Muse Machine

Jane’s Best Bets (7/20 – 7/24)

July 19, 2011 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

As you may have figured out, in the summer, Dayton is a hot place to be…in more ways than one! So get your hot self out of the house, take the air conditioned car, and enjoy some of these fun events, as things will be buzzing!

On Wednesday, enjoy $5 Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish Grill. Wear your green and watch the Dragons play the Peoria Chiefs at Fifth Third Field. Or wear your tap shoes and head to Archer’s in Centerville for their A.Y.O.B. where they will be “tapping” a new beer. And in Kettering, watch The Fries Band as they put on a wonderful (and free!) show at the Fraze Pavilion.

On Thursday, take your kids out to Cooper Park for Story Hour, which is sponsored by Five Rivers MetroParks and the Dayton Metro Library. Enjoy a performance by the Muse Machine as well as a delicious lunch at the Dayton Woman’s Club. If you work downtown, then consider heading to Courthouse Square during your lunch hour for The Square Is Where… McGovern Ceili Dancers. At El Rancho Grande, enjoy 1/2 price Ladies Night. Or sing your heart out at Champps for Karaoke Thursday.

On Friday, head to RiverScape for their Try Kayaking event, which is completely free! If you’re a kayaking newbie, it’s definitely something worth checking out. At Victoria Theatre, enjoy their Michelob Ultra Cool Film Series where the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest will be shown. If you’re frequently late, be sure to arrive early this time to enjoy the Cool Film Series Beer Tasting! At Oregon Express, enjoy Half-Price Happy Hour Pizzas, which are absolutely delicious. It’s mid-summer, so consider watching A Midsummer Night’s Dream presented by Free Shakespeare at Antioch Amphitheater. Or watch ‘The Sound of Music’ at Epiphany Lutheran Church. And if you’re a macho man and would prefer to be at a sporting event, then head to Fifth-Third Field as the Dragons take on the Peoria Chiefs.

On Saturday, you will not want to miss the annual Dayton Air Show. If you enjoyed learning about kayaking and didn’t flip out like I did when I went kayaking the last time (literally!), then consider renting a kayak at RiverScape and Ride the River. Take the entire family to the Warren County “Fair” if you appreciate equality. At the Dayton Art Institute, they will be having Sound Bites: Short Talks About Art. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest will still be shown as part of the Michelob Ultra Cool Films Series at Victoria Theatre. Again, they will have the Cool Films Series Beer Tasting prior to the show. Please don’t drink too much beforehand or you may actually feel like you’re going cuckoo during the movie. If you would rather catch a live performance, then check out ‘The Sound of Music’at Epiphany Lutheran Church. Join Noah and two of each kind of animal at RiverScape as part of their Free Summer Concert Series featuring The Ark Band. And if you don’t feel like things are buzzing around town, then you’ll just have to go over to Fifth Third Field to see the Dragons take on the Burlington Bees.

On Sunday, you will still be able to enjoy the Dayton Air Show. At Antoich Amphitheater, watch A Midsummer Night’s Dream…just don’t fall asleep because that would be rude. You can also listen to music at Miamisburg’s Riverfront Park with their Pizzazz in the Park Concert Series featuring Phat Like Dad or at Centerville’s Stubbs Amphitheater as The Lebanon Grand Opry House Band will be performing. And finally, don’t miss your opportunity to get a buzz at Fifth Third Field as the Dragons once again play the Burlington Bees…with some buzzing really going on at the plaza as part of their Charity Cuts!

And now it’s time for the Dumb Joke of the Week. Drum roll please…

Where does a bee sit? On his bee-hind.

These are just a few best bets from the DMM Calendar. There are plenty more events listed there, so if you haven’t, I encourage you to check it out today! Also, if you have an event to share or promote, please submit it– it’s great marketing and better yet, it’s FREE! And finally, if you have a dumb joke to share, I’m all ears!

Have a great week Dayton!

