Guest Conductor and Alum Leslie B. Dunner Joins CCM Orchestras in Halloween Concert

The CCM Philharmonia and Chamber Orchestra present “CSI Halloween: Post Mortem” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. Tickets available through the CCM Box Office.

The CCM Philharmonia and Chamber Orchestra continue the CCMONSTAGE Orchestra Series with a Halloween-inspired performance at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1 in Corbett Auditorium. Featuring guest conductor and distinguished alumnus Leslie B. Dunner as the “chief medical examiner,” CSI Halloween Post-Mortem resurrects well-known works by Franz Liszt, Benjamin Britten and Camille Saint-Saëns.

The ghostly performance features Liszt’s Totentanz (Dance of Death), which was inspired by the composer’s fascination with death and by his visits to the Paris gallows. The concert also includes Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the “Dead” Animals, featuring 14 ravenous movements such as “Death March of the Lion” and “Torture-oises.” For the grand finale, Britten’s “Dead” Person’s Guide to the Orchestra “dissects” the different sections of the orchestra.

CCM welcomes back alumnus Leslie B. Dunner (DMA, ’82) for the November 1 concert. 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. Read more about Dunner’s accomplishments below.

View all upcoming CCMONSTAGE Orchestra Series performances at ccmonstage.universitytickets.com.

About Leslie B. Dunner
Leslie B. Dunner serves as the conductor of the Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra, the World Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Interlochen Arts Camp. He has been Music Director of the South Shore Opera Company in Chicago since 2014. He has also served as Music Director of the Joffrey Ballet and the symphony orchestras of Annapolis, Dearborn and Nova Scotia. He spent 11 seasons at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), first as Resident, then Associate and finally as Assistant Conductor, while serving concurrently as Music Director of the DSO’s youth orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra. Besides holding principal conducting positions at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, Harlem Festival Orchestra and Louisville Ballet, he undertook a season as Interim Music Director of the Orquesta Filarmónica de Jalisco in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Dunner’s guest engagements with major orchestras throughout the world include two years with the Chicago Symphony and five as Cover Conductor of the New York Philharmonic, where he assisted during a four-week European tour. He has appeared with such distinguished ensembles as the Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and Seattle Symphony, as well as orchestras in Canada, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ukraine, Russia and South Africa. An avid ballet conductor, Dunner has taken the podiums of the American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Michigan Opera Theatre, Royal Ballet at Covent Garden, Birmingham Royal Ballet and South African Ballet Theatre, among others.

In addition to his professional conducting work, Dunner is a dedicated music educator. He began his career in music education as Assistant Professor at Minnesota’s Carleton College and has continued to lead youth orchestras throughout his career. The first American prize-winner in the Arturo Toscanini International Conducting Competition, he is also a recipient of the Leonard Bernstein American Conductors Award and the NAACP’s James Weldon Johnson and Distinguished Achievement Awards.

Dunner holds a Bachelor’s degree in clarinet performance from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, a Master’s in music theory and musicology from Queens College at the City University of New York, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in orchestral conducting from CCM.

CSI Halloween: Post-Mortem

CCM Philharmonia and Chamber Orchestra
Mark Gibson, music director
Featuring guest artist Leslie B. Dunner, guest conductor and chief medical examiner

LISZT: Totentanz
SAINT-SAËNS: Carnival of the “Dead” Animals
BRITTEN: “Dead” Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1
Corbett Auditorium

Purchasing Tickets

Single ticket prices start at $20 each; student and group discounts available. Pricing is inclusive of all fees. All performances are reserved seating.

Tickets can be purchased online though our e-box office, over the phone at 513-556-4183 or in person at the CCM Box Office in the Atrium of UC’s Corbett Center for the Performing Arts.

Learn about additional ticket options for current CCM students.

Directions and Parking

CCM is located on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. Please visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions for detailed driving directions to CCM Village.

Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the end of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit the UC Parking Services website for information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors.

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Story by CCM Graduate Student Kelly Barefield

Featured image: The Dance of Death (Totentanz) from Liber Chronicarum [Nuremberg Chronicle], 1493, attr. to Michael Wolgemut

CCM Slideshows: Britten’s Haunting ‘The Turn of the Screw’

Benjamin Britten’s operatic thriller The Turn of the Screw opens at 8 p.m. tonight, Nov. 15, and continues though Sunday, Nov. 18, 2018 in CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater. Get a sneak peek of the production in the slideshow below.

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Based on Henry James’ classic ghost-story novella with Myfanwy Piper’s libretto, The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a young governess hired to care for two orphaned children at an isolated English country house. Shortly after her arrival, she is haunted by the malicious ghosts of a former valet and his lover, who she fears are stalking her innocent charges. Determined to save the children, the governess battles the supernatural while struggling with the apparent complicity of the children. For mature audiences.

