Cincinnati Ballet ushers in a new era under Artistic Director Cervilio Miguel Amador
In December 2024, the Ballet's Board of Trustees named Cervilio Miguel Amador as its new Artistic Director, following his long-standing tenure as a Principal Dancer, Rehearsal Director, and Interim Artistic Director. A beloved member of the Cincinnati arts community for more than two decades, Amador brings a personal and global perspective to the role, having danced with the National Ballet of Cuba before joining Cincinnati Ballet in 2004.
'This company has shaped my career and my life,' Amador said. 'As the Katherine and Richard Rosenthal Artistic Director, my goal is to honor our traditions while pushing the art form forward in ways that connect with the broader community.'
That vision is reflected in the bold programming of the 2025–26 season.
A Season of Artistic Range
The season opens with the Kaplan New Works Series (Sept. 12–20, 2025), featuring four world premieres by an international roster of choreographers, including Caroline Dahm, Yoshihisa Arai, Andonis Foniadakis, and Andrea Giselle Schermoly. Presented in the intimate Jarson-Kaplan Theater at the Aronoff Center, the series sets a progressive tone for the year.
In November, Amador and the company present the regional premiere of The Great Gatsby (Nov. 7–15, 2025), choreographed by Septime Webre. With a live jazz score, cinematic staging, and themes of ambition and excess, the ballet offers a modern retelling of Fitzgerald's classic novel, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.
The holidays wouldn't be complete without The Nutcracker, returning to Music Hall (Dec. 18–28, 2025) with live orchestral accompaniment and the dazzling journey of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince.
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The Nutcracker (Dec. 18–28, 2025)
The winter brings romance and drama with a full-length production of Swan Lake (Feb. 13–21, 2026), featuring choreography by Kirk Peterson, after Petipa and Ivanov, and performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.
In a nod to America's 250th anniversary, April features Director's Vision: Liberty in Motion (April 10–12, 2026), a triple bill showcasing Balanchine's Serenade, Justin Peck's The Times Are Racing, and Claudia Schreier's First Impulse.
Rounding out the season is the Family Series: Pinocchio (April 16–19, 2026), a one-hour narrated ballet performed by CB2 dancers and students from the Otto M. Budig Academy. Pre-show lobby activities make it an ideal introduction to the arts for young audiences.
'The Cincinnati Ballet is a company with national impact and deep local roots,' said Debbie Brant, President and CEO of Cincinnati Ballet. 'With Cervi's leadership and a bold season ahead, we're inviting the entire community to join us at a performance this season.'
Cincinnati Ballet remains committed to expanding access through education programs, academy training, and community engagement, while also attracting national attention for its world-class talent and productions.
Tickets and Subscription Info
Season subscriptions are on sale now at cballet.org, with customizable packages available. Subscribers receive up to 25% savings over single tickets, free exchanges, early access to special events, and other perks.
Single tickets are now on sale, and popular performances including The Great Gatsby, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake are expected to sell quickly.
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Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Chicago Tribune
A History Center of Lake Forest Lake Bluff exhibit highlights The Great Gatsby's connection to the community
One hundred years following its publication, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby remains an iconic part of American literature. Yet despite the novel's ongoing popularity, its readers may not know about its connections to Lake Forest. An ongoing exhibition is trying to change that. Earlier this year, the History Center of Lake Forest Lake Bluff opened Behind the Glamour: Inside (and Outside) F. Scott Fitzgerald's Lake Forest. The display highlights Fitzgerald's ties to Lake Forest ahead of his writing The Great Gatsby in the early 1920s. Specifically, the exhibits showcase how one of the city's natives was part of an inspiration for one of Gatsby's central characters. 'We were trying to take a look at his experience in Lake Forest and the people he knew here,' History Center Deputy Director Laurie Stein said. While Fitzgerald grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, he made frequent trips to Lake Forest as he had a relative who subsequently introduced him to the community's social scene in the 1910s. Those interactions served as an influence for his future writings as he described Lake Forest as one of the most glamorous places in the world in letters to his daughter, Stein said. A major turning point in Fitzgerald's life occurred in 1915 in St. Paul when he met Lake Forest native Ginevra King at a sledding party as she was visiting her roommate from an East Coast boarding school that she attended. Fitzgerald, by that time a student at Princeton University, is back in his hometown for winter vacation. While King was only 16 at the time, the two saw each other occasionally in Lake Forest and other places and wrote many letters to one another, according to History Center officials. They meet several times in Lake Forest, as well as New York and Princeton, but never on a formal date, as others always join them. Eventually, Fitzgerald realizes King was not interested in marriage with him. 