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Final Days for I AM LOVE – MICMACS Opens Friday!

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Hello Everyone.

We’ve got to keep moving!

If you still need to see I AM LOVE, you shouldn’t miss it on the big screen.  Don’t wait for the dvd!  You only have through Thursday to see it at THE NEON.  Visit THE NEON for this week’s showtimes.

On Friday, we open MICMACS – the new charming & wonderful film from the brilliant mind of Jean-Pierre Jeunet…director of AMELIE, THE CITY OF LOST CHILDREN and A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT.  MICMACS will more than likely only play for 1 week, so make plans now for seeing it this weekend.

Click on the poster to find out more about the film (or watch the trailer below).

My full update – including a contest where you write the reviews of our films – will come later in the week.

We hope to see you soon,
Jonathan

Mock Turtle Seeking Submissions for Fall Zine

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Poets, writers, illustrators, lend me your ear.

Or at least your art.

Mock Turtle Zine is accepting submissions for its upcoming issue scheduled to be released in conjunction with Urban Nights Friday, Sept. 10.

Mock Turtle Zine is an independent publishing effort undertaken to give artists and authors in Dayton, Ohio, and surrounding areas a vehicle for sharing their work. The zine accepts poetry, song lyrics, fiction and nonfiction works, and visual art.

Founder Christina Dendy, who teaches creative writing at Stivers for the Arts, began printing her own poetry under the Mock Turtle name in 2005.  Subsequent collections of short stories and other writings followed, and in 2009 the booklets evolved into a full-fledged ‘zine (Mock Turtle Issue #1) featuring prose, poems and photography from additional contributors.

Mock Turtle publication print runs have ranged between 50 to 100 copies, but Dendy hopes to expand the output for the next issue.  She understands, however, assembling a team of  dedicated partners is key for the growth of the ‘zine.

“The idea is to expand contributor base and distribution,” she says. “But that requires an independent source of funding, so we have to take on local (emphasis on local) advertising. We will also be seeking additional points of distribution though we have not determined the number yet. All of this requires an increase in volunteers.”

Previous issues have featured work from local artists, including dazzling photography by Kidtee Hello, prose by writer Tiffany Shaw-Diaz and art contributions by visual artist David Kenworthy.

Send electronic submissions to mockturtlepress@gmail.com by end of day August 27. Submissions guidelines are available on the ‘zine’s website, http://mockturtlezine.weebly.com/submissions.html.

For additional information about the zine, please contact Christina Dendy at cdendy76@gmail.com or email Mock Turtle at mockturtlepress@gmail.com.

Blue Sky Project Offers Unique Array of Arts Experiences

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The Blue Sky Project may have its home base at the University of Dayton, but the resident artists of the program are making waves throughout the Dayton community. With weekly presentations, special events,  performances and exhibits, be sure to catch a glimpse of their work while you still can!

Weekly Group Presentations:

Thursday, July 22, with Michael Casselli, 3:00 — 3:30 PM
Science Center 114 Auditorium, University of Dayton

Thursday, July 29, with Joyce Lee, 3:00 — 3:30 PM
Sears Recital Hall, University of Dayton

Sonic Spa at c{space:

Tuesdays,  July 20 and July 27, 7 PM — 9 PM
20 N. Jefferson St. between 2nd and 3rd St.

Led by Blue Sky Program Director Shaw Pong Liu, Sonic Spa is a weekly laboratory for musicians and dancers to explore collective improvisation and spatial composition.
Free and open to the public.

Check out Shaw Pong’s collaboration with Chris Erk at Therapy Cafe:

Of A River:

Thursday, July 22, 7 PM and 9 PM (each performance is 30 minutes in length)
Wintergarden at the Schuster Performing Arts Center
Free

Dancers, musicians, and flowing silk transform the Schuster Performing Arts Center’s Wintergarden in this collaboration between the Victoria Theatre Association and Blue Sky Project, featuring choreographer Rodney Veal (BSP Board Chair) and musician Shaw Pong Liu (program director). A mesmerizing performance-installation exploring time, space and water, our most endangered resource.

Final Exhibition:

Final Exhibition Preview Party
Thursday, August 5, 6:30 PM — 9:00 PM
The Armory, 201 East Sixth Street in The Oregon District
$75.00 per person

Exhibition Opening and Closing
Friday, August 6, 5:00 — 10:00 PM
Saturday, August 7, 6:00 — 10:00 PM
The Armory, 201 East Sixth Street in The Oregon District
Free

Heading out of town for vacation instead? You can still experience the work of the Blue Sky Project; two works of art from the 2009 program have been installed in the Dayton Airport. Katherine Mann’s large-scale painting, “Byzantine,” fills a wall of the terminal, while Lisa Nonken’s paper airplane sculpture, “Dayton Flight, ” is suspended in mid-air near the gates.

To learn more about the Blue Sky Project, visit the Blue Sky website or Facebook page.

CYRUS – Opens Exclusively at THE NEON on Friday!

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Hello Everyone.

We begin our run of a movie on Friday that audiences have been swarming to see all over the country…and I’m excited that we’re getting the exclusive opening of the film in Dayton. CYRUS – a film by the Duplass Brothers – stars John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei and Catherine Keener.

Synopsis for CYRUS: “Directed by mumblecore stalwarts Jay and Mark Duplass, Cyrus stars John C. Reilly as John, a middle-aged lonely divorced guy who, as the film opens, gets dragged to a party by his remarried ex-wife (Catherine Keener) — who remains his best friend. After a few clumsy, drunken passes at a variety of women, John encounters Molly (Marisa Tomei), an attractive single-mom who finds John’s social awkwardness appealing. They hit it off, and quickly begin a tender new relationship. Problems soon arise in the form of Cyrus (Jonah Hill), Molly’s twentysomething son, who has an off-puttingly close relationship to his mom. Soon the jealous Cyrus sets about trying to break them up, and John must figure out how to deal with this unhinged and unexpected rival.” (Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide)

If you still need to see HARRY BROWN or THE SQUARE, today is the last day (Thursday) to see them at THE NEON.

We’ll hold I AM LOVE – which has received interesting response from our regulars. Though some have had a luke-warm reaction to the film, others are swooning – with repeated viewings and complete admiration for everything about the film. Personally, I’m of the latter camp.
Madeline Breslin wrote me a note describing the film as “…breathtaking. Exquisite! Perfect! Searing!” and Chase Whiteside thinks “…it is brilliant.” Stuart McDowell thinks the film is “very powerful,” and I must agree!
Don’t forget about our cross-promotion with Coco’s Bistro. Plan on seeing the film the same day you have lunch/dinner at Coco’s Bistro – www.228coco.com – and you’ll save! (Click on their link to read more about the promotion.)

Our line-up is getting quite crowded over the coming weeks…so things may come and go quickly and opening dates may move around. Thanks for staying up-to-date with my weekly newsletter.

We hope to see you very soon!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for July 16 – July 22:

CYRUS (R) 92 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 3:00, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30
Monday – Thursday: 3:00, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30

I AM LOVE (R) 120 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:10, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 9:50
Monday – Thursday: 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 9:50

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.
July 23 MICMACS
July 30 WINTER’S BONE
July 30 THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Aug. 13 JOAN RIVERS – A PIECE OF WORK
Aug. 20 THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE
Aug. 20 COCO CHANEL AND IGOR STRAVINSKY
Aug. 27 GET LOW
Sept. 10 FAREWELL
Sept. 17 ANIMAL KINGDOM
Sept. 24 WILD GRASS
Oct. 8 LEBANON
Oct. 15 A WOMAN, A MAN & A NOODLE SHOP

Yeah… but can it play Dayton?

