Category Archives: Press Releases

November 13, 2017 · 3:04 pm

MEALS 4 MONOLOGUES at ETC on Dec. 4-5

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Meals 4 Monologues:
Casting Society of America Member D. Lynn Meyers to Audition Actors in Exchange for Donations to Benefit Local Foodstore, December 4 & 5, 2017

(Cincinnati, OH) Dim the lights, raise the curtain! With the holiday season in full swing, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati hosts its sixth annual Meals 4 Monologues auditions. Actors from throughout the Midwest are invited, on behalf of the Casting Society of America (CSA), for a general audition call to perform for CSA member D. Lynn Meyers in exchange for at least three non-perishable food items to benefit Cincinnati’s Freestore Foodbank.

The event, which is part of a nationwide Casting Society of America effort to support local food banks while auditioning local talent, will be held at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (1127 Vine Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202) on Mon, Dec 4 and Tues, Dec 5, 2017 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm each day. This is an open casting call to all Equity union and non-union actors for future theatre, film, TV, and commercial projects cast by D. Lynn Meyers, CSA.

Actors must bring:

  • A current HEADSHOT and RÉSUMÉ to the audition (Please do NOT email them)
  • At least THREE non-perishable food (pasta, canned goods, etc…) or toiletry items (soap, toothpaste, etc…)
  • A short, prepared monologue and song (must be performed a cappella), or two prepared monologues.

Time slots are 5 MINUTES maximum and are available by appointment only.

Time slots are on a first-come, first-serve basis and must be scheduled via EMAIL ONLY by contacting Lauren Carr at auditions@ensemblecincinnati.org. Actors must provide a telephone number and include their audition date and time preference. Please note, no walk-ins will be accepted.

The Freestore Foodbank distributes over 12 million pounds of food annually. In 20 counties in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, they have a trusted network of over 325 local member agencies. Member agencies include soup kitchens and shelters, food pantries, churches, daycare and senior centers, and many other community and social services organizations.

The Casting Society of America (CSA) is the premier organization of theatrical Casting Directors in film, television, and theatre. Although it is not a union, CSA’s members are a united professional society that consistently set the level of professionalism in casting on which the entertainment industry has come to rely. CSA’s more than 490 members are represented not only in the United States, but also in Europe, Canada, Australia and South Africa.

“I am very proud to be a member of the Casting Society of America,” says CSA member D. Lynn Meyers. “I am delighted at the opportunity to see new faces and to spread outreach beyond the Greater Cincinnati area by embracing the idea of Meals 4 Monologues. It is such an inspiration for CSA to support this event.” Ms. Meyers would like to welcome actors of all ages and experience levels to partake in auditions and highly encourages people to give back to the community in which we live.

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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.

2017-2018 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Additional support provided by PNC. 

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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November 10, 2017 · 3:21 pm

Don’t You Want To Be The Life Of The Party?

CASA_The Wild Party logoNOV 10, 2017—Tristate audiences are invited to #jointhewildparty as Cincinnati Actor’s Studio & Academy presents Andrew Lippa’s WILD PARTY.

WILD PARTY is a steamy, cautionary tale about escapism, control and excess. Set between 2017 and the Prohibition era, lovers Queenie and Burrs decide to throw a party-to-end-all-parties in their small, Manhattan apartment. As the guests arrive, it seems Queenie is taken with her friend’s date, sparking a complicated love triangle. The night, fueled by booze, games, and pretention, takes a dangerous turn as Burrs’s jealousy gets the best of him. The game unravels. Violence erupts. Checkmate.

Book, music & lyrics by Andrew Lippa, WILD PARTY is presented with special arrangement with Musical Theatre International (MTI).This musical is based on the 1928 book-length narrative poem by Joseph Moncure March of the same name. Because of its risqué subject matter that was taboo in the 1920’s the poem was widely banned, although despite (or perhaps because of its controversial nature) it was a success for March.

