Tag Archives: Northern Kentucky University

March 4, 2019 · 2:28 pm

INITIATIVE Runs April 4-14

NKU_Yes Festival 19 logoINITIATIVE
Northern Kentucky University
Part of the Y.E.S. Festival
April 4-14
Stauss Theatre [Highland Heights]

Written by Jacob York
Directed by Mike King

Cast: Brandon Critchfield as Dave, Piper Bates as Meg, James Dawson as Tyrone, Kali Marsh as Sky, Trevor Browning as Benny, Reagan Ruth as NPC #1 & Timothy Belton as NPC #2

Playing a pen and paper role-playing game may not be your idea of a good time but, for Dave and his friends, it’s a lifeline. Dave has a particularly aggressive form of cancer and the only way he’ll experience all the memories he counted on having is through his friends creating them around him at the gaming table. A play about friends and the lengths you’ll go for them, Initiative examines stories and why we tell them. And what unexpected demons can lie within.

  • Thu, April 4 at 7:30pm
  • Sat, April 6 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, April 7 at 5pm
  • Thu, April 11 at 7:30pm
  • Sat, April 13 at 2pm
  • Sun, April 14 at 5pm

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March 1, 2019 · 3:41 pm

Casts Announced for NKU Play Festival

NKU_Yes Festival 19 logoHIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY – Northern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts Theatre and Dance Program has announced the casts for three plays that will receive their world-premiere productions in the 19th Biennial Year-End Series (Y.E.S.) Festival. Performances will take place April 3-14, 2019 at the NKU Fine Arts Center.

FAST YOUNG BEAUTIFUL by Ethan Warren
New to Hollywood, a naive young actor named Dennis is cast in the new James Dean film, and though he’s at first unimpressed with his idiosyncratic co-star, he’s soon seduced by Dean’s mysterious talent. Dean agrees to mentor Dennis, but as they co-star in two films across the spring and summer of 1955, both find themselves struggling to understand what it means to be a great actor, and a good man, before they lose their chance to be either.

Cast:

  • James Dean: Landis Helwig
  • Dennis: Charles Adams
  • Natalie: Rachel Kazee
  • Liz / Natalie’s Mother: Sarah Hack
  • Rock / Corey: Austin Adams
  • Nick / Stevens: Alex Slade
  • Mary: Katie Tierney
  • Bobby: Brayden Glass
  • Reporter / Asst. Director: Kylie Flick
  • Figment A: Jerrod Gruber
  • Figment B: Raven Burns-Gibson
  • Figment C: Brooke Hardin
  • Figment D: Tyler Rosenblatt
  • Figment E: Nick Palazzolo

Performances (in Corbett Theatre):

  • Wednesday, April 3, 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday, April 5, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 6, 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 7, 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday, April 10, 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday, April 12, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 13, 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 14, 2 p.m.

INITIATIVE by Jacob York
Dave has a particularly aggressive form of cancer. He looks at his life and all he sees are holes; the moments he won’t be able to have, if this cancer is successful in its malign task. He only sees one way out: Dungeons and Dragons. The only way he’ll experience all the memories he counted on having is through his friends creating them around him at the gaming table. A play about friends and the lengths you’ll go for them, Initiative examines stories and why we tell them. And what unexpected demons can lie within.

Cast:

  • Dave: Brandon Critchfield
  • Meg: Piper Bates
  • Tyrone: James Dawson
  • Sky: Kali Marsh
  • Benny: Trevor Browning
  • NPC #1: Reagan Ruth
  • NPC #2: Timothy Belton

Performances (in Stauss Theatre):

  • Thursday, April 4, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 6, 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 7, 5 p.m.
  • Thursday, April 11, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 13, 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 14, 5 p.m.

THE BLACK BOY IN PINK by Isaiah Reaves
The year is 1959. Wyatt Frost is a young black man who has been forced to make hard choices to survive. Flickering across his fuzzy RCA Victor television set comes the possibility of a different existence. As his life becomes entangled with the legacy of a picturesque local wealthy family, will Wyatt be able to choose the life he has always wanted? Will he be able to color pink his otherwise black and white existence? The Black Boy in Pink is a bold new work by a young provocative playwright set in his hometown of Cincinnati.

Cast:

  • Wyatt: Je’Shaun Jackson
  • Rudolph: Thomas Smith
  • Douglas: Nathaniel Clifford
  • Iris: Sally Modzelewski
  • Vincent: Cameron Myers
  • Blair: Haley Gillman
  • Wyatt’s Mother (Off Stage Voice): Gabriela Barbosa Gonzalez

Performances (in The Henry Konstantinow Studio Theatre):

  • Friday, April 5, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 6, 2 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 7, 2 p.m.
  • Wednesday, April 10, 7:30 p.m.
  • Friday, April 12, 7:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 13, 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, April 14, 2 p.m.

Single tickets are $15 general admission or 2-show package for $25. Student tickets are $10 or 2-show package for $15. The Black Boy in Pink will have free admission, but reservations are required due to limited seating. Please visit the YES Festival website at nku.edu/yesfestival for more information or call the Box Office at (859) 572-5464.

