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 20^th 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

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MONDAY, May 21

The Acclaim Awards at the Carnegie in Covington, good time, good cause (that would be Cincinnati’s not-for-profit theater scene), good food (thanks, wonderful Northern Kentucky restaurants), reasonable price ($25 general admisison, $10 theater artist tickets), and a chance to meet your theater community, passionate and interesting every one. Call the box office at 859-957-1940 to join the celebration (and find all the details at CinStages.com by clicking “acclaim”.

And – check how “Company” did in the Drama Desk Awards, ceremoiny starts at 9 p.m. tonight.

TUESDAY, May 22

Watch for Acclaim Awards coverage.

In honor of the week-long return of “Mamma Mia!” the ABBA hit musical about a wedding on a Greek island, a QUIZ!

Once you get past the guys dancing in scuba gear, have you ever wondered how many elements add up to heroine Donna’s Super Trouper costume? Feel free to sing along while we count:

1.      Main fabric
2.      Sleeve and leg frills (check those custom-made pleats!)
3.      Silver piping trim
4.      Rhinestone strip
5.      Eyelets
6.      Heavy weight zipper
7.      Belt beads (from Australia, if you were wondering. Maybe should have made this extra credit…)
8.      Belt backing and lining
9.      Perspex buckle
10.     Shoulder pads
11.     Lining
12.     Lining supports
13.     Sheer flesh souffle for front panel
14.     Silver Cord elastic for facing
15.     Thin Lycra to edge sleeve and leg frills
16.     Small star-shaped rhinestones
17.     Large star-shaped rhinestones
18.     Triangular iridescent stones
19.     Lozenge-shaped glass stones
20.     Tound iridescent stones
21.     Star-shaped earrings
22.     Silver boots
23.     Bra
24.     Rhinestone hair clips.

So here’s the quiz question: how long does it take to get into the outfit and how many people does it take?

“Mamma Mia!” plays through Sunday at the Aronoff, call the box office at 513-241-7469 for ticket info.

WEDNESDAY, May 23

Tammy Faye Bakker musical “The Big Tent” gets a concert viewing in New York. Why do we care? Cincinnati’s Kate Rockwell, a finalist on reality show “You’re the One That I Want,” plays other gal Jessica Hahn. For more information and excerpts from the score, visit www.myspace.com/tammy musical. (the concert, complete with live rock band, is free and open to the public if you’re in NYC.)

THURSDAY, May 24

This is the last day to vote in Broadway.com’s Audience Awards. Of course “Spring Awakening” owns it with a record 21 nominations BUT – you can still make your voice heard for Cincinnati. Playhouse in the Park Broadway transfer “Company” is nominated for Favorite Revival of a Musical, Favorite Ensemble Cast and Favorite Leading Actor in a Musical – Raul Esparza! Raul Esparza! Rau Esparza!

Also consider (CCM grad) Aaron Lazar for triplicate exclamation points as Favorite Featured Actor in a Musical for “Les Miz.”  Another CCM grad, Ashley Brown, is nominated with Gavin Lee for their teaming in “Mary Poppins” as Favorite Onstage Pair.

VOTE NOW in BroadwayWorld.com’s fifth annual Fans Choice Awards. There is lots and lots of Cincinnati stuff to vote for, and while it looks like “Spring Awakening” is sweeping most of its categories, star of Playhouse in the Park-born “Company” Raul Esparza is holding a narrow lead in the lead actor in a musical category. So click on and improve his margin.

Part of the fun with BroadwayWorld’s fan award is that you can keep track of votes. While you can only vote once, you can encourage your friends to do their part. Andy Blankenbuehler is up for “The Apple Tree” (his much admired “In the Heights” choreo isn’t eligible because it’s Off-Broadway, at least for now.

Many, many “Company” nominations in musical supporting categories – and of course let-this guy-be-a-star Aaron Lazar in “Les Miz.” Be sure to give Mary-Mitchell Campbell the vote she deserves for orchestration and Theresa Rebeck’s “The Scene” for new Off-Broadway play. Voting closes June 6.

FRIDAY, May 25

Loveland native Ann Randolph returns with her one-woman show “Squeeze Box” in support of Clermont County Mental Health Alliance and Mental Health Awareness Month. The whimsical and bittersweet autobiographical piece ranges from new romance with a guy who loves the accordion and camping, to life on the graveyard shift in an L.A. homeless shelter for mentally ill women.

Randolph plays the entire cast of characters and she is working on a movie version.

