Category Archives: Press Releases

February 25, 2022 · 10:46 am

NKU Hosting Multi-Day Diversity Event with Award-Winning Vocalist René Marie

NKU_Renee Maria

Renee Marie

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY – Northern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts (NKU SOTA), in association with LAG Productions, LLC and Jazz Alive, Inc with support from Ohio Arts Council,   will be hosting a four-day long event from March 23-26, 2022, entitled “Sistahs Who Swing.” The event will celebrate and highlight African American women artists, educators, and businesswomen. There will be discussion and reflection on a variety of issues that all women in business and the arts face in the pursuit of successful careers and lives.

A panel of successful African American women will present issues relating to careers in the arts, education, and business. Internationally renowned and award-winning jazz vocalist René Marie will be the guest artist-in-residence/clinician for this event. The celebration will conclude on Saturday, March 26 with a performance by René Marie and the NKU Jazz Faculty. The event is supported by the NKU SOTA Tom and Christine Neyer Family Visiting Artist Fund and NKU College of Arts and Sciences Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Fellowship. All events are free and open to the public.

About René Marie:
In a span of two decades, 11 recordings and countless stage performances, vocalist René Marie has cemented her reputation as not only a singer but also a composer, arranger, theatrical performer, and teacher. Guided and tempered by powerful life lessons and rooted in jazz traditions laid down by Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington and other leading ladies of past generations, she borrows various elements of folk, R&B and even classical and country to create a captivating hybrid style. Her body of work is musical, but it’s more than just music. It’s an exploration of the bright and dark corners of the human experience, and an affirmation of the power of the human spirit.

René has been twice Grammy-nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2017 for Sound of Red and 2015 for I Wanna Be Evil: With Love to Eartha Kitt. Perhaps more than most artists, René understands music’s capacity to heal and inspire. Part of her musical philosophy has been focused on giving back.

“I have never forgotten the early lessons learned about the power of music,” she says. “Today, I try to imbue that feeling of emotion into every song I write and every song I sing – every time. I am very happy to be alive today, doing the things I love to do – singing, composing, writing, teaching and arranging.”

Event Details:

Thursday, March 24

Sistahs Who Swing Panel Discussion
“Staking your Place: African American Women in Business, Education & the Arts”
10:30 a.m.-noon // Otto Budig Theater – NKU University Center, UC 270

The panel is composed of successful African American women in the Greater Cincinnati area:

  • Panelist Moderator: Laura Gentry, President, Jazz Alive
  • Music: Kathy Wade, Jazz Vocalist and CEO, Learning Through Art, Inc.
  • Education/Music: Angela Powell-Walker, Artistic Director, SCPA
  • Business/Culinary: Taren Plesinger-Kenebrew, Local Business Entrepreneur
  • Community: Virinda Garland-Doddy, NKU Alum – Southgate School Alum, 2nd Vice President Northern Kentucky Branch NAACP
  • Artist/Educator/Business: Adoria L. Maxberry, Artist and Owner, Most outGROWing, LLC
  • Literature: Shelia Williams, Author

Keynote Speaker / Art & Design Speaker Series: Josie Love Roebuck
1-2 p.m. // Otto Budig Theater – NKU University Center, UC 270

Friday, March 25
Guest Speaker: René Marie
10:30 a.m.-noon // NKU Greaves Concert Hall

Saturday, March 26
René Marie performance with NKU Jazz Faculty
8 p.m. // NKU Greaves Concert Hall

For more information and to make reservations for select events, please visit nku.edu/sws.

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February 25, 2022 · 10:16 am

Anderson Holds Their Fourth Mainstage Film Festival on March 18 & 19

AHS_2020 Film Festival logoAn alien living among us. A teen struggling with guilt and grief. A man whose life will be changed by his next coffee order. These are the seeds for the short films that will make up Anderson Film’s 2022 Film Festival. This year each film will be directed and edited by their student writers, working with a team of student technicians and actors. The stories they tell are heartfelt and vivid, comic and tragic, and a remarkable look into the imaginations of our youth.

With original music written by a group of AHS musical students and performed LIVE by the AHS Symphony Orchestra, these films will showcase all the amazing skills of both the Anderson Film and Orchestra students. All of the films from 2020’s Film Festival were nominated for Student Emmy Awards by The Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and this year is lining up to be even better. Make time this March to witness the future of filmmaking, right in our home town.

The Films are: Almost Human, Written & Directed by Will Clayton, Fraying, Written & Directed by Lily Biggs, and Clock-Watcher, Written & Directed by Andrew Kaeppner. Tickets are available using the attached order form or by visiting www.Showtix4u.com and searching for Anderson. More info on our website: www.AndersonTheatre.com

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February 25, 2022 · 9:57 am

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Presents Groundbreaking and Contemporary Production of Shakespeare’s HAMLET—Featuring Sara Clark as Hamlet

CSC_Hamlet79

Sara Clark as Hamlet. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

Portraying Hamlet as a female, CSC is finally able to present this production, 3 years in the making, after several pandemic related closures 

Cincinnati, February 24, 2022 – Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues its 2021-2022 Season at The Otto M. Budig Theater with Shakespeare’s Hamlet. This production is directed by Sarah Lynn Brown and features a cast of 14 with CSC returning favorites Sara Clark as Hamlet, Geoffrey Warren Barns II as Horatio, Crystian Wiltshire as Laertes, Sara Mackie as Gertrude, Jim Hopkins as Claudius, and more.

