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February 19, 2018 · 3:06 pm

CCM Celebrates Bernstein’s Broadway Legacy in Concert

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The CCM Philharmonia and Musical Theatre stars of tomorrow present Broadway hits from Leonard Bernstein, Frank Loesser and Jule Styne in concert on Sunday, Feb. 25

CINCINNATI, OH — One of the world’s most comprehensive celebrations of Leonard Bernstein’s musical legacy continues at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music on Sunday, Feb. 25. CCM’s Bernstein Festival presents “Lenny and Friends on Broadway,” featuring the CCM Philharmonia with Musical Theatre alumni and students in concert at 7 p.m. in Corbett Auditorium.

To celebrate Bernstein’s Broadway legacy, the concert showcases popular music from Wonderful Town, On the Town and West Side Story. Highlights also include hits from Jule Styne’s Gypsy, Cole Porter’s Kiss Me Kate and Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

The acclaimed CCM Philharmonia will be joined by current Musical Theatre students Bailee Endebrock and Frankie Thams, along with recent graduates Paul Schwensen and Emily Kristen Morris, for this Prestige Series performance. Luke Flood, Henry Lewers, Buddy Langley and Mark Gibson conduct.

Tickets are on sale now for CCM’s “Lenny and Friends on Broadway.” For ticketing information visit the CCM Box Office or refer to the event information below.

About CCM’s Bernstein Festival
Leonard Bernstein at 100 is the world-wide celebration of the 100th birthday of Leonard Bernstein and his monumental career as a composer, conductor, educator, musician, cultural ambassador and humanitarian. CCM’s Bernstein Festival continues through November 2018, spanning two concert seasons and over a dozen major performances! Highlights include Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, the Symphonic Suite from On the Waterfront, The Age of Anxiety, Trouble in Tahiti, Serenade after Plato’s Symposium, Chichester Psalms, Songfest, Fancy Free and much more. View a complete listing of upcoming performances at ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/save-the-date/bernstein-centennial-festival.

Repertoire
BERNSTEIN: Overture to Wonderful Town (1952-53)
LOESSER: Selections from Guys and Dolls (1950)
BERNSTEIN: Selections from On the Town (1944)

– Intermission –

STYNE: Overture to Gypsy (1959)
PORTER: Selections from Kiss Me Kate (1948)
BERNSTEIN: Selections from West Side Story (1957)
LOESSER: Selections from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1957)

Performance Time
7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25

Location
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for non-UC students and FREE for UC students with valid ID.

Single tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online through our e-Box Office! Visit ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice for CCM Box Office hours and location.

Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit uc.edu/parking for information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

A preeminent institution for the performing and media arts, 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 ccm.uc.edu.

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February 19, 2018 · 1:59 pm

Auditions Announced for RABBIT HOLE at Oxford Area Community Theatre

OXACT_logoDue to unforeseeable circumstances, our final show of the 2017-18 season will not be The Other Place, but will be an equally amazing and powerful piece of theater, titled RABBIT HOLE.

“Becca and Howie Corbett have a picture perfect family life in the suburbs of New York until a random, tragic accident takes the life of their four-year old son. Soon after, Becca’s younger, irresponsible sister, Izzy, announces that she is pregnant: there will now be a new child in the family. As Becca and Howie grow apart, Becca’s mother, Nat, badgers Becca about her grieving process, and Jason, the young driver who killed their son, continually shows up to ask forgiveness, the group is on a bumpy road to healing with no road map in sight. Rabbit Hole delves into the complexity of a family navigating deep grief, and learning what it means to live a fruitful life when things fall apart.” (Synopsis from http://stageagent.com/shows/play/3265/rabbit-hole…)

This production will be co-directed by Rebecca Howard and Alisha Bond. Auditions will be at the Oxford Community Arts Center on Friday, Feb. 23 from 6-7, and Monday, Feb. 26 from 6-7. For more information, contact Rebecca Howard at info@oxact.org.

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February 19, 2018 · 12:30 pm

What’s the Buzz? CCM Presents JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

CCM_Jesus Christ Superstar promo2

CCM’s musical theatre starts of tomorrow present the 1970s rock opera on Thursday, Feb. 22 through Sunday, March 4, 2018. Tickets available through the CCM Box Office.

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR opens at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 22 in Patricia Corbett Theater. Directed by Diane Lala with musical direction by Roger Grodsky, the 1970s rock opera features an iconic score with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice.

