CCM Celebrates 50 Years of Excellence in Musical Theatre with Lavish Production of ‘Guys and Dolls’ and Gala Afterparty

CCM celebrates the 50th anniversary of its legendary BFA program in Musical Theatre with a special gala event on Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018. Arts lovers are invited to show their saintly support and have a sinfully good time during an evening that includes a lavish production of the classic Broadway musical Guys and Dolls followed by CCM’s Saints and Sinners Bash after party. Ticket proceeds support scholarships, student travel funds and master class opportunities.

The Musical Theatre program at 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. 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 is celebrating the golden anniversary of its Musical Theatre program with a cherished musical comedy from Broadway’s golden age. Guys and Dolls tells the story of Nathan Detroit, a gambler trying to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while eluding the authorities. Detroit turns to fellow gambler Sky Masterson for the dough, who ends up chasing straight-laced missionary Sister Sarah Brown as a result. Featuring iconic musical numbers like “Luck Be a Lady,” “A Bushel and a Peck,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” and more, this Tony Award-winning show takes audiences from the heart of Times Square to the cafés of Havana in a tale of saints and sinners and the lengths they will go for love.

Directed and choreographed by Professor Diane Lala, with musical direction by Professor Roger Grodsky, Guys and Dolls features the unbelievable on-stage talent of CCM’s musical theatre majors with live accompaniment by CCM’s world-class student orchestra. The performance takes place in CCM’s newly-renovated Corbett Auditorium.

After the performance of Guys and Dolls, attendees will be escorted to the Great Hall of UC’s Tangeman University Center for the Guys and Dolls-themed Saints and Sinners Bash. Guests can unwind in the Sinners Lounge, dance to music provided by the CCM Jazz Band and enjoy specialty drinks. Jeff Thomas Catering will provide themed food stations at the event, which also features a Graeter’s Ice Cream “Saints and Sinners” sundae bar.

The Saints and Sinners Bash will also celebrate the incredible history of CCM’s Musical Theatre program. CCM conferred the United States’ first BFA in Musical Theatre to Pamela Myers in 1969. Shortly after graduating, Myers received a Tony nomination in the category of Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her breakout role as Marta in Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical Company. Fifty years later, CCM Musical Theatre graduates continue to work on Broadway and throughout the nation in such productions as Anastasia, Hamilton, Waitress, The Book of Mormon, Pippin, Wicked, Jersey Boys, Les Miserables, Kinky Boots, Big Fish, Newsies and The Lion King. During the 2017-18 season, CCM again took the #2 spot in Playbill Magazine’s list of “10 Most Represented Colleges on Broadway,” coming behind only New York University. Graduates also 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.

Attendees are invited to get “all dolled up” in 1940s attire for a fun-filled night out benefiting CCM’s student “stars of tomorrow.” The entire evening is hosted by CCMpower, a dedicated volunteer group comprised of fans, advocates and alumni. The funds raised by this event enable CCMpower to “fuel the future of the arts” by awarding student scholarships and grants. CCMpower is presenting Guys and Dolls and the Saints and Sinners Bash in lieu of CCM’s popular Moveable Feast gala fundraiser. Moveable Feast will return to CCM in January 2020.

The Saints and Sinners Bash is chaired by Heather Vecellio, with Dianne Dunkelman serving as honorary chair. The fundraiser will be the first event held during the tenure of new CCMpower President Arlene Katz. The gala fundraiser also celebrates the arrival of new CCM Dean Stanley Romanstein, whose tenure officially began on July 1, 2018.

CCM’s Mainstage Series will also present performances of Guys and Dolls on Oct. 19, 21, 26 and 27. Learn more about these performances at ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/notations-ovations/2018-19-Mainstage-Season.

GUYS AND DOLLS AND THE SAINTS AND SINNERS BASH
A Musical Fable of Broadway
Based on a Story and Characters of Damon Runyon
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows
Diane Lala, director and choreographer
Roger Grodsky, musical director

Date
Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018

Schedule of Events:

• Sponsor Reception at CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater: 6 p.m. (only available for sponsors)
• Performance of Guys and Dolls at CCM’s Corbett Auditorium: 7 p.m.
• Saints and Sinners Bash at the Great Hall in UC’s Tangeman University Center: 9:30-11:30 p.m.

