Category Archives: Press Releases

Know Theatre of Cincinnati Opens the 24/25 Season with CAMP SIEGFRIED by Bess Wohl

This love story based on true events runs September 13–28, 2024

The Know Theatre of Cincinnati opens its 27th Season with a new play about the terrifying allure of fascism.

CAMP SIEGFRIED by Bess Wohl tells the story of two young Americans who fall in love at Summer Camp while slowly being indoctrinated by the political right. Called “thoughtful” and “disturbing” by the New York Times, this Regional Premiere runs September 13–28, 2024. Production sponsored by the Morse & Betty Johnson Foundation. Directed by Bridget Leak.

“She” is the newcomer at camp, and “He” is a longtime camper showing her the ropes. They are both golden. There is dancing, and beer, and swimming and archery, the twinkle of fairy lights and the spark of romance. It’s 1938, and the world is on the brink of war when two young, idealistic Americans meet and fall in love at Camp Siegfried, a wholesome Long Island summer camp exclusively for American youth of German descent.

“This play is so beautifully written,” says Producing Artistic Director Bridget Leak. “It’s a love story and a political story which is a perfect intersection of what I think makes theatre so incredibly powerful. CAMP SIEGFRIED is for anyone who is excited or interested in where we could be headed as a country; it shows ways in which young people become involved and get excited about seeing change in the world and it also shows the flipside of that: the ways in which people are passing along hatred and creating an unsafe world. This play captures the experience of being caught up in a movement that seems exciting while not realizing how dangerous it might be.”

About the Cast
Katie Scarlett (Her)
Aaron Schilling (Him)

Production Team:
Danielle Robison (Scenic Designer), Marly Wooster (Lighting Designer), Noelle Wedig-Johnston (Costume Designer), Doug Borntrager (Sound & Projection Designer), E. Carr (Intimacy Choreographer), Ri Moodie (Fight Choreographer), and Drew Homan (Technical Director.) Production Stage Manager is Grace Wohlschlegel.

Performance Information
CAMP SIEGFRIED runs September 13–28, 2024
Know Theatre of Cincinnati, 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
All evening performances are at 7:30pm, matinee performances are at 2pm.
ASL-interpretation on Friday, September 27th at 7:30pm
Industry Night: Monday, September 23rd at 7:30pm

Ticket Information

  • Mainstage Subscription : $250
    • Grants one ticket for each MainStage production plus entry to all five Serials! performances. Subscribers also receive discounted drink prices, a MainStage ticket for one guest and discounted ticket prices for guests.
  • “Under 35” Subscription: $100
    • One entry to each MainStage show (must show ID to qualify)
  • Flex Pass : $120
    • Four MainStage tickets in any combination ($160 value)
  • Single tickets : $38
  • Welcome Wednesdays: Each Wednesday during a MainStage production we offer Free Walk-Up tickets and $15 advance reservation tickets. Welcome Wednesday Sponsors are Joe & Norah Mock of Cutler Real Estate.

We are Know Theatre of Cincinnati: where artists and audiences can come together to produce and experience work that you haven’t seen before. We strive to build a community around viscerally theatrical, exciting new works.

The 22nd Annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival is made possible by a generous partnership with our neighbor the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

Know Theatre is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding 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 Greater Cincinnati Foundation, which provides a simple, powerful, and highly personal approach to giving.

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

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Middletown Lyric Theatre To Close After 2024 Season

Dear Followers and Friends

Recently we informed our Donors & Season Ticket Holders that at the end of this season Middletown Lyric Theatre will close its doors. We cannot begin to thank them enough as well as our volunteers and performers for the past 16 years of support at 1530 Central Avenue.
Since its inception, 46 years ago, M.L.T. has been a mainstay in downtown Middletown. We have participated in more community events than we can count and have witnessed the losses of a once thriving “arts community.” Gone are Middletown Summer Youth Theatre, The Middletown Symphony Orchestra, Middletown Youth Symphony, the High Fever Follies, the Tri-Arts Festival, The SORG Opera Company and of course MidFest; the city-wide celebration of art & culture. These organizations and events played a vital and integral role in the social and economic development of Middletown.

However, times change and so do communities and once again it is time to change. It is the goal of the M.L.T. Board of Directors, to draw on its supporters, volunteers and participants for new ideas on how to reimagine, our theatre company, so that it can better serve the greater Middletown community as well as continue to contribute to the arts communities of Greater Dayton & Cincinnati.