The mysterious death of a king is followed by his brother’s unconventional ascension to the throne. The Queen’s bed casts young Hamlet, usurped heir to the crown, in the role of reluctant avenger. Incest and intrigue, murder and madness, triumph and treachery all combine to paint one of the most complex and compelling portraits in all of English literature. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is delighted to present this groundbreaking and contemporary production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Starring as Hamlet is Sara Clark, who has made a home at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company for the past 16 years as an actor, director, teacher, and fundraiser. Also currently serving as Director of Development, Sara manages all philanthropic activities for the organization, raising over $1.5MM annually in support of Shakespeare and the Classics. As a member of the CSC Resident Ensemble, she has racked up over 75 productions with CSC, tackling such roles as Rosalind, Juliet, Marc Antony, Elizabeth Bennet, Lady Macbeth, and now, Hamlet!

In December 2019, Hamlet, Sara Clark took the Tedx Cincinnati Woman’s stage and joined 10 other female speakers and 3 female centered performances for an audience of over 500 at Memorial Hall. There she spoke about the importance of the decision to play the Bard’s most temperamentally capricious and preternaturally intelligent character as a woman and how it can help us imagine a better world. For Ms. Clark’s speech in its entirety, check out the video on YouTube at Hamlet, Thy Name is Woman. | Sara Clark | TEDxCincinnatiWomen.  This is also not the first time that CSC has presented Hamlet with a woman in the infamous role. In 1997, when Cincinnati Shakespeare Company was under the name Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, one of the company’s Founding Members, Marni Penning, played the title character role, Hamlet.

CSC is proud to welcome Sara Lynn Brown in her directorial debut at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Ms. Brown is based in Omaha, Nebraska where she works as a contract facilitator in Shakespeare and Gender Performance residencies and has worked for Utah Shakespeare, Folger Library Theatre, Denizen Theatre (NY), Nebraska Shakespeare, NTC productions, BlueBarn Theatre, Omaha Symphony, Opera Omaha, and Creighton University. She also runs Leavenworth Space (a micro artist space) in Omaha, Nebraska.

CSC welcomes collaborators from Brave Berlin back to the stage for this production to complete the Media Design. Brave Berlin are the Founding Creative Directors of Blink and are returning to CSC after their stunning projection and light mapping design for “1984” creating an immersive theatrical experience for “Hamlet.”

Get Tickets Now

Hamlet runs February 25- March 20, 2022 with performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 PM and Sundays at 2:00 PM. Tickets are on sale now. There are discounts available for students, seniors, local residents, and community partners as access to all is important to CSC. Each performance night has a limited number of $14 “Access” tickets in the Upper Gallery.  These can be purchased in advance by going online or calling the Box Office.  And starting 1 hour before each performance, any unreserved tickets may be available as a discounted Rush Ticket to anyone, not just students. These tickets are only $12 and could be located anywhere in the house depending on that evening’s availability. These cannot be reserved more than 1 hour before a show and must be purchased in person in the Box Office. Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted. Ticketing fees apply.  To purchase tickets or for more information, call the CSC Box Office at 513.381.BARD (2273) ext. 1, or go online at www.cincyshakes.com.

At this time, all ticketholders must be masked and show proof of a full COVID vaccination status OR provide a negative COVID test to enter The Otto M. Budig Theater. More details on the exact procedure are shared before each performance.  Learn more at CSC’s Health and Safety page at cincyshakes.com/health-and-safety/. All polices are subject to change.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is located at The Otto M. Budig Theater at 1195 Elm Street in OTR, adjacent to Washington Park.  There are many parking spaces available on the street and in nearby lots and garages- for more information visit http://www.otrchamber.com/pages/WheretoPark.

CSC also offers Valet Parking for every performance! Make reservations for $20 in advance when purchasing tickets or visit www.cincyshakes.com/parking. Purchasing in advance guarantees a spot.  Valet is available right at the corner of 12th and Elm Street in front of the theater and begins approx. 1.5 hours before a performance. Cars can be picked up for up to one hour following a performance. (After one hour, you will need to arrange pick up with the valet service directly.) The valet will have your name on the list after you purchase- it’s that easy!

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s 2021-2022 Grand Re-Opening Season is generously presented by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation and the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. Foundation; along with our Education Season Sponsor, Debby and Jim Mason Honoring James R. Bridgeland, Jr; and our Operating Support Partners, The Ohio Arts Council, The Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts with Arts Midwest, The Shubert Foundation, Lightborne, and the tens of thousands of people who give generously to the ArtsWave Community Campaign.

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About Cincinnati Shakespeare Company:
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is a professional theatre company dedicated to bringing Shakespeare and the classics to life for all.  In the summer of 2017, the theater relocated to the Otto M. Budig Theater, a brand new facility in OTR. CSC’s repertoire is composed of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations, and contemporary classics.  CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with the Actors’ Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of the Theater Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theatre Association.  Each year, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Education and Outreach Programs reach more than 50,000 young people and community members each season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions.  In 2015, CSC was proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to “Complete the Canon” by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati’s stage for the classics!

