Tag Archives: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

Single Tickets Available for Blockbuster Musicals, Contemporary Comedies and World Premieres at Ohio’s Only Two-Time Tony Award-Winning Theatre

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will begin selling single tickets for the 2018-2019 season on Monday, July 16. Single tickets will be available for all of 12 the season’s productions, including the highly anticipated world premiere of CINCINNATI KING, a musical about Cincinnati’s historic King Records, and the Tony Award-winning Broadway hit from the creator of Hamilton, IN THE HEIGHTS. The season will open with a thrilling production of Stephen King’s MISERY on Sept. 1.

“The unmatched variety of our new season is sure to delight and entertain audiences of all ages,” states Robison. “From a huge Broadway musical like IN THE HEIGHTS to an intimate and romantic world premiere, the 2018-19 season showcases the range, scale and quality of theatre as only the Playhouse can produce for Cincinnati.”

Robison continues, “I’m especially proud of our world premiere of CINCINNATI KING. It is the culmination of a home-grown project that we’ve had in development with our Associate Artist KJ Sanchez since 2013 and is truly a celebration of our city.”

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Ohio’s only two-time, Tony Award-winning theatre, boasts productions that are both nationally recognized and locally crafted. The 2018-2019 season includes productions featuring actors, directors and designers who regularly work on and off Broadway and at other leading professional theatres across the country. All productions are presented at in the two intimate theatres located in Playhouse’s iconic Eden Park setting.

The Robert S. Marx Theatre Season
Presented by Schueler Group
Season Sponsor of New Work: The Rosenthal Family Foundation
Marx Season Design Sponsor: Macy’s

MISERY
By William Goldman
Based on the novel by Stephen King
Directed by Blake Robison
Sept. 1 – 29, 2018
Opening Night: Sept. 6

True life becomes stranger than fiction when an acclaimed romance novelist wakes up in the home of his “Number One Fan.” This spine-tingling stage adaptation of Stephen King’s terrifying novel traps you in a tense cat-and-mouse game that will grip you until the very end. MISERY stars Barbara Chisholm as Annie Wilkes and David Whalen as Paul Sheldon. Chisholm was last seen at the Playhouse portraying Erma Bombeck in the hit comedy, Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End in 2017, and Whalen portrayed Ned Alleyn in Shakespeare in Love. Sponsored by JRA and BHDP Architecture.

Leading Ladies presents
MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY
By Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon
Directed by Eleanor Holdridge
Oct. 13 – Nov. 10, 2018
Opening Night: Oct. 18

Middle sister Mary finally takes center stage in this charming and clever sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that promises to captivate long-time fans of Jane Austen and newcomers alike. The Playhouse previously staged the world premiere of Lauren Gunderson’s The Revolutionists, directed by Eleanor Holdridge, in 2016. Gunderson is the most produced playwright in America for the 2017-18 season.

IN THE HEIGHTS
Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Book by Quiara Alegría Hudes
Conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Directed by May Adrales
Jan. 19 – Feb. 17, 2019
Opening Night: Jan. 24

Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Broadway smash hit and winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical is set to a hip-hop and Latin-flavored score and features high-energy choreography. IN THE HEIGHTS captures the vibrant spirit of a tight-knit, New York community as they navigate their hopes and dreams, loves and losses, fortunes and fates. IN THE HEIGHTS is a co-production with Seattle Repertory Theatre and Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Sponsored by U.S. Bank.

First Financial Bank presents
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Howard Dallin
Directed by Michael Evan Haney
Nov. 21 – Dec. 29, 2018
Opening Night: Nov. 23

This joyous, time-honored production returns for its 28th season with a cast of nearly 30 actors, elaborate costumes and thrilling special effects. A CHRISTMAS CAROL is not part of the season subscription, but subscribers get early access and special discounts on tickets.

