Category Archives: Press Releases

May 6, 2014 · 2:29 pm

Reinventing Radio: An Evening with Ira Glass | Sat., Oct. 25 | Aronoff Center

Reinventing Radio – Ira Glass
brings his American Life to Cincinnati

Proudly presented by 91.7 WVXU

CAA_Ira GlassSaturday, October 25
Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall
Tickets on sale Friday, May 9 at 10:00 AM

Cincinnati, OH – Ira Glass, creator and host of the award-winning public radio program This American Life, will bring his unique brand of storytelling to Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center on Saturday, October 25 at 8:00 PM.

Tickets to Reinventing Radio: An Evening with Ira Glass go on sale Friday, May 9 at 10:00 AM at http://www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office.

Known as one of America’s most respected broadcasters and journalists, Glass will recreate the sound of the show right in front of the audience by live mixing favorite stories with pre-taped quotes and music that illustrate the power of the spoken word to both entertain and inspire.

Glass’s quirky, unassuming, and impossible-not-to-like persona translates as well onstage as it does on radio as he shares an insider’s look at how radio is made and the art of pushing the boundaries of journalism.

This American Life premiered in 1995 on Chicago’s public radio station WBEZ and is now heard on more than 500 public radio stations each week by over 1.7 million listeners. Most weeks, the podcast of the program is the most popular podcast in America.

Under Glass’s direction, This American Life has won the highest honors for broadcasting and journalistic excellence, including several Peabody and DuPont-Columbia awards. In 2013, Glass received the Medal for Spoken Language from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Proudly presented by 91.7 WVXU and produced by Show and Tell.

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May 5, 2014 · 6:43 pm

CSC Announces New Arts Education Initiative PROJECT 38

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Announces their new Innovative Arts Education Initiative, PROJECT 38

Students of Project 38

Students of Project 38

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company has unveiled their new arts education initiative!

CINCINNATI, April 24, 2014 – Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is proud to announce their new innovative arts education initiative titled PROJECT 38 which will launch next school year. Over the last 20 years, CSC has brought classical theatre and literature to life for over 200,000 students from 150 schools in more than 100 zip codes across three states. This close connection with students and educators has inspired them to take on this exciting new endeavor. This season, Cincinnati Shakespeare is also “completing the canon” by producing all 38 of Shakespeare’s plays. The 38 plays have served as the inspiration for the title of PROJECT 38.

On the evening of April 23rd, CSC unveiled this new initiative called PROJECT 38. In this program, CSC will collaborate with 38 different area schools. Each school will be given one of the 38 plays in Shakespeare’s canon. Then, over the course of the year, teaching artists from CSC will go out to each of the schools and work with the students and faculty on bringing that play to life in various ways. This could be through a traditional production, a monologue or scene, or a dance piece, or music piece, a mural, etc.- anything the students & school can conceive of and feel passionately about. It will culminate in the PROJECT 38 festival at the end of the school year which will become a multi-day celebration in which all the students will gather, and share what they’ve created with each other, their schools, family and friends and with the community at large.

To celebrate the launch of this project, each of the schools chosen for the inaugural year selected one student representative to appear in a group performance piece at CSC’s Revel & Feast gala on April 23, 2014. This performance featured lines and scenes from each of Shakespeare’s 38 plays. The audience reaction was overwhelming as these students brought to life the entirety of Shakespeare’s canon and truly embodied the spirit of what PROJECT 38 will become!

The list of the first 38 schools selected is below. This program will be offered to 38 schools each season at no additional cost to the school. For information about how to support or get involved with PROJECT 38, please contact Jeanna Vella, Director of Education and Communications at jeanna.vella@cincyshakes.com or 513.381.2273 ext. 3202, or visit www.cincyshakes.com.

