Category Archives: Press Releases

The Carnegie Announces Cast for Upcoming Production of HELLO, DOLLY!

TC_logo_newThe musical spectacular takes The Carnegie stage February 2–18, 2024

HELLO, DOLLY! is a blockbuster Broadway hit bursting with romance, humor, and some of the greatest songs in musical theater history. Boisterous and charming from start to finish, the musical follows the exploits of meddling matchmaker Dolly Levi over the course of one unforgettable day. Audiences will delight in one crowd-pleasing musical number after another including “Put on Your Sunday Clothes,” “Ribbons Down My Back,” “Before the Parade Passes By,” and the effervescent title song.

A favorite of Cincinnati audiences, Sara Mackie will light up the Carnegie as widow, matchmaker, and professional meddler, Dolly Levi in the beloved Broadway musical HELLO, DOLLY! Mackie is seen frequently on local stages including Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, Human Race Theatre Company, and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. At The Carnegie, Mackie received acclaim for her appearances in PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES and a concert production of CAMELOT.

Allen R. Middleton plays Horace Vandergelder, returning to The Carnegie where he appeared in PROOF and TENDERLY: THE ROSEMARY CLOONEY MUSICAL. Middleton is also a familiar face to audiences at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati and Falcon Theatre. Horace’s shop clerks, Cornelius and Barnaby are played by Jack Manion and Matthew Callas. Manion was celebrated for his performance as the Scarecrow in The Carnegie’s 2016 production of THE WIZARD OF OZ. Callas, a student at Xavier University, makes his Carnegie debut.

Kara Ann Scullin plays hat shop owner Irene Molloy. Scullin, a Cincinnati native, returns home after graduating from University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has been seen locally at The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Landmark Productions, and Kings Island. Her shop assistant, Minnie Fay is played by Wright State University student Aliya Pimental. Carson Mehlbauer, an acting student at the University of Cincinnati—College Conservatory of Music (CCM) plays Ambrose Kemper opposite Campbell County High School senior Arabella Bertucci as Ermengarde. Bertucci previously appeared at The Carnegie in SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN and THE SOUND OF MUSIC.

The multi-talented ensemble features several faces familiar to The Carnegie audiences including Christian Arias and Christopher Wells. New to The Carnegie stage are Hunter Broyles, Randolph Geers, Emily Hilbrecht, Adrian Graff, Elexis Selmon, and Alexa Mueller. The teen ensemble includes Elli Maddock, Jenna Uterstaedt, and Kavan Vadivelu.

The production is directed by Joe Bertucci, an accomplished director and educator making his Carnegie debut. Bertucci leads the Northern Kentucky Institute for Arts Education, a program of the Northern Kentucky Cooperative for Educational Services. His frequent collaborator Elizabeth VandeWater choreographs. Together they have partnered on productions at Kincaid Regional Theatre, Stage Right Musical Theatre Company, and Campbell County Theatre Arts. CCM faculty member Steve Goers is the Music Director. Most recently at The Carnegie, Goers led music on KINKY BOOTS, GUYS AND DOLLS, and SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN.

“HELLO, DOLLY! is the first musical I worked on and it’s been a favorite ever since. I’m delighted to share it with audiences discovering it for the first time and those for whom it is a beloved classic,” said The Carnegie Theatre Director Tyler Gabbard. “The role of Dolly Levi has been tackled by a parade of iconic actresses and I would put Sara Mackie up there with the best of them. Audiences are in for a truly spectacular night on the town!”

Tickets to HELLO, DOLLY! may be purchased by calling (859) 957-1940 or by visiting thecarnegie.com.

CAST

  • Dolly Levi – Sara Mackie*
  • Horace Vandergelder – Allen Middleton*
  • Cornelius Hackl – Jack Manion
  • Barnaby Tucker – Matthew Callas
  • Irene Molloy – Kara Ann Scullin
  • Minnie Fay – Aliya Pimental
  • Ermengarde – Arabella Bertucci
  • Ambrose Kemper – Carson Mehlbauer
  • Rudolph – Randolph Geers
  • Ernestina – Emily Hilbrecht
  • Mrs. Rose – Elexis Selmon

Ensemble – Christian Arias, Hunter Broyles, Randolph Geers, Adrian Graff, Zac Holman, Emily Hilbrecht, Elli Maddock, Alexa Mueller, Elexis Selmon, Jenna Uterstaedt, Kavan Vadivelu, Christopher Wells

*The Actor appears through the courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