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February 24, 2022 · 9:57 am

2022-2023 Season Announced by Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

CSO_logo2We’re thrilled to welcome audiences into Music Hall.

Below is a comprehensive, all-new schedule of events, including free Digital Concerts and in-person live performances.

IMPORTANT: Please review our health and safety information and current protocols at cincinnatisymphony.org/safety.

DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

  • Sat Sep 10, 2022 | 2:00 pm
  • Sun Sep 11, 2022 | 2:00 pm

Be our guest as the Cincinnati Pops performs the score to Disney’s animated classic, Beauty and the Beast, live to the complete, beloved film! Featuring unforgettable characters and Academy Award®-winning music (Best Original Song, Best Original Score, 1991), Beauty and the Beast is a classic tale that’s been capturing hearts for generations. Now’s your chance to watch the spellbinding story unfold at Music Hall.

HEAR ME ROAR: A Celebration of Women in Song

  • Fri Sep 16, 2022 | 7:30 pm
  • Sat Sep 17, 2022 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Sep 18, 2022 | 2:00 pm

JMR and the Pops open the new season with a powerful celebration of iconic divas of soul, pop, Broadway, R&B, jazz, opera and gospel that’ll blow the roof off Music Hall. Experience some of the most popular songs made famous by the likes of Adele, Aretha Franklin, Carole King, Dolly Parton, Ella Fitzgerald and others. Three powerhouse singers join the Pops for an inspiring display of vocal fireworks sure to make you say, “I’m with HER!”

MAHLER’S RESURRECTION SYMPHONY

  • Sat Sep 24, 2022 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Sep 25, 2022 | 2:00 pm

Louis Langrée, conductor
Joélle Harvey, soprano
Kelley O’Connor, mezzo

May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, director

Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony is a transformative experience of liberating power, flowing from despair to reassurance. The May Festival Chorus, approaching its 150th anniversary, plus GRAMMY-winning mezzo-soprano Kelly O’Connor and the “pure, refined tone” (The New York Times) of soprano Joélle Harvey join Louis Langrée and the CSO for an epic 22/23 Season opener.

Program
GUSTAV MAHLER: Symphony No. 2, Resurrection

TCHAIKOVSKY & ROUSE: FINAL SYMPHONIES

  • Fri Sep 30, 2022 | 11:00 am
  • Sun Oct 2, 2022 | 2:00 pm

Louis Langrée, conductor

Louis Langrée leads powerful farewells by two great symphonists. “I have put my whole soul into this,” Tchaikovsky said of his Sixth, a work full of drama and beauty. Christopher Rouse’s Sixth, which he knew would be his last, was commissioned by the CSO and posthumously premiered in 2019. Like Tchaikovsky’s Sixth, this is music that is highly personal and opts for intimacy, finishing in darkness. Said Rouse: “great forms and great concepts always have something new to offer.”

Program

  • PYOTR ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6, Pathetique
  • CHRISTOPHER ROUSE: Symphony No. 6

CSO PROOF: SUN DOGS

  • Fri Oct 14, 2022 | 6:30 pm
  • Sat Oct 15, 2022 | 6:30 pm
  • Sun Oct 16, 2022 | 6:30 pm
  • Sun Oct 16, 2022 | 8:30 pm

Matthias Pintscher, conductor
Daniel Wohl, composer and orchestrator
Kate Nordstrum / Liquid Music, creative producer

Inspired composer and filmmaker pairs create short-format films with new music performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with conductor and CSO Creative Partner, Matthias Pintscher. Produced in collaboration with Liquid Music as part of the 2022 FotoFocus Biennial: World Record, Sun Dogs seeks to understand the natural world that can’t be touched or measured. Typically a composer responds to a director’s ideas in a film scoring capacity, or a filmmaker is given music to respond to visually, but Sun Dogs explores how stories can be told with music and film from equal footing.

Presented by the CSO and FotoFocus as part of the 2022 FotoFocus Biennial: World Record.

Supported by the David C. Herriman Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

Program

World Premieres by:

  • Arooj Aftab and Daniel Wohl, co-composers
  • Rafiq Bhatia, composer
  • Josephine Decker, filmmaker
  • Dev Hynes, composer
  • Apichatpong Weerasethakul, filmmaker

LANGRÉE CONDUCTS ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA

  • Fri Oct 21, 2022 | 7:30 pm
  • Sat Oct 22, 2022 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Oct 23, 2022 | 2:00 pm

Louis Langrée, conductor
Hélène Grimaud, piano

The famous ascending brass passage that opens Zarathustra is just the tip of this orchestral iceberg. Prepare yourself for a wild ride of big moments that show the range of the CSO musicians’ virtuosity. French pianist Hélène Grimaud—a virtuoso in her own right whose “performances attempt, whenever possible, to shake up conventional pianistic wisdom” (The New Yorker)—reunites with Louis Langrée for Schumann’s Piano Concerto.

Program

ROBERT SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto
RICHARD STRAUSS: Also sprach Zarathustra (“Thus Spake Zarathustra”)

RHAPSODY ON A THEME OF PAGANINI

  • Sat Oct 29, 2022 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Oct 30, 2022 | 2:00 pm

Michael Francis, conductor
Behzod Abduraimov, piano

Michael Francis leads Vaughan Williams’ war-torn Sixth Symphony 150 years after the English composer’s birth. Pianist Behzod Abduraimov shares his “prodigious technique and rhapsodic flair” (The New York Times) in Rachmaninoff’s variations on an iconic melody by legendary violinist-composer Paganini—a brilliant showcase of stunning moments and orchestral thrills. Panufnik’s trumpet fanfare signals the start of the program, while Ives’ somber trumpet ponders the “perennial question of existence.”

