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March 2009
Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra performs Bach’s St. John Passion
Soprano Tony Arnold; alto Julia Bentley; tenor John Wesley Wright and baritone Ian Greenlaw join the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and Music Director Neal Gittleman for a performance of J.S.Bach’s titanic “St. John Passion” on Saturday, April 4 at 7 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 125 N. Wilkinson Ave.
The work, one of two surviving Passions composed by Bach, is often mistakenly referred to as an opera. Wesminster music director, John Neely said is the piece is, in fact, constructed out of a series of dramatically presented recitatives, chorales, asriosos and aria movements.
“It’s a compilation of the texts leading up to and including the crucifixion of Christ,” Neely said. “There are different characters. There’s the crowd, there is an evangelist who kind of connects things together, and of course, Jesus Christ. It’s a mixture of recitative and choruses. It is definitely not an opera but is very Easter-appropriate.”
Baritone Greenlaw performs the part of Jesus. The Chicago Sun-Times characterized Greenlaw as “possessing a voice both strong and sweet, and matinee idol good looks.” The Washington Post noted that he has “elegant stage presence, a subtle sense of humor and a splendid voice.” Greenlaw is an alumnus of the Pittsburgh Opera Center and the Lyric Opera Center for American Artists.
DPO’s St. John passion is the fifth of six Special Events in DPO’s 2008-2009 Colours Season.
Read more about local arts events, news and reviews at www.daytondailynews.com/artsandentertainment
HOW TO GO What: Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra performs St. John Passion When: Saturday, April 4 at 7 p.m. Where: Westminster Presbyterian Church, 125 N. Wilkinson Ave. How Much: $28 to $14 available at Ticket Center Stage (937) 228-3630
TweetExciting French vocal group visits Dayton
A capella groups come in all shapes and sizes. They fit comfortably in the realm of classical, jazz, sacred and folk.
But the French group La Cor de la Plana boldly stretches the traditional boundaries of vocal music without the aid of instrumental accompaniment.
La Cor visits Dayton Tuesday, March 31 at 8 p.m. for a World Music concert at the University of Dayton’s Boll Theatre. The concert is presented by Cityfolk, Ohio’s only full-time, professional presenter of traditional and ethnic performing arts.
Hailing from Marseille, France, La Cor is a sextet of male singers who weave a raucous, polyphonic vocal style that combines music from France, Italy, Morocco, and Algeria.
Rhythms are inherent in their ferocious phrasing, but they also accompany themselves on hand drums, tambourines, foot stomping, and hand clapping.
Cityfolk executive director, John Harris, heard the group for the first time at a world music festival in New York City.
“I was just blown away,” Harris said. “I saw them at Global Fest, one of the largest world music festivals in the country. There were about 14 bands there but the New York Times said they were the best. It’s an unusual, high-energy group that I knew we had to invite to Dayton.”
General admission tickets for La Cor de la Plana are $18. Call Cityfolk box office (937) 496-3863.
For more information on Glovalfest visit http://www.rockpaperscissors.biz/index.cfm/fuseaction/current.pressrelease/projectid/397.cfm
TweetDPO food drive nets 600 pounds of food for needy
The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra teamed with The Foodbank, 427 Washington St., to set up unmanned food collection barrels in the Schuster Center lobby the afternoon of Friday, March 13 that remained in place until Monday, March 23.
The barrels were placed near the Main Street, Second Street, and Ludlow Street doors of the Schuster Center. Thanks to generous concertgoers and other private citizens DPO’s Food Drive netted 620 pounds of foodstuffs for The Foodbank to distribute to the area’s needy.
“The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra is happy to have had the opportunity to participate in this worthwhile process,” said Paul Helfrich, DPO President. “It has provided yet another example of the generosity and volunteer spirit of the people of the Dayton area and their ability - and willingness - to help one another through difficult times.”
The food drive was part of a collaboration between Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization and Orchestras Feeding America. More than 160 orchestras in 45 states participated in this unprecedented effort by collecting and donating food to their local food assistance agency or food bank.
