Category Archives: Press Releases

August 4, 2017 · 8:48 am

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM Comes to Cheviot

TDW_Forum promo1

TDW’s production of A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM brings laughter, music, and a tale of mistaken identity to The Glenmore Playhouse in downtown Cheviot, opening August 11. Chuck Ingram as Senex, Joe Penno as Pseudolus, Rob Bucher as Hysterium & Gary Herman as Lycus. Photo by Kristy Rucker.

The Drama Workshop opens its exciting 2017-2018 theatrical season with the classic musical comedy, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM. This Tony-award winning comedy is sure to thrill audiences with its combination of slapstick humor and toe-tapping songs.

The production opens August 11, and runs through August 27 with performances on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for three weekends, with an added Thursday performance before the final weekend. Sunday performances begin at 2 pm; all others begin at 8 pm. All performances are at The Glenmore Playhouse, 3716 Glenmore Ave in Cheviot.

Inspired by the farces of ancient Rome, the musical tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. The show is filled with puns, slamming doors, cases of mistaken identity (frequently involving characters disguising themselves as one another), and satirical comments on social class. The title derives from a line often used by vaudeville comedians to begin a story: “A funny thing happened on the way to the theater.”

The musical’s original 1962 Broadway run won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical. “Forum” has enjoyed several Broadway and West End revivals and was made into a successful film starring the original lead of the musical, Zero Mostel.

TDW’s production is spearheaded by an award-winning production team led by director Dennis Murphy, music director Linda Abbott, and producer Gretchen Gantner. The show features the talents of Whitney Ball, Adrianna Boris, Rob Bucher, Victoria Covarrubias, Gary Herman, Jonny Hofmann, Chuck Ingram, Mary Ingram, Rachel Kazee, Burt McCollum, Kaitrin McCoy, Joe Penno, Gina Stack, Samantha Toberman, Jon Vater, and Mark Waldfogle.

Jon Vater is a newcomer to the TDW stage, but is no stranger to theatre, being a regular performer at the Stained Glass Theatre in Newport. “As a child of about ten, I saw the movie on local television one afternoon and its lunatic plot-line caught my attention,” he explained. “I was startled by the actor who played Miles Gloriosus as he was so brawny and basso profundo, never dreaming that one day I would not only sing and act myself, but step into that very part!”

TDW veteran Victoria Covarrubias plays the courtesan Tintinubula, and says she’s thrilled to be part of such a diverse and talented cast. “I love participating in TDW productions because it’s fun and it’s truly a group effort,” she said. “Everyone is really welcoming and accepting and works hard, but we always have a good time. The show itself is a timeless story of love and mistaken identities. How could anyone help but love it?”

Vater agreed with her, adding “The story is just simple, slapsticky, door-slamming fun with no agenda. It’s a way for audiences to leave all cares at the door and just watch the frantic tale as it spirals into further craziness while also enjoying some fun music. Its goal is to put a smile on one’s face rather than to change the world.”

Tickets to A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM are $18 each if ordered in advance, or $20 at the door. Show dates and times are August 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, and 26 at 8 pm, and August 13, 20, and 27 at 2 pm. The Thursday, August 24 performance is at 7:30pm. Shows frequently sell out, and reservations are strongly recommended. Tickets can be ordered through The Drama Workshop’s ticket line at 513.598.8303, or ordered online via the TDW website at www.thedramaworkshop.org.

The Drama Workshop was founded in 1954. TDW is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to advancing education and promotion of the theatrical arts. The Drama Workshop is widely recognized as one of greater Cincinnati’s most accomplished community theater organizations, garnering dozens of awards annually from the Association of Community Theatres of Greater Cincinnati.

TDW productions are frequently selected to represent the Southwest Ohio region at the Ohio Community Theatre Association annual conference, including this past season with a production of “Aways…Patsy Cline”. TDW was also honored to represent the state of Ohio at the 2013 and 2017 American Association of Community Theatre regional conferences. The Drama Workshop has been recognized by the Cincinnati Preservation Association for their efforts to rehabilitate the former Glenmore Bowl into The Glenmore Playhouse.

Prospective members, and individuals or businesses interested in becoming involved or in helping advance TDW’s mission are encouraged to contact the group through our website at www.thedramaworkshop.org, or by phone at 513.598.8303.

