Category Archives: Events

April 7, 2015 · 4:53 pm

Fling Into Spring Benefits the Arts Center at Dunham

MISC_Arts Center At Dunham logoCINCINNATI, OH – April 7, 2015 —The Arts Center at Dunham is holding its fourth annual fundraiser called the Spring Fling on Saturday, April 18 from 7-11 pm. The Arts Center is located at 1945 Dunham Way, Cincinnati, OH 45238 in the Dunham Recreation Complex.

“The Arts Center at Dunham was originally part of hospital complex in Price Hill, and its Art Deco design is well known in the West side community,” said Mike Burke, president of Sunset Players, one of the organizations that utilizes the Arts Center at Dunham. “The upkeep of the building is costly and the annual fundraiser helps finance the long-term building maintenance and improvement efforts underway to ensure the center remains a viable, vibrant part of the arts community in Cincinnati.”

The fundraiser to benefit the Arts Center at Dunham will feature the classic rock band TROG plus karaoke. Goods and services for the silent auction and basket raffle were donated from many local businesses, including the Carnegie Arts Center, Cincinnati Public Radio, Commonwealth Theatre, Florence Freedom, La Petite Salon & Spa, Kings Island, WCET, Cincinnati Ballet, Know Theatre, Elder High School, Wassler Meats, Tap & Screw Brewery, Cakes & Pastries by George, Kroger, Delhi Pet Center, Price Hill Lawn Mower, Cincinnati Reds, Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Cincinnati Museum Center, Taft Museum and many others.

Guests can also enjoy complimentary soda, chips and pretzels. A cash beer, featuring craft beer from Listermann Brewing Company and Triple Digit Brewing Company, and wine bar along with food will also be available for purchase.

The Arts Center at Dunham is one of the few remaining buildings from the large Dunham Tuberculosis Hospital that was in operation until the early 1970s. Samuel Hannaford and Sons, the preeminent Cincinnati architectural firm known for the design of Music Hall and Cincinnati City Hall, designed the Arts Center building for occupational and entertainment needs of the hospital. The City of Cincinnati reopened the complex as a recreational center in the 1970s. Several years ago, the Sunset Players signed a 25-year lease with the City of Cincinnati to create the Arts Center at Dunham. Today, the building houses local artists and conducts art shows and arts performances in a 350-seat venue.

Tickets are $15 or two for $25 and are available online at http://www.sunsetplayers.org or at the door. For more information or to make a donation, contact Cheryl Henkel at 513-348-5546. Monetary donations for renovations of the Arts Center at Dunham can be made online at http://www.sunsetplayers.org/#!ways-to-help-acad/c1ioa.

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April 3, 2015 · 12:05 pm

KINGS OF SILENT COMEDY WITH THE MIGHTY WURLITZER | Tue., May 12 | Music Hall Ballroom

CAA_Kings of Silent ComedyDon’t miss Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Laurel & Hardy
on the BIG SCREEN at Music Hall’s historic Ballroom

CINCINNATI, OH – Experience the joy and genius of silent movies at KINGS OF SILENT COMEDY WITH THE MIGHTY WURLITZER, presented by The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall (SPMH) on Tuesday, May 12 at 10:30 AM and 7:00 PM at the Music Hall Ballroom. The popular theatre organ concert series is presented in cooperation with the Ohio Valley Chapter of the American Organ Society.

Tickets are on sale now at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], and the Aronoff Center or Music Hall Ticket Offices. For groups of ten or more, call (513) 977-4157.

Join the Society for the Preservation of Music Hal for a fun-filled, laugh-out-loud good time with the Kings of Silent Comedy – Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Laurel & Hardy – on the BIG SCREEN at Music Hall’s historic Ballroom. Nationally-acclaimed ‘Organist of the Year’ Clark Wilson will accompany classic silent movies on the original Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ from downtown Cincinnati’s long-departed Albee Theater with his own original score written especially for this event. With all the free popcorn you can eat, this is a chance to relive old memories or create new ones. Bring the entire family for an experience of ‘the good old days’ that they won’t soon forget.

Clark Wilson     
Clark Wilson is one of the most prominent and recognized scorers of silent photoplays in America today. He works exclusively with the Organ in developing accurate and historic musical accompaniments as they were performed in major picture palaces during the heyday of the silent film era.