PRODUCTION TEAM

  • Director – Joe Bertucci
  • Choreographer – Elizabeth VandeWater
  • Music Director – Steve Goers
  • Scenic Designer – Tyler Gabbard
  • Costume Designer – John Faas
  • Lighting Designer – Ashton Karp
  • Wig Designer – Candace Leyland
  • Technical Director – Doug Stock
  • Production Stage Manager – Morgan Becker
  • Producer – Tyler Gabbard

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Celebrate the Fourth of July in December With The Footlighters Inc.’s Production of Meredith Willson’s THE MUSIC MAN

FLI_The Music ManNEWPORT, KY — There’s trouble in River City when a silver-tongued salesman comes to town and gets his heart stolen by the town librarian as The Footlighters, Inc., presents the second show of its 60th anniversary season, Meredith Willson’s The Music Man.

The Music Man follows fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band that he vows to organize—despite the fact that he doesn’t know a trombone from a treble clef. Will his plan to skip town with the cash be foiled when he falls for Marian, the town’s librarian? By turns wicked, funny, warm, romantic, and touching, and with its nostalgic score of rousing marches, barbershop quartets, and sentimental ballads, The Music Man is family entertainment at its best.

Not only is The Music Man family friendly, Footlighters’ production is definitely a “family affair” with a cast full of family members sharing the stage with one another. Tabitha Blanton takesthe stage for the first time with her husband, Evan Blanton, in her Footlighters debut. Board president Jen Day gets to act alongside daughter Hannah Richardson and great nieces Ava and Cora Hall, while her sister Greta Manolis helps backstage with costumes. Husband and wife Matt and Julia Hasl Miller return to the Footlighters’ stage for the first time since 1997’s Pirates of Penzance, and lastly, although he’s not onstage, Douglas Berlon gets to direct wife Debbi Berlon in what is undoubtedly a role reversal of their home life!

Performances:

  • Thursday – Saturday, November 30 – December 2 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, December 3 at 2:00 p.m.
  • Thursday – Saturday, December 7 – 9 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, December 10 at 2:00 p.m.
  • Thursday – Saturday, December 14 – 16 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, December 17 at 2:00 p.m.

Tickets: $25 each and available online at footlighters.org/tickets or by contacting the box office via text at (859) 652-3849 or FootlightersTickets@gmail.com.

The Footlighters, Inc., has been producing quality community theater shows in Greater Cincinnati for 60 years. The group was established in 1963 by a small group of community theater volunteers who wanted to bring theater opportunities to the west side of Cincinnati.

In 1987, the group bought the Salem United Methodist Church in Newport and transformed it into The Stained Glass Theatre. The theater is on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated a Kentucky landmark. In September of 2021, Footlighters completed the third and final phase of their accessibility project by adding ADA-compliant seating in their theater to complement the ADA ramp and elevator installed in 2017 and 2018, allowing access for all patrons with limited mobility.

For more information, please visit footlighters.org or like The Footlighters, Inc., on Facebook.

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THE BOOK OF MORMON Tickets On Sale Now

BIC_Book of Mormon “THE BEST MUSICAL OF THIS CENTURY.
Heaven on Broadway! A celebration of the privilege
of living inside that improbable paradise called a musical comedy.”
Ben Brantley, THE NEW YORK TIMES

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

PERFORMANCES BEGIN FEBRUARY 20
AT THE ARONOFF CENTER

ON SALE NOW

CINCINNATI – Back by popular demand, THE BOOK OF MORMON returns to Cincinnati as part of the Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati 23/24 series for a limited engagement February 20 – 25 at the Aronoff Center. Single tickets are on sale now. Tickets are be available at the Aronoff Center box office (650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202), by visiting  CincinnatiArts.org, or by calling  513.621.ARTS. Group orders of 10+ or more may be placed by calling  Peggy Hughes at 513-369-4363.

THE BOOK OF MORMON features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. The Broadway production is directed by Parker and two-time Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw, and choreographed by Nicholaw. The tour is directed and choreographed by Jennifer Werner based on the original Broadway direction and choreography. Set design is by three-time Tony Award winner Scott Pask, costume design is by Tony Award winner Ann Roth, lighting design is by five-time Tony Award winner Brian MacDevitt, sound design is by two-time Tony Award winner Brian Ronan, and hair design is by Josh Marquette. Orchestrations are by Tony Award winner Larry Hochman and two-time Tony Award winner Stephen Oremus. Music supervision and vocal arrangements are by Stephen Oremus. Casting is by Carrie Gardner.

