There were numerous excellent theater productions during 2025 on Cincinnati stages. CityBeat writers single out several they found that were especially memorable.

Primary Trust, Feb. 1-23, 2025, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

Since winning the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Eboni Booth’s Primary Trust has been one of the most produced plays in the country. In an era of extreme incivility, Booth creates a lovely world populated with sweet, thoughtful characters. The strong Playhouse cast featured DeShawn Harold Mitchell and Shane Taylor admirably supported by chameleons Lilian Oben and Peter Bisgaier inhabiting multiple roles. The set embodied the magic and whimsy of the story. The kindness of these characters helped Kenneth along on his journey to adapt to unexpected changes and find his place in a challenging world. Watching him connect with his new coworkers and neighbors generated much laughter and a few tears. When Kenneth says, “I don’t believe in God or Heaven or Hell, but I do believe in friends,” it’s impossible to disagree. (Julie Carpenter)

English, March 1–30, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

On its intimate Shelterhouse stage, the Playhouse’s production of Sanaz Toossi’s 2023 Pulitzer Prize-winning play portrayed four Iranian citizens struggling to develop fluency in a difficult foreign language, English. Their patient teacher, with her own set of concerns about her nationality and her language, connected with each of them. Her students had individual reasons to become certified by TOEFL, the “Test of English as a Foreign Language.” Toosi’s ingenious script had them speak halting English as they sought proficiency, often shifting into fluent, conversational English during moments of frustration. The story had no singular dramatic moment; rather the personal arcs of each character revealed basic human needs — a qualification for a job, a generational family connection, a desire to appreciate pop culture — that audience members could fully relate to. This thoughtful 95-minute play used warmth and engagement to explore how personal identity is embedded in the language we speak. (Rick Pender)

A Room in the Castle, March 4-April 6, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

Shakespeare’s Hamlet found its way twice into Cincy Shakes’ season, from a 2024 summer touring production and a fall staging of Fat Ham, James Ijames’s 2022 Pulitzer Prize winner, prior to staging this show by prolific American playwright Lauren Gunderson. Her 85-minute script was commissioned by Cincy Shakes and co-produced by Washington, D.C.’s venerable Folger Theatre. The three-character play was set in a room in Elsinore Castle: Manipulative Queen Gertrude (Oneika Phillips) advised Ophelia (Sabrina Lynne Sawyer), Hamlet’s on-again, off-again fiancée. A new character, Anna (Burgess Byrd), Ophelia’s lady-in-waiting, served as the young woman’s constant confidante. Guest director Kaja Dunn reinforced the script’s feminist perspective. Snatches of Shakespearean dialogue were used, but most conversations were in contemporary English. It was an intriguing extension of these women, reimagining them in ways that made sense in today’s world. (RP)

Mrs. Dalloway: A New Musical, May 23-June 15, 2025, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

Lindsey Augusta Mercer wrote the book, lyrics and music for this adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s novel into a world premiere musical. I was not a fan of the novel, so I came to this production with a bit of trepidation but enjoyed it immensely. Christiana Cole, Byron St. Cyr, Bex Odorisio, Noah Berry, Courtney Lucien and Robby Clater brought their roles to life through strong performances and exceptional singing. The musical numbers drew on a wide range of styles, from folk to rock to rap. Mercer cleverly repeated themes and images which gave the disparate musical styles continuity and cohesiveness. I loved the pairing of the characters for unexpected duets and scene partners. The emphasis on the importance of human connection and celebrating life resonated in these post-pandemic, highly fragmented times. (JC)

Tea TIME, May 29-June 13, 2025, Cincinnati Fringe Festival

Full disclosure: I am a tea drinker who has spent 30 years frustrated at the normalization of terrible tea in the United States. As Dame Maggie Smith in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel said, “Everywhere I’ve been in this country, they slap down a cup of tepid nonsense, you know, with the teabag lying beside it, which means I’ve got to go through the ridiculous business of dunking it in the lukewarm piss, waiting for the slightest change of color to occur.” So with joy and delight, I watched Erika MacDonald’s Cincinnati Fringe Festival show, Tea TIME, one of the fringiest of Fringe shows. Storytelling and performance art, singing and some serious topics — it was weird! But as colonists dumped tea in Boston Harbor 250 years ago, I dumped my expectation of a linear plot at the door and steeped myself in this charming, wandering contemplation on the world’s best caffeinated beverage. MacDonald was an engaging storyteller and performer, and her show was as brisk and refreshing as a proper cup of tea. (JC)

King James, Sept. 11- 27, Know Theatre

Two NBA fans, one Black, one white, come together (and nearly pull apart) around the early career of professional basketball star LeBron James. Rajiv Joseph’s play offered four scenes, termed “quarters,” from 2004 to 2016. But the sport was really the context and metaphor for the ups and downs of this unlikely friendship between the pair of Clevelanders, Matt (Kieran Cronin) and Shawn (Phillip Latham). Staged with insight and feeling in Know’s intimate Underground Bar — doubling as a struggling wine bar — by Darnell Pierre Benjamin, this two-hander offered a highly believable, deeply felt portrait of two young men learning more about what’s truly important in life. The production was a strong and promising kickoff for Know’s new management team, led by Artistic Director Bridget Leak. (RP)

Honorable Mention: Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, May 31-June 22, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

Thanks to Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, I learned a lot about what goes on in hair salons catering to Black women. Jocelyn Bioh’s recent Broadway hit was a 90-minute lesson in the artistry, socializing and humanity of women in this unique universe. Director Torie Wiggins led a top-notch cast through an entertaining and thoughtful story. (RP)

Honorable Mention: Die Hard is a Christmas Movie, Nov. 28-Dec. 21, Know Theatre

This is my new favorite holiday show. In addition to hitting all the best lines/iconic scenes from Die Hard, the show perfectly balances parody and tribute. Maybe its popularity will convince the CSO to screen the film with live orchestration? Please? (JC)

This story is featured in CityBeat’s Dec. 24 print edition.