TweetBach Society concert a testimony of Mary’s love of God
For its next-to-last performance of the year, the Bach Society of Dayton presents The Art of the Magnificat at Kettering Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 3939 Stonebridge Rd., on Sunday, March 29 at 4 p.m.
The concert is a collaboration between the Bach Society and the University of Dayton Marian Library. Artwork from the library will be displayed and projected throughout the performance.
John Neely is Bach Society Music Director.
“We’re doing the Bach Magnificat and the Magnificat by John Rutter,” said Neely who joined the organization in 2002. “The Magnificat is the canticle, or hymn, of Mary and is taken from the Gospel according to Luke.”
Sister Jean Frisk of UD’s Marian Library shed further light on the joint venture.
“Prior to the concert, the Rev. John Roten will attempt to explain the Mignificat in art,” Frisk said. “He has decided to take along the works of artist Jan Oliver of Colorado. She has donated these wonderful works to us. They are currently on exhibit here at the library. He’s going to take down the exhibit and bring it to the performance.”
Spokesperson and chorus member Dick Hattershire said The Bach Society is constantly looking for new ways to increase its exposure in the greater-Dayton community.
“We try to include at least one collaboration each year designed to broaden our audience and to interest young people in developing or continuing their interest in classical choral music” Hattershire said. “This program is with full orchestra, and features outstanding soloists Andrea Chenoweth, Emily Landa, Liza Forrester, Randall Black and Randy Levin.”
Tickets are $15 adults, $10 students available by calling (937) 294-BACH or at the door.
Read more about local arts events, news and reviews at www.daytondailynews.com/artsandentertainment
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TweetCertainty breeds the opposite in “Doubt”
The name of John Patrick Shanley’s play is “Doubt: A Parable,” but it could just as easily be called “Be Careful What You Wish For.”
Sister Aloysius, the central character in the drama about right, wrong, truth and perception, gets what she works for with an obsession approaching insanity.
Her victory quickly turns hollow, however. She’s left uncertain that she has done the right thing because of what that will mean for others.
The award-winning 2004 play had its local premiere Friday, March 20, in a compelling and entertaining production by The Human Race Theatre. Blessed with a lean and powerful script of brief, sharply focused scenes, director Richard Hess assembled a terrific cast to bring it to life.
Wendy Barrie-Wilson plays Sister Aloysius, the principal of St. Nicholas School in the Bronx in 1964, a location rendered with clarity and detail by set designer Mark Halpin.
She’s an old-school Catholic with no use for new liberalizing influences emanating from Rome. When she finds reason to suspect that a young priest in the parish has taken improper interest in the only black boy in the school, she sets out to destroy the man.
Although Barrie-Wilson plays her with a twinkle in her eye, that gleam indicates the pleasure her character takes in wielding power over others, including a young nun Sister James (Jennifer Joplin) and the boy’s mother (Sarah Ellen Stephens as Mrs. Muller), who only wants to get her boy through the eighth grade and into high school. She doesn’t want to rock the boat.
But the principal isn’t going to allow anyone around her to straddle the fence.
Her suspect, who quickly becomes her prey, is Father Brendan Flynn, played by Timothy Fannon with a truly effective mixture of guilty behavior, self-effacing concern for his good name, a hint of martyrdom and an unspoken deviousness to turn this confrontation to his advantage.
The fact that it’s possible to read him any of those ways and all of them is crucial to the success of a play motivated to inspire the audience to think about how judgments are formulated in the absence of proof — how doubts are pushed aside.
Sister James and Mrs. Mullen side with the priest for completely different reasons that have as much to do with their own self-interests as with perceived fact. The young nun makes up her mind that her stern principal is wrong. The mother just wants her son to have a better chance in life.
The play opens with the priest asking, in a sermon, “What do you do when you aren’t sure?” It ends with Sister Aloysius, the last person anyone familiar with her would suspect to have doubts, suddenly a prisoner of them.
Playwright John Patrick Shanley doesn’t provide a simple verdict. He does something better. He encourages us to judge how and why those who judge do so in a 90-minute drama with no intermission and little chance to evade the core of his story.