Location
University of Cincinnati

Dress
All Dolled Up (1940s attire encouraged)

Purchasing Tickets
Sponsorship and Host tickets to Guys and Dolls and the Saints and Sinners Bash are available now and can be purchased over the telephone at 513-556-2100. Sponsorship levels begin at $600, visit ccm.uc.edu/support/events for more details.

Host Options:

• Saint $250 – price includes one ticket to Guys and Dolls performance, one ticket to Saints and Sinners Bash, one ticket to CCM Musical Theatre’s “Not Famous Yet” Showcase on March 15, 2019, valet parking and program recognition
• Sinner $175 – price includes one ticket to Guys and Dolls performance, one ticket to Saints and Sinners Bash, valet parking and program recognition
• General Public Tickets: $125 – price includes one ticket to Guys and Dolls performance, one ticket to Saints and Sinners Bash and membership to CCMpower
• CCM Alumni and Young Professional (40 and under) Tickets: $75 – price includes one ticket to Guys and Dolls performance, one ticket to Saints and Sinners Bash and membership to CCMpower

Tickets for general admission, young professional and CCM alumni become available on Monday, Sept. 10, 2018.Seating is limited. Event proceeds raised by CCMpower support student scholarships for CCM’s “stars of tomorrow” and also help fund student and ensemble travel, master class opportunities and collaborative projects.

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 new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

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

About CCMpower
The result of a merger of the Friends of CCM and the CCM Alumni Governing Board, CCMpower is a volunteer group of fans, advocates and alumni dedicated to empowering students and fueling the future of the arts through scholarship opportunities and more. This new organization is a combination of people who love and support the arts along with graduates of CCM investing back in their school. To learn more, visit ccm.uc.edu/ccmpower.

About CCM
Declared “one of the nation’s leading conservatories” by The New York Times, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) is a preeminent institution for the performing and media arts. The school’s educational roots date back to 1867, and a solid, visionary instruction has been at its core since that time.

CCM offers nine degree types (BA, BM, BFA, MFA, MM, MA, AD, DMA, PhD) in nearly 120 possible majors. The synergy created by housing CCM within a comprehensive public university gives the college its unique character and defines its objective: to educate and inspire the whole artist and scholar for positions on the world’s stage.

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 2018-19 Mainstage Series Subscriptions On Sale Now!

New subscription packages are now on sale for CCM’s 2018-19 Mainstage Series of Acting, Dance, Musical Theatre and Opera Productions. With CCM’s streamlined subscriptions, it has never been easier to get the best seats at the best prices. Arts lovers can simply mix and match the shows they want to see with customizable eight, six, four or three-show packages. Subscription orders placed before Sept. 10 will get seated before any single ticket buyers!

About CCM’s 2018-19 Mainstage Series
CCM was recently declared “Best of Cincinnati” in CityBeat‘s annual readers’ choice poll, but the best is yet to come with CCM’s 2018-19 Mainstage Series! From October 2018 through April 2019, CCM presents eight masterworks spanning the spectrum of theatrical arts, including:

• the best of comedic and dramatic acting with The Government Inspector and Our Country’s Good,
• classic and contemporary musicals with Guys and Dolls and The Hunchback of Notre Dame,
• great operas from master composers with Britten’s The Turn of the Screw and Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito,
• and innovative dance programs with Birthday Variations and Cinderella!

Last season, single ticket buyers missed out on sold-out performances of Hamlet, Seussical (voted the year’s “Best Play” by CityBeat readers), Candide and Jesus Christ Superstar. Subscribers have a guaranteed seat to see the phenomenal talent and polished professionalism of CCM’s young performers. Download CCM’s 2018-19 Mainstage Subscription Brochure to learn even more about our upcoming productions!

Ordering Your Subscriptions
CCM’s customizable subscription packages range in price from $81-$192. Download our 2018-19 Mainstage Subscription price sheet, seating chart and order form for complete details. Then choose your shows and select whether you want seats in Section A (the best views) or Section B (the lowest prices). To pay by check, simply return your order form by mail or drop it off at the CCM Box Office in the Atrium of CCM’s Corbett Center for the Performing Arts. For credit card transactions, call the Box Office.

The CCM Box Office staff is always ready to answer your questions by phone at 513-556-4183 or by email at boxoff@uc.edu.

Don’t wait to get the best seats at the best prices!
Single tickets go on sale Sept. 10, 2018.

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

CCM Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

CCM Slideshows: “Cendrillon”

A bit of movie magic comes to CCM’s Mainstage in Jules Massenet’s fairytale opera Cendrillon, which continues at 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19 in Corbett Auditorium.

