Category Archives: Press Releases

March 17, 2024 · 7:31 pm

THE LIGHT CHASERS at Know Theatre

KTC_Light Chasers“We’ve been searching for our whole lives.”

THE LIGHT CHASERS
by Andrew Hungerford
music & lyrics by Craig Minowa
story by Andrew Hungerford & Jess Hutchinson
based upon the album Light Chasers by Cloud Cult
April 5 – 28, 2024 

Teenage science whiz Nic is stuck on Earth with her practical mom while her beloved dreamer of a father is ten years into an improbable mission to the stars. Nic vows to defy what she’s always been told is possible to bridge light years, get a message to her dad, and reunite her family. 

Coming to Know Theatre: The Light Chasers, an epic, world-premiere theatrical adventure based upon the album Light Chasers by indie orchestral-rock band Cloud Cult.

The Light Chasers is the final MainStage production of the Know’s 26th season, as well as the final show of Andrew Hungerford’s decade-long tenure as Producing Artistic Director.

This emotional, life-affirming journey to the stars – and to all the life on the far side of loss – was developed by Andrew alongside Chicago theatre-maker Jess Hutchinson, and is produced in partnership with the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Department of Acting.

Who is this show for? 

The Light Chasers is for anyone searching for hope in a broken world.

It’s for anyone who’s been separated from a loved one. It’s for those of us who know what it is to miss, and to grieve, and to heal.

It’s for fans of CCM and rising new talent.

It’s for fans of musicals. It’s for people who loved the Know’s production of Hundred Days or Lizard Boy and want in on the next new thing.

It’s for fans of music. It’s for fans of the band Cloud Cult, and for the people who are about to become fans when they hear the band’s sweeping orchestral indie-rock.

It’s for fans of science fiction, for people who love the thought of a future close enough to reach out and touch.

It’s for anyone who longs to find out what’s possible.

It’s for you.

Let’s go on an adventure:

Leading our cast is an ensemble of young performers from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, all making their Know MainStage debuts: Gabi Adams stars as Nic, with co-stars Staylie Brunner, Nico Graves, Evan Kupersmith, Carson Mehlbauer, Cassandra Reeves, and Lilia Villaflor. 

James Creque plays Nic’s space-explorer father. James’s previous Know appearances include Hearts Like Fists (2015), Hundred Days (2015), The Fisherman’s Wife (2016), Mercury (2019), All’s Faire (2021), The Twunny Fo’ (2022), and Bankers (2023).

Montez O. Jenkins-Copeland appears as Mshauri, the teacher guiding Nic and her peers. Montez was also seen at the Know in Moby Dick (2014), Girlfriend (2016), Red Bike (2019), and Theatre: A Love Story (2021).

Rounding out the cast in her Know Theatre onstage debut is Sarah Summerwell as Chris, Nic’s down-to-earth mom who’s trying to keep the family together. Sarah has previously served as vocal and dialect coach on shows including Dickless (2023), and serves on the faculty at CCM.

The Light Chasers features movement choreography by CCM faculty member L. Lucía Duque, whose previous work with the Know includes Ensemble & Movement Director for All-One! The Dr. Bronner’s Play (2023).

The Light Chasers is based on the album Light Chasers by Minnesota orchestral-indie-folk-rock band Cloud Cult, fronted by Craig Minowa. Cloud Cult eschews recording with conventional labels, instead independently releasing music via their environmentally-conscious record label Earthology Records. Hailed as one of the Top 10 Green Bands by Rolling Stone, the band’s philosophical lyrics and unique sound has been praised by critics as “insane genius” (Pitchfork) and “an invocation of the lifeforce” (New York Times).

Jess Hutchinson joins Andrew Hungerford to co-direct The Light Chasers. Jess is a Chicago-based director, dramaturg, educator, and producer whose work has been seen across the country. She was the artistic director of Chicago’s New Leaf Theatre from 2007 to 2012 and co-founded groundswell, a new play development company, in 2015; she’s also taught at DePaul University, Northern Illinois University, and North Park University.

producing Director Andrew Hungerford had this to say,

“This show is a dream project for me, one ten years in the making. It encompasses nearly everything I love about theatre: connection and music and movement and broad and deep collaboration. I’m so grateful to Craig Minowa of Cloud Cult for letting us run with his epic music, to my collaborator Jess Hutchinson, and the whole cast and production team for coming together to make an adventure to remember. We can’t wait to share it with you.” 