Wilson began his scoring career in 1980 and has successfully toured North America with hundreds of film presentations at schools and universities, performing arts centers, theatres, film festivals, and conventions. His work has led to performances for UCLA; the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where, in addition to other pictures, he has re-premiered Wings for Paramount Studios’ 100th Anniversary; the Atlanta premier of the restored Metropolis; and annual presentations at the Atlanta Fox Theatre and for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Society at the Walt Disney Concert Hall organ. He is the organist of choice for many of the American Theatre Organ Society’s  (ATOS) international convention silent film presentations, and his performances have received the highest marks from colleagues and professionals, one commenting that his was “the finest use of a theatre pipe organ that I have ever heard.”

Clark has been organ conservator and Resident Organist at the Ohio Theatre for the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) since 1992.  He is responsible for all music during CAPA’s annual classic movie series, which features one or more major silent films each season. In addition, he has led courses in theatre organ styling and silent film accompaniment at the Indiana University School of Music, and he is heavily involved in the development of a similar degreed program at the University of Oklahoma, the first such program to exist since 1929. In addition to several articles published in Theatre Organ magazine, he has recently authored an article on film scoring for The American Organist magazine, the periodical of the American Guild of Organists.

Wilson has been named in numerous Who’s Who and Men of Achievement editions and was presented with the ATOS Organist of the Year award in 1998. An acclaimed organ technician and consultant, he has also been professionally involved with over 200 pipe organ installations to date and has earned the ATOS Technician of Merit award, the only person to receive both ATOS distinctions.  Visit Clark’s website at www.clarkwilson.net.

The Mighty Wurlitzer
The Mighty Wurlitzer was installed in the ornate Albee Theater on Fountain Square in December 1927 – one of only 2,200 theatre-organs produced at that time to accompany silent feature films.  When talkies took over in 1929, the theatre organ was mainly silenced.  The Albee organ was donated to the Emery Theater in 1969 (where it played for movies and other events) and was partially rebuilt by the Ohio Valley Organ Club. It was removed from the Emery in 1999 and put into storage.

The leadership at SPMH thought the historic Music Hall Ballroom would be an ideal location for the instrument, and in June 2007, Ronald F. Wehmeier, Inc., Pipe Organ Service in Cincinnati was contacted to completely rebuild and install the Wurlitzer. A donor foundation funded the entire project in the amount of $1.41 million.  Only a small number of Wurlitzers of this size still exist, and Cincinnati (the home of the Wurlitzer Company) is one of the few cities in the country to have an instrument of this quality.

The Wurlitzer was expanded in tonal colors and effects, from 19 ranks of pipes to 31 ranks (a rank is made up of 61 pipes, and represents orchestral sounds, such as trumpets, flutes, tubas, strings, etc.).  A full array of percussion effects is also present – xylophone, marimba, glockenspiel, chimes, and even a large Steinway grand – all playable from the giant three keyboard and pedal console, decorated in 22-karat gold leaf.  Wind for the pipes is provided by a 15 HP high pressure turbine, the electrical switching is controlled by computer, and pipes range in size from 16 feet to the size of a pencil.  In addition, the Wurlitzer is now fully computerized, so that it can be played without an organist through a digital input system.

The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall
The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall (SPMH) is a non-profit organization that provides ongoing financial and volunteer support toward maintaining and improving Cincinnati’s historic Music Hall. SPMH members are volunteers from all walks of life who are dedicated to the continuing preservation of Music Hall as a national historic monument and promoting it as one of the world’s foremost performing arts, entertainment, and rental facilities. For more information, visit www.spmhcincinnati.org.

Kings of Silent Comedy with the Mighty Wurlitzer  Radio Partner: WMKV-FM

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March 26, 2015 · 12:00 pm

ArtsWave’s CincySings Competition Grows in Second Year

Drew Lachey Hosts Employee Choir Competition April 8 at Music Hall

AW_CincySingsCincinnati, OH (February 16, 2015)– Today ArtsWave announces the return of its region-wide choral competition, CincySings, hosted by artist Drew Lachey at Music Hall on Wednesday, April 8 at 7:00 p.m. Teams of employee choirs from top regional companies that participate in the ArtsWave Community Campaign will face-off in this high-energy evening of music and fun.

Tickets start at $20 and go on sale online March 1st. Proceeds benefit the ArtsWave Community Campaign. VIP tickets are available for $50, which includes entry into the event and a pre-show reception with celebrity host and judges, sponsored by Accenture. Media partners for CincySings are Q102 and Enquirer Media. The winning team of CincySings will receive a special prize package from ArtsWave and have the chance to sing the national anthem at ArtsWave’s “Art in the Park” Cincinnati Reds game on August 23.

