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Culture Works Seeks Feedback

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Take the Survey Here.

What do you think Culture Works does?

What do you think it SHOULD be doing?

Culture Works, the region’s arts fund and service agency, is going through some changes, and they want your input.  This spring, Martine Meredith Collier came to the Dayton region as the new Executive Director/CEO of Culture Works. Martine has brought extensive experience including work as the Director of Development and Membership for Grantmakers in the Arts (Seattle, WA) and as the Executive Director of Sarasota County Arts Council (Sarasota, Florida). But Dayton is a unique community with different needs, so Martine wants to hear from you.

The Bach Society of Dayton

Culture Works is asking you to tell them about their effectiveness by taking a short survey. Martine shares her vision for what the survey will provide:

“Effective organizational decision making is dependent on good information, and good information comes from knowing how your community perceives your value and effectiveness.  In the current economic climate, it becomes even more important to assure that programs and services are relevant, cost-effective, and provide value. A survey of this nature can be of enormous assistance in aligning organizational outcomes to community needs.”

Culture Works has been hard at work advocating to our government leaders (hip, hip hooray for an increase in arts funding!), providing funding and business support to many arts organizations, raising the national status of the arts community, and connecting individuals and organizations throughout the region with arts opportunities and benefits. But are they doing what they should be doing?

A photo from Social Media Night at the Dayton Art Institute

It’s a tough economy and the old rules don’t always apply. So, Culture Works is asking for your feedback on what programming is most beneficial as they move forward to strengthen the organization. Regardless of who you are or how much you have given (if at all), they want to know how YOU define Culture Works. Culture Works is a regional organization, so they want to know what the people of the region need.

©2010 Andy Snow - provided by Cityfolk

So it’s your turn to tell Culture Works how they’re doing as they look forward. Take the survey today!

What is Culture Works?

Culture Works is the united arts fund and arts service agency for the Greater Dayton region. Creating and maintaining a vibrant and attractive community filled with quality arts brings measurable and immeasurable value to our community. From providing inspiring educational opportunities to our children, to attracting and retaining employees to our region, to adding beauty and entertainment to our lives, the arts reflect all the best and most beautiful parts of who we are. Culture Works is proud to be the largest provider of general operating support for the many non-profit arts organizations operating in Greater Dayton. We are privileged to partner with corporations, foundations and individuals like you to secure a flourishing, creative environment for area residents of all ages and backgrounds.
~From their Web site

A Musical Conspiracy Theory

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DPO to help audiences find hidden, treasonous meaning in major symphonic work

Say one thing, mean another. It’s a trait of human nature. Fess up; we’ve all done it ourselves, or had others do it to us. Mostly, it’s innocent enough stuff.

But consider what would happen if we did it on a national or even international scale, risked pissing off the powers that be, and by doing so put our lives in danger.

In one of the darkest years of Communism’s long and bloody history of political suppression, a twenties-something Russian pianist and composer did just that. He composed music that seemed to say one thing, but that many believed to have held a completely different – and treasonous – meaning. Long before the Beatles popularized the concept of the backward recording technique known as backmasking with their 1966 album Revolver and the single Rain, Dmitri Shostakovich created a monumental work with a hidden meaning that didn’t require a recording of it to be played backward to be heard.

The music itself was the hidden meaning.

It was 1936, and Stalin’s Soviet Russia was awash in –isms: Communism, Totalitarianism, Bolshevism. The State had forbidden composition of traditional music, except music of – or in the style of – Ludwig von Beethoven. That’s like saying “No more Kings of Leon or Eminem; it’s Bill Haley or nothing.”

Why? Because the Soviet leaders saw artistic standards as political, ideological tools. Suddenly artistic freedom disappeared: books were banned from publication, authors dropped off the face of the earth, theaters were shut down, and musical composers found Big Brother looking over their shoulders at every note they put on paper. It was the State’s way or the highway (often to a gulag or graveyard).

For Dmitri Shostakovich, the handwriting was on the wall.  He had fallen from official favor far enough to see 1936 begin with a series of attacks by the Soviet Party newspaper Pravda, best characterized by an article entitled Muddle Instead of Music. He stopped the premiere of his in-your-face Fourth Symphony, a work doubtless to cause a late-night knock on his door by the KGB. 25 years would pass before the Fourth would see the light of day and be performed.

It became clear to Shostakovich: he had to write for his very life. And his get-out-of-jail-free card was his Symphony No. 5.

It saved his butt….literally.

The Soviet government loved it. It met all their stern requirements for conforming to the Party Line. Or did it? Musical scholars (and many a Russian man on the street) have always wondered if the music contains hidden meanings?”

In and of itself, it begs a conspiracy theory.

“His cat-and-mouse game with Soviet authorities makes him one of the most controversial composers,” Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Musical Director Neal Gittleman writes in his Classical Connections Program Notes. “Was Shostakovich a loyal communist or a closet dissident? Did his music reflect the politics of his era? Who do we believe when a composer’s words seem to say one thing and his music seems to say another? How does political interpretation affect musical interpretation?”

“The Fifth Symphony was a change for Shostakovich,” Gittleman notes. “It was less experimental than his earlier music, with soaring lyrical melodies, vigorous march tunes, and powerful emotions. But it was hardly the kind of bright, optimistic music that Stalin wanted. The music is by turns dark, angry, sarcastic, elegiac, and, in the end, defiant. When the Fifth was met with thunderous applause in both Leningrad and Moscow, there was nothing the authorities could do but declare victory and say that Shostakovich had learned his lesson.” The people got it; the party bosses didn’t have a clue.

But does it contain a secret massage? If so, what is it? Contempt for an oppressive, unfeeling government? Hopelessness? Censure? Can we, when we listen to it today, understand what Shostakovich intended it to mean when he wrote it?

There are clues. The markings used to indicate the type of expression he wanted given to the music aren’t much help to the conductor or musicians. All he wrote was “play expressively.” It points toward the conclusion that Shostakovich didn’t want anything on the paper that would provide insight into what he was thinking other than the notes themselves. Musical cloak-and-dagger, nez pas?

And he might have just started an artistic trend.

Jean Anouilh’s Antigone is a play based on Greek mythology first performed in Paris on February 6, 1944 during the Nazi occupation. It apes Shostakovich in that it is deliberately unclear with regard to Antigone’s rejection of the authority of Creon, the former a reference to the French Resistance and the latter to the Nazi occupation. The irony here? It was produced under, and with the blessing of, Nazi censorship! The French people in the audiences got that it was a deliberate slap in Hitler’s face; the Nazis didn’t!

Benjamin George writing in The Musical Times in 1994 believed that Maurice Ravel’s 1920 composition La Valse was intended as a metaphor for the predicament of European civilization in the aftermath of the Great War. Its one-movement design plots the birth, decay, and destruction of a musical genre: the waltz. Concertgoers in occupied Paris in World War Two, however, heard the music as a chilling indictment of the greed, cruelty, and inhumanity of their Nazi captors. Again, the Nazis didn’t get it!

But you can.

On Friday evening September 23 at 8 pm in the Schuster Center, you can join Neal Gittleman and the DPO as they present Shostakovich and Stalin in the 2011-2012 Season premiere of the Demirjian Classical Connections Series. The DPO will perform Shostakovich’s Festive Overture and his Symphony No. 5, and Neal will explain how Shostakovich managed to create a work that sent different messages to two different audiences.

Without having to play it in reverse….

The Church of Augiology

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Auggie Smith and the Wayward Masses

To the uninitiated, (or “non-believers” as they are commonly called by The Auggites) Auggie Smith is the founder and Grand Pubah for Life of what has come to be known as The First Church of Augiology. While not technically a religion, at least not in the fully tax exempt definition narrowly portrayed in the IRS’s Draconian codes, the movement of Augism is gaining momentum in this country, as well as other, more backwards countries who really don’t know any better. With the recent release of his new DVD and CD, Cult Following, more of the weary and downtrodden will quickly become zealous converts.

Smith was born. This we know to be true. Everything after that is rather suspect and apocryphal. Being a rather shy individual throughout his youth, Auggie attained the rank of presidency of the speech team and cleaned the bathrooms at his school, making his vows of chastity almost unavoidable.

“You can imagine how the girls just flocked to that – president of the speech team!” Auggie says in Duderonomy 4:16. “’Wow, look at that!’ All girls care about at that age is a guy who can conjugate a verb.”

He remained chaste until the age of eighteen, succumbing to the lure of the flesh and Auggie found it to be good. He began his journey into the world, preaching his message for the masses, never gaining the attention he so richly deserved. After many disheartening years, Auggie considered renouncing his calling and wandering the earth like Al Gore, broken and dispirited. As destiny would have it, he met two like minded individuals; Apostle Bob and Saint Tom. They gave Auggie the inspiration and hope to preach his sermons on their quaint morning show. Thus the cult of Auggie was born.

After years of spreading the gospel on XM and Sirius satellite radio, after performing miracles at countless comedy clubs throughout the nation by turning dollars into wine and even after he died one night on stage in Butztown, Pennsylvania, only to rise three days later in a defiled motel room, hung over, Auggie is ready to be your personal pathfinder. He has sacrificed his life to be your personal sherpa, guiding you through the pitfalls and the pain, making you forget, at least for an hour or so, that the world is a festering cesspool of rampant self-interest.

