Tag Archives: League of Cincinnati Theatre Awards

March 1, 2012 · 9:58 am

CCM’s INTO THE WOODS Receives Nine LCT Awards

Chris Blem as The Baker, Victoria Cook as the Witch & Michelle Rombola as the Baker's Wife in CCM's INTO THE WOODS. Photo by Mark Lyons.

(CINCINNATI, FEB. 28, 2012)– The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s (CCM) production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Into the Woods has earned nine awards from the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT). The fairytale adventure turns traditional stories of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk and others upside down, examining the “after” in these happily-ever-after tales.

LCT panelists praised nearly every aspect of the production, which was described as “fitting CCM like the golden slipper on Cinderella’s foot.” Awards were given in the following categories:

  • Outstanding Production. The show was described by several panelists as being among the best staged at CCM in years;
  • Aubrey Berg for direction of a musical. His “staging was inventive and fully utilized the space,” said one LCT panelist. “Berg pulled out all the stops … [He] drew marvelous performances from everyone”;
  • CCM instructor Stephen Goers for his musical direction that “mined so many layers in a great Sondheim score”;
  • Dean Mogle, professor and head of CCM’s Costume Design and Technology program, for the show’s costumes, in which, according to one LCT panelist, “every detail was perfect, textured and sumptuous for the eyes”;
  • Kelly Yurko, associate professor,and Kaitlyn Adams, a senior student from Cincinnati, for specialized design of the show’s wigs and make-up;
  • Hunter Spoede, currently completing a Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre design and production, for the show’s sound design;
  • Tim Schmall, also completing a Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre design and production, for the “warm storybook quality” of the show’s lighting;
  • Chris Blem, a senior from Tampa, Fla., as leading actor in a musical for his portrayal of the Baker; and
  • Outstanding Ensemble, described by one panelist as “one of the most balanced casts in terms of talent, consistency and vocal technique that I have seen at CCM.” In addition to Blem, the large cast also includes: Matthew Amira, Dane C. Becker, Victoria Cook, Connor Deane, Joey Dippel, Catherine Helm, Aubrey Ireland, Katie Johannigman, Greg Kamp, Blaine Krauss, Cassie Levine, Graydon Long, Kate McMillan, Kaela O’Connor, John Riddle, Lauren Roesner, Michelle Rombola, Madeleine L. Spacapan, Lee Slobotkin, Christine Smith, Josh S. Smith, Katie Wesler and Lawson Young.

Into the Woods continues through March 4. CCM events and ticket details can be viewed at http://ccm.uc.edu.

The League of Cincinnati Theatres was founded in 1999 to strengthen, nurture and promote Cincinnati’s theatre community. LCT provides its member companies and individual members with education, resources and services to enhance the quality and exposure of the theatre community in Cincinnati and increase community awareness, attendance and involvement. More information about the League can be found at www.leagueofcincytheatres.info.

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February 20, 2012 · 3:55 pm

David A. Centers Earns LCT Award for Children’s Theatre Production, Disney’s MY SON PINOCCHIO, JR.

(CINCINNATI, FEB. 14, 2012) – David A. Centers, scenic designer for The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, has been recognized with a League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) Award for the company’s production of Disney’s My Son Pinocchio Jr.

Centers’ set design for Pinocchio journeys all the way from Geppetto’s Toy Shop to inside the belly of a whale as Pinocchio undergoes a magical transformation from a wooden puppet to a real boy. According to one panelist, “Centers presents a beautifully turned out set with enough heft and scale to fill the large stage at the Taft Theatre. Detailed and captivating, with the flying elements for young audiences, it supports the story with professional polish.”

Centers, a graduate of Cincinnati’s School for Creative and Performing Arts with degrees from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and New York University, designs most of the productions for The Children’s Theatre. He also works throughout the region, including at Cincinnati Opera and Dayton’s Human Race Theatre Company. His designs have been seen at opera, theatre and ballet companies nationally, as well as internationally with La Traviata at the Sakai Opera Company in Osaka, Japan.

Grammy Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell) adds original songs to the classic Pinocchio film score that includes “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “I’ve Got No Strings.” Performances for Disney’s My Son Pinocchio Jr. continue through Feb. 18. Ticket information is available at www.thechildrenstheatre.com.

The League of Cincinnati Theatres was founded in 1999 to strengthen, nurture and promote Cincinnati’s theatre community. LCT provides its member companies and individual members with education, resources and services to enhance the quality and exposure of the theatre community in Cincinnati and increase community awareness, attendance and involvement. More information about the League can be found at www.leagueofcincytheatres.info.

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February 15, 2012 · 5:43 pm

Clifton Players’ DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEES Earns Two LCT Awards for Acting

Buz Davis as Gus, Rachael Christianson as Valentine, Micheal Bath as Lubbock, Adam Marzheuser as Alex & Reggie Willis as Mr. Barcroft.