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August 1, 2017 · 12:49 pm

MUSIC HALL UNWRAPPED | Wed., Oct. 11 | Music Hall – Corbett Tower

MISC_Society for the Preservation of Music Hall logoOctober 11, 2017
Cincinnati Music Hall in the Newly-Restored Corbett Tower
Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Tours

Tickets On Sale Now

(Cincinnati, OH) – The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall (SPMH), contributor of more than $4 million to the Music Hall renovation project, announces Music Hall Unwrapped – a celebration of the venue’s reopening and the newly-restored Corbett Tower on Wednesday, October 11, 2017 from 4:30 PM – 8:00 PM.

Tickets are $30 and are on sale now at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office.

Event-goers will experience an evening of exclusive behind-the-scenes guided tours, lite bites, free soft drinks, a cash bar, and entertainment by local favorite the Faux Frenchmen. SPMH Membership opportunities will also be available for those who want to preserve Music Hall for future generations.

Music Hall, one the nation’s most treasured performance venues, is wrapping up an extensive, eighteen-month renovation in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.  These long-awaited updates and upgrades throughout the iconic structure will enhance the hall’s historic grandeur and its world-class acoustics.

It has been more than forty years since visionary philanthropists Patricia and Ralph Corbett led the last extensive renovation of Music Hall. This national historic landmark will continue to require regular care and maintenance to remain a world-class performing arts facility.

“As SPMH kicks off its second generation of stewardship of Cincinnati’s Music Hall, we look forward to our Unwrapped event in October,” says Peter Koenig, President of SPMH. “This is an exciting opportunity for us to bring awareness to our preservation efforts and for guests to experience Corbett Tower and Music Hall in a different way. SPMH is particularly proud of our contribution to restore and renovate Corbett Tower and to the restoration of the black-brick decorative features on the exterior.”

SPMH is a non-profit, 100% volunteer organization with over thirty years of special dedication to this historic building and its unique role in our community.

For more information about the Society for the Preservation of Music Hall, visit us at www.SPMHcincinnati.org and follow us on Twitter at @SPMHcincinnati.

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July 31, 2017 · 1:25 pm

DADA RAFIKI: A Celebration of Sisterhood | Fri., October 27 | Aronoff Center

CCA_Dada Rakiki logoOctober 27, 2017 – Aronoff Center

 CINCINNATI, OH – Award-winning Artist/Poet Annie Ruth and the Cincinnati Arts Association are proud to present Dada Rafiki: A Celebration of Sisterhood, an empowering, inspirational cultural gathering celebrating remarkable women in the community by honoring their spirit and the legacy of their service and accomplishments. This inspirational multicultural celebration comes to the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall on Friday, October 27 at 7:00 PM.  Doors open at 6:00 PM, with a pre-show performance in the Otto M. Budig Lobby featuring artists from the Cincinnati Arts Association’s Artists on Tour arts education program. 

Tickets are $25.00 in advance and $35.00 at the door and are on sale now at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-2787 [ARTS], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office. Group rates are available at (513) 977-4157.

Dada Rafiki is a Greater Cincinnati treasure for its unique approach, style, and purpose. It is the only event of its kind that is Afrocentric, yet welcoming to a multicultural audience. Dada Rafiki showcases multiple artistic forms, such as spoken word, music, song from several genres, various types of dance, and visual art — all in one setting.

Dada Rafiki (pronounced Dah-Dah RAH fee-KEE), which means “sister friend” in the Kiswahili language of East Africa, promotes a shared sense of sisterhood, inclusiveness, and unity in an exuberant, safe arts environment. Dada Rafiki is fun, engaging, and celebratory, while emphasizing heritage, history, and originality. It incorporates mainstream as well as lesser known, but up-and-coming, performances in the vocal and gospel arts, the visual arts, dance, and inspirational spoken word to uplift and praise the awe-inspiring “everyday” women in our community and simultaneously to enlighten the audience. This year, thirty multicultural women that serve the community will be celebrated. Dada Rafiki does not exclude men; in fact, men are welcome to attend.  In today’s world, many awesome men are proud to support and acclaim the women in their lives.

