMMA MIA! at Footlighters Inc. – 786
  27. Cast Announced for PIPPIN at Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre – 763
  28. Auditions Announced for THE CHILDREN’S HOUR at Nomadic Performance Initiative – 747
  29. The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati Presents ANNIE JR. – 725
  30. Auditions for Speaking Roles in Feature Length Film – 719
  31. Auditions Announced for Full-Time Touring Actors at The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati – 715
  32. 2019-2020 Season Announced by CenterStage Players – 690
    (tie) The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati Presents CASPER THE FRIENDLY MUSICAL – 690
  33. 2019-2020 Season Announced for Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre and Covedale Center – 679
  34. Walnut Hills High School Theatre Department Turns Tradition On Its Head With All-Female Production of Euripides’ MEDEA – 669
  35. Cast Announced for SWING! at The Carnegie – 632
  36. Auditions Announced for SWEENEY TODD at Queen City Productions – 631
  37. Auditions Announced for BROADWAY BOUND at Mariemont Players – 626
  38. Auditions Announced for 2020 Summer Classics Season at Incline Theater – 608
  39. Costume Gallery Liquidation Sale Begins Sept. 5th – 594
  40. Mariemont Players Announce Auditions for GREASE – 586
  41. Auditions Announced for HOME at Cincinnati Music Theatre – 581
  42. #HAM4HAM Lottery Announced in Cincinnati – 572
    (tie) The Human Race Theatre Company Announces its 33rd Season: A Season of Women! – 572
  43. Falcon Theatre Announces Its 30th Anniversary Season Lineup – 562
  44. Cast Announced for MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET at Covedale Center – 561
  45. Auditions Announced for INCIDENT AT VICHY at Alibi Players – 540
  46. Auditions Announced for CASPER the Friendly Musical and A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS at The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati – 529
  47. Auditions Announced for THE 39 STEPS at Falcon Theatre – 518
  48. Walnut Hills High School Theatre Department Brings Four Performances to One Stage in A Student Directed One Act Festival – 511
  49. MEALS 4 MONOLOGUES at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati – 505
  50. Auditions Announced for WINTERFEST at Kings Island – 502

Top 50 Breakdown by Category

  • 22 – Auditions
  • 11 – Cast Lists
  • 11 – Season Announcements
  • 8 – Press Releases
  • 1 – Reviews

Top 50 Breakdown by Organization

  • 10 – Cincinnati Landmark Productions
  • 7 – The Carnegie
  • 4 – The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati | Footlighters Inc.
  • 3 – Cincinnati Music Theatre
  • 2 – CenterStage Players | Falcon Theatre | La Comedia | Mariemont Players Inc. | Walnut Hills High School
  • 1 – Alibi Players | Broadway in Cincinnati | [Casting Call] | Cincinnati Shakespeare Company | Costume Gallery | Dayton Playhouse | Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati | Half and Half | Human Race Theatre Company | Inspiring Arts Productions | Kings Island | Nomadic Performance Initiative |Queen City Productions | UC College Conservatory of Music | Wright State University

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January 2, 2020 · 9:52 am

THE HUMANS Runs Jan. 31-Feb. 9

BCT_The Humans logoTHE HUMANS
Beavercreek Community Theatre
Jan. 31-Feb. 9
[Beavercreek]

Directed by Aaron Brewer

After a sleepless night, Erik Blake has brought his family from Pennsylvania to celebrate Thanksgiving at his daughter’s new apartment. As darkness falls outside the crumbling pre-war duplex, mysterious things start to go bump in the night and family tensions reach a boiling point.

  • Fri-Sat, Jan. 31-Feb. 1 at 8pm
  • Sun, Feb. 2 at 3pm
  • Fri-Sat, Feb. 7-8 at 8pm
  • Sun, Feb. 9 at 3pm

Official page |

 

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January 2, 2020 · 9:36 am

HEATHERS the Musical Runs Jan. 31-Feb. 9

XU_Heathers logoHEATHERS the Musical
Xavier University Theatre
Jan. 31-Feb. 9
Gallagher Student Center [Evanston]

Directed by Stephen Skiles
Music direction by Scot Buzza
Choreography by Ashley Goos