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[title of show] - Encore Theater Co. - Dayton CastDayton, Ohio:  a hotbed for the development & performance of new musical theatre?

YES.

“It is a hopeless endeavour to attract people to a theatre unless they can be first brought to believe that they will never get in.” – CHARLES DICKENS, Nicholas Nickleby

Musical Theatre Workshop:  Festival 2010

THE HUMAN RACE THEATRE COMPANY

During the 1940’s and 1950’s, American Musical Theatre was developed right in the heart of it all – Manhatten. After all, that’s where all the great theatre was happening. PLUS – it wasn’t nearly as expensive to produce a big Broadway musical as it is today. (Wicked has just recently recouped its $40 million investment and THAT’S a runaway hit). Add to that the fact that the vast majority of Broadway audiences are tourists, then you can see why so many writers of new musical theatre are hungry to test their work in an “everyman” market. After all, those are the folks buying tickets.

Events here in our city over the next two weekends suggest to me that New York writers might just begin asking themselves –“Yeah, but will it play Dayton?” Without a doubt, Dayton is becoming a new Midwestern Mecca for new musical theatre development.

Human Race Musical Theatre Workshop 2008

"The Black Crook Project" 2008

Consider this. Downtown at The Loft theatre this coming weekend, THREE new musicals will premiere. One of those – PLAY IT BY HEART – features the work of Brian Yorkey (2009 Tony-Winner for Next To Normal). Another – TENDERLY – was written by the same team that created the wildly popular GREEN GABLES that played the Victoria in 2005. And the third – being written as we speak by local students – will make its national debut – right here in Dayton (The Lovewell Project). This is coming on the heels of the stellar Human Race production of Adam Gwon’s new musical ORDINARY DAYS. There is simply no excuse not to catch one of these shows. Not to mention, the schedule for the festival weekend makes it so easy. PLUS there are opportunities to meet the creators and party with the Race.

Do yourself a favor and make time for this festival weekend.
MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP: FESTIVAL 2010 FULL SCHEDULE

Friday, July 16

8pm               Play It By Heart @ The Loft Theatre
Followed by an After-Show Reception @ The Dayton Racquet Club

Saturday, July 17

1:15pm          Meet the Play It By Heart writers @ The Loft Lobby
2pm                Play It By Heart @ The Loft Theatre
7pm               Lovewell Show @ The Loft Theatre
Followed by an After-Show Reception The Loft Lobby
8pm                Tenderly @ Creativity Center

Sunday, July 18

2pm                 Lovewell Show @ The Loft Theatre
2pm                 Tenderly @ Creativity Center
6:15pm           Meet the Tenderly writers Creativity Center
7pm                 Tenderly @ Creativity Center
Followed by a Wrap-Up Party @ a Location TBA

Synopses:

Play it By Heart tells the story of a female country music star battling her family and a changing industry. Taylor, who penned such hits as Tammy Wynette’s “Another Chance” and Johnny Cash’s “The Baron,” calls it “the quintessential story of family in country music.”

Tenderly is about a real musical legend, one of the most famous entertainers ever to come out of the Southwest Ohio/Northern Kentucky region, Rosemary Clooney. The show includes such Clooney hits as “Come On-a My House,” “Mambo Italiano” and “Hey There.”

For more Information & Tickets, visit:

Musical Theatre Workshop: Festival 2010 (July 16-18) will be celebrated at both the 219-seat Loft Theatre at 126 N. Main St. and the approximately 60-seat Caryl D. Philips Creativity Center at 116 N. Jefferson St. Tickets ($15 per performance) are available at the door. Visit http://www.humanracetheatre.org for more information.

If we seem to have a particular passion for developing NEW and innovative work, it because we do! After all, the same weekend as the MTW Festival at the Loft, Encore Theater Company is presenting local premiere of the 2009 Tony-Nominated musical [title of show] – trust me – a comedy like no other!

DB

[title of show]

ENCORE THEATER COMPANY

What do you get when you gather four friends, four chairs, a keyboard, some monkeys, vampires, drag queens and a fresh batch of rice crispy treats?  Why [title of show] of course!

How do you explain a show that has an ingredient list like that?  How about “a show that really [BEEEEEEP]’ing ROCKS!”

Shawn Hooks as "Jeff" in [title of show] - Dayton, Ohio But really, all poor grammar aside, this show really does ROCK!  Just ask Dayton native Susan Blackwell, an original cast member of the Broadway, Off-Broadway and New York Musical Theater Festival productions of the little show that could. Not only was Ms. Blackwell an original cast member…she is also a character in the show.

Angele' Price as "Susan" in [title of show] - Dayton, OhioConfused? Don’t be, here’s the premise-[title of show] is a hilarious new musical written by 2 struggling writers about 2 struggling writers writing a hilarious new musical. word.  Essentially, art imitating life imitating art imitating life.  Get the picture? Oh, and Susan was a great pal & agreed to be in their show.

Chris Smyth as "Hunter" in [title of show] - Dayton, OhioWith a song list that includes such classics as “Untitled Opening Number,” “Monkeys & Playbills,” “I Am Playing Me,” “Nine People’s Favorite Thing,” and  “Die Vampire, Die!” how could you possibly consider missing this opportunity to catch this show?

Nora Coyle as "Heidi" in [title of show] - Dayton, OhioWell…here’s good news!  You can win Tickets to [tos]! YAY! DaytonMostMetro & Encore Theater Company are giving away three pairs of tickets to [title of show].  All you need to do is give the show’s director a good DRAG QUEEN name! Yes, that’s right, brainstorm a great drag queen name for the director of the show…and suggest it in the comment section below (everyone else in the cast/crew has a DQ name already…you can check them out HERE).

We will announce winners on Wednesday night.  You will have a choice of performances (Thursday, Friday or Saturday at 7:30pm).

Help DOUBLE the number of tickets that we will be giving away!  We will announce three additional winners, if we can help DaytonMostMetro reach 2,000 fans by midnight Wednesday! Go to the DMM Facebook Fan Page, become a fan if you are not already, then share it with all of your friends, family & FB lurkers.

[title of show] will be performed at 7:30pm on Thursday, Friday & Saturday (July 15-17) at Blair Hall Theatre on the campus of Sinclair Community College.  Visit www.EncoreTheaterCompany.com for more information about Encore Theater Company & [tos].

For more Information & Tickets, visit:

[title of show] (July 15-17) Call Blair Hall Box Office at  (937) 512-2808 or visit http://www.EncoreTheaterCompany.com for information and links to the online box office.  Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door.  Please note:  [title of show] contains adult themes and language.

SA

Encore Theater Company welcomes the writers of Next Thing You Know to Dayton, July 23-25

Joshua Salzman & Ryan Cunningham - Next Thing You KnowOn the “developing new musical theatre in Dayton, Ohio” front, ETC would like to mention the exciting fact that the writers of NEXT THING YOU KNOW will be traveling from New York to work with the Dayton cast on the show.  Joshua Salzman & Ryan Cunningham (who penned the Off-Broadway hit I LOVE YOU BECAUSE) have been developing NTYK for a potential New York run, and will be utilizing the Encore Theater Company production as an opportunity to test some changes and make some creative decisions in the development process.