Program

ANDRZEJ PANUFNIK: Sinfonia Sacra
SERGEI RACHMANINOFF: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
CHARLES IVES: The Unanswered Question
RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphony No. 6

GET HAPPY: Judy Garland Centennial

  • Fri Nov 11, 2022 | 7:30 pm
  • Sat Nov 12, 2022 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Nov 13, 2022 | 2:00 pm

Join JMR, the Pops and audience favorite Michael Feinstein for a tour through the life and songs of Judy Garland, in honor of her 100th birthday. Enjoy big screen film clips, never-before-seen photos, rare audio recordings, good humor and, of course, great music. We’ll explore Judy’s early career through her trip over the rainbow, her time on TV and the unforgettable concert years—with songs you know and love like “Get Happy,” “Over the Rainbow,” and more.

NOV 18, 2022 LOLLIPOPS CONCERT

  • Sat Nov 19, 2022 | 10:30 am

Set young hearts and minds aglow! For many audience members, a lifelong love and appreciation of music began with Lollipops Family Concerts at Music Hall. Introduce someone you love to the world of orchestral music with a fun, interactive concert experience—perfect for children, ages or ability of 2-9.

Concert theme and program to be announced.

SIBELIUS & BARTÓK CONCERTOS

  • Fri Nov 18, 2022 | 11:00 am
  • Sat Nov 19, 2022 | 7:30 pm

Dalia Stasevska, conductor
Esther Yoo, violin

The talents of CSO musicians are on full display in Bartók’s Concerto, the epitome of an orchestra showpiece. Similarly, it’s “easy to see what all the fuss is about” (The Guardian) when guest soloist Esther Yoo performs Sibelius’ Violin Concerto. Principal Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra Dalia Stasevska leads the program, beginning with inventive music that composer Missy Mazzoli says is “in the shape of a solar system.”

MISSY MAZZOLI: Sinfonia for Orbiting Spheres
JEAN SIBELIUS: Violin Concerto
BELA BARTÓK: Concerto for Orchestra

RACHMANINOFF THIRD CONCERTO & ENIGMA VARIATIONS

  • Sat Nov 26, 2022 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Nov 27, 2022 | 2:00 pm

Elim Chan, conductor
Khatia Buniatishvili, piano

Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto, an engine of lush melodies, churning energies and Russian romanticism, is performed by Khatia Buniatishvili, a “shining pianist at the height of her abilities.” Elgar’s Enigma Variations are sketches of his dear friends, each containing, as Elgar noted, “a distinct idea founded on some particular personality.” Elim Chan, “an impressive young conductor who makes an occasion of orchestral writing” (The New York Times), takes us through each heartfelt journey.

Program

SERGEI RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No. 3
EDWARD ELGAR: Enigma Variations

GERSHWIN & THE PLANETS

  • Fri Dec 2, 2022 | 7:30 pm
  • Sat Dec 3, 2022 | 7:30 pm

Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor
Michelle Cann, piano

Treble Voices of the May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, director

Holst’s The Planets has a gravity all its own—from the merciless rhythms of Mars to the magnificence of Jupiter. Caroline Shaw’s The Observatory acts like a musical telescope—in her words, exploring “some very large spaces…chaos and clarity.” Michelle Cann, former CSO MAC Music Innovator and featured soloist on the 20th anniversary of Classical Roots, is known for delivering “knockout” performances (Philadelphia Inquirer), and shines in music by Gershwin.

CSO Co-Commission by Caroline Shaw is made possible by Irwin and Melinda Simon.

Program
  • CAROLINE SHAW: The Observatory [CSO Co-Commission]
  • GEORGE GERSHWIN: Rhapsody No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra
  • GUSTAV HOLST: The Planets

HOLIDAY POPS

  • Fri Dec 9, 2022 | 11:00 am
  • Fri Dec 9, 2022 | 7:30 pm
  • Sat Dec 10, 2022 | 2:00 pm
  • Sat Dec 10, 2022 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Dec 11, 2022 | 2:00 pm
  • Sun Dec 11, 2022 | 7:00 pm

It’s not the holidays until it’s Holiday Pops! Experience the splendor of Music Hall decked out like a winter wonderland, and feel the warmth as JMR and the Pops perform beloved holiday classics. The Annie Moses Band, who wowed Pops audiences at Riverbend last summer, adds to the joy that makes Holiday Pops the perfect tradition.

STAR WARS: The Force Awakens

  • Thu Dec 29, 2022 | 7:30 pm
  • Fri Dec 30, 2022 | 7:30 pm

30 years after the defeat of the Empire, a new threat has arisen. The Resistance and unlikely heroes are the galaxy’s only hope at thwarting a new reign of evil. Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with the full forces of the Cincinnati Pops performing John Williams’ Oscar-nominated score live to the complete, acclaimed film.

