Tag Archives: UC College-Conservatory of Music

This work by alumnus Todd Almond is a coming-of-age tale set at UC. Admission is free but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Oct. 30.

CCM opens its Studio Acting Series with the premiere of Todd Almond’s THE EARTH IS FLAT at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2. Directed by CCM Acting Professor and Department Chair Richard Hess, the play runs through Saturday, Nov. 4 in CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater.

THE EARTH IS FLAT follows the story of a UC freshman named Ethan and his journey to self-discovery. Set in a UC dormitory, the play explores the universal awkwardness of the American college experience. The search for identity by those least prepared with answers resonates with unexpected comedy in this new play, which was commissioned by CCM Acting as part of the Cincinnati Playwrights Conference in 2016.

“Ethan struggles to discover what it means to step into a new life far from home as he enters college, after a personal family tragedy almost derails his life,” Hess says. “This bittersweet comedy will make your heart smile.”

“This play is important to UC and CCM because it follows a student’s journey to discover truth in a world that has fallen flat,” says CCM Acting student Olivia Passafiume, who plays the role of Jennifer in THE EARTH IS FLAT. “It explores grief, and what it means to have the rug pulled from under you during some of the most formative years of your life.”

“Most importantly, Todd Almond’s words give hope that no matter what you may believe, the power of human connection is eternal,” she adds.

Almond (BM Vocal Performance, BFA Acting 1999) is a composer, performer, lyricist and playwright. He starred alongside Courtney Love in the rock opera Kansas City Choir Boy, for which he also wrote the original book, music and lyrics. His original theatrical works include Girlfriend, Melancholy Play and musical versions of The Tempest and The Winter’s Tale, among others. Since graduating, Almond has returned to CCM to hold master classes and participate in the annual Cincinnati Playwrights Conference. Learn more about Almond on his professional website: toddalmond.com.

THE EARTH IS FLAT runs Nov. 2-4 in CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater. Admission is free, but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Oct. 30. They often sell out quickly, so visit our guide to Studio Series tickets for tips and tricks to secure your seats.

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2
• 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3
• 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4
• 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4

Location
Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM Village, University of Cincinnati

Cast List

• Jack Steiner as Ethan
• Graham Lutes as Derek
• Carissa Cardy/Meg Olson as Shelly
• Olivia Passafiume/Madeleine Page-Schmit as Jennifer
• Carter LaCava as Guy Who Looks Like Jeremy
• Graham Rogers as Man Various
• Paige Jordan as Woman Various

Tickets
Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Oct. 30. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the campus of the University of Cincinnati. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Studio Drama Series Sponsor: Ms. Margaret L. Straub & Mr. Neil R. Artman

Composed by CCM alumnus Stephen Flaherty, this musical fable is based on some of Dr. Seuss’ most beloved stories. Tickets available through the CCM Box Office.

UC’s College-Conservatory of Music presents the second installment of its 2017-18 Mainstage Series with Seussical, a musical tale of wonder and excitement for children and grown-ups alike. Composed by Stephen Flaherty (BM Composition, 1982) and Lynn Ahrens, Seussical opens at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, in Patricia Corbett Theater.

Audiences will recognize some of Dr. Seuss’ timeless characters in the show, including The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Yertle the Turtle, and, of course, The Grinch. Seussical embraces the pizzazz and quirk of Dr. Seuss’ tales with catchy songs and elaborate, dazzling costumes.

“There is so much joy and life in these stories and in all of the music of Seussical,” says Vince DeGeorge, CCM assistant professor and Joseph Weinberger Chair of Acting for the Lyric Stage. “As the director and choreographer, my job has been to honor the humanity that is the driving force behind the famous original source material and this beautifully crafted musical.”

The musical itself is closely tied to CCM; composer Stephen Flaherty graduated from CCM in 1982 with a Bachelor of Music in Composition. He often works with lyricist Lynn Ahrens to create musicals. The Tony Award-winning duo has collaborated on Anastasia, Once on This Island and Ragtime.

“I truly believe that Seussical is one of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens’ most inventive, playful and heartfelt scores,” DeGeorge says. “It has always been one of my favorites. The fact that Stephen Flaherty is an alumnus of CCM makes doing this project that much more meaningful for all of us involved.”

Although this will be a fairly traditional staging of Seussical, DeGeorge says that plenty of surprises are in store for audiences. While the design team attempted to capture the essence of Dr. Seuss’ beloved characters, they also strove for an original aesthetic and a truly unique production.

Travel to the magical world of Dr. Seuss with CCM’s production of Seussical, presented Oct. 19-22 and Oct. 25-29, 2017, in Patricia Corbett Theater. Tickets are $31-35 for adults, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID. Additional student discounts are available through the CCM Box Office.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/mainstage/seussical.

