Tag Archives: Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

January 31, 2017 · 8:53 pm

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Review

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Gina Milo as Audrey, David Meyers as Mr. Mushnik & Nick Cearley as Seymour. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS presented Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park through Feb. 19. Click here for more information on the production. I attended the opening night performance.

It was my love of the movie LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS that led me to become involved in our local theater scene about 25 years ago. Without Seymour, Audrey, and the gang, you would not be reading this review. 🙂 This is the first regional production I have attended and I’m happy to say that the Playhouse’s production does the show, (as well as and my fond memories of it) justice.

If you are a fan of the movie but have never seen the stage version, you will experience a completely different ending sans “Mean Green Mother From Outer Space,” as well as several songs that were not included in the movie.

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Johari Nandi as Chiffon, Ebony Blake as Ronnette, Alexis Tidwell as Crystal & Nick Cearley as Seymour. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

The cast is extremely talented and does a wonderful job of making the roles their own. Nick Cearley is endearing as hapless Seymour who flinches from every harsh word. Gina Milo is easy to love as Audrey and offers an emotionally touching “Somewhere That’s Green.” Jamison Stern is hilarious as Orin and brings a quirkiness to the dentist and his various other roles that is fun to watch. The Urchins (Johari Nandi as Chiffon, Alexis Tidwell as Crystal & Ebony Blake as Ronnette) nail the harmonies and dance moves that make the roles so much fun to watch. Rounding out the ensemble is Chaz Rose as the voice of Audrey II & Stephen Kriz Gardner as the puppeteer/manipulator. The two give the ever-growing plant great presence and personality, however it was noticeable several times that Audrey II wasn’t hitting all the syllables in the dialogue and lyrics.

Playhouse’s Marx Theatre can make the staging of a musical rather challenging. Michael Schweikardt’s set design is extremely successful in the space. There are many great touches throughout and I thought the shop’s renovation was one of the most dramatic I’ve ever seen. The various transformations and quick costume changes were handled excellently by the stage management team. The production also boasts one of the most successful executions of the final number.

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Jamison Stern as Orin & Nick Cearley as Seymour. Photo by Mikki Schaffner.

The musicians, conducted by Stephen Goers and located underneath the stage, rocked out the score. I found the music and vocal balance to be great and I was able to hear every line and lyric.

Opening night, the younger audience members around me seemed to enjoy the show -although the lines “tough titties” and “no shit, Sherlock” did elicit a bit of a shocked reaction from them.

Overall, LITTLE SHOP is a grade A, sci-Fi, B movie, musical comedy that is laugh out loud funny and a rocking good time.

My rating: 5 out of 5

I would enjoy hearing what you think about the show or my review. All I ask is that you express your opinion without attacking someone else’s opinion. You can post your comments below.

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January 23, 2017 · 6:53 pm

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS Will Travel Around Cincinnati This Winter

Playhouse’s Off The Hill tour begins Jan. 21

pip_around-the-world-in-80-days-promo(CINCINNATI) The Playhouse’s popular, family-friendly Off the Hill Series embarks on an imaginative adventure with Around the World in 80 Days, which will tour to community centers throughout Greater Cincinnati from Jan. 21 through Feb. 18, 2017.

“I am very excited to share Toby Hulse’s adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days with students and families throughout the Tristate area,” says Daunielle Rasmussen, the Playhouse’s director of education and community engagement. “This is a fast-paced, exciting romp around the world with smart and funny dialogue that will delight all ages.”

The classic Jules Verne story features intrepid Londoner Phileas Fogg in the world’s first amazing race, traversing the globe in just 80 days to claim a large wager on the enterprise. Along the journey of a lifetime — via boat, rail and even elephant — Fogg and his faithful French servant Passepartout encounter all sorts of obstacles, from a snooping Scotland Yard detective to the whims of Mother Nature. The hilariously entertaining comedy is recommended for ages 8 and up.

Verne’s novel was published in 1873, long before the advent of such modern transportation modes as automobiles and airplanes. The adventure’s itinerary starts in London and hits such exotic locales as Egypt, India, Hong Kong and Japan before crossing the United States and returning to London.

The Playhouse’s production will journey all over Cincinnati, from Fort Thomas to Mason to Oxford to Delhi. The final performance on Feb. 18 takes place at the Playhouse as part of Macy’s Arts Sampler Weekend, ArtsWave’s free annual arts festival. Around the World in 80 Days will be directed by Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr., the artistic director and co-founder of Civic Ensemble in Ithaca, N.Y.

