Tag Archives: Cincinnati Arts Association

CINCINNATI, OH – The record-breaking PBS-TV music specials, 50 Years of Doo-Wop, were so well received that they created a new showcase and new audiences for veteran Doo-Wop artists. Now these original artists, whose combined sales number over 200 million records, are back on the road performing live, and will dance into the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall with The Ultimate Doo-Wop Show on Friday, November 16, 2012 at 8:00 PM. The family-friendly show will treat concertgoers to the songs they danced to at sock hops, while allowing younger audiences to discover that Doo-Wop is feel-good music no matter what your age.

Tickets are on sale now at www.CincinnatiArts.org, (513) 621-ARTS [2787], or the Aronoff Center Ticket Office. Group discounts are available by calling (513) 977-4157.

The impressive list of those original artists who will be part of the Cincinnati Ultimate Doo-Wop Show are: Jimmy Beaumont & The Skyliners (Since I Don’t Have You, Pennies from Heaven, This I Swear, It Happened Today), The Marcels (Blue Moon, Heartaches, Summertime),The Edsels (Rama Lama Ding Dong, Love is True, Diamonds & Pearls), The Volumes (I Love You, Gotta Give Her Love), Stormy Weather (Street Corner Serenade), The Blue Suede Orchestra (Buzz, Buzz, Buzz), and very special guests, The Motown Experience, a world class group assembled from members of The Contours, The Miracles and former members of The Temptations (Do You Love Me?, Oo Baby Baby, My Girl).

The name Doo-Wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and areas of greater Los Angeles, including El Monte and Compton. Built upon vocal harmony, Doo-Wop was one of the most mainstream, pop-oriented R&B styles of the time.

As a musical genre, Doo-Wop is a type of vocal group harmony with the musical qualities of many vocal parts, nonsense syllables, a simple beat, little or no instrumentation, and simple music and lyrics. It is ensemble singing with single artists appearing with a backing group. Solo billing usually implies that the individual is more prominent in the musical arrangement.

African-American vocal groups such as The Ink Spots and The Mills Brothers, both from Cincinnati, had record hits during the years of World War II that set important precedents for the genre. The Ink Spots had a string of record successes in 1939-40, both in the USA and in Britain, with “My Prayer,” “Bless You,” and “Whispering Grass,” and The Mills Brothers followed suit in 1943-44 with “Paper Doll,” “You Always Hurt The One You Love,” and “Till Then.”

These were generally slow songs in swing time with simple instrumentation and close four-part harmony reminiscent of the barbershop quartet – which The Mills Brothers once had been. The subject of the lyrics was generally love and relationships.

The term “doo-wop” is first known to have appeared in print in 1961 in the Chicago Defender, when fans of the music coined the term during the height of a vocal harmony resurgence. The phrase has been attributed to the radio disc jockey Gus Gossert, but Gossert himself said that “doo-wop was already being used [before me] to categorize the music in California.”

CAA APPLAUDS ITS GENEROUS Sponsors

Season Sponsors: Ameritas (Founding Season Sponsor), The P&G FUND of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, CADILLAC, LOCAL12 WKRC, FIFTH THIRD BANK (Lifetime Endowment Partner)

“CAA PRESENTS” SPONSORS: Arthur Murray Dance Studio – Cincinnati, Heidelberg Distributing, Coldwell Banker West Shell, Macy’s, Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA, Inc., Ultimate Air Shuttle

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSORS: CityBeat, Cincinnati Herald, Millennium Hotel Cincinnati, Furniture Fair

The Ultimate Doo-Wop Show Media Partner: WDJO-FM

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CALENDAR INFORMATION
WHAT: The Ultimate Doo-Wop Show
WHEN: Friday, November 16, 2012 • 8:00 PM
WHERE: Aronoff Center for the Arts – Procter & Gamble Hall
PRICES: $67.50 • $56 • $45 • $35
INFO: The record-breaking PBS-TV music specials, 50 Years of Doo-Wop, were so well received that they created a new showcase and new audiences for veteran Doo-Wop artists. The original artists who will be part of the Cincinnati Ultimate Doo-Wop Show are: Jimmy Beaumont & The Skyliners, The Marcels, The Edsels, The Volumes, Stormy Weather, The Blue Suede Orchestra, and very special guests, The Motown Experience, a world-class group assembled from members of The Contours, The Miracles, and former members of The Temptations.

TICKET INFORMATION – on sale now

• www.CincinnatiArts.org
•  (513) 621-ARTS [2787]
•  Aronoff Center Ticket Office
•  Group sales (10 or more): (513) 977-4157

The Best-Selling Author, Humorist and Contributor to This American Life
Live at the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall on Saturday, November 3

David Sedaris, author of the previous bestsellers Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and regular National Public Radio contributor will be appearing for one night only at the Aronoff Center’s Procter & Gamble Hall on Saturday, November 3 at 8:00pm.

