Category Archives: Press Releases

July 13, 2015 · 3:49 pm

C.S Lewis’ THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS | Oct. 17-18 | Aronoff Center – Jarson-Kaplan Theater |

THE SMASH HIT PRODUCTION OF
CAA_The Screwtape Leters logoRETURNS TO CINCINNATI BY POPULAR DEMAND

Brent Harris as Screwtape.

Brent Harris as Screwtape.

CINCINNATI, OH  – THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, the provocative and wickedly funny theatrical adaptation of the C.S. Lewis novel about spiritual warfare from a demon’s point of view, returns by popular demand  to Cincinnati for four performances at the  Aronoff Center’s intimate Jarson-Kaplan Theater on  Saturday, October 17 at 4:00 PM & 8:00 PM and Sunday, October 18 at 2:00 PM & 7:00PM. The show is part of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s 2015-16 Season, celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Aronoff Center; CAA’s full season will be announced at a later date.

Tickets go on sale Friday, July 17 at 10:00 AM at http://www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office.  Group discount tickets for 10 or more are available at (513) 977-4157.

The National Tour of THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS kicked off after a hit nine-month run at the Westside Theatre in New York City where it entertained 50,000 theatergoers.  Prior to that, THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS was a sold-out hit in Chicago and Washington D. C. where it ran for a combined eight months.

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS’ National Tour has delighted capacity audiences in 50 major cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Salt Lake City, Orlando, Seattle, Dallas, and Houston. Over 400,000 people have seen this production on tour, which continues to attract a national following.

Associated Press calls THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS “Devilishly funny!”; The Chicago Sun-Times hails the production as “Smart, sizzling entertainment!”; The Boston Globe raves that it is “Engrossing and Entertaining!”; and The Chicago Tribune says THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS is “Very smart…richly rewarding…exuberant theatricality!”

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS creates a topsy-turvy morally inverted universe set in an eerily stylish office in hell, where God is called the “Enemy” and the Devil is referred to as “Our Father Below.”  The play follows His Abysmal Sublimity Screwtape, Satan’s top psychiatrist (due to his profound understanding of human nature), and his slavish creature-demon Toadpipe, as they train an apprentice demon, Wormwood, on how to ruin the life and damn the soul of an unsuspecting human on earth.  Screwtape is played by award-winning actor, Brent Harris.

Along with The Chronicles of Narnia (including The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe), The Great Divorce, and Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters is still one of Lewis’ most popular and influential works.  The book’s piercing insight into human nature and the lucid and humorous way Lewis makes his readers squirm in self-recognition made it an immediate success.  When first published in 1942, it brought worldwide fame to this little-known Oxford don, including the cover of Time magazine.

The idea for Screwtape first came to Lewis after listening to Hitler’s Reichstag Speech on July 19, 1940, while it was simultaneously translated on BBC Radio.  Lewis wrote: “I don’t know if I’m weaker than other people, but it is a positive revelation to me how while the speech lasts it is impossible not to waver just a little… Statements which I know to be untrue all but convince me…if only the man says them unflinchingly.”

Lewis dedicated it to his close friend J. R. R. Tolkien, who had expressed to Lewis that delving too deeply into the craft of evil would have consequences.  Lewis admitted as much when he wrote: “Though I had never written anything more easily, I never wrote with less enjoyment . . . though it was easy to twist one’s mind into the diabolical attitude, it was not fun, or not for long. The work into which I had to project myself while I spoke through Screwtape was all dust, grit, thirst, and itch. Every trace of beauty, freshness, and geniality had to be excluded.”

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS is produced by New York City based Fellowship for Performing Arts. Max McLean serves as Artistic Director.  Executive Producer and General Manager is Ken Denison of Aruba Productions. Scenic Design is by Cameron Anderson, Costumes by Michael Bevins, Lighting Design by Jesse Klug, and Original Music and Sound Design by John Gromada.

“Clever and Satirical” -The New York Times

“One Hell of a Good Show” -The Wall Street Journal

“Pure Genius” – National Review

“A Profound Experience” – Christianity Today

CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION SPONSORS

SEASON SPONSORS:  AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), FIFTH THIRD BANK (Lifetime Endowment Partner), FURNITURE FAIR, LOCAL12 WKRC, TheP&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:  21C Museum Hotel, The Berry Company, Cincinnati Herald, CityBeat, Garfield Suites Hotel, Heidelberg Distributing, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Pepsi, Skyline Chili, TriHealth, Ultimate Air Shuttle

Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of the Tri-state’s finest performing arts venues – the Aronoff Center for the Arts and Music Hall – and is dedicated to supporting performing and visual arts. Each year, CAA presents a diverse schedule of events; serves upwards of 600,000 people in its venues; features the work of talented local, regional, and national artists in the Weston Art Gallery (located in the Aronoff Center); and supports the work of more than one dozen resident companies. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than 1.3 million students.

