Title: Cincinnati King

Type: Segment Subject(s): Music, Theater Project Contact: Name: Ann Rotolante Company: CET | ThinkTV Email: [email protected] Original Broadcast/Publish Date: 02/09/2019 Runtime: 00:06:42 Main Asset File Size: 2.58 GB Short Description: WE VISIT CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK TO MEET THE TEAM BEHIND A MUSICAL THAT TELLS THE STORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO’S KING RECORDS, AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE THEATRICAL PROCESS. Long Description: WE VISIT CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK TO MEET THE TEAM BEHIND A MUSICAL THAT TELLS THE STORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO’S KING RECORDS, AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE THEATRICAL PROCESS.

Rights Information

Media Rights: Please refer to the MMG Arts Initiative Agreement for full rights information. Sensitive Material: N/A Special Instructions: N/A File Clean of Graphics: Yes Language English Embed Code: www.cincyplay.com/productions/cincinnati-king

Lower Thirds

TC In Lower Third In Cue 00:00:25 KJ Sanchez It was the record label of great Playwright/Director, Cincinnati artists... King 00:01:14 Blake Robison ....and take this position as Artistic Director, Cincinnati artistic director Playhouse in the Park Production Credits: ThinkTV/Cincinnati King Producer/Editor Don Hancock

Videographer

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Zach Kramer

Additional Photography Ciara Cruder Don Hancock

Audio Paul Verhagen

Special Thanks KJ Sanchez Blake Robison Kathy Neus Natalie Hastings Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Herzog Music Cold Open TELLING STORIES FOR THE THEATER Lead IN THIS SEGMENT, WE VISIT CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK TO MEET THE TEAM BEHIND A MUSICAL THAT TELLS THE STORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO’S KING RECORDS, AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE THEATRICAL PROCESS. TAKE A LOOK. Tag FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT CINCY-PLA Y-DOT-COM-SLASH-PRODUCTIONS-SLASH- CINCINNATI-DASH-KING. Transcript Music (KJ) King Records is a record label that started here in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded by Syd Nathan in the ‘40s, produced records in the ‘50s and ‘60s, early ‘70s. It was James Brown's first record label. It was the record label of great artists like Hank Ballard and Freddie King, Little Willie John. It went from absolutely nothing run by a guy who didn't know anything about making records, to the sixth largest record label in the world in the flash of a moment. It’s an incredible story of a company that came and went but had a lasting impact on everything we know about rock, blues, country… American music. Music (Blake) I’ve known KJ Sanchez for years, and when I had the good fortune to come to Cincinnati and take this position as artistic director, I invited her to come here to do a quintessentially Cincinnati story. We didn’t really know what that was, but she arrived in town about six years ago and we started asking around, and we kept hearing over and over, King Records. (KJ) And I just Googled it, and 15 minutes later called him and said: yes ,please! Blake is such a great artistic director to work with

2 / 4 because he trusts you, and so he doesn't get in anybody's hair, micromanaging anything. But he also has a really great eye, and so he comes in for particular run throughs, or in the development of this piece. He has an ability to give me a handful of notes that help me adjust the entire play. I took a couple of years of just creating a pile of resource material, transcriptions from interviews, research, a catalog of music. And then I look for the heart of my piece, I figure out how to put a frame around it, I figure out who are my key individuals, and I try to bring balance, some joy. One of the first themes that emerged when I was putting together this story was what it was like to be a studio musician in King Records. So I have to ask myself can I write a play that can only be done as a play? It can't do the same things that a documentary film can do. In a documentary film you can be maybe more true to journalistic principles. But with making a play I have to develop my own ethical compass. And I do have a set of rules, I do have my own compass, and I do define what I feel is ethical and unethical. Music So that first day, the ritual of the director giving a speech and the designer showing the set and costumes is informative, but it\\\'s also your first chance to inspire everybody and invite them to be as passionate about the subject as you are. “The development of King Records is the backdrop but the play is really about particular things that are interesting to me as an artist. The play is about making music.” The music direction developed really organically. And then we had a long shortlist of our favorite songs, and then we went through the story to find the songs that were emotionally appropriate for those moments. After that, Richard started working with Phil Rundle, the production manager here, figuring out what the instrumentation was. Little things like should we have an organ, should we have an upright piano, should we have a grand piano? Thinking about how the music is going to live in this room, because this room has a very particular sound quality. And what we want to do with the piece is we want to be as authentic to the time as possible. Murmur of stage hands Music With the scenic designer, there's this balance between artistic gesture and practical needs, and I think the same holds true with all of the designers, that

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that's what they're balancing, is they're all really great artists in their own right and so their design is an artistic interpretation of what I'm putting in the play. They're all incredibly committed to the show. It's pretty spectacular. The actors come in every morning with, "Oh KJ, I was working on this section last night back at my apartment and what if we do this?" And so too of the designers. It's always on their minds and I'll get random texts from Rachel Healy, the costume designer, of like, "Oh I just thought of this, what if we add this one splash of color here? What if when Syd Nathan turns into Bill Brown, what if there's a hat that's thrown in?" We do have characters turn into other characters in the play too, it might give the historians a heart attack, but we're hoping they'll survive the journey. To be able to share these stories with audiences, it definitely is a labor of love on my part as well. I just feel like everyone has a beautiful story to tell as long as you take some time to listen to it. Representation is a very important thing to all of us right now, I am not intending to get it wrong. I know I will get it wrong in some ways because you just can't be perfect and satisfy everybody's agendas and needs. But I do feel that weight and responsibility to represent it as best as I can. But it's just a really good story and great music. So I'm also just having a blast working on the show.