Cover artwork for CCM's 2018-19 Mainstage Series Subscription Brochure.

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!

Cover artwork for CCM's 2018-19 Mainstage Series Subscription Brochure.

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 SeriesFrom 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 News
A portrait of CCM's incoming TAPAA Division Head, Denton Yockey.

Accomplished Producer and Administrator Denton Yockey is Named Head of CCM’s Division of Theatre Arts, Production and Arts Administration

A portrait of CCM's incoming TAPAA Division Head, Denton Yockey.

CCM Interim Dean bruce d. mcclung has announced the appointment of Denton Yockey to the position of Professor of Arts Administration and Head of the Division of Theatre Arts, Production and Arts Administration (TAPAA) at CCM. Yockey will arrive on campus this July to work with TAPAA’s Interim Division Head, Alan Yaffe, and his appointment will officially begin on Aug. 15, 2018.

In his new position, Yockey will oversee CCM’s Departments of Acting, Arts Administration, Dance, Musical Theatre, Opera, and Theatre Design and Production. He will also serve as producer of CCM’s Mainstage and Studio Series productions.

Yockey is one of the nation’s premier regional theatre producers and presenters of touring Broadway. During a career that has spanned more than 30 years, Yockey has produced or presented shows starring such luminaries as Jensen Ackles, Margaret Colin, Richard Kind, Jack Klugman, Lorenzo Lamas, Donna McKechnie, Lou Diamond Phillips, Tony Randall, Cathy Rigby, Sally Struthers, new Tony winner Rachel Bay Jones and Academy Award-winning June Squibb.

Yockey is currently the Executive Director of the Thrasher-Horne Center at St. Johns River State College in Orange Park, Florida. He is also a principal with A Rising Tide Theatrical Group, LLC, which independently produces theatrical entertainment and national tours while providing counsel for other projects.

Over the course of his career, Yockey has helmed four not-for-profit theatres including Lone Star Performing Arts Association in Galveston, Texas (Executive Director); Casa Mañana Theater in Fort Worth, TX (President and Executive Producer); and Starlight Theatre in Kansas City (President and Executive Producer). Under his leadership, Starlight Theatre received the 2013 Venue Excellence Award from the International Alliance of Venue Managers in the Performing Arts Centers category. Also in 2013, his mini-tour of Miss Saigon was cited in Playbill’s list of “Most Unforgettable Experiences.” During his tenure at Casa Mañana, the landmark theatre underwent its historic renovation and the theatre was the producer and presenter of all the Broadway shows at the newly opened Bass Performance Hall. Upon his departure from Casa Mañana, Yockey received the Silver Dome Award, the theatre’s highest award for meritorious individual accomplishment.  He is one of only three recipients in the 13-year history of the award.

Yockey received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Indiana University South Bend. He is a member of the Broadway League and a past Tony Awards voter for over 15 years. While in Texas he was a theatre panelist for the Cultural Arts Council of Houston and the Texas Commission on the Arts, and board member of the Live Theatre League of Tarrant County, Texas Nonprofit Theatres, Inc., and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre.

A native of Plymouth, Indiana, Yockey met his wife of 26 years, Gina, on stage in a production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. They are the proud parents of Gwyneth and Grayson Yockey, both whom are pursuing acting careers.

On the announcement of Yockey’s appointment, mcclung commented:

“Yockey’s impressive background in producing, presenting and administration, coupled with his dedication to artistic success, positions him as the ideal head of CCM’s Division of Theatre Arts, Production and Arts Administration. I am grateful to Search Committee Chair Alan Yaffe and committee members Rebecca Bromels, Lydia Brown, Vince DeGeorge, Susan Felder, Qi Jiang and Stirling Shelton for their work and dedication to find CCM’s next great division head.”

Please join us in welcoming Denton Yockey to the CCM family!

CCM News Faculty Fanfare
Photography from CCM's Fall 2017 Mainstage Series production of 'Seussical' by Mark Lyons.

CCM Announces 2018-19 Mainstage Series of Acting, Dance, Musical Theatre and Opera

Photography from CCM's Fall 2017 Mainstage Series production of 'Seussical' by Mark Lyons.

Photography from CCM’s Fall 2017 Mainstage Series production of ‘Seussical’ by Mark Lyons.

The best is yet to come with CCM’s eight-part series of theatre arts productions! With new streamlined subscription packages, it’s never been easier to get the best tickets at the season’s best prices.

CCM will present eight masterworks spanning the spectrum of the theatre arts during its 2018-19 Mainstage Series of Acting, Dance, Musical Theatre and Opera. Running from October 2018 through April 2019, these productions will showcase the phenomenal talent and polished professionalism of CCM’s young performing, design and media artists.