This messianic messenger of mirth is bringing his traveling revival show to a stage somewhere near you, to spread the one true gospel. What should one expect when entering Auggie’s church? The faithful will be blessed with a bellicose dose of reality, delivered in a breathless, rapid-fire rant, shining a stark light on the futile efforts of man. From the current political scene to Barbie being raw dogged by G.I. Joe as he has a ‘Nam flashback, nothing is sacred in this sanctuary. The pervasive daily fears we all surrender to will be lifted to reveal the true evildoers behind senior citizen NASCAR drivers, voracious vending machines and drunken pink bunnies.

“Really brother, wouldn’t it just be easier to stay home and not have to interact with any live people?” Aug asks. “I SAY NO! The fear ends now. The only way to win is to not be afraid, or to paraphrase a Stallone classic, ‘fear is the disease…Aug is the cure!'”

Why should you be a follower of Auggie Smith? Why should you become part of the Cult Following? Humbly witness all that Auggie has sacrificed for us: his wasted teenage years scrubbing bathroom stalls while we were partying and getting laid. His ongoing pursuit to ingest every street corner pharmaceutical product, keeping them out of our reach so that we won’t cause harm unto ourselves as well as his ever vigilante watch over all the bars and pubs across this great land of ours, safeguarding them until they are safely closed. These things he does for us…selflessly! He truly cares about our well being and tries to convey this clearly during his sermons. He forces you to see the inequities in the lives we witness as well as the ones we live. His inescapable diatribes hammer home the absurdities we all see in everyday life, yet are afraid to comment on. He speaks while we are silent. Well, to tell the truth, he speaks while we’re talking as well, but nobody’s perfect.

Just reflect for a moment on this truism that he has shared with us;

“Your bunny may be your relationship or your job, but at one time, you tried to give your bunny a bear hug and things got out of hand.”

How can one argue with this incontrovertible truth? How?

Watch the DVD. Listen to the CD. Catch him on The Bob and Tom Show, or better yet, witness the man in person when he comes to town. If you’re not completely satisfied…well, you’ll still be out the money for the DVD, CD and the tickets, but hey, doesn’t it just make you feel warm inside knowing you helped a potentially sober comedian attain a higher level of consciousness via many, many Jägerbombs?

Services for the Church of Aug will be held at Wiley’s Comedy Niteclub on Thursday August 25th at 8:00pm (for a $5 tithe), Friday August 26th at 9:00pm (with a mandatory $10 donation). Saturday August 20th brings us to the conclusion of Auggie’s missionary work here in Dayton with a full blown comedy revival, featuring the comedy sermonizing of Deacon Tom Griswold from the Church of Latter Day Bob and Toms. Services for this revival will begin at 8:00pm with a secondary service held 10:30pm for all of those incorrigible heathens. For these special Saturday Night Sermons,  a collection of $20 is required. To make reservations, call (937) 224-JOKE. For more information, go to the Wiley’s website at http://www.wileyscomedyclub.com/ or add them as a friend on Facebook at Wiley’s Comedy Niteclub.

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2 New Films This Weekend at THE NEON + LGBT Film Fest Line-Up!

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Hello Everyone.

After a phenomenal 10-week run, it’s time for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS to head out.  If you still need to see it (or need to see it one more time), you can find remaining showtimes on ourwebsite.  That said, PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES is leaving after just one week.  Hurry down if it’s still on your list.

In addition to holding onto BUCK, we will open two new films – SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN and THE DOUBLE HOUR.

Synopsis for SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN:  “In 19th-century China, seven year old girls Snow Flower and Lily are matched as laotong – or “old sames” – bound together for eternity. Isolated by their families, they furtively communicate by taking turns writing in a secret language, nu shu, between the folds of a white silk fan.In a parallel story in present day Shanghai, the laotong’s descendants, Nina and Sophia, struggle to maintain the intimacy of their own childhood friendship in the face of demanding careers, complicated love lives, and a relentlessly evolving Shanghai. Drawing on the lessons of the past, the two modern women must understand the story of their ancestral connection, hidden from them in the folds of the antique white silk fan, or risk losing one another forever.What unfolds are two stories, generations apart, but everlasting in their universal notion of love, hope and friendship.” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)  Click HERE to be directed to SNOW FLOWER’s official website.

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Synopsis for THE DOUBLE HOUR: “Guido, a former cop, is a luckless veteran of the speed-dating scene in Turin. But, much to his surprise, he meets Slovenian immigrant Sonia, a chambermaid at a high-end hotel. The two hit it off, and a passionate romance develops. After they leave the city for a romantic getaway in the country, things suddenly take a dark turn. As Sonia’s murky past resurfaces, her reality starts to crumble. Everything in her life begins to change – questions arise and answers only arrive through a continuous twist and turn of events keeping viewers on edge until the film’s final moments.” (Samuel Goldwyn Pictures)  Click HERE to be directed to THE DOUBLE HOUR’s official website.

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Marketing pieces for The 6th Annual Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Festival are well underway, and I’m quite pleased with the line-up!  In the coming days, you’ll start to see stacks of postcards popping up all over town (if you’d like to place some at your business or favorite hangout, please let me know…I anticipate their arrival any day).

Here’s this year’s line-up:

Fri. Sept. 23 at 7:30 – THE GREEN – sponsored by Square One Salon & Spa

Fri. Sept. 23 postfilm – PARTY at SIDEBAR – sponsored by Lisa Hanauer & Sue Spiegel

Sat. Sept. 24 at 12:30 – GEN SILENT with THE COLONEL’S OUTING & FIRST AND LOVELISS – sponsored by Greater Dayton LGBT Center

Sat. Sept. 24 at 3:00 – TOP DRAWER SHORTS: I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK ALONE, REVOLUTION, LUST LIFE, CHANGE, THE QUEEN, and THE NOT SO SUBTLE SUBTEXT – sponsored by Miami Valley Fair Housing Center

Sat. Sept. 24 at 7:30 – TOMBOY – sponsored by PFLAG Dayton

Sat. Sept. 24 at 9:30 – GOING DOWN IN LA-LA LAND with 52 – sponsored by MJ’s Cafe, JOHN and Marion’s Piazza

Sun. Sept. 25 at 12:30 – CAROL CHANNING: LARGER THAN LIFE – sponsored by Human Race Theatre Company

Sun. Sept. 25 at 3:00 – WEEKEND with EMPIRE – sponsored by Ken Byers

Ticketing details, trailers, and news about visiting artists will be available soon on the festival website.  One special treat…The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will give a pair of tickets away at each LGBT festival screening to see Lynda Carter when she’s in town!

We don’t anticipate THE DOUBLE HOUR (and maybe even SNOW FLOWER) to stick around too long…so we hope you’ll hurry down.

Take care!

Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for August 19 – August 25:

THE DOUBLE HOUR (NR) 1 Hr 35 Min

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 3:00, 9:30

Monday – Thursday:  2:20, 8:30

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN (PG-13) 2 Hr

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:10, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 9:50

Monday – Thursday: 3:00, 5:30, 8:00

BUCK (PG) 1 Hr 28 Min

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 5:15, 7:20

Monday – Thursday: 4:30, 6:30

COMING SOON:

As always, all dates are tentative.  Some of these dates will change.

In some cases, titles may disappear.

Aug 26   ANOTHER EARTH

Aug 26   THE GUARD

Sept. 2   THE TRIP

Sept. 9   LIFE ABOVE ALL

Sept 9   THE WHISTLEBLOWER

Sept 9  BEATS AND RHYMES: A TRIBE CALLED QUEST

Sept 23   HIGHER GROUND

TBD   SARAH’S KEY

TBD   THE FUTURE

2011 DayTonys/Theatre Hall of Fame Gala

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Grreg Smith in Precious Heart

Over 180 theater enthusiasts gathered at Sinclair Community College’s Ponitz Center Saturday, August 13 for the eighth annual DayTonys and 10th annual Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame ceremonies.

Emceed by Hall of Fame member Greg Smith, the gala saluted outstanding performers, designers and productions from the 2010-11 season as voted on by individuals from participating theaters (Beavercreek Community Theatre, Cedarville University, Clark State Community College, Dayton Playhouse, Dayton Theatre Guild, Epiphany Lutheran Church, Playhouse South, Sinclair Community College, Troy Civic Theatre, University of Dayton and Young at Heart Players). The winners, separated by collegiate and community theater distinctions, were awarded medallions of excellence or merit.

Six shows received top honors for Outstanding Overall Production: “A Piece of My Heart” (Playhouse South), “Hello, Dolly!” (Cedarville University), “Once On This Island” (Sinclair Community College), “Precious Heart” (Dayton Theatre Guild), “Seussical” (Whoville Cast, Epiphany Lutheran Church) and “Southern Comforts” (Young at Heart Players).

Shocking snubs are commonplace in the DayTonys universe…

I’m sure the DayTonys organization didn’t anticipate controversy this year, but there’s no excuse for the absolutely appalling, bizarre shut-out of the Dayton Playhouse’s splendid non-professional local premiere of “The Producers,” a huge community theater undertaking which I proudly considered to be among the Top 10 productions of 2010. Impressively staged last summer, the knockout, sell-out production, a crowning achievement for the Playhouse which rivaled and surpassed aspects of the Broadway original, not only deserved Outstanding Overall recognition, but a clean sweep of every category in which it was eligible. I’m pleased to mention the individuals who notably contributed to director/set designer Chris Harmon’s fantastic presentation: performers Saul Caplan, David Sherman, Danika Haffenden, Charles Larkowski, Kevin Rankin, Jonathan Berry, Terry Lupp, Cameron Elliott, Betsy Fesser, Jeannine Geise, Sandra Hyde, Cheryl Kayser, Jeremy King, Zach King, Marabeth Klejna, Adrianne Krauss, Robert Martin, Nicklaus Moberg, Tara Nicole Murphy, Matthew Owens, Megan Vander Kolk, Bryan Wilcox and Madeline Zofkie; musical director Ron Kindell; choreographer Annette Looper; costume designer Josh Hollister; lighting designer Anita Bachmann; and sound designer Tony Fende.

