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CINCINNATI  (Aug. 3, 2023) – The music of the Man in Black returns to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Aug. 26 in the toe-tapping, soul-stirring musical biography RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH. The hit musical, which features 30 songs from Cash’s career, is presented by the Markley Family and sponsored by US Bank. The production runs through Oct. 1. (Opening night is Aug. 31.)

Johnny Cash’s razor-sharp vocals and stripped-down country sound helped shape the American rock’n’roll landscape of the 20th century. RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH depicts his early life in the cotton fields of Arkansas and his move to Memphis where he launches his music career, hits it big and marries the love of his life, June Carter. To tell the story, five actor-musicians deliver crowd-pleasing renditions of Cash’s musical catalog, including “I Walk the Line,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I’ve Been Everywhere” and “Ring of Fire.”

“It’s an almost mythic American tale – of growing up in simple, dirt-poor surroundings in the heartland of America, leaving home, traveling on wings of music, finding love, misadventure, success, faith, redemption, and the love of a good woman – and eventually returning home,” explains Richard Maltby, Jr., the original creator of RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH along with William Meade, who conceived the production.

The updated version of the script and orchestrations, which Maltby premiered at Milwaukee Rep in 2013, features five actors who play their own instruments, making the script more intimate and personal. This intimate experience is supported in our production by the new Rouse Theatre, in which seats are closer to the stage, bringing audience members closer to the action.

The set design by Chen-Wei Liao creates a contemporary and impressionistic vibe, leaning into muscular, modern styles of scenic art rather than the nostalgia of the period when Cash first found success.

“We’re tapping into aspects of Johnny Cash’s personality: ferocity, tenderness, despair, all the times of being human he encapsulated in his poetry of lyrics and his soul of music,” says Tony-award-nominated director and choreographer Marcia Milgram Dodge, who previously directed Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (2020), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2017), The Secret Garden (2015) and Cabaret (2013) for the Playhouse, and directs and choreographs the new RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH.

CAST
Alex Canty
Matt Cusack
Allison Ann Kelly
Leenya Rideout
David Rowen

PRODUCTION
Director/Choreographer – Marcia Milgrom Dodge
Music Director – Leenya Rideout
Set Designer – Chen-Wei Liao
Costume Designer – Lauren T. Roark
Lighting Designer – Matthew Richards
Sound Designer – David Bullard
Casting Director – Stephanie Klapper, CSA
Stage Manager – Andrea L. Shell

TICKETS

Tickets begin at $35. Preview performances take place Aug. 26, 29 and 30 at 7:30 p.m.  Opening night is Aug. 31 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 Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. in lieu of an evening performance.  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 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: All performances at 7:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted:

Opening Night: Aug. 31
Share the excitement of Thursday opening nights with a lively post-show cast party.

Art Talks (formerly Meet the Artists): Sept. 3 (2pm), Sept. 7 and Sept. 20
Stay after select performances for a behind-the-scenes discussion with members of the artistic team.

Pay What You Can: Sept. 6 and Sept. 12 (1 p.m.)
Pay What You Can performances are an additional way we try to make live theatre accessible to those who otherwise might not be able to attend our shows. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 513-421-3888 or in person beginning at noon, day of the performance only. Tickets are subject to availability.

Audio Described Performance: Sept. 15 (2 p.m.)
Trained volunteers describe the visual elements of the production via a hearing enhancement system, allowing patrons to hear dialogue, music and other sound effects. The description is timed to avoid interfering with dialogue. Before the show and during intermission, show and actor information are shared.

Signed Performance: Sept. 17 (2 p.m.)
Each Rouse Theatre production offers one signed ASL performance during the show’s run.

ADVISORY
Suitable for teenage and adult audiences. This musical celebrates the iconic Johnny Cash, featuring details of Johnny’s career, covering topics such as substance abuse, guns, violence and murder.

SPONSORS
Presented by the Markley Family in memory of James and Noretta Markley.  Production Sponsor is US Bank. Honorary Producer is The Lemmerman Family. Rouse Theatre Season Sponsor is Schueler Group. Rouse Theatre Season Design Sponsor is Kerry Automotive.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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