This production is directed by Erin Carr. Cast includes current CASA students: Amy Helms, Owen Kiley, Blake Knauer, Alena Firlie, Jonah Sorscher, Leanne Hays, Katie Tierney, Bettina Ernst, Abbie Loebker, Bella DeJesus, and Bryce Kessler. Production includes Matt Berman as Asst. Director/Technical Director, Will Forgham as Stage Manager, Janet Langhorst as Music/Vocal Director, Margot Grom as Choreographer, Gina Cerimele-Mechley as Fight Choreographer, Meg Griffin as Costume Designer, Olivia Dunn as Marketing Manager and Marisa Holzman as Production Manager.

Performances run November 24th, 25th & December 1st, 2nd at 7:30PM, November 26th & December 3rd at 3:00PM. All performances will take place at Essex Studios, 2511 Essex Pl, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206. Tickets can be purchased at www.casastudioacademy.com. Tickets: $9 Students, $14 Adults. For more information: www.casastudioacademy.com

MORE INFORMATION:

Vaudeville was a time of separate, unrelated acts being billed together. Have you looked at YouTube or Instagram lately? It’s easy to glamorize the past and relish in escaping to another time and place, especially to cope with any abuse or violence in your life, but soon you might realize that not much has changed:

“…An era of Republican leadership, nationalistic and fundamentalist movements, and changing social conventions. Electing Republican presidents who favored business expansion rather than regulation, the American public enjoyed apparently unlimited prosperity, while fear of radicals and foreigners combined to almost completely close off America to immigration and contributed to the resurgence of hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. Religious fundamentalism revived as new moral and social attitudes came into vogue.”

As a community we have spent the last century observing, judging and turning our heads from issues that “don’t affect us” directly. But when will we learn that it is up to each of us to step up and speak up? Designed as a railroad style theatre, this production brings the audience into the forefront of the show. Without a clear fourth wall, along with the tantalizing invite to join the party, each of us is faced with the decision of what would we do in this situation. It’s past the time of closing our eyes, turning our heads and shutting out the ugly. So how far do we let violence go unchecked? We need to face it together and decide what we can do as a community to help those who are lost in the shadows, who are forgotten on the sidelines, who are masking their insecurity with an excess of show.

**This show will raise money for Women Helping Women**

PLEASE NOTE: THE WILD PARTY contains adult subject matter, language, and themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

-END-

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November 10, 2017 · 10:54 am

Tickets for Disney’s ALADDIN on Sale Now

BIC_Aladdin8

Adam Jacobs. Photo by Deen Van Meer.

Performances Begin on May 29 and Play for 2 Weeks
Through June 10, 2018 at the Aronoff Center

Cincinnati, OH, Friday, November 10, 2017 – Disney Theatrical Productions and Broadway in Cincinnati announced today that tickets for the long-awaited engagement of Disney’s Aladdin are on sale now.  The hit Broadway musical will begin performances in Cincinnati at the Aronoff Center on May 29, 2018 for a limited engagement of 2 weeks through June 10, 2018 as a part of the Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati 17/18 season presented by TriHealth. Tickets are available at the Aronoff Center Box Office downtown at 650 Walnut Street, online at CincinnatiArts.org or by phone at 513.621.ARTS.

Aladdin opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre to critical acclaim on March 20, 2014 and quickly established itself as one of the biggest new blockbusters in recent years, breaking 12 New Amsterdam Theatre house records and welcoming over four million people worldwide. Its global footprint has expanded to include productions in Tokyo, Hamburg, London and Melbourne, in addition to the two U.S. productions.

About ALADDIN
Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, the show features music by Tony Award and eight-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Sister Act), lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida) and four-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Something Rotten!).  

Aladdin, adapted from the Academy Award®-winning animated Disney film and centuries-old folktales including “One Thousand and One Nights,” is brought to fresh theatrical life in this bold new musical.  Aladdin’s journey sweeps audiences into an exotic world of daring adventure, classic comedy and timeless romance.  This new production features a full score, including the five cherished songs from the Academy Award-winning soundtrack and more written especially for the stage.