Inaugural PROJECT 38 School List:

  • Aiken High School
  • Anderson High School
  • Archbishop Moeller High School
  • Bellevue High School
  • Boone County High School
  • Campbell County High School
  • The Cincinnati Waldorf School
  • Cincinnati Christian High School
  • Clark Montessori
  • Covington Catholic High School
  • Covington Latin School
  • Dixie Heights High School
  • Elder High School
  • Finneytown High School
  • Hamilton High School
  • Indian Hill High School
  • Kings High School
  • Lakota West High School
  • Leaves of Learning
  • Lebanon High School
  • Mercy Montessori
  • Milford High School
  • Mother of Mercy
  • Notre Dame Academy
  • Oak Hills High School
  • Ohio Virtual Academy
  • School of Creative and Performing Arts
  • The Seven Hills School
  • South Dearborn High School
  • St Thomas School
  • St Ursula Academy
  • Sycamore High School
  • New School Montessori
  • Turpin High School
  • Ursuline Academy
  • Villa Madonna Academy
  • Walnut Hills High School
  • Wyoming High School

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May 5, 2014 · 6:19 pm

Cincinnati Boychoir to Become Resident Company at the Aronoff Center

Cincinnati Boychoir to Become Resident Company
of the Aronoff Center

CAA_Boy Choir

Aronoff Center will be only the second permanent home of the Boychoir in 50 years
Cincinnati Boychoir celebrates 50th Anniversary Season in 2014-2015
More than 250 boys from around the region will participate in 2014-2015

Cincinnati, OH – The Cincinnati Boychoir and the Cincinnati Arts Association are pleased to announce that the Boychoir will be moving to the Aronoff Center in August 2014, in time for the start of its 2014-2015 Season.

Due to an extensive amount of growth over the past several years, the Boychoir has been seeking a new home for the more than 150 boys that regularly attend rehearsals, classes, and festivals. The Aronoff Center is home to several sizeable rehearsal and performance spaces, and provides compatible facilities and atmosphere for the Boychoir’s music education and performance programs.

Boychoir Artistic Director Christopher Eanes said of the move, “We are absolutely thrilled to be able to take advantage of the amazing facilities at the Aronoff Center and to partner with the Cincinnati Arts Association, which already brings so much artistic vitality to the downtown area. There could not be a better way for us to continue our mission of reaching boys from all walks of life through musical education and professional performances.”

Entering its fiftieth season in 2015, the Boychoir has served the community as a musical education and professional performance venue for boys since its founding in 1965 as a part of the Cincinnati Public Schools. Recently, the choir has reached back into the public schools, providing free after-school choral classes through its Cincinnati Sings! program. Each year, more than 250 of these students come together at the All-City Boychoir Festival in February for a day of singing, music games, and camaraderie. In addition to providing the Boychoir with rehearsal and performance space, CAA will assist the Boychoir with ticketing, marketing, and back-of-house operations. “We could not take this step forward without the incredible resources and the professional staff of the Cincinnati Arts Association and the Aronoff Center,” said Eanes.

“We are delighted to welcome the Cincinnati Boychoir to the Aronoff Center as our newest resident company,” said Steve Loftin, President and Executive Director of the Cincinnati Arts Association. “The remarkable work of the Boychoir aligns perfectly with our ongoing mission of providing a variety of arts experiences for Tri-state area youth. We hope that the location and quality of our facilities will help the Boychoir expand the opportunities for boys from all neighborhoods and socio-economic backgrounds to participate in the Boychoir’s exemplary programs.”

CINCINNATI BOYCHOIR
Each year, the Cincinnati Boychoir presents approximately forty performances in a wide variety of venues. The Boychoir has performed concerts and completed residencies both at home and abroad, and, in June 2013, the Boychoir undertook three three-day residencies with boychoirs in London, Leicester, and Canterbury. As an organization that values collaboration, the Boychoir has built artistic partnerships with Cincinnati’s Vocal Arts Ensemble, Cincinnati Opera, May Festival, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, the musicians of Christ Church Cathedral, Collegium Cincinnati, Taft Museum of Art, and Elementz, as well as many other choirs that together make Cincinnati ‘The City That Sings’. In 2013, the Cincinnati Boychoir was the subject of a thirty-minute special on WCET (Cincinnati’s public television station) entitled A Treasure of Youth and Song.

