Category Archives: Press Releases

July 10, 2024 · 5:16 pm

2024-2025 Season Announced by Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative

CPI_logoLocal Playwriting Group Selects Scripts for Staged Readings

Cincinnati, Ohio—July 10, 2024—At its June board meeting, Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative (CPI) Board of Directors announced the selected scripts for its New Voices 2024/2025 season which will showcase both new and emerging local playwrights.

The following CPI members will have their Full-length, One Act and Short plays performed as staged readings at the Fifth Third Theater in downtown Cincinnati on the following six Tuesday evenings at 7:30 p.m.

September 17, 2024
HeARTLAND by Paul Shortt

October 15, 2024
Thump by Michael DeFrancesco

November 12, 2024
Please Hold for the Pandemic . . . . by Liz Coley
The Beginning of Forever by Bertha Lynn Davis

February 11, 2025
Lovefest 3
CPI’s original ten-minute play festival fundraiser returns for a third time to support the American Heart Association with 8 short plays about love and romance! Lovefest 3 Playwrights will be announced in the Fall of 2024.

March 11, 2025
Finding Mickey Mantle by Wendy Vogel

April 15, 2025
Natchez Trace by Jeremy Simmons
Burnt Toast of Broadway by Greg Hatfield
Guardian Angel Blues by Dave Doster
This Ain’t Like You, Adrienne and An Old Person at the Bank by Roger Brookfield

Twenty-minute audience talkback sessions are conducted for staged readings with 2 or fewer playwrights at the end of each performance. Written feedback is obtained from the audience for staged readings with 3 or more playwrights.

Season tickets go on sale Friday, July 12 through Tuesday, September 17, 2024 for $50 which includes all 6 dates for the price of 5 and can be purchased online at https://www.cincinnatiarts.org/events/detail/cpi-new-voices-2024-2025-series or by calling the Aronoff box office at 513-621-2787. Online and phone orders will incur additional service fees. Single event tickets go on sale on July 30, 2024 for $10 per person plus service fees. Lovefest 3 tickets will be $15 each plus service fees. In person ticket purchases at the Aronoff box office will not incur service fees.

CPI is a non-profit theater arts organization whose mission is to support playwrights in the Cincinnati Metropolitan Area by offering free playwriting workshops, cold and staged readings to provide valuable feedback so that scripts can be further developed to potentially become fully produced or published.

To join CPI, visit the website at https://cincyplaywrights.org or follow on social media both on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cincyplaywrights and X https://x.com/cincyplaywright.

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July 8, 2024 · 4:58 pm

2024-2025 Season Announced by Falcon Theatre

FT_logoEvery show in our 2024-25 season is a regional premiere and we’re so excited to bring these amazing plays to our audience for the coming season. More information will be coming soon, but make plans now to catch everything in our season!

POTUS by Selina Fillinger
September 13-28, 2024

One four-letter word is about to rock 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. When the President unwittingly spins a PR nightmare into a global crisis, the seven brilliant and beleaguered women he relies upon most risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to keep the commander-in-chief out of trouble.

Selina Fillinger’s brilliant, all-female farce took Broadway by storm in a star-studded production that earned three 2022 Tony nominations.

MINDGAME by Anthony Horowitz
November 1-16-2024

A prominent author of novels and “true crime”stories enters a secluded mental institution to interview a serial killer who has been confined there for thirty years. The superintendent of the institution does not want the interview to take place and is hostile. In an effort to make the writer to understand what it means to be insane, he restrains him in a straight jacket. Then he pulls out a scalpel; he is the serial killer. The inmates have taken over the asylum and killed all of the staff except for “Nurse Plimpton”. Actually a doctor, she tries to intervene and is gruesomely dispatched or so the audience thinks. Mindgame was a riveting hit in London’s West End and later Off-Broadway starring Keith Carradine directed by Ken Russell.

