Category Archives: Press Releases

MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER: 2019 Christmas Tour | Dec. 26 | Aronoff Center

MISC_Mannheim Steamroller Christmas logoMANNHEIM STEAMROLLER ANNOUNCES
2019 CHRISTMAS TOUR

Best Selling Christmas Artist of all Time
Announces Record-Setting Tour 

December 26, 2019
Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall 

Tickets on sale Friday, July 26 at 10:00 AM 

Chip Davis, founder and creator of Mannheim Steamroller, will celebrate the 35th Anniversary of his annual Christmas concert tour, making it the longest running consecutive concert tour in the entertainment industry!

Davis said the hallmark tour will begin on November 11, 2019 and run through December 29, 2019 Two traveling ensembles will hold performances in cities across the country. Mannheim Steamroller will come to Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center for the Arts on Thursday, December 26 at 7:00 PM. Tickets go on sale to the public Friday, July 26 at 10:00 AM at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-2787 [ARTS], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office.

“I remember when I came out with my first Christmas album in 1984, followed by our first tour.  Back then, many in the music industry said focusing on Christmas just wouldn’t work,” said Davis.

“Now, 35 years later, we are still going strong. I want to thank our fans for making us part of their holiday tradition. Today we often see multi-generational families join us during the holidays each year.”

Davis founded his own record label, American Gramaphone, which went on to become one of the industry’s largest independent record labels. A Grammy Award-winner, Mannheim Steamroller has sold more than 40 million albums, 29 million in the Christmas genre.  Their holiday CDs have become synonymous with Christmas and occupy top positions on Billboard’s Seasonal Chart every year.

This year’s show will feature the original classic Christmas hits from the first Mannheim Steamroller Christmas along with multimedia effects in an intimate setting.  Davis will direct and co-produce tour performances with MagicSpace Entertainment. 

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis is co-produced by MagicSpace Entertainment. The company is headed by Lee D. Marshall, Joe Marsh, John Ballard, and Steve Boulay and has been producing and presenting national tours, Broadway shows, concerts, and museum exhibits worldwide for over 35 years. They have an office in Park City, UT. www.magicspace.net 

About Chip Davis and Mannheim Steamroller
From his longtime home in Omaha, Neb., Mannheim Steamroller creator and founder Chip Davis makes innovative music inspired by the sounds of another age.  This former teacher and jingle writer founded the music industry’s largest independent recording label, American Gramaphone, in 1974 when industry executives said Davis’ innovative 18th century instrumental rock sound would never sell.  In addition to a Grammy Award, Davis is largely credited with establishing the New Age music category.

His first Christmas album in 1984 revolutionized the making and marketing of holiday music; the album’s success made Christmas records a “must do” for all music artists.  With more than 29 million Christmas albums sold, Davis is the #1-selling Christmas artist of all time, with Elvis coming in at a distant 17 million holiday records sold. Having 19 gold, 8 multi-platinum and 4 platinum-certified records, Davis is among an elite group of music artists with this number of RIAA records. He is also one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the music industry, offering a rich array of lifestyle products onwww.mannheimsteamroller.com, including hot chocolate, food, apparel, and novelty items.  His latest achievement is creating a cutting edge psychoacoustic technology that is being used in major medical institutions such as the Mayo Clinic.

For more information and a complete list of tour dates, visit:
http://www.mannheimsteamroller.com/2019-mannheim-steamrollerr-tour/

Click here for tour photos, b-roll and more information:
https://www.magicspace.net/producing/mannheim-steamroller-christmas-chip-davis/media

To connect with Mannheim Steamroller, please follow us on Twitter @MannheimSteam and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MannheimSteamroller or at MannheimSteamroller.com

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Half Stand Up Routine, Half AA Speech, Walterhoope Presents HALF GALLON OF FRUIT JARS

WH_Half Gallon of Fruit Jars logoHalf Stand Up Routine, Half AA Speech, Walterhoope Presents the World Premiere of HALF GALLON FRUIT JARS Jars by William Vaughan

Walterhoope will present the world premiere of Half Gallon Fruit Jars, a new play by Cincinnati playwright William Vaughan.

The show will run for three performances over one weekend only: Friday June 14 at 7:30pm and Saturday June 15 at 2pm and 7:30pm. Performances will take place at Wave Pool in Camp Washington (2940 Colerain Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45225.) Single tickets, which include light refreshments, are now on sale for $10 at https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=walt or at walterhoope.com.

