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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.

__________________________________________

(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.

2 Audience Favorites Are Leaving THE NEON

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Hello Everyone.

Just a couple quick notes. Two films that audiences have been loving are heading out. Thursday will be your last chance to catch CITY ISLAND and BABIES at THE NEON.  For showtimes, please visit www.neonmovies.com.

On Friday, we will open PLEASE GIVE – the new Sundance hit from Nicole Holofcener – starring the fantastic Catherine Keener.

Tickets for Thursday’s screenings of PATRIK, AGE 1.5 are starting to move. If you want to attend the screening with the panel discussion (7:00pm), I’d recommend getting your ticket in advance or arriving earlier than usual. (There are still plenty of tickets left for the 9:40 screening.) Click the poster below to find out more about the film – winner of the San Francisco Frameline Film Festival’s Audience Award in 2009.

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

“Real Person” Review Provided at JumpstART

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So, do you ever wonder what YOU would think of a concert, theatre performance, or art opening?   It seems like the people who review these things professionally are just that – professionals who already love the stuff.  So – their complaints are so specific and detailed that the review is above your head or when they like it it seems like they they know so much about the history of the show and all the actors – it’s like they’re laughing at inside jokes.  What about the rest of us?  What about if you’re wondering if this would be a good date night and what you have to wear?  Check out JumpstART‘s reviews of local arts events.  Most recently posted – Arts Jumper SP comments on Ordinary Days at The Human Race Theatre Co.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/jumpstart/review-ordinary-days-a-musical/434082364852

Did you see the show yet?  What do you think?

Dayton Sports Weekly Update: 6/14/2010

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Good Morning , here are last weeks sports stories from Dayton Ohio, just in case you may have missed them:

The Dragons did pretty well this last week.  Though they didn’t see any action at home, they did win 4 games out of 6 including a double header this last Saturday that resulted from a postponed game on Friday against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.  In the first game of the day, the Dragons managed their second shutout game of the year as well as their largest margin of victory by defeating Wisconsin 10-0. Outfielder Cameron Satterwhite has been on fire this year, hitting .476 over the last 10 games and .375 for the season.  He had hits at his first three at bats during the first game of the double header, and achieved his first professional home run that night.  Starting pitcher Jacob Johnson won his third straight decision, with 5 scoreless innings; Chase Ware and Jason Braun finished up the game.  The Dragons started the second game of the double header by taking the lead in the third inning with a 3 man home run by Chris Richburg (.258).  Wisconsin fought back later in the game but never regained the lead.

As I had hoped, the Dragons made a good drive against some less prominent teams in the league but dropping two against Beloit helped them get above .500 this week.  Fort Wayne is up early this coming week, but the Dragons still have a good chance at starting strong against them.  The Dragons have won 4 of 6 games against the Tin Caps this year, including a three game sweep in early May.  This weekend however 5/3rd field will expectantly be packed for a series against the Great Lakes Loons.  The Dragons have only played the Loons one other time this year, splitting a four game series 2-2.  The Loons have a dangerously good win percentage while playing away (almost .700), so the Dragons need to keep on their feet and show the Loons who’s house it is.

There hasn’t been too much word from the Gems in the last week, and we’re still waiting on the announcement of who is going to actually coach the Gems next year but all was not quiet on the hockey front.  As the merger between the CHL and IHL continues to develop, two IHL teams have announced they will not be playing next year:  The Flint Generals and the Port Huron Icehawks.  Including 13 returning teams from the CHL, that will make for a total of 17 teams to be split into two conferences.  These haven’t been decided yet but most likely Dayton will still be playing it’s three adversaries of the IHL from last year.  Last time I noted that Dayton is unlikely to continue busing it’s team from game to game, but upon examining the likely conference alignments, there is a pretty good chance few flights may ever be scheduled unless they end up making it to the playoffs.  This is definitely positive, but it will mean The Gems will have quite a few long rides ahead of them in comparison to last year.  Still, if they were playing in the ECHL, it would be the same story.  Here is hoping these two leagues can come to an agreement quickly on how to merge together before the seasons starts.

The Dayton Dutch Lions started last week with their first loss of the season.  An uneasy loss of 4-1 against the Indiana Invaders on Wednesday could have meant signs of trouble, but the Lions found redemption back at their home field against the Toronto Lynx three days later on Saturday 2-0.  Whatever it was they put in those boys’ coffee that morning most have done the job because they out shot Toronto 14-4.  Mounting frustration and unnecessary tackles from Toronto was awarded with 5 yellow cards and an ejection of their coaching staff.  I was at that game and the swears coming off the field from Lynx players were loud enough to silence the crowd in the stands.  Their aggravation was palpable, needless to say.  It only mounted as the second goal from the DDL would come late in the second half as Steven McCarthy pitched the ball back into play near the Lynx goal and with a confounding luck and lack of an organized defense by Toronto, managed to fling the ball right into the net.  The game paused around the 85th minute for inclement weather, but was resumed only 15 minutes afterwords, and the Lions took home the win before the clouds opened up that night.

