Category Archives: Press Releases

August 17, 2016 · 7:01 am

CSC Opens the 2016-2017 Mainstage Season With the Timeless and Touching THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK

CSC_Anne Frank 1

Courtney Lucien as Anne Frank. Photo by Mikki Schaffner Photography.

Cincinnati Shakespeare’s last mainstage season on Race Street opens with an adaptation of the story of this extraordinary young woman. 

CINCINNATI, Aug. 16, 2016 – Cincinnati Shakespeare Company officially opens its 2016-2017 mainstage season with THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, adapted by Wendy Kesselman from the play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, based on “The Diary of A Young Girl” by Anne Frank.  This production, playing September 9 – October 1, 2016, is directed by Jeremy Dubin, Artistic Associate at Cincinnati Shakespeare, and features Courtney Lucien, last seen on Cincinnati Shakespeare’s stage in the titular role in last season’s smash hit Emma. This production is generously sponsored by Macys, Raymond James, and Oswald. The season is sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation, ArtsWave, and the Ohio Arts Council. 

In a tiny attic in Amsterdam in 1944, two families of Jewish refugees hide in silence from the Nazi Regime below.  Unable to speak for fear of being discovered, the young Anne Frank (Courtney Lucien) tells her story by writing in her diary. THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK is a harrowingly intimate view of history’s greatest atrocity as seen through the eyes of one extraordinary young girl.  The chronicle of her family’s experience endures as both a condemning indictment of man’s capacity for cruelty and a celebration of the resilience of the human spirit.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company has partnered with the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education located in Cincinnati to bring in local survivors of the Holocaust as speakers during the run of this production. They will speak before the production on Saturday Sep. 10 (approx. 6:30pm) and after on Sunday Sep. 18 (approx. 4:30pm). These events are free and open to all THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK ticket holders.

The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education educates about the Holocaust, remembers its victims and acts on its lessons. Through innovative programs and partnerships, CHHE challenges injustice, inhumanity and prejudice, and fosters understanding, inclusion and engaged citizenship. Resources include traveling and permanent exhibits, teacher trainings, and innovative programs. The Center is located on the campus of Rockwern Academy in Cincinnati.

Performances of THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK are scheduled from September 9-October 2016. Thursday, Friday & Saturday evenings at 7:30pm and Sundays at 2pm.  There is no performance on Sunday Sep. 11. Preview performances are on Wednesday Sep. 7 and Thursday Sep. 8 at 7:30pm and tickets are $25.

The theater is located at 719 Race Street, downtown Cincinnati, two blocks west of the Aronoff Center.  Single ticket prices range from $22-$38 on Thursdays and Sundays and from $26-$42 on Fridays and Saturdays.  Previews are $25.  If available, $14 student rush tickets may be purchased one hour before a show with a valid student ID.  This production is a part of this season’s subscription package. Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted.  Ticketing fees may apply.  Discounts are available for students, seniors and groups as well as AAA members.  To purchase tickets or for more information, call the CSC Box Office at 513.381.BARD (2273) ext. 1, or go online at http://www.cincyshakes.com.

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 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 http://www.cincyshakes.com.

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August 16, 2016 · 6:51 am

RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: The Musical | Fri., Dec. 2 | Aronoff Center

CAA_Rudolph logo“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has taken the country by snowstorm.” – Hartford Courant 

‘TIS THE SEASON FOR RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER
LIVE ON STAGE AT THE ARONOFF CENTER
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2 AT 7:00 PM 

Tickets on sale Friday, August 19 at 10:00 AM 

Touring Musical is Stage Adaptation of CBS’ Highest-Rated Christmas Special of All Time

CINCINNATI – Monday, August 15, 2016 – 35 Concerts is pleased to announce that a return engagement of the “most famous reindeer of all” from the longest-running and highest-rated holiday television special will be live on stage with the critically-acclaimed Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical (www.rudolphthemusical.com).  The family favorite will play the Aronoff Center on Friday, December 2 at 7:00 PM for one performance only. Following two successful years of touring North America, the world’s most famous reindeer and a holly jolly cast of iconic characters, including Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius, and the Abominable Snow Monster will help Santa save Christmas during three North American tours visiting more than 50 cities this holiday season. The national tour — a “holiday staple” (The Boston Globe) and an “utterly charming, top-notch production” (Orlando Sentinel) – kicks off November 14.  Tickets go on sale Friday, August 19 at 10:00 AM and are available at CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS, or the Aronoff Center Ticket Office.