This season’s Mainstage Series includes classic and contemporary musicals with Frank Loesser, Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling’s Guys and Dolls and Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz and Peter Parnell’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the best of comedic and dramatic acting with Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector and Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good, great operas from master composers with Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw and W.A. Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito, and innovative dance programs that include a mixed repertoire concert of Birthday Variations and a fully-staged story ballet production of Prokofiev’s Cinderella.

The complete 2018-19 Mainstage Series lineup is listed below. Titles and dates are subject to change – rights pending. For the most current calendar of events, please visit us online at ccm.uc.edu.
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CCM’S 2018-19 MAINSTAGE SERIES
Acting, Musical Theatre, Opera, Dance

"The Government Inspector" promo image by Mark Lyons.THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original by Nikolai Gogol
Richard E. Hess, director

When the locals in a small Russian hamlet learn that an undercover government inspector is coming for a surprise visit, a case of mistaken identity sends the whole village spiraling into a world of panic and greed. Part farce, part slapstick and wholly entertaining, this timely and spirited adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s classic play exposes the corruption of a provincial town with biting hilarity.

Performance Dates: Oct. 3 (preview), Oct. 4-7, 2018
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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"Guys and Dolls" preview photography by Mark Lyons.GUYS AND DOLLS
Book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling
Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Based on The Idyll of Sarah Brown and characters by Damon Runyon
Diane Lala, director and choreographer
Roger Grodsky, musical director

Set in Damon Runyon’s mythical New York City, Guys and Dolls is the perfect musical comedy. Nathan Detroit is a gambler trying to find the cash to set up the biggest craps game in town while the authorities breathe down his neck. Meanwhile, his girlfriend and nightclub performer, Adelaide, laments that they’ve been engaged for 14 years. Nathan turns to fellow gambler Sky Masterson for the dough, and Sky ends up chasing straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown as a result. Guys and Dolls takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafés of Havana, Cuba and even into the sewers of New York City, but eventually everyone ends up right where they belong.

Performance Dates: Oct. 19 and 21, Oct. 26-27, 2018
Note: A special gala performance of Guys and Dolls will be presented on Saturday, Oct. 20, in honor of CCM Musical Theatre’s 50th anniversary; special pricing applies.
Location: Corbett Auditorium

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"The Turn of the Screw" preview photography by Mark Lyons.THE TURN OF THE SCREW
Music by Benjamin Britten
Libretto by Myfanwy Piper, after a story by Henry James
Aik Khai Pung, conductor
Vince DeGeorge, director

Based on Henry James’ classic ghost-story novella, Britten’s compelling chamber opera presents the story of a governess charged with the care of two orphaned children at their absentee uncle’s country estate, where the ghosts of a former valet and his lover haunt the grounds. With a blend of 12-tone techniques, arresting motifs and stirring lyricism, the action moves with incredible fluidity, creating a chilling tale of sexual repression and the corruption of innocence. For mature audiences.

Performance Dates: Nov. 15-18, 2018
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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"Birthday Variations" preview photography by Mark Lyons.BIRTHDAY VARIATIONS
Jiang Qi, director

CCM Dance showcases an array of classic and contemporary works restaged and choreographed by CCM Dance faculty members. The thrilling highlight of the evening is Birthday Variations, originally choreographed by Gerald Arpino, former Artistic Director of the Joffrey Ballet, to music by Giuseppe Verdi. Birthday Variations is presented by arrangement with the Gerald Arpino and Robert Joffrey Foundation.

Performance Dates: Dec. 6-9, 2018
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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"Our Country's Good" preview photography by Mark Lyons.OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD
By Timberlake Wertenbaker
Based on the novel The Playmaker by Thomas Keneally
Susan Felder, director

Set in Botany Bay in 1789, Our Country’s Good is a darkly comedic tale based on the true story of Australia’s first theatrical performance. A marine lieutenant decides to put on a play to celebrate the king’s birthday. He casts the play with convicts who populate an Australian prison camp. Few of them can read, let alone act, and the play is produced against a background of food shortages and barbaric prison punishments. Our Country’s Good is as an inspiring tribute to the transforming power of drama. For mature audiences.

