Category Archives: Press Releases

March 27, 2013 · 10:19 am

CSC’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Earns Two LCT Nominations

The fairies, (left to right) Jessie Wray Goodman as Peaseblossom, Travis Emery as Puck and Sara Clark as Cobweb. Photo by Rich Sofranko

The fairies, (left to right) Jessie Wray Goodman as Peaseblossom, Travis Emery as Puck and Sara Clark as Cobweb. Photo by Rich Sofranko

Panelists for the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) have recognized Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM with two LCT nominations, for Ensemble acting and lighting design (Andrew Hungerford), as well as distinguishing it as a recommended production.

On an enchanted summer’s evening three stories are woven together into one tale of hilarity and folly. Four young lovers find themselves entangled in a bewildering game of love in a magical forest where a powerful fairy king and queen are at war while a troupe of ridiculous “actors” attempts to rehearse a play.

Panelists praised the “well-cast” ensemble for their “fine performances and imaginative qualities”—“all the actors contributed to the fun”. Andrew Hungerford’s lighting “was another character, rich with nuance and broad for laughs.” Overall the show was “creatively interpreted: “putting the play in the context of the 1940s, with occasional references to silent film, was a terrific spin on this classic, making it seem all the more a surreal dream”. “A must-see for Cincinnatians!”

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM continues through April 21st. Tickets can be purchased at www.cincyshakes.com.

Final LCT awards will be determined at the end of the season and announced at the 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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March 25, 2013 · 3:53 pm

CCM Musical Theatre Presents Annual Senior Showcase March 28-30

CCM_MT13(web)The Department of Musical Theatre’s graduating class of 2013 presents this year’s
‘Not Famous Yet’ Senior Showcase in Cincinnati on March 29 and 30. 
The Friends of CCM will also host a special benefit performance
of the showcase on Thursday, March 28.

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati audiences will get a sneak peek of an original showcase created by the 2013 graduating class from the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Department of Musical Theatre during the annual “Not Famous Yet” Showcase, which runs from March 28 (Friends of CCM benefit performance) through March 30 in UC’s Patricia Corbett Theater.

The March 28 benefit performance starts at 7 p.m. and features dinner by the bite and a post-performance celebration. Tickets for this benefit event are on sale now. The March 29 and 30 performances take place at 8 p.m. and are free, but reservations are required. Tickets for these free performances become available at noon on Monday, March 25.

Each year, seniors from CCM’s musical theatre program travel to New York to present a showcase for the leading agents, casting directors and managers in the business. The show takes the format of a Broadway audition, with the actors showing off their solo and ensemble skills through song and dance numbers. The work is created by the students themselves under the supervision of program chair Aubrey Berg and with the assistance of musical director Julie Spangler.

This year’s performance is the 21st edition of the CCM “Not Famous Yet” showcase. The annual showcase began with the establishment of the Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre in 1991. At the time of its inception, it was the only academic chair of its kind in the United States. Learn more about the 2013 CCM Musical Theatre Showcase at ccm.uc.edu/theatre/musical_theatre/overview/showcase.

Friends of CCM benefit performance
The opening performance of the Musical Theatre Showcase on March 28 is part of a benefit for the Friends of CCM. The event begins a 7 p.m. and includes dinner by the bite served in the Atrium of UC’s Corbett Center for the Performing Arts after the performance.

This event also includes the presentation of the Musical Theatre Young Alumni Award, which recognizes outstanding professional achievement by a graduate of CCM’s musical theatre program from the past two decades. This year’s recipient is Aaron Lazar, originally from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, who graduated from UC in 2000. Before disco dancing in Broadway’s Mamma Mia, Lazar was in New Jersey studying to be both an actor and a doctor. After landing a role in the national tour of The Scarlet Pimpernel only months after moving to New York City, however, he abandoned his aspirations of being a medical doctor and went on to make his Broadway debut in The Phantom of the Opera. He continued to appear on Broadway in the revival of Oklahoma!, A Tale of Two Cities, The Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center and on PBS, the world premiere of Impressionism opposite Jeremy Irons, Joan Allen and Marsha Mason, and the revival of Les Misérables for which Lazar’s powerhouse performance as Enjolras garnered him critical acclaim and a Drama Desk Award nomination.

Tickets for the March 28 benefit are:

  • Patron Tickets: $100 each; includes a patron reception before the performance honoring Aaron Lazar, general performance seating, dinner by the bite and garage parking.
  • General Admission Tickets: $75 each; includes general performance seating, dinner by the bite and garage parking.
  • Friends of CCM Member Tickets: $50 each; includes general performance seating, dinner by the bite and garage parking.
  • Young Professional (40 and under) Tickets: $35 each; includes general performance seating, dinner by the bite and garage parking. 

Proceeds benefit student career development grants and scholarships. Seating is limited. To reserve a ticket, call CCM External Relations at 513-556-2100 or visit ccm.uc.edu/giveto/friends.

CCM hosts FREE performances of the showcase
Admission to the Musical Theatre Showcase on Friday, March 29, and Saturday, March 30, is FREE. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, March 25; please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to make a reservation. Limit two tickets per order.

Performance Times

  • 7 p.m. Friday, March 28 — Friends of CCM Benefit
  • 8 p.m. Saturday March 29
  • 8 p.m. Sunday March 30 

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing and Reserving Tickets
Tickets to the Friends of CCM benefit performance are on sale now. Ticket options include $100 patron level tickets (includes pre-show patron reception), $75 general public tickets, $50 Friends of CCM member tickets and $35 young professional tickets (age 40 and under). Seating is limited. To purchase, call CCM’s Office of External Relations at 513-556-2100. Learn more at ccm.uc.edu/giveto/friends.

