Category Archives: Press Releases

September 30, 2024 · 5:24 pm

Cincinnati Opera Announces Revised Timeline for THE BLACK OPERA PROJECT

Shifting Later by One Year

CINCINNATI (Sept. 30, 2024)—Cincinnati Opera today announced that it has revised the timeline for The Black Opera Project, the company’s groundbreaking, three-opera commissioning initiative that engages Black creators to develop new operas celebrating Black stories.

As previously announced, The Black Opera Project seeks to illuminate the resilient spirit and vibrant heritage of the Black American experience. The project is the outgrowth of a grant from the Mellon Foundation to support Cincinnati Opera’s development of three new operas by Black creators focused on uplifting stories about the Black community.

Also as previously announced, the first work in The Black Opera Project, Lalovavi, an Afrofuturist grand opera with music by Kevin Day, libretto by Tifara Brown, and stage direction and dramaturgy by Kimille Howard, was initially set to premiere on Juneteenth 2025; Lalovavi will now open during Cincinnati Opera’s 2026 Summer Festival. The second opera—Good Trouble: The Boy from Troy, inspired by the life of U.S. Congressman John Lewis with music by Maria Thompson Corley, libretto by Diana Solomon Glover, and stage direction and dramaturgy by Timothy Douglas—will premiere as part of the company’s 2027 summer season. The third, as-yet-unnamed work will be presented during the summer of 2028.

“Artistic ventures of any kind take time, but creating a new opera is a particularly complex and intricate endeavor,” said Evans Mirageas, The Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director of Cincinnati Opera. “We’re committed to providing each of these important new stories the creative space and resources to achieve their creators’ respective visions. This adjustment will allow additional time for each opera’s development and refinement.”

The company will announce its 2025 Summer Festival in October 2024. On-sale dates for Lalovavi, Good Trouble: The Boy from Troy, and the third work in The Black Opera Project will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit cincinnatiopera.org.

About Cincinnati Opera
Cincinnati Opera’s mission is to enrich and connect our community through diverse opera experiences. Founded in 1920 and the second-oldest opera company in the nation, Cincinnati Opera presents a thrilling season of grand opera every summer and engaging programs throughout the year. The company’s repertoire includes beloved classics and contemporary masterworks brought to life by some of the world’s most dynamic performers and creative artists.

Cincinnati Opera is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign. Lead funder of Lalovavi is the David C. Herriman Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation. Additional funding for The Black Opera Project has been provided by the Mellon Foundation. Cincinnati Opera receives funding from the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts. Cincinnati Opera also receives general season support from The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Patricia A. Corbett Estate and Trust, and the Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, along with general season and project support from many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. Cincinnati Opera is a member of OPERA America. Learn more at cincinnatiopera.org.

# # #

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as

September 26, 2024 · 5:29 pm

Local Favorite Paul Strickland To Emcee THE NATIONAL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL

Oct. 4-6, 2024

(Covington, KY) Cincinnati’s favorite storyteller, Paul Strickland, has been invited to serve as Master of Ceremonies at the prestigious National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, next week. The popular three-day event is the largest and oldest storytelling festival in America and draws thousands of visitors from all over the globe.

Last year was Paul’s debut as a featured teller at the National Storytelling Festival. It is a big honor to be asked to return as an MC the following year. In 2023, Paul performed for audiences of up to two thousand people at a time, and drew standing-room only crowds to his tale-telling tents. It is experiences like this that inspired Paul to found a storytelling festival right here in Cincinnati, and the thriving fourth-year Cincinnati Storytelling Festival will be held this November in the center of Westwood.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL STORYTELLING FESTIVAL
Every October since 1973, thousands of travelers have visited Tennessee’s oldest town. They come for one purpose–to hear stories and to tell them at the National Storytelling Festival. This celebration of America’s rich and varied storytelling tradition, the oldest and most respected gathering anywhere in America devoted to storytelling, has in turn spawned a national revival of this venerable art.
https://www.storytellingcenter.net/festival/main/

ABOUT PAUL STRICKLAND
Cincinnati audiences know and love Paul Strickland for his award-winning performances at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival, including Ain’t True & Uncle False (2013 All-Access Pick-of-the-Fringe Award winner) and Balls of Yarns (2017 Critics’ Pick-of-the-Fringe Award winner).