Cast: Connie Kavensky as Veronica, Dylan Van Camp as JD, Faith Macko as Martha, Gigi Relic as Heather Chandler, Julia Olinger as Heather Duke, Amara Shroba as Heather McNamara, Liz Sundstrom as Ms. Fleming/Veronica’s Mom, Andrew Leonard as Ram’s Dad/Big Bud/Coach, Elliot Auch as Kurt’s Dad/Veronica’s Dad/Gowan, Matthew Benedek as Ram, Ryan Whitford  as Kurt, Anna Campise as Stoner Chick, Annalese Cahill as Republicanette, Lillian Reynolds as New Wave Girl, Emily Jorgenson as Geek, Antony Contreras as Hipster Dork/Officer McCord & Zac Martin as Preppy Stud/Officer Milner
Ensemble: Danielle Jacobs, Caroline Conard, Jenna Treinen & Andy Girmann

Based on the 1989 classic film, Westerberg High is ruled by a shoulder-padded, scrunchie-wearing junta: Heather, Heather, and Heather, the hottest and cruelest girls in all of Ohio. But misfit Veronica Sawyer rejects their evil regime for a new boyfriend, the dark and sexy stranger J.D., who plans to put the Heathers in their place – six feet under. Adult language and situations.

  • Fri, Jan. 31 at 7:30pm
  • Sat, Feb. 1 at 2pm & 7:30pm
  • Thu-Sat, Feb. 6-8 at 7:30pm All three performances are SOLD OUT
  • Sun, Feb. 9 at 2pm (Added matinee)

Official page |

 

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December 30, 2019 · 11:00 am

Premier of LILY BLOSSOMS, OR MODERN SUBDIVISION ZONING IN THE PRESENT DAY, at the Aronoff Center, January 14

CPI_Ghost Girl and Lily Blossoms logoThe Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative New Voices series presents the premier of LILY BLOSSOMS, OR MODERN SUBDIVISION ZONING IN THE PRESENT DAY by Greg Hatfield, in a staged reading, on Tuesday, January 14th, 2020, at 7:30 p.m., at the Fifth Third Bank Theater in the Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut Street, in Downtown Cincinnati.

This sophisticated comedy is set in New York City in 1954.  Lily Palmer and Theodore Barkley, the star writers for Manhattan magazine, are the very best of friends.  Hating their present assignments, they decide to mix things up a bit to the consternation of their editor.  Barkley has also been moonlighting as an actor and gets an offer from a movie studio in Hollywood.  This could break up the team and his marriage.

Cincinnati community theater lovers will recognize this cast:  Cathy Jo Judge, Darren Lee, Peggy Allen and Chris Bishop, as all are very familiar faces throughout the city, working consistently on plays and musicals with every theater company.

The playwright and director, Greg Hatfield, is no slouch, either.  For years, he was a writer, actor and director in Dr. Browndog’s Monkeytime, a theatrical comedy troupe in Cincinnati.  His other plays have been performed by companies in Cincinnati, Kansas City, Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

Tickets are now on sale at https://www.cincinnatiarts.org/events/detail/cpi-ghost-girl or the Aronoff Box Office.  Tickets are $10.00.  Another play, THE GHOST GIRL by Ariel Rodgers, is included in the ticket price.

For more information, go to cincinnatiarts.org, cincyplaywrights.org and greghatfield.com.

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December 30, 2019 · 10:35 am

Springboro Community Theatre Present CHARLOTTE’S WEB

SCT_Charlottes WebSpringboro, OH – The Children’s Literature Association named this “the best American children’s book of the past two hundred years,” and Joseph Robinette, working with the advice of E.B. White, has created a play that captures this work in a thrilling and utterly practical theatrical presentation.

All the enchanting characters are here: Wilbur, the irresistible young pig who desperately wants to avoid the butcher; Fern, a girl who understands what animals say to each other; Templeton, the gluttonous rat who can occasionally be talked into a good deed; the Zuckerman family; the Arables; and, most of all, the extraordinary spider, Charlotte, who proves to be “a true friend and a good writer.”

Determined to save Wilbur, Charlotte begins her campaign with the “miracle” of her web in which she writes, “Some pig.” It’s the beginning of a victorious campaign which ultimately ends with the now-safe Wilbur doing what is most important to Charlotte. This is a beautiful, knowing play about friendship.

Charlotte’s Web is a youth production and will be performed in the Premier Health Theatre at the Springboro Performing Arts Center.

Director Mark Goodwin and Assistant Director Alli Brown have gathered a talented group of youth performers to bring this classic tale to the stage. Get your tickets today to see how “with the right words, you can change the world” at BoroTheatre.org!

When:
Evening: January 10, 11, 17 & 18 at 7PM
Matinee: January 12 & 19 at 2PM

Where:
Springboro Performing Arts Center, 115 Wright Station Way, Springboro, OH 45066

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