Tag Archives: Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

BUYER AND CELLAR Review

Links to all reviews can be found using the REVIEWS link at the top of the any page. Blog postings, links and  more are available on my Facebook fan page. You can also receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.

Nick Cearley as Alex More. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

Nick Cearley as Alex More. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

BUYER AND CELLAR presented by Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati through Nov. 1. Click here for more information on the production. I attended the opening night performance.

In 2010, Barbara Streisand released “My Passion for Design,” a book that showcases her “taste and style that have inspired her beautiful homes and collections.” Instead of just storing things in her basement, Streisand built an underground street of shops to display items she has collected over her long career. Using this fact as a jumping-off point, playwright Jonathan Tolins’ one-man show explores what life could be like for the wayward soul hired to man the basement mall.

Nick Cearley as Alex More. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

Nick Cearley as Alex More. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

Nick Cearley is Alex More, the out-of-work actor “lucky” enough to land that job. He also portrays several other characters, including the “Funny Girl” herself. Cearley is a wonderful storyteller and he easily establishes a strong rapport with the audience. Completely comfortable on stage, the charismatic actor handles the demands of the multiple characters easily.

Nick Cearley as Alex More. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

Nick Cearley as Alex More. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

The script is clever, well-written and very funny. Even though it takes tongue-in-cheek liberties with “Babes” personality and personal life, there is still a sense of believe-ability to story. The show also takes swipes at celebrity, Hollywood excess and the eccentricities of the uber-rich.

A nightgown once owned by Barbara Streisand is on display in the ETC lobby.

A nightgown once owned by Barbara Streisand is on display in the ETC lobby.

The three-walled set, designed by Brian c. Mehring, is clean and simple, with only a few pieces of furniture. At times, a portion of the upstage wall is used for video projection to help establish the various settings.

Overall, a laugh-out-loud, entertaining show that is sure to please Streisand fans and non-fans alike.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5.

On display in the lobby is a nightgown once owned by Barbara Streisand. Complete with certificate of authenticity, it is being raffled off as a fundraiser for ETC.

ETC_The Skivvies promoNick Cearley also performs as half of the cover band, The Skivvies. He and his partner-in-undies, Lauren Molina, have scheduled three shows on Oct. 22-24. For more information on these performances, including special guests, click here.

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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Special Guests Drew Lachey, A. Beth Harris & Daylan Mulvaney to Perform with The Skivvies at ETC

SPECIAL GUESTS DREW LACHEY, A. BETH HARRIS, AND DYLAN MULVANEY TO PERFORM WITH THE SKIVVIES AT ENSEMBLE THEATRE CINCINNATI

ETC_The Skivvies promo(Cincinnati, OH) Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) is excited to announce three electrifying artists that will join the award-winning musical duo The Skivvies on stage next week for select shows! Stripping down and taking the stage are local celebrity Drew Lachey, local actress a. Beth Harris, and rising CCM musical theatre star Dylan Mulvaney! The Skivvies, which the New York Post declared “a mash-up of all things sultry,” will perform at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati for three shows, one weekend only, October 22, 23, and 24, 2015. Tickets are $30 and may be purchase through the ETC box office.

Drew Lachey—Local celebrity, Dancing with the Stars champion, member of 98 Degrees, and co-owner of Lachey’s Bar in Over-the-Rhine—will join us next Friday, October 23 for the 11:00 pm show. a. Beth Harris—local actress and renowned singer of Cincinnati-based band The Hiders—will appear at the Saturday, October 24 11:00 pm performance. Dylan Mulvaney—University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music rising musical theater star—will perform at all 3 Skivvies shows!

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

  • Thursday, October 22 at 10:30 pm
  • Friday, October 23 at 11:00 pm
  • Saturday, October 24 at 11:00 pm

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

The Skivvies are Lauren Molina and Fairfield, Ohio native Nick Cearley (ETC’s Next to Normal, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, and star of the one-man show Buyer & Cellar on stage now!). Molina is an award-winning Broadway actress, musician, and singer-songwriter known for her roles in Broadway’s Rock of Ages, Sweeney Todd, Mary Zimmerman’s Candide, and the Drama League-nominated, two-person revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Marry Me A Little. Cearley’s credits include the first national tour of All Shook Up and the lauded one-man show …And Then I Wrote a Song About It. The Skivvies became YouTube sensations with their covers of artists including Robyn, Carole King, and Rihanna. The videos led to live shows, and now the duo performs to sold-out audiences in New York and beyond. Previous venues include 54 Below, The Highline Ballroom, Roseland Ballroom, Joe’s Pub, The Cutting Room, Rockwell Table & Stage in Los Angeles, and The Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA. The Skivvies have performed at events including Broadway Bares (a fundraiser for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS), A Tribute to Angela Lansbury with Tyne Daly and Christine Ebersole, Broadway for Obama, and Human Rights Campaign benefit, Theatre C. They have made appearances on NBC, and they have filmed pilots for FOX, A&E, and WE.

