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October 2009
Dayton Ballet peers into the ‘Shadows’
There’s nothing pink about the Dayton Ballet’s program “Tales from the Shadows.”
Dark as a raven’s feathers is more like it.
The double dance-drama premiere that opened the company’s 72nd season Thursday, Oct. 29, took inspiration from literature — stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe and “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Both ballets depicted men battling dual identities.
Christopher Fleming’s hour-long “Myth and the Madness of Edgar Allan Poe” portrayed Poe (Justin Michael Koertgen) as increasingly ruled by his imagination and mental instability, elicited by the Raven (Keenan McLaren in a performance of sharp focus and attack).
Danced to a conglomeration of recorded music ranging from the sublime to the odd, harsh and grating, the ballet contained several strong sections and some that served little purpose but to repeat movements that didn’t contribute much to the narrative.
One segment clearly based on “The Tell-Tale Heart” showed a man “buried” under layers of cloth that represent the floorboards in Poe’s story. Another showed Poe being intentionally separated from his mother by the Raven and her ensemble, a necessary step in his evolution as a writer.
Other featured roles were done by Katie Keith (Poe’s mother), Christy Forehand (his wife), Erika Cole (his muse, a potentially fertile role usurped by the Raven), and Grant Dettling as Poe’s surrogate father and, later, as the title character in “The Masque of Red Death.”
Karen Russo Burke’s “Hyding Inside” was less ambitious, simpler and more consistent.
It featured Dettling as “Dr. J.” and Dillon Anthony as his primitive doppelganger, “Mr. H.” The two halves began to diverge after a quartet of drunks and harlots (Robert Morrow, Christy Forehand, Erica Lehman and Christian Delery) accosted Dr. J. for money on the street, then injected him with a hypodermic they found in his bag.
He then began to pull away from civilized behavior and his fiancee (Halliet Slack), who was left to worry and to glance longingly at her engagement ring.
Unlike Poe, who was drawn ever farther from his origins as Fleming’s ballet proceeded, Dr. J. did eventually fuse his split when the 30-minute piece to music by Mussorgsky, Janacek and Berners ended with a scene in the forest.
Dettling was all clarity in his portrayal. Anthony, perhaps inescapably, was more of a comic book character. Slack was a woman with few options. Choreography for the ensemble was well done and reinforced the telling of a well-known story.
At least for the Dayton Ballet, Halloween is a serious and literary holiday this season. Lighter, happier fare will have to wait until “Nutcracker.” . The company will present the program again at 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct 31, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, at the Victoria Theatre, First and Main streets. Tickets are $20-$70 Call (937) 228-3630 or order online at www.ticketcenterstage
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‘Wicked’ cracks half-million on 1st day
The Victoria Theatre Association did well over a half-million dollars in business Friday, Oct. 30, on the first day of ticket sales for the local premiere of the musical “Wicked.”
As of mid-afternoon, $425,000 worth of tickets had been sold since the Ticket Center Stage box office opened at 8 a.m.. Online and telephone transactions accounted for $254,000.
With online sales continuing until midnight and telephone orders through 9 p.m. Friday, a first-day total of $600,000 was expected.
Arriving as early as 1 a.m. to wait outside, 130 people were in line when walk-up sales began at 8 a.m. The first 100 customers through the doors received souvenir “Wicked” t-shirts.
Broadway’s most popular show will come to the 2,300-seat Schuster for three weeks beginning Feb. 17, 2010. All 24 performances are expected to sell out, adding up to $4.2 million in box office receipts.
Broadway series subscribers and group buyers had first choice. About half of the more than 55,000 total available tickets were left at the start of the day. Prices range from $37 to $120.
Jasmine Hill of Dayton, who was second in line for tickets, said she had tried to go to Chicago to see it previously. “I wasn’t able to, but I would rather see it here and support the arts in Dayton.”
“My wife and kids pushed me out of the house to come here,” said Marshall Weiss, editor of the Dayton Jewish Observer.
Joanna Tsai of Columbus was buying tickets for herself and her boyfriend. “All of my friends have already seen it. I feel like the last person who hasn’t.”
Sales will continue in person, by phone and online at Ticket Center Stage — (937) 228-3630, (888) 228-3630 or www.ticketcenterstage.com. For more information about the show visit www.wickedthemusical.com
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‘Wicked’ tickets go on sale
Tickets to the Dayton premiere of the musical “Wicked” go on sale to the general public Friday, Oct. 30, the sixth anniversary of the show’s Broadway opening.
The Victoria Theatre Association will present 24 performances of the smash hit by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman from Feb. 17 to March 7, 2010, at the Schuster Performing Arts Center, Second and Main streets.
Here’s what you need to know to buy tickets to a show that is expected to break local records.
Doors to the Schuster Center will open at 7 a.m., but only at the Ludlow and Second streets entrance, not on Second Street or Main Street. In-person sales will start at 8 at the Ticket Center Stage box office in the building’s Wintergarden lobby. Telephone and online sales of remaining seats will start at 10 a.m.
