CCMONSTAGE Online: Get the latest news from CCM

Experience the artistry and expertise of our students, alumni, faculty and staff through our CCMONSTAGE Online e-newsletter. Our latest edition features details on how to watch the Ariel Quartet’s recently streamed concert, an exciting announcement from our new Division of Media Production and other campus news!

Sign up to receive CCM’s e-newsletter at ccm.uc.edu/subscribe.

Get the latest news from CCM:

Watch the Ariel Quartet’s digital concert

The Ariel Quartet performs with CSO/CCM Diversity Fellows Cristian Diaz and Denielle Wilson in the latest episode of CCM’s streaming concert series. Watch the online concert.

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CCM Idea Lab shares collaborative storytelling during the pandemic

Students and faculty from across the college work together to create innovative multimedia projects

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CCM Media Production launches new curriculum for 21st-century storytellers

Program updates focus on exciting new opportunities for students to prepare them for future success

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Moveable Feast sponsors and audiences support CCM students

Thank you to the CCM community for helping the college fuel the future of the arts

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‘Rising-star’ student conducts in Cincinnati Opera’s Digital Winter Festival

William R. Langley leads the opera’s “Wanderlust” concert on March 5

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CCM Summer offers collegiate and adult arts programs in 2021

Collaborate with fellow arts enthusiasts and study baroque music, opera, music education and more

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Cincinnati Business Courier: Opera, book, film cast light on UC’s Ohio Innocence Project

Mark Godsey is UC law professor and director and co-founder of the OIP

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Additional Resources

Celebrate Black History Month at UC

Take part in the African American Cultural and Resource Center’s tribute to Black history

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UC Online programs ranked among best in the nation

U.S. News places UC colleges, programs among best for online education, supporting student success

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UC’s Center for Integrative Health and Wellness

The University of Cincinnati’s Center for Integrative Health and Wellness is providing information and resources to promote wellness. Learn more about the center’s wellness tips during times of stress and consider signing up for their email newsletter.

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FAQs and Online Resources

Please continue to refer to CCM’s coronavirus resource website to help answer your frequently asked questions. This website is updated as new information develops, so please check back often.

For more information about the University of Cincinnati’s response to COVID-19, please visit uc.edu/publichealth

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Sign up to receive CCM’s bi-weekly e-newsletter at ccm.uc.edu/subscribe.

CCM’s Virtual Moveable Feast Premieres Tonight

CCM’s Moveable Feast is making its online debut, and you have the best seats in (your) house! Join the arts fundraiser at 8 p.m. tonight, Jan. 22 to enjoy student and alumni performances that span the spectrum of the performing arts. Tickets are available online.

Get your first taste of Moveable Feast: From Coast to Coast by watching the teaser trailer, featuring clips of performances that will be featured in the event.

Moveable Feast: From Coast to Coast features performances by student and alumni stars from across the country, including offerings from New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Cincinnati and more! Program highlights include:

• CCM Opera alum and 2020 Glyndebourne Opera cup winner Edward Nelson singing “Someone to Watch Over Me”
• Current students of CCM Musical Theatre Class of 2022 performing with Broadway alumni Leslie Kritzer (Beetlejuice, Something Rotten!), Noah J. Ricketts (Frozen, Beautiful The Carol King Musical), Stephanie Jae Park (Hamilton, War Paint), John Riddle (Frozen, The Visit) and Nikki Renée Daniels (Hamilton, The Book of Mormon)
• An original piece called “We Dare to Dream” featuring CCM acting alumni Diana Maria Riva (Dead to Me), Dominic Bogart (Fear the Walking Dead), Blake Kubena (Vikings), Torie Wiggins (Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati), Brandon Jones (Wildflowers) and more!
• Student performances by the CCM Wind Symphony, CCM Philharmonia and CCM Jazz Orchestra
• Student performances also showcase CCM Dance and CCM Piano as well as video pieces by CCM E-Media and Theatre Design and Production students

In addition to the performances, Moveable Feast’s virtual debut features a silent auction, private VIP chat rooms and dinner at home from Jeff Thomas Catering for Cincinnati audiences.

Audiences can learn more about Moveable Feast: From Coast to Coast in the event details below and in news coverage by Broadway World, Musical America, Cincinnati Enquirer, Local 12, WGUC, Behind the Curtain Cincinnati and arts reporter Janelle Gelfand.

Hosted by CCMpower — a dedicated volunteer group comprised of friends, advocates and alumni — Moveable Feast generates essential support to fund student scholarships, projects and travel opportunities. These unique educational offerings are essential to the CCM experience and provide creative opportunities for students that are vital to their growth as creators and collaborators. This year, COVID-19 cancelled paid work that students rely on and drastically changed students’ family financial circumstances. Our students need scholarship and emergency funds now more than ever. Your support will set the stage for our students to be and to create what is next in the arts.

Virtual Moveable Feast: From Coast to Coast

8 p.m. Jan. 22, 2021

Schedule of events:

• Sponsor pre-show chat: 6:30-7:45 p.m.
• Performances: 8-9 p.m.

Program details:

CCM Jazz Orchestra
Scott Belck, director
KAI ECKHARDT: The Shadow, arranged by Joe Duran (BM, ’13; MM, ’15)

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CCM Wind Symphony
Kevin Michael Holzman, conductor
OMAR THOMAS: A Mother of a Revolution!

