Category Archives: Press Releases

February 16, 2017 · 1:38 pm

Know Theatre Welcomes You into the Labyrinth with HEAVIER THAN…

heavier-than-coming-soon-to-know-theatre-image-by-dan-r-winters-1A tragicomic new play by Steve Yockey

Directed by Bridget Leak
March 10 – April 1

The Minotaur is turning 30. He could use some friends.

Know Theatre’s 19th Season continues with a strange account of the minotaur in the Labyrinth: Asterius the Minotaur turns 30 tomorrow, and he’s facing more than just your average birthday blues…

Seen by the world as nothing but a murderous oddity, Aster must navigate warriors out to kill him, a deceptively seductive Chorus, a plotting sister, and Icarus, a sex-obsessed boy with wings—all while pining to see his estranged Mother.

Steve Yockey, author of previous Know Theatre MainStage hits Pluto (2014) and The Fisherman’s Wife (2016) uses wit, lyric language, and ancient legend to tell a painfully funny and moving story about the families we yearn for versus the families we’re stuck with.

Queen City Flash’s Bridget Leak is back on the Know MainStage to bring this tragicomic mythical mashup to life. Here’s what Bridget had to say about diving into HEAVIER THAN…

Steve Yockey’s script presents us with some really fun challenges – we’re building Icarus’ wings, we’re putting bull horns on an actor; lots of imaginative visual ideas in this one!

But I’m most excited to tackle a script that examines ancient stories through a 2017 lens. I love how this script blends contemporary language with timeless ideas from mythology.

And I’m thrilled to bring together a mix of some familiar faces and newcomers to the Know MainStage – members of OTRimprov, Cincinnati Shakespeare company members, even a dancer! They have such a wide range of talents; each one brings something special to this show.

We are as delighted as Bridget to have assembled such a diverse and talented cast to tell this story:

NKU’s Landon Horton stars as Aster the Minotaur, who longs for his mother’s love and wants to be known as more than a monster. Landon returns to the Know MainStage after a critically-acclaimed turn in last season’s BlackTop Sky and, more recently, as Jim O’Connor in New Edgecliff Theatre Company’s The Glass Menagerie.

Joining him is Piper Davis as his graceful but hard-edged mother Pasiphae, the Queen of Crete—who has a few secrets she’d rather not have get out. Piper starred in Know’s first show at 1120 Jackson back in 2006, and most recently appeared on Know’s mainstage in her 2014 starring role as Harriet Tubman in Harry & The Thief.

Nathan Tubbs makes his Know Theatre debut as Icarus, Aster’s flighty, fickle, and not-so-innocent friend; while Jordan Trovillion, most recently seen in December’s Ken Ham’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, joins the cast as Aster’s crafty sister Ariadne.

Aster’s constant companions are the Chorus, three women who speak as one and hide secrets of their own. The chorus is brought to vivid life by a trio of Know Theatre and Cincy Fringe favorites —Nicole Hershey, Maggie Lou Rader, and Miranda McGee.

Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford has dreamed of bringing this show to the Know ever since he saw the world premiere at the Theatre @ Boston Court in Los Angeles in 2011. Andrew says,

This is the third Steve Yockey play we’re producing at the Know, but it’s actually the first play of his that I encountered. It contains so many of the hallmarks of his work that I love: complicated familial relationships, dark humor, a sense of the ridiculous, big themes, and powerful visual metaphors.

It’s the kind of play that gets my mind racing as both a designer and audience member, contemplating thousands of years of theatrical magic, and how we connect ancient tradition to contemporary, urgent work.

Join us for HEAVIER THAN… and discover a clever and poignant look at the age-old question: Do you control your Fate, or does your Fate control you?

Cast

  • Piper Davis as Pasiphae
  • Landon Horton as Asterius
  • Jordan Trovillion as Ariadne
  • Nathan Tubbs as Icarus
  • Nicole Hershey, Miranda McGee*, and Maggie Lou Rader as the Chorus.
    *Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, appearing under a Special Appearance Contract.

