Category Archives: Events

The Walnut Hills High School Theatre Department Presents CARRIE: The Musical

WHHS_Carrie

Avery Frank as Margaret in the Walnut Hills High School production of Carrie the Musical. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

Cincinnati, OH- Following their previous productions of Macbeth and the 2022 One Act Festival, The Walnut Hills High School Theatre Department is eager to welcome back audiences with a musical based on the tragic Stephen King novel, Carrie: The Musical.

The show runs February 16-18, 2023 at 7 p.m.

The musical follows Carrie White, a teenage outcast who longs to fit in. At school, she’s bullied by the popular crowd, and virtually invisible to everyone else. At home, she’s dominated by her loving but cruelly controlling mother. What none of them know is that Carrie’s just discovered she’s got a special power, and if pushed too far, she’s not afraid to use it. Through a journey and look into the high school experience, Carrie: The Musical asks the question, “what does it cost to be kind?”

Although the book takes place in the 1970s, the show updates the plot to take place in the early 2000s in order to better connect with modern day teenagers.

“While most know Carrie as a horror film, the musical plays very much like a tragedy,” says director Mike Sherman. “There are real, human, recognizable characters to be explored;  and it very much speaks to what it is like to be a contemporary teenager growing up in a world of extremism.”

WHHS_Carrie2

Diana Hutchinson as the titular character in the Walnut Hills High School production of Carrie. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

Playing the role of Carrie White is senior Diana Hutchinson.“This role challenges me as an actor to expand my view on playing such an iconic role,” says Hutchinson, “and it inspires me to dig deeper and figure out the true nature of the character.”

Tickets are $13 for adults and $11 for students. They are now available, and can be purchased at: https://sites.google.com/view/whhstheatredepartment/tickets. Please note: Due to some strong language and adult subject matter,  this show is recommended for mature audiences age 13 and up.

This production and the entire WHHS Theatre Season is graciously sponsored by the Walnut Hills High School Class of 1964 Performing Arts Fund.

Featuring Diana Hutchinson as Carrie, Avery Frank as Margaret, Katie Berich as Sue, Izzy Lachey as Chris, Sunny Dighe as Tommy, Nate Caudill as Billy, Emma Dalton as Ms. Gardner, Wolf Singer as Mr. Stephens, Josie Leanza as Norma, Maya Busche as Frieda, Lily Clark as Helen, Hadrian Dwyer as George, Andrew Canter as Stokes, Andrew Kelm as Freddy, Sophie Christian as Interrogator 1/Ensemble, Loretta Rubin as Interrogator 2/Ensemble, Lonzo Montgomery as Reverend Bliss/Ensemble, and Winter Cruser, Kyra Doty, AJ Frecker, Tre Hall, Adelaide Linser, James Overton, Lizzy Rebber, Abby Riddle, Jonathan Rubin, Clark Sayre, Riley Soutar, Mya Verticchio, and Anna Rose Wright as Ensemble.

Directed by Mike Sherman
Assistant Directed by Ryan Peerless
Music Director: Steve Goers
Choreographer: Kate Stark
Student Choreographer: Diana Hutchinson
Technical Direction by Helen A. Raymond-Goers
Production Stage Manager- Jameira Jones
Assistant Stage Management- Abbie Kershner and Caroline Lovelace
Costume Designer- Paloma Lanzador
Hair and Makeup Designer- Sci Redding
Lighting Designer- Allison Caulkins
Props Designer- Oran Wilkins
Scenic Designer- Ryan Peerless
Sound Designer- Nyla Shahanavaz and Heather Storm
Head Electrician- Maya Busche
Marketing and Publicity Head- Lizzy Rebber

Leave a comment

Filed under Events, Press Releases

Celebrated Vocal Group Performs World Premiere, Debuts at Classic Cincinnati Venue, Unveils Major Roster Change

NP_Cast Jan. 23CINCINNATI, OH – The Queen City’s favorite vocal jazz group will make three special debuts this March.