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Edward Nelson, baritone (BM, ’11; MM, ’13)
Accompanied by San Francisco Opera guest artist Ronny Michael Greenberg, piano
GEORGE GERSHWIN: Someone to Watch Over Me

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CCM Ballet Ensemble
Excerpts from Napoli (1842)
Originally choreographed by August Bournonville
Restaged by Tricia Sundbeck
Set to “Pas De Six” by Niels W. Gade, Edvard Helsted and Holger Simon Paulli
Featuring student dancers Maia Blake, Amanda Kenner, Ying-Chi Lu, Anne McGovern, Gabby Savka, David Lopena and Garrett Steagall

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CCM Chamber Choir
Joe Miller, conductor
THOMAS MORLEY: Nolo mortem peccatoris

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The Ariel Quartet with CSO/CCM Diversity Fellow Cristian J. Diaz, viola
W. A. MOZART: String Quintet in G. Minor No. 4, K. 516 (1787), IV. Adagio-Allegro

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Electronic Media
Documentary: The Making of “Hope After Hate”
Hagit Limor, executive producer
Featuring students and alumni Carlee Coulehan, Nicole Fishburn, Kela Parker, Skylar Heizer, Jonathan Kilberg, Ed Kohls, Jason Obergefell, Ethan Qureshi, Dillon Trafzer, Gianna Vitali, Madison White, Thomas Zins and Michael Stanwick
Special thanks to Michael Benedic and Eric Dietrich

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CCM Acting
“We Dare to Dream”
Richard Hess, producer
Original music composed and performed by Colin Edgar
Text: Nobody Knows My Name (James Baldwin) and He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven (W.B. Yeats)
Featuring alumni Torie Wiggins (BFA, ’03), Aaron Serotsky (BFA, ’97), Sarah Ellen Stephens (BFA, ’08), Jabari Carter (BFA, ’20),  Jaclyn Chantél (BFA, ’14),  Blake Kubena (BFA, ’07),  Ellyn Jameson (BFA, ’13), Brandon Jones (BFA, ’03),  Diana Maria Riva (BFA, ’91; MFA, ’95) and Dominic Bogart (BFA, ’00)

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CCM Piano
Featuring student Jiajun (David) Lai, piano
J.S. BACH: Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971 – I

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CCM Philharmonia
Mark Gibson, conductor
Featuring student artist Brittany Logan, soprano
GUSTAVE CHARPENTIER: “Depuis le jour” from Louise (1900)

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CCM Jazz Orchestra
Featuring student artists Maya Threat, vocals; Ricky Roshell, tenor saxophone; Myles Twitty, trumpet; Anthony Bryson, trombone; Chris Caporale, piano; Mason Daugherty, bass; Derek Johnson, drums
ABEL MEEROPOL: “Strange Fruit” arranged by Myles Twitty

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CCM Musical Theatre
Eric Santagata, editor and producer
Featuring the Musical Theatre Class of 2022 and alumni guest artists John Riddle (BFA, ’12), Stephanie Jae Park (BFA, ’14), Leslie Kritzer (BFA. ’99), Noah J. Ricketts (BFA, ’14) and Nikki Renée Daniels (BFA, ’01)
STEPHEN SONDHEIM: “No One is Alone” from Into the Woods, arranged by Julie Spangler

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Silent Auction

Guests will pre-register for access to the silent auction through the Moveable Feast event website. The auction officially opened on January 15 and closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on January 25.

There are over 50 items to peruse and bid on, ranging from “buy it now” experiences including:

• A special serenade from CCM students and accompanying gift certificate to Graeter’s Ice Cream to make a birthday or anniversary memorable
• An evening with CCM alumnus Aaron Lazar (star of Fox’s Filthy Rich)
• A visit to a Warner Bros. Sound Stage to witness a recording for a popular primetime television show episode
• A private coaching by Aubrey Berg and Patricia Linhart for an aspiring CCM Musical Theatre student.
• And more!

There are also many items for those who also love the visual and sculptural arts including pieces from local artist Bill Feinberg, a football signed by Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and a special Zoom experience with Reds Legend Johnny Bench.

Purchasing Tickets

Tickets to Moveable Feast are on sale now and can be purchased online at foundation.uc.edu/MoveableFeast2021 or over the telephone at 513-556-2100.

General Admission and Young Professional tickets cost $25 each; CCM Alumni tickets cost $15.

After purchasing tickets, audience members will receive registration information on how to access the event website. If you don’t live in the Eastern Standard Time zone or simply want to watch Moveable Feast at a different time, the performances will be accessible at your convenience on the event website with your login information.

Sponsorship and host levels range from $150-$10,000. To discuss benefit details or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Libby Coletta, Assistant Director of Development, at 513-556-2100 or olivia.coletta@uc.edu.

CCM’s Moveable Feast makes virtual debut on Jan. 22, 2021

Enjoy the artistry of CCM students and prominent alumni — all from the comfort of your own home during the college’s virtual fundraising event. Tickets are on sale now.

Cincinnati’s premier arts fundraiser gets a virtual makeover when CCM presents Moveable Feast online on Jan. 22, 2021. Join us as we travel around the country to see firsthand how CCM sets the bar in the arts world.

Enjoy an evening with the CCM family, despite the miles or the social distance that may separate us. Audiences from coast to coast can experience CCM’s student and alumni stars in a variety of online performances that showcase the full spectrum of the performing and media arts.

Alumni guest artists include stars from popular titles of the stage and screen like Hamilton, Frozen, Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Netflix’s Dead to Me and more! Featuring CCM Musical Theatre alumni Nikki Renée Daniels (BFA, ‘01), Noah J. Ricketts (BFA, ’14) and Stephanie Jae Park (BFA, ’14); Opera alumnus Edward Nelson (BM, ’11; MM, ‘13); and Acting alumni Diana Maria Riva (BFA, ’91; MFA, ’95), Aaron Serotsky (BFA, ’97), Torie Wiggins (BFA, ’03), Blake Kubena (BFA, ’07) and more. Moveable Feast offerings feature performances by the college’s Wind Symphony, Philharmonia and Jazz Ensemble, and by students in CCM’s Musical Theatre, Dance and Piano programs. The program also showcases video pieces by CCM Media Production and Theatre Design and Production students. The full lineup of alumni guest artists and program details will be announced in the coming weeks!

In addition to the performances, Moveable Feast’s virtual debut features a silent auction, private VIP chat rooms and dinner at home from Jeff Thomas Catering for Cincinnati audiences.