The animated film Aladdin was released by Disney in 1992 and was a critical and box office smash, grossing over $500 million worldwide (not adjusted for inflation) and becoming the highest-grossing film of the year.

The film won the Oscar for Best Original Score and introduced the hit song “A Whole New World,” which won the second of the film’s two Academy Awards as Best Original Song.  The Peabo Bryson/Regina Belle recording of the tune soared to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Aladdin is designed by seven-time Tony-winning scenic designer Bob Crowley, six-time Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, two-time Tony-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes and sound designer Ken Travis.

The production team also includes illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer, hair designer Josh Marquette and makeup designer Milagros Medina-Cerdeira.  The music team is headed by music supervisor and music director Michael Kosarin, who also created the vocal and incidental music arrangements, joined by orchestrator Danny Troob and dance music arranger Glen Kelly.

Aladdin will play the Aronoff Center from May 29 – June 10, 2018: Tuesday – Thursday at 7:30PM, Friday at 8:00PM, Saturday at 2:00PM and 8:00PM, Sunday at 1:00PM and 6:30PM. Tickets start at $34 and will be available at the Aronoff Center Box Office downtown at 650 Walnut Street, online at CincinnatiArts.org or by phone at 513.621.ARTS. For groups of 10 or more, contact the group sales department at 513.369.4363. Performance schedule, prices and cast are subject to change without notice. For more information, please visit www.BroadwayInCincinnati.com.

For more information, visit AladdinTheMusical.com/tour, Facebook.com/Aladdin and Twitter.com/Aladdin.

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 Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati presented by TriHealth is committed to bringing the very best of Broadway to the Tri-State, presenting touring Broadway plays and musicals in Cincinnati since 1987. For over twenty years, Broadway in Cincinnati has presented all shows at the Aronoff Center.  The Broadway in Cincinnati series brings more than 185,000 people downtown to the Aronoff Center each year, and contributes an average of $30 million to the local economy each season. Broadway in Cincinnati is a member of the Greater Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and The Broadway League. Fifth Third Bank is the sponsor of the Cincinnati 17/18 Season and the season is presented by TriHealth. LOCAL 12 is the official television station of the 17/18 Cincinnati Season.

BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA (BAA) is part of The John Gore Organization family of companies, which includes Broadway.com and The Broadway Channel.  Led by 11-time Tony-winning producer John Gore (Owner & CEO), BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, operating in 44 markets with over 400,000 subscribers. Current and past productions include Beautiful, Cats, Chicago, Dear Evan Hansen, Groundhog Day, Hairspray, Hello, Dolly!, Million Dollar Quartet, On Your Feet!, The Producers, School of Rock and Waitress. Broadway.com is the premier theater website for news, exclusive content and ticket sales. For more information please visit BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com and Broadway.com.

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November 9, 2017 · 2:53 pm

An Enchanting Mystery is Afoot! ETC Presents World Premiere Musical THE DANCING PRINCESSES, Nov. 29-Dec. 30

ETC_The Dancing Princesses logo(Cincinnati, OH) The tango, the cha cha, and the waltz, oh my! It’s time to break out those dancing shoes for Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati’s world premiere, family-friendly musical THE DANCING PRINCESSES, by local playwright Joseph McDonough with music and lyrics by David Kisor. This whimsical production brings to life a royal mystery as five diverse sisters dance their way through the new incarnation of the classic, enchanting story. With hot chocolate, dance numbers, and shenanigans aplenty, The Dancing Princesses is holiday fun for the entire family! Playing November 29-December 30, 2017. Directed by D. Lynn Meyers. Premiere Sponsor is Macy’s.

Wanting the best for his daughters, an overprotective king locks the castle doors each night. Yet, each morning, the princesses’ shoes have been curiously worn to tatters. Keen to cobble together the mystery of the frayed footwear, the King resorts to drastic measures of royal proportions. This is the heartfelt, humorous story of five unique sisters who embark upon a journey of the imagination that explores the universal quest for understanding, acceptance, and love.

