Category Archives: Press Releases

May 30, 2022 · 10:26 am

INNOVAtheatre Presents CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD

INNOVA_Considering Matthew Shepard logoINNOVAtheatre presents Craig Hella Johnson’s CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD in five performances:

  • Thursday through Saturday, June 2nd -4th, 8:00 PM
  • Saturday & Sunday June 4th & 5th, 3:00 PM

CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD explores the life, death and legacy of Matthew Shepard. With the Musical Direction of Sarah Plaugher, INNOVA will be joined by a diverse ensemble of musicians to bring this work to the Sorg Opera House.

A three-part fusion oratorio, CONSIDERING MATTHEW SHEPARD speaks with a fresh and bold voice, incorporating a variety of musical styles seamlessly woven into a unified whole. Johnson sets a wide range of poetic and soulful texts by poets including Hildegard of Bingen, Lesléa Newman, Michael Dennis Browne, and Rumi. Passages from Matt’s personal journal, interviews and writings from his parents Judy and Dennis Shepard, newspaper reports, and additional texts by Johnson and Browne are poignantly appointed throughout the work.

In October of 1998, Matthew Shepard, a young, gay student at the University of Wyoming in Laramie was kidnapped, severely beaten, and tied to a fence. He died five days later. Approaching the eve of the 20th anniversary, Craig Hella Johnson responded with his composition, Considering Matthew Shepard.

“Matt Shepard and his story have led me on an inspiring, challenging and deeply meaningful journey that I continue to this day. In composing Considering Matthew Shepard I wanted to create, within a musical framework, a space for reflection, consideration and unity around his life and legacy.” — Craig Hella Johnson, composer

Tickets available in advance or at the door: $25.00.

Visit www.SorgOperaHouse.org.

Parking for The Sorg Opera House is free and located on either side of the theatre as well as in the public parking lot behind the theatre.

INNOVAtheatre and The Sorg Opera House is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501 [c](3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as

May 30, 2022 · 10:13 am

Satirical Clown Show Taking Aim at Multi-Level Marketing Debuts at Cincy Fringe

CFF22_Upline logo

Image by Jonny Woolley

UPLINE: It’s Not a Show, It’s an Opportunity makes its world premiere this week in Cincinnati. New York-based performer Megan Stern and Las Vegas-based director Shannan Calcutt invite you to a Varmon makeup party! Varmon is the multi-level marketing empire that has it all: beauty, skincare, diet shakes, oils. It’s also an irresistible business opportunity and your ticket to financial freedom. Think GOOP meets Mary Kay meets NXIVM. Just don’t call it a pyramid scheme. In this solo show, Megan Stern leads you up through the ranks of Varmon –  skewering the beauty industry, wellness culture, and girlboss feminism.

Performances are Saturday, June 4 at 5:30 PM; Wednesday, June 8 at 9:00 PM; Friday, June 10 at 9:00 PM; Wednesday, June 15 at 7:15 PM; and Saturday, June 11 at 7:15 PM at the Art Academy Room 204 (A204), 1212 Jackson St. Tickets are $16 and will be available at the door, Fringe Headquarters, https://cincyfringe.com/upline-opportunity/, or by calling 513.300.5669(KNOW).

Megan Stern, a New York-based performer and writer, has been called “excellent” (Los Angeles Times), “utterly delightful” (Broadway World), and “a complete original” (Chicago Theater Beat). Her work has been seen in such New York venues as The Public Theater, Ars Nova, Joe’s Pub, Dixon Place, Walkerspace, BAX, and HERE Arts Center, as well as the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles, the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis, and the Kennedy Center.

A multi-award winning artist, Shannan Calcutt has played an eclectic range of venues worldwide. From the Sydney Opera House, to San Francisco’s Bimbo’s 365 Club, to Cirque du Soleil’s sensual sensation, Zumanity. She has designed comedy acts for Cirque du Soleil, Spiegelworld, the philanthropic event One Night for One Drop, and Berlin’s Friedrichstadt-Palast. Currently, Shannan is the Associate Resident Director of Spiegelworld’s Atomic Saloon Show in Las Vegas. 

THE CINCINNATI FRINGE FESTIVAL, Cincinnati’s most unpredictable theater festival is back and ready to save us from the scourge of online theater. Impulsive, spontaneous and often combustible, the Cincinnati Fringe Festival – this is the 19th – runs June 3-18. Unlike the past, when venues were scattered all over the place, this year’s venues are all within a couple of hundred yards of one another; six in the Art Academy, and one more in the Know Theatre. Here are the numbers; 2 weeks, 38 ticketed events, 177 performances. Most are live, but small handful are digital. Tickets are $16, with an optional “Love Your Artists” ticket for $20. Learn more at cincyfringe.com.  