For more information, visit www.CincinnatiArts.org.

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CALENDAR INFORMATION

WHAT:                 C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters

WHEN:                 Saturday, October 17 – 4:00 PM & 8:00 PM

Sunday, October 18 – 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM

WHERE:               Aronoff Center for the Arts – Jarson-Kaplan Theater

PRICES:                 $58 • $46

INFO:                    The Screwtape Letters creates a topsy-turvy morally inverted universe set in an eerily stylish office in hell, where God is called the “Enemy” and the Devil is referred to as “Our Father Below.”  The National Tour of The Screwtape Letters kicked off after a hit nine-month run at the Westside Theatre in New York City where it entertained 50,000 theatergoers.  Prior to that, The Screwtape Letters was a sold-out hit in Chicago and Washington D. C. where it ran for a combined eight months.

TICKET INFORMATION – on sale Friday, July 17 at 10:00 AM

  • www.CincinnatiArts.org
  • (513) 621-ARTS [2787]
  • Aronoff Center Ticket Office
  • Group sales (10 or more): (513) 977-4157

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July 13, 2015 · 2:18 pm

Single Tickets on Sale Aug. 3 for 2015-2016 Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Season

TICKETS ON SALE AUG. 3 FOR SOARING, CAPTIVATING 2015-16 SEASON
AT CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK

PIP(CINCINNATI) – Single tickets for all of Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s 2015-16 season productions will go on sale Monday, Aug. 3. This includes tickets for the Playhouse’s beloved annual holiday classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL, presented by U.S. Bank, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Ohio’s only two-time Tony Award-winning theatre boasts a national reputation for excellence, bringing the same actors, directors and designers seen on Broadway, off-Broadway and at other leading professional theatres across the country to Cincinnati’s beautiful Eden Park. A Playhouse season offers something for everyone, from world premieres and classics to musicals, contemporary theatre and Broadway hits. The 56th season features:

  • The soaring, heartwarming season-opener THE SECRET GARDEN, based on one of literature’s most popular family classics by Frances Hodgson Burnett, won three Tony Awards on Broadway. The enchanting musical, with book and lyrics by Marsha Norman and music by Lucy Simon, appeals to audiences of all ages.
  • Christopher Sergel’s sweeping adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning, timeless tale of innocence lost and honor found, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.
  • Two world premiere comedies – NATIVE GARDENS, a tale of neighbors clashing over gardens and cultures by Karen Zacarías, author ofThe Book Club Play; and Lauren Gunderson’s THE REVOLUTIONISTS, set during the French Revolution and featuring four beautiful, badass women who attempt to change the world.
  • MAD RIVER RISING by Dana Yeaton, a captivating and poignant drama that explores the themes of family responsibility and legacy through the eyes of 85-year-old patriarch Angus Stewart.
  • SATCHEL PAIGE AND THE KANSAS CITY SWING, from Fly! creators Trey Ellis and Ricardo Khan, a jazz-infused drama of America on the brink of great change on and off the baseball diamond.
  • Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman’s LOW DOWN DIRTY BLUES, a celebratory tribute to America’s great blues music tradition.
  • Three provocative contemporary plays in the Thompson Shelterhouse, including the return of Theresa Rebeck’s wildly popular comedy BAD DATES.

All Marx Theatre price zones are available in the lower level, with individual tickets starting at just $35. Returning this season is the popular Sunday College Night, with tickets to all 7 p.m. Sunday performances (not including A Christmas Carol) priced at just $10 with a valid student ID. Student tickets are just $15 on the day of the show for all other performances.

Discounted ticket prices for children and teens are available for all productions — $30 and $45, depending on seat location. Visit our website for content and age advisories for each show.

Patrons also can subscribe to all five Marx Theatre or five Thompson Shelterhouse productions for as little as $157.50 or build their own series of four or more shows from either theatre.

To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800-582-3208) or visit www.cincyplay.com. Call 513-345-2248 for Telecommunications Device for the Deaf accessibility.

The 2015-16 season is presented by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation and Heidelberg Distributing Company. The season sponsor of new work is the Lois and Richard Rosenthal Foundation. The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs and complete wheelchair access are available.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of the community contributors to the ArtsWave 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.