The Lions have 3 games over the next 6 days.  As stated last week, they will be travelling to Rochester NY for the first match against the Rochester Rhinos in the US Lamar Hunt Open Cup.  On the 17th they’ll play The Cleveland Internationals, and Saturday will be back in town to face The Columbus Crew of the MLS at Baujan Sports Field.  Buy your Tickets.  Good luck Lions!

I will squeak out a few headlines here:

Several Wright State Baseball players have joined the professional ranks during this years draft.  Gerald Ogrinc has signed as a free agent with the Milwakee Brewers and Alex Kaminsky has signed with the independant Northern League. Relief Pitcher Greg Robinson signed with the Arizona Dimondbacks, and second basemen Aaron Fields was drafted by the Cleveland Indians.   Not a whole lot else floating around in Raider territory at the moment but congratulations to all those guys.

Last week I had mentioned two track athletes that were competing in the NCAA track and field championship this year.  Some news here about how they did.  Katie Nagoette finished 17th overall in the pole vault.  Junior Mallory Barns placed 19th in the hammer throw and is Dayton’s first ever All-American in track an field.  This is a dry spell for any collegiate sports, heck the next date listed on the Flyers page is in August, so that will tell you how quiet the summer can be.  Still, as I mentioned before, things will start to pick up for both the Flyers and the Raiders in the next few months, but for now, I humbly pass along the news that is passed to me.

Take care for another week.  There will be great games going on in Dayton next weekend with both the Dragons and the Lions, so what are you waiting for?  Get to a game!

Academy Award Winner Starts Friday!

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Hello Everyone.

NEON patrons have been asking for it…and it’s finally here. THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES, this year’s winner of “Best Foreign Film” at the Academy Awards, starts Friday – exclusively at THE NEON.

If you still need to see MOTHER, you only have through Thursday to see it at THE NEON. BABIES and CITY ISLAND will stick around for another week.

Synopsis for THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES: “Benjamín, a former criminal court employee, wants to write a novel about an Argentine case from the 1970s in which a woman was raped and murdered. He confides his intentions to a judge with whom he’s been secretly smitten for years, but she expresses reservations about the idea… Meanwhile, flashbacks set up the central story, unfolding in 1970s Argentina. In that narrative, Argentina has fallen under the control of a military junta and a fair trial has become an increasingly uncommon event in that nation’s courts. A woman is found raped and murdered while her husband was at work, and two immigrant workers are essentially forced into confessing to the crime. Benjamín then teams up with his colleague and friend, the lush Pablo Sandoval, and the two go about identifying and tagging the perpetrator of the original crime. Subtle detail in a photograph alerts Benjamin to the possibility that a man named Gómez may have been the real culprit…as Benjamín and Pablo struggle to have the case reopened, they also find that bureaucracy and power in Argentine government have made this close to impossible.” (All Movie Guide)

Next Thursday – June 17 – The Dayton Pride Partnership and The Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Fest are joining forces to bring a special film to town – PATRIK, AGE 1.5. Here’s the set-up: “Göran always wanted to become a father. He is married to his partner, Sven, and they have been cleared for adoption by the Swedish authorities. The problem is that no country seems to be willing to give a child to a homosexual couple. Göran refuses to give up his dream of having what so many others take for granted; a real family. Göran and Sven receive a letter with an offer from the social services to take care of “Patrik, Age 1.5″ – a Swedish child who needs a new family. They happily accept the offer and prepare the nursery for the baby’s arrival. On the day that little Patrik is expected to arrive, a lanky teenager rings their doorbell. He says his name is Patrik and that he has come to live with them. They realize, horror-struck, that their little baby Patrik is actually a juvenile delinquent. To add insult to injury, he is also homophobic.” The film will screen Thursday, June 17 at 7:00 and 9:40, and a special panel discussion about gay adoption with adoption professionals and a local gay couple who are adoptive parents will occur after the 7:00 screening. Tickets to this film – just $6.00 each – are currently on sale at THE NEON’s box office. http://www.patrikonepointfive.com/

As a reminder, the official Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Festival is set to take place during the final weekend of September. A committee is hard at work determining the line-up for this year’s fest. If you or someone you know (or a business) would like to become a sponsor of the festival, please contact me right away. http://www.daytonlgbt.com/

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

SHOWTIMES for June 11 – June 17:

CITY ISLAND (PG-13) 100 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:45, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40
Monday – Wednesday: 5:00, 7:20
Thursday: 5:00

BABIES (PG) 87 Minutes
Friday – Thursday: 3:10

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

PATRIK, AGE 1.5 (R) 103 Minutes
Thursday: 7:00, 9:40

COMING SOON:
As always, all dates are tentative.
June 18 PLEASE GIVE
June 25 THE SQUARE
July 9 I AM LOVE (My favorite from Toronto!)
July 16 CYRUS
July 30 WINTER’S BONE
July 30 THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
TBD – MOTHER AND CHILD
TBD – JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK
TBD – MICMACS

AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS…?