Hosted by WLWT-TV5 News Anchor Courtis Fuller, the celebration features a variety of artists, including world-touring singer-songwriter Dee Dee Foster, nationally-acclaimed dancer/choreographer Stafford Berry (Taft Museum of Art 2017 Duncanson Artist in Residence), a regional and community-wide mass choir under the direction of Dr. Catherine Roma, Emmy Award-winning spoken soul artist JaHipster, Gospel artist Janice Napier, and a host of distinguished performing artists, with special pre-show appearances by select performers and musicians from the Cincinnati Arts Association’s Artists on Tour arts education program. Annie Ruth will close out the evening with a special performance of her signature poem. As a special community outreach effort for this year, there will be a free distribution of Dada Rafiki story cards that patrons can collect during the preshow and afterwards to learn more about the remarkable stories of the women being celebrated.

2017 Dada Rafiki Honorees:

Teresa “Teri” Anderson Singer/Songwriter, Recording Artist &
Founder, ZBD Productions, LLC
Verneida Britton National Underground Railroad
Freedom Center
Denise Bryers President/CEO, Bootcamp Cincinnati
Stephanie Wright Byrd Cincy Preschool Promise
Darimelle D. Davis Founder/President, Helping Hands for
the Nations, Inc.
Dr. Vanessa Jones Enoch Cultural Impact LLC, President
Susan Upton Farley Mayor, Village of Woodlawn
Laura Ford-Harris Women & Girls Advocate
Heather Hallenberg Retired, ArtsWave, Director of
Grantmaking and Strategic Initiatives
Barbara Anderson Harris District Administrator, Greater
Cincinnati District, Ohio North First
Jurisdiction
Ewanki  Moore-Hawkins Director, University of Cincinnati,
African American Cultural & Resource
Center
Holly Jenkins Founder, Restart Your Life Now, Inc
Tracy Johnson Administrator, Providence Pavilion
Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
Delores Lindsay Founder/President and CEO, The
Healthcare Connection
Tonya Marie Matthews, PhD President/CEO, Michigan Science
Center
Gwen McFarlin Springfield Township Trustee
Eula Melson Educator & Community Volunteer
Ricci Michaels Community Artist & Founder,
Urban Expression 101 Project
Mona Harrison Morrow-Johnson Community Affairs Director, WCPO
Channel 9
Jeaunita Olowe Managing Director, Bi-Okoto Cultural
Center
Bishop Todd O’Neal Pastor, House of Joy Educator,
Cincinnati Public Schools
Julia O’Neal Arts Advocate & Community Volunteer,
New American Arts Gallery II
Francie Pepper Community Leader
Delores Rowland Founder, Brighter Day Bookstore
Alisha Stevenson Cincinnati Police Department
Sallie E. Westheimer 4C’s for Children
Homa Yavar Civic Leader (National Underground
Railroad Freedom Center & Islamic
Center of Greater Cincinnati)
Brenda Zechmeister Community Arts Advocate

ABOUT THE CREATOR OF DADA RAFIKI
Annie Ruth has received critical acclaim for her work in the community – fusing her artistic talents with arts education and collaborating with major cultural institutions to bring art directly to communities throughout the United States and abroad. For more information about the history of Dada Rafiki and how to help empower young women in the community, visitwww.dadarafiki.net.

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July 31, 2017 · 1:05 pm

First Opportunity for the Public to Visit The Otto M. Budig Theater is August 13 at the Family Festival!

CSC_Cincy Shakes front promoThe Family Festival will take place 3-7 pm at the new theater and is presented by ArtsWave

CINCINNATI (July 28, 2017) – Cincinnati will have its first opportunity to come inside The Otto M. Budig Theater on Sunday August 13, 2017 at the Family Festival!  This event is presented by ArtsWave and is open from 3-7pm at the theater followed by a FREE Shakespeare in the Park performance of “Romeo and Juliet” in Washington Park at 7pm.

CSC will be offering guided tours of the theater and back stage spaces, as well as activities for children of all ages, and presentations from various arts groups and collaborators. Visitors will also get a special sneak peek at the rehearsal and creative process for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” which is opening on September 8.  There will be Midsummer Fairy themed crafts and face painting, storytelling and music, and Stage Combat Workshops for the whole family!

Admission to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Family Festival and “Romeo and Juliet” is free and there is no ticket or RSVP required.  There will be lite refreshments and treats available.

