Category Archives: Press Releases

September 15, 2025 · 4:56 pm

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s THE WIZARD OF OZ: Youth Edition Opens The Emery Theater

Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Cincinnati’s New Crown Jewel

CINCINNATI – The curtain is finally rising on a new era. After decades of anticipation, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) is bringing audiences “home” to the historic Emery Theater—fully restored and reimagined as the most technologically advanced proscenium-style theater in the nation. To celebrate this landmark moment, TCT will launch its 2025–2026 MainStage Season with the one-hour “youth edition” of L. Frank Baum’s timeless classic, The Wizard of Oz. Tickets are on sale now at www.thechildrenstheatre.com.

This triumphant homecoming production will transport families over the rainbow as Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion follow the Yellow Brick Road in a dazzling theatrical event that blends tradition with innovation. Audiences will be the very first to experience the rebirth of The Emery—where 100 years of history meets the future of live theatre.

Kim Kern, President & CEO of The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, said:

“The Emery Theater is more than a stage—it’s a symbol of Cincinnati’s cultural heartbeat. To open these doors again with The Wizard of Oz, a story about finding your way home, is both poetic and powerful. We are thrilled to welcome families back to this extraordinary theater and begin a new chapter of wonder, imagination, and community.”

Directed by TCT’s Artistic Director Roderick Justice and choreographed by TCT’s Associate Artistic Director, Maddie Jones, The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition promises a wickedly colorful adventure audiences will never forget.

Ideal for ages 4+. This production runs approximately one hour without intermission.

Public Showtimes include:

  • Friday, October 10, 2025: 7 PM – OPENING NIGHT
  • Saturday, October 11, 2025: 2 PM and 5 PM
  • Sunday, October 12, 2025: 2 PM
  • Saturday, October 18, 2025: 11 AM and 2 PM
  • Sunday, October 19, 2025: 2 PM
  • Saturday, October 25, 2025: 2 PM and 5 PM
  • Sunday, October 26, 2025: 2 PM

ASL and Audio Described Performance:

  • Saturday, October 11, 2025: 2 PM

Additionally, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati presents additional performances of The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition for school students, including an exclusive homeschool performance. Tickets are $10 per student, with one free adult admission for every 15 students. Email pam.young@tctcincinnat.com for details. Free proficiency test-focused Study Guides are available online at https://thechildrenstheatre.com/study-guides/

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg. Background Music by Herbert Stothart. Dance and Vocal Arrangements by Peter Howard. Orchestration by Larry Wilcox. Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Based upon the Classic Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros. Adaptation and support materials developed by iTheatrics under the supervision of Timothy Allen McDonald.

Stage Direction by TCT’s Artistic Director, Roderick Justice. Choreographer Maddie Jones. Music Direction Jason Alexander Holmes. Scenic Design Tyler Gabbard. Lighting Design Benjamin Gantose. Costume Design Noelle Wedig-Johnston. Video Design Lightborne Communications.

The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition is made possible by Dress Run Sponsor TriHealth, and Season Sponsor The Charles H. Dater Foundation. PNC Foundation provides additional funding for MainStage Ticket Subsidies. Additional Sponsors include The Sutphin Family Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and The Shubert Foundation INC.

This production is made possible in part by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati is supported by the tens of thousands who generously give to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding.

The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition will be performed in the newly reimagined Emery Theater, 1112 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Tickets start at $12. Visit thechildrenstheatre.com or call the TCT Box Office at 513.569.8080 x10, Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM to purchase tickets.

CAST:

