Category Archives: Press Releases

June 11, 2026 · 3:54 pm

CCM Announces Initial Schedule of Performances for 2026-27

Tickets are now on sale for some of CCM’s most highly anticipated concerts and shows

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) has announced its initial schedule of major performances for 2026-27. These 15 events include beloved titles for the stage like La bohème, RENT and Cabaret, along with concerts showcasing the works of Gustav Mahler, Duke Ellington and John Williams … just to name a few highlights!

This schedule of major performances runs Sept. 15, 2026, through April 23, 2027. Tickets for all 15 concerts and shows listed below are on sale now. See individual performance listings for additional information.

Catch a rising star

The performances listed below provide local audiences with a unique opportunity to see tomorrow’s performing and media arts stars today.

A nationally recognized leader in arts education, CCM has earned numerous accolades for its programs over the years. The iconic theatre publication Playbill consistently ranks CCM as one of the “Top 10 Most Represented Schools on Broadway,” while College Factual placed CCM’s music programs “in the top 10% of the country” and the “#1 Best Music School in Ohio” in 2025.

Catch a concert or show at CCM and experience the talents of our students before they take their places on the world stage.

Performance Schedule

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15
• CCM Orchestra Series •
RUSSIAN GIANTS
CCM Philharmonia
Timothy Muffitt, guest conductor
Featuring TBA student soloists
The Philharmonia kicks off the season with guest conductor Timothy Muffitt in a program of Russian masterworks, including the rarely heard Symphony No. 3 by Sergei Rachmaninoff.
PROKOFIEV: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26 (1921)
RACHMANINOFF: Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 44 (1936)
Estimated run time: 100 minutes 
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $19.50 adult, $15 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17
• CCM Winds Series •
PLACES WE CAN NO LONGER GO
CCM Wind Symphony
Kevin Micheal Holzman, music director and conductor
Featuring guest artists John Mackey, composer; and Lindsay Kesselman, soprano
CCM welcomes guest composer John Mackey in a concert that showcases Places we can no longer go, featuring GRAMMY Award-nominated soprano Lindsay Kesselman. Written about Mackey’s mother’s struggle with dementia, Places we can no longer go is the story of the disease, but in reverse as confusion turns to clarity, and grief turns into comfort. The concert opens with CCM Commercial Music Production faculty member Jasmine Guo’s the sound of where i came from. Commissioned by the League of American Orchestras, Guo’s piece acts as a musical exploration of home, culture and personal memory. The performance closes with Mackey’s newest work The isle is full of noises, inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
GUO: the sound of where I came from
MACKEY: Places we can no longer go
MACKEY: The isle is full of noises, Symphony No. 2
Estimated run time: 90 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission 
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $19.50 adult, $15 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25
8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26
• CCM Musical Theatre + Orchestra Series •
LERNER AND LOEWE’S BRIGADOON
IN CONCERT
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Original dances created by Agnes DeMille
CCM Philharmonia
Featuring CCM Musical Theatre students
Ian Axness, music director and conductor
Eric Byrd, director
The CCM Philharmonia and CCM Musical Theatre collaborate on a special concert performance of Lerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon. Brigadoon tells the story of a mystical Scottish village that appears for only one day every 100 years. The musical concert blends romance and fantasy with some of Broadway’s most recognizable songs, including “The Heather on the Hill” and “Almost Like Being in Love.” Presented with colorful lighting designed by CCM Lighting Design and Technology students.
Estimated run time: 2 hours and 15 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $26 adult, $15 student, $20 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available

LERNER AND LOEWE’s BRIGADOON is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supported by MTI. www.mtishows.com

8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1
8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2
2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3
8. p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3
• CCM Play Series •
INTIMATE APPAREL
By Lynn Nottage
Torie Wiggins, alumni guest director
Inspired by turn-of-the-century photographs of her own relatives, Nottage’s play follows the life of Esther, a gifted African American seamstress living in New York City in 1905. Esther creates beautiful clothes for women from every part of society, but longs for her own romantic partner and home life. While drawn to the Hasidic shopkeeper who sells her cloth, she nonetheless begins a correspondence with a Caribbean man, George, who asks to marry her, sight unseen. A delicate and tender exploration of the human heart, Intimate Apparel won the 2004 New York Drama Critics Award for Best Play.

Estimated run time: 2 hours and 15 minutes, plus one 15-minute intermission  

Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Tickets: $26 adult, $15 student, $20 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

INTIMATE APPAREL is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)

8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29
8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30
2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31
• CCM Opera Series •
LA BOHÈME
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica
Jose Maria Condemi, director
Aik Khai Pung, conductor
Rent is overdue, but passion burns bright among a group of young friends scraping by on talent, wit and borrowed time. Puccini’s soaring arias tell the tale of Mimi, Rodolfo, Marcello and Musetta — dreamers adrift in Paris on the cusp of a new century, where the city is literally reinventing itself. As the first Paris Métro trains rumble beneath, ushering in a breathless age of speed and possibility, life in the garrets above remains unchanged: cold, precarious and lit by the fierce glow of youth. A story that transcends time and place, its message is for the artists, the dreamers, and the everyday people who face challenges but never lose sight of love and connection. Sung in Italian with projected English supertitles.
Estimated run time: 2 hours, including a 15-minute intermission   
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $36 adult, $20 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12
8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13
2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14
8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14
• CCM Musical Theatre Series •
RENT
Book, Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Musical Arrangements by Steve Skinner
Original Concept/ Additional Lyrics by Billy Aronson
Music Supervision and Additional Arrangements by Tim Weil
Dramaturg Lynn Thomson
Ray Hogg, guest director
Jake Sinsky, graduate student music director
La Vie Bohème! Based loosely on Puccini’s La Bohème, Jonathan Larson’s RENT shaped a generation of dreamers and taught us all to measure our life in love. The story follows a year in the life of a group of starving young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York’s Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. RENT is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the musical has become a pop cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences. 
Content advisory: This production has mature themes, including drug addiction, HIV/AIDS, sexuality, and strong language
Estimated run time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission
Location: Patrcia Corbett Theater
Tickets: $36 adult, $20 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