Admission to the Friday, March 29, and Saturday, March 30, performances is FREE, but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, March 25. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to make a reservation. Limit two tickets per order.

Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation 

Community Partner: ArtsWave

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is recognized both nationally and internationally as one of the leading conservatories for the performing and electronic media arts, composition, scholarship and pedagogy.

CCM is the largest single source of performing arts events in Ohio with an annual calendar of nearly 1,000 performances and presentations, ranging from solo recitals to full-scale opera and musical theatre performances.

All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events or to view CCM’s 2012-2013 season brochure visit our website at http://ccm.uc.edu.

UC’s College-Conservatory of Music – The Sound of Synergy

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March 20, 2013 · 4:03 pm

Prelude to a Premiere On March 24-25

ETC_new_logo_bannerPRELUDE TO A PREMIERE

Sunday, March 24 at 11:00 am
Staged reading of Morning Dancer by Joseph McDonough

Monday, March 25 at 7:00 pm
Staged reading of Spark of the Sun by Joseph McDonough

Get the first look at never before seen plays! “Prelude to a Premiere” is taking the stage at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, presenting two new and not-yet-produced plays for a night of staged readings.

Local playwright Joe McDonough is debuting the creation his newest plays, Morning Dancer and Spark of the Sun. The readings are free and open to the public and seating is first come, first serve. The playwright will be available at both readings and welcomes audiences comments and response both in person and through email.

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March 20, 2013 · 1:27 pm

NET Presents Pulitzer, Tony-Winning PROOF

Rebecca Whatley & David Roth. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

Rebecca Whatley & David Roth. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

New Edgecliff Theatre wraps up its 15th anniversary season with David Auburn’s 2001 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning “Proof.” An examination of family, genius and madness, the play rose almost instantly to the status of contemporary classic. The script primarily focuses on Catherine, a troubled young woman who has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father Robert, a famous mathematician. Following his death, she is confronted all at once with her own volatile emotions; the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire; and the attentions of Hal, her father’s former student, who hopes to find something of value in the work Robert left behind. All this, added to the discovery of a mysterious notebook, compels Catherine to consider exactly which of her father’s traits she’s inherited.

Former NET Artistic director Greg Procaccino returns to direct David Roth, Liz Smith, Brandon Wentz, and Rebecca Whatley in this acting-centric play, presented in the appropriately intimate environs of the Aronoff Center’s Fifth Third Bank Theater. Procaccino served as Artistic Director for NET from 2006-10, directing such shows as “Fool for Love”, “Fat Pig”, “[title of show]” and “Cyrano Rehearsed”. He says he’s excited to not only be working once again with New Edgecliff, but also to have a crack at this powerful play. As he puts it, “Being back with New Edge makes me smile. I love the people. They did such great work during my time there – made me look real good.” About “Proof” he says, “It’s a beautiful, haunting play about being haunted by your past – your family – the weaknesses in your family that could lead to a painful discovery. The challenge of the play is to just let these people bump up against each other and let their world play out freely in front of the audience.”

Artistic Director Jim Stump feels that “Proof” not only perfectly epitomizes NET’s mission, but also the theme of the company’s 15th season, “NeXt” by, as he says, “exploring the themes of the legacies passed on from generation to generation. Some are tangible such as homes and property. Some are the result of heredity. And sometimes, it’s difficult to know whether they are a blessing or a curse.”

Proof by David Auburn
Directed by Greg Procaccino
Featuring David Roth, Liz Smith, Brandon Wentz, and Rebecca Whatley
April 17th-20th, Wed-Sat 7:30pm / April 23rd-27th, Tues-Sat 7:30pm
Fifth Third Bank Theater at The Aronoff Center for the Arts (entrance on Main Street at the corner of Seventh Street)
Tickets: $25.25 adults, $20.25 seniors, and $17.25 students
For more information or to purchase your tickets, visit CincinnatiArts.org or call (513) 621-ARTS (2787) #

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March 19, 2013 · 4:33 pm

FT/Hugo West Theatrical’s DON’T CROSS THE STEAMS Earns LCT Recommendation

DON'T CROSS THE STREAMS THE CEASE AND DESIST MUSICAL2Panelists for the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) have distinguished the Falcon Theatre/Hugo West Theatrical’s DON’T CROSS THE STEAMS as a recommended production.

In DON’T CROSS THE STEAMS, a popular early ‘80s film about ghosts and the people who bust them is receiving a stage musical adaptation by a New Jersey theatre company. When their world is shattered by a “cease and desist” letter from the lawyers of Columbia Pictures, the cast and crew give the show a new title, make delirious changes to an increasingly unrecognizable script and recruit a handsomely clueless soap opera actor to play the role of Peter Venkman. Silly string ion streams are unleashed and a giant Twinkie kicks a man in groin in a madcap theatrical farce a la Waiting for Guffman.

Panelists praised the show as “a lively enthusiastic spoof”; “an evening of theatre that doesn’t take itself too seriously and with constant laughs… a fun-filled evening with whacky characters, cheesy jokes and an appreciation of what makes theatre (and its people) so unique.”

DON’T CROSS THE STEAMS continues through March 23rd. Tickets can be purchased at www.falcontheater.net.

Final LCT awards will be determined at the end of the season and announced at the 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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