Performance Dates: Feb. 13 (preview), Feb. 14-17, 2019
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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"Hunchback of Notre Dame" preview image by Mark Lyons.THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Book by Peter Parnell
Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney film
Originally developed by Disney Theatrical Productions
Aubrey Berg, director
Stephen Goers, musical director
Katie Johannigman, choreographer

Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame begins as bells sound through the famed cathedral in fifteenth-century Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer, observes all of Paris reveling in the Feast of Fools, but he is held captive by his devious caretaker, the archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo. He escapes for the day and joins the boisterous crowd, only to be treated cruelly by all but the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda. Quasimodo isn’t the only one captivated by her free spirit, though — the handsome Captain Phoebus and Frollo are equally enthralled. As the three vie for her attention, Frollo embarks on a mission to destroy the gypsies and it’s up to Quasimodo to save them all. Parental discretion is advised. Victor Hugo’s novel contains mature themes and situations, which may be distressing for young viewers.

Performance Dates: March 7-10, 2019
Location: Corbett Auditorium

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"La Clemenza di Tito" preview photography by Mark Lyons.LA CLEMENZA DI TITO
(THE CLEMENCY OF TITUS)
Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Caterino Mazzolà
Jiannan Cheng, conductor
Robin Guarino, director

Mozart’s last opera seria displays some of his most memorable and marvelous arias! The story centers on Roman emperor Titus (Tito) who must choose a wife, but is unable to find a suitable match. In his search for an empress, Tito narrowly avoids an assassination plot instigated by his best friend Sesto and the former emperor’s daughter, Vitellia, who wants the throne for herself. Caught between his duty and his heart, the emperor must choose whether to rule with mercy or with an iron fist.

Performance Dates: April 12-14, 2019
Location: Corbett Auditorium

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CCM Dance preview image by Mark Lyons.CINDERELLA
Jiang Qi, director

Celebrate spring’s arrival with a fully staged fairytale ballet. A poor girl wishes to escape the authoritarian rule of her evil stepmother and stepsisters, so her fairy godmother gives her a ticket to the ball! The girl meets Prince Charming and they fall in love, but she vanishes when the clock strikes midnight. Set to music by Sergei Prokofiev, Cinderella is known for its jubilant melodies, lush scenery and graceful retelling of the timeless romance by Charles Perrault.

Performance Dates: April 26-28, 2019
Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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Mainstage Series Subscriptions
The 2018-19 CCM Mainstage Series of Acting, Musical Theatre, Opera and Dance productions includes subscription packages for combinations of Eight Shows, Six Shows, Four Shows or Three Shows. Newly streamlined subscription packages make this process easier than ever before. Simply choose your shows and select whether you want seats in Section A (the best views) or Section B (the lowest prices)!

Renewal subscriptions are on sale now with packages ranging in price from $78-$176. Subscribers to CCM’s 2017-18 Mainstage Series can receive priority access to seating by renewing their subscriptions by May 1, 2018.

Subscription packages for new subscribers go on sale May 2, 2018, with packages ranging in price from $81-$192.

Single tickets go on sale beginning Sept. 10, 2018, but subscribing is the only way to guarantee your seats and your savings for CCM’s Mainstage Series!

To order subscriptions, contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 or boxoff@uc.edu.

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2018-19 MAINSTAGE SERIES PERFORMANCE TIMES

THE GOVERNEMENT INSPECTOR
Performance Times:

  • 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3 (preview)
  • 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5
  • 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6
  • 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7

Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

GUYS AND DOLLS
Performance Times:

  • 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19
  • 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20 (CCM Musical Theatre 50th Anniversary gala performance; special pricing applies)
  • 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21
  • 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26
  • 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27
  • 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27

Location: Corbett Auditorium

THE TURN OF THE SCREW
Performance Times:

  • 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16
  • 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 18

Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

BIRTHDAY VARIATIONS
Performance Times:

  • 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7
  • 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8
  • 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9

Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD
Performance Times:

  • 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13 (preview)
  • 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15
  • 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16
  • 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17

Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
Performance Times:

  • 8 p.m. Thursday, March 7
  • 8 p.m. Friday, March 8
  • 2 p.m. Saturday, March 9
  • 8 p.m. Saturday, March 9
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, March 10

Location: Corbett Auditorium

LA CLEMENZA DI TITO
Performance Times:

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

Location: Corbett Auditorium

CINDERELLA
Performance Times:

  • 8 p.m. Friday, April 26
  • 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27
  • 8 p.m. Saturday, April 27
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28

Location: Patricia Corbett Theater

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

CCM News

CCM Behind-the-Scenes: Stage Managing ‘Seussical’

The stage management team on the set of CCM’s Seussical.

CCM’s imaginative take on the world of Dr. Seuss is presented in Seussical, which runs through Sunday, Oct. 29 in Patricia Corbett Theater. Audience members see classic Seuss tales presented on stage with dazzling color and imagery, but they don’t see the flurry of work that propels the performance backstage — guided by Seussical’s “unsung heroes,” the stage management team.