Paul is also one of the co-founders of the Cincinnati Storytelling Festival which has brought nationally-recognized storytellers including Bil Lepp, Sheila Arnold, Adam Booth, Megan Hicks and Antonio Rocha to Cincinnati audiences. The Cincinnati Storytelling Festival will be returning for a fourth year in the Westwood neighborhood of Cincinnati this November 14-16, featuring national storytellers Lyn Ford and Andy Offutt Irwin. https://www.cincystoryfest.com/

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as

September 16, 2024 · 6:31 pm

Kate Hamill’s MS. HOLMES & MS. WATSON – APT. 2B Kicks Off Autumn at the Human Race Theatre Company

Step aside, Robert Downey, Jr.! Move over, Benedict Cumberbatch!  Make way for Kate Hamill’s feminist shakeup of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s notable sleuths.

This spin through the orbit of the world’s most famous detective introduces us to female roommates Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson. They’ve emerged from the pandemic fog as a deeply codependent and quasi-dysfunctional duo – solving mysteries, eating snacks and shaking off their pasts. But when they come face to face with a villain who seems to have all the answers? Hamill’s playful and theatrical style will deliver an unforgettable adventure chock full of heroism, friendship and, of course, the art of deduction.

“Bring your bestie, grab a snack and drink in the lobby, and settle in for an entertaining night,” notes Emily N. Wells, Artistic Director. “The twists and turns of this irreverent game keep you guessing to the very end.”

Guest Director Heather Wilson-Bowlby guides the powerhouse cast, featuring Shonita Joshi as Ms. Sherlock Holmes (Shipwrecked: An Entertainment!), Maggie Lou Rader as Ms. Joan Watson (Grounded, The Revolutionists), Kelly Mengelkoch as Mrs. Hudson and others (This is Tom Jones!, Deadline), and Matthew Sierra as Inspector Lestrade and others in his Human Race debut.

Joining Wilson-Bowlby on the production team are: Jeff Heater, Scenic Design; Diane D. Fairchild, Lighting Design; Janet G. Powell, Costume Design; emily c. porter, Sound Design; Lucia Thill, Associate Sound Design; Sarah Gomes, Props; Mark Tynan, Production Stage Manager; Danitza Piper, Assistant Stage Manager; Gina Cerimele-Mechley, Fight Director.

Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – Apt. 2B  will play in the Loft Theatre in downtown Dayton, October 9 – 20, 2024.  Tickets are on sale through the Dayton Live box office, 937-228-3630, or online at www.humanracetheatre.org   For press ticket requests, please contact Tiffany Countryman, Engagement and Learning Coordinator at tiffany@humanracetheatre.org

The Human Race Theatre Company continues its commitment to high quality theatre with access points for all with two special ticket initiatives: two sections of $20 seats available at any time through the box office, and ten $10 rush seats available 90 minutes before any performance.

Special Nights at The Loft: 

  • Pay What You CAN                  Tuesday, Oct 8, 7:30 pm – admission by non-perishable food donation for The Foodbank OR a cash donation to benefit The League of Women Voters
  • Inside Track                             Thursday, October 10, 7:30pm – Pre-show Discussion at 6:45pm
  • Post Show Discussion              Sunday, October 13, 2pm – Special Guest & Cast
  • Industry Night/ Sawbuck         Sunday, October 13, 7:30 pm – $10 tickets available at 6:00 pm
  • While We’re On The Subject Sunday, October 20, 2 pm – Post-Show Discussion with the Cast
  • Parent’s Day Out                     Sunday, October 20, 2 pm – Kids Separate Activities (5-12yo)

The Human Race expresses gratitude for the public and private support which makes these productions possible:  Loft Season Sponsor: Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation. Sustainability sponsors:  Anne F. Johnson, Steve and Lou Mason, The Toulmin Fund at The Dayton Foundation, and Morris Furniture Company.  Additional Season support:  Emma R. Catterton Trust, Funds at The Dayton Foundation, Virginia F. Kettering Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Sam Levin Foundation.  Production Support: Beth and Alan Schaeffer; Blood Sponsor: An Anonymous Blood Donor.  Organizational support:  Culture Works, Montgomery County, Ohio Arts Council. Media Sponsor: WDPR Discover Classical. Pay What You Can Sponsor: Enterprise Holdings Foundation. Parent’s Day Out: Rabbit Hole Books/Dayton Book Fair.  Capital Support: The Scheiwetz Foundation, The Dayton Foundation, The Toulmin Fund at the The Dayton Foundation.