'He attributes that to his lack of income. However, it is far more likely the bigger concerns were his career path as a writer and his lack of propriety in public gatherings,' History Center Executive Director Carol Summerfield said. 'He misbehaved badly, drank heavily, and could be rude.' When The Great Gatsby is published in 1925, readers are told the story of Jay Gatsby and his love for Daisy, with whom he had had a relationship before she married the wealthy Tom Buchanan. It is not an exact replica of the dynamic between Fitzgerald and King, but there is a resemblance. 'There are definitely a lot of parallels and similarities,' Stein said. The exhibit also details how King was a member of the 'Big Four', a group of friends raised in Lake Forest who all attended boarding school together. They were all part of socially prominent families where the local press would write about their social activities and their weddings. 'You could tell that this place made an impression on him. And so we were trying to give that effect a little bit in the exhibit as well,' Stein added. 'What kind of impression did it make on him, and how did that translate into his work.' A large portrait of King dominates the exhibit room, which also features clothing of the era, plus fireplace inserts and serving dishes. The overall goal is to give patrons the sense of walking into a salon or solarium of a home when an event such as a summer garden party is taking place. Summerfield said the History Center approached local interior decorator Lynne Beyer for the project as her background meshed well given both her research and design skills. Beyer said she enjoyed creating the look of the room. 'Just collaborating and learning more about F. Scott Fitzgerald was really fun,' she said. The exhibit is set to run through October 4 with Stein believing people are now intrigued with Fitzgerald's ties to Lake Forest. 'We've had a great reception,' she said. 'Seeing this story and its connection of this community to the larger literary landscape. Local people are interested in finding out more, and they're proud of it. They are places in Lake Forest that are still here today that had an impact in this period that (Fitzgerald) might have visited. People are looking at that again.'
New York Post
a day ago
- New York Post
Free Times Square concert to feature performances from 23 Broadway shows
Start spreading the news. A massive Times Square concert featuring performances from 23 Broadway shows is planned for next month in celebration of 400 years of Big Apple history, City Hall said Monday. The free spectacle, 'Founded By Broadway,' will be held in Duffy Square on West 46th and West 47th streets between Broadway and Seventh Avenue on Sept. 7 starting at 11 a.m., rain or shine. 4 A performance from the Broadway revival of 'Mamma Mia!' is slated to appear at the city's 'Founded By Broadway' free concert in Times Square next month. Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock 4 The event will take place in Duffy Square on West 46th and West 47th streets between Broadway and Seventh Avenue on Sept. 7. Christopher Sadowski 'Broadway is synonymous with a visit to New York City, and what better way to celebrate 400 years than with a free, live concert in the center of it all, Times Square,' said Julie Coker, president and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions, in a statement. The show also serves as the marquee event of the Adams' administration's year-long 'Founded By NYC' celebration of the city's 400th birthday, which will offer free summer movies, 400 blocks of free Summer Streets events, the 47th annual Museum Mile Festival and more. 'The story of Broadway is the story of New York City, and with 'Founded By Broadway' and this Times Square concert for all to partake in for free, we will help tell both of these stories this September,' Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. 'Thanks to 'Founded By NYC,' we're thrilled to be hosting events like this all year long as we commemorate more than four centuries of New York City history and show, once again, why we are 'the greatest city in the world,'' the mayor said. 4 Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada appear for a curtain call at 'The Great Gatsby' on Broadway. Getty Images Performances from these shows are expected during the 'Founded by Broadway' event: Aladdin & Juliet The Book of Mormon Buena Vista Social Club Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club Chicago Death Becomes Her The Great Gatsby Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Hell's Kitchen Just in Time The Lion King Mamma Mia! Maybe Happy Ending MJ Moulin Rouge! The Musical Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical The Outsiders Punch SIX: The Musical Stranger Things: The First Shadow Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) Wicked Some of the performances are subject to change closer to the final performance date, City Hall said. 4 'The Book of Mormon' performers are set to appear at next month's special event, fanfare will kick off NYC Broadway Week, when two-for-one deals will be offered for a variety of shows. The marquee event comes as New York City Tourism + Conventions projects a nearly 20% dip in foreign tourism this year because of economic fears and geopolitical tensions. 'There's only one Broadway, and there's only one New York City,' said Jason Laks, president of The Broadway League, while promoting 'Founded by Broadway.' 'The heart of Times Square is the perfect place to celebrate Broadway's legacy,' Laks said. 'As we mark 400 years of this extraordinary city, the 'Founded By Broadway' concert will bring together the energy, talent, and storytelling that define New York and inspire the world.'