The team consists of five students: Stage Manager Sam Lewis, senior; Assistant Wallace Craig, senior; Assistant Justin Dudzik, senior; Assistant Mikaela Acton, junior; and Production Assistant Carson Trego, freshman. All are enrolled in CCM’s stage management program except for Dudzik, who studies lighting design at CCM.

“The students on the stage management team are the true unsung heroes of our production,” says Seussical Director Vince DeGeorge. “When you do a production that is so complicated and involves so many moving parts, the stage management team really has to work incredibly hard to make it all happen.”

Seussical’s staging includes an automated turntable at center stage, an automated ball drop, a flying swing, two trap doors, 119 props, 35 cast members and 53 crew members. The stage managers keep track of every prop, costume and set piece, and manage the entire cast and crew during rehearsals and performances.

Sam Lewis, Carson Trego and Seussical Musical Director Luke Flood during rehearsal.

Sam Lewis, Carson Trego and Seussical Musical Director Luke Flood during rehearsal.

They set up and run every rehearsal and performance — and clean up after.

Stage managers wear all black to blend in backstage, working behind-the-scenes in CCM’s recently renovated Patricia Corbett Theater. They communicate with each other via headsets to run all of the theatrical cues throughout Seussical, and are able to watch the show backstage on a TV monitor to see how it looks from the audience’s perspective. Their job is to ensure the show runs smoothly and that all of the theatrical elements are in place.

There are 14 “quick changes” in Seussical, where cast members must change costume backstage fast — sometimes they have to transform into an entirely different character in as little time as 50 seconds. The stage managers and crew strategically place props and costumes backstage for cast members to quickly access between musical numbers. As soon as the cast exits the stage, they are met with crew members who help fix make-up, wigs and assist with the quick costume changes.

One of the most challenging aspects of CCM’s Seussical was moving from the rehearsal space to the stage, says stage manager Sam Lewis. There are some theatrical elements, such as the automated turntable, ball drop and the trap doors, that couldn’t be used until the production was able to move into Patricia Corbett Theater. The stage managers met this challenge head-on, and even had fun figuring out how all of the elements could fit together on stage.

“We love It’s Possible because of all of the interesting challenges it has provided for us,” Lewis says. “From the six large fish on poles to the water fabric that has to release from the poles and be sucked into the stage through a trap door, it was a fun challenge to figure out.”

CCM presents 'Seussical' Oct. 19-29 in Patricia Corbett Theater. Photo by Mark Lyons.

CCM students perform It’s Possible in Act I of Seussical. Photo by Mark Lyons.

The stage managers map out the performance details on paper, which includes a catalogue of every prop, set piece and costume as well as blocking.

“Managing the flow of so many moving things in a smaller backstage area takes a lot of planning and preparation to make sure that everyone is where they should be and when they need to be,” according to the stage management team.

Lewis says that the stage management team has learned much from Michele Kay, Chair of CCM Theatre Design and Production, and Steve Miller, Associate Director of Theatre operations at CCM.

“We’ve learned a lot about different management styles and how best to work with different types of directors and designers, which has been huge in this process,” Lewis says. “I think the main lesson we learned in class that has followed us to this show is that if you ever want to impress someone, just do your job to the best of your ability.”

Next time you sit in the audience, marveling at the spectacle on stage, take a moment to imagine the hard-working crew behind-the-scenes, who helped create the theatrical world presented around you.

You can see the impressive work that students, faculty and staff have put into Seussical in person at the next performance, which is at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27.

Learn more about CCM’s Theatre Design and Production program at ccm.uc.edu/theatre/tdp.
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SEUSSICALTM
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty
Co-Conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and Eric Idle
Based on the Works of Dr. Seuss
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Performance Times

  • 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27
  • 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to Seussical are $31-35 for adults, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID.

Student rush tickets will be sold one hour before each performance to non-UC students for $12 or $15, based on availability. UC students can receive one free student rush ticket with a valid ID, based on availability.

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/seussical.

Customizable subscription packages are also available for CCM’s 2017-18 Mainstage Series.

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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SEUSSICAL is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Musical Theatre Production Sponsor: Elizabeth C. B. & Paul G. Sittenfeld

Musical Theatre Performance Sponsor: Northwestern Mutual

CCM News Faculty Fanfare Student Salutes
CCM presents 'Seussical' through Oct. 29 in Patricia Corbett Theater. Photo by Mark Lyons.

