Tag Archives: UC College-Conservatory of Music

Photo by Mark Lyons.

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music’s Mainstage Series continues with nine-time Tony award-winning musical, A CHORUS LINE. Directed and choreographed by Diane Lalawith musical direction fromRoger Grodsky, A CHORUS LINE runs Oct. 20-30 in CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater.

Centered around Broadway dancers as they audition for roles in the next smash hit, A CHORUS LINE offers a candid look at the backstage world of musical theatre.  Director and choreographer Diane Lala and musical director Roger Grodsky stay true to the show’s origins by setting it in the 1970s,  when A CHORUS LINE was written.

“This show is very special to performers, theatre dancers especially,” says Lala, CCM professor of Musical Theatre. “Everyone wants to know what it feels like to get to that moment in the finale that everyone has been waiting for and sing ‘One’ as the lights pulse and the audience goes crazy. There is nothing better.”

The original director and choreographer of A CHORUS LINE, Michael Bennett, wanted to create a show about so-called Broadway “gypsies” who constantly move from show to show to audition for new productions. Bennett brought some of these migrant performers together to discuss their experiences, both in and out of show business, and recorded the sessions. This dialogue became A CHORUS LINE, with part of the script pulled directly from the recordings. Some of the interviewed performers joined the musical’s original cast to play themselves on Broadway.

“By the end of the show, the audience feels as though they have really gotten to know the dancers and roots for them to succeed,” says Grodsky, CCM professor of Musical Theatre. “The illusion that the audience was watching an actual audition taking place was reinforced in the original production by the orchestra being invisible. This was one of the first shows that completely covered the orchestra pit.”

A CHORUS LINE focuses on the experiences and perspectives of musical theatre performers, but Lala says the show has universal appeal for non-performers as well.

“It is really a universal quest, right?” she suggests. “People in ‘regular’ jobs also are just looking for work, and some are hoping for that next promotion or to be stars in their own profession. This show puts that desire, struggle, hope, success and disappointment out there for the audience to see. I think that is why this is such a powerful show. People feel and can instantly associate with the characters onstage.

“If you are someone with a love for it,” she continues, “everything you go through is worth it to get to stand up there and do what you have trained your whole life for.”

James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante wrote the book for A CHORUS LINE. The music is by Marvin Hamlisch, with lyrics by Edward Kleban. The show opens on Thursday, Oct. 20 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 30 at the College-Conservatory of Music’s Patricia Corbett Theater. Tickets are on sale now.

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20
• 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21
• 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22
• 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23
• 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26
• 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27
• 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28
• 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to A CHORUS LINE are $31-35 for general admission, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID. Customizable subscription packages are also available.

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/chorus-line.html.

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 visituc.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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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s
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Story by CCM graduate student Alexandra Doyle

CCM continues its popular Studio Series with the world premiere of THEY WERE YOU, a musical revue showcasing the songs of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. Devised and directed by Aubrey Berg, the Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre at CCM, THEY WERE YOU plays Oct. 5-9 in the Cohen Family Studio Theater. Admission is free, but reservations are required.

Conceived and curated by Berg with musical arrangements by CCM faculty member Stephen Goers and choreography by alumna Katie Johannigman, THEY WERE YOUfeatures songs from some of Jones and Schmidt’s most beloved musicals, including The Fantasticks,Celebration and 110 in the Shade. The production represents the first comprehensive revue of Jones and Schmidt’s work.

Jones, a Texas native, is widely known not only for his lyrics and librettos but also for his directing and acting chops. He directed a New York City revival of The Fantasticksin 2006, and also played the role of Old Actor in that production. He has written a screenplay for that show and a book called Making Musicals: An Informal Introduction to the World of Musical Theater.

Schmidt, also a Texan, attended the University of Texas at Austin to study art, but began to play piano as an accompanist for Jones during his time there. In addition to composing some of the world’s most beloved musicals, Schmidt has also continued to work as an illustrator for Life, Harper’s Bazaar, Sports Illustrated, Fortune and other publications.

The duo’s work together earned them several Tony Award nominations and the 1992 Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre, as well as induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the American Theatre Hall of Fame.

