Category Archives: Press Releases

Go over the Rainbow with THE WIZARD OF OZ

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Jay Goodlett as The Scarecrow, Kalie Kaimann as Dorothy, A. James Jones as The Tinman, and Deondra Kamau Means as The Lion. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

Click your heels three times and follow the yellow brick road to the Taft Theatre this February to experience the magical adventures of Dorothy and her friends when The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati presents the classic musical THE WIZARD OF OZ this February (February 11 – 19, 2017).

A cyclone transports Dorothy and her dog, Toto, from Kansas to the technicolor Munchkin Land.  Unfortunately, they land right on top of the Wicked Witch of the East — not a good thing!  As Dorothy and Toto head down the Yellow Brick Road to find the Wizard and their way back home to Kansas, they meet new friends, each with a wish that they hope The Great Oz can grant for them.  A scrawny Scarecrow needs a brain, a rusty Tin Man needs a heart, and a Cowardly Lion needs courage.

Directed by Ken Jones, director of NKU’s School of the Arts (SOTA).  By L. Frank Baum. With Music and Lyrics by Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg. Background Music by Herbert Stothart. Dance and Vocal Arrangements by Peter Howard.  Orchestration by Larry Wilcox.  Adapted by John Kane for the Royal Shakespeare Company.  Based upon the Classic Motion Picture owned by Turner Entertainment Co. and distributed in all media by Warner Bros.  Adaptation and support materials for the Young Performers’ Edition. Developed by iTheatrics.  Under the supervision of Timothy Allen McDonald.

LOCAL 12’s Bob Herzog will be featured in the production as The Wizard.

THE WIZARD OF OZ presented by The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, February 11-19, 2017. Saturday February 11 at 2 PM; Sunday February 12 at 2 PM and 5 PM; Friday February 17 at 7:30 PM; Saturday February 18 at 2 PM and 5 PM; and Sunday February 19 at 2 PM at the Taft Theatre, 5th and Sycamore Streets in Downtown Cincinnati. Tickets $10-30.   1-800-745-3000 and www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are selling fast!

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s production of THE WIZARD OF OZ is made possible by the generous support of Production Sponsor, TriHealth, as well as Corporate Sponsor, Chemed. Chemed, and the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign. Season Sponsors are the Charles H. Dater Foundation and the Marge and Charles J. Schott Foundation.  The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Media sponsors are Cincinnati Enquirer, LOCAL 12 and Q102.

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Xavier Theatre signs on to join THE GHOSTLIGHT PROJECT

XUT_logo(Cincinnati, Jan. 17, 2017) – At 5:30pm on JANUARY 19, 2017 Xavier Theatre will join over 500 theaters, ensembles and companies, high school and university theater programs who will gather across the country to “light a light” and make a pledge to stand for and protect the values of inclusion, participation, and compassion for everyone – regardless of race, class, religion, country of origin, immigration status, (dis)ability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

The Ghostlight Project will bring together over 500 participating organizations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. From Broadway to high school auditoriums, members of the theater community will gather from coast to coast on January 19, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. in each time zone to “light a light” and make a pledge. Inspired by the theatrical tradition of keeping a “ghost light” on in a darkened theater, we create light for the challenging times ahead.

On January 19th, at 5:30PM, Xavier Theatre will host a Ghostlight Project event. Everyone is invited to come together in the Gallagher Theatre for a short ceremony, located in Gallagher Student Center. Gathering together on the stage, people of all walks of life can come together in camaraderie. Feelings of strength, safety, and solidarity will be shared in order to designate the theatre as a safe space for ALL. From the darkness, all participants will ignite their own light source, to stand together as a beacon of hope and strength for the future.

Xavier University’s Theatre Department prides itself on being a company open to all walks of life. Xavier Theatre strives to create an open and accepting environment for every student. In creating a dialogue between people of differing backgrounds, our program will always include opportunities for the growth and development of anyone passionate about theatre.