“Last year’s CincySings introduced an entirely new way to engage employees at workplace campaigns,” said Alecia Kintner, President and CEO of ArtsWave. “The event inspired great company and community pride and brought everyone together to celebrate the arts and their impact on our lives. We knew we had to do it again and we found more companies were eager to get in on the action.”

CincySings builds on Cincinnati’s incredible choral tradition, beginning with the May Festival Chorus and extending through the 2012 World Choir Games. For several years, both P&G and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center have run “Sing Off” events as part of their ArtsWave workplace giving campaigns, encouraging employees to create small choral groups and take the stage in support of ArtsWave. Last year, Melanie Healey, Group President – P&G North America and Chair of the 2014 ArtsWave Community Campaign, suggested expanding the concept to encourage other top regional companies to run internal competitions and then send their winning choirs to face-off in a friendly showdown. The event was a great success, bringing together employees from ten local companies for an amazing evening of music. CincySings also raised awareness for ArtsWave and participating companies increased their giving by an average of 11%.

“CinsySings brought our employees together in a new and creative way,” says Manny Rios, President and CEO, American Modern Insurance Group. “It helped us raise more funds for ArtsWave than ever before and also generated a lot of goodwill and team spirit among the entire company.”

The competition has grown in its second year with fifteen companies fielding teams: American Financial Group, American Modern Insurance Group, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati Insurance Company, Duke Energy, Ernst & Young, Fifth Third Bank, GE Aviation, Horan, Horseshoe Casino, Macy’s MCCS, Northern Kentucky University, P&G, TriHealth, University of Cincinnati, and UC Health.

Four companies that took top honors at last year’s CincySings will go directly to the final round: P&G, GE Aviation, American Modern Insurance Group, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. All other teams must compete in the CincySings Semi-Finals, a new round of the competition added for 2015, for the remaining slots. “When we saw how many teams were interested, we realized that we needed a Semi-Finals round to narrow down the competition and keep the final performance under a reasonable time limit,” says Laura Boggs, Campaign Manager, ArtsWave and Director of CincySings. “We think the extra round of competition should be great fun to watch.”

The CincySings Semi-Finals will be held March 14 at the Aronoff Center’s Jarson-Kaplan Theater from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. and open to the public with free tickets available at the door on the day of the show. Teams will have the option to be coached by local professional vocal artists in the weeks leading up to the event.

To expand the competition beyond the corporate community, one additional “Wild Card” team will be chosen by fan vote during the week of March 23rd. Any group can form a Wild Card team including churches, schools, families, etc. Submissions will be accepted from March 16-20. More details about how to enter and vote will be released soon.

Cincinnati native and recording artist Drew Lachey returns as host for CincySings. Drew is best known for being a member of the pop group 98 Degrees and as the crowned champion of season two of Dancing with the Stars. In addition to his vocal and dancing talent, Drew is an experienced stage actor with such Broadway roles as Patsy in Spamalot and Mark Cohen in Rent. Drew is a champion for the arts in Cincinnati. A graduate from Cincinnati’s School for Creative and Performing Arts, Drew is also the founder of Lachey Arts, an arts education company focused on using real working situations to better train young performers. Drew has extensive hosting experience including appearances on Dancing with the Stars, the Miss USA Pageant, The Price is Right and, closer to home, the 2012 World Choir Games. Drew is also co-owner of Lachey’s, a new sports bar in Over-the-Rhine, and focus of an upcoming reality series on A&E this spring.

“I’m excited to be back hosting CincySings,” said Lachey. “The talent of these choirs is truly amazing – an event you’ll see only in Cincinnati. And it’s an opportunity to support ArtsWave and the many arts organizations that make Cincinnati such a great place to live.”

As the nation’s first and largest community campaign for the arts, ArtsWave supports the work and impact of over 100 arts and cultural organizations with grants and services. More than 400

companies and 40,000 donors contribute to the effort each year, many through workplace giving campaigns.

Tickets for CincySings go on sale March 1st on the Cincinnati Arts Association website: http://www.cincinnatiarts.org/events. For more information on CincySings, visit http://www.theartswave.org/discover/events/cincysings and follow @ArtsWave and #CincySings on Twitter.