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July 13, 2015 · 1:38 pm

Know Theatre Launches 18th MainStage Season with The Bengsons’ HUNDRED DAYS‏

KNOW THEATRE LAUNCHES ITS 18th MAINSTAGE SEASON WITH
THE BENGSONS’
Hundred Days
a z space and piece by piece production
Directed by Anne Kauffman

KTC_Hunderd Days logoAn alt folk opera written by and starring husband and wife duo Shaun and Abigail Bengson, Hundred Days is the fierce, triumphant story of a young couple who fall in love, only to have their time together cut short by a fatal illness. With the brash intensity of youth, they decide to try and live the 100 days they have left together as though it were the 60 years they had imagined they would have.

Know Theatre is thrilled to be a part of the next stage in the development of a wildly inventive new musical/opera/theatre/concert hybrid that blends the simple magic of storytelling with a no-holds-barred concert, directed by 2 time Obie Award Winner Anne Kauffman and featuring choreography by Emmy nominated Sonya Tayeh (So You Think You Can Dance).

The Bengsons blend soaring vocals, frenetic rhythms and rousing all-join-hands choruses to create new hybrid indie rock/art/theater performances. Their Americana-influenced brand of Indie Rock has won over fans and critics across the country. In Hundred Days they combine their own love story with a work of fiction that challenges us to imagine how we can live each day to the fullest when we know those we love will die.

Shaun and Abigail lead a cast of rockstar local and national performers, most of whom are making their Know Theatre Mainstage debuts.

Cellist Colette Alexander has played on many recordings including the Grammy nominated work of Angelique Kidjo (Oyé), and Sara Bareilles (The Blessed Unrest), and in live performances with artists including Jens Lekman, Josh Groban, and Rachael Yamagata.

Brian Koch is an actor, director and musician who comes to the Know direct from a tour with his band Blitzen Trapper.

Jo Lampert’s extensive resume spans stages around the country, including the premiere of Steven Sater and Serj Tankian’s rock opera Prometheus Bound at A.R.T and touring as a musician with The Tuneyards.

Returning to Know Theatre’s stage is James Creque, previously seen as villain Dr. X in Know’s Season 17 closer Hearts Like Fists.

Rounding out the cast in her Know stage debut is Lindsey Augusta Mercer, co-founder of the Queen City Queer Theatre Collective whose work has also been seen locally at companies such as Diogenes, Concert:Nova, New Edgecliff, and the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.

Know Theatre is also thrilled to partner with Exhale Dance Tribe for the first time since 2006’s Christmas Yet to Come. Four featured Exhale dancers, Sarah Emmons, Katie Farry, Courtney Howard, and Jacob Thoman will be bringing the show’s choreography to life.

Choreographer Sonya Tayeh has also created works for Madonna, Florence and the Machine, Kylie Minogue, and Miley Cyrus. Her stage credits include: Martha Graham Dance Company/Lamentation Variation (Joyce Theatre); The Wild Party (Encores/City Center); Kung Fu (Signature Theatre); Spring Awakening (San Jose Repertory Theatre); Walk for Water (Cirque du Soleil); WAVE, NEXT WAVE, QUARTET; (Los Angeles Ballet); The Root of Me, Endurance To Move, and Battles (Tayeh Dance Company).

Director Anne Kauffman directed the original Hundred Days at ZSpace in 2014. Production highlights include You Got Older with P73, The Nether with MCC, Buzzer with the Public Theater, Somewhere Fun and God’s Ear at Vineyard Theatre; Detroit and Your Mother’s Copy of the Kama Sutra at Playwrights Horizons.

Hundred Days was originally commissioned and produced by Z Space (Lisa Steindler, Artistic Director) and piece by piece productions (Wendy Van Heuvel) in San Francisco, and had its world premiere in in 2014.An earlier version of the story, then called The Proof, was a Cincy Fringe development project in 2014. Know Theatre is so excited to present the next phase of this beautiful, original, piece of theatre.

Cast

  • Colette Alexander
  • Abigail Bengson
  • Shaun Bengson
  • James Creque
  • Brian Koch
  • Jo Lampert*
  • Lindsey Augusta Mercer

*Member of Actor’s Equity Association appearing courtesy of a Special Appearance Agreement.

