Category Archives: Press Releases

Stage Right Announces FOOTLOOSE Cast

SRMTC_FootlooseFOOTLOOSE dances its way to Grant County this summer!

Williamstown, KY – Stage Right Musical Theatre Company is thrilled to announce the cast and creative time for their professional summer production: “Footloose the Musical” running June 28 – July 14 at the Williamstown Performing Arts Center.

“Everybody cut FOOTLOOSE! Based on the original 1984 film, Footloose brings to life this classic story in an explosive new way! When rebellious teen Ren is forced to move to a small town where dancing is forbidden, it’s up to him and his classmates to defy the rules! This heartfelt story pins a father longing for the son he lost against a young man aching for the father who walked out on him. Featuring a blend of new music and classic anthems like “Holding Out for a Hero” and “Let’s Hear it for the Boy”; “Footloose” is sure to leave you dancing out of your seat.”

“For 40 years Footloose has been a cultural phenomenon, making fans of the films and stage productions leap to their feet in dance. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring that to our stage this summer.” Artistic Director John Siedenberg II said about the upcoming show, “We have assembled an incredible group of actors, singers, designers, and artists to bring this story to life.”

After the record-setting success of Stage Right’s production of Annie this past January, the theater was thrilled to make Footloose the first show of their 2024-2025 Season.

“Footloose has everything you need for a fun summer musical comedy. The music is killer, the story is timeless, and the cast is everything you could want to see onstage. We can’t wait to explore the dance-forbidden town of Bomont this summer,” Siedenberg said.

The cast is lead by Jackson Greene and Chloe Esmeier as Ren and Ariel, with Jonathan Andrews as Reverend Shaw. Footloose also stars Jonathan Smithe, Field Oldham, Kanai Nakata, Zachary Simpson, James Lindeman, Mary Mills, Jenna Mays, Cassidy Perme, Joshua Van Nort, Michael Switzer, Heather Mizer, Lena Andrews, Mary Vosseberg, Karen Vosseberg, and Kayleigh Berenzy.

Footloose is directed by John Siedenberg II and stage-managed by Maxine Mason. Music Direction by David Dillespie, Choreography by Hannah Lutz-Reitz, Costume Design by Madisyn Kelley, Prop Design by Cory Charbeneau, and production design by John Siedenberg.

Footloose is presented by the Grant County Tourist & Convention Commission.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.StageRightMTC.org

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THE IMPROVISED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY | Oct. 11-12, 2024 | Aronoff Center – Jarson-Kaplan Theater 

CAA_The Improvised Shakespeare Company“Staggeringly Brilliant” and “Downright Hilarious!” – Time Out Chicago

October 11-12, 2024
Aronoff Center – Jarson-Kaplan Theater

Tickets on sale Friday, May 31

[Cincinnati, OH] – One of the most critically acclaimed improv troupes in the world, The Improvised Shakespeare Company®, will make its Aronoff Center debut on Friday, October 11, 2024 at 8:00 PM and Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 2:00 PM in the intimate Jarson-Kaplan Theater. The show is part of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s 2024-25 Season.

Tickets start at $60.00 and go on sale Friday, May 31 at 10:00 AM at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office. For groups of ten or more, call (513) 977-4155. Applicable services fees may apply. Prices are subject to change.

Based on one audience suggestion (a title of a show that has never been written), The Improvised Shakespeare Company® creates a fully improvised Shakespearean masterpiece right before your eyes. Prepare for an evening of spontaneous comedy using the language and themes of William Shakespeare. Nothing has been planned out, rehearsed, or written. All of the dialogue is said for the first time, the characters are created as you watch, and if ever you’re wondering where the story is going… so are they! You’ve never seen the Bard like this before!