“Doubt: A Parable” will continue through April 5 at 126 N. Main St. Tickets are $15.50-$36 at (937) 228-3630, (888) 228-3630 or www.ticketcenterstage.com.
TweetBallet makes tough stuff look easy
If there are canyons, bring them on. We will leap and clear the chasms with ease.
If there are challenging moves to make, we’ll do those, too, then take them apart and do them backwards. Take that.
And when the hard work is over, we’ll play nine innings of baseball.
Can’t say the Dayton Ballet is closing 2008-9 by taking it easy. The company’s season-ending program at the Victoria Theatre, which opened Thursday, March 19, is jammed with dance and entertainment.
First, the dance. The first half of the program belongs to Karen Russo Burke. Oh, sure, “D-Construction,” Septime Webre’s four-man aerobic workout, has been revived for a cast including the admirably quick and laser-precise Eduard Forehand.
But it’s sandwiched between two pieces by Burke, the company’s ballet mistress and (unofficially, if ever more deservingly) resident choreographer. One of those is “Freudian Slip,” her all-female answer to “D-Construction,” danced for the first time by Jennifer Grund, Christy Forehand, Keenan McLaren and Halliet Slack.
A revival of the same choreographer’s recent Native American-flavored “Canyons,” which opened the program, makes a strong impression for both the dancemaker and the dancers. Like a waterfall of leaps and spins, it’s truly a showcase of what makes ballet dancers special. Look what they can do and see how easily they do it.
Another revival, Christopher Fleming’s comic baseball and battle-of-the-sexes romp, “Play Ball!”, is done after intermission. An intentionally broad canvas of baseball and ballet cliches, it sparkles with tiny personal details.
The Dayton Ballet will perform again at 8 p.m. Friday, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 20-22, at the Victoria Theatre, First and Main streets. Tickets are $31-$63 at (937) 228-3630, (888) 228-3630 or online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.
TweetQ and A with gamelan master Sumarsam
By Khalid Moss Staff Writer
While breezing through a three-day residency at the University of Dayton, gamelan virtuoso Sumarsam conducted a series of workshops and master classes that were open to the general public. A gamelan is a musical instrument from Indonesia — typically from the islands of Bali or Java — featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs, bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. On Wednesday, March 18 during a break in his schedule, Sumarsam sat down one-on-one and reflected on his life-long devotion to an instrument steeped in tradition and mystery. Q. When did you start playing the gamelan? A. My neighbor had a small gamelan and I started playing around with it when I was seven years old. Occasionally professional musicians from that village came by and showed us what to do. This was a very small village in East Java that is not even on the map. Q. After your initial introduction to the gamelan, what piqued your interest? A. It was fun to play. After a while I thought I might want to carry this further. I enrolled as a student at the Conservatory of Gamelan. The conservatory was founded in 1950. Q. What is the history of the gamelan? A. It’s very interesting. The history of the gamelan has never been documented properly. It began as a smaller ensemble with gongs and mettalophones. But it gradually developed into a larger ensemble in the 15th or 16th century. The 75-piece gamelan we see today developed in the 18th century. Q. When you play the gamelan are you just striking gongs and xylophones at random? A. (Laughing) That’s not true. The music is very neatly organized. There are a group of instruments that delineate the structure of the piece. For example the big gong is the most important instrument in marking the end of a cycle. The cycle of a piece is defined by how many pulses there are per cycle. The cycle is marked by the sound of the big gong. A cycle of 256 pulses would take about ten minutes. Gamelan music has strict rules just like Euorpean classical music. This is our classical music.
The University of Dayton’s Javanese Gamelan Ensemble, under the direction of World Music professor Arlene Chongson will make its debut April 19 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 104 of UD’s Music and Theatre Building.
TweetStudents excel in WSU dance concert
Wright State University’s 2009 Dance Concert, March 12-15, included premieres and guest spots by the Dayton Ballet II and DCDC 2, as usual.
New works by guest choreographer Kiesha Lalama-White and the other professionals — new WSU faculty member (and former Dayton Ballet member) Justin Gibbs, Gina Walther, Teressa Wylie McWilliams, Karen Russo-Burke (for DB II) and Crystal Michelle (for DCDC 2) — were pleasantly varied.