Featured Dancers

  • Sarah Emmons
  • Katie Farry
  • Courtney Howard
  • Jacob Thoman

Production Team

  • Director – Anne Kauffman
  • Choreographer – Sonya Tayeh
  • Dramaturg – Polly Carl
  • Scenic & Lighting Design – Andrew Hungerford
  • Costume Design – Noelle Wedig
  • Sound & Video Design – Doug Borntrager
  • Design Associate – Sarah Beth Hall
  • Technical Director – Nick Koehlke

Calendar Listing

  • Production:    THE BENGSONS’ HUNDRED DAYS
  • When: July 24th – August 22nd, 2015
    Wednesdays – Saturdays @ 8PM, Sundays @ 3PM
  • Where: Know Theatre of Cincinnati. 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
    In historic Over-the-Rhine.
  •   Tickets:  
    • $25 in advance
    • $10 Rush tickets at the door 10 minutes prior to curtain (when available)
    • FREE performances on Wednesdays, as part of Know Theatre’s Welcome Experiment. Subject to availability; reserved Welcome Experiment tickets must be claimed 15 minutes before the performance or be subject to redistribution.
    •  6 Ticket Flex-Passes are available for $100 and can be used in any combination of patrons and shows for all MainStage and SecondStage programming at Know Theatre.

About Z Space
Z Space is a hub for artists and audiences to revel in the creation, development, and production of outstanding new work. We commission, develop, present and produce a full season of new works from a variety of disciplines including theater, dance, music, performance art, and new media. We foster opportunities around the nation for these works and we engage diverse audiences through direct interactions with the process, the projects, and the artists.

About Exhale Dance Tribe
Exhale Dance Tribe is Cincinnati’s first Contemporary Jazz Dance company, and was named one of “25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine. Exhale celebrates the full range of modern and rhythm-based dance and features diverse, versatile performers. Their programs, performances, and original choreographies speak to the region’s need for expressionistic and multilingual dance rooted in rhythmic language and storytelling. Exhale Dance Tribe shares the exhilarating gift of performing live with adult and young adult professional dancers in the Cincinnati area as well as performances around the U.S. and New Zealand.

About Know Theatre
KNOW THEATRE OF CINCINNATI, now in its 18th season, 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.

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

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July 13, 2015 · 11:40 am

Human Race Launches Its First Festival of New Works, Aug. 7 & 8

THE HUMAN RACE LAUNCHES ITS FIRST FESTIVAL OF NEW WORKS, AUGUST 7 AND 8
Two-day festival presents a combination of five new plays and musicals in development

HRTC_logo(Dayton, OH)—This August, The Human Race Theatre Company begins a new chapter in its commitment to the development of new theatre with its first-ever Festival of New Works. This new festival combines the efforts of The Race’s Musical Theatre Workshops and its Marsha Hanna New Plays Workshops into a unified program. “It allows us to showcase what we do—musicals and plays—at one time of year,” says Human Race President and Artistic Director Kevin Moore. “It’s a better use of our resources and personnel. Plus, it creates a greater, more diverse experience for our audiences.” The 2015 Festival of New Works presents a collection of readings of five scripts—three plays and two musicals—by local, national and international writers. Readings will be held in the 60-seat Caryl D. Philips Creativity Center of The Human Race and The 212-seat Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton.

The 2015 Festival of New Works lineup includes full readings of Have You Ever Played, Dayton?, a play by Robb Willoughby and Mann…and Wife, a musical Douglas J. Cohen and Dan Elish based on Elish’s novel Nine Wives, plus three 30-minute “snapshot” readings of Karen Righter’s play, The Day After Epiphany, Central Park Tango, a musical by Nicky Phillips and Robert Gontier, and Resident Artist Scott Stoney’s adaptation of Some Self-Evident Truths, a play based on the journals of Lucille Wheat and Lois Davies. Open talkbacks with the creative teams follows the readings. The three “snapshot” readings will be presented and ticketed as a group.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL SELECTIONS

Have You Ever Played, Dayton?
Friday, August 7 at 7:00 p.m. in The Caryl D. Philips Creativity Center

Yellow Springs resident Robb Willoughby’s play follows three Broadway “has-beens” who, after having been tricked by a scheming agent, head out-of-town to resurrect their careers and turn “possibly the worst play ever written” into a hit…despite themselves.Dayton? is presented as a full-length table reading directed by Kevin Moore with a seven-member cast featuring Resident Artists Patricia Linhart, Michael Kenwood Lippert and Scott Stoney, Saul Caplan, Jackie Darnell, Mathys Herbert and Kate Young.

Tickets for Have You Ever Played, Dayton? are $15.