Shocking snubs are commonplace in the DayTonys universe (I still can’t believe Sinclair’s marvelous production of “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead” was ignored last year), but perhaps the overtly and remarkably egregious omission of “The Producers,” which might not have happened if credible, unbiased outsiders could adjudicate, will finally spark a serious overhaul of the voting procedures. If action is not taken, the artistic legitimacy of the DayTonys will be continually tarnished.

Also oddly bypassed for Outstanding Overall Production were: “The Boys Next Door” (Dayton Theatre Guild), “The Importance of Being Earnest” (Cedarville University), “Mauritius” (Dayton Theatre Guild), “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” (Beavercreek Community Theatre), “The Spitfire Grill” (Beavercreek Community Theatre) and “The Sugar Witch” (Dayton Theatre Guild). Additional oversights included: the complete shut-out of “Mauritius”; the ensembles of “Ravenscroft” (Dayton Theatre Guild), “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” and “The Sugar Witch”; performers Amy Askins, Nicolas Bauer (both “Fat Pig,” Dayton Theatre Guild) and Karen Righter (“La Cage aux Folles,” Dayton Playhouse); and director Natasha Randall (“The Boys Next Door”).

Longtime arts patrons Don & Lois Bigler, Dayton Theatre Guild president Carol Finley and Beavercreek Community Theatre president Doug Lloyd were inducted into the Hall of Fame. A special lifetime achievement award was presented to costumer Gerri Nichols, who has worked with Troy Civic Theatre for 46 years. The awards and inductions, effectively held for the first time in Ponitz Hall Auditorium, were preceded by a touching memorial tribute to Hall of Fame members Nelson D’Aloia and Marsha Hanna. Kay Frances Wean, who also passed away last season, was fittingly acknowledged as well.

Collegiate Theater Recipients

Awards of Excellence

Acting

Melissa Kerr Ertsgaard, “The Foreigner” (Sinclair Community College)

Keely Heyl, “See How They Run” (Cedarville University)

Jessica Diane Hickling, “Hello, Dolly!”

Risa Hillsman, “Once On This Island”

Isaac Hollister, “The Foreigner”

Gabriel Pyle, “Hello, Dolly!”

Rachel Wilson, “The Women of Lockerbie” (Sinclair Community College)

Choreography

Katy Russell and Alexandra Turner, “Hello, Dolly!”

Costumes

Ruth Clements, “Hello, Dolly!”

Direction

David Brush, “Once On This Island”

Robert and Ruth Clements, “Hello, Dolly!”

Ensemble

The casts of “Hello, Dolly!” and “The Women of Lockerbie”

Lighting Design

Gina Neuerer, “Once On This Island”

Properties

Terry Stump, “Once On This Island”

Set Design

Terry Stump, “Once On This Island

Special Acknowledgements

The Band, “Flash: The Musical” (Clark State Community College)

Jessica Diane Hickling (hair/makeup design), “Hello, Dolly!”

Awards of Merit

Acting

Steven Brotherton, “The Foreigner”

William Courson, “The Women of Lockerbie”

Angela Dermer, “The Women of Lockerbie”

Corinne Derusha, “Once On This Island”

Allison Husko, “The Women of Lockerbie”

Josiah Hutchings, “Hello, Dolly!” and “See How They Run”

Patrick Lillis, “The Diviners” (University of Dayton)

Lindsay McGee, “Hello, Dolly!”

Alexander Mol, “Hello, Dolly!”

Anna Zavodney, “Hello, Dolly!”

Choreography

Rodney Veal, “Once On This Island”

Costumes

Debbie Henderson, “Flash: The Musical”

Kathleen Hotmer, “Once On This Island”

­Direction

Kimberly Borst, “The Women of Lockerbie”

Nelson Sheeley, “The Foreigner”

Ensemble

The casts of “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “Once On This Island”

Lighting Design

Robert Clements, “See How They Run”

Dan Hunt, “Flash: The Musical”

Gina Neuerer, “The Women of Lockerbie”

Musical Direction

John Faas, “Once On This Island”

Beth Cram Porter, “Hello, Dolly!”

Properties

Emily Dykman, Doug Malcolm and Kristin Troyer, “Hello, Dolly!”

Donald N.C. Jones, “See How They Run”

Set Design

Robert Clements, “Hello, Dolly!”

Dan Hunt, “Flash: The Musical”

Donald N.C. Jones, “See How They Run”

Terry Stump, “The Women of Lockerbie”

Sound Design

John Findley, “The Women of Lockerbie”

Geoffrey D. Moss, “Flash: The Musical”

Community Theater Recipients

Awards of Excellence

Acting

Evan Benjamin, “Seussical” (Whoville Cast)

Amelia Bergmann, “Seussical” (Whoville Cast)

Jonathan Berry, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”

Bryan Burckle, “Seussical” (Whoville Cast)

Catherine Collins, “A Piece of My Heart”

Danielle Dowler, “A Piece of My Heart”

Rich Embry, “Seussical” (Whoville Cast)

Emily Fultz, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” (Playhouse South)

Jeanette Grout, “Seussical” (Jungle Cast)

Franklin Johnson, “The Boys Next Door”

Barbara Jorgensen, “Southern Comforts”

Lynn Kesson, “A Piece of My Heart”

Andrew Larochelle, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical” (Beavercreek Community Theatre)

Barbara Lurie, “Charley’s Aunt” (Troy Civic Theatre)

Darren Maddox, “The Boys Next Door”

Tammy Makela, “A Piece of My Heart”

Anna Prince, “A Piece of My Heart”

Rebecca Riffle, “Seussical” (Whoville Cast)

Michael Shannon, “Seussical” (Whoville Cast)

Jessica Suba, “A Piece of My Heart”

Costumes

Carol Finley, “The Boys Next Door”

Direction

Fran Pesch, “Southern Comforts”

Kay Frances Wean, “Seussical”

Ensemble

The casts of “A Piece of My Heart” and “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical”

Lighting Design

John Falkenbach, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical” and “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”

Musical Direction

John Benjamin, “Seussical”

Properties

Blake Senseman, “Precious Heart”

Set Design

Blake Senseman, “The Sugar Witch”

Sound Design

Andrew Spohn, “A Piece of My Heart”

Awards of Merit

Acting

Duante Beddingfield, “Frank’s Life” (Dayton Theatre Guild) and “La Cage aux Folles”

Hannah Berry, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”

Brittany Brown, “Frank’s Life”

Jim Brown, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”

Josh Catawick, “I Hate Hamlet” (Playhouse South)

Barbara Coriell, “Wit” (Dayton Playhouse)

Kelsey Celek, “The Spitfire Grill”

Richard Croskey, “La Cage aux Folles”

Corinne Derusha, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” (Dayton Playhouse)

Ellen Finch, “Beyond Therapy” (Dayton Playhouse)

William Fulmer, “The Boys Next Door”

Kerri Haldeman, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical”

Tina Hayes, “Sylvia” (Troy Civic Theatre)

Nathan Hudson, “A Piece of My Heart”

Dan Kuchta, “Charley’s Aunt”

Terry Larson, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical”

Caleb Magill, “Charley’s Aunt”

Pam McGinnis, “The Spitfire Grill”

Bobby Mitchum, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”

Kevin Rankin, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical”

Lisa Sadai, “The Boys Next Door”

Jeff Sams, “Messiah on the Frigidaire” (Beavercreek Community Theatre)

Libby Scancarello, “Sylvia”

Lindsay Sherman, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”

Greg Smith, “Precious Heart” and “Southern Comforts”

Matthew Smith, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”

Dean Swann, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”

Wendi Williams, “Fat Pig”

Rachel Wilson, “Messiah on the Frigidaire”

Choreography

Annette Looper, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”

Megan Wean, “Seussical” (Jungle Cast)

Costumes

Carol Finley, “Precious Heart”

Maria Klueber and Lori Watamaniuk, “Seussical”

Tony Mullins, “A Piece of My Heart”

Direction

John Falkenbach, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical”

Chris Harmon, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”

Doug Lloyd, “The Spitfire Grill”

Craig Smith, “A Piece of My Heart”

Ensemble

The casts of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “The Boys Next Door,”

“Seussical” and “The Spitfire Grill”

Lighting Design

John Falkenbach, “The Spitfire Grill” and “The Sugar Witch”

Jason Vogel, “A Piece of My Heart”

Musical Direction

Dr. James Tipps, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”

Properties

Adrienne Niess and Ann Meyer, “Seussical”

Blake Senseman, “The Sugar Witch”

Set Design

Bruce Brown, “The Octette Bridge Club” (Beavercreek Community Theatre), “Seussical” and “The Spitfire Grill”

John Falkenbach, “Mid-Life: The Crisis Musical”

Chris Harmon, “La Cage aux Folles” and “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”

Craig Smith, “A Piece of My Heart”

Greg Smith, “The Boys Next Door” and “Precious Heart”

Set Dressing

Wendi Michael, “Precious Heart”

Blake Senseman and Natasha Randall, “The Boys Next Door”

Sound Design

Craig Roberts, “The Boys Next Door”

K. L. Storer, “The Sugar Witch”

Special Acknowledgement

Greg Smith (hair/wig design), “Ravenscroft”

DPO Presents the Ultimate Date Night

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Philharmonic offers successful romantic formula

There are two ways to plan a date night: the smart, successful way and…uh….