Inspired by Francois Truffaut’s 1973 French film Day for Night, director Robin Guarino stages Cendrillon on the set of a movie. The opera is based on  Charles Perrault’s original Cinderella story and features all of your favorite characters including the fairy godmother, in the guise of a costume designer, and the ugly stepsisters as diva actresses.

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Cendrillon plays in CCM’s Corbett Auditorium Nov. 19-20; tickets are available through the CCM Box Office. The opera is performed in four acts with a brief pause after Act I and an intermission between Acts II and III. It will be sung in French with English supertitles.

Performance Times
8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19
2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20

Location
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to Cendrillon are $31-35 for general admission, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID. Customizable subscription packages are also available.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice.

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. Additional parking is available off-campus at the U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots. Please visit uc.edu/parking for more information on parking rates.

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

For directions to CCM Village, visit ccm.uc.edu/about/directions.
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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Opera Department Sponsor Mr. and Mrs. Edward S. Rosenthal

Opera Production Sponsor: Genevieve Smith

CCM Slideshows: “A Chorus Line”

CCM’s Mainstage production of nine-time Tony Award-winning musical, A Chorus Line, continues through Oct. 30 in Patricia Corbett Theater. Directed and choreographed by Diane Lala with musical direction from Roger Grodsky, A Chorus Line gives an inside look at the world of musical theatre by telling the story of a group of Broadway hopefuls as they audition for the next big hit.

“The stunning visual aspects of the production again remind us that CCM is unarguably one of the top theatre arts training centers in the country,” wrote Rafael de Acha in his review of the show’s opening night performance. “From Matthew D. Hamel‘s clean-lined and symbolic set to Lindi-Joy Wilmot‘s period-perfect costumes to Jeremy Dominik‘s gorgeous lighting the show’s design by students is as good as you will get outside of the school by seasoned pros.”

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To learn more about CCM’s production of A Chorus Line, read our press release. You can also get an inside look at the production’s costumes in this video interview with student designer, Lindi-Joy Wilton, by the League of Cincinnati Theaters.

Performance Times
•    8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20
•    8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21
•    2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22
•    2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23
•    8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26
•    8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27
•    8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28
•    2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29
•    2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to A Chorus Line are $31-35 for general admission, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID. Customizable subscription packages are also available.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/mainstage/chorus-line.html.

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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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

CCM’s 2016-17 Subscription Packages Are On Sale Now. Plan Your Season With Our New Brochure Today!

Join us for a season of passion, courage and romance!

This year, the faculty, staff and students of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music proudly present over 50 major performing and media arts events.

Click on the graphic above to view CCM’s 2016-17 Season Brochure.

Whether you prefer effervescent operas or daring dramas, sophisticated symphonies or soulful jazz, old favorites or world premieres, this season has something for everyone.

Join us as our stars-of-tomorrow bring passion, courage and romance to the stage.

With a variety of subscription and flex ticket packages available, it has never been easier to experience CCM’s star power for yourself.

Plan your season today by downloading a digital copy of CCM’s 2016-17 brochure. Physical copies are also available at CCM’s Box Office.

Subscription and flex ticket packages are on sale now.

Single Concert Series and Ariel Series tickets go on sale beginning Aug. 22, 2016. Single Mainstage Series tickets go on sale beginning Aug. 29, 2016.

For more details about CCM’s 2016-17 performance schedule, contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 or visit ccm.uc.edu.

____________________

SPONSORS AND PARTNERS

CCM recognizes and thanks the following corporations, foundations and individuals for their generous support:

Louise Dieterle Nippert Trust
Scholarship and Resident Artist Sponsor

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
CCM/CSO Diversity Fellowship Sponsor

The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
Season Presenting Sponsor, Musical Theatre Program Sponsor & Event Sponsor

The Corbett Endowment at CCM
Dance Department Supporter
All-Steinway School Sponsor

The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
H. Wayne Ferguson Family Foundation
The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation
The Louise H. and David S. Ingalls Foundation Inc.
Frances R. Luther Charitable Trust
Community Partners

Macy’s
Mainstage Season Production Sponsor

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

Genevieve Smith
Opera Production Sponsor

The Joseph and Frances Jones Poetker Fund of the Cambridge Charitable Foundation, Ritter & Randolph, LLC, Corporate Counsel
Visiting Artists Sponsor