Coming Up in Dayton Theatre – 01/13 – 01/26

January 13, 2011 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

Muse Machine: Into the Woods / Photo Credit: Muse Machine

Thursday, January 13, 2011 – Wednesday, January 26, 2011

At tonight’s rehearsal for the show I’m stage managing, we ran Act I in its entirety for the first time. Sitting with my prompt book and taking notes, I couldn’t help but feel hopeful at the way this collection of scenes and songs we’ve been working on since November, in some small way at least, is becoming a show. It’s exciting, but also intimidating. Somehow it’s 2011 already, time to start meeting those resolutions and accomplishing things. The holidays are over and things we began last year, when 2011 seemed some part of the future, are now part of the present. Some days I feel like life is moving too quickly, and it’s all I can do just to keep up.

But, the shows in Dayton these next few weeks seem perfect for how I’ve been feeling already. From the comedy to the mystery, I think the theatres have hit the vast spread of emotions that come with the new year, and that’s true for other people and situations. So, you should join me in catching one of these shows over the next two weeks – or, if you’re in the mood for a little something more, audition for one of them yourself.

ANOTHER OPENIN’, ANOTHER SHOW

…Shows Opening Soon

I Hate Hamlet

PLAYHOUSE SOUTH

The Story: In this dramatic comedy, television actor Andrew Rally is struggling in his professional and private lives, attempting to play the role of Hamlet (which he hates) and deal with his girlfriend’s unrelenting chasteness. The dilemma deepens when the ghost of John Barrymore appears to try to convince Andrew to persevere in the role… while an old deal-making friend suddenly offers Andrew the chance at a new television deal.

Dates: January 21 – 23, 28 – 29, 2011

Tickets: 888-262-3792

More Information: Playhouse South

…Shows Closing Soon

Into the Woods

Students rehearse for Into the Woods (photo credit Muse Machine).

MUSE MACHINE

The Story: After a Witch curses a Baker and his wife with childlessness, the couple embarks on a quest for special objects from classic fairy tales to break the spell, stealing from and lying to Cinderella, Little Red, Rapunzel, and Jack (of beanstalk fame). But the characters didn’t count on the consequences of their actions or the disasters that would ensue…

Dates: January 13 – 16, 2011

Tickets:(937) 228-3630 or Ticket Center Stage: Muse Machine

More Information: Muse Machine: Into the Woods, DMM Feature, DMM Event

Ravenscroft

DAYTON THEATRE GUILD

The Story: In this comedy about deception and the nature of truth, when Inspector Ruffing is called to a remote English county manor house to investigate the death of Patrick Roarke, he becomes involved in the lives of five alluring and dangerous women who lead him through an evening of contradictory versions of Patrick’s demise, including ghosts, skeletons, and much more than he bargained for. (DTG)

Dates: January 7 – 23, 2011

Tickets: 937-278-5993 or DTG Box Office

More Information: Dayton Theatre Guild: Ravenscroft, DMM Review, DMM Event

PART OF IT ALL

…Auditions and Casting Calls

Titus Andronicus

SPRINGFIELD STAGEWORKS

William Shakespeare

Auditions: January 17 & 18, 2011, 7:00 pm

Performances: April 14 – 23, 2011

The Story: In this intense Shakespearean classic, Roman war general Titus Andronicus has just returned from battle to find all but four of his twenty sons dead; his ritual sacrifice of the sons of Tamora, Queen of the Goths, earns him her despise and promise of revenge. What follows is an insane struggle of power and betrayal in this gritty tragedy.

Directed by Larry Coressel

More Information: Springfield StageWorks: Auditions

Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

PLAYHOUSE SOUTH

Auditions: January 24 & 25, 2011; callbacks January 26

Performances: March 25 – April 9, 2011

The Story: This musical, the first collaboration between Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, explores the Biblical saga of Joseph through an exciting variety of musical styles. The prophetic Joseph is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, where he “endures a series of adventures in which his spirit and humanity are continually challenged” as he struggles to survive in a new land and move past his brothers’ betrayal.

Directed by Jennifer Skudlarek

More Information: Playhouse South

ONE SHORT DAY

…Special Events for the Theatrically Minded

3 Mo’ Divas

3 Mo' Divas (Photo Credit Douglas Brown, 2008)

VICTORIA THEATRE ASSOCIATION – SCHUSTER CENTER

The Basics: According to VTA, “Delivering ten musical styles spanning 200 years in one evening, these three ladies–all classically trained vocalists–will raise the roof with their class, sass and style! 3 Mo’ Divas is a one-night-only concert that delivers some stupendous genre-jumping feats, from opera to R&B, from Broadway to blues, from soul to gospel and more.”

