Category Archives: Press Releases

March 22, 2012 · 11:47 am

RAGAMALA DANCE: SACRED EARTH to Perform at MU, April 1

Photo provided by Ragamala Dance, Ed Bock photographer.

Oxford, Ohio- Named 2011 Artists of the Year by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, artistic directors Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy bring Ragamala Dance: Sacred Earth to Miami University at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 1st at Hall Auditorium, Oxford Ohio in a performance in which Ragamala dances the ancient Indian temple art form, Bharatanatyam, against a vivid backdrop of painted prayers of Warli paintings, on a stage covered with ephemeral Kolam rice flour drawings.

Ragamala’s Sacred Earth transforms the stage into a sacred space. The stunning dancers give physical form to the spiritual expression of the Warlis and Kolams, illustrating the ephemeral nature of our existence and celebrating the ongoing, ever-renewing cycle of life. The seven dancers of Ragamala are trained in Alermel Valli’s style of Bharatanatyam, which is distinguished by its emphasis on linear geometry and structure, complexity of rhythm, and the subtlety and depth of expression.

Ragamala Dance will be on campus and in the community several days visiting classes, senior centers, and working with students and community members through lectures, demonstrations and discussions of the art form and culture.

Ragamala Dance is presented by the Miami University Performing Arts Series and sponsored by the Center for American and World Cultures, the Ford Family Initiative on Spiritual Meaning and Purpose, and The Knolls of Oxford. This presentation is supported by the Performing Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest, funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from the Ohio Arts Council, General Mills Foundation, and Land O’Lakes Foundation. The presentation of Ragamala Dance: Sacred Earth was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and additional funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Boeing Company Charitable Trust. Media partners 88.5 WMUB and 91.7 WVXU. Tickets are $18 for adults, $17 for senior citizens, and $6 for students and youth. For tickets or more information, go online to http://www.muohio.edu/PerformingArtsSeries or call the Miami Box Office at (513) 529-3200.

Tickets: https://tkt.xosn.com/tickets/TicketHome.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=26100&_MODE_=EVENTSELECT&SALE_TKT_EVENT_ID=250992
Event Page: http://arts.muohio.edu/performing-arts-series/events/ragamala-dance
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/375599375784005/
Ragamala’s page: http://www.ragamala.net/

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March 22, 2012 · 11:05 am

ETC’s TIME STANDS STILL Earns Four LCT Awards

Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati’s TIME STANDS STILL Earns Four League of Cincinnati Theatres Awards

Clockwise from back left: Mallory Hawks* as Mandy Bloom, Bruce Cromer* as Richard Ehrlich, Jen Johansen* as Sarah Goodwin & Buz Davis* as James Dodd. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

(CINCINNATI, MARCH 22, 2012)– Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati’s (ETC) production of Donald Margulies’ Tony-nominated play TIME STANDS STILL has earned four awards from the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) for its design and acting ensemble, as well as an award for local premiere of a new work. The timely drama explores the relationship between a photojournalist and her foreign correspondent partner as they adjust to the realities of life outside the war zone.

The cast of four — which includes Bruce Cromer, Buz Davis, Mallory Hawks and Jen Johansen — earned an ensemble award for the character-centered play. One LCT panelist praised the “remarkably nuanced and spot-on performances from one of the best ensembles this season at ETC.” Indianapolis-based actress Jen Johansen additionally was singled out with an award for leading actress in a play for her portrayal of Sarah, the photographer recovering from injuries sustained during a roadside bombing in Iraq.

ETC’s resident designer Brian c. Mehring picked up his fifth LCT Award this season for the show’s set design, described as “a loft space that felt like it was actually lived in.” According to one panelist, “The detail work was unbelievable. Brian Mehring is one of Cincinnati’s most consistent set designers. What he is able to do at ETC is nothing short of brilliant.”

TIME STANDS STILL continues through April 1. Details and ticket information are available at www.cincyetc.com.

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.info.

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March 20, 2012 · 11:32 am

Overture Awards 2012 Essay Contest Winner Announced

THE OVERTURE AWARDS ESSAY CONTEST 2012
“An Underground Railroad Traveler”
Eighth-grader Caroline Lembright Wins Essay Contest

CINCINNATI, OH – The Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) has announced Caroline Lembright as the winner of its Overture Awards Essay Contest 2012: “An Underground Railroad Traveler.” Caroline, chosen by four judges who are professional writers/historians/teachers, will be awarded a $250 prize for her essay, “Someone to Watch Over Me.”

For the contest, thirty-five students submitted essays on the subject of the Underground Railroad, from the perspective of a young person their own age who might have traveled north to freedom via this system. Any Tri-state student in grades 6-9 for the 2011-12 school year was eligible for the contest.