###

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as

September 16, 2024 · 6:29 pm

One Off Productions Continues Indie Theatrics with Vonnegut’s Timely HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WANDA JUNE

(Cincinnati, OH — September 12, 2024) After a wildly successful run of Romeo and Juliet: A Fool’s Paradise in February, One Off Productions announces its second show: Kurt Vonnegut’s Happy Birthday, Wanda June, playing September 26–October 5 at Gabriel’s Corner in Over-the-Rhine. Founder Rupert Spraul directs, and co-founder Hannah Gregory serves as stage manager. The cast boasts Rory Sheridan as Harold Ryan and Tess Talbot as Penelope Ryan. Rounding out the main cast, David Derringer plays Dr. Norbert Woodly, Jared Earland plays Herb Shuttle and Colonel Von Konigswald, and Brian Willis plays Looseleaf Harper. Student actors Luke Busemeyer and Ashlynn Hezlep join as Paul and Wanda June, respectively.

Happy Birthday, Wanda June runs at Gabriel’s Corner, 1425 Sycamore Street, Cincinnati, OH, 45202 on:

  • Thursday, September 26 at 7:30pm
  • Friday, September 27 at 7:30pm
  • Sunday, September 29 at 7:30pm
  • Thursday, October 3 at 7:30pm
  • Friday, October 4 at 7:30pm
  • Saturday, October 5 at 7:30pm

Doors open at 7pm. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at https://square.link/u/ShaxxOqA.

About One-Off Productions:

One-Off Productions (OOPs) is a grassroots independent arts initiative in Cincinnati, OH, making impactful, accessible, professional, experimental art.

Find us on Instagram at @one.off.productions or Facebook

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as

September 16, 2024 · 6:25 pm

Make History with The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati: Dedicate a Seat at the Emery Theater

CINCINNATI, OH – The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) is thrilled to offer a unique opportunity to be part of history. For a $500 gift, you can dedicate a seat in the newly renovated Emery Theater, creating a lasting tribute for a loved one or marking a special milestone.

With this dedication, a personalized signature of your choice, along with your family name, will be carefully placed on a seat at the Emery Theater. This lasting tribute will remain for the life of the current seating configuration, ensuring that in 30 years, your grown children can return with their own families to see the seat and remember the moment when their signature was first placed there.

Why Dedicate a Seat?

  • Celebrate a child or grandchild
  • Honor a family member, friend, or even yourself
  • Mark a special occasion with a unique gift

Exclusive Benefits:

  • Invitation to our private Seat Dedication Day in Fall 2025
  • A permanent legacy cherished for generations

Flexible Payment Plans:

  • Quarterly: 4 payments of $125
  • 12 months: $41.60 per month

To arrange a payment plan, please contact Anne Venters at anne.venters@tctcincinnati.com.

We’re Serious About Seating—Especially Leg Room! At TCT, we’ve made it a priority to ensure comfort in the new Emery seats. You asked, and we listened: “Will there be enough leg room?” The answer is a resounding yes! Our creative partners at GBBN went above and beyond, crafting a full-scale plywood mockup to confirm the comfort and spaciousness of the new design. With careful planning and testing, we’re excited to move forward with seats that offer both comfort and ample leg room.

Reserve your seat in history today! Visit https://tinyurl.com/Emery-Seats to purchase your seat now. 

Please Note: This naming opportunity does not reserve the seat for performances. Seat availability can be inquired about when purchasing tickets.

About TCT:
Celebrating 105 years, The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) is the oldest children’s theatre in the U.S. and the only professional theater in the region dedicated to children’s productions. Our mission is to educate, entertain, and engage audiences of all ages. We reach over 200,000 people annually through our MainStage, TCT on Tour, and TCT Academy programs. The historic Emery Theater, our future home, is undergoing a $51 million revitalization, set to open in October 2025. Join us in making history and creating memories for the next century!  For more information about The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati and the Emery Theater, visit our website at https://thechildrenstheatre.com/the-emery/.

-end-

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as