#   #   #   #

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as

May 27, 2022 · 3:25 pm

Cincy Fringe 2022 Proudly Presents HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr

CCF22_Hedy2

A True Story of Hollywood Glamour & Scientific Genius

The 22x Award-Winning, Internationally Acclaimed NYC Play
Written & Performed by Heather Massie
Cincy Fringe Festival – Cincinnati, OH – June 5-11, 2022

“Hedy Lamarr, glamorous siren of the silver screen, was more than ‘The Most Beautiful Woman in the World’. She invented Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum Technology that makes the world of wireless communication tick. From Austria to Hollywood, WWII, torpedoes, ecstasy, and intrigue to the very cell phone in your pocket, she was there!” 

Cincinnati, OH – Cincy Fringe 2022 is proud to present HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr in their Primary Line Up from June 5-11, 2022.

Fulbright Specialist and NYC artist Heather Massie will deliver her Ohio debut of her 22x Award-Winning, Internationally Acclaimed New York City show. The show celebrates the unexpected scientific genius of Viennese-born Hollywood screen siren and inventor Hedy Lamarr.

Known as the ‘Most Beautiful Woman in the World’, Lamarr spent her spare time in Hollywood inventing technology for torpedoes during WWII.  Also known as Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum Technology, her invention is used today in cell phones, WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth.

Portraying 30+ characters in this solo play, Massie enchants the audience as Hedy Lamarr, along with Jimmy Stewart, Bette Davis, Louis B Mayer, and more! Hedy is summoned to unearth the truth behind how a glamorous actress could create an invention which launched today’s wireless technology revolution!

Playing at The Art Academy,  Room 204 (A204), at 1212 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH on Sunday 6/5 @ 5:30 PM; Tuesday 6/7 @ 9:00 PM; Wednesday 6/8 @ 7:15 PM; Thursday 6/9 @ 7:15 PM; and Saturday 6/11 @ 7:15 PM, with a showtime of 60 minutes.

General Admission Tickets are $16, and Love Your Artists Tickets are $20.

Tickets & Information Here: www.CincyFringe.com/Hedy

Show Blurb:
Hedy Lamarr, glamorous siren of the silver screen, was more than ‘The Most Beautiful Woman in the World’. She invented Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum Technology that makes the world of wireless communication tick. From Austria to Hollywood, WWII, torpedoes, ecstasy, and intrigue to the very cell phone in your pocket, she was there!

The Show:
HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr celebrates the unexpected scientific genius of Viennese-born Hollywood screen siren and inventor Hedy Lamarr. Known as the ‘Most Beautiful Woman in the World’, Lamarr spent her spare time in Hollywood inventing technology for torpedoes during WWII.  Also known as Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum Technology, her invention is used today in cell phones, WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth. Portraying 30+ characters in this solo play, Massie enchants the audience as Hedy Lamarr, along with Jimmy Stewart, Bette Davis, Louis B Mayer, and more! Hedy is summoned to unearth the truth behind how a glamorous actress could create an invention which launched today’s wireless technology revolution! The show premiered Off Broadway in 2016 on Theatre Row, and has since toured throughout the United States, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Sweden, Ukraine, Italy, Iceland, and Finland garnering 22 awards and critical acclaim. Written and performed by Fulbright Specialist Heather Massie, its mission is to inspire audiences to make the world a better place, especially to encourage young women in science and technology, and to establish Hedy Lamarr as a role model for intelligence, ingenuity, and invention.

The Performer:
Having studied Astrophysics with dreams of becoming an astronaut, Heather Massie marries her loves of art and science in the person of Hedy Lamarr. She studied Astrophysics at the University of Virginia with dreams of becoming an astronaut, before studying Theatre Arts in the Virginia Tech School of the Arts and becoming a professional actress in NYC and throughout the US. She has toured the world with her show HEDY! The Life & Inventions of Hedy Lamarr garnering 22 awards and critical acclaim. She brings the show to theatres, arts festivals, science festivals, science centers, technology conferences, museums, universities, schools, Jewish centers, STEM & STEAM Events, and cultural and scientific organizations throughout the United States and around the world.  In 2019 she served as a Fulbright Specialist with a tour of the show through South Africa sponsored by the US State Department, World Learning, and the US Embassy South Africa.

