Tag Archives: Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

July 30, 2012 · 12:54 pm

Single ETC Tickets Go on Sale Aug. 13

All Single Tickets Go On Sale Monday, August 13 at 10 am
(Subscriber-Only Days are August 6-10)

For tickets: (513) 421-3555 or purchase online here.

All single tickets and dates for Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati’s exciting 2012-2013 season go on sale Monday, August 13 at 10:00 am, including the highly-anticipated season opener Good People, a 2011 Tony Award nominee for Best Play by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole). Guaranteed to be the hottest ticket in town, purchase early to ensure you don’t miss this, the return of Alice in Wonderland, along with the exciting sequel to The Marvelous Wonderettes as well as all of our other great titles this coming season.

Decide which dates you want to purchase now by viewing a complete 2012-2013 performance calendar here.

STUDENT MATINEE PERFORMANCES
Educational programs are a vital part of our mission and we are thrilled to offer student matinee performances throughout the season, along with accompanying study guides and resources to assist teachers and students in delving deeper into a play’s themes and related curriculum. Click here for a list of 2012-2013 student matinee performances. Matinees sell quickly and are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please contact our Education Department at (513) 421-3555 or via email at education@ensemblecincinnati.org for more information.

SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW
Don’t get closed out of a show next season: Subscribe today to lock in your place for our 2012-2013 season. Save significantly over single ticket prices, plus enjoy exclusive benefits including unlimited exchanges free of charge and more! Call (513) 421-3555 to subscribe now.

NEW! Student Subscriptions & Teen Scene Subscriptions

Student Subscription: $120
For full-time students, this new subscription includes a set seat and day of the week for each show in the season at a discounted price. Available for any performance day and time.

Teen Scene Subscription: $90
Exclusively for students ages 13-19, this new subscription includes a set seat for each production in the season at a deeply discounted price, plus a meal following the performance and a post-show discussion with cast and/or artistic staff for students seeking to deepen their appreciation and understanding of live performance. Space is limited and on first-come, first-serve basis. Available for second Saturday matinee performances only.

For more information or to purchase, please call our box office at (513) 421-3555.

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June 18, 2012 · 10:35 am

STRUM on June 25

Currently featured as “Henry” in Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati’s production of NEXT TO NORMAL, Nick Cearley will offer STRUM featuring Jacob Yates on cello in the Upstairs Cabaret at Below Zero Lounge on Monday June 25th.

A Cincinnati native, Cearley will be strumming his ukulele and guitar with other NEXT TO NORMAL cast members Jessica Hendy, Mia Gentile, and Mike Schwitter as guests in addition to Tisha Patton. The evening will run the genre gamut with acoustic originals and covers ranging from Robyn to Paul Simon to Sugar Ray to the Great White Way.

Doors open at 7pm and the show begins at 8pm. Cover is $10. For reservations, email nickbelowzeroreservations@gmail.com.

As a musician, Cearley performs regular gigs in NY with his own material, the band RIPLEY, as well as being one half of The Skivvies.

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May 18, 2012 · 3:45 pm

NEXT TO NORMAL runs June 15-July 1

NEXT TO NORMAL
Presented by Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati
June 15-July 1
Over-the-Rhine 

Reviews: Enquirer | CityBeat | Broadway World Cincinnati |

The Goodmans seem like a perfect family. The only problem is that sometimes mom seems, well…a little too happy. Fresh from a remarkable Broadway run comes one of the most lauded musicals of the new century! With provocative lyrics and an electrifying score that includes more than 30 original songs, this thrilling, emotional powerhouse of a musical is a story about the stop/start life of a bipolar mother as she rides the sharp edge between coping and insanity.
Content Advisory: This production contains strong language and adult themes and may not be suitable for all audiences.

Directed by D. Lynn Meyers
Choreographed by Patti James

Cast: Jessica Hendy as Diana, Bruce Cromer as Dan, Mia Gentile as Natalie, Michael Schwitter as Gabe, Nick Cearley as Henry & Charlie Clark as Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine

  • Fri, June 15 at 8pm
  • Sat, June 16 at 8pm
  • Sun, June 17 at 2pm & 7pm
  • Tue-Thu, June 19-21 at 7:30pm
  • Fri, June 22 at 8pm
  • Sat, June 23 at 2pm & 8pm
  • Sun, June 24 at 2pm
  • Tue-Thu, June 26-28 at 7:30pm
  • Fri, June 29 at 8pm
  • Sat, June 30 at 2pm & 8pm
  • Sun, July 1 at 2pm

Official page with online ticketing | FaceBook event | Sept. production page | Goldstar discount |

Local media coverage: WVXU interview | Enquirer article |

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May 8, 2012 · 12:37 pm

LIFE COULD BE A DREAM Review

Links to all reviews can be found on the BTC REVIEWS page. Blog postings, links and more are available on my FaceBook fan page. You can receive updates on Twitter from @BTCincyRob.

James Oblak as Skip, Will Selnick as Wally, Nick Laughlin as Denny & Lee Slobotkin as Eugene. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

LIFE COULD BE A DREAM presented by Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati through May 20. You can read the show description here.