Hosted by CCMpower — a dedicated volunteer group comprised of friends, advocates and alumni — Moveable Feast generates essential support to fund student scholarships, projects and travel opportunities. These unique educational offerings are essential to the CCM experience and provide creative opportunities for students that are vital to their growth as creators and collaborators. This year, COVID-19 cancelled paid work that students rely on and drastically changed students’ family financial circumstances. Our students need scholarship and emergency funds now more than ever. Your support will set the stage for our students to be and to create what is next in the arts. Learn how to become a sponsor of Moveable Feast.

Virtual Moveable Feast: From Coast to Coast

8 p.m. Jan. 22, 2021

Schedule of events:

• Sponsor pre-show chat: 6:30-7:45 p.m.
• Performances: 8-9 p.m.

Purchasing Tickets

Tickets to Moveable Feast are on sale now and can be purchased online at foundation.uc.edu/MoveableFeast2021 or over the telephone at 513-556-2100.

General Admission and Young Professional tickets cost $25; CCM Alumni tickets cost $15.

After purchasing tickets, audience members will receive registration information on how to access the event website. If you don’t live in the Eastern Standard Time zone or simply want to watch Moveable Feast at a different time, the performances will be accessible at your convenience on the event website with your login information.

Sponsorship and host levels range from $150-$10,000. To discuss benefit details or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Libby Coletta, Assistant Director of Development, at 513-556-2100 or olivia.coletta@uc.edu.

CCMONSTAGE Online: Stay connected with the latest news from the college

Although we are still unable to perform for you live, you can continue to experience the artistry and expertise of our students, alumni, faculty and staff through our CCMONSTAGE Online e-newsletter. Our latest edition features performance videos, stories and other resources designed to help us stay connected even when we have to temporarily stay apart.

Sign up to receive CCM’s e-newsletter at ccm.uc.edu/subscribe.

Get the latest news from CCM:

CCMONSTAGE: Watch the CCM Philharmonia’s Sept. 12 performance

The virtual concert also features mezzo-soprano and CCM Professor Quinn Patrick Ankrum. Read more. 

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CCM alumni in Tony Award-nominated productions

Watch Aaron Tveit and CCM alumna Karen Olivo sing “Come What May” from Moulin Rouge! musical. Read more.

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CCM shares Spring 2021 registration details

Last week, CCM Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Stephanie P. Schlagel provided information on spring course registration and CCM’s online accommodation resources. Read more.

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CCM piano professor featured in upcoming streamed performances

Awadagin Pratt will perform as a soloist with three symphony orchestras in the next two months. Read more.

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Dada Rafiki honors CCM staff member for community engagement work

Anne Cushing-Reid has supported arts education in Greater Cincinnati for more than 25 years. Read more.

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Students take spotlight in UC commercial

Meet the Bearcats behind the university’s latest TV spot, “Push Forward.” Read more.

 

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Arts Engines: CSO/CCM Diversity Fellow graduate speaks to the power of music

Aaron Dworkin interviews alumnus Ian Saunders about his experience in the program and his career. Read more.

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Classical Singer Magazine: CCM alumna harnesses girl power on the operatic stage

CCM Stage director Jennifer Williams discusses how to create empowered portrayals of women in opera. Read more.

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Additional Resources

Bridging the divide

Meet the women tackling tough conversations about race at UC. Read more.

 

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UC Answers: How can mindfulness help us cope?

UC Center for Integrative Health and Wellness Director Sian Cotton, expert in mindfulness and its benefits, offers advice to the UC community. Read more.

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UC’s Center for Integrative Health and Wellness

The University of Cincinnati’s Center for Integrative Health and Wellness is providing information and resources to promote wellness. Learn more about the center’s wellness tips during times of stress and consider signing up for their email newsletter.

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FAQs and Online Resources

Please continue to refer to CCM’s coronavirus resource website to help answer your frequently asked questions. This website is updated as new information develops, so please check back often.

For more information about the University of Cincinnati’s response to COVID-19, please visit uc.edu/publichealth.

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Sign up to receive CCM’s bi-weekly e-newsletter at ccm.uc.edu/subscribe.

Stay Connected: CCMONSTAGE Online’s Latest Newsletter

Experience the artistry and expertise of our students, alumni, faculty and staff through our CCMONSTAGE Online e-newsletter. Our latest edition features performance videos, stories and other resources designed to help us stay connected.

UC plans to welcome back students to campus on Aug. 24 for the start of the fall semester. A thoughtful blend of in-person and virtual offerings, in addition to enhanced health and safety measures, will provide students with the best collegiate experience possible in this new era of living and learning. Learn more about UC’s Return to Campus.

Sign up to receive CCM’s e-newsletter at ccm.uc.edu/subscribe.

Get the latest news from CCM:

CCM Dance co-ops create pipeline from student to professional artist

The college’s co-op program connects students to professional ballet companies while they complete their BFA degrees, creating a pipeline that leads young artists to their future careers. Student Grace Mccutcheon and alumna Hannah Holtsclaw share how CCM Dance co-ops have impacted their careers so far. Read more.

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WVXU and CCM Acting’s “O’Toole From Moscow” is available to stream on demand

Listen online to enjoy Rod Serling’s comedy about confusion between Russians and the Cincinnati Reds. Directed by CCM Professor Richard Hess, the radio play features a cast of CCM Acting students with narration by Serling’s daughter, Anne. Read more.

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Internationally acclaimed stage director Greg Eldridge joins CCM’s opera faculty

Eldridge has worked across eight countries at some of the world’s most famous opera houses. His work has been praised by critics for its “thoughtful and effective” staging, with “detailed characterizations and considered through-lines” a hallmark of his directing style. Read more.

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Eight UC faculty recognized for excellence in mentoring undergraduate researchers

CCM Assistant Professor-Educator of Piano Andy Villemez was named one of this year’s outstanding research mentors. UC offers numerous opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research and explore it as a possible career. Read more.