HANGMEN by Martin McDonnagh
January 24-February 8, 2025

It’s 1965, and the death penalty has just been abolished in the United Kingdom. Naturally all of Oldham, northern England, wants to know what Harry, the second-best hangman in the country, has to say about it. As the news breaks, Harry’s pub is overrun with locals and reporters looking for a quote, until a visitor arrives with a darker and more mysterious agenda

MR. PARKER by Michael McKeever
March 14-29, 2025

At 54 years old, Terry Parker finds himself at a crossroads in his life. After the loss of his partner of 30 years, he finds himself suddenly single and unable to adjust to a world that has moved on without him. After a night of heavy drinking, he wakes up with a 28-year-old bartender-slash-Uber-driver. These two very different people begin a tentative relationship, and what starts out as a one-night stand becomes a journey of self-discovery for a man trying to let go of the past and move forward, while dealing with the pressures of being middle-aged, gay and alone in the ever-changing landscape of today’s America.

TBA – Stay tuned for the announcement of the final show of our season. We’ll be posting it very soon!

Ted J. Weil, Producing Artistic Director, says, “This is a season of plays about chaos…from the chaos of dark minds, to the changes that alter our lives irrevocably, to the outrageous (and farcical) inner workings of the White House, this season offers drama, mystery, comedy and pathos.  I am honored by the hard work and artistry of the wonderful people who choose to share their talents and passion with us at Falcon Theatre and am thrilled to have these outstanding plays to offer our amazing artists and audience.”

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July 5, 2024 · 9:28 am

Cincinnati Opera’s 2024 Summer Festival Concludes with the World Stage Premiere of Paul McCartney’s LIVERPOOL ORATORIO

Performances take place July 18, 20, 21, 25, and 27 at Cincinnati Music Hall

CINCINNATI (July 3, 2024)—Cincinnati Opera concludes its 2024 Summer Festival July 18-27 with the highly anticipated world stage premiere of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio at Cincinnati’s historic Music Hall. The touching and topical classical piece features music and lyrics by Paul McCartney and Carl Davis with all new sets, costumes, lighting, staging, and choreography. Please see below for complete details.

CO_Liverpool OratoriosdCALENDAR INFORMATION

Who and What:
Cincinnati Opera presents the world stage premiere of Paul McCartney’s LIVERPOOL ORATORIO

When:

  • Thursday, July 18, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, July 20, 7:30 p.m.
  •  Sunday, July 21, 3:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, July 25, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, July 27, 3:00 p.m.

Where:
Music Hall’s Springer Auditorium, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Description:
Written by Paul McCartney in collaboration with the late, esteemed composer and conductor, Carl Davis, Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio was commissioned by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Society in honor of its 150th anniversary and premiered in 1991. The piece tells the semiautobiographical story of a young man named Shanty, who is born during the turbulent years of World War II and grows up in Liverpool. The work follows his life journey, depicting his struggles and joys and exploring the themes of childhood, school days, love, war, and reconciliation. McCartney’s melodic pop sensibility is evident alongside stunning classical orchestration, resulting in an accessible yet intricate musical work.

Cincinnati Opera’s production of Paul McCartney’s LIVERPOOL ORATORIO will be the work’s first-ever operatic staging, featuring all new sets, costumes, lighting, staging, and choreography, plus a dazzling cast, a 48-voice chorus, dancers from the Cincinnati Ballet, and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Scenic design for Cincinnati Opera’s production of Paul McCartney’s LIVERPOOL ORATORIO. Design by Leslie Travers.

In a letter to the company, McCartney said, “I am writing to express my wholehearted support for this project. I believe that the Cincinnati Opera is uniquely positioned to bring this work to life in a new way, and I have no doubt that your production will be an inspiring experience for all who see it.”

The public is encouraged to join in the effort to invite McCartney to attend this historic event by creating tribute videos, sharing them on social media, and tagging @cincinnatiopera and #GetPaulToMusicHall. For more information on the regional campaign, “Come Together, Cincy! Get Paul to Music Hall!” visit GetPaulToMusicHall.org.