But two graduating seniors grabbed the spotlight: dancer Alexis Britford and the class of 2009’s featured student choreographer, Gina-marie Battista.
Britford was honored with a rare solo near the end of the two-act program — Michelle’s “Dreaming Wide Awake,” to a delicious recording of singer Lizz Wright. But she also made her presence known during an extended solo in Walther’s flowing piece “Out From Under” and as a prominent member of the ensemble in McWilliams’ “Visual Voices” and White’s “Wonderfunk.”
It’s no wonder choreographers love to work with her. She’s a dancer with a powerful core and secure placement, but also the speed and focus to launch quick flashes of movement.
Senior dance majors are required to complete a work of choreography. The one judged best is included in the annual program.
It’s hard to remember a more accomplished — or a more light-hearted and happy student piece in recent years — than Battista’s “Passing Grays.”
Danced to jazz music by Ellington, Coltrane and Regina Carter, it was filled with partnering and the joy of moving to music across a dance floor. Both are fairly unusual among students who usually have darker, more serious targets, or formal goals of exploring some aspect of movement. This was about dancing and loving it.
In times like these, that’s a pleasure. Dressed in various shades of gray and a sprinkling of blue, the cast included Danielle Aveyard, Amelia Dietz, Heidi Giberson, LeMoi Hendrington, Brandon L. Kelly, Emily Runyeon, Diana Sheets, Bryant Tuschl, Sarah Wildman and, one more time, Britford.
Tweet‘Blue Sky’ youth arts project moves to UD
A new summer program at the University of Dayton will bring in professional artists from around the country to create works of art with local young people.
The Blue Sky Project http://blueskydayton.org — founded in 2004 outside Chicago — has relocated to Dayton due to the partnership with UD.
The eight-week residency program will host five artists of various disciplines who were chosen from more than 60 applicants. Each will work with a small team of local teens and be assigned a local college student, who will work as a paid intern.
With the focus on collaboration, not a “teacher-student” relationship, founder Peter Benkendorf said teens work with, not under, artists who get to stretch their own boundaries as a result.
Program director is Mequitta Ahuja, who will open her second solo show in New York City on April 3. Final Blue Sky projects in the past have been shown in New York, featured in the “The New Yorker” and sold at ArtChicago.
“Blue Sky fits perfectly with the University of Dayton’s Marianist values of living and learning in community and reaching out to engage others,” said Paul Benson, dean of the UD College of Arts and Sciences. The university has pledged financial support for the program, two houses in the student neighborhood, use of ArtStreet studios and other arts buildings.
Participating artists will speak to local arts organizations and students. A final exhibition will take place in the Oregon Arts District in August, and studios will be open to the public whenever in session.
Benkendorf said he is excited about the possibility of expanding the model into other areas in Dayton, for example putting engineers and students together for a project built around environmental sustainability.
Go to http://blueskydayton.org to download an application, receive more information or view past exhibits. Applications are also available at any public library in Montgomery County and must be postmarked by May 1. http://blueskydayton.org/
The program begins Monday, June 15.
Here is a list of 2009 artists and their projects.
Seattle filmmaker Malic Amalya will explore the differences between how individuals see themselves and the world, and how others view them.
Baltimore painter Katherine Mann will create abstracts about the systems and relationships of small elements within a whole composition.
Chicago sculptor Lisa Nonken will examine the notion of public monuments and memorials.
Alan Strathmann, a sculpture, sound and video installation artist from Chicago, will investigate the intersection between nature and technology.
Dayton dancer and videographer Rodney Veal will translate everyday images into art using choreography and film.
Tweet‘Altar Boyz’ too late for miracles
Trends come and go quickly in pop music. Take boy bands like ‘N Sync (born in 1995 with personnel including Justin Timberlake) and the Backstreet Boys (who began recording in 1997).
In 2004, that wave launched “Altar Boyz,” a musical that spoofs them through the prism of contemporary Christian music.
