Tag Archives: UC College-Conservatory of Music

CCM Professor of Drama Michael Burnham Retires

Burnham wraps up nearly 30 years of teaching,
directing and mentoring at CCM this spring.

CCM_BurnhamCINCINNATI, OH – The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Professor Michael Burnham has been a faculty member since 1984 and when asked about his many years of work for CCM, he muses, simply, “I liked all of them.” He will retire this month, following the conclusion of the school year and his work as director for CCM’s upcoming production of Execution of Justice, which runs April 18-20 as part of this year’s Studio Series.

“Professor Michael Burnham has been the artistic thorn in the side of every student who has entered CCM Drama for the past 29 years,” says Richard E. Hess, CCM’s A.B., Dolly, Ralph and Julia Cohen Drama Department Chair. “He digs into the mind of each and every new student, causing disruption, chaos and sometimes a little irritation, all in service of deeper thinking, harder questioning, more creativity and expansion of possibilities. Michael’s wonderful mind has touched the hearts of every student lucky enough to work with him.”

During Burnham’s time at CCM, he has seen the college grow and develop. “It’s become more joyful here,” he says. “We know ourselves better [as a college] now.” He has also managed to impact every department he has touched. He was at CCM when the Drama Department was born, at the table for the purchase of CCM’s first Genie lift and even found himself playing Falstaff in a personalized fat suit for a CCM production of The Merry Wives of Windsor. Burnham considers all of his memories fondly: “I’ve gotten to do anything I wanted and it’s because I work here.”

“The most amazing thing about my job has been learning to be taught by others – especially someone younger than you or less experienced,” Burnham reflected. “The environment is really alive. We all learn from everyone, sometimes by accident.”

Learn more about CCM’s Studio Series production of Execution of Justice here.

About Michael Burnham
In the last year, Michael Burnham has dramaturged the writing and then directed the premiere of CCM alumna Alison Vodnoy Wolf’s stage adaptation of James Joyce’s Ulysses. He also wrote and directed Prokofiev, Shostakovich: Pieces in the Key of Silence for the chamber ensemble concert:nova, helped CCM Drama students create a series of small plays for the Cincinnati Homeless Commission, assisted a group of School for Creative and Performing Arts students in building and presenting an original piece at the city’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration and directed the premiere of John Ray’s The Sweet, Burning Yonder as part of the Cincinnati Fringe Festival.

Burnham also performs as a storyteller throughout the eastern part of the country and has narrated symphony concerts for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Salt Lake Symphony Opera and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra among others. His adaptation of Stravinsky’s l’Histoire du Soldat (which he directed while playing the Devil) premiered at the Salt Lake Symphony Opera.

For his work as a director, occasional actor and playwright, and for championing the city’s small experimental theatre companies, Burnham received a League of Cincinnati Theatres’ Sustained Achievement Award and has been inducted into the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards Hall of Fame.

Before coming to CCM, Michael was Literary Manager at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, a theater critic for Cincinnati Magazine and a theater and film critic for WGUC-FM. He was also a Fellow of the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center.

When given a sabbatical a couple of years ago, he studied theatre with Song of the Goat in Poland and Butoh dancing with Oguri in London and Wales and with Atsushi Takenouchi in France. At CCM, Burnham directs and teaches courses in script analysis, directing, dramaturgy and a class called “The Artist in Society.”

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is recognized both nationally and internationally as one of the leading conservatories for the performing and electronic media arts, composition, scholarship and pedagogy. 

CCM is the largest single source of performing arts events in Ohio with an annual calendar of nearly 1,000 performances and presentations, ranging from solo recitals to full-scale opera and musical theatre performances.  

