CCM Presents Wickedly Witty French Opera ‘L’Étoile’ This Week

Here’s a peek at rehearsals for L’Étoile, which runs Feb. 14 – 16, 2014.

CCM’s acclaimed Studio Series continues this month with a vivacious new production of Emmanuel Chabrier’s three-act opera L’Étoile. Performed in French with English supertitles, L’Étoile runs Feb. 14-16 in CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater. Admission is free, but reservations are required.

Conducted by guest artist Kevin Murphy with stage direction by CCM’s J. Ralph Corbett Distinguished Chair in Opera Robin Guarino, L’Étoile is set in a mystical fairy tale kingdom where lovelorn hopes, turned tables and comedic misunderstandings inevitably lead to a happy ending.

“It’s a story of ‘boy meets girl’ after wishing on a star,” Guarino explains. Audiences will delight in this comedic opera, full of outlandish characters who know how to deliver an aria. Guarino describes CCM’s production as “an elegant and absurdist romp with a hint of political satire.”

CCM welcomes guest speaker and dramaturg Cori Ellison for a pre-performance lecture at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14, in Mary Emery Hall Room 3225. This talk is free and open to the general public.

CCM Announces Spring 2014 Calendar of Major Events

Download CCM’s Spring 2014 Calendar Booklet today.

UPDATED March 7, 2014: CCM is delighted to announce its spring 2014 schedule of major events. The largest single source of performing arts events in the state of Ohio, CCM presents nearly 150 major public performances from Jan. 12 through May 18, ranging from faculty and guest artist concerts to fully supported opera, musical theatre, drama and dance productions.

Highlights of CCM’s spring concert series include the return of Cincinnati’s premiere fundraiser “A Moveable Feast” on Jan. 17, the Ariel Quartet’s Beethoven Cycle running Jan. 23 – March 29, a performance of Schubert’s Winterreise song cycle by guest artists Gerald Finley and Julius Drake on Feb. 5, the fifth annual Bearcat Piano Festival running Feb. 6 – 11, the 17th annual PRISM concert on Feb. 23, a performance of John Adams’ El Niño on March 2 and a celebration of the music of jazz legend Thelonius Monk on March 9.

CCM’s Mainstage Series also continues in early 2014 with a production of Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses, directed by guest artist D. Lynn Meyers, running Feb. 5 – 9; the CCM debut of the iconic musical Les Misérables, running Feb. 27 – March 9;  Donizett’s comedic opera Don Pasquale, running April 3–6; and the quintessential romantic ballet Giselle, running April 17–19.

Learn more about these and dozens of other performing and media-arts events by referring to the list below. You can also view a digital copy of CCM’s Spring 2014 Calendar Booklet 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 Announces 2013-14 Studio Series of Opera, Musical Theatre, Drama and Dance

CCM’s 2013-14 Studio Series includes a production of ‘Boeing Boeing’ presented by the Carnegie and CCM Drama this November.

CCM is pleased to announce details for its 2013-14 Studio Series of opera, musical theatre, drama and dance productions.

This season’s Studio Series includes eight exciting productions showcasing CCM’s rising stars. The series opens in October with the newly re-imagined musical adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie and concludes in April with the irreverent Shakespearean/zombie mash-up Living Dead in Denmark.

This season’s series includes a revival of the Tony Award-winning comedy classic Boeing Boeing produced in collaboration with the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center and a public reading of the new American opera Fellow Travelers, produced in collaboration with Cincinnati Opera as part of the Opera Fusion program.

Always innovative, CCM’s 2013-14 Studio Series also includes the annual TRANSMIGRATION Festival of student-created new dramatic works and annual student choreographer’s dance showcase. Emmanuel Chabrier’s effervescent opéra bouffe L’étoileand the Tony Award-winning musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee round out this year’s Studio Series.

Tickets and Parking Information
With free admission and limited seating for the six CCM-hosted productions in this series, the Studio Series remains one of the hottest tickets in town. All Studio Series performances held at CCM are free and open to the general public, but reservations are required. Reservations can be made the week of each show by visiting the CCM Box Office in UC’s Corbett Center for the Performing Arts or by calling 513-556-4183.

Parking is available in the CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates. For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.

Please see the individual listings below for Boeing Boeing and Fellow Travelers ticketing details.