Date: January 16, 2011

Tickets: Ticket Center Stage

More information: Victoria Theatre Association: 3 Mo’ Divas , 3 Mo’ Divas official website, DMM Event

Jane’s Best Bets (1/12 – 1/16)

January 11, 2011 By Dayton937 1 Comment

Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

I’m ready for another great week…and the official kick-off to “Fish Fry Season” this Friday! If you don’t like fish, don’t worry, as there are plenty of other options as well!

On Wednesday, head to The Wine Gallery for their Weekly Wine Tasting. Wear your Flyer gear and head to the UD Arena to watch UD play St. Joseph’s. If you like live music, watch Frozen Feet (which is probably pretty accurate this time of year) at Oregon Express or check out the Old Time Acoustic Jam at The Trolley Stop. Oh…and if you’re like me and kill every plant you come in contact with, get some good plant advice at Cox Arboretum for Lunch and Learn: Fool Proof Plants.

On Thursday, be one of the first 50 customers at PNC 2^nd Street Market for their Customer Appreciation Days in order to receive a gift. While there, enjoy musical entertainment and also participate in their Winter Flower Arranging. Help out 4 Paws for Ability, a wonderful charity that helps people with disabilities by attending their Charity Quarter Auction at the American Legion. If you love acoustic music, head to Dublin Pub to see Nick Mitchell perform. It’s cold outside so go INTO Victoria Theatre for Into the Woods. And finally, I’d love to see you at The Wine Loft for Generation Dayton’s Thirsty Thursday! Plus, you’ll have a chance to win a Wine Loft gift card!

On Friday, again head to PNC 2^nd Street Market for one of their Customer Appreciation Days and their Winter Flower Arranging. I know this is DaytonMostMetro.com, but if you’re feeling like doing a little traveling, I’ll give you the okay just this once to go to Cincinnati for The 53rd Annual Cincinnati Travel, Sports & Boat Show. If you are in the advertising industry, head to Brixx for their Hermes Call for Entries & Happy Hour. While you’re downtown, brave the elements by attending the Star-Late Skate at RiverScape. Or attend At the Movies with Rodgers & Hammerstein at the Schuster Center, Into the Woods presented by Muse Machine at Victoria Theatre, or Ravenscroft at Dayton Theatre Guild. And finally, help kick-off fish fry season by attending the Holy Angels Fish Fry and Silent Auction!

On Saturday, head to Spinoza’s for their Yeti Beer Breakfast!, where they will also have live jazz music. What a great way to start your Saturday! You can continue the eating out tradition for the day by attending the Wine Luncheon at Jay’s Seafood…which is absolutely delicious! Up in Yellow Springs, head to their Winter Farmer’s Market. Over at another kind of market, the PNC 2^nd Street Market, bring the kids and participate in their Winter Family Fun Day. If you really should be working on that next house project, head to the Miami Valley Home Improvement Show for some great ideas! Give your skating skills a try as part of Ice Skating with Generation Dayton. Don’t worry, if you fall…I mean when you fall…you’ll be in great company! For some theater action, get tickets to see Into the Woods at Victoria Theatre, Ravenscroft at Dayton Theatre Guild, At the Movies with Rodgers & Hammerstein at the Schuster Center, or Justin & Ryan: A Night of Improv, which is also at the Schuster Center. Help the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by attending the Let it Breathe Wine Opener at Taj Ma Garaj. Or head over to Blind Bob’s for the North Main Flower Man Benefit, which will feature several bands. Why not party AND support a good cause?!?!