All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events or to view CCM’s 2012-2013 season brochure visit our website at http://ccm.uc.edu

UC’s College-Conservatory of Music – The Sound of Synergy

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CCM/The Carnegie’s PARADE Earns Four LCT Nominations

TC_ParadePanelists for the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) have recognized The University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music and The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center’s PARADE with 4 LCT nominations, for Ensemble Acting, Music Direction (Steve Goers), Featured Actor (Noah Ricketts) and Lighting Design (Alan Hanson/Wes Richter), as well as distinguishing it as a recommended production.

In the sweltering intolerance of 1913 Atlanta, northerner and Jewish factory manager Leo Frank is wrongfully accused of murdering of a 13-year-old girl under his employment. As press frenzy and public outrage whip his trial into a referendum, Frank’s only hope lies in a brave crusade by the southern wife he never understood, among a people that never understood him. The 2000 Tony Award winner for “Best Book” and “Best Score”, Parade is a transformational story of a country at odds with its declarations of equality.

Panelists praised the ensemble, who “covered a variety of roles while always maintaining the atmosphere of the performance…their execution and full sound of the music carried the show from beginning to end.” Of Steve Goer’s music direction, the panelists noted, “the highlight of this show is Jason Robert Brown’s layered, beautiful, and complicated music, and Steve Goers did an excellent job of directing the entire cast to execute the challenging score very well…the dense harmonies were blended beautifully.” Featured actor Noah Ricketts, as Jim Conley, was “the whole explosive package…he commanded the stage.” Of Hanson and Richter’s lighting design, the panelists reported, “Both designers created a world that supported the story being told. …good use of color and atmosphere.” The production as a whole was “powerful” and “superb”; “an emotionally engaging, musically complex production that was staged and performed with great heart and talent.”

PARADE continues through April 21st. Tickets can be purchased at www.thecarnegie.com.

Final LCT awards will be determined at the end of the season and announced at the LCT gala in the spring.

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.com.

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CCM Announces 2013-14 MainStage Series

CCM ANNOUNCES 2013-14 MAINSTAGE SERIES OF
OPERA, MUSICAL THEATRE, DRAMA AND DANCE

CCM_StreetScene5069CCM presents a series of breathtaking operas, masterful musicals, delightful dramas and one timeless ballet as part of an unforgettable 2013–14 season.

CINCINNATI, OH—The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is pleased to announce details for the 2013-14 Mainstage Series of opera, musical theatre, drama and dance productions.

The 2013-14 Mainstage Series features both classic and contemporary masterworks for the stage, including Arthur Miller’s Tony Award-winning The Crucible, the masterful comic opera Don Pasquale and an extended run of the musical that swept the world: Les Misérables.

CCM’s student and faculty artists also bring two classics of the screen to life – with Mainstage productions of Singin’ in the Rain and Owen Wingrave. Plus, guest artist D. Lynn Meyers directs CCM’s stars of tomorrow in the Drama Desk and Tony Award-winning Metamorphoses.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of CCM’s Dance program, the 2013-14 Mainstage Series also includes a lavish production of the beloved romantic ballet Giselle.

This year’s must-see Mainstage Series features seven fully staged works guaranteed to fill audiences with delight, with performances scheduled from Oct. 2, 2013, through April 19, 2014. All performances take place in the Corbett Center for the Performing Arts on the University of Cincinnati campus.

Production and ticketing details are below. Priority subscription packages go on sale May 2013. Single tickets become available in August, but subscribing is the only way to guarantee your seats for these must-see shows!

Visit ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/subscribe.html to register for CCM’s mailing list, and the Box Office will provide you with additional information on this year’s subscription options.

Additional Information
Titles and dates are subject to change—rights pending. To order subscriptions, contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183. For additional information, visit ccm.uc.edu, email boxoff@uc.edu or call the Box Office.

CCM 2013-14 MAINSTAGE SERIES
Opera, Musical Theatre, Drama, Dance

The Crucible
Written by Arthur Miller
Richard E. Hess, director

1692 in Salem, Massachusetts. A polarized society wrestles with good and evil in this taut American masterpiece by Arthur Miller. When every action is fraught with life-or-death consequences, what guides us? Winner of the 1953 Tony Award for Best Play, The Crucible has become a central work in the canon of American drama.