RENT is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supported by MTI. www.mtishows.com

7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20
• CCM Orchestra and Choral Series •
A SEA SYMPHONY  
CCM Philharmonia, CCM Chamber Choir, CCM Chorale
Joe Miller, conductor
Featuring TBA student soloists
Ralph Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony gives voice to majesty and mystery of the ocean, bringing musical life to sea poems from Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. A Sea Symphony is celebrated for its ambitious scope, masterful integration of choral and orchestral forces, and its deep emotional and philosophical impact. It stands as a testament to Vaughan Williams’ creativity and his ability to capture the grandeur of the natural world through music. Presented with colorful lighting by CCM Lighting Design and Technology students. 
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: A Sea Symphony
Estimated run time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $19.50 adult, $15 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22
• CCM Jazz Series •
DUKE ELLINGTON’S NUTCRACKER SUITE
CCM Jazz Orchestra
Scott Belck, music director
The romantic melodies of The Nutcracker Suite transform into jumping jazz tunes arranged by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Swing into the season with jazz interpretations of the beloved holiday masterpiece, including “Toot Toot Tootie Toot (Dance of the Reed-Pipes),” “Peanut Brittle Brigade (March)” and “Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy).” Presented with colorful lighting by CCM Lighting Design and Technology students. 
Estimated run time: 75 minutes 
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $26 adult, $15 student, $20 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3
8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4
2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5
8 p.m., Saturday, Dec 5
• CCM Dance Series •
DANCE WORKS
Shauna Steele, Hee Ra Yoo, Deirdre Carberry and Gema Diaz, choreographers
Join us for an evening of magic and mystery as we visit beautiful gardens and shadowy kingdoms. The program includes selections from two classical ballets — “Kingdom of the Shades” from La Bayadère and “Jardin Animé” from La Corsaire— plus Pas de Quatre, a work originally choreographed for the four greatest ballerinas of the 19th century. CCM Dance Chair Shauna Steele creates a new contemporary work exploring themes of dissonance, veritas and the indomitable nature of the soul.
Estimated run time: 2 hours and 15 minutes, plus one 15-minute intermission 
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater
Tickets: $36 adult, $20 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5
5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5
2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 
5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6 
FEAST OF CAROLS 
CCM Chamber Choir, CCM Chorale, UC Choruses and Cincinnati Youth Choir 
Featuring guest choirs from Little Miami High School, Lakota East High School, Kings High School
Joe Miller, Brett Scott, conductors, with guest conductors Sarah Baker, Megan Johnson and Hope Milthaler
A Cincinnati tradition for more than 100 years! Bring family and friends to CCM to welcome the 2026 holiday season with festive choral favorites performed by CCM’s, UC’s and CYC’s fabulous choirs and outstanding guest choirs. Presented with colorful lighting by CCM Lighting Design and Technology students. 
Estimated run time: 90 minutes  
Location: Corbett Auditorium 
Tickets: $26 adult, $15 student, $20 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

8 p.m. Thursday, March 4
8 p.m. Friday, March 5
2 p.m. Saturday, March 6
8 p.m. Saturday, March 6
• CCM Musical Theatre Series •
CABARET
Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the play by John Van Druten and
Stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Rachel Stevens, director
Ian Axness, music director and conductor
Jessica Harris, choreographer
Forget all your troubles and come to the Cabaret, where life is beautiful and the music is always playing. Daring, provocative and exuberantly entertaining, Cabaret explores the dark and heady life of bohemian Berlin in the late 1920s. With the Emcee’s bawdy songs as wry commentary, Cabaret explores the tumultuous life of Berlin’s natives and expatriates as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Cliff, a young American writer, is immediately taken with English singer Sally Bowles. Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider, proprietor of Cliff and Sally’s boarding house, tentatively begins a romance with Herr Schultz, a mild-mannered fruit seller who happens to be Jewish. A Tony Award-winning musical, beloved songs include “Willkommen,” “Cabaret,” “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Maybe This Time.”
Content advisory: This production contains mature themes, including strong sexual content, profanity, drug use, abortion, violence, antisemitism and Nazi imagery.
Estimated run time: 2 hours, including a 15-minute intermission 
Location: Patrcia Corbett Theater
Tickets: $36 adult, $20 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

CABARET is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. www.concordtheatricals.com

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 10
• CCM Orchestra Series •
MAHLER FIVE
CCM Philharmonia
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor
The next stop on CCM Philharmonia’s Mahler excursion is his epic Symphony No. 5, paired with the world premiere of CCM Professor Michael Fiday’s new orchestral work “5.” Introduced to American audiences with its U.S. premiere by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 1905, Mahler’s fifth is a romantic masterpiece — from the iconic trumpet fanfare opening to the final Adagietto, often dubbed Mahler’s “greatest hit,” the music takes audiences on an emotional journey from mourning to triumph.
FIDAY: “5” *World Premiere
MAHLER: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp Minor (1902)
Estimated run time: 100 minutes
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $19.50 adult, $15 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 6
• CCM Winds Series •
STAR WARS X THE PLANETS
CCM Wind Symphony
Kevin Michael Holzman, music director and conductor
Journey through the galaxy in a cosmic concert featuring Gustav Holst’s celestial showpiece The Planets and John Williams’ epic Star Wars Suite. Presented with colorful lighting by CCM Lighting Design and Production students.
HOLST: The Planets
WILLIAMS: Star Wars Suite
Estimated run time: 2 hours, including a 15-minute intermission 
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: $19.50 adult, $15 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