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Arts for all: CCM offers mix of online, in-person electives in fall 2020

CCM offers dozens of different general studies and arts elective courses in fall 2020. These credit-granting courses are open to all UC students and cover a wide range of topics including dance, movies and media, music and theatre arts. Read more.

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CCM Organ Professor spotlights C.B. Fisk Opus 148 Organ on “Around Cincinnati”

Cincinnati’s Christ Church Cathedral dedicated a new C.B. Fisk Organ Opus 148 in 2018. To learn more about this special instrument, WVXU’s Alexander Watson recently spoke with CCM Professor of Organ and Harpsichord Michael Unger and David Pike, head tonalist from C. B. Fisk Organ Builders. Read more.

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CCM Sounds Design student wins Pat MacKay Diversity in Design Scholarship

BFA Sound Design student Alena Milos is a recipient of the 2020 Pat MacKay Diversity in Design Scholarship, presented by Questex’s Live Design International (LDI) in partnership with TSDCA and USITT. Live Design, a creative and technical resource for live design professionals, recently featured Milos in a Q&A published online. Read more.

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FAQs and Online Resources

Please refer to our coronavirus resource website to help answer your frequently asked questions. This website is updated as new information develops, so please check back often. See more UC answers to your important questions.

For more information about the University of Cincinnati’s response to COVID-19, please visit uc.edu/publichealth.

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Sign up to receive CCM’s bi-weekly e-newsletter at ccm.uc.edu/subscribe.

Watch CCM’s 2020 Musical Theatre Senior Showcase

Although the theaters and concert halls at UC’s nationally ranked and internationally renowned College-Conservatory of Music are temporarily silent, audiences can still experience world-class performances through the CCMONSTAGE Online video series. This week’s release features the CCM Musical Theatre Class of 2020’s Senior Showcase, which was performed on March 12, 2020, in Patricia Corbett Theater.

Featuring hit songs from Broadway, Off-Broadway and pop music, the Senior Showcase was created by CCM’s Musical Theatre Class of 2020 under the supervision of faculty. This year’s showcase was directed by CCM Musical Theatre alumnus Justin Bohon and advised by Rachel Hoffman. The showcase was associate directed by Katie Johannigman and produced by Diane Lala and Denton Yockey. Musical direction by Julie Spangler. The showcase also features an original song by CCM Acting alumnus Todd Almond.

Receive updates on future CCMONSTAGE Online performances by subscribing to our mailing list.

Get to know the graduating seniors by reading their professional summaries! 

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Get to know CCM Musical Theatre’s Class of 2020

Andrew Alstat: Originally from Pomona, Illinois. Regional credits: Chuck Cranston in Footloose (The Muny), Albert in Newsies (Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts), Emmett in Legally Blonde, Billy Crocker in AnythingGoes (McLeod Summer Playhouse). CCM credits: Rocky in The Rocky Horror Show, Frederick in TheHunchback of Notre Dame, Angie the Ox in Guys and Dolls, Jesus Christ Superstar. Proud member of AEA. For more, visit andrewalstat.com and follow @a12tat on Instagram.

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Nick Berninger:Originally from Wayne, New Jersey. Regional credits: A Gentleman’s Guide To Love And Murder (The D’Ysquith Family), Cabaret (Emcee), The Little Mermaid (Scuttle/Chef Louis) at Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, New Jersey Regional premier of School of Rock (Dewey Finn) at Union County PAC, South Pacific (Billis), Cats (Bustopher/Gus) at Interlakes Summer Theatre. CCM credits: 42nd Street (Julian Marsh), Guys and Dolls (Nicely Nicely Johnson), Mack and Mabel (Fatty Arbuckle) Seussical (Horton u/s) and The Secret Garden (Ben). Workshops/Readings: Home Street Home (Big John), Nasha America (Uncle Vadim) and Rocket Science (Doyle) with the CCM Musical Theatre Incubator Project. Proud member of the AEA. For more, visit nickberninger.com and follow @nick_berninger on Instagram. 

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Kurtis Bradley Brown: Originally from Louisville, Kentucky. Regional credits: 42nd Street at Bucks County Playhouse, Sondheim on Sondheim, Newsies and Legally Blonde at the Lexington Theatre Company in the Euan Morton track, as the Crutchie understudy and as “Kiki, the colorist” (fierce!), respectively. CCM Credits: Dickon in The Secret Garden and many more. Currently training at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. For more, visit kurtisbradleybrown.com and follow @kurtisbradleybrown on Instagram.

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Michael Canu: Originally from Rochester, Michigan. Regional credits: A Chorus Line (Mark) at the Cape Playhouse, Mamma Mia! (Sky) and West Side Story (Snowboy) at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre, Footloose (Ren McCormack) and Newsies (Albert, Jack u/s) at the Clinton Showboat Theatre and The Nutcracker (Russian Soloist) with Michigan Ballet Theatre. He was also apart of the first symphonic version of Children of Eden (Adam) with Rochester Summer Music Theatre. CCM credits: 42nd Street (Andy Lee), Jesus Christ Superstar and Guys and Dolls (Harry The Horse). Michael won the Battaglia Scholarship Award for performance excellence in a musical. For more visit, michaelcanu.com and follow @michael_canu on Instagram.

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Matt Copley: Originally from Detroit, Michigan. Regional credits: Grease and Oklahoma! at Pittsburgh CLO. Footloose (Ren) and Newsies at Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts. Hockey: The Musical! (World Premiere) at City Theatre Detroit. Thoroughly Modern Millie (Jimmy) at Riverbank Theatre. CCM credits: Guys and Dolls (Nathan Detroit), The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Jesus Christ Superstar. Additional credits: Writer, Composer and Creator of blueprint the musical, Niko in Home Street Home workshop. Proud member of AEA. For more, visit matt-copley.com and follow @matt_copley on Instagram.