The post CityBeat Critics Pick the Most Memorable Cincinnati Theater of 2025 appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

Haul out the holly! It’s time to celebrate the season with an assortment of holiday theater productions. There’s no shortage of holiday favorites for the Christmas traditionalists. For the Scrooges among us, there are some non-seasonal offerings too. Grab your candy cane, don your red and green, and then follow the sound of jingle bells and ho-ho-hos to the closest theater.

Cincinnati Music Theatre kicks off the traditional familiar favorites with A Christmas Story: The Musical (Nov. 14-22), where the Red Ryder BB guns, leg lamps and unfortunate bunny suits are supplemented with song. Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol returns to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Nov. 21-Dec. 28) and NKU mounts their version of the show (Nov. 21-Dec. 7). 

Fans of Bing Crosby’s iconic song “White Christmas” should check out the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts’ production of Holiday Inn (Dec. 4-28), a stage adaptation of the 1942 film where the song first appeared (the White Christmas film was released in 1954 to capitalize on the popularity of the song). Another film-to-stage production is It’s a Wonderful Life Radio Play (Dec. 9-10), featuring University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) students at The Carnegie. Theatergoers who prefer more music with fewer words can get their traditional jam on with Cincinnati Ballet’s The Nutcracker (Dec. 18-28). 

If you love all the traditional shows but are so busy you can only pick one, perhaps Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (Dec. 10-28) will do the trick. It’s irreverent, but it covers everything from Dickens to the Grinch, with Rudolph, Charlie Brown and George Bailey thrown in for good measure.

Silencing years of silly debate, Die Hard is a Christmas Movie (Nov. 28-Dec. 21) at the Know Theatre definitively puts the argument to rest. Die Hard is, indeed, a Christmas movie. Perhaps not traditional, but still a Christmas movie. When Gen X is finally in charge, it will be officially added to the canon.

Another new, less divisive addition to the Christmas canon is Elf, the 2003 film starring Will Ferrell, which will be screened by the Cindependent Film Festival during Snowtime Cinema (Dec. 6). To quote Buddy the Elf, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati takes that to heart with Elf, the Musical (Dec. 5-21) in its new space at the Emery Theatre.

Cincinnati stages ring with the sound of music this holiday season. Cincinnati Arts Association presents a seasonal musical and two holiday concerts. In ‘Twas A Girls Night Before Christmas: The Musical (Nov. 29), a sequel to Girls Night: The Musical, the girls take a break from visiting in-laws and holiday stress for a night on the town. Christmas Together (Dec. 5) features Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and CeCe Winans performing holiday favorites, followed by Jim Brickman’s concert The Gift of Christmas (Dec. 13). Cincinnati Arts Association is also hosting an unexpected blend of genres with ABBA Holly Jolly Christmas (Dec. 7), a revue mixing ABBA classics and Christmas carols.

If you’re looking for inspiration to work off all those Christmas cookie calories, Exhale Dance Tribe celebrates with Hollapolooza (Dec. 5). Cincinnati Arts Association has two performances that’ll get you moving: Campana Sobre Campana: Christmas in Mexico (Dec. 2) features musicians and dancers from Mexico sharing their Christmas traditions, and the variety show A Magical Cirque Christmas (Dec. 12) includes acrobats, jugglers and more.

For those looking to make new traditions or have a not-for-children holiday outing, make the drive up the road to The Human Race Theatre Company in Dayton. Seasonal Shorts (Dec. 10-21) features six short plays of holiday humor for grown-ups, including one by Cincinnatian Torie Wiggins.

By the time the holidays roll around, it’s easy to be already over it, after all, the decorations have been in stores since July. Luckily, for those looking to escape the Christmas chaos, there are plenty of options where the holiday is not part of the story.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati presents It’s Fritz (Dec. 3-31). Fiona might be the most famous hippo in the world, but her little brother is still figuring out his place in Hippo Cove. His journey of discovery is the heart of this musical for all ages.

Because You’re Mine (Dec. 3-23) brings country music to Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park in a revue that showcases famous pairings. The music features songs by Johnny Cash and June Carter, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, John Prine and Iris DeMent and more.

Emerging talent on stage and behind the scenes enters the spotlight over the holiday season. Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative presents An Evening of Short Plays (Nov. 18) featuring staged readings of four plays. NKU highlights student talent with the First Year Showcase (Nov. 7-8) and Emerging Choreographers’ Showcase (Nov. 23-24). CCM’s The World Goes ‘Round (Dec. 4-6) is a revue featuring music by Tony Award-winning duo John Kander and Fred Ebb, known for Chicago and Cabaret. 

Broadway in Cincinnati brings Hamilton (Dec. 16-Jan. 4) back to Cincinnati, so you can avoid the holidays and get a jump on your 2026 United States Semiquincentennial celebrations.

Give yourself the gift of theater this holiday season. Get more information on holiday shows and tickets by visiting theater websites.

This story is featured in CityBeat’s Nov. 12 print edition.