NEW YEAR’S EVE: BILLIE HOLIDAY SONGBOOK

Sat Dec 31, 2022 | 8:00 pm

Damon Gupton and the Pops give the holidays an afterglow and keep the celebration going into the New Year! Quiana Lynell, “a vocalist comfortable and commanding in styles including pop, jazz classics and the blues” (DownBeat), makes her Cincinnati Pops debut with timeless classics from the Billie Holiday songbook—songs like “I Cover the Waterfront,” “Lady Sings the Blues,” and “In My Solitude.”

SIBELIUS SYMPHONY NO. 2

  • Fri Jan 6, 2023 | 11:00 am
  • Sat Jan 7, 2023 | 7:30 pm

Thomas Søndergård, conductor
Augustin Hadelich, violin

It’s no surprise to Cincinnati audiences that “the essence of Hadelich’s playing is beauty” (The Washington Post). Experience the inimitable violinist’s return in Britten’s Violin Concerto along with esteemed Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård’s CSO debut. Themes of Sibelius’ Second Symphony coalesce into sparkling waves of sound for the work’s breathtaking finale.

Program

ETHEL SMYTH: On the Cliffs of Cornwall
BENJAMIN BRITTEN: Violin Concerto
JEAN SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2

GRIEG: PEER GYNT IN CONCERT

  • Fri Jan 13, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sat Jan 14, 2023 | 7:30 pm

Louis Langrée, conductor
Pekka Kuusisto, violin

Camilla Tilling, soprano (Solveig)
May Festival Chorus, Robert Porco, director
Concert Theatre Works, Bill Barclay, director

A Norwegian fairy tale comes to life in Music Hall with a concert staging of Grieg’s enchanting score to Ibsen’s play, created and directed by Bill Barclay, former Director of Music at Shakespeare’s Globe. Louis Langrée leads the Orchestra and cast, including soprano Camilla Tilling and the May Festival Chorus. Bjarnason’s Violin Concerto opens the program with whimsical whistling by soloist Pekka Kuusisto, for whom the concerto was written.

Program

  • DANÍEL BJARNASON: Violin Concerto
  • EDVARD GRIEG:Peer Gynt [concert-staged production]

TCHAIKOVSKY & PROKOFIEV

  • Sat Jan 21, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Jan 22, 2023 | 2:00 pm

Louis Langrée, conductor
Randall Goosby, violin

Julia Perry’s Homunculus C.F. starts off whisper-quiet, tinkering in a laboratory of percussion. The program’s crescendo builds with Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and acclaimed American soloist Randall Goosby—an artist with “exquisite tone and sheer virtuosity” (The New York Times). The concert reaches its zenith in Prokofiev’s Third Symphony as the muscle of the Orchestra is unleashed to its brassy and boisterous max.

CSO PROOF: THE RIGHT TO BE FORGOTTEN

  • Wed Jan 25, 2023 | 8:00 pm

Gabriel Kahane, composer and voice
Nathalie Joachim & Alex Sopp, flute and voice
Holcombe Waller, guitar and synth

Do you remember your brain before the internet? Before you became tethered to a tiny computer that travels on an infinite loop from nightstand to pocket to purse to your hand and back again? Were your dreams different? Did you wander the streets of a strange city, and did you delight in the terror of getting lost? In a new song cycle, Gabriel Kahane examines our cultural and economic obsessions with convenience and efficiency, and the debts that accrue as a result: debts to labor, to the planet, to privacy and, increasingly, to our free will.

These CSO Proof performances are supported by The Haile Foundation, Irwin & Melinda Simon, and the American Orchestras’ Futures Fund, a program of the League of American Orchestras made possible by funding from the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.

TCHAIKOVSKY SPECTACULAR: 1812 OVERTURE

  • Fri Jan 27, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sat Jan 28, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Jan 29, 2023 | 2:00 pm

Romantic themes that stand the test of time? Check. Epic moments so powerful they give you goosebumps? Oh, absolutely. Pops Principal Guest Conductor Damon Gupton leads a spectacular orchestral mixtape featuring some of Tchaikovsky’s greatest hits, including Romeo & Juliet, selections from Swan Lake, and of course, the 1812 Overture.

THIBAUDET PLAYS LISZT

  • Fri Feb 3, 2023 | 11:00 am
  • Sat Feb 4, 2023 | 7:30 pm

Louis Langrée, conductor
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

Louis Langrée leads works inspired by a fusion of cultures. Qigang Chen and GRAMMY-nominated Chinese-American composer Zhou Tian discover new sounds through the combination of Eastern and Western styles. Ravel, who cherished Liszt’s music, pulls from his Basque heritage for Rapsodie espagnole. French Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, celebrated for playing with “both clarity and freedom” (The New York Times), returns for Liszt’s jubilant Second Concerto.

DEATH & TRANSFIGURATION

  • Sat Mar 4, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Mar 5, 2023 | 2:00 pm

Louis Langrée, conductor
Elizabeth Freimuth, horn

Richard Strauss conducted Death and Transfiguration at Music Hall in 1904. More than a century later, Louis Langrée and the CSO once again bring Strauss’ vivid musical image of the infinite to Music Hall. The program features Elizabeth Freimuth, the CSO’s Principal Horn, and an expansive world premiere by ascendant American composer Samuel Adams.

