Category Archives: Press Releases

SSP Present Local Community Theater Premiere of NEXT TO NORMAL

Megan Callahan, Luka Ashley Carter, Jered Ryan, Jen Ryan, Gregory Shaffer & Robert Breslin IV.  Photo Credit: Kortness Kate Photography.

Megan Callahan, Luka Ashley Carter, Jered Ryan, Jen Ryan, Gregory Shaffer & Robert Breslin IV.
Photo Credit: Kortness Kate Photography.

CINCINNATI, OH – June 30, 2014 —Sunset Players will be the first Greater Cincinnati community theater to present the Pulitzer-Prize winning rock musical NEXT TO NORMAL by Tom Kitt with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey.

“NEXT TO NORMAL offers several firsts for Sunset Players,” explained show director Jerry Yearout. “The theater group is premiering the show in the Greater Cincinnati area. It is also the first summer show for Sunset Players and goes outside the theater group’s usual comedic fare into a serious musical.”

NEXT TO NORMAL tells the story of a mother who struggles with bipolar disorder and the effect her illness has on her family. This contemporary musical is an emotional powerhouse that addresses such issues as grieving a loss, ethics in modern psychiatry, and suburban life. With provocative lyrics and a thrilling score, this musical shows how far two parents will go to keep themselves sane and their family’s world intact.

The cast for the Sunset Players’ performance includes real-life husband and wife (Jen and Jared Ryan) who portray husband and wife Diana and Dan Goodman. The entire cast is:

  • Jen Ryan as Diana Goodman
  • Jered Ryan as Dan Goodman
  • Megan Callahan as Natalie Goodman
  • Robert Breslin IV as Gabe Goodman
  • Gregory Shaffer as Dr. Fine
  • Luka Ashley Carter as Henry

Hear from the cast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8d5CzMLpdqi1TkMf5qsfw17w7lrnlgNW

Show dates for NEXT TO NORMAL are: July 11, 12, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25 & 26. All performances begin at 8 pm with a 2 pm Sunday matinee. Tickets are $16 for general admission and $14 for students, seniors or groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be purchased through the Sunset Players website (www.sunsetplayers.org) or reserved by calling 513-588-4988.

Sunset Players, Inc. is a community theater group located on the west side of Cincinnati. Founded in 1979, the group performs at the Arts Center at Dunham and has produced more than 120 plays. For more information, visit our website at www.sunsetplayers.org or like us on Facebook.

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Hit the Open Road with CTC’s ROUTE 66

HIT THE OPEN ROAD FOR SOME HIGH-OCTANE FUN WITH COMMONWEALTH THEATRE COMPANY’S UPCOMING PRODUCTION

 Joshua Steele, Wes Carman, Dain Paige & Roderick Justice.

Joshua Steele, Wes Carman, Dain Paige & Roderick Justice.

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY – The Commonwealth Theatre Company at Northern Kentucky University continues its 2014 Summer Dinner Theatre season with Route 66, running July 9-27.

ROUTE 66
Music & Lyrics by Peter Fleming
Book by Peter Fleming & Ruby Vega
Direction & Musical Direction by Jamey Strawn

It’s the 1960s and one of the Midwest’s premier groups, The Chicago Avenue Band, is about to embark on a journey down Route US 66 to make their West Coast debut on the Santa Monica Pier. Join our young troupe of musicians as they make their way through juke joints, diners, cheap motels and curio shops in this coming of age, groundbreaking adventure of discovery during one of the most interesting periods in history. They cruise along
Main Street USA, to live their dreams and fulfill their destinies. 
Along the way you will meet an array of colorful characters, that helped shape our cultural landscape, as they travel America’s Mother Road. 
Some are wacky, some are scary and other’s you’ll just fall in love with.

The cast is made-up of audience favorites Wes Carman, Roderick Justice, Dain Alan Paige, and Joshua Steele. After the show’s Highland Heights run, it will transfer to the Lincoln Amphitheatre in Lincoln City, Indiana for a weekend engagement in September.

PRICES:
Dinner & Show: $30

SHOW & DINNER TIMES:
Tuesday – Saturday: Dinner at 6:30pm Show at 8pm
Sunday: Dinner at 5pm and Show at 6:30pm

For more information and tickets call the NKU Fine Arts Box Office at 859.572.5464

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KTC Announces THE WELCOME EXPERIMENT & Opens 17th Season with SERIALS!

KNOW THEATRE ANNOUNCES
THE WELCOME EXPERIMENT
AND OPENS THEIR 17TH SEASON WITH SERIALS!

KTC_logoAt last night’s opening of Serials! at Know Theatre of Cincinnati, new Producing Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford announced a bold programming initiative called The Welcome Experiment.