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Madison Deadman: Originally from Ann Arbor, MI. Regional credits: Rock of Ages (Young Groupie) at PCLO, Cabaret (Sally Bowles) at Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, Les Miserables (Eponine), Joseph… Dreamcoat (Narrator) and Little Women (Amy) at Encore Musical Theatre Company, The Addams Family (Wednesday) at Thunder Bay Theatre. CCM credits: Godspell (Jesus), Theory of Relativity (Caroline). Workshops: Home Street Home (Mom) with Kevin McCollum, Jeff Marx and NOFX; Rocket Science (Jenny Ryerson) with Richard Israel. Television: PBS special: SciEngiMathePloration. Film: A Girl Like Her (Emily Sailler). Print: model for Kotex UBY. For more, visit madisondeadman.com and follow @mjdeadman on Instagram.

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Bailee Endebrock: Originally from Herrin, Illinois. Regional credits: Mamma Mia (Sophie), Singin’ in the Rain (Kathy Selden), Oklahoma! (Dance Captain) at Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts. A Chorus Line (Maggie) and Sondheim on Sondheim (Leslie Kritzer Track) at The Lexington Theatre Company. The Sound of Music (Liesl) and Bring it On (Campbell) at McLeod Summer Playhouse. CCM credits: 42nd Street (Peggy Sawyer), The Secret Garden (Dance Captain/Alice), Yeast Nation (Jan-the-Sweet), Guys and Dolls (Hot Box Girl). For more, visit baileeendebrock.com and follow @bailee_endebrock on Instagram.

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Zoë Grolnick: Originally fromBoulder, Colorado. Regional credits: Rock of Ages at Lake Dillon Theatre Company, Godspell at Center Stage Theatre Company. CCM credits: 42nd Street (Anytime Annie), Guys and Dolls (Hot Box Chick), Theory of Relativity (Jenny), A Chorus Line (Vicki/Swing), Hunchback of Notre Dame and Seussical. For more, visit zoegrolnick.com and follow @zoegrolnick on Instagram.

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Delaney Guyer: Originally from Seattle, Washington. Delaney studied Meisner at the Maggie Flanigan Studio in New York for two months following her sophomore year. She has performed in regional theatres across the country including the 5th Avenue Theatre of Seattle, Village Theatre of Issaquah, Washington, the Lexington Theatre Company in Kentucky, the KNOW Theatre of Cincinnati and Sound Theatre Company of Seattle. CCM credits: The Rocky Horror Show (Magenta)and Yeast Nation (Jan The Sly) Secret Garden (Lily), Gruesome Playground Injuries (Kayleen). For more, visit delaneyguyer.com and follow @delaneyguyer on Instagram.

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Madison Hagler: Originally from Rainsville, Alabama. Regional credits: Gabe in Next to Normal (Porthouse Theatre), Pastor Olgethorpe in Smoke on the Mountain and Ensemble/Brother in Joseph…Dreamcoat (Totem Pole Playhouse). CCM credits: Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden, Judas/John the Baptist in Godspell, Annas in Jesus Christ Superstar, Tap Ensemble in 42nd Street, Gargoyle/ King Louis XI in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Seussical the Musical, Children of Eden and Lewinsky in Rocket Science, a new musical workshop. As an expert magician, Madison has toured the southeast with his grand illusion show, and has appeared as Magic Consultant for shows such as Pippin, Godspell, Big Fish and The Bartered Bride. For more, visit madisonhagler.com or follow @MadisonAdamsHagler on Instagram. 

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Elijah Lee King:Originally from Arlington, Virginia. Regional credits: Man of La Mancha (Pedro) and Music Man at Porthouse Theatre, Mamma Mia! at Totem Pole Playhouse and Joseph…Dreamcoat (Joseph) at City of Fairfax Theatre Co. CCM credtis: The Secret Garden (Ian Shaw), 42nd Street (Assistant Director), Yeast Nation (The Youngest), Guys and Dolls (Big Jule), Jesus Christ Superstar (Solider), The Little Mermaid Ballet (King Triton), Mack and Mabel (Ensemble). TV/Film: Power (STARZ), I Was Possessed (Lifetime), Copycat Killers (REELZ) and Evil Kin (Discovery ID). For more, visit elijahleeking.com and follow @Elijah_Lee_King on Instagram.

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Kylie Liya Page:Originally adopted from China, from New York. Broadway credits: 2006 revival Les Miserables (Young Cosette/ Eponine) at the Broadhurst Theater. National Tours credits: How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Annie Who/ u.s. Cindy Lou), Les Miserables (Young Cosette/ Eponine) at Theater of the Stars. Readings/Workshops: The Nightingale by Duncan Shiek/Steven Sadar (Nightingale) NYSAF with James Lapine and at Vassar College with Moises Kaufman. Nasha America (Jackie) at CCM. Film/TV: Friends From College (Teenager) Netflix, Gossip Girl (Constance Girl) CW Network/ Netflix, Ninja Assassin (Young Kariko) Warner Bros., Step Up 3D (Ice Cream Truck Girl) Disney. Off Broadway: Carousel (Louise) NAAP at the Peter J. Sharp Theater. CCM credits: (Dance Ensemble) in Jesus Christ Superstar, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 42nd Street at CCM. She is a proud member of AEA and SAG-AFTRA. For more, visit kylieliya.com and follow @kylieliya on Instagram. 

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Sam Pickart: Originally from Wisconsin. Regional credits: Anything Goes (Billy Crocker) and Saturday Night Fever (Gus) at Mac-Haydn Theatre, Mamma Mia (Sam Carmichael) and Bonnie & Clyde (Bob Alcorn) at Summer Repertory Theatre, Parade (Frankie Epps) at Greendale Theatre. CCM credits: The Secret Garden (Dr. Neville Craven), Guys and Dolls (Benny Southstreet), Theory of Relativity (Paul), 42nd Street (Pat Denning), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Tribunal/Gargoyle). For more, visit sampickart.com and follow @sampickart on Instagram.