CO_Liverpool Oratoriocc
Cast and Creative Team:

  • Composers/Librettists … Paul McCartney and Carl Davis
  • Conductor … Joseph Young
  • Stage Director … Caroline Clegg
  • Set and Costume Designer … Leslie Travers
  • Associate Costume Designer … Kelli Haase
  • Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
  • Wig and Makeup Designer … James Geier
  • Choreographer … Michael Pappalardo
  • Chorus Master … Henri Venanzi
  • Cincinnati Boychoir Director … Jason Alexander Holmes
  • Shanty … Andrew Owens
  • Mary Dee … Jacqueline Echols McCarley
  • Miss Inkley/Chief Mourner/Nurse … Kayleigh Decker
  • Headmaster/Preacher/Mr. Dingle … Kevin Short
  • Boy Soloists … Nick Kruckeberg, Eli DeHoff

Featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Opera Chorus, Cincinnati Boychoir, and Cincinnati Ballet

Tickets and Information:
Tickets start at $36. To order, call 513-241-2742 or visit cincinnatiopera.org/liverpool-oratorio.

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. The company also receives support from the Ohio Arts Council, which receives support from the State of Ohio and the National Endowment for the Arts. Lead sponsor for Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio is Western & Southern Financial Group. 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. Media partner is 90.9 WGUC. Cincinnati Opera is a proud member of OPERA America. Learn more at cincinnatiopera.org.

Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio is a coproduction with Seattle Opera and is presented by
arrangement with Faber Music in association with MPL Communications.

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July 5, 2024 · 9:26 am

Save the Date! Summer Adjudication Forums

ACT_logoAttention all adjudicators, judging assistants, and group presidents! The official kick off to the 2024-2025 adjudication program will take place on the following dates and locations:

Saturday, August 3 10:00am- 1:00pm
Mason Community Playhouse (home of Mason Community Players)
5529 Mason Road
Mason, OH 45040

Saturday, August 17 10:00am- 1:00pm
The Stained Glass Theatre (home of The Footlighters, Inc.)
802 York Street
Newport, KY 41071

All adjudicators should plan to attend at least one or both of these forums for valuable information and training. More information can be found on our website here: https://www.actcincinnati.org/judging-info

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July 1, 2024 · 5:17 pm

Stage Right Cuts Loose

SRMTC_Footloose1‘FOOTLOOSE’ is now playing in Grant County!

Williamstown, KY – Stage Right Musical Theatre Company opened its eighth season with
FOOTLOOSE, which runs through July 14 at the Williamstown Performing Arts Center. Audiences from across the country laughed, cheered, and danced through the opening weekend of the musical adaptation.

“Audiences have been raving about their experience at Footloose,” Artistic Director John Siedenberg II said, “we are so proud of the cast and creative team for bringing this stunning production to life, and cannot wait to share this incredible story with more audiences over its run.”

“Based on the original 1984 film, Footloose brings to life this classic story in an explosive new way! When rebellious teen Ren is forced to move to a small town where dancing is forbidden, it’s up to him and his classmates to defy the rules! This heartfelt story pins a father longing for the son he lost against a young man aching for the father who walked out on him. Featuring a blend of new music and classic anthems like “Holding Out for a Hero” and “Let’s Hear it for the Boy”; “Footloose” is sure to leave you dancing out of your seat.”

Audiences packed the Williamstown Performing Arts Center in its first weekend, breaking opening weekend records for the Theatre Company. Siedenberg attributes the success of the show on its great music, comedy, and emotional depth.

“The music is infectious, the acting is superb, and the heart at the center of this story is enough to bring the audience to tears,” Siedenber said about audience reactions in its first weekend of performances, “Footloose is pure, unadulterated joy, and this cast brings their A-game to every single performance.”

This show is presented by the Grant County Tourist & Convention Commission.

Footloose runs through July 14; tickets are available at www.StageRightMTC.org.

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