On Sunday, head over to Books & Co. for their Second Sunday Free Writers’ Workshop. If you’re feeling like life is a little too hectic and would like to hit the pause button, just head over to Pause to Ponder at Gallery St. John to see photographs of scenes from Dayton. Or see A Student of People Exhibit, which is an exhibit featuring people from different walks of life. If you still haven’t made it to the Miami Valley Home Improvement Show, make your way there to get some fantastic ideas for your home. Love prime rib? Treat yourself and perhaps someone else (if you’re really nice) by heading over to Fleming’s for their Prime Rib Dinner, which is featured at the special price of $29.95. If you would like to catch a show, see Into the Woods at the Victoria Theatre or Ravenscroft at the Dayton Theatre Guild. And if your taste in music is rather eclectic, definitely check out 3 Mo’ Divas at the Schuster Center…which sounds like it will be a great performance!

And now it’s time for the Dumb Joke of the Week. Drum roll please…

Why couldn’t the pony talk?

He was a little horse.

“These are just a few best bets from the DMM Calendar. There are plenty more events listed there, so if you haven’t, I encourage you to check it out today! Also, if you have an event to share or promote, please submit it– it’s great marketing and better yet, it’s FREE! And finally, if you have a dumb joke to share, I’m all ears!

Have a great week Dayton!

I Wish. More Than Anything…

January 8, 2011 By Shane Anderson 20 Comments

Into The Woods

THE MUSE MACHINE

Win tickets to this show! Read on…

Once upon a time…

Suzy Bassani had a dream. That dream became a reality in the Muse Machine, a truly unique Dayton area arts organization for kids. A culminating yearly activity is a highly regarded theatrical production featuring nearly 100 talented students on stage, back stage and in the orchestra.

The 2011 selection is the popular Sondheim show Into The Woods. The Tony Award winning show, by Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics) and James Lapine (book), premiered on Broadway in 1987. That original cast included Broadway legend Bernadette Peters and Joanna Gleason, as well as Dayton native Tom Aldredge.

Just like with the fairytale favorites whose stories intertwine as they venture Into The Woods, new directions are afoot for the Muse Machine as more than 100 area students prepare to present Sondheim’s smash-hit family musical next weekend.

Muse Machine mounts it’s first Sondheim production in a year that celebrates the composer and lyricist’s 80th birthday. The lavish musical, which thrusts characters into situations where their “happily ever after” may not come so easily. Finding familiar characters like Little Red Riding Hood and her wolf, Cinderella and her prince, Jack of beanstalk fame and others faced with new challenges makes the show both unexpectedly funny and surprisingly poignant.

The production will also experience the Muse touch through movement. “Early versions of Into The Woods used very little dance, but we’re going to change that,” said New Orleans choreographer Lula Elzy, who promised surprises in store with each of the show’s tolls of midnight. “It will feel like movement has always been a part of this show!”

Into The Woods also marks the addition of a new face to the Muse Machine creative team: Rufus Bonds, Jr., familiar to audiences as Collins from the Broadway cast of Rent and Mufasa from the national tour of The Lion King. Bonds comes from the west coast, joining returning NYC music director David Dusing to complete the directing team.

“What’s so beautiful about this experience is the opportunity to work with young adults who bring the perfect marriage of acting and voice to their roles,” said Bonds, who hopes audiences will be surprised by the depth of talent coming from the young performers on stage. “There’s nothing I’ve seen anywhere like this, on any level – students are far ahead of the game with the training they receive here at Muse.”

This is a theatrical opportunity that you don’t get in other cities. The Muse Machine has touched countless lives, including actors, dancers, writers and designers currently earning their living in the arts all over the country, including New York City. The organization’s track record indicates that within a few years, one of these young performers in Into The Woods will very likely be treading the boards of Broadway.

Happily ever after.

UPDATE 1/8/2011 (information from the Muse Machine Facebook Page):

Emmy Award winning actress Allison Janney (The West Wing, Juno, Lost, Hairspray, Finding Nemo, American Beauty and many other film, television and stage credits) joins the cast of Muse Machine’s INTO THE WOODS in an original performance as the voice of the giant!

-SA/Muse Press Release

We encourage local theatre companies to submit calendar items HERE, and official press releases to [email protected].

Tickets & Performance Information:

Into The Woods (January 13-16 – various times – at The Victoria Theatre)

Tickets: prices range from $31-$56

Call (937) 228-3630 or by visiting TicketCenterStage.com.