(CINCINNATI, FEB. 14, 2012) – Cast members Reggie Willis and Buz Davis picked up League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) Awards for their performances in the Clifton Players production of disgruntled employees. A regional premiere by Cincinnati actor/playwright Kevin Crowley, disgruntled employees is a dark comedy set among the mail sorters in a Tornado Alley branch of the United States Post Office.

Both Willis and Davis earned their awards in the category of featured actor in a play. LCT panelists described their performances as “highly individualized portraits, textured, consistent and very funny.”

Willis portrays Mr. Barcroft, the office’s nutty supervisor. “Willis plays damaged authority figures with ease, and he is on his game,” said one panelist. “I liked all his scenes, as he is just fun to watch.”

As Gus, the long-time bureaucrat who’s finally been pushed to the dark side, Davis gives a “strong performance” described as “delightful to watch.” According to one panelist, “He’s intense, an any-second-now-I-will-go-off banana peel personality — violent, philosophical, funny.”

The play was workshopped under Artistic Director Lloyd Richards at the National Playwrights Conference, where it received the Charles MacArthur Fellowship Award for comedy. It has subsequently been performed in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Produced at the Clifton Performance Theatre, disgruntled employees continues through Feb. 26. Details are available at http://cliftonperformancetheatre.com.

The League of Cincinnati Theatres was founded in 1999 to strengthen, nurture and promote Cincinnati’s theatre community. LCT provides its member companies and individual members with education, resources and services to enhance the quality and exposure of the theatre community in Cincinnati and increase community awareness, attendance and involvement. More information about the League can be found at www.leagueofcincytheatres.info.

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February 15, 2012 · 1:00 pm

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s SPEAKING IN TONGUES Earns Three LCT Awards

Bruce Cromer as Pete & R. Ward Duffy as Leon in PIP's SPEAKING IN TONGUES. Photo by Sandy Underwood.

(CINCINNATI, FEB. 14, 2012)– Panelists from the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) have recognized Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s production of Andrew Bovell’s SPEAKING IN TONGUES with three awards for its direction, lighting design and acting ensemble. The show is billed as a noir thriller, in which love, sex and deceit create a theatrical jigsaw puzzle of unexpected links and hidden connections among its characters.

Playhouse Associate Artistic Director Michael Evan Haney was singled out for his direction of the play. According to one panelist, “The director kept this very complex play tight, riveting and well paced.” Kirk Bookman also earned an award for the show’s lighting design “because of a high level of difficulty, innovation and its pervasiveness to set the mood for all the scenes.”

Finally, the show’s cast of four — which includes local actors Bruce Cromer and Amy Warner, as well as Playhouse veterans Henny Russell and R. Ward Duffy — received an ensemble award. “The acting was superb and deserves an ensemble award precisely because the strength of the acting was their working off each other, particularly in the scenes with overlapping dialogue that required precise timing and sensitivity,” said one panelist. The show also requires all of the actors to portray multiple roles, which “they did splendidly, changing characters quickly and believably.”

Speaking in Tongues continues through March 4. Ticket information is available at www.cincyplay.com.

The League of Cincinnati Theatres was founded in 1999 to strengthen, nurture and promote Cincinnati’s theatre community. LCT provides its member companies and individual members with education, resources and services to enhance the quality and exposure of the theatre community in Cincinnati and increase community awareness, attendance and involvement. More information about the League can be found at www.leagueofcincytheatres.info.

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February 8, 2012 · 12:56 pm

COLLAPSE’s Annie Fitzpatrick Earns League of Cincinnati Theatres Award at Know Theatre

(CINCINNATI, FEB. 8, 2012)– Annie Fitzpatrick has earned an award as leading actress in a play from the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) for her role as Hannah in Know Theatre of Cincinnati’s regional premiere of Allison Moore’s COLLAPSE.

Fitzpatrick portrays a woman whose life is falling apart following the 2007 Mississippi River Bridge collapse in Minneapolis. Her husband, who drove off the bridge, is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, and Hannah finds herself on the brink of losing her job, unable to get pregnant and struggling with a visit by her flaky sister. Know Theatre describes the show as “an uncomfortably funny exploration of the crumbling structures that under-gird our bridges, our economy and our most intimate relationships.”

LCT panelists called Fitzpatrick’s portrayal “fine tuned, nuanced and believable.” According to one panelist, “Fitzpatrick was high strung and collapsing right in front of us. I’m still hyped up from her performance two hours later.”

A fixture on local stages, Fitzpatrick is making her Know Theatre debut in COLLAPSE. She recently appeared in SNOW-WHITE and GHOST-WRITER at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati and in A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. She has worked regionally at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Geva Theatre, Florida Stage, Florida Studio, CATCO, New Edgecliff Theatre, Human Race Theatre Co. and Porthouse Theatre.

COLLAPSE continues through March 3. Ticket information is available at www.knowtheatre.com.

The League of Cincinnati Theatres was founded in 1999 to strengthen, nurture and promote Cincinnati’s theatre community. LCT provides its member companies and individual members with education, resources and services to enhance the quality and exposure of the theatre community in Cincinnati and increase community awareness, attendance and involvement. More information about the League can be found at www.leagueofcincytheatres.info.

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