Directed by William Vaughan and starring Jared Joplin as R.C., this intimate one-person play explores a man’s journey from self-loathing to self-acceptance and the grey area in between.

“About four years ago I got my hands on a recording of my great grandfather’s 1982 AA Speech and was struck by not only his story, but how inherently theatrical it was,” says playwright and director William Vaughan, “I then came across a diary he had kept while he was hospitalized in Atlanta, and began to piece together what is now Half Gallon Fruit Jars. I can’t say that it’s entirely biographical as I have changed, rearranged, and added quite a bit of dialogue, but I believe this play perfectly captures his larger than life personality and the larger than life legacy that he left behind.”

Walterhoope is a Cincinnati performing arts organization whose mission is to create the best theatre while uniting diverse art forms, to treat audiences as family and create immersive experiences for them, to use arts education to foster a healthy community, and to do it all responsibly.

For more information visit http://www.walterhoope.com or contact them at artistic@walterhoope.com or 646-481-8643.  Connect with them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/walterhoope.

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Game On! Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Presents Pulitzer Prize Finalist THE WOLVES, June 1-29, 2019

ETC_The Wolves logo

(Cincinnati, OH) It’s time to take the field! Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati presents gripping Pulitzer Prize finalist The Wolves by Sara DeLappe. In this highly anticipated regional premiere drama, a high school girls’ soccer team fights tooth and nail for a chance at the championship—and for their futures. Infused with the raw, jagged energy of youth, The Wolves offers a refreshingly complex and powerful reflection on society, sex, and soccer. Playing June 1-29, 2019. Directed by D. Lynn Meyers.

The Wolves are undefeated, and they plan to stay that way. Fiercely competitive and strikingly talented, these nine elite high school athletes gather each Saturday to battle it out at their indoor soccer league and leave it all—body and soul—on the field. But, when the world outside the game starts to creep onto their turf, will the pack be able to stick together? A ferociously funny and achingly honest portrait of the warriors that are teenage girls, The Wolves is the formidable and unexpected new play taking the theatre world by storm.

“I felt absolutely compelled to do The Wolves,” says Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “The writing is fiercely intelligent, articulate, contemporary. Not often have I heard nine female voices coming together and discussing the cost and need for success like this. This play is the best of what sports is about—on this field, we come face to face with young, female characters and their passionate inner lives.”

About the Cast

Maggie Cramer (#46) returns to Ensemble Theatre after completing the Professional Acting Apprenticeship last season. Some of her recent credits include Failure: A Love Story and The Dancing Princesses, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati; Always Plenty of Light at the Starlight All Night Diner, Know Theatre of Cincinnati; and Dry Land at Liberty Exhibition Hall, which she co-produced in partnership with Planned Parenthood. Originally from Minneapolis, she received her BA in theatre from Loyola University Chicago.

Avery Deutsch (#2) is a Manhattan-based actor and makes her Ensemble Theatre debut with this production. She was a member of the 2018-2019 Professional Training Company at Actors Theatre of Louisville, where some of her credits include We’ve Come to Believe (part of the 43rd Humana Festival), A Christmas Carol, and The Patriot which she wrote and performed for the Solo Mio Festival. Previously, she was a member of The Bats, the resident acting company at the Flea Theater. 

Maya Farhat (#14) returns to Ensemble Theatre having last appeared in Fly By Night. She is a proud alumna of Xavier University and was a member of Ensemble Theatre’s Professional Acting Apprenticeship Program. Some of her recent credits include Dryland, Liberty Exhibition Hall; Ruthless, Know Theatre of Cincinnati; and The Bureau (2018 Audience Pick), Cincinnati Fringe Festival. She also appeared in Mariah Carey’s Hallmark movie, A Christmas Melody and has done commercial work for Hulu.

Annie Fitzpatrick (Soccer Mom) last appeared at Ensemble Theatre in This Random World. Some of her other favorite ETC credits include Luna Gale, Hands on a Hardbody, Next Fall, Rabbit Hole, and String of Pearls. Her most recent production was The Roommate at American Stage. Some of her other credits include A Prayer for Owen Meany, To Kill a Mockingbird, Pride and Prejudice, A Christmas Carol, and Hank Williams: Lost Highway, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Richard III, Death of a Salesman, Little Women, A Man for All Seasons, and Blithe Spirit, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company; and Silent Sky, Pluto, and Collapse, Know Theatre. She has worked with various regional theatres including  The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Geva Theatre, Florida Stage, and Florida Studio. Her television and film credits include Chicago P.D., Those Who Kill, Army Wives, The Old Man and the Gun, Fun Size, and Milk Money.