Face it – coming up with the perfect date night is no small feat. So, what exactly are the elements that make up a great date night. Flowers? Okay. Candy? Sure. Why not? Drinks? Dinner? Definitely.

Now what? Head over to the Gridiron Bar for a round of brews and darts with the gang…again? A movie…again? A ballgame? All good under normal circumstances. But ultimate? Hardly. And all the others, the flowers/candy/drinks/dinner? In and of themselves, they’re like a group of cruise ships stranded on the floor of a desert. And the water it will take to get them afloat on the ocean of love? The missing ingredient?

Romance.

Romance is passion, emotional – not physical – passion. Something that stirs the soul before it ever gets to stirring any body parts. So, unless you want your ultimate date night leaving you and your date looking like Steve Carell and Tina Fey facing some fairly dire and unforeseen consequences, you better have a plan that includes romance…real romance.

Your grandparents had a plan. It involved listening to Frank Sinatra crooning Full Moon and Empty Arms, I Think of You, or Ever and Forever. Or the background music in films such as Brief Encounter and The Seven Year Itch. And your parents doubtless listened to Eric Carmen’s All By Myself. These works of former generations share a pedigree with a lot of today’s music performed by such notables as Muse (Space Dementia, Butterflies and Hurricanes, Megalomania, Ruled by Secrecy, and Neutron Star Collision [Love Is Forever]). Amici Forever (Nostalgia). It’s even used in Clint Eastwood’s 2010 film, Hereafter.

What is this musical aphrodisiac that spawned all of the tunes and film scores I just mentioned? It was a singular work by a composer who hailed from Czarist Russia. His name was Sergey Rachmaninoff (Sayr-Gay-Eee Rock-Mawn-In-Nawf). The work was his Second Piano Concerto. And everywhere in it there is passion:

Bell-like ringings on the piano that build tension. A Russian-character melody. The notes of chords played in succession.  A lyrical second theme. Agitated and unstable development. A switch to a march-like theme. Then to slow chords. A short climax . Fast tempo. Musical drama. A lyrical theme leads to a long period of development tension. A loud, strong restatement of the second theme ending quickly, ecstatically.

Was it good for you?


All this came from a poor little rich kid, a Russian who became “one of the most formidable pianists of all time and the last truly great composer in the Russian Romantic tradition.” (from allmusic.com)   Born in 1873 and conservatory-trained, Rachmaninoff wrote the Second Piano Concerto in 1901. Following the Russian Revolution he left for the U.S. in 1917, living between there and Switzerland while making American and European concert tours. He died in Beverly Hills in 1943 shortly after becoming an American citizen leaving behind a treasure trove of musical compositions.

Passion was the hallmark of Rachmaninoff’s playing and composing. And none of his works are more passionate than Rach 2, the codename touring pianists use when referring to his Second Piano Concerto. Playing Rach 2 is one thing. Playing it with the intensity, passion, and drive required of it by its composer and first performer requires exceptional talent, skill, and game.

And the DPO has just the pianist for the task. His name is Yakov Kasman. Since his debut in America in 1997 as Silver Medalist in the Tenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, he has performed concerts in the U.S., Russia, Europe, and Asia and appeared as soloist with more than 40 orchestras. Did I mention that he is Russian? Can’t hurt, right?

Power, eloquence, a virile technique, and a compelling artistic vision mark Kasman’s playing. In praise of Kasman, the Los Angeles Times wrote: “Kasman’s style glimmers with the best of Russian schooling: the unabashed caressing of a line, the tempo liberties that dance around a solid beat, the virile technique and voluptuous sound ….”

In other words, game.

Romance. Passion. These are the elements that make up a truly great date night. An ultimate date night. And this season, the DPO has a choice of two nights for your ultimate date, Thursday September 22 and Saturday September 24 at 8 pm in the Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center. Two nights on either (or both!) of which you can enjoy Yakov Kasman and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. The program opens with Gian Carlo Menotti’s Lewisohn Stadium Fanfare and ends with the über-powerful Shostakovich Fifth Symphony. In between the two, you and your date will experience all the romance and passion of one of the most widely performed and certainly most prolific sources of musical compositions ever created, “Rach 2”, the Rachmaninoff Second Piano Concerto.

After that, it only remains to say Bonsoir et Bonne Chance!

Keyboard Thunder – Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra
September 22 & 24 at Schuster Center, 8 pm
Take Note at Mead ­Theatre, 7pm
Order Tickets

Celebrating Muse, Bernstein & Friends

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The Muse Machine enters its 30th year with a musically appealing production of “Tonight: The Songs of ‘West Side Story’ & More,” the arts education organization’s 15th annual summer concert which opened Wednesday, August 10 at the Victoria Theatre.

Featuring 200 performers, a conglomeration of Muse students and alumni, “Tonight” – helmed by producer Douglas Merk, choreographer Lula Elzy, music director/conductor Timothy Alt and music director/choir master Ann Snyder – infuses a refreshing range of musical styles and vocal/orchestral arrangements into its predominate salute to Leonard Bernstein’s beloved 1957 work, the first Muse student musical. Stephen Sondheim, who made his Broadway debut writing his masterful lyrics for “West Side Story” at the age of 27, is also recognized with nods to his groundbreaking “Company” (1970), sophisticated “A Little Night Music” (1973) and short-lived “Bounce” (2003). George Gershwin’s iconic “Rhapsody in Blue” (1924), which Bernstein conducted and performed with the New York Philharmonic in 1959, is in the mix as well. Peculiarly, selections from Bernstein’s “Candide,” “On the Town” and “Wonderful Town” are absent.

The breezy concert is not without morsels of awkward musicality and stagecraft, but there are significant highlights nonetheless. Jamard Richardson’s “One Hand, One Heart,” Madeline Shelton’s “Send in the Clowns,” Amber Knicole’s “Somewhere” and Abby Brown and Micah Trout’s absolutely lovely “Tonight” duet are wonderfully poignant and heartfelt. Kaja Burke-Williams, Dan Baughn, Monique Cooper and Odette Gutierrez del Arroyo firmly convey the drama within “A Boy Like That.” Noah Berry, Andrew Koslow and Carly Snyder join Brown, Trout and cast for a strong rendition of the “Tonight Quintet.” On a lighter note, Berry, Koslow and Snyder join Cameron Elliott and Khyrsten Mikel for an impressively smooth a capella version of “Something’s Coming.” Jacob Brown, David Sherman and Ryan Vallo comically fuel a non-traditional “I Feel Pretty.” The Young Ensemble has fun with “Gee, Officer Krupke.”

Additionally, the Stivers Jazz Orchestra skillfully steps into the spotlight with “Cool” and “Dance at the Gym.” Stivers string bassist Erica Harvey winningly accents the country-tinged “Jet Song” featuring Shelbi August. Elzy’s choreography, created in the style of Jerome Robbins, particularly sparkles in “Dance at the Gym” as well as “Prologue” and the spirited “America” finale, splendidly led with character-driven zest by Mary Kate O’Neill.

The evening’s centerpiece unquestionably arises from guest artist/renowned pianist Leon Bates’ fantastic, passionate delivery of “Rhapsody in Blue” alongside the Muse orchestra. Bates effortlessly tackles the exhilaratingly evocative composition with playful nuance, lilting beauty and confident gusto, attributes that earned him and the orchestra a well-deserved standing ovation. Bernstein and Gershwin would be proud.

Tonight: The Songs of West Side Story & More continues today at 8 p.m. at the Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St. Tickets are $20-$52. The concert is performed in 100 minutes without intermission. For tickets or more information, call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visit www.ticketcenterstage.com

“Road to the Pro’s- From the Locker Room to the Main Stage.”

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The Journey: The journey to become a professional athlete is not necessarily a straight and narrow one. Few are called and even fewer are chosen. The road less traveled is often the key to success in this game. Hard work, strong ethics, character, and charisma on the court combine for an explosive combination to rise above the competition.

The Triumphs: Test and trials in life are designed to make us stronger. We must be iron like, unable to be penetrated, standing firm and able to hold up against intense heat and pressure. Even setbacks can be the predecessor of major comebacks. One must remain as tough as steel and remember what brings us closest to our breaking point is what will be the motivation to see us through the eye of a troubling storm.

Passion: Passion is what pushes us through the hard times, reminds you of the great times, keeps you focused on making the most of your time and allows you to remain optimistic that the best times are yet to come. Passion oozes from the very guts of a champion; their potential is actualized through the blood sweat and tears it took to make it to the “Main Stage.”

For a champion, making it to the “Main Stage” is never enough. A true victor pushes past expectancy to clinch a championship title, hence making it official that all their hopes, dreams, goals, and affirmations have materialized in spite of the mayhem it took to arrive at that very moment.

The Article series, “Road to the Pro’s- From the Locker Room to the Main Stage,” is a collection of stories from pro athletes, coaches, scouts, pro hopefuls and others surrounded by the game of professional basketball, who will share stories that unveil the good, bad, ugly and the indifferent sides of what it takes to succeed on the professional level. Some of the individuals featured in the Road to the Pro’s series are Micheal Ray Richardson, former NBA New York Knick and New Jersey Net, Mickey Perry, former University of Dayton Flyer and pro hopeful, Sid Sharma, Bio Mechanical Engineer and Personal Trainer to Advanced Athletes as well as more surprise guest to come.