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About ArtsWave:

With the help of tens of thousands of individual donors, ArtsWave provides support to more than 100 arts organizations that make the Greater Cincinnati region an amazing place to live. The first and largest united arts fund in the country, ArtsWave contributors invested over $12 million in the region in 2014. The arts create benefits like attractive, lively neighborhoods and a population that comes together to share ideas and experiences.

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March 24, 2015 · 5:53 pm

Special Events Featured at The Glenmore Playhouse

TDW_VERT(Cheviot, OH) The Drama Workshop is pleased to welcome guest performers on April 10 and 11, 2015 to The Glenmore Playhouse at 3716 Glenmore Ave in Cheviot.

On April 10th, TDW welcomes The Middle Child Improv Troupe, one of the premiere improvisational theatre groups in the greater Cincinnati area, with an 8 pm show. On April 11th at 2 pm, Playhouse in the Park will present its Off-the-Hill production of BIRD BRAIN, especially for children five and up.

TMCi_logoThe Middle Child Improv Troupe members are storytellers, magicians, and used car salesmen, all wrapped up in one hot mess. Having quickly gained national recognition for their innovative style, this troupe already has television and movie credits on their resume, and are soaring in popularity. They are….well…probably like your middle child — quirky, and a bit weird, and you swear you love them just the same….only different. They are completely unscripted, and audience interaction and suggestions make for a hilarious, action-packed show! Shows are always family friendly!

Tickets for The Middle Child are $8 each for the one-performance only show on April 10, 2015 at 8 pm.

Kelsey Torstveit, Claire Simba, Alex Purcell and D'Amante M. Wilson in BIRD BRAIN. Photo by Tony Arrasmith/Arrasmith & Associates.

Kelsey Torstveit, Claire Simba, Alex Purcell and D’Amante M. Wilson in BIRD BRAIN. Photo by Tony Arrasmith/Arrasmith & Associates.

The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park returns to The Glenmore Playhouse with its production of “Bird Brain.” When a kindhearted woodcutter comes across a nest of freezing baby birds, he gives them a warm home under his hat. The problem is, he lives in a world where tipping your hat to others is not only a courtesy, but also the law, with severe punishments for disobeying. The woodcutter finds himself torn between doing what he feels is right and following the social norms. Will he follow the rules, or follow his heart? This charming fable about choosing to be different is full of laughs and the lesson that strange behavior isn’t always foolish.

The ticket price for “Bird Brain” is $5. The performance at The Glenmore Playhouse is on April 11, 2015, at 2 pm.

Tickets for both shows may be ordered by phoning the TDW 24/7 ticket line at 513.598.8303, or by ordering online at www.thedramaworkshop.org.

The Drama Workshop was founded in 1954. TDW is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to advancing education and promotion of the theatrical arts. The Drama Workshop is widely recognized as one of greater Cincinnati’s most accomplished community theater organizations, garnering dozens of awards annually from the Association of Community Theatres of Greater Cincinnati.

TDW productions have been selected to represent the Southwest Ohio region at the Ohio Community Theatre Association annual conference eight of the last ten years, and presented an excerpt of “Nunsense” at the 2014 state conference. TDW was also honored to represent the state of Ohio at the 2013 American Association of Community Theatre regional conference in Hartford, Wisconsin. The Drama Workshop was recognized in 2013 by the Cincinnati Preservation Association for their efforts to rehabilitate the former Glenmore Bowl into The Glenmore Playhouse.

Prospective members, and individuals or businesses interested in becoming involved or in helping advance TDW’s mission are encouraged to contact the group through our website at www.thedramaworkshop.org, or by phone at 513-598-8303.

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March 23, 2015 · 12:33 pm

Playhouse in the Park’s 2014-15 Off the Hill Season Concludes with BIRD BRAIN

CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK’S 2014-15 OFF THE HILL SEASON
CONCLUDES WITH BIRD BRAIN BY VERN THIESSEN

PIP_Bird Brain logo(CINCINNATI) – The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s popular Off the Hill series for families wraps up its 2014-15 season with Vern Thiessen’s BIRD BRAIN, a charming and funny fable full of laughs and the lesson that strange behavior isn’t always foolish. Recommended for ages 5 and up,BIRD BRAIN will tour to community venues throughout the Tristate from April 10 through May 23.