8 p.m. Thursday, April 15
8 p.m. Friday, April 16
2 p.m. Saturday, April 17
• CCM Opera Series • 
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS
Music by Richard Strauss
Libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Brian Robertson, director
William R. Langley, conductor
A lighthearted “opera within an opera,” Ariadne auf Naxos entertains audiences with high art and low comedy. Heartbreak meets humor when a serious opera and a bawdy comedy troupe are forced to perform simultaneously on stage. The result is a witty, yet heartwarming, story about love, loss and transformation. Sung in German with projected English supertitles.
Estimated run time: 2 hours and 35 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater
Tickets: $36 adult, $20 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

7:30 p.m. Friday, April 23
• CCM Winds + Orchestra Series •
JOURNEYS THROUGH TIME
CCM Wind Symphony
Kevin Micheal Holzman, music director and conductor
CCM Philharmonia
Mark Gibson, music director and conductor
Travel across time, myth and imagination in a concert that blends vivid contemporary soundscapes with the sweeping power of the Romantic era. Music by David Biedenbender, Ida Gotkovsky and Patrick Harlin launches us into a world where time bends and motion propels us forward. The journey continues with the majestic music of Richard Wagner, from the radiant Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg to the shimmering forest textures of “Waldweben” and the thrilling momentum of “Siegfried’s Rhine Journey.” From fleeting moments to epic sagas, this program invites audiences to experience music that captures the passage of time and the power of storytelling in sound. Presented with colorful lighting designed by CCM Lighting Design and Technology students. 
CCM Wind Symphony:
BIEDENBENDER: Time Flies
GOTKOVSKY: Poeme du feu
HARLIN: The Time Traveler
CCM Philharmonia:
WAGNER: Prelude to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1868)
WAGNER: “Waldweben,” from Siegfried (1876)
WAGNER: “Siegfried’s Rhine Journey,” from Götterdämmerung (1876)
Estimated run time: 2 hours, including a 15-minute intermission
Location: Corbett Auditorium
Tickets: 19.50 adult, $15 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.

There’s More to Explore!

The 15 events listed above are just a small sampling of CCM’s upcoming performances. The college will announce its full 2026-27 schedule, including both ticketed events and free performances, in August.

Performance dates and details are subject to change. View CCM’s current schedule of performances and public events online by visiting ccm.uc.edu/onstage

Purchasing Tickets

Tickets can be purchased online by visiting ccmonstage.uc.edu. Student and group discounts are available.

If you have questions or need assistance ordering tickets, please contact the CCM Box Office by email at boxoff@uc.edu.

Directions and Parking

CCM is located on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. For detailed driving directions, visit ccm.uc.edu/directions.

Parking is available in UC’s CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. All University of Cincinnati Parking Services locations are cashless. Pay for parking securely with your credit/debit card. All major credit cards accepted.

CCM OnStage patrons can add pre-paid parking to their checkout carts when purchasing tickets. Pre-paid parking is date/performance specific. CCM Garage parking rates for a performance or special event is usually available for $10-15. Learn more about parking at UC’s CCM Garage.

For additional information on parking at UC, please visit uc.edu/about/parking.

Thank You to Our Supporters

CCM recognizes and thanks the following corporations, foundations and individuals for their generous support.

Louise Dieterle Nippert Trust

  • Scholarship and Resident Artist Supporter

The Corbett Endowment at CCM

  • Dance Department Supporter
  • All-Steinway School Supporter

William L. Gasch Endowment Fund for Dance Excellence
Rachelle Bruno & Stephen Bondurant

  • CCM Dance Department Supporters

Brett Offenberger, MD and Mr. Douglas E. Duckett
Dr. & Mrs. Carl G. Fischer 
Greg Mathein 
Jim & Linda Miller 
George & Caroll Roden
Ken and Toni Kanter

  • Musical Theatre Department Supporters

GLP German Light Products
Upstaging, Inc.

  • Theater Design & Production Supporter

The Estate of Genevieve Smith

  • Opera Production Supporter

Rafael and Kimberly de Acha

  • Opera D’Arte Supporter

The Friedlander Family
Dr. Randolph L. Wadsworth
Judith Schonbach Landgren and Peter Landgren
Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Santen
Elizabeth C.B. Sittenfeld
Elizabeth Stone
Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman
Mrs. Theodore W. Striker
Mrs. Harry M. Hoffheimer

  • Ariel Quartet Supporters

The Friedlander Family
Karl Zipser

  • Chamber Music at CCM

Jan Rogers
Willard and Jean Mulford Charitable Fund of the Cambridge Charitable Foundation

  • Choral Studies Supporters

Anonymous

  • Classical Guitar Supporter

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph W. Hirschhorn

  • Philharmonia Supporters

Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation

  • Starling Pre-Collegiate Supporter
  • Starling Strings Supporter

Dr. Timothy E. and Janet L. Johnson
Thom Miles and Roberta Gary
Strader Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Dr. Stephen G. Schaeffer

  • Organ Department Supporters

Keyboard Club of Cincinnati
L. Ried Schott
Carl Rhodes & Lori Luchtman-Jones

  • Piano Department Supporters

Kevin and Nancy Rhein

  • Wind Studies Supporters

Willis Music/ Buddy Rogers Music

  • LINKS Instrument Donation Supporter

Supporters listed as of Feb. 27, 2026

About UC’s College-Conservatory of Music

The University of Cincinnati’s nationally ranked and internationally renowned College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is a preeminent institution for the performing and media arts. The school’s educational roots date back to 1867, and a solid, visionary instruction has been at its core since that time.

CCM offers nearly 120 possible majors, along with a wide variety of pre-collegiate and post-graduate programs. The synergy created by housing CCM within a comprehensive public university gives the college its unique character and defines its objective: to educate and inspire the whole artist and scholar for positions on the world stage.

