Category Archives: Press Releases

Campaign Launched to Purchase Building as Home of Lebanon Theatre Company

LTC_logoIt’s happening!

The Mechanic Street Playhouse, which LTC has called home for the last 10+ years, is up for sale. This means that we have the historic opportunity to purchase the building and go from renters to owners for the first time in LTC’s 24 year history.

But we need your help!

In order to make this dream a reality, we will need to raise $100,000 by the end of January to cover our down payment and expected maintenance expenses.

We cannot overstate what an important investment this would be for LTC’s future. LTC stands to save over $1,000/month by owning vs. our current rent. This means we can expand our productions, improve our equipment, and offer more classes and special programming to the community.

LTC has been a staple of downtown Lebanon for over 2 decades, but we’ve never needed your help more than right now. So please, click the link below and give what you can. No gift is too small (or too large!) It will take our entire community to make this happen, so share this far and wide and tell your friends and family to do their part to ensure LTC will continue to offer high quality entertainment and theatrical education for decades to come!

You can contribute online at https://www.ltcplays.com/.

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Broadway Smash by HAMILTON Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda Opens Jan. 19

PIP_In the Heights promo

Photo by Tony Arrasmith/Arrasmith & Associates.

IN THE HEIGHTS, Miranda’s First Musical, Won Four Tony Awards

(CINCINNATI)–Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical IN THE HEIGHTS will delight Cincinnati audiences this winter at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park beginning Jan. 19, 2019. The Broadway hit, which won four Tony Awards including best musical and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, runs through Feb. 17, 2019. Official opening night is Jan. 24, 2019.

“IN THE HEIGHTS is a vibrant, feel-good musical with a style Hamilton fans will recognize,” says Artistic Director Blake Robison. “From its high-energy choreography to its hip-hop, Latin-flavored score, audiences will fall in love the musical that won Lin-Manuel Miranda his first Tony Award.”

The multigenerational story takes place in Washington Heights, a New York community that’s home to many Puerto Rican and Dominican immigrants. IN THE HEIGHTS celebrates the importance of heritage, family ties and turning dreams into reality. The musical follows the journey of several recent immigrants, including descriptions of their hardships in reaching New York, their aspirations for their children and the stories they carry with them. It is a topic that Director May Adrales believes is relevant today.

“The immigrants I know are the hardest working people,” says Adrales. “They make something out of nothing. They make a home here against impossible odds and make a place better than when they found it.”

Adrales is an award-winning theatre artist and Associate Artistic Director at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s In the Heights is a co-production with Milwaukee Rep and Seattle Repertory Theatre. Casting for the three-city production took place in five cities across the U.S.

The New York Times declared, “When this musical erupts in one of its expressions of collective joy, the energy it gives off could light up the George Washington Bridge for a year or two.”

To celebrate the universal appeal of IN THE HEIGHTS, the Playhouse is offering a block of tickets for just $10 to each Tuesday performance. A minimum of 100 tickets will be available each week.

“We are so excited about IN THE HEIGHTS – one of the biggest shows of the season – that we want to make sure everyone has a chance to see. So we created ‘$10 Tuesdays’ – making our work accessible to anyone who loves theatre,” explains Robison.
The $10 tickets may only be purchased in-person at the Playhouse Box Office beginning at 6 p.m. on the day of the show, each Tuesday. Limit two per person. No advance reservations or choice of seating.

