‘Metamorphoses’ Earns Four Star Rating by the League of Cincinnati Theatres

CCM’s presents ‘ Metamorphoses’ Feb. 5 (preview) – 9, 2014. Photography by Mark Lyons.

We are delighted to report that panelists for the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT) have recognized our Mainstage Series production of Metamorphoses with a Four Star Rating! Congratulations to everyone involved with the show!

Panelists praised Metamorphoses as “a rare, exemplary experience to behold in a theater. The pool, lighting, use of space, direction, transitions, performances and the stories–Myths of Ovid–were compelling, touching, sad, hopeful and even risky.”

D. Lynn Meyers was commended for her direction: “In her hands, Ovid’s dreams ‘were magically realized and lushly furnished with a vision as tender as it was daring’.”

Dana Hall, for scenic design, and Wes Richter, for lighting design, were singled out for designs that were “beautifully evocative, integral to the story-telling, and well-executed”.

Finally, the entire ensemble was lauded for their work: “Bravo to the cast who cast a spell upon this audience member.”

Metamorphoses plays through tomorrow afternoon (Sunday, Feb. 9). For more information about the production, visit ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice/metamorphoses.

CCM Slideshows: Metamorphoses

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Tonight through Sunday, CCM’s Mainstage Series proudly presents Metamorphoses, an entrancing re-telling of familiar myths that offers breathtaking storytelling and an escape from the ordinary that dares to brush with the divine. Today, we present a stunning preview slideshow courtesy of photographer Mark Lyons.

Guest artist D. Lynn Meyers directs. The production is intended for mature audiences.

CCM Video: Electronic Media Students Present ‘Metamorphoses’ Trailer

To celebrate tonight’s opening performance of Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses, we proudly present this movie-style trailer shot and edited by Electronic Media majors Tim Neumann and Dan Marque, starring Drama majors Bailie Breaux and John Lee Odom.

Based on the classic myths of Ovid, Metamorphoses runs Feb. 6 – 9, 2014. Guest artist D. Lynn Meyers directs. The production is intended for mature audiences.

Cincinnati CityBeat Shows CCM Student, Alum and Upcoming Production Some Love in Latest Issue

CityBeat’s “Love List” issue is on newsstands now.

The Feb. 5 – 11 issue of CityBeat is on newsstands now and we are delighted to report that the magazine’s “Love List” features CCM alumnus Drew Klein and senior musical theatre major Blaine Krauss!

A graduate of CCM’s Electronic Media program, Klein has been making a name for himself as the Contemporary Arts Center’s first-ever performance curator. You can read his full profile here.

Krauss can next be seen as Jean Valjean in CCM’s upcoming Mainstage Series production of Les Misérables, playing Feb. 27 – March 9 in Patricia Corbett Theater. You can read his full profile here.

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, Rick Pender also previews this week’s production of Metamorphoses at CCM (also in Patricia Corbett Theater) and NKU’s upcoming production of Arabian Nights, both written by Mary Zimmerman.

Visit citybeat.com/cincinnati to view the full issue online.

From Ovid to Mary Zimmerman: A Classicist Introduces the Metamorphoses

This Saturday at 1:15 p.m., UC’s Department of Classics will host a FREE “Classical Conversation,” presented in conjunction with CCM’s Mainstage Series production of Metamorphoses.

Come and take a behind-the-scenes look at the world of Ovid and myth that inspired Mary Zimmerman’s award-winning drama with UC Professor of Classics Lauren Ginsberg.

Zimmerman has often noted how Ovid’s epic of mythological transformations inspired her Tony Award winning stage production. In particular, she is fascinated by how stories removed from us in time and space can help articulate timeless truths about human nature. Ginsberg’s talk will further explore the fascinating Ovidian background to Zimmerman’s text.

Cincinnati Public Radio, Cincinnati Enquirer and Gramophone Magazine Preview CCM’s February Performances

The latest installment of WVXU’s Around Cincinnati features a number of upcoming CCM performances! First up, guest artist D. Lynn Meyers gives Jim Stump a preview of this week’s Mainstage Production of Metamorphoses (Feb. 5 – 9). You can listen to their full conversation here.

Later on in the program, Brian O’Donnell speaks with CCM faculty members Awadagin Pratt and Michael Chertock about the Bearcat Piano Festival and Pianopalooza (Feb. 6 – 16). You can listen to the interview here.

The Cincinnati Enquirer‘s list of Top Arts Picks for February is also filled with CCM happenings, including the Bearcat Piano Festival, Metamorphoses, and Les Misérables (Feb. 27 – March 9). Read the full preview here.

Even Gramophone Magazine’s latest podcast features an upcoming CCM performance, as James Jolly speaks with guest artist Gerald Finley about his current tour with pianist Julius Drake, which comes to CCM’s Corbett Auditorium on Feb. 5! You can download the podcast here.

CCM Video: A Sneak Peek at CCM’s Scenic Design for ‘Metamorphoses’

CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater recently underwent a dramatic metamorphosis of its own in anticipation of our upcoming production of Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses. Today, CCM student Alexi Ortiz provides us with a time-lapse video of last weekend’s load-in, which includes an early look at Metamorphoses‘ much-talked-about on-stage pool.

Scenic Designer Dana Hall and Technical Director Christian Mikkelsen (both of whom are students at CCM) provide additional insight on this process to the News Record‘s Jake Grieco here.

Based on the classic myths of Ovid, Metamorphoses runs Feb. 5 (preview) – 9. Guest artist D. Lynn Meyers directs. The production is intended for mature audiences.

Familiar Myths Take on Magical New Forms in CCM’s Mainstage Production of ‘Metamorphoses’

Senior drama major Madeline McKenzie in CCM’s production of ‘Metamorphoses,’ playing Feb. 5 (preview) – 9, 2014. Photography by Stirling Scot Shelton.

CCM’s Mainstage Series resumes in February with a new production of Mary Zimmerman’s award-winning Metamorphoses. Based on the classic myths of Ovid, this entrancing drama runs Feb. 6 – 9 in CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater, with a special preview performance at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5. Guest artist D. Lynn Meyers directs. The production is intended for mature audiences.

From a simple, rippling pool of water, Metamorphoses conjures a series of familiar myths into gorgeous theatrical imagery. The winner of two Drama Desk Awards and one Tony Award after its Broadway run in 2002, this entrancing theatrical event retells the classic stories of King Midas, Orpheus and Eurydice, Narcissus and more.

To realize Zimmerman’s bold vision for Metamorphoses, an on-stage pool fills 576 square feet of Patricia Corbett Theater for this production. This pool holds 4,000 gallons of water, weighing roughly 10 tons, and ranges in depth from just a few inches to nearly two feet. Although the element of water is central to all of the myths featured in Metamorphoses, the pool’s function changes from vignette to vignette, sometimes serving as a simple washing basin or swimming pool, while other times standing in for the River Styx or the sea.

CCM Presents Mary Zimmerman’s ‘Metamorphoses’ Feb. 5 – 9, 2014

Next month, CCM’s acclaimed Mainstage Series resumes with Mary Zimmerman’s Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning Metamorphoses, directed by guest artist D. Lynn Meyers.

Based on the classic myths of Ovid, this entrancing drama runs Feb. 5 (preview) – 9 in CCM’s Patricia Corbett Theater. Tickets are on sale now. This production is intended for mature audiences only.

For more information, visit ccm.uc.edu.

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.