MARVEL’S BLACK PANTHER

  • Fri Mar 10, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sat Mar 11, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Mar 12, 2023 | 2:00 pm

In 2018, Marvel Studios’ Black Panther quickly became a global sensation and cultural phenomenon, showing a new dimension of what superhero films could be. Rolling Stone raved, “The film lights up the screen with a full-throttle blast of action and fun. That’s to be expected. But what sneaks up and floors you is the film’s racial conscience and profound, astonishing beauty.” Now you can relive the excitement of T’Challa becoming king and battling Killmonger all while the Cincinnati Pops performs Ludwig Göransson’s Oscar-winning score live to picture.

THE MERMAID

  • Fri Mar 17, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sat Mar 18, 2023 | 7:30 pm

Kevin John Edusei, conductor
Simone Lamsma, violin

Mermaid tales inspired thrilling musical adventures from Mendelssohn and Zemlinsky. Mendelssohn’s work is brief but fiery, while Zemlinsky’s Die Seejungfrau takes us through the dramas of Hans Christian Andersen’s original Little Mermaid. Kevin John Edusei leads the CSO, and Simone Lamsma, whose playing is “absolutely stunning” (Chicago Tribune), returns to perform Korngold’s gorgeously cinematic Violin Concerto.

BEETHOVEN’S FIFTH

  • Fri Mar 24, 2023 | 11:00 am
  • Sat Mar 25, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Mar 26, 2023 | 2:00 pm

Anna Rakitina, conductor
Sterling Elliott, cello

Russian conductor Anna Rakitina leads works by two composers who have lived with hearing loss—Beethoven, whose hearing struggle began a decade before the premiere of his Fifth Symphony, and British composer Richard Ayres, whose No. 52 explores, in the composer’s words, “one specific subject: Ludwig van Beethoven’s hearing loss and its effect on him.” Soloist Sterling Elliott, in his CSO debut, brings “impeccable technique and musicality” to Dvořák’s Cello Concerto.

MAR 25, 2023 LOLLIPOPS CONCERT

  • Sun Mar 5, 2023 | 10:30 am
  • Sat Mar 25, 2023 | 10:30 am

Set young hearts and minds aglow! For many audience members, a lifelong love and appreciation of music began with Lollipops Family Concerts at Music Hall. Introduce someone you love to the world of orchestral music with a fun, interactive concert experience—perfect for children, ages or ability of 2-9.

Concert theme and program to be announced.

CSO PROOF: SURREALIST EL TROPICAL

  • Wed Mar 29, 2023 | 8:00 pm
  • Thu Mar 30, 2023 | 8:00 pm

Rosie Herrera Dance Theatre
Rosie Herrera, choreographer
Clyde Scott, video and production designer
Luke Kritzeck, lighting and production designer

Choreographer Rosie Herrera wants you to imagine that, after a night of gleefully overindulging in absinthe cocktails, filmmaker Federico Fellini stumbles down an alley in old Havana. A door cracks open and music washes over him like a sticky sunrise in September. He steps inside into a primordial soup of neon and sound and tropical heat. A wild undercurrent pulses through the room, whispering that anything (and everything) might happen.

These CSO Proof performances are supported by The Haile Foundation, Irwin & Melinda Simon, and the American Orchestras’ Futures Fund, a program of the League of American Orchestras made possible by funding from the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation.

SHOSTAKOVICH SYMPHONY NO. 5

  • Fri Apr 7, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sat Apr 8, 2023 | 7:30 pm

Louis Langrée, conductor
Stephen Hough, piano

If there is any symphony that operates like a “double agent,” it is Shostakovich’s Fifth. Having found himself targeted by Stalin, Shostakovich composed himself out of a dangerous situation−with immensely gripping results. Stephen Hough returns for Rachmaninoff and Louis Langrée conducts the first part of a new multi-year work by Icelandic composer Daníel Bjarnason.

CSO Co-Commission by Daníel Bjarnason is made possible by Ann and Harry Santen.

CLASSICAL ROOTS

  • Fri Apr 14, 2023 | 7:30 pm

John Morris Russell, conductor
Classical Roots Community Mass Choir, William H. Caldwell, resident conductor

Love and community ring throughout Music Hall when the Cincinnati Pops and the Classical Roots Community Mass Choir celebrate a much-beloved Queen City tradition. JMR leads a program that’s guaranteed to inspire—an evening of powerful performances that will fill your heart with joy and bring you to your feet!

PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION

  • Sat Apr 15, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Apr 16, 2023 | 2:00 pm

Ramón Tebar, conductor
Steven Banks, saxophone

Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition is an epic musical stroll through an eclectic gallery of paintings, from a drawing of unhatched dancing chickens to an image of towering city gates. Originally for piano, Ravel’s version for orchestra adds a bursting palette of instrumental color. Saxophonist Steven Banks, who “has the potential to be one of the transformational musicians of the 21st century,” plays a new concerto by GRAMMY-winning pianist and composer Billy Childs.

MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 7

  • Fri Apr 21, 2023 | 11:00 am
  • Sat Apr 22, 2023 | 7:30 pm

Matthias Pintscher, conductor

If Mahler’s symphonies are like worlds, the Seventh is like the universe in a single night. Patterned in gigantic symmetry, the opening and closing movements are packed with enormous sounds, each like symphonies in themselves. The interior music is lighter by contrast, pivoting at the center with a ghostly dance. CSO Creative Partner Matthias Pintscher returns to conduct the huge orchestral forces needed for Mahler’s dusk-to-dawn universe, from clanging cowbells to titanic brass.