CAST
Karmine Alers (Camila); Yassmin Alers (Abuela Claudia); Ryan Alvarado (Usnavi); Courtney Arango (Ensemble/Associate Choreographer/Dance Captain); Lillian Castillo (Daniela); Tony Chiroldes (Kevin); Alexander Gil Cruz (Ensemble); Henry Gainza (Piragua Guy); Nicolas Garza (Sonny); Stephanie Gomérez (Vanessa); Alyssa V. Gomez (Carla); David Kaverman (Benny); Eric A. Lewis (Ensemble); Sophia Macías (Nina); Emily Madigan (Ensemble); UJ Mangune (Graffiti Pete/Ensemble); Eddie Martin Morales (Ensemble/Fight Captain); Rána Roman (Ensemble); Gabriela M. Soto (Swing); William Dean Wiersma (Swing)

PRODUCTION
May Adrales (Director); William Carlos Angulo (Choreographer); Dan Kazemi (Music Director/Conductor); John Tanner (Musical Supervisor); Tim Mackabee (Scenic Designer); David Israel Reynoso (Costume Designer); Robert J. Aguilar (Lighting Designer); Megan B. Henninger (Sound Designer); Nancy Lemenager (Associate Director); Eugenio A. Vargas (Associate Music Director/Associate Conductor); Dale Brown (New York Casting); Michael B. Paul (Stage Manager); Brooke Redler (Second Stage Manager); Andrea L. Shell (Second Stage Manager)

PERFORMANCES
Tuesday-Thursday – 7:30 p.m.
Friday – 8 p.m.
Saturday – 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Additional Matinee – 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13
Please note: There are no public evening performances on Feb. 3 or Feb. 13.

TICKETS
Prices for IN THE HEIGHTS start at $35, vary depending on seat location and performance day, and are subject to change. Tickets for teens and students are $30 and $45 depending on seat location. Student tickets are just $15 on the day of the show. Plus, Sunday is College Night, with tickets to all 7 p.m. performances just $10.

Introducing $10 Tuesdays during IN THE HEIGHTS
Every Tuesday during the run, a minimum of 100 tickets will be available for just $10. These tickets may only be purchased in-person at the Playhouse Box Office beginning at 6 p.m. on the day of the show. Limit two per person. No advance reservations or choice of seating.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Playhouse website at www.cincyplay.com or by calling the Box Office at 513-421-3888 or 800-582-3208 toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. For TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) access, call 513-345-2248. The Playhouse is fully accessible.

SPECIAL EVENTS
Off the Grid: Brew and View: Moana Sing-Along 
Thursday, Jan. 10 | 7 to 9 p.m. at The Video Archive

Celebrate the musical work of Hamilton superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda with a Moanascreening and sing-along! Join us for an interactive screening event that begins with trivia, games and your favorite karaoke songs written by Miranda from Hamilton, Bring it On and In the Heights. Then enjoy the Disney musical sensation Moana about an ancient Polynesian curse, a demigod named Maui and a young girl who must save her island home. Games, trivia and karaoke begin at 7 p.m. Screening of the film begins at 8 p.m. The Video Archive is located at 965 E. McMillan St.

IN THE HEIGHTS Wine Tastings
Fridays, Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, 8 and 15 | 6:30 p.m. at the Playhouse

Join us before Friday evening performances of In The Heights for a special wine tasting by Heidelberg Distributing Co. and a three-course meal catered by Chef’s Choice Catering! Dinner will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $35 per person and does not include a ticket to the show. Reservations are required.
Playhouse Perspectives: The Latinx Experience in Cincinnati
Monday, Feb. 11 | 7 p.m. at The Playhouse

IN THE HEIGHTS explores the experience of Latinx immigrants in New York who are from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and other Latin-American countries. Join us in conversation with local community organizations, leaders and artists as we discuss the Latinx community in Cincinnati. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is recommended by calling the Box Office at 513-421-3888. The Playhouse Perspectives series is supported by a generous grant from Roderick and Barbara Barr.

BOX OFFICE
513-421-3888 or 800-582-3208 toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana; or 513-345-2248 – TDD

SPONSORS
Production Sponsor is U.S. Bank. Orchestra Sponsor is Barbara M. Weyand. Design Sponsor is Skidmore Sales & Distributing, Co. Artist Sponsor is Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. The Robert S. Marx Theatre Season is presented by Schueler Group. Season Sponsor of New Work is The Rosenthal Family Foundation and Marx Theatre Season Design Sponsor is Macy’s.