In an effort to help cover Josh & Ryan’s expenses, ETC kicked off the 30 for 30 for New Musical Theater campaign last week.  The response was great from the Dayton arts community…making this opportunity a reality!  If you would like to contribute to the fund, and an opportunity to meet the writers, please email the ETC staff at newmusicalsETC@gmail.com for information about how you can participate in the campaign.

While Salzman & Cunningham are in town, they will also conduct a workshop for Dayton actors about auditioning for musical theatre productions.  This workshop will take place on Saturday, July 24th in the Oregon District Arts Collaborative space above the new SideBar (400 East Fifth Street, Suite A).  Email the ETC staff at newmusicalsETC@gmail.com for information.

Next Thing You Know will be performed at 7:30pm on Thursday, Friday & Saturday (August 12-14) at Blair Hall Theatre on the campus of Sinclair Community College.  Visit www.EncoreTheaterCompany.com for more information about Encore Theater Company & NTYK.

For more Information & Tickets, visit:

Next Thing You Know (August 12-14) Call Blair Hall Box Office at  (937) 512-2808 or visit http://www.EncoreTheaterCompany.com for information and links to the online box office.  Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door.  Please note: NTYK contains adult themes and language.

Update: NEXT THING YOU KNOW by Salzman & Cunningham

Joshua Salzman & Ryan Cunningham traveled from New York to Dayton last weekend to work with the ETC cast of NEXT THING YOU KNOW.  The writers continued to mold & shape their show into what they envision it to be.  This was a thrilling experience for everyone at Encore Theater Company.

While Salzman & Cunningham were in town we took some time to sit down with them, and the cast of NTYK to record a MusicalWorld episode.  Look for that episode below.

We also hosted a reception for the writing team at the home of Dr. Michael Ervin, followed by a trip to the new SideBar in the Oregon District.  Much thanks go out to Dr. Ervin, Kevin Moore (artistic director of The Human Race Theatre Co.), the donor’s in the “30 for 30” campaign, the folks at Toxic Brew Company (keep watching DMM for info about this cool Dayton start-up), Bill & Shannon from Dayton Most Metro and representatives from other local organizations & theatre companies.  Look for a video about that reception below.

http://www.mevio.com/episode/241734/mw66-salzman-amp-cunningham-next-thing-you

SA

Spitfire Grill

BEAVERCREEK COMMUNITY THEATRE

The Spitfire Grill - Beavercreek Community TheatreWhile not a brand new piece of musical theater, SPITFIRE GRILL is a rarely performed show.  The last performance in Dayton was the excellent production by The Human Race Theatre a few seasons ago.

Doug Lloyd will helm the Beavercreek Community Theatre production of Spitfire Grill September 17th through the 26th.  He will be joined on staff by Stacey Gear (choreographer) and Dr. James Tipps (music director).  BCT recently held auditions for the show.  The result was what looks to be a terrific cast for this heartwarming show.

Percy Talbott – Sydney Lanier

Shelby Thorpe – Katie Storost

Hannah Ferguson – Pam McGinnis

Effy Krayneck – Teresa Connair

Sheriff Joe Sutter – Max Monnig

Caleb Thorpe – Brad Mattingly

The Visitor – Nick Vanderpool

Synopsis:

A feisty parolee follows her dreams, based on a page from an old travel book, to a small town in Wisconsin and finds a place for herself working at Hannah’s Spitfire Grill. It is for sale but there are no takers for the only eatery in the depressed town, so newcomer Percy suggests to Hannah that she raffle it off. Entry fees are one hundred dollars and the best essay on why you want the grill wins. Soon, mail is arriving by the wheelbarrow full and things are definitely cookin’ at the Spitfire Grill

Mark your calendars and plan to attend what will surely be a terrific production of  Spitfire Grill.

For more Information & Tickets, visit:

Spitfire Grill (September 17-26) Call Beavercreek Community Theatre Box Office at  (937) 429-4737 or visit http://www.bctheatre.org for information and links to the online box office.

SA

FINALLY – be sure to check out the latest MusicalWorld Podcast that features an interview with Susan Blackwell (who was in the original cast of [title of show] on Broadway!

Dinner for Schmucks – Special Screening and DMM Contest!

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DaytonMostMetro.com has 25 pairs of free passes for a special screening of Dinner for Schmucks on Tuesday July 27 at 7:30pm @ The Greene (that is three days before the official release).  That’s FIFTY passes – courtesy of DreamWorks SKG Studios and DaytonMostMetro.com!

So how do you get your hands on some of these passes, you ask?  Easy – just leave a comment below that describes the worst/craziest work dinner party you’ve ever gone to, or the worst/craziest thing you’ve ever done for a work promotion.  DMM’s official judges (we keep them locked in a closet and at the ready for these kinds of things) will choose the best 25.  MAKE SURE you use your real email address – this ain’t the DDN comment boards!  We won’t make your email address public but will use it to contact you if you win.  Comment before this Friday July 16 – we’ll announce the winners on that day.

And if you’re not already liking us on Facebook, go do it – we plan to do more of these in the future and our FB page is the best way to find out about them!

Synopsis: The comedy DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS tells the story of Tim (Paul Rudd), an up-and-coming executive who has just received his first invitation to the “dinner for idiots,” a monthly event hosted by his boss that promises bragging rights (and maybe more) to the exec that shows up with the biggest buffoon.  Tim’s fiancée, Julie, finds it distasteful and Tim agrees to skip the dinner, until he bumps into Barry (Steve Carell) – an IRS employee who devotes his spare time to building elaborate taxidermy mouse dioramas – and quickly realizes he’s struck idiot gold. Tim can’t resist, and invites Barry, whose blundering good intentions soon sends Tim’s life into a frenzied downward spiral and a series of comic misadventures, threatening a major business deal, bringing crazy stalker ex-girlfriend, Darla, back into Tim’s life and driving Julie (or so Tim thinks) into the arms of another man.

From Jay Roach, director of “Meet the Parents” and “Meet the Fockers” comes an unforgettable feast about two unlikely friends and one very memorable dinner.

Dinner for Schmucks – Trailer 1

Dinner for Schmucks – Trailer 2

Dayton Sports Weekly Update: 7/12/2010

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Woah, so clearly there is a gap in your brief sports news on DaytonMostMetro.com from last week.  What can I say?  The holidays got to me, and that amount of alcohol and fireworks makes for an uncooperative writing mood.  Besides, unless you wanted to read more about how the Dragons are stinking things up, you didn’t miss much.  This LAST week was the money week here in Dayton so thank God I’m here to tell you!  Unless you read it somewhere else first….  Here we go!

Ok ok don’t get all bent out of shape the Dragons didn’t do so bad over the last TWO weeks…  They managed to even themselves out with a really great run this last week but trust me when I say the week of the 4th was best left forgotten.  Also, I apologize but I’m not going to run down the 14 games I missed, so lets consider this another review on the fly week.  They started out great!  But a win against Fort Wayne was dashed away by dropping the other two games in that series, and what a shocker, both of them were by one run.  They continued the weekend of the 4th with another 3 straight losses to the Great Lakes Loons. That is 5 in a row, even for a team on a destined collision course with rock bottom, that can be hard to swallow.