The post Where to See Holiday Theater in Cincinnati: Classics, Musicals and More appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year when everything is pumpkin-flavored and an array of cinematic terrors like Aunt Gladys show up on your doorstep asking for candy. Whether you can’t get enough of ghosts, goblins and jump scares, or if Glinda the witch is more your speed, Greater Cincinnati theaters have a treat for you, and it’s thankfully not candy corn.

Vampires might not be visible in mirrors, but this Halloween they’re showing up on several stages. The Count himself visits Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production of Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors (Oct. 3-Nov. 1), where the vampire classic swaps scary for campy as a female Van Helsing and company launch a humorous pursuit of Dracula. Up the road in Dayton, Bram Stoker’s story is also the basis for Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really at The Human Race Theatre Company (Oct. 29-Nov. 9), a play that keeps some of the scares, adds some humor and challenges assumptions about monsters and predators. 

Know Theatre’s octKNOWber Nights (Oct. 2-30) showcases several Cincinnati artists and producers performing seasonal staged readings, stand-up comedy, improv and music featuring ghosts and, of course, vampires. If you prefer emo and sparkly vampires, Twilight in Concert (Oct. 28), presented by the Cincinnati Arts Association, is screening the 2008 film accompanied by a live band. It’s hard to believe Team Edward and Team Jacob have been feuding for nearly 20 years now. Speaking of blood, the Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative’s New Voices Series features Frightfest (Oct. 28) when eight 10-minute plays tell tales of murder, hitchhikers, alarming noises, evil forces and more — all benefiting the Care Center Animal Blood Bank. 

Clowns top the list of things that shouldn’t be scary but are, and Oompa Loompas are a close second. For those who prefer their scary clowns to be more graceful and less Stephen King, Exhale Dance Tribe performs Frown Upside Down (Oct. 25), a “Halloween-clown themed spectacle” at the Arnoff Center. Thankfully, there are no Willy Wonka activities scheduled this Halloween. 

When you get tired of listening to “Thriller,” “Monster Mash” and “Flying Purple People Eater,” try out one of the “scary” musicals, rated G or PG, on Cincinnati stages. The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati opens its new home at the Emery Theater with The Wizard of Oz (Oct. 10-26). It has witches AND flying monkeys, so it’s definitely a Halloween musical. Monsters from ancient Greece rock and roll in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical (Oct. 23-25) at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. The Minotaur, Furies and Medusa may not roll off the tongue like “lions and tigers and bears,” but they deserve a big OH MY. A witch-filled Disney’s Hocus Pocus in Concert (Nov. 1-2), although not technically a musical, features Cincinnati Pops Orchestra playing the score live to this family favorite film.

The Carnegie’s production of The Rocky Horror Show (Oct. 24-Nov. 2) was such a hit last year that they are literally doing the time warp again. Join Brad, Janet and Dr. Frank-N-Furter in this not-for-children celebration of campy science fiction and horror. The movie version turns 50 this year and will likely return to area screens for Halloween.

For an extended Day of the Dead celebration, head down the road to Actors Theatre of Louisville for Dead as a Dodo (Oct. 30-Nov. 9). The Obie Award-winning Wakka Wakka company’s production brings together puppetry and music to share the underworld adventures of a dodo and boy, both skeletons. 

Theatergoers with non-traditional fears have their own options to celebrate the scary season. Sufferers of philophobia (fear of falling in love) may shudder through CCM’s production of Pride and Prejudice (Oct. 2-4) while the rest of the audience enjoys a charming Regency Era meet-cute romance. Other options for the philophobic, and also the melophobic (fear of music), include Hello, Dolly! (Oct. 4-Nov. 2) and The Notebook (Oct. 14-26). The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Oct. 16 -19) at Xavier University will scare the pants off the melophobic and logophobics (fear of words).

If you’re suffering from neophobia (fear of new things), get your scare on with Transmigration: A Festival of Student-Created New Works (Oct. 28-30) featuring original 30-minute shows created by CCM students. 

Theatergoers with glossophobia (fear of public speaking) may find Falcon Theatre’s Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons (Nov. 7-22) a relief, but the specter of censorship may prove terrifying to others in the audience. The witch hunts of The Crucible (Nov. 14-22) at Xavier University were a metaphor for the McCarthy era but have a scary relevance today. 

For everyone already over Halloween since the decorations have been out since August, check out a charming play set at Thanksgiving, The Heart Sellers (Oct 25-Nov. 23) at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

With so many great options, theatergoers are sure to find a treat that will be the full-size Snickers in your candy bag — no homemade popcorn balls in this bunch! And you don’t even have to dress up. 

Get more information on the Halloween shows and tickets by visiting each theater’s website.

This story is featured in CityBeat’s Oct. 1 print edition.

The post Witches, Vampires and Dodos, Oh My!: Halloween Takes Over Greater Cincinnati Stages appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

As the days grow shorter and the weather (hopefully) cools, it’s time to make those dinner reservations and book a sitter because the fall theater season is starting. With nearly two dozen companies and almost 30 productions to choose from this autumn, there’s a musical, play or revue for every theater fan, and plenty of opportunities for the theater curious to try something new.

The 2025-26 season starts strong for musical theater audiences of every taste. There are classics and new works, and comedies and musicals of every style gracing stages this fall. Hairspray at the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater (Aug. 20-Sept. 14) goes back to the ‘60s with big hair and bigger songs to wrap up their summer season. The Carnegie celebrates the now-shortening summer nights with Grease (Aug. 15-24) featuring Paige Davis of Trading Spaces. For fans of folkier music, Where the Mountain Meets the Sea at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Aug. 30-Sept. 28) uses music by The Bengsons to explore themes of love and family.

