Category Archives: Press Releases

October 8, 2021 · 9:15 am

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Re-Opens the Mainstage with a Stunning Production of ROMEO AND JULIET

CSC_Rome & Juliet2

Courtney Lucien as Juliet and Crystian Wiltshire as Romeo. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

580 days since the last audience attended a performance, Cincinnati Shakespeare is thrilled to be re-opening!

CINCINNATI (September 7, 2021) – Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is thrilled to re-open their Mainstage theater at The Otto M. Budig Theater with William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” The production is directed by Darnell Pierre Benjamin and features a cast of 16 Resident Ensemble Members.  This production’s design is generously sponsored by Marcene and Jim Kinney.  “Romeo and Juliet” is part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

This season opens with William Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET directed by Darnell Pierre Benjamin.  This production is set in a traditional Italian Renaissance setting and will make for a triumphant return to the Mainstage. The star-crossed lovers in “Romeo and Juliet” will be Courtney Lucien and Crystian Wiltshire.  Both actors frequently appear at CSC with Courtney last appearing in “Pride and Prejudice,” and Crystian Wiltshire appearing last in “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and “All the Way.”  Crystian has also recently joined Cincinnati Shakespeare as its new Associate Artistic Director.

At this time, all ticketholders must be masked as well as 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/.

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.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company continues to offer audiences great value with affordable, flexible subscriptions that include flexible tickets that can be used in any combination for any performance. Subscription packages start at $240.  All subscriptions and single tickets are currently on sale now and may be purchased through the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company website http://www.cincyshakes.com or box office by calling 513-381-BARD (2273) ext. 1.

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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William Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet
October 8 – November 13, 2021

We are thrilled to be re-opening the Mainstage season with Romeo and Juliet!  William Shakespeare’s timeless tale of two star-crossed lovers and the feuding families who tear them apart, returns to the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company stage in all of its everlasting grandeur. Revel in lavish masked balls, rousing street brawls, tragic young love, and some of the most exquisite poetry ever penned, all in a traditional Elizabethan setting. Fall in love again for the first time.

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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 made up of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations, and contemporary classics.  CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with 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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October 7, 2021 · 10:16 am

Falcon Theatre Continues 2021-2022 Season With Regional Premiere of Lisa Kron’s Obie Award-Winning Play WELL

FT_Well logoThe New York Times ‘Best Play’ Directed by Burgess Byrd

Opening on Friday, November 19 through Saturday, December 4, 2021

(Newport, KY) — Falcon Theatre (Ted J. Weil, Producing Artistic Director) is pleased to announce the next show in the 2021-2022 season, Lisa Kron’s critically-acclaimed memoir-comedy WELL.

WELL is an examination of mothers and daughters, sickness and health, racial diversity, and how a neighborhood can grow through integration. Described as a singularly-unique theatrical experience, the play asks the provocative question: “Do we create our own illness?” The answers become highly complicated as the play spins dangerously out of control into riotously funny and unexpected territory. Directed by Burgess Byrd, WELL makes its regional premiere for a limited, three-week engagement.

Ticket Information
Performances are on November 19, 20, 26, 27, and December 2, 3, 4, 2021. All performances are at 8:00 PM EST. Tickets prices are $25 for adults and $15 for students with ID. Patrons enjoy a $5 discount for Thursday performances. Visit falcontheater.net to reserve seats.

Health and Safety Information
Falcon Theatre is making the safety of our artists and our audience a priority and continues to follow CDC and Local Health guidelines. As previously announced, all ticket holders must wear masks and show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative COVID-19 test to attend a performance. Actors will not be masked, and seats will be sold to full capacity without social distancing. Our Covid safety policy will be continually updated on our website as safety recommendations change.

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October 6, 2021 · 9:46 am

Mutual Dance Theatre Announces Season 50 Under New Name

MDT_Pulp and Variations logoMutual Dance Theatre (formerly known as Contemporary Dance Theater and MamLuft&Co. Dance) Announces Season 50 Under New Name

CINCINNATI, OHIO — Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers made headlines last year when a merger to form the organization was announced by Contemporary Dance Theater (est. 1972) and MamLuft&Co. Dance (est. 2007). Under Artistic and Executive Director, Jeanne Mam-Luft, Mutual Dance Theatre announces an exciting return of Modern Dance to the stage with Season 50 (adopting Contemporary Dance Theater’s numeration) in 2021-2022, kicking off right away in November.

