CCM’s ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ Earns 4.5 Star Rating by the League of Cincinnati Theatres

CCM’s proudly presents ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ running through Sunday, Nov. 3. Photography by Mark Lyons.

We are delighted to report that panelists for the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) have recognized CCM’s Mainstage Series production of the classic film musical Singin’ in the Rain with a four and a half star rating!

Panelists praised the production as “Joyful, happy, shining and memorable… An uplifting story and a treat for the eyes.” Diane Lala was commended both for her direction (“a standout production all-around with many delightful and excellent elements that really lived up to the silver screen standard of the film”) and for her contribution to the choreography, along with co-choreographer Patti James: “Covering multiple styles and always challenging the students, the choreography was truly the star of this show, and it was executed brilliantly by the talented performers.”

Ryan Sigurdson’s music direction was also recognized as “solid and impressive”. Scenic Designer Mark Halpin delivered a wonderful set—“layered in a complex, but very functional way that delivered the many silver-screen settings”–and technical director Steve Miller was also given a nod for his contribution to the “fantastic and well-executed” rain effects in the iconic title number. Reba Senske’s costume design was described as “numerous, timely, lush, complimentary to character, and a delight to look at.” Finally, from a technical aspect, CCM Electronic Media students were recognized for the “hilarious” and “seamlessly executed” videos they created for many of the scenes.

From a performance standpoint, the entire ensemble was applauded for outstanding dancing and singing.” Matt Hill, as Cosmo Brown, and Sarah Bishop, as Lina Lamont, were particularly singled out as “dead-on portraying their characters and handling the timing and humor effectively.”

IT’S A SMASH! Rave Reviews for CCM’s ‘Singin’ in the Rain’

CCM’s proudly presents ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ running through Sunday, Nov. 3. Photography by Mark Lyons.

The reviews are in and the critics are calling CCM’s Mainstage Series production of Singin’ in the Rain a must-see theatre event!

In his review for Theatre Reviews Limited, Rafael de Acha suggests: “the show is one of the best, if not the best production of a musical I’ve seen in my three years in Cincinnati.” Read the full review here.

Rick Pender calls the production “a fabulous recreation of the iconic 1952 movie that featured Gene Kelly” in his CityBeat review. “If you love musicals,” he explains, “you should run, don’t walk to the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music this weekend for the short run of Singin’ in the Rain.” Read the full review here.

David Lyman calls the production “a delight” in his review for the Cincinnati Enquirer, concluding: “It’s pleasurable and immensely satisfying. It is, as Lala wrote in her program notes, like visiting an old friend.” Read the full review here.

In his review for Talkin’ Broadway, Scott Cain says, “The show flows at a quick pace and has apt tone and blocking. The dances, including lots of wonderful tap numbers, are vibrant, fun, and well-executed. Ryan Sigurdson leads a lush 27-piece orchestra that couldn’t sound any better.” Read the full review here.

Singin’ in the Rain runs through Sunday, Nov. 3, in Corbett Auditorium on the campus of the University of Cincinnati.

Tickets and subscription packages are on sale now, but only a handful of seats remain, so don’t delay – contact the CCM Box Office today!

Discussing ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ with Musical Supervisor Roger Grodsky

CCM’s proudly presents ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ running through Sunday, Nov. 3. Photography by Mark Lyons.

In honor of tonight’s opening performance of Singin’ in the Rain, CCM Professor of Musical Theatre and Singin’ in the Rain Musical Supervisor Roger Grodsky discusses the history of this film musical’s journey to the stage and details what makes CCM’s new production so special:

“Since movies learned to talk in the late 1920s, Broadway musicals were adapted into films. The reverse was not true until much later. The idea of a movie musical being a Broadway show, a trend that sometimes seems to have taken over today’s theatre, did not really begin in earnest until Lerner and Loewe’s Gigi in 1973. Many of these early efforts were not successful (Gigi ran just a few months and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers lasted a week in 1982).