For DREAM, director D. Lynn Meyers has filled the cast with outstanding young talent. The four crooners that make up Denny and the Dreamers include Nick Laughlin as Denny, James Oblak as Skip, Will Selnick as Wally, and Lee Slobotkin as Eugene. Rounding out the cast is Cassie Levine as Lois.

Lee Slobotkin as Eugene & Nick Laughlin as Denny. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

Vocally the men are very strong, and nail the sound of the period with solid harmonies and solos. Levine, the object of the boys’ attention, has a strong voice as well, but I did feel she pushed a little too hard on a few of her solos, bringing a brassy quality to her voice that didn’t mesh with the background vocals. Performance wise, Lee Slobotkin stands out as nebbish Eugene, bringing great energy and personality to the role.

Will Selnick as Wally & Cassie Levine as Lois. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

Visually the wood-paneled and tile-floored finished-basement worked well as the backdrop for most of the action (set design by Brian c. Mehring, properties by Shannon Rae Lutz). My guess would be that some of the clutter under the basement steps included selected props from recent ETC productions. The costumes (designed by Reba Senske) and Patti James’ choreography completed the look of the era.

Nick Laughlin as Denny, Lee Slobotkin as Eugene, Cassie Levine as Lois & Will Selnick as Wally. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

DREAM seems to have a bit more of a book than the WONDERETTES outings and falls a little flat due to its predictability. The cast sounded so good though (thanks to music director Scot Woolley), that I would not have minded another song or three in the short second act.

Overall, for fans of doo-wop or fans of ETC’s recent productions of THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES/WINTER WONDERETTES, odds are good you’ll enjoy the (mostly) boys’ turn in LIFE COULD BE A DREAM.

Click here for a complete list of show times, local media coverage and other reviews for LIFE COULD BE A DREAM.

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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April 30, 2012 · 8:57 pm

ETC Thrilled to Share Exciting 2012-2013 Season

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati is excited to share with you our electrifying 27th season of premiere theatre! As always, we are committed to bringing our audiences the very best in entertaining and imaginative contemporary theatre.

Don’t get closed out of a show next season: renew or subscribe today to lock in your place for our thrilling 2012-2013 season. Save significantly over single ticket prices while receiving exclusive subscriber benefits and access to tickets to all our shows before the general public as well as unlimited exchange privileges.

Click here for more information about subscribing or call our box office at (513) 421-3555. Download a fillable subscription form here.

REGIONAL PREMIERE
Good People
by David Lindsay-Abaire
September 5-23, 2012

2011 Tony Award Nominee for Best Play
Margie Walsh can’t catch a break. Laid off from her job at the dollar store, Margie is faced with the reality that South Boston is providing her the same level of opportunity it always has: none. Wry, rough around the edges and ready to make a change, she goes to seek out the one who got away-both from “Southie” and from her. Instead, she finds herself in the ‘burbs and out of her element, facing the question: is opportunity granted or earned? Good People takes an affectionate, humor-laced look at the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ through the eyes of characters who won’t be ignored.

REGIONAL PREMIERE
Mrs. Mannerly
by Jeffrey Hatcher
Directed by Ed Stern
October 10-28, 2012

Inspired by hilarious memories of a childhood etiquette class, playwright Jeffrey Hatcher conjures up the world of a ten-year-old studying manners. Set in 1967, Mrs. Mannerly is a demanding teacher, and no student in her thirty-six years of etiquette classes has ever achieved a perfect score. But, when he discovers her secret past, Young Jeffrey is determined to be the first to achieve this feat. This unique comic tale reveals truths about the face we present and the real selves that lie inside. A note on etiquette: this production contains strong language.

Alice in Wonderland
Book by Joseph McDonough
Lyrics & music by David Kisor
November 28-December 30, 2012

A magical musical retelling of Lewis Carroll’s classic story, this sassy version is the toe-tapping tale of a lost girl, a cool cat, a wild hare, and the original “dancing queen.” The Queen of Hearts is back to dish up her special recipe for justice and all of Wonderland awaits Alice’s trial.

To Be Announced
January 23-February 10, 2013
For winter 2013, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati will present an exciting regional premiere TBA.

REGIONAL PREMIERE
Black Pearl Sings!
By Frank Higgens
March 13-31, 2013

Black Pearl Sings! is a powerful story about being a woman in a man’s world, being black in a white world, and fighting for one’s soul in a world where anyone can be a commodity. In the midst of the Great Depression, Susannah travels the country, recording lost traditional songs for the Library of Congress. Hoping to find the one song that will bring her long-awaited recognition, she discovers Pearl Johnson in a Texas prison. With a silky, soulful voice and a wealth of African-American spiritual songs, Pearl seeks information and a chance at freedom. Now each woman must decide how much of herself she is willing to give to get what she wants in return.

REGIONAL PREMIERE
Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps and Gowns
By Roger Bean
May 1-19, 2013

Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps & Gowns takes you to the Springfield High School graduation where we reunite with the Wonderettes, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts! As we learn about their lives and loves, and take a peek into their futures, we are treated to the girls performing classic ’50s and ’60s songs such as “River Deep, Mountain High,” “Dedicated To The One I Love,” “Rockin’ Robin” and over 20 other classic hits!

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