Prices range from $37 to $120. There is a limit of eight tickets per person. Sales to Victoria subscribers and groups are already under way.
Those waiting in line can take part in trivia and costume contests. Prizes will be awarded. Doughnuts and coffee will be served. Radio stations Lite 99.9 FM and Mix 107.7 will broadcast live from the site.
CEO and president Ken Neufeld said the Victoria expects to sell out the show, based on results and attendance records in cities across the country. Approximately 55,000 tickets will be available for the Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals Broadway Series presentation. Gross receipts are expected to total $4.2 million.
More information about the show is available at www.wickedthemusical.com. For details about tickets, call (937) 228-3630, toll free at (888) 228-3630 or go online at www.ticketcenterstage.com.
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‘Gossip Girl’ brings Kettering’s Saum back
Among other things, the CW series “Gossip Girl” just says New York. It takes place and is taped on location there.
Sherri Saum had just moved from New York to Los Angeles a few weeks ago when she landed a recurring role on the show.
She’s back in New York.
“It still hasn’t registered. It’s been a whirlwind,” said Saum, who had just finished her first day of shooting and was driving her rental car through Manhattan when reached by cell phone.
She and husband Kamar de los Reyes (they met while working on “One Life to Live”) have an apartment in Manhattan, but sublet it when they moved to Los Angeles to focus on work there.
“I practically drive right past our place, but I’m staying with a friend on Long Island,” said the Kettering native and graduate of Kettering Fairmont High School, who started as a model.
In “Gossip Girl,” she plays a well-dressed character called Holland Kemble who “gave up an extremely prestigious career to become a trophy wife,” Saum said.
“They (the show’s producers) are being a bit cagey about the part, but I do know Kemble is going to pose some sort of problem for two of the main characters.”
Her clothes are a story of their own.
“They’re gorgeous. There’s cashmere. It’s Calvin Klein this and Mishka that. They’re worth more than I spend on rent,” said Saum, who shot a film this year with Ally Sheedy and others (“Ten Stories “) that is just starting on the festival circuit. She will also be featured on the Nov. 16 episode of CSI: Miami (10 p.m. CBS).
“Gossip Girl” (9 p.m. Mondays on CW) has been an abrupt immersion.
“We shot all day, starting at 5 a.m.,” she said during her evening drive home. “I wasn’t prepared for the attention. Everyone in New York knows about the show. Everywhere we went to shoot, there were fans and paparazzi.”
She isn’t sure yet when her episodes will be shown, or if there might be a future for her character.
“It’s too early to tell about that. There’s always hope. But this is a nice meaty opportunity to work on the show for a while.”
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Michael Jackson film opens tonight
Five area theaters will be showing the premiere of “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28: Cinema De Lux at the Greene, Regal Hollywood 20 at Fairfield Commons, Movies 5 in Troy, Cinemark in Piqua and Colony Square Cinemas 7 in Lebanon.
The documentary/musical was compiled from more than 100 hours of behind-the-scenes footage as Jackson rehearsed for what would have been a world tour starting in July.
He died June 25 at age 50 of drug-induced cardiac arrest while planning his return to public life after four years.
“This Is It” was directed by Kenny Ortega, who also helmed “High School Musical” versions 1, 2 and 3. Others in the film include Jackson’s backup singers, dancers and musicians.
“We’ve sold several hundred tickets and can sell several hundred more,” a spokesperson for Regal Hollywood 20 said Tuesday, Oct. 27. “We can show it on up to three screens, depending on demand. The best way to get tickets is to go online, or to show up at the box office in advance.”
Other theaters, including Dayton South Showcase at 195 Mall Woods Drive near the Dayton Mall, will start showing the film to the general public beginning Wednesday afternoon.
For online sales, go to www.fandango.com. For more information, call Cinema De Lux 14: The Greene, (937) 235-4400; Regal Hollywood 20 at Fairfield Commons, (800) 326-3264, extension 285; Movies 5 in Troy, (937) 339-3456; Cinemark at Miami Valley Centre in Piqua, (800) 326-3264; or Colony Square Cinemas in Lebanon, (513) 932-3456.
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Local woman lands ‘Gossip Girl’ role
Television and film actress Sherri Saum, who grew up in Kettering, has been signed for three episodes of the television series “Gossip Girl.”
Saum, a 1993 graduate of Kettering Fairmont High School who recently completed work on the film “Ten Stories Tall,” has previously played roles in HBO’s “In Treatment,” “Rescue Me” and “One Life to Live.” She will be seen Nov. 16 in “CSI: Miami.”
“Gossip Girl” airs at 9 p.m. Mondays on the CW Network.
Saum, who was in New York Monday, Oct. 26, for costume fittings, will begin work on the show Tuesday, Oct. 27.
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Little Art Theatre receives nonprofit status
The Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs may look just the same as it did last month, but one major change has happened that you won’t see just by looking at it. The theatre, which has been showing films for more than 80 years, has become a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code.
Jenny Cowperthwaite, who purchased the theatre in 1998, will become the Executive Director with the theatre owned and governed by the Board of Directors of the Little Art Theatre Association.