Cincinnati Music Theatre’s Studio Series starts with a musical revue, What Happens in Vegas, which features songs associated with Sin City (Sept. 5-13). For a dose of 1980s nostalgia, take a musical ride Back to the Future with Broadway in Cincinnati (Sept. 9-21). Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati kicks off their 40^th anniversary season with the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning rock musical Next to Normal (Sept. 13-Oct. 5) about a family’s struggle with a mother’s bipolar disorder. Mythic, a new pop-musical comedy comes to Playhouse (Sept. 20-Oct. 19), offering a reinterpretation of the Greek story of Persephone with the gods as pop stars and politicians.

Cincinnati Arts Association offers a show for the kiddos with Dog Man: The Musical, about a crime-fighting canine (Oct. 4-5). The Covedale Center for the Performing Arts starts its season of classic musicals with the matchmaking antics of Hello, Dolly! (Oct. 9-Nov. 2). Cinematic tearjerker turned musical The Notebook comes to Broadway in Cincinnati (Oct. 14-26) before they wrap up the year with a little show called Hamilton (Dec. 16-Jan. 4). Last, but not least, country music fans get a revue of their own with Because You’re Mine at Playhouse with love stories and songs about country greats Johnny Cash and June Carter, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, John Prine and Iris Dement, and more (Dec. 3-23).

It may be a surprise to musical lovers, but not everyone loves it when the cast breaks into song. Luckily, there are also plenty of plays in production this fall. Up the road in Dayton, The Human Race Theatre Company launches their 40th anniversary season with a world premiere comedy, Dad’s Place – A Farce (Sept. 3-14), about a writer helping his dad declutter. Mariemont Players kicks off their season with a romantic drama, The Rainmaker (Sept. 4-21). Cincinnati Shakespeare Company mixes classic and contemporary with Amy Herzog’s Tony Award-winning adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People (Sept. 5-20) about the consequences of integrity. 

Sports can compete for theatergoers’ time, but if you’re already disillusioned by fall football and longing for March Madness, Know Theatre has the solution with King James, a comedy about basketball and LeBron James (Sept. 11-27). Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative starts its 30th anniversary season with the comedy road trip Hollywood Masala (Sept. 16). Across the river in Newport, Falcon Theatre opens its season with an offbeat comedy, The Secretary (Sept. 19-Oct. 4). 

After back-to-back musicals, Playhouse stages The Heart Sellers, a moving new comedy (Oct. 25-Nov. 23) set during Thanksgiving 1973. Mariemont Players pivots to a thriller with I’ll Be Back Before Midnight (Nov. 6-23). Cincy Shakes’ production of Love’s Labour’s Lost (Nov. 14-Dec. 6) brings the Bard to the Breakfast Club with an ‘80s high school setting for this classic comedy.

If you’re interested in seeing the next generation of actors and performers before they take on local, regional and national stages, Greater Cincinnati universities are bringing the drama, singing and fun to college stages this fall. Northern Kentucky University kicks the student season off with the iconic musical Oklahoma! (Sept. 26-Oct. 5) and wraps up 2025 with a trio of performances: the comedy play At the Wedding (Oct. 24-Nov. 2), an Emerging Choreographers’ Showcase (Nov. 23-24) and a First Year Showcase (Dec. 7-8). Xavier University students are featured in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, a musical comedy (Oct. 16-19), and in Arthur Miller’s classic play The Crucible (Nov. 14-22). The University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music’s 2025-26 season includes vibrant adaptations of Pride & Prejudice (Oct. 2-4) and The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, along with Cendrillon, a Cinderella fairy tale with music by Jules Massenet and libretto by Henri Caïn, and Just Desserts: Selections from The Nutcracker & Faculty.

But wait! Where are the Halloween and Christmas shows? Surely, area theaters are doing something to celebrate those end-of-year holidays? They are! But you’ll have to wait for those dedicated previews coming soon to a CityBeat issue near you. Until then, get more information on the fall theater schedule and tickets by visiting theater websites.

This story is featured in CityBeat’s Aug. 20 print edition.

The post Fall Arts Preview: Must-See Plays and Musicals in Cincinnati This Fall appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

Summer starts when the cicadas swarm, but the official “summer is here” moment is when Cincinnati Shakespeare Company starts its Shakespeare in the Park tour. Now that the cicadas are gone, it’s time to grab a picnic blanket and some friends and head out to one of nearly 40 regional parks to enjoy A Midsummer Night’s Dream by the bard himself, William Shakespeare.

“There’s something in it for everyone,” said director Candice Handy in an interview with CityBeat. “It is truly the perfect comedy and play. There’s romance, trickery, magic and drama. There’s fighting, Shakespearean clowns and a play within the play.” 

Midsummer follows three stories: a love triangle, fairies fighting in the woods and a rehearsal for a play. The various plots come together for [spoiler alert] … a happy ending. 

Shakespeare in the Park productions differ from Cincy Shakes’ mainstage shows. The script is edited to keep the runtime to a manageable two hours, including an intermission; much shorter than the latest summer blockbuster. “It’s a very grassroots, guerilla way to do theater,” said Handy. “It stretches and strengthens my directing muscle because I have to think of creative ways to tell the story without all the bells and whistles.”

Each actor takes on multiple roles in Midsummer — some taking on as many as four characters. “At the beginning of each show, everyone introduces themselves, their name and their roles,” said Handy. “As they say the role, they do a gesture so you know every time you see it that they’re in that character.” The cast — Eva Olivia Catanzariti, Imani Derden, Cameron Nalley, Jason Pavlovich, Cassandra C. Reeves and Colin Waters – hails from Chicago, North Carolina and Cincinnati, with experience on the Cincy Shakes mainstage, Fringe Festival and other regional theaters.