Learn more at ccm.uc.edu.

A preeminent institution for the performing and media arts, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is the largest single source of performing arts presentations in the state of Ohio. All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events, please visit us online at https://ccm.uc.edu.  

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June 10, 2026 · 6:29 pm

Cincinnati Opera Announces GOOD BONES, Completing a Historic Trilogy of Commissioned World Premiere Operas Celebrating the Black American Experience

A couple’s city homecoming stirs up ghosts from the past in this new opera from Pulitzer Prize-winning creators Michael Abels and James Ijames, premiering at Cincinnati Opera in Summer 2028

CINCINNATI (June 9, 2026)—Cincinnati Opera today announced GOOD BONES, a new American opera with music by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Abels and libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames, as the third and final work in The Black Opera Project, completing a trilogy of commissioned world premieres dedicated to centering Black joy, resilience, and creativity on the opera stage. With humor, heart, and unflinching honesty, Good Bones follows a young couple renovating a historic home in a historically Black neighborhood within an up-and-coming city, compelling them to contend with spirits past and present. Good Bones will receive its world premiere in Summer 2028 at Cincinnati Music Hall.

Cincinnati Opera’s Black Opera Project is a first-of-its-kind initiative, creating three original, full-length operas across three successive years that celebrate the richness of the Black American experience. Announced in 2024 with initial support from the Mellon Foundation, The Black Opera Project represents an overall financial commitment of approximately $6 million, made possible through the Mellon gift and a group of visionary donors. Its three new works span a remarkable range of artistic vision: an Afrofuturist epic (Lalovavi, July 2026), a tribute to a Civil Rights icon (John Lewis: Good Trouble, June 2027), and now, a contemporary story of homecoming, community, and belonging (Good Bones, Summer 2028).

“We launched The Black Opera Project to illuminate dimensions of the Black American experience that have not yet been represented by our art form,” said Evans Mirageas, Cincinnati Opera’s Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director. “With Good Bones, we conclude the Project’s three-year arc with a relatable, heartfelt—and occasionally haunted—story about a young Black couple adapting to the changing world around them and rediscovering the meaning of community. We’re thrilled to have Michael Abels and James Ijames join the roster of brilliant creators and performers whose work will come to life at Music Hall over the next three summers.” 

The Black Opera Project Part Three:
GOOD BONES
Summer 2028 

GOOD BONES features music by Abels with a libretto by Ijames, based on Ijames’s play of the same name, and will be staged by veteran theatre and opera director Timothy Douglas, with Kelly Kuo conducting.

The Story: Aisha and her husband Travis have moved back to her childhood neighborhood, a historically Black community in a post-industrial city on the rise, to renovate a beautiful old house and start fresh. But the neighborhood has changed, and Aisha’s homecoming is more complicated than she expected. Their contractor, Earl—a craftsman who grew up on the same streets and never left—becomes an unlikely mirror, forcing Aisha to reckon with her feelings about the place that shaped her. Haunting it all is Sister Bernice, the first Black woman on city council and the house’s original owner, whose spirit moves through the walls. By turns funny, tender, and raw, Good Bones asks what we owe the places and people that made us, and what it means to find home.

Michael Abels is a Pulitzer Prize-winning and Emmy- and Grammy-nominated composer best known for his genre-defying scores for Jordan Peele’s films Get Out, Us, and Nope. His stage work includes Omar, the opera co-composed with Grammy-winning recording artist Rhiannon Giddens, which won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize and was named by The New York Times as one of the Best Classical Performances of 2022. Other works include the choral song cycle At War with Ourselves for the Kronos Quartet, and the Grammy-nominated Isolation Variation for violinist Hilary Hahn. Abels’s compositions have also been performed by the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and many others. He is co-founder of the Composers Diversity Collective, an advocacy group to increase visibility of composers of color in film, gaming, and streaming media. Abels’s concert and operatic works are published by Subito Music Corporation.

James Ijames is a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, director, and educator whose plays have been produced on Broadway, off-Broadway, and across the country by theaters including The National Black Theatre, The Public Theater, and Steppenwolf Theatre. He was also a founding member of Orbiter 3, Philadelphia’s first playwright producing collective. His many awards and honors include the 2017 Whiting Award, the 2019 Kesselring Prize, the 2020 Steinberg Prize, and the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Fat Ham, which received a Tony nomination for Best Play. He is an associate professor at Columbia University, where he serves as head of the playwriting concentration. Good Bones is based on his play of the same name, which was originally commissioned by Studio Theatre in Washington, D.C. (David Muse, Artistic Director; Rebecca Ende Lichtenberg, Managing Director), where it premiered in 2023, followed by its New York premiere production in 2024 at The Public Theater (Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director; Patrick Willingham, Executive Director). This adaptation marks his debut as an opera librettist. 

The Black Opera Project Part One:
LALOVAVI
July 2026 

LALOVAVI, the first commissioned work in The Black Opera Project, will receive its world premiere on July 9 and 11, 2026, at Cincinnati Music Hall, marking the launch of this historic initiative. The opera features music by Kevin Day and a libretto by Tifara Brown, with stage direction and dramaturgy by Kimille Howard, and Kevin Miller on the podium as conductor.

The Story: Set 400 years into the future, Lalovavi (lah-low-VAH-vee) is an Afrofuturist adventure that follows Persephone, the youngest daughter of the ruler of Atlas, the city formerly known as Atlanta. Currency and status in Atlas are determined based on the presence of Syndica, a gene that promotes vitality and longevity. When Persephone is found to possess a version of Syndica that confers immortality, she is betrayed by her family and must run for her life. She is thrust into an epic journey, uncovering a hidden past that leads her to discover love’s true meaning and the power to determine her destiny. Lalovavi is the first opera to incorporate Tut, a language created by enslaved Black Americans to communicate in secret; “lalovavi” is the Tut word for “love.”

