THE BLACKFACE PROJECT Staged Reading
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
March 10
[Eden Park]
Written by Isaiah Reaves
A complete revision of the critically acclaimed Fringe production, Isaiah Reaves’ new Blackface Project takes another look at the Bert Williams story through fresh eyes, genre and hope. Bert Williams, the first Black man on Broadway, is at the center of this new, satirical piece.
Free with on registration required |
Filed under Events, On Stage, Staged Reading
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY Staged Reading
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati
March 9
[Over-the-Rhine]
Adapted by Maggie Lou Rader
When Basil Hallward paints a portrait of the stunning young Dorian Gray, Dorian finds himself wrestling between his conscience and the life lessons of Lady Harriet Wotton. This new adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic and only novel brings to the stage the horror of what we all keep hidden. What is your soul worth?
Free, registration recommended |
Filed under Events, Staged Reading
The artist-curated, cabaret-style performance series runs June 17–July 17 and features a diverse array of music—from opera to jazz to popular song and more—in Music Hall’s intimate Wilks Studio
CINCINNATI (March 5, 2025)—Cincinnati Opera has announced the lineup for its 2025 series of Studio Sessions—intimate, cabaret-style performances at Music Hall’s Wilks Studio curated and performed by Cincinnati Opera artists. Studio Sessions will take place during Cincinnati Opera’s 2025 Summer Festival (June 12–July 27) alongside its mainstage productions of Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto, Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca, and an all-new production of Fiddler on the Roof by Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick, and Joseph Stein. See below for details.
Cincinnati Opera presents
STUDIO SESSIONS
June 17, 2025, at 8 p.m.
Soul and Sound: Dueling Pianos and Artistic Tributes to the Harlem Renaissance
Wilks Studio at Cincinnati Music Hall
1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Experience a virtuosic evening spanning multiple genres and time periods. Inspired by the Harlem “rent parties” of the 1920s and onward, pianists Kevin Day and Kevin Miller present opera, jazz, and classical repertoire along with poet and curator Tifara Brown and special musical guests.
Tickets: General admission: $47, reserved seating: $67. Tickets are on sale now for 2025 Summer Festival subscribers and will go on sale to the general public on April 1, 2025. To order, call 513-241-2742 or visit cincinnatiopera.org.
July 10, 2025, at 8 p.m.
Anthony Clark Evans in Recital
Wilks Studio at Cincinnati Music Hall
1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Audiences will remember the “warm-toned, vivacious, and humane” (San Francisco Chronicle) baritone Anthony Clark Evans from recent Cincinnati Opera productions of Lucia di Lammermoor and La Traviata. Now, following his mainstage performances as Scarpia in Tosca, Evans returns for an evening of handpicked selections perfect for the intimate studio setting, joined by pianist James Maverick.
Tickets: General admission: $47, reserved seating: $67. Tickets are on sale now for 2025 Summer Festival subscribers and will go on sale to the general public on April 1, 2025. To order, call 513-241-2742 or visit cincinnatiopera.org.
July 17, 2025, at 8 p.m.
From Avenue A to Broadway: Songs and Stories of Tin Pan Alley
Wilks Studio at Cincinnati Music Hall
1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
At the turn of the 20th century, an unassuming Manhattan neighborhood was quickly becoming the vibrant epicenter of American popular music. Tin Pan Alley gave voice to a community of diverse composers, lyricists, and performers, mingling the traditions of Yiddish theater with Western classical music, ragtime, and jazz to shape the soundtrack of an era. Cincinnati Opera features Queen City Cabaret’s Sarah Folsom and Matthew Umphreys along with special guests to shine a spotlight on the artists whose resilience, innovation, and spirit of collaboration spurred the golden age of American popular song.
Tickets: General admission: $47, reserved seating: $67. Tickets are on sale now for 2025 Summer Festival subscribers and will go on sale to the general public on April 1, 2025. To order, call 513-241-2742 or visit cincinnatiopera.org.
About Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera’s mission is to enrich and connect our community through diverse opera experiences. Founded in 1920 and the second-oldest opera company in the nation, Cincinnati Opera presents a thrilling season of grand opera every summer and engaging programs throughout the year. The company’s repertoire includes beloved classics and contemporary masterworks brought to life by some of the world’s most dynamic performers and creative artists.