The splash was pretty gentle when the “Boyz” finally washed ashore for the first time in Dayton Saturday, March 14, in the Universal 1 Variety Series at the sold-out Victoria Theatre.
The five-man act, with singers cleverly named Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham whose mission is to save souls as they tour the country, was far from decrepit. It was lively, funny, well sung, not too loud, energetic and full of movement.
It was also half empty. The main target of its satire — boy bands who sing and move like that — doesn’t matter much anymore to a very large portion of the population.
So “Altar Boyz,” which rides the coattails of the reputation it began earning when it was fresh and new, didn’t live up to expectations. The cover photo on the playbill even showed the bygone New York cast, including New Carlisle native Tyler Maynard as Mark.
Don’t blame the cast that played here — Kettering native Philip Drennen as the Timberlake-like frontman Matthew; Dan Scott as Mark, who seems gay, but — nope — he’s only Catholic; Anton Fero as strong breakdancer but not strong thinker Luke; understudy Adam Cassel as Juan, or Tim Dolan as token Jew Abraham.
They gave their all for the material and were at their best when revealing their characters’ individual personalities and back stories.
The one-night stand was entertaining. It just wasn’t extraordinary.
TweetWait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me is coming to Dayton
Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me is coming to Dayton for a live taping at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 26 at the Victoria Theater. Tickets will be available via the WYSO Spring Pledge Drive by calling (800) 801-9976 beginning 11 a.m. this Saturday, March 14. For more visit www.wyso.org. Unfortunately that’s all we know right now. The Victoria Theater site has it listed as an event here that links back to wyso when you click to purchase tickets.
TweetWZLR-FM soaks up ‘Love Sponge’ show
Dayton station WZLR 95.3 FM (The Eagle) has announced it will begin broadcasting the controversial syndicated talk show “Bubba the Love Sponge” on Monday, March 16.
The Tampa-based program, which ranks 52 in Talkers Magazine’s “Heavy Hundred,” also airs on Sirius XM and in Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville, Orlando, Fort Meyers and Richmond, Va. It will air live from 6 to 10 a.m. weekdays.
Host is Indiana native Todd Alan Clem, 42, who officially changed his name to Bubba the Love Sponge Clem in 1999.
He did DJ work and morning drive talk in Chicago, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and other cities before finding his brash and sometimes objectionable niche in Florida. The show has been fined by the Federal Communications Commission and has been sued by an internet porn model.
“Bubba the Love Sponge” includes a cast of other irreverent characters and visits from celebrities in sports, comedy, music, film, television and video. For a sample, see the website www.btls.com.
The most recent Arbitron ratings (for fall 2008) show Bubba as the most-listened-to in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater market and the most popular program with radio’s most desirable audiences. The show is number one in 11 demographics, including adults, men and women ages 25 to 54 and adults, men and women ages 18 to 34.
TweetPoets trade verses in UD slam
DAYTON — Local poets will test their prowess Saturday, March 28, in the University of Dayton’s annual Lit Fest slam.
Lincoln Schreiber, who has led a local revival of slam poetry, will be featured in the “American Idol”-style competition.
Award-winning writer and editor Janet McAdams, the author of “The Island of Lost Luggage,” will give a reading before the event, which will start at 9:30 p.m. at UD’s ArtStreet complex, Lawnview Avenue and Kiefaber Street.
Associate English professor Albino Carrillo said Lit Fest will begin March 27 with events including a reception, readings and discussions. There will also be other activities on March 27.
All events are free and open to the public. For more information, call (937) 229-3417, or send an email to albino.carrillo@notes.udayton.edu
TweetVictoria sets Variety, Young at Heart lineups
The Victoria Theatre Association has announced its 2009-10 Universal 1 Variety and Young at Heart series.
Here are the schedules:
Universal 1 Variety Series
Oct. 10 — “Etta May and the Southern Fried Chicks.” Three very different Southern women representing the new South, old South and deep South take turns telling stories and telling all. Previously a top-rated special on the Country Music Channel.
Jan. 29, 2010 — “Buckets and Tap Shoes.” Fans of “Stomp” and other shows may appreciate this company of musicians, drummers and tap dancers who lay down rhythm with buckets, cans, barrels, found objects and tap shoes.