Kevin Day is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary composer, jazz pianist, and conductor based in Las Vegas, Nevada. His works have been commissioned and performed by some of the world’s top instrumental soloists and ensembles, including Cincinnati Opera, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, and the “President’s Own” U.S. Marine Band, U.S. Army Band, U.S. Navy Band, and U.S. Air Force Band, among many others across the U.S., Canada, Austria, Taiwan, South Africa, Australia, and Japan. Lalovavi marks his debut as an operatic composer. His second opera, For the Love of Uvalde (based on the acclaimed play by librettist Dr. Ayvaunn Penn), is a chamber opera commissioned by the Texas Christian University College of Fine Arts and Urban Arts Initiative, premiering in 2027.

Tifara Brown is a performance poet, oral historian, published author, activist, and organizational culture strategist with roots in Southern Georgia. She is the founder of Honeysuckle Poetry LLC and Creative Director of Honeysuckle Studios, a creative direction and organizational culture practice whose work sits at the intersection of art, ancestral memory, and institutional transformation. She self-published Honeysuckle: Poems and Stories from a Black Southerner as a memorial to one of her ancestors who was killed by racial violence in the late 1950s. Her poetry has been widely published in Gulf Stream Literary Magazine, Sunspot Literary Journal, Cathexis Northwest Press, Quartz Literary, Minerva Rising Press, Main Street Rag Publishing Company, and numerous other literary journals and anthologies. Lalovavi marks her debut as an opera librettist. More information is available at www.tifarabrown.com.

Tickets are now on sale for Lalovavi and start at $25. Visit cincinnatiopera.org/lalovavi for more information.

The Black Opera Project Part Two:
JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE
June 2027

JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE, the second commissioned work in The Black Opera Project, will receive its world premiere in June 2027. The opera features music by Maria Thompson Corley and a libretto by Diana Solomon-Glover, with stage direction and dramaturgy by Good Bones director Timothy Douglas, and conducted by Everett McCorvey.

The Story: John Lewis: Good Trouble chronicles the remarkable life of U.S. Congressman John Lewis, a towering figure in the Civil Rights Movement. The opera interweaves Lewis’s personal story with the broader struggles of the time, capturing the essence of his unwavering commitment to love, nonviolence, and justice. Spanning Lewis’s humble beginnings in Troy, Alabama, through the tumultuous events that shaped the movement, the opera delves into issues of race, humanity, and the moral imperative to rise above division, underscoring an enduring message of hope and urging each generation to continue the fight for equality.

Maria Thompson Corley is a composer, arranger, pianist, educator, poet, author, voice actor, and recording artist. She has performed on stages across North and Central America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Her compositions and arrangements span art song, choral and solo vocal music, chamber music, spirituals, and opera and have been commissioned by ensembles and institutions worldwide. In addition to John Lewis: Good Trouble, her operas include the The Sky Where You Are, commissioned by An Opera Theatre in 2020; The Place, commissioned by Lyric Opera of the North, which premiered in 2021; the children’s opera The Fox and the Cookie, which premiered at UTEP in 2023, and Dragonfly, commissioned by Manitoba Opera. Her recordings appear on Naxos, Albany, Navona Records, and MSR Classics.

Diana Solomon-Glover is a journalist, singer, and librettist whose artistry has been dedicated to telling stories of unsung American heroes through opera. Her collaboration with composer Chandler Carter, This Little Light of Mine, an opera about Civil Rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, premiered at Santa Fe Opera in 2022, with subsequent performances at Kentucky Opera in 2025 and the HBCU Opera and Musical Theater Summer Festival in 2027. Inspired by relics from the 127th US Colored Troops, she and composer Carlos Castro created The Promise for Atlanta Opera’s inaugural 96-Hour Opera Project. Solomon-Glover is co-owner of Reduta Deux, a not-for-profit producing theatrically innovative works reflecting broad human consciousness.

Performance and ticket on-sale dates for JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE will be announced in July 2026.

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 mainstage season of grand opera every summer at Cincinnati Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark, performed with the renowned Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The company also offers year-round community programming throughout the Greater Cincinnati region.

The company’s repertoire spans beloved classics and bold new works, with a distinguished tradition of producing opera that resonates far beyond the stage. Select regional, national, and world premieres include Margaret Garner (2005), Fellow Travelers (2016), and Blind Injustice (2019), which have gone on to productions across the country. Cincinnati Opera is also the originating home of The Black Opera Project, a first-of-its-kind, multiyear commissioning initiative creating three full-length operas celebrating the Black American experience, beginning with the Afrofuturist grand opera Lalovavi (July 2026). Through Opera Fusion: New Works, its long-running creative partnership with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the company continues to shepherd new American operas from workshop to world premiere. Cincinnati Opera is a proud member of OPERA America. Learn more at cincinnatiopera.org.

Cincinnati Opera is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign. Our programming is made possible in part by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC), a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Cincinnati Opera also receives support from The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, the Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, and the H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, along with many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. Support for The Black Opera Project has been provided by the Mellon Foundation, Susan and Joseph Pichler, Ann and Harry Santen, The David C. Herriman Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, Michael L. Cioffi and Rachael A. Rowe, P&G, The Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Liz Kathman Grubow and Jerry Kathman, The Louise Taft Semple Foundation, ArtsWave FLOW, Kari and Jonathan Ullman, H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, Vilcek Foundation, Arts Midwest, and the many donors recognized as Friends of The Black Opera Project.