Caroline Lembright is an eighth-grade student at Highlands Middle School in Fort Thomas, KY, where her advanced language arts class was studying the Underground Railroad. Ivy, the main character of Caroline’s essay, was inspired by women in Caroline’s life, as well as women in history. Through this piece, she conveys the strength and determination of not only those who made it to freedom, but also the horrors of slavery.

According to Caroline, “In a world where visual media reigns, great writing can be extremely impactful, and I hope to one day accomplish that. Writing to me is feeling brought to life. What you feel and what you make of those feelings is truly who you are. And that’s why writing plays such a large role in my life. I have always loved creative and poetic writing, and feel extremely grateful for this opportunity. Slavery is a subject that has always shocked and awed me. And I feel that through this experience I have better grasped the horror that made up the lives of many slaves who lived in the United States and around the globe in this period of history.”

Lisa Birkley, eighth-grade language arts teacher, and Kathleen Lemmons, teacher of gifted-and-talented students, teamed up to create a special unit that looked at the Underground Railroad in our area. “We did a great deal of preliminary research in the computer lab,” said Mrs. Birkley. “We used videos, writing journals, a novel, and even made a freedom quilt to try to simulate the experience. We also had a traveling trunk full of artifacts, which the Freedom Center let us borrow for a few days. The students worked on this unit for about four weeks, and the culminating event was the essay. They were all very interested in this time in our local history.”

Essay submissions were judged on the following criteria:

  • Originality: the essay topic is approached with creativity and imagination.
  • Quality of content: the essay is presented clearly and its material is well organized, well developed and accurate.
  • Style: the essay has a clear structure with a title, introduction, body and conclusion. Paragraphs are used correctly, and punctuation, spelling and grammar are correct.
  • Footnotes were not required, but a bibliography was highly recommended.

To read Caroline’s essay, visit
www.cincinnatiarts.org/essaycontest

ABOUT THE OVERTURE AWARDS
The Overture Awards – the largest locally run arts scholarship competition in the country – annually provides a $2,500 scholarship to six area high school students for education and training expenses, with 18 finalists each winning a $500 scholarship. This year, more than 500 students were nominated by their schools to compete in one of six artistic disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art or Vocal Music. 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 16th year, The Overture Awards was launched in 1996 by the Cinergy Foundation (now Duke Energy) and Leadership Cincinnati (a Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce program). The program is administered by the Cincinnati Arts Association, which operates and manages the Aronoff Center and Music Hall. The Overture Awards also relies on hundreds of volunteers from the community who help raise funds, adjudicate and manage the competitions, and nurture the 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 upwards of 700,000 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 1.2 million students.

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March 20, 2012 · 9:43 am

Interbrand Partners with The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center

Interbrand partners with The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center for major pro bono branding initiative

(Cincinnati; February 24, 2012) – Interbrand, the leading brand consultancy, is partnering with The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in 2012 for a major pro bono brand strategy and identity project.

Interbrand selected The Carnegie from among several ArtsWave member organizations that participated in a multi-step application process to be considered for gratis strategic branding and creative design services from Interbrand.

“Part of the reason we decided to partner with ArtsWave in finding a pro bono client is because, at the heart of it, Interbrand is a business comprised of artists,” explained Scott Lucas, executive director of Interbrand’s Cincinnati office. “Our employees are excited about leveraging our passion for the arts to help an organization like The Carnegie.”

Interbrand will work with The Carnegie to build a holistic branding approach that unifies its three divisions (gallery, theatre, and education center). Project elements include a competitive audit; stakeholder interviews; brand positioning workshop; brand identity concepts; visual and verbal identity recommendations; validation research; and comprehensive brand guidelines.

“To say that we are excited about collaborating with Interbrand would be an understatement,” said Katie Brass, The Carnegie’s Executive Director. “Interbrand is one of the world’s largest branding consultancies and to be able to have their guidance when it comes to communicating all that The Carnegie has to offer is an opportunity that we are grateful for.”

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About The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center

The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center is a multidisciplinary arts venue serving the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati community. Over the course of the past 10 years The Carnegie has “morphed” from a grassroots gallery with an education component into an all-inclusive arts organization offering professional theatre, art exhibitions showcasing the best of local and regional artists, and a comprehensive arts education program.

The Carnegie is home to the Carnegie Galleries, comprised of more than 6,000 square feet of gallery space where emerging and established artists exhibit in multiple shows throughout the year; the Eva G. Farris Education Center, which provides arts education to thousands of children, many of whom are at or below the poverty level; and the newly renovated 465-seat Otto M. Budig Theatre, which offers an affordable theatre space for local, up-and coming and established production companies and is home to The Carnegie’s Theatre and Concert Series. The Carnegie is the largest arts venue in Northern Kentucky. For more information, visit www.thecarnegie.com or call (859) 491-2030.