The Light Chasers runs April 5 – 28. Tickets are available on our website, knowtheatre.com, or by calling our box office at 513-300-5669.

Special Note: Evening performances at the Know for Season 26 are at 7:30! Our Underground Bar will open at 6:30 for evening shows this season; come by early for specialty cocktails and conversation before or after your show. 

CAST

  • Gabi Adams as Nic
  • Staylie Brunner as Robin
  • James Creque as the Pilot
  • Nico Graves as Charlie
  • Montez O. Jenkins-Copeland as Mshauri
  • Evan Kupersmith as Blake
  • Carson Mehlbauer as Ellis
  • Cassandra Reeves as Kai
  • Sarah Summerwell as Chris
  • Lilia Villaflor as Quinn 

PRODUCTION TEAM

  • Directors: Andrew J. Hungerford & Jess Hutchinson
  • Asst. Directors: A.J. Baldwin & Becca Anderson
  • Scenic & Lighting Designer: Andrew J. Hungerford
  • Costume Designer: Noelle Wedig-Johnston
  • Props Designer: Danielle Robison
  • Sound & Projections Designer: Douglas J. Borntrager
  • Orchestrator & Music Director: Rob Stark
  • Movement Director: L. Lucía Duque
  • Technical Director: Jim Stark
  • Stage Manager: Grace Wohlschlegel 

AT A GLANCE

Production: The Light Chasers, by Andrew Hungerford. Music & lyrics by Craig Minowa

Dates: April 5 – 28, 2024. Wed-Saturday at 7:30 pm. Saturday April 6 & 27, Sundays at 3:00pm.
Where: Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson Street in Over-the-Rhine.
Livestreaming on select dates beginning April 10.

Themes: sci-fi · adventure · hope · family · indie rock

Tickets: Know is general admission, with Pay What You Wish tiered ticket pricing. Low cost admission is $25, standard ticket price is $35 and audiences may opt to support the Know’s initiative to pay all artists and employees a living wage by selecting the $45 Living Wage Ticket.

On Wednesdays, as part of a program we call “The Welcome Experiment,” tickets are $10 in advance, or FREE at the door.

Know Theatre is Cincinnati’s Theatrical Playground. The Know showcases unexpected voices, new works, and plays that embrace the inherent theatricality of the live experience. Know Theatre seeks to be a place where artists and audiences feel welcome to take artistic risks, creating work that is cutting edge and accessible.

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 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 Network.

###

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as

March 13, 2024 · 9:43 pm

Cincinnati Ballet Present s MECURIAL LANDSCAPES, April 5-7 at Aronoff Center

CB_Mecural LandscapesWorld premiere by Rena Butler with costumes by Cincinnati designer Asha Ama Bias-Daniels

Cincinnati, OH (March 12, 2024) – Cincinnati Ballet presents Mercurial Landscapes, April 5 –7 at the Aronoff Center. The production features contemporary work from three choreographers – Rena Butler, Jodie Gates, and Jiří Kylián. Cincinnati Ballet is proud to present a world premiere featuring the work of two dynamic African-American women with Bloom, created by Rena Butler, choreographic associate for the progressive Gibney Dance Company in New York, with costume design by Cincinnati native Asha Ama Bias-Daniels; the title work, Mercurial Landscapes, created by choreographer Jodie Gates, set to Max Richter’s ethereal re-composition of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons; and Petit Mort and Sechs Tänze, set to the music of Mozart by Jiří Kylián, world renowned artistic director of Nederlands Dans Theater.

