Tag Archives: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

A romance that explores love, fate and the ways in which the universe brings people together

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will present THE LAST WIDE OPEN, a love story that encourages audiences to take a personal, humorous look at modern-day courtship, romance and relationships, just in time for Valentine’s Day. It begins Feb. 9 in the Shelterhouse Theatre and runs through March 10, with support from The Rosenthal Family Foundation, Season Sponsor of New Work. Opening night is Feb. 14.

The world premiere, under the direction of Artistic Director Blake Robison, was written by Playwright Audrey Cefaly and described by Cefaly as “a love song in three movements.” This romantic tale sweeps the audience up into three different realities in which the same characters attempt to forge a connection despite language barriers, personal stories and histories, and cultural differences.

The production, which features original songs with lyrics by Cefaly and music by Composer/Sound Designer Matthew M Neilson, follows Lina, a waitress, and Roberto, an Italian immigrant. The two find themselves on completely different paths of their own creation giving the show an element of fantasy.

THE LAST WIDE OPEN takes place in the twilight hours of an ordinary night on a normal day during a thunderstorm. The date is May 5, present day. The location is Frankie’s, a small Italian restaurant that is closed for the evening. Two characters, Lina and Roberto, enter onstage. She is an emotional person and a dreamer. He is a poetic and generous Italian immigrant. They are about to share their fate-filled love story — imagined in three different realities.

“THE LAST WIDE OPEN began as a short, 30-minute play called Clean,” Robison explained. “I loved that play, but it was too short to program into our season as a full evening of theatre. So, when the playwright, Audrey Cefaly, told me that she wanted to expand it into a full-length work, I jumped at the chance to collaborate with her. We commissioned her to write the newly expanded version, and I fell in love all over again.”

CAST
Kimberly Gilbert (Lina); Marcus Kyd (Roberto)

PRODUCTION
Audrey Cefaly (Playwright), Blake Robison (Director); Jo Winiarski (Set Designer); Gordon DeVinney (Costume Designer); Michelle Habeck (Lighting Designer); Matthew M. Nielson (Composer/Sound Designer); Andrea L. Shell (Stage Manager)

TICKETS
To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Playhouse Box Office at 513-421-3888 (toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana at 800-582-3208) or visit www.cincyplay.com. Call 513-345- 2248 for Telecommunications Device for the Deaf accessibility.

PERFORMANCES
Preview Performances: Feb. 9 (8 p.m.) | Feb. 10 (7 p.m.) | Feb. 12 – 13 (7:30 p.m.)
Be among the first to see the show before opening night and save! Preview performance tickets are discounted and begin at just $35. Not valid with other discounts.

Performance Dates: Feb. 9 – Mar. 10, 2019
Performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, at 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Individual tickets start at just $35.
Tickets to all 7 p.m. Sunday performances are priced at just $10 for college students with a valid school ID. Student tickets are just $15 on the day of the show for all other performances. Discounted ticket prices for and teens are $30.

SPONSORS
Production Co-Sponsor Bartlett Wealth Management. Season Sponsor is Heidelberg Distributing Company and Season Design Sponsors are Allan Berliant and Jennie Rosenthal Berliant Family Fund. The Season Sponsor of New Work is the Rosenthal Family Foundation. Additional support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of almost 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community campaign. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation.

PROGRAMS
ADULT ENRICHMENT WORKSHOP: PLAYWRITING
Sat., Feb. 23 | 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Playhouse | Cost: $50

Get an introduction to the world of writing for the stage while the world premiere production of THE LAST WIDE OPEN is on the Playhouse stage. You’ll learn how to build the foundation of a story by creating memorable characters, writing memorable dialogue and crafting a compelling plot. To register for this workshop, call the Box Office at 513-421-3888, or visit cincyplay.com.

MEET THE ARTISTS
Feb. 17 and 24 (2 p.m.) | Feb. 27, Mar. 7 (7:30 p.m.)
Stay after select performances for a behind-the-scenes discussion with the cast and crew of THE LAST WIDE OPEN

ACCESS
The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs, and complete wheelchair access are available.

IN THE HEIGHTS, Miranda’s First Musical, Won Four Tony Awards

(CINCINNATI)–Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical IN THE HEIGHTS will delight Cincinnati audiences this winter at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park beginning Jan. 19, 2019. The Broadway hit, which won four Tony Awards including best musical and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, runs through Feb. 17, 2019. Official opening night is Jan. 24, 2019.

“IN THE HEIGHTS is a vibrant, feel-good musical with a style Hamilton fans will recognize,” says Artistic Director Blake Robison. “From its high-energy choreography to its hip-hop, Latin-flavored score, audiences will fall in love the musical that won Lin-Manuel Miranda his first Tony Award.”

The multigenerational story takes place in Washington Heights, a New York community that’s home to many Puerto Rican and Dominican immigrants. IN THE HEIGHTS celebrates the importance of heritage, family ties and turning dreams into reality. The musical follows the journey of several recent immigrants, including descriptions of their hardships in reaching New York, their aspirations for their children and the stories they carry with them. It is a topic that Director May Adrales believes is relevant today.

“The immigrants I know are the hardest working people,” says Adrales. “They make something out of nothing. They make a home here against impossible odds and make a place better than when they found it.”

Adrales is an award-winning theatre artist and Associate Artistic Director at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s In the Heights is a co-production with Milwaukee Rep and Seattle Repertory Theatre. Casting for the three-city production took place in five cities across the U.S.