Hailed by Stephen King as the ‘quintessential ghost story,’ ‘The Turn of the Screw’ takes a different approach from opera’s usual plot of romance, fairytale or spectacle. Instead, the show frightens audiences with an eerie tale of ghosts and uncertainty. In the words of director Vince DeGeorge, ‘You don’t need to know opera to see this.’ (The News Record)

Tickets are available through the CCM Box Office.

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Creative Team:

• Aik Khai Pung, conductor
• Vincent DeGeorge, director
• Jenny Doctor, dramaturg
• Mark Halpin, scenic designer
• Brandon Thompson*, costume designer
• Mikaela “Mickey” Acton*, production stage manager
• Marnee Porter*, wig designer
• Marie-France Lefebvre, musical preparation
• D’Arcry Smith, dialect coach

* CCM Student

Cast:

• Tyler Johnson as Prologue/Peter Quint cover
• Amber R. Monroe^, Hannah Consenz* as The Governess
• Mischa Sella^, Nicholas Asafiev-Holmes* as Miles
• Allison Anderson^, Amanda Olea* as Flora
• Chelsea Duval-Major^, Karis Tucker* as Mrs. Grose, the housekeeper
  Salvatore Atti as Peter Quint, a former man-servant
  Shannon Cochran^, Yuji Bae* as Miss Jessel, a former governess
• Madeline Jentsch as Miles cover
• Anyea Farrar, Georgia Jacobson as Supernumeraries

Mischa Sella and Nicholas Asafiev-Holmes appear courtesy of the Cincinnati Boychoir.

^Thursday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 17
*Friday, Nov. 16 and Sunday, Nov. 18

Performance Times:

• 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15
• 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16
• 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18

Location:
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets:
Ticket prices start at $32. Discounts are available for UC and non-UC students. Service charges may apply for online orders.

Student rush tickets will be available one hour before each performance to non-UC students, based on availability. UC students can receive one free student rush ticket with a valid Bearcat ID, based on availability.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online through CCM’s e-Box Office.

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 campus of the University of Cincinnati. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
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Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Opera Department Sponsor: Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Rosenthal

Opera Production Sponsor: Genevieve Smith
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THE TURN OF THE SCREW is presented by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. publisher and copyright owner.

Photos by Mark Lyons.

CCM Mainstage Presents Britten’s ‘The Turn of the Screw’

The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) continues the spirit of Halloween with Benjamin Britten’s operatic thriller The Turn of the Screw. Described by Stephen King as “the quintessential ghost story,” the opera runs as part of CCM’s 2018-19 Mainstage Series on Nov. 15-18, 2018 in Patricia Corbett Theater.

Based on Henry James’ classic ghost-story novella with Myfanwy Piper’s libretto, The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a young governess hired to care for two orphaned children at an isolated English country house. Shortly after her arrival, she is haunted by the malicious ghosts of a former valet and his lover, who she fears are stalking her innocent charges. Determined to save the children, the governess battles the supernatural while struggling with the apparent complicity of the children.

Britten blends 12-tone technique, arresting motifs and stirring lyricism, as the “Screw” turns in this chilling tale of sexual repression and the corruption of innocence. For mature audiences. CCM Assistant Professor of Music Aik Khai Pung conducts, with stage direction by Vincent DeGeorge, CCM assistant professor and the Joseph Weinberger Chair of Acting for the Lyric Stage.

“I don’t usually spend a lot of time thinking about ghosts,” DeGeorge says. “However, Benjamin Britten has crafted an opera that has the ability to haunt you in the most unexpected of ways. Its thrilling score, complex characters and twisting storyline may make believers out of all of us.”

CCM Opera presents The Turn of the Screw on Nov. 15-18, 2018 in Patricia Corbett Theater. Tickets are on sale now through the CCM Box Office; student discounts are available. The Turn of the Screw will last two hours, including a 15-minute intermission. It will be sung in English.
____________________

Creative Team:

• Aik Khai Pung, conductor
• Vincent DeGeorge, director
• Jenny Doctor, dramaturg
• Mark Halpin, scenic designer
• Brandon Thompson*, costume designer
• Mikaela “Mickey” Acton*, production stage manager
• Marnee Porter*, wig designer
• Marie-France Lefebvre, musical preparation
• D’Arcry Smith, dialect coach

* CCM Student

Cast:

• Tyler Johnson as Prologue/Peter Quint cover
• Amber R. Monroe^, Hannah Consenz* as The Governess
• Mischa Sella^, Nicholas Asafiev-Holmes* as Miles
• Allison Anderson^, Amanda Olea* as Flora
• Chelsea Duval-Major^, Karis Tucker* as Mrs. Grose, the housekeeper
  Salvatore Atti as Peter Quint, a former man-servant
  Shannon Cochran^, Yuji Bae* as Miss Jessel, a former governess
• Madeline Jentsch as Miles cover
• Anyea Farrar, Georgia Jacobson as Supernumeraries

Mischa Sella and Nicholas Asafiev-Holmes appear courtesy of the Cincinnati Boychoir.