Choreographer Rena Butler, called ‘the epitome of contemporary cool’ by Dance Magazine, presents her world premiere, Bloom. “Bloom is an ode to the collective experience women have had since the beginning of time – the pressure to perpetually make ourselves smaller for societal norms: a man, a lover, our families, our peers, or our careers,” Butler said. “This work seeks to encourage our audience to reflect on the ways we dim our own light to make others more comfortable and explores the pain found within the constant search of finding our voice and the courage to break free from the confines we are put in: an ode to the women that weren’t able to acquire the freedom to be expansive and honor their sacrifice by doing what they couldn’t, bloom.” Asha Ama Bias-Daniels is a fashion designer and artist born and raised in Avondale. As a Black woman, Asha said she often found herself misunderstood, stereotyped, and misidentified. She was able to navigate the fashion world and survive because she was raised with a great knowledge of self that she tries to impart to others through her designs. As a couture designer, Asha has created pieces for a diverse range of artists from Zendaya to Little Big Town. Asha also appeared on two seasons of the hit show, Project Runway. “Working with Rena was ‘love at first sight!’ Rena has been a dream collaborator,” Bias-Daniels said. “She is a young, Black woman at the height of innovation in her industry. Like myself, she breathes meaning into her work. We came up with the concept for this original piece the last time we got together for drinks. Laughing and crying about the times we’ve conquered great mountains in our careers but found ourselves shrinking our greatness to make others comfortable and having a great accomplishment soured by an unsupportive partner. This led to a bigger conversation about how we owe it to the women that came before us, that didn’t have the freedom to be big, to honor their sacrifice by being larger than life. I have never designed from a place of practicality. I must be inspired by a greater message and then work my way backwards into how to create that vision. Designing for dance is no different. We came up with the concept and I had to feel what that looked like. The design process is always fluid for me. I will be sitting in on some of Rena’s sessions with the dancers to gain inspiration before draping the more organic pieces of my designs for this collaboration.”

Renowned choreographer Jiri Kylián created a pair of works set to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Jiri Kylián choreographed Petit Mort for the Salzburg Festival to commemorate the second centenary of Mozart’s death. For his work, he chose the slow parts of two of Mozart’s most beautiful and popular piano concertos. Kylián remarked, ‘This deliberate choice should not be seen as a provocation or thoughtlessness – rather as my way to acknowledge the fact that I am living and working as part of a world where nothing is sacred, where brutality and arbitrariness are common places.’ The choreography includes twelve dancers and six foils. The foils have the function to be actual dance partners, and at times seem more unruly and obstinate than a human partner. They visualize a symbolism which is more present than a story line. Aggression, sexuality, energy, silence, cultivated senselessness, and vulnerability – they all play a significant part. Sechs Tänze is a whimsical take on the aristocratic era also set to the music of Mozart. Filled with sophisticated precision, this fanciful romp is poetic and playful, featuring moveable set pieces made to look like 17th century ballgowns and corseted costumes with period wigs and makeup.

Jodie Gates originally created the title work, Mercurial Landscapes, for Ballet West in 2013. The work, which plays with precision and fluidity, is set to the iconic music of Vivaldi.

Tickets for Mercurial Landscapes are on sale now. For more information, visit http://www.cballet.org.

WHO: Cincinnati Ballet
WHAT: Mercurial Landscapes
WHEN:

  • Friday, April 5 at 7:30 pm
  • Saturday, April 6 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm
  • Sunday, April 7 at 1 pm

WHERE: Aronoff Center for the Arts, Jarson-Kaplan Theater
650 Walnut Street
Cincinnati, Ohio

TICKETS: Call 513.621.5282 or visit cballet.org

Cincinnati Ballet 2023-2024 Season Sponsors:
PNC, Margaret and Michael Valentine, ArtsWave, H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Foundation, Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Ohio Arts Council, The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation

About Cincinnati Ballet
Since 1963, Cincinnati Ballet has been the cornerstone professional ballet company of the region, presenting a bold and adventurous array of classical, full-length ballets and contemporary works, regularly with live orchestral accompaniment. Cincinnati Ballet is a creative force within the larger dance community, commissioning world-premiere works and exploring unique collaborations. With a mission to enrich, expand, and excel in the art of dance through performance, a high-caliber academy, and impactful education and community engagement in local to global communities, Cincinnati Ballet reaches beyond the stage in programs that allow every person in the region to be part of the continued evolution of dance. To that end, Cincinnati Ballet presents exhilarating performances, provides extensive education and community engagement programs, and offers top-level professional ballet training at Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig
Academy

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases

Tagged as

March 13, 2024 · 6:55 am

DANCING FOR THE STARS 2024 | Sat., April 20 | Music Hall Ballroom

CAA_Dancing with the Stars 2024SEASON SIXTEEN

(CINCINNATI, OH) – Who will be voted Cincinnati’s best celebrity dancer?  Which stars have the right moves to rule the dance floor?  Find out on Saturday, April 20, 2024 when the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) celebrates season sixteen of its annual fundraiser Dancing for the Stars at the Music Hall Ballroom to benefit CAA’s Overture Awards – the nation’s largest locally run high school arts scholarship competition – and Arts Education Programs. 