The New York Times declared, “When this musical erupts in one of its expressions of collective joy, the energy it gives off could light up the George Washington Bridge for a year or two.”

To celebrate the universal appeal of IN THE HEIGHTS, the Playhouse is offering a block of tickets for just $10 to each Tuesday performance. A minimum of 100 tickets will be available each week.

“We are so excited about IN THE HEIGHTS – one of the biggest shows of the season – that we want to make sure everyone has a chance to see. So we created ‘$10 Tuesdays’ – making our work accessible to anyone who loves theatre,” explains Robison.
The $10 tickets may only be purchased in-person at the Playhouse Box Office beginning at 6 p.m. on the day of the show, each Tuesday. Limit two per person. No advance reservations or choice of seating.

CAST
Karmine Alers (Camila); Yassmin Alers (Abuela Claudia); Ryan Alvarado (Usnavi); Courtney Arango (Ensemble/Associate Choreographer/Dance Captain); Lillian Castillo (Daniela); Tony Chiroldes (Kevin); Alexander Gil Cruz (Ensemble); Henry Gainza (Piragua Guy); Nicolas Garza (Sonny); Stephanie Gomérez (Vanessa); Alyssa V. Gomez (Carla); David Kaverman (Benny); Eric A. Lewis (Ensemble); Sophia Macías (Nina); Emily Madigan (Ensemble); UJ Mangune (Graffiti Pete/Ensemble); Eddie Martin Morales (Ensemble/Fight Captain); Rána Roman (Ensemble); Gabriela M. Soto (Swing); William Dean Wiersma (Swing)

PRODUCTION
May Adrales (Director); William Carlos Angulo (Choreographer); Dan Kazemi (Music Director/Conductor); John Tanner (Musical Supervisor); Tim Mackabee (Scenic Designer); David Israel Reynoso (Costume Designer); Robert J. Aguilar (Lighting Designer); Megan B. Henninger (Sound Designer); Nancy Lemenager (Associate Director); Eugenio A. Vargas (Associate Music Director/Associate Conductor); Dale Brown (New York Casting); Michael B. Paul (Stage Manager); Brooke Redler (Second Stage Manager); Andrea L. Shell (Second Stage Manager)

PERFORMANCES
Tuesday-Thursday – 7:30 p.m.
Friday – 8 p.m.
Saturday – 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Additional Matinee – 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13
Please note: There are no public evening performances on Feb. 3 or Feb. 13.

TICKETS
Prices for IN THE HEIGHTS start at $35, vary depending on seat location and performance day, and are subject to change. Tickets for teens and students are $30 and $45 depending on seat location. Student tickets are just $15 on the day of the show. Plus, Sunday is College Night, with tickets to all 7 p.m. performances just $10.

Introducing $10 Tuesdays during IN THE HEIGHTS
Every Tuesday during the run, a minimum of 100 tickets will be available for just $10. These tickets may only be purchased in-person at the Playhouse Box Office beginning at 6 p.m. on the day of the show. Limit two per person. No advance reservations or choice of seating.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Playhouse website at www.cincyplay.com or by calling the Box Office at 513-421-3888 or 800-582-3208 toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. For TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) access, call 513-345-2248. The Playhouse is fully accessible.

SPECIAL EVENTS
Off the Grid: Brew and View: Moana Sing-Along 
Thursday, Jan. 10 | 7 to 9 p.m. at The Video Archive

Celebrate the musical work of Hamilton superstar Lin-Manuel Miranda with a Moanascreening and sing-along! Join us for an interactive screening event that begins with trivia, games and your favorite karaoke songs written by Miranda from Hamilton, Bring it On and In the Heights. Then enjoy the Disney musical sensation Moana about an ancient Polynesian curse, a demigod named Maui and a young girl who must save her island home. Games, trivia and karaoke begin at 7 p.m. Screening of the film begins at 8 p.m. The Video Archive is located at 965 E. McMillan St.

IN THE HEIGHTS Wine Tastings
Fridays, Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, 8 and 15 | 6:30 p.m. at the Playhouse

Join us before Friday evening performances of In The Heights for a special wine tasting by Heidelberg Distributing Co. and a three-course meal catered by Chef’s Choice Catering! Dinner will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $35 per person and does not include a ticket to the show. Reservations are required.
Playhouse Perspectives: The Latinx Experience in Cincinnati
Monday, Feb. 11 | 7 p.m. at The Playhouse

IN THE HEIGHTS explores the experience of Latinx immigrants in New York who are from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and other Latin-American countries. Join us in conversation with local community organizations, leaders and artists as we discuss the Latinx community in Cincinnati. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is recommended by calling the Box Office at 513-421-3888. The Playhouse Perspectives series is supported by a generous grant from Roderick and Barbara Barr.

BOX OFFICE
513-421-3888 or 800-582-3208 toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana; or 513-345-2248 – TDD

SPONSORS
Production Sponsor is U.S. Bank. Orchestra Sponsor is Barbara M. Weyand. Design Sponsor is Skidmore Sales & Distributing, Co. Artist Sponsor is Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. The Robert S. Marx Theatre Season is presented by Schueler Group. Season Sponsor of New Work is The Rosenthal Family Foundation and Marx Theatre Season Design Sponsor is Macy’s.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of almost 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community campaign. The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation.

ACCESS
The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs, and complete wheelchair access are available.

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