“Snapshots” – A collection of three 30-minute readings from two new plays and a new musical
Saturday, August 8 at 2:00 p.m. in The Caryl D. Philips Creativity Center

The Day After Epiphany

Dayton playwright Karen Righter’s play takes place in 754 AD as Pope Stephen II crosses the Alps on January 6 to convince King Pepin to take up arms to save Rome. But Pepin has his own problems with a marriage on the rocks and a rebellious daughter in this fictional telling of an actual historic encounter. The reading features Jared Joplin, Scott Stoney and Kate Young (Other Desert Cities).

Central Park Tango

It’s a penguin musical about the modern day family by the Canadian writing team of Nicky Phillips and Robert Gontier, inspired by the real life story of Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penuins who drew worldwide attention when they became mates at the Central Park Zoo. Prior to the festival, Phillips and Gontier join The Human Race for a 10-day residency where they will rework previous versions of theCentral Park Tango script under the guidance of director Kevin Moore and musical director Sean Michael Flowers and the support of a cast of actors which includes Resident Artists Katie Pees and Scott Stoney, and Jackie Darnell, Rebecca MacDougall, Jacob McGlaun and Ray Zupp. Moore will then select material to present to festival audiences.

Some Self-Evident Truths

Scott Stoney adapts and directs a new script based on the personal journals of Lucille Wheat and Lois Davies, two Troy, Ohio women—one white, one black—written from 1946 to 1951. This play chronicles their lives, their friendship and a community’s awakening to racial equality with performances by Terrilynn Meece, Stoney and Torie Wiggins.

Tickets are $15 for the group of three readings.

Mann…and Wife
Saturday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m. in The Loft Theatre

From Douglas J. Cohen (No Way to Treat a Lady) and Dan Elish (13) comes this new musical based on Elish’s novel, Nine Wives, about one man’s struggle to find love, happiness and the perfect date for his ex-fiancée’s wedding. Michael Baron, Artistic Director of Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, helms this staged reading with musical director Scot Woolley and cast members Jamie Cordes, Scott Hunt and Annie Kalahurka. The song “It’s Only a First Date” from Nine Wives (Mann…and Wife’s earlier title) was an audience favorite at last summer’s Songwriter Showcase, leading Kevin Moore to include the full script in this year’s festival as it prepares for  further development at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma in 2016. Cohen and Elish will have two weeks to work on the script and songs with Baron, Woolley and the cast before the final presentation at the festival.

Tickets for Mann…and Wife are $20.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
In addition to the combining of musicals and plays, the 2015 Festival of New Works marks another change from past festivals in how The Human Race presents such new works. Scripts are no longer automatically produced as fully staged readings, but rather the level of production is determined on a script by script basis. “Each script comes to us in a different stage of the development process,” explains Kevin Moore. “One of the first things I asked the writers is, ‘What do you need?’ and we proceed from there.” The questioning lead to the development of a variety of presentation styles – “snapshot”-style highlights, table reading and the fully staged reading. “Some scripts may benefit more from just a table reading at this point. We strive to be flexible.”

This year’s festival does retain one critical component to the development process – audience feedback. At the end of every reading, patrons are encouraged to stay and participate in a talkback with the creative teams. “The comments from the audience are just as important for the writers as hearing their words spoken by actors,” says Moore. “The reactions and responses help them in determining what works and what doesn’t.”

The 2015 Festival of New Works is sponsored by the Jesse & Caryl Philips Foundation Fund for the Development of New Works and The Producers’ Circle.

Readings are at The Caryl D. Philips Creativity Center of The Human Race, located at 116 North Jefferson Street and the Metropolitan Art Center’s Loft Theatre, located at 126 North Main Street in downtown Dayton, Ohio. General admission tickets are $15 and $20, depending on the reading, and are on sale atwww.humanracetheatre.org or by calling Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630, and in person at the Schuster Center box office. 

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The Human Race Theatre Company was founded in 1986 and moved into the Metropolitan Arts Center in 1991, taking up residence at the 212-seat Loft Theatre. In addition to the Eichelberger Loft Season, The Human Race produces for the Victoria Theatre’s Broadway Series, a summer Festival of New Works, and special event programming. The Human Race, under the direction of President and Artistic Director Kevin Moore, also maintains education and outreach programs for children, teens and adults, as well as artist residencies in area schools, The Muse Machine In-School Tour, and a summer youth program. Human Race organizational support is provided by Culture Works, the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District, the Shubert Foundation, the Erma R. Catterton Trust Fund, the Jesse & Caryl Philips Foundation Fund for the Development of New Works, the Virginia W. Kettering Foundation and the Ohio Arts Council, which helped fund this organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The 2015-2016 Sustainability Sponsors are the ELM Foundation, Anne F. Johnson and Steve and Lou Mason. The 2015-2016 season sponsor is the Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation of the Dayton Foundation, with additional support from Premier Health and Morris Home Furnishings.