Full bio here: www.heathermassie.com/heather-massie/

Reviews:

  • “Captivating.”  –  The Huffington Post
  • “Effervescent” – Silicon Republic
  • “Fascinating”  – Belfast Times
  • “Highly inventive”  – The Irish News
  • “Richly realized”  – Blogcritics Magazine
  • “Highly entertaining”  – Splash Magazine
  • “Magnetic performance”  – Theater Scene
  • “Exceptionally talented”  – MD Theatre Guide
  • “Lively & enlightening” – Sarasota Herald-Tribune
  • “Remarkable”  – Theatre in the Now
  • “Gorgeous”  – Total Theater

22 Awards Including:

  • US Embassy Sweden Grant – Sweden
  • Mid Atlantic Arts – Turku, Finland
  • UMEZ – Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Grant – NYC
  • US Embassy Iceland Grant – Reykjavík, Iceland
  • The Maine Award – RVK Fringe, Reykjavík, Iceland
  • Audience Choice – IndyFringe, Indiana
  • Sold Out Award – IndyFringe, Indiana
  • Fulbright Specialist – South Africa
  • Best Performance – PRO.ACT Fest, Ukraine
  • Character Actor Award & Maine Award – RVK Fringe, Iceland
  • Best Actress – Galway Fringe, Ireland
  • US Embassy Zimbabwe Grant – Intwasa Arts Festival, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
  • US Embassy Zimbabwe Grant – Harare International Festival of the Arts, Harare, Zimbabwe
  • Outstanding Performance – Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, NYC
  • Best Actress – SaraSolo Festival, Florida
  • Audience Choice – Shenandoah Fringe, Virginia
  • Festival Bestseller – United Solo Festival, NYC

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as ,

May 27, 2022 · 1:19 pm

Award-Winning Horror Drama ROSEGOLD Comes to Cincy Fringe 2022

CFF22_Rosegold2The 2022 Cincy Fringe Festival is offering a range of performances this year, including “Rosegold”, written and performed by Cincy Fringe veteran Donna Kay Yarborough (“Diagnose This!”, “Shenatra!”, “The Famous Haydell Sisters”).

The gripping solo-performed horror tale takes place in an alcoholism support meeting, when a new attendee, Jamie, shares the story of her path to the bottle. What begins as a familiar experience takes a terrifying turn as she reveals the bizarre trauma– and literal haunting– that is the source of her addiction. As one viewer described, “It starts in A.A. and quickly descends to Hell.”

The show was workshopped as a staged reading at Fresno Rogue Festival in March 2020. The pandemic lockdown began in the middle of that first run, and the show seemed doomed to the shelf, never fully-realized. Then an opportunity arose for it to debut as a virtual, “Zoom”-presentation show. Since then it has won universal acclaim, in both virtual and in-person formats. In 2021, it received awards for “Best Dramatic Performance” (Pittsburgh Fringe Festival, Thornhill Fringe Festival UK), and the top honor “Best Solo Drama” at the Orlando International Fringe Festival.

“…a gently escalating exercise in horror that stands in the ranks of H. P. Lovecraft, Rod Serling, and Stephen King.” –Terrance McArthur, Kings River Life Magazine.

“‘Rosegold’ is not a conventional horror story; Donna Kay Yarborough is so confident, she even mocks the clichés of the genre… an intense experience and essential viewing.” –David Cunningham, British Theatre Guide.

“The beauty of Yarborough’s tale is how it blends the everyday with the philosophical with the spine-tingling. She hits the tropes of any good horror story head on — and then turns them on their head… ” –Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel.

“Even if you aren’t usually a fan of horror, Yarborough’s understated intensity will suck you in as she weaves a richly absorbing world in only 40 minutes with nothing more than a folding chair and laser-focused gaze.” –Seth Kubersky, Orlando Weekly

“It’s damn scary.” –Michael Freeman, Orlando Fringe Reviews

“Rosegold” can be seen at the Art Academy of Cincinnati (room 402), 1212 Jackson St., Cincinnati, OH. 

Showtimes:

  • Sat. 6/4– 9:00 PM
  • Tues. 6/7– 9:00 PM
  • Wed. 6/8– 9:00 PM
  • Sat. 6/11– 5:30 PM
  • Sun. 6/12– 9:00 PM
  • Tues. 6/14– 9:00 PM
  • Thu. 6/16– 7:00 PM

For more info, including other show offerings and ticket prices, go to CincyFringe.com. 

Follow Donna Kay Yarborough:

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as ,

May 27, 2022 · 11:07 am

Cincinnati Opera Kicks Off its 2022 Summer Festival with Free Community Events on June 12

Opera for All
A lively open house at Music Hall with stage tours, costume displays, stagecraft demonstrations, and more

Opera in the Park
A concert of opera and musical theater favorites at Washington Park performed by stars from Cincinnati Opera’s 2022 season, the Cincinnati Opera Chorus, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Brass Institute, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Photo of Cincinnati Opera's Opera in the Park Conert

Opera in the Park / Photo by Philip Groshong

CINCINNATI, OH—Cincinnati Opera celebrates the kickoff of its 2022 Summer Festival with two free community events on Sunday, June 12.