The season features both home performances by the resident company, Mutual Dance Theatre, as well as the preservation of Contemporary Dance Theater’s most treasured program, formerly known as the Guest Artist Series. This jewel of the region brings nationally-significant art to our stages, schools, and community hubs. This year, the JJCDT features performances by the world-renowned PHILADANCO! (Philadelphia, PA) and the visually-fascinating Sidra Bell Dance NY, both Black-led companies (Sidra Bell being the first African American woman to be commissioned by the New York City Ballet).

The resident company, featuring artists who exhibit virtuosity and powerful nuanced performance, will share numerous world premieres. The performances will take place both in their home studio theatre and in the Aronoff Center, including new repertory acquisitions from the aforementioned guest artists. These acquisitions are part of the company’s exciting pivot to growing their identity as a repertory company with work by nationally-recognized choreographers.

The season will also feature a celebration of CDT founder Jefferson James and her work, commemorating 50 years of her singular work to advance and promote Modern Dance in Cincinnati before her recent retirement.

Audiences can save significantly (and support the organization) by subscribing to the season, with a subscription starting at just $76.50.

Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers extends the impact of these performances by bringing the artists into the community. Activities will include a free lecture-demonstration for children, residencies, public Q&As, and workshops or masterclasses with artists on the Saturday of each performance weekend.

The season is generously supported in part by: donations (big and small) from individuals; the National Endowment for the Arts; the generosity of more than 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign; state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC); and The Warrington Foundation.

MDT’s PULP and VARIATIONS IN A BRAINSTORM
November 12-20, 2021
WORLD PREMIERES: AN IMMERSIVE DANCE EXPERIENCE REVEALED IN CHAPTERS

  • Friday, November 12th, 2021 at 8pm
  • Saturday, November 13th, 2021 at 8pm
  • Friday, November 19th, 2021 at 8pm
  • Saturday, November 20th, 2021 at 8pm

VENUE: Mutual Arts Center Hartwell, 8222 Monon Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45216

TICKETS:

  • $20 when purchased before October 20, 2021
  • $25 when purchased on or after October 21, 2021

Tickets and more information at mutualdance.org/pulp

SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS START AT JUST $76.50

Audiences will be immersed in a dance theatre experience that will take them on two, different adventures, both revealed in chapters. In Pulp, as the audience surrounds the performers in Mutual Arts Center’s black box studio, they will first begin by helping to choose a unique sequence of events that will never again be performed in that same order. The theatergoers will simultaneously perceive a common object, but interpret it differently as perspective is weighed in pithy moments. In Variations in a Brainstorm, letters, writings, and musings—all tied to a writing desk—will guide audiences through a tour of divergent identities. In the end, both adventures unearth the human mind’s vast ability to make connections.

Choreographers Rowan Salem and Hannah Williamson are 2nd and 5th-year veterans of Mutual Dance Theatre (respectively). Rowan Salem, originally from Massachusetts, was a Gretchen Moran Scholar at Smith College in Northampton, and her work has been presented at the Redline Contemporary Arts Center, Counterpath Exhibition Space, Green Street Studios, and Art Gym, Denver where she was the 2017 recipient of the Create Award Residency. Hannah Williamson is a local, rising talent whose work has been selected for presentations from Ohio to Virginia; she has performed in works by notable artists Dwight Rhoden and Clifford Williams of Complexions Contemporary Ballet and the Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre in Carmel, IN.

This performance takes place in Hartwell at 8222 Monon Avenue 45216 NOT at The Aronoff Center.

AUDIENCES SHOULD PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALTHOUGH SOME SPACING MAY BE POSSIBLE, THIS IS GENERAL SEATING AND DISTANCING CANNOT BE GUARANTEED. Parking is free and the building is ADA-accessible. For more information about the venue, please see mutualdance.org/hartwell.

American Sign Language interpretation will be provided on Friday, November 19.

Experienced dancers are also invited to an open workshop with choreographer Rowan Salem Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 11am. See mutualdance.org/masterclasses for more information, including pricing and location.