^Thursday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 17
*Friday, Nov. 16 and Sunday, Nov. 18

Performance Times:

• 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15
• 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16
• 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18

Location:
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets:
Ticket prices start at $32. Discounts are available for UC and non-UC students. Service charges may apply for online orders.

Student rush tickets will be available one hour before each performance to non-UC students, based on availability. UC students can receive one free student rush ticket with a valid Bearcat ID, based on availability.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online through CCM’s e-Box Office.

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 campus of the University of Cincinnati. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

For detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Opera Department Sponsor: Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Rosenthal

Opera Production Sponsor: Genevieve Smith
____________________

THE TURN OF THE SCREW is presented by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. publisher and copyright owner.

Featured image at top: Photo/Mark Lyons

Story by CCM graduate student Alexandra Doyle

CCM Announces 2018-19 Mainstage Series of Acting, Dance, Musical Theatre and Opera

Photography from CCM’s Fall 2017 Mainstage Series production of ‘Seussical’ by Mark Lyons.

The best is yet to come with CCM’s eight-part series of theatre arts productions! With new streamlined subscription packages, it’s never been easier to get the best tickets at the season’s best prices.

CCM will present eight masterworks spanning the spectrum of the theatre arts during its 2018-19 Mainstage Series of Acting, Dance, Musical Theatre and Opera. Running from October 2018 through April 2019, these productions will showcase the phenomenal talent and polished professionalism of CCM’s young performing, design and media artists.

This season’s Mainstage Series includes classic and contemporary musicals with Frank Loesser, Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling’s Guys and Dolls and Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz and Peter Parnell’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the best of comedic and dramatic acting with Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector and Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good, great operas from master composers with Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw and W.A. Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, and innovative dance programs that include a mixed repertoire concert of Birthday Variations and a fully-staged story ballet production of Prokofiev’s Cinderella.

The complete 2018-19 Mainstage Series lineup is listed below. Titles and dates are subject to change – rights pending. For the most current calendar of events, please visit us online at ccm.uc.edu.
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CCM’S 2018-19 MAINSTAGE SERIES
Acting, Musical Theatre, Opera, Dance

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original by Nikolai Gogol
Richard E. Hess, director

When the locals in a small Russian hamlet learn that an undercover government inspector is coming for a surprise visit, a case of mistaken identity sends the whole village spiraling into a world of panic and greed. Part farce, part slapstick and wholly entertaining, this timely and spirited adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s classic play exposes the corruption of a provincial town with biting hilarity.

Performance Dates: Oct. 3 (preview), Oct. 4-7, 2018
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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GUYS AND DOLLS
Book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Based on The Idyll of Sarah Brown and characters by Damon Runyon
Diane Lala, director and choreographer
Roger Grodsky, musical director

Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, Guys and Dolls is the perfect musical comedy. Nathan Detroit is a gambler trying to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck. Meanwhile, his girlfriend and nightclub performer, Adelaide, laments that they’ve been engaged for 14 years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler Sky Masterson for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown as a result. Guys and Dolls takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafés of Havana, Cuba and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.

Performance Dates: Oct. 19 and 21, Oct. 26-27, 2018
Note: A special gala performance of Guys and Dolls will be presented on Saturday, Oct. 20, in honor of CCM Musical Theatre’s 50^th anniversary; special pricing applies.
Location: Corbett Auditorium

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THE TURN OF THE SCREW
Music by Benjamin Britten
Libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after a story by Henry James
Aik Khai Pung, conductor
Vince DeGeorge, director

Based on Henry James’ classic ghost-story novella, Britten’s compelling chamber opera presents the story of a governess charged with the care of two orphaned children at their absentee uncle’s country estate, where the ghosts of a former valet and his lover haunt the grounds. With a blend of 12-tone techniques, arresting motifs and stirring lyricism, the action moves with incredible fluidity, creating a chilling tale of sexual repression and the corruption of innocence. For mature audiences.

Performance Dates: Nov. 15-18, 2018
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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BIRTHDAY VARIATIONS
Jiang Qi, director

CCM Dance showcases an array of classic and contemporary works restaged and choreographed by CCM Dance faculty members. The thrilling highlight of the evening is Birthday Variations, originally choreographed by Gerald Arpino, former Artistic Director of the Joffrey Ballet, to music by Giuseppe Verdi. Birthday Variations is presented by arrangement with the Gerald Arpino and Robert Joffrey Foundation.