Local Arts Critics Praise CCM’s ‘Seussical’

CCM’s Mainstage Series production of Seussical continues at 8 p.m. tonight, Oct. 25, at Patricia Corbett Theater! Local critics praised the musical, which runs through Sunday, Oct. 29 as part of CCM’s 150th Anniversary Celebration.

Directed by Vince DeGeorge with musical direction by CCM graduate student Luke Flood, Seussical was written by CCM alumnus Stephen Flaherty (BM Composition, 1982) and Lynn Ahrens. It is now one of the most often performed musicals in the United States, but CCM’s production “demonstrates that the tale can be presented in a fresh way, with ingenious direction and design,” writes Scott Cain of Talkin’ Broadway. Cain hails CCM’s mounting of Seussical as “truly one of a kind.” He writes:

“The story of love, loyalty, sacrifice and caring still comes through clearly in this new approach, and the program continues to showcase its talented pre-professional performers. The direction, design and dances are noteworthy and will make this production one to remember for some time.”

In his review of Seussical for The Sappy Critic, Kirk Sheppard declares: “It’s easily the best costume work I’ve ever seen.” He also praises the performances from CCM Musical Theatre students, the musical’s lighting design by CCM student Eric McCandless and wig and make-up design by professor Kelly Yurko. Read Sheppard’s full review online: new.thesappycritic.com/2017/10/21/review-seussical/.

Laurel Humes recommends to “move your caboosical to CCM’s Seussical” in her review for the League of Cincinnati Theatres. Humes writes: “The show pulls out all the stops: Broadway-worthy costumes, lighting, staging and standout performances. All what audiences expect from CCM.”

In her review for The News Record, Anne Simedinger praises the Seussical performances: “The entire cast had such contagious energy through the entire show, which kept audience members on the edge of their seats.” She adds:

“The vibrant colors in the props, costumes and lighting against the primarily black and white set paints the picture as the story unfolds. This is a production to not be missed.”

Experience Seussical for yourself before the show closes on Sunday, Oct. 29. 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/seussical.
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SEUSSICALTM
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty
Co-Conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and Eric Idle
Based on the Works of Dr. Seuss
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Performance Times

  • 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25
  • 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27
  • 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to Seussical are $31-35 for adults, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID.

Student rush tickets will be sold one hour before each performance to non-UC students for $12 or $15, based on availability. UC students can receive one free student rush ticket with a valid ID, based on availability.

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/seussical.

Customizable subscription packages are also available for CCM’s 2017-18 Mainstage Series.

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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SEUSSICAL is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Musical Theatre Production Sponsor: Elizabeth C. B. & Paul G. Sittenfeld

Musical Theatre Performance Sponsor: Northwestern Mutual

CCM Alumni Applause CCM News Faculty Fanfare Student Salutes
CCM presents 'Seussical' Oct. 19-29 in Patricia Corbett Theater. Photo by Mark Lyons.

CCM Slideshows: ‘Seussical’

Here is your first look at CCM Musical Theatre’s Mainstage production of Seussical. Directed by Vince DeGeorge, this musical tale of wonder and excitement opens at 8 p.m. tonight, Oct. 19, and runs through Oct. 29 in Patricia Corbett Theater.

Composed by CCM alumnus Stephen Flaherty (BM Composition, 1982) and Lynn Ahrens, Seussical is based on some of Dr. Seuss’ most beloved stories. Audiences will recognize some of the author’s timeless characters in the show, including The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Yertle the Turtle and The Grinch.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

View the slideshow above for your sneak peek of the production.

DeGeorge says CCM’s design team for Seussical has used their own imaginations to create an original aesthetic that honors Dr. Seuss in spirit.

“Seuss is all about the joy of invention and surprise; it is about taking our expectations and twisting and turning them on their head,” he adds. “Come expecting to see the unexpected.”

Travel to the magical world of Dr. Seuss with CCM’s production of Seussical. 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/seussical.

  • Read Rick Pender’s Cincinnati CityBeat Staff Pick focused on the show here.
  • Read Anne Simendinger’s preview of the show for The News Record here.
  • Learn more about Seussical in CCM’s press release here.
  • Watch behind-the-scenes footage of rehearsals here.

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SEUSSICALTM
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty
Co-Conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and Eric Idle
Based on the Works of Dr. Seuss
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Performance Times

  • 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20
  • 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22
  • 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25
  • 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27
  • 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to Seussical are $31-35 for adults, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID.

Student rush tickets will be sold one hour before each performance to non-UC students for $12 or $15, based on availability. UC students can receive one free student rush ticket with a valid ID, based on availability.

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/seussical.

Customizable subscription packages are also available for CCM’s 2017-18 Mainstage Series.

