‘Love’ is in the Air at Ovation
by Jon Vater
Ovation presented its first foray into music in July of 2000 with the colorful Stephen Sondheim revue You're Gonna Love Tomorrow. Now comes the first full scale musical production Triumph of Love. The light, highly romantic piece was adapted from an 18th century Pierre Mariveux comedy by the trio of James Magruder, Jeffrey Stock and Susan Birkenhead. This is the regional premiere of the musical play, which ran on Broadway in 1997.
The story takes place in the clearing of an elaborate, maze-like, 18th century garden of a palace in Sparta. Agis, raised by his philosopher aunt and uncle, is planning to kill his rival, Princess Leonide, whom he believes stole his family's kingdom. However, she, unaware of his malice towards her, has come to win his heart. Since no women are permitted in the garden except Agis' aunt Hesione, Leonide must disguise herself as a gentleman. This leads to a series of ruses, seductions and comic misadventures all accented by fifteen beautiful musical numbers. There are also three servant/clown characters: the valet Harlequin, the maid Corine, and the gardener Dimas.
This winning, witty, beautiful show is being directed by veteran theatre artist Dennis Murphy. The cast of seven is made up of a variety of notable local talent including Shannon Kramer, Joe Stollenwerk, David Shough, Brian Benz, Kevin Kunz and Kendra Struthers. Making her debut in Cincinnati in the role of Hesione is Michelle Becker, an acclaimed professional actress, singer and dancer whose been living and working in Berlin, Germany.
A charming prelude to Valentine's Day, this gorgeous, lyrical show is running January 24th through February 1st in the Fifth Third Bank Theatre at Aronoff Center. We hope you will tap into your inner romance and join us for a lovely afternoon or evening of theatre.
‘Triumph’ Director Puts the Accent on Romance
by Jon Vater
Love is at the top of Dennis Murphy's list at the moment. Love as in Triumph of Love, the musical he is directing for Ovation. The subject matter of the play showcases the spectrum of feelings and aspects that first love can bring to a person. Murphy has not shied away from delving into these feelings. On the contrary, he has decided to fully bring them to light in the work and has carefully studied the myriad of emotions that the characters of the story go through.
Murphy, one of Cincinnati theatre's busiest people, has been involved in virtually every aspect of theatre production with many local groups. Recent work with Ovation included designing and building the fully functioning kitchen set for Crimes of the Heart and acting the role of Gerald in Woman in Mind. As he approached Triumph of Love, a musical that got rave reviews on Broadway, but failed to find its audience, he recalled his first encounter with it. "I had the extreme pleasure to see the original production on Broadway. I knew nothing about the show except that Betty Buckley was in it.", he says. "As the show began, I was immediately taken in by the magical opening music and the beautiful garden set. I was delighted to find the show set in the 18th century -- a particular favorite of mine. The opening number was inviting and by the end of the second number, I knew the show was about another favorite subject of mine: love", he adds.
Murphy feels that "Triumph" captures the giddiness, confusion, foolishness and pain of first love. He explains, "The four principals have never fallen in love before. They are surprised at how it affects them and makes them feel. The experience transforms them." He notes that the servant characters are much more practical in their view of love and sex. "They keep it physical and thereby avoid some of the confusion and pain (and exhilaration) of the others." Going further, he describes the appeal of the Broadway production. "As the show proceeded, I loved the variety of styles of the music, the story, the characters, the humor-both in language and farce-the wit of the lyrics and the emotional honesty of the piece. The audience roared with laughter throughout the evening, were touched by the love story and knocked out by the singing." He considers the play to be the perfect "date" musical. "It's literate, funny, charming, sentimental and lyrical. It reminded you how great it was to fall in love and made you want to hold your loved one close."
Initially unfamiliar with the work of Pierre Mariveux, Murphy has since read a translation of the original story and has found that the farce, humor and lightness of the piece have been drawn out in this adaptation. The songs help deepen understanding of the characters and their conflicts and feelings that love inspires in them. He hopes that audiences will feel the same way he does about this show. His wish is for audiences to "recall when they first fell in love and all the giddy, confusing, soaring feelings that entails. I hope they give their loved on a hug, a kiss or...whatever."
A strong crew is on board to help make Triumph of Love live up to its name. Aside from the cast, Rick Ashworth has been busy working on orchestral tracks, Mark Femia is putting the singers through their paces and Stephen Rausch of Schenz Theatricals is supplying the period costumes.
Murphy is excited to be directing this show. When asked how he keeps the process fresh in the face of working on so many productions throughout the city, he responds, "By working with a variety of groups and casts, it seems I'm always starting at step one on each show. Each organization has a different way of communicating and working." He continues to keep himself stimulated by rotating musicals, dramas and comedies and by doing a variety of tasks from acting to costuming to set design. "So long as I can keep finding shows that have a story I am drawn to tell, I'll be able to keep finding projects I want to do."
‘Towers’ Rose to the Occasion
by Jon Vater
November 2nd, 2002 saw the close of Ovation's latest onstage continuation of J. R. R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Two Towers is the second installment following last fall's "Fellowship of the Ring" and anticipating "Return of the King". This world premiere stage play, based on the legendary and much beloved series of fantasy books, boasted lavish production values including detailed costumes, exceptional lighting, original music by Steve Goers and much-lauded puppetry designed by Carus Waggoner.
Critics hailed the technical accomplishments of the show while also pointing out the strengths of various cast members. Joseph McDonough of The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote, "Standing out are Elizabeth A. Harris as Gimli the dwarf and Aretta Baumgartner as the wicked impish creature Gollum." CityBeat's Rick Pender noted the "well-executed swordplay and battles between the forces of good and evil" and cited the acting talent of "(Aretta) Baumgartner's hissing, self-centered Gollum. Elizabeth A. Harris' blustering dwarf, Gimli, and (Blake) Bowden's devoted Sam."
Director Gina Ceremele-Mechley was praised for both her staging and her attention to character. The cast of twenty- five was ably handled by the director, known for her achievements in fight choreography and stage movement. Playwright Blake Bowden had an unenviable task paring down the story into a workable script. He was cited by both critics as having kept the narrative clear and focused. The play was seen by more people than any other Ovation show to date. Congratulations to all the participants and thank you to our audience for your support!
OTC Actress Recognized
by Jon Vater
Ovation Theatre Company wishes to congratulate Corinne Mohlenhoff on her recent Cincinnati Entertainment Award nomination for Local Actress in a Leading Role. Mohlenhoff was chosen for her striking work as "Babe" in OTC's Crimes of the Heart. She has been busily working for many local theatre troupes, gaining significant critical acclaim with each role. Ovation audiences will also recall her work in the Stephen Sondheim revue You're Gonna Love Tomorrow. Though the award was presented to Sherman Fracher, we salute the work of Mohlenhoff and thank her for her contributions to Ovation Theatre Company.