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THE NEON Gets To PAGE ONE

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Hello Everyone.

We’ve had a great summer so far…and you certainly helped to keep the ball rollin’ with BUCK.  Our weekend was fantastic, and positive word-of-mouth should keep this film going for a little while.  In addition to BUCK, we’re going to bring you another documentary which also has some great buzz – PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES.  In addition, we’re going to keep MIDNIGHT IN PARIS for yet another week.  Crowds keep coming to this little gem, and it’s quickly becoming one of our longest running and highest grossing summer films.

If you haven’t had a chance to see BEGINNERS, Thursday will be your last chance.  For showtimes for this week and next, visit www.neonmovies.com.

Synopsis for PAGE ONE:  “In the tradition of great fly-on-the-wall documentaries, Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times deftly gains unprecedented access to The New York Times newsroom and the inner workings of the Media Desk. With the Internet surpassing print as our main news source and newspapers all over the country going bankrupt, PAGE ONE chronicles the transformation of the media industry at its time of greatest turmoil. Writers like Brian Stelter, Tim Arango and the salty but brilliant David Carr track print journalism’s metamorphosis even as their own paper struggles to stay vital and solvent. Meanwhile, their editors and publishers grapple with existential challenges from players like WikiLeaks, new platforms ranging from Twitter to tablet computers, and readers’ expectations that news online should be free. But rigorous journalism is thriving. PAGE ONE gives us an up-close look at the vibrant cross-cubicle debates and collaborations, tenacious jockeying for on-the-record quotes, and skillful page-one pitching that produce the “daily miracle” of a great news organization. What emerges is a nuanced portrait of journalists continuing to produce extraordinary work-under increasingly difficult circumstances.” (Magnolia Picutures)

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Click HERE to visit PAGE ONE’s Official site.  Click HERE to visit BUCK’s Official site.

In the next few days, I will release the entire line-up for The 6th Annual Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Festival.  The selection committee sorted through over a hundred hours of material in order to bring the best films to Dayton.  For a sneak peek, check out a trailer for our opening night film – THE GREEN – sponsored by Square One Salon & Spa.

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Hope to see you soon.

Take care!

Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for August 12 – August 18:

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (PG-13) 1 Hr 40 Min

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 5:10

Monday – Thursday: 6:00

PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES (R) 1 Hr 28 Min

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 3:10, 7:30, 9:30

Monday – Thursday: 3:30, 8:15

BUCK (PG) 1 Hr 28 Min

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:15, 3:15, 5:15, 7:20, 9:20

Monday – Thursday: 3:15, 5:30, 8:00

COMING SOON:

As always, all dates are tentative.  Some of these dates will change.
In some cases, titles may disappear.

Aug 19   SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN
Aug 26   ANOTHER EARTH
Aug 26   THE GUARD
Sept. 9   LIFE ABOVE ALL
Sept 9   THE WHISTLEBLOWER
Sept 9  BEATS AND RHYMES: A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
Sept 23   HIGHER GROUND
TBD   DOUBLE HOUR
TBD   THE FUTURE

Muse Machine Celebrates 30th Year with West Side Story Concert

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Muse Machine in Concert - TONIGHT: The Songs of West Side Story & MoreTONIGHT:  The Songs of West Side Story & More

Muse Machine

On Wednesday and Thursday evening Muse Machine, the nationally recognized educational arts group, will kick-off its 30th year with music from one of the most popular musicals of all time:  West Side Story. The local organization has gathered together over 200 local students, alumni and guest artists to present TONIGHT:  The Songs of West Side Story & More at 8:00 p.m. on the stage at the Victoria Theatre.

“The whirlwind, high-energy numbers will thrill you; the soulful melodies will move you; you can’t help but feel the joy of the show!”

-Kylen Franz, concertmaster

Muse Machine in Concert - TONIGHT: The Songs of West Side Story & MoreThe local arts organization has a mission of changing the lives of kids through the arts.  They accomplish this through professional performances both in and out of schools, arts integration training for teachers and student performance opportunities.  Over the years, Muse Machine has developed two primary performance programs, including the popular productions of a musical (winter months) and a concert (summer).  These productions showcase the most talented student singers, dancers, and musicians in the Greater Dayton region, under the direction of professional directors, conductors, choreographers and designers .

“We all work so hard together to make this a great show and the energy & love in rehearsals is incredible.”

-Rachel Snyder, singer/dancer

Muse Machine in Concert - TONIGHT: The Songs of West Side Story & MoreAs their 2011 concert presentation, Muse Machine (along with support from MeadWestvaco) will present Tonight: The Songs of West Side Story & More on August 10 and 11 at the Victoria Theatre. Tonight features new concepts and arrangements of many favorite songs from the classic Leonard Bernstein score, including “Maria,” “America,” “Somewhere” and many others. The show will fill the stage with nearly 200 student performers, who will also share the spotlight with alumni from previous Muse Machine productions.

“I love to be on stage and hear the audience clapping.  It makes me feel good to know they are having a good time.  And, it’s fun!”

– Ben Harshbarger, young ensemble (4th grade)

Muse Machine in Concert - TONIGHT: The Songs of West Side Story & MoreA highlight of the concert will be a huge student orchestra performance of “Rhapsody in Blue” featuring internationally-renowned pianist Leon Bates. Acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, Bates performs with symphonies around the world and the chance to see him bring to life Gershwin’s masterpiece with an orchestra of talented, passionate young musicians should not be missed. The evening also features guest appearances by talented, local gospel singers from the GSJ Youth Choir as well as nationally-acclaimed Stivers Jazz Orchestra and other special guests, including many alumni of Muse Machine productions.

Muse Machine in Concert - TONIGHT: The Songs of West Side Story & More“West Side Story was the first Muse musical, so it’s a way to glance back while also looking forward by bringing new sounds and choreography to this great music. We’ll be joined by exciting guests and we’ll also explore a few ‘related surprises,’ throughout the evening.” -Douglas Merk, producer

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What is the best part of being in a Muse Machine concert or show?

Muse Machine in Concert - TONIGHT: The Songs of West Side Story & More“The People. Everyone here loves what they’re doing, and that love of performing is evident in every single number…This is a show not to be missed.” -Andrew J. Koslow, singer/dancer

“The feeling of being so welcome and wanted…(and)  Rhapsody In Blue because I LOVE THAT PIECE OF MUSIC!!!” – Noah Berry, singer/dancer

“Meeting new friends and seeing old friends.” – Ben Harschbarger, young ensemble (4th grade)

Muse Machine in Concert - TONIGHT: The Songs of West Side Story & More“Getting to work with such great people on great material.” – Mimi Klipstine Dick, singer

“The close family connection of the entire cast/ensemble.  We all work so hard together to make this a great show and the energy & love in rehearsals is incredible.” – Rachel Snyder, singer/dancer

“Seeing or hearing the work come to fruition and eliciting the response from the audience.” – Kylen Franz, concertmaster

-SA/Muse Machine Press Release

– Muse Machine  Photos by David Sherman

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

Tickets & Performance Information:

Muse MachineTONIGHT:  THE SONGS OF WEST SIDE STORY & MORE

at the VICTORIA THEATRE – 138 N. Main St.– map

Tickets for Tonight are available exclusively through Ticket Center Stage, 937/228-3630, online at www.ticketcenterstage.com or at the Ticket Center Stage box office in the Schuster Center in downtown Dayton.

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 27 annual musicals and 14 concerts for the community and engaged thousands of students through academic-relevant lessons, workshops and in-school projects. For more information, visit www.musemachine.com.

Art On The Lawn in Yellow Springs

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What do you think?  Can a dog paint?  You get to decide for yourself this Saturday August 13th at Art On The Lawn.  The featured artist for this 28-year-old Fine Arts and Crafts Fair in Yellow Springs is a Great Dane.  He has been in the show for 2 years now and the artists at Village Artisans (who run Art On The Lawn) decided that this year they would make him their featured artist.  OK, I loved his work, I’ve met him but I still had this little doubt at the back of my mind.  Can a dog realllly make art?

So here is the inside scoop about Mozart Dane.  Straight from Beth Mack of the Harlequin Haven Great Dane Rescue “Mo is a very temperamental artist.  He prefers to paint in his own room, (he has his own studio in his home,) when it is very quiet with very few people around.   He has to be in the mood to paint, and if he is not, he simply refuses to.

Being a non-profit organization, we are always trying to think of new ways to raise money for the rescue.   A bunch of volunteers were brainstorming one day and someone came up with the idea of selling items with a paw print on them. We tried several Danes and they could not run away fast enough. They did not like the feel of the paint on their paws and wanted nothing to do with it.  Then we tried Mo.

At first we had to coax him with American cheese, but not anymore.  (Good thing because he was gaining too much weight!)  He will not allow any other dogs around and only one or two people- and it has to be people he knows very well.  He has a futon that he lies on.   We pour paint onto paper plates, he chooses what color he wants to use and will simply put his paw into the paint and start patting the canvas.  If he does not want to use a color, he will not use it.  When he is finished painting, he is finished.  No amount of coaxing or American cheese will get him to paint more.  The only human assistance he receives is if he is doing a 24” x 36” canvas  – that’s when we turn it to make sure the entire canvas gets covered.

We often have people ask if they can commission a painting with only certain colors in it.   The problem goes back to the fact that if he doesn’t want to use a certain color, he wont use it! ”

Mozart Dane lives at the Harlequin Haven Great Dane Rescue a no kill shelter that is dedicated to saving and placing abused, abandoned, and neglected Great Danes.