Buzz Feed
a day ago
- Buzz Feed
How Darren Aronofsky Tried To Turn Mila Kunis & Natalie Portman Against Each Other
If you can believe it, it's nearly been 15 years since Black Swan came out. Now, celebrating the milestone in an interview with Vogue, the stars behind the classic have spilled some behind-the-scenes details. For context, the 2010 movie stars Natalie Portman as Nina, a top ballerina who is preparing to play both the White Swan, Odette, and the Black Swan, Odile, in Swan Lake. As she struggles to tap into her darker side for Odile, Nina risks losing the part to another top ballet dancer named Lily, who is played by Mila Kunis. The film got five Academy Award nominations and earned Natalie an Oscar for Best Actress in 2011. If you've seen it, you'll know Nina and Lily have a complicated rivalry in the film, and speaking to Vogue, director Darren Aronofsky recalled his attempts to bring some of that tension into the real world. 'I was trying to be a sneaky director and make them argue,' he said, when asked about a claim that he 'tried to pit Natalie and Mila against each other.' 'Mila and Natalie both realized very quickly what I was doing and made fun of me, so it quickly became a joke that we all understood. They're both very clever and were instantly privy to whatever trick I was playing.' On X, Darren's quotes have received a bit of backlash, with people suggesting that his 'manipulative' and 'weird' scheme sought to undermine Natalie and Mila's skills as actors. 'they should be equipped enough to create any necessary rivalry on screen,' one user wrote. 'there's no need for mind games behind the scenes when they are meant to ACT like there is drama or tension.' 'What a bizarrely cutesy sheen this language puts on 'I tried to gaslight the two women working for me into fighting cause I thought it would make my movie better and didn't care at all about their actual human psyches,'' someone else wrote, adding that 'two less experienced actresses might have fallen for it.' Despite this, Mila and Natalie's recollections of the situation indicate that there was no harm done, and that they both enjoyed working with Darren very much — despite his reputation as a 'scary' and 'intense' director. 'I remember being separated from Mila and that we weren't in the same space a lot when we weren't shooting,' Natalie remembered. 'Darren made some comment early on, like, 'Ya know, Nat, Mila's dancing so well.' And I was like, 'Of course she is! She's so fucking talented and I love her so much and I'm happy she's doing a great job!'' 'Black Swan was the first time I felt like I had a mind meld with a director, where each of us always knew exactly what to say,' she continued. 'Every time we talked it felt like he gave me a little key that unlocked a scene for me.' Similarly, Mila knew better than to fall for the mind games. 'Darren would tell me, 'Nat is working really, really hard. She's not even taking Saturdays and Sundays off.' Then I would text Nat and she'd be like, '...No, I'm not?'' she recalled. 'I think that's how we figured out what Darren was up to, but it was all in good fun.' 'I remember doing press for Black Swan and every journalist wanted to know how scary Darren was: 'How intense was his set? How intense was he?'' Mila went on. 'I would say, 'He's actually a really kind, lovely guy who took us to see Twilight one time because we had the day off.' And journalists were always so disappointed that he wasn't some tortured soul who treated us like garbage.' At numerous points in the interview, Mila and Natalie highlight their close friendship, which dates back years before they even starred together in Black Swan. In fact, it was Natalie who first suggested Mila should be cast alongside her. And Darren really thought he could get these two to hate each other? Think again. Do you love all things TV and movies? Subscribe to the Screen Time newsletter to get your weekly dose of what to watch next and what everyone is flailing over from someone who watches everything!