Performance Dates: Dec. 6-9, 2018
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD
By Timberlake Wertenbaker
Based on the novel The Playmaker by Thomas Keneally
Susan Felder, director

Set in Botany Bay in 1789, Our Country’s Good is a darkly comedic tale based on the true story of Australia’s first theatrical performance. A marine lieutenant decides to put on a play to celebrate the king’s birthday. He casts the play with convicts who populate an Australian prison camp. Few of them can read, let alone act, and the play is produced against a background of food shortages and barbaric prison punishments. Our Country’s Good is as an inspiring tribute to the transforming power of drama. For mature audiences.

Performance Dates: Feb. 13 (preview), Feb. 14-17, 2019
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Book by Peter Parnell
Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney film
Originally developed by Disney Theatrical Productions
Aubrey Berg, director
Stephen Goers, musical director
Katie Johannigman, choreographer

Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame begins as bells sound through the famed cathedral in fifteenth-century Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer, observes all of Paris reveling in the Feast of Fools, but he is held captive by his devious caretaker, the archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo. He escapes for the day and joins the boisterous crowd, only to be treated cruelly by all but the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda. Quasimodo isn’t the only one captivated by her free spirit, though — the handsome Captain Phoebus and Frollo are equally enthralled. As the three vie for her attention, Frollo embarks on a mission to destroy the gypsies and it’s up to Quasimodo to save them all. Parental discretion is advised. Victor Hugo’s novel contains mature themes and situations, which may be distressing for young viewers.

Performance Dates: March 7-10, 2019
Location: Corbett Auditorium

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LA CLEMENZA DI TITO
(THE CLEMENCY OF TITUS)
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Caterino Mazzolà
Jiannan Cheng, conductor
Robin Guarino, director

Mozart’s last opera seria displays some of his most memorable and marvelous arias! The story centers on Roman emperor Titus (Tito) who must choose a wife, but is unable to find a suitable match. In his search for an empress, Tito narrowly avoids an assassination plot instigated by his best friend Sesto and the former emperor’s daughter, Vitellia, who wants the throne for herself. Caught between his duty and his heart, the emperor must choose whether to rule with mercy or with an iron fist.

Performance Dates: April 12-14, 2019
Location: Corbett Auditorium

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CINDERELLA
Jiang Qi, director

Celebrate spring’s arrival with a fully staged fairytale ballet. A poor girl wishes to escape the authoritarian rule of her evil stepmother and stepsisters, so her fairy godmother gives her a ticket to the ball! The girl meets Prince Charming and they fall in love, but she vanishes when the clock strikes midnight. Set to music by Sergei Prokofiev, Cinderella is known for its jubilant melodies, lush scenery and graceful retelling of the timeless romance by Charles Perrault.

Performance Dates: April 26-28, 2019
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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Mainstage Series Subscriptions
The 2018-19 CCM Mainstage Series of Acting, Musical Theatre, Opera and Dance productions includes subscription packages for combinations of Eight Shows, Six Shows, Four Shows or Three Shows. Newly streamlined subscription packages make this process easier than ever before. Simply choose your shows and select whether you want seats in Section A (the best views) or Section B (the lowest prices)!

Renewal subscriptions are on sale now with packages ranging in price from $78-$176. Subscribers to CCM’s 2017-18 Mainstage Series can receive priority access to seating by renewing their subscriptions by May 1, 2018.

Subscription packages for new subscribers go on sale May 2, 2018, with packages ranging in price from $81-$192.

Single tickets go on sale beginning Sept. 10, 2018, but subscribing is the only way to guarantee your seats and your savings for CCM’s Mainstage Series!

To order subscriptions, contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 or boxoff@uc.edu.

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2018-19 MAINSTAGE SERIES PERFORMANCE TIMES

THE GOVERNEMENT INSPECTOR Performance Times: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3 (preview) 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7 Location: Patricia Corbett Theater GUYS AND DOLLS Performance Times: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20 (CCM Musical Theatre 50th Anniversary gala performance; special pricing applies) 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27 Location: Corbett Auditorium THE TURN OF THE SCREW Performance Times: 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18 Location: Patricia Corbett Theater BIRTHDAY VARIATIONS Performance Times: 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9 Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD Performance Times: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13 (preview) 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17 Location: Patricia Corbett Theater THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Performance Times: 8 p.m. Thursday, March 7 8 p.m. Friday, March 8 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9 8 p.m. Saturday, March 9 2 p.m. Sunday, March 10 Location: Corbett Auditorium LA CLEMENZA DI TITO Performance Times: 8 p.m. Friday, April 12 8 p.m. Saturday, April 13 2 p.m. Sunday, April 14 Location: Corbett Auditorium CINDERELLA Performance Times: 8 p.m. Friday, April 26 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27 8 p.m. Saturday, April 27 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28 Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

CCM Announces 2016-17 Studio Series of Opera, Musical Theatre, Dance and Acting Productions

All-time favorites and daring new works receive equal billing during CCM’s 2016-17 Studio Series. This year’s 13-part series of performing and media arts events features an eclectic mix of opera, musical theatre, dance and acting productions, all featuring CCM’s acclaimed “stars-of-tomorrow.”

