Category Archives: Events

Know Announces Encore Performances of the 2015 Audience Pick of the Fringe

dungeon
from Hit The Lights! Theatre Co.

“down the tunnel, into the dark, dodge the web.”

CFF_DungeonA young man falls into the unknown to rescue something he holds dear.  Inspired by kabuki, video games, horror movies, and pixar shorts, Hit the Lights! Theater Co. build a world where the darkness speaks louder than the light.

Know Theatre is proud to welcome back the 2015 Cincinnati Fringe Festival’s Audience Pick of the Fringe, dungeon, for a two-performance Encore at the Cincinnati Actor’s Studio and Academy (Essex Studios, 2511 Essex Place, Room 282B).

Hit the Lights! is an award-winning artistic agreement based in New York City who make theater, music, and online content and are committed to telling simple stories in unconventional ways. Among their members are CCM Drama graduates Kristopher Dean, Claron Hayden, Casey Leach, and Mikayla Stanley.

Critics praised dungeon at the 2015 Cincy Fringe as an “imagination bomb” (Bart Bishop, Cincinnati CityBeat) and a “unqiue and engaging offering…” (Rob Bucher, Behind the Curtain Cincinnati). dungeon quickly caught the attention of festival-goers and after sold-out houses they went on to receive the coveted Audience Pick of the Fringe, voted on solely by festival attendees.

Associate Fringe Producer Chris Wesselman is thrilled to welcome the dungeon team back, saying “This is a young group of artists with roots right here in Cincinnati who are exciting to watch and interact with at every turn. Their passion and dedication are admirable and their artistic creativity is inspiring. We hope this is only the beginning of the work we’ll see from them.”

Hit the Lights! co-founder Casey Leach adds, “We’re overjoyed to be returning to Cincinnati, our home away from home, to invite audiences back into a more fully-formed dungeon than they last encountered.”

dungeon’s Encore will take place within the twists and turns of Essex Studios in Walnut Hills at the Cincinnati Actor’s Studio and Academy (CASA), an opportunity Chris Wesselman is very enthusiastic about. “What’s wonderful about Fringe is how it becomes a gathering of theatre artists from all across town to collaborate and celebrate our entire city’s creative force. And that’s certainly a goal we here at Know Theatre strive for, not just at Fringe but year round. We love finding these opportunities to team up with other local companies and we’re so thankful to everyone at CASA for welcoming dungeon into their space.”

dungeon runs February 26 and 27 at 8 PM. Join us for a night of Fringe theatre that you won’t soon forget…if you can escape. For more information, please visit knowtheatre.com.

Cast

  • Casey Leach
  • Mikayla Stanley
  • Kristopher Dean
  • Samantha Blain
  • Claron Hayden

Calendar Listing

Production:    dungeon by Hit The Lights! Theatre Co.

When:          February 26 and 27, 2016 @ 8PM

Where:         Cincinnati Actor’s Studio and Academy, Essex Studios, 2511 Essex Place Room 282B, Cincinnati, OH 45206 (directional signage from the parking lot will be available)

Tickets:   $15 in advance or at the door

Know Theatre is Cincinnati’s Theatrical Playground.

The Know showcases unexpected voices, new works, and plays that embrace the inherent theatricality of the live experience.

Since 1997, Know Theatre has sought to be a place where artists and audiences feel welcome to take artistic risks, creating work that is cutting edge and accessible.

Know Theatre’s work is made possible by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Know Theatre with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Know is also supported by The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, helping to change our communities for the better through collaboration and innovation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving.

Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group and an Associate Member of the National New Play Network.

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CCM Presents a New Semi-Staged Production of Arthur Honegger’s JOAN OF ARC AT THE STAKE

Honegger’s monumental oratorio comes to life in cinematic fashion on the CCM stage on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016

CCM_Joan of Arc at the StakeCINCINNATI, OH—The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s (CCM) Department of Choral Studies presents four exciting concerts this semester, beginning with a new semi-staged production of Arthur Honegger’s Jeanne d’Arc au bûcher (JOAN OF ARC AT THE STAKE) at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13. This concert will be sung in English with surtitles.

Honegger’s monumental oratorio premiered in Basel, Switzerland, in May of 1938. Over the course of eleven scenes, Joan of Arc at the Stake recounts the timeless tale of 15th century French heroine Joan of Arc. Inspired by both popular and classical music trends of the 1930s, Honegger sprinkled his oratorio with flares of jazz, military fanfares, atonality and Hollywood styles.