But all was not lost!  In the ever blackening void that the team was traveling down, they found a light, an illumination, a 2 story glowing neon sign saying “Win a Game, second exit on the left.”  Heeding those wise directions, they slammed on the breaks, did a big U-ie  and hit the road for 6 straight wins, snagging two straight series from West Michigan and Bowling Green.  Ok West Michigan is practically the worst team in the league, but we don’t have much room to talk right now do we?  A win is a win after all, and the fresh air on the open road must have done the boys well because 4 of those games were even won by 2 or more runs.   Ahh, but something about heading back into the balmy Miami Valley must have staggered them, because 2 more losses against the Loons this weekend stopped them short.  (why have they played them the last 3 weeks in a row anyway?)  Oh well, you can’t win them all as they say, but I am pretty sure that now marks the Dragon’s longest win streak this year.

First news on the block for the Gems.  I had mentioned two weeks ago that they had delayed an expected press conference until an undisclosed date.  That date turned out to be last Wednesday.  At this conference the Gems finally announced their new Head Coach and General Manager, Brian Gratz. This is good news!  Sort of.. I mean, as near as I can figure… from what you can tell from the guy….  Let’s say he doesn’t have a huge record to work with.  Yes the Gems have definitely hired some young blood here, and some might consider it a gamble.  The Gems were not exactly the league sensation that I think ownership were perhaps hoping for in their first season back.  Their attendance was worst in the league (as was their record) and no amount of seriously cheap tickets or ridiculously cheap beer could seem to draw the crowds out to Hara.  The solution seems pretty obvious, namely, win more games.

So can this guy win more games?  It sure as hell looks like it on the surface.  His college career with Penn State is fairly distinguished, winning four American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) National Championships as a goaltender, after which he went up to the minors playing for a variety of teams over the next 5 years, but had pretty limited play time.  He has had two years under his belt as a professional hockey coach.  His stats certainly don’t lie, with two winning seasons, (the second a little worse than the first) but any winning season is better than what the Gems dealt with last year, so he won’t have to soar high, just get this bird off the ground.  If anyone asks where he was last year, I have heard he was coaching JV hockey at Penn State, but don’t quote me on that.

Are the Gems doing the right thing?  I can’t say.  Hiring someone young to take the reigns might be exactly what the team needs, hell what the City of Dayton needs, and there is always a possibility it won’t work out, but give the guy a chance to work  his skills and see what he can do.  He’s never coached at this level before, so hopefully the management up top will give him more than a year to prove his stuff.  Welcome to Dayton Coach Grantz, we’re waiting in anticipation.

On a final note.  The Gems are changing their jerseys next year to reflect a little bit more with their classics from back in the day.  Personally I was a big fan of the new ones… Not sure really how I feel about these, and I would have preferred to see them bust out some real throwback jerseys a few times a year instead of completely changing their look after one season.  Still, you be the judge..  No seriously, you can go vote on which one you like most but only until this Wednesday, so get crackin’.

Ok, so there have been quite a few games for the Dutch Lions as well so instead of going over a game by game, I’ll let you know how they fared and where they stand at the moment.  The Lions played the Michigan Bucks two weeks that brought them a 2-1 victory, and was followed up this last weekend with two losses in Canada, ouch.  First a failed comeback attempt resulted in a 2-1 loss against Forest City and on Sunday, a 2-0 loss left the Dutch Lions with no points for the week, and dropped them down to 3rd place in the league with only two games remaining.  Their last home game is this upcoming Saturday at 1:00pm.  Go watch them if you haven’t yet this year!

Up next is great news for the Lions.  Last week they held a press conference to announce that Dayton has been promoted to the USL Championship League (formerly USL-2).  In addition the Lions announced they will be creating a new women’s team to compete next year in the USL W-League.  This is a pretty amazing jump after only a single year of play, but clearly the Lions administration has a specific goal in mind for their organization and the USL must clearly see them as an asset.  The Lions will no longer be playing regional teams in a separate division of the PDL, but six seasoned teams from in the Northeastern region of the US.  This will be more challenging play for the Lions, but it will help in just about every aspect of the program including exposure, attendance, increased skill level, etc.  The Lions are on their way to create true major league athletes that could end up playing across the globe.

Did I hear rumors of them considering construction of their own stadium?  Ehh, I can’t back that up, but bring it on guys!

On a brief note to the Dutch Lion’s brothers who played in the World Cup Championship yesterday, my condolences.  It was a very hard fought game, with yellow cards flying every where and more flopping players than should respectfully appear on world-wide television.  Both teams were playing pretty….. strongly, and though I lament the loss to Spain for our adopted Netherlands, at least they didn’t win the game off of a dirty free kick call after tripping over their own feet and falling to the ground in the most unconvincing display of pain ever televised…  They set up a good run and made a good shot, end of story.

A quick note here, Cassandra Lloyd has been selected as the Horizon League Outdoor Track & Field Female Co-Athlete of the Year.  The first time for a Wright State athlete as I understand it.

I’ve mentioned the last few weeks about Wright State baseball athletes picked up by professional teams, so I wanted to take the time to note that  Cole Tyrell, a former Flyer who was selected in the 2010 draft by the San Diego Padres, has been promoted to their Single A club, the Eugene Emeralds, congrats, Cole, best of luck out there.

Football season is fast approaching, and Phil Steel’s College Football Preview has recognized seven Flyers to be on it’s pre-season All-Pioneer team.  Since I’m completely uneducated in Flyer’s football, I guess I had better start doing some reading before September gets here shouldn’t I?  Phew, there is going to be a lot to keep up with when college lets back in, isn’t there?

Well, I’m out, we’ll be back next week with more tidbits and updates on your favorite local sports, and until then, go watch a game in Dayton!

I AM LOVE – Don’t Miss This Gem!

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Hello Everyone.

Tomorrow, THE NEON begins the engagement of my favorite film from last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. I saw 31 films in 9 days, and I AM LOVE – starring Tilda Swinton – took my breath away and came out on top. Don’t miss this film on the big screen.

Perhaps you’ve read one of the stunning reviews from any number of sources. Jay Weissberg of VARIETY gave the film a 100% review. He wrote, “In every sense, I AM LOVE is a stunning achievement.”
Erica Abeel of HUFFINGTON POST has similar feelings to mine about the film – “Is it possible to be addicted to a movie? I’ve watched I AM LOVE three times, and I can feel an urge coming on for a fourth fix. A rapturously beautiful film.”

In addition to a beautiful film, we’ve got a great promotion in place. Foodies are loving the exquisite food offerings in the film…so we have decided to partner with a wonderful restaurant just a few blocks away – Coco’s Bistro on Wayne Avenue. Karen Wick, owner of Coco’s, screened I AM LOVE a couple weeks ago and immediately had menu ideas. While THE NEON is playing I AM LOVE, you can use a NEON ticket stub to receive 15% off your meal at Coco’s. If you go to Coco’s first, you can use your dining receipt to receive a buy 1 get 1 ticket to I AM LOVE at THE NEON. (Offer only valid on the same day.) If you visit Coco’s for dinner, you can try their special feature – Prawnographic Risotto…based on a scene from the film.