THEY WERE YOU is organized thematically, moving from “innocence” to “experience” through the course of the performance. Each song along the way showcases some universal emotion and lauds the resilience of humanity in the face of sorrow and disillusionment. The program promises favorites like “Try to Remember” from The Fantasticks and “My Cup Runneth Over” from I Do! I Do! alongside other songs from throughout the celebrated duo’s oeuvre.

Admission to THEY WERE YOU is free, but tickets are required. CCM’s Studio Series productions often sell out quickly, so visit our guide to Studio Series tickets for tips on how to secure your seats.

THEY WERE YOU: The Songs of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt
Lyrics by Tom Jones
Music by Harvey Schmidt
Aubrey Berg, director
Stephen Goers, musical director
Katie Johannigman, choreographer

Cast List:

• Gabe Wrobel
• Emily Fink
• Stavros Koumbaros
• Aria Braswell
• Karl Amundson
• Michelle Coben

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5
• 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6
• 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7
• 2 & 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9

Location
Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Admission
Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Oct. 3. 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 UC campus. Please visituc.edu/parking for 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.

Photography by Lyons Photography, Inc..

The University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music opens its 2016-17 Mainstage Series with a preview performance of William Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET on Wednesday, Sept. 28 in Patricia Corbett Theater.  With this modern production of the Bard’s beloved tragedy, director Brant Russell aims to preserve Shakespeare’s intentions and give CCM students the opportunity to bring these iconic roles to life.

CCM’s retelling of ROMEO AND JULIET weaves the familiar story of ill-fated young love with a modern comedic twist. “It’s a comedy…until it’s not,” said Assistant Professor of Acting Brant Russell.

“What I’m hoping the audience will take away from this is everything that CCM does so well; lavish production values and excellent young actors coming together to tell a story that means something to everyone,” Russell said. “Everything an audience has come to expect from CCM and its eye-popping productions will be present in this show.”

CCM Acting seniors Spencer Lackey andKatie McDonald play the title roles — an experience that would be a dream come true for many young actors. Russell is happy to showcase fresh faces, which is what the script actually calls for. According to the play’s text, Juliet is almost 14 years old and Romeo’s age is never explicitly mentioned.

“This production puts the beauty and eloquence of Shakespeare’s language front and center, but, in the mouths of these young actors, you’ll hear the language like you’ve never heard it before,” Russell said.

ROMEO AND JULIET opens on Wednesday, Sept. 28 (preview) and runs through Sunday, Oct. 2 at the CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater.
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Creative Team

• Brant Russell, director
• Whitney Glover, scenic designer*
• Nick Saiki, lighting designer*
• Jeremy Lee, sound designer
• Sean K. Tingle, sound designer*
• Raphael Regan, costume designer*
• Erin Schwob, wig and make-up designer*
• Hope Rice, dramaturg*
• Brianna Latrash, choreographer*
• Hamilton Moore, choreographer*
• k. Jenny Jones, fight choreographer
• Andi Radujkovic, stage manager*
  * CCM student

Cast List

• Owen Alderson as Capulet
• Carissa Cardy as Montague
• Jabari Carter as Gregory
• Clare Combest as Lady Capulet
• Jacqueline Daaleman as Lady Montague/ Chorus 1
• Gabriella Divincenzo as Friar Lawrence’s Assistant/ Watchman
• Sarah Durham as Watchwoman
• James Egbert as Friar Lawrence
• Ryan Garrett as Paris
• Annie Grove as Mercutio
• Landon Hawkins as Tybalt
• Carter La Cava as Sampson/ Watchman
• Spencer Lackey as Romeo
• Katie Langham as Nurse/ Actor
• Katie McDonald as Juliet
• Julia Netzer as Abraham/ Apothecary/ Watchman
• Josh Reiter as Balthasar
• Mickey Tropeano as Benvolio
• Emily Walton as Prince

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28 (preview)
• 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29
• 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30
• 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to ROMEO AND JULIET are $27-31 for adults, $17-20 for non-UC students and $15-18 for UC students with a valid ID. Tickets to the Sept. 28 preview performance are just $15.

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 2016-17 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/romeo-and-juliet.

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s