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Erich W. Schleck: Originally from Seattle, Washington. Regional credits: Jesus Christ Superstar (Peter) and Newsies (Finch) at NCC Summer Theatre, Spring Awakening (Melchior) and Cabaret (Emcee) at Ballyhoo Theatre and the Original Cast Recording of A Christmas Story: The Musical with the 5th Avenue Theatre. CCM credits: The Rocky Horror Show (Riff Raff), Yeast Nation (Jan-the-Wise), Guys and Dolls, Jesus Christ Superstar, Sondheim on Sondheim, Children of Eden and the CCM Musical Theatre Incubator of Rocket Science (Heston). He originated the role of Rodrich in Nasha America in Cincinnati and NYC with Alchemation. Erich is also a choreographer with work that includes Big Fish (Village Theatre), Spring Awakening, Wizard of Oz, RENT and Once on this Island (5th Avenue Award Recipient). His original dance show This Moment premiered at CCM during a workshop in Spring 2019. For more, visit erichschleck.com and follow @erichschleck on Instagram.

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Hank von Kolnitz: Originally from Alexandria, Virginia. Regional credit: West Side Story (Big Deal) at The Lex; Little Mermaid (Prince Eric), Jesus Christ Superstar (Pontius Pilate) at the Clinton Area Showboat. West Side Story (Riff), Chicago and The Drowsy Chaperone at Santa Rosa Summer Rep; Mamma Mia, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at Totem Pole Playhouse. CCM credits: Rocky Horror Picture Show (Eddie/Dr. Scott), Hunchback of Notre Dame (Ensemble), Seussical (Ensemble U/S Wickershams), Guys and Dolls (Rusty Charlie) and more. For more, visit hankvonkolnitz.com and follow @hankvonko on Instagram.

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About CCM Musical Theatre

The Musical Theatre program at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is the oldest in the country and was the first of its kind. A four-year bachelor of fine arts (BFA) program, it was used by the National Association of Schools of Theatre in formulating the guidelines for the accreditation of Musical Theatre programs nationwide.

The program provides professional conservatory training designed to help singers, dancers and actors become accomplished musical theatre performers. Students participate in a number of productions while in residence and create a freshman and a senior showcase, the latter functioning as their New York debut for agents and casting directors. In addition, students undertake courses in English, history, psychology, dramatic literature, social and ethical issues and the humanities.

CCM Musical Theatre 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. CCM Musical Theatre graduates are working on Broadway and throughout the nation in such productions as Anastasia, Hamilton, Waitress, Moulin Rouge, The Phantom of the Opera, The Book of Mormon, Pippin, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, Kinky Boots, Big Fish, Newsies and The Lion King. Students represent CCM in national and international touring productions, in dinner theatres and theme parks, on cruise ships, on television, in talent agencies, as producers and in many of the related entertainment fields.

The Musical Theatre program is part of a larger academic division known as TAPAA: Theatre Arts, Production and Arts Administration. At the time of its establishment in 1991, the Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre at CCM 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.

Learn more about CCM’s BFA Musical Theatre program.

Alumnus recruits MLB stars and musicians for virtual rendition of ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’

Warm up for the start of the Major League Baseball season with a special virtual performance of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” that showcases UC College-Conservatory of Music students and alumni with MLB players. The performance is available to watch online.

Alumnus Harrison Sheckler (BM Piano, ’19) brought 200 people together for the performance, which was professionally produced with help from former Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo. The performance features singers and musicians from CCM and the Brooklyn College. Filling out the roster for the project are Bret Saberhagen (pitcher in the Royals Hall of Fame and 1985 World Series champion and former Met); Jim Day (FOX Red’s baseball announcer); Susan Roush Dellinger (author of “Red Legs and Black Sox” and granddaughter of Baseball Hall of Famer Edd Roush); Nick Martinez (pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball and former Ranger’s pitcher); Aristides Aquino (Red’s outfielder); Dale Scott (Former MLB umpire) and many others.

The video features 22 CCM students and alumni representing multiple areas of the college including violin, cello, clarinet, double bass, oboe, flute, piano, harp, horn and more. It also includes CCM Professor of Music (Tuba and Euphonium) Tim Northcut. It was produced by CCM Commercial Music Production alumni Armin Meyer and Grant Bayer, who are audio engineers at Cincinnati’s Zated Records. Many of these students and alumni also participated in Sheckler’s virtual performance of “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” CCM students and alumni involved in the “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” performance include:

• Armin Meyer (BM Commercial Music Production, ’18)
• Grant Bayer (BM Commercial Music Production, ’18)
• Natalie Orth (BM Violin, ’20)
• Jonathan Lin (BM Violoncello, ’18)
• Carolyn Regula – former DMA Violoncello student
• Peter Ryan (MM Violoncello, ’19) – current DMA Violoncello current
• Sarah Minnemanm – current DMA Oboe student
• Patrick Grimone (BM Oboe, ’19)
• Taylor Overholt (BM Clarinet, ’19)
• Collin Goff – current BM Music Education and Clarinet
• David Goist (BM Violin, ’16; MM Violin, ’18)
• Kanako Shimasaki – current DMA Violin student
• Taylor Fleshman (BM Harp, ’18)
• Evan Sacks-Wilner – current BM Tuba student
• Li-han Eliza Tseng (DMA Violoncello, ’19)
• Katie Riley – current BM Flute student
• Ryan Penshorn – former BM Horn student
• Eliza Edge (BM Horn, ’19)
• Phillip Palmore (BM Horn, ’20)
• Taiga Benito – current BM Double Bass student
• Harrison Sheckler (BM Piano, ’19)
• Tim Garner (BM Commercial Music Production, ’19)

The performance has earned media attention from the Cincinnati Enquirer, WGN-TV, Backstage and Spectrum News.