Performance Dates: Oct. 2 (preview), Oct. 3–6, 2013
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

 

Singin’ in the Rain
Book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed
Based the classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film
Diane Lala, director
Roger Grodsky, musical director
Patti James and Diane Lala, choreographers

One of the most-loved and celebrated MGM film musicals, Singin’ in the Rain comes to the CCM stage in a joyous, graceful and thoroughly enjoyable adaptation. Set in 1927, the musical satirizes the panic surrounding the transition from the “Silents” to the “Talkies” as the revolution in sound sweeps through the Hollywood dream factory. With great songs, lots of flashbacks and buckets and buckets of rain, the musical showers you with good old-fashioned entertainment. The glorious score includes such standards as “Good Morning,” “Make ‘em Laugh,” “You Are My Lucky Star” and the legendary “Singin’ in the Rain.”

Performance Dates: Oct. 31–Nov. 3, 2013
Location: Corbett Auditorium

 

Owen Wingrave
Music by Benjamin Britten
Libretto by Myfanwy Piper
Based on the short story by Henry James
Conductor TBA
Nicholas Muni, director

Commissioned by the BBC in 1966 and based on the Henry James short story of the same name, Benjamin Britten completed this two-act opera for television in August of 1970. Owen Wingrave is a pacifist born into a renowned military family. As he struggles to keep the affection of his would-be bride, he must face disapproval from his family over his beliefs and prove his inner strength – even if it leads to his own mysterious end. Sung in English with supertitles.

Performance Dates: Nov. 21–24, 2013
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

 

Metamorphoses
Written by Mary Zimmerman
Based on a translation of the classic Ovid poem by David R. Slavitt
D. Lynn Meyers, director

From a simple, rippling pool of water, Metamorphoses conjures Ovid’s myths into gorgeous theatrical imagery, provocative moments and magic. The winner of two Drama Desk Awards and one Tony Award after its 2002 Broadway run, this entrancing series of vignettes offers breathtaking storytelling and an escape from the ordinary that dares to brush with the divine.

Performance Dates: Feb. 5 (preview), Feb. 6–9, 2014
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

 

Les Misérables
Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg
Original French lyrics by Alain Boubill and Jean-Marc Natel
English libretto by Herbert Kretzmer
Based on the novel by Victor Hugo
Aubrey Berg, director
Steve Goers, musical director

Based upon the novel of the same name by French poet and playwright Victor Hugo, Les Misérables is one of the world’s most popular musicals, seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries. Set in France in the early 19th century, Les Misérables is the story of Jean Valjean and his quest for salvation after serving 19 years in jail for having stolen a loaf of bread for his starving sister’s child. Relentlessly tracked and hounded by police inspector Javert, Valjean and a slew of characters are swept into a student revolution, as a group of young idealists make their last stand at a street barricade. With a score by Claude-Michel Schönberg that has risen to pop-culture status and an Oscar-nominated film version, Hugo’s saga of one man’s lifelong quest for redemption can still sweep a theater audience off its feet.

Performance Dates: Feb. 26 (preview), Feb. 27–March 2, March 4–9, 2014
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

 

Don Pasquale
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti
Libretto by Giovanni Ruffini
Mark Gibson, conductor
Omer Ben Seadia, director

Donizetti’s comedic masterpiece Don Pasquale has thrilled audiences since its 1843 premiere. The old, slow-witted and haughty Don Pasquale tries to arrange a marriage for his nephew Ernesto and a series of hilarious twists and turns ensues. Can Ernesto find a way to marry his true love while managing to keep his claim to his uncle’s large inheritance? Find out in this beloved opera buffa! Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

Performance Dates: April 3-6, 2014
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

 