Inspired by the hit ABC-TV show Dancing with the Stars, Dancing for the Stars will feature six Cincinnati celebrities paired with some of the area’s finest professional dancers in a competition program at which the audience will vote for their favorite celebrity dancer. The competitive dance theme will be Broadway and each dance pair will have ninety seconds to woo the crowd and the judges.

In addition, Dancing for the Stars will feature:

  • Dance music by guest on-air DJ “JD Hughes,” 103.5 WGRR-FM
  • Pre-event reception
  • Open dancing before and after the competition
  • Lite bites provided by some of Cincinnati’s finest restaurants and caterers
  • Cash bar

In addition to the winner of the dance competition, Dancing for the Stars will crown a Fundraising Champion – the celebrity dancer who raises the most revenue toward the event’s fundraising goal through table/ticket sales and donations. Fans may add a donation under their favorite celebrity’s name at the time of ticket purchase, or simply donate if they cannot attend the event. These direct donations (outside of the event ticket price) will help one of the fans’ favorite celebrities win the Dancing for the Stars Fundraising Champion award (which will be announced the evening of the event) and are 100% tax deductible.

Tickets are currently on sale at the following levels (a portion of the ticket price is tax-deductible):

  • $150 – Patron (pre-event reception and two drink tickets)
  • $200­ – Premium (pre-event reception and open bar)
  • $1,500 – Corporate Table (ten Patron level tickets and a half-page program ad)
  • $2,000 – Celebrity Circle Table (ten Premium level tickets, full-page program ad, event signage, and seating within the first two rows)

RESERVATIONS AND INFORMATION:

THE STARS:

  • Scott Allgyer (Owner, Studio 900)
  • Alex Johns (Real Estate Agent, Coldwell Banker)
  • Dr. Hali Jungers (Veterinarian, Newport Aquarium)
  • Dr. Magdalena Kerschner (Board certified Anesthesiologist and Aesthetic Medicine Physician;  Founder, Victory Wellness and Medspa – Cincinnati, OH and Naples, FL)
  • Deb Schubert (Health Care Professional Marketing, Procter & Gamble)
  • Zack Thornton (Director, Advisory Services, Fidelity Investments) 

THE PROS (WITH STAR PAIRING):  

  • James Branham (Arthur Murray Dance Studio — West Chester) – Deb Schubert
  • Bonita Brockert (Independent Dance Instructor) – Alex Johns
    Maura Garuccio (Independent Dance Instructor) – Scott Allgyer
    Jeremy Mainous (Arthur Murray Dance Studio – Cincinnati) – Dr. Magdalena Kerschner
    Josh Tilford (Dance Manor) – Dr. Hali Junger
    Melissa Vaughn (Arthur Murray Dance Studio – Cincinnati) – Zack Thornton 

THE HOSTS:  Chris O’Brien & Janeen Coyle 

THE JUDGES:   

  • Douglas Beal (Independent Dance Instructor)
  • Sebastian Castillo (General Manager, Prime Cincinnati; Dancing for the Stars 2022 Dance Champion)
  • Bret Schneider (Owner, WOW Windowboxes; Dancing for the Stars 2022 Fundraising Champion)
  • Britton Spitler as Brock Leah Spears (Project Manager – ADM; Dancing for the Stars 2023 Dance Champion)

EVENT COMMITTEE:  Doreen Beatrice, Michael Betz, Amal Daoud, Terry Foster, Jill Jansen, Ginger Loftin, Rosemary Schlachter, and Dr. Tracey Skale

EVENT SPONSORS:  TriHealth (Presenting Sponsor), Arthur Murray – Cincinnati, Arthur Murray – West Chester, Bonita Brockert, Maura Garuccio, Josh Tilford 

FIFTEEN SEASONS OF DANCING FOR THE STARS WINNERS:

