Category Archives: Press Releases

May 13, 2025 · 3:46 pm

DARE TO DREAM MUSICAL SPECTACULAR to Benefit ROYAL Theatre Company on May 30

ROYAL Theatre Company to Present
DARE TO DREAM MUSICAL SPECTACULAR
An Original Musical Review
May 30, 2025

ROYAL Theatre Company, Home of the Children’s Theatre of Mason, is proud to present Dare to Dream Musical Spectacular, an original musical review, on Friday, May 30, 2025, at Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm Street, Cincinnati, Ohio. We invite you to be part of an extraordinary evening that promises to inspire, entertain, and celebrate the amazing impact our life’s dreams can have.

This show is one night only! Tickets are $100 per person for the Gala and show or $50 per person for the show and dessert only. Tickets for the Gala include a reception, two drink tickets, hors d’oeuvres, dessert and the show. To purchase tickets to the event and preview silent and live auction items please visit our website ROYALTheatreCompany.com. If you are interested in being a Dare to Dream sponsor, please contact Nicole@ROYALTheatreCompany.com

Dare to Dream Musical Spectacular is an innovative performance that highlights the dreams, hopes, and aspirations that drive us all. Featuring mesmerizing music, heartfelt performances, and choreography, it is a celebration of resilience, creativity, and the courage to pursue what seems impossible. The Gala will set the stage for an amazing night! The money we raise through this event will allow ROYAL Theatre Company to provide its ongoing initiatives to nurture creativity, education, and positive change through the arts. “Audience members will not only be wowed and entertained, they will also be personally moved in a way that impacts how they pursue their lives and dreams,” says Karen Kilgore, President of
ROYAL Theatre Company.

Fans can follow ROYAL Theatre Company on Meta: Facebook (ROYAL Theatre Company, Home of Children’s Theatre of Mason) and Instagram (royal_theatre_company).

About ROYAL Theatre Company, Home of The Children’s Theatre of Mason ROYAL Theatre Company produces two large-scale productions each season, from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Oliver to Beauty and the Beast and Lion King Jr. as well as many other popular favorites. ROYAL Theatre Company offers children from ages 6-18 and other talented actors from all over the Cincinnati area the opportunity to take part onstage as performers as well as off stage as crew members, make-up assistants and many other behind-the-scenes roles. To volunteer, donate or learn more, visit ROYALTheatreCompany.com or call 513.398.0116.

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May 12, 2025 · 3:43 pm

Claudia Pompeya Brings THE MOTHER to Cincy Fringe

I’m Claudia Pompeya, a Cincinnati-based graphic designer and performer. I wanted to share that I’m debuting my first solo clown show, THE MOTHER, at this year’s Cincy Fringe—a one-night, work-in-progress performance on June 12 at 8:45 PM. Doors open 8:15pm.

It’s a poetic and offbeat exploration of the mother wound, told through physical storytelling, character, props, and absurdity. The piece is deeply shaped by my healing journey through clown.

Claudia Pompeya is a performer and visual artist who accidentally became a clown. She’s trained with Dell’Arte, renowned British comedy troupe Spymonkey, and more. Her first clown work, In My Room, was featured in Wave Pool Art Gallery’s Faux Real exhibition. Former corporate graphic designer. Current vessel of poetic nonsense. She blends visual storytelling with physical performance and soft chaos.

🎟️ Tickets: https://cincyfringe.com/the-mother/
📍 Miami Venue, on the corner of Vine & 13th Streets – Cincy Fringe Festival

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May 12, 2025 · 3:42 pm

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Closes the 2024-2025 Season with JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING

May 31 – June 22, 2025

(Cincinnati, OH) Get tressed to impress! Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) closes its 2024–2025 Season with the regional premiere dramedy Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. Written by award-winning and Tony-nominated Ghanaian American playwright Jocelyn Bioh (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play), pull up a chair with West African immigrant braiders who work their magic on the locals’ locks. This laugh-out-loud comedic gem is a riotously funny yet deeply resonant play that celebrates the indomitable spirit and interconnectedness that define us all. Playing  May 31–June 22, 2025, and is directed by Torie Wiggins. Premiere Sponsors are Daniel Brown & Mark Haggard and ArtsWave. Artist Sponsor is Linda R. Holthaus.