Sponsored by Peter Landgren and Judith Schonbach Landgren.

RAGTIME IN CONCERT

  • Fri Apr 28, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sat Apr 29, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun Apr 30, 2023 | 2:00 pm

JMR and the Pops wrap up the 22/23 season with a Broadway musical reimagined for the concert hall! The brainchild of renowned writing team Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, Ragtime, which follows three pursuits of the American Dream, became an instant classic. Nominated for 13 Tony Awards and two GRAMMY Awards in 1998, the show beat out The Lion King for the Tony for Best Original Score. Now you can experience the celebrated smash hit in a whole new way—in concert with the Cincinnati Pops!

SAINT-SAËNS ORGAN SYMPHONY

  • Fri May 5, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sat May 6, 2023 | 7:30 pm
  • Sun May 7, 2023 | 2:00 pm

Louis Langrée and the CSO explore works that have sounds all their own. Berlioz’s music from an unfinished opera adds voices in extreme ranges. Through darkest doubt and brightest love, the music expresses Saint-Saëns’ entire being and his skill as an organist with moments that pull out all the stops. Pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, “an arresting artist who…creates unique aural landscapes” (LA Times), debuts with music by Mark Simpson.

CSO Co-Commission by Mark Simpson made possible by Ann and Harry Santen.

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS

  • Fri May 12, 2023 | 11:00 am
  • Sat May 13, 2023 | 7:30 pm

Louis Langrée, conductor
Courtney Bryan, piano and composer

Louis Langrée and the CSO end the 22/23 season with jazz-infused musical visions. New Orleans native Courtney Bryan, “a pianist and composer of panoramic interests” (The New York Times), premieres her new concerto. Milhaud’s opening music evokes African folk mythology while Duke Ellington, who was both a prolific composer and famed jazz pianist, summons musical images of night creatures. Gershwin closes the program by dropping you into the sights and sounds of Parisian streets.

The CSO is grateful to Kari and Jonathan Ullman for their support of the Courtney Bryan Co-Commission.

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February 24, 2022 · 8:38 am

TCT Presents The World-Premiere Adaptation of THE WIZ JR. 

TCTC_The Wiz Jr logoAt the Taft Theatre this April   

Cincinnati – Audiences are invited to “Ease On Down The Road” to the Taft Theatre when The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) presents the world-premiere adaptation of THE WIZ JR., April 2-11, 2022. This fresh 60-minute version rounds out the company’s 21-22 MainStage Season. Tickets are on sale now.

THE WIZ JR. features an all-BIPOC staging team. Director Zhailon Levingston comes to Cincinnati straight from directing Chicken & Biscuits on Broadway, as well as Hadestown, and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Choreographer Tislarm Bouie has appeared in numerous Broadway shows, commercials, movies, and live events like SNL and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Seth Howard, a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, is the show’s Scenic Designer. Jason Alexander Holmes, renowned music educator, performer, and Artistic Director of the Cincinnati Boychoir, serves as the Music Director. Contributing spectacular costume designs to the show, Dr. Daryl Harris is a professor teaching diverse interdisciplinary theatre courses at the Northern Kentucky University School of the Arts (SOTA).

Like an emerald, this precious Broadway gem infuses L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with a dazzling mix of rock, gospel, and soul music. THE WIZ JR. is a vibrant take on Dorothy’s adventures through the Land of Oz and a fun, family-friendly musical that is considered one of the most popular and creative theatrical adaptations of all time. Packed with iconic songs like “Ease On Down the Road” and “Brand New Day,” this musical includes exciting dance numbers which blend traditional movement from African culture with ballet, jazz, and modern dance! The Wiz originally opened on Broadway on January 5, 1974. A film adaptation starring Diana Ross premiered on October 24, 1978. In 2015, NBC presented The Wiz Live!, a live television adaptation of the stage musical starring Shanice Williams as Dorothy Gale.

THE WIZ JR. Adapted from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” By L. Frank Baum. Book by William F. Brown. Additional Material by Tina Tippit. Music and Lyrics by Charlie Smalls. Copyright 1975, 1979, 2006, 2010. This 60-Minute Version of THE WIZ JR. was developed by The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, Deondra Kamau Means, Resident Artist. Directed by Zhailon Levingston, straight from Broadway’s Chicken & Biscuits, Hadestown, and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. Choreographed by Tislarm Bouie. Music Directed by Jason Alexander Holmes. Costume Designed by Dr. Daryl Harris, Scenic Design by Seth Howard. Lighting Design by Benjamin Gantose. Sound Design by Donald Moore. Stage Managed by Jadi Davis.

Ideal for ages 4+.

Showtimes for THE WIZ JR. include:

  • Saturday, April 2 at 2pm
  • Saturday, April 2 at 5pm
  • Sunday, April 3 at 2pm
  • Friday, April 8 at 7pm
  • Saturday, April 9 at 11am
  • Saturday, April 9 at 2pm
  • Sunday, April 10 at 2pm

All The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s Broadway-style MainStage productions, including THE WIZ JR., are performed in the historic Taft Theatre, at 5th and Sycamore Streets in Downtown Cincinnati. Tickets start at $10. Visit thechildrenstheatre.com for tickets.