Production Team

  • Director – Bridget Leak
  • Lighting & Scenic Designer – Andrew Hungerford
  • Scenic Charge & Prop Designer – Sarah Beth Hall
  • Costume Designer – Noelle Johnston
  • Sound & Video Designer – Doug Borntrager

Calendar Listing

Production:   HEAVIER THAN… by Steve Yockey

When:

  • 8:00pm  March 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31; April 1
  • 3:00pm  March 12, 19**, 26

**A pre-show brunch is available on this date with purchase of $35 “Brunch + Show” tickets in advance. Deadline for brunch reservation is March 13. Brunch provided by Water Tower Fine Wines

Where:
Know Theatre of Cincinnati. 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. In historic Over-the-Rhine.

Tickets:

  • $25 regular Price
  • $15 Rush tickets at the door 10 minutes prior to curtain (when available)
  • FREE walk-up tickets are available on Wednesdays, as part of Know’s Welcome Experiment initiative. Advance reservations to Welcome Experiment performances are $5.00.
  • Tickets can be purchased by visiting knowtheatre.com or calling                                              513.300.5669 (KNOW).

Know Theatre is Cincinnati’s Theatrical Playground. The Know showcases unexpected voices, new works, and plays that embrace the inherent theatricality of the live experience. Know Theatre seeks to be a place where artists and audiences feel welcome to take artistic risks, creating work that is cutting edge and accessible.

Know Theatre’s work is made possible, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Know Theatre with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

Know Theatre is also supported by The Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, helping to change our communities for the better through collaboration and innovation, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving.

Additional support for Heavier Than… was provided by the Josephine Schell Russell Charitable Trust, PNC Bank, Trustee

Know Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group and an Associate member of the National New Play Network.

# # #

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as

February 16, 2017 · 5:18 am

Cincinnati Playhouse Announces New Building Campaign, Will Stay in Eden Park

pip_blake-outside

Artistic Director Blake Robison. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

CINCINNATI– Artistic Director Blake Robison announced today that Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will remain in Eden Park and move forward with a major capital campaign to replace the Playhouse’s current mainstage with a new state-of-the-art facility commensurate with the Playhouse’s artistry and national reputation.

Board of Trustees President Jack Rouse explained that “after more than a year of insightful research and analysis, the Board approved the capital campaign and the plan to build a brand new theatre complex. We remain committed to Eden Park and to the Mt. Adams neighborhood for the long term.”

While still in the earliest stages of planning and development, the building project will feature a new, and even more intimate, mainstage theatre with support facilities including new dressing rooms, a rehearsal room, green room, costume shop and backstage areas. The new theatre will enhance audience experience with better comfort, sightlines, acoustics and entry/exit and expand what can be done on stage.

Details of the building project design, campaign goal and construction timeline will be announced at a later date. The new mainstage theatre complex is projected to open in the Fall of 2020.

“Our campaign leadership is now launching the quiet phase of the campaign,” said Woody Taft, vice president of the board and chairman of the campaign. “We will focus on lead gifts for the next six to nine months before launching the public campaign.”

The Playhouse has hired Rachel Kirley as its Capital Campaign Director. In this added staff position, she’ll dedicate 100 percent of her time to the capital campaign. Additionally, the Playhouse has retained the national firm Arts Consulting Group as campaign counsel to work with Kirley and help guide this effort.

The new Mainstage Theatre Complex is Phase One of a Facility Master Plan. Future phases will include additional capacity for increased initiatives in community engagement and educational outreach across the region.

No major improvements have been made to the Marx Theatre since its construction nearly 50 years ago in 1968. It is the oldest un-renovated mainstage facility at any regional theatre in the country. The Playhouse’s last capital campaign was from 1994 to 1996 and culminated in a major renovation to the public and production support areas in 1997, but did not include any significant improvements to the two theatres.

Winner of two Tony awards, the Playhouse is the region’s preeminent professional theatre with unequaled access to the nation’s finest actors, directors and designers.

“The new state-of-the-art mainstage positions the Playhouse for the future,” Robison explained. “It will enhance our patrons’ experience and give our artists the modern technologies to achieve 21st century production values that are on par or exceed those in New York and London.”

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of more than 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 and the National Endowment for the Arts.