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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SEUSSICAL is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Musical Theatre Production Sponsor: Elizabeth C. B. & Paul G. Sittenfeld

Musical Theatre Performance Sponsor: Northwestern Mutual

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CCM’s Sesquicentennial Mainstage Series Presents ‘Seussical’

Seussical

Composed by CCM alumnus Stephen Flaherty, this musical fable is based on some of Dr. Seuss’ most beloved stories. Tickets available through the CCM Box Office.

UC’s College-Conservatory of Music presents the second installment of its 2017-18 Mainstage Series with Seussical, a musical tale of wonder and excitement for children and grown-ups alike. Composed by Stephen Flaherty (BM Composition, 1982) and Lynn Ahrens, Seussical opens at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19, 2017, in Patricia Corbett Theater.

Audiences will recognize some of Dr. Seuss’ timeless characters in the show, including The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Yertle the Turtle, and, of course, The Grinch. Seussical embraces the pizzazz and quirk of Dr. Seuss’ tales with catchy songs and elaborate, dazzling costumes.

“There is so much joy and life in these stories and in all of the music of Seussical,” says Vince DeGeorge, CCM assistant professor and Joseph Weinberger Chair of Acting for the Lyric Stage. “As the director and choreographer, my job has been to honor the humanity that is the driving force behind the famous original source material and this beautifully crafted musical.”

The musical itself is closely tied to CCM; composer Stephen Flaherty graduated from CCM in 1982 with a Bachelor of Music in Composition. He often works with lyricist Lynn Ahrens to create musicals. The Tony Award-winning duo has collaborated on Anastasia, Once on This Island and Ragtime.

“I truly believe that Seussical is one of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens’ most inventive, playful and heartfelt scores,” DeGeorge says. “It has always been one of my favorites. The fact that Stephen Flaherty is an alumnus of CCM makes doing this project that much more meaningful for all of us involved.”

DeGeorge says CCM’s production of Seussical offers plenty of surprises for audiences. The design team has used their own imaginations to create an original aesthetic that honors Dr. Seuss in spirit.

“Seuss is all about the joy of invention and surprise; it is about taking our expectations and twisting and turning them on their head,” DeGeorge says. “Come expecting to see the unexpected.”

Travel to the magical world of Dr. Seuss with CCM’s production of Seussical, presented Oct. 19-22 and Oct. 25-29, 2017, in Patricia Corbett Theater. Tickets are $31-35 for adults, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID. Additional student discounts are available through the CCM Box Office.

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/seussical.

Learn more about CCM’s production of Seussical in this behind-the-scenes video.
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SEUSSICALTM
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty
Co-Conceived by Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty and Eric Idle
Based on the Works of Dr. Seuss

Creative Team

  • Vince DeGeorge, director and choreographer
  • Luke Flood*, musical director
  • Christopher Kelley*, choreographer
  • Mark Halpin, scenic designer
  • Erik McCandless*, lighting designer
  • Sean K. Tingle*, sound designer
  • Dean Mogle, costume designer
  • Kelly Yurko, wig & make-up designer
  • Ann Marie White*, dialect coach
  • Sam Lewis*, stage manager

* CCM student

Cast List

  • Donelvan Thigpen as The Boy
  • Kevin Chlapecka as The Cat in the Hat
  • Frankie Thams as Horton the Elephant
  • Emily Royer as Gertrude McFuzz
  • Bryn Purvis as Mayzie LaBird
  • Jenny Mollet as Sour Kangaroo
  • Derek Kastner as Mr. Mayor of Whoville
  • Marissa Hecker as Mrs. Mayor of Whoville
  • Madison Deadman, Bailee Endebrock and Areo Keller as Bird Girls
  • EJ Dohring, Stavros Koumbaros and Daniel Marhelko as Wickersham Brothers
  • Kyle Pollack as General Schmitz
  • Madison Hagler as The Grinch
  • Matt Copley as Vlad Vladikoff
  • Ben Pimental as Yertle the Turtle

____

Performance Times

  • 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20
  • 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 21
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22
  • 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25
  • 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26
  • 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27
  • 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 28
  • 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29

Location
Patricia Corbett Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Purchasing Tickets
Tickets to Seussical are $31-35 for adults, $22-25 for non-UC students and $18-21 for UC students with a valid ID.

Student rush tickets will be sold one hour before each performance to non-UC students for $12 or $15, based on availability. UC students can receive one free student rush ticket with a valid ID, based on availability.

Customizable subscription packages are also available for CCM’s 2017-18 Mainstage Series.

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/seussical.