*LUCY ARGUETA ………………… Ensemble
CHRISTIAN ARIAS ………………. Ensemble
KATIE BAUER……………………… Ensemble
*LEVI BAUM ………………………. Ensemble
AMY BAUMANN……. Aunt Em/Ensemble
MAIYA CALDWELL ……………… Ensemble
ANTHONY J. CONTRERAS …..Scarecrow
KATE CRISP………………………… Ensemble
FINN DANIELEY …………………. Ensemble
EDRICO EVANS-PRITCHETT … Ensemble
DOUGLAS FRIES………. Professor Marvel/ Wizard of Oz
BOB HERZOG …………………………….. Lion
EMILY HILBRECHT………………. Ensemble
*CLAIRE HUNKLER……………… Ensemble
BLAKE KENNEDY……………….. Ensemble
JONATHAN SMITHE KENNEDY ………… Ensemble
BETHANY XAN KERR……….. Miss Gulch/ Wicked Witch
JOHN H. LLEWELLYN………….. Ensemble
ANIMAESH MANGLIK…………….Tin Man
*ELLIOT MARTIN…………………….. Dorothy
HAYLEY MARTIN …………………….. Glinda
AUSTIN MILLS ……………………. Ensemble
GABRIEL KANAI NAKATA …… Ensemble
*PARKER PATTON ………………. Ensemble
RODGER PILLE ………………. Uncle Henry/ Oz Guard Doorman/Winkie
*MIKAYLA RAE…………………… Ensemble
*DECLAN SATTERWHITE …….. Ensemble
COLTON SLADE………………….. Ensemble
KARI KEELER STEWART ……… Ensemble
*LISA TAKAHASHI ………………. Ensemble
TRE TAYLOR……………………….. Ensemble
NYLA THOMAS…………………… Ensemble
*KEVIN TIGHE ……………………. Ensemble
*MORGAN TIGHE……………….. Ensemble
*KEYA VADIVELU……………….. Ensemble

*Denotes TCT’s Young Artists Company

-end-

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September 8, 2025 · 5:04 pm

ETC Announces Winner of 7th Annual PLAY/WRITE: The Jackie Demaline Regional Collegiate Playwriting Competition

(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) is pleased to announce the winner of the seventh annual PLAY/write: The Jackie Demaline Regional Collegiate Playwriting Competition. The annual collegiate competition nurtures local aspiring dramatists who are helping to shape the future of American theatre and provides a $2,500 juried cash award to support the early work and career of each winner along with staged professional readings of their scripts.

The winner of this year’s prize is Dinithi Fernando (University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music) for her play Be Patient, My Little Grasshopper, which will receive a full-length professional reading on Sunday, October 19 at 2:00 pm at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati.

The panel of judges would also like to recognize Iris Shipley (CCM) as the runner up for her play Last Call.

About the Competition
The competition commemorates the life and work of writer, critic, and theatre enthusiast Jackie Demaline. A passionate arts advocate, Ms. Demaline served as an important catalyst for change in the theater community and was an entertainment writer and editor for numerous publications. Her legacy lives on through this competition, providing professional development for emerging writers, amplifying new voices and perspectives, and kick-starting arts careers. 

About the Play
Be Patient, My Little Grasshopper by Dinithi Fernando is a new dramedy that explores first relationships, identity, and how Sri Lankan culture wrestles with trauma. Lakshani has loved her college experience so far: she’s thriving with new friends, balancing family visits, and dreaming of the future. Then she meets him. Charming, funny, irresistible . . . until he isn’t. What starts as flirtation turns dark as his attention becomes dangerous. Lakshani is caught between her family’s expectations, her own fears, and the terrifying reality of a stalker who won’t let go. Can she confide in her parents? Will she find a way to break free? Or will silence put her—and everyone around her—at risk? 

About the Playwright
Dinithi Fernando is currently an acting student at University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. Her credits include playing M in Peerless at the Human Race Theatre, playing Mamillius in The Winter’s Tale at CCM, and writing and acting in this past year’s Transmigration Festival at CCM. She is working towards creating more representation in the industry, raising awareness about different social issues, and telling stories about her culture. Dinithi hopes Be Patient, My Little Grasshopper can raise awareness about stalking, assault, and how Sri Lankan culture deals with trauma.

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2025–2026 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 dedicated to producing world and regional premieres of works that often explore compelling social issues. We fulfill our mission through our stage productions and educational outreach programs that enlighten, enliven, enrich, and inspire our audiences.