Visit the Playhouse website for the most up to date Performance Schedule
Click on SCHEDULE tab

Three members of the Playhouse’s 2016-17 Bruce E. Coyle Acting Intern Company, George Bull, Candice Handy & Koray Tarhan, will portray the play’s 19 different characters.

“Kids will enjoy actors creating whole worlds without huge sets or a huge stage,” explains Rasmussen. “There are moments of action, romance and intrigue in the play that will hook any audience. Children will also get a sense of how immense changes in technology transformed the world 100 years ago.”

Around the World in 80 Days is the second of three Playhouse Off the Hill productions for the 2016-17 season, which will wrap up with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in the spring. Off the Hill is supported by The Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation.

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January 20, 2017 · 3:32 pm

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Presents the World Premiere of SUMMERLAND

pip_summerland-logo(CINCINNATI) — The world premiere of the mysterious and suspenseful new play SUMMERLAND by Arlitia Jones debuts Feb. 4 and runs through March 5 at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre.

Based on mesmerizing true events, SUMMERLAND tells the riveting tale of William H. Mumler, a spirit photographer with a talent for taking haunting images of ghostly visitors. Set in 1869, the story follows Mumler’s meteoric rise and fall, from his wildly successful studio business, which boasted Mary Todd Lincoln as a client, to his indictment for fraud.

“Arlitia Jones has written a fascinating story,” says Associate Artist Michael Evan Haney, director of the play. “When I first read SUMMERLAND, I was hanging on every word, not knowing what was going to happen. Coming right after the Civil War and the advent of photography (a mysterious new technology), there was a real belief that we could break through the veil and talk to people who had passed on to the other side. Whatever you think about the afterlife, this play makes you think about what we believe and don’t believe.”

Jones is an award-winning poet, playwright and co-founder of TossPot Productions in Anchorage, AK. The spirit photography used by Mumler that inspired her story can be traced to American Spiritualist Movement, which peaked from the 1840s through the 1920s. Followers of the movement believed that the dead have the ability to communicate with the living.

Tickets for SUMMERLAND start at $35; prices vary depending on seat location 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. Sunday is College Night, with tickets to all 7 p.m. performances just $10. In addition to calling the Box Office (513-421-3888), tickets can also be purchased by visiting the Playhouse website at http://www.cincyplay.com.

SUMMERLAND is sponsored by Barbara and Bill Weyand. Leon Meyer serves as Honorary Producer. Additional support is provided by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. Design Sponsor is JRA.

The 2016-17 Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre season is presented by Heidelberg Distributing Co., and the Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre season design sponsor is the Allan Berliant and Jennie Rosenthal Berliant Family Fund. The season sponsor of new work is the Lois and Richard Rosenthal Foundation.

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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January 13, 2017 · 6:48 pm

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS Travels to the Arts Center at Dunham for Free Family Fun

pip_around-the-world-in-80-days-promoCINCINNATI, OH – January 13, 2017 — Bring your passport on Saturday, January 21 at 2 p.m. for AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, part of the Free Family Fun Series at the Arts Center at Dunham.

The Playhouse in the Park’s Off the Hill Productions by Toby Hulse is based on the Jules Verne book and is provided courtesy of a grant from Price Hill Will Arts CAT. Join Phileas Fogg in the world’s most amazing race. Via rail, boat and even elephant, Fogg must travel the globe in just 80 days or he will forfeit a fortune. But a snooping detective, a possible human sacrifice and even the will of Mother Nature all conspire against Fogg’s adventure of a lifetime. Just three actors portray 19 different characters to create a spirited, fast-moving, highly imaginative and hilariously entertaining comedy. The show is recommended for ages 8 and up.

Reservations are recommended for the FREE Family Fun Series and can be made online (www.sunsetplayers.org) or by calling 513-588-4988.

All Free Family Fun Series performances are on Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. The remaining series includes:

–       March 11, 2017 ROKCincy Opera for Children: “The Magic Flute”

ROKCincy is thrilled to present Mozart’s beloved fairy tale opera “The Magic Flute.” The performance is 40 minutes in length and includes a question and answer session with the cast. ROKCincy is a non-profit program with a mission to introduce young people to the thrill of live, fully staged opera and to give developing professional musicians an opportunity to hone their performance skills through experience.

–       April 22, 2017 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe based upon the story by C.S. Lewis, dramatized by Le Clanche du Rand and performed by the Playhouse in the Park’s Off the Hill Productions. Courtesy of a grant from Price Hill Will Arts CAT.