First up is Opera for All, a lively open house at Music Hall (4–6 p.m.). Guests of all ages are invited to explore the historic venue and enjoy stage tours, costume displays, stagecraft demonstrations, strolling entertainment, and hands-on activities.

That evening, Cincinnati Opera will present Opera in the Park (7:30 p.m.), a free concert in Washington Park featuring a selection of opera and musical theater favorites performed by star singers from Cincinnati Opera’s 2022 Summer Festival, the Cincinnati Opera Chorus, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Brass Institute, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Guests who arrive early can also enjoy a free performance in Washington Park by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Brass Institute (6 p.m.).

Admission to both Opera for All and Opera in the Park is free and open to the public. Visit cincinnatiopera.org for more information.

Opera for All

When: Sunday, June 12, 2022, 4–6 p.m.
Where: Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Cincinnati Opera presents Opera for All, a free open house at historic Music Hall. Audiences of all ages are invited to enjoy stage tours, costume displays, stagecraft demonstrations, strolling entertainment, and hands-on activities. Food trucks and ice cream courtesy of Graeter’s will also be on hand.

Admission: Free. For information, visit cincinnatiopera.org/opera-for-all or call 513-241-2742.

Opera in the Park

When: Sunday, June 12, 2022; 7:30 p.m.
Where: Washington Park, 1230 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Cincinnati Opera presents Opera in the Park, a free concert of opera and musical theater favorites in Washington Park.

Featured singers include cast members from the company’s upcoming productions of La Bohème (June 18, 23, 25) and The Pirates of Penzance (July 7, 8, 10): sopranos Talise Trevigne, Raven McMillon, Marlen Nahhas, and Amber Wagner, mezzo-soprano Jasmin White, tenors Ji-Min Park and Houston Tyrell, baritones Thomas Dreeze, Rodion Pogossov, and Ethan Vincent, bass-baritone André Courville, and bass Zachary James.

Also featured are the Cincinnati Opera Chorus, led by Chorus Master Henri Venanzi, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Brass Institute. Conductors David Agler and Stephen Mulligan will lead the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director of Cincinnati Opera, will emcee.

Just before Opera in the Park, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Brass Institute will perform in Washington Park beginning at 6 p.m., presenting music spanning the Renaissance through the modern era.

Guests are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket to enjoy the performance. Concessions and food trucks will be available in and around Washington Park throughout the evening.

Admission: Free. Guests are encouraged to register in advance for weather alerts and event updates. All registered attendees will also be entered in a drawing to win a prize package featuring Cincinnati Opera season tickets for two, valued at $580. To register, visit cincinnatiopera.org/opera-park-2022.

Opera in the Park is a part of the DBL Law OTR Performs series in Washington Park. Sponsored by DBL Law, GBBN Architects, and First Financial Bank, produced by 3CDC.

Looking ahead:

Cincinnati Opera 2022 Summer Festival
Season Schedule

La Bohème
By Giacomo Puccini
June 18, 23 & 25, 2022
Music Hall

Fierce (world premiere)
By William Menefield and Sheila Williams
July 6, 9 & 10, 2022
SCPA’s Corbett Theater

The Pirates of Penzance
By Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert
July 7, 8 & 10, 2022
Music Hall

Castor and Patience (world premiere)
By Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith
July 21, 23, 24, 28 & 30, 2022
SCPA’s Corbett Theater

Aida
By Giuseppe Verdi
July 22, 26, 29 & 31, 2022
Music Hall

Special concert event!
Morris and Friends
July 27, 2022
Music Hall

Visit cincinnatiopera.org for complete season details.

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.

Season Presenting Sponsor of the 2022 Summer Festival is Huntington. Cincinnati Opera is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign. Cincinnati Opera also receives season support from the Ohio Arts Council, The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Patricia A. Corbett Estate and Trust, and the Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, along with season and project support from many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. Opera for All and Opera in the Park are made possible by American Rescue Plan funds from the City of Cincinnati, administered through ArtsWave. Opera in the Park Sponsor is Western & Southern Financial Group. Media Partners are 91.7 WVXU and 90.9 WGUC. Cincinnati Opera is a proud member of OPERA America.

For more information, visit cincinnatiopera.org.

# # #

Leave a comment

Filed under Events, Press Releases

Tagged as