Group takes second Grammy

Five CCM alumni who form the group Eighth Blackbird just won its 2nd Grammy (February 2012) — this one for their recording of Steve Mackey’s "Lonely Motel." The sextet studied as an ensemble at CCM in the late 1990s. Members in the group are Michael Maccaferri, MA (CCM) '00, clarinet, founding member; Matt Albert, AD (CCM) '00, violin and viola, founding member; Nick Photinos, AD (CCM) '00, cello; Matthew Duvall, AD (CCM) '01, percussion; and Lisa Kaplan, AD (CCM) '00, piano, founding member.

Watch a video and read more.

Business grad in Super Bowl commercial

Eric Tepe, Bus ’06, recently moved to L.A. in hopes of breaking into modeling/acting. His first gig was among the best, a Toyota commercial that aired duriing the Super Bowl. Tepe was filmed in the Camry commercial about things being reinvented. He appears 10 seconds into the video as part of the “man couch,” second from the left.

Watch the Tepe in the commercial now, read his whole story and download some of his songs.

Saturday night on NBC, the NFL’s 102-pound Madden Protectors Award, sculpted by Tom Tsuchiya, A&S '95, will be presented in the first televised NFL awards show. During "NFL Honors," a two-hour special, Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz and legendary Hall of Fame coach John Madden will present the third annual award, NFL's heaviest trophy, to the Saints offensive line. The broadcast will include current and former NFL stars and awards for the best players and plays of the NFL season.

The sculptor who created life-sized likenesses of Johnny Bench, Joe Nuxhall, Frank Robinson, Ted Kluszewski and Ernie Lombardi at the Cincinnati Reds' Great American Ball Park is working on a 50-foot-tall Jesus for the Solid Rock Church on I-75 in Monroe, Ohio, where the previously recognizable "touchdown Jesus" was struck by lightening, then burned to the ground. Read about Tsuchiya's achievements.

HGTV show transforms alumna's living room

Broadway actress Betsy Werbel, CCM '96, will be featured on TV Saturday night, Feb. 4, on HGTV’s “Dear Genevieve.” Titled "Enchanted Living Room," the episode airs at 8:30 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. Home decorating is a new concept for Werbel, who has spent years on the road in national Broadway tours. But things changed more than a year ago when she landed a Broadway slot in "Wicked." Ready to settle down, she bought her own apartment, but the living room was full of hand-me-down furniture that fit together poorly. Watch how Genevieve remakes the room, inspired by a hand-knit blanket from Werbel's grandmother.

Links
See more notes on the episode at HGTV.
See Werbel's Broadway credits.

New CBS series stars UC alumna

CMM grad Diana Maria Riva (aka Uhlenbrock), CCM '91, MFA (CCM) '95, stars as Rosa in the new CBS comedy "Rob!" premiering Jan. 12, immediately following "The Big Bang Theory." She plays opposite Cheech Marin in the comedy starring Rob Schneider.

Based on Scheider’s life, the show is about a lifelong bachelor who just eloped with a woman way out of his league and tries to fit in with her tight-knit Mexican-American family, including her overprotective, judgmental parents, Riva and Marin, who are shocked by the marriage and remain skeptical of the groom. The show, which will regularly air on Thursdays, was written by Schneider and fellow Saturday Night Live alum Lew Morton.

Links
UC Magazine feature on Riva in 2007.
List of Riva’s TV credits.
List of Riva’s movie credits.
Riva talks about working on “The Good Guys.”
Riva recalls dream-job offer.

CCM grad stars in 'Addams Family' tour

Sara Gettelfinger, CCM '99, stars as Morticia in the national tour of "The Addams Family." She has previously been on Broadway in "A Free Man of Color," “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” (starring as Jolene and playing opposite John Lithgow), “Nine” (w/Antonio Banderas), “The Boys from Syracuse,” “Anything Goes” and "Seussical.”

Links
Watch part of her performance in "The Addams Family."
See a list of all her Broadway credits.
See more photos of her in "The Addams Family."

'Amazing Race' winner UC alumna

Cindy Chiang, biomedical engineering '04, and her fiance Ernie Halvorsen captured $1 million in December '11 by winning the latest edition of “The Amazing Race,” the 40,000-mile race through 10 countries on CBS. The show's 19th season began Sept. 25 with 11 couples in the race. The couple told New Jersey's The Star-Ledger they will use the $1 million prize to start a charity to help people in need around the world.

UC’s 2002 homecoming queen is a senior associate brand manager at Kraft Foods in Chicago. At UC, she was a UC Honors student, creator of Camp Bearcat, recipient of the '04 Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence and a Cincinnatus scholarship winner.

Read about other alumni who have been on reality TV

"J. Edgar"
Aaron Lazar, MFA (CCM) '00, plays prosecutor David Wilentz in this Clint Eastwood film, and Evan Charest, CCM '10, plays a reporter in a scene with star Leonardo DiCaprio. See Lazar’s other movie credits.

"The Rum Diary," "X-Men”
Dawn Swiderski, CCM ’89, was art director for the movies "The Rum Diary" with Johnny Depp and “X-Men: First Class" with Kevin Bacon. See Swiderski’s other 10 movie credits.

Read about other alumni who have been in the movies

Jeopardy!" win

Jay Peterson, M (A&A) '98, an assistant English professor at Atlantic Cape Community College in southern New Jersey, appeared on two episodes of "Jeopardy!" on Oct. 20 and 21, 2011. He won $26,201 on the first episode, but lost on the second one. (Read the story.)

"Harry’s Law"
Starting this fall, Karen Olivo, CCM '97, took on a large recurring role in "Harry’s Law," the NBC TV series set in Cincinnati and starring Kathy Bates. Olivo plays Cassie Reynolds, an attorney in the firm. Until now, Olivo was best known for as a Tony Award winning Broadway actress. See Olivo’s impressive Broadway credits and two videos.

Read about other alumni who have been on TV

“Wicked”
In fall ’11, Tiffany Haas, CCM '05, the Broadway soprano and former Miss Ohio, took the role as Glinda on the second national tour of “Wicked” following her Broadway run in the "Wicked" ensemble. Read about Haas’ Miss Ohio win.

"Nice Work If You Can Get It"
Kaitlyn Davidson, CCM '09, opens on Broadway in this show on April 24, 2011.

“Rocky”
Tony-winning composer Stephen Flaherty, CCM ’82, is working on "Rocky," the musical version of the movie, due to open in Germany in November 2012, with plans for Broadway in 2013. Read Flaherty’s impressive Broadway credits.

Read about other alumni who have been on Broadway