Ensemble Theatre Presents Tony Winning-Musical FUN HOME

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati opens its 2019-2020 arts season with the regional premiere of Fun Home - a memoir musical based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel, with lyrics and book by Lisa Kron and music by Jeanine Tesori. In this highly anticipated musical, Alison Bechdel's coming-of-age memoir depicts the evolution of her young life, her identity, and the secrets that defined her family and her upbringing. Playing August 31-September 28, 2019. Directed by D. Lynn Meyers.

Hailed as one of Broadway's most original musicals and the winner of 5 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, this is the groundbreaking story inspired by the best-selling graphic memoir. Alison's father, Bruce, was an enigmatic, brilliant man whose secrets defined her family and her life. Bruce taught high school English, ran the family's funeral home business, and was obsessed with restoring their old house. When he dies unexpectedly, Alison digs deeply into her childhood memories to explore and unravel the mysteries of her childhood and the surprising secrets that shaped her life.

"I believe that this show is an essential piece of theatre - it addresses universal values in terms of family, forgiveness, and understanding, as well as our ability to love and accept ourselves as the individuals that we are," said director D. Lynn Meyers. "Jeanine Tesori's music has been an enormous influence on my work, having directed Violet here twice. Once I heard she was doing a new musical I had to do it, and I've waited four years for the rights to Fun Home. I believe Cincinnati needs to share Alison's story, and with the remarkable cast we have to do that it will certainly be something everyone needs to see."

Charlie Clark (Bruce Bechdel) was last seen at Ensemble Theatre in Violet in 2016, where his credits include Next to Normal, Rapture, Blister, Burn, Hands on a Hardbody, Luna Gale, and Next Fall, among others. Some of his other local credits include Church Girls, Take Me Out, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, On Golden Pond, Carousel, Love's Labour's Lost, See What I Wanna See, The Full Monty, and Sunday in the Park with George. His Chicago credits include Company, Merrily We Roll Along, Into the Woods, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, and Sweeney Todd. His Twin Cities credits include Guys and Dolls and Mary Poppins.

Sara Mackie (Helen Bechdel) is an alumna of the Wright State Acting BFA Program. She has performed with ETC in many productions since 1999 including Hands on a Hardbody, all three Wonderette iterations, Rabbit Hole, and Mauritius, among others. Some of her favorite credits include An Act of God, Twelfth Night, and Family Ties, Human Race Theatre; Pump Boys and Dinettes, The Carnegie; and Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, Falcon Theatre. Ms. Mackie appears briefly in the feature films The Public and the soon-to-be-released Dark Waters.

Natalie Bird (Alison) makes her Ensemble Theatre debut with this production. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Wright State University where she appeared in States of Independence, directed by Tina Land. Some of her New York theatre credits include The Top Job, off-Broadway with Vital Theatre Company; The Cherry Orchard, Columbia Stages; Edward II, Isle of Shoals; Hee-Haw: It's a Wonderful Lie, Levin Productions; and Variety Show on a Weekday, Nuyorican Poets Café. Some of her regional credits include Lizzie with Human Race Theatre Company and The Christians and In the Next Room: The Vibrator Play with AthensWest Theatre Company. Her film, television, and web credits include The Bourne Legacy, Unforgettable, and Dominatrix Breakroom.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati also welcomes the following performers in their ETC debuts: McKenna James Farmer (Young Alison), Emily Fink (Medium Alison), Max Meyers (Roy/Mark/Pete/Bobby Jeremy), Jude Walker (Joan), Henry Weghorst (John Bechdel), and Espen Wells-Jordan (Christian Bechdel).

Production team: Brian c. Mehring (Resident Scenic and Lighting Designer), Jack Murphy (Technical Director), Matthew Hollstegge (Production Manager), Shannon Rae Lutz (Properties Master & Design Assistant), Matt Callahan (Sound Designer), Steve Goers (Musical Director), Patti James (Choreographer), and Reba Senske (Costume Designer). Production Stage Manager is Brandon T. Holmes. Assistant Stage Manager is Lexi Muller.

Performances run Tuesday through Sunday. Evening preview performances are at 7:00; evening performances are Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30 pm; Friday and Saturday, 8:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 2:00 pm; and Sunday, 7:00 pm. A complete calendar of performances is available online at www.ensemblecincinnati.org.

Ticket prices start at $35 for adults; student tickets are $28; and children are $24. Half-Price Rush Tickets: All remaining tickets for the current day's performance(s) are available two hours prior to each show time for half-price (discount does not apply to children's tickets) when purchasing by phone or in person. $15 Student Rush Tickets: Students may purchase up to two $15 student rush tickets two hours prior to show time with valid student I.D. Available in person only.

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