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July 9, 2015 · 3:20 pm

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL On Sale Friday, 10AM

BIC_Motown logoTICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, JULY 10 AT 9AM 

  PERFORMANCES SEPTEMBER 8 – 20, 2015
AT THE ARONOFF CENTER 

Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy, and Broadway in Cincinnati, are proud to announce that single tickets for MOTOWN THE MUSICAL will go on sale Friday, July 10 at 9am.  Tickets will be available at the Aronoff Center Box Office downtown at 650 Walnut Street, online at CincinnatiArts.org or by phone at 513.621.ARTS.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL will play the Aronoff Center, September 8 – 20, 2015 as part of the 2015-2016 Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati Season presented by TriHealth. Group orders of ten or more may be placed by calling 513.369.4363.

Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is the true American dream story of Motown founder Berry Gordy’s journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and so many more.

Featuring more than 40 classic hits such as “My Girl” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” MOTOWN THE MUSICAL tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America. Motown shattered barriers, shaped our lives and made us all move to the same beat.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is produced by Tony Award® winning producer Kevin McCollum (Rent, In the Heights, Avenue Q), who was recently named Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of music, where he is an alumnus.   MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is also produced by Chairman and CEO of SONY Music EntertainmentDoug Morris and Motown founder Berry Gordy.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL features choreography by Patricia Wilcox (A Night with Janis Joplin) and Warren Adams(Toy Story), scenic design by David Korins (Bring It On: The Musical, Annie), costume design by Tony Award® nomineeESosa (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, “Project Runway”), lighting design by Tony Award® winner Natasha Katz (Once,Sister Act), sound design by Tony Award® nominee Peter Hylenski (Rock of Ages, The Scottsboro Boys), projection design byDaniel Brodie (Jekyll and Hyde), hair and wig design by Charles LaPointe (Memphis) and casting by Telsey + Company. 

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL’s arrangements and orchestrations are by Grammy and Tony Award® nominee Ethan Popp(Rock of Ages), who also serves as music supervisor in reproducing the classic “Sound of Young America,” with co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Tony Award® nominee Bryan Crook (“Smash”) and dance arrangements by Zane Mark (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels). 

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is produced by Tony Award® winning producer Kevin McCollum (Rent, In the Heights, Avenue Q), Chairman and CEO of SONY Music Entertainment Doug Morris and Motown founder Berry Gordy.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL will play the Aronoff Center from September 8 – 20: Tuesday – Thursday at 7:30PM, Friday at 8:00PM, Saturday at 2:00PM and 8:00PM and Sunday at 1:00PM and 6:30PM. Tickets for MOTOWN THE MUSICAL start at $29. They are available at the Aronoff Center Box Office downtown at 650 Walnut Street, online at CincinnatiArts.org or by phone at 513.621.ARTS. For groups of 10 or more, contact the group sales department at 513.369.4363. Performance schedule, prices and cast are subject to change without notice. For more information, please visit www.BroadwayInCincinnati.com.

For more information, visit www.MotownTheMusical.com.

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Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati presented by TriHealth is committed to bringing the very best of Broadway to the Tri-State, presenting touring Broadway plays and musicals in Cincinnati since 1987. For the past twenty years, Broadway in Cincinnati has presented all shows at the Aronoff Center, and joins in celebrating the Aronoff’s landmark 20th Anniversary this year.  The Broadway in Cincinnati series brings more than 185,000 people downtown to the Aronoff Center each year, and contributes an average of $30 million to the local economy each season. Broadway in Cincinnati is a member of the Greater Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and The Broadway League. Fifth Third Bank is the sponsor of the Cincinnati 15/16 Season and the season is presented by TriHealth. LOCAL 12 is the official television station of the 15/16 Cincinnati Season.   

BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA is part of the Key Brand Entertainment family of companies, which includes Broadway.com, under the supervision of John Gore (Owner & CEO).  BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, operating in 38 markets. Current and past productions include Beautiful, Finding Neverland, It Shoulda Been You, Million Dollar Quartet, Hairspray and The Producers. BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com; Broadway.com

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