Feature: 2016-2017 SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT PARTY at Cincinnati Landmark Productions

The temperature outside on Saturday night was dropping rapidly, but inside the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts spirits were high and rising higher. Lively conversation filled the lobby of the former movie house, converted into a proscenium-style theater in 2002. The crowd gathered to celebrate what has become the second-largest organization for producing theatre in the Cincinnati area, Cincinnati Landmark Productions (CLP).

It's an incredible success story: what started 35 years ago as a once-a-year summer opportunity for area youth has expanded into two separate theaters and four different seasons, all under the management of CLP. The CLP brand includes the Covedale Center "Marquee Series" of golden classics; the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater "District Season" of bold, newer works; a "Summer Classics" season of old and new works, performed at the Incline Theater; and the annual summer production that started it all, Cincinnati Young People's Theatre (CYPT), performed at the Covedale.

The evening served dual purposes: appreciating donors who made such growth possible, and announcing the 2016-2017 seasons for the Marquee Series and the District Series (the Summer Series was announced several months ago and recently concluded auditions). An hour-long presentation not only announced the selected shows, but also celebrated the success of the organization and its first-ever annual fund.

Marketing and Development Manager Rodger Pille proudly announced that over the course of just a few months, the annual fund campaign raised roughly $17,000. The funds are intended for various needs of the organization, including future building renovations and scholarships for students in the CYPT program. Other successes include a completely sold out inaugural Summer Classics season, which resulted in expanding the 2016 season from three weekends to per show to four weekends, and an estimated total $1.3 million in revenue brought into the neighborhoods surrounding the theaters over their history.

The program was peppered with performances of musical numbers from the various seasons. Kelsey Steele and Sarah Viola performed excerpts of two songs from the final show of the current Marquee Season, Brigadoon. Both voices indicate that the production will be a rich musical experience. A similar impression was given by a dance number from the Summer Classics Season's Chicago, which featured the show's choreographer, Angela Kahle, and dancer Kate Stark. A comedic performance of the mildly overbearing song "Secondary Characters" from the District Series' future production of [title of show] showcased powerful vocals from Allison Muennich and Kalie Kaimann. The final performance of two songs from the Marquee Season's opener, Godspell, included the impressive vocals of Andrew Maloney and Michelle Wells, in addition to support from an ensemble.

(It should be noted that Brigadoon is the only production with an announced cast. All other performances were volunteered for this evening only, though they are an appropriate indicator of the talent that CLP attracts).

The complete seasons are:

Cincinnati Young People's Theatre
* West Side Story, July 27-August 8

Summer Classics Season at the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater, presented by TriHealth:

* Anything Goes, June 1-26, 2016

* Baby, July 6-31, 2016

* Chicago, August 10 - Sept. 4, 2016

Covedale Center Marquee Series, presented by Cincinnati Federal and TriHealth:

* Godspell, September 8 - October 2, 2016

* The Foreigner, October 20 - November 13, 2016

* The Nights Before Christmas, December 1-23, 2016

* Doubt, January 19 - February 12, 2017

* Leading Ladies, March 9 - April 2, 2017

* My Fair Lady, April 27 - May 21, 2017

Warsaw Federal Incline Theater District Series:

* [title of show], September 29 - October 16, 2016

* God of Carnage, November 17 - December 4, 2016

* The Rocky Horror Show, February 16 - March 5, 2017

* Equus, April 6-23, 2017

"With our two venues, Cincinnati Landmark Productions has two great platforms to create exciting theater and palpable neighborhood vitality," said Tim Perrino, Executive Artistic Director of CLP. "We've set a course for success with a summer of sell-outs in 2015 and we're chomping at the bit to bring these just-announced shows to life in 2016 and 2017."

Subscriptions for both seasons were immediately available for purchase after the announcement and can be purchased online or by calling 513-241-6550.

Photo Credit: Cincinnati Landmark Productions