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.

ACCESS
The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs, and complete wheelchair access are available.

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THE EXONERATED to Open as Falcon Theatre’s First Offering of 2019

FT_The Exonerated promo

Dee Anne Bryll, Darryl Hilton, Keith Holland, Phineas Clark & James Troup. Photo by Kristy Rucker.

Falcon Theatre’s first production of 2019 is Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen’s THE EXONERATED, the true stories of six people who collectively spent more than fifty years on death row for crimes they did not commit. The production opens January 25, 2019.

In the form of a series of courtroom scenes and first-person monologues, THE EXONERATED pulls from, among others, the real-life case of Gary, a Midwestern organic farmer condemned for the murder of his own parents but later exonerated when two motorcycle-gang members confess to the crime. The audience hears from David, a shy man with aspirations to the ministry who at age eighteen was bullied into confessing to a robbery/murder he did not commit who now, a man scarred from a youth spent in prison, is struggling to regain his faith.

Far from being an indictment of our criminal justice system that, when it goes wrong, can quickly swallow and dispose of innocents, the play reveals with touching affection and even disarming humor the resilience of the human spirit.

Backstage says that THE EXONERATED is “extremely moving, and regardless of your political leanings, these stories will touch your heart.” The New York Times says that “…years after its New York premiere, (the play) still has the power to unsettle.”

Falcon’s production is directed by Paul Morris. The cast includes Darryl Hilton, Dee Anne Bryll, James Troup, Keith Holland, Brian Griffin, Phineas Clark, Joy Rolland-Oba, Karson McCall, Kelly Hale, and Nathan Tubbs.

Performance dates are January 25, 26, 31, and February 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9. Tickets prices are $25 for adults and $15 for students with ID. Patrons enjoy a $5 discount for Thursday performances. Visit falcontheater.net for tickets.

Falcon Theatre is located at 636 Monmouth Street in the heart of the Monmouth Street Historic District of Newport, Kentucky.

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CYRANO Will Bring Romance, Comedy and Sword Fighting to Community Centers This Winter

PIP_Cyrano_Visual

Promotional photo by Tony Arrasmith/Arrasmith & Associates.

Off the Hill series production based on Cyrano de Bergerac runs Jan. 18 – Feb. 17, 2019

(CINCINNATI)—CINCINNATI – The Playhouse’s family-friendly, Off the Hill series tours its second production of the season this January and February to community centers in Greater Cincinnati with CYRANO, a youth-oriented adaptation that’s based on the 1897 classic play Cyrano de Bergerac. The production runs Jan. 19 to Feb. 17, 2019.

“This play has endured more than a century because of its beloved, noble hero and the tragicomedy of the story’s love triangle,” explains Daunielle Rasmussen, director of education and community engagement for the Playhouse. “Its themes of virtue, conviction and the conflict between inner and outer beauty make it ideal for younger audiences. It has clever wordplay, exciting swordplay and a really big nose, all of which will keep kids’ and parents’ attention.”

The Playhouse’s Bruce E. Coyle Acting Intern company performs the show, which takes place in France in the 1640s during the Thirty Years War. Cyrano believes having a “Mount Everest of a nose” means he’ll never have his love returned by the beautiful Roxane, and so he hides his feelings for her. A handsome soldier named Christian also has feelings for Roxane but battles insecurities about his cleverness. Cyrano selflessly chooses to help Christian woo Roxane with Cyrano’s own clever words, in an effort to ensure Roxane’s happiness.

“As a parent, I am always hopeful that our plays will open the door to deeper conversations about things that concern children that they don’t always have the words to express,” Rasmussen states. “This story can help children give voice to their own internal struggles.”

Rasmussen says that while the full-length version of this play is traditionally told on “a grand scale,” this adaptation simplifies the story into a production that’s a perfect fit for an Off the Hill show.