Cincinnati Opera is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign. This project was supported in part by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts. Cincinnati Opera also receives general season support from The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Patricia A. Corbett Estate and Trust, and the Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, along with general season and project support from many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. Cincinnati Opera is a member of OPERA America. Learn more at cincinnatiopera.org.
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Filed under Events, Press Releases
[CINCINNATI, OH] – The Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is proud to present the 2025 Overture Awards Finals Competition. The Overture Awards provides $3,000 to six area high school students for education and training expenses, with eighteen finalists each winning $1,000. The program also includes and Arts Educator Award for Excellence in Arts Instruction totaling $1,000.
Tickets are on sale now at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office.
The Overture Awards Finals Competition and Awards Ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 15, 2025 at 1:00 PM at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater. Winners will be announced immediately following the competition. The Visual Art Finalists Exhibition will be showcased in the Aronoff Center’s Center Stage Room (adjacent to the Weston Art Gallery on 7th Street) from Tuesday, March 10 – Sunday, March 23, 2025.
This year, 237 students applied to compete in one of six artistic disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. The Overture Awards was developed to recognize, encourage, and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12. It also provides students an opportunity to share their talents and interests among their peers in a supportive environment outside of their individual schools. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Final, and Final.
The Overture Awards Regional Competitions were held virtually in January 2025. The top twenty-five percent of competitors in each discipline advanced to the Semi-Finals, which were held at the Aronoff Center on February 12-15. Twenty-four finalists will compete in the Finals Competition at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater on March 15.
Now in its 29th year, The Overture Awards was launched in 1996 by the Cinergy Foundation (now Duke Energy) and Leadership Cincinnati (a program of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber). The Overture Awards is funded and administered by the Cincinnati Arts Association, which operates and manages the Aronoff Center and Music Hall. The Overture Awards also relies on hundreds of volunteers from the community who help raise funds, adjudicate, manage the competitions, and nurture the program.
The Overture Awards are endowed by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.
THANK YOU to the following generous supporters of Dancing for the Stars and The Overture Awards:
Accent on Cincinnati, The Alleen Company, Scott Allgyer, Arthur Murray – Cincinnati, Arthur Murray – West Chester, Douglas Beal, Doreen Beatrice, James Branham, Bonita Brockert, Sebastian Castillo, Dance Manor, DelightMore, eat well celebrations & feasts, Maura Garuccio, Heidelberg Distributing Company, Jeff Thomas Catering, Alex Johns, Dr. Hali Jungers, Dr. Magdalena Kerschner, Jeremy Mainous, Moerlein Lager House, Newport Aquarium, Party Source, Pepsi, Philip Bortz Jewelers, Prime Cincinnati, Primo Italian Steakhouse, Punky’s Pixels, Bret Schneider, Deb Schubert, Britton Spitler, Street City Pub, Studio 900, Zack Thornton, Josh Tilford, Rostislav Toporski, Melissa Vaughn
Chris O’Brien & Janeen Coyle (former hosts of “Married with Microphones,” 103.5 WGRR-FM), JD Hughes (DJ, 103.5 WGRR-FM)
Overture Scholarship Sponsors: The Eleanora C.U. Alms Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee; Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.; Otto M. Budig Family Foundation; Summerfair Cincinnati; TriHealth
Printing Sponsor: Harlan Graphics
The 2025 Overture Awards Finalists
CREATIVE WRITING
DANCE
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
THEATER
VISUAL ART
VOCAL MUSIC
Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of two of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts. Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves upwards of 700,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than two million students and adults.
CAA is proud to be a member of Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, Greater Cincinnati Alliance for Arts Education, Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, Greater Cincinnati Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce.
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Filed under Events, Press Releases
DISCOVERY: The Apprentice Company Showcase
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati
March 6
[Over-the-Rhine]
Featuring Maddi O’Connell – www.maddioconnell.com, Abigail Dirr – https://dirra1.wixsite.com/mysite, Amira Jackson – @_amira.jackson_, Char Adams – @char.m.adams, Elliet Malatesta – www.ellietmalatesta.com & Leo Clark
Join our 2025-2026 Professional Acting Apprentice Company for a dynamic showcase of songs, scenes, and more, celebrating growth, perspective, and the journey of discovery! We are so proud of this group of young artists. Admission is free, but registration is required. Reserve your spot for a chance to see the stars of tomorrow!
Free, registration recommended |
Filed under Events
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 