A timeless work that has captured audiences for over 40 years, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’s rock score contains such well-known numbers as “Superstar,” “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “Gethsemane.” The musical is based on the last week of Jesus’ life. Set against the backdrop of an extraordinary and universally known series of events, the story is told through the eyes of Jesus’ betrayer, Judas.

“While this story took place in biblical times, its depiction of people uniting behind a movement could easily apply to the social and political movements of today,” Lala says.

Lala has “integrated the old and the new” in CCM’s production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR— costumes inspired by biblical times and by the malls of today, scenic elements and props representing different periods such as characters using stone goblets as well as iPhones.

“This is a story for all times,” Lala says. “It asks the question: Would you die for a people and an ideology that you believed in with your whole heart?”

CCM’s musical theatre stars of tomorrow present JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR on Feb. 22-25 and Feb. 28-March 4, 2018 in Patricia Corbett Theater. Complete event information is below.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by Tim Rice

Creative Team

  • Diana Lala, director
  • Roger Grodsky, musical director
  • Kevin Chlapecka, associate director and choreographer*
  • Matthew D. Hamel, scenic designer*
  • Erik McCandless, lighting designer*
  • Matt. D Birchmeier, sound designer*
  • k. Jenny Jones, fight choreographer
  • Ashley Berg, costume designer*
  • Meredith Keister, hair and make-up designer*
  • Kyle Birdsall, stage manager*
  • Levi Kiess and Mara Tunnicliff, prop masters*
    *CCM student

The Company

  • Jesus – Bryce Baxter^, Stavros Koumbaros*
  • Judas – Jordan Miller^, Alex Stone*
  • Mary Magdalene – Keaton Whittaker^, Ciara Alyse Harris*
  • Simon Zealotes – Ej Dohring
  • Peter – Christopher Kelley
  • James – Daniel Marhelko
  • John – Donelvan Thigpen
  • Thaddeus – Ben Pimental
  • Thomas – Matt Copley
  • Andrew – Emily Ashton Meredith
  • Phillip – Areo Keller
  • Bartholomew/Priest 3 – Marissa Hecker
  • Matthew – Emily Royer
  • James, the lesser – Madelaine Vandenberg
  • Caiaphas – Gabe Wrobel
  • Annas – Madison Hagler
  • Pontius Pilate – Phillip Johnson-Richardson
  • King Herod – Derek Kastner
  • Priest 1 – Hank Von Kolnitz
  • Priest 2 – Nick Berninger
  • Ensemble – Andrew Alstat, Anya Murphy Axel, Aria Braswell, Michael Canu, Emily Celeste Fink, Kylie Goldstein, Joshua Johnson, Elijah King, Jenny Mollet, Kyle Pollak, Bryn Purvis, Erich Schleck, Ethan Zeph
  • Swings – Haley Holcomb, Quinn Surdez

^ Friday, Feb. 23; Saturday, Feb. 24 at 8 p.m.; Thursday, March 1; Saturday, March 3 at 2 p.m. and Sunday, March 4
* Thursday, Feb. 22; Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 25; Wednesday, Feb. 28; Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3 at 8 p.m.

Performance Times

  • 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23
  • 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25
  • 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28
  • 8 p.m. Thursday, March 1
  • 8 p.m. Friday, March 2
  • 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 3
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, March 4

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR are $31-35 for adults, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID. Student rush tickets will be sold one hour before each performance to non-UC students for $12 or $25, based on availability. UC students can receive one free student rush ticket with a valid ID, based on availability.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/mainstage/jesus-christ-superstar.

Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Musical Theatre Production Sponsor: Elizabeth C. B. & Paul G. Sittenfeld

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February 19, 2018 · 12:09 pm

Commonwealth Artists Student Theatre (CAST) Announces Summer Season, Community Partnership, And First Grant

CAST_logoAfter six years presenting summer musicals under the Ft. Thomas Independent Schools umbrella, Commonwealth Artists Student Theatre (CAST) is now a year-round nonprofit youth theatre organization and is starting its first season with three exciting announcements.

SUMMER SEASON
CAST productions are open to all incoming freshmen through graduating seniors in ANY high school in our region. To give even more students the opportunity to participate in a summer theatre experience, CAST will present a non-musical play in addition to its traditional musical, joining previous productions of The Producers, Parade, The Addams Family, Ragtime, Spamalot, and Les Misérables.

The Play: in the CAST tradition of offering students the opportunity to present material often not found in high schools, the first non-musical offering will be the regional premiere of Cincinnati native Theresa Rebeck’s O Beautiful. Mike Sherman, theatre director from Walnut Hills High School, will direct this play described as a “theatrically inventive mashup of contemporary American life and the history that got us to this politically polarized age.” See below for dates and location of O Beautiful.