The Welcome Experiment

In the coming season, Know Theatre is adding Wednesday night performances to our MainStage schedule with a special twist: these Wednesday performances will be offered FREE of charge to anyone who wants to see a show.

Inspired by Mixed Blood Theatre Company of Minneapolis and their Radical Hospitality initiative, Know Theatre’s Welcome Experiment will benefit anyone for whom the price of a regular admission ticket is too high a barrier.

Know Theatre hopes that by offering opportunities to see productions free-of-charge, a wider audience will be able to take part—be they neighbors facing economic hardship, fellow artists, students struggling to make ends meet, or even people who simply don’t regularly attend live theatre and might be more willing to take a chance on a show if it is offered for free.

Season 17: Adaptation

This announcement marks the kickoff of Know Theatre of Cincinnati’s 17th season exploring the theme of “adaptation.” Producing Artistic Director Andrew Hungerford and new Associate Artistic Director Tamara Winters have selected a season that celebrates a variety of voices and perspectives—including more plays written and/or directed by women, and more performers of color to be represented on Know’s MainStage.

Fringe: Encores and Extras

In addition, Know Theatre will expand the programming associated with the highly popular annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival to include Encores from favorite Fringe productions, and Extras from like-minded artists whose work fits within the Fringe aesthetic. These special events will take place throughout the year, making it possible for Cincinnati to enjoy the spirit of the Fringe Festival beyond the months of May and June.

MainStage Season

Harry and the Thief by Sigrid Gilmer. Directed by Holly L. Derr. (August 8-30, 2014) Travel back in time. Find Harriet Tubman. Don’t f*** it Up.

Jeremy has a PhD in physics from Harvard. And a time machine. And a plan. Jeremy ‘s plan is to send his thieving cousin back in time to 1863 to find Harriet Tubman and give her guns. Lots and lots of guns. Harry and the Thief is the regional premiere of an epic summer blockbuster that mixes a contemporary action movie with antebellum melodrama to tell a story full of adventure, social relevance, and answering the call of destiny.

Moby Dick adapted by Julian Rad from the novel by Herman Melville. Directed by Andrew Hungerford & Michael Burnham. (Oct. 10-Nov. 8, 2014) Obsession. A Whale. Revenge.

Overwhelmed by the enormity of existence in the 19th century big city, Ishmael finds his only recourse is to go to sea. When he signs aboard the whaling ship Pequod, Ishmael is thrust into a momentous tale of revenge as one-legged Captain Ahab desperately pursues the white whale that maimed him. One of the most enduring, and daunting, works of American literature is stripped to its essence and re-imagined for our intimate theatre.

Bureau of Missing Persons by Lila Rose Kaplan

Directed by Tamara Winters. (November 29-December 20, 2014) People don’t just disappear.

A piece of chalk. A blue scarf. A pocketful of leaves. These clues lead Angela on a quest from her NYC apartment to a cave in Moscow to search for someone who is missing. Inspired by the stories of Borges, Bureau of Missing Persons is a magical tale that explores how we heal.

TBA (winter 2015)

Hearts Like Fists by Adam Szymkowicz. (March 27-April 25, 2015) Directed by Tamara Winters.

Love is a battlefield. Where Superheroes fight Crime.

The hearts of a troubled city and its citizens are intertwined. Doctor X is sneaking into apartments and killing lovers while they sleep. Can the elite Crimefighters stop him? “A fun, twisted exploration of what it means when someone Hulk-smashes your heart on the ground into a million pieces.” – Village Voice

Underground Stage

Know Theatre is excited to be producing a second stage of Underground programming on our bar’s cabaret stage and other locations around the city. The Underground season kicked off with the Serials! program that will continue through the summer. Additional surprise Underground programming will be announced throughout the season.

Pricing:

  • MainStage Tickets for Thurs-Sat Performances are $20.
  • Wednesday Night MainStage Tickets are free-of-charge.
  • Rush tickets for MainStage shows are available for $10.All Fringe Extra, Encore, and Underground Performances are $15.

    One-year sustaining memberships are available for $20/month or $240.

Where:

  • Know Theatre of Cincinnati. 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. In historic Over-the-Rhine.

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit: http://www.knowtheatre.com or call 513.300.3669 (KNOW).

Since 1997, Know Theatre has been dedicated to creating explosive and evocative live entertainment. We value a playful artistic community where artists can collaborate and grow.

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

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CCPA’s THE SUNSHINE BOYS Earns 4 Star LCT Rating

Dave Roth as Al Lewis & Herb DuVal as Willie Clark.

Dave Roth as Al Lewis & Herb DuVal as Willie Clark.

Covedale Theatre’s production of THE SUNSHINE BOYS is a crowd pleaser, earning 4 stars from The League of Cincinnati Theatres. It is running at the Covedale Theatre until June 29.