From Saheem Ali, Director and member of the Ghostlight Project Steering Committee:

“The act of expressing something out loud has significance. [It] demonstrates solidarity and a firmness of belief. Our most solemn ceremonies—weddings, graduations, ordinations—are by design public and communal because they demand witnesses. By standing outside the privacy afforded by one’s four walls and declaring something in full voice, one asks to be held accountable for the stance being taken.”

Anyone who wishes to participate in this event may join by coming to the Gallagher Theatre located on the lower level of Gallagher Student Center on Xavier’s Main Campus. All that is needed to participate is an open mind, and a cell phone with flashlight capabilities. The ceremony will last approximately 20-30 minutes. The theatre doors will be open at 5:00pm, with the ceremony beginning promptly at 5:30PM.

www.theghostlightproject.com #GhostlightProject #BeALight #AllAreWelcome

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Village Players Present LOVE/SICK

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Michael Ireland & Heather Abbott.

[Fort Thomas, Kentucky] –  Village Players presents LOVE/SICK by John Cariani, January 27th – February 4th. Village Players is located in the basement of the Ft. Thomas Woman’s Club, 8 North Ft. Thomas Ave, Ft. Thomas, KY 41075 (next to Subway).

LOVE/SICK is a collection of nine slightly twisted and completely hilarious short plays. Set on a Friday night in an alternate suburban reality, this delightful romp explores the pain and the joy that comes with being in love. It’s an unromantic comedy for the romantic in everyone.

“CARIANI KNOWS HOW TO KEEP AUDIENCES LAUGHING.” – The Huffington Post. “WHIMSICAL ROMANTIC COMEDY…THE JOKES HERE ARE EASYGOING AND SNARK-FREE.” – The New York Times. “LOVE/SICK BRINGS TO LIGHT THE COMPLEXITY OF COMMUNICATION AND WHAT IT MEANS TO NOT ONLY LOVE SOMEONE ELSE, BUT YOURSELF AS WELL…TRULY BEAUTIFUL.” –TheSource.com. “STRIKES JUST THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN WISDOM AND WHIMSY…LIGHT, BRIGHT, ANTI-ROMANTIC, AND ENGAGING.” – The Hartford Courant. “ENTERTAINING AND FUN. A SATISFYING LOOK AT THIS THING WE CALL LOVE.” – BroadwayWorld.com.

LOVE/SICK is directed by Dan Maloney, produced by Peggy Kenney, and features the talents of Chris PayneCat CookNathan HenegarPatricia MullinsJeremy CoxDavid DeyeTed RiceGinny ButschMichael IrelandHeather AbbottScott UnesJulie TheobaldLon NeaseJeanette TaconJennifer DavisKenny Tessel, and Dee Anne Bryll.

Performances will be:

  • Friday, January 27th at 8 PM
  • Saturday, January 28th at 8 PM
  • Sunday, January 29th at 3 PM
  • Thursday, February 2nd at 8 PM
  • Friday, February 3rd at 8 PM
  • Saturday, February 4th at 8 PM

To order tickets for LOVE/SICK, visit www.villageplayers.biz or leave a message at 859-392-0500. For more information, contact Dan at maloneykd@gmail.com.

Also, there is a Special Deal on Sunday, January 29th. Here is the information:

Enjoy Brunch and a Matinee performance of LOVE/SICK on Sunday, Jan. 29th

Start with a brunch at Buckhead Mountain Grill in Bellevue, KY (Served 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM)
Follow with the performance of the comedy Love/Sick at 3:00 PM at Village Players

We are happy to offer this package — $3 off each theatre ticket, $17 each plus $5 off the brunch for 2

Tickets must be ordered by Friday, Jan. 20th — Call (859) 372-0500 to get the details on the way to take advantage of this money saving offer.

Village Players began in 1966 when members of the Fort Thomas Woman’s Club formed a community theatre department and renovated the lower level of the building to house a unique and intimate 102-seat three-quarter thrust stage. Village Players is a member of KTA, OCTA, ACT-Cincinnati and AACT. Located at 8 North Fort Thomas Avenue, Fort Thomas, Kentucky, Village Players mounts four productions each year and donates the proceeds of its spring production to charity. For more information,www.villageplayers.biz or 859-392-0500.