In 1964, the beloved stop-motion animated television classic, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, made its network television debut, delighting audiences across the country. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical is rapidly becoming a tradition for generations of children and adults, and we are so excited to bring the show to fans in Cincinnati,” says producing partner Jonathan Flom.

Projections, costumes, and characters will be faithfully brought to the stage against a backdrop of nostalgic set designs. The cast brings high energy to classic songs and dialogue, while irresistible and loveable puppets highlight the charming “roughness” from the television show’s stop-motion effects. Flom says, “We address all of the familiar story elements from the television special with a talented cast and puppeteers who help recreate the magic on stage. Since the special itself is a classic musical, the stage show does not feel at all like an adaptation and audiences are surprised and delighted when they hear full performances of additional iconic songs associated with the TV special, such as “Fame and Fortune” and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”

The story tells the tale of a young Rudolph who, because of the appearance of his bright, shining nose, is excluded from the Reindeer Games. He flees Christmastown and meets up with new friends Hermey the Elf and Yukon Cornelius.  After finding The Island of Misfit Toys, Rudolph journeys home, where a snowstorm of epic proportions is threatening Christmas. Can Rudolph rescue his family and friends and help Santa save the holiday?

Rudolph’s partnership with PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center continues this year. A new illustrated storybook, T.E.A.M. Rudolph and the Reindeer Games, will be available this year only at the stage show performances and other locations where Rudolph is appearing, such as at theme parks, zoos, aquariums, and science centers. A portion of the proceeds from all sales of the books will be donated to PACER.

For more information, visit www.rudolphthemusical.com. 

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical is produced by Right Angle Entertainment, Iconic Entertainment Studios and Premiere Producers LLC.

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August 16, 2016 · 6:35 am

OTRimprov presents the 3rd Annual Improv Festival of Cincinnati (IF Cincy)

You’re going to want to be there when IF Happens

IF_logo 2016Cincinnati’s OTRimprov proudly presents the Third Annual Improv Festival of Cincinnati (IF Cincy). This year’s Festival features improvisors from Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Portland (OR), Minneapolis, Louisville, and Cincinnati. The festival runs September 6-11, 2016 at Know Theatre of Cincinnati in Over-the-Rhine. If Cincy is excited to expand this year’s Festival with an episode of the Improv Yak Podcast on Tuesday September 6 and an additional performance night on Wednesday September 7.

Craig Cackowski, known for his roles on Community, Veep, and Drunk History as well as earning three Del Close Teacher of the Year awards at iO West in Los Angeles, and Amber Nash known for her role as the voice of Pam Poovey on the hit animated show Archer and her work with Dad’s Garage, Atlanta’s Best Improv Theater for the last 15 years, are in two of our headlining troupes, Orange Tuxedo and Fun Bags, respectively.

Produced in partnership with Know Theatre of Cincinnati’s Jackson Street Market, IF Cincy has also benefitted from the support of business sponsors and individuals willing to support the festival through crowdfunding. IF Cincy marks the sixth anniversary of OTRimprov, a group of dedicated improvisors who created the strong improv community in Cincinnati while winning Best Improv Troupe in Cincinnati for 2015 and 2016.

Local troupes performing are Basement Dwellers, Coincidence Improv, Don’t Tell Anna, Highly Improvable, Killer B’s, The Middle Child, OTRnext, Portals to Possibility, and What It Ain’t.

National improv performers traveling to Cincinnati are B&B (Portland, OR), Bearded Men (Minneapolis, MN), Damaged Goods (Louisville, KY), Devil’s Daughter (Chicago, IL), Fun Bags (Atlanta, GA), Human Amusements (Detroit, MI), The Improvised Sondheim Project (Chicago, IL), The League of Pointless Improvisors (Ann Arbor, MI), Orange Tuxedo (Los Angeles, CA),  and Shade (Chicago, IL).

Many of the performers taking the stage in the evening will also be hosting workshops for experienced and beginner improvisors, giving Cincinnatians an opportunity to learn alongside the impressive visiting national talent. Workshops will be offered by Megan Leahy & Leslie Sharp (Fun Bags), The Improvised Sondheim Project, and Craig & Carla Cackowski (Orange Tuxedo). In addition, for the first time OTRimprov will be offering a workshop focused on teen improvisors in the Cincinnati area.