The outdoor setting limits the technical resources available for performances. There are some audio effects, but sunshine and lightning bugs provide the lighting, until late summer when dusk starts earlier, requiring artificial lights so audiences can see the cast and stage. “Things that you do with tech on the mainstage, here you do with the actors’ bodies and voices,” said Handy. “But we have nature. It’s nice to be out in the elements. There’s a magical thing about that because you have a lot less control, an airplane flying over or a bird landing in the middle of a scene, actors don’t ignore nature when it happens. Traditionally, Shakespeare’s troupe would improvise, being outside opens doors for improv and magic to happen.”

The cast travels with a stage manager who runs the show and also manages the company. Everyone on the team has a responsibility, from dealing with laundry to coordinating props. They arrive, assemble the set, making adjustments as needed to fit the space, put on the show, then dismantle the set and get ready to do it all again the next day. Everything is designed for this marathon of 38 performances over 51 days.

“We want the costumes to look beautiful, but it has to be practical,” said Handy. “It can be really hot when they’re performing. This Midsummer is ancient Athens meets the summer of love, so there’s flowy togas and a 1960s music type of vibe.” With actors playing multiple roles, and most of the scenes requiring all of the actors on stage, costumes are also designed for a quick change with plenty of Velcro and fast snaps. “I have to create a framing device to get the audience to look at something else when there’s a quick change,” said Handy. “I have fun transition ideas to cover, once the actors are together, we’ll figure it out. It’s a lot about personalities and discovering who is a good dancer, singer or has other skills.”

Shakespeare’s language may feel too challenging for the season of beach reads, relaxing and ice cream, but the words come alive with actors on stage. “Shakespeare is no different than acting a modern text,” said Handy. “When an actor can make the language their friend, the audience experience is great. And it’s my job to give a visual context for what is going on, so even if the audience doesn’t get everything that’s said they can follow it visually. Gestures indicate how a character is feeling. I use a lot of that when directing.” 

Shakespeare in the Park is intended to be accessible and eliminate as many barriers to participation as possible. With performances in ten counties in three states, Cincy Shakes is bringing live theater to dozens of communities, and it’s free. There are no reservations, tickets or assigned seats. So, an evening out can be a spontaneous decision. 

“That’s what I love about the park tour,” said Handy. “The audience may not have been to the mainstage shows. It’s a picnic. They bring the kids and the dog. At some venues, like Washington Park, there might be a bar — others have food trucks. People just passing by who’ve never seen Shakespeare or even a play before, stop and watch, and will really respond to it. Actors love when people get responsive. There’s something about being outside where people are more willing to engage with it.”

Each location does have its own policies about parking, dogs, outside food and drinks. So, before heading out, it’s advised to check the venue website. Some performances are ASL interpreted and all performances are family-friendly. Since the performances are outside, weather may require a delayed start time or performance cancellation; Cincy Shakes provides updates on their social media.

For additional information on the Shakespeare in the Park tour of A Midsummer Night’s Dream performances from July 11-Aug. 31, visit cincyshakes.com.

This story is featured in CityBeat’s July 23 print edition.

The post Cincinnati Shakespeare in the Park Brings ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ to Nearly 40 Parks appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

The Carnegie’s upcoming season blends classic and contemporary musical theater with big ensemble productions and intimate stories of friendship.

“In thinking about our season, I like to think of it as event theater where you want to get a group together to go out and see a show, making memories and traditions together,” said Tyler Gabbard, the Carnegie’s theater director, in an interview with CityBeat. “The feeling of celebration is top of mind when we’re picking shows.”

The season kicks off with The Color Purple, based on Alice Walker’s novel. “The 2015 Broadway revival brought it to people’s attention and back to its roots,” said Gabbard. “It’s a great human story, true to the characters. Very serious, heavy things happen, but there’s so much hope and joy celebrating the power of community, family and tradition.”

Cincinnati theater fans will recognize Ken Early and Deondra Means on stage, under the direction of Torie Wiggins, with University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) student Jordyn Jones as Celie. “It’s so exciting to introduce her in this huge, remarkable role,” said Gabbard. “The vocal prowess of the cast is pretty unmatched. The music is a breadth of styles — gospel, jazz, blues and musical theater music — and has a flavor of the period but also feels up to date with incredible soaring ballads and anthems. The opening church scene will blow the roof off the Carnegie.”

The season continues with Always…Patsy Cline, featuring Charlotte Campbell as Cline and Sara Mackie as fan-turned-friend Louise Seger. “Always is a memory play more than a musical review,” said Gabbard. “Louise is a single, divorced woman at a time when there was so much shame around that, but she’s bold and fun. Patsy is a career woman who has kids at home. It’s about her impact on this one particular person, from the point of view of the fan. Charlotte is a remarkable talent and Sara is the perfect fit for this role.” While not a jukebox musical, Cline’s music is woven throughout the show, with a band performing from the stage. 

“We wanted to close the summer out with something high energy and a lot of fun,” said Gabbard. “Grease features so much great young talent. They deal with a lot of challenging things in the show and their authenticity makes it understandable. We want it to feel closer to its origins as a gritty satirical portrait of life for teenagers in Chicago in the ‘50s. It’s a little more rock than pop.” 