While she’s in town, Randolph will conduct two master classes as well as making appearances at the  Clermont County Celebration of Hope & Heroes sponsored by the Clermont County Mental Health Alliance and the Lifesavers Dinner sponsored by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

“Squeeze Box” will have one performance at 7:30 p.m. at Northern Kentucky Uuniversity’s Greaves Hall. Try the NKU box office, 859-572-5464, because show sponsors haven’t yet provided any ticket info.

SATURDAY, May 26

Take a moment to reflect on accomplishments of CCM musical theater grads. Leslie Kritzer (we adored her at CCM and when she toured through town in “Urinetown” a couple of years ago) has been singing and dancing at the edge of stardom for a couple of years.

Kritzer is, I believe, the first CCM grad to win a Clarence Derwent Award from Actors Equity, given annually to the most promsising male and female on Broadway. The first girl to win, in 1945, was Judy Holliday. Other recipients have incuded Dianne Wiest, Joan Allen, Annette Bening, Calista Flockhart, Allison Janney, Kristin Chenoweth. Not bad company to be in. Kritzer is singled out as Serena in “Legally Blonde: The Musical” (and got a better review in The New York Times than did Tony-nominated

lead actress Laura Bell Bundy.

Order Brandon Cutrell’s self-titled CD, ready at last. If you’re in New York on June 4, don’t miss his release concert at Feinstein’s (yes, that makes it a big deal in the Manhattan cabaret scene) at 8:30 p.m. Call 212-339-4095 for reservations or visit feinsteinsattheregency.com. Feinstein’s is (poshly) at the Loew’s Regency on Park Avenue.

SUNDAY, May 27

What do you mean you haven’t made your Tony Award plans yet? Ensemble Theatre hosts its sixth annual Tony Awards Live Broadcast Party starting at 6 p.m. June 10 in the East Club Room at Paul Brown Stadium. Keep busy with Broadway-themed food stations and live and silent auctions until the show starts at 8 p.m.

Tickets for the whole shebang are $150, or have cocktails, dessert and the broadcast for $35. For more information call the theater at 513-421-3555 or zip over to the alphabetical theater index on CinStages.com, click on Ensemble and find out everything you need to know.

Jackie Demaline

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Huge congrats to Playhouse in the Park’s three Tony nods for “Company” – Best Musical Revival, second nomination in a row for John Doyle for Best Direction of a Musical and (JUST GIVE HIM THE AWARD!) Raul Esparza as Bobby baby, the uber-ambivalent bachelor hero.

Now if only Broadway audiences could have caught on.

What I missed – one more nomination for Mary-Mitchell Campbell’s stunning orchestrations, which added so much texture to John Doyle’s vision.

On the eve of the nominations, Playhouse was the site of a swell-egant soiree honoring “Company” creator Stephen Sondheim.

Local director-about-town Ed Cohen noted that “It felt like an out-of-body experience” to be walking up the stairs to the plaza and seeing Sondheim at the top, greeting people individually, a duty he graciously performed for about 45 minutes. Cohen co-directed “Assassins” a few years back with wife Dee Anne Bryll. They’re “Parade” is wrpaping a run this weekend at Footlighters. Among Cohen’s gigs next season are a guest stint at Northern Kentucky University and opening the Madisonville Community Arts Center.

Pam Myers, Tony-nominated for the original production, sang four numbers and reminsced with Sondheim. Her medly included “Little Green Apples” – her audition number, then Sondheim: she sang the entire trio of “You Could Drive a Person Crazy,” did the show-stopper “Another Hundred People” – which Myers debuted and which was almost cut from the show (which was running 30 minutes too long) – and ended with “Move On” from “Sunday in the Park with George.”

Jackie Demaline 

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The Cincinnati Fringe Festival is just a couple of weeks off but already the backstage drama is hopping.

First, the intriguing sounding “Cabarlesque! (A Cheeky Romp)” is off the schedule. Apparently getting performance artists across the Canadian border into Cincinnati isn’t the piece of cake it was before 9/11. Apparently this gang look particularly shady…

Tommy Nugent, last here in 2002 with “Tommy Nugent’s Burning Man” returns with “Tommy Nugent’s The Show,” but he e-mails he’s having some angst over his subject matter (“one man, one act, one bullet”) in the wake of Virginia Tech, but he worries there’s not much time to re-think his art…

And even Fringe exec director Jason Bruffy is scrambling, having lost Ensemble Theatre as a Fringe site because of “scheduling conflicts.” ETC will host the theater’s intern company in its Fringe entry. Bruffy has spent the last couple of days hunting for a replacement venue and is hoping to have something locked down by Friday.

