We’re looking forward to welcoming you back for the best of Broadway. Unfortunately, the continued effects of COVID-19 on the touring Broadway industry are making it necessary for us to reschedule our first two shows this fall. THE BAND’S VISIT will now be playing the Aronoff Center July 19 – 24, 2022 and PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL will open our season with an engagement running October 19 – 31, 2021.
Category Archives: Press Releases
PRETTY WOMAN and THE BAND’S VISIT Rescheduled at Broadway in Cincinnati
Filed under Press Releases, Season Announcements
Cincinnati Playhouse New Events for Spring – Online, Outdoors and in the Marx Theatre
Offerings include the return of in-person performances to the
Marx Theatre and three outdoor events
CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will present a slate of new events for the spring – including the first in-person performances in the Marx Theatre in over a year with two limited engagements featuring nationally recognized theatre artists. Also planned are three outdoor performance events, two new pod plays, 25 different virtual enrichment workshops and two streaming productions.
“We are thrilled to be re-opening the Marx Theatre and re-entering the realm of live, in-person performances in more than a year,” says Artistic Director Blake Robison. “The outdoor events and virtual programs provide a variety of alternatives for anyone who’s craving a theatrical experience.”
Upcoming performances and programs:
- Schueler Group presents nationally recognized theatre artists in the Marx Theatre with socially distanced seating:
Higher and Higher: A Rock ‘n Soul Party with Chester Gregory
April 30 – May 2
Broadway star and recording artist Chester Gregory honors the legends of Rock and Soul. The star of Motown: The Musical, Hairspray and Dreamgirls won acclaim for his outstanding portrayal of Jackie Wilson in The Jackie Wilson Story. In concert, Gregory offers his considerable talents to the music of Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, James Brown and more. Presented by Artists Lounge Live.
The Skivvies: Live and Literally In-Person!
May 26 and 27
The Skivvies are Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley, singer/actor/musicians performing stripped down arrangements of eclectic covers and eccentric originals. Not only is the music stripped down – cello, ukulele, glockenspiel, melodica – but the Skivvies literally strip down to their underwear to perform. Cearley and Molina were last seen at the Playhouse in 2019’s You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, and Cearley previously starred as Seymour in the 2017 production of Little Shop of Horrors.
Seating in the Marx Theatre has been reduced for proper social distancing to a maximum of 30 percent capacity. Masks are required. Tickets are $54 and $39 and are on sale now for Higher and Higher. Tickets to The Skivvies go on sale April 14.
- Upstanders Onstage: Performances for Social Change
Outdoor events featuring an eclectic mix of scenes, monologues, spoken word and music – May 8, 16 and 23
The Playhouse is partnering with The Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center and the Cincinnati Music Accelerator to present a series of live, outdoor events featuring theatre artists, musicians and poets who are using art to create dialogue and affect change in the world. The socially distanced events will take place from 6 – 8 p.m. in the parking lots of Cincinnati Union Terminal on May 8, Cincinnati Art Museum on May16 and the Mayerson JCC on May 23. Each evening will feature a different line-up of artists and content, which will be announced at a later date. Appropriate for ages 12 and up. The events are free, but an advance reservation is required to ensure appropriate social distancing. Reservations open on April 14.
- Two streaming productions in April and May:
- Dragons Love Tacos will be available to stream for free on weekends as part of the virtual Off the Hill series from April 16 to May 16. As a boy and his dog watch a television show about dragons, they unexpectedly get caught up in the “Dos and Don’ts” of what to feed them. Appropriate for ages 3 and up.
- The Catastrophist by Lauren Gunderson, a co-production of Marin Theatre Company and Round House Theatre Company, will have its exclusive Cincinnati presentation April 26 – May 23. Cost to stream is $25.
About the play: Virologist Nathan Wolfe, named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for his work tracking Ebola and swine flu, proposed pandemic insurance years before the novel coronavirus outbreak. No one bought it. Now, in a post-COVID world, we hear his story. The Revolutionists playwright Lauren Gunderson’s time-jumping tale takes a deep dive into the profundities of scientific exploration and the harrowing realities of facing your own mortality. The Catastrophist is a critically acclaimed theatrical experience built of and for this moment in time.
