PERFORMING IN PRODUCTIONS is an integral part of the Musical Theatre training program, an opportunity to put into practice what students have learned in the classrooms, dance studios and practice rooms. At CCM, the "main stage" musicals are part of a larger series which also offers dramas and operas to our loyal subscribers. These musicals are staged in Corbett Auditorium, a proscenium house, and the Patricia Corbett Theatre, a modified thrust stage. In addition three workshop productions are mounted each season in the Studio Theatre, a fully flexible "black-box" space.

It is our mission to expose our majors to every kind of musical during their four years in residence at CCM. Our seasons include works by the composers and lyricists of the "Golden Age" of musical theatre as well as challenging contemporary works and rock musicals. Dance styles encompass ballet, jazz, modern and tap. Majors are required to audition for all productions and all students, freshmen through senior, may be cast.

The Division of Theatre Design and Production is responsible for the technical aspects of our productions. All designers are USITT certified and regularly maintain their professional connections as guest designers in sets, costumes, lighting, sound and make-up. Our musicals are backed by CCM's award-winning Philharmonia Orchestra and Jazz Band.

PRODUCTIONS PRESENTED in Corbett Auditorium and the Patricia Corbett Theatre in the past decade include a wide variety of styles. Our production philosophy is to expose our majors to every kind of musical work, from book shows to concept musicals, from shows that require tapping feet to those that prompt intellectual stimulation -- with an occasional area or world premiere thrown in for good measure.

OUR STUDIO PRODUCTIONS presented in the Cohen Family Studio Theatre tend to be somewhat adventurous. They include such avant-garde pieces as Myths and Hymns or re-examinations of such classics as 110 in the Shade. Here we cast students in roles they may not normally play and schedule titles that may not fit our subscription series. Our Studio productions are presented free of charge as our gift to the Cincinnati theatre-going community.

OUR CURRENT SEASON includes a revival of Evita in Corbett Auditorium, Rent in the Patricia Corbett Theatre and A Little Night Music in the Cohen Family Studio Theatre. We will also be presenting a new theatre/dance piece, Under Construction II, conceived and choreographed by Diane Lala, and Cole Porter's seldom seen Out of This World as part of our Musicals Redux series.. Additionally, we present two annual showcases: the Senior Class will present their showcase, A Musical Theatre Showcase, in Cincinnati, Chicago and New York and the Freshman Showcase will be performed for family and friends in May. We will again perform with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra in a Halloween concert at Music Hall, and to answer a frequently asked question: yes, freshman may audition for productions -- in fact, they are required to.

"Glitzy, fast-paced productions . . . zippy musical and dance sequences, and CCM's usual panache for scenic invention."

The Entertainer