CCM Alumna Karen Zhang Wins Prestigious MTNA Teacher Fellowship

CCM alumna Karen Zhang (BM Piano Performance, ’16; MM Piano Performance, ’18) is the 2020 recipient of the Music Teachers National Association’s MarySue Harris Studio Teacher Fellowship. This $3,000 grant, funded by the MarySue Harris Endowment Fund, is presented annually to a recently graduated independent studio music teacher who demonstrates commitment to the music teaching profession and outstanding studio development.

During her time at CCM, Zhang studied with CCM Professor of Piano Eugene Pridonoff and Associate Professor of Piano Soyeon Kate Lee. Zhang was a winner of CCM’s Van Cliburn Scholarship Competition and the Glenn Miller Society Scholarship Competition, as well as the first-place winner of the $9,400 prize at Three Arts Scholarship Competition. She also participated in the 2017 Pianofest, held in Hampton, New York. As a CCM master’s degree student, she was a graduate assistant in secondary piano.

After graduation, Zhang and her husband Jaesung Kim founded their Cincinnati-based piano studio, Musical Moments. Her students have been winners of numerous competitions, including the University of Kentucky’s Nathaniel Patch Piano Competition, OhioMTA Auditions Festival and the 88 Tri-State Piano Concerto Competition. Many of her students have also been recognized with Distinction-level certificates from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music. Zhang has been invited to teach and perform in numerous pre-colleges and venues in Asia, including those in Seoul, Chengdu, Chongqing, Taishan and Beijing.

Zhang has also taught through the City Gospel Mission’s Whiz Kids Music Program, an after-school program that gives music classes and lessons to students in the Cincinnati area whose schools do not offer music classes. CCM Preparatory and Community Engagement connects collegiate students with teaching and mentoring opportunities through the CCM AfterSchool program, which has partnered with Whiz Kids, Cincinnati Public Schools and other education and community organizations.

About MTNA and MarySue Harris

MTNA is a nonprofit organization of some 20,000 independent and collegiate music teachers committed to furthering the art of music through teaching, performance, composition and scholarly research. Founded in 1876, MTNA is the oldest professional music teachers’ association in the United States.

MarySue Harris, a long-time MTNA member from Nebraska, has devoted her teaching career to nurturing young music students. Her commitment to pedagogy and the beginning music teacher led to her establishment of the MarySue Harris Endowment Fund.

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Story by CCM Graduate Student Alexandra Doyle

Featured image at top: Memorial Hall, which is part of the CCM Village on UC’s campus. Photo/UC Creative + Brand.

CCM alumnus Leslie B. Dunner conducts Pulitzer Prize-winning opera ‘The Central Park Five’

Anthony Davis’ opera won the prestigious prize after Dunner led the world premiere in June 2019

CCM graduate Leslie B. Dunner (DMA Orchestral Conducting, ’82) conducted the premiere of Anthony Davis’ The Central Park Five last June with California’s Long Beach Opera. In May, the opera won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Music.

Composed by Davis with a libretto by Richard Wesley, the opera was described by the jury of the prestigious award as, “a courageous operatic work, marked by powerful vocal writing and sensitive orchestration, that skillfully transforms a notorious example of contemporary injustice into something empathetic and hopeful.”

The Central Park Five’s musical style combines elements of jazz, hip-hop, blues and other historically African-American genres. The opera centers on the five African American and Latino teenagers who were unjustly convicted of a Central Park assault in the 1980s, but were exonerated through DNA evidence 13 years later.

CCM audiences may remember Dunner from his recent appearance on campus. In October 2019, Dunner returned to CCM to conduct the Philharmonia in its “CSI Halloween: Post-Mortem” performance. While on campus, Dunner connected with CCM conducting students over dinner and worked with them in studio class as well as in rehearsals to prepare for the performance.

An award-winning conductor with a glowing international reputation, Dunner is the Music Director of the South Shore Opera Company in Chicago and serves as the conductor of the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra, the World Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Interlochen Arts Camp.

Dunner began rehearsals for The Central Park Five shortly after his teaching and conducting work at the Interlochen Arts Academy ended for the 2018-19 school year. In an interview for Interlochen’s website, Dunner commented on the importance of telling the stories and struggles of black Americans through the lens of opera.

“Anthony Davis said something very interesting,” Dunner tells Interlochen. “He had an interview where he was asked what he thought was relevant with opera. Because the interviewer said, ‘Opera was becoming a dead medium.’ And Anthony replied, ‘No. It’s not a dead medium. It’s a dead medium for your stories. It’s not a dead medium for our stories because our stories have not been told in opera.’”

For Dunner, the story of the Central Park Five is very personal. “I grew up in the area where all of this took place,” Dunner tells Interlochen. “I lived eight blocks away. I used to go to that part of Central Park as a kid. All of what went on during that time I have been through.”

From the Central Park Five to today’s #BlackLivesMatter movement, stories of cultural, racial and socio-economic injustices regularly make headlines across the country. “The cycle is still being perpetuated,” Dunner tells Interlochen. “What happened to them should not be happening anymore. Yet it is still happening. That is the relevance. That’s why this was important.”

One month after Dunner led the world premiere of The Central Park Five at Long Beach Opera, another opera focused on wrongful convictions premiered at Cincinnati Opera. The stories of six people who were wrongfully imprisoned and then freed were told in Blind Injustice, a collaboration with CCM, UC’s Ohio Innocence Project (OIP) and the Young Professionals Choral Collective. Based on casework by the OIP and the book “Blind Injustice” by UC law professor and OIP Director Mark Godsey, the highly acclaimed opera was directed by CCM Professor of Opera Robin Guarino and featured several current and former CCM students in the cast.