August Wilson’s
TWO TRAINS RUNNING
Presented by Moe and Jack Rouse and Randolph Wadsworth
Directed by Timothy Douglas, Associate Artist
March 2 – 30, 2019
Opening Night: March 7

In August Wilson’s masterpiece, history unfolds around everyday lives against the backdrop of the civil rights movement. Part of Wilson’s trailblazing American Century Cycle, TWO TRAINS RUNNING paints a compassionate and unforgettable portrait of ordinary people in the midst of transformation.

Playhouse Associate Artist Timothy Douglas is one of the foremost directors of August Wilson. Most recently for the Playhouse main stage, he directed Wilson’s Jitney in 2016. TWO TRAINS RUNNING is a co-production with Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN
Based on the comic strip “Peanuts” by Charles M. Schulz
Book, Musicand Lyrics by Clark Gesner
Directed by Bill Fennelly
April 20 – May 18, 2019
Opening Night: April 25

The Peanuts gang comes to life onstage in this whimsical and witty musical. You’ll fall in love all over again with Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, Peppermint Patty and Snoopy as they deal with the joys and frustrations of kites, school, baseball and first love. Featuring a new musical arrangement with actors playing their own instruments, delightful numbers like “My Blanket and Me,” “The Book Report” and “Happiness” abound with joy.

This production also re-unites the director and star of Playhouse’s 2017 production of Little Shop of Horrors. Bill Fennelly returns to direct and Nick Cearley (Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors) plays Linus. Sponsored by Johnson Investment Counsel and Clark, Schaeffer, Hackett & Co.

THE 2018-2019 SHELTERHOUSE THEATRE SEASON
 Presented by Heidelberg Distributing Company
Season Sponsor of New Work: The Rosenthal Family Foundation
Shelterhouse Season Design Sponsor: Allan Berliant and Jennie Rosenthal Berliant
Family Fund

THE ROOMMATE
By Jen Silverman
Directed by Tracy Brigden
Sept. 21 – Oct. 21, 2018
Opening Night: Sept. 27

The Odd Couple meets Breaking Bad in this wickedly funny comedy. Fifty-something Sharon finds a roommate in Robyn, who needs a place to hide and the chance to start over. When Sharon begins to uncover Robyn’s secrets, she takes a leap towards the dark side. THE ROOMMATE hilariously examines what happens when the wheels come off.

Playwright Jen Silverman’s All the Roads Home made its world premiere at the Playhouse in 2017, and THE ROOMMATE received its world premiere during the 2015 Humana Festival of New Plays at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville. Sponsored by Digi and Mike Schueler.

CINCINNATI KING
Written and Directed by KJ Sanchez, Associate Artist
Nov. 3 – Dec. 23, 2018
Opening Night: Nov. 8

Celebrate Cincinnati’s rich music history in this world premiere musical about King Records. Based on hundreds of interviews, the story traces the groundbreaking rise of music pioneer Syd Nathan and the artists he produced, the music he created and the enemies he made along the way. The show shares behind-the-scenes tales of King Records hits including “The Twist,” “Blues Stay Away From Me,” “Fever” and “Need Your Love So Bad.” CINCINNATI KING shines a spotlight on this revolutionary music label and its Queen City roots.

Playhouse Associate Artist KJ Sanchez is founder and CEO of American Records, a company devoted to making theatre that chronicles our time. She most recently directed the Playhouse production of Jane Eyre in 2017. A staged concert reading of CINCINNATI KING was performed in Washington Park in May of 2015 as part of the Cincinnati Fringe Festival and 3CDC’s OTR Performs Series. Sponsored by The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation.

THE SECOND CITY – IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME
Jan. 10 – 27, 2019

The Second City has been laughing at love and its various side effects for decades. THE SECOND CITY – IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME takes shots at heartbreak, missed connections and the mire of human relationships, as seen through the eyes of the next generation of comic writers and performers. Your friends, parents and blind date will all find something achingly familiar to laugh at.

This booked-in, limited run is not part of any season subscription package, although subscribers do receive early buying opportunities.