School performances of THE WIZ JR. will be held April 5-8 and 11, 2022, during thedaytime hours.

The sensory-friendly performance of THE WIZ JR. on Wednesday, April 6 at 1 PM is intended for individuals on the autism spectrum, as well as children (and adults) with other special needs who may benefit. To create a sensory-friendly performance, the show is performed ina welcoming, supportive environment for those with sensory challenges. Slight adjustments to lighting and sound are made, and effects such as fog, strobes, and lights that extend into the audience areminimalized. A downloadable Social Narrative (in Word format) is made available on the TCT website one week before the performance. At thetheater, TCT provides an area staffed by specialists in the field where patrons can take a break from the performance if necessary, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center has trained staff on hand.

For details about howto purchase tickets to TCT’s School orSensory-Friendly performances, visit https://thechildrenstheatre.com/shows/the-wiz-jr/.

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati asks audiences to join us in providing the safest space possible for patrons big and small, cast, crew, volunteers, and staff. The following protocol will be in place for THE WIZ JR.:

  1. Masks are required for ALL ticketholders age 2+, regardless of vaccination status.
  2. All patrons ages 12+ must provide proof of *full COVID-19 vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test result administered within 72 hours of show start time. A negative rapid antigen test administered within 24 hours or proof of natural immunity via antibodies will also be accepted — that test would need to have occurred within six months from the date of the show you are attending. Self-reported negative test results that are not from a test provider, a laboratory, or a health care provider cannot be accepted. This rule applies to teachers and chaperones during our daytime school performances and at all public shows.

To enter the theater, please bring a photo ID and one of the following:

  • Original vaccine card or test result
  • Photograph or copy of vaccine card or test result
  • Photograph of vaccine card or test result stored on your electronic device
  • *Fully vaccinated means the performance you attend is at least 14 days after your final vaccine dose.
  • Please note: photo IDs are not required for children.
  • Guests who need a reasonable mask accommodation for medical reasons must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to entering the theater regardless of vaccination status. A negative rapid antigen test administered within 24 hours will also be accepted.
  1. If you are experiencing symptoms (i.e., fever, chills, cough), please stay home and do not attend the event. Instead, contact the Box Office at 513-569-8080 x10 to discuss your ticket options. Read about our refund policy here.
  2. Our public performance seating will not be socially distanced. Please contact the TCT Box Office with any questions at 513-569-8080 x10 or email us at tickets@tctcincinnati.com.
  3. School show capacities will be limited, and school groups will be separated from one another to the best of our ability during daytime school performances.
  4. No concessions will be sold during any performance.
  5. No food or drinks will be allowed in the theater.
  6. No merchandise will be sold during any performance.
  7. Autographs for subscribers and Crown Club members after public performances have been postponed indefinitely.
  8. Protect yourself and others. Thank you!

2022-23 Season Subscriptions

Regular subscriptions for our next 22-23 MainStage Season are on sale now and start at just $43. All subscriptions and single tickets remain refundable during the pandemic if you are unable to attend due to COVID-19. Find out more about subscribing at https://thechildrenstheatre.com/subscribe/.

THE WIZ JR. is made possible by the generosity of Production Sponsor: the PNC Foundation, Hotel Sponsor: The Summit Hotel, Dress Run Sponsor: TriHealth, The Change Fund Sponsor: The Wohlgemuth Herschede Foundation, and Season Sponsors: ArtsWave, Ohio Arts Council, The Patricia A. Corbett Trust, The Charles H. Dater Foundation, H.B., E. W. and F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Fifth Third Bank and Narley L. Haley, Co-Trustees. The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati is supported by ArtsWave and the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

CAST (In Alphabetical Order) 

  • Kevin Bell – Vocal Ensemble
  • Will Gibson – Scarecrow
  • Brittany “Harmony” Hayes – Ensemble
  • LaShondra Hood – Vocal Ensemble
  • *Diana Hutchinson – Ensemble
  • Je’Shaun Jackson – Lion
  • Kyndra Jefferies – Addaperle
  • Dorion Katriel – Tin Man
  • *Rosie Kipperman – Ensemble
  • Jazz McMullen – The Wiz/Munchkin #6
  • Deondra Means – Ensemble
  • *Peyton Morgan – Ensemble
  • Ashley Morton – Ensemble
  • Spring Starr Pillow – Evillene/Munchkin #5
  • Kayla Sankofa – Ensemble
  • Tia Seay – Glinda/Winkie #6
  • Brandi Langford Sherrill – Dorothy
  • Thomas Les Smith – Ensemble
  • DeAndre Smith – Vocal Ensemble
  • Kathy Wade – Aunt Em/Ozian #6
  • Tangernika Wyatt – Vocal Ensemble
  • Aleah Vassell – Vocal Ensemble

*Denotes Youth Ensemble

Understudies: For Dorothy – Diana Hutchinson; for Tin Man and Scarecrow – Thomas Les Smith; for Evillene – Brittany Hayes; for Uncle Henry, Lord High Underling, and Gatekeeper – Kevin Bell; for Glinda and Aunt Em – Tangernika Wyatt; for Addapearle – LaShondra Hood; for Lion and The Wiz – R. DeAnde Smith  

-end-

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