The Musical: following on the heels of last summer’s well-received production of the sing-through dramatic musical Les Misérables, CAST will go in a completely different direction this summer with the wild and wonderful Shrek: The Musical. Based on the successful animated films, Shrek: The Musical will bring the beloved characters of Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, and the rest to the stage to entertain audiences of all ages. Shrek: The Musical will be presented the weekends of July 13-15 and July 20-22 at the Highlands High School Performing Arts Center.

THE CARNEGIE
CAST and Covington’s The Carnegie, one of the region’s premier community arts venues, are thrilled to announce a community partnership to further the educational, outreach, and production goals of both organizations.

The partnership will kick off this summer when The Carnegie will host CAST’s production of O Beautiful during the weekends of June 29-July 1 and July 6-8.

The plan between the two organizations is for CAST to expand its operations to a year-long company housing most of their programming at The Carnegie. With the expansion, CAST will offer productions throughout the school year, educational workshops on college readiness, technical theatre, etc., as well as assist The Carnegie in their youth programs and outreach. CAST and The Carnegie will market each other’s ventures as well as recommend programming to their subscription bases and the public.

“Partnering with CAST was really a no-brainer for The Carnegie,” noted The Carnegie Theatre Director Maggie Perrino. “Our own education programming ends when students get into high school, so this partnership promotes access to proven, successful arts instruction for children at the high school level.”

“We are so grateful that CAST and The Carnegie could find a way to partner together and foster more opportunities in theatre for high school students in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati,” commented CAST Artistic Director Jason Burgess.

“As a community arts organization, we are always looking for new ways to engage with the residents of Northern Kentucky and facilitate arts opportunities for people of all ages,” remarked The Carnegie Executive Director Kimberly Best. “CAST is an outstanding arts organization in our community and we couldn’t be more pleased to announce this partnership.”

ARTSWAVE SUPPORT
CAST is excited and grateful to announce its first grant from ArtsWave in support of the upcoming presentation of O Beautiful. “Receiving that first grant validates that our vision for CAST to provide more theatrical experiences for high school students in our region resonates with the broader community. We are looking forward to audiences seeing the benefit of the ArtsWave grant on stage this summer at The Carnegie,” said Amy Burgess, executive director of CAST. 

About CAST: Commonwealth Artists Student Theatre is a Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati theatre collaborative, that through professional quality productions, arts instruction and developing community relationships, empowers students to achieve their artistic potential under the leadership of professionals. More information about CAST is available at www.caststages.org or by calling (859) 474-2811.

About The Carnegie: The Carnegie is Northern Kentucky’s largest multidisciplinary arts venue providing theatre events, educational programs and art exhibitions to the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community. The Carnegie facility is home to The Carnegie Galleries, the Otto M. Budig Theatre, and the Eva G. Farris Education Center.  More information about The Carnegie is available at www.thecarnegie.com or by calling (859) 491-2030.

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February 16, 2018 · 4:59 pm

The Sky’s the Limit with The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s 2018-2019 Season

TCTC_new logoCincinnati –  The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s 94th MainStage season will take audiences “up, up and away” with a SUPER season opener for Tri-State students and families at the Taft Theatre.

“We are 94 years young – and we still haven’t grown up!” said Producing Artistic Director, Roderick Justice.  “Our lineup will have something for everyone, while enhancing our mission (To educate, entertain and engage audiences of all ages through professional theatrical productions and arts education programming). After two years in the making, we are thrilled to kick off our season with an exciting collaboration.”

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s creative team, theatrical licensing agent Tams-Witmark, and DC Comics have joined forces to adapt and premiere a TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) version of the 1966 musical It’s A Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman (Superman®).

President of Tams-Witmark, Sargent Aborn, states, “The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati had this wonderful idea to create a TYA version of “It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman,” Tams-Witmark and the authors of the show are excited to see the results.”

Along with Superman®, the season 94 brings to life a regional-premiere holiday musical (Santa Claus: The Musical); a new creative vision in store for Mowgli and his friends (Disney’s The Jungle Book KIDS); and another world-premiere musical with Ken Jones (Sleeping Beauty).”

The Man of Steel, The Man in Red, a “Man-Cub” and a sleepy (but spunky) princess will inspire and entertain audiences both young and old.