So, until that “new day” arrives we hope we will see you at the theatre for our final two productions, THE GLASS MENAGERIE in September and THE THANKSGIVING PLAY in November.

On behalf of everyone associated with Middletown Lyric Theatre
THANK YOU

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First Financial Bank Announces Title Sponsorship of Broadway in Cincinnati Series at the Aronoff Center 

Cincinnati, OH – August 28, 2024 – First Financial Bank (Nasdaq: FFBC) has extended its support of arts and culture in Greater Cincinnati with the announcement a new 5-year title sponsorship with the Broadway in Cincinnati Series at the Aronoff Center, starting with the performances of Mamma Mia! from September 3-15 to kick off the 2024-2025 season.

“First Financial and our associates are excited to step into the spotlight through our new relationship with Broadway in Cincinnati,” said Archie Brown, president and CEO, First Financial Bank. “As proudly local bankers and neighbors, we understand how Greater Cincinnati’s world-class entertainment options make our headquarters city a more attractive place to live. We’re eager to settle in and enjoy as the curtain goes up on a great lineup of shows.”

The 2024-25 season runs from September-May and will also feature Funny Girl, Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Kimberly Akimbo, Come From Away, & Juliet and A Beautiful Noise.

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome First Financial Bank to the Broadway in Cincinnati family,” said Genevieve Holt, vice president Midwest for Broadway Across America. “First Financial Bank’s support of our series will help us continue to bring top-quality musicals and plays direct from New York City to the Queen City. As Cincinnati’s connection to all things Broadway, we are grateful for First Financial Bank’s incredible commitment to making Cincinnati a vibrant place to be, one showtune at a time.”

More information about the series is available at BroadwayInCincinnati.com.

Sponsorship of Broadway in Cincinnati builds upon First Financial’s support of some of the highest profile arts and culture events planned in the region. Earlier this year, First Financial agreed to become the title sponsor of America’s River Roots, a celebration of cuisine, music and culture on the Cincinnati riverfront in 2025 to mark American’s 250th Anniversary. In recent years, the First Financial Foundation has also provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to communities throughout its footprint, directed to culture and the arts, plus neighborhood development and workforce development and education.

About First Financial Bancorp
First Financial Bancorp. is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank holding company. As of June 30, 2024, the Company had $18.2 billion in assets, $11.5 billion in loans, $13.7 billion in deposits and $2.3 billion in shareholders’ equity. The Company’s subsidiary, First Financial Bank, founded in 1863, provides banking and financial services products through its six lines of business: Commercial, Retail Banking, Investment Commercial Real Estate, Mortgage Banking, Commercial Finance and Wealth Management. These business units provide traditional banking services to business and retail clients. Wealth Management provides wealth planning, portfolio management, trust and estate, brokerage and retirement plan services and had approximately $3.6 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2024. The Company operated 131 full service banking centers as of June 30, 2024, located in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Illinois, while the Commercial Finance business lends into targeted industry verticals on a nationwide basis. Additional information about the Company, including its products, services and banking locations, is available at www.bankatfirst.com.

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TCT Presents Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR. This October

“A Tale as Old as Time…” 

Cincinnati – The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s 24-25 Farewell MainStage Season at the Taft Theatre opens with a dazzling, brand-new production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR. October 12-21, 2024. Tickets are on sale now at www.thechildrenstheatre.com. This is the company’s last season at the Taft Theatre before opening the reimagined Emery Theater in October 2025.

Based on the original Tony Award-nominated Broadway production that ran for over thirteen years and the Academy Award-winning motion picture, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR. is a fantastic adaptation of the story of transformation and tolerance. The show features some of the most popular songs ever written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, along with new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice. Book by Linda Woolverton. Originally Directed by Robert Jess Roth. Originally Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions.

The classic story tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, a young prince trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end, and he will transform into his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity.

TCT’s production will be directed by TCT’s Associate Artistic Director, Maddie Jones, and choreographed by Artistic Director Roderick Justice.

Ideal for ages 4+. This production runs approximately an hour without intermission.

Public Showtimes include:

  • Saturday, October 12 at 2 PM
  • Saturday, October 12 at 5 PM
  • Sunday, October 13 at 2 PM
  • Friday, October 18 at 7 PM
  • Saturday, October 19 at 11 AM
  • Saturday, October 19 at 2 PM
  • Sunday, October 20 at 2 PM

Accessible Performance:

  • Saturday, October 12 at 2 PM

Additionally, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati presents eight additional performances of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR for school students, including an exclusive homeschool performance. Tickets are $10 per student, with one free adult admission for every 15 students. Call Pam Young at 513-569-8080 ext. 13 for details. Free proficiency test-focused Study Guides are available starting September 3 online at www.thechildrenstheatre.com.

