The Carnegie to open 2022 Theatre Series June 18, offering four new productions in repertory format

Changes are coming to The Carnegie and its Theatre Series in 2022. A new summer season will take the stage June through August with three thrilling shows and the option to add on a winter production for the whole family.

Subscribers will adventure through magical woods, live the bohemian life in 1990s NYC, and hit the bourbon trail with the King of the Bootleggers, all from a seat in the newly renovated Otto M. Budig Theatre. Add on the family-friendly winter offering, and tap your way through one of MGM’s greatest movie musicals.

In June, the summer season will open with Stephen Sondheim’s retelling of popular fairytales in “Into the Woods.” In July, the contemporary favorite, “Rent” will be added to the lineup of shows. Then the season will finish with the world premiere of “George Remus, A New Musical,” which shares the shocking story of a local bourbon runner who made a killing during prohibition only to lose it all when accused of murdering his wife. Some say George was even the inspiration for The Great Gatsby. It’s a Cincinnati story with all the intrigue of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel.

The summer season will run in a repertory format. Instead of offering one show and closing it before offering the next show, titles will overlap throughout the summer allowing theatergoers their choice of multiple shows in one weekend or the ability to come back to catch a favorite performance again.

Then in January, theatergoers can cure their winter blues with a musical that rightfully holds the title of “greatest movie musical of all time.” “Singin’ in the Rain” will offer hilarious comedy, wistful romance, and top-notch tap dancing to audiences of all ages. Theatre-goers can add the winter show to their summer package to get the best price or grab single tickets for the whole family.


The Carnegie Summer Theatre Series:

“Into the Woods”
Playing June 18 – August 27

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Originally Directed on Broadway by James Lapine
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick


When a childless baker and his wife set out to lift their family curse by journeying into the woods, they encounter Jack (with his beanstalk), Cinderella (and her prince) and Little Red Riding Hood (and her wolf)! These familiar characters find themselves in decidedly unfamiliar circumstances and must brave the darkness of the woods in an effort to break the curse, conquer their fears and find out if what they’ve always wished for is what they truly want.

James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim take everyone’s favorite storybook characters and bring them together for a timeless, yet relevant, piece. The Tony Award-winning book and score feature poignant musical numbers such as “Giants in the Sky,” “No One is Alone,” and “Children will Listen.”

Performances:

“Into the Woods” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.

Content Advisory: Production includes adult themes. Not suitable for young children.

“Rent”
Playing July 16 – August 26

Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson

Set at the end of the 1990s in the East Village of New York City, “Rent” is about falling in love, finding your voice, and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, “Rent” has become a pop culture phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages.

Based loosely on Puccini’s La Boheme, “Rent” follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York’s Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. Featuring favorites like “Seasons of Love,” “Out Tonight,” and “La Vie Boheme,” RENT is sure to have you singing along from your seat.

Performances:

“Rent” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

Content Advisory: Production includes sexual content, adult themes and language. Not appropriate for children under 13.

“George Remus, A New Musical”
Playing August 13 – 28


Music and Lyrics by Janet Yates Vogt & Mark Friedman
Book by Joseph McDonough

A penniless German Immigrant who settled in the Cincinnati area, George Remus became a pharmacist, then a lawyer, and eventually the most famous bootlegger of them all. He had government politicians in his pocket, the Chicago mob at his feet, and the perfect scheme for selling barrels and barrels of whiskey during the era of prohibition and speakeasies. With a lavish mansion on a hill and over-the-top parties, Remus was a millionaire playboy worth millions in 1922 – some even say he was the real Jay Gatsby. His legendary rise and fall are now the subject of this new musical.

The Carnegie presented a staged reading of this new musical at The Covington Plaza amphitheater in May of 2021. Now see a full-fledged production in our gorgeous, historic theatre. Enjoy a slate of brand-new songs, including “There Once was a King,” “Just Pay Gillespie,” and “Don’t mess with Mabel,” that bring George Remus’ bigger-than-life story to the stage.

Performances:

“George Remus, A New Musical” is presented through special arrangement with the authors.

Content Advisory: Production includes adult themes and language. Not suitable for young children.

Winter Series Add-on

“Singin’ in the Rain”
Playing January 28 – February 12, 2023


Screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Songs by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown
Based on the classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Inc.

“Singin’ in the Rain” has all the makings of a Tinseltown tabloid headline – the starlet, the leading man, and a love affair that could change lives and make or break careers. In silent movies, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are a hot item but, behind the scenes, things aren’t always as they appear on the big screen. Meanwhile, Lina’s squeaky voice might be the end of her career in “talking pictures” without the help of a talented young actress to do the talking and singing for her.

The “Greatest Movie Musical of All Time” is lovingly adapted for the stage, with each unforgettable scene, song and dance accounted for, including the show-stopping title number, complete with an onstage rainstorm! Hilarious situations, snappy dialogue, and a hit-parade of popular songs like “Good Mornin,” “Moses Supposes,” and “Broadway Melody” make “Singin’ in the Rain” the perfect entertainment for any fan of the golden age of movie musicals.

Performances:

“Singin’ in the Rain” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.

Content Advisory: This is a family-friendly production. Appropriate for all ages.

Subscriptions for the Summer Theatre Series are $84 or $81 for Carnegie Members. Subscribers can add the winter family-friendly show for $28 or $27 for Carnegie Members. Single tickets go on sale Friday, April 1 at noon. Tickets may be purchased through The Carnegie Box Office at 859-957-1940, open Tuesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., or online at www.thecarnegie.com. All performances will take place at The Carnegie.

For the safety of guests and staff, The Carnegie continues to monitor and update its COVID-19 policies. Updated safety precautions will be announced closer to the opening of the Summer Theatre Series and will follow local health department protocols.

The Carnegie Summer Theatre Series is presented by the Otto M. Budig Family Foundation. Additional support for the Summer Theatre Series comes from the Kentucky Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet.

The Carnegie