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September 8, 2025 · 5:02 pm

Z IS FOR ZEBRA Enlivens Arts as Advocacy Through Disabled Artists Telling Disabled Stories

An encore performance of a show critics called “tightly executed, deeply personal, and often
wickedly funny”

[Cincinnati, OH] Back by popular demand, after a sold out run at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, Z IS FOR ZEBRA is returning to the Know Theatre of Cincinnati’s stage for a limited run in early October. Hailed as “a tightly executed, deeply personal, and often wickedly funny piece” (Kirk Sheppard) Z IS FOR ZEBRA, written by Katie Scarlett, explores the relationship between chronic illness and grief told through the eyes of a professor giving a lecture on Kubler-Ross’s “stages of grief.” But what happens when the professor’s overconfident (and unwanted) TA takes her on a whirlwind journey through her own hardships with chronic illness? Together, they navigate the path to acceptance (no matter how fleeting) through a series of successes and struggles with humor, heart, and a lot of pill bottles.

The show will run from October 2nd- 5th at The Know Theatre on 1120 Jackson Street. The cast includes: Ben Dudley, Kate Stark, and Katie Scarlett. Production team includes: Liz Carman (director), ErinMarie Suscheck (stage manager), and designers Becca Schall, Jared Earland, and Rupert Spraul.

Scarlett, who is disabled herself, strongly believes in art as a form of advocacy. “For a lot of chronically ill people self-advocacy starts young in medical settings. You must learn how to stand up for yourself because often you’re not believed by medical professionals or you receive a lot of pushback,” Scarlett says. “This show for me was a way of broadening my advocacy past myself. My story isn’t unique. I can name multiple people in the disabled and chronic illness communities who have shared similar experiences. Most people don’t know how hard it is to navigate a complex healthcare system when the chronic part of being ill never ends. It’s exhausting to live in a body that defies you every step of the way and the medical system that is meant to help shouldn’t be part of that exhaustion.” This message is important as, according to the CDC, more than 1 in 4 adults in the United States are disabled. Most people have someone in their life that has struggled with their health, this story provides more context to relate on a deeper level.

It was important to Scarlett to build a team of disabled artists. She believes disabled stories need to be told, and by disabled artists whenever possible. “I was astounded by the amount of people who came up to me afterwards and told me they felt like they were watching their story, or a part of their story, unfold onstage,” Scarlett says. “If it wasn’t their personal story, it was the story of a loved one or a friend. I was honored that so many people suggested the show as a must watch for medical professionals. I think it points to the unfortunate shared experience of navigating the medical world as a patient who doesn’t fit into traditional boxes. I’m so excited so many people wanted to come back and experience the show again.”

AT A GLANCE
What: Z IS FOR ZEBRA, by Katie Scarlett
When: October 2 – 4, 7:30 PM; October 5, 2 PM.
Where: Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St, Over-the-Rhine
Tickets: From $20. Available at knowtheatre.com/octknowber-2025 or by phone at 513.300.5669.

For tickets and more information please check out the Know Theatre’s octKNOWber lineup:
www.knowtheatre.com/octknowber-2025

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September 3, 2025 · 5:27 pm

Cincinnati Ballet Presents The KAPLAN NEW WORKS Series, Sept. 12-20 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts

Experience four world premieres by internationally acclaimed choreographers

Cincinnati, OH (September 2, 2025) – Cincinnati Ballet is set to open the 2025-2026 Season with the return of their perennial favorite, The KAPLAN NEW WORKS Series, staged in the intimate Jarson-Kaplan theatre at the Aronoff Center September 12-20.

This year’s program features world premieres from four internationally sought-after choreographers—Yoshihisa Arai, Caroline Dahm, Andonis Foniadakis and Andrea Giselle Schermoly. We are excited to announce that NEW WORKS costumes are being designed by local fashion designer Eliana Batsakis and Paris-based Greek fashion designer Anastasios Sofroniou. Cincinnati native Batsakis returns for a second year as the costume designer for New Works after taking on the role last season—Batsakis, founder of her eponymous fashion brand, which has been recognized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America has been featured in Netflix’s Next in Fashion, Vanity Fair and earned a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30 List for Cincinnati. Sofroniou, a fashion industry veteran who has worked with Foniadakis for over a decade to create original costumes for contemporary dance performances and has collaborated with companies such as Nike, Vogue US, and GQ UK, among many others.