MDT’s Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series presents
PHILADANCO!
January 21-22, 2022
ONE OF THE NATION’S MOST TREASURED MODERN DANCE COMPANIES, HERE FOR ONE WEEKEND ONLY

DATES:

  • Friday, January 21, 2022 at 8pm
  • Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 8pm

VENUE:
Aronoff Center for the Arts, Jarson-Kaplan Theater, 650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

TICKETS:

  • $35.00-$46.25 when purchased before December 20, 2021
  • $40.00-$53.00 when purchased on or after December 20, 2021

Tickets and more information at mutualdance.org/philadanco

SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS START AT JUST $76.50

Known across the world for their “brilliant mix of miracle of skill” and “virtuoso physicality,” PHILADANCO! makes a short return to Cincinnati 10 years since their last visit. The Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series (newly renamed since CDT’s merger into Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers) welcomes the 50-year-old legendary dance company who celebrates and preserves predominantly African American traditions in dance. Do not miss this repertory concert chock-full of both old and new favorites.

Experienced dancers are also invited to an open workshop with PHILADANCO! company members on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 11am. See mutualdance.org/masterclasses for more information, including pricing and location.

MDT’s Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series presents
SIDRA BELL DANCE NY
March 25-26, 2022
THE CINCINNATI PREMIERE OF INTERNATIONALLY SOUGHT-AFTER VISIONARY, SIDRA BELL

DATES:

  • Friday, March 25, 2022 at 8pm
  • Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 8pm

VENUE:
Aronoff Center for the Arts, Jarson-Kaplan Theater, 650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

TICKETS:

  • $30.00-$40.00 when purchased before February 20, 2022
  • $35.00-$46.25 when purchased on or after February 20, 2022

Tickets and more information at mutualdance.org/sidrabell

SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS START AT JUST $76.50

Sidra Bell is one of Modern Dance’s most up-and-coming artists, sought-after across the globe and the nation. Mutual Dance Theatre’s Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series is ecstatic to present Ms. Bell and her diverse Company of dance artists for the first time in Cincinnati, Ohio for one weekend only. Described as “hypnotically seductive” and “brilliant and impressive,” Bell’s aesthetic rings of “Pina Bausch, fashion, and Harlem’s ballrooms” in a unique, visionary style that draws in audiences, deeply. Her distinctive, hyperkinetic movement and dramatic brilliance hone-in on the human psyche and questions of identity. Sidra Bell is the first African American woman to be commissioned by the New York City Ballet. Sidra Bell Dance NY will perform IN | REP, an evening of dance theater works that will leave audiences feeling and thinking for days to come.

The community is also invited to an open workshop with Ms. Bell on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 11am. No dance experience is required or expected: experience Ms. Bell’s process through movement and space. See mutualdance.org/masterclasses for more information, including pricing and location.

MDT’s MODERN MIX,
June 17-18, 2022
FOUR MODERN DANCE PREMIERES WITH CHOREOGRAPHY BY SIDRA BELL, PHILADANCO! ARTISTS, STEVEN P. EVANS, AND JASMINE SNELLEN

DATES:

  • Friday, June 17th, 2022 at 8pm
  • Saturday, June 18th, 2022 at 8pm

VENUE:
Aronoff Center for the Arts, Jarson-Kaplan Theater, 650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

TICKETS:

  • $30.00-$40.00 when purchased before May 15, 2022
  • $35.00-$46.25 when purchased on or after  May 15, 2022

Tickets and more information at mutualdance.org/modernmix

SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS START AT JUST $76.50

MODERN MIX features a proud collection of work, including three Black artists. The season-closer promises variety, athletic prowess, virtuosic dancing, and compelling drama. Mutual Dance Theatre (formerly known as MamLuft&Co. Dance) is undergoing a thrilling transformation as it amplifies its repertory through commissions and re-stagings by national artists! Cincinnati’s Modern Dance company will close its 21-22 season with choreography by Sidra Bell (of Sidra Bell DanceNY), PHILADANCO! artists, and Steven P. Evans and Jasmine Snellen of Mutual Dance Theatre.

Experienced dancers are also invited to an open workshop with choreographer Jasmine Snellen on Saturday, June 18, 2022 at 11am. See mutualdance.org/masterclasses for more information, including pricing and location.

COVID-19 Policies
Along with numerous other venues in Cincinnati, due to the high levels of COVID-19 transmission in Hamilton County and the surrounding area, the following protocols are currently effective until further notice:

Guests, staff, and volunteers are required to wear masks at all times in our venues, regardless of vaccination status.

Ticket holders 12 years of age and older will be required to show a proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for entry into the events.

