CCM Announces 2012-13 Mainstage Series of Opera, Musical Theatre and Drama

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is pleased to announce details for the 2012-13 CCM Mainstage Series of opera, musical theatre and drama productions.

This year’s unforgettable Mainstage Series features breathtaking opera from modern to classic, masterful musicals from Kurt Weill and the composers of Mamma Mia and wondrous comedy and drama from Shakespeare and William Saroyan. The series features six fully staged works, with performances taking place Oct. 3, 2012 through April 7, 2013.

Please see below for production and ticketing details. For additional information, call the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 or visit ccm.uc.edu.

Read Jackie Demaline’s coverage in the Cincinnati Enquirer for even more information on CCM 2012-13 Mainstage Series.

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CCM 2012-13 MAINSTAGE SERIES
Opera, Musical Theatre, Drama

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Written by William Shakespeare
Michael Burnham, director

A madcap misadventure in the complications and miscalculations of love and lust, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the Bard at his comic best. Driven by the magic of the impish Puck and his band of fairies, young lovers, older lovers and even a group of rude tradesmen are caught in a whirlwind of misdirected passion.

Performance Dates: Oct. 3 (preview), Oct. 4–7, 2012
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater
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Chess
Music by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Book by Richard Nelson
Aubrey Berg, director
Stephen Goers, musical director
Diane Lala, choreographer

Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (of ABBA fame) and lyricist Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and The Lion King) created this rock opera hit that played to sold-out houses in London’s West End and on Broadway. Against the backdrop of the Cold War struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, the musical presents an intriguing tale of romantic rivalries, cunning gamesmanship and political tensions playing out in master chess tournaments around the world. Time magazine hailed the work as “one of the best rock scores ever produced.”

Performance Dates: Oct. 25–28, 2012
Location: Corbett Auditorium
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Street Scene
Music by Kurt Weill
Lyrics by Langston Hughes
Book by Elmer Rice
Mark Gibson, musical director
Steven Goldstein, director

Based on Elmer Rice’s Pulitzer Prize winning drama, Street Scene is a stirring synthesis of European traditional opera and American musical theatre. A simple story of love, greed and death portrays life in a tenement house between one evening and the next, bringing to poignant life a wide range of multiethnic characters. Kurt Weill’s Tony Award-winning music is considered by many critics to be his masterpiece. Sung in English with supertitles.

Performance Dates: Nov. 15–18, 2012
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater
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The Time Of Your Life
Written by William Saroyan
Diane Kvapil, director

William Saroyan’s sprawling, elegant and bittersweet comedy was the first drama to win both the Pulitzer Prize and the Drama Critics’ Circle Award. Set in a rundown dive bar in San Francisco, the play is filled with colorful characters, love and the follies of humanity in what the New York Post called a “gleeful, tender and hilarious, probing and elusive” portrait of life.

Performance Dates: Feb. 6 (preview), Feb. 7–10, 2013
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater
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The Threepenny Opera
Music by Kurt Weill
Book and lyrics by Bertolt Brecht
English Adaptation by Marc Blitzstein
Robin Guarino, director
Roger Grodsky, musical director
Patti James, choreographer

Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht, two towering figures of the 20th century stage, weave the riveting story of notorious bandit and womanizer MacHeath (Mack the Knife) and his seedy companions in London’s underworld. Weill’s acid-tinged score invented a new form of musical theatre, leading the way for such shows as Chicago and Cabaret. Mature subject matter.

Performance Dates: Feb. 28–March3, March 7–10, 2013
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater
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The Magic Flute
Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder
Mark Gibson, conductor
Nicholas Muni, director
Steven Goldstein, director

Mozart composed this beloved opera for the person who wants everything. A hero and heroine questing for true love, evil villains, a girl-crazed sidekick and – to add to the lunacy – a whole range of beastly creatures. Mozart’s incredible music reflects and drives all of the merriment of this all-time favorite. Sung in German with English supertitles.

Performance Dates: April 4-7, 2013
Location: Corbett Auditorium
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Mainstage Series Subscriptions
The 2012-13 CCM Mainstage Series of opera, musical theatre and drama productions includes subscription packages for six-show, four-show and three-show combinations.

Priority subscription renewal information will be sent to current subscribers during the month of April. Current subscribers have a chance to renew their packages at special savings if they place their orders by May 31, 2012. Subscription prices will increase on June 1.

New subscriptions become available in summer 2012 at $168 for a full six-show package, $116 for a four-show package and $90 for a three-show package.

Concert Series Options
CCM also offers dozens of chamber music, choral, jazz, orchestra, wind, dance and special guest artist concerts each year. Mainstage subscribers will receive first access to CCM’s new Ariel Quartet subscription packages and CCM Concert Series flex ticket packages, along with discounted prepaid parking options and other exclusive perks.

Full programming and package details for CCM’s 2012-13 Concert Series will be announced later this spring.

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

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

CCM Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s