Each season, ETC produces a magical fairy tale musical written with families in mind. As a theatre that also seeks to nurture new audiences, ETC takes classic fairy tales and gives them a fresh, modern spin with contemporary cultural references to make the shows’ message accessible for the next generation of arts patrons. Following the success of recent holiday musicals, ETC’s performance schedule has more than 30 chances to see this exciting production with many family-friendly show times including 2:00 pm weekend matinees, early 6:00 pm Sunday evening shows, and 7:00 pm evening shows throughout the holiday season.

“I think it’s no mistake that in the original fairytale the princesses escape their strict kingdom to a world of dance,” says ETC’s Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “Even from earliest version of this story, dance was always used as the universal symbol of freedom, release, and expression. The ETC adaptation of The Dancing Princesses will help audiences examine who they are in their lives, where they want to go, and why they want to go there. ” 

About the Cast

Michael G. Bath (Joziam) has appeared in ETC’s productions of Cinderella: After Ever After, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Hands on a Hardbody. Other regional credits include Superior Donuts with The Clifton Players and Angels in America at Know Theatre. Mr. Bath has also performed with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, the Performance Gallery, Showboat Majestic, and Stage First Cincinnati.

Darnell Pierre Benjamin (Jack) has been seen at Ensemble Theatre in Cinderella: After Ever After, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Cinderella, and Detroit ’67. Some of his favorite regional credits include Titus Andronicus, To Kill a Mockingbird, Angels in America, Othello, Taming of the Shrew, and A Raisin in the Sun. Mr. Benjamin won Michigan’s 2013 Wilde Award for “Best of the Bard” with his performance as Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre.

Michael Gerard Carr (Pharron) returns to Ensemble Theatre where his past shows include First Date, The Legend of Georgia McBride, Hands on a Hardbody, Good People, and Snow White. A proud graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music Acting Program and a past ETC apprentice, he is also an adjunct instructor at the University of Cincinnati’s Musical Theater Department.

Ken Early (Aldrin) returns to the Ensemble stage where he was last seen in Around the World in 80 Days. His other ETC credits include The Whipping Man, Grey Gardens, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and The Frog Princess. His other regional credits include Jitney, On Golden Pond, To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, Pluto, Harry and the Thief, Oklahoma, Dreamgirls, and Big River. Mr. Early would like to thank family, friends, and his CECF family for their love and support.

Deb G. Girdler (Zilda) has appeared numerous times on ETC’s stage, often as the villain in the holiday shows. Some of her ETC credits include Cinderella: After Ever After, Cinderella, Hands on a Hardbody, Around the World in 80 Days, Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, and The Frog Princess.
Ms. Girdler has appeared at the Olney Theatre as the Fairy Godmother in the now-official version of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella as well as in La Cage Aux Folles at the Gateway Playhouse in New Jersey. She can be seen in the feature films Carol and First Kill. A CCM graduate, she began her career on the Showboat Majestic and has worked off-Broadway, in regional theatre, and in summer stock for over thirty years.

Sara Mackie (Woman) is an AEA member and graduate of the Wright State Acting BFA Program. She has been a part of the ETC family since 1999 in such productions as Violet, Hands on a Hardbody, all three “Wonderette” iterations, Rabbit Hole, and Mauritius, among others. Some other favorite credits include Pump Boys and Dinettes, The Carnegie; Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, Falcon Theatre; and Twelfth Night and Family Ties, Human Race Theatre Company. She was in 2015 Hallmark Movie The Christmas Spirit and will soon appear in Emilio Estevez’s flick The Public.

Andrew Maloney (Mack) is back on the ETC stage where he was recently seen in First Date. His other ETC credits include Violet, Around the World in 80 Days, Alice in Wonderland, and Snow White. Internationally, he appeared in the Ecuadorian premiere of West Side Story at the Teatro Nacional Sucre in Quito, Ecuador. His recent credits include Rent, Assassins, The Little Mermaid, and A Chorus Line.

