<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">The<b class=""><i class=""> perfect couple</i></b> for this timeless tale of completely unselfish love . . .</span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Theater in the Circle is proud to announce our extraordinary cast for <b class=""><i class="">The Gift of the Magi</i></b>, opening in Judson Manor Ballroom, Dec. 14, 2017. Meg Martinez and Robert Kowalewski have the beautiful voices and theatrical skills to bring this treasured holiday favorite to life for Theatre in the Circle. </span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); min-height: 14px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">O. Henry wrote “The Gift of the Magi” for his <i class="">New York World </i>column in December of 1905. The legendary Magi of the title brought precious gifts to an unknown babe in a manger. O. Henry felt the Magi typified gift-giving at its finest and purest form. The story of the love and selflessness of Della and Jim has have endured for 112 years and was set to a beautiful musical score for piano, cello, harp and flute by Peter Ekstrom for Actors Theatre of Louisville in 1981. The story tells of a young, impoverished couple who can barely pay the rent, but love each other so much that they each sell they’re most cherished possession for the sake of their beloved.</span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); min-height: 14px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Ekstrom was born in Cleveland and grew up in nearby Painesville, Ohio. Mr. Ekstrom and Theatre in the Circle’s artistic director, Bill Corcoran, both have connections with the Actors Theatre of Lousville, still considered one of the finest regional theaters in the US. Mr. Corcoran periodically worked on Actors’ stages as pianist, arranger and musical director.</span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); min-height: 14px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""><b class=""><i class="">The Gift of the Magi </i></b>opens on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. with additional performances on Friday, Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 16 at 2:00 p.m.and 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, Dec. 17, at 2:00 p.m. <b class=""><i class="">The Gift of the Magi </i></b>is suitable for children of all ages. For tickets, <a href="http://www.ticketpeak.com/res/theatreinthecircle" class=""><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 105, 217);" class="">www.ticketpeak.com/res/theatreinthecircle</span></a> </span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); min-height: 14px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); min-height: 14px;" class=""><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">MEG MARTINEZ </b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">(Della) is thrilled to</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">be making her Theater in the Circle debut in</span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""><i class=""> The Gift of the Magi. </i></b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">Favorite recent credits include </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">The Rocky Horror Show </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">(Janet),</span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> Mary Poppins </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">(Mary Poppins, twice!), </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">The Music Man</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> (Marian Paroo), </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">title of show</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> (Susan), </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">Doubt </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">(Sister James), </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">Cymbeline </i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">(Imogen), </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">Princess Ida</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> (Princess Ida), </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> (Philia), </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class="">Into the Woods</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> (Rapunzel) and</span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> Company</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""> (Kathy). Meg holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Brown University and is an Actors Equity Membership Candidate. She’s been looking forward to working at Theatre in the Circle and was one of the first actors to audition for them in 2016. Bill and Mark have been waiting for the perfect role for Meg. They found it in</span><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;" class=""><i class=""> The Git of the Magi. </i></b></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); min-height: 14px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="line-height: normal; -webkit-font-kerning: none;" class=""><b class="">ROBERT KOWALEWSKI</b></span><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""><b class=""> </b>is back for more<b class="">. </b>He charmed and dazzled audiences in Theatre in the Circle’s <i class="">The All Night Strut a</i>nd returns to play Jim in <b class=""><i class="">The Gift of the Magi</i></b><i class="">. </i>He<i class=""> </i>ditched Pittsburgh for the CLE for a more vibrant theatre scene. Regional credits: <i class="">Amadeus</i> (Salieri), <i class="">bare: A Pop Opera </i>(Peter), <i class="">Little Women</i> (Laurie), and the regional premiere of <i class="">Love’s Labour’s Lost</i> (Berowne). Cleveland credits: <i class="">Next To Normal </i>(Henry) and<i class=""> South Pacific</i> (Lt. Cable) at True North; <i class="">The Wedding Singer</i>, <i class="">Big</i> (Josh Baskin), and <i class="">Titanic</i> (Bride/Hartley) at Cassidy; <i class="">Weird Romance </i>(Paul/Daniel) at Broadview Hts. Spotlights; <i class="">Joseph..Dreamcoat </i>(Joseph) at Near West and most recently, <i class="">Picasso at the Lapin Agile</i> (Einstein) at Blank Canvas. Many thanks to Bill and Mark for believing I could do things that were outside the comfort of my box.<i class=""> Who knew?</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); min-height: 14px;" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(255, 255, 255); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); min-height: 14px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Mark Corcoran, Managing Director</span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; color: rgb(0, 105, 217); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 105, 217);" class=""><span style="text-decoration: underline ; font-kerning: none" class=""><a href="mailto:markcorcoran@theatreinthecircle.com" class="">markcorcoran@theatreinthecircle.com</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">(440) 376-9263</span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">1890 E. 107th St, Apr. 520</span></div><div style="text-align: center; margin: 0px; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class=""><span style="font-kerning: none" class="">Cleveland, OH 44106</span></div><div class="">
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="text-align: center;" class="">Theatre in the Circle</div><div style="text-align: center;" class="">1890 East 107th Street</div><div style="text-align: center;" class="">Cleveland, OH</div></div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="text-align: center;" class=""><a href="http://www.theatreinthecircle.com" class="">www.theatreinthecircle.com</a></div><div style="text-align: center;" class="">216.282.9424</div></div></div></div></div>
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