Tag Archives: UC College-Conservatory of Music

The nationally recognized program celebrates 20 years of support from Patricia A. Corbett

CINCINNATI, OH — In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) Mainstage Musical Theatre Series continues its 2011-12 season with Stephen Sondheim’s INTO THE WOODS. The award-winning pairing of new and existing fairy-tales with Sondheim’s witty music and lyrics runs Feb. 23-26 and March 1-4 in Patricia Corbett Theater in CCM Village.

The Tony Award-winning comedic musical INTO THE WOODS centers upon a Baker, his Wife and the Witch next door who has placed a curse upon them. In a quest to reverse the curse, the Baker goes “into the woods” to gather the magical ingredients the Witch needs to create a potion. Along the way, the Baker runs into his neighbor, Jack, who tries to feed his family with “magic” beans, Little Red Ridinghood on the way to her grandmother’s house, Cinderella scurrying away from a night cut short with a handsome Prince, and several other beloved characters from Grimm’s fairytales. But, as the characters scour the woods to fulfill their greatest wishes, greed, deceit and misfortune thwart their journeys and force them to confront the morals of their stories. Is there really a happily ever after?

For senior Victoria Cook, landing the role of the Witch in INTO THE WOODS was an emotional experience. “I cried when I got cast as the Witch. It’s a dream role for an actress to be cast as a dynamic character that starts as this hideous creature and then transforms into someone very glamorous.”

But for her, this role is just the tip of the iceberg of the great things that have come from CCM’s Musical Theatre program. She explains, “I’m very blessed to have gone here because it’s recognized as the top program in the country. It’s the best place to be if you want to be in this field.”

CCM’s Musical Theatre program is also the oldest program of its kind in the country. The innovative program was used by the National Association of Schools of Theatre in formulating the guidelines for accreditation of musical theatre programs nationwide. The program is widely recognized for its “triple-threat” approach to training and many of its graduates are following careers as performers and creative artists in every facet of the entertainment industry.

Marking A Milestone
2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre, currently held by Chairman of the Department of Musical Theatre and INTO THE WOODS director Aubrey Berg. This production of Into the Woods serves as a celebration of this generous gift to the Musical Theatre program.

Berg explains, “It is always fun to revisit a musical that one has done before, especially in a new venue and with an entirely different scenic concept. When we first produced the show at CCM, it was brand new. Now it is one of Sondheim’s most produced and beloved musicals. Our approach to the show today is rather different than the previous production. In place of a fairytale forest, there is a toy theatre rendered in the style of British illustrator Ronald Searle – look for the whimsical cats – and if the audience gets the sense that a Giant is loose on the UC campus, so much the better. The cast is constantly in the steeply-raked aisles of the Patricia Corbett Theater. Ours is a forest with hills.”

“With the establishment of the Corbett Chair in Musical Theatre, we were able for the first time to present our ‘Not Famous Yet’ showcase in New York City,” says Berg. “This allows our graduating class to be seen by agents and casting directors, an enormous selling point for the program. It also enables us to bring master teachers in every aspect of the craft to Cincinnati to interact with our students, to provide scholarships in musical theatre and to present our ‘admission free’ series of musicals in the Cohen Family Studio Theater. We are fortunate, too, that the work begun by Mrs. C is continued today by the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.”

Cook recognizes that without the support of generous donors, the things that make CCM’s program a standout would be impossible. “We want to use Into the Woods to honor Patricia Corbett and the good that she’s done in creating this chair because the program wouldn’t have the showcase and master-class opportunities that is has without her, and that’s the number one reason that students want to be a part of this program,” explains Cook. “I wouldn’t have had the experience at CCM I had without this generosity, so it’s important to us to do our best to honor her.”

About the Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre
Since its establishment in 1991, the Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre has provided invaluable support for the Musical Theatre Program at CCM. At the time of its inception, it was the only academic chair of its kind in the United States, the American equivalent of the Chair in Musical Theatre endowed by Cameron Macintosh in honor of Stephen Sondheim at Oxford one year later.

Mrs. Corbett’s generosity has helped scores of students with scholarship aid, enabled the program to invite master teachers to campus, established New York and Chicago showcases for graduating seniors and underwritten admission-free Studio productions, CCM’s gift to the Cincinnati theatre-going community.

In 1991, the Musical Theatre Chair was inaugurated with a production of INTO THE WOODS by Stephen Sondheim, directed by Aubrey Berg, with sets by Paul Shortt, costumes by Dean Mogle and lighting by Jim Gage. To mark the 20th anniversary of the Chair, the Musical Theatre program again stages this popular work, featuring current Corbett scholarship winners in the cast.