Efforts to share diverse stories through the performing arts is not limited to tales of wrongful convictions and struggle. In February, Dunner conducted the Toledo Symphony in a program that highlighted classical musicians of color. Selections included excerpts from Nkeiru Okoye’s opera Harriet Tubman: When I Crossed That Line to Freedom, Duke Ellington’s The River Suite, André Previn’s Honey and Rue and William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1, among other pieces. As Music Director and Interim Artistic Director of Chicago’s South Shore Opera, Dunner furthers the company’s mission to provide greater opportunities for professional artists of color, especially local black artists, in performances of classic and contemporary operas.

“We are just now coming to the foreground,” Dunner tells Interlochen. “So we are using this medium to tell our stories, and we are modifying the medium so that it’s relevant to our population, and that’s what’s interesting, and that’s what’s exciting, and that’s what I want to be a part of.”

Read Dunner’s full interview on Interlochen’s website.

Learn more about Pulitzer Prize-winning opera, The Central Park Five.

CCM Acting Faculty, Alumni and Students Embrace Local and National Digital Theatre

Cincinnati Playhouse and the One-Minute Play Festival share creative monologues and short-plays featuring CCM Acting faculty, alumni and students

The pandemic isn’t stopping theatre artists from connecting and sharing their work. Although they can’t gather on stage or perform in front of an in-person audience right now, actors and directors are creating digital spaces to share theatre online.

CCM Acting Professor Brant Russell recently participated in two digital theatre efforts through Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Monologues of Hope series and the national One-Minute Play Festival (1MPF).

“A bunch of us have refused to allow the lack of sanctioned or safe traditional theatre methods to hamper our practice. We can’t gather, we can’t even be near each other, but the need to make work still exists, and the audiences for it are there,” Russell says. “Zoom/digital theatre is a burgeoning practice, and I’m proud CCM is in the mix.”

The Playhouse’s series commissioned 10 local playwrights to write monologues on the theme of hope during the pandemic. Each monologue is performed by a local actor and shared on the Playhouse’s website and social media accounts. So far, the Monologues of Hope Series has shared nine new works, including Russell’s Play for Our Time and Hope Deconstructed by CCM Acting alumna Torie Wiggins (BFA, ’02).

In Play for Our Time, Russell travels back in time to the Yellow Fever outbreak of 1878 to get some advice from Cincinnati Chief Health Administrator Dr. Thomas C. Minor, portrayed by actor Barry Mulholland. The 19^th-century doctor is a bit uncomfortable with Russell’s “rectangle device” (smart phone), but he manages to share some timely words of wisdom.

Wiggins’ Hope Deconstructed features actor Ernaisja Curry in a comedic monologue that examines how “we’ve been getting hope all wrong” by associating it with negativity. “Hope should be hopeful. It should sound hopeful; it should look hopeful. It should start in the eyes like smizing, then the rest of the face follows suit, then the tone of voice, then the positive words with a burst of energy,” the actor exclaims in the monologue.

Hope and creativity fuel these digital theatre projects and various online performances across the country. It is evident in the commitment of these teachers, students, actors, directors and theatre companies who are determined to stay connected and share their work in new ways.

“Theatre develops and strengthens community,” says CCM Acting student Anastasia Jacques. “Digital theatre and live performances over Zoom have made me feel so connected to people very far away.”

Jacques participated in the One Minute Play Festival’s (1MPF) Coronavirus Plays Project, which presented 625 plays via Zoom over 11 days. Russell directed 62 of the one-minute plays, which ranged in topic from “old married couples dealing with quarantine to pigeons deciding on whom they should poop,” he says.

Dominic D’Andrea is the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of the 1MPF, which is the country’s largest and longest consistently running community-engaged theatre project. Russell directed 1MPF plays when it came to Chicago in 2011 and wrote/directed for the IMPF when it came to Cincinnati in 2015. He cast CCM students for the project and passed his directing duties to a CCM Acting student the next year. A CCM Acting student has been directing for the Cincinnati 1MPF each year ever since, and Russell continues to write plays for it.

“We produce about 1,000 plays a year in 15-20 cities and communities, in real life. We just moved what we do online, so it wasn’t that hard for us,” D’Andrea says of the 1MPF Coronavirus Plays Project. “In this case we did a partnership with The Dramatists Guild of America and, for the first time ever, did an open call. We had about 1,300 emails and 625 useable plays from that. We offered the work up to our partnering orgs and alumni directors to stage some of it. So we built a little online coalition.”

Brant Russell directs CCM Acting students, alumni and other actors through Zoom in the 1MPF’s Coronavirus Plays Project. Photo/1MPF

Russell and D’Andrea have known each other for around 15 years, dating back to when they met at the Lincoln Center Director’s Lab. When D’Andrea launched 1MPF’s Coronavirus Plays Project, he enlisted Russell to direct 62 of them.

D’Andrea estimates that a couple thousand audience members watched the plays through Zoom, and the project involved about 14 directors, 120 actors and 625 writers from 14 different countries.

Russell’s casts included Jacques as well as CCM Acting alumni Ella Eggold (BFA, ’19), Gabriella DiVincenzo (BFA, ’19) and Paige Jordan (BFA, ’20).

Jacques played various roles during the 1MPF project including a loving spouse, a poetic farmer and — her favorite — a doting New Jersey mother. This was the first digital theatre project she has worked on, but it won’t be the last. Jacques is planning to be a guest speaker on “Reliving Childhood,” a YouTube channel launched by CCM Acting students Carlee Coulehan, Sierra Coachman and Noah Buyak. “Reliving Childhood” centers around re-watching TV shows from the students’ youth, and the idea was brought to life when students were separated during quarantine.

“We are taught that live theatre is magical because the audience and the actors are in the same room breathing the same air, but I think it is important to recognize that storytelling is the best medicine — period,” Jacques says. “If we can’t breathe the same air at least we can see each other’s faces and see each other’s hearts.”

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Featured image at top: The entrance to the CCM Atrium on UC’s campus. Photo/UC Creative + Brand.