Anonymous
Estate of Mr. William A. Friedlander
Mrs. William A. Friedlander
Dr. & Mrs. Randolph L. Wadsworth
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Bloom
Mr. & Mrs. J. David Rosenberg
Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Santen
Mr. & Mrs. Paul G. Sittenfeld
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas E. Stegman
Mr. & Mrs. Theodore W. Striker
The Thomas J. Emery Memorial
Ariel Quartet Sponsors

Jan Rogers
Willard and Jean Mulford Charitable Fund of the Cambridge Charitable Foundation
Choral Studies Sponsors

Ms. Margaret L. Straub & Mr. Neil R. Artman
Studio Drama Series Sponsor

Judith Heiny and Piotr Chomczynski
Polish Festival Sponsor

The Sarah Marvin Foundation for the Performing Arts
Classical Guitar Sponsor

Mr. & Mrs. Joseph W. Hirschhorn
Orchestral Sponsor

CCMpower
The CCM Harmony Fund: Challenging Hate
and Prejudice through Performing Arts
The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation
Jeff Thomas Catering
PNC
Trish & Rick Bryan
Keating, Muething & Klekamp P.L.L.
Rhonda & Larry Sheakley
Event Sponsors
____________________

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 Slideshows: Leoš Janáček’s ‘The Cunning Little Vixen’

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Come see Leoš Janáček’s fantastical opera The Cunning Little Vixen, which opens tonight (Friday) at 8 p.m. and runs through Sunday as part of this year’s Mainstage Series.

Directed by Vince DeGeorge, this anthropomorphic opera explores the intimate relationship between man and nature. This production will be conducted by Mark Gibson and sung in English, with a new translation by CCM Professor Emeritus David Adams.

Learn more about the performance or view the cast list.

Leoš Janácek’s
THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN
An Opera in Three Acts
Critical revised version by Jiri Zahrádka
Used by arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company, U.S. and Canadian agent for Universal Edition Vienna, publisher and copyright owner.

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Friday, April 8
• 8 p.m. Saturday, April 9
• 2 p.m. Sunday, April 10

Location
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to The Cunning Little Vixen are $31-35 for adults, $20-24 for non-UC students and $18-22 for UC students with a valid ID.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/mainstage/cunning-little-vixen.

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 new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

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

____

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Community Partner: ArtsWave

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

Opera Production Sponsor: Genevieve Smith

CCM’s Mainstage Series Presents ‘The Cunning Little Vixen’ April 8 – 10, 2016

CCM brings you Leoš Janácek’s anthropomorphic opera, The Cunning Little Vixen, from April 8 – 10 as part of this year’s Mainstage Series. Instead of the typical protagonists of kings, queens and courtly staff, the stars of Janácek’s opera are foxes, dragonflies and badgers, and a host of woodland creatures, as well as the humans who try to tame them. Mark Gibson conducts with stage direction and choreography by Vince DeGeorge. This production will be sung in English, with a new translation by CCM Professor Emeritus David Adams.

The story begins with a Forester who, asleep at the base of a tree after a long night of drinking, awakens to the sight of a playful vixen cub. Delighted with his newfound furry friend, the Forester stumbles home to his farm to show his family. Discontent with her life in captivity, the cunning Vixen plots her escape, ruffles some feathers among the farm animals, and flees into the night. The Forester is then devastated and left alone to pine after his lost treasure.

Meanwhile, the Forester’s drinking buddies have troubles of their own. The Schoolmaster lusts after a young woman engaged to another man, and the Priest struggles to reconcile a misstep in his past with his present life of piety. Each man finds himself tormented by his own obsession, and struggles to accept the natural progression of life and death when it is out of his control.

One of the design inspriations for CCM’s new production of THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN.

Inspired by a serial comic strip printed in the local paper, Leoš Janácek uses music and dance to breathe life into the characters he saw on the page. DeGeorge said a muse in the form of a little wooden vixen, gifted from his wife 10 years ago, inspired his vision for CCM’s production of the opera.

The geometric nature of the figurine, which is featured on the program cover, is reflected in the masks worn and carried by the characters as they transform throughout the opera.

“One of the things that is most prevalent in this opera is the relationship between humans and animals. The actors come on stage as humans and they transform into animals in front of the audience,” DeGeorge said. “There’s a sort of formalism about this little creature that I love but there’s also a playfulness that embodies the spirit of this production.”