Brooke Steele (Tiva) has previously been seen at ETC in shows such as The Marvelous Wonderettes, Cinderella, Cinderella: After Ever After, and Violet. Ms. Steele studied theatre at Northern Kentucky University and teaches afterschool classes for Cincinnati Arts Initiatives.

Rounding out the ensemble cast are last season’s Acting Apprentices Maya Farhat (Tusu) and Samantha Russell (Gidela), as well as this season’s Acting Apprentices Maggie Cramer (Natayla), Reginald Hemphill (Dream Prince), Rebecca Wei Hsieh (Maiko), and Aaron Krick (Dream Prince).

Production team includes Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic & Lighting Designer), Jack Murphy (Technical Director), Matthew Hollstegge (Production Manager & Master Electrician), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Master & Design Assistant), Matt Callahan (Sound Designer), Scot Woolley (Musical Director), Dee Anne Bryll (Choreographer), Patti James (Choreographer), Victoria Morgan (Choreographer), and Reba Senske (Costume Designer). Production Stage Manager is Brandon T. Holmes. Assistant Stage Manager is Elizabeth Freyman. 

Performance Information
Runs November 29-December 30, 2017. 7:00 p.m. performances Fri.; 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. performances Sat. and select weeknights; 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. No performances on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. A complete calendar of performances is available online at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.  

Ticket Prices
Ticket prices start at $52 for adults; $28 for students (ages 13 and up); and children (ages 12 and under) are $24. For the 2017-2018 Season, ETC continues its popular $15 student and half-price rush tickets for all performances, which are available two hours prior to show time and may be purchased by phone or in person at the box office.

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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.

2017-2018 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Additional support provided PNC. 

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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November 7, 2017 · 3:03 pm

Troy Civic Theatre Presents Broadway Musical THE PAJAMA GAME

TROY_logoTroy Civic Theatre is excited to announce their upcoming production, THE PAJAMA GAME.

THE PAJAMA GAME deals with labor troubles at the Sleep Tite Pajama Factory, where workers’ demands for a raise are going unheard. In the midst of the dispure, the grievance committee head Babe and the factory superintendent Sid fall in love. The musical features favorites like “Hernando’s Hideaway”, “Steam Heat”, “Once a Year Day”, and “I’m Not At All in Love”.

Director Barrie Van Kirk has been supported by Choreographer Elizabeth Maxson, Music Director Jenny Weber, and stage manager Peg Dietrich. The cast includes actors from Troy, Sidney, Piqua, and Dayton: Tom Caldwell, Jude Couser, Juia Couser, Susan Couser, Steve Dietrich, Sydney Edington, Gage Emerson, Pam Haislip, Kevin Jones, Meaghann Joseph, Don Kutchta, Emma Littlejohn, Susan Littlejohn, Bonnie Lurie, Josh Lurie, Elizabeth Maxson, Mike Maxson, Mallory Pappas, Amber Robinson, Carla Robinson, Michelle Robinson, Paul Robinson, Annie Stemen, and Jenny Weber.

THE PAJAMA GAME is presented by permission from Music Theatre International, and is sponsored by UTC. Performances run November 10-19, 2017 at the Barn in the Park on Adams Street in Troy, at 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 pm on Sundays. Patrons should note, each of the shows in the 2017-2018 season will feature six performances, which includes a Sunday matinee performance both weekends. Tickets are available by calling the theatre box office at 937-339-7700 or online at troycivictheatre.com.

Troy Civic Theatre is a non-profit community theatre located about 20 minutes north of Dayton.  TCT has been honored with several Dayton-area and Ohio regional and state performance and technical awards over the years, and has continued to bring quality entertainment to Troy for more than 50 years.  For more information, please contact the theatre at 937-339-7700 or visit their website at www.troycivictheatre.com.

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