Learn more about CCM’s production of Seussical in this behind-the-scenes video.
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SEUSSICAL^TM
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty
Co-Conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and Eric Idle
Based on the Works of Dr. Seuss

Creative Team

• Vince DeGeorge, director and choreographer
• Luke Flood*, musical director
• Christopher Kelley*, choreographer
• Mark Halpin, scenic designer
• Erik McCandless*, lighting designer
• Sean K. Tingle*, sound designer
• Dean Mogle, costume designer
• Kelly Yurko, wig & make-up designer
• Ann Marie White*, dialect coach
• Sam Lewis*, stage manager

* CCM student

Cast List

• Donelvan Thigpen as The Boy
• Kevin Chlapecka as The Cat in the Hat
• Frankie Thams as Horton the Elephant
• Emily Royer as Gertrude McFuzz
• Bryn Purvis as Mayzie LaBird
• Jenny Mollet as Sour Kangaroo
• Derek Kastner as Mr. Mayor of Whoville
• Marissa Hecker as Mrs. Mayor of Whoville
• Madison Deadman, Bailee Endebrock and Areo Keller as Bird Girls
• EJ Dohring, Stavros Koumbaros and Daniel Marhelko as Wickersham Brothers
• Kyle Pollack as General Schmitz
• Madison Hagler as The Grinch
• Matt Copley as Vlad Vladikoff
• Ben Pimental as Yertle the Turtle

____

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19
• 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20
• 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22
• 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25
• 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26
• 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27
• 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to Seussical are $31-35 for adults, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID.

Student rush tickets will be sold one hour before each performance to non-UC students for $12 or $15, based on availability. UC students can receive one free student rush ticket with a valid ID, based on availability.

Customizable subscription packages are also available for CCM’s 2017-18 Mainstage Series.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/mainstage/seussical.

Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
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SEUSSICAL is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Musical Theatre Production Sponsor: Elizabeth C. B. & Paul G. Sittenfeld

Musical Theatre Performance Sponsor: Northwestern Mutual

CCM’s Musical Theatre department stages Sondheim on Sondheim, a documentary-meets-musical-revue, on Thursday, Oct. 5 through Saturday, Oct. 7. Admission is free but reservations are required; tickets become available at noon on Monday, Oct. 2.

CCM opens its Sesquicentennial Studio Series with SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM, a musical revue of Stephen Sondheim’s most beloved works, on Thursday, Oct. 5 through Saturday, Oct. 7 in the Cohen Family Studio Theater. The performance paints an intimate portrait of the songwriter, told through his music and through video clips of Sondheim himself.

“Sondheim’s comments are amazingly candid, giving a unique and personal insight into the stories behind the songs, as well as the personal battles he has faced with his family, producers and fame,” says CCM Musical Theatre Professor and Department Chairman Aubrey Berg, director of the show.

Eight singers from CCM’s Musical Theatre program will perform some of Sondheim’s most popular tunes without amplification and accompanied only by piano. Audiences will recognize featured songs in the revue, such as “Comedy Tonight” from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, “Something’s Comin’” from West Side Story and “Send in the Clowns” from A Little Night Music.

The show also includes excerpts from Passion, Assassins and Bounce, as well as a brand-new song written just for SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM.

“The strength of the show comes from the brilliance of the music and lyrics and the accomplishments of the performers in interpreting the songs of the modern master of musical theatre,” Berg says.

CCM Musical Theatre has a long history with Sondheim musicals; the department has staged almost all of Sondheim’s major works over the years.

“His songs can be witty and ironic, but also heartfelt and deeply emotional,” Berg says. “They provide a tremendous challenge to young performers and serve as excellent training for our more advanced students.”

With this show, CCM Musical Theatre also welcomes the return of Katie Johannigman (BFA Musical Theatre, 2012) as a Visiting Adjunct Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre. Johannigman choreographs SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM, which features music direction and accompaniment by Stephen Goers.

“I have watched Katie grow up and remember her as a star-struck little girl attending productions at CCM,” Berg says. “The last performance she gave here was as Cinderella in Into the Woods (a favorite Sondheim work). I am delighted that she is visiting us this year as a teacher, choreographer and director. It gives us a wonderful sense of continuity.”

You can see Johannigman’s choreography in SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM in CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater from Oct.5-7. Admission is free, but reservations are required; tickets become available at noon on Monday, October 2. They often sell out quickly, so visit our guide to Studio Series tickets for tips and tricks to secure your seats.

SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Conceived and directed on Broadway by James Lapine

Production Team

• Aubrey Berg, director
• Stephen Goers, music director and accompanist
• Katie Johannigman, choreographer
• Nicholas Smith, lighting designer
• Margo Leist, stage manager

Cast list

• Bryce Baxter
• Aria Braswell
• Emily Fink
• Ciara Harris
• Phillip Johnson
• Alex Stone
• Keaton Whittaker
• Gabe Wrobel

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5
• 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6
• 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7

Location
Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM Village,
University of Cincinnati

Tickets
Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Oct. 2. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

Parking and Directions
Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the campus of the University of Cincinnati. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.

SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI www.MTIShows.com.

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Studio Series Sponsors: Dr. & Mrs. Carl G. Fischer, Ms. Margaret L. Straub & Mr. Neil R. Artman