It’s that very spirit, the transformative essence and flow of cycles within the opera, that Janácek masterfully elicits in your ears. Janácek will mesmerize you with his lush harmonies and sweeping melodies, Hollywood strings, flittering elfin-like woodwinds solos, and powerful romantic brass, in this fantastical tale of the intimate relationship between man and nature.

Join us in CCM’s Corbett Auditorium, this April 8-10, to explore the human condition within the enchanted world of music and dance.

• View the cast list.

Leoš Janácek’s
THE CUNNING LITTLE VIXEN
An Opera in Three Acts
Critical revised version by Jiri Zahrádka
Used by arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company, U.S. and Canadian agent for Universal Edition Vienna, publisher and copyright owner.

The Creative Team

• Mark Gibson, conductor
• Vince DeGeorge, stage director and choreographer
• Marie-France Lefebvre, musical preparation
• Mark Halpin, scenic designer
• Jeremy Dominik, lighting designer*
• Oran Wongpandid, costume designer*
• Kelly Yurko, wig & make-up designer
• Kristen Budke, properties designer*
• Susan Moser, choreographer
• Michael Medina, stage manager*

• John Murton, assistant conductor (Sunday matinee)*
• Maria Fuller, rehearsal pianist*
• Levi Hammer, rehearsal pianist*
• Michael Medina, rehearsal pianist*

* CCM student

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Friday, April 8
• 8 p.m. Saturday, April 9
• 2 p.m. Sunday, April 10

Location
Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to The Cunning Little Vixen are $31-35 for adults, $20-24 for non-UC students and $18-22 for UC students with a valid ID.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/mainstage/cunning-little-vixen.

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 new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

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

____

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Community Partner: ArtsWave

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

Opera Production Sponsor: Genevieve Smith

CCM Slideshows: Green Day’s American Idiot

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CCM’s Mainstage Series continues tonight through next Sunday, March 13, with a raucous production of Green Day’s hit rock opera, American Idiot.

Directed by Aubrey Berg with musical direction by Steve Goers, American Idiot portrays a disaffected generation’s search for meaning in a post-9/11 America.

• Read Kirk Sheppard’s review of the show for The Sappy Critic here.
• Read Rick Pender’s preview of the show for Cincinnati CityBeat here.
• Listen to a preview of the production courtesy of WVXU here.
• Check out our behind-the-scenes look at the set design for American Idiot here.

American Idiot contains mature subject matter, including references to drug use, sexual content and profanity. Tickets are still available for select performances. Learn more about the production here.

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Friday, March 4
• 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 5
• 2 p.m. Sunday, March 6
• 8 p.m. Thursday, March 10
• 8 p.m. Friday, March 11
• 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 12
• 2 p.m. Sunday, March 13

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to American Idiot are $31-35 for adults, $20-24 for non-UC students and $18-22 for UC students with a valid ID.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/mainstage/american-idiot.

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 new 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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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Community Partner: ArtsWave

American Idiot is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 | Phone: 212-541-4684 | Fax: 212-397-4684 | http://www.MTIShows.com

CCM Pushes Boundaries With Green Day’s Punk Rock Musical ‘American Idiot,’ March 3 – 13, 2016

From left to right, Louis Griffin, Ben Biggers, John Battagliese and Chris Collins-Pisano in CCM’s production of AMERICAN IDIOT. Photo by Mark Lyons.

CCM proudly presents the first local production of Green Day‘s iconic musical American Idiot from March 3 – 13 in Patricia Corbett Theater. The through-sung rock opera is directed by Patricia A. Corbett Distinguished Chair of Musical Theatre Aubrey Berg with musical direction by Adjunct Instructor of Musical Theatre Steve Goers.

Although many think of Broadway musicals as saccharin sweet, there have been shows throughout the decades that have burst onto the scene, changing theatre forever and defining a generation.

“In 1944, Leonard Bernstein’s ‘On The Town’ brought fresh faces and a jazz-inflected score to Broadway. My generation grooved to the sound of ‘Hair.’ In the 90s there was ‘Rent’ by Jonathan Larson, and for the current generation, it is ‘American Idiot’,” says Berg.

A high octane adaptation of Green Day’s 2004 Grammy-winning concept album of the same name, American Idiot features a raucous and exhilarating punk rock score yet offers a simple, contemporary fable in the style of the Brothers Grimm. Three disaffected young men – Johnny, Will and Tunny – plan to flee a stifling suburban lifestyle and parental restrictions. Along the way they deal with drugs, lost love, war, inner turmoil and living in an America that is forever changed and roiled by dark events, including the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the Iraq War.