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.
____

SEUSSICAL is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com

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

Mainstage Season Production Sponsor: Macy’s

Musical Theatre Production Sponsor: Elizabeth C. B. & Paul G. Sittenfeld

Musical Theatre Performance Sponsor: Northwestern Mutual
____

Story by CCM graduate student Alexandra Doyle

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CCM150Header

CCM’s 2017-18 Season Brochure Now Available In Print and Online

Welcome to CCM’s Sesquicentennial Performance Season!

The cover to CCM's 2017-18 Season Brochure.This season, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) celebrates the 150th anniversary of its founding with an unparalleled series of performances and special events designed to highlight a tradition of innovation and excellence dating back to 1867.

The history of CCM’s success involves three institutions separate in their origins but united by a common cause: the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, the College of Music of Cincinnati and the University of Cincinnati. Sometimes partners and sometimes rivals, these three institutions would eventually join forces to establish one of the world’s premier schools for the performing and media arts.

In the year ahead, we will look back on CCM’s illustrious history, celebrate the careers of our impressive alumni and showcase the talents of our incredible students and faculty members. We look forward to welcoming you to the CCM Village to experience our ongoing history, the artistry of our alumni and a chance to experience the stars of tomorrow.

Download a digital copy of CCM’s 2017-18 brochure today (7.1 MB). Physical copies are also available at the CCM Box Office.

Subscription and flex ticket packages are on sale now. Single tickets go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017. For more details about CCM’s 2017-18 performance schedule, contact the CCM Box Office at 513-556-4183 or visit ccm.uc.edu.

Learn more about CCM’s Sesquicentennial by visiting ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/notations-ovations/sesquicentennial-celebration.

This is our story. This is your season.
Join us for a celebration 150 years in the making!

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The Cohen Family Studio Theater at CCM.

CCM’s Studio Musical Theatre Series Presents ‘Children of Eden’ March 30-April 2

UC’s College-Conservatory of Music presents Children of Eden, a two-act musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Caird, on Thursday, March 30 through Saturday, April 1 in CCM’s Cohen Family Studio Theater. The production is directed and choreographed by Vince DeGeorge, with musical direction by Steve Goers.

Like all Studio Series productions, admission to Children of Eden is free, but tickets are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, March 27, and can be reserved by visiting the CCM Box Office or calling 513-556-4183.

Schwartz, known for his smash-hit musicals that include Wicked and Godspell, created Children of Eden in 1986 for Youth Sing Praise, a religious high school theatre camp in Illinois. It was originally shorter and titled Family Tree, but Schwartz later expanded and renamed it. The musical as it exists today was premiered in 1991 at the Prince Edward Theatre in London’s West End.

The musical’s two acts relate the story of Adam and Eve and their children, followed by the tale of Noah and his family. In the first act, Adam and Eve interact with the Father (God) in Eden and are ultimately banished from the garden after they consume the forbidden fruit. We follow the couple through their trials with their children, Cain and Abel, the former of whom ultimately kills the latter.

In the second half of the show, Noah and his family are preparing for the great flood, including Noah’s son Japheth, who is determined to marry his family’s servant Yonah, a descendant of Cain. During the act, Noah laments the difficulty of being a good father, as does the omnipotent Father, who ultimately decides to grant his children the power of self-determination.

With free admission and limited seating, CCM’s Studio Series productions remain one of the hottest tickets in town. Learn more about how secure your tickets by visiting ccm.uc.edu/about/villagenews/did-you-know/how-to-studio-series.

____________________

Cast List

Phillip Johnson as Father
Bryce Baxter as Adam
Ciara Harris as Eve
Zachary Triska as Cain
Edward Dohring as Abel
.Jordan Miller as Seth
Gabe Wrobel as Noah
Emily Meredith as Mama
Donelvan Thigpen as Shem
Dylan Dougal as Ham
Stavros Koumbaros as Japheth
Madelaine Vandenberg as Aysha
Kendall McCarthy as Aphra
Emily Royer as Yonah
Madison Deadman, Kylie Goldstein, Delaney Guyer, Jennifer Mollet, Andrew Alstat, Matthew Copley, Madison Hagler, William Jackson, Erich Schleck as Storytellers

Performance Times
8 p.m. Thursday, March 30
8 p.m. Friday, March 31,
2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, April 1

Location
Cohen Family Studio Theater, CCM Village
University of Cincinnati

Admission
Admission is free. Reservations are required. Tickets become available at noon on Monday, March 27. Please visit the CCM Box Office or call 513-556-4183 to reserve. Limit two tickets per order.