In March the celebration will continue with the 20th edition of the Musical Theatre “Not Famous Yet” Showcase, a tradition that began with the establishment of the Corbett Chair.

About Aubrey Berg
Aubrey Berg has headed the musical theatre program at CCM for the past 23 years. He has directed extensively for both professional and educational theatres, with productions ranging from the classics to new plays, from musical theatre to dramatic works. Musicals he has staged include West Side Story, Oklahoma!, Sweet Charity, Cabaret, Chicago, Babes in Arms, Into the Woods, Evita, Hair, A Chorus Line, The Pirates of Penzance, My One and Only, Assassins, Cyrano, Passion, Chess, Godspell and Little Me. Other productions include such works as Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Two Gentlemen of Verona, Tartuffe, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Crucible, Electra and Vinegar Tom.

As a performer, Berg has been seen in roles as diverse as Dr. Pangloss in Candide and Frank in Educating Rita. He holds a PhD in Theatre Arts from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and has studied at the Bristol Old Vic, the British Drama League and the British Council at Stratford-upon-Avon. His work has received a DALRO Award Citation, Joseph Jefferson Award Citations, Obelisk Awards for Excellence in the Performing Arts, Post-Corbett Award nominations, Cincinnati Entertainment Awards and Acclaim Awards.

Berg is the first holder of the Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre at CCM and served as Artistic Director of its award winning summer repertory, Hot Summer Nights, for seven years. His students can be seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in national and international tours. In 2010, he received the League of Cincinnati Theatres Award of Excellence and was elected to the CEA Hall of Fame.

Performance Times
February 23-March 4, 2012

• Thursday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 24, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 25, 2 & 8 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 26, 2 p.m.
• Thursday, March 1, 8 p.m.
• Friday, March 2, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, March 3, 2 & 8 p.m.
• Sunday, March 4, 2 p.m.

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, College-Conservatory of Music
University of Cincinnati

Tickets & Parking Information
Tickets to INTO THE WOODS are $29 for adults ($27 matinee) and $19 for students ($17 matinee). $11 student rush tickets will be available for the Saturday matinee beginning at 1 p.m. on Feb. 25 & March 3; limit two rush tickets per student ID. Parking is available in the CCM Garage (at the base of Corry Boulevard off of Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus.

For complete ticket and parking information, visit ccm.uc.edu or call the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183.

Into the Woods Cast List

• Narrator/ Mysterious Man: Graydon Long (Senior from Perrysburg, Ohio)
• Baker: Chris Blem (Senior from Tampa, Fla.)
• Baker’s Wife: Michelle Rombola (Senior from Buffalo, N.Y.)
• Witch: Victoria Cook (Senior from Atlanta, Ga.)
• Rapunzel: Lauren Roesner (Junior from Chicago, Ill.)
• Cinderella: Katie Johannigman (Senior from Cincinnati)
• Cinderella’s Mother: Kate McMillan (Junior from Goldsboro, N.C.)
• Cinderella’s Father: Lee Slobotkin (Junior from Philadelphia, Pa.)
• Cinderella’s Stepmother: Christine Smith (Junior from Dallas, Texas)
• Florinda: Aubrey Ireland (Junior from Leawood, Kan.)
• Lucinda: Catherine Helm (Sophomore from Ft. Worth, Texas)
• Cinderella’s Prince: John Riddle (Senior from Vermilion, Ohio)
• Rapunzel’s Prince: Matthew Amira (Junior from New York, N.Y.)
• Steward: Greg Kamp (Junior from Atlanta, Ga.)
• Jack: Josh S. Smith (Junior from New Orleans, La.)
• Jack’s Mother: Cassie Levine (Junior from Vestal, N.Y.)
• Milky White: Joey Dippel (Junior from San Jose, Calif.)
• Little Red Ridinghood: Lawson Young (Freshman from Saratoga Springs, N.Y.)
• Wolf: Blaine Krauss (Sophomore from St. Petersburg, Fla.)
• Granny: Madeleine L. Spacapan (Freshman from Arlington Heights, Ill.)
• Sleeping Beauty: Kaela O’Connor (Freshman from Essex Falls, N. J.)
• Snow White: Katie Wesler (Sophomore from Birmingham, Ala.)
• Giant: Kate McMillan (Junior from Goldsboro, N.C.)
• Stagehands: Connor Deane (Sophomore from Orange, Conn.) and Dane C. Becker (Sophomore from Sarasota, Fla.)