In Narnia, a land of talking animals, mythical creatures and eternal winter, the White Witch holds power over all. Any who dare to dissent are turned instantly into stone. But one day, a little girl named Lucy enters this magical land through an enchanted wardrobe, and her fantastical adventure signals the fulfillment of a prophecy and great change to come. Step through the wardrobe with Lucy, Peter, Susan and Edmund in this tour-de-force, two-actor adaptation of the beloved and heroic tale of good’s triumph over evil. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

The Arts Center at Dunham is a fine arts center for the west side of Cincinnati and its vision is to provide affordable creative and performing arts for Price Hill and surrounding communities. Housed in one of the three remaining buildings of what was the first municipally owned tuberculosis sanatorium in the United States, the Arts Center includes a 350-seat performance venue as well as extensive studio and programming space. The Arts Center is in the Dunham Recreation Complex. See what is happening at the Arts Center at Dunham on Facebook.

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January 4, 2017 · 5:45 pm

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Presents LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

See the Classic Musical Comedy Jan. 21-Feb. 19, 2017

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Nick Cearley as Seymour.

(CINCINNATI) — The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park heats up winter with a hothouse production of the beloved, campy classic LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, running in the Robert S. Marx Theatre Jan. 21 through Feb. 19.

The New York Times called the musical, “Exuberant … leaves the audience ravenous for more.” Based on Roger Corman’s 1960 cult film classic, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS was adapted for the stage by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken in 1982. It is one of the longest-running off-Broadway musicals in history.

In addition to LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS’ hilarious storyline, audiences will enjoy the songs, written by Ashman and Menken — best known for their songs in popular Disney films, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.

“Only at the Playhouse can you experience the perfect combination of a large-scale musical like LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS in an intimate space like the Marx Theatre,” says Playhouse Artistic Director Blake Robison. “The show is wildly entertaining and features the unequaled artistry of some of the nation’s top theatre talent, including the director Bill Fennelly, whose work has been seen both on Broadway and off-Broadway.”

The show’s popular and infectious score combines the best elements of rock, Motown and Broadway as it tells the story of a down-on-his-luck floral assistant, the sweet but troubled girl of his dreams and the bloodthirsty plant who sends them down a diabolical path. LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is also known for its elaborate Audrey II puppet, a giant plant that ultimately takes over the stage and requires its own puppeteer and voice actor.

“The true theatrical roots of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS are thrillingly and smartly ancient,” explains Fennelly. “Complete with a girl-group spin on a Greek Chorus, it is really a morality play for a modern audience. The story weaves together thematic threads of a subverted hero’s journey with elements of traditional Faustian legend: a man who sells his soul to the devil to gain power, wealth and love. Roger Corman, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken have all contributed to the creation of an enduring story that delightfully employs the timeless tools of humor, horror and satire to hold up a mirror to all of us.”

Tickets for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS are on sale now and start at $35 for previews and $40 for regular performances. Prices are subject to change. Discounted tickets for children, teens and students are available for all shows. 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.

CAST (in alphabetical order)
EBONY BLAKE (Ronnette), NICK CEARLEY (Seymour), DAVID MEYERS (Mr. Mushnik), GINO MILO (Audrey), JOHARI NANDI (Chiffon/Dance Captain), CHAZ ROSE (The Voice of Audrey II/Wino 1), JAMISON STERN (Orin/Snip/Luce/Wino 2), ALEXIS TIDWELL (Crystal)

PRODUCTION
HOWARD ASHMAN (Book and Lyrics), ALAN MENKEN (Music), BILL FENNELLY (Director), KENT ZIMMERMAN (Choreographer), RICK LEWIS (Music Supervisor), MICHAEL SCHWEIKARDT (Set and Puppet Designer), KATHLEEN GELDARD (Costume Designer), WILLIAM C. KIRKHAM (Lighting Designer), JEREMY J. LEE (Sound Designer), CASI PACILIO (Original Sound Effects), STEPHEN KRIZ GARDNER (Audrey II Puppeteer/Manipulator), STEPHEN GOERS (Conductor/Keyboard 1), JENIFER MOROW (Production Stage Manager), ANDREA L. SHELL (Second Stage Manager), BROOKE REDLER (Second Stage Manager)

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is sponsored by Tony Alper and Judy Curtin. The orchestra and design sponsor is Fifth Third Bank. The 2016-17 Robert S. Marx Theatre season is presented by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation, and Macy’s is the Robert S. Marx Theatre season design sponsor. The season sponsor of new work is the Lois and Richard Rosenthal Foundation.

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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