- Virtual Enrichment Workshops
The Playhouse is offering 25 different virtual enrichment workshops on Zoom for kids, teenagers and adults this spring. They are taught by professional theatre artists and include a variety of crafts, writing, design and performance activities. The workshops begin the week of April 22. Cost is $30 – $60, depending on the number of sessions in the workshop.
- The Pod Plays Project rolls out two brand-new stories in June that make use of technology, storytelling and a unique location in Cincinnati to experience an audio play.
- The Edge of Town by Cincinnati musician and hip-hop artist Deuces is a musical pod play about Black empowerment in a suburban neighborhood and takes place in the city of Wyoming.
- Cincinnati playwright Carolyn Guido Clifford’s pod play (title TBD) takes place in Eden Park and tells the story of a young woman who undergoes an unexpected change and must relocate to Cincinnati to live with her aunt.
The pod plays are free. Those launched last fall – The Aviators by Trey Tatum and Richie and Blanche by Isaiah Mikel-Reaves – can be streamed now.
Tickets and information for all performances and programs, including Covid-19 safety guidelines for in-person events, can be found at cincyplay.com.
The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of almost 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community campaign. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation.
The special event series in the Marx Theatre is presented by Schueler Group. Higher and Higher is sponsored by Digi and Mike Schueler.
Upstanders Onstage: Performances for Social Change is presented as part of the Playhouse Perspectives series, funded by a generous grant from Roderick and Barbara Barr.
Seasonal support of Education and Outreach programs is supported by The Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation and Linda and Gary Greenberg. Off the Hill is supported by KeyBank and John C. Griswold Foundation. Off the Grid is sponsored by The William Baude-Maurice Oshry Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.
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Filed under Press Releases
The Carnegie Presents THE WONDERFUL MUSIC OF OZ Cabaret at Outdoor Amphitheater at Behringer-Crawford Museum
Family-friendly outdoor performance set for April 17-18, 2021
COVINGTON, KY – The Carnegie is inviting families throughout the Tri-State to enjoy the start of spring on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. with The Wonderful Music of Oz Cabaret at the Outdoor Amphitheater at Behringer-Crawford Museum, Devou Park. Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic blanket and snacks to enjoy the production featuring a fantastical mix of songs from The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz and Wicked. In addition to the Oz-inspired tunes, the 75-minute show also includes behind-the-scenes stories from the movies and stage shows that inspired them. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students and children and can be purchased here.
“Our mission at The Carnegie is to inspire creativity for all,” said Maggie Perrino, Theatre Director for The Carnegie. “The Wonderful Music of Oz is the perfect kickoff to our outdoor performance series. Whether you love The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz, Wicked – or all three – this outdoor production will inspire the whole family to sing along, dance and enjoy the show in a safe outdoor venue.”
The Ensemble
- Heather Hale
- Renee Stoltzfus
- Ria Villaver Collins
- Jared Roper
- Joshua Carandang
- Cian Steele
Production Staff
- Jason Alexander Holmes, Music Director
- Maggie Perrino, Director
- Doug Stock, Technical Director
- Shauna Nelson, Stage Manager
Social Distancing Policy: Patrons will be asked to practice social distancing at the outdoor venue. Masks are required for admission and when patrons are away from their seats. Seating will be spread out to follow social distancing guidelines. Hand sanitizing stations will be available and additional cleaning regimens will be in place between performances.
Content Advisory: This is a family-friendly production. Appropriate for all ages.
Tickets for The Wonderful Music of Oz at the Outdoor Amphitheater at Behringer-Crawford Museum, Devou Park (1600 Montague Rd, Covington, KY 41011) are $25 for adults, $15 for students and children. There will be four showings, on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. To purchase tickets and learn more about The Carnegie’s outdoor performance series visit thecarnegie.com.
The Carnegie’s 2020-21 Theatre Series is presented by the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Support for The Carnegie Creative Disruption Committee programming series is provided by the John A. Schroth Family Charitable Trust.
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About The Carnegie
The Carnegie is Northern Kentucky’s largest multidisciplinary arts venue providing theatre events, educational programs and art exhibitions to the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community. The Carnegie facility is home to The Carnegie Galleries, the Otto M. Budig Theatre, and the Eva G. Farris Education Center. More information about The Carnegie is available at thecarnegie.com or by calling (859) 491-2030.