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The Bengson's performing on the rooftop terrace of Dayton's Firefly Building

The Bengson's performing on the rooftop terrace of Dayton's Firefly Building

…a butt-kicking, heart-breaking, raucous, Vaudevillian Cabaret!

What?

Yeah…I thought the same thing, the first time I was forcibly encouraged to attend a performance by Shaun & Abigail Bengson.  “What are we going to see again?  Who are these people? Can’t we just go to Chappy’s instead?”

Then, upon exiting the venue I asked…”What did I just see?  Who were those people?  When are they performing again? Is there a CD?”  The performance WAS heart-breaking, it WAS butt-kicking.  I fell in love with these performers, and the 20-some characters from around the world that they introduced me to that evening.

Shaun & Abigail Bengson.  Performers like no other.  To be frank…you, yes YOU….have NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to miss their performances whenever their nomadic path winds through Southwest Ohio.  Sorry if that sounds too strong for a friendly little blog post, but I am forcibly encouraging you to attend a performance of AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS by The Bengson’s at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival this week.

Shaun & Abigail Bengson's AIN'T THAT GOOD NEWS

"Not only a tremendous musical talent, but also a raw honesty and sincere righteousness." THE NEW YORK TIMES

Shaun McClain Bengson was a local boy.  Bellbrook.  You might’ve even seen him perform as a kid…BHS marching band & theater productions, Sinclair Jazz Combo, community theater groups. In 2001 he began to explore beyond the Miami Valley.  First he attended college at Indiana University (studied Ethnomusicology & Traditional Indiana Fiddling), then after graduation Shaun moved to New York City as a part of the city’s teaching fellows program.  He became a music teacher in NYC.  He was assigned to a school for special education students, in a unit for students with Autism.  It was in this unit where Shaun crafted programs such as “Little Kids Rock!” and then “The New Manhattan Music Project,” where his students wrote, produced & performed their own musicals.  It was at the performance of these musicals where Shaun found love.  In walks Abigail Nessen, out walks “The Bengson’s,” and a new band called the “Zombie Nationalists.”  They were engaged within two weeks and writing their first musical.

The couple is constantly touring.  They have traveled to South Africa, West Africa, El Salvador, Japan, Mexico, Europe as well as many areas of the U.S.  They perform while touring, but more importantly they connect to the people they encounter,  educating kids and talking with families.  They collect stories along the way.  These stories…NO…these people become the Bengson’s show.

The Bengson's in C{space 2009Those of you who attended last week’s production of RENT in C{space got just a glimpse of Shaun & Abigail.  Shaun led the rockin’ band, giving this version of RENT an instrumental style of it’s own.  Abigail portrayed “Mimi.”  Her Mimi was perhaps a tinge “Joplin-inspired.”  She took the dark role & gave it a fierce, hard edge that was probably more truthful to the character than “glam’d” for Broadway.

Currently they are touring with AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS, finishing up a new album called THE PROOF, and writing their next show which is titled the same as the album.  The new show, which will employ a cast of 12 and an 8 piece band, will be developed through a residency in Vermont followed by an Off-Broadway run in 2011.

AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS is described as

Shaun & Abigail Bengson…a raucous vaudevillian cabaret, full of roaring original music and impassioned characters. The Bengson duo evoke the quintessentially American stories of the immigrant and the outcast and play at the heart of the political struggles of our age through a melding of the musical forms of Tin Pan Alley, the Old South, German Weimar and rock and roll. The show is constantly evolving. As the Bengsons travel, they trade songs and drinks for new stories from the personal to the divine, and shift the work to reflect where they’ve been, and each new community they’re in. This work was made possible through support from the Puffin Foundation.

AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS opened on Sunday night in the Cincinnati Fringe Festival.  You have three more chances to catch their show, so you will need to start making arrangements today. Hire a babysitter, make dinner reservations and ORDER YOUR TICKETS before they are gone!

AIN’T THAT GOOD NEWS @ The Cincinnati Fringe Festival

Wed. June 9 at 9:30p / Thurs. June 10 @ 8:45p / Sat. June 12 @ 9:00p

Venue: The Coffee Emporium, 110 E. Central Parkway, Cincinnati, Ohio

Tickets:  $12 online at www.cincyfringe.com/aint-that-good-news

More Info:  www.bengsons.com or email Shaun & Abigail at info@bengsons.com

When you get the chance to meet Shaun & Abigail after the show, make sure you give them a hug for us…but be careful what you say…you never know, it might just make it into their next musical!

SA

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 preparing for their upcoming Summer season of new musicals in downtown Dayton: Johnathan Larson’s RENT, [title of show] &Next Thing You Know (a developmental production of a new musical by NYC-based writing team of Salzman & Cunningham)