'LITTLE SHOP,' DISGRACED & More Set for Cincinnati Playhouse's 2016-17 Season

Artistic Director Blake Robison announced the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park's 2016-17 season today with a richly layered collection of world premieres, a joyously entertaining musical, adaptations of beloved novels, a comedy-tinged detective caper, new and classic dramas, a salute to a bestselling Ohio author and the return of The Second City with a holiday-themed revue. The Playhouse is celebrating its 57th season as the region's preeminent professional theatre and Robison's fifth season as artistic director.

The 2016-17 season includes:

· An epic adaptation of John Irving's bestselling novel PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY by Simon Bent and Polly Teale's acclaimed adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's passionate, psychological drama JANE EYRE.

· The hilarious, out-of-this-world musical comedy LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, with book and lyrics by Howard Ashman and music by Alan Menken.

· Two world premieres by female playwrights: Arlitia Jones' mesmerizing SUMMERLAND, based on the riveting true story of spirit photographer William H. Mumler, and Jen Silverman's ALL THE ROADS HOME, a poignant coming-of-age story.

· DISGRACED, Ayad Akhtar's explosive Pulitzer Prize-winning play, and JITNEY, the first script in August Wilson's trailblazing 10-play cycle, will bring powerful drama to the Playhouse.

· Sherlock Holmes sleuths again in KEN LUDWIG'S BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY, a fast-paced comic adventure across the moors.

· The Second City checks in with a riotous send-up of the holiday season, THE SECOND CITY'S HOLIDAZED & CONFUSED REVUE, and bestselling author, Ohio native and national treasure Erma Bombeck's life is explored in the warm, funny portrait ERMA BOMBECK: AT WIT'S END, by Allison Engel and Margaret Engel.

"I'm tremendously excited by this season," says Robison. "It's chock full of familiar titles and beloved classics - but we're still stretching ourselves and taking artistic risks. An ambitious new season should embrace both popular and challenging productions. This slate of plays accomplishes that, and I can't wait to share these stories with our audience."

The Marx Theatre season opens with A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY (Sept. 3 - Oct. 1, 2016; opening night: Sept. 8), novelist John Irving's sweeping saga of friendship, destiny and the miracle of faith adapted by Simon Bent. Set against the backdrop of America's societal upheaval in the 1960s, the heartwarming and often amusing story is an extraordinary and unforgettable theatrical event. A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY, which is sponsored by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation, will be directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Blake Robison.

JITNEY by August Wilson (Oct. 15 - Nov. 12, 2016; opening night: Oct. 20), the second production of the Marx Theatre season, follows a group of African-American men who operate an unlicensed car service in Pittsburgh during the 1970s and their struggle to survive against the tide of urban renewal. Winner of the Drama Critics' Circle Award and Olivier Award for best play, JITNEY will be directed by Playhouse Associate Artist Timothy Douglas.

The Playhouse's joyous, time-honored production of Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, presented by U.S. Bank, returns for its 26th season as one of Cincinnati's favorite multi-generational holiday traditions (Nov. 23 - Dec. 31; opening night Nov. 25). Bruce Cromer returns for the 12th season as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, while Associate Artist Michael Evan Haney directs for his 24th year. The faithful Howard Dallin adaptation features a cast of nearly 30 actors, elaborate costumes and thrilling special effects. A CHRISTMAS CAROL is not part of any subscription package, although subscribers do receive discounts and early buying opportunities.

With an infectious score that gleefully combines rock, Motown and Broadway, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (Jan. 21 - Feb. 19, 2017; opening night: Jan. 26) connects nerdy Seymour with a power-hungry plant who vows to fulfill his wildest dreams, sending him down a diabolical path with murderous, screamingly funny consequences. LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, sponsored by Tony Alper and Judy Curtin, will be directed by Bill Fennelly, who is making his Playhouse debut.

JANE EYRE (March 11 - April 8, 2017; opening night: March 16) depicts an unconventional heroine for the ages who is certain to cast a spell on fans of Brontë's beloved novel and those new to her charms in this tale of passion and secrets. JANE EYRE, directed by Playhouse Associate Artist KJ Sanchez, is sponsored by Leading Ladies.

KEN LUDWIG'S BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY (April 22 - May 20, 2017; opening night: April 27) brings the world's most famous detective back to the Playhouse's Marx stage for a murderously funny ride that plays out on a grand scale, proving just how far from elementary the truth can be. KEN LUDWIG'S BASKERVILLE: A SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY will mark the return of director Brendon Fox, who helmed the Playhouse's production of Shipwrecked! An Entertainment in 2013.

The Thompson Shelterhouse season opens with Ayad Akhtar's DISGRACED (Sept. 24 - Oct. 23, 2016; opening night: Sept. 29), a timely new play that exposes the stories we tell our friends, the secrets we tell our lovers and the lies we tell ourselves. Hotshot lawyer Amir Kapoor has spent a lifetime distancing himself from his strict Muslim upbringing. When he and his artist wife host a dinner party, polite conversation escalates into an explosive exploration of identity, religion and politics. The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, sponsored by Schueler Group, will mark the Playhouse directing debut of Lisa Portes.

The world's premier comedy company returns to the Playhouse with THE SECOND CITY'S HOLIDAZED & CONFUSED REVUE (Nov. 5 - Dec. 31, 2016; opening night: Nov. 10). This riotous send-up of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and everything in-between features a sack full of seasonal sketches.

Arlitia Jones' SUMMERLAND (Feb. 4 - March 5, 2017; opening night: Feb. 9) is a gripping and suspenseful world premiere that chronicles the true story of spirit photographer William H. Mumler's meteoric rise and fall, from his wildly successful business taking haunting images of the dead to his indictment for fraud. SUMMERLAND will be directed by Playhouse Associate Artist Michael Evan Haney.

ALL THE ROADS HOME (March 25 - April 23, 2017; opening night: March 30), a poignant world premiere by one of the country's most exciting up-and-coming playwrights,
Jen Silverman, showcases three generations of women and the legacies they inherit. Director Lee Sunday Evans will make her Playhouse debut.

ERMA BOMBECK: AT WIT'S END (May 6 - June 4, 2017; opening night: May 11), by twin sisters Allison Engel and Margaret Engel, will wrap up the 2016-17 Shelterhouse season. Bombeck gave a hilarious voice to ordinary suburban housewives everywhere, using humor to tell the reality of her life and theirs. This new play, filled with Bombeck's own wit and wisdom, will mark the return of director David Esbjornson (How? How?Why? Why? Why?).

For the 2016-17 season, Playhouse performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, at 8 p.m. Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays.

Subscriptions to the 2016-17 Playhouse season are available now in a variety of packages. Prices range from $157.50 to $391.50 for the five-show Robert S. Marx Season or the five Thompson Shelterhouse shows and $280 to $696 for the full 10-show combination series.

The popular Build Your Own subscription allows patrons to create their own season of four to nine shows. Once again this season, all price options are available in the lower level of the Marx Theatre. The Playhouse offers two-, three-, six- and nine-month payment plans for subscribers. Some restrictions apply.

A student Build Your Own package allows full-time students to pick as few as four shows and as many as all 10 for just $15 per show. The Baby Sitter Rebate Series allows a couple purchasing two subscriptions in the Marx Theatre to attend any performance and receive up to $100 at the end of the season to help cover the cost of baby sitters for children under the age of 12.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of the community contributors to the ArtsWave campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation.

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