Welcome to Jaja’s bustling hair braiding salon nestled in the pulsating heart of Harlem, where a lively community of West African immigrant hair braiders weaves together humor and heart. Amidst the laughter and playful shop talk, a diverse group of women share dreams, love stories, and hidden secrets, all while creating stunning braided masterpieces. On a sweltering summer day, the lighthearted banter reveals deeper reflections on the challenges of feeling like outsiders in their own neighborhood, sparking a powerful exploration of identity and belonging, and confronting what it means to be an outsider on the edge of the place they call home.

“One of the things I love about Jaja’s is all these voices and ideas converging in this one place,” explains ETC Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “It’s important to celebrate a community’s voice in a way that feels accessible and understandable and that can be empathetic as well as celebratory. These women’s lives are changed in an instant by powers beyond their control. I think it’s essential in our world to recognize what other people may be up against that we’re unaware of as we go about our daily lives.”

Cast includes Burgess Byrd (Jaja), Keisha L. Kemper (Bea), Samantha Russell (Marie), Elexis Selmon (Jennifer), and Beasley (Vanessa/Shelia/Radia). Additionally, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati welcomes the following performers in their ETC debuts: A.J. Baldwin (Michelle/Chrissy/LaNiece), Jasimine Bouldin (Ndidi), Candice Handy (Aminata), Brianna Miller (Miriam), and Samuel Stricklen (James/Franklin/Olu/Eric).

Production team: Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic & Lighting Designer), Tiara M. Jones (Costume, Hair, & Wig Designer), Aniya Williams (Assistant Hair & Wig Designer), Justin Ellington (Sound Designer), Trey Tatum (Associate Sound Designer), Debora Crabbe (Dialect Coach), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Curator & Design Assistant), and Jacob Dowell (Technical Director). Production Stage Manager is Margot Whitney. Assistant Stage Manager is Lexi Muller. 

Performance Information

Performances Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm. A complete calendar of performances is available at www.ensemblecincinnati.org. 

Ticket Prices

Tickets for adults start at $30; student tickets are $28; and children are $24. Half-Price Rush Tickets: All remaining tickets for the current day’s performance(s) are available two hours prior to each show time for half-price (discount only applies to adult tickets) when purchasing by phone or in person. $15 Student Rush Tickets: Students may purchase up to two $15 student rush tickets two hours prior to show time with valid student I.D. Available in person only.

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2024-2025 Season Presenting Sponsor is the LKC Foundation.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is supported, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional theatre rooted in historic Over-the-Rhine dedicated to engaging, enriching, and inspiring audiences through our thought-provoking world and regional premiere productions, creating and sustaining careers in professional theatre, building community partnerships, and sharing impactful education programs throughout our region.

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May 7, 2025 · 3:34 pm

Cincinnati Ballet Announces Alyssa Wang as Music Director

Wang will assume new role for 2025-2026 Season

Cincinnati, OH (May 6, 2025) – Cincinnati Ballet announced today that Alyssa Wang has been named the Company’s permanent Music Director. Wang, an accomplished conductor, violinist, and composer will assume her new role for the upcoming 2025 – 2026 Season. “After an extensive international search, it became clear that Alyssa has the vision, excellence, and experience to lead the Company as its new music leader,” said Cincinnati Ballet Artistic Director Cervilio Miguel Amador. Since 2021, Wang has served as the Assistant Conductor for Boston Ballet and served as Music Director for the annual Next Generation project with Boston Ballet School. She is the Co-Founder, Artistic Director, and Principal Conductor of the Boston Festival Orchestra, which presents an annual summer festival, chamber music series, and music education program.  Wang has also worked as a conductor with the Dallas Symphony, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, Cape Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic, Concord Orchestra, and more.

Alyssa has enjoyed exploring diverse creative paths with a focus on audience inclusivity and engagement. She is the recipient of the 2024 New Music USA Creator Fund, the 2023 Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award, and the 2022 St. Botolph Emerging Artist Award. As a violinist, Alyssa has soloed with ensembles across the country and is the newest member musician of the Boston Chamber Music Society. She has been featured in numerous contemporary recording projects, such as Carlos Simon’s Grammy-nominated album, Requiem for the Enslaved (Decca), Nancy Galbraith’s Violin Concerto with Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and David Post’s Violin Sonata (Centaur). As a composer, she premiered her own violin concerto, Swept Away, with the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh, who commissioned the work, in February 2023. Her latest composition project is a string octet for Boston Chamber Music Society that will premiere in May 2026.