The Improvised Shakespeare Company® is one of the funniest and most critically acclaimed improv troupes in the world. The ISC was founded in Chicago in 2005 where it ran to sold-out audiences at the iO Theatre for over a decade. Now it performs regularly at Los Angeles’ Largo at the Coronet for audiences that the LA Times calls “Beatlemaniacal.” The ISC has sold out raucous shows at The Kennedy Center, Bonnaroo, San Francisco Sketchfest, the Bumbershoot Music and Arts Festival, The Just For Laughs festival in Montreal, and Outside Lands in San Francisco. It is featured regularly in NYC at 92nd St. Y and Theatre 80 St. Marks where it “plays to packed theaters with an atmosphere more like a rock club than a repertory house” (The New York Times). In 2018, Sir Patrick Stewart presented The ISC at the Soho Theatre in London. In the 2019-2020 season, The ISC was featured in the Broadway Series at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts where it wowed audiences throughout its 178-show residency.

ISC guest performers have included Jason Alexander, Bradley Whitford, and Patrick Stewart. It has been named Chicago’s best improv group by both the Chicago Reader and the Chicago Examiner and has received numerous awards in LA (Best of LA – LA Weekly), New York (New York Nightlife Awards), and Chicago (The Chicago Improv Foundation). It has been called “Indisputably Great” (Centerstage Chicago), “Mad Genius” (LA Times), “Hilarious” (LA WeeklySeattle TimesChicago ReaderTimeOut ChicagoNaples Daily NewsCBC ManitobaWinnipeg Free Press), and TimeOut New York simply says, “Don’t Miss Them. Seriously.”

For more information, visit www.improvisedshakespeare.com.

CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION SPONSORS

The Cincinnati Arts Association is supported [in part] by the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts.

SEASON SPONSORS:  AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), ARTSWAVEFIFTH THIRD BANK (Lifetime Endowment Partner), LOCAL 12 WKRC-TV, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:  21C Museum Hotel, Cincinnati Herald, CityBeat, Fairfield Inn & Suites Cincinnati Uptown/University Area, Harlan Graphics, Heidelberg Distributing, Kinley Cincinnati, Pepsi, Skyline Chili, TriHealth

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CALENDAR INFORMATION

WHAT:                The Improvised Shakespeare Company®

WHEN:                Friday, October 11, 2024 @ 8:00 PM

Saturday, October 12, 2024 @ 2:00 PM 

WHERE:              Aronoff Center – Jarson-Kaplan Theater

PRICES:               Start at $60.00. 10%-off groups of ten or more. Additional service fees may apply. Prices subject to change.

INFO:                  Based on one audience suggestion (a title of a show that has never been written), The Improvised Shakespeare Company® creates a fully improvised Shakespearean masterpiece right before your eyes. Prepare for an evening of spontaneous comedy using the language and themes of William Shakespeare. Nothing has been planned out, rehearsed, or written. 

TICKET INFORMATION – on sale Friday, May 31 at 10:00 AM

  • www.CincinnatiArts.org  
  • (513) 621-ARTS [2787]
  • Aronoff Center Ticket Office
  • Group sales (10 or more): (513) 977-4155

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Cincinnati Music Theatre Celebrates 60 Years

CMT_On with the ShowCincinnati, Ohio – The City of Cincinnati will recognize Cincinnati Music Theatre’s 60th anniversary with a proclamation by Mayor Aftab Pureval declaring Friday, May 31, CMT Day in Cincinnati.

The recognition coincides with the opening-night performance of On With the Show, CMT’s season-ending Studio Series production in the Fifth Third Bank Theater at the Aronoff Center for the Arts (7th and Main Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202).

“We are proud to be Cincinnati’s downtown community theater and proud to be the first resident company at the Aronoff Center,” said Kathy Beiting, president of the CMT board and co-producer of On With the Show. “We’re grateful to Mayor Pureval and to the city for their ongoing support of the arts in general and CMT in particular.

“This is a wonderful honor, especially since our residency at the Aronoff Center has been just one year shy of half of CMT’s 60 years.”

The formal proclamation will be read in the Fifth Third Bank Theater immediately prior to curtain at 7:30 p.m.

On With the Show distills 60 years of CMT history into a 90-mimute burst of nostalgia, taking audiences on a musical journey from CMT’s first show (The Most Happy Fella) to its most recent mainstage production (Children of Eden) and many points in between. It even offers a glimpse of the future with a musical medley highlighting the upcoming 2024-2025 mainstage season with music from Matilda and Sweet Charity.