TCT MainStage at the Taft season:

SUPERMAN® (October 6-15, 2018)

SANTA CLAUS: THE MUSICAL (December 8-17, 2018)

DISNEY’S THE JUNGLE BOOK KIDS (February 16-25, 2019)

SLEEPING BEAUTY (April 27-May 6, 2019)

New subscriptions to the 2018-2019 Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati MainStage season at the Taft Theatre will be available in early June after existing subscription renewals are completed.  Subscriptions range from $23 to $103 for all four productions.  Single tickets go on sale August 31.  For information call 513-569-8080 ext. 10 or visit www.thechildrenstheatre.com.

Important to note:  The Children’s Theatre’s four Broadway-style MainStage productions will continue to be performed in the historic Taft Theatre in downtown Cincinnati.

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati is supported by the thousands of people who give generously to the ArtsWave Community Campaign.  The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

About the MainStage at the Taft Season:

TCTC_Superman promo

Edward Watts, NYC Center Encores! production of IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE, IT’S SUPERMAN. © Joan Marcus. Used with permission.

SUPERMAN® 
October 6-15, 2018
Composed by Charles Strouse, with lyrics by Lee Adams and book by David Newman and Robert Benton.  Based on the comic book character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics.

SUPERMAN® is the tale of Superman’s efforts to defeat a vengeful scientist, the new villain Dr. Abner Sedgwick, who seeks to destroy the world’s symbol of good.

In this premiere adaptation of the 1966 musical, It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman, this TYA-friendly musical will be sure to soar up, up and away into the hearts of all children and the young at heart.

 

TCTC_Santa Clause the Musical promo

Leo J. Northart as Santa from TCT’s 2010 production of Holiday Follies 2. Photo by Phil Groshong.

SANTA CLAUS: THE MUSICAL
December 8-17, 2018
Book by Noah Putterman. Music & Lyrics by David Christensen & Luke Holloway.

After 1,000 years of faithful service, Santa Claus has decided to retire. But not all the elves in Santa’s Workshop are too thrilled about his chosen replacement.

With the help of his tech-savvy daughter, Beatrice, website designer Nick is in for the adventure of his life as he prepares to take over the reins to Santa’s sleigh…before the next Christmas! Jam-packed with a sleigh-full of fun, energetic, and original Christmas music, Santa Claus: The Musical will be sure to put you and your entire family in the holiday spirit!

TCTC_The Jungle Book promo

Will Graber as Mowgli, from TCT’s 2011 production of Disney’s The Jungle Book KIDS. Photo by Phil Groshong.

DISNEY’S THE JUNGLE BOOK KIDS
February 16-25, 2019
Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman and Terry Gilkyson.  Book Adapted and Additional Lyrics by Marcy Heisler.  Music Adapted and Arranged by Bryan Louiselle.  Based on the Screenplay by Larry Clemmons.  Based on the Novel, “The Jungle Book” by Rudyard Kipling.

The jungle is jumpin’ with a jazzy beat in Disney’s The Jungle Book KIDS. Specially adapted from the classic Disney animated film, this musical features a host of colorful characters and your favorite songs from the animated movie.  Based on the works of Rudyard Kipling, the “Man-Cub” Mowgli, bounds through the jungle and learns what it means to be human.

TCTC_Sleeping Beauty promo

Megan Williams as Sleeping Beauty from TCT On Tour’s 2007 production of Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Phil Groshong.

SLEEPING BEAUTY
April 27-May 6, 2019
Story and book by Ken Jones, music by Jamey Strawn and lyrics by Christine Jones.

A world-premiere commission by TCT! A clever take on the classic fairy tale, this new rock musical comedy is packed with humor, heart and a powerful message.

Briar Rose, the impulsive but courageous daughter of the King Charles and Queen Genevieve, defies the age-old tradition of attending ‘Princess School’, and sets out on her own to discover all the Kingdom has to offer.  But along the way, she encounters an evil witch who places a curse on Princess Briar Rose, which causes her to fall into a deep sleep that can be ended only with a kiss from a prince. The evil witch tries to stop the sweet but befuddled Prince Edward from rescuing his sleeping beauty, but the witch fails and the prince succeeds.  Then, fully awake and ready to rock, the feisty Briar Rose begins a whirlwind quest to defeat the witch and to restore order to the Kingdom.

The creators of Sleeping Beauty previously wrote TCT’s 2016 production of Snow White and the Dancing Dwarfs, and TCT’s 2013 holiday production of The Day Before Christmas as well as other successful shows including:  Burgertown, CHURCH GIRLS Umatilla USA, and A. LINCOLN: A Pioneer Tale.

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