Synopsis for I AM LOVE: “I AM LOVE tells the story of the wealthy Recchi family, whose lives are undergoing sweeping changes. Eduardo Sr., the family patriarch, has decided to name a successor to the reigns of his massive industrial company, surprising everyone by splitting power between his son Tancredi, and grandson Edo. But Edo dreams of opening a restaurant with his friend Antonio, a handsome and talented chef. At the heart of the family is Tancredi’s wife Emma (Tilda Swinton), a Russian immigrant who has adopted the culture of Milan. An adoring and attentive mother, her existence is shocked to the core when she falls quickly and deeply in love with Edo’s friend and partner Antonio, and embarks on a passionate love affair that will change her family forever.” (Magnolia Pictures)

Lastly, we’re holding onto both HARRY BROWN and THE SQUARE for one more week. On July 16th, we’ll start what’s looking to be the indie hit of the summer – CYRUS.

We hope to see you very soon!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for July 9 – July 15:

THE SQUARE (R) 105 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 5:10, 9:45
Monday – Thursday: 5:10

HARRY BROWN (R) 103 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:40, 2:50, 7:30
Monday – Thursday: 2:50, 7:30

I AM LOVE (R) 120 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:10, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 9:50
Monday – Thursday: 2:30, 5:15, 7:45

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.
July 16 CYRUS
July 30 WINTER’S BONE
July 30 THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Aug. 20 THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE
Sept. 10 FAREWELL
TBD – JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK
TBD – MICMACS

Yellow Springs Experience: An Immersion into Art & Culture

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The last time I visited Yellow Springs, I went used book shopping at Dark Star Books, walked the trails at the beautiful Glen Helen Nature Preserve and ate a delicious lunch at the popular Ha Ha Pizza eatery.

It was a good reprieve from the my day-to-day stresses.

A day in the eclectic, bohemian village can be a refreshing and invigorating experience.

Just imagine what 10 days can be.

Starting this weekend, Yellow Springs invites the region to become acquainted with everything that makes it special in the form of a 10-day art and cultural extravaganza called Yellow Springs Experience. From July 9-18, the village will be bustling with a flurry of cultural activities. Over 80 events ranging from visual arts workshops, wellness classes, theater and dance performances and art exhibits are scheduled, creating a 360-degree immersive shared experience. The goal was to capture the essence of the community, says Yellow Springs Arts Council administrator Carole Braun.

“There was always the Antioch Writer’s Workshop and the Yellow Springs Kids Playhouse,” says Braun “There were a couple of things that happen in the summer. This is an attempt by the arts council to put together some of the things that were a backbone of entertainment and culture in Yellow Springs. We thought we would try and pull together everything. So there are astrology classes, a sustainable building and farm tours… Glen Helen ecocamps. We tried to get a little bit of everything so that people can experience the flavor of Yellow Springs.”

Events will be located at various venues throughout the village, including Antioch College which will present “Letters Home from Freedom Summer”, a public reading of select writings of some of the over 600 students who organized non-violent protests of the segregation policies of Mississippi in the summer of 1964. “We’ve been able to pull in our educational institutions,” says Karen Wintrow, executive director of the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce. “This community is really strong on education.

“Our  job is to bring people to Yellow Springs,” she adds. “We think the festival embodies everything we’re about.”

Braun is optimistic that this will be an annual celebration.  “We’d like to make it a yearly event,” she says. “We’re already excited about next year!”

Most events are ticketed, including those that are free. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.yellow-springs-experience.org, which also offers a complete list of events.

What can you expect from the 10-day Yellow Springs Experience? Here is a partial listing of some of the events scheduled:

The Grand Hoopla YS Experience Launch Party at the YS Arts Council – July 9, 4-7 p.m.

The Red Tent Women’s Self-Nourishing Time – Daily, 2-4 p.m.

YS Kids Playhouse: The Conference of the Birds – Thursday – Sunday, 7:30 p.m.

Skate Music Fest & Battle of the Bands – July 11, 3-8 p.m.

Cirque Carnival on Dayton Street – July 16, 6-10p.m.

WYSO “Are You Listening” Group Listening Experience, AACW Poetry Jam, movies nightly at the Little Art Theatre, wheel-thrown pottery workshops, yoga meditation, and much more!

Click here for the full experience.

2 Local Premieres + Special Coco’s News!

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Hello Everyone.

In addition to holding PLEASE GIVE for limited screenings, THE NEON will open 2 new films – HARRY BROWN (starring NEON favorite Michael Caine) and THE SQUARE (a thriller that has drawn many critical comparisons to the Coen Brothers).

Synopsis for HARRY BROWN: “Academy Award nominee Daniel Barber makes his feature directorial debut with this gritty critique on contemporary British society starring Michael Caine as an elderly shut-in who’s spurred to action by a senseless act of violence. Harry Brown (Caine) resides in a desolate public-housing apartment block as his sickly wife lies dying in a local hospital. He spends most of his days in solitude, only getting out to play the occasional game of chess at a nearby pub with his best friend, Leonard. The days of basic human decency seem to be a thing of the past, because in recent years barbarous drug dealers and gangsters have overtaken the dilapidated complex. Killing is a way of life for these young thugs, and as a result overburdened detectives Frampton (Emily Mortimer) and Hicock are essentially relegated to knocking on doors and notifying parents when their children have been killed in the latest fracas, instead of investigating the crimes and jailing the guilty parties. When Leonard is murdered just feet from his own apartment, former Royal Marine Harry utilizes the skills he learned while fighting the IRA to take on the aggressive chavs who have intimidated the police into inaction.” (Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide)

Synopsis for THE SQUARE: “Temptation turns a man’s life upside down in this noir-influenced thriller from Australia. Ray Yale (David Roberts) is a construction worker who is married to Martha (Lucy Bell) and is helping to build an upscale resort hotel just outside Sydney. Ray isn’t entirely happy in his marriage, and his roving eye has become focused on Carla (Claire van der Boom), a hairdresser who lives next door. Carla is married to a low-level mobster, Greg (Anthony Hayes), but she craves excitement and is soon having a torrid affair with Ray. Carla knows that Greg has a large bundle of cash hidden in their home, and she hatches a scheme she shares with Ray — they steal they money, set fire to the house, and run off together, with Greg imagining the cash was lost in the blaze. While Ray isn’t interested in a life of crime, he can’t say no to Carla, but when he develops cold feet at the last minute, his attempts to reach Billy (Joel Edgerton), who was hired to torch the house, are unsuccessful, and things take a turn for the worse…” (Mark Deming, All Movie Guide)

I’m very excited about next Friday. On July 9th, we open I AM LOVE – my favorite film from last year’s Toronto Film Fest. I AM LOVE, with an incredible lead performance by Tilda Swinton, has a very interesting food element entwined in the film. Because it seems like a perfect match, we’re partnering with Coco’s Bistro – on Wayne Avenue – during the film’s engagement. Karen Wick, owner of Coco’s, screened I AM LOVE a couple weeks ago and immediately had ideas of a special menu that ties in with the film. While THE NEON is playing I AM LOVE, you can use a NEON ticket stub to receive 15% off your meal at Coco’s. If you go to Coco’s first, you can use your dining receipt to receive a buy 1 get 1 ticket to I AM LOVE at THE NEON. (Offer only valid on the same day.) You won’t want to miss I AM LOVE on the big screen. I promise you…it’s incredible!! Mark your calendars.