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February 8, 2019 · 2:58 pm

NKU SOTA Announces 2019-20 Theatre + Dance Season

NKU_SOTA logo

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY – Northern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts Theatre + Dance Program is excited to announce its 2019-20 academic season. An exact schedule of performances will be released July 2019.                                                                                                                            

THE AFRICAN COMPANY PRESENTS RICHARD III
By Carlyle Brown
Sept. 26–Oct. 6, 2019
NKU Corbett Theatre

In 1820’s Manhattan, William Henry Brown, a free black American, organizes a production of Shakespeare’s Richard III for a predominantly black audience. When the booking of a famous English actor to play Richard III by a rival theatre company threatens to close their production, his African Grove Theatre Company is forced to reflect on their lives – performing jobs of servitude by day and their artistry by night. Drawn to the stage because of their ability to create art out of their own experiences, the company members must determine if their artistry is worth risking it all. Based on a true story, The African Company Presents Richard III carries a timeless message of negotiating racial consciousness in theatre that still resonates today.

THREE SISTERS
By Anton Chekhov
Oct. 17-27, 2019
NKU Stauss Theatre

As the Prozorov sisters and their brother yearn for a return to adventure-filled life in Moscow, the pastoral setting of their new lives brings change and reflection on love, marriage, and career. In a prophetic hinting of the coming Bolshevik Revolution, the playwright weaves a memorable tale about the rise of the working class and social change in Russia. Considered one of Anton Chekhov’s greatest plays, Three Sisters is packed with action and emotion, and explores the aching desire of dreams and the often cold realities that come to pass.

FREAKY FRIDAY
Book by Bridget Carpenter
Music by Tom Kitt
Lyrics by Brian Yorkey
Nov. 14-24, 2019
NKU Corbett Theatre

When an overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies, they have just one day to put things right again. By spending a day in each other’s shoes, Katherine and Ellie come to appreciate one another’s struggles, learn self-acceptance, and realize the immeasurable love and mutual respect that bond a mother and daughter. Freaky Friday, a new musical based on the celebrated novel by Mary Rodgers and the hit Disney films, is a heartfelt, comedic, and unexpectedly emotional update on an American classic.

H.M.S. PINAFORE
By W.S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan
Feb. 21–March 1, 2020
NKU Corbett Theatre

The gentlemanly Captain Corcoran has a daughter, Josephine, who is in love with a lowly but gallant sailor named Ralph Rackstraw. Meanwhile, the Captain’s former nanny, Little Buttercup, falls in love with him, but he hesitates to reciprocate due to his higher social rank. The whole situation is turned on its head when Little Buttercup reveals a game-changing secret she has kept for decades. H.M.S. Pinafore is filled with robust sailors, star-crossed lovers, and crazy comical antics sure to tickle your funny bone and lift your heart.

BURIED CHILD
by Sam Shepard
March 26–April 5, 2020
NKU Stauss Theatre

Deep in the American Heartland, life seems to have mysteriously come to a stop. Grappling with the disillusionment of American Mythology a family seeks to hide their past, only to become trapped by it. The surprise arrival of an estranged grandson and a mysterious finding in the field ignites the characters like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Alternately funny and darkly macabre,Buried Child weaves a twisted family drama of epic proportions.

MAMMA MIA!
Music and Lyrics by Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson
Book by Catherine Johnson
April 24–May 3, 2020
NKU Corbett Theatre

On the eve of Sophie’s wedding, her quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the Greek island they last visited 20 years ago. But which one is her real father? The story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, creating an unforgettable show that is guaranteed to have you singing and dancing!

SEASON EXTRAS

First Year Show
Nov. 29–Dec. 1, 2019
NKU Stauss Theatre

This production shows off our talented freshman and transfer students. Title will be announced in September 2019.

Dance ‘20
March 20-23, 2020
NKU Corbett Theatre

Featuring a company of our best young dance artists, along with new and innovative works created by faculty, guest artists, and nationally renowned choreographers, Dance ‘20 has something for everyone – theatre dance, contemporary and classical ballet, tap, modern, jazz, and world dance.

For more information, call the NKU School of the Arts Box Office at (859) 572-5464 or visit nku.edu/sotatickets. Tickets will go on sale Sept. 2019.

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January 28, 2019 · 12:42 pm

Tony-Award Winning Musical CABARET Comes to NKU

NKU_Cabaret logoHIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KY – Northern Kentucky University’s School of the Arts continues its 2018-2019 Theatre + Dance Season with Kander and Ebb’s Tony award-winning masterpiece CABARET, running Feb. 14-24 at NKU’s Corbett Theatre.

CABARET turns pre-war Berlin of 1931 into a sensual haven of decadent celebration. At the seedy Kit Kat Klub, a young American writer, Cliff Bradshaw, wanders into the club overseen by a garish and flamboyant Master of Ceremonies. He meets Sally Bowles, a talented cabaret performer who holds her admirers at a distance, unwilling to develop genuinely deep emotions. Living in a morally ambiguous void of desperate anxiety, they are determined to keep up appearances as the real world prepares for war. CABARET is a finely-tuned combination of drama and entertainment, resulting in one of the most substantial musicals ever made.