THE LAST WIDE OPEN
By Audrey Cefaly
Directed by Blake Robison
Feb. 9 – March 10, 2019
Opening Night: Feb. 14

Fate plays its hand in this wondrous and romantic world premiere. Lina, a young waitress, and Roberto, an Italian immigrant, have been working together for years but rarely talk. If they do, it’s from a distance or gets lost in translation. But when a late-night thunderstorm finds them alone in the restaurant at closing time, they find their lives intersecting in surprising and mystical ways. Over wine and conversation, they test the waters of happiness and intimacy. A love song in three movements, THE LAST WIDE OPEN imagines how the universe conspires to bring us together. Sponsored by Bartlett Wealth Management.

THE THANKSGIVING PLAY
By Larissa FastHorse
Directed by Lisa Portes
March 23 – April 21, 2019
Opening Night: March 28

Watch as a group of liberal artists walk the fine line of political correctness in this fresh, satirical comedy. Armed with progressive lingo and questionably good intentions, they attempt to devise a culturally sensitive Thanksgiving play for local elementary schools. Slowly but surely, the well-meaning plans dissolve into an outrageous sendup of PC behavior. THE THANKSGIVING PLAY treads the minefields of appropriation to inject some laughter into activism, apathy and all the assumptions in between.

This production marks the first time the Playhouse has produced a play by a Native American playwright. Lisa Portes directed the 2016-17 season Playhouse production of Disgraced.

TINY HOUSES
By Chelsea Marcantel
Directed by Laura Kepley
May 4 – June 2, 2019
Opening Night: May 9

Can tiny equal happy? Four young, lovable, eccentric adults are determined to build a 200-square-foot tiny house in Oregon with the hope of finding minimalist contentment. Instead, the project devolves into a series of amusingly awkward missteps. Will their relationships survive the construction project? Will living small be a huge mistake? This endearing comedy explores what happens when our world begins to shrink, and delves into the universal longing for home and family. TINY HOUSES is a co-production with Cleveland Play House, where the play’s director Laura Kepley is Artistic Director.

Ticket Information
Playhouse 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 for all shows start at just $35 for all shows, except A Christmas Carol and The Second City, which start at $40. Tickets to all 7 p.m. Sunday performances (not including A Christmas Carol) 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 children and teens are available for all productions and are $30 to $45, depending on show and seat location. Visit the Playhouse website for content and age advisories for each show.

Patrons also can subscribe to all five Marx Theatre or five Thompson Shelterhouse productions for as little as $157.50 or build their own series of four or more shows from either theatre.

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.

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

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.

Zany comedy MURDER FOR TWO runs May 5-June 10

CINCINNATI—Who killed the great American novelist Arthur Whitney? That’s what audiences will wonder when MURDER FOR TWO opens May 5 at Cincinnati Playhouse. The riotous two-person musical comedy — which The New York Times called “ingenious”— runs through June 10 (Opening Night is May 10).

When Whitney is found dead in his isolated, rural mansion on the night of his surprise birthday party, every guest has a motive. Could it be his loopy, scene-stealing widow? Or the glamorous but menacing, prima ballerina? Maybe it’s the loose-lipped, overly friendly psychiatrist? The mystery unfolds in hilarious fashion as one actor plays an overwhelmed detective and another plays a dozen suspects — and they both play piano.

Written and composed by Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair, MURDER FOR TWO is a comical throwback to classic whodunit novels of the 1920s and is performed with zany, vaudevillian sensibility.

“Early on we had the idea: what if the Marx Brothers performed an Agatha Christie play?” Blair explained in an interview with 5th Avenue Theatre. “The detective would be trying to take things seriously because the stakes would be so high, but inevitably things would just devolve into chaos.”