We hope to see you soon!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for July 2 – July 8:

THE SQUARE (R) 105 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:30, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40
Monday – Thursday: 5:00, 7:20

HARRY BROWN (R) 103 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:40, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 9:45
Monday – Thursday: 2:50, 5:10, 7:30

PLEASE GIVE (R) 90 Minutes
Friday – Thursday: 2:45

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.
July 9 I AM LOVE (My favorite from Toronto!)
July 16 CYRUS
July 30 WINTER’S BONE
July 30 THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Aug. 20 THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE
Sept. 10 FAREWELL
TBD – JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK
TBD – MICMACS

Cleaning House at THE NEON

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Hello Everyone.

Though many audience members really connected with MOTHER AND CHILD, attendance was quite weak…so it has to be on its way out the door. Thursday will be the film’s last day at THE NEON. On Friday, we will start 2 new films – HARRY BROWN (starring Michael Caine) and THE SQUARE (an Australian thriller that Ain’t It Cool News says is “The best film noir since BODY HEAT.”)

My full update will come later in the week.
We hope to see you soon!
Jonathan

Dayton Sports Weekly Update: 6/28/2010

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Week four at the Weekly Update!  That seems like a milestone for me that I should probably write down somewhere.  Hope a couple of you went out and saw a game this last weekend despite the insane heat again.  Here we go.

Ouch, The Dragons had a rough weekend away from home against the Lansing Lugnuts.  They fought some hard games but alas were swept in the series.  This will make the third time this year that the Dragons have lost every game in a series against Lansing.  The only time they have been successful was actually their very first series of the year in which they swept Lansing.  The first game of the series on Friday was a 7-6 loss.  I’ve mentioned the last three weeks that Dayton’s losses frequently have been very close, usually coming by one run which can be difficult for a struggling team.  Out of the Dragon’s last 9 losses including this weekend, 6 of them have been by one run, one was by two and the other was by 4 back against Beloit earlier this month.  Of  course the other one was the Saturday game which was lost 4-1.  That’s not to say there wasn’t a fight, in fact, Friday and Sunday’s (a 5-4 loss) games were both taken into extra inning, and both time the Dragons fell short in the 11th.  I’ll spare you any of the details this week unless you’d like to go read the game wrap ups, but let’s just say there isn’t a lot of great news there right now.

The Dragons have got to show up against Fort Wayne early this week.  They just finished a series with them, all three games were decided by one run (1 win 2 losses) and that little bit of extra effort needs to show here or else this downward spiral might continue.  On the plus side, this weekend during City Folk, they will be home against the Great Lakes Loons again.  Despite the Loon’s great away win record, Dayton has had great luck against them all year.  Let’s hope they can keep it up.

UPDATE: 6/30/2010 Well apparently the Gems press conference was cancelled, stating “unforseen circumstances” as the cause. Your guess is as good as mine as to what this means. It could be someone couldn’t make it today, or it could mean something really big has happened, but we’ll let you know if anything comes up.

Hey guess what?  New head coach to be announced this Wednesday, June 30th.  Bout darn time right?  Check back here for an update on that on Wednesday.  There is also some interesting news involving an 18th team to the new CHL this year.  I mentioned a few weeks ago that two IHL teams would not be making the transfer over as a result of various problems, (Port Huron Icehawks and the Muskegon Lumberjacks)  As it turns out the single -A hockey team in Evansville has purchased the team and transferred them play for their own Icemen.  This means that Evansville will now be playing in the IHL, from the AAHL (getting confused yet?) and we have already mentioned that the IHL and CHL will be tenatively merging before the start of next season SO..  Muskegon will be with the new league in a sense, combine… sort of…, with the already existing Evansville Icemen.

Remember to check back, hopefully we’ll have some news on the Gems’ new coach

The Dayton Dutch Lions managed another loss-less week which included a tie against the Cincinnati Kings and a win against League leader, the Chicago Fire.  The only thing keeping The Lions out of first place right now is the amount of ties they have had.  Although this is definitely better than having a bunch of losses, you can see the main difference between the Fire and the Lions are the Fire’s two extra wins.  Even though they actually have 3 losses to the Lion’s 1, those wins make all the difference in the long run.  Still, the win against Chicago has put Dayton back within two points of the lead, which on the flip side makes having only 1 loss so important.

The Lions were in a prime position to have the lead in the League this week as a matter of fact, as they played a commanding game against Cincinnati.  They took a lead of 2-0 for the majority of the game, and looked as if win was inevitable but Cincinnati wasn’t going to go down without a fight and managed a score at the 70th minute of the game. Though a few free kicks were given to the Lions over the next few minutes, they could not capitalize on them and a potential 3-1 win went belly up as the Kings scored a second time in the 86th minute of the game.  Instead of going home with 3 points (which would put Dayton on top of Chicago this week by 1)  they had to settle for 1 point in a tie.  It should be noted that an estimated 75% of the fans in Cincinnati ths weekend were Dutch Lions fans.

The great victory this week was against the Chicago Fire.  It was a stunted first half however, as the score remained 0-0 after 45.  But shortly after the teams entered the field again, a cross kick from Bas Ent to Geert den Ouden would fly right past the King’s keeper to make it a 1-0 game after 55 minutes.  Defense prevailed for a while but as the 89th minute approached, and the game was winding down, den Ouden was there again, this time with the set up for George Davis IV, scoring another goal as regulation came to an end.  With 5 minutes of stopage time however the Chicago Fire managed to get a good shot off to make the ending result 2-1, and handing the Lions a great victory.  The next game up is against the Michigan Bucks on July 3rd.  I probably won’t be there as downtown will be calling my name, but best of luck to the Lions, another win will keep them in contention for the playoffs.

Would you believe there isn’t any new postings for the Raiders this week?  I had mentioned two weeks ago that former Wright State Pitcher Alex Kaminsky had signed with the Cleveland Indians earlier this year.  In his first game with the Indian’s Single-A affiliate, the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, he threw 5 shutout innings, striking out  4, and won his professional debut game.  Congratulations!

Also it should be noted that Jon Durket signed with the Lake Erie Crushers of the Independent Frontier League as the 3rd free agent this year to enter into professional baseball.  This makes 5 Raiders that have joined the professional ranks this year, the most of any team Wright State has produced, best of luck to all of you guys out there.

Some good news for Flyers women basketball, as they have been awarded a grant for program funding.  This will hopefully build on a lot of momentum that Flyer’s women’s basketball has had over the last year or so.  The intention of the grant is to help increase awareness of the team and the games they play through various outlets and hopefully increase attendance at games.  People should know about this women’s team;  last year The Flyers won their first ever top 10 game with a victory over Michigan State, appeared in the AP and ESPN top 25 for the first time, held an average attendance of 3404 which was highest in the Atlantic 10, 34th highest in the country and if I might add, quite a bit better than some of Dayton’s professional team attendance from last year and this year, and finished last year’s season a staggering 25-8 which ties a modern-era record for most victories in a season.  Congratulations UD, that’s outstanding news.

That’s all for this week, I’m out!  Enjoy this weekend, City Folk is a blast, and with the new pavilion downtown, there isn’t any reason to not be there!

Great Director & Incredible Cast – Now Playing – MOTHER AND CHILD!

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Hello Everyone.

MOTHER AND CHILD, the new film starring Annette Bening, Naomi Watts and Kerry Washington, was directed by Rodrigo Garcia – director of the films THINGS YOU CAN TELL JUST BY LOOKING AT HER and NINE LIVES as well as episodes of some incredible television shows like THE SOPRANOS, SIX FEET UNDER and IN TREATMENT. We hope you’ll come out to see this new film which Rex Reed has given a 100% review – stating, “A flawless film of heartrending realism about the eternal chord that binds parents and children and the emptiness when they are separated.”