NO PROMISES Vocal Band is one of 25 ensembles in the region selected to debut new vocal music commissions as part of the May Festival’s “25 for 25: A New Time for Choral Music” program. The piece will be performed in three March concerts, including the group’s debut at Mt. Lookout’s The Redmoor. And all three programs will be the debut of former NO PROMISES guest artist Kaeden Kass in his role as the group’s first new permanent member added since 2018.

Music lovers can catch NO PROMISES in concert three times in March:

Northminster Church Concert Series
Sunday, March 12, 2:30pm
703 Compton Road | Finneytown
No Admission Fee | More Information

May Festival 25 for 25 Showcase
Sunday, March 19, 2:00pm (NO PROMISES performs at 6:00pm)
Christ Church Cathedral
418 E. 4th Street | Downtown
More Information

The Redmoor with Three Bald Guys
Thursday, March 23, 7:30pm (6:00pm Doors)
3187 Linwood Ave | Mt. Lookout
Tickets $25 | theredmoor.com

A Compositional Debut – NO PROMISES Sings a World Premiere

This March NO PROMISES is honored to offer the world premiere of “Aubade,” a new work by composer and Luna Composition Lab alumna Cecelia Olszewski. After studying the group’s roster and style, Olszewski sought to write a close-harmony ballad that sounded modern but also included aspects of Medieval composition. Olszweski’s composition “is about the transitional space between two distinct phases,” the composer writes. “Night becoming day, motion becoming stillness, closed eyes opening, a question becoming an answer.” Setting an original lyric by colleague Iman Pekdemir, Olsweski’s piece also nods to the Roman Catholic basis of much of Medieval music, employing 3/4 time in representation of the Holy Trinity.

Olsweski’s commission for NO PROMISES comes courtesy of the May Festival’s 150th anniversary celebration and their “25 for 25: A New Time for Choral Music” program, wherein composers from Luna Composition Lab will write 25 new choral works for local artist and choral ensembles across Greater Cincinnati. Luna Composition Lab provides mentorship, education, and resources for young female, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming composers, the only initiative of its kind in the United States. More information on the May Festival program can be found here, and information on the Luna Composition Lab here.

“Aubade” will receive its world premiere at NO PROMISES Sunday, March 12 performance at Northminster Church, and will also be performed on the group’s March 19 and 23 programs.

Kaeden KassA Personnel Debut – Kaeden Kass

NO PROMISES is proud to welcome its first new permanent band member since 2018, Kaeden Kass. Delivering strong performances as a guest artist throughout the group’s 2022 concert sequences, Kass’ tenor voice and strong musicianship were an instant fit for the group.

“I think what excites me most about being a permanent member of NO PROMISES is having the opportunity to make music with a close-knit group of fantastic musicians and fantastic humans,” says Kass. “I love that the group continually pushes me as a musician and performer, and I’m excited to continue to grow in both capacities.”

Kass has been a favorite for several years with the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus and their elite small ensemble, the Queensmen.  A multi-instrumentalist in addition to his singing, Kass plays viola, fiddle, ukelele, guitar, mandolin and others, and has appeared with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Hamilton-Fairfield Symphony Orchestra. Kass is a social worker at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Transgender Health Clinic, and makes his home in Mt. Airy with his husband, Will. Read more about Kaeden Kass here.

A Venue Debut – The Redmoor

NO PROMISES continues its tradition of playing co-bills in the Queen City’s classic small music venues with its Thursday, March 23 debut at The Redmoor in Mt. Lookout. The two-time “Best of Cincinnati” winners join soft rock mavens The Three Bald Guys for an evening of sweet harmony at the fabulous Redmoor in Mt. Lookout Square. NO PROMISES’ unique arrangements of selections by Pentatonix, Dan Fogelberg and Gordon Lightfoot meet 3BG’s trademark three-part vocals on tunes by Silk Sonic, Chicago and Kenny Loggins.

Tickets $25. Doors open at 6:00pm to experience The Redmoor’s delicious dinner menu, along with full cash bar. Reserved table seating and general admission seating available. Complimentary on-site parking behind the venue.

