FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 24, 2003
Contact: Christa Skiles
Public Relations Director
513-345-2242, ext. 232

CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK TO PRESENT CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED BROADWAY HIT METAMORPHOSES OCTOBER 21-NOVEMBER 21

(CINCINNATI) — Mary Zimmerman’s critically acclaimed Broadway smash Metamorphoses will get its regional premiere at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Robert S. Marx Theatre beginning October 21 and continuing through November 21.

Metamorphoses is performed in a shimmering pool of water that spans the stage and stretches across time. This Tony Award-winning adaptation weaves a contemporary and often humorous sensibility through the Greek and Roman myths of Ovid.

Love, loss, triumph and transformation are the themes that tie together these timeless stories. For example, as the young Phaeton describes his family life to his therapist, it becomes clear that he has some serious abandonment issues with his father. While that would be difficult for anyone to handle, Phaeton’s dad just happens to be the sun god Apollo.

Orpheus is a musician so favored by the gods that he is granted special permission to travel to the underworld to reclaim his bride Eurydice, who was killed tragically on their wedding day. But to return with her to the world of the living, Orpheus must make a bargain that puts his love — and his faith — to the ultimate test.

Midas is a staggeringly wealthy businessman, but he’s not immune to human emotions, including an all-consuming love of money. When he does a favor for Bacchus, the god offers to return this courtesy with a token gift. Midas wants the golden touch. However, he soon discovers there are some things even all the money in the world can’t mend.

These and other stories are certain to delight the senses, stir the soul and capture the imagination. Co-produced with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, this is the first major regional theatre production of Metamorphoses since the play’s Broadway run, which closed earlier this year.

Metamorphoses has won critical acclaim not only for its lyrical and moving storytelling, but also for its stunning visuals. All of the stories are set within the confines of a nearly 30-square foot pool of water. Zimmerman explained this choice to Playbill saying, “There was something having to do with the Greek maritime culture that these stories come from, but also the psychological implications of water as a symbol of the subconscious. There’s something about water that’s changeable, suggesting metamorphoses. It can be ice or steam. It looks different under different light. Even in culture, to cross a river or to undergo baptism in water is a symbol of profound change.”

Metamorphoses has enjoyed its own unique transformation from university play to Broadway smash. The show first opened at Northwestern University as Six Myths in the spring of 1997. It then enjoyed a run at the Lookingglass Theatre in Chicago in 1998, followed by productions in Los Angeles, Seattle and Berkeley. Metamorphoses opened off-Broadway in the fall of 2001 at Second Stage Theatre before moving to Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theater, where it played from March 2002 to February 2003.

Mary Zimmerman won a Tony Award for her direction of Metamorphoses. The show also received four Drama Desk Awards including Best Play and Best Director and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Director. Time magazine called it the “#1 show of the year,” while The Wall Street Journal described the play as “a gift from the gods.”

Mary Zimmerman is the winner of a 1998 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, popularly known as a “Genius Grant,” and is the recipient of 10 Joseph Jefferson Awards including Best Production and Best Direction. She is a member of the Lookingglass Theatre Company of Chicago, an artistic associate of the Goodman Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theatre and a professor of performance studies at Northwestern University. Other works that she has adapted and directed include The Odyssey, Arabian Nights, Journey to the West, Secret in the Wings and Eleven Rooms of Proust. Her latest work, The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, closed recently after a run at Second Stage.

The cast for Metamorphoses includes Cherise Boothe, Sun Mee Chomet, Joe Dempsey, Anne Fogarty, Antony Hagopian, Andrew Long, James McKay, Manu Narayan, Lisa Tejero and Tamilla Woodard.

Metamorphoses is directed by Mary Zimmerman and staged by Eric Rosen. The artistic staff includes scenic designer Daniel Ostling, costume designer Mara Blumenfeld, lighting designer T. J. Gerckens and sound designers Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, all of whom reprise their work from the original Broadway production. The first stage manager is Jenifer Morrow and the second stage manager is Bruce E. Coyle.

Prices for Metamorphoses range from $32.50-$44.50, depending on day and seat location. All tickets are $29.50 for the preview performances at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 21 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 22. The official opening night is Thursday, October 23 at 8:00 p.m. Any unreserved tickets are half-price every day when purchased at the Playhouse between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on the day of the show (for performances Tuesday through Saturday) and from 12 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The Playhouse is fully accessible. Audio enhancement receivers, large print programs and complete wheelchair access are available.

Tickets to Metamorphoses are on sale now. For more information, call the Playhouse box office at 513/421-3888 or toll-free in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at 800/582-3208. Call 513/345-2248 for TDD accessibility. For single tickets purchased by telephone through the Playhouse box office, there is a $2 convenience fee per call. Tickets also can be purchased on the Playhouse web site at www.cincyplay.com.

Artists fly to and from Cincinnati on Delta Connection COMAIR, the Playhouse’s official airline.

The Playhouse is supported, in part, by the generosity of the tens of thousands of individuals and businesses that give to the Fine Arts Fund.

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 City of Cincinnati.

Meet the Artists
These free programs allow audiences to interact with cast members and others associated with the production following the show.

2 p.m. Sunday, October 26
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 29
2 p.m. Sunday, November 9
8 p.m. Thursday, November 13

Audio Described Performance
5 p.m. Saturday, October 25

Signed Performance
2 p.m. Sunday, October 26

Playhouse Perspectives
A free, pre-show lecture series featuring theatre artists and experts. Funding provided by Roderick and Barbara Barr.
6 p.m. Sunday, November 2

Dining Options

Karlo's Bistro at the Playhouse offers full-service dining prior to most evening performances. Dinners include salad, entrée and dessert. Reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance. The price is $21, which does not include gratuity. Karlo's Casual Fare offers busy theatre patrons an alternative light, quick bite prior to the show. Options include salads, sandwiches, soups, pasta and desserts. No reservations are required.

Sponsors

Production Sponsor:
Howard and Marty Tomb

Fine Arts Fund Partner:
Federated Department Stores/Lazarus-Macy's/FACS

The 2003-2004 Marx Theatre Series is presented by
The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation.

The Marx Season Design Sponsor is
The Cinergy Foundation.

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