A release sent out by the organization states: Little Art patrons have shown their support for the theatre via the Friends of the Little Art membership campaign since its inception in 2001 and have played a major role in keeping the doors open these last several years. Maureen Lynch, Vice President of the Little Art Theatre Association Board noted that, “Donors will now receive tax deductions for their contributions, and we’ll be able to seek foundation and government support for special projects.”
Cowperthwaite was inspired to make a change after meeting with Charlie Humphrey, Executive Director of Pittsburgh Filmmakers who came on board as a consultant to the theatre.
“Although the Little Art is a for-profit venture, it functions very much as if it were a not-for-profit organization … programming seems motivated more by mission than revenue. Residents of the village value the Little Art as a significant cultural asset,” said Humphrey.
According to Board President and Cox Ohio Publishing employee Zack McGhee, the nonprofit theatre will continue to be committed to showing independent and foreign films while adding a “wider range of programming and events.”
In a recent letter to the Friends of the Little Art Cowperthwaite wrote, “all memberships and passes are still valid, and all that you love about the Little Art will remain, including the great films you’re accustomed to seeing in a wonderful, warm and friendly atmosphere.”
For more information about the Little Art including details on membership and donations, visit www.LittleArt.com or call (937) 767-7671.
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‘Last Truck’ screenings set
Area screenings of the Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert film “The Last Truck” have been scheduled on Oct. 24.
Times and places are:
Noon and 1:30 p.m. at the Neon Movies, 130 E. Fifth St. An additional nine-minute piece will be screened after the noon show.
4 p.m. at the Little Art Theater, 247 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs, with the additional footage to be shown. If demand merits, there will be an additional showing at 5:30 p.m.
A discussion with the filmmakers and some of the people in the film will follow each screening. A nominal admission fee will be charged.
“The Last Truck,” which was produced by Home Box Office, documents the 2008 closing of the General Motors truck assembly plant in Moraine, Ohio.
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DCDC reconnects with base
The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company opened its 41st season with a single performance Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Centerville Schools Performing Arts Center.
The program of four works included two that are part of the company’s foundation: the all-female “Vespers” and the mostly male “Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder.”
Rainbow, choreographed by Donald McKayle in 1959, is DCDC’s link to black modern dance history. “Vespers,” made for the company in 1986 by Ulysses Dove, declared DCDC’s arrival as a national contemporary presence.
Almost a quarter century later, the troupe is retrenching to reduce expenses. The move to Centerville for the season opener was a mixed success. The performance started late, there were seating glitches due to failure of a ticketing machine and portions of the stage were invisible from the sides of the auditorium.
That was most obvious during the riveting final canon in “Vespers,” which delivered the program’s strongest impact.
Accompanied by rising layers of percussion, the dancers didn’t rise to scalding group intensity until near the end of Dove’s imagined ritual of abandon and restraint.
Sheri Williams (beginning her 36th year with DCDC), Nabachwa Ssensalo, Marlayna Locklear, Amy Renee Jones, Crystal Michelle and Alexis Britford each created moments of individual distinction.
Locklear’s performance as the female soloist was also one of the highlights of “Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder.” During the “Sweetheart” solo, she served as each of the men’s dream woman.
William B. McClellan Jr. gave a powerful performance as one of seven men on a chain gang whose hearts and minds yearn for the freedom their bodies aren’t permitted. LaMoi Hedrington was the man who followed his heart and ended up dead because of it.
“Rainbow’s” core is constructed of strong, earthbound movements, solid landings and a diagonal counterpoint between soloist or duo and corps.
The concert opened with Sharon Leahy’s “Reach,” a disarmingly simple combination of patterns, repetition and body percussion to an original score by Rick Good.
The show closed with “Children of the Passage,” a collaboration between McKayle, the old master, and Ronald K. Brown, the heir apparent in black modern dance prominence.
On this night, the parable of human excess and joyous redemption to insistent music by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band contained both flashes of genius and unfulfilled moments.
The best dancing was done by individuals — G.D. Harris as the ringleader, Michelle, Ssensalo and McClellan were the standouts.
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WDPR-FM co-founder dies at 86
John Kohnle, a co-founder of Dayton Public Radio station WDPR-FM and a former three-term president of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra board of trustees, died Wednesday, Sept. 30. He was 86.
He is survived by his wife, Sherri Kohnle, seven of their eight children, eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Mr. Kohnle fought with the U.S. Marines in World War II and was awarded Bronze and Silver stars for duty in the South Pacific.
Visitation will be at noon on Sunday, Oct. 4, in the Norman Chapel of Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Cincinnati, followed by a celebration of his life at 2 p.m. Later, there will be a reception at the Gwen Mooney Funeral Home at Spring Grove. Burial will be in Dayton at Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum.
The family suggests contributions in his memory to Reach Out and Read c/o Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, P.O. Box 5202, Cincinnati 45201-5202; or to Lucky Star Cavalier Rescue, P.O. Box 7054, Carmel, Calif. 93921. Condolences may be expressed online at www.springgrove.org.
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