CCM’s semi-staged concert production of this imposing work is a massive undertaking, requiring the combined forces of the CCM Philharmonia Orchestra, Chamber Choir and Chorale, along with the UC Men’s and Women’s Choruses and Cincinnati Children’s Choir. The production also features soloists from CCM’s voice and dramatic performance programs, along with technical support from the Lighting Design and Technology department, all of which allows Joan’s brief life to unfold in a truly dynamic fashion on stage.

CCM Director of Choral Studies Earl Rivers conducts this performance. “The drama takes place during Joan’s last minutes on the stake, with flashbacks to her younger days and her trial. Honegger entitled his work a dramatic oratorio, adding speaking roles and actors,” he says. “Joan’s life unfolds in cinematic scenes of heavenly visions, conquests, her trial and her eventual fate at the stake.”

Artist Diploma candidate Marcus Shields provides the stage direction for this production, explaining, “In a typical concert presentation of Joan of Arc at the Stake, the soloists would be using music with music stands. For our production, all of the solo parts are going to be memorized, allowing us to realize Joan’s story in three-dimensional space. This allows us to shift the focus to real characters forging real relationships, detached from a music stand.”

This production’s feature soloists include soprano Tara Morrow as St. Catherine, mezzo-soprano Alyssa Narum as St. Marguerite and soprano Ann Toomey as the

Virgin, along with tenor Robert Stahley and bass-baritone Junbo Zhou.

Joan of Arc at the Stake‘s two primary roles are actually spoken roles, so Rivers and Shields have also enlisted two actors from CCM’s Department of Dramatic Performance: Laura McCarthy as Joan and Landon Hawkins as Brother Dominique.

The last documented performance of Honegger’s Joan of Arc at the Stake in Cincinnati was at the May Festival in 1952, making CCM’s new production a very rare treat.

 

Event Information

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

All event dates and programs are subject to change. Visit ccm.uc.edu or contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 for the most current event information.

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 new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

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

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A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN | Wed., April 13 | Aronoff Center

Broadway’s Critically-Acclaimed Musical

Tour Begins February 9, 2016 at the Panasonic Theatre in Toronto
Features Tony Award-nominated actress Mary Bridget Davies as Janis Joplin

Night with Janis Joplin, ALyceum Theatre

Mary Bridget Davies in A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN. Photo courtesy of Cincinnati Arts Association.

CINCINNATI, OH – The critically-acclaimed Broadway musical, A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, will take the stage at the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall on Wednesday, April 13 at 7:30 PM.  Conceived, written, and directed by Randy Johnson, the rock musical features choreography by Patricia Wilcox and musical direction by Tyler Evans. The much-anticipated show is part of CAA’S 2015-16 Season, celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Aronoff Center. 

The show is a musical journey celebrating Janis Joplin and her biggest musical influences – trailblazers like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Odetta, Nina Simone, and Bessie Smith, all of whom inspired Joplin to become one of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s greatest legends. Like a comet that burns far too brightly to last, Joplin exploded onto the music scene in 1967 and, almost overnight, became the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Her unmistakable voice, filled with raw emotion and tinged with Southern Comfort, made Joplin a must-see headliner from Monterey to Woodstock. Audiences will enjoy Joplin’s favorites, including “Piece of My Heart,” “Cry Baby,” and “Me and Bobby McGee,” among many others.

The New York Times raved that A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN “rocks the house” and Variety called it “electrifying.” New York 1 cheered, “This will rock your socks off!”

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN features Mary Bridget Davies in the starring role. Upon gaining local acclaim for her work in various rock bands, Cleveland native Davies was asked to sit in with Big Brother & The Holding Company (Joplin’s original band, with whom she would later tour), as well as legendary blues guitarist Robert Lockwood Jr. Davies received a Tony® nomination for “Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical” when A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN debuted on Broadway in 2013.

A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN’s 2016 North American Tour will play 34 cities across the U.S. and Canada for a total of 70 shows, kicking off February 9, 2016 in Toronto. The tour is presented by Iconic Entertainment Studios in association with Todd Gershwin and Daniel Chilewich. A Night With Janis Joplin is presented in further association with The Estate of Janis Joplin and Jeffrey Jampol of JAM, Inc.

Iconic Entertainment Studios
Iconic Entertainment Studios is a diversified live entertainment company that specializes in the production and promotion of live arena spectacles, global concert tours, theatrical performances, and touring exhibitions. Created by legendary live events producer Michael Cohl, the company’s recent productions include: An Evening with Oprah, Barbra Streisand, David Gilmour, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Transformers Live! The Marvel Experience, Rock of Ages, An Evening with Al Pacino, A Night with Janis Joplin, Super Why!, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Alvin and The Chipmunks, and many more. Credited with developing the concept of package touring in 1989, Cohl has over forty years of high-level expertise in the entertainment industry with clients such as The Rolling Stones, U2, and Pink Floyd. He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame when he received a Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award at the 2002 Juno Awards. Cohl is also a recipient of the 2004 Billboard Legend of Live award, and was inducted in Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2005. He and his shows have won over thirty-five entertainment industry awards including a Tony, five Olivier Awards, and multiple Emmys.  For additional information, visit www.s2bnentertainment.com.