The result is a highly entertaining farce defined by its exaggerated characters, music hall entertainment and silent film-style comedy. And the results speak for themselves: when MURDER FOR TWO made its world premiere at Chicago Shakespeare Theater in May of 2011, it was extended four times and ran for a total of six months. Its off-Broadway production at Second Stage Theatre was extended twice before it was transferred to off-Broadway’s New World Stages for a nine-month run. The musical then enjoyed an 18-month national tour and nominations from the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel awards. Kinosian and Blair also won the 2011 Joseph Jefferson Award for Best New Musical Work.

The Playhouse’s production of MURDER FOR TWO is directed by Paul Mason Barnes, who makes his Playhouse debut with the musical comedy. Directing credits across the country include the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Denver Center Theatre Company andthe Folger Shakespeare Theatre, among many others. He is a founding producing director of the Great River Shakespeare Festival in Winona, Minnesota, and of the Oregon Cabaret Theatre.

“Kinosian and Blair have framed a fun and delightfully intriguing story with a delectable confection of zaniness and style,” says Barnes. “My job will be to honor their story and the style with which they’ve chosen to tell their story as best as best I know how.”

CAST
Eric Shorey (The Suspects); Eric Van Tielen (Marcus Moscowicz)

PRODUCTION
Paul Mason Barnes (Director); Bill Clarke (Set Designer); Tracy Dorman (Costume Designer); Lonnie Rafael Alcaraz (Lighting Designer); Jason Sebastian (Sound Designer); Stephen Goers (Music Director); Stephanie Klapper (Casting Director); Jenifer Morrow (Production Stage Manager)

SPECIAL EVENT
Physical Comedy Workshop
May 19, at 10 a.m. at the Playhouse.

Get out of your head and into your body with physical comedy in the style of MURDER FOR TWO! Make audiences laugh while exploring the potential of space and movement for the stage with a Playhouse resident teaching artist. Adults and teens ages 16 and up with all skill levels are welcome! Cost is $50 per person and does not include a ticket to the show.

Playhouse Pride Night
June 1, pre-show party at 6 p.m., with 8 p.m. performance and post-show party

Now in its fourth year, Playhouse Pride provides an opportunity for LGBTQIA community members and allies to gather together and enjoy a performance. In partnership with ArtsWave Pride.The full Pride Night package is $90 per person and includes:

Pre-show party at 6 p.m. with live entertainment, open bar and horsd’oeuvres; Performance at 8 p.m. Post-show party with open bar and a DJ.
A portion of the proceeds benefits the Transgender Health Clinic at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, a non-profit organization that provides an accepting atmosphere and healthcare services for patients 5 to 24 years old
Regularly priced tickets to the show start at $45 and include the post-show party only with cash bar. Subscription tickets already scheduled for June 1 include the post-show party with cash bar. Subscribers may upgrade their tickets to the entire Pride Night package for $35.

PERFORMANCES
Evening performances on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays start at 7:30 p.m; Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Matinee performance on Saturdays start at 4pm, Sundays at 2 p.m. as well as Wednesday, May 30, at 1 p.m. Meet the Artists are scheduled after matinee performances on May 13 and May 20, as well as after evening performances on May 23 and 30.

TICKETS
Prices for MURDER FOR TWO start at $35 depending on seat selection and performance day and are subject to change. Tickets for teens and students are $30. 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. In addition to calling the Box Office, tickets can also be purchased by visiting the Playhouse website at www.cincyplay.com.

ACCESS
The Playhouse is fully accessible. Large print programs and hearing enhancement receivers are available upon request.

BOX OFFICE
513-421-3888 or 800-582-3208 toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana; or 513-345-2248 – TDD access (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf).

SPONSORS
Playhouse Pride is the Artist sponsor. Production Sponsor is The Daley Family Foundation.
Huntington Bank is Design Sponsor, and Honorary Producers are Charles and Joan Mead.

The Shelterhouse Theatre Season is presented by Heidelberg Distributing Company. The Season Sponsor of New Work is The Rosenthal Family Foundation. The Shelterhouse Theatre Season Design Sponsor is Allan Berliant and Jennie Rosenthal Berliant Family Fund. The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust provided additional support.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of more than 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 and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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