Read more information and any updates at https://www.cincinnatiarts.org/plan-your-visit/health-and-safety.

Access
Mutual Dance Theatre was founded to create more access to Modern Dance. We believe that all income levels should have the pleasure of attending live performances. Free admission will be provided to persons of low-income.  Patrons are encouraged to contact the organization at 513.494.6526 or hello@mutualarts.org for assistance.

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October 1, 2021 · 1:33 pm

The Black Theatre Coalition/Broadway Across America Fellowship Announced

BTC_logoTHE BLACK THEATRE COALITION /
BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA
FELLOWSHIP

SPONSORED BY THE JOHN GORE ORGANIZATION 

BIC_logoNOW ACCEPTING APPLICANTS THROUGH OCTOBER 15 

FELLOWSHIP POSITION AVAILABLE WITH BROADWAY IN CINCINNATI

STARTING JANUARY 2022

Cincinnati, OH (10/1/21) – The John Gore Organization (JGO) the leading presenter, producer, distributor, and marketer of Broadway theater worldwide, has partnered with Black Theatre Coalition (BTC), an organization dedicated to eradicating racial inequities in the theater industry, to create a comprehensive paid fellowship program for Black-identifying undergraduate college juniors, seniors and recent college graduates.

This landmark program, called The Black Theatre Coalition/Broadway Across America Fellowship, sponsored by the John Gore Organization, is now accepting applications through October 15, 2021 for ten paid 14-week part-time positions across the United States with training in the business of commercial theater.

One position will be available in Cincinnati, working with the Broadway in Cincinnati team in the area of Marketing & PR for Broadway touring shows at the Aronoff Center.

In addition to on-the-job training, the program includes a comprehensive educational curriculum taught by BTC, BAA and other Broadway professionals, providing an invaluable, in-depth education in the business of commercial theater.  The program also features a trip to New York City for regional fellows where the cohort will gather for in-person shadowing and networking opportunities.

“We at Broadway Across America want to take meaningful steps to create change in our industry in regards to equity, diversity, access and inclusion,” said Genevieve Holt, Vice President Midwest.  “We believe that one important way to do that is to generate opportunities for students and young professionals to learn about the theater business from the inside, through on-the-job training and opportunities to learn and network with leaders in the industry.  We’re excited to partner with Black Theatre Coalition to give these Fellows insight to the wide range of roles that exist in our business off the stage.”

Interested Black-identifying applicants should submit contact information, current school enrollment information, a personal statement, resume and one letter of recommendation at BroadwayFellows.com.

Recognizing the underrepresentation of BIPOC professionals in the commercial theater industry, this program will be dedicated to fostering and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, access, and inclusion.  BTC-BAA Fellowships will initially be available in New York, Atlanta, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, and Louisville.

The goal of this fellowship program is to provide undergraduate and postgraduate students with an opportunity to develop the job skills, industry-specific knowledge and network connections necessary to begin a professional career in the commercial theater industry.

At the John Gore Organization, we believe that live theater is for everyone. Everyone means people of all races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations and people with disabilities. We specifically want to increase participation for those that have been historically underrepresented in the commercial theater industry.

FELLOWSHIP POSITIONS AVAILABLE

  • Atlanta, GA – Marketing & PR (1 position)
  • Baltimore, MD – Operations & Marketing (1 position)
  • Cincinnati, OH – Marketing & PR (1 position)
  • Fort Lauderdale, FL – Marketing (1 position)
  • Houston, TX – Marketing & Ticketing (1 position)
  • Louisville, KY – Ticketing Operations (1 position)
  • New York, NY– Finance (1 position)
  • New York, NY – Marketing & PR (1 position)
  • New York, NY – Operations (1 position)
  • New York, NY – Ticketing & Business Intelligence (1 position)

For more information and to apply, please visit www.BroadwayFellows.com.

ABOUT BLACK THEATRE COALITION

Black Theatre Coalition was founded by T. Oliver Reid and Warren Adams during the Summer of 2019. They identified the disparity between the growing inclusivity onstage, versus the almost non-existence of Black professionals off stage. They invited their colleague, Reggie Van Lee, (Chief Transformation Officer of the Carlyle Group) to join them as Co-Founder and Chairman of The Board. Afton Battle is the Executive Strategist and Tamica Clanton is Digital Marketing Strategist.