“Through this condensed version, we can focus on the relationships between Cyrano, Roxane and Christian as they each yearn to be loved. In this way, the story is about so much more than just inner beauty versus outer beauty,” says Rasmussen.

Playhouse Directing Fellow Katie Baskerville, who is directing the production, says she is most interested in exploring the characters more fully by examining their primary flaws:

“They have such pride in their positive attributes, values and convictions; and yet this same pride holds them back from true happiness due to incredibly human doubts, insecurities and misconceptions.”

This amusing and thought-provoking production is recommended for children ages 8 and up.

For the full list of performances and community centers, visit cincyplay.com.

Off the Hill is sponsored by The John C. Griswold Foundation and KeyBank. Seasonal support of education and outreach by The Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation and The Charles H. Dater Foundation. The Bruce E. Coyle Acting Intern Company is supported by Jerry and Betsy Shroat.

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.

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Crossroads Church’s AWAITED at the Aronoff Center

CAA_Awaited promo

Crossroads Church’s 2019 Production of AWAITED

December 20-23, 2019
Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall

Pre-sale tickets available online only
Mon., Dec. 17 at 10:00 AM – Fri., Dec. 28, 2018

CINCINNATI, OH – Crossroads Church’s popular Christmas show, AWAITED, will premiere at the Aronoff Center for the Arts’ Procter & Gamble Hall from December 20-23, 2019 (see full schedule below). We are thrilled to bring AWAITED next December to this prestigious theater in downtown Cincinnati.

Pre-sale tickets will be available for purchase online only from Monday, December 17 at 10:00 AM through Friday, December 28, 2018 at www.CincinnatiArts.org.  Ticket prices are $100,  $85, $65, $45, $25.  Tickets for children 10 years old or younger are $25 for any seat location.  Additional service fees may apply. Ticket prices subject to change.

When Crossroads’ Senior Pastor Brian Tome came to Cincinnati more than twenty years ago, he took his family to see A Christmas Carol and reflected on how much the people of Cincinnati love traditions, especially around the holidays. Brian and Crossroads had a vision to create a Cincinnati Christmas institution that told the Christmas story from a spiritual perspective. And not just for Crossroads, but for all of Cincinnati. No one could predict that AWAITED would grow to fulfill that vision.

Now Cincinnati’s largest Christmas show, AWAITED has become a beloved holiday tradition. In 2017, 120,000 people experienced AWAITED at Crossroads, and the show has touched the lives of more than a half-million people during its eleven-year run. A generation of children have been raised with Awaited as a part of their Christmas holiday.

This family-friendly theatre experience is a creative retelling of the classic Christmas story told through an immersive, live, large-scale production. Using video projection mapping, dance, and live music, AWAITED connects its audience to the wonder and nostalgia of Christmas. Original arrangements of traditional Christmas songs bring new life to familiar and beloved holiday music. AWAITED’s art direction combines both ancient and modern cultural expressions of Christmas to create moments of childlike delight in a recognizable, yet unexpected, world all its own.

The story of Christmas is a universal one. Crossroads is honored to continue to bring hope to our city at Christmas through AWAITED’s story.

AWAITED Performance Schedule

  • Friday, December 20, 2019 – 8:00 PM
  • Saturday, December 21, 2019– 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM, 8:00 PM
  • Sunday, December 22, 2019 – 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM, 8:00 PM
  • Monday, December 23, 2019– 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM, 8:00 PM

For more information, visit awaitedshow.com.

About Crossroads
We started this church for our friends who didn’t like church. People who wanted church to be relevant to their day-to-day lives. A place you could find hope, find biblical truth and be yourself. A place that wasn’t stagnant, but fought for justice and built into communities with sweat equity and love. Apparently, a lot of people wanted the same thing, and Crossroads grew from backyard meetings to tens of thousands of people with one mission—to get to know Jesus and follow him in radically changing the city and the world. Crossroads began in a rented middle school in Hyde Park in 1996 and now has 13 locations across Ohio and Kentucky and 35,000 attendees.

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