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Two Seasons Announced at West Side Theatres

Covedale Center and Warsaw Federal Incline Theater Boast
Exciting, Eclectic Titles Through Spring 2018
 

CLPCincinnati Landmark Productions announced its next slate of shows at its two theaters tonight at the annual Double Season Announcement party.

With the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts wrapping up its 15th year and the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater in its second full year, the west side theatre group is now producing year-around at its two venues. CLP designed three production seasons at the two theaters to appeal to current patrons and to reach new audiences.

Tonight, the west-side theater group announced its 2017-18 Covedale Center ‘Marquee Series’ as well as the 2017-18 Warsaw Federal Incline Theater ‘District Series.’

The shows are:

Covedale Center Marquee Series, presented by Cincinnati Federal and TriHealth:

  • The Miracle Worker, September 7 – October 1, 2017
  • Young Frankenstein, October 19 – November 12, 2017
  • Annie, November 30 – December 23, 2017
  • Guys and Dolls, February 15 – March 11, 2018
  • Oklahoma, April 5-29, 2018

Warsaw Federal Incline Theater District Series:

  • Cabaret, September 28 – October 15, 2017
  • Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, January 25 – February 11, 2018
  • Monty Python’s Spamalot, March 22 – April 8, 2018

CCPAThe Covedale Center Marquee Series subscriptions are $120 for all 5 shows and are now available. Current subscribers can renew their seats through June 23, 2017. Tickets to single shows go on sale July 24, 2017. The Covedale Center for the Performing Arts is located at 4990 Glenway Avenue.

District Series subscriptions for the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater are $69 for all 3 shows and are now available. Current subscribers can renew their seats through June 23, 2017. Tickets to single shows go on sale July 24, 2017. The Warsaw Federal Incline Theater is located at 801 Matson Place.

At the announcement event, Cincinnati Landmark Productions outlined some programming changes as well. Beginning with the 2017-18 theatre season, CLP will reduce the Marquee Series from 6 productions to 5 and the District Series from 4 to 3 productions. Then, beginning in Summer 2018, an additional production will be added to the Summer Classics Season, bringing it from 3 shows to 4.

“From an organizational perspective, this greatly streamlines production bandwidth and maximizes our greatest strengths while still allowing us to grow and build new audiences,” said Tim Perrino, executive artistic director of Cincinnati Landmark Productions. “Most importantly, this allows us to truly offer year-round, affordable, locally-produced entertainment for our base audience.”

Perrino said that the company would be no less busy. There are 212 annual performance nights planned in this new structure, with 90 performances planned for the Covedale Center and 122 at the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater.

WFIT_Sign at nightThe Marquee Series and District Series seasons complement Cincinnati Landmark Productions’ previously announced 2017 Summer Classics Season at the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater, presented by TriHealth:

  • Damn Yankees, May 24 – June 18, 2017
  • Blithe Spirit, June 28 – July 23, 2017
  • The Drowsy Chaperone, August 2-27, 2017

The Warsaw Federal Incline Theater, opened in June 2015, is a brand new, purpose-built, 229-seat performing arts center and parking garage in the Incline District in East Price Hill. Located at the corner of Matson Place and West 8th Street, the $6 million project was finished on time and on budget. All 45 performances during the debut 2015 Summer Classics Season were sold out.

Cincinnati Landmark Productions has been serving the West Side for over 30 years – first through its Cincinnati Young People’s Theatre program and then through its ownership and management of the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts in West Price Hill. Since opening in 2002, the arts center quadrupled its subscribership. Attendance ballooned from 13,990 in the 2002-03 season to over 55,000 (representing more than 300 zip codes) last season.

Sponsorships and Donor programs for the theaters and new seasons are still available. For more information, call (513) 241-6550.