Written and directed by CMT board historian Mark D. Motz, On With the Show features the talents of John Beiting, Marypat Carletti, Amelie de la Nuez, Kelly Even, Mike Fielder, Gregory Good Jr., Brett Parr (who also serves as co-producer) and Elizabeth Zerhusen Pille.

“Creating a new work from the ground up and telling the story of CMT with this cast is a singular privilege,” Motz said. “I’m excited for audiences to see these amazing performers and to celebrate this major milestone with us. That the city decided to bestow this honor on CMT makes it all the more special.”

In addition to its inaugural performance, On With the Show also plays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 1, as well as 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 7, 3 p.m. Saturday, June 8 and closes with a 7:30 p.m. performance June 8.

Tickets to On With the Show are $26 and are available online, by phone at 513-621-ARTS or in person at the Aronoff box office.

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HORIZONS OF GOLD Opens on June 6th

BB_Horizons of GoldHORIZONS OF GOLD
Bart’s Bards
June 6-9

Don’t miss your chance to experience this beautiful story of the power of family, second chances, and the strength to find home and healing in the face of unrelenting hardships.

A STORY OF PERSEVERANCE AMIDST SHATTERED DREAMS
Rose is a young Mexican migrant, abandoned and lost in turbulent 1930s California. She clings to Margaret Thomas, a Kansas farm wife displaced by the Dust Bowl. Together, they grieve a lost family and search for home and healing in the midst of unrelenting hardships. Could John Bollen, the generous wheat farmer down the road, be a savior for them both? A powerful journey of the heart unfolds for three people who find their lives intertwined, each desperate to heal the past and embrace a new future.  Lush, full-bodied orchestrations and soaring melodies take us back to the sweeping wheat fields of America’s Great Plains. With its cast of vibrant characters, this thoughtful script is packed with heart-rending drama, laugh-out-loud humor, and gentle romance.

TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Tickets are on sale now.  Tickets can be purchased in advance at the link below or at the door 1 hour prior to each performance.

TICKETING LINK: https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/80044

VENUE: Krumpe Activity Center – 9375 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH, 45231

SHOW DATES AND TIMES

  • Thursday, June 6 at 7:30pm
  • Friday, June 7 at 7:30pm
  • Saturday, June 8 at 2:00pm
  • Saturday, June 8 at 7:30pm
  • Sunday, June 9 at 2:00pm

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Human Race Theatre Company Hosts Successful Fundraising Night

HRTC_Certified Human NightOn May 17, 2024 the staff and board of The Human Race Theatre Company hosted the inaugural Certified Human Race Fundraiser. After two rounds of trivia provided by Pepper Sprout Productions and a toast to HRTC’s community of supporters, attendees returned to the stage for a rousing auction and mission raise.

The auction was hosted by Resident Artist and professional auctioneer Tim Lile, who purveyed mission-driven packages like observing a rehearsal process on a world premiere, an onstage dinner with a VIP backstage tour, and a staycation in HRTC’s actor housing complimented by downtown delights! Emily N. Wells, Artistic Director, says “Certified Human Night is a revolutionary kind of fundraising evening, where we will plan a different activity each year. Just like our shows spark curiosity and fun, so should our fundraiser!”

To cap off the evening, the final auction item was bidding to become a “Certified Human,” to be named in honor of the bidder or their designated person.  Kevin Moore, previous artistic director, and Scott Stoney walked away with the high bid and opted to designate the first Certified Human in honor of Marsha Hanna, The Human Race Theatre Company’s 2nd and longest artistic director.

This honor includes a lobby commemoration of the bid on a plaque alongside a one-of-a-kind glass sculpture inspired by the DNA double helix and created by Dustin Wagner from Nyminal Glass. “We are so grateful for our overwhelmingly generous supporters who helped make this such a successful fundraiser.  Now, we hope that this becomes an annual tradition where our community comes to have a lot of fun and individuals vie to be our top fan,” notes Executive Director Kappy Kilburn.

Plans are already underway for the next evening, to be held on Friday, June 13, 2025.  Keep an eye out for more details on our Freaky Friday fun!

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