###

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as

February 14, 2017 · 9:04 pm

Broadway Cast Member Teresa De Zarn Visits THE SECRET GARDEN Cast at Beechmont Players

bpi_the-secret-garden-promo

Aubrey Wilson as Mrs. Medlock, Rebecca Mactaggart as Mary Lennox & Isaac Owens as the Fakir.

The cast of Beechmont Players soon-to-open Cincinnati production of the musical THE SECRET GARDEN got a special glimpse into the show’s beginnings when original Broadway cast member Teresa De Zarn spoke to them before rehearsal last Friday night.

Teresa was with the show much of the way, from backer’s auditions to the Broadway run.  Originally cast as Rose, the young orphan Mary’s dead mother, a family emergency took her away briefly, but she was invited back before the show opened on Broadway to take an ensemble role and understudy both Rose and Rose’s sister Lily.  On opening night, Rose was unable to perform, so Teresa was able to premiere her original role for the show’s first night on Broadway at the St. James Theater.  That cast included Daisy Eagan as Mary Lennox, along with Mandy Patinkin, Rebecca Luker, Robert Westenberg and John Cameron Mitchell.

“It was an exciting process,” Teresa told the cast.  “During the backers’ auditions, the songs were changing constantly as the writers firmed up the show.  I was there from the beginning, and got to be part of our five-minute excerpt at the 1991 Tony Awards (introduced and narrated by Julie Andrews!), when the show won for Outstanding Musical.”

Teresa started her Broadway career in CATS (playing Sillabub and Grizabella) and was in THE THREE-PENNY OPERA (with Sting) before doing THE SECRET GARDEN.  She later played Gueniviere in the national tour of CAMELOT and Christine in the international tour of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.  She returned to Cincinnati, and today runs the theater program at McNicholas High School, where her theater career took root as a freshman in 1972.

THE SECRET GARDEN began as an enchanting classic of children’s literature, and has become a brilliant, innovative musical. Orphaned in India, 11 year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her reclusive, uncle and his invalid son. The estate’s many wonders include a secret garden which beckons the children with haunting melodies and spirits from Mary’s past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing a compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.

The show is currently preparing for a Spring, 2017 regional tour before coming back as a Broadway revival. But you can see it now–Beechmont Players’ production opens Friday, February 17th and runs through February 25th.  Information is available at www.BeechmontPlayers.org.

Director Joey Schnell says “I love this show, but it’s only rarely performed.”  He and Teresa agree that “It’s a powerful show,”  and Teresa adds, “if you’re a romantic you need to see it.”

Beechmont Players is one of Cincinnati’s oldest community theatre groups, having opened its doors in 1959 to provide quality community entertainment to the Anderson area.  Beechmont Players is the Arts Organization in Residence at the Anderson Center. The gorgeous, state-of-the-art Anderson Center Theater provides a breathtaking showcase for Beechmont Players’ award-winning productions.

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as

February 14, 2017 · 7:46 pm

Jerry Herman’s MACK AND MABEL Makes CCM Mainstage Debut

ccm_mack-and-mabel-promo2CCM proudly presents MACK AND MABEL on Thursday, March 2 through Sunday, March 5 in Corbett Auditorium. Aubrey Berg directs with choreography by Patti James and musical direction by CCM graduate student Evan Roider.

The performance is rare treat for Cincinnati audiences; MACK AND MABEL has not been produced in the Queen City for over a decade, and it has never been presented as a CCM Mainstage production. With a memorable score by Broadway master Jerry Herman (Hello, Dolly!; Mame; La Cage aux Folles), MACK AND MABEL received eight Tony Award nominations after its original premiere in 1975.

“At CCM, we have the great advantage of performing these classic musicals with full orchestra,” says Evan Roider, music director of the show and a CCM graduate student in orchestral conducting. “This is a great opportunity to see and hear a rarely-performed Jerry Herman musical with all the stops pulled out!”

MACK AND MABEL is a star-crossed, bittersweet love story that explores both the lighter and the darker side of the Golden Age of Comedy. It focuses on the tumultuous relationship between legendary director Mack Sennett and his greatest star, Mabel Normand.