  • 2007:    Dr. O’dell Owens (former Hamilton County Coroner)
  • 2008:    Jenell Walton (former WCPO-TV9 Anchor and Reporter)
  • 2009:    Phil Schworer (past President, Cincinnati Bar Association; Environmental Lawyer, Frost, Brown and Todd)
  • 2010:    Donna Speigel (Owner, The Snooty Fox)
  • 2011:    Dr. Tracey Skale (Chief Medical Officer, Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services)
  • 2012:    Regina Russo (former Director of Marketing and Communications, Cincinnati Art Museum)
  • 2013:    Chris Seelbach (Cincinnati City Councilman)
  • 2014:    Neal Schulte (Founder & President, Schulte Financial Group, LLC)
  • 2015:    Johnny Chu (Owner, AmerAsia Kungfood Restaurant)
  • 2016:    Jay Lame (Financial Analyst, Lenox Wealth Management)
  • 2017:    Rohan Hemani (Procter & Gamble Fabric Care Intrapenuer)
  • 2018:    Dr. Marcia Bowling (Gynecologic Oncology, Oncology Hematology Care, Inc.)
  • 2019:    Halle Quinn (Community Volunteer)
  • 2022:    Sebastian Castillo (General Manager, Prime Cincinnati)
  • 2023:    Britton Spitler as Brock Leah Spears (Project Manager – ADM)

NOTE:  There was no event in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION’S ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS
CAA’s Education Department promotes life-long learning through its programs, which are diverse, multidisciplinary, and accessible to all ages and cultural groups. SchoolTime presents a series of programs that feature nationally recognized artists at CAA’s two venues (the Aronoff Center and Music Hall), and Artists on Tour brings the finest local artists in the region to Tri-state schools for interactive arts experiences aligned with the curriculum.

The Overture Awards Scholarship Competition is the largest locally run arts scholarship competition in the country. The program annually provides a $3,000 scholarship to six area high school students for education and training, with eighteen finalists each winning a $1,000 scholarship. Each year, students from across the Tri-state region are nominated by their schools to compete in one of six artistic disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, or Vocal Music. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Finals, and Final.

The Overture Awards was developed to recognize, encourage, and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12. It also provides students an opportunity to share their talents and interests among their peers in a supportive environment outside of their individual schools.  Now in its 28th year, The Overture Awards was launched in 1996 by the Cinergy Foundation and Leadership Cincinnati (a Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce program).

Founded in 1992, the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the programming and management of two 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 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, including Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Symphony/Pops Orchestras, May Festival, and Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati, presented by TriHealth. Since the inception of its acclaimed arts education programs in 1995, CAA has reached more than million students.

#  #  #

Leave a comment

Filed under Events, Press Releases

Tagged as

March 13, 2024 · 6:54 am

Xavier University Theatre Announces Show Your Pride, March 18-24

cover prom - 1(CINCINNATI, March 11, 2024) – Xavier University Theatre announces a week of LGBTQIA+ pride-centric events in support of its upcoming production of the hit comic musical The Prom, which runs March 22-24.

Leading up to The Prom’s opening and throughout the weekend of performances there will be a series of seven events to educate about the themes of the show at a deeper, more currently contextual level.

When asked about the purpose behind event programming, Darnell Pierre Benjamin, who directs the show, said, “The Prom was originally conceived with the tangible realization that the lives of people within the LGBTQIA+ community are in danger with the passing of bills threatening to negatively affect people’s lives, access to healthcare, and more. It’s apparent to me that the experience of really seeing queerness alive and well needs to exist off the stage as well as on.” He continued to emphasize each event’s individual importance by saying, “The programming leading up to the opening and past the closing of The Prom is vital. It’s an opportunity to connect the dots between real people and these real issues. The purpose is to ensure that people realize that what’s happening in The Prom isn’t all fiction. These events will uplift those within the community, educate those who aren’t aware, and continue the conversation on the necessity of visibility.”

On Monday, March 18, from 3:00-4:00 pm, Xavier Theatre will host Walk with Pride throughout Xavier’s campus. In collaboration with LGBTQIA+ Alliance, students will hand out pamphlets with information about the history of LGBTQIA+ representation and discrimination on college campuses. The pamphlets will also include on-campus and local resources in support of those who identify with the community.