“For our third year, we wanted to raise the bar with a bigger and bolder IF Cincy,” says Kat Smith, co-director of OTRimprov. “In addition to top-notch improv troupes from all over the country, we’re adding another night to accommodate more local troupes from the ever-expanding Cincinnati improv scene. Our workshops this year include a musical improv workshop and a teen-focused workshop.” Smith continues, “Six years ago, you would have been hard-pressed to find a monthly improv show in Cincinnati. Today, there are multiple shows a month at venues across the city. Thanks to the efforts of this small but mighty community, we continue to build a thriving improv scene here and IF Cincy lets people know improv is here to stay!”

The All Access Pass allows entry to all five evenings, Tuesday – Saturday, for $90, the Weekend Pass covers Friday and Saturday evening’s performances for $70, and a One Night Pass is available for entry on either Friday or Saturday evening for $35.

Single tickets are $5 each for the Tuesday September 7th Improv Yak Podcast performance, $10 for Wednesday evening, and $20 for Thursday – Saturday’s performances.

 The Basics:

Who: OTRimprov presents
What: Improv Festival of Cincinnati (IF Cincy)
Where: Know Theatre of Cincinnati, 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Featuring: Improv artists from Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Portland (OR), Minneapolis, Louisville, and right here in Cincinnati.
Tickets: http://www.ifcincy.com
How Much: Single tickets (Tuesday) $5, Wednesday ($10) (Thursday-Saturday): $20, All Access Pass: $90, Weekend Pass: $70, One Night Pass: $35 (Friday & Saturday only).

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August 12, 2016 · 7:10 am

The Drama Workshop is a Very Busy Place

TDW_Glenmore Playhouse ext(Cheviot, OH) The Drama Workshop continues to work at a break-neck pace bringing great theatre to Cincinnati’s West Side. The historic brick building at the corner of Glenmore and Gamble in the heart of Cheviot is buzzing with activity nearly every night.

In addition to its ongoing run of the classic comedy, “Noises Off”, continuing through August 28, TDW is holding auditions for two upcoming productions, rehearsing a third, and preparing to participate in the Ohio Community Theatre Association State Festival.

The Drama Workshop will be holding auditions for selected roles in the holiday musical “Nuncrackers” by Dan Goggin on Tuesday 8/16 & Wednesday, 8/17, 7-10 pm at The Glenmore Playhouse. Thursday 8/18 will be reserved for callbacks if needed. Sign up times are required. Those interested are encouraged to sign up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0449a9af23a75-nuncrackers.

The performance dates for “Nuncrackers” are December 2 – 18, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM, Sundays at 2:00 PM. Additional dates may be added.

Open auditions for the classic Neil Simon comedy “The Odd Couple” will be held on Wednesday, August 17 and Sunday, August 21.  Doors will open at 6:30pm, and auditions will begin promptly at 7pm. Actors are asked to bring a resume and headshot, and will audition in groups. Auditions will run no later than 9 pm, and may end earlier. The director is seeking eight actors. Needed are 6 men (ages 40 to 60) and 2 women (ages late 20s-early 30s). Performers of all ethnic and racial backgrounds are encouraged to audition.

Show dates for “The Odd Couple” are February 24, 2017 through March 12, 2017. Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 pm, Sunday afternoon at 2 pm.

Rehearsals for TDW’s next show, James Goldman’s “The Lion in Winter,” have also begun. This tale of intrigue takes place in the court of England at Christmas 1183 – as King Henry tries to ensure his kingdom’s survival, his three feuding sons, the scheming Queen Eleanor, and the opportunistic King of France all want a piece of it. Also a classic feature film starring Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn, TDW’s production of “The Lion in Winter” opens on October 7 and runs through October 23.

Finally, TDW is deep in preparations to participate in the Ohio Community Theatre Association State Festival. This festival includes theatre groups from all over the state, and will take place in Independence, Ohio, over Labor Day weekend. TDW was selected as one of three invitees from the Cincinnati area to perform an excerpt of last season’s award-winning farce, “Unnecessary Farce”. This festival also serves as the Ohio competition to participate in the national-level American Association of Community Theatres play festival.

To order tickets to any upcoming production, please either order online at www.thedramaworkshop.org, or via the 24/7 ticket line at 513.598.8303. All auditions and performances are at The Glenmore Playhouse, 3716 Glenmore Ave, Cheviot, 45211.

