CCM Review Round-Up: ‘Les Misérables’ and ‘El Niño’

The critics can’t stop talking about CCM’s productions of Les Misérables and El Niño! Catch up with the latest “buzz” in today’s review round-up!

CCM proudly presents a new production of the iconic musical “Les Misérables,” playing Feb. 27 – March 9, 2014. Photography by Mark Lyons.

• Rick Pender calls CCM’s new production of Les Misérables “magnificent” in his CityBeat review, concluding, “Peeled back to its raw essence, CCM’s staging of Les Misérables is powerful and memorable, one of the best musical theater productions on a Cincinnati stage this season.” Read the full review here.

• Paige Malott reviews the production for iSPYCiNCY and observes, “Capturing the larger-than-life Les Misérables with perfection, CCM put on a better-than-Broadway performance that is guaranteed 2-4-6-0-fun.” Read the full review here.

• In his Talkin’ Broadway review, Scott Cain explains, “Musicals presented at… CCM always feature splendidly talented student performers who rarely disappoint. Their current production, Les Misérables, is no exception and does showcase many stunning voices and meticulously detailed acting.” Read the full review here.

• In his review for The Sappy Critic, Kirk Sheppard suggests, “I’ve seen a lot of shows in Cincinnati over the last couple of years… [and] CCM’s Les Misérables just might be the greatest production I’ve ever seen.” Read the full review here.

• Rafael de Acha reviews the production for Seen and Heard International and writes, “Keeping the entire undertaking tightly reined in and mercifully devoid of any Broadway clichés, [Aubrey] Berg delivers a fresh and finely-wrought production.” Read the full review here.

• Emily Begely reviews Les Misérables for UC’s News Record and concludes, “An exemplary cast, a familiar plot and simple props created an unforgettable work of art.” Read the full review here.

Earl Rivers leads the CCM Philharmonia in a rehearsal for John Adams’ EL NINO. Photography by Lisa Ventre/University of Cincinnati.

• Janelle Gelfand reviews CCM’s “powerful” performance of John Adams’ El Niño for the Cincinnati Enquirer, and observes, “[Earl] Rivers balanced the work’s intimate emotions against powerful ones, propelled tempos well and drew excellent playing from the orchestra.” Read her full review here.

• Mary Ellyn Hutton reviews El Niño for ConcertoNet and writes, “John Adams’ oratorio El Niño had its regional premiere in Cincinnati March 2, and it couldn’t have been in better hands. ” Read the full review here.

Performances of Les Misérables resume this evening (Tuesday, March 4) and run through Sunday, March 9. Learn more by visiting ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/lesmiserables.

CCM Presents Contemporary American Masterpiece ‘El Niño’ in Concert This Sunday, March 2

This Sunday, March 2, CCM’s American Voices Concert Series proudly presents John Adams’ El Niño in concert.

According to the Wall Street Journal this stunning oratorio, “capture[s] the intimacy, mystery and apocalyptic nature of the Nativity story in a thoroughly contemporary idiom, fusing [Adams’] well-known minimalist style with a rich blend of text in English, Spanish, and Latin for an effect ultimately as timeless as the story itself.”

According to the New York Times, “John Adams’ celebration of the Nativity bears so many gifts that the senses stagger under the load.”

The CCM Philharmonia Orchestra, Chamber Choir, Chorale and Cincinnati Children’s Choir proudly present a stirring rendition of Adams’ El Niño at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 2, in UC’s Corbett Auditorium. CCM welcomes guest artists Michael Maniaci, Eric Jurenas and Steven Rickards for this performance. Tickets are on sale now.

LISTEN: WVXU Previews CCM’s Concert Production of John Adams’ ‘El Nino’

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

WVXU contributor Anne Arenstein recently spoke with CCM Director of Choral Studies Earl Rivers about our upcoming concert production of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Adams’ American oratorio El Niño.

You can listen to audio of the full interview here.

The CCM Philharmonia Orchestra, Chamber Choir, Chorale and Cincinnati Children’s Choir proudly present a stirring rendition of Adams’ El Niño at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 2, in UC’s Corbett Auditorium. CCM welcomes guest artists Michael Maniaci, Eric Jurenas and Steven Rickards for this performance.

CCM’s American Voices Concert Series Proudly Presents John Adams’ ‘El Niño’ on March 2

“Mujer de Mucha Enagua, Pa’Ti Xicana” painting courtesy of Yreina D. Cervántez; Serigraph (SHG), 1999

The CCM Philharmonia Orchestra, Chamber Choir, Chorale and Cincinnati Children’s Choir proudly present a stirring rendition of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Adams’ El Niño at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 2, in UC’s Corbett Auditorium. CCM welcomes guest artists Michael Maniaci, Eric Jurenas and Steven Rickards for this performance. CCM Director of Choral Studies Earl Rivers conducts.

“John Adams’ El Niño is a joyous composition,” says Rivers. The text of El Niño retells the traditional biblical story of the birth of Jesus. Although this composition is about a specific event, the true subject is larger and widely relate-able: the inexhaustible miracle of birth. “The opening movement of El Niño pulsates with repetitive, engaging rhythms,” Rivers explains. “The strong rhythmic drive of the opening sets the stage for the unfolding of the work.”

A piece told in three languages, El Niño was originally a co-commission by four major arts organizations: the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Lincoln Center in New York City and the Barbican Center in London. It was created to be performed as either an oratorio or a staged production. CCM will be presenting the work as an oratorio.

CCM Slideshows: The Magic Flute

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

CCM’s acclaimed 2012-13 Mainstage Series comes to a close this week with a colorful new production of Mozart’s beloved comedic singspiel The Magic Flute. This production runs April 4–7 in UC’s Corbett Auditorium.

