Maybe we should call it the theater thaw. As January draws to a close, local theaters are heating up with productions.
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati opened The Humans on Wednesday. I’ve given this one a Critic’s Pick in my CityBeat review. It’s a drama with a heart, but you have to scrape through some dark moments and a lot of cynicism to find it. All the members of the Blake family have their trials and tribulations in this Tony-winning play from 2016. (ETC is giving Stephen Karam’s play its regional premiere.) Michael Haney has an excellent six-person cast who really bring life to these very “human” characters — troubled, fretful, worried about existence in today’s world. But tiny glimmers of hope do shine through. Brian Mehring’s set — a weatherworn duplex apartment in New York City’s Chinatown —is yet another captivating design that adds character to the show. It’s almost literally as if the “fourth wall” has been pulled down (rough-hewn bricks give evidence) to bare the souls of this struggling, contentious family. Definitely worth seeing. Through Feb. 17. Tickets: ensemblecincinnati.org
Last night. Million Dollar Quartet opened at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. It’s the stage recreation of a real historic intersection of Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis in a recording studio in Dec. 4, 1956 — at the front end of their various individual Rock & Roll careers. That was surely a fortuitous evening, and we’re guided through it by Sam Phillips (James Ludwig), the found of Sun Records, who launched them into stardom. As actors, vocalists and musicians, the startlingly talented cast — Rockabilly star Perkins (guitar wizard John Michael Presney), Country singer Cash (deep-voiced Sky Seals), charismatic Presley (loose-limbed Ari McKay Wilford) and piano wizard Lewis (frenetic Sean McGibbon) — brings these icons to life. They recreate nearly two dozen early hits, and the intimacy of the Playhouse’s Marx Stage lets you feel the electricity of their performances in a way that didn’t happen when the national tour of this show came to the Aronoff on tour back in 2013. If you happened to see it then, I recommend checking out this production — so much more engaging. Through Feb. 18. Tickets: cincyplay.com
Saturday night, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company kicks off its 2018 performances with Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?, a stage adaptation of the movie that set America talking exactly a half-century ago, featuring the first onscreen kiss between a black man and a white woman. Her parents struggled with the path she’s chosen, even though he’s a respected physician. Times have changed — or have they? This is a bold choice for Cincinnati’s “classic” theater. The production is staged by Ensemble Theatre’s artistic director D. Lynn Meyers, who always has a good touch for thoughtful drama. Through Feb. 17. Tickets: cincyshakes.com
Elsewhere you’ll find Martin McDonough’s very creepy The Pillowman at Falcon Theater (through Feb. 10) in Newport. It’s about the aftermath of a series of gruesome child murders and the brutal interrogation of a writer whose stories seem to have presaged them. It opens tonight in a production staged by Ed Cohen. Tickets: falcontheater.net … Currently onstage at the Incline Theater in Price Hill is Five Women Wearing the Same Dress (through Feb. 11). Perhaps you’ve guessed it: They’re bridesmaids. The show brings together a quintet of very different women who discover some common ground in an irreverent celebration of female spirit. Tickets: cincinnatilandmarkproducitons.com
Musical theater fans might want to check out tonight’s CCM Philharmonia Concert at the University of Cincinnati. Marking Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday, the 8 p.m. program includes the delightful overture to Candide and a set of melodic “symphonic dances” from West Side Story. Tickets: 513-556-4183
For the kids, you might try the stage adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka at the Carnegie in Covington, through Sunday. The chocolate factor has come to life and the search is on for the golden ticket. For your ticket: 859-957-1940… Another option for the younger set is Maya Angelou: A Writer’s Legacy, a 45-minute biographical sketch of the iconic poet and actor, at the Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati’s Showtime Stage (4015 Red Bank Road). Limited seating for performances today at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Local community and university theater producers should be pleased that Theatre House, the 17,500 square foot theatrical supply shop in Covington (400 W. 3rd St.) is open again under new ownership. New president and owner Marty Boyer says, “There are amazing people our there who everyday are bringing creative stories to life. Prop masters, costume designers, makeup artists, lighting supervisors and more — and we’re here to play a supporting role in helping them, any way we can. Check it out: theatrehouse.com
Rick Pender’s STAGE DOOR blog appears here every Friday. Find more theater reviews and feature stories here.
This article appears in Jan 24-31, 2018.