On Tuesday, March 19, from 2:30-4:00 pm, Xavier Theatre will host a Clothing Swap event in Gallagher Student Center’s Clocktower Lounge and start its Clothing Charity Drive, which will last until Sunday, March 24. Interested parties will have an opportunity to donate or swap their clothes; any remaining items will be donated to TreeHouse Cincinnati or Kaleidoscope in Columbus. Donations will be accepted after 4:00 pm throughout the week and during performances at the Xavier Theatre box office, in the GSC’s lower level.

On Wednesday, March 20, from 3:30-4:30 pm, Xavier Theatre will host Blooming with Pride in GSC’s First Floor Atrium in collaboration with Alpha Psi Omega, the program’s honor society. Interested parties will have an opportunity to arrange bouquets with flowers symbolic of love and learn more about the meanings behind flowers and their significance to the LGBTQIA+ community. Bouquets have the option to be kept or donated to Caracole, “an AIDS service organization providing comprehensive HIV prevention, housing and care management services” based in Cincinnati.

On Thursday, March 21, from 10:00 am-3:00 pm, Xavier Theatre will host Independently Queer, a film festival, in GSC’s Arrupe Overlook in collaboration with the Digital Innovation Film and Television (DIFT) program. The event will feature local and student films created by those who identify with the LGBTQIA+ community.

On Friday, March 22, following the opening night performance, audience members will have the opportunity to participate in a LEWK Show event in the GSC Theatre. Up to fifteen audience members will wear their best attire and have the opportunity to strut their stuff across the Xavier Theatre stage. With the help of our audience judge, the final two contestants will Lip Synch for their Lives on the spot. Audience members can sign up to participate outside of the Gallagher Student Center Theatre before the performance.

On Saturday, March 23, starting at 6:00 pm and following the evening performance, local LGBTQIA+ organizations and charities will offer an educational look at issues within the community. The evening will start with a Pre-Show Education event in the GSC Studio Theatre, which will provide historical context of the struggles of the LGBTQIA+ community and the various specialties of these organizations. Following the performance, these same representatives will respond to the show in the GSC Theatre and offer their perspectives on what the show meant to them, as members of organizations who interact with many who identify within the queer community.

The clothing drive will conclude following the final performance on Sunday, March 24. Additionally, during the intermission of all the shows there will be an LGBTQIA+-themed quiz. Winners will receive two tickets to a show in Xavier Theatre’s soon-to-be-announced 2024-2025 season.

Performances of The Prom take place at 7:30 p.m. on March 22 and 23 and 2:00 p.m. March 23 and 24. Tickets are available now. They are $20 each for adults and $15 each for Xavier students, faculty and staff. To purchase tickets, visit https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/76147 or call 513-745-3939.

###

Leave a comment

Filed under Events, Press Releases

Tagged as

March 8, 2024 · 10:05 am

Cincinnati Ballet Announces 2024-2025 Season

Cincinnati Ballet proudly presents four world premieres for The Kaplan New Works Series; Devon Carney’s GISELLEe; Septime Webre’s THE WIZARD OF OZ; Director’s Vision: No Boundaries, which includes the regional premiere of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s DELMIRA, Alexander Ekman’s CACTIi, and David Morse’s OUR STORY — PLUS THE NUTCRACKER presented by Sheakley Family and the annual Family Series

CB_The Wizard of Oz

Samantha Griffin and Nikita Boris.Joe Lyman Photography.

CINCINNATI, OH (March 7, 2024) – Cincinnati Ballet is pleased to announce today the repertoire slated for the 2024-2025 Season curated by Interim Artistic Director Cervilio Miguel Amador. The Season opens September 6 – 15, 2024 at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theatre with The KAPLAN NEW WORKS Series. Experience four world premiere commissions from Darrell Grand Moultrie, Christian Denice, Caroline Dahm, and Gustavo Ramirez. Darell Grand Moultrie has created and staged works for dance companies across the world including American Ballet Theatre, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, BalletX, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. The Harlem, New York-based choreographer also served as a choreographer on Beyoncé’s record-breaking The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. Christian Denice is a dancer and choreographer originally from Los Angeles, California. As a choreographer, he has created new works for such companies and organizations as Moving Arts with dancers of Cincinnati Ballet and Kansas City Ballet, Chamber Dance Project, Odyssey Dance Theatre, and DanceWorks Chicago. Gustavo Ramírez Sansano is one of Spain’s most internationally recognized choreographers. Gustavo Ramírez has been commissioned to create works for some of the most representative dance companies all around the world, including Ballet Hispánico, Jacob’s Pillow, Nederlands Dans Theater, Hubbard Street Dance, Scottish Dance Theatre, among others. He is the recipient of numerous international awards for his work. Caroline Dahm is a dancer and choreographer from Los Angeles. She has danced with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater and Kansas City Ballet, among others. As a choreographer, Dahm has set works for Moving Arts for three seasons, as well as choreographed the Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance Theater.

