Cincinnati is only an hour and 15 minutes away from Indy and a skip across the river from Louisville. It only makes sense to include Cincy in your go-to towns, pop over and catch a live show and escape for a weekend.
This is particularly true if you see a show in the 2014 - 2015 season lineup that Indianapolis or Louisville doesn't have in its schedule (click here to see Indy's lineup), or (click here to see Louisville's schedule). Or, perhaps you missed the show in your own city.
Either way, Cincinnati has grand hotels, like Netherland, tasty food like in the hip OTR neighborhood or at Moerlein Lagerhouse, and listed below are the great shows to catch while in town.
Broadway in Cincinnati
2014 - 2015 Season
DIRTY DANCING
September 23 – October 5, 2014
It’s the summer of 1963, and 17 year-old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman is about to learn some major lessons in life as well as a thing or two about dancing. On vacation in New York’s Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, Baby shows little interest in the resort activities, and instead discovers her own entertainment when she stumbles upon the staff quarters when an all-night dance party is in full swing. Mesmerized by the raunchy dance moves and the pounding rhythms, Baby can’t wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle the resort dance instructor.
ONCE
November 11 – 23, 2014
Winner of 8 2012 Tony Awards including Best Musical, an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians play their own instruments onstage. A Dublin street musician is about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights. It's an unforgettable story about going for your dreams and the power of music to connect us all.
ELF The Musical
December 2 – 7, 2014
Buddy, a young orphan child, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.
CINDERELLA
January 6 – 18, 2014
This production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love—the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more—plus some surprising new twists. Be transported back to your childhood as you rediscover some of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” in this Broadway experience for anyone who’s ever had a wish, a dream... or a really great pair of shoes.
ANYTHING GOES
February 17 – 22, 2014
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All aboard for this winner of three 2011 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and Choreography as Cole Porter’s musical comedy is sailing to Cincinnati. When the S.S. American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention get tossed out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true love…proving that sometimes destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, an exotic disguise and some good old-fashioned blackmail. Peppering this timeless classic are some of musical theatre’s most memorable standards, including “I Get A Kick Out Of You,” “You’re the Top,” and of course, “Anything Goes.”
Disney’s THE LION KING
March 31 – April 26, 2015
Cincinnati’s best-loved musical makes a triumphant return to the Aronoff Center following its record-breaking 2007 engagement. Marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals brought to life and thrill to the pulsating rhythms of the African Pridelands and an unforgettable score including Elton John and Tim Rice’s Oscar-winning song “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life.” Let your imagination run wild when the Tony Award-winning Broadway sensation returns to the stage.
I LOVE LUCY LIVE ON STAGE
June 2 – 14, 2015
It’s 1952 and you are a member of the studio audience awaiting the filming of two hilarious and oh-so-familiar I LOVE LUCY episodes. Stepping back in time onto the Desilu Playhouse soundstage, a charming host entertains and enlightens you to the behind-the-scenes filming process, the 1950s hi-fidelity technology and this brand-new thing called “television.” The episodes begin and you witness, firsthand, the side-splitting antics in the Ricardo’s New York apartment and thrill to the Cuban sounds of “The Ricky Ricardo Orchestra” at the famed Tropicana Nightclub. In-between scenes? The Crystaltone Singers perform live advertising jingles of the show’s newest sponsors in perfect 50s style harmony. Can you say “Brylcreem?!”
For tickets: BroadwayinCincinnati.com
Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.