The Cincinnati Enquirer‘s Janelle Gelfand recently visited CCM to take a behind-the-scenes look at The Magic Flute‘s costumes, wigs and make-up designs. Watch her exclusive video preview here.

CCM’s 2012-13 Mainstage Series Concludes With ‘The Magic Flute’

Jacqueline Echols as Pamina and Yi Li as Tamino in CCM’s ‘The Magic Flute.’ Photography by Mark Lyons.

CCM proudly presents Mozart’s beloved comedic singspiel The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte, 1791) from April 4–7 in UC’s Corbett Auditorium. The fourth most frequently performed opera worldwide, this production will be sung in German with English dialogue (with supertitles displayed). Mark Gibson conducts with stage direction by Steven Goldstein.

Composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with a libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder, this beloved opera offers something for everyone: a hero and heroine questing for true love, evil villains, a comical sidekick and a whole range of beastly creatures. According to Goldstein, The Magic Flute is a sort of vaudeville variety show of the 18th century. However, this iteration isn’t all about the slapstick comedy. “My charge to the performers,” Goldstein explains, “is for the comedy to come from somewhere genuine. There is a real play back and forth between light-heartedness and deep morality in Flute and our goal is to find the truth inside of it.”

‘Cincinnati Enquirer’ Previews CCM’s March 2 Mahler Marathon

The CCM Philharmonia.

Janelle Gelfand provides an in-depth preview of CCM’s Mahler Marathon for the Cincinnati Enquirer. If you missed the feature in the Enquirer‘s Feb. 24 issue, you can find it online here.

CCM’s Concert Orchestra presents Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 in G Major, along with selections from his Des knaben Wunderhorn, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 2.

After a program break for dinner, the CCM Philharmonia will be joined by choirs from throughout the region at 8 p.m. for Mahler’s massive Symphony No. 3 in D Minor.

CCM Spring 2013 Calendar of Major Events – February Updates

Please note the following updates to CCM’s schedule of major events for the spring:

• The Feb. 1 and Feb. 2 performances of Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem will feature soloists Helen Lyons, soprano; Leah de Gruyl, mezzo-soprano; Daniel Weeks, tenor and Andrew Funk, bass.

• The Feb. 19 Faculty Artist Series featuring Steven Goldstein, tenor, has been cancelled.

You can always find the most up-to-date information on CCM’s calendar of events at ccm.uc.edu.

CCM Celebrates the 200th Anniversary of Verdi’s Birth With Performances of ‘Requiem’

Photography by Dottie Stover.

CCM’s Philharmonia Orchestra, Chamber Choir and Chorale will present a rare two-evening run of Giuseppi Verdi’s Requiem at 8 p.m. on both Friday, Feb. 1, and Saturday, Feb. 2, in UC’s Corbett Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now.

CCM mounts these performances in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth, which will be Oct. 10, 2013. Huge choral and orchestral forces come together for this highlight of the 2013 CCM Orchestra Series, with choirs prepared by Earl Rivers, director of Choral Studies, and Brett Scott, Choral Studies faculty member, as well as performances led by Maestro Mark Gibson, director of Orchestral Studies and of the CCM Philharmonia.

Soloists for both performances include:

• CCM alumna Helen Lyons, soprano, who most recently returned to sing the title role in CCM’s acclaimed 2011 concert performance of Puccini’s Turandot;
• Leah de Gruyl, mezzo soprano, who sang Mother Goose in CCM’s Mainstage production of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress in 2012;
• CCM alumnus Daniel Weeks, tenor, who was both a national finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and the winner of the National Federation of Music Clubs’ Young Artist Competition.
• Andrew Funk, bass, who recently performed with Opera Lyra Ottawa, San Francisco Opera, Opera Boston, Arizona Opera and Chicago Opera Theater.
• Yi Li, tenor, a winner of the CCM 2012 Opera Scholarship Competition and Musical America’s “New Artist of the Month” for March 2012;
• Nathan Stark, bass, who recently served as a cover in Britten’s Billy Budd at the Metropolitan Opera.

CCM Announces Spring 2013 Calendar of Major Events

CCM is delighted to announce its spring schedule of performances. The largest single source of performing arts events in the state of Ohio, CCM presents more than 100 major public performances from Jan. 12 through May 19, ranging from faculty and guest artist concerts to fully supported opera, drama and musical theatre productions.

CCM’s spring semester performance schedule includes the return of Cincinnati’s premiere fundraiser “A Moveable Feast” on Jan. 18, an evening of motion-picture music featuring acclaimed film composer and distinguished UC alumnus Randy Edelman on Jan. 27, a celebration of Giuseppe Verdi’s sacred masterwork Requiem on Feb. 1 and 2, a monumental “Mahler Marathon” on March 2, the Ariel String Quartet’s inaugural season finale on April 9, a guest artist recital by acclaimed tenor Lawrence Brownlee on April 13 and the eighth installment of CCM’s popular Pianopalooza concert on April 21.

Also this spring, CCM’s Division of Electronic Media presents the 10-part Global Lens Film Series (Jan. 14 – April 15), Cincinnati Children’s Choir celebrates its 20th anniversary (March 9), the Classical Guitar Department celebrates its 40th anniversary (April 6) and CCM’s year-long Kurt Weill Festival continues with a variety of unique concerts and productions (Feb. 28 – March 12).

Download a digital copy of CCM’s Spring 2013 Calendar of Major Events today.

Event Information
All events listed below take place in CCM Village on the campus of the University of Cincinnati unless otherwise indicated. Admission is free to many CCM performances, although some events do require purchased tickets or reservations. Please see individual event information for details and ordering information.

All event dates and programs are subject to change. Visit ccm.uc.edu or contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 for the most current event information.