CCM’s Studio Series opens with Elizabeth Swados’ RUNAWAYS, co-produced with Know Theatre of Cincinnati.

Season highlights include Elizabeth Swados’ powerful and rarely-seen musical Runaways co-produced with Know Theatre of Cincinnati and two world-premieres produced by the Opera Fusion: New Works Lab in partnership with Cincinnati Opera.

CCM’s Department of Musical Theatre also presents the world-premiere of a musical revue showcasing the work of legendary Broadway collaborators Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. Devised and directed by Aubrey Berg, the Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre at CCM, They Were You: The Songs of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt features songs from throughout the celebrated duo’s oeuvre.

This year’s lineup also includes the return of two popular festivals, the 48-Hour Film Festival and the TRANSMIGRATION Festival of Student-Created Plays.

CCM’s Studio Series runs from Sept. 21, 2016, through April 22, 2017. Please see below for full production and ticketing details.

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CCM’S 2016-17 STUDIO SERIES

8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21 (preview)
8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22
8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23
3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24
3 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25
• Studio Musical Theatre Series •
A co-production between CCM and Know Theatre of Cincinnati
RUNAWAYS
Music, lyrics and book by Elizabeth Swados
Vince DeGeorge, director and choreographer
Luke Flood, music director
Runaways is a collage of songs, monologues and dances that captures the energy, courage and honesty of a group of teenagers who are running away “from home… from a boyfriend… from a predator… from themselves.” Created in 1977 by groundbreaking theatre artist Elizabeth Swados, Runaways was born from interviews and workshops that she held with children and young adults who were escaping from their deteriorating family lives. It is a challenging piece of theatre that ultimately celebrates the power of the imagination and the resilience of the human spirit.
Location: Know Theatre of Cincinnati, 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
Admission: Ticket prices range from $15 – $25. Tickets available through the Know Theatre Box Office by calling 513-300-5669 or online at http://knowtheatre.com.

Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
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7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22
• Opera Fusion: New Works Lab •
A collaboration between CCM Opera and Cincinnati Opera
Co-Artistic Directors Robin Guarino and Marcus Küchle
SOME LIGHT EMERGES
Composed by Laura Kaminsky
Libretto by Mark Campbell and Kimberly Reed
Robin Guarino, director
Bradley Moore, conductor
Funded by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, CCM Opera and Cincinnati Opera present a rare behind-the-scenes look at the creation of an original work! Presented in collaboration with Houston Grand Opera, Some Light Emerges takes its inspiration from the creation of Houston’s iconic Rothko Chapel by philanthropist and art collector Dominique de Menil.
Location: Cincinnati Club Oak Room, 30 Garfield Place, Cincinnati 45202
Admission: Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available on Monday, Sept. 12. Please contact the Cincinnati Opera box office for tickets at 513-241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org.
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8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5
8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6
8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7
2 & 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8
2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9
• Studio Musical Theatre Series •
THEY WERE YOU: The Songs of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt
Lyrics by Tom Jones
Music by Harvey Schmidt
Aubrey Berg, director
Stephen Goers, musical arrangements
CCM proudly presents the world premiere of a musical revue showcasing the work of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. Devised and directed by Aubrey Berg with musical arrangements by Steve Goers, They Were You features songs from The Fantasticks, Celebration, 110 in the Shade, The Bone Room, Colette Collage and more. This revue celebrates Jones’ and Schmidt’s ability to reflect the human condition with humor, compassion and wry affection.
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Oct. 3. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
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8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20
8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21
2 & 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22
• Studio Acting Series •
MIDDLETOWN
Written by Will Eno
Richard E. Hess, director
Middletown considers the strange beauty of life and its sometimes unbearable weight. Inspired by Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, the inhabitants of Middletown have a remarkable talent for articulating the hiccups of fear and anxiety in their souls with moving delicacy. The folks are friendly, and the view of star-dappled skies and modest homes is familiar and comforting. Welcome to Middletown.
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Oct. 17. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

Acting Studio Series Sponsor: Neil Artman & Margaret Straub
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8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4
8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5
2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 6
• Studio Opera Series •
BRIGHT-EYED JOY! A RICKY IAN GORDON CABARET
Composer Ricky Ian Gordon, one of America’s most respected composers of art song, opera and musical theatre, joins CCM’s Opera and Voice singers and pianists for an evening of his music. Come watch our “stars-of-tomorrow” work with a living legend!
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Oct. 31. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