Celebrating the release of his new title, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary, a book of acerbic, outrageously funny fables, featuring animals with unmistakably human failings, which hit bookstores September 2010, author David Sedaris will visit Cincinnati for an evening of engaging recollections and featuring all-new readings.

Tweaking the familiar until it warps; David Sedaris mines poignant comedy from his peculiar childhood in North Carolina, his bizarre career path, and his move with his lover to France. Including his last release, the New York Times #1 Bestselling book, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, David Sedaris’ wickedly witty observations of the ordinary-bizarre is always sure to deliver insights and laughs. One of six children in a second- generation Greek family, he grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1977, he dropped out of Kent State University to hitchhike around the country. Aside from working as an elf, Sedaris has worked a number of charmingly quirky jobs such as a house painter, an apple picker, an aide in a mental hospital, a creative writing teacher at the Art Institute of Chicago, and an apartment cleaner.

Sedaris made his comic debut recounting his strange-but-true experiences of being a Macy’s elf, reading his “Santaland Diaries” on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition in 1992. His sardonic humor and incisive social critique have made him one of NPR’s most popular and humorous commentators. In 2001, he was named Humorist of the Year by Time magazine and received the Thurber Prize for American Humor.

Tickets go on sale to the public beginning Friday, July 20 at 10am. Ticket prices range from $40-$53 and are available in person at the Aronoff Center Ticket Office, by phone at (513) 621-ARTS [2787], or online at CincinnatiArts.org.

THE OVERTURE AWARDS
NEXT POP STAR COMPETITION
Winner Announced:
Jake Kolesar, Walnut Hills High School

CINCINNATI, OH – Jake Kolesar, a fifteen-year-old ninth-grade student at Walnut Hills High School, was selected as the winner of a $500 award at the Cincinnati Arts Association’s inaugural Overture Awards Next Pop Star competition at the Aronoff Center on Saturday, June 2. A talented guitarist and singer-songwriter, Jake played and sang one of his original songs – Floating – during the competition.

Next Pop Star is designed for talented high school students who perform popular music. The competition was developed in response to the need for a non-classical program to complement The Overture Awards’ more traditional art disciplines, and to encourage students who enjoy singing, but do not study privately and are not involved in classical music or musical theater.

“We were very pleased with the results of our first Next Pop Star competition,” said Steve Finn, CAA Director of Education and Community Relations. “We reached a group of students who were totally different than the students who compete at The Overture Awards, and we are optimistic that this new program will grow significantly over the next couple of years. Jake is a talented singer-songwriter, and this competition was a perfect match for his skills.”

Earlier this year, Jake was selected as the winner of the Billy Elliot Dream Award Essay Contest – a collaboration between Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Arts Association’s Overture Awards, and Local 12 WKRC. Jake took a unique approach to the essay contest by writing and singing one of his original songs (instead of writing an essay) that impressed the panel of judges.

Jake, who lives with his family in Mt. Lookout, recently completed his freshman year at Walnut Hills High School, where he is active in the choral and musical-theatre programs. He spends most of his free time writing and performing his music, which he hopes to pursue professionally. This year, Jake started performing at local coffee shops and farmers markets, and with The Queen City Balladeers. Next month, he will be performing on the acoustic stage at the Bunbury Music Festival. Jake is a huge fan of Bob Dylan and Shakespeare, and when not writing songs or doing something musical, he likes to play basketball with his friends. To sample Jake’s music (including his original song Floating, which he sang in the Next Pop Star competition), visit his You Tube channel at www.youtube.com/jakekolesar.

“I would like to thank the Cincinnati Arts Association for the wonderful opportunities that they have given me this year,” said Jake. “Between the Billy Elliot Dream Award and the Next Pop Star competition, my musical dream has moved one step closer to reality. I also greatly appreciate that CAA has chosen to accommodate not only students who have worked very hard studying opera or ballet, but people like me who may work just as hard in their room instead of in the studio.”

Upon receipt of his monetary award, Jake chose to donate $100 back to CAA “in the hope that CAA will continue to give opportunities to students of the arts.”

The three Next Pop Star finalists were Mariah Southers, a freshman at Conner High School who sang a country/western song; Jacob Turner, a senior at Walnut Hills High School who performed an original rap composition; and Emily Wyant, a junior at Ohio Virtual Academy who also performed a country/western song. The three finalists each received a $100 award.

The Overture Awards Scholarship Competition – the largest locally run arts scholarship competition in the country – provides a $2,500 scholarship to six area high school students with 18 finalists each winning a $500 scholarship. Students compete in one of six artistic disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art, and Vocal Music. The Overture Awards was developed to recognize, encourage and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12. During 2012, more than 520 students competed for $24,000 in scholarships.

