MONDAY, May 28
Happy Memorial Day, rest up for Fringe.
TUESDAY, May 29
Casting news: CCM musical theater grad Ben Magnuson’s first job out of college was on Broadway in John Doyle’s revival of “Sweeney Todd,” in which U.S. audiences were introduced to Doyle’s sometimes signature of actor/orchestra.
Now Magnuson and his cello take to the road as he joins the national tour, again in the role of ardent young sailor in love with the daughter of the demon barber of Fleet Street.
“Sweeney Todd” plays the Aronoff next winter, Feb. 18-March 2. “It’s going to be a great tour,” Magnuson promises, featuring “many members of the original Broadway cast.”
WEDNESDAY, May 30
Cincinnati Fringe Festival begins its fourth annual edition, 30 shows, 11 days, nine venues.
Northern Kentucky University’s “Man of La Mancha” opens at the Sibiu International Theatre Festival in Romania.
THURSDAY, May 31
Emilia Johnson is one week old today -- and talk about an entrance. Matt Johnson, a company member at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, was in Chicacgo with CSC artistic director Brian Isaac Phillips auditioning guest Equity artists – and catching an occasional show.
No sooner had they exited Chicago Shakespeare than Johnson got the call that wife Jennifer, who usualy spends her time as a sound designer, was in labor. Johnson and Phillips rented a car and drove through the night to get Johnson back in Cincinnati before the birth.
Congrats to the Johnsons, and the Cincinnati Shakespeare, for ending the season on a sell-out weekend for "The Tempest."
And congrats to Showbiz Players, celebrating its 20th anniversary with “My Favorite Year,” opening tonight. “Showbiz” produced the regional premiere of “My Favorite Year” in 1995,” says founder Bunny Arszman. The anniversary provided the opportunity.
An invite went out to about 250 Showbiz veterans to celebrate opening night. The ast includes some of community theater’s best including Brian Benz, Sherry McCamley and Gary Rogers. Gina Cereimele-Mechley, says Arszman, provides one of her always fabulous sword fights.
“My Favorite Year” plays through June 10 at the Gallagher Center theater at Xavier University. For reservations and information call the box office at 513-981-7888.
FRIDAY, June 1
Bruce Cromer knows the terrain of Shakespeare’s magical island in “The Tempest” better than most. Cromer starred as banished ruler and magician Prospero last year at Human Race and just wrapped an Acclaim Award-winning performance in the same role for Cincinnati Shakespeare.
Now he’s directing the romance at Wright State University where he’s on faculty, tonight through Sunday. “The Tempest” and Prospero are such interesting puzzles; you can turn them this way and that, and never be satisfied with what you see in them,” Cromer says.
“There's always something else that you've missed. So you try to tell the story as clearly as you can and hope that you hit on something essential – the redemption from vengeance, the quality of mercy, the power of love, and the corruptive nature of power. And the supernatural elements are a designer's dream – be it costumes, set, lights, or sound.
“I'm very partial to underscoring the shows I direct, the challenge of finding just the right pieces that aid the actors and the audience but don't disrupt the tone we're all trying to establish.”
In this version, Prospero is “Prospera.” “My Wright State production is, as it must be with a low budget and arena staging, simpler, darker, and more basic,” Cromer notes. “It is a bittersweet story about loss; Prospera loses her daughter, her island, her magic – but regains her soul.”
No advance reservations, tickets ($10 adults, $7 students and seniors) go on sale 90 minutes before each performance in the Herbst Theatre. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
SATURDAY, June 2
CCM Drama chief Richard Hess counts up 19 students and alums involved in this year’s Fringe, and a lot of them are on stage today: Find them in “The Art of Longing,” “Casualties,” “girlfight,” “I Take It back” and “The Kid in the Dark.” Also watch for them in “iLove,” “MAD,” and student Andrew Bernhard is the producer of “Wet Dream.”
SUNDAY, June 3
Check out the Enquirer to find “10 Things You Probably Didn’t Need to Know about…” Stacey Morrison is one of the featured artists. She’s on stage today in “I Take It Back.”
Jackie Demaline