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June 8, 2026 · 5:54 pm

Cincinnati Opera Opens 2026 Summer Festival June 18 & 20 with Richard Strauss’s SALOME

A fever dream of obsession, power, and prophecy comes to Music Hall June 18 and 20 

Cincinnati Opera opens its 2026 Summer Festival with
SALOM

Music by Richard Strauss
Libretto by Hedwig Lachmann
Based on the play by Oscar Wilde

CINCINNATI (June 5, 2026)—On June 18 and 20 at Cincinnati’s historic Music Hall, immerse yourself in a psychological thriller that will set your heart racing: Richard Strauss’s Salome. Not seen in Cincinnati in more than 25 years, Cincinnati Opera opens its 2026 Summer Festival with this spellbinding story of obsessive desire and devastating consequences.

Salome pairs a richly dramatic score with fierce performances from a cast led by the Metropolitan Opera’s “reigning Queen of the Night” (The New York Times), soprano Kathryn Lewek, in her title role debut. The all-star cast of Metropolitan Opera regulars also includes tenor Chad Shelton as Herod, bass-baritone Alfred Walker as Jochanaan, mezzo-soprano Michelle DeYoung as Herodias, and tenor Zach Borichevsky as Narraboth. Robert Spano conducts the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Jose Maria Condemi directs. 

EVENT DETAILS

WHAT: Cincinnati Opera presents Salome
Music by Richard Strauss
Libretto by Hedwig Lachmann
Based on the play by Oscar Wilde

Sung in German with projected English translations

WHEN:

  • Thursday, June 18, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, June 20, 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Cincinnati Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

THE STORY:
Salome, the teenage princess of Judea, becomes dangerously fixated on the imprisoned prophet John the Baptist (named “Jochanaan” in the opera). When he rejects her advances, her desire curdles into obsession. At her stepfather Herod’s birthday feast, Salome dances and, at her maniacal mother’s behest, demands a gruesome reward. Set to Richard Strauss’s lush score, Salome is a fever dream of obsession, power, and prophecy, where every glance is loaded, and no desire is without cost.

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM:

  • Salome … Kathryn Lewek
  • Herod … Chad Shelton
  • Jochanaan (John the Baptist) … Alfred Walker
  • Herodias … Michelle DeYoung
  • Narraboth … Zach Borichevsky
  • Page of Herodias … Emily Cotten
  • First Nazarene … Thomas Dreeze
  • First Soldier … Donghoon Kang
  • Second Soldier … Sam Smith
  • First Jew … Julius Ahn
  • Second Jew … Levi Capesius
  • Third Jew … Mark Hockenberry
  • Fourth Jew … M. Andrew Jones
  • Fifth Jew … Ron Dukes
  • Second Nazarene … Alexander Gushrowski
  • A Slave … Clara Reeves
  • A Cappadocian … Stephen Hanna
  • Dancers … Sydney Caggiano, Amanda Pérez Duarte

 

  • Conductor … Robert Spano
  • Stage Director … Jose Maria Condemi
  • Scenic and Properties Designer … Tim Wallace
  • Costume Designer … Anita Yavich
  • Lighting Designer … Thomas C. Hase
  • Wig & Makeup Designer … James Geier
  • Choreographer … Erina Noda
  • Stage Manager … Jennifer Shaw
  • Featuring the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

TICKETS & INFO:

Tickets start at $25. Call 513-241-2742 or visit cincinnatiopera.org.

  • The June 18 performance of Salome is Veterans Night. In appreciation, a limited number of free tickets are available to U.S. veterans through Vet Tix, and a 20% discount on full-priced tickets is available for veterans and their families.
  • The June 20 performance of Salome is Pride Night. Following that evening’s performance, the company celebrates LGBTQIA+ community with drinks, dancing, and surprises in Music Hall’s Wilks Studio. Tickets are $40 (Salome tickets sold separately). Host and Sponsor opportunities available.
  • Additional discounts are available for groups, students, educators, young professionals, seniors, SNAP cardholders, and ArtsWave Pass members. Cincinnati Opera also offers Pay What You Wish tickets for the June 18 performance of Salome, beginning the day of the performance. Details are available at cincinnatiopera.org.

Looking ahead:

Cincinnati Opera 2026 Summer Festival

Salome
Music by Richard Strauss
Libretto by Hedwig Lachmann

  • June 18, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
  • June 20, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.

Springer Auditorium, Cincinnati Music Hall

Studio Sessions: Soul & Sound 2.0

  • June 25, 2026 | 8:00 p.m.
    Wilks Studio, Cincinnati Music Hall

Studio Sessions: Matthew White in Recital

  • July 1, 2026 | 8:00 p.m.
    Wilks Studio, Cincinnati Music Hall

Lalovavi (world premiere)
Music by Kevin Day
Libretto by Tifara Brown

  • July 9, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
  • July 11, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.

Springer Auditorium, Cincinnati Music Hall

Carmen
Music by Georges Bizet
Libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy

  • July 25, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
  • July 29, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
  • July 31, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
  • August 2, 2026 | 3:00 p.m.

Springer Auditorium, Cincinnati Music Hall

Orpheus and Euridice
Music and text by Ricky Ian Gordon

  • July 28, 2026 | 8:00 p.m.
  • July 30, 2026 | 8:00 p.m.
  • August 1, 2026 | 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Wilks Studio, Cincinnati Music Hall

Visit cincinnatiopera.org for complete details.

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 U.S., Cincinnati Opera presents a mainstage season of grand opera every summer at Cincinnati Music Hall, a National Historic Landmark, performed with the renowned Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The company also offers year-round community programming throughout the Greater Cincinnati region.