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 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.
____________________

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

CCM News Student Salutes

Know Theatre Co-production “Runaways” Opens CCM’s Studio Series

Students from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music are taking over the stage at the Know Theatre for a free public preview performance of Elizabeth Swados’ Runaways at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21.

Runaways, created in the 1970s, is based on hundreds of interviews with teenagers who had run away from home, from predators or from themselves. It blends musical styles from pop to hip-hop, jazz to reggae, while asking why children can’t remain children.

CCM Musical Theatre students in "Runaways", co-produced by the Know Theatre.

CCM Musical Theatre students in “Runaways”, co-produced by the Know Theatre.

Co-produced by CCM and Know Theatre, Runaways is directed and choreographed by CCM Professor Vince DeGeorge with musical direction from first-year Masters of Music student, Luke Flood. The cast is made entirely of CCM Musical Theatre students and the stage management team is comprised of students from CCM’s Theatre Design and Production Department. It will run at the Know Theatre Wednesday, Sept.21-Sunday, Sept. 25.

The Know Theatre and CCM have worked to co-produce multiple productions that give students opportunities to perform on a professional stage and showcase their talents outside of the CCM campus community. This partnership began shortly after CCM alumnus Andrew Hungerford (MFA Lighting Design and Technology, 2005) became the Producing Artistic Director at the Know.

“I am continually amazed at how invested the students are in this very unique musical,” DeGeorge said of the Runaways cast. “Every rehearsal these young actors are challenging themselves to physically, psychologically and emotionally live through the songs and monologues of this show – telling stories that, for the most part, may be very far away from their own personal experiences.”

“The challenging and life-affirming work that is being done in this show is testament to the genius of Elizabeth Swados and the courage of the students that we have here at CCM.”

To prepare for their performances, students have received additional training from Maria Fernanda Del Real, a junior in CCM’s Acting Department who is working as the Spanish-language coach for the production. Additionally, Elizabeth Jean-Baptise, an assistant professor in field service at UC, has taught sign language to student Kyle Pollack, who plays a deaf character named Hubble in the musical.

“Learning the ins and outs of a deaf character has strengthened my understanding of the text, the use of my body in space, my relationships with others in the show, and the way I view, accept and understand others in daily life,” Pollack said. “Runaways has continued to challenge me as an actor and instill even more love for our craft with each day.”

Student Tyler Sodoma added: “Runaways was written almost 40 years ago and contains social issues and material that are still such a huge part of society today. The fact that this work of art still speaks to us young adults and audience members today proves how brilliant the writing is.  I am so excited to open this production and bring it to Cincinnati, especially in the heart of downtown, OTR.  The Know Theatre is the perfect venue for this intimate and extremely personal show.”

CCM's Studio Series opens with Elizabeth Swados' RUNAWAYS, co-produced with Know Theatre of Cincinnati.

CCM’s Studio Series opens with Elizabeth Swados’ RUNAWAYS, co-produced with Know Theatre of Cincinnati.

Runaways will run at the Know Theatre, located at 1120 Jackson St. in Over-the-Rhine, with performances at 8 p.m. on Sept. 21-24. The musical has additional performances at 3 p.m. on Sept. 24-25 and a final 7:30 p.m. show on Sept. 25. Tickets range from $15 to $25 and are available on Know Theatre’s website, https://knowtheatre.vbotickets.com/event/Runaways/15327.

Runaways Creative Team:
Vince DeGeorge, director
Luke Flood, music director*
k. Jenny Jones, fight director
Foster Johns, dialect coach
Maria Fernanda Del Real, Spanish-language coach*
Elizabeth Jean-Baptiste, ASL coach
Jenny Mollet, assistant director/choreographer*
Scott Slucher, production stage manager*
Courtney Hickenlooper, assistant stage manager*
Kate Pozner, production assistant*
Kat Miller, props master/coordinator
* CCM Student

Runaways Cast:
Delaney Guyer
Ciara Harris
Marissa Hecker
Kendall McCarthy
Emily Ashton Meredith
Jenny Mollet
Gabriela Rodrigues
Emily Royer
Shauna Topian
Amanda Valenzuela
Bryce Baxter
Dylan Dougal
Zach Erhardt
Louis Griffin
Tyler Jent
Jordan Miller
Dylan Mulvaney
Kyle Pollak
Tyler Sodoma
Alex Stone
Donelvan Thigpen
Zack Triska

The KNOW Staff:
Andrew Hungerford, Producing Artistic Director
Tamara Winters, Associate Artistic Director
Emily James, Resident Stage Manager
Nick Koehlke, Technical Director
Alice Flanders, Managing Director
Sarah Beth Hall, Production and Design Associate

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