Where in the world are Sherman and Drew Fracher? Tampa, Florida.

Drew, the talented director of “Opus” at Ensemble and “The Tempest” at Cincinnati Shakespeare is brushing up on his Shakespeare with “Othello,” with his talented wife among the company.

Their next Cincinnati project is set for August, with Drew directing Sherman in the mono-drama “Above the 37^th Parallel” by local writer Nancy Jones. The topic is Jones’ experiences before and after a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

“The titlecomes from the fact that six people on the street where I grew up in Milford were diagnosed with MS,” says Jones. “If you look at a map, the 37^th parallel stretches from Newport News, Virginia to Santa Cruz, California. It reaches across Kentucky putting Ohio smake dab in the “MS belt.” Statistics show that there is a higher incidence of the disease above the 37^th parallel.”

The performances Aug. 10-11 in the Aronoff’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater will benefit various Multiple Sclerosis programs in Greater Cincinnati. Tickets range from $25-$250.

Jackie Demaline

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A lot of things can happen between the annoucement of a Broadway touring cast and what happens many months later when it finally lands at the Aronoff, but it looks like we’ll be seeing the fantabulous Judy Kaye as Mrs. Lovett in John Doyle’s “Sweeney Todd.”

Kaye is a Tony winner for “Phantom of the Opera” and a Tony nominee for “Mamma Mia!” and “Souvenir” and apparently an old hand with a meat pie.

According to BroadwayWorld.com, “The Color Purple” North American tour features Jeannette Bayardelle and Felicia Fields from the Broadway production, Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child and “American Idol” alum LaToya London.

Cincinnati’s Alton Fitgerald White is currently in the Broadway production, starring as Mister.

Also, watch for an interviews coming up soon in The Enquirer (and at CinStages.com) with Andy Blankenbuehler, choreographer of Off-Broadway’s “In the Heights,” which has earned Andy heaps of New York stage nominations, including the Lucille Lortel, the Outer Critics and Drama Desk Awards.

The Lortels are being announced Monday, and it’s a tough category this year that includes modern dance legend Bill T. Jones for big buzz show “Spring Awakening.” I’ll also be talking to Michael Lawrence, who’s onstage with Live Shrieber in “Talk Radio.”

Speaking of Cincinnati on Broadway, you have until 11:59 p.m. May 10 to choose nominees in a bunch of categories, some serious, some not, for the Broadway.com Audience Awards. There’s a Cincinnati connection in a lot of them. So help pick the nominees, then return on May 11 to cast a vote.

Among your hometown options (and for nominations you’re allowed to choose up to five, it’s all clearly explained at the site):

Theresa Rebeck’s “The Scene” for New Off-Broadway Play

Raul Esparza for Lead Actor in a Musical (Playhouse in the Park’s Broadway transfer “Company,” of course.) Now playing at just over 40 percent, it’s looking like it’s on life support.

CCM grad Ashley Brown as Lead Actress in a Musical for “Mary Poppins”

Featured Actor in a Musical will call for choices -- CCM grad Aaron Lazar for Featured Actor in a Musical for “Les Miz” shares the category with all the hubbies from “Company”: Keith Buterbaugh, Matt Castle, Robert Cunningham, Fred Rose and Bruce Sabath.

There are also entirely too many choices for Featured Actress in a musical, led by Barbara Walsh in “Company” and all her co-stars: Angel Desai (she sang “Another Hundred People”), Kelly Jeanne Grant, Kristin Huffman, Amy Justman, Heather Laws, Leenya Rideout and Elizabeth Stanley. And there’s also CCM grad Kirsten Wyatt for “High Fidelity.”

Michael Laurence is on the list for Featured Actor in a Play, for “Talk Radio” and CCM grad Michele Pawk is on the Featured Actress in a Play list for “Losing Louie.”

Barbara Walsh made the list for Favorite Diva Performance, but so did Martin Short and Kevin Spacey, among others.

Check “Company” under Ensemble cast and the show’s Elizabeth Stanley makes the list for Favorite Female Breakthrough Performance (she’s hysterical bride Amy.).

Go to the very last name in the Favorite Replacement category and check Alton Fitzgerald White of “The Color Purple,” even if you can’t resist nominating American Idol alum Constantine Maroulis for “The Wedding Singer.”

And if I’ve left anybody out – let me know.

Jackie Demaline

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