Mack, an aging director whose silent films become obsolete in the age of “talkies,” tells the story in a series of flashbacks. He recalls his first encounter with Mabel, a feisty barista who Mack turns into a silent film star. However, following a torrid affair with Mack, Mabel leaves to act in dramas for a rival director.

Mack and Mabel struggle to find their places in the changing film industry, and both experience their own triumphs and failures along the way.

Praised by the New York Times as “a musical in the old and true tradition,” Mack and Mabel’s musical style is reminiscent of the silent film era in which it is set.

“The score highlights Herman’s tremendous talent for melody — brassy two-steps, voluptuous ballads and a tap number that rivals those of the early 20th century,” Roider says. “Audiences can expect an old fashioned score that will have them humming as they leave the theater.”
____

MACK AND MABEL
Based on an idea by Leonard Spigelglass
Book by Michael Stewart
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman

Performance Times
8 p.m. Thursday, March 2
8 p.m. Friday, March 3
8 p.m. Saturday, March 4
2 p.m. Sunday, March 5

Location
Corbett Auditorium, College-Conservatory of Music
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to Mack and Mabel are $31-35 for adults, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID. Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice.

Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
____

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Mack and Mabel is presented by a special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as

February 13, 2017 · 12:14 pm

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati Plans a Memorable 2017-2018 Season

TCTC_new logoCincinnati – The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s 93rd season will be one to remember, as TCT brings Tri-state families six fantastical productions they won’t soon forget.

At the Taft Theatre, a boy that won’t grow up, a princess in glass slippers, a band of animal friends and a magical nanny will all prove that dreams really do come true if you make a wish and believe in yourself.

Plus, at the new TCT facility on Red Bank Road, a large hat-wearing cat and a brave polka-dotted girl will each share two amazing and important adventures with audiences in the debut season of the Showtime Series at Red Bank.

TCT MainStage at the Taft season:

  • PETER PAN JR. (October 21-22, 27-29, 2017)
  • CINDERELLA (December 9-10, 15-17, 2017)
  • MADAGASCAR: A Musical Adventure (February 10-11, 16-18, 2018)
  • MARY POPPINS (April 7-8, 13-15, 2018)

Showtime Series at Red Bank:

  • Dr. Seuss’ THE CAT IN THE HAT (June 2-July 9, 2017)
  • POLKADOTS: The Cool Kids Musical (February 23-March 25, 2018)

“We are 93 years young – and we still haven’t grown up!” said Producing Artistic Director, Roderick Justice. “We are proud of our mission: To educate, entertain and engage audiences of all ages through professional theatrical productions and arts education programming; and we feel this season is going to do just that AND help families make lasting memories together.”

About the MainStage at the Taft Season:

PETER PAN JR.
October 21-22, 27-29, 2017
A Musical Based on the Play by Sir J.M. Barrie. Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh. Music by Morris (Moose) Charlap. Additional Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Additional Music by Jule Styne. Originally directed, choreographed and adapted by Jerome Robbins.

Peter and his mischievous fairy sidekick, Tinkerbell, visit the nursery of the Darling children late one night and, with a sprinkle of pixie dust, begin a magical journey across the stars that none of them will ever forget. In the adventure of a lifetime, the travelers come face to face with a ticking crocodile, a fierce Indian tribe, a band of bungling pirates and, of course, the villainous Captain Hook. Featuring the iconic songs, “I’m Flying,” “I’ve Gotta Crow,” “I Won’t Grow Up” and “Never Never Land,” and a rousing book full of magic, warmth and adventure, Peter Pan JR. is the perfect show for the child in all of us…

CINDERELLA
December 9-10, 15-17, 2017
By John Davidson

For the holidays, TCT will treat audiences to a Cinderella Christmas. In this hilarious holiday panto, you’ll jeer at the deliciously dysfunctional stepmother and sisters as much as you’ll cheer for Cinderella in her quest to attend the magnificent Christmas ball. Get ready for plenty of audience participation, side-splitting humor, and outlandish characters in this classic fairytale set to popular music. Put on your glass slippers and join us this winter as we celebrate a Cinderella Christmas.