Visit www.MuseMachine.com for more information about The Muse Machine and their programs.

Win Free Tickets!

Muse Machine & onStageDayton on DaytonMostMetro.com have teamed up to give you a chance to win tickets to Into The Woods! We will be giving away up to TEN pairs of tickets for next weekend’s performances! All you need to do is:

Share this article on Facebook or Twitter…just click the appropriate button at the top of this page.
Leave a comment, answering the following question…In just a couple of sentences, change the ending of your favorite classic fairytale.
The deadline to enter is 9AM on MONDAY, January 10th.
Winners will be selected randomly from all of the entries.

Oh What A Night…

August 3, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You

THE MUSE MACHINE

This week, the Dayton-based, nationally recognized arts education organization The Muse Machine will continue it’s tradition of presenting near-professional quality music, theatre and dance with local teens. The Muse Machine is busy preparing for their 12th summer concert, joining nearly 200 current students from the Miami Valley with fellow Muse Machine alums. The group will croon from the Victoria Theatre stage, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You: the Songs of Frankie Valli, The Four Seasons & Friends” (other popular groups of the era).

Michael Ingersoll

This summer, those performers are joined by very special guest star, Muse alum Michael Ingersoll, who was featured in the original L.A., San Francisco and Chicago casts of the Tony-award winning Jersey Boys, as well as appearing on the Emmys, the Tonight Show and Oprah.

There are only 2 chances to catch this concert, this Wednesday & Thursday, and tickets are going fast, so press pause on this post, go to www.ticketcenterstage.com, order up some great summer entertainment, then come on back and read on…

The many muse performers include singers, dancers and musicians who range from talented alumni all the way down to budding elementary school performers. The songs are recreated with a new vision, original concepts, choreography and arrangements. While most of the show focuses on the actual songs of the Four Seasons, there are a few other surprises.

The Muse Machine - Singin In The Rain - Winter 2010

The Muse Machine - Singin' In The Rain, 2010

“Jersey Boys gives a nod to the girl groups of the 60’s, and later the Four Seasons perform songs by other great artists,” said producer, Douglas Merk. “And there are a few of these really exciting influences that we’ll visit to round out the show.”

Nobody has performed more shows as one of the Four Seasons in Jersey Boys than Michael Ingersoll. After more than 1,300 performances, his solo concert tour — often backed by other cast members, performers and even a big band — has sold out venues as large as 1,800 seats. His projects have raised nearly $1 million for charitable causes, and he is eager to return to Dayton, where he credits Muse for launching his career on stage.

The Muse Machine - Singin' In The Rain, 2010

“Jersey Boys was a huge break for me that led to major concert and producing opportunities. It’s such an honor to be asked to return to Muse where my love of performing began,” said Ingersoll.

Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You: The Songs of Frankie Valli, The Four Seasons & Friends runs at the Victoria Theatre at 8:00 p.m., August 4 and 5, 2010. Tickets, currently on sale, are offered exclusively through Ticket Center Stage at 937-228-3630, online at www.ticketcenterstage.com or at the Ticket Center Stage box office, located in the Schuster Center in downtown Dayton. The concert is presented by MeadWestvaco with additional support provided by Bieser, Greer & Landis, LLP., BounceU and James Free Jewelers.

For more Information & Tickets, visit:

I CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU (August 4-5) Call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit http://www.ticketcenterstage.com, visit http://www.musemachinedayton.com for more information about the organization.

About the Muse Machine

The Muse Machine is a nationally recognized arts education organization, providing creative experiences and resources for young people of the Miami Valley. Since 1982, they’ve produced 24 annual musicals and 12 concerts for the community and engaged thousands of students through academic-relevant lessons, workshops and in-school projects. For more information, visit www.musemachinedayton.com.

Shane Anderson & David Brush work with locally based Encore Theater Company. ETC recently moved into the new arts collective space in the Oregon District, along with Zoot Theatre Co. & Rhythm in Shoes. Anderson, Brush & ETC are currently in the midst of their summer season of new musicals in downtown Dayton which featured Johnathan Larson’s RENT, [title of show] & the upcoming new musical in development Next Thing You Know.