Come this Saturday and make up your own mind about dogs and art.  For me, I’ve decided Mozart Dane is an artist and isn’t life full of wonderful surprises!

Art on the Lawn is a juried Fine Arts and Crafts show taking place this Saturday, August 13, under the green trees, at Mills Lawn, 200 S. Walnut Street from 10 am – 5 p.m.

Come to Yellow Springs and enjoy the art from over 100 artists, including Mozart Dane who happens to be a dog.

See you in the Springs!

New Musicals on the Rise

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2011 Human Race Festival of New Musicals

The Human Race Theatre Company

Encore Theater Company

This weekend, the Human Race Theatre Company, in collaboration with Encore Theater Company, will continue its ardent support of new works and emerging composers with a musical theater festival containing multigenerational appeal. Nostalgia is a key element in the Human Race presentations of the 1950s jazz-infused “Play it Cool” and an overdue salute to Grammy, Oscar and Tony nominated lyricist/composer Bob Merrill entitled “Love Makes the World Go ’Round.” Encore, fueling the popular trend of movies-turned-musicals, will let loose with “Pump Up the Volume,” adapted from the 1990 film starring Christian Slater. Each show will be delivered as staged readings at the Loft Theatre.

2011 Festival of New Musicals - Pump Up The Volume - Encore Theater Co.

Pump Up The Volume

“Working with Encore seemed like a no-brainer since (Encore founders) David Brush and Jim Farley were a part of the first Human Race musical theater symposium,” said Kevin Moore, Human Race producing artistic director. “Our festival lineup is very exciting. I’ve known about ‘Love Makes the World Go ‘Round’ for a while, ‘Pump Up the Volume’ is something Encore has had in the works, and ‘Play it Cool’ is really timely and relevant.”

“Play it Cool,” conceived by Larry Dean Harris and accented with a terrific jazz score recalling Cy Coleman and David Zippel’s “City of Angels” and Marvin Hamlisch and Craig Carnelia’s “Sweet Smell of Success,” was among the standouts I particularly admired at New York’s National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival last fall. Featuring music by Mark Winkler, lyrics by Phillip Swann and a book by Harris and Martin Casella, the musical cleverly injects a noir sensibility into its charming, bold tale of five people who fall in and out of love at a secret 1953 Hollywood club called Mary’s Hideaway. The score includes such breezy numbers as “In My Drag,” “Baby’s on Third,” “Future Street,” “Curvy Time Bomb” and the beautifully lush “Jazz is a Special Taste.” Directed by Sharon Rosen, “Play it Cool” will arrive off-Broadway next month with Sally Mayes reprising her amazing performance from the NAMT presentation. Dayton audiences are fortunate to have a chance to see it first, in its re-written form, with a promising cast led by Human Race resident artists Deb Colvin-Tener (“Dirty Blonde,” “Lend Me A Tenor”) and Jamie Cordes (“Play it By Heart,” “right next to me”).

2010 Festival of New Musicals - Tenderly - The Human Race Theatre Co.

2010 Human Race Festival of New Musicals

The songs of Bob Merrill, who famously believed “people who need people are the luckiest people in the world,” fashion “Love Makes the World Go’ Round,” billed as a “revusical” (revue-meets-book musical) by librettist Duane Poole and music arranger Brad Ellis. Directed by Kevin Moore and centered on three women who connect through Merrill’s repertoire at a piano bar, “Love Makes the World Go ‘Round,” featuring Ellis and Human Race resident artist Katie Pees, incorporates 30 numbers including the songwriter’s catchy hits like “How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?” and “Mambo Italiano” in addition to show tunes from his lilting yet underappreciated “Carnival!” (which he wrote both music and lyrics) and legendary “Funny Girl” (music by Jule Styne). Merrill was also a ghost lyricist for “Hello, Dolly!” (“Elegance” and “Motherhood” in particular) and composed an ill-fated version of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” starring Mary Tyler Moore that closed on Broadway during previews.

Ellis, familiar to fans of “Glee” as the silent choir room accompanist dressed in black, says investigating the Merrill canon to create a balanced tribute was an enjoyably challenging assignment.

2010 Festival of New Musicals - Play It By Heart - The Human Race Theatre Co.

2010 Human Race Festival of New Musicals

“I’ve loved the challenge of rolling up my sleeves, like the old days of off-Broadway, and coming in with strong ideas, then being ready to turn on a dime,” he said. “I’m proud of the arrangements, and I’m also proud that I haven’t lost track of the fact that I’m featuring the songs, not featuring the arranger. Bob Merrill has a surprising range of songs, emotions and musical feels, in part because his work as composer/lyricist inhabits such different worlds than his work as lyricist for composer Jule Styne. I don’t think it’s as much that he’s underrated as it is that people who know the extensive Broadway catalogue don’t know the even-more-extensive pop hits, and vice versa. Here’s hoping our show can bridge that gap, and make him a household name. His song ‘Beautiful Candy’ is in a big national commercial right now, and Seth MacFarland has used his songs for his TV show ‘Family Guy,’ so millions are hearing his music right now, whether they know it or not!”

2010 Festival of New Musicals - Tenderly - The Human Race Theatre Co.

2010 Human Race Festival of New Musicals

Since its 2009 debut on Fox, the Emmy winning “Glee,” created by Ryan Murphy (“Nip/Tuck”), has been a pop culture phenomenon offering a slew of fantastic musical moments (Kristen Chenoweth’s “Home,” Chris Colfer’s “As If We Never Said Goodbye” and Lea Michele’s “Don’t Rain on My Parade” to name a mere few). As the show’s music director, Ellis, who has written vocal arrangements for various episodes, particularly the pilot, has been pleased with his involvement since the beginning.

“I’ve worked with casting agent Robert Ulrich on musical projects for television before, and we enjoyed working together, so Robert brought me in when Ryan Murphy began casting ‘Glee.’ The three of us worked closely on actor’s songs when bringing our final choices to the network brass for approval. I enjoyed watching how Ryan worked with the auditioners. I think he was pleased with my ability to translate his ideas into musical choices for the singers as well as my gentle but demanding approach, which makes less confident singers feel more comfortable, and therefore, show themselves to best advantage, no matter their experience level.”

Ellis ranks Charice, Chenoweth and Carol Burnett among his favorite “Glee” special guests thus far, but views the entire cast and creative process as special. He also anticipates fresh possibilities for the series as Season Three approaches.

2010 Festival of New Musicals - Play It By Heart - The Human Race Theatre Co.

2010 Human Race Festival of New Musicals

“The cast is varied and magical people, who’ve maintained a sense of gratitude in a world where everyone wants a piece of ’em, and everyone else is telling them why they should have large egos, and instead, they stay grounded. A lot of that may be due to Jane Lynch, who is a visibly grateful person herself, and perhaps quietly sets the tone. It helps that Ryan Murphy is the modern equivalent of Jerome Robbins, combining an impish sense of fun with an unerring sense of both culture and craft. For me, Seasons One and Two have been an education in film. ‘Glee’ is shot on film with Panavision cameras, not shot digitally, so it has a lot in common with the way great movies and movie musicals have been shot since the 1930s. I’ve also really enjoyed watching my friends on the show evolve and grow. I’m biased, but I think the Class of ‘William McKinley High’ 2009-2011 (and beyond) will launch a lot of careers, similar to the first few seasons of ‘Saturday Night Live’ and ‘E.R.’ Corey (Monteith), Dianna (Agron), Lea (Michele), Matthew (Morrison), Kevin (McHale), etc., when they break out, will spread out like a billiards shot and light up big segments of the industry. Season Three? I have no predictions. When I read the pilot, I thought, ‘I love this! I am the audience for this, but it’s ‘niche,’ and will probably find a life on FX or USA network.’ I’m an idiot. Don’t go by me. I can say I’m excited about the new writers. Michael Hitchcock, the only one I already know, is one of the funniest, most honest actors I’ve ever had the privilege to work with, so I’m looking forward to some new ideas and surprises.”

2010 Festival of New Musicals - Tenderly - The Human Race Theatre Co.

2010 Human Race Festival of New Musicals

As “Love Makes the World Go ‘Round” continues to develop, Ellis remains confident in its prospects. Considering recent news of a Broadway-bound production of “Funny Girl” underway starring Lauren Ambrose (“Six Feet Under”), the timing, especially if a New York berth is in its future, couldn’t be more perfect.

“I’ve been fortunate to have helped create a number of very successful off-Broadway and regional shows (such as) ‘Forbidden Broadway,’ ‘Plaid Tidings,’ ‘Tin Pan Alley Rag,’ etc., so I know the markets. This show could be good business. It has small casting and tech requirements. Whenever I cast any show, I’m overwhelmed by the talent out there, especially women who would be great for ‘Love Makes the World Go ‘Round’ who are not working as much as they deserve, which means it won’t be hard to find great actor/singers for productions.”

2011 Festival of New Musicals - Pump Up The Volume - Encore Theater Co.

Pump Up The Volume

Based on the film of the same name written and directed by Allan Moyle, “Pump Up the Volume,” featuring music by Jeff Thomson, book and lyrics by Jeremy Desmon and additional lyrics by Jordan Mann, tells the story of a shy teenager who starts a pirate FM station in his parents’ basement. Directed by Joe Beumer, the show will feature Drew Bowen, Corinne Derusha, Renee Franck-Reed, Tommi Harsch, Justin King, Zach King, Matthew Owens, Elizabeth Wellman, Yvette Williams and Ray Zupp. Encore Theater Company will also present “The Consequences,” an indie rock-flavored love story about high school friends who reunite 10 years later. Written by Kyle Jarrow and Nathan Leigh, “The Consequences,” which has been developed at the New York Theatre Workshop and the Williamstown Theatre Festival, will be directed by Shawn Hooks and star J.J. Parkey, Amy Geist and Alex Carmichal.