# # #

FULL SHOW DESCRIPTIONS

2017-18 Covedale Center Marquee Series
presented by Cincinnati Federal and TriHealth

THE MIRACLE WORKER
September 7 – October 1, 2017
By William Gibson

Immortalized on stage and screen by Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke, this classic tells the story of Annie Sullivan and her student, blind and mute Helen Keller. The Miracle Worker dramatizes the volatile relationship between the lonely teacher and her charge. Trapped in a secret, silent world, unable to communicate, Helen is violent, spoiled, almost sub-human and treated by her family as such. Only Annie realizes that there is a mind and spirit waiting to be rescued from the dark, tortured silence. With scenes of intense physical and emotional dynamism, Annie’s success with Helen finally comes with the utterance of a single, glorious word: “water.” Winner of the 1960 Tony Award.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
October 19 – November 12, 2017
Book by Mel Brooks & Thomas Meehan; Music & Lyrics by Mel Brooks

Grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced “Fronk-en-steen”) inherits his family’s estate in Transylvania. With the help of a hunchbacked sidekick, Igor (pronounced “Eye-gore”), and a leggy lab assistant, Inga (pronounced normally), Frederick finds himself in the mad scientist shoes of his ancestors. “It’s alive!” he exclaims as he brings to life a creature to rival his grandfather’s. Eventually, of course, the monster escapes and hilarity continuously abounds. Young Frankenstein has all the panache of the screen sensation with a little extra theatrical flair added. With such memorable tunes as “The Transylvania Mania,” “He Vas My Boyfriend” and “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” Young Frankenstein is scientifically proven, monstrously good entertainment.

ANNIE
November 30 – December 23, 2017
Book by Thomas Meehan; Music By Charles Strouse; Lyrics by Martin Charnin

With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City orphanage that is run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan. With the help of the other girls in the orphanage, Annie escapes and foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations… and even befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt! She finds a new home and family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.  Features some of the greatest musical theatre hits ever written, including “Tomorrow.” Winner of 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

GUYS AND DOLLS
February 15 – March 11, 2018
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser; Book by Jo Swirling and Abe Burrows

Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, Guys and Dolls is an oddball romantic comedy. Gambler Nathan Detroit tries to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck. Meanwhile, his girlfriend and nightclub performer Adelaide laments that they’ve been engaged for fourteen years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler Sky Masterson for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing the straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown as a result. Guys and Dolls takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafes of Havana, Cuba, and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.

OKLAHOMA!
April 5-29, 2018
Music by Richard Rodgers; Book & Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; Based on the play “Green Grow the Lilacs” by Lynn Riggs

Set in a Western Indian Territory just at the turn of the century, the high-spirited rivalry between the local farmers and the cowboys provides the colorful background against which Curly, a handsome cowboy, and Laurey, a winsome farm girl, play out their love story. Although the road to true love never runs smooth, with these two headstrong romantics holding the reins, love’s journey is as bumpy as a surrey ride down a country road. That they will succeed in making a new life together we have no doubt, and that this new life will begin in a brand-new state provides the ultimate climax through the triumphant title song.

2017-18 Warsaw Federal Incline Theater District Series:

CABARET
September 28 – October 15, 2017
Book by Joe Masteroff; Based on the play by John Van Druten; Stories by Christopher Isherwood; Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb

The scene is the Kit Kat Klub, a night club in Berlin, 1931. The Nazis are rising to power. A young American writer, Cliff Bradshaw, is in a very complicated relationship with 19-year-old English cabaret performer Sally Bowles. As he seeks a meaningful life, she claims to seek only its pleasures. Meanwhile, the doomed romance between German boarding house owner Fräulein Schneider and her elderly suitor Herr Schultz, a Jewish fruit vendor, is headed for tragedy as Germany veers toward fascism. Overseeing the action is the Master of Ceremonies, presenting the songs in the club as ominous political developments seep into the lives and hearts of the lovers. This Tony Award-winning Best Musical includes the songs “Willkommen,” “Maybe This Time,” “The Money Song” and the all-time hit “Cabaret.”