BTC’s mission is to remove the “illusion of inclusion” in the American Theatre, by building a sustainable ethical roadmap that will increase employment opportunities for Black theatre professionals. Their vision is to reshape the working ecosystem for those who have been marginalized by systemically racist and biased ideology.

Black Theatre Coalition officially filed as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) in June of 2020.
www.BlackTheatreCoalition.org

ABOUT THE JOHN GORE ORGANIZATION

The John Gore Organization is the leading presenter, producer, distributor, and marketer of Broadway theater worldwide. Under the leadership of 14-time Tony-winning theater producer and owner John Gore, its family of companies includes Broadway Across America, Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, and Group Sales Box Office. The company presents shows in 48 cities across North America as well as on Broadway, Off-Broadway, London’s West End, Japan, and China. It has won Tony Awards in every producing category as well as numerous other Drama League, Drama Desk and Olivier Awards.  The John Gore Organization is committed to supporting theater access and education programs that introduce Broadway to the next generation of audiences and theater professionals. www.johngore.com

Broadway Across America (BAA) is part of the John Gore Organization family of companies, which includes Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com and Group Sales Box Office.  Led by 15-time Tony-winning theater producer John Gore (Owner & CEO), BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, operating in 48 markets with over 400,000 subscribers. Presentations include Disney’s The Lion King, Wicked, The Book of Mormon, The Phantom of the Opera and Hamilton. Current and past productions include Ain’t Too Proud, Beautiful, Cats, Chicago, Dear Evan Hansen, Mean Girls, Moulin Rouge! and To Kill A Mockingbird. 

Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati presented by TriHealth is committed to bringing the very best of Broadway to the Tri-State, presenting touring Broadway plays and musicals in Cincinnati since 1987. For over twenty years, Broadway in Cincinnati has presented all shows at the Aronoff Center. The Broadway in Cincinnati series brings more than 185,000 people downtown to the Aronoff Center each year, and contributes an average of $30 million to the local economy each season. Broadway in Cincinnati is a member of the Greater Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and The Broadway League. Fifth Third Bank is the sponsor of the Cincinnati 21/22 Season and the season is presented by TriHealth.

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September 30, 2021 · 1:23 pm

Cincinnati Opera Announces 2022 Summer Festival

co_logoThe company comes home to Cincinnati Music Hall after two seasons away, with live, in-person performances from June 18−July 31, 2022 

The lineup includes two world premieres (Castor and Patience, Fierce), two classic love stories (La Bohème, Aida), and Gilbert and Sullivan’s rollicking comedy, The Pirates of Penzance 

The season stars a thrilling roster of world-class singers, including Raven McMillon, Lauren Snouffer, Talise Trevigne, Mary Elizabeth Williams, Tichina Vaughn, Zachary James, Gregory Kunde, Ji-Min Park, Rodion Pogossov, Reginald Smith Jr., and Matthew White

Cincinnati, Ohio—After two seasons away, Cincinnati Opera today announced plans to return to Cincinnati Music Hall and the School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) next June and July for its 2022 Summer Festival. The company celebrates this special homecoming with a full, five-opera season—including two world premieres and new-to-Cincinnati productions—plus creative collaborations with renowned singers, conductors, directors, and designers, as well as the Cincinnati Opera Chorus, Cincinnati Ballet, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

The 2022 season includes Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème (June 18, 23, 25), Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance (July 7, 9, 10m), and Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida (July 21, 23, 29, 31m) at Music Hall, and two world premiere operas at SCPA’s Corbett Theater: William Menefield and Sheila Williams’s Fierce (July 6, 8) and Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith’s Castor and Patience (July 22, 24m, 26, 28, 30).

“As the arts reopen and stages in Cincinnati once again come alive, we can’t wait to get back home to Music Hall and SCPA,” said Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director. “We know how lucky we are to do what we love in such extraordinary venues, and to share with our community all that opera can be. Our 2022 season has been planned to do just that—to bring us together and remind us what it feels like to fall in love, to give us a reason to laugh out loud, and to move us with compelling stories that reflect the modern American experience.”

Continued Mirageas, “For the audience, we hope it will feel like both a welcome return to form and an exciting leap forward—a not-to-be-missed chapter in Cincinnati Opera’s vibrant history.”