Alyssa earned her bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University under the tutelage of Andrés Cárdenes, and a master’s degree at the New England Conservatory where she studied with Malcolm Lowe. She is a recipient of the Pittsburgh Female College Association Prize, the Carnegie Mellon Women’s Award, the Senior Leadership Award, and the Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award. Alyssa is also an Andrew Carnegie Scholar.

Wang will become the second music director in Cincinnati Ballet’s history. Carmon Deleone, Music Director Emeritus, retired in 2023 after more than 50 years in the position.

About Cincinnati Ballet Since 1963, Cincinnati Ballet has been the cornerstone professional ballet company of the region, presenting a bold and adventurous array of classical, full-length ballets and contemporary works, regularly with live orchestral accompaniment. Cincinnati Ballet is a creative force within the larger dance community, commissioning world-premiere works and exploring unique collaborations. With a mission to enrich, expand, and excel in the art of dance through performance, a high-caliber academy, and impactful education and community engagement in local to global communities, Cincinnati Ballet reaches beyond the stage in programs that allow every person in the region to be part of the continued evolution of dance. To that end, Cincinnati Ballet presents exhilarating performances, provides extensive education and community engagement programs, and offers top-level professional ballet training at Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy. Cincinnati Ballet is housed at the world-class Margaret and Michael Valentine Center for Dance in Cincinnati’s thriving Walnut Hills arts community.

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May 7, 2025 · 3:31 pm

‘Angels’ Share’ Captured to Fill Parks and Schools with Music

(You Could Be a Happy Pappy)
Raffle Drawing 9:00 p.m. Saturday, May 17, 2025
KSO Offices 540 Linden Ave. Newport, KY

The Kentucky Symphony Orchestra will hold its Annual Rare Bourbon Raffle on May 17 to help fund free concerts in Devou and Tower Parks this Summer (July – Sept). Great neighbor and long-time supporter (angel) — The Party Source — has donated a 6-bottle set (2024 release) of Rip & Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon, a 5-bottle set of Antique Buffalo Trace, as well as 20 rare and pricey bourbons for the KSO’s annual fundraiser. The raffle helps fund the KSO’s free education outreach concerts for 260 regional schools, and free, family-friendly park concerts, which have become a Summer tradition.

The November 2024 release of Old Rip & Pappy Van Winkle yielded more 20 & 23 yrs, but fewer Rye than last year, yet the complete “vertical set” still remains hard to come by in 2025. Tickets are $100 per chance and limited to 750. One winner will be drawn on Saturday night, May 17th at 9:00 p.m. to win all six bottles.

A second raffle will be held following the Pappy drawing for the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection — George T. Stagg (15 yr), Sazerac Rye (18 yr), W.L. Weller (12 yr), T.H. Handy (6yr) and Eagle Rare (17 yr) — Tickets are $50 and limited to 900 chances (100 fewer than last year).

A third raffle brings back the KSO’s 20 Bourbons / 20 Winners. Hard to find and rare bourbons and lots include: Weller Antique, Full Proof & 12 year CYPB (3 bottle set), King of Kentucky (16 yr), Col. E.H. Taylor Single Barrel (Uncut), 13th Colony (15th Anniversary), Parker Heritage 10 yr Rye Cask Strength, plus 15 more delicious and scarce bourbons (See attached listing). Tickets for the 20/20 raffle are $25 per chance and limited to 1500. One ticket will be drawn for each bourbon or lot. View all of the bourbons and buy tickets: https://kyso.org/bourbon-raffle/

The drawing will be held live-streamed on the KSO’s website (kyso.org) and on Facebook Live beginning at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Ticket sales end at 4 p.m. on May 17.) Winners need not be present to win. Winners will be notified by email and sent instructions regarding how to pick up their bourbon prize in-person or via a representative with proper ID. The KSO cannot legally ship bourbons. (Northern Kentucky Symphony, Inc. Charitable Gaming License #2704)

Give your “angel’s share” to bring free culture, nostalgic entertainment and great music to area schools and parks by buying a chance to win amazing bourbons, and supporting the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra.
Buy your tickets today!

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