CCM Slideshows: Singin’ in the Rain

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CCM’s 2013-14 Mainstage Series resumes tomorrow night (Oct. 31) with a joyous stage adaptation of the beloved classic Singin’ in the Rain, running through Sunday, Nov. 3, in Corbett Auditorium.

Described by the New York Times as “the happiest movie musical ever made,” you can enjoy a preview of Singin’ in the Rain courtesy of photographer Mark Lyons.

Tickets and subscription packages are on sale now, but only a handful of seats remain, so don’t delay – contact the CCM Box Office today!

Spend Your Halloween in Hollywood with ‘Singin’ in the Rain’

Seniors Katie Wesler and Max Clayton are Kathy Selden and Don Lockwood in CCM’s Mainstage Series production of SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, running Oct. 31-Nov. 3 in CCM’s Corbett Auditorium. Diane Lala directs. Photography by Mark Lyons.

Join us for the opening night performance of the beloved film musical Singin’ in the Rain at 8 p.m. next Thursday, Oct. 31.

This joyous stage adaptation of what the New York Times calls, “the happiest movie musical ever made,” is directed by CCM Professor of Musical Theatre Diane Lala and promises to be full of films, flashbacks and (of course) plenty of falling rain! No tricks – we promise you’re in for a “treat!”

Tickets are still available for the opening night performance, which will be held in CCM’s Corbett Auditorium on the campus of the University of Cincinnati.

Learn more about CCM’s production of Singin’ in the Rain here.

CCM’s Mainstage Series Continues With a Joyous Stage Adaptation of ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ Oct. 31 – Nov. 3

Senior Musical Theatre major Max Clayton is Don Lockwood in CCM’s Mainstage Series production of ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ running Oct. 31 – Nov. 3 in Corbett Auditorium.

CCM brings one of Hollywood’s most-loved musicals to life with a graceful stage adaptation of Singin’ in the Rain, running Oct. 31 through Nov. 3 in UC’s Corbett Auditorium.

Based on the 1952 American musical comedy film of the same name, Singin’ in the Rain offers a lighthearted depiction of Hollywood during the transition from silent films to “talkies.” The story centers on popular silent film star Don Lockwood (originally portrayed by Gene Kelly, who also choreographed and co-directed the classic film), his shallow leading lady Lina Lamont, his sidekick Cosmo Brown and aspiring actress Kathy Selden.

CCM Professor of Musical Theatre and resident choreographer Diane Lala directs this production, which she describes as a “wonderful revisiting of a true classic.” The recipient of the 2012 Big Easy Theater Award for Best Choreography and the 2011 Big Easy Theatre Award for Best Director, Lala also collaborates with Adjunct Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre/Dance Patti James on the choreography of this dance-filled production, which she promises will showcase a wide variety of different dance forms, from ballet to tap and beyond.

Graduate student Ryan Sigurdson provides musical direction under the supervision of Associate Professor of Musical Theatre Roger Grodsky. With a glorious score by Nacio Herb Brown and lyrics by Arthur Freed, standards such as “Good Morning,” “Make ‘em Laugh,” “You Are My Lucky Star” and the legendary “Singin’ in the Rain” will have audience members leaving the theater humming.

Of course it wouldn’t be Singin’ in the Rain without buckets of rain, silent films and “talkies” from the original movie. Before proposing this production, Lala approached CCM’s Department of Theatre Design and Production and Division of Electronic Media to ensure that her vision for the show was possible. “For a show like this to be able to happen, it takes a village,” Lala explains. With scenic design by Mark Halpin, technical direction by Steve Miller, multimedia expertise of Electronic Media Professors Kevin Burke and Lakshmi Tirumala and student video director Sam Pennybacker, this production has provided ample opportunities for interdepartmental and interdisciplinary collaboration. This production of Singin’ in the Rain even involved Professor of Drama and resident Fight Master k. Jenny Jones, who choreographed the fighting and stage combat for one of the silent movies featured in the show. The result is a live performance that will be filled with films, flashbacks and falling rain.

