Faculty member Ian Axness discusses CCM's production of 'Wonderful Town'
The Tony Award-winning musical runs Nov. 21-23
UC's College-Conservatory of Music presents Broadway classic Wonderful Town later this month, and CCM faculty member Ian Axness recently appeared on WGUC's Cincinnati Spotlight to discuss the musical.
Axness, who serves as the music director for this production, explained to Cincinnati Public Radio's Elaine Diehl, "Wonderful Town [was] written in 1953, just four years before West Side Story, and you can really hear the influence, the little foreshadowing of West Side Story and even the influence of jazz."
The iconic musical comedy is directed and choreographed by CCM Musical Theatre Professor Diane Lala. According to Axness, the musical is filled with "lots of dancing, lots of color and movement on the stage, and if—anyone has ever been to New York City—just a little taste of [Greenwich Village]."
Listen to the entire interview below or by visiting WGUC's website.
[intro music]
Elaine Diehl: [UC’s] College-Conservatory of Music presents Wonderful Town. My guest is music director Ian Axness.
Ian Axness: Yes, we’re thrilled to be doing Wonderful Town at CCM. We have a 34-piece orchestra in the pit. We’ll be in Corbett Auditorium with this huge picture postcard of Greenwich Village, New York City. And our fabulous Professor of Musical Theatre Diane Lala is directing and choreographing, so that should be great.
Elaine Diehl: Tell us a little bit about the premise of the show.
Ian Axness: Two sisters move from Ohio to the big city, where they encounter an eclectic mix of all sorts of wacky characters and surprising situations. You know: falling in and out of love. And Ruth is a writer seeking to find her voice at a magazine sort of like the New Yorker. Everything is sort of sending up the eclectic milieu of Greenwich Village in the 1930s.
Elaine Diehl: What are some of the challenges of bringing this period to life on stage with actors in their late teens and early 20s?
Ian Axness: Many references from the 1950s, referencing the 1930s: things like department stores, soda counters, a lot of references to FDR’s new deal and the WPA.
Wonderful Town [was] written in 1953, just four years before West Side Story, and you can really hear the influence, the little foreshadowing of West Side Story and even the influence of jazz.
Elaine Diehl: What do you hope people will take home from the theater?
Ian Axness: Just the magic of seeing a full orchestra and a big Broadway show. Lots of dancing, lots of color and movement on the stage, and if—anyone has ever been to New York City—just a little taste of the village.
[outro music]
Ian Axness: Performances of Wonderful Town: November 21st through 23rd, the weekend right before Thanksgiving.
For over a decade, Axness has helped bring works new and old to the stage in New York City, including Sweeney Todd (Barrow Street Theater), Rodgers & Hart’s I Married An Angel (City Center Encores), Kurt Weill’s Zaubernacht (Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra) and the New York premiere of Beardo by Dave Malloy and Jason Craig (Pipeline Theatre). Axness enjoys a wide range of music and theatre collaborations, including musicals, operas, plays, pop-up performances, hybrid recitals and cabarets. His career highlights include Ask For the Moon (Goodspeed Musicals), Lyrics & Lyricists: W.S. Gilbert with Sheldon Harnick (92nd Street Y), Carousel with Kelli O’Hara and Nathan Gunn (New York Philharmonic) and a new production of Flora the Red Menace with composer John Kander (Oberlin College-Conservatory). Learn more about Ian Axness
CCM's production of Wonderful Town runs Nov. 21-23 in Corbett Auditorium.