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About Cincinnati Shakespeare Company:
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is a professional theatre company dedicated to bringing Shakespeare and the classics to life for audiences of all ages.  Currently located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, CSC produces a dozen mainstage productions each season.

In September 2017, CSC will open a new theatre- The Otto M. Budig Theater- at 12th and Elm Streets, in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. The new facility incorporates space for modern theatrical technology, increased seating capacity and lobby, expanded education and community outreach opportunities, as well as on-site production areas and administrative offices. The theatre is the “finale” of the “Classical Arts Corridor” connecting Music Hall, Memorial Hall, the School for Creative and Performing Arts, and Washington Park.

CSC’s repertoire is made up of the works of William Shakespeare, literary adaptations, and contemporary classics. CSC performs on a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors’ Equity Association. Cincinnati Shakespeare is a member of the Theatre Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theatre Association.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s Education and Outreach Programs reached over 50,000 young people and underserved community members each season by taking Shakespeare into schools, parks, community centers and by hosting educational matinees of mainstage productions.  In 2014, CSC was proud to become one of the first five theaters in the United States to “Complete the Canon” by producing all 38 plays by William Shakespeare. CSC is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to be Cincinnati’s stage for the classics! 

About The 2017-2018 Season:
This season is generously sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.  Season Funder is ArtsWave. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company receives operating support from The Ohio Arts Council.  The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program/organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Production dates and information on the season are available online at www.cincyshakes.com.

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July 31, 2017 · 12:15 pm

Moliere’s THE LEARNED LADIES at Cincinnati Actor’s Studio Aug. 3-6

CASA_The Learned LadiesWhat does it mean to be a male or female in the world?

JULY 31, 2017—Tristate audiences are invited to explore the idea that function requires form as Cincinnati Actor’s Studio & Academy presents Moliere’s THE LEARNED LADIES.

It is 1630 in France. Spain’s Christopher Columbus introduced Europe to unknown civilizations whose reach is re-defining the term: “Conventional Wisdom”. In response to this period of philosophy and discovery, French women of a “certain” class are gathering to expand their intellectual horizons and fight to elevate their spot on the social ladder.

Moliere’s THE LEARNED LADIES shows us that despite enlightenment, however, some things never change. For all their lofty aspirations, the women of this Salon must still deal with the mundane concerns of daily living–romance, finances, and what is a woman’s place in the world. Sound familiar?

This production is the 3rd in CASA’s 2017 Summer Series and runs from August 3rd- 6th at Essex Studios. This show is directed by Cheryl Couch. Cast includes: Alena Firlie, Katie Tierney, Haley Gillman, Meg Griffin, Eliza Martin, Amber Smith, Julie Deye, Grace Wesson, Nora Tighe, Leanne Hays, & Olivia Dunn. Production crew includes Matt Berman as Asst. Director/Stage Manager and Finney Kutcher as Costume Designer.

Performances run August 3rd – 6th at 7:30PM and will take place at Essex Studios, 2511 Essex Pl, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206. Tickets can be reserved by emailing casatics@gmail.com. T ickets: Adults $15, Students $10. Summer Subscriptions are also available. For more information: www.casastudioacademy.com

This production of THE LEARNED LADIES offers the opportunity to explore these very modern themes through the pen of the renowned French playwright, Moliere. In the capable hands of long-time Cincinnati Director and Teacher, Cheryl Couch, the all-female cast of young thespians will lead audiences in an examination of these questions in an entertaining production that will satisfy both traditional and contemporary theatre fans. Ms. Couch notes that the production is staged to create a dialogue around relationships as well.

Ms. Couch states: “Audiences will be surprised at the humor and grace with which these young actors have embraced the challenge of bringing this stylized form of theater to life”.

In addition, as part of The Ghostlight Project, all summer long, theaters and theatre-makers across the country will take part in this initiative, meeting their neighbors, making meaningful connections with community organizations in their area, and learning how to be of service. CASA is proud to be taking part in this initiative. Throughout our Summer Series, CASA will be collecting canned foods for the Freestore Foodbank of Cincinnati as well as clothing & household items for the Off the Streets program at Anna Louise Inn, located in Clifton. See boxes in our lobby to donate.

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