Synopsis for MOTHER AND CHILD: “Three women’s lives share a common core: they have all been profoundly affected by adoption. Karen placed a baby for adoption at age 14 and has been haunted ever since by the daughter she never knew. Elizabeth grew up as an adopted child; she’s a bright and ambitious lawyer, but a flinty loner in her personal life. Lucy is just embarking with her husband on the adoption odyssey, hoping for the opportunity to become parents.” (Sony Picture Classics)

PLEASE GIVE will stick around for another week…audiences are loving it!

Be sure to check out our coming attractions below.

We hope to see you soon!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for June 25 – July 1:

MOTHER AND CHILD (R) 125 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:15, 4:00, 7:15, 9:45
Monday – Thursday: 2:30, 5:00, 7:30

PLEASE GIVE (R) 90 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20, 9:30
Monday – Thursday: 3:10, 5:15, 7:20

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.
July 2 HARRY BROWN
July 9 I AM LOVE (My favorite from Toronto!)
July 16 CYRUS
July 30 WINTER’S BONE
July 30 THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Aug. 20 THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE
Sept. 10 FAREWELL
TBD – JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK
TBD – MICMACS
TBD – THE SQUARE

Dayton Sports Weekly Update: 6/21/2010

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Wow, is it just me or has summer hit full swing already? The sun was so bright I thought I’d see Leo the Lion pass right out at Baujan Field this last Saturday. Here is you weekly update for June 21st.

It’s been a pretty solid week for the Dragons, losing their first series away against the Fort Wayne Tin Caps, and winning their second against the Great Lake Loons in Dayton.  It made for a great weekend unless you saw them play on Sunday afternoon. Dayton had swept their series with Wisconsin to end last week and seemed to bring some confidence to the team as they travelled to Fort Wayne on Tuesday. Over the first 8 innings the Dragons scored 9 runs against the Tin Caps who only returned 4 until the top of the ninth, where they drove in another 4 on reliever Chase Ware, but managed to save the game with a final score of 9-8 to extend the Dragon’s winning streak to 4.  The rest of the series would be disappointing however, as the Dragons would drop the next two, both again by one run, 5-4 on Wednesday, 6-5 on Thursday.

Dayton came home to play over the weekend and managed two solid wins against the Great Lakes Loons who are not only near the top of the League standings but have been very dangerous on the road this year.  Friday night the Dragons had only 5 hits by 5 different players but made them count.  A home run in the second by Tommy Nurre, and one by Josh Garton in the 4th (his 8th of the season) with a man on base was all it took to win the game.  Saturday’s match went from a long night followed by a last minute clincher.  A no score evening seemed wrapped up when the Dragons scored two at the top of the ninth but oddly the Loons felt they had something to say about that and tied up the game with two runs of their own.  Three more innings provided no avail but then at the top of the 13th, the Loons got a runner in and were ahead 3-2.  The Dragons, not to be detoured, cracked out a single from Frank Pfister, and one from Chase Weems.  A bobbled ball by a Loon’s outfielder gave Pfister enough time to round the bases and get home.  One last line drive from Didi Gregorious into right field gave Weems all the time he needed to round third and make it home, the crowd goes wild, Dragons win, 4-3. This is followed up by a less than exciting loss this Sunday 7-5, but how about we just keep that one in the record books?

The Dragons will play away once more this upcoming weekend against Lansing who is  touch above their next opponent, Fort Wayne.  That series will be at home starting next Monday.  Both have pretty similar records right now, at around .520.  The Dragons can improve their standing by taking a few of these games, but it won’t be easy.  There is a pretty big gap between both of those teams and the Dragons, but perhaps since they just finished a series with Fort Wayne, they can be better prepared and know what to expect.

There isn’t much to report for the Gems this week. There hasn’t really been any news out of the CHL, and there is still no word on a possible head coach, or players for that matter.  Check back for more later.

The Dutch Lions had a very difficult week that resulted in not a single victory.  As I mentioned last week the Lions had 3 games on their plate.  The first was up against the Rochester Rhinos in the US Lamar Hunt Open Cup.  A difficult loss of 2-0 for the Lions was a shame but for a first year team in the PDL, they did the city of Dayton proud simply by making it as a result of their undefeated season at that point.  The second stop came on Thursday the 17th, a league match against the Cleveland Internationals.  The Lions started off at a slow trudge but ended up out shooting Cleveland most of the evening.  Though the resulting 2-2 draw doesn’t indicate that, an aggressive offense helped save the Lions from a second loss in league play (or in a row for that matter) and we continue  to see them near the top of the standings.  Lastly the Dutch Lions came home to Dayton on Saturday evening to take on the Columbus Crew of the MLS.  I think like many I had assumed that the Crew would not be playing their starters in this game.  That is nothing against the Lions, but the MLS clearly stands a head above the rest and an exhibition match against a 2008 MLS championship team seemed an unlikely win.  Yet on walked the starters and we all knew we were in for a ride.  Dayton came out lethargic, and who could blame them?  It was unsure to know how the game was going to go, but with the Crew scoring in the first 15 minutes they seemed to snap out of it and kept them from making any impressive shots on goal for the remaining first half, while the Lions, though developed some potentially great shots, failed to capitalize on any of them.

The Crew came out in the second half filled with almost all of their starters and things got ugly as they drove in two more goals past Keeper Oscar Moens.  Though many valiant efforts kept the score way lower than it could have been, the Crew took home the win, 3-0.  Three games in a week will put a kink in any team, and the Lions really tested their metal out there against some traditionally great opponents.  Though I’m sure we would have loved to see a win squeaked by at Rochester or against The Crew, there is always next year.

Dayton has an away game early this week against Cincinnati, and another home game this Saturday against the Chicago Fire.  No, not the MLS team, their PDL development team of the same name.  Aught to be a great match though.

There still isn’t a whole lot going on around Campus, but Wright State’s Men’s basketball coach Billy Donlon announced the hiring of an assistant coach by the name of Chris Moore.  Moore has been an assistant coach and recruiter at Morehead State.  He has been credited for signing two top 40 classes at Morehead State, as well as assisting the team that made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2009.  This is an exciting move for Wright State.  If he can snag the talent he’s been getting in the last few years and have them follow him to Dayton, the Raiders could be seeing a spot in The Tournament again real soon.

Speaking of all this news with The Dayton Dutch Lions and The Rochester Rhinos, the Flyers have a great article up about former player Issac Kissi.  Kissi, now a member of the Rhinos was recently interviewed (though the articles doesn’t mention the journalist responsible.)  He shares some interesting information about his time as a Flyer as well as his budding professional career.

That’s all for now, see you next week!  Since the Dragons wont’ be home until next Monday I expect to see Miami Valley South Stadium packed to capacity!  After all with the World Cup in full swing, it’s soccer season!  And if getting up at 7:30 in the morning to watch a live game from Africa isn’t exactly your idea of fun (or you can’t think of a good way to explain that to your boss) then an evening with the Lions might be just right.

New Comedy – PLEASE GIVE – Now Playing!

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Hello Everyone.

The new comedy from Nicole Holofcener – starring Catherine Keener, Amanda Peet, and Oliver Platt – starts its exclusive engagement at THE NEON today. PLEASE GIVE has received “A” reviews from THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, THE LA TIMES and more.