The Carnegie receives ongoing operating support from Cincinnati International Wine Festival, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Kenton County Fiscal Courts, the Kentucky Arts Council and the City of Covington. The Carnegie is also supported by the generosity of more than 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign.
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2021-2022 Season Announced by Beechmont Players
After almost a year off due to the pandemic, Beechmont Players is thrilled to announce their 2021-22 season.
THIS SEASON AND THE PRODUCTIONS MENTIONED ARE SUBJECT TO OHIO LAWS AND RESTRICTION REGARDING GATHERINGS DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST by Oscar Wilde
Directed by Steve Phelan
November 5,6,7,12,13 2021
Subtitled “A Trivial Comedy for Serious People,“ this is Oscar Wilde at his best. Two young gents have taken to bending the truth in order to put some excitement into their lives. Worthing has invented a brother, Earnest, whom he uses as an excuse to leave his dull life behind to visit Gwendolyn. Montcrieff decides to take the name Earnest when visiting Worthing’syoung and beautiful ward, Cecily. Things start to go awry when they end up together in the country and their deceptions are discovered
THE ODD COUPLE, FEMALE VERSION by Neil Simon
Directed by Arlene Balczo
February 4,5,6,11,12 2022
Neil Simon’s revision of his hugely successful play, The Odd Couple, sees the lead characters transformed into Olive Madison and Florence Unger. Olive and their group of girlfriends are enjoying their weekly Trivial Pursuit night in Olive’s messy and ill-equipped apartment. As the game continues, Florence arrives, fresh from being dumped by her husband. Fearful that the neurotic Florence might attempt suicide, Olive invites her to move in as her roommate. However, Olive and Florence have VERY different personalities. Where Olive is messy, untidy, and unconcerned about the state of her apartment, Florence is obsessively clean, tidy, and obsessed with hygiene. Olive’s easy-going outlook on life soon clashes with Florence’s highly-strung neurotic tendencies, testing their friendship to the limit. When Olive organizes a double-date with the Costazuela brothers, their differences come to a head and sparks fly.
WRONG WINDOW by Billy Van Zandt and Jane Milmore
Directed by Alan Kootsher
May 6,7,8,13,14. 2022
Van Zandt & Milmore pay tribute to Master of Horror Alfred Hitchcock, with this comedy whodunit. Off-and-on New York couple Marnie and Jeff enter an even more complicated phase of their relationship when they think they spy their cross-courtyard neighbor do away with his wife. After they draw their torn curtain, the lady vanishes, and suspicion places murder beyond a shadow of a doubt. The bumbling witnesses sneak into their neighbor’s apartment – 39 steps away – and the fun begins. Among multiple door-slammings, body-snatchings, and a frantic flashlight chase scene, two questions remain: Who killed Lila Larswald? And… if she’s not dead…then who is? The crazy farce plays out on a shadow-box set that allows the audience to be present in one apartment, while viewing the action in its mirror-image neighboring unit across the way.
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Filed under Press Releases, Season Announcements
The Hughes Project: CCM Partners with High School Students on Light Show
Hughes STEM High School will light up with projections of student artwork on Friday, April 2
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Theatre Design and Production students are working with Hughes STEM High School art students on a light show that will be projected onto Hughes’ beautiful and historic façade on Friday, April 2, 2021. Themed around Afrofuturism and visions of the future, the installation is made possible by the generous support of Prestige AV, Vincent Lighting Systems, Lightborne Communications and UC Forward.
The collaboration began when CCM Lighting Design and Technology Professor Sharon Huizinga connected with industry colleagues to discuss how to make careers accessible to those who may dream of working in the arts, but don’t know where to begin. She wanted to connect with young students and show them that a career in the arts is possible for a wide variety of personalities and goals.
“I thought, ‘maybe I could ask for access to middle school and high school populations who might not know how many different career options there are in the arts’,” Huizinga says. “I have the sense that people think of theatre and they think of something that doesn’t feel like a viable or secure career choice.”
There are a variety of career paths both on stage and behind-the-scenes that students can explore and pursue.
A “test” projection from several weeks ago.
