Children's Theatre of Cincinnati to Host Open House, 6/18

On Saturday, June 18, The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) officially opens the doors to its new facility on Red Bank Road with two very special events.

From 11 AM to 2 PM, the community is encouraged to stop by for a family-friendly Open House, featuring face painting, balloon animals, Snap Booth photos, games, character meet-and-greets, and tours of the new facility.

The schedule includes:

11:30 AM STAR Cabaret performance

12:15 PM Summer Day WorkShop

12:45 PM Story Time with Dorothy from Oz

1:00 PM SHREK THE MUSICAL JR. "Freak Flag" dance call

1:45 PM Story Time with Alice in Wonderland

AAA will be present with a spin wheel to win great prizes, plus guests can enter to win gift cards, a AAA Travel certificate, free oil changes and a free AAA membership.

Q102 will be on-site from 11 AM to 1 PM spinning the tunes and registering people to win a year-long YMCA membership! At the same time, guests can meet Local 12 News Anchor and TCT MainStage Star, Bob Herzog.

And visitors can enjoy ice cream compliments of Graeter's and treats from 3 Sweet Girls Cupcakery courtesy of Cincinnati Magazine! (While they last!)

Later that evening, an invitation-only VIP event will take place showcasing the new state-of-the-art facility. Cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and tours will commence at 5 PM. Then from 6 PM to 7 PM, TCT Encore will begin. This concert will feature past and present stars of TCT's MainStage productions performing some of their favorite numbers. Scheduled to appear:

• Natalie Bird
• Madeleine Burgoon
• Mia and Marlo D'Ascenzo
• Denise Devlin Brent
• Justin Glaser
• Bob Herzog
• Elise Hurwitz
• Danielle Muething
• Pamela Myers
• Dain Alan Paige
• Max Poff
• Spenser Smith
• Brooke Steele
• Chris and Kari Stewart
• Featuring Jamey Strawn on keyboard

The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT), the country's oldest theater for young audiences, is excited to showcase this new destination for theater education and expand its reach into the community.

The new facility offers more space for drama, vocal music and dance-specific studios for the ever-growing TCT Academy performing arts classes. A small 150-seat performance space is also a key component, along with a costume shop and expanded rehearsal space for both MainStage productions as well as TCT On Tour shows. The company's administrative offices are now housed in the new facility as well.

Important to note: The Children's Theatre's four professional, Broadway-style MainStage productions will continue to be performed in the historic Taft Theatre in downtown Cincinnati.

Construction began in June 2015 by design/build firm, Terrex. The facility will be a measurable draw for visitors and students from the entire region, bringing more people to the area and more patrons to local businesses. The total cost of the project is $6.5 million dollars.

The Children's Theatre is in the midst of conducting a capital campaign for the project and is more than halfway to goal. A generous lead gift was secured from the dissolution of The Corbett Foundation. "The Trustees of The Corbett Foundation are pleased that a portion of the final disbursement of the Foundation's funds could be used to support the expansion of The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati. We believe Mr. & Mrs. Corbett would have been pleased as well to see their legacy continue to benefit an organization that is creating the future arts patrons of our city," said Karen McKim, Executive Director of The Corbett Foundation.

Each year, The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati contributes to the vibrancy and cultural vitality of our region by providing nearly 175,000 children and their families with arts-exposure opportunities through performances, workshops and art-making experiences. That number is expected to grow exponentially with the new facility. For example, with the new studio spaces, The Children's Theatre will have the capacity to provide up to 1,800 students with performing arts instruction in just one, 12-week session of a drama, vocal or dance class.

Producing Artistic Director, Roderick Justice says, "This exciting growth opportunity cements The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati's commitment to leadership in arts education. Expanding classes is a logical extension of The Children's Theatre brand. A new facility allows TCTC to meet demand, grow the class schedule and create additional variety. It also supports engaging in the evolution of future performing arts performers and patrons beyond our current scope."

TCT Managing Director and CEO, Kim Deaton, further explains, "We will be able to offer young performers a natural path in performing arts instruction beginning with classes at age six, transitioning to our STAR NKU Intensive Program, with an end goal of auditioning for professional theater productions not only at The Children's Theatre, but throughout the Tri-state region and nationally as well. While growing a child's skill in performing arts, we look always to further develop the child as a whole as well. For example, a child becomes a better speaker by taking one of our acting classes, which increases their self-esteem, allowing them to become a leader in another field. On the patron side, the current average age of children in attendance for our MainStage shows is seven years-old. A new theatrical facility gives us the opportunity to program for new audiences, including preschoolers as well as middle and high school students. Thus, we begin the creation of future arts patrons in Cincinnati at an even earlier age, and extend their engagement through high school."

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