The company’s repertoire spans beloved classics and bold new works, with a distinguished tradition of producing opera that resonates far beyond the stage. Select regional, national, and world premieres include Margaret Garner (2005), Fellow Travelers (2016), and Blind Injustice (2019), which have gone on to productions across the country. Cincinnati Opera is also the originating home of The Black Opera Project, a first-of-its-kind, multiyear commissioning initiative creating three full-length operas celebrating the Black American experience, beginning with the Afrofuturist grand opera Lalovavi (July 2026). Through Opera Fusion: New Works, its long-running creative partnership with the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the company shepherds new American operas from workshop to world premiere. Cincinnati Opera is a proud member of OPERA America. Learn more at cincinnatiopera.org 

Cincinnati Opera is supported by the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign. Programming is made possible in part by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC), a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Cincinnati Opera also receives support from The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund, the Harry T. Wilks Family Foundation, and the H.B., E.W. & F.R. Luther Charitable Foundation, along with many other generous individuals, corporations, and foundations. 90.9 WGUC is media partner for the 2026 Summer Festival.

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June 1, 2026 · 6:14 pm

Broadway in Cincinnati Economic Impact Release

Broadway in Cincinnati Continues to be an Economic Driver for Greater Cincinnati

  • Disney’s The Lion King expected to boost economy by more than $30M million during 4-week run at the Aronoff Center
  • The First Financial Bank Broadway in Cincinnati series presented by TriHealth contributed more than $213 million in economic activity in Cincinnati in the past 24 months

  • Touring Broadway Drives $5.7 Billion in Economic Impact Across US 

June 1, 2026

Cincinnati  — On April 7, 2026 the Broadway League released the Economic Impact of Touring Broadway 2023–2024 report. According to this report, Touring Broadway generates substantial direct spending from producers, presenters, and venues, while also drawing audiences into downtown areas where they support local businesses. This activity creates a ripple effect throughout the local economy, as dollars spent in connection with Broadway performances continue to circulate across industries and extend into surrounding communities.

Based on data from the report, the Broadway touring shows that visit the Aronoff Center with the First Financial Bank Broadway in Cincinnati series, presented by TriHealth, has contributed more than $213 million in economic activity during the past 24 months in the Greater Cincinnati area, reflecting both direct expenditures related to presenting Broadway shows and additional spending by theatergoers. Across the country, audiences contribute more than $1.34 billion annually to local economies through dining, transportation, employment, shopping, and lodging tied to their theater experience. This combined spending highlights Broadway’s role in supporting local businesses and jobs while driving economic activity beyond the stage.

Based on this study, Disney’s THE LION KING will bring in more than $30 million of economic activity during its four-week run in Cincinnati. HAMILTON‘s 3-week run in December 2025 made up $32 million of that $213 million of impact for the local economy.

“Our Broadway series is more than world-class entertainment—it’s a powerful economic engine for Cincinnati and the surrounding region,” said Genevieve Holt, Vice President Midwest for Broadway Across America (BAA).  “Each production drives meaningful impact for local businesses, from restaurants and hotels to small retailers, while bringing vibrancy and energy to the community. We’re proud to play a role in strengthening the local economy while connecting audiences through the magic of live theater.”

“We are proud to partner with Broadway in Cincinnati to present productions of this scale that bring tens of thousands of visitors downtown, said Steve Loftin, President & CEO of Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA). “In addition to providing the world-class performance home for extended Broadway engagements such as Disney’s THE LION KING, the Aronoff Center provides significant salaries and wages stimulating local spending. With labor accounting for as much as 32% of a show’s total local expenses, the economic impact generated is meaningful and measurable for downtown businesses and our region and serves as a powerful economic engine for Cincinnati.”

One of Broadway in Cincinnati and the Aronoff Center’s longtime neighbors has been Nicholson’s Pub, a Walnut Street mainstay since 1997.  “Nicholson’s has been a part of the Theater District from the very beginning, and we are honored to be a preferred destination for a pre-show meal,” said Nick Sanders, CEO of Tavern Restaurant Group.  “Every show presents an opportunity for us to connect with the Broadway in Cincinnati audience with special themed features, exceptional hospitality, comfort, and convenience. The loyal patronage and support from the Aronoff community for thirty years has been an essential part of our success.”

Broadway Across America is proud to highlight the significant economic impact of Touring Broadway in Cincinnati, where live theater continues to serve as both a cultural cornerstone and a powerful economic engine for the region.

Broadway Across America, which embraces the philosophy that live theater has the power to change the world, has invested significantly in Cincinnati youth in recent years as well.   In the 26/27 season so far, the company has deeply subsidized tickets for more than 3,000 local students through the Janet Taylor Memorial Education Fund.  BAA, along with CAA, has also developed a comprehensive education program with the School for the Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA) called Broadway Beyond the Classroom.  This program provides training and master classes from Broadway touring cast and crew to the talented Cincinnati-area students studying the arts at SCPA.

First Financial 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. 

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 25-time Tony Award winner John Gore (Owner & CEO), Broadway Across America pioneered the Broadway subscription touring model and is a leading presenter of the first-class productions across more than 45 North American markets. Since inception, Broadway Across America has produced and/or invested in hundreds of Broadway, touring Broadway, and international productions that have won countless Tony awards and introduced millions of fans to the power of live theater.  

The John Gore Organization is a leading presenter, distributor, and marketer of Broadway theater worldwide. Under the leadership of 25-time Tony-winner 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 over 45 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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June 1, 2026 · 6:10 pm

Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock: BACK TO THE ROCK LIVE | Sat., October 3, 2026 | Aronoff Center

JIM HENSON’S FRAGGLE ROCK: BACK TO THE ROCK LIVE
The first-ever live musical Fraggle Rock touring show 

October 3, 2026
Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall

Tickets on sale Friday, June 5 at 10:00 AM

Cincinnati, OH] – Jim Henson’s musical, fun-loving Fraggles are dancing their cares away across North America and coming to Cincinnati in Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE, the first-ever live touring show based on The Jim Henson Company’s beloved franchise. The show plays the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall for one performance only on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 2:00 PM as part of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s CAA PRESENTS! 2026-27 Season.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 5 at 10:00 AM at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-2787 [ARTS], and the Aronoff Center Ticket Office. For group sales (10 or more), call (513) 977-4155. Prices include all applicable fees and taxes and are subject to change.

Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, and Boober Fraggle discover the legend of the Celebration Stone – an ancient Fraggle treasure that has the power to bring everyone together for the greatest party of all time, but was shattered and lost generations ago. As the Fraggles set off on an exhilarating, adventurous journey exploring exciting new caves within Fraggle Rock and even beyond, they discover magic that they never knew existed and learn to work together to unite the lost pieces of the magical artifact. Can the Fraggles succeed in their quest to bring the Celebration Stone back to Fraggle Rock so everyone can enjoy the most incredible party in Fraggle history? And, along the way, will they find something even more memorable and heartfelt than they could have ever imagined?

Based on the Emmy-winning Apple TV original series Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, this all-new, family-friendly, live stage adventure features colorful new walkaround versions of the Fraggles, new puppet versions of their industrious friends the Doozers, and visits from a giant Gorg, as well as exciting new puppet creature friends – all built by the renowned Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Featuring fan-favorite songs and exciting visual effects, this all-new musical stage adventure welcomes audiences on a joyful, nostalgia-filled trip to Fraggle Rock. With lots of music, laughter, and imagination, it’s an unforgettable live experience that will have Silly Creatures of all ages dancing in the aisles! 

Written and directed by John Tartaglia (Avenue Q, Shrek the Musical, Stephen Schwartz’s The Secret Silk), this interactive live musical features both new and classic Fraggle songs, eye-popping immersive stage effects, and all the hilarious, heartwarming magic that has kept Fraggle Rock captivating generations of audiences for over forty years.

Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE is produced by The Jim Henson Company with Catalyst Theatricals LLC as General Manager and Broadway & Beyond Theatricals as the show’s exclusive booking agency. Visit www.fragglerocklive.com for more information.

About The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over seventy years and is recognized as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics, and digital animation. The Company’s most recent credits include the hit holiday special for Apple TV The First Snow of Fraggle Rock, as well as the Emmy®-nominated Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip for Disney+, the Oscar®-winning Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio for Netflix, and the Emmy®-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock for Apple TV. Other television credits include Slumberkins and Harriet the Spy for Apple TV; Dinosaur Train, Splash and Bubbles, and Sid the Science Kid for PBS; Earth to Ned for Disney+; and the Netflix series Word Party and the Emmy®-winning The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Iconic catalogue titles include Fraggle Rock, The Storyteller, Farscape, and the ground-breaking fantasy classics The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

Headquartered in Los Angeles with additional locations in New York and London, the Company is also home to Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent puppet and creature-building group and industry leader in puppeteered digital animation, with international film, television, theme park, and advertising clients. 

About John Tartaglia
John Tartaglia is an acclaimed actor, director, writer, and puppeteer who is Tony-nominated for originating both Rod and Princeton in Broadway’s debut company of Avenue Q. His theatrical directing credits include Stephen Schwartz’s The Secret Silk and Jim Henson’s Inspired Silliness, both for Princess Cruises, Kinky Boots (3d Theatricals), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Maltz Jupiter Theater), Claudio Quest (six-time winner at NY Musical Theatre Festival, including Best in Fest and Best Director), Shrek the Halls (DreamWorks Theatricals), Because of Winn Dixie (Arkansas Rep and Goodspeed Opera House development), and Jim Henson’s Musical World (Carnegie Hall). 

Most recently, he finished production on the second season of the Emmy®-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, serving as an executive producer, writer, and puppet captain, and performing Gobo Fraggle, Architect Doozer, Gunge, Barry Blueberry, and Sprocket the Dog. 

John has worked many summer seasons at the country’s award-winning, oldest outdoor theater, the St. Louis MUNY, directing such shows as Shrek the Musical, The Wizard of Oz, Tarzan, Annie, Matilda, Mary Poppins, and most recently, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Other credits include the national tours of Jim Henson’s Dinosaur Train Live and Jim Henson’s Sid the Science Kid Live! as well as several shows for Sesame Place, PA. 

John can be heard every Sunday on Sirius XM’s On Broadway with his show “Sunday Funday with John Tartaglia.”

Cincinnati Arts Association SPONSOR 

The Cincinnati Arts Association is supported [in part] by an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council (OAC). The OAC is a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically.

Season Sponsors:  AMERITAS (Founding Season Sponsor), MIAMI UNIVERSITY, ARTSWAVE, LOCAL 12 WKRC-TV, The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, TRIHEALTH 

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS:  21C Museum Hotel, altafiber, Bahl & Gaynor, Cincinnati Herald, CityBeat, Fairfield Inn & Suites Cincinnati Uptown/University Area, Harlan Graphics, Heidelberg Distributing, Kinley Cincinnati, Pepsi, Summerfair Cincinnati

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CALENDAR INFORMATION

WHAT:                Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE

WHEN:                Saturday, October 3, 2026 – 2:00 PM

WHERE:              Aronoff Center – Procter & Gamble Hall

PRICES:               Start at $52.75 , inclusive of all fees 

INFO:                   Based on the Emmy-winning Apple TV original series Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, this all-new, family-friendly live stage adventure features colorful new walkaround versions of the Fraggles, new puppet versions of their industrious friends the Doozers, and visits from a giant Gorg, as well as exciting new puppet creature friends – all built by the renowned Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Featuring fan-favorite songs and exciting visual effects, this all-new musical stage adventure welcomes audiences on a joyful, nostalgia-filled trip to Fraggle Rock.

TICKET INFORMATION – on sale Friday, June 5 at 10:00 AM

  • www.CincinnatiArts.org  
  • (513) 621-ARTS [2787]
  • Aronoff Center Ticket Office
  • Group sales (10 or more): (513) 977-4155

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