WORLD PREMIERE | Yoshihisa Arai

Yoshihisa Arai is a choreographer and the Cincinnati Ballet-Second Company CB2 Director. Arai has created several acclaimed works for The Joffrey Ballet—Boléro, Élégie, and Afternoon Watch—and reimagined Appalachian Spring for the Joffrey Studio Company. In 2023, he directed and choreographed Cåraboo: A Chamber Opera. He has since collaborated on world premieres with artists such as Christopher Wheeldon, Alondra de la Parra, and the Colorado Ballet.

WORLD PREMIERE | Caroline Dahm

Caroline Dahm is a professional dancer and choreographer from Los Angeles, California. She has set original works on the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Kansas City Ballet, Musical Theater Heritage, Newport Contemporary Ballet, and Wylliams-Henry Contemporary Dance Company, among others.

WORLD PREMIERE | Andonis Foniadakis

Described as “one of the most important choreographers of the moment” by Die Deutsche Bühne, Greek-born Andonis Foniadakis is known for his eccentric, futuristic style. His choreography includes commissions for Martha Graham Dance Company, Sydney Dance Company, Cedar Lake, Philadelphia Ballet, Ballet du Rhin, Ballet Jazz de Montréal, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Bejart Ballet Lausanne, and many others.

WORLD PREMIERE | Andrea Giselle Schermoly

Andrea Giselle Schermoly, a South African-born choreographer, has created and staged works for numerous companies worldwide, including Royal New Zealand Ballet, West Australian Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Kansas City Ballet, BalletMet, Richmond Ballet, and Compañía Nacional de Danza, among others. Schermoly’s choreography spans stage and screen. She directed and choreographed the dance films Rite of Spring for Louisville Ballet, In Passing for The Ashley Bouder Project. choreographed for feature films, commercials, and music videos in Hollywood, including Beautiful Now, Bunheads, Get Lost, Justin Bieber/Poo Bear, and Deorro.

Tickets for The Kaplan New Works Series are on sale now, starting at $59. For more information, visit cballet.org.

PERFORMANCE DATES AND INFORMATION

WHO: Cincinnati Ballet

Choreography: Yoshihisa Arai, Caroline Dahm, Andonis Foniadakis and Andrea Giselle Schermoly.

WHAT: The KAPLAN NEW WORKS Series

WHEN:

  • Friday, Sept. 12 at 7:30pm
  • Saturday, Sept. 13 at 2:00pm
  • Saturday, Sept. 13 at 7:30pm
  • Sunday, Sept. 14 at 1:00pm
  • Thursday, Sept. 18 at 7:30pm
  • Friday, Sept. 19 at 7:30pm
  • Saturday, Sept. 20 at 2:00pm
  • Saturday, Sept. 20 at 7:30pm

WHERE: Aronoff Center for the Arts – 650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, Ohio

TICKETS: Call 513.621.5282 or visit cballet.org.

Cincinnati Ballet 2025-2026 Season Sponsors:

Margaret and Michael Valentine, ArtsWave, Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Ohio Arts Council and The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation.

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.

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September 3, 2025 · 5:25 pm

Cincinnati Opera and CCM’s Opera Fusion: New Works Partnership Presents Public Previews of Two Operas-in-Progress This Fall

Audiences are invited to experience exclusive sneak peeks of John Lewis: Good Trouble (Oct. 11) by Maria Thompson Corley and Diana Solomon-Glover, and Sleepers Awake (Nov. 8) by Gregory Spears

CINCINNATI (September 3, 2025)— Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) invite the public to preview two new operas-in-progress this fall as part of their dynamic creative partnership, Opera Fusion: New Works (OF:NW). OF:NW offers composers and librettists the opportunity to refine their pieces through Cincinnati-based workshops, culminating in public performances of excerpts that provide audiences with a unique glimpse into the development process.

The first work to be featured is John Lewis: Good Trouble, with a public preview on Saturday, October 11 at 2 p.m. It will be followed by Sleepers Awake, with a public presentation of excerpts on Saturday, November 8 at 2 p.m. Both events will take place at Cincinnati Music Hall’s Wilks Studio (1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202). Tickets are $15 for adults and free for full-time students (one ticket per valid student ID) and may be reserved at cincinnatiopera.org or by calling 513-241-2742 (M-F, 12-5 p.m.).