April 17, 2010 — Mike Dugan’s “Men Fake Foreplay.” A comic commentary on men’s shortcomings by a “regular guy” and Emmy Award winner.
All performances will be at the Victoria Theatre. Season tickets are now on sale for $70 and up. Call (937) 228-3630, toll free at (888) 228-3630 or make reservations online at www.ticketcenterstage.com. More information is available at www.victoriatheatre.com.
Young at Heart Series
There will be five shows in the family friendly series on Saturdays and Saturdays at the Victoria Theatre.
Oct. 24-25 — “Alice in Wonderland.”
Dec. 5-6 — “Spencer’s Theatre of Illusion.” Master illusionists Kevin and Cindy Spencer.
Jan. 23-24, 2010 — “Doktor Kaboom!” Part “Mister Wizard” and part “The Nutty Professor,” the interactive one-man science and variety show features an eccentric inventor.
Feb. 27-28, 2010 — “Seussical.” Magic and music in a show adapted from the Broadway musical.
April 10-11, 2010 — “Corbian Visual Arts and Dance: Darwin.” A dinosaur discovers the meaning of love in this glow-in-the-dark adventure.
Season tickets are $75 for adults, $65 for children 12 and under. Call (937) 228-3630 or (888) 228-3630, or reserve tickets online at www.ticketcenterstage.com. For more information, visit www.victoriatheatre.com.
TweetWSU’s ‘Sweeney’ big in a small space
Many area theatergoers are familiar with the positive experience and great ticket value of seeing one of Wright State University Theatre’s mainstage productions.
Some who may have wanted a sample of the same experience in a smaller, but not necessarily lesser format, won’t get to do so before WSU’s basement offering of “Sweeney Todd” closes Sunday, March 15.
Only about 75 people can get in to see each show due to the stage setup, which resulted in taking a bit off the sides and front for spectators.
Directed by Lee Merrill, who brings the experience of performing professionally in the show, the vigorous production was satisfying for fans of “Sweeney Todd” and of Stephen Sondheim musicals in general on Saturday, March 7.
There were effective individual performances — Tim Singleton as an underplayed Sweeney, whose vengeance burns most powerfully on the inside; Laura Lacara, by contrast just as openly expressive as Mrs. Lovett; Jerome Doerger as the disturbed and disturbing Judge Turpin; Kelly Pekar as the Beggar Woman; Jeff Newman as Tobias and flaxen-haired Valerie Reaper (who went on as the understudy) as Johanna.
Sitting close to them in the snug Herbst Theatre, which was draped in burlap and fogged with Londonesque stage smoke, there was no overlooking the energy and unity of the ensemble.
The Act 2 song “God, That’s Good!”, during which they reveled in cannibalistic delight over Mrs. Lovett’s meat pies, lived up to its title due to their characterizations.
As is often true with shows in the Herbst Theatre, it’s disappointing that more people can’t see them. This is definitely one of those cases.
“Sweeney Todd” will be presented again at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. next Sunday in the Creative Arts Center. Tickets are $10 and go on sale 90 minutes before each show, but will probably sell out within 30 minutes. Call (937) 775-2500.
TweetBest Music on TV this week
The best way to hear new music and discover new artists? We have several avenues we enjoy, but a good bet is checking out a performance on the tube. Here’s a collection of the best tunes you can find this week on TV.
“Austin City Limits” (PBS): Rerun of performance by Los Lonely Boys (Saturday, March 14).
“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (NBC): R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe (Tuesday, March 10), country star Trace Adkins (Friday, March 13)
“Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (CBS): Sara Bareilles (Thursday, March 12).
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC): Chris Cornell, former singer for Soundgarden and Audioslave, (Tuesday, March 10), The Pretenders fronted by Akron’s own Chrissie Hynde (Wednesday, March 11), The-Dream (Friday, March 13).
“The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC): Raul Malo (Wednesday, March 11), country crooner Randy Travis (Friday, March 13).