TCT last produced Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR. in 2009 and 2014, and the new 2024 production will feature a fresh concept with an interesting twist for the “tale as old as time”

Puppets designed and provided by Kevin Frisch and The Frisch Marionette Company. 

Dani Lobello, Director of Production and Sound Designer. Tyler Gabbard, Scenic Designer. Ben Gantose, Lighting Designer. Noelle Wedig, Costume Designer. Maggie Foley & Andrew Nunley, Technical Direction. Adam Borchers, Properties Supervisor. Jadi Davis, Production Stage Manager.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR. is made possible by Dress Run Sponsor TriHealth, Production Sponsor The Summit Hotel, and Season Sponsor The Charles H. Dater Foundation. PNC Foundation provides additional funding for MainStage Ticket Subsidies. Additional Sponsors include The Sutphin Family Foundation, Ohio Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, and The Shubert Foundation INC.

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati is supported by the tens of thousands who generously give to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this program with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s Broadway-style MainStage productions, including Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR., are performed in the historic Taft Theatre, 5th and Sycamore Streets in Downtown Cincinnati. Tickets start at $12. Visit thechildrenstheatre.com or call the TCT Box Office at 513.569.8080 x10, Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM to purchase tickets.

CAST

  • JUDE ABELLA…Ensemble
  • LENA ANDREWS….Mrs. Potts
  • KATE BAUER…Ensemble
  • JUNO BROSAS…..Belle
  • *BRINLEY CULVER….Ensemble
  • EDRICO EVANS-PRITCHETT……Ensemble
  • *AVERY FOX….Silly Girl 3, Ensemble
  • JOSH GALLOWAY….Lefou
  • JONATHAN HOBBS…Ensemble
  • MAX HUNKLER… Monsieur D’arque/Ensemble
  • JAMES JONES…Lumiere
  • EVAN KOONS….Gaston
  • ETHAN KUCHTA….Beast/Prince
  • *CLAIRE LONG…Ensemble
  • *ELLI MADDOCK….Silly Girl 1, Ensemble
  • CASEY MERREN…Babette/Milk Maid
  • AUSTIN MILLS….Ensemble
  • BOBBY MONTANIZ….Maurice
  • GABRIEL KANAI NAKATA…Cogsworth
  • ANTHONY NOCERO…Ensemble
  • *PARKER PATTON…Chip
  • *KIP RICHARDSON…Ensemble
  • AVERY SHERMAN…Ensemble
  • COLTON SLADE….Ensemble
  • MADELINE STERN…Wardrobe/Ensemble
  • KARI KEELER STEWART…Ensemble
  • CYNSERE STEVENS…Ensemble
  • *LISA TAKAHASHI…Ensemble
  • *KEYA VADIVELU…Silly Girl 2, Ensemble
  • *MIA ZINK…ENSEMBLE

Understudies
For Cogsworth and Lefou: Jude Abella; for Beast and Gaston: Jonathan Hobbs; for Belle: Elli Maddock; for Mrs. Potts: Claire Long; for Wardrobe: Kari Keeler Stewart; for Monsieur D’Arque and Maurice: Cynsere Stevens; for Chip: Lisa Takahashi; for Babette and Silly Girl: Mia Zink

*Denotes TCT’s Young Artists Company 

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast JR. is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

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SCHOOLHOUSE to Rock Mason Community Players

Mason Community Players is going to rock the house … the “school” house … in its Fall production of SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE!

More than 40 performers, both cast and musicians, will bring back to life the familiar tunes that burst into homes across the nation from 1973 to 1985. Time to immerse yourself in grammar, math, science, and history in a unique and upbeat way. Revisit these childhood memories once again or come find out why Schoolhouse Rock was so popular and how it taught a generation that “learning is power.”

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE! takeS the stage September 6, 7, 12, 13, and 14 at 7:30pm and September 8 at 2:00pm at the Mason Community Playhouse, 5529 Mason Rd, Mason, OH 45040.

The show is produced by Mary Stan Fizer, directed by Laureen Catlin, assistant directed by Deb Davidson, and stage managed by Dana Davis. Lara Gonzalez is the show’s music director.

Tickets are on sale now at https://www.masonplayers.org/j30/index.php?view=article&id=20&catid=2.

Don’t miss your chance to rock the schoolhouse all night long!

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