John Lewis: Good Trouble

John Lewis: Good Trouble features music by Maria Thompson Corley, a libretto by Diana Solomon-Glover, and stage direction and dramaturgy by Timothy Douglas. Inspired by the life and legacy of the late Congressman John Lewis, the opera honors his tireless fight for justice and equality as an inspiring champion of civil rights. Commissioned by Cincinnati Opera, the work is the second to be developed through the company’s groundbreaking Black Opera Project and will receive its world premiere at Cincinnati Music Hall during Cincinnati Opera’s 2027 Summer Festival.

Sleepers Awake

In Sleepers Awake, composer Gregory Spears, whose operas Fellow Travelers (2016) and Castor and Patience (2022) were both commissioned and premiered by Cincinnati Opera, creates a labyrinthine soundscape to accompany a dream-like rendering of the fairytale “Sleeping Beauty,” inspired by modernist writer Robert Walser. As the chorus sings itself in and out of slumber, the voices pull us into a liminal space where time is both fractured and cyclical. Conceived with and directed by Jenny Koons, Sleepers Awake was commissioned by Opera Philadelphia, where it will receive its world premiere in April 2026.

Event Information

  • Opera Fusion: New Works presents John Lewis: Good Trouble—Saturday, October 11, 2 p.m., Wilks Studio at Cincinnati Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
  • Opera Fusion: New Works presents Sleepers Awake—Saturday, November 8, 2 p.m., Wilks Studio at Cincinnati Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
  • Tickets: $15 for adults; free for full-time students (one ticket per valid student ID)
  • Order at cincinnatiopera.org or 513-241-2742

About Opera Fusion: New Works

Opera Fusion: New Works (OF:NW) is a partnership between Cincinnati Opera and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) dedicated to fostering the development of new American operas. OF:NW offers composers and librettists the opportunity to workshop an opera during a residency in Cincinnati, utilizing the facilities, personnel, and talent of both Cincinnati Opera and CCM. The workshops are cast with a combination of CCM students and professional artists and culminate with a public presentation of excerpts. Opera Fusion: New Works is generously supported by an anonymous donor. For more information, visit ofnw.org.

About CCM

Nationally ranked and internationally renowned, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is a preeminent institution for the performing and media arts. The school’s educational roots date back to 1867, and a solid, visionary instruction has been at its core since that time. CCM offers 10 degree types (BA, BFA, BM, MA, MFA, MM, MME, AD, DMA, PhD) in nearly 120 possible majors, along with a wide variety of pre-collegiate and post-graduate programs and workshops. The college also offers a new graduate certificate in Music Pedagogy and two academic minors (Media Production, Music).

Declared a top college vocal program by Backstage Magazine and described as “one of the continent’s major music schools,” by the Toronto Star, CCM’s Departments of Opera and Voice provide one of the most comprehensive training programs for opera singers, coaches, and directors in the United States. CCM offers an international faculty of dedicated educators who are also celebrated professionals in their own right, widely and currently active in their respective fields. Several national opera companies hold auditions at the conservatory, and CCM students frequently advance to the final rounds of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. CCM graduates have performed on the stages of the world’s greatest opera companies, including Cincinnati Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Royal Opera (London), La Scala (Italy), and more. CCM Voice and Opera program support is provided by the Mellon Foundation for Opera Fusion: New Works, The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, and the Patricia A. Corbett Estate. Additional support for CCM’s undergraduate opera productions is provided by Rafael and Kimberly de Acha. To learn more, visit ccm.uc.edu.

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. Our programming is made possible in part by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC), a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Cincinnati Opera also receives support from The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, the Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, and the H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, along with many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. Opera Fusion: New Works was originally established through funding from the Mellon Foundation and is currently made possible through generous support from an anonymous donor. The Black Opera Project has been made possible, in part, with support from the Mellon Foundation, Susan and Joseph Pichler, the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, Ann and Harry Santen, and Procter & Gamble. Cincinnati Opera is a member of OPERA America. Learn more: cincinnatiopera.org.

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