About T & D Productions
T&D Productions is an integrated entertainment production and marketing company founded by industry veterans Todd Gershwin and Daniel Chilewich, who have collaborated on numerous music, theater, and sports initiatives. Chilewich and Gershwin co-produced numerous theatrical and live concert events, including the Broadway hit musical A Night With Janis Joplin, the upcoming Barry Manilow musical Harmony, the national tour of ‘S Wonderful – The New Gershwin Musical, Over the Rainbow – The Music of Harold Arlen, a multimedia concert celebration, the national tour of the critically-acclaimed Gershwin multimedia symphonic concert, Here To Stay – The Gershwin Experience, Born For This: The BeBe Winans Musical, and the national tour of the Tony Award-winning show Blast.  They also produced a number of recorded media projects including the Broadway cast album of A Night With Janis Joplin with famed music producer Russ Titelman and an all-star recording project with the late legendary music producer Phil Ramone, featuring top recording artists performing Gershwin compositions.

Daniel Chilewich is a music, theater, and entertainment executive and licensed attorney in New York and New Jersey, with extensive experience in live event and theatrical production, music publishing, royalty audits, and management of musical estates.  He has spent extensive time abroad developing joint ventures with Fortune 500 companies, including Europe, China, and the former Soviet Union.  He currently represents an array of clients including music catalog owners and film and theater producers.

Todd Gershwin is an entertainment executive with a diverse background in theater, sports marketing, television, and live events. Todd’s music experience includes serving as a manager, owner, and trustee of the George Gershwin music business. Todd’s sports marketing clients have included Pepsi, Nike, Reebok, the Big East Conference, St. John’s University, Life Time Fitness, TIAA-CREF, and Oracle.

Cincinnati Arts Association
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 600,000 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 1.4 million students.

Cincinnati Arts Association SPONSORS

  • Season SponsorsAMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), FIFTH THIRD BANK (Lifetime Endowment Partner), FURNITURE FAIR, LOCAL12 WKRC, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
  • A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN performance SPONSORS:  Macy’s, TriHealth, Wells Fargo Insurance
  • SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:  Cincinnati Herald, CityBeat, Heidelberg Distributing Company,  Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Garfield Suites Hotel, Macy’s, Pepsi, Skyline Chili, Ultimate Air Shuttle, Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, Inc.

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Celebrating Self Features Miami Valley Ballet Theatre

FC_Miami Valley Ballet Theatre promoHamilton, Ohio – Artistic Director and Instructor Michelle Davis shares the story of the Miami Valley Ballet Theatre February 10 at 11:30am at the Fitton Center, part of this season’s Celebrating Self series. This lunchtime series features regional speakers and performers entertaining and informing after a lunch buffet is served by a variety of local caterers.

“MVBT is a non-profit community ballet company whose mission is to not only teach dance, but to educate the community and our dancers in the fine art of ballet and its great history,” Davis says. “We aim to not only produce dancers, but lifelong supporters of the arts in our community and beyond.”

The event will also include a movement demonstration by Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities program participants.

Tickets are $15 for members; $20 for non-members. Thank you to catering sponsor Richard’s Pizza and series dessert sponsor, the Hillandale Family of Communities.

The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is a not-for-profit community arts center featuring a variety of programs, including: visual and performing arts classes, exhibitions, entertainment and theater productions for all ages. The Fitton Center’s purpose is to provide unique arts experiences and to “build community excellence through arts and culture.” The Fitton Center would like to extend its gratitude to ArtsWave, the Hamilton Community Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council for their ongoing support.

The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Avenue on the Riverfront in downtown Hamilton, Ohio.

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Bach Vespers for Epiphany on Jan. 31

MISC_Bach Vespers logoJoin the Bach Ensemble of St. Thomas for a reflective evening of worship, focused through the lens of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Beyond aesthetic beauty, Bach’s music is so infused with religious fervor that it is almost impossible to separate Bach the Christian from Bach the composer.

Joining the Bach Ensemble for this Vespers in the Cincinnati Camerata, led by Dr. Brett Scott. The Camerata will perform a short choral prelude of sacred works, and then join the BEST under the direction of Artistic Director Carlton Monroe for a performance of Cantata 124, Meinem Jesum lass ich nicht. Reception to follow.

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