“Your favorite music artist — or your favorite awards show, play, major sporting event and so on — has whole team of people working to create those shows,” she says. “There are production managers, technical directors, tour managers, lighting directors, sound designers, costume designers, hair and make-up artists, lighting vendors, equipment manufacturers, and more — all who represent a broad spectrum of career options.”
“In lighting design and technology, there are artistic jobs and technical jobs,” she adds. “There are jobs that are freelance, jobs that are salaried and 9-5, jobs that include travel and ones that are fixed in a single place, as well as everything in between.”
Huizinga attended a Cincinnati Public School Board meeting in the summer to pitch a collaboration with CCM and interested public schools. Several people reached out, including Mary Green, the Visual Arts Coordinator at Hughes STEM High School. Hughes’ location at 2515 Clifton Avenue is walking distance from the CCM Village.
“It sounded like a perfect fit, since we are in such close proximity,” Green says. “I had no idea that UC had a Theater Lighting Program, so the partnership is just as exciting for me as it is for my students!”
“It sounded like a perfect fit, since we are in such close proximity,” Green says. “I had no idea that UC had a Theater Lighting Program, so the partnership is just as exciting for me as it is for my students! Since moving to Cincinnati last year and attending the BLINK Festival, I dreamed of doing a project with my students to light up the tower. Little did I know that we would be able to realize such a dream through the UC partnership!”
Green’s 7th grade students are submitting artwork for the CCM students to project onto Hughes STEM High School. The building is “one of the premier examples of Tutor architecture in the country” and boasts a 145-foot Tudor tower designed by J. Walter Stevens that can be seen for miles.
CCM students working on “The Hughes Project” include majors from the college’s Lighting Design and Technology, Technical Direction and Stage Management programs. CCM students will project the artwork onto the building’s 145-foot tower using two 30,000 lumen projectors from Prestige AV and will light the rest of the building with LED lights provided by Vincent Lighting Systems.
The light show is the first step in CCM’s collaboration with Hughes STEM High School. Next year, Huizinga will work with Green to show CCM Idea Lab films to the high school students to foster continued conversation about the entertainment industry and how it works
“If there are high school or middle school students out there who are potentially interested in the arts, I want to be part of showing them that there is a spectrum of possibilities that they could get involved in and get training in,” she adds. “Whether that is here at CCM or somewhere else, I don’t actually mind, it just improves the industry as a whole to involve everyone who is interested.”
The Hughes Project
A projection and lighting experience projected onto Hughes STEM High School
Standing room only. Face masks and social distancing required.
The Hughes Project is made possible by the generous support of CCM, Hughes STEM High School, Prestige AV, Vincent Lighting Systems, Lightborne Communications and UC Forward.
Creative Team
Show Times
8:30 p.m., 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Friday, April 2, 2021.
Location
Hughes STEM High School
2515 Clifton Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45219
About Hughes STEM High School
At Hughes STEM High School, students are immersed in a creative focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with a strong liberal arts foundation. Students take part in rich and meaningful experiences that expose them to a wide range of STEM careers. Project-based learning is at the heart of a Hughes STEM education.
Hughes students graduate ready for school, work, and life in the 21st century. They benefit from internships and real-world, workplace experiences. Each student receives personalized advisory support, ensuring that all students graduate college-ready and with certification in a variety of marketable skills.
Learn more at hughesstem.cps-k12.org
About CCM Theatre Design and Production
CCM’s Department of Theatre Design and Production (TD&P) offers Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts with specialization in the following areas:
- Costume Design and Technology (BFA and MFA)
- Lighting Design and Technology (BFA and MFA)
- Make-up & Wig Design (MFA)
- Sound Design (BFA and MFA)
- Stage Design, Props and Scenic Art (BFA)
- Stage Design (MFA)
- Stage Properties (MFA)
- Stage Management (BFA and MFA)
- Technical Production (BFA)
The Theatre Design and Production program features cutting-edge facilities and technology, with:
- 8,500 square foot scene shop
- 3,000 square foot costume shop
- Wig, make-up and prosthetics studios
- 3 different production venues
- 800 square foot light lab
Learn more at ccm.uc.edu/tdp
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Filed under Events, Family-Friendly, Press Releases
