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One-woman show, The Syringa Tree, grows through performances of two distinct actresses
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Stephanie Cozart
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I had the chance to return to the Cincinnati Playhouse on June 1 for another performance of Pamela Gien's THE SYRINGA TREE, the moving story of a young white girl growing up in South Africa under apartheid. This time I saw STEPHANIE COZART, who is alternating performances with Shannon Koob (see my review Spirit of the Land). Each actress is marvelous in her own way: Cozart is more petite, which lends credibility to the children she portrays -- in total, the play requires the actress to create 24 people: male/female, young/old, black/white -- and she brought a vulnerability to Lizzie, the central character, that I found especially moving. This moving show is one everyone should endeavor to see before it closes on June 15. Tickets: 513-421-3888. ...
If your plans fell through for that trip to New York for Sunday evening's Tony Awards (the 57th annual, in case you're counting), you don't have to sit home and watch the three-hour broadcast on CBS. Instead, head to Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday evening at 5:30 p.m. for the second annual TONY AWARDS LIVE BROADCAST PARTY staged by Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati? The evening is a major fund-raiser for ETC -- last year it generated more than $20,000. For $150, guests get dinner, drinks, entertainment and great seats to see the broadcasts on the East Club Room's big screen TVs. For those on beer budgets, $25 will get you appetizers, two drink tickets and the broadcast. There's also a silent auction with lots of unusual items. ETC's producing artistic director, D. LYNN MEYERS, says, "This is a totally cool and wildly entertaining celebration of not only the Tony Awards, but also Cincinnati's extraordinary theater community." Indeed, last year most every theater in town was there, in addition to lots of local acting talent. If you're a fan of local theater, you'll want to be there, too. Tickets: 513-421-3555 ...
Speaking of the Tonys, it seems likely the big winner will be the campy musical HAIRSPRAY (stopping in the Aronoff next December): It's nominated for 13 awards. I always love the broadcast since it's a mini-excursion to see bits of shows currently running. In addition to Hairspray, the other nominated musicals are Amour, A Year With Frog and Toad and the Twyla Tharp-Billy Joel collaboration, Movin' Out (in second place with 10 nominations). We'll probably also see scenes from some of the nominated revivals -- Gypsy (featuring Bernadette Peters in the hot-ticket revival -- she's a good bet for best performance by a leading actress in a musical), La Bohème (which has already earned a special Tony for excellence in theater for its principal ensemble), Man of La Mancha (with Brian Stokes Mitchell) and Nine: The Musical (featuring movie star Antonio Banderas). ...
On May 31, William Mason High School was the site for the second annual CAPPIES OF GREATER CINCINNATI GALA, a Tony Awards-styled event recognizing high school performers and tech crews in 35 categories. In total, 25 high schools participated from all over Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Hundreds students, parents and community leaders attended. During May, student critics voted for the winners in each category. Best actor JOE SOFRANKO of Walnut Hills High School for his performance in Cabaret and best actress BROOKE RUCIDLO of Turpin High School for her performance in Into the Woods have been invited to attend a theater workshop at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Lots of other awards were handed out -- I had the opportunity personally to recognize two young critics, JEFFREY LYNCH of Cincinnati Country Day School and KELLY GOLDSTON of Mason High. For more information about the Cappies, a national organization to recognize high school theater performers, go to www.cappies.com ...
People in the know about theater wait breathlessly for the annual announcement of the mainstage season at UC's COLLEGE-CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC: Next year offers something for everyone. Up first (Oct. 30-Nov. 2) will be Sophocles' Greek tragedy, ELEKTRA, in a translation by poet Ezra Pound. Next will be Leonard Bernstein's first musical, ON THE TOWN (Nov. 20-23), written in 1944 about three sailors on a 24-hour shore leave. The winter musical (Feb. 26-March 7, 2004) will be an "interactive musical," THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD, based on an unfinished novel by Charles Dickens. And the season is rounded off with Brian Friel's poignant Irish memory play, DANCING AT LUGHNASA (April 22-25). CCM's Mainstage Season also includes two big opera productions: Mozart's comic opera COSÌ FAN TUTTE (Feb. 12-15) and Engelbert Humperdinck's rendition of the fairytale HANSEL AND GRETEL (May 13-16). Season tickets, often the only way to get good seats: 513-556-4183.
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Previously in Curtain Call
Curtain Call: Theaters, Actors, Etc. League of Cincinnati Theatres announces new board
By Rick Pender
(May 28, 2003)
Curtain Call: Theaters, Actors, Etc. Playwright Lanford Wilson treats with a pair of productions
By Rick Pender
(May 21, 2003)
Curtain Call: Theaters, Actors, Etc. New Edgecliff Theatre goes to the edge with Square One
By Rick Pender
(May 14, 2003)
more...
Other articles by Rick Pender
Avant-Garde Memories How the CAC moved us through the years (May 28, 2003)
Spirit of the Land The Syringa Tree exemplifies the power of live theater (May 28, 2003)
The Dish How veggie friendly is Cincinnati? (May 28, 2003)
more...
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