TDW is open to all people who are interested in theatre, and no skill is required. There is activity at the playhouse most weekends. For more information on how to get involved in this vibrant community organization, please contact TDW through the ticket line, via the website, or on Facebook.

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August 10, 2016 · 1:19 pm

2017 Summer Classics Season Announced for Warsaw Federal Incline Theater

Third Summer Looks to Continue Growth with Classic Titles

WFIT_Sign at nightCincinnati Landmark Productions announced today its third Summer Classics Season at the region’s newest performing arts venue.

The 2017 Summer Classics Season, presented by TriHealth, includes:

  • DAMN YANKEES, May 24 – June 18
  • BLITHE SPIRIT, June 28 – July 23
  • THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, August 2-27

Each production in the 2017 Summer Classics Season runs for four weeks (Wednesday to Sunday). The theater expanded production runs from three weeks to four in 2016 to accommodate high ticket demand.

“We opened the theater to 45 straight sell-outs in the Summer Classics Season in 2015, serving over 10,000 patrons,” said Tim Perrino, Executive Artistic Director of Cincinnati Landmark Productions. “This summer we’ve already sold over 11,500 tickets. We’re delighted with the community support for this season and look forward to building on that and growing in 2017 with these wonderful titles.”

The Warsaw Federal Incline Theater 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 opened on June 3, 2015.

Subscriptions for the 2017 Summer Classics Season – only $72 – are now on sale. Subscribers to the 2016 Summer Classics Season have their seats held for renewal until March 10, 2017. All seats not renewed by that time will be released. Tickets to individual shows go on sale on April 17, 2017.

The Warsaw Federal Incline Theater is programmed year-round by Cincinnati Landmark Productions, culminating in over 120 show nights. In addition to the Summer Classics Season, the venue will host the four-show District Series season (September to May) designed to complement the Marquee season at the Covedale Center.

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 37,000 (representing over 300 zip codes) in the 2015-16 season.

For more information about the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater, visit www.warsawfederalinclinetheater.com or call (513) 241-6550.

# # #
More about the 2017 Summer Classics Season
at the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater:

DAMN YANKEES
May 24 – June 18, 2017
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Ross and Richard Adler; Book by Douglass Walop and George Abbott; Based on the novel “The Year The Yankees Lost the Pennant” by Douglass Wallop

Middle-aged baseball fanatic Joe Boyd trades his soul to the Devil, for a chance to lead his favorite team to victory in the pennant race against the New York Yankees. Transformed into young baseball sensation Joe Hardy, he leads the hapless Washington Senators to the final game for the pennant, only to realize the true worth of the life he’s left behind. Light, fast-paced and devilishly clever, Damn Yankees is a home-run hit featuring all-American subject matter and an irreverent sense of humor. Featuring classic songs like “Whatever Lola Wants (Lola Gets!),” “You Gotta Have Heart” and “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO”, Damn Yankees is a wicked, romantic comedy – winner of 7 Tony Awards including Best Musical.

BLITHE SPIRIT
June 28 – July 23, 2017
Book by Noël Coward

The smash comedy hit of the London and Broadway stages concerns the socialite and novelist Charles Condomine, who invites the eccentric medium and clairvoyant, Madame Arcati, to his house to conduct a séance, hoping to gather material for his next book. The scheme backfires when she calls up the ghost of his annoying and temperamental first wife, Elvira! Elvira then hilariously haunts Charles’s marriage second wife, Ruth, who cannot see or hear the ghost! As things go wildly out of control, Charles will do anything to restore order in this world – and the next! The 2009 Broadway production won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival of a Play – and the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress: Angela Lansbury.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE
August 2 – 27, 2017
Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison; Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar

The Drowsy Chaperone is a loving send-up of the Jazz age musical featuring one show-stopping song and dance number after another. With the houselights down, a man in a chair appears on stage and puts on his favorite record: the cast recording of a fictitious 1928 musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. The show comes to life on stage as the man guides the audience through crazy plot and characters: two lovers on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theatre producer, a not so bright hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan and an intoxicated chaperone – all mixed up in an evening of madcap delight. Featuring great songs like “I Don’t Wanna Show Off,” “Cold Feets” and “As we Stumble Along,” The Drowsy Chaperone is the winner of 5 Tony Awards (including Best Book and Best Original Score).

About Cincinnati Landmark Productions
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 37,000 (representing over 300 zip codes) in the 2015-16 season.

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