Based on the story Vogelkopp by Albert Wendt, BIRD BRAIN tells the tale of a kindhearted woodcutter who finds a nest of freezing baby birds and decides to give them a warm home under his hat. The problem is that he lives in a world where tipping your hat to others is not only a courtesy, but also the law, with severe punishments for disobeying. The woodcutter finds himself torn between doing what he feels is right and following the social norms.

Kelsey Torstveit, Claire Simba, Alex Purcell and D'Amante M. Wilson in BIRD BRAIN. Photo by Tony Arrasmith/Arrasmith & Associates.

Kelsey Torstveit, Claire Simba, Alex Purcell and D’Amante M. Wilson in BIRD BRAIN. Photo by Tony Arrasmith/Arrasmith & Associates.

“I am so looking forward to this delightful play for this most delightful of audiences,” says Playhouse Education Director Mark Lutwak, who will direct the production and serve as the sound designer.

“BIRD BRAIN begins in a forest and returns there a couple of times, so I wanted an environment that set the mood for this cold, wooded land,” says set designer Christopher Boone. “I realized we didn’t need any graphics to tell this story, just panels of fabric, a couple of hat stands to hold hats and costume pieces, and a lot of imagination, which is perfect for younger elementary students.” Both the set and costumes feature simple bits of fabric that get folded, twisted and used in multiple ways. The music and sound effects will be created vocally by the actors.

“It’s very simple, but beautiful and fantastical,” adds Lutwak. “As with a lot of theatre for this age group, we celebrate the imagination of the story by engaging the imagination of the viewers.”

The BIRD BRAIN cast includes Alex Purcell, Claire Simba, Kelsey Torstveit and D’Amante M. Wilson, all members of the Playhouse’s 2014-15 Bruce E. Coyle Acting Intern Company. In addition to Lutwak and Boone, production team members include costume designer Melanie Mortimore and stage manager Tracy Hoida.

BIRD BRAIN will tour to nearly 20 community venues (see schedule below). Admission is free or inexpensive and is available at the door. Contact the center near you for ticket information.

For more information about the Playhouse’s education and outreach programs, contact the Education Department at 513-345-2242 or visit www.cincyplay.com.

Off the Hill is supported by the Robert and Adele Schiff Family Foundation, ArtsWave and the Ohio Arts Council.

The Cincinnati Playhouse season is presented by The Otto M. Budig Family Foundation and Heidelberg Distributing Company. The season sponsor of new work is The Lois and Richard Rosenthal Foundation.

The Playhouse is supported by the generosity of the community contributors to the ArtsWave campaign.

The Ohio Arts Council helps fund the Playhouse with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

The Playhouse also receives funding from the Shubert Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE (as of March 23, 2015)

  • Friday, April 10, 7 p.m., Springfield Township’s Grove Banquet Hall and Event Center
  • Saturday, April 11, 2 p.m., The Drama Workshop at Glenmore Playhouse (Cheviot)
  • Saturday, April 11, 7 p.m., Blue Ash Recreation Center
  • Sunday, April 12, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., The Lebanon Theatre Company, Inc.
  • Saturday, April 18, 10:30 a.m., Woman’s Art Club Cultural Center (Mariemont)
  • Saturday, April 18, 7 p.m., Baker Hunt Art and Cultural Center (Covington, Kentucky)
  • Sunday, April 19, 3 p.m., Evendale Cultural Arts Center
  • Saturday, April 25, 2 p.m., Fort Wright Civic Club
  • Saturday, April 25, 7 p.m., District A, The Character Building (former Shroder School, Kennedy Heights)
  • Sunday, April 26, 2:30 p.m., Kenton County Library – Covington Branch (Covington, Kentucky)
  • Saturday, May 9, 11 a.m., Covedale Center for the Performing Arts
  • Sunday, May 10, 2 p.m., Clifton Cultural Arts Center
  • Friday, May 15, 7 p.m., Boone County Library – Scheben Branch (Union, Kentucky)
  • Saturday, May 16, 2 p.m., Hyde Park Health Center
  • Saturday, May 16, 7 p.m., Bi-Okoto Cultural Institute (Pleasant Ridge)
  • Sunday, May 17, 2:30 p.m., Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum
  • Friday, May 22, 7 p.m., Oxford Community Arts Center
  • Saturday, May 23, 7 p.m., Circus Mojo (Ludlow, Kentucky) – Pre-show begins at 6:30 p.m.

Note: Details vary by location. Contact the individual sites for tickets and prices. Contact information is available on the Playhouse website at www.cincyplay.com (click on the SCHEDULE tab).

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