Synopsis for PLEASE GIVE: “A family looking for some extra space gets drawn into a difficult relationship with the folks next door in this comedy drama from writer and director Nicole Holofcener. Kate (Catherine Keener) and Alex (Oliver Platt) are a couple living in New York City who run a successful store specializing in vintage furniture. Kate and Alex have a teenage daughter, Abby (Sarah Steele) and their apartment is starting to feel a bit small for the three of them; Kate and Alex own the unit next door to them, and once the flat becomes vacant, they plan to knock out a wall and take over the space. However, Andra (Ann Morgan Guilbert), their tenant, is an elderly woman with a poor disposition who doesn’t seem eager to go anywhere soon, and it’s occurred to Kate and Alex that they’re probably going to have wait for her to die, since evicting her would be very awkward. Hoping to make the best of the situation, Kate tries to strike up a friendship with Andra and her fiercely protective granddaughter Rebecca (Rebecca Hall), but Andra isn’t especially interested in making new friends, and Rebecca’s sister, Mary (Amanda Peet), isn’t much easier to deal with.” (Mark Deming, All Movie Guide)
Visit www.sonyclassics.com/pleasegive for more details about the film.

Be sure to check out our coming attractions below…dates have changed, and our line-up is getting better and better.

And don’t forget that THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES, winner of “Best Foreign Film” at this year’s Academy Awards, is still playing at THE NEON. Check out this fun clip of the score’s composer directing the Argentine National Symphony in front of 1.7 million people!!

Thanks for your continued support of THE NEON
We hope to see you soon!
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for June 18 – June 24:

THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES (R) 127 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:15, 4:00, 7:15, 9:45
Monday – Thursday: 2:30, 5:00, 7:30

PLEASE GIVE (R) 90 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20, 9:30
Monday – Thursday: 3:10, 5:15, 7:20

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.
June 25 MOTHER AND CHILD
July 2 HARRY BROWN
July 9 I AM LOVE (My favorite from Toronto!)
July 16 CYRUS
July 30 WINTER’S BONE
July 30 THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Aug. 20 THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE
TBD – JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK
TBD – MICMACS
TBD – THE SQUARE

Extraordinary Days

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Ordinary Days at The Human Race Theatre Co.Ordinary Days at The Loft

It isn’t often that patrons in ANY city get the rare theatrical opportunity currently occurring Downtown Dayton. Currently housed in an extended run in the Schuster Center is – for many – the gold standard for musical theater goers all over the world – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s now iconic THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. But quietly, intimately, and indeed passionately next door at The Loft, the next generation of musical theater writers is being heralded in by a young composer named Adam Gwon and his remarkable musical ORDINARY DAYS – thanks to the amazing staff and cast at The Human Race Theatre Company. Ordinary Days is anything but ordinary. The small in size – large on theme – musical evening explores several interconnected stories against the backdrop of New York City’s bustling contemporary culture. The music is contemporary – the lyrics are brilliant – the cast is engaging.

Adam Gwon, composer/lyricist of Ordinary Days

Adam Gwon, composer/lyricist of Ordinary Days

I cannot tell you strongly enough how important it is for the future of this artform that as patrons – we make the decision to not make only ‘safe’ choices with our entertainment dollars. Remember that once upon a time someone (whose name no one remembers) told Sir Lloyd Webber that a musical based on Gaston Leroux’s Gothic tale of a creeper with mommy issues stalking a young ingénue was a HORRIBLE idea for a musical. Someone lost their job over that one I am certain. So as wonderful as it is to JOIN an already exciting bandwagon – also take the time to be there from the start of one as well. And Ordinary Days and Mr. Gwon himself are poised to take this industry by storm sooner rather than later.

Ordinary Days continues through June 27 at The Loft.

The Human Race Theatre Company’s executive director Kevin Moore & Ordinary Days composer/lyricist Adam Gwon were recently featured on MusicalWorld discussing the journey that Ordinary Days took to Dayton, Ohio:

Additional Local Theater News:

Opening This Weekend:  BCT’s The Who’s Tommy

Cast of BCT's "The Who's Tommy"

BCT's "The Who's Tommy" with Dean Swann, Aiden Kesson, Lynn Kesson

Beavercreek Community Theatre wraps up its 2009-2010 season with the classic 60s rock opera “The Who’s Tommy.”

Pete Townsend’s tale of a young boy, who becomes catatonic after witnessing the murder of his mother’s lover by his father, will be presented at 8 p.m. on June 18, 19, 25 and 26 and at 3 p.m. on June 20 and 27.

The show includes many hits by The Who including “The Acid Queen,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Sensation,” “We’re Not Gonna Take It.” “See Me, Feel Me” and “Listening to You.

Matt Curry in BCT's "The Who's Tommy."

Matt Curry of Dayton portrays the adolescent Tommy. His parents are played by Dean Swann and Lynn Kesson, also of Dayton. In additiona, the cast includes Matt Owens of Beavercreek, Megan Vonder Kolk and Megan Grabiel of Fairborn, Rick Burnette of Huber Heights, Jillian Varner of Bellbrook, Malcolm Walker of Sidney, T.C. Schreier and Nick Moberg of Springfield, Leah Kushmaul and Montana Iverson of Springboro and Dayton residents Mike Stockstill, Aiden Kesson and Jenna Burnette.

The show, directed by Chris Harmon of Beavercreek, is an Edge of the Creek production, which means it is for mature audiences.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $11 for BCT members, students, and senior citizens.  A group discount of $1 per ticket is available to groups of 10 or more purchased at the same time for the same performance.

Beavercreek Community Theatre is located within the Lofino Adult Enrichment and Cultural Arts Center at 3868 Dayton-Xenia Road in Beavercreek.

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(this week’s ridiculously cheesy sign-off)

Extra, extra, read all about it!  Pinball Wizard in a miracle cure!
Extra, extra, read all about it! Right now, right now, story and pictures
to show times, lessons and actors…
Extra, extra!  onStageDayton with Shane & Dave
only on Dayton Most Metro!

For more Information & Tickets, visit:

Ordinary Days (through June 27) Call Ticket Center Stage at  (937) 228-3630 or visit http://www.ticketcenterstage.com

The Phantom of the Opera (through June 27) Call Ticket Center Stage at  (937) 228-3630 or visit http://www.ticketcenterstage.com

The Who’s Tommy (June 18-27) Contact BCT Box Office at boxoffice@bctheatre.org or (937) 429-4737  or visit http://www.bctheatre.org

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: Johnathan Larson’s RENT, [title of show] & Next Thing You Know.

Casting Call

Beavercreek Community Theatre will hold open auditions for  “The Spitfire Grill” at 7 p.m.  July 5 and 6 at the theater, located within the the Lofino Adult Enrichment and Cultural Arts Center at 3868 Dayton-Xenia Road in Beavercreek.

Doug Lloyd will direct the show, which will be presented on September 17, 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26.  The vocal director will be Dr. James Tipps and the choreographer will be Stacy Gear.

Those wishing to audition should prepare a one-minute Broadway-style song that “shows your belting abilities.”

There will also be cold readings from the script and those auditioning will be taught and asked to perform a short dance number.

For more information call 429-4737, email bctheatre@bctheatre.org or visit the theater’s Web site at www.bctheatre.org.