“Late Show with David Letterman” (CBS): Razorlight (Wednesday, March 11), the cast of Broadway’s “West Side Story” (Thursday, March 12), Cursive (Friday, March 13).
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Kelly Clarkson (Saturday, March 14).
TweetPBS to examine arts funding in Dayton
The Public Broadcasting System’s McNeil-Lehrer Newshour is planning a visit to Dayton March 18-20 as part of a national series on arts and the economy.
Mike Melia, reporter, said the Miami Valley will likely be the Midwestern focus for broadcasts that will also cover San Francisco, Broadway and, perhaps Raleigh, N.C., among other locations.
Melia, who said the telecasts may begin in early April, added that the show may visit the Dayton Ballet’s season-ending performances and The Human Race Theatre Company’s production of “Doubt: A Parable,” among others.
He said Dayton’s breadth, depth and history of arts organizations made it a good location.
TweetHuman Race season balances old, new
The Human Race Theatre Company’s 2009-10 season will include three familiar titles and three local premieres.
Announced Friday, March 6, it incorporates name brands like the season-opening comedy “Lend Me a Tenor,” the return of “A Christmas Carol” and the musical “Man of La Mancha.”
Local premieres will be David Hare’s “The Vertical Hour,” a drama about politics and personal values; “Ordinary Days,” a new musical by Adam Gwon about four people whose lives gradually intertwine in extraordinary ways, and “Rounding Third,” a comedy about two Little League baseball coaches.
Artistic director Marsha Hanna said the package represents “a balance between wanting to get returning audiences and new people in the door. We want to reach all kinds of people.”
With the final production, the award-winning drama “Doubt: A Parable,” opening March 20, ticket sales for the 2008-9 season are “slightly below” projections made before the economic downturn took effect. “Season subscriptions are up, which is helping us a great deal. Where we’ve take a hit is in gifts and support,” Hanna said.
Executive director Kevin Moore has particular interest in the musical “Ordinary Days.” He has encouraged its development and submitted it for inclusion in the 2009 annual festival of the National Association of Musical Theatre. It has also been produced in London to positive response.
Season tickets are on sale at (937) 228-3630, (888) 228-3630 or www.ticketcenterstage. For more information about the season or The Human Race Theatre Company, call (937) 461-3823.
2009-10 Eichelberger Loft Season Sept. 10-27: “Lend Me a Tenor,” comedy by Ken Ludwig. Oct. 29-Nov. 13: “Man of La Mancha,” by Dale Wasserman, Joe Darion and Mitch Leigh. Dec. 10-27: “A Christmas Carol,” adapted by Leigh Allan and Scott Stoney. Jan. 28-Feb. 14, 2010: “The Vertical Hour,” by David Hare. March 11-28, 2010: “Rounding Third,” by Richard Dresser. June 10-27, 2010: “Ordinary Days,” by Adam Gwon. Location: The Loft Theatre, 126 N. Main St.
TweetRhythm in Shoes guests extend circle to all
Cityfolk billed the concert as Rhythm in Shoes with Dallas Chief Eagle.
The audience earned a mention as well.
The Dayton-based dance and music company and its Lakota Sioux guest artist did perform their specialties as advertised, but the highlight of a nearly sold-out concert Thursday, March 5, in Boll Theatre at the University of Dayton was the closing “dance” by performers and audience volunteers of many ages.
Each holding a hoop overhead, provided by the dignified Dallas Chief Eagle and his lively co-performer, Jasmine Pickner, they began a gentle procession that formed a circle, then proceeded into smaller inner rings.
The result illustrated the message the champion hoop dancer explained in words near the beginning of the concert: that everyone and everything on the earth is connected to it and each other.
The night included a traditional selection of Rhythm in Shoes tap and clog numbers, backed by the band on a raised platform behind. Students in the troupe’s training company joined the six professional dancers in two segments.
There were also vocal and music numbers, two of them thoughtful and melancholy during an otherwise mostly upbeat evening.
The guest Native American dancers took the stage intermittently to their own vocal and percussion accompanist.