Maliyah Gramata-Jones (#00) makes her Ensemble Theatre debut with this production. After years of touring Japan, Germany, Poland, and Canada as an Arts Ambassador, she has returned to her Cincinnati roots and immersed herself in education and local arts. While entering her second semester at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (where she studies Communication Design), Ms. Gramata-Jones took the stage in Red Bike at the Know Theatre of Cincinnati.

Victoria Hawley (#8) is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University and was a member of ETC’s Professional Acting Apprentice Company. She was recently seen in A Small Fire and Frankenstein at Falcon Theatre, and wrote, produced, and performed in All We Have Borne  as part of the 2018 Cincinnati Fringe FestivalShe is proud to be an Education Associate with ETC’s Education Department.

Becca Howell (#11) returns to the Ensemble Theatre having last been seen in Red Velvet, The Humans, and Bloomsday. After graduating from Northern Kentucky University she completed the Ensemble Theatre Professional Acting Internship. She recently appeared in Macbeth at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.

Natalie Joyce (#7) was last seen at Ensemble Theatre in Luna Gale, Sleeping Beauty, Hands on a Hardbody, and Love and Information. Her Chicago credits include The Wolves (Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Ensemble), Goodman Theatre; Born Yesterday, Remy Bumppo Theatre Company; Deirdre of the Sorrows, City Lit Theatre; Mary Shelley Sees the Future, Runaways Lab Theater; and For Annie, The SoundShe has also appeared on television in Chicago P.D. on NBC. She is a proud graduate of the Penn State School of Theatre and the British American Drama Academy.

Kayla Marie Klammer (#13) is a current member of Ensemble Theatre’s Professional Acting Apprenticeship Program. She was born and raised in rural Nebraska and studied at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a double major in Theatre Performance and Dance. After graduation, she performed throughout the country with different theaters, and spent seven months in Costa Rica interning for a nonprofit organization. Ms. Klammer understudied for Fly By Night, Ripcord, and A Doll’s House, Part 2 at Ensemble Theatre.

Katie Mitchell (#25) is a Cincinnati native and attended Xavier University where she majored in Theatre Performance. She was a member of Ensemble Theatre’s Professional Acting Apprenticeship Program during the 2017-2018 season and toured with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company during the 2018-2019 season. Some of her other credits include Larry 13:2, Cincinnati Fringe Festival; In Love and Warcraft, The Carnegie; and understudy roles for Hedwig and the Angry Inch and The Humans, Ensemble Theatre.

Production team includes D. Lynn Meyers (Producing Artistic Director), Brian c. Mehring (Set & Lighting Designer), Jack Murphy (Technical Director), Matthew Hollstegge (Production Manager), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Master & Design Assistant), Matt Callahan (Sound Designer), and Stormie Mac (Costume Designer). Production Stage Manager is Brandon T. Holmes. Stage Manager is Lexi Muller.

Performance Information
Performances run Tuesday through Sunday. Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30 pm; Friday and Saturday, 8:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 2:00 pm; and Sunday, 7:00 pm. A complete calendar of performances is available online at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.

Ticket Prices
Ticket prices start at $35 for adults; 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 does not apply to children’s 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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2018-2019 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Additional support provided PNC.

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 of 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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Laughter is on the Menu at NKU’s Commonwealth Theatre

CTC_logo

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY – Commonwealth Theatre Company at Northern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts is proud to present the Noël Coward comedy of FALLEN ANGELS, and the farewell production of CHURCH GIRLS: THE MUSICAL. A buffet dinner will be served in the NKU SOTA Art Gallery with performances taking place in the NKU Robert & Rosemary Stauss Theatre.

FALLEN ANGELS
By Sir Noël Coward
June 7-23, 2019

Before Julia and Jane married their husbands Fred and Willy – there was Maurice, a former French lover. While the women’s blissfully ignorant husbands are away on a golf trip, he shows up and reminds them of what they might be missing. Following an evening of drunkenness and fevered anticipation, Julia and Jane become concerned that indiscretions from their past will be revealed, and comedic antics ensue. FALLEN ANGELS is a sparkling, hilarious comedy about rivalry and manners, resulting in a champagne cocktail of wit and charm.