The March 3 program at The Redmoor will be NO PROMISES second co-bill with The Three Bald Guys, following a sold-out program last summer at Memorial Hall. Featuring NO PROMISES leader Joshua Steele (vocals & melodica), his father, Tom Steele (vocals & guitar), and their friend, Rick Hagee (vocals, keyboard), 3BG performs soft rock favorites by your favorite (mostly) dead singers.

NO PROMISES has offered similar co-bill concerts at The Carnegie, Northside Tavern, The Warsaw Federal Incline Theater and York Street Café with collaborators including The Nancy James Trio, the Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers and the Queen City Sisters.

About NO PROMISES

NO PROMISES is a Cincinnati-based professional a cappella ensemble bringing exhilarating vocals and breathtaking harmonizations to jazz and popular music favorites from 1940s classics to today’s jams. Citybeat “Best of Cincinnati” winners in 2017 and 2022, the group has entertained at festivals, concert series, conventions and performing arts centers throughout the state. Its members have graced the stages of Broadway, fronted major symphony orchestras, and backed the likes of Jim Messina, Steve Winwood, Kenny Loggins and POCO. In their day-to-day lives, the men of NO PROMISES are clinical psychologists, concert promoters, social workers, real estate moguls and hairdressers with a passion for fine a cappella singing.

In 2023, NO PROMISES will premiere a newly commissioned work by composer Cecelia Olszewski as part of Cincinnati May Festival’s program 25 for 25: A New Time for Choral Music. 2021 saw the ensemble’s debut of “The Boy Band Diaries,” a collaboration with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra featuring male vocal hits spanning the past century. The group has released three recording projects: A No Promises Christmas (2016), All Wet (2018) and The Nines (2019).

The members of NO PROMISES are Joshua Steele (resident of Kennedy Heights), Kaeden Kass (Mt. Airy), David Baum (Montgomery), Jeff Grooms (Cold Spring, KY), and Nat Comisar (Indian Hill). Individual bios available at http://www.nopromisesvocalband.com/lineup/.

For More Information

Contact Nat Comisar at 513.378.5801 or booking@nopromisesvocalband.com.

# # #

Leave a comment

Filed under Events, Press Releases

KSO’s HAPPY FEET Includes Area Premiere on Jan. 21

KSO_Happy FeetHappy Feet
(20th c. Ballet Music)

The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra continues its 31st season with a diverse collection of symphonic ballet music, performers and flavors all of the 20th century. Ballet as an art form began in the noble Renaissance courts of 15th c. Italy and soon migrated to France where it moved to the stage with oppulent sets, costumes, music and poetry. Operas included ballet scenes as dance became a real focus of composers of all eras. By the 20th century Russian composers like Stravinsky and Prokofiev were setting the bar for ballet scores. American composers Aaron Copland and William Grant Still, added their American sound and seasoning to dance music, as did Spaniard Manuel de Falla with his fandango and flamenco flair.

The KSO’s “Happy Feet” opens with a suite from Aaron Copland’s first folk ballet score from 1938 — Billy the Kid (Rodeo and Appalachian Spring followed). Copland’s wide-spaced harmony captured the expansive open prarie of the west as did his use of cowboy folk tunes to paint a romanticized soundscape of the life of notorious outlaw William H. Bonney.

William Grant Still studied music in Ohio (Wilberforce and Oberlin) before moving east as part of the Harlem Renaissance. Following the composition of his widely popular Afro American Symphony, Still, in 1931, wrote a ballet on the tribal tale of love and sacrifice titled Sahdji, who was the favorite wife of an East African chieftan. The Young Professionals’ Choral Collective under the direction of Danielle Cozart Steele with Jason Holmes appearing as the Chanter will make their KSO debut with this work.

El Sombrero de tres picos (The Three-cornered Hat) by Manuel de Falla was commissioned in 1917 by Russian ballet impressario Sergei Diaghilev with sets and costumes by Pablo Picasso. Based on the story “The Governor and the Miller’s Wife,” Falla’s ballet music incorporated Spanish folk dancing (fandango, flamenco, jota, etc) with colorful orchestrations inspired by the Spanish flavored works by Ravel and Debussy. Mezzosoprano Quinn Patrick Ankrum joins the KSO for Falla’s complete ballet score.