Their dances, the numbers of hoops they used and the interlocking arrangements they created with them while prancing and spinning clockwise grew ever more complex. At one point, Pickner ended up on the ground, completely enveloped in a structure of hoops. They wore them like wings, covered their costumed bodies with them, and wore them on their heads.
Their tradition, refreshed with contemporary influences, is a subtle, but impressively seamless art. The amount of effort they seemed to expend remained the same — quite calm — as the level of their challenge increased.
He moved in stately fashion and dressed in dignified, if ornately detailed black and white traditional costume. Being of a younger generation, she wore red, pink and green, showed much more up and down movement, rapid spinning and even used hoops that were brightly decorated.
Rhythm in Shoes, Dallas Chief Eagle and Jasmine Pickner will perform again tonight, March 6, in Boll Theatre, but the show is sold out. It will culminate a week-long residency at the University of Dayton. For more information, call Cityfolk at (937) 223-3655.
TweetStudents put learning into motion
It was show and tell time on the morning of Thursday, March 5, in the lobby of Chase Bank’s Kettering Tower branch.
Students from six Dayton Public Schools demonstrated what they and more than 700 of their classmates have learned during the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s four-week in-school “Teaching, Learning and Caring” program.
During a warmup, they chanted a definition: “Dance is … movement, passion, fun; up, down and all around, with a sizzle.”
They interpreted the Langston Hughes poem “Dreams” in movement, showed how math equations translate into choreography and, in a history section, put a timeline of their lives into motion.
Students from Edison School interpret the poem “Dreams”
The program was designed by Donald E. Hubbard, director of education and community outreach for DCDC. He said the target was to “dance to the curriculum” by integrating dance into specific subject areas.
Company dancer Crystal Michelle, who created the lesson plans, said, that “when students get up and move, sometimes what they’re learning sticks a little better.”
Ann Snyder, coordinating teacher in the DPS gifted program, said teachers were included in the training. “My favorite was acting out math problems using costume changes. This program engages both sides of the brain at one time.”
Franklin Montessori students perform at DCDC event
Speakers also included Joey D. Williams, president of Chase in Western Ohio; DCDC artistic director Debbie Blunden-Diggs and board chairman Richard Lapedes.
Hubbard said “Teaching, Learning and Caring” began in 2008 with three schools.
Participating schools were: Belle Haven, Edison, Franklin Montessori, Kemp, Valerie and Wogaman. Other sponsors were Premier Health Partners, The Mathile Family Foundation, The Kuntz Foundation and The Dayton Chapter of the Links
For more information about TLC, call Hubbard at (937) 228-3232, extension 101.
TweetBest Music on TV this week
The best way to hear new music and discover new artists? We have several avenues we enjoy, but a good bet is checking out a performance on the tube. Here’s a collection of the best tunes you can find this week on TV. The two biggest headlines from the talk show music circuit this week? Late Night with Jimmy Fallon debuts Monday, March 2 with the coolest house band ever, The Roots. And U2 whose new album releases Tuesday, March 3, will play the entire week on Letterman. If you know of anything else showing, please share here!
“Austin City Limits” (PBS): Rerun of country crooners Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley (Saturday, March 6).
“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (NBC): Besides Letterman featuring U2 all week, Fallon’s first week offers an impressive musical line-up including Santigold (Tuesday, March 3), Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (Wednesday, March 4), Ludacris (Thursday, March 5).
“Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” (CBS): Andrew Bird (Thursday, March 5) and M. Ward (Friday, March 6).
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC): Lil’ Wayne (Tuesday, March 3); Swedish pop dica Robyn (Tuesday, March 3).
“The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” (NBC): Bettye Lavette (Tuesday, March 3), Neko Case (Wednesday, March 4), Tom Jones (Thursday, March 5).
“Late Show with David Letterman” (CBS): Pop superstars U2, whose new album releases Tuesday, March 3, will play the entire week on Letterman — the only time one musical guest has been featured for an entire week on Letterman’s show.
“The Tavis Smiley Show” (PBS): Lionel Richie (Tuesday, March 3), Akon (Thursday, March 5).
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC): Ray LaMontagne (Saturday, March 7).
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