“We’re doing it as a memory piece,” said director Brian Robertson. “The 1998 production made the strong choice to say at the end that the Kit Kat Klub workers were put in camps and mostly likely died in WWII. We’ve decided to start as though the club, its energy, and its time of possibility before the Nazi’s took over, is reawakened and flashes alive before dying again.”

The production also has the main characters as part of vaudeville sketches being performed in the club, which was a previously abandoned warehouse/factory. They are characters assumed by Kit Kat Klub dancers as a form of commentary about today’s changing cultural attitudes. Another dynamic twist in the production includes the portrayal of the Emcee with a female actress (Faustina Gorham).

The NKU cast features Alex Bellocq (Herman/Co-Dance Captain), Meg Carlson (Texas), Arianna Catalano (Helga), Haley Gillman (Kost), Faustina Gorham (Emcee), Sarah Hack (Schneider), Jake Hunter (Victor), JeShaun Jackson (Bobby), Sam Johnson (Ernst), Sidney Kline (Rosie), Blair Lamb (Lulu), Ashley Martin (Fritzie/Co-Dance Captain), Eleanor Morris (Frenchie), Matthew Nassida (Schultz), Makenzie Ruff (Sally Bowles), Alexander Slade (Max), Aaron Marshall (Hans), and Mattison Sullivan (Cliff). The show is directed by Brian Robertson. Other creative team members include Ronnie Chamberlain (Costume Design), Terry Powell (Lighting Design), Zachary Collins (Sound Design), Rob Kerby (Technical Director), Jamey Strawn (Music Director), and Natalie Bellamy & DJ Bruegge (Co-Choreographers). Lindsey Pervis (Scenic Design) is a CCM-Graduate program designer and supported by an award from the Tom and Christine Neyer Family Visiting Artist. The Stage Manager is Emily Vicars and Assistant Stage Managers are Emily Coffey, Megan Beal, and Kelsey Austin.

For more information, call the NKU School of the Arts Box Office at (859) 572-5464 or visit nku.edu/sotatickets.

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January 15, 2019 · 11:11 am

CABARET Runs Feb. 14-24

NKU_Cabaret logoCABARET
Northern Kentucky University
Feb. 14-24
Corbett Theatre [Highland Heights]

Directed by Brian Robertson

Cast: Alex Bellocq as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Herman, Meg Carlson as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Texas, Arianna Catalano as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Helga, Haley Gillman as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Kost, Faustina Gorham as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Emcee, Sarah Hack as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Schneider, Jake Hunter as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Victor, Je’Shaun Jackson as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Bobby, Sam Johnson as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Ernst, Sidney Kline as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Rosie, Blair Lamb as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Lulu, Ashley Martin as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Fritzie, Eleanor Morris as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Frenchie, Matthew Nassida as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Schultz, Makenzie Ruff as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Sally, Alex Slade as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Max, Aaron Marshall as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Hans & Mattison Sullivan as Kit Kat Klub Dancer & Cliff

CABARET turns pre-war Berlin of 1931 into a sexually charged haven of decadence. At the seedy Kit Kat Klub, a young American writer, Cliff Bradshaw, wanders into the club overseen by a garish and flamboyant Master of Ceremonies. He meets Sally Bowles, a talented cabaret performer who holds her admirers at a distance, unwilling to develop genuinely deep emotions. Living in a morally ambiguous void of desperate anxiety, they are determined to keep up appearances as the real world prepares for war. CABARET is a finely-tuned combination of drama and entertainment, resulting in one of the most substantial musicals ever made.

CONTENT ADVISORY: CABARET contains mature language and subject matter.

CABARET turns pre-war Berlin of 1931 into a sexually charged haven of decadence. At the seedy Kit Kat Klub, a young American writer, Cliff Bradshaw, wanders into the club overseen by a garish and flamboyant Master of Ceremonies. He meets Sally Bowles, a talented cabaret performer who holds her admirers at a distance, unwilling to develop genuinely deep emotions. Living in a morally ambiguous void of desperate anxiety, they are determined to keep up appearances as the real world prepares for war. CABARET is a finely-tuned combination of drama and entertainment, resulting in one of the most substantial musicals ever made.

CONTENT ADVISORY: CABARET contains mature language and subject matter.

CABARET turns pre-war Berlin of 1931 into a sexually charged haven of decadence. At the seedy Kit Kat Klub, a young American writer, Cliff Bradshaw, wanders into the club overseen by a garish and flamboyant Master of Ceremonies. He meets Sally Bowles, a talented cabaret performer who holds her admirers at a distance, unwilling to develop genuinely deep emotions. Living in a morally ambiguous void of desperate anxiety, they are determined to keep up appearances as the real world prepares for war. CABARET is a finely-tuned combination of drama and entertainment, resulting in one of the most substantial musicals ever made. CONTENT ADVISORY: CABARET contains mature language and subject matter.

  • Thu-Sat, Feb. 14-16 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, Feb. 17 at 2pm
  • Wed-Sat, Feb. 20-23 at 7:30pm
  • Sun, Feb. 24 at 2pm

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