Giselle
Composed by Adolphe Adam
Choreography by Jean Corralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa
Jiang Qi, director
Conductor TBA

Presented in celebration of the 50th anniversary of CCM Dance, Giselle is the quintessential romantic ballet, continuing to stir the emotions of audiences of all ages. The story is based on the German legend about Wilis, female spirits who, jilted before their wedding day, rise from their graves at night and seek revenge upon men by dancing them to death. The noble Duke Albrecht disguises himself to woo the beautiful peasant girl, Giselle, but his deceit ultimately causes her untimely death. Still, it is Giselle’s undying love that saves Albrecht from a terrible fate, proving love’s triumph over treachery and death.

Performance Dates: April 17-19, 2014
Location: Corbett Auditorium

 

Mainstage Series Subscriptions
The 2013-14 CCM Mainstage Series of opera, musical theatre and drama productions includes subscription packages for six-show, four-show and three-show combinations. New for 2013-14, subscribers also have the ability to add the Mainstage Series production of Giselle to any subscription package for just $20.

Priority subscription packages go on sale in May 2013. Subscription renewal information will be sent to current subscribers during the month of April.

Visit ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/subscribe.html to register for CCM’s mailing list, and the Box Office will provide you with additional information on this year’s subscription options.

New subscriptions will become available this summer. CCM’s customizable subscription packages range in price from $84 – $180.

Concert Series Options
CCM also offers dozens of chamber music, choral, jazz, orchestra, wind ensemble and guest-artist concerts each year. CCM’s Mainstage subscribers receive priority access to Ariel Quartet subscription packages, CCM Concert Series flex ticket packages, prepaid parking and other exclusive perks.

Full programming and package details for CCM’s 2013-14 Concert Series will be announced in April. Visit ccm.uc.edu for more information.

Additional Information
Titles and dates subject to change—rights pending. To order subscriptions, contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183. Priority subscription packages go on sale in May, 2013. For additional information, visit ccm.uc.edu or call the Box Office.

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

CCM Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Community Partner: ArtsWave

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is recognized both nationally and internationally as one of the leading conservatories for the performing and electronic media arts, composition, scholarship and pedagogy.

CCM is the largest single source of performing arts events in Ohio with an annual calendar of nearly 1,000 performances and presentations, ranging from solo recitals to full-scale opera and musical theatre performances.

All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events or to view CCM’s 2012-2013 season brochure visit our website at http://ccm.uc.edu.

UC’s College-Conservatory of Music – The Sound of Synergy

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Special PARADE Invitation to the Cincinnati Theatre Community

TC_Parade_logoBring a headshot or resume and take $3 off your tickets to PARADE! Order your tickets over the phone and mention the Community Theatre Discount to take $3 off of regularly-priced adult tickets. Then simply bring your headshot and/or resume to the box office when you come to the show.

Discount available for phone orders only.

Carnegie Box Office: 859.957.1940 (Tue-Fri, noon-5pm)

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CCM Musical Theatre Presents Annual Senior Showcase March 28-30

CCM_MT13(web)The Department of Musical Theatre’s graduating class of 2013 presents this year’s
‘Not Famous Yet’ Senior Showcase in Cincinnati on March 29 and 30. 

The Friends of CCM will also host a special benefit performance
of the showcase on Thursday, March 28.

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati audiences will get a sneak peek of an original showcase created by the 2013 graduating class from the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Department of Musical Theatre during the annual “Not Famous Yet” Showcase, which runs from March 28 (Friends of CCM benefit performance) through March 30 in UC’s Patricia Corbett Theater.

The March 28 benefit performance starts at 7 p.m. and features dinner by the bite and a post-performance celebration. Tickets for this benefit event are on sale now. The March 29 and 30 performances take place at 8 p.m. and are free, but reservations are required. Tickets for these free performances become available at noon on Monday, March 25.