Drew Lachey is a native of Cincinnati and an accomplished singer, dancer, and actor. Drew first rose to prominence as a member of the Motown pop group 98 Degrees. The group recorded four successful albums and sold more than nine million records worldwide. Drew made his Broadway debut playing the role of Mark Cohen in Rent. His other Broadway credits include: Patsy in Monty Python’s Spamalot and Corny Collins in Hairspray with the PCLO. Drew became a household name when he took home the infamous mirror ball trophy on Dancing with the Stars (season-two champion, season-five co-host) and later took his dancing talents on the road with three North American tours of Dancing with the Stars and was asked to come back and be a part of the All-Star season. Drew also hosted the primetime ABC show Dance War with Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli, The Miss USA Pageant, HGTV’s $250,000 Challenge and America Sings for GMC. After a decade break, 98 Degrees recently got back together and toured with NKOTB and Boyz II Men on the “Package Tour.” Drew also starred in UPTV’s Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas, can be heard “Live at Lachey’s” every Friday on Cincinnati’s own Q102 and starred in a new doc-series for A&E called Lachey’s Bar.

a. Beth Harris She took a small hiatus from theatre to go to massage school and try her hands at the healing arts. She has still been performing, however, with her band and great friends-The Hiders. As well as touring and recording with other local bands (Pearlene, the J. Dorsey Blues Band, Blind Boy Roy Gentry). Beth was last seen as Samantha Blossom in Dead City at New Stage Collective. Other credits include Yitzhak in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Grete in Sight Unseen, Violet in Violet and Anna Bianchi in Syncopation-all at ETC.

Dylan Mulvaney is an actor and cat enthusiast. He is currently enrolled in University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music Musical Theatre program and is expected to graduate in 2019.

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Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is supported, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional theatre dedicated to producing world and regional premieres of works that often explore compelling social issues. We fulfill our mission through our stage productions and educational outreach programs that enlighten, enliven, enrich

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Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Presents A Captivating and Crowd-Pleasing Comedy with The Regional Premiere of BUYER AND CELLAR

Nick Cearley in BUYER AND CELLAR at the B Street Theatre.

Nick Cearley in BUYER AND CELLAR at the B Street Theatre.

(Cincinnati, OH) Grab your shopping bags! You won’t want to miss the regional premiere of BUYER AND CELLAR, the hit comedy by Jonathan Tolins. This outrageous one-man play takes us to the lavish home (well…basement) of Barbra Streisand, where we attempt to navigate this leading lady’s personal shopping mall through the eyes of her salesclerk, or the keeper of all things Barbra. BUYER AND CELLAR will star ETC veteran Nick Cearley (Next to Normal, The Great American Trailer Park Musical) and plays October 13 and runs through November 1, 2015. Directed by D. Lynn Meyers.

What’s a renowned diva to do with decades of memories? And where to put the acres of memorabilia bursting the seams of her lavish Malibu estate? If you’re Barbra Streisand, you enshrine them in a mini-mall in your basement where you can pretend to go shopping! Out-of-work actor Alex More can’t pass up an offer to play shopkeeper for one tough customer who doesn’t let anyone rain on her parade. Soon it begins to take a toll on his patience, his love life, and his view of people (who need people).

“I’m not a big fan of plays about actors talking about acting and the business, but I am a fan of plays that celebrate an actor’s life and some of the amazing journeys that they get to go on,” explains Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “I just love that Jonathan Tolins wrote this fantasy, and in a way a coming-of-age story, that allows an actor to embody so many great characters. From the moment I heard about BUYER AND CELLAR, all I could think of was Nick Cearley. He is someone I adore working with and it’s great to have him back to celebrate our thirtieth anniversary season.”