The Boychoir’s 50th Anniversary Season will include performances of Handel’s Messiah, Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, and the world premiere of A Horizon Symphony by composer Dominick DiOrio. The choir will tour to Sydney, Australia in July, 2015.

CINCINNATI BOYCHOIR SPONSORS: ArtsWave, Charles H. Dater Foundation, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Ohio Arts Council

For more information, visit www.cincinnatiboychoir.org.

CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION
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 more than 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.

CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATON SEASON SPONSORS: Ameritas (Founding Season Sponsor), Fifth Third Bank (Lifetime Endowment Partner), Furniture Fair, Local 12 WKRC, The P&G Fund of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

For more information, visit www.CincinnatiArts.org.

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May 5, 2014 · 5:16 pm

ETC Announces 2014-2015 Season

ENSEMBLE THEATRE CINCINNATI ANNOUNCES THE
2014-2015 OTTO M. BUDIG FAMILY FOUNDATION SEASON

ETC_new_logo_banner(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) announces the 2014-2015 Season, which features an exciting selection of two outstanding regional premieres of critically acclaimed recent New York hits, a brand new romantic comedy, and a unique rock musical, along with the return of one of ETC’s beloved holiday musicals.

About the Plays
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati’s twenty-ninth season opens with the musical Hands on A Hardbody (September 3-21, 2014.) Based on the 1997 documentary film of the same name, Hands on a Hardbody garnered three Tony Award nominations, and features a brilliant score from Amanda Green and Trey Anastasio (front man for the band Phish), along with a masterful story by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (I Am My Own Wife, Grey Gardens). For 10 hard-luck Texans, a new lease on life is so close they can touzch it. Under a scorching sun for days on end, armed with nothing but hope, humor and ambition, they’ll fight to keep at least one hand on a brand-new truck in order to win it. Inspired by true events, and infused with a “fresh roots-rock vibe,” this is the hilarious, hard-fought contest where only one winner can drive away with the American dream. Featuring a catchy combination of blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and country songs, Hands on a Hardbody is a peek into the lives of everyday, ordinary Americans, struggling to survive against the backdrop of a broken and beaten working middle class.

The season continues with the regional premiere of An Iliad (October 15-November 2, 2014), which TimeOut NY declared as “pure theater: shocking, glorious, primal and deeply satisfying.” Directed by Michael Evan Haney, this regional premiere is adapted from Homer and written by Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare. Translation is by Robert Fagles. With the lingering shadow of war in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, this is a breathtakingly relevant retelling of the timeless class. The ancient thrilling tales of the Trojan War and the modern world collide in this captivating theatrical experience as we explore the psychology of passion and rage. Acclaimed Cincinnati actor Bruce Cromer will play the Greek classic’s famous characters from Achilles and Hector to Agammemnon—as well as the beautiful Helen of Troy—as he shares the stage with only a virtuoso musician. This lean, muscular, tour-de-force performance is filled with wit and wisdom that conjures the rage of the gods as it delves deep into mankind’s unshakeable attraction to violence, destruction, and chaos.

For the holidays, ETC features the return of Sleeping Beauty (December 3, 2014-January 4, 2015). Romance, comedy, action, rock n’ roll, and opera—this magical, musical version of Sleeping Beauty has it all! Meet Briar Rose, her overprotective parents, three wacky fairies (and a wicked one), and a dragon with an attitude as ETC’s contemporary twist on the classic tale returns to our stage. From the creators of Cinderella and Snow White, this enchanted and memorable musical will delight audiences of all ages this holiday season.