In addition to the recognizable music from the John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John movie, cast member Paige Davis may also be familiar to audiences. Perhaps best known as the host of TLC’s Trading Spaces, Davis brings her Broadway experience to the role of Miss Lynch in this production. 

The Rocky Horror Show returns to the Carnegie in October. “Last summer it was hugely popular — people came three and four times to see it,” said Gabbard. “The production fired on all cylinders, a little more polished and elegant, but all the bawdy fun of Rocky Horror.” The 2024 principal cast, including Pam Kravetz and Dusty Ray Bottoms, will return for the autumn performances, including a midnight show on Halloween.

Christmas at the Carnegie features two nostalgia-filled performances. “Cozy Christmas is like a Judy Garland Christmas special, with a vintage living room and guests dropping by to sing and decorate the tree,” said Gabbard. “Then we’re doing It’s a Wonderful Life radio play with CCM acting students, including live Foley sound effects and scripts in hand.”

The Carnegie’s partnership with CCM continues into the new year with a co-production of Anything Goes. “We talk about this collaboration as being a chance for students to work with professionals, but they’re so professional already,” said Gabbard. “This production uses the newish version of the script based on the Broadway revival with Sutton Foster. The musical theater students are going to dance their faces off.” CCM stage management students also participate behind the scenes in both productions.

Individual and subscription tickets are available in one of the more unique package models among regional theaters. “Our subscriptions are flexible to lower the barrier to entry,” said Gabbard. “You can become a subscriber at any time, mix and match between seasons as long as something is on sale and buy as few as two shows to get savings.” Group tickets are also available. 

Whether you’re attending solo, on a date night or with friends, the Carnegie’s 2025-2026 season offers something to fit the occasion.

For additional information on the Carnegie’s 2025-26 season, visit thecarnegie.com.

This story is featured in CityBeat’s June 25 print edition.

The post The Carnegie Presents a Season of Friendship, Family and Fun appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s final production of the 2024-25 season (May 23-June 15) is a world premiere musical, Mrs. Dalloway, based on the novel of the same name by Virginia Woolf. The story has inspired film and book adaptations, including the 1998 novel The Hours by Michael Cunningham, also adapted into a film.

“There is a misconception that this is a really sad book because of Woolf’s unfortunate fate [death by suicide]; it’s not,” said Lindsey Augusta Mercer, writer of the script, music and lyrics of the new musical, in an interview with CityBeat. “It’s a celebration of the beauty of life. There is a lot of comedy in it as well as joy and irreverence. The book is about how the tiny moments of a single day are a lifetime of emotions.”

Creating a new musical is a massive undertaking, and Mercer’s journey with Mrs. Dalloway began in 2020 as part of Cincy Shakes’ New Play Development program to commission, develop and produce new works that provide a contemporary interpretation of classical material. 

“They wanted to commission a musical, initially to adapt a Shakespeare play,” said Mercer. “I spent some time with the material and could see it as a musical, but not why I should write it or what my point of view was. I was encouraged to look at anything from the classical canon. I wanted to tell a queer story and for the music to be absolutely essential, not fluff songs or a jukebox musical. My mind immediately went to Virginia Woolf. Mrs. Dalloway was one of hers I hadn’t read. I picked it up and knew immediately this was the one.”

Mercer is a multi-hyphenate actor, musician, singer and director, but creating a musical offered a new challenge. “This called on every experience I’ve had in the theater,” said Mercer. “I wrote a 10-minute play in college and have written some music for stage productions, and my own music as a singer-songwriter. I’ve been able to play in orchestra pits, so I know what the drummer needs their chart to look like. I know what would be exciting for me as an actor, so I could give them that challenge.” 

With the 100th anniversary of the publication of Mrs. Dalloway approaching in May 2025, Mercer set to work. Cincy Shakes hosted two workshops to develop the production, providing critical feedback from actors and audiences as Mercer worked on the script and score. A mainstage production of the musical was scheduled with Sara Clark on board to direct.

“Overwhelmingly, the plot of the musical is loyal to the book,” said Mercer. “It leans into the themes of Sally and Clarissa’s love story as a central point of action. The novel demands so much focus because of how stylized it is. Music is a universal language and instant inlet to the tidal wave of the story.”

The experimental novel takes place over a single day with dialogue interspersed with a stream-of-consciousness narrative that jumps between characters. “That distinction becomes pretty obvious if you think of music as the expression of inner life and dialogue as the outward expression of us,” said Mercer. “At first, I thought it would be an operetta entirely sung through. But it was essential to see what they were saying versus what was unexpressed in their interactions and dialogue.”

Cincy Shakes describes the musical as having a “neo-golden age score.” “I made that up; it’s not a category that exists,” said Mercer. “The golden age musicals of the 1940s — Rodgers and Hammerstein, Oklahoma!, Carousel — was a massive shift in the art form, where, suddenly, the music and songs were plot-driven. It used to be that the musical numbers were for show value, song and dance or reprieve. For Rodgers and Hammerstein, everything is a storytelling mechanism — the set and score as much as the dialogue. They created the classic formula of the musical: big orchestras, big ensembles, sweeping scores, a central love plot and an aspect of the world we’re living in. That’s what I’m trying to create with this show. It has a modern sensibility and that level of gravitas and romance. At its core, it’s a sweeping romantic musical theater score, but there’s jazz, indie-rock and pop, depending on the emotional needs of the moment.”

Bringing Mrs. Dalloway to life are an orchestra of nine and a cast of 16, including New York-based actors Christiana Cole (Clarissa Dalloway), Bex Odorisio (Sally Seton) and Byron St. Cyr (Richard Dalloway), as well as actors familiar to Cincinnati audiences, including Kelly Mengelkoch and Patrick Earl Phillips.