Join the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, YPPC, Jason Holmes and Quinn Ankrum for “Happy Feet” at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, January 21, at Greaves Concert Hall, on the campus of NKU in Highland Heights, KY. Tickets are $35-$19 with children 50% off. For those who are out of the area or who must stay home, the KSO live streams each concert (with multiple cameras) for your ‘at home access’ for the price of a single “A” ticket. Tickets are available online at www.kyso.org or by phone at (859) 431-6216.

For additional information, visit the KSO at www.kyso.org or call (859) 431-6216.

Happy Feet
(20th c. Ballet Music)
7:30 Saturday, January 21, 2023
Greaves Concert Hall, NKU

Program

Aaron Copland Billy the Kid

  • I. The Open Prairie
  • II. Street in a Frontier Town
  • III. Mexican Dance
  • IV. Card Game at Night
  • V. Gun Battle
  • VI. Celebration After Billy’s Capture
  • VII. Billy’s Death
  • VI. Open Praire (epilogue)

William Grant Still Sahdji (regional premiere)

  • Young Professionals’ Chorale Collective
    Danielle Cozart Steele, director
  • Jason Alexander Holmes, bass

Intermission

  • Manuel de Falla El sombrero de tres picos (The Three-Cornered Hat) complete
  • Introduction
  • The Afternoon
  • Dance of the Miller’s Wife: Fandango — El corregidor — La molinera
  • The Grapes
  • Dance of the Neighbors (Seguidillas)
  • Dance of the Miller: Farruca — Escena — La coplas del cuco
  • Dance of the Corregidor
  • Danza Final (Jota)
  • Quinn Patrick Ankrum, mezzo-soprano

Leave a comment

Filed under Events, Press Releases

Sinclair Theatre presents I NEVER SAW ANOTHER BUTTERFLY for Holocaust Remembrance Day

SCC_I Never Saw Another Butterfly logoSinclair Theatre, in partnership with Sinclair’s Office of Diversity, brings back its Free Expressions Series during spring semester beginning with I Never Saw Another Butterfly, in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, on January 26 and 27, 2023.

The presentation contains a song cycle, by Ellwood Derr, and a one-act play, by Celeste Raspanti, based on the poetry created by children in Terezin, a Nazi concentration camp. Performances are at noon and 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26th with a third performance at noon on Friday, Jan. 27th. All performances are in Sinclair’s Black Box Theatre, building 2 on the downtown Dayton campus.

All performances are provided free of charge as part of the Free Expressions Series mission of “free theatre for free thought at Sinclair.” Groups of 20 or more should email patti.celek@sinclair.edu for reservations. All other seating will be first come, first served at the door beginning 30 minutes prior to curtain.

The song cycle features Sinclair Music, Theatre and Dance faculty: Kimberly Borst (soprano), Stephanie Voelker (soprano), Bill Burns (saxophone) and Bryon Dobbs (piano).

The play, directed by Nelson Sheeley, features: Kimberly Borst as Irena, Anna Senyk as Raja, Chris Koehler as Hanza and Sierra Ward and Kamilah Noaks as the children.

This presentation is approximately 80 minutes in length and perfect for school and community groups. A discussion guide will be available, written by Sinclair History professor, Jamie Fries.

Mark your calendars for the next Free Expressions presentation during Black History Month, Jackie Robinson Steals Home, by Peter Manos, and directed by Shaun Diggs, on Feb. 16-17 in Blair Hall.

Leave a comment

Filed under Events, Press Releases

Two-Time ‘Best of Cincinnati’ Winners Bring Celebrated Annual Holiday Concert to Local Venues

NP_Fall 2022

David Baum, Jeff Grooms, Nat Comisar, Corey Tucker, Kaeden Kass & Joshua Steele. Photo by Leslie Goddard

CINCINNATI, OH – Greater Cincinnati music lovers will kindle their holiday spirits with NO PROMISES Vocal Band as the group embarks on their beloved annual CHRISTMAS WITH NO PROMISES tour this December.