Wonderful Town
Book by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov
(Based upon the play “My Sister Eileen” by Joseph Fields and Jerome Chodorov and the stories by Ruth McKenney)
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Sketches of “What A Waste” by Berry Comden and Adolph Green
WONDERFUL TOWN is presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. www.concerdtheatricals.com
- Director and Choreographer | Diane Lala
- Music Director | Ian Axness
- Scenic Designer | Mark Halpin
- Lighting Designer | Lucas Inman*
- Costume Designer | Erin Donnelly
- Sound Designer | Bryan Pivaral*
- Wig & Make-Up Designer | Emily Kemmerer*
- Production Stage Manager | Ella Gover*
- Props Manager | Melanie Reitman*
- Dialect Coach | Kat Littrell
- Fight and Intimacy Director | k. Jenny Jones
*CCM Student
- Tour Guide | Sean Polk II
- Mr. Appopolous| Joey Baciocco
- Helen| Arden Allmon
- Wreck| Nick Gundrum
- Violet| Annika Jonker
- Officer Lonigan| Josh Devine
- Speedy Valenti | Coty Perno
- Eileen Sherwood | Makayla Shipe
- Ruth Sherwood | Annalese Fusaro
- Robert Baker | Declan Smith
- First Associate Editor | Anargha Pal
- Second Associate Editor | Brian Cheung
- Mrs. Wade | Amelia Lamb
- Frank Lippencott | Ryan Behan
- Chick Clark | Spencer Stanley
- Ensemble | Grace Baker, Andy Bakun, Dominic Carroll, Brian Cheung, Annie Dauk, Ellie Eisele, Jack Haroutunian, Annika Jonker, Edin Kebede, JT Langlas, Indya Lincicome, Morgan Lindell, Anargha Pal, Sean Polk II, Gabe Raskind, Maya Sharma, Sydney Short, Griffin Simmons, Sam Yousuf
- Swings | Gabby Beredo, Abigayle Stokes, Matthew Williamson, Jameson Zoller
- Dance Captain| Nick Gundrum
Performance Times
- 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21
- 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22*
- 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23
- 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23
*ASL interpreting available during Friday, Nov. 22, performance. ASL viewing seating is available upon request by calling the Box Office at 513-556-4183 or emailing Box Office Manager Matthew Wilson.
Location
University of Cincinnati
Purchasing Tickets
Tickets: $36 adult, $20 student, $15 UC faculty/staff, $10 UC student, $5 CCM student; group discounts available.
Experiencing the magic of CCM OnStage has never been easier! Purchase your tickets:
- Online at ccmonstage.universitytickets.com
- Over the phone at 513-556-4183
- In person at the CCM Box Office in the Atrium of UC's Corbett Center for the Performing Arts
CCM’s Box Office hours are Tue-Fri from 1-5 p.m. and one hour prior to curtain for ticketed performances. Hours subject to change based on the University of Cincinnati calendar. Our Box Office staff is always ready to answer your questions by phone at 513-556-4183 or email at boxoff@uc.edu.
UC student, faculty & staff ticket options
Current UC students can purchase up to two tickets for each CCM OnStage concert and show at the discounted rate of just $10 per ticket; the discounted rate for current CCM students is $5 per ticket. Learn more about student tickets.
Current UC faculty and staff can purchase up to two tickets for each CCM OnStage concert or show at discounted rates (prices vary by performance). Learn more on the Box Office website.
Directions and Parking
CCM is located on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. For detailed driving directions, visit ccm.uc.edu/directions.
Parking is available in UC's CCM Garage (located at the base of Corry Boulevard off Jefferson Avenue) and additional garages throughout the UC campus. Effective July 1, 2023, all University of Cincinnati Parking Services locations are cashless. Pay for parking securely with your credit/debit card. All major credit cards accepted.
CCM OnStage patrons can add pre-paid parking to their checkout carts when purchasing tickets. Pre-paid parking is date/performance specific. CCM Garage parking rates for a performance or special event is usually available for $10-15. Learn more about parking at UC's CCM Garage.
For additional information on parking at UC, please visit uc.edu/about/parking.
Next OnStage
Tickets are now on sale for CCM's Spring 2025 performances and public events! Join us for the return of CCM's Moveable Feast signature fundraising event on Friday, Jan. 24, and experience an evening of artistry, food and celebration. Learn more about Moveable Feast.
Want to see what's Next OnStage at CCM? Sign up for our e-newsletter to receive details on upcoming CCM OnStage performances. New issues are published every other Wednesday, and you can manage your subscription settings at any time.
Featured image at top: Scenic rendering for CCM's production of Wonderful Town by faculty member Mark Halpin.
Additional Contacts
Rebecca Butts | Assistant Public Information Officer
buttsrl@ucmail.uc.edu | 513-556-2675
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