Although the story is a century old, the themes resonate today in surprising ways. “One of the biggest things that connected me reading this in 2020 is that this book takes place right after the Spanish flu,” said Mercer. “It’s not just World War I they’re recovering from, but also a global pandemic. It’s really about a world that just underwent a major collective trauma and how they’re struggling to live with it and move on, people needing connection and to be out in the world. A human story.”

The musical doesn’t require familiarity with the original novel. “There will be Easter eggs and nuance for people who know and love the material, but it doesn’t demand you know anything before you come in,” said Mercer. For those who want to explore the source material before seeing the show, Cincy Shakes and The Mercantile Library are partnering on Mrs. Dalloway Day, reading the entirety of the novel aloud at the library on June 11. The Mercantile’s In-Pieces book club is also discussing the novel over two sessions on June 5 and 12.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company will stage Mrs. Dalloway from May 23-June 15. More info: cincyshakes.com.

This story is featured in CityBeat’s May 28 print edition.

The post Virginia Woolf Novel Inspires New Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Musical appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

The Cincinnati Fringe Festival returns for its 22nd year May 30 to June 14 with new venues and a new performance category. Fringe HQ at the Know Theatre will host performances, as will Coffee Emporium, First Lutheran Church, Gabriel’s Corner and the Miami University Center for Community Engagement in Over-the-Rhine. 

New to the festival this year is the Conceptual Fringe category with four productions, including an audience-of-one virtual reality contemporary dance film. “We have had applicants saying they want to play with immersive or experiential theater,” said Katie Hartman, Cincinnati Fringe Festival producer, in an interview with CityBeat. “This is an opportunity for us to branch out. We’re excited to serve as a platform for art that creates a one-of-a-kind, unique experience for audiences.” Returning artist Amica Hunter’s Conceptual Fringe production is “a captive artist with a captive audience,” said Hartman. “Their durational performance in the staircase window [at the Know] offers people on the sidewalk the choice of will you ignore, observe or participate with this performer?” The production includes a performance before the on-site work begins and a final show sharing the piece as it has evolved. 

“We pride ourselves in curating an incredible variety; you laugh ‘til you cry, then see something where you’re so moved you have an extremely cathartic experience,” said Hartman. “To see a puppet show in a sanctuary with an organ and vaulted ceilings, or a place that is normally a coffee shop, they’re out of the ordinary experiences.”

Cincy Fringe jurors reviewed 120 submissions this year, choosing half of the 26-production primary lineup from local producers and half by creators from elsewhere, including three international artists: two from Toronto, Canada, and one from Adelaide, Australia. Returning artists include local creators Ben & Justin Present, who previously produced The Gay Spelling Bee and Waiting for Laura. “This year they’re presenting 1 Gay Wedding and Absolutely No Funerals,” said Hartman. “Two grooms who wake up the morning of their wedding and discover their best friend is dead. With the help of the wedding party, they endeavor to make sure the day is all about them, the perfect groomzillas.”

There are dozens of fringe festivals each year in North America (the oldest and largest on the continent is Edmonton, Canada, and the oldest and biggest in the United States is in Orlando, Florida) and some producers travel their performances to multiple festivals. “I’m excited that we have circuit heavy-hitters,” said Hartman. “One is coming from Orlando, A Cabaret of Legends of Black female vocal legends from Ella [Fitzgerald] to Beyonce. Tymisha Harris is a triple threat who’s been working the circuit for many years. Artists from Orlando have extremely high showmanship and production values. I’m really excited for our audiences to experience her work.”

Ingrid Garner from Los Angeles returns to Cincinnati, offering a sequel to her 2024 performance. “Her grandmother survived World War II in Berlin as an American teenager and wrote a memoir,” said Hartman. “Ingrid created a solo show adapting her grandmother’s story. Last year, she presented Eleanor’s Story: An American Girl in Hitler’s Germany. This year, in Life After War, Eleanor goes from a war-torn country with so little, returning to the abundance of the U.S.”

Kids Fringe includes two performances at 2 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday during the festival. FORGING LEGENDS: The Tall Tale Chronicles from sKribble sKratch Productions tells the story of two Black children who, after getting in trouble in class and missing recess, invent new Black mythologies. The Green Moon/La Luna Verde by Gabriel Martinez Rubio/Dos-Corazones Productions features shadow puppetry, modern dance and poetry inspired by the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca.

Fringe Development features three productions by “local artists trying to level up,” said Hartman. “We provide rehearsal space through the duration of the festival and feedback. They can pull artists and audiences into rehearsal to hone playwrighting or technical skills before a one-night-only performance. We have a reputation of being very artist-supportive. This is an incredible launch pad, as well as a producing boot camp for independent artists. Our audiences love weird art and reward people who make bold choices and take big risks.” Cincy Fringe provides visiting performers with housing, and all performers with insurance, venue tech, lighting and ticketing; expenses that are otherwise challenging for independent artists. Producers also receive half of box office revenue. 

Cincy Fringe staff are supplemented by Know employees and volunteers. “We could not do what we do without volunteers,” said Hartman. “They serve as ushers. Some point people in the right direction for our venues. We even have a housekeeping shift. We’re really trying to bolster our volunteer corps for the festival and throughout the year to make the Know even more accessible and friendly.” Volunteers receive free tickets to shows.