Renewing subscribers will be contacted with purchase information in October, and new subscriptions go on sale in January 2022. Single tickets will be available beginning spring 2022. For additional information, visit cincinnatiopera.org.

Cincinnati Opera
2022 Summer Festival

La Bohème

Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa

Saturday, June 18, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, June 23, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 25, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Springer Auditorium | Cincinnati Music Hall

The 2022 season sweeps in on a romantic high with one of the most famous love stories ever sung. Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème has captivated audiences for generations with its unforgettable music and its sweetly sentimental tale of young bohemian lovers in Paris. It all begins in a cold apartment on Christmas Eve, where the penniless poet Rodolfo prepares to celebrate with friends on the city’s bustling streets. But with a quiet knock on the door, he meets Mimì, whose single candle has gone out. While searching for a match in the dark, hands touch, sparks fly, and lives change forever.

Soprano Talise Trevigne, who dazzled Cincinnati audiences in the title role of The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (2019), portrays Mimì with tenor Ji-Min Park (Alfredo in Cincinnati Opera’s La Traviata, 2018) as Rodolfo. Soprano Raven McMillon, a 2021 winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, sings the role of Musetta, and baritone Rodion Pogossov (Marcello), bass-baritone André Courville (Colline), and baritone Ethan Vincent (Schaunard) appear as Rodolfo’s trio of artistic friends. Mark Gibson, director of orchestral studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, will conduct.

Featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Opera Chorus

Sung in Italian with projected translations

World Premiere
Fierce
Music by William Menefield
Libretto by Sheila Williams
Wednesday, July 6, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 8, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Corbett Theater | School for Creative and Performing Arts

Cincinnati Opera proudly presents the world premiere of Fierce during summer 2022. With authenticity and sensitivity, Fierce tells the stories of four teenage girls struggling with school, family, and friendship, as each embarks on a transformative journey toward empowerment and self-assurance. A collaboration with WordPlay Cincy, the Music Resource Center−Cincinnati (MRC), and i.imagine—three arts organizations serving Greater Cincinnati youth—Fierce was originally slated to debut in summer 2020 and has been rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Northern Kentucky-based novelist Sheila Williams interviewed WordPlay and MRC participants to inspire the opera’s libretto, while Cincinnati native William Menefield employs jazz, modern, and classical music styles in the work’s high-energy score. Teenage girls participating in i.imagine’s photography program will partner with Cincinnati Opera to promote the production to their peers. D. Lynn Meyers, producing artistic director of Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, makes her Cincinnati Opera debut as Fierce’s stage director and dramaturg. Production design is by Samantha Reno, with lighting design by Thomas C. Hase and wig and makeup design by James Geier.

Featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Sung in English with projected titles

CO_Pirates of Penzance promo

Jeff Roffman, Atlanta Opera

New-to-Cincinnati Production
The Pirates of Penzance
Music by Arthur Sullivan
Libretto by W.S. Gilbert

Thursday, July 7, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 9, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 10, 2022 | 3:00 p.m.
|Springer Auditorium | Cincinnati Music Hall

Gilbert and Sullivan’s perfectly preposterous comic operetta The Pirates of Penzance sets sail at Music Hall in July 2022. Frederic, an orphan apprenticed to a lively band of pirates, is soon to celebrate his 21st birthday, when he’ll be free to pursue a life—and love—all his own. The charming Mabel catches his eye, and she’s supremely smitten in return. But the crafty Pirate King finds a loophole in Frederic’s contract, setting the young lovers’ future upon stormy seas. Will Frederic and Mabel steer their way to a happily-ever-after?

Bursting with memorable tunes and rapid-fire laughs, our production of The Pirates of Penzance is a modern, major spectacle, featuring vivid sets and costumes originally created for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis by designer James Schuette. David Agler conducts, with stage direction and choreography by Seán Curran. Zachary James brings a “striking bass voice and a tremendously magnetic presence” (Opera News) to the role of the swashbuckling Pirate King. Tenor Matthew White, who last appeared with Cincinnati Opera as Gounod’s Romeo, joins soprano Lauren Snouffer, who offers “beautifully clear, unaffected singing … informed with intelligence and wit” (Opera News), as the lovebirds Frederic and Mabel.

Featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Opera Chorus

Sung in English with projected titles

Production originally created for Opera Theatre of Saint Louis

CO_Aida promo

Opéra de Montréal, Yves Renaud.