Just in time for Halloween, audiences will fall madly in love with the hauntingly beautiful Giselle at Music Hall, October 31 – November 3, 2024. Choregraphed by Devon Carney, it’s the story of a peasant girl who descends into madness and dies of a broken heart after her lover’s betrayal. Taken in by eerie ghosts called the Wilis, Giselle then enters an ethereal world where dance is the language of the soul. With live orchestration from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

No holiday is complete without a trip to the Land of Sweets for The Nutcracker presented by Sheakley Family at Music Hall, December 19 – 29, 2024. When a curious young girl named Clara receives a magical Nutcracker for Christmas, her dreams come to life. Joined by her Nutcracker Prince, Clara meets the Sugar Plum Fairy and a cast of colorful characters. With Tchaikovsky’s beloved score performed live by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The 2024 – 2025 Season also marks the 50th Anniversary of Cincinnati Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker.

2025 begins with a trip down the yellow brick road with the return of choreographer Septime Webre’s wildly popular The Wizard of Oz at Music Hall, February 20 – March 2, 2025. Join Dorothy and her friends as they travel to the Emerald City but watch out for the Wicked Witch and her flying monkeys! This production features fantastic special effects and gorgeous sets and costumes. With music from composer Matthew Pierce performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Who’s the ‘fairest of them all?’ Snow White, of course! Cincinnati Ballet presents its annual Family Series: Snow White at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, April 24 – 27, 2025. Dance lovers of all ages will delight in the treasured fairy tale of a jealous Queen and her kind-hearted stepdaughter. This one-hour ballet with live narration features Cincinnati Ballet Second Company – CB2 dancers and young performers from the Otto M. Budig Academy. It’s the perfect introduction to dance, even for the youngest members of your family. Audiences will also enjoy free lobby games, crafts, photos and more.

The 2024 – 2025 Season concludes with Director’s Vision: No Boundaries, at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, May 1 – 4, 2025. The dynamic triple bill features work from choreographers Alexander Ekman and David Morse, and a regional premiere from choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. Ekman’s Cacti is a playful and witty parody of contemporary dance. The work is an affectionate, pointed, and often hilarious deconstruction of the affectations of dance. Director’s Vision also features Delmira, a regional premiere from Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. The dramatic work was inspired by the life of 20th century Latin American poet Delmira Agustini, one of the first female poets of the modern era. Ochoa tells the story using the symbolism that Agustini employed in her own writing. Both intimate and cinematic, Morse’s Our Story looks at the unique singularity of history’s darkest chapter – the Holocaust – and asks profound questions about what is required of each of us to appreciate our shared humanity. Our Story is also being performed in honor of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, an event that also marks the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust and for the prevention of crimes against humanity. Cincinnati Ballet is honored to work on this project with the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center.

Subscriptions on sale now for the 2024-2025 Season. For more information visit cballet.org.

Cincinnati Ballet 2023-2024 Season Sponsors:
PNC, Margaret and Michael Valentine, ArtsWave, H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Foundation, Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, Ohio Arts Council, The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation

About Cincinnati Ballet
Since 1963, Cincinnati Ballet has been the cornerstone professional ballet company of the region, presenting a bold and adventurous array of classical, full-length ballets and contemporary works, regularly with live orchestral accompaniment. Cincinnati Ballet is a creative force within the larger dance community, commissioning world-premiere works and exploring unique collaborations. With a mission to enrich, expand, and excel in the art of dance through performance, a high-caliber academy, and impactful education and community engagement in local to global communities, Cincinnati Ballet reaches beyond the stage in programs that allow every person in the region to be part of the continued evolution of dance. To that end, Cincinnati Ballet presents exhilarating performances, provides extensive education and community engagement programs, and offers top-level professional ballet training at Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy.

Leave a comment

Filed under Press Releases, Season Announcements

Tagged as