Each year, seniors from CCM’s musical theatre program travel to New York to present a showcase for the leading agents, casting directors and managers in the business. The show takes the format of a Broadway audition, with the actors showing off their solo and ensemble skills through song and dance numbers. The work is created by the students themselves under the supervision of program chair Aubrey Berg and with the assistance of musical director Julie Spangler.

This year’s performance is the 21st edition of the CCM “Not Famous Yet” showcase. The annual showcase began with the establishment of the Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre in 1991. At the time of its inception, it was the only academic chair of its kind in the United States. Learn more about the 2013 CCM Musical Theatre Showcase at ccm.uc.edu/theatre/musical_theatre/overview/showcase.

Friends of CCM benefit performance
The opening performance of the Musical Theatre Showcase on March 28 is part of a benefit for the Friends of CCM. The event begins a 7 p.m. and includes dinner by the bite served in the Atrium of UC’s Corbett Center for the Performing Arts after the performance.

This event also includes the presentation of the Musical Theatre Young Alumni Award, which recognizes outstanding professional achievement by a graduate of CCM’s musical theatre program from the past two decades. This year’s recipient is Aaron Lazar, originally from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, who graduated from UC in 2000. Before disco dancing in Broadway’s Mamma Mia, Lazar was in New Jersey studying to be both an actor and a doctor. After landing a role in the national tour of The Scarlet Pimpernel only months after moving to New York City, however, he abandoned his aspirations of being a medical doctor and went on to make his Broadway debut in The Phantom of the Opera. He continued to appear on Broadway in the revival of Oklahoma!, A Tale of Two Cities, The Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center and on PBS, the world premiere of Impressionism opposite Jeremy Irons, Joan Allen and Marsha Mason, and the revival of Les Misérables for which Lazar’s powerhouse performance as Enjolras garnered him critical acclaim and a Drama Desk Award nomination.

Tickets for the March 28 benefit are:

  • Patron Tickets: $100 each; includes a patron reception before the performance honoring Aaron Lazar, general performance seating, dinner by the bite and garage parking.
  • General Admission Tickets: $75 each; includes general performance seating, dinner by the bite and garage parking.
  • Friends of CCM Member Tickets: $50 each; includes general performance seating, dinner by the bite and garage parking.
  • Young Professional (40 and under) Tickets: $35 each; includes general performance seating, dinner by the bite and garage parking. 

Proceeds benefit student career development grants and scholarships. Seating is limited. To reserve a ticket, call CCM External Relations at 513-556-2100 or visit ccm.uc.edu/giveto/friends.

CCM hosts FREE performances of the showcase
Admission to the Musical Theatre Showcase on Friday, March 29, and Saturday, March 30, is FREE. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, March 25; please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to make a reservation. Limit two tickets per order.

Performance Times

  • 7 p.m. Friday, March 28 — Friends of CCM Benefit
  • 8 p.m. Saturday March 29
  • 8 p.m. Sunday March 30 

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing and Reserving Tickets
Tickets to the Friends of CCM benefit performance are on sale now. Ticket options include $100 patron level tickets (includes pre-show patron reception), $75 general public tickets, $50 Friends of CCM member tickets and $35 young professional tickets (age 40 and under). Seating is limited. To purchase, call CCM’s Office of External Relations at 513-556-2100. Learn more at ccm.uc.edu/giveto/friends.

Admission to the Friday, March 29, and Saturday, March 30, performances is FREE, but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, March 25. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to make a reservation. 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 visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

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

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

Community Partner: ArtsWave

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is recognized both nationally and internationally as one of the leading conservatories for the performing and electronic media arts, composition, scholarship and pedagogy.

CCM is the largest single source of performing arts events in Ohio with an annual calendar of nearly 1,000 performances and presentations, ranging from solo recitals to full-scale opera and musical theatre performances.

All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events or to view CCM’s 2012-2013 season brochure visit our website at http://ccm.uc.edu.

UC’s College-Conservatory of Music – The Sound of Synergy

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