Roger Adams,
Music Hall Technical Director
January 1, 1944 – May 14, 2012
Music Hall loses beloved friend, advocate, and craftsman

The Cincinnati Arts Association, the Music Hall resident arts organizations, and friends and family of Music Hall mourn the loss of Roger Adams, Music Hall’s beloved Technical Director since 1994. Roger died at his home on Monday, May 14.

Born on New Year’s Day in 1944, the youngest of five children, Roger was the son of a stone mason, who apprenticed to learn his father’s trade. In January of 1960, he began working with Cincinnati’s stagehand Union (IATSE Local 5), a decision that would lead to a life-long career in the entertainment industry. An active member of Local 5, Roger served as an officer and executive board member, and under his stewardship the Union established its health and welfare fund.

His years as a journeyman included work at most of the city’s concert venues (including the since demolished Albee and Palace Theaters) and the now legendary Cincinnati Opera performances that were held at the Cincinnati Zoo Pavilion, where he fondly recalled the often chaotic mix of classical music and wild animals. He spent several years at Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park as a carpenter, but Music Hall was the place he most enjoyed working, and where he perfected his skills under then Technical Director Roy Hopper. From set and scenery construction to countless creative projects for Music Hall’s resident companies, Roger was a talented carpenter with a reputation for being able to fix any problem, often under time constraints that seemed insurmountable. Behind the scenes, Roger was the real “star of the show,” coordinating load-ins, stage setups, crews and load-outs for virtually every show – from Opera, Symphony, May Festival, and Ballet productions to Bruce Springsteen, Prince, the White Stripes, and Garrison Keillor, to name just a few.

An avid gun collector and hunter, Roger also enjoyed participating in the popular “ghost tours” of Music Hall. Like the late Maestro Erich Kunzel, he firmly believed that Music Hall was haunted, based on his firsthand experiences while working in the theater. He was featured in several programs about Music Hall, and was generous in sharing his recollections about the theater’s history. Roger will be remembered as a dedicated employee, talented craftsman, and loyal friend by the building staff and resident companies he served so well during his tenure as Technical Director, and by countless other people he worked with over the years.

Roger is survived by his wife Diana Vandergriff Adams, son Roger G. Adams, brother Edward Adams, sister Florence Long, and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to: Society for the Preservation of Music Hall, 1241 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202.

A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday May 19, 2012 at Music Hall Lobby from 2:00pm to 4:00pm.

Thoughts about Roger Adams from…

Cincinnati Arts Association
“We are shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of a wonderful and valued member of our staff and family. Roger will forever be a meaningful part of Music Hall’s history, and will be remembered for his more than forty years of committed service to this historic venue, nearly twenty years of which as its technical director. A great advocate for Music Hall and a terrific craftsman, Roger’s love for this wonderful facility and commitment to its world class performances are unsurpassed. Our thoughts and prayers of support go out to his family, friends and colleagues. He will be greatly missed.” – Steve Loftin, President and Executive Director, Cincinnati Arts Association

Cincinnati Ballet
“Roger was part of our Cincinnati Ballet family and his unexpected passing is extremely saddening. He was a staple at Music Hall for over fifty years and in his time there, he worked backstage on many of our productions. Roger is also the late husband of our Wardrobe Mistress, Diana Vandergriff Adams. We are keeping the entire Adams and Vandergriff families in our thoughts. He will be missed throughout our building and the entire Cincinnati arts community.” – Missie Santomo, Managing Director, Cincinnati Ballet

Cincinnati Opera
“On Monday, May 21, Roger Adams would have begun his 53rd season of working with Cincinnati Opera. If you paid attention, you could always learn something from him—how to tie a particular knot, or how to safely hang a 2-ton scenic piece, and a lot of really good stuff in between. Over the years, we faced tasks that seemed impossible, given the time and manpower available to make it happen. But Roger never faltered. He complained a little—well, a lot—but he kept at it until he got it working. That was his way.” – Glenn Plott, Director of Production, Cincinnati Opera

Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestras
“This is a great loss to the arts community in Cincinnati. Roger touched many lives in his years of behind-the-scenes work at Music Hall. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.” – Joe Hopper, Technical Director and Stage Manager, Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestras

IATSE Local 5 – Cincinnati Stagehand Union
“Roger will be remembered with gratitude and affection by all his brothers and sisters in IATSE Local 5, as well as all who worked with him at Music Hall. Roger’s dedication and commitment to Music Hall, the arts community, and Local 5 will not be forgotten.” – Thomas L. Guidugli, Business Representative, Cincinnati Stage Employees