The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center receives ongoing operating support from ArtsWave, Kenton County Fiscal Courts, the Kentucky Arts Council and the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. / US Bank Foundation.

About Interbrand
Founded in 1974, Interbrand is one of the world’s largest branding consultancies. With nearly 40 offices in 25 countries, Interbrand’s combination of rigorous strategy, analytics and world-class design creativity enables it to assist clients in creating and managing brand value effectively across all touch points in all market dynamics. Interbrand is widely recognized for its Best Global Brands report, the definitive guide to the world’s most valuable brands. It is also known for having created a broader platform for the discussion of brands on its web site http://www.brandchannel.com. For more information on Interbrand, visit www.interbrand.com.

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March 17, 2012 · 1:11 pm

CCM Musical Theatre’s STARS OF TOMORROW Showcase Talents for Local Audiences Before Performing in New York

CCM Musical Theatre class of 2012.

The Musical Theatre graduating class of 2012 presents the 20th annual Musical Theatre Showcase March 29 – 31 in Cincinnati before performing for casting directors and agents in New York City.

Sara Gettelfinger. CCM Musical Theatre class of 1999.

CINCINNATI, OH—Cincinnati audiences will get a sneak peak of an original showcase created by the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Musical Theatre 2012 graduating class during the annual Musical Theatre Showcase, which runs from March 29 (Friends of CCM benefit performance) – March 31 in the Patricia Corbett Theater. The March 29 Friends of CCM benefit starts at 7 p.m. and features a post-performance celebration and dinner by the bite. The March 30 and 31 performances take place at 8 p.m. and are free, but reservations are required.

Each year, CCM’s musical theatre seniors 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 showcasing their solo and ensemble skills through song and dance numbers. The work is created by the students themselves under the supervision of department chair Aubrey Berg. The class selects a theme for the showcase, then blends musical numbers, narration and monologues into a cohesive whole. They create the musical arrangements, supply the choreography and staging, direct the scenes and are responsible for every aspect of the production.

This year’s performance is the 20th 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.

You can learn more about CCM Musical Theatre’s 2012 Showcase at ccm.uc.edu/theatre/musical_theatre/overview/showcases.

Thursday, March 29, 7 p.m. – Friends of CCM Benefit
The opening performance of the Musical Theatre Showcase on Thursday, March 29, 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 CCM Atrium 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 Sara Gettelfinger, an actress, singer, dancer and 1999 graduate of CCM. Gettelfinger performed in regional theatre across the country before landing her first Broadway role as “Bird Girl” in the musical Seussical. Her first starring role on Broadway was as “Carla” in the musical Nine with Antonio Banderas. Gettelfinger originated the role of “Jolene Oakes” in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, with John Lithgow, Sherie Rene Scott, Gregory Jbara and Joanna Gleason. Gettelfinger can currently be seen in the role of “Morticia Addams” in the national tour of The Addams Family.

Tickets for the March 29 benefit are:

  • Host/Hostess (Patron) Tickets: $100 each; includes a patron reception before the performance honoring Sara Gettelfinger, general performance seating, dinner by the bite and garage parking.
  • General Public 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.

Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31, 8 p.m. – FREE
Admission to the Musical Theatre Showcase on Friday, March 30, and Saturday, March 31, is FREE, although seating is limited and reservations are required. Tickets become available on Monday, March 26, at noon; please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to make a reservation. Limit two tickets per order.

Performance Dates

  • Thursday, March 29, 7 p.m.: Friends of CCM Benefit, including dinner by the bite and presentation of the Young Alumni Award to Sara Gettelfinger
  • Friday, March 30, 8 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 31, 8 p.m.

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, College-Conservatory of Music
University of Cincinnati

Tickets

  • Thursday, March 29: $100 host/hostess tickets (includes pre-show patron reception), $75 general public tickets, $50 Friends of CCM member tickets and $35 young professional tickets (40 and under). Seating is limited. Call CCM External Relations at 513-556-2100. Learn more at ccm.uc.edu/giveto/friends.
  • Friday, March 30, and Saturday, March 31: FREE, although reservations are required. Tickets become available on Monday, March 26, at noon—please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to make a reservation. Limit two tickets per order.

Parking
CCM Garage parking is included in the ticket price for the March 29 Friends of CCM Benefit performance. For the March 30 and 31 performances, paid parking is available in the CCM Garage (at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the University of Cincinnati campus. For additional parking information or directions, please visit ccm.uc.edu.

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

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