Opera Department Sponsor: Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Rosenthal

Opera Production Sponsor: Genevieve Smith
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7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14
• Opera Fusion: New Works Lab •
A collaboration between CCM Opera and Cincinnati Opera in partnership with the Metropolitan Opera/Lincoln Center Theater’s New Works Program
Co-Artistic Directors Robin Guarino and Marcus Küchle
INTIMATE APPAREL
Composed by Ricky Ian Gordon
Libretto by Lynn Nottage
Robin Guarino, director
Paul Cremo, Dramaturg
Timothy Meyers, conductor
Funded by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, CCM Opera and Cincinnati Opera present a rare behind-the-scenes look at the creation of an original work! Adapted by Lynn Nottage from her prize-winning 2003 play of the same name, Intimate Apparel tells the story of Esther, a 35-year-old seamstress in 1905 New York City. Esther sews lingerie for a living, interacting with a wealthy Fifth Avenue wife, a Tenderloin prostitute and a Jewish fabric merchant on the Lower East Side, with whom she shares a closeness that cannot be pursued further because of his religion. Esther embarks on a letter-writing relationship with a Panama Canal laborer, leading to marriage and ultimately heartbreak, but she maintains her strength of character and determination to make a better life for herself.
Location: Cincinnati Club Oak Room, 30 Garfield Place, Cincinnati 45202
Admission: Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available on Tuesday, Nov. 1. Please contact the Cincinnati Opera box office for tickets at 513-241-2742 or www.cincinnatiopera.org.
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7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20
• E-Media/Acting Film Series •
THIRD ANNUAL CCM 48-HOUR FILM FESTIVAL
Join us for our annual celebration of original film work by students. After random team placement, student authors, actors, directors, editors and composers have 48 hours from 7 p.m. on Friday night to 7 p.m. on Sunday night to create finished original short films. At the close of the 48-hour period, audiences can join us in UC’s MainStreet Cinema to enjoy eight original short films by eight amazing teams.
Location: MainStreet Cinema, UC’s Tangeman University Center
Admission: FREE
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8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3
8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4
2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5
• CCM Opera d’arte – Undergraduate Opera Series •
ALBERT HERRING
Composed by Benjamin Britten
Libretto by Eric Crozier, freely adapted from a story of Guy de Maupassant
Jesse Leong, conductor
Kenneth Shaw, director
Britten’s brilliantly witty score comes to life again at CCM, presented with the effervescence and energy unique to the outstanding young artists of Opera d’arte! Set in the small town of Loxford, in East Sussex, Albert Herring explores the themes of losing innocence and coming of age in the face of old fashioned morality and social stratification.
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Jan. 30. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

This production of Albert Herring is presented in honor of Rafael and Kimberly de Acha

Opera Department Sponsor: Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Rosenthal

Opera Production Sponsor: Genevieve Smith
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8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17
8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18
2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19
• Studio Opera Series •
TRANSFORMATIONS
Music by Conrad Susa
Libretto by Anne Sexton
Avishay Shalom, conductor
Emma Griffin, director
CCM’s Studio Series presents the Brothers Grimm fairy tales like you’ve never seen them before! This 1973 chamber opera, with a libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Anne Sexton, is darkly humorous with audaciously recounted tales, and filled with mid-20th-century references, both literary and musical. Based on Sexton’s acclaimed 1971 book of poems of the same name, Transformations promises to challenge audiences’ understanding of what “happily-ever-after” truly means. This production contains adult themes and is not recommend for young audiences.
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Feb. 13. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

Opera Department Sponsor: Mr. & Mrs. Edward S. Rosenthal

Opera Production Sponsor: Genevieve Smith
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8 p.m. Thursday, March 2
8 p.m. Friday, March 3
2 & 8 p.m. Saturday, March 4
• Studio Dance Series •
DANCE STUDENT CHOREOGRAPHER’S SHOWCASE
André Megerdichian, director
Come experience the next generation of emerging choreographers as CCM dance majors take the stage with exciting and diverse new works.
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: Admission is free, but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, Feb. 27. Visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

The Dance Department gratefully acknowledges the support of the Corbett Endowment at CCM.
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7 p.m. Wednesday, March 8
7 p.m. Thursday, March 9
7 p.m. Friday, March 10
• Studio Acting Series •
TRANSMIGRATION 2017
A Festival of Student-Created New Works
Richard E. Hess and Brant Russell, producers
TRANSMIGRATION, so named for “the movement from one place to another” or “the transition from one state of being to another,” is a festival of new works created by the acting students in CCM Acting. Six teams of actors craft and perform five original 30-minute shows. Performed simultaneously in different locations throughout CCM Village, TRANSMIGRATION will allow the audience to sample four different new works of their choosing in one spectacular evening. “Thanks to the [Acting] program at UC’s College-Conservatory of Music,” observed CityBeat’s Rick Pender, “theater fans were offered a jolt of onstage vitality.”
Location: Various locations throughout CCM Village
Admission: Admission is free, but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, March 6. Visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