Making sure CCM’s production reflects the style and temperament of the current generation was important to Berg. “American Idiot is a musical by the young, for the young,” he says. To keep the presentation authentic, Berg surrounded himself with a creative team of students. His associate director and choreographer, Tom Meglio and Samantha Pollino respectively, are both graduating seniors and are the perfect candidates to help shape this production.

“American Idiot was one of our generation’s very first artistic expressions of events that are ever present in our consciousness because, for the very first time, our generation can say: we lived them,” Meglio and Pollino suggest.

CCM’s production is set three years before the release of the album in the aftermath of the events of 9/11. Meglio and Pollino explain, “We wanted to create an atmosphere of immediacy, to highlight the themes of the show as a response to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and explore the period of upheaval that immediately followed.”

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Great theatre can delight and entertain, but it can also challenge audiences to confront their own closely held views and perceptions. American Idiot deals with potentially incendiary subjects. The show is loud, abrasive and confrontational. The language is raw and constant. There is simulated sex and simulated drug use. The musical presents an uncompromising view of a dystopian America, but it is also a foray into the psyche of a young generation struggling to make sense of its place in the world at a particular moment in time.

“In addition to ‘rocking out,’ we ask the audience to take a moment to connect with, reflect on and embrace this piece as a raw fragment of history presented with the utmost respect and many unanswered questions,” Meglio and Pollino conclude.

CCM’s production of American Idiot is not recommended for children or those easily offended.

Music by Green Day
Lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong
Book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer

The Company

• Ben Biggers as Johnny
• John Battagliese as St. Jimmy
• Clara Cox as Whatsername
• Chris Collins-Pisano as Will
• Shauna Topian as Heather
• Louis Griffin as Tunny
• Cameron Anika Hill as Extraordinary Girl

• with Kyra Christopher, EJ Dohring, Joel Flynn, Ciara Alyse Harris, Marissa Hecker, Tyler Jent, Phillip Johnson, Chris Kelley, Stavros Koumbaros, Jackson Matteck, Emily Ashton Meredith, Hamilton Moore, Anya Olsen, Alex Stone, Donelvan Thigpen, Madelaine Vandenberg and Keaton Whittaker.

The Creative Team

• Aubrey Berg, director
• Stephen Goers, musical director
• Samantha Pollino, choreographer
• Thomas C. Umfrid, scenic designer
• CJ Mellides, lighting designer
• Kevin Semancik, sound designer
• Jillian Coratti, costume designer
• Jillian Floyd, wig & make-up designer
• Tom Meglio, assistant director
• k. Jenny Jones, fight choreographer
• Jenny Rissover, stage manager
• Tom Kitt, musical arrangements and orchestrations

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Thursday, March 3
• 8 p.m. Friday, March 4
• 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 5
• 2 p.m. Sunday, March 6
• 8 p.m. Thursday, March 10
• 8 p.m. Friday, March 11
• 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 12
• 2 p.m. Sunday, March 13

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to American Idiot are $31-35 for adults, $20-24 for non-UC students and $18-22 for UC students with a valid ID.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/mainstage/american-idiot.

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 new 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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CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Community Partner: ArtsWave

American Idiot is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54th Street, New York, NY 10019 | Phone: 212-541-4684 | Fax: 212-397-4684 | www.MTIShows.com

CCM Slideshows: Eugene O’Neill’s Ah, Wilderness!

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CCM’s Mainstage Series continues tonight through this Sunday, Feb. 14, with a charming revival of Eugene O’Neill’s Tony Award nominated Ah, Wilderness!: A Comedy of Recollection in Three Acts.

Directed by R. Terrell Finney, this tender portrait of teenage growing pains and young love has been described as “a breath of fresh air” and “vividly alive” by the New York Post.

Tickets are still available for this weekend’s performances. Learn more about the production here.

Performance Times

• 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12
• 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 13
• 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to Ah, Wilderness! are $27-31 for adults, $17-20 for non-UC students and $15-18 UC students with a valid ID.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the CCM Box Office, over the telephone at 513-556-4183 or online at ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/mainstage/ah-wilderness.

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 new U Square complex on Calhoun Street and other neighboring lots.

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

CCM Season Presenting Sponsor and Musical Theatre Program Sponsor: The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Community Partner: ArtsWave

Ah, Wilderness!: A Comedy of Recollection in Three Acts is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.