Church Girls: The Musical
By Ken Jones
Lyrics by Christine Jones
Music by Jamey Strawn
July 5-21, 2019

The “ladies” of Umatilla Second Christian Church Women’s Auxiliary League are back and producing their annual Mother’s Day pageant. As the “church girls” prepare for their pageant, chaos and calamity bring out less than ‘saintly’ behavior. The result is Heaven sent hilarity! Making its farewell performance,CHURCH GIRLS: THE MUSICAL is a campy, cheeky, audacious musical comedy that will hit your funny bone and keep you laughing.

Cast for Fallen Angels

  • Rachel Perin as Julia Sterroll
  • Cary Davenport as Frederick Sterroll
  • Mindy Heithaus as Jane Banbury
  • Andrew Bishop as William Banbury
  • Kimberly Lazzeri as Saunders
  • Matt Krieg as Maurice Duclos

Cast for Church Girls: The Musical

  • Rodger Pille as Minerva Beehimer/Rev. Harv Feldspar/Sammy Coldenspore/Harley Buford
  • Ken Jones as Daisy Feldspar/Dale Shirkwater/Felicity Shirkwater/Irma Snead
  • Roderick Justice as Maisy Shirkwater/Myron Posey/Frankie Feldspar/Naomi Mai Hooker
  • James Jones as Larry Coldenspore/Sherry Coldenspore/Shayna Beehimer/Rupert Eikenberry
  • Je’Shaun Jackson as Revita Glory/Jefferson Glory/Darnell Nusspickle
  • Brandon Bentley as Cloretta Powers/Horseshoe Dumpling/Studley Griggs
  • Jamey Strawn as Darlene Opal

Event Details

Dates: June 7-23 & July 5-21 (dark on Mondays and Tuesdays)

Times:

  • Wednesday through Saturday performances at 8 p.m., Dinner served at 6:30 p.m.
  • Sunday matinees at 6:30 p.m., Dinner served at 5 p.m.

Place: Fine Arts Center on NKU Campus

          1 Louie B. Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, KY 41099

Tickets: $40 single tickets or $65 for two-show package (includes buffet dinner and show)

More information: nku.edu/ctc or 859-572-5464

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Village Players Of Fort Thomas Hosts Patron Appreciation Night Featuring Tim Mooney

VP_Lot o Shakespeare logoVillage Players of Fort Thomas will host one-man wonder Tim Mooney for a special Patron Appreciation Night performance Thursday, May 30th at 8:00 p.m. in their intimate theatre at 8 N. Fort Thomas Ave. With the recent acquisition of the building that previously belonged to Fort Thomas Women’s Club, Village Players would like to use this opportunity to thank subscribers, donors, and the community for their ongoing support with a FREE one-night-only performance of Mooney’s critically acclaimed “Lot o’ Shakespeare”!

VP_Tim Mooney promo

Mooney has memorized one monologue from every Shakespeare play, capturing the most stirring speeches, wicked double-entendres, and delicious sonorous soliloquies ever to emerge from Shakespeare’s pen! Following rave reviews at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and around the United States, Lot o’ Shakespeare is a dynamic tour de force of vocal and physical pyrotechnics featuring 38 monologues chosen entirely at random by the spinning of a Bingo cage! The audience plays along on their individual “IAGO” cards, and the first to match four plays in a row wins a t-shirt! And while the game turns it all into fun, in the process the audience discovers the breadth, the excitement and genius of Shakespeare in passionate scenes of action, character and power!

This is a free, one night only event and seating is limited to 102. Reservations are strongly suggested and may be made by calling 859.781.3583.

As a special bonus and thank you to patrons, every ticket includes entry into a raffle for a pair of 2019-2020 season subscriptions! That’s a pair of tickets for all mainstage shows—FREE!

Village Players of Fort Thomas, Kentucky, is a vibrant community theatre that has produced plays and musicals for more than 50 years. Performing in an intimate space, you will feel like you are part of the action, sitting inches from the actors on three sides of the stage. We strive to appeal to a broad audience, producing three main-stage shows of varying styles and a children’s show each winter. Village Players is a member of the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT), Association of Community Theatres Cincinnati (ACT), Ohio Community Theatre Association (OCTA), and the Kentucky Theatre Association (KTA).

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