Panelists call it a “Great rendition of what is considered Neil Simon’s funniest play.”

“Herb DuVal (Willie) and Dave Roth (Al) delivered their lines like they were written for them,” said one panelist. “Their keen sense of timing and delivery told the story of these two cantankerous men who spent years working together in Vaudeville.” The team broke up due to a forgotten disagreement. “Down deep, they actually care for each other,” the panelist continued. Another added, “DuVal’s portrayal of Willie Clark was top notch. He was able to be both funny and compelling at the same time.”

Panelists also praised the set designed by Brett Bowling, “It was delightfully rich and intricate. It looked like a seedy hotel that an old actor would stay in. The photos on the wall of old celebrities were marvelous and it was great that a photo of the actor playing Al Lewis was pinned to the dart board and had drawn-in devil horns.”

Contact www.cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com for tickets to THE SUNSHINE BOYS.

League of Cincinnati Theatre panelists evaluate productions on a 5 star scale and recommend shows at either a 4 star or 5 star level. Nominations for LCT awards will be determined and announced at the end of the season and winners awarded at the annual LCT gala in the spring.

The League of Cincinnati Theatres was founded in 1999 to strengthen, nurture and promote Cincinnati’s theatre community. LCT provides its member companies and individual members with education, resources and services to enhance the quality and exposure of the theatre community in Cincinnati and increase community awareness, attendance and involvement. More information about the League can be found at www.leagueofcincytheatres.com.

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Discover DaVinci and Michelangelo: Side By Side | Fri., Oct. 10 | Aronoff Center – Jarson-Kaplan Theater‏

CAA_DaVinci and MichelangeloARONOFF CENTER WELCOMES
DISCOVER DAVINCI AND MICHELANGELO: SIDE BY SIDE
PERFORMANCE EVENT

Cincinnati, OH – The original theater performance Discover DaVinci & Michelangelo: Side by Side will continue its inaugural North American Tour at the Aronoff Center’s intimate Jarson-Kaplan Theater on Friday, October 10, 2014 at 7:30 PM.

Ticket prices range between $40-$28 and are on sale Friday, June 27 at 10:00 AM at http://www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office, located at 650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. The performance runs approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission.

Mark Rodgers, the creator and host of the multi-media performance, is also the curator of the DaVinci Machines and Michelangelo Exhibitions from the permanent Museum of Leonardo DaVinci in Florence, Italy, currently touring the United States and on display at the Bradenton Auditorium in Bradenton/Sarasota, FL. Rodgers originally developed the idea to compare and contrast the two geniuses while curating the DaVinci and Michelangelo Exhibition in Denver, CO.

“I realized you can’t talk about DaVinci without Michelangelo,” explained Rodgers. “Many people don’t know that they were not only contemporaries but also fierce competitors.”

The performance has evolved over the last couple of years, starting as a tour of only DaVinci. Then, over time, Rodgers incorporated Michelangelo into his tours when the Michelangelo Exhibition arrived from Florence. According to Rodgers, the more tours and presentations he gave, the more information people wanted to know about these two monumental geniuses.

“There has never been an exhibit or museum, of which I am aware, that has ever compared or contrasted DaVinci and Michelangelo in the same presentation,” explained Rodgers.

The multi-media event is a combination of host Rodgers and a presentation that includes movies, 3D-animations of machines and inventions, images of codices, artwork, paintings, and sculptures.

This original theater performance made its major theater debut at world-famous Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, FL in April 2014.

“DaVinci and Michelangelo have an outreach and following that everyone can relate to,” explained Rodgers. “Everything they said and did relates to our lives today.”

For more information, visit www.discovermichelangelo.com or www.CincinnatiArts.org .

About Discover DaVinci and Michelangelo: Side by Side
The “tour de force” performance Discover DaVinci & Michelangelo: Side by Side makes its Cincinnati debut at the Aronoff Center’s intimate Jarson-Kaplan Theater on October 10, 2014. Mark Rodgers, Curator of the DaVinci Machines and Michelangelo Exhibitions from the permanent Museum of Leonardo DaVinci in Florence, Italy, will take you on an awe-inspiring journey through the Italian Renaissance as seen through the eyes of these two monumental geniuses. This non-stop, multi-media, original theater performance features movies, videos, 3-D animations, and images of DaVinci and Michelangelo’s inventions, machines, sketches, codices, paintings, and sculptures. Rodgers compares and contrasts the incredible lives of Leonardo and Michelangelo as never before seen, while relating them to our world today. The challenge proposed is to draw inspiration from these two men and for everyone to discover their own “inner” DaVinci and Michelangelo. (Running Time: 2 Hours and 20 Minutes with one intermission.)

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