MADAGASCAR: A Musical Adventure
February 10-11, 16-18, 2018
Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture. Book by Kevin Del Aguila. Original Music and Lyrics by George Noriega & Joel Someillan.

Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and, of course, those hilarious, plotting penguins as they bound onto the Taft Theatre stage in the musical adventure of a lifetime. Based on the smash DreamWorks animated motion picture, Madagascar: A Musical Adventure follows all of your favorite crack-a-lackin’ friends as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar.

MARY POPPINS
April 7-8, 13-15, 2018
A Musical based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney Film. Original Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. Book by Julian Fellowes. New Songs and Additional Music and Lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Co-Created by Cameron Mackintosh.

Jack-of-all trades, Bert, introduces us to England in 1910 and the troubled Banks family. Young Jane and Michael have sent many a nanny packing before Mary Poppins arrives on their doorstep. Using a combination of magic and common sense, she must teach the family members how to value each other again. Mary Poppins is an enchanting mixture of irresistible story, unforgettable songs, breathtaking dance numbers and astonishing stagecraft.

New subscriptions to the 2017-2018 Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati MainStage season at the Taft Theatre will be available in early June after existing subscription renewals are completed. Subscriptions range from $43 to $103 for all four productions. Single tickets go on sale August 22. For information call 513-569-8080 ext. 10 or visit www.thechildrenstheatre.com.

Important to note: The Children’s Theatre’s four Broadway-style MainStage productions will continue to be performed in the historic Taft Theatre in downtown Cincinnati. The 2016-2017 MainStage season is poised to break records for the organization with MainStage attendance currently topping 97,000.

About the New Showtime Series at Red Bank:

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, the country’s oldest professional theater for young audiences, is excited to showcase its new destination for theater education and expand its reach into the community. The Ralph and Patricia Corbett Showtime Stage is a small 152-seat performance space housed in the company’s new facility on Red Bank Road.

“This new theatrical facility gives us the opportunity to program for new audiences, including preschoolers as well as middle and high school students,” said Kim Deaton, Managing Director and CEO. “Thus, we begin the creation of future arts patrons in Cincinnati at an even earlier age, and extend their engagement through high school. The Showtime Series will allow us to program the new space with more than 64 performances.”

Dr. Seuss’ THE CAT IN THE HAT
June 2-July 9, 2017
Based on the book by Dr. Seuss. Play originally produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain. Adapted and originally directed by Katie Mitchell. Dr. Seuss text, characters and images TM and © 2009 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.

Everyone’s favorite cat comes to mischievous life in this theatrical adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic. From the moment his tall, red-and-white-striped hat appears around the door, Sally and her brother know that The Cat in the Hat is the funniest, most mischievous cat that they have ever met. With the trickiest of tricks and the craziest of ideas, he is certainly loads of fun. He turns a rainy afternoon into an amazing adventure… but what will mum find when she gets home…?

POLKADOTS: The Cool Kids Musical
February 23-March 25, 2018
Book written by Melvin Tunstall III. Co-Composer and Lyricist Douglas Lyons. Co-Composer Greg Borowsky. Based on an Original Concept by Douglas Lyons.

Polkadots follows 8-year-old Lily Polkadot who just moved to the “Squares Only” small town of Rockaway. As the first Polkadot in an all Square school, Lily faces an almost impossible task of gaining acceptance from her peers. From daily bullying, to segregated drinking fountains, Lily’s quest seems hopeless until she meets Sky, a shy Square boy whose curiosity for her unique polkadot skin blooms into an unexpected pal-ship. Inspired by Civil Rights pioneers Ruby Bridges and The Little Rock Nine, Polkadots serves as a colorful history lesson for the world, reminding us that our differences make us awesome, not outcasts.

Single tickets to the Showtime Series at Red Bank’s Dr. Seuss’s THE CAT IN THE HAT are available now at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. All seats are $20. Tickets for POLKADOTS: The Cool Kids Musical will go on sale later this spring, and will also be $20 each.

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati is supported by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

3 Comments

Filed under Press Releases, Season Announcements

Tagged as