For winter 2015, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati will present the regional premiere of The Other Place (January 28-February 15, 2015) by Sharr White. Described by The New York Times as “a cagy, emotionally resonant drama packed with plot twists,” this powerfully engaging piece is also a haunting and gripping psychological thriller. Dr. Juliana Smithton has it all: career, family, fame. But just as her research leads to a potential breakthrough, her life takes a disorienting turn and soon nothing is as it seems. During a lecture to colleagues at an exclusive beach resort, she glimpses an enigmatic young woman in a yellow bikini amidst the crowd of business suits. Piece by piece, a 10-year mystery unravels as she sifts through disjointed facts, half truths, and cloudy memories that lead her back to a Cape Cod cottage where a revelation awaits.

In the spring, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati will present an exciting regional premiere to be announced. Scheduled dates for this production are March 18-April 5, 2015.

To conclude its 2014-2015 season, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati will present the regional premiere of Outside Mullingar (May 6-24, 2015) directed by Ed Stern, and featuring Cincinnati veteran actors Dale Hodges and Joneal Joplin as the story’s septuagenarian parental figures. This is a new romantic comedy from the Pulitzer-, Oscar-, and Tony Award-winner John Patrick Shanley, writer of Doubt and Moonstruck. Anthony and Rosemary are two introverted misfits straddling 40. Anthony has spent his entire life on a cattle farm in rural Ireland, a state of affairs that—due to his painful shyness—suits him well. Rosemary lives right next door, hopelessly pining for him as the years slip away. With Anthony’s father threatening to disinherit him and a land feud simmering between their families, Rosemary fears romantic catastrophe. This compassionate and delightful new work is heartbreaking, funny as hell, and how reminds us that it’s never too late to take a chance on love.

Subscriptions
Subscriptions to the 2014-2015 Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati season are available now in a variety of packages. New this season is the addition of a 5-show Tuesday evening Preview Subscription for just $125 (package excludes holiday production). Regular subscription prices are $168-$180 for seniors; adult subscriptions range from $180 to $198. The popular FlexPass is $202, which includes six flexible tickets to use for any show and in any combination.

Student Subscriptions
The 2014-2015 season will continue to offer a robust suite of affordable ticket and program options designed specifically for local area teens and students to experience professional theatre. This includes a $120 Student Subscription available for any performance and which provides a seat for each of the six productions during the season. Additionally, ETC will continue its $90 Teen Scene Subscription, a deeply discounted subscription option exclusively for students ages 13-19 (available select dates only).

Single Tickets
All single tickets for the 2014-2015 Season go on sale to the general public on Monday, August 4, 2014. Subscribers, however, may start making exchanges, purchase additional tickets, or reserve their FlexPass dates during Subscriber Only Days, July 28-August 1, 2014.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is supported, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional theatre dedicated to producing world and regional premieres of works that often explore compelling social issues. We fulfill our mission through our stage productions and educational outreach programs that enlighten, enliven, enrich and inspire our audiences.

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May 5, 2014 · 12:17 pm

CSC’s THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN Earns 4 Star LCT Rating

Matt Lytle as Palamon, Sara Clark as Emilia & Zach Schute as Arcite.

Matt Lytle as Palamon, Sara Clark as Emilia & Zach Schute as Arcite.

Panelists for the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) have recognized the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production of the THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN with a 4 Star Rating. LCT commends CSC as it is one of only five Shakespeare companies in the country to produce all 38 of Shakespeare’s plays.

THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN is a tale of two cousins imprisoned during war who both fall for the same woman. It is attributed to co-authors Shakespeare and John Fletcher, and is based on “The Knight’s Tale” of Chaucer’s “The Canterbury Tales.”

Panelists praised the play as “exciting and refreshing”; a “bold” production that “any Shakespeare aficionado would not want to miss.” Andrew Hungerford’s lighting design was commended “as very effective in creating mood with the use of multiple colors to backlight the action.” Singled out among the actors was Miranda McGee, as “the gaoler’s daughter”; she was “radiant” in her performance and “owned the text with mastery and created a memorable character.”

“Two Noble Kinsmen” continues through May 25th. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.cincyshakes.com/

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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