CCM Celebrates German Composer Richard Wagner at 200 With Special Event Series

Film actor Richard Burton as composer Richard Wagner, from the 1983 Tony Palmer film ‘Wagner.’

CCM celebrates the 200th anniversary of composer Richard Wagner’s birth (May 22, 1813) with an unprecedented series of events this month. Beginning on Friday, Oct. 11, and running through Thursday, Oct. 24, CCM explores Wagner’s iconic work and enduring legacy with a series of guest lectures, film screenings and a concert performance by the CCM Philharmonia. Aside from the Oct. 12 Philharmonia performance, these events are free and open to the general public.

Richard Wagner was a 19th century German composer, theatre director, polemicist and conductor. He revolutionized opera through his concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk (“total work of art”), in which he combined the poetic, visual, musical and dramatic arts. His Gesamtkunstwerkalso greatly influenced many filmmakers, as detailed in the book Wagner and Cinema, co-edited by Jeongwon Joe, Associate Professor of Musicology at CCM, and Sander L. Gilman, Distinguished Professor of Germanic Studies at Emory University. According to Wagner and Cinema, early 20th century film critic W. Stephen Bush once declared, “Every man or woman in charge of the music of a moving picture theatre is, consciously or unconsciously, a disciple or follower of Richard Wagner.”

CCM’s bicentenary celebration opens at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, with a guest lecture by Anthony Tommasini, Chief Classical Music Critic for the New York Times. Other highlights include the CCM Philharmonia’s Oct. 12 concert, “Wagner – Redemption Through Love,” which features selections from Wagner’s operas to be performed with the cinematic images from Tony Palmer’s biographical film about Wagner, starring Richard Burton. CCM will also welcome film director Tony Palmer to campus for a discussion on his films on Thursday, Oct. 24.

To celebrate this towering figure of German Romanticism and the indelible impression he made on the cinematic arts, CCM will also present a series of free film screenings exploring Wagner’s life and legacy.

Please see individual listings below for additional information on the festival’s public events.

UC Electronic Media Students Honored at 2013 Ohio Valley Regional EMMY Awards

Two students from CCM E-Media will be honored by the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) at the 49th Annual Ohio Valley Regional Emmy Awards on Saturday, July 20!

A 2012 graduate of CCM E-Media, Nick Lipari will receive a Student Production Award as editor for “Last Night in Town.”

Current student Tim Neumann will receive an Honorable Mention Award in the Commercial category for his work as co-writer/co-director/editor of “The Field of E-Media.”

Students from CCM E-Media have won six Regional EMMY Awards over the past three years, and won multiple national awards annually for the past 18 years.

CCM E-Media Presents Free Screening of ‘Gold Rush Expedition Race’ Film on April 24

CCM E-Media will host a debut screening of the documentary film Gold Rush Expedition Race at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24 in the MainStreet Cinema of UC’s Tangeman University Center. Admission is free and open to the general public.

The screening of this hour long film will be preceded by a brief introduction and followed by a question and answer session with the student producers, camera operators and film editors.

Educationally grounded, professionally driven and student produced, the Gold Rush Expedition Race documentary is a collaborative film produced by an interdisciplinary group of students at UC working under the guidance of a professional television and film producer/director. Sponsored by the UC Forward Collaborative, the project involved 33 students from four academic programs at three colleges at the University of Cincinnati:

• the Division of Electronic Media at the College-Conservatory of Music
• the Graphic Communication Design Program at the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning
• the Department of Communication and the Department of Anthropology at the McMicken College of Arts and Sciences

CCM Video: Students Perform Original Song Live On TV’s ‘Cincinnality’

Last Sunday, the Fox 19 variety show Cincinnality aired a UC-themed episode, shot on location in CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater with special co-host UC President Santa Ono! Today, we have a highlight from that episode, featuring CCM students Josh Tolle (piano, vocals), Jacob Yates (cello), Christine Smith (dancer) and Max Clayton (dancer). The performance starts at the 1:31 minute mark below:

“Starcrossed” is an original song written by Tolle with choreography by Smith. Stay tuned for more highlights from Cincinnality!