Production Team

• Aubrey Berg, director
• Steven Goers, musical director
• Patti James, choreographer
• *Ryan Howell & Brian J. Ruggaber, scenic designers
• Dean Mogle, costume designer
• Kelly Yurko & *Kaitie Adams, wig & make-up designers
• *Tim Schmall, lighting designer
• *Hunter Spoede, sound designer
• *Sarah Cowing, stage manager
  * denotes CCM student

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Lighting Sponsor: Vincent Lighting Systems

University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
MAINSTAGE MUSICAL THEATRE SERIES

INTO THE WOODS
Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine

Aubrey Berg, director
Steven Goers, musical director
Patti James, choreographer

Ryan Howell & Brian J. Ruggaber, scenic designers
Dean Mogle, costume designer
Kelly Yurko & *Kaitie Adams, wig & make-up designers
Tim Schmall, lighting designer
Hunter Spoede, sound designer
Sarah Cowing, stage manager

Performance Times
February 23-March 4, 2012

• Thursday, Feb. 23, 8 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 24, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 25, 2 & 8 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 26, 2 p.m.
• Thursday, March 1, 8 p.m.
• Friday, March 2, 8 p.m.
• Saturday, March 3, 2 & 8 p.m.
• Sunday, March 4, 2 p.m.

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, College-Conservatory of Music
University of Cincinnati

Tickets:
$27-$29, $17-$19 students
$11 student rush tickets available for Saturday matinee beginning at 1 p.m. on Feb. 25 & March 3.

Ordering or Additional Information:
Box Office: 513-556-4183 or boxoff@uc.edu

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Lighting Sponsor: Vincent Lighting Systems

All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a calendar of events or to view CCM’s 2011-2012 Mainstage Performance brochure visit our website at ccm.uc.edu.

Be embraced. Be mesmerized. Be delighted. Be a part of CCM!

The 2012 TRANSMIGRATION: A Festival of Student-Created New Works Runs Feb. 16-18

CINCINNATI, OH — The College-Conservatory of Music (CCM)’s Drama students continue to learn what it takes to produce their own theatre pieces as they prepare for the 2012 TRANSMIGRATION: A Festival of Student-Created New Works taking place February 16-18 throughout CCM Village. The fourth-annual festival allows the audience to sample half-hour works produced by small groups of Drama majors, who create all aspects of their productions from start to finish. Admission to the festival is free, but reservations are required.

The festival is an exciting event for both guests and the presenters, as audiences get the opportunity to see up to four pieces of new theatre in a single night and the students premiere works that are entirely their own. “TRANSMIGRATION is student-driven and artist-driven,” says Richard Hess, chair of CCM’s Drama Department and director of TRANSMIGRATION. “Students get free reign to, as a group of people, create, cast themselves and produce a piece of work that is original and means something to them.”

TRANSMIGRATION came into being in response to the dynamic careers of today’s professional actors. Though auditioning and getting cast for roles is the conventional way for an actor to make a name for his or herself, “the second way to make work is to gather a group of like-minded people, get together and create something… students need to know how to go into a storefront theatre and say ‘we’re going to make something in this raw space,’” Hess asserts. TRANSMIGRATION gives students real-world creative experiences that will last and develop through the rest of their careers.

Some of the companies formed by current and former CCM Drama students include The Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Satori Theatre Group (Seattle), The Lost Theatre Company (New York), Cincinnati Outdoor Classics and Stokastik Theatre Ensemble (Los Angeles). Although several of these companies were formed prior to the inception of TRANSMIGRATION, the festival is added encouragement for students to venture out on their own.

“It teaches us that you are in control of your own art, no one gives you permission to make art and if you just find your people anything is possible,” says senior Cameron Davis, who is working on Knock Knock. “Ultimately there is a product that is TRANSMIGRATION, but it’s the journey that means so much to us.”

The lessons students learn from TRANSMIGRATION come from the process of collaborating in groups of 8-10 people to develop a concept, story, characters and script for their 30-minute shows. Beyond the plays, students must also construct a set, costumes, lighting design and marketing campaign for their productions, all on a budget of $60. Students do not choose their groups, but instead are assigned randomly, providing them with the opportunity to collaborate with new people with different ideas.

“The audience gets the product, but we get the process… sometimes butting heads, but in a way that sharpens the iron,” states sophomore Mia Vera, who will be presenting the historically-inspired Booth at this year’s festival. “We find our voices and we learn to harmonize; I’m learning what I love, but I’m also learning what people in my group love and how those things go together.”

This year’s TRANSMIGRATION festival will feature the works Booth, Eddie Shanahan, forget me not, Knock Knock, and Y2012K.

Audience members will have the opportunity to customize their theater-going experience by choosing to watch up to four different productions, which are performed simultaneously in non-traditional spaces throughout CCM’s Corbett Center for the Performing Arts.