“What’s great about Cincinnati, because we’re a small festival and a long durational festival – two weeks, three weekends – we’re extremely accessible,” said Hartman. “There are dozens of productions, plus free late nights. If you’re a theater maximalist, or minimalist, we’re a great opportunity to see something you’ve never seen before and won’t see anywhere else.” Tickets for Cincy Fringe can be purchased for individual performances, a five-ticket Flex Pass or, for the ambitious, an All-Access pass that includes one ticket for each show (42 productions).

“Cincinnati Fringe Festival is very special,” said Hartman. “It’s a place for adventurous artists and audiences with an incredible feeling of community and connectedness. It’s not just a distraction from what’s happening in our country right now, it’s also creativity and joy as a form of resistance and survival, being in a room together and having common experiences.”

For additional information about the 2025 Cincinnati Fringe Festival schedule, passes, tickets and volunteer opportunities, visit cincyfringe.com.

This story is featured in CityBeat’s May 14 print edition.

The post The Cincinnati Fringe Festival Returns Later this Month for its 22nd Year appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

If the mullets and dayglow colors of the ’80s make you smile with nostalgia, the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater has a show for you as it opens its 2025 season with The Wedding Singer. “There’s no better way to kick off the summer season,” said director Stacy Searle in an interview with CityBeat. “It’s a charming ode to the ’80s.”

Now based in Chicago, Cincinnati native Searle returns for her third production at the Incline, having previously directed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Peter and the Starcatcher. “It’s nice to come home,” she said. “When I was 19, I worked on the Showboat Majestic with Cincinnati Landmark Productions and have remained good friends with everyone.”

The Wedding Singer, based on the 1998 rom-com movie starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, features new music by Matthew Sklar as well as the two iconic original songs from the film: “Somebody Kill Me” and “Grow Old With You.” 

“There’s something for everyone in this show, whether they lived through it or its history for them,” said Searle. “The wigs are outlandish. Julia Gulia is still funny. The story has a lot of heart, with crazy characters, but they’re going through something while trying to find themselves and their dreams.”

As most local theaters are winding down for the season, the Incline is just getting started. “A lot of people think of summer as an off time for theater,” said Rodger Pille, executive director of Cincinnati Landmark Productions in a conversation with CityBeat. “We lean into it and pick shows that feel like a summer night. The Wedding Singer feels like you’re going to a movie with your friends. For other shows this season, it’s sitting back and listening to some music or having a laugh.”

The Wedding Singer cast includes several actors from the recent production of Singing in the Rain at the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts: Cian Steele (Robbie), Trey Finkenstead (Sammy) and Cassidy Perme (Linda). “The Wedding Singer features a nice group of trained adults working really well with new Cincinnati talent,” said Searle. “It’s one of the reasons we can produce as much as we do,” said Pille. “There’s a talent base to support it.”

CLP produces five productions in four months: four at the Incline and a Cincinnati Young People’s Theatre production at the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts. The 2025 CYPT show is Children of Eden (July 24 – Aug. 3) by Stephen Schwartz, the creator of Wicked, Godspell and Pippin.

It’s been 10 years since the Incline opened, but due to the pandemic, 2025 is only its eighth summer season. They’ll be celebrating the building dedication during the run of The Wedding Singer. “This is a community that has grown around the arts,” said Searle. “The restaurants are fantastic, the view is fantastic, and it has a totally different vibe from everywhere in Cincinnati.”

“All the shows have a good summer vibe to them,” said Pille. “There’s a little bit of a time machine aspect to it. After The Wedding Singer visits the ‘80s, we’re transporting audiences to 1956 with Million Dollar Quartet, recreating a night with completely different music and vibe. And Hairspray is an ode to the ‘60s.”

Choose your favorite decade, then pick your show for the Incline’s 2025 summer season.

THE WEDDING SINGER, music by Matthew Sklar, book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy lyrics by Chad Beguelin (April 16 – May 11). He’s lost his rock star dreams and fiancée, but wedding singer Robbie Hart gets a second chance at love with waitress Julia. Unfortunately, she’s engaged to a Wall Street jerk. Can Robbie win her over with a song? Ted Baldwin is the musical director for the 1980s-inspired score.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux (May 28 – June 22). Set on Dec. 4, 1956, when Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley recorded a jam session together at Sun Records in Memphis, the show features iconic songs including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Walk the Line” and “Great Balls of Fire.” Hunter Henrickson, who appeared in Memorial Hall’s 2019 production of Ring of Fire, serves as director and musical director for the production.

BURGERTOWN by Christine Jones, Ken Jones and Jamey Strawn (July 9 – Aug. 3). This musical comedy, although set in Chicago, has strong ties to Cincinnati with writer Ken Jones (who is also the Rosenthal Distinguished Professor of Theatre and a Regent’s Professor at Northern Kentucky University) directing this production alongside co-writer Strawn (Theatre & Dance Program Head Musical Theatre at NKU) as musical director. Burgertown tells the story of fry cook Danny O’Riley whose culinary creation takes the fast-food world by storm, complete with bad guys, big money and romance. 

HAIRSPRAY, music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, with a book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan (Aug. 20 – Sept. 14). Directed by NKU Theater faculty member Dee Anne Bryll, a familiar name to local theater audiences for her work as a choreographer, director and actress at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, the Carnegie and Falcon Theatre Company. The family-friendly musical is based on the 1988 John Waters film. Set in 1962, teen Tracy Turnblad’s appearance on a local dance show changes her life, but not her beehive hairdo.

For additional information on the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater’s 2025 season, visit cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com/incline.

This story is featured in CityBeat’s April 30 print edition.

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