Acting Studio Series Sponsor: Neil Artman & Margaret Straub
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8 p.m. Thursday, March 30
8 p.m. Friday, March 31
2 & 8 p.m. Saturday, April 1
• Studio Musical Theatre Series •
CHILDREN OF EDEN
Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Book by John Caird
Vince DeGeorge, director and choreographer
Steve Goers, musical director
From the composer of smash hits Wicked and Godspell comes a uniquely personal and intimate retelling of the biblical Genesis story. Through the narratives of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and Noah and his family, this beloved 1991 musical explores the uniquely human trait to desire adventure but yearn for the comfort and safety of home, or, “Eden.”
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: Admission is free, but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, March 27. Visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
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8 p.m. Thursday, April 20
8 p.m. Friday, April 21
2 & 8 p.m. Saturday, April 22
• Studio Acting Series •
VERY DUMB KIDS
By Gracie Gardner
Brant Russell, director
Sarah Nehal was murdered while working as a correspondent in New Delhi while her college friends were at home in the U.S. watching TV on the internet and peddling their esoteric skill sets. One year after her funeral, her friends meet for their annual Fourth of July reunion. Very Dumb Kids explores entitlement and how its effects are visited upon the disenfranchised as well as the privileged. But it’s also about empowerment, exploring how to live responsibly in an irresponsible universe. Join CCM Acting as we embark on our new play commissioning initiative: plays that speak to the unique experience that is being young in America; plays that are written for and about our students; plays that will go on to be produced by educational institutions and professional theater companies all over the country; plays that will involve a new generation of artists and audiences. And you’ll be able to say you were there when it all started.
Location: Cohen Family Studio Theater
Admission: Admission is free, but reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, April 17. Visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

Acting Studio Series Sponsor: Neil Artman & Margaret Straub
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Reserving Tickets
All Studio Series performances held in CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater are free and open to the general public, but reservations are required. Reservations can be made the Monday before each show by visiting the CCM Box Office in person or calling 513-556-4183. Limit two tickets per order.

For additional information on reserving tickets for CCM’s Studio Series, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/did-you-know/how-to-studio-series.

Some off-campus Studio Series productions require paid admission or reservations through a partner organization’s box office. Please refer to individual production listings for more information.

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 detailed maps and directions, please visit uc.edu/visitors. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
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A preeminent institution for the performing and media arts, CCM is the largest single source of performing arts presentations in the state of Ohio.

All event dates and programs are subject to change. For a complete calendar of events, please visit us online at ccm.uc.edu.

CCM Welcomes Graham Johnson for Public Lecture and Master Class on March 26

Acclaimed vocal accompanist Graham Johnson will in residence at CCM from March 25 – 30, 2014.

CCM welcomes distinguished pianist and Benjamin Britten scholar Graham Johnson for a public lecture and open master class beginning at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26, in Robert J. Werner Recital Hall.

Johnson will provide a lecture on Britten’s life and solo vocal works for approximately one hour, followed by a 90 minute master class with three teams of CCM students. This event is free and open to the general public.

Recognized as one of the world’s leading vocal accompanists, Johnson will be in residence at CCM throughout the week as a part of this season’s Benjamin Britten Centenary Celebration.

About Graham Johnson
Graham Johnson is recognized as one of the world’s leading vocal accompanists. Born in Rhodesia, he came to London to study in 1967. After leaving the Royal Academy of Music his teachers included Gerald Moore and Geoffrey Parsons. In 1972 he was the official pianist at Peter Pears’ first master classes at The Maltings, Snape which brought him into contact with Benjamin Britten—a link which strengthened his determination to accompany. In 1976 he formed the Songmakers’ Almanac to explore neglected areas of piano-accompanied vocal music; the founder singers were Dame Felicity Lott, Ann Murray DBE, Anthony Rolfe Johnson and Richard Jackson—artists with whom he has established long and fruitful collaborations both on the concert platform and the recording studio. Some two hundred and fifty Songmakers’ programmes were presented over the years.

CCM Performances and Collaborations Highlighted on Several “Best of 2013” Lists

As we ring in a new year, several local arts writers have released their “year in review” lists for 2013. Rafael de Acha, Mary Ellyn Hutton, Kirk Sheppard, Rick Pender and Janelle Gelfand help us take a look back at the year that was:

In his “best of” roundup for Music for All Seasons, Rafael de Acha commented, “(CCM) consistently achieves professional level in its numerous productions of operas, musicals and concerts which approached the four-digit mark this past year.” Last spring’s original production of Into a Lamplit Room: The Songs of Kurt Weill and the recent concert production of Verdi’s Don Carlos, along with CCM’s Mainstage Series productions of Singin’ in the Rain and Owen Wingrave, all received special mention in de Acha’s review.

