Regional NewsSkivvies Star Nick Cearley Will Explore GrandHorizons in Cincinnati
Performances of the Bess Wohl comedy begin later this month.
By
Andrew Gans
January 09, 2023
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati will kick off the new year with Bess Wohl's Tony-nominated comedy Grand Horizons, which will be presented January 14-February 5.
Directed by Brian Robertson, the cast will feature Dale Hodges (Equus) as Nancy, Joneal Joplin (1776) as Bill, Nick Cearley (The Skivvies) as Brian, Jared Joplin as Ben, Shonita Joshi as Jess, Deb G. Girdler as Carla, and Dan Davidson as Tommy.
The play spotlights Bill and Nancy, who decide to divorce after 50 years of marriage and the effect of that decision on everyone around them.
“It’s about following your bliss and that it’s never too late to try and become who you want to be,” says Producing Artistic Director D. Lynn Meyers. “Grand Horizons is a brutally honest and almost biting story about life’s experiences but seen through a comedic lens. It teaches us to cherish what we have in the moment but to keep looking for what you think will make you happy, whatever or whoever that may be.”
The creative team also includes resident scenic and lighting designer Brian C. Mehring, costume designer Niki Hernandez-Adams, sound designer Matt Callahan, properties curator and design assistant Shannon Rae Lutz, and technical director Jack Murphy.
The production stage manager is Margot Whitney, and the assistant stage manager is Lexi Muller.
The Broadway premiere of Grand Horizons played the Hayes Theater December 23, 2019-March 1, 2020. The production, directed by Leigh Silverman and presented by Second Stage Theater, earned two Tony nominations, including Best Play.
Filmed in 2023, the one-night-only event featured Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Peter Friedman, and more from the Ahrens and Flaherty musical's original cast.
Surrounded by period-accurate, 19th-century holiday decorations lit via candlelight, the 70-minute production is based on Dickens' own script of the classic.