New-to-Cincinnati Production
Aida
Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni

Thursday, July 21, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 23, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Friday, July 29, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 31, 2022 | 3:00 p.m.
Springer Auditorium | Cincinnati Music Hall

The 2022 season continues with the grandest of grand operas, Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida. As war rages between enemy nations, a forbidden love burns brightly between Radamès, an Egyptian warrior, and Aida, his captive. But Aida’s keeping a secret of her own—she’s the daughter of the Ethiopian king and deeply devoted to her people. Will she betray Radamès to save her nation or risk everything to follow her heart?

From its passionate romance to its thunderous “Triumphal March,” which features a 60-voice chorus, Aida is the definition of “epic.” Our production evokes the opulence of Ancient Egypt with its “lavish design” (Pittsburgh Theater) by Claude Girard and Bernard Uzan and will be helmed by stage director Crystal Manich with Christopher Allen conducting. Making her company debut in the title role is soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams, who possesses a voice with “a gleaming top and luxuriant richness” (The Guardian, U.K.), and tenor Gregory Kunde brings a “robust voice” with “clear, strong, focused tone” (The New York Times) as Radamès. Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano and Metropolitan Opera regular Tichina Vaughn is the imperious Egyptian princess Amneris, while baritone Gordon Hawkins, who appeared as Amonasro in the company’s 2013 production, reprises the role. Bass Morris Robinson, Cincinnati Opera’s artistic advisor, is Ramfis, with bass Peixin Chen as the King of Egypt and soprano Jennifer Cherest as the High Priestess.

Featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Opera Chorus, and Cincinnati Ballet

Sung in Italian with projected translations

Production by Opéra de Montréal, Pittsburgh Opera, and Utah Opera

World Premiere
Castor and Patience
Music by Gregory Spears
Libretto by Tracy K. Smith

Friday, July 22, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, July 24, 2022 | 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 26, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, July 28, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 30, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
Corbett Theater | School for Creative and Performing Arts

Originally commissioned for Cincinnati Opera’s 100th anniversary in 2020 and postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Castor and Patience receives its much-anticipated world premiere in July 2022. With music by Gregory Spears, composer of the company’s acclaimed 2016 commission Fellow Travelers, and an original libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winner and former U.S. poet laureate Tracy K. Smith, the opera centers on two cousins from an African American family who find themselves at odds over the fate of a historic parcel of land they have inherited in the American South. Deeply relevant to ongoing calls for racial justice, Castor and Patience probes historical and continuing obstacles to Black land ownership in the United States.

At the podium is conductor Kazem Abdullah, and Kevin Newbury (Fellow Travelers) directs. The new production will be created by Vita Tzykun (scenic design), Jessica Jahn (costume design), Rachel Eliza Griffiths (image design), S. Katy Tucker (projection design), Thomas C. Hase (lighting design), and James Geier (wig and makeup design). A renowned interpreter of contemporary opera, soprano Talise Trevigne is Patience, and baritone Reginald Smith Jr., this year’s U.S. representative at the prestigious BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition, is Castor. They’re joined by a stellar supporting cast: mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson Cano (Celeste), soprano Victoria Okafor (Willie), baritone Benjamin Taylor (West), tenor Frederick Ballentine (Judah), and soprano Raven McMillon (Ruthie). Mezzo-soprano Zoie Reams, tenor Victor Ryan Robertson, and baritone Phillip Bullock make up the opera’s ensemble.

Featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Sung in English with projected titles

Tickets and Information

Renewing subscribers will be contacted with purchase information in October, and new subscriptions go on sale in January 2022. Single tickets will be available beginning spring 2022. In September, the company joined several of Cincinnati’s performing arts organizations in announcing COVID safety requirements for audience members, including mask-wearing and proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test. For more information, visit cincinnatiopera.org.

About Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera’s mission is to enrich and connect our community through diverse opera experiences. Founded in 1920 and the second-oldest opera company in the nation, Cincinnati Opera presents a thrilling season of grand opera every summer and engaging programs throughout the year. The company’s repertoire includes beloved classics and contemporary masterworks brought to life by some of the world’s most dynamic performers and creative artists.

Cincinnati Opera is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign. Cincinnati Opera also receives general 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 general season and project support from many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. Cincinnati Opera is a proud member of OPERA America.

To learn more, visit cincinnatiopera.org. 

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