Mary Ellyn Hutton presented her top 16 performances for Music in Cincinnati, which included three CCM productions: Verdi’s Don Carlos, Bach’s St. John Passion and Britten’s Owen Wingrave. Of Verdi’s Don Carlos, Hutton commented, “This gets my vote as perhaps the single finest concert of 2013 in Cincinnati.”

Compiled for The Snappy Critic, Kirk Sheppard‘s list of favorite theatre productions of 2013 included last spring’s Mainstage production of The Threepenny Opera and the Studio production of Parade produced in collaboration with the Carnegie in Covington. This past fall’s CCM productions of Carrie and Singin’ in the Rain also made Sheppard’s list.

Rick Pender included two CCM productions in his 2013 round up of theatre in Cincinnati for CityBeat. Last spring’s co-production of Parade with the Carnegie and the recent Mainstage production of Singin’ in the Rain received special attention.

Janelle Gelfand also included CCM’s massive concert production of Don Carlos in her list of “Top 13 Classical Music Shows in 2013” for the Cincinnati Enquirer. In addition to her performance-specific list, she published a summary of “arts highlights” for the year, which included the work of the MYCincinnati after-school program in East Price Hill (learn more about CCM’s connection to the organization here) and the new partnership between Cincinnati’s World Piano Competition, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and CCM.

What were your favorite performances of 2013? What are you looking forward to most in 2014? Get a first look at what’s coming up at CCM in 2014 here!

CCM’s ‘Owen Wingrave’ Hailed As ‘Breathtaking,’ ‘Immaculate’ and a ‘Triumph’ By Critics!

CCM’s Mainstage Series production of Benjamin Britten’s OWEN WINGRAVE runs Nov. 21 – 24 in Patricia Corbett Theater. Photography by Mark Lyons.

The critics are still talking about CCM’s Mainstage Series production of Benjamin Britten’s rarely-seen opera Owen Wingrave!

Janelle Gelfand calls the production “breathtaking” in her review for the Cincinnati Enquirer and suggests that CCM’s mounting “brought clarity to an opera that has been nearly forgotten since its debut on British television in 1971.” Read the full review here.

Mary Ellyn Hutton calls the production a “triumph” in her Music In Cincinnati review, declaring, “The production was by all measures outstanding, one which enveloped the listener like few in recent memory in Cincinnati.” Read the full review here.

Rafael de Acha calls the production “immaculate” in his Music for All Seasons review, observing that CCM has “mounted a strong, streamlined, subtle, sober and somber production, lit by the bright performances of a youthful troupe.” Read the full review here.

If you missed out on this gem of a production, then mark your calendars now for early 2014. CCM’s Studio Opera series presents a FREE production of Chabrier’s L’étoile from Feb. 14 – 16, conducted by Stefano Sarzani with stage direction by Robin Guarino.

CCM’s Mainstage Series also resumes in February with Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses, directed by guest artist D. Lynn Meyers, followed by the iconic musical  Les Misérables! Tickets to these and dozens of other performances are on sale now!

CCM Slideshows: Owen Wingrave

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Over 40 years after receiving its television premiere, Benjamin Britten’s Owen Wingrave finally makes its regional debut this weekend as part of CCM’s Mainstage Series! Do not miss your chance to experience this rarely seen chamber opera. Tickets are on sale now for performances at 8 p.m. on Nov. 22 and 23, along with a 2 p.m. performance on Nov. 24.

This opera is conducted by guest artist and CCM alumnus Johannes Müller-Stosch, with stage direction by Kenneth Shaw. Learn more about Owen Wingrave here.

‘CityBeat’ and Cincinnati.com Preview Upcoming CCM Opera Productions

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Pick up today’s edition of Cincinnati CityBeat for a first look at both this week’s regional premiere of Benjamin Britten’s opera Owen Wingrave and next Tuesday’s public reading of the Opera Fusion new work Fellow Travelers.

When asked about the scenic design of Owen Wingrave, stage director Kenneth Shaw tells CityBeat‘s Anne Arenstein, “We’re doing a lot with light and suggestions of scenery. Our student designers are incredible. We do this kind of transition all the time here.”

You can read the full CityBeat feature online here and view a first look at CCM student Gabriel Firestone‘s scenic designs for Owen Wingrave in the slideshow above.

Read Shaw’s Q&A with the Cincinnati Enquirer‘s Janelle Gelfand here.