About the Cast
Nick Cearley (Alex More) was last seen at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati as Henry in Next to Normal, 25 The Musical, and Duke in The Great American Trailer Park Musical. As a musician, he is one-half of the “undie-rock,” comedy- pop duo known as The Skivvies, which he co-created with Lauren Molina, and has been critically acclaimed by such publications as People Magazine, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, Out Magazine, The Advocate, NY POST, NY Daily News, and Wall Street Journal. He was also recently honored on the prestigious OUT 100 list of most “influential and compelling LGBT actors of the year.” His credits include the first national tour of All Shook Up. He was most recently seen Off-Broadway as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Pageant: The Musical (also Original Cast Album on Jay Records). His favorite regional credits include Buyer & Cellar (Sacramento’s B Street Theatre), William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (dir. Scott Schwartz) …And Then I Wrote a Song About It (Best Lead Actor in a Musical/The Star Ledger, NJ), …Spelling Bee, Altar Boyz, Plaid Tidings (dir. Gordon Greenberg), and The Rocky Horror Show (dir. Hunter Foster). His other credits include: Williamstown Theatre Festival, Bay Street Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, Luna Stage, Diversionary Theatre, Rubicon Theatre, American Stage Theatre Company, New York Stage and Film, York Theatre, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, City Theatre, Eugene O’Neill Center, Provincetown Theatre, The Smith Center, Red Barn Theatre, The Tampa Theatre, and Bucks County Playhouse. He has also shot TV pilots for Fox, WE, and A&E.

Production team includes Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic & Lighting Designer), Jack Murphy (Technical Director), Matthew Hollstegge (Production Manager & Master Electrician), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Master & Design Assistant), Matt Callahan (Sound Designer), and Reba Senske (Costume Designer). Production Stage Manager is Brandon T. Holmes. Assistant Stage Manager is Elizabeth Freyman.

Performance Information
Performances run Tuesday through Sunday. Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30 pm; Friday and Saturday, 8:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 2:00 pm; and Sunday, 7:00 pm. A complete calendar of performances is available online at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.

Ticket Prices
Ticket prices range from $28 to $44 for adults; student tickets are $25; and children are $18. For the 2015-2016 season, ETC continues its popular $15 student and half-price rush tickets for all performances, which are available two hours prior to show time and may be purchased by phone or in person at the box office.

Available Discounts
Military, Educator, Public Radio Perks Card, ArtsWave FunCard, AAA, Senior, and Enjoy the Arts discounts available; tickets and seating are subject to availability.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is supported, in part, by the generosity of community contributions to the ArtsWave Campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

2015-2016 Season Presenting Sponsor is the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Additional support provided by Garfield Suites Hotel, the Shubert Foundation, and PNC.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is a professional theatre dedicated to producing world and regional premieres of works that often explore compelling social issues. We fulfill our mission through our stage productions and educational outreach programs that enlighten, enliven, enrich and inspire our audiences.

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VIDEO: Trailer for LUNA GALE at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

Molly Israel as Karlie, Patrick E. Phillips as Peter & Annie Fitzpatrick as Caroline. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

Molly Israel as Karlie, Patrick E. Phillips as Peter & Annie Fitzpatrick as Caroline. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

Caroline, a veteran social worker, thinks she has a typical case on her hands when she meets Peter and Karlie, two teenage drug addicts accused of neglecting their baby. But, when she places their infant daughter in the care of Karlie’s mother, Caroline ignites a family conflict that exposes a shadowy, secretive past—and forces her to make a risky decision. Powerful and arresting, this is a heartbreaking and unforgettable tale about moral ambiguity and knowing how to do good in the world.

Performances continue through Sept. 27. For more information visit https://behindthecurtaincincy.com/2015/08/06/luna-gale-runs-sept-8-27/

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BUYER & CELLAR Runs Oct. 13-Nov. 1

ETC_Buyer and Cellar logoBUYER & CELLAR
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati
Oct. 13-Nov. 1
Over-the-Rhine

Cast: Nick Cearley as Alex More

What’s a renowned diva to do with decades of memories? And where to put the acres of memorabilia bursting the seams of her lavish Malibu estate? If you’re Barbra Streisand, you enshrine them in a mini-mall in your basement where you can pretend to go shopping! Out-of-work actor Alex More can’t pass up an offer to play shopkeeper for one tough customer who doesn’t let anyone rain on her parade. Soon it begins to take a toll on his patience, his love life, and his view of people (who need people).

  • In preview, Tue, Oct. 13 at 7pm
  • Wed-Thu, Oct. 14-15 at 7:30pm
  • Fri, Oct. 16 at 8pm
  • Sat, Oct. 17 at 2pm & 8pm
  • Sun, Oct. 18 at 2pm & 7pm
  • Tue-Thu, Oct. 20-22 at 7:30pm
  • Fri, Oct. 23 at 8pm
  • Sat, Oct. 24 at 2pm & 8pm
  • Sun, Oct. 25 at 2pm & 7pm
  • Tue-Thu, Oct. 27-29 at 7:30pm
  • Fri, Oct. 30 at 8pm
  • Sat, Oct. 31 at 2pm & 8pm
  • Sun, Nov. 1 at 2pm

Official site |

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