Encore progressively continues to sprinkle local community theater with current, contemporary musicals. The troupe presented a delightful regional premiere of Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell’s ‘[title of show]’ last season, and will tackle Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater’s Tony winning “Spring Awakening” in January, which will be staged by Encore artistic director David Brush. In addition, two projects developed by Encore last season successfully advanced. “Next Thing You Know” received an off-Broadway run two months ago, and the hilarious “Hot Mess in Manhattan” will open in Washington, D.C. later this year.

2011 Festival of New Musicals - The Consequences - Encore Theater Co.

The Consequences

“By the end of this season, ETC will have hosted five creative teams here in Dayton working on new material to take back to New York,” Brush said. “The process is working and ETC is thrilled to be a part of it.”

Brush is also ecstatic to have Encore join forces with the Human Race as both organizations strive to supply a productive and entertaining musical theater festival.

“Encore Theater Company is really honored to partner with the Human Race Theatre Company, who has really perfected the musical development process for the region. I personally cannot say enough for Kevin Moore and the entire Race staff for both their forward thinking in this area and recognition of what ETC is working to do.”

Musical Theater Festival Schedule

Thursday, August 4

10 p.m. “The Consequences”

Friday, August 5

7 p.m.   “Play it Cool”

10 p.m. “Pump Up the Volume”

Saturday, August 6

12 p.m.  Meet the Writers (Loft Lobby)

7 p.m.   “Love Makes the World Go ‘Round: The Songs of Bob Merrill”

10 p.m. “The Consequences”

Sunday, August 7

2 p.m.  “Love Makes the World Go ‘Round: The Songs of Bob Merrill”

7 p.m.   “Pump Up the Volume”

-RF

– Human Race Theatre Co.  Photos by Scott J. Kimmins

– Encore Theater Co. Photos by Ray Zupp

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

Tickets & Performance Information:

The Human Race Theatre Company logoPLAY IT COOL

LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ‘ROUND

PUMP UP THE VOLUME

at the LOFT THEATRE – 126 N. Main St.– map

For more information, call the Human Race at (937) 461-3823 or visit www.humanracetheatre.org.

Tickets are $15 in advance and can be purchased by calling Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visiting www.ticketcenterstage.com.  Beginning August 5, tickets are $20 and will also be available at the Loft Theatre box office two hours before curtain.

Encore Theater Company LogoTHE CONSEQUENCES

performed in the KeyBank building (lower level patio) at Courthouse Square.

For more information, visit www.encoretheatercompany.com

Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door.

Aug. 5 First Friday has everything from skatedecks to a scavenger hunt

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Looking for a different way to explore downtown? The Aug. 5 First Friday is rolling in with a night of live music, art shows and entertainment.

Broaden Your Horizons

First Friday will be the continuation of the First Friday Passport Program. Pick up a First Friday Passport at RiverScape and other participating locations (click here for a list) to win prizes from AAA Miami Valley, which each month will award two prizes of one-year classic AAA memberships, with free renewals for existing members. Everyone who enters for the monthly prize now through Dec. 2 also will be entered into a drawing for a grand prize of a $1,000 travel gift certificate.

The passport must be stamped by at least four locations, and visitors can get all four stamps during one First Friday or complete it another month. Once completed, they simply fill out their contact information and drop their passports in any of the First Friday Passport boxes that will be at all participating locations.

Get a Clue

The Aug. 5 First Friday is also the premiere of the First Friday Scavenger Hunt, an event hosted by volunteers from the young professional organization updayton. Teams of friends and families are invited to enjoy an evening packed with clues that include stops at some of downtown’s swankiest restaurants, venues and art spaces. Follow the clues to the final destination ― the First Friday After Party, where complimentary beer, wine and light snacks await everyone who completes the hunt. Clue sheets also will be inside First Friday passports.

Skateboards, Sculptures and Still-Life

Another featured event is the “The Art of Skate,” an art exhibit featuring skate decks and paintings celebrating skating culture past and present. Held at the Yellow Cab Building, 700 E. Fourth St, more than a dozen artists contributed to the project, including Amy Kollar Anderson, Rev. Chad Wells, Mike Guidone and Jason Goad, along with two California artists. The exhibit will be open until midnight, and the skate decks will be raffled later in August.

New to the city’s arts scene, the Dayton Arts Project will present local artists’ work, followed by a performance of choreography, dance and media at Sinclair Community College’s Blair Hall Theatre. Featured artists include Damon Sink, who will create new live music in a collaboration with choreographer Rodney Veal; choreographer Ashley Sass, who will present her work, Momentum; Tom Watson III, presenting his Stem/ReAssemblage series; and Ben Quinn, who will display five new large works in a mixed-media exhibit.

Additional art shows include:

  • The Blue Sky Project’s final exhibit will be showcased at 8 N. Main St. In this eight-week summer artist-in-residence program, five professional artists from throughout the world have worked with area teens in a collaborative art-making process that resulted in the new works of contemporary art that will be on display.
  • The Cannery Art and Design Center, , 434 E. Third St., will host Doug Benedict’s “Found Object Steel Sculpture,” along with live jazz, wine and hors d’œuvres.
  • Color of Energy, 16 Brown St., will present an introduction to the Record Gallery, a new store featuring collectible music items, along with new works by Mike Elsass and Bob Rhodes.
  • Color 2 Gallery, 519 E. Fifth St., will host Mike Elsass’ reception for the graduates of Stivers.
  • Dayton Visual Arts Center, 118 N. Jefferson St., will host its 20th Annual Open Members’ Show in the gallery. A selection of artists from the Members’ Show will give brief gallery talks about their work.
  • Elaine Balsley Fine Art, 523 E. Fifth St., will feature artwork by Stivers School for the Arts graduates.
  • Gallery 510 Fine Art, 510 E. Fifth St., will feature new figurative wood carvings by Marvin Olinsky and new still-life paintings by Nancy Hatton.
  • K12 Gallery, 510 E. Third St., will feature the work of TEJAS summer art camp students, as well as work by local painters in an exhibition centered on landscapes and showing films created by students throughout this year in K12’s first Film Fest.

Hitting the Right Note

In the Garden Station, 509 E. Fourth St., the Dayton Creative Circus Collective will host Free Music First Friday featuring a rare Dayton appearance by The Hiders from Cincinnati. After its 2006 debut, the band was named by NPR’s World Café as an “artist to watch.” Tim Pritchard of the local band Floods will open at 8 p.m.

More live music will be featured throughout the Oregon District. Check out the Trolley Stop, the Oregon Express, the Tumbleweed Connection and the Dublin Pub for a variety of performances all night. Additionally, Practice Yoga will be hosting the WYSO-FM Rev. Cool Around the Fringe Dance Party, and several participating First Friday locations will be playing the long-running radio show.

Rock Out

Local musicians Blind Karma will play the First Friday @ 5 show at RiverScape MetroPark. The concession will be open and beer will be sold during the performance from 5-7 p.m. The concert will wrap up in plenty of time to head to the galleries and other arts venues taking part in the First Friday art hop.

…And There’s More!

Celebrating its grand opening will be Clash Consignment Co., 113 E. Third St., which features items for adult women and men, including an eclectic and funky mix of vintage to modern clothing, jewelry, shoes and other accessories. The store also carries original work by local artists, and will be hosting DJs during First Friday. New to First Friday is District Antiques, 122 Van Buren St., which specializes in antiques, collectibles, home furnishings and artwork. Patrons will receive 15 percent off new items and 10 percent off consignment items during First Friday. Martha Mellon Interior Design Studio also will offer free 30-minute in-store design consultations. Visitors are asked to bring their room measurements, photos, fabric samples, and toss pillows and other accessories to help with the design consultation. A variety of roaming performers will provide entertainment (weather permitting). This month, catch The Dropbacks juggling duo, the Circle Nerdz breakdance crew, solo saxophonist Tyrone Martin, and accordion and violin duet Nathan Rogers and Liz Landis.

From approximately 8 to 11 p.m., many of downtown’s buildings will be lit for amateur and professional photographers who would like to capture night shots of the city in preparation for this year’s Downtown in Focus photo contest, held in conjunction with the Sept. 16 Urban Nights. Visit DowntownDayton.org for contest details.

Visitors also can get outdoors during First Friday for Courteous Mass, which will meet at Don Crawford Plaza in front of Fifth Third Field at 5:15 p.m. for a bike ride through the event action. Gem City Circle Walks will host two historical walking tours led by longtime local history buffs Leon Bey, Nancy Roach and Curt Dalton. An Oregon Arts District walk will begin at 5 p.m. and the “Ghosts, Cemeteries and Murders Walk of Downtown Dayton” will begin at 7 p.m. Each walk is $10 and advance reservations are required by contacting Bey at 937-274-4749 or [email protected].

In addition, all the restaurants, retail shops, bars and clubs, and other establishments throughout downtown will be open during First Friday. For regular updates about this event, follow First Friday on Facebook or text “FirstFridayDayton” to 90210.

First Friday is presented by the Downtown Dayton Partnership with support from AAA Miami Valley, the Oregon District Business Association, Clear Channel Dayton, Heidelberg Distributing Co., Five Rivers MetroParks, Culture Works and WYSO-FM 91.3.