CCM EVENT DETAILS

TRANSMIGRATION
Dates and Times:

• Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2 & 7 p.m.

See descriptions below for specific times for each production.

Location: Various locations throughout the CCM Village, including:

• Cohen Family Studio Theater
• Room 3640 Corbett Center for the Performing Arts
• Room 3650 Corbett Center for the Performing Arts

See individual production descriptions for details.

Tickets & Information: Admission is free, but reservations are required and can be reserved by contacting the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183. Tickets become available Monday, February 13 at noon. Limit two tickets per order. Parking is available in the CCM Garage (at the base of Corry Boulevard off of Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. For complete reservation and parking information, visit ccm.uc.edu.

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

Drama Studio Series Sponsor: Neil Artman & Margaret Straub

Show Descriptions

Booth
To Win, To Kill, To Live

Description: This historically based piece of theatre is themed on the Lincoln assassination. It takes the audience through the leading up to (to win), day of (to kill), and fallout (to live) from the perspective of the infamous John Wilkes Booth. The dramatic retelling of what happened in the presidential booth of Ford’s Theatre is interactive and immersive: the audience will experience the three parts separately, and not necessarily linearly, as they follow a prescribed object through scenes.

Featuring: Clare Ward, Kirstopher Dean, Ellie Jameson, Ty Olwin, Madeline Smith, John Patrick Maddock, Mia Vera*, Caitlin Penson, Fabiola Rodriguez

Performance information: Cohen Family Studio Theatre

• Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7:45 & 8:30 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 17 at 7:45 & 8:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2:45 & 3:30 p.m., 7:45 & 8:30 p.m.

forget me not
Can my cape fit into my brief case?

Description: forget me not examines how to reconcile the seriousness of adulthood with the desire for childlike curiosity and imagination. A 20-year-old is dissatisfied with the state of her imagination and in order to figure out what went wrong, she must start at its formation. Her imaginary friends guide her from childhood to adulthood in order to figure out her present state.

Featuring: Zachary Crowley, Arielle Geller, Spencer House, William Kiley, Connor Lawrence, Clifford Nunley, Caroline Shannon, Sarah Vargo, Ian Webber, Jaclyn Williams*

Performance information: 3640 Corbett Center

• Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 & 7:45 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 & 7:45 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2 & 2:45 p.m., 7 & 7:45 p.m.

The Eddie Shanahan Show
“Who’s in charge around here?”

Description: Replicating a TV show, Eddie Shanahan is experienced as if being taped in front of a live studio audience. On the eve of the most important late-night awards show, the Emmy’s, the bitter and miserly Eddie Shanahan is met by three spirits who take him in search of the joy that used to radiate into the homes of his once-fans. Based on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Featuring: Bailie Breault, William Brown, Kate Daugherty, Mack Harden, Claron Hayden*, Colleen Ladrick, Brynn Langford, Carli Rhoades, Shaun Sutton

Performance information: Cohen Family Studio Theatre

• Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 & 9:15 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 & 9:15 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2 & 4:15 p.m., 7 & 9:15 p.m.

Anaconda Montana
Knock Knock
Every story has two rooms

Description: There are two sides to every story, and audiences can experience each one individually in Knock Knock, occurring in two places at once: Corbett Center 3640 and 3650. Two groups of strangers come together in this Clue-esque family mystery, realizing in the process that they have much more in common than they previously realized.

Featuring: Alyssa Caputo, Jack Conroy, Cameron Davis*, Alex Escher, Hannah Halvorson, Anna Horton, Mary Malloy, Megan Marshall, Callie Schuttera, Parker Searfoss, Hope Shangle, Alec Silberblatt, Nathan Wallace, Garrett Walters, Trey Wright, Gregory Wyatt

Performance information: 3640 and 3650 Corbett Center

• Thursday, Feb. 16 at 8:30 & 9:15 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 17 at 8:30 & 9:15 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 18 at 3:30 & 4:15 p.m., 8:30 & 9:15 p.m.

Y2012K
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Just Let It All End

Description: Good morning, America. It’s 2012 and this is the 9:00 news. The financial meltdown has come to a head, there’s riots, Boston is a quarantine zone, animals have escaped the zoo, devastating natural disasters are occurring, zombies, dinosaurs… Don’t worry: stay indoors, don’t drink the water and we’ll be here bringing you live coverage.

Featuring: Bennett Bradley, Christian Carey, Sarah Davenport, Joe Markesbery, Molly Massa, Anna Stapleton, Mariel Tompkins, Jared Wilson*

Performance information: 3650 Corbett Center

• Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 & 7:45 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 17 at 7 & 7:45 p.m.
• Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2 & 2:45 p.m., 7 & 7:45 p.m.

*Director