NO PROMISES debuts selections by Pentatonix, Gordon Lightfoot and Andy Williams, joining sacred and
secular seasonal favorites from Joni Mitchell, Three Dog Night, the Drifters and much, much more. Guest
artists Kaeden Kass and Corey Tucker add exquisite vocals to a family-friendly program.

CHRISTMAS WITH NO PROMISES will be include four performances at venues across Greater Cincinnati:

The Carnegie
Wednesday, December 14, 7:30pm
1028 Scott Boulevard | Covington
Full-Length Program with Two Sets
Tickets $25
Tickets Required: www.thecarnegie.com, or 859.957.1940

Community of the Good Shepherd
Thursday, December 15, 7:30pm
8815 East Kemper Road | Montgomery
60m Family-Length Program
A freewill offering will be accepted; no reservations required

St. Columban Parish
Tuesday, December 20, 7:30pm
894 Oakland Road | Loveland
60m Family-Length Program
A freewill offering will be accepted; no reservations required

Warsaw Federal Incline Theatre
Wednesday, December 21, 7:30pm
801 Matson Place | Price Hill
Full-Length Program with Two Sets
Tickets $25
Reservations Required: http://www.cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com/Incline/, or 513.241.6550

What’s New In 2022?
Now in its eighth season (including a pandemic-era digital concert in 2020), Christmas with No Promises
has become a holiday tradition for vocal music lovers across Cincinnati, drawing thousands of listeners to
the annual series of concerts at Greater Cincinnati’s popular venues and sacred spaces. This year’s
offerings will bring the same yuletide joy that the group’s fans have come to expect, while mixing in
exciting new voices and selections, according to group leader Joshua Steele.

“Like many groups, it’s felt like a constant scramble since the pandemic began,” says Steele. “While we’ve
introduced a number of new tunes over that time, we’re excited to roll out some new holiday music for
the first time since 2019, including selections by Pentatonix, Gordon Lightfoot and Andy Williams.”

“And new music is made even better when singing it with new friends. We’re thrilled to welcome
Cincinnati Men’s Chorus favorite Kaeden Kass to his first NO PROMISES holiday program. We’re also joined
by singer songwriter Corey Tucker, whom folks will recognize from the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra,
wedding bands and Cincinnati’s top bars and restaurants. We’re thrilled to debut this fantastic lineup.”

About NO PROMISES
NO PROMISES is a Cincinnati-based professional a cappella ensemble bringing exhilarating vocals and
breathtaking harmonizations to jazz and popular music favorites from 1940s classics to today’s jams.
Citybeat “Best of Cincinnati” winners in 2017 and 2022, the group has entertained at festivals, concert
series, conventions and performing arts centers throughout the state. Its members have graced the stages
of Broadway, fronted major symphony orchestras, and backed the likes of Jim Messina, Steve Winwood,
Kenny Loggins and POCO. In their day-to-day lives, the men of NO PROMISES are clinical psychologists,
theatrical talent buyers, real estate moguls and hairdressers with a passion for fine a cappella singing.

In 2023, NO PROMISES will premiere a newly commissioned work by composer Cecelia Olszewski as part
of Cincinnati May Festival’s program 25 for 25: A New Time for Choral Music. 2021 saw the ensemble’s
debut of “The Boy Band Diaries,” a collaboration with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra featuring male
vocal hits spanning the past century. The group has released three recording projects: A No Promises
Christmas (2016), All Wet (2018) and The Nines (2019).

The members of NO PROMISES are Joshua Steele (resident of Kennedy Heights), David Baum
(Montgomery), Jeff Grooms (Cold Spring, KY), and Nat Comisar (Indian Hill). Current guest artists include
Kaeden Kass (Mt. Airy) and Corey Tucker (West Chester). Individual bios available at
www.nopromisesvocalband.com/lineup.

# # #

Leave a comment

Filed under Events, Press Releases