FIVE WOMEN WEARING THE SAME DRESS
January 25 – February 11, 2018
By Alan Ball

During an ostentatious wedding reception at a Knoxville estate, five reluctant, identically clad bridesmaids hide out in an upstairs bedroom, each with her own reason to avoid the proceedings below. They are Frances, a painfully sweet but sheltered fundamentalist; Mindy, the cheerful, wise-cracking lesbian sister of the groom; Georgeanne, whose heartbreak over her own failed marriage triggers outrageous behavior; Meredith, the bride’s younger sister whose precocious rebelliousness masks a dark secret; and Trisha, a jaded beauty whose die-hard cynicism about men is called into question when she meets Tripp, a charming bad-boy usher to whom there is more than meets the eye. As the afternoon wears on, these five very different women joyously discover a common bond in this wickedly funny, irreverent and touching celebration of the women’s spirit.

Monty Python’s SPAMALOT
March 22 – April 8, 2018
Book and Lyrics: Eric Idle; Music: John Du Prez

Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table and features a bevy of beautiful show girls, not to mention cows, killer rabbits, and French people. Did we mention the bevy of beautiful show girls?  The 2005 Broadway production won three Tony Awards, including “Best Musical,” and received 14 Tony Award nominations. Hilarious songs include: “I’m Not Dead Yet,” “His Name is Lancelot” and “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life!”

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Cincinnati Shakespeare Company to Announce Debut Season at The Otto M. Budig Theater on February 1

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Producing Artistic Director Brian Isaac Phillips at the Topping Out (Final Beam) Event on December 5, 2016 at the new Otto M. Budig Theater.

CINCINNATI (Jan 12, 2017) — Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC) continues to reach important milestones as it prepares for its move into The Otto M. Budig Theater. This next celebration in a series of Milestone Events will be an event to reveal the titles of the shows that will be produced in 2017-2018 for the debut season at The Otto M. Budig Theater. All contributors to the Making History Unexpected Capital Campaign and Press are invited, and the event is open to the public.

There will be a hard hat tour and a “Guess the Titles” game for those that want to see the progress of the theater and try to predict the shows CSC will produce in their brand new space. At each stop on the tour participants will receive clues about the shows and can try to guess the titles and the lineup of the season. Guests who participate in the game will be entered into a drawing to win door prizes including a pair of tickets for an invitation-only preview of the first show in the new theater. The celebration will continue across the street at the Transept with a cocktail party and the official season reveal of titles by Producing Artistic Director, Brian Isaac Phillips.

The hard hat tour and “Guess the Titles” game begins at 6:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased with a donation of $15 per person, and include a reservation to the cocktail party. For those who just wish to attend the cocktail party and titles release, the Transept will be open at 6:30 PM. Brian Isaac Phillips will announce the titles and line up of all the shows starting around 7:15PM. The event at the Transept is complimentary, although reservations are required.

In November 2015, CSC announced a $17 million capital campaign titled “Making History Unexpected” to construct a new theatre at 12th and Elm Streets, in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. The new facility will incorporate 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 will also become the “finale” of a planned “Classical Arts Corridor” connecting Music Hall, Memorial Hall, the School for Creative and Performing Arts, and Washington Park.

The project is on schedule and on budget to begin operations this summer and for the first production’s opening on September 8, 2017.

PHOTO/INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

  • 6:00 PM — Messer Construction Field Office (12th Street door just behind new construction). Hard hat tour of new theater.
  • 6:30 PM – the Transept. Cocktail reception begins.
  • 7:15 PM  – the Transept. Brian Isaac Phillips will reveal the titles of the Debut Season in the Otto M. Budig Theater.

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 the summer of 2017, the theater will relocate to the Otto M. Budig Theater, a brand new facility in OTR. 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 Theater Communications Group and the Shakespeare Theater 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 2015, 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 2016-2017 Season:
This season is generously sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company receives operating support from The Ohio Arts Council, the Shubert Foundation and is supported, in part, by the generosity of thousands of individuals and businesses that give annually to ArtsWave. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this 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 http://www.cincyshakes.com.

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