The Downtown Dayton Partnership’s website has a complete list of downtown’s arts and cultural amenities, as well as a dining guide, parking map and much more. Click here for a complete list of events taking place downtown.

Add address – also, check for addresses throughout. Since this doesn’t start with the list, as in the release and brochure, there may be other places the address needs to be included.

‘Jinxed’ Wins FutureFest

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Playwright Stacey Luftig

Ohio, specifically Dayton, is regarded as the birthplace of aviation so it isn’t surprising that “Jinxed,” a 1930s account chronicling pioneering colleagues Amelia Earhart and Jackie Cochran written by Stacey Luftig of New York City, received top honors at the Dayton Playhouse’s 21st annual FutureFest of new works, held July 29-31.

Luftig’s historically engaging if considerably cinematic and conceptually conventional tale – which challenged pre-conceived notions of Earhart’s legacy while shedding intriguing light on the relatively forgotten Cochran – garnered the highest scores based on criteria such as dialogue, plot, dramatic concept/theme and page-to-stage. The play’s enjoyable staged reading presentation, fluidly directed by Richard Brock, was marvelously heightened by a fierce, strikingly full-fledged performance by Kate Smith as the abrasive, tough-talking, determined, troubled and unabashedly self-absorbed Cochran, the first woman to break the sound barrier and an influential component in Earhart’s celebrated yet shaky career. Brock’s strong cast included Wendi Michael (an appealing Earhart), Michael Taint, Matt Turner, Franklin Johnson, Cynthia Karns and Mike Rousculp.

Longtime adjudicator Helen Sneed praised the material for its “great exposition” and “magnificent language.” “(‘Jinxed’) has elements of Greek tragedy and history combined,” echoed Eleanore Speert, founder and president of Speert Publishing who returned for her 10th FutureFest. “This play is about fame and what happens to the famous,” added David Finkle, senior theater critic for Theatermania.com. “(Luftig) should sell it to Lifetime.” The panel included 2002 FutureFest finalist Robert Koon of Chicago Dramatists as well as Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame member Dr. Robert W. MacClennan, professor emeritus of Sinclair Community College.

“So many things about FutureFest blow me away,” Luftig reflected. “So much generosity from so many people in such a short time. The planning and coordination that go into putting up three staged readings and three productions in one weekend – each for a single performance – it’s staggering. But you know what’s most amazing to me? An inspired director and a group of seven talented actors rehearse my play for six weeks, three nights a week. They read biographies of the real people my characters are based on. They stop rehearsals and debate, 10 or 15 minutes at a time, about this line or that line and what it means to the play. They devote the energy to create real relationships so that I could see my play not only live, but breathe. The designers give me lighting, a simple, elegant set, and sound effects – the sound of airplanes and radio announcers so critical to realizing my story. As if this weren’t enough, smart, sophisticated theater professionals – five of them! – give me constructive criticism, analysis and encouragement. And then the audience challenges me with their questions and their honest reactions. All these people, this fabulous community, do all these things because they love theater and to help me, a playwright they had never heard of, hear and see my work. And instead of getting an award, they give one to me. I am overwhelmed.”

The remaining contenders, selected from over 240 submissions, were: “Drawing Room,” an introspective examination of art and artists by Mark Eisman of New York City; “Roosevelt’s Ghost,” a politically charged drama by Dayton native and 2009 FutureFest winner Michael Feely of Woodland Hills, California; “The Haven,” a wonderfully contemporary, intimate, witty, relationship-driven character study by Richard Etchison of Los Angeles, California that could be a refreshing addition to the Chicago, New York or L.A. theater scene; “Allegro Con Brio,” a farce by Dayton resident Nelson Sheeley of Sinclair Community College; and “A Woman on the Cusp,” a mental illness-themed drama by two-time FutureFest finalist Carl L. Williams of Houston, Texas.

In addition to the cast of “Jinxed,” standout performers in the festival, which remained entertaining despite the lack of air conditioning, included: Mark Jeffers, Annie Pesch and Rachel Wilson of “Drawing Room”; Debra Kent, Charles Larkowski, David Shough and Michael Stockstill of “Roosevelt’s Ghost”; Megan Cooper, Danny Lipps, Deirdre Bray Root and Richard Young of “The Haven”; Cheryl Mellen of “Allegro Con Brio”; and Cher Collins, Lynn Kesson, Scott Knisley and K.L. Storer of “A Woman on the Cusp.” Also, Drawing Room” was terrifically accented by Terry K. Hitt, Patrick Hayes, Wendi Michael and Jacqui Theobald’s illustrations as well as Kirk Sheppard’s photography.

In a rare turn of events, according to FutureFest program director Fran Pesch, determining the audience’s favorite play has become problematic. “With approximately 75 percent of passholders returning ballots, it is impossible to name a definite audience favorite this year,” she said. “Three plays came within four votes of each other: ‘Jinxed,’ “The Haven’ and ‘Roosevelt’s Ghost.’”

My FutureFest rankings:

1. “The Haven”

2. “Roosevelt’s Ghost”

3.  “Jinxed”

4. “Drawing Room”

5. “A Woman on the Cusp”

6. “Allegro Con Brio”

For additional information, call the Dayton Playhouse at (937) 424-8477 or visit www.daytonplayhouse.com.

2011 Michelob Ultra Cool Films Series – Mel Brooks Weekend

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The Victoria Theatre Association is gearing up for the Mel Brooks musical Young Frankenstein (coming in October) by screening the 1974 film as well as Blazing Saddles and The Producers as part of its summer Michelob Ultra Cool Film Series at the Victoria Theater.

Young Frankenstein

A young neurosurgeon (Gene Wilder) inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. In the castle he finds a funny hunchback called Igor, a pretty lab assistant named Inga and the old housekeeper, frau Blucher -iiiiihhh!-. Young Frankenstein believes that the work of his grandfather is only crap, but when he discovers the book where the mad doctor described his reanimation experiment, he suddenly changes his mind… (via IMDB by Flavio Rizzardi)

Friday, July 29 at 7:30 p.m. (tickets to Young Frankenstein the musical go on sale this night)

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOPTriLG5cU’]

Blazing Saddles

The Ultimate Western Spoof. A town where everyone seems to be named Johnson is in the way of the railroad. In order to grab their land, Hedley Lemar, a politically connected nasty person, sends in his henchmen to make the town unlivable. After the sheriff is killed, the town demands a new sheriff from the Governor. Hedley convinces him to send the town the first Black sheriff in the west. Bart is a sophisticated urbanite who will have some difficulty winning over the townspeople. (via IMDB by John Vogel)

Saturday, July 30 at 7:30 p.m.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLNQv19YpG4′]

The Producers

Down-on-his-luck theatrical producer Max Bialystock is forced to romance rich old ladies to finance his efforts. When timid accountant Leo Bloom reviews Max’s accounting books, the two hit upon a way to make a fortune by producing a sure-fire flop. The play which is to be their gold mine? “Springtime for Hitler.”  (via IMDB by Scott Renshaw)

Sunday, July 31 at 3 p.m.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCNjOBzg8tc’]

Blue Sky Project’s Final Exhibition in Downtown Dayton

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Six contemporary artists selected from 55 applicants from across the US and 11 foreign countries, five college interns and 35 area teen participants, all thrown into this cauldron we call Dayton for eight weeks, and what do you get? One tasty artistic stew!

Blue Sky Project’s third summer in Dayton will bear fruit on Wednesday, August 3 in the heart of downtown when their final exhibition unveils itself in the long-vacant former CVS location at 8 North Main Street, across from the Old Courthouse. Additional locations include KeyBank Tower and 33 North Main Street, the former Roly Poly Sandwich Shop, both on Courthouse Square. The 2011 resident artists are visual artists Marin Abell, Newport News, VA; Rory Golden, Brooklyn, NY (originally from New Carlisle); Kaz McCue, Interlochen, MI; Susannah Mira, Pueblo, CO; and performance artists Sara Mitchell Sherman, Columbus, OH and Shaw Pong Liu, Boston, MA.

Using Dayton as a palate, the collaborative groups of artists and teens are taking on critical issues of our time, including the importance of water in our city’s history; the impact of racism on today’s society; the repurposing of discarded industrial materials; and self-identity in the age of social media. The net result is a compelling mix of visual art, sculpture, installation, video and live performance.

Blue Sky Project is offered without cost to the youth participants, who come from across the region—city and suburb, public, charter and private school, and as far away as Springfield. Youth are selected based on their interest in exploring their creative spirits, and a desire to contribute at a conceptual level in a collaborative environment. Past work from Blue Sky Project has sold at galleries in New York, Chicago and Houston, as well as been featured in The New Yorker, the New York Times and Art in America.

Times & locations:

PREVIEW PARTY • $20/PERSON

• Wednesday, August 3 • 6:00 – 9:00 PM

EXHIBIT HOURS (Free Admission)

• Thursday, August 4 • 5:00 – 8:00 PM

• (First) Friday, August 5 • 5:00 – 10:00 PM

• Saturday, August 6 • 6:00 – 9:00 PM

EXHIBIT LOCATIONS

• 8 North Main Street – Primary exhibition space

• 10 West Second/KeyBank Tower – Installation by resident artist Marin Abell

• 33 North Main (Courthouse Square) – “Artists Without Borders” retrospective of work

from Blue Sky Project 2008 by African artist Akirash

If you are heading out of town, you can catch the Blue Sky exhibition on First Friday, September 2 and Urban Nights, September 16. For more information and to order preview party tickets, visit www.blueskydayton.org or call 937.732.5123.