Since opening on March 24, 2011, THE BOOK OF MORMON has become one of the most successful shows in Broadway history, breaking the Eugene O’Neill Theatre house record more than 50 times. In addition to nine Tony Awards including Best Musical and the Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album, THE BOOK OF MORMON won five Drama Desk Awards including Best Musical, the NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, the Drama League Award for Best Musical and four Outer Critics Circle Awards including Best Musical.

The West End production opened in February 2013, winning four Olivier Awards including Best New Musical, and breaking the record for the highest single day of sales in West End history. The first-ever UK and European tour launched in Manchester in June 2019, winning ‘Best Theatre Show’ at the Manchester Evening News City Life Awards before touring throughout the UK and Europe.

THE BOOK OF MORMON has been performed on three continents and has won over 30 international awards. The musical has smashed long-standing box office records in New York, London, Melbourne, Sydney and in cities across the U.S. and the world.

The Original Broadway Cast Recording for THE BOOK OF MORMON, winner of the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, is available on Ghostlight Records.

NETWORKS PRESENTATIONS (Producer) is an industry-leading producer of touring theatrical productions, committed to delivering quality entertainment to audiences worldwide for more than 25 years. www.networkstours.com

THE BOOK OF MORMON will play the Aronoff Center from February 20 – 25, 2024: Tuesday – Thursdays at 7:30PM, Fridays at 8:00PM, Saturdays at 2:00PM and 8:00PM, Sundays at 1:00PM and 6:30PM. Tickets start at $43 and can be found online at CincinnatiArts.org, by phone at 513.621.ARTS or in person at the Aronoff Center Box Office downtown. For groups of 10 or more, contact the group sales department at 513.369.4363. Performance schedule, prices and cast are subject to change without notice. For more information, please visit BroadwayInCincinnati.com.

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STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH ALL THINGS BROADWAY IN CINCINNATI:
Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok: @BroadwayCincy

Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati presented by TriHealth is committed to bringing the very best of Broadway to the Tri-State, presenting touring Broadway plays and musicals in Cincinnati since 1987. For over twenty years, Broadway in Cincinnati has presented all shows at the Aronoff Center. The Broadway in Cincinnati series brings more than 185,000 people downtown to the Aronoff Center each year and contributes an average of $30 million to the local economy each season. Broadway in Cincinnati is a member of the Greater Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and The Broadway League. Fifth Third Bank is the sponsor of the Cincinnati 23/24 Season, and the season is presented by TriHealth. 

Broadway Across America (BAA) is part of the John Gore Organization family of companies, which includes Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, Group Sales Box Office and Broadway Brands.  Led by 20-time Tony-winning theater producer John Gore (Owner & CEO), BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, operating in 48 markets with over 400,000 subscribers. Presentations include Disney’s The Lion KingWicked, The Book of Mormon, and Hamilton. Current productions include &Juliet, Hadestown, Hamilton, Kimberly Akimbo, MJ: The Musical and Moulin Rouge! The Musical. 

The John Gore Organization is the leading presenter, distributor, and marketer of Broadway theater worldwide. Under the leadership of 20-time Tony-winning theater producer and owner John Gore, its family of companies includes Broadway Across America, Broadway.com, The Broadway Channel, BroadwayBox.com, Group Sales Box Office and Broadway Brands. The company presents shows in 48 cities across North America as well as on Broadway, Off-Broadway, London’s West End, Japan, and China. It has won Tony Awards in every producing category as well as numerous other Drama League, Drama Desk and Olivier Awards.  The John Gore Organization is committed to supporting theater access and education programs that introduce Broadway to the next generation of audiences and theater professionals.

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Ohio Animation Firms Support Youth Wellness with Mindful Music Daily Animation for Schools

Two Cincinnati Firms Help Cincinnati Non-Profit Create World-Class Animations for National Mindful Music Program for Student Wellbeing

MISC_Mindful Musical MomentsTwo Cincinnati animation firms, Pixel Fiction and Lightborne, joined forces to support Mindful Music Moments, Cincinnati non-profit The Well’s signature program that brings world-class music in combination with daily creative, calming prompts to schools and classrooms in Greater Cincinnati and far beyond.

The Well’s Director of Music and Arts Programs, Bryce Kessler says “We heard from a lot of our teachers that students need support in focusing their attention. As a small non-profit, we needed to find a dynamic, cost- and time-effective way to create daily video content in addition to daily audio content for all 300 schools and national partnerships we serve. Kessler continues, “we innovate and learn directly from our school partners and lean in to our 50+ schools in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky to make sure we are always supporting the ever-changing environment.”

Kessler continues, “Pixel Fiction, with support from Kattspaw Audio, created our new mascot Mel O. Dee and Lightborne’s team created audio responsive designs that animate to the daily music selections. The result is delightful and compelling to students.”

Lightborne President Scott Durban explains “we harnessed the power of TouchDesigner—a commercial software frequently used to generate visuals for touring music artists—to craft bespoke audio reactive visuals that enhance and deepen the Mindful Music Moments program.”

“Bringing the mascot, Mel O. Dee, to life was made easier by starting with their fun logo design that had the character already built in. It informed much of what we needed to know about their personality,” explains Scott Thierauf, co-owner of Pixel Fiction. “Working closely with Stacy and Bryce, we created an energetic, childlike character that bounds around with seemingly endless energy, then slowly calms to ease the viewers into Mindful Music Moments. The goal was to show a fun, encapsulated version of what a child might experience at the beginning of their day.”

Myesha Jewell, Preschool and Kindergarten teacher at Parker Woods Montessori, a Cincinnati Public School, has experienced the audio version of Mindful Music over the last several years. She says that the new animated content allows us students to “listen to Mindful Music all throughout our school day. This year, I feel like the kids can see the visuals and calm their breathing to match the visuals.”

For more information about bringing Mindful Music to your school, preschool or organization, reach out to TheWell.World.

About The Well
The Well provides programs, practices and connection at the intersection of arts and wellness. Its programs include Mindful Music Moments, Mindful Poetry Moments, True Body Project and a new youth curriculum My True SELF. The Well is based in Camp Washington and is nourished by the non-profit A Mindful Moment.

About Lightborne
Lightborne Communications is a world-renowned video production studio creating visually stunning works for complex multi-disciplinary projects. Their work includes live stage performance content, broadcast TV commercials, web and social videos, retail environments, projection mapping, brand experiences, and beyond.

About Pixel Fiction
Pixel Fiction is a unique animation, edit and visual effects studio producing dazzling visuals that persuade, inform and entertain. Their specialties include creative editorial, high-end 3d animation, visual effects, motion graphics and concept design for broadcast TV, web videos, experiential & immersive design, music videos and more.

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TAKE THE STAGE Campaign to Benefit Cincinnati Arts Association’s Education Programs

CAA_Take the StageTAKE THE STAGE 

Own a Piece of History in Support of the
Cincinnati Arts Association’s Education Programs

[CINCINNATI, OH] The Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA) is pleased to announce its newest fundraising campaign, TAKE THE STAGE, which allows donors to own a piece of Aronoff Center history – a section of the Procter & Gamble Hall’s original stage floor, which was replaced this summer after nearly thirty years of use.

Since the opening of the Aronoff in 1995, this beloved stage has held hundreds upon hundreds of shows and stars from Hamilton, Disney’s The Lion King, and The Phantom of the Opera to Patti LaBelle, Carol Burnett, and Tony Bennett… and many, many more. The new stage floor includes more than 8,000 red oak floorboards and was installed over a ten-week period by the Cincinnati Floor Company, which also installed the original Procter & Gamble Hall flooring. The new stage floor has an estimated life of more than thirty years.

Friends and fans of the Cincinnati Arts Association are invited to support the NEXT STAGE of its ongoing history of presenting arts and entertainment experiences at the Aronoff Center and in the community. For a donation of $250, supporters will receive a beautifully framed, limited-edition shadowbox that includes an engraved piece of the original Procter & Gamble Hall stage and a stunning image of the theater, plus a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

Most importantly, the funds raised through the TAKE THE STAGE campaign will help CAA sustain its Education & Community Engagement (ECE) programs that promote transformative, life-long participation in the arts while contributing to individual, organizational, and community success. With a mission to educate, inspire, and engage the Tri-state region, these accessible arts programs ignite the imaginations of all ages. CAA’s ECE department has served more than two million children and adults since the inception of these programs nearly three decades ago. 

To donate to the TAKE THE STAGE campaign and receive the limited-edition shadowbox, or for more information, visit CincinnatiArts.org/take-the-stage or contact Amanda Ross at (513) 977-4135 / aross@cincinnatiarts.org. 

The Cincinnati Arts Association is a 501[c] 3 nonprofit organization, and contributions to the Aronoff Center’s TAKE THE STAGE campaign are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 

ABOUT THE CINCINNATI ARTS ASSOCIATION
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.

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