Showing posts with label Arts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arts. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

CincyFringe Kickoff Party Tonight!!!!!!!!

Head out TONIGHT to the 2012 CityBeat Fringe Kick-Off Party! Doors open at 7PM at the Know Theatre (Fringe HQ) located at 1120 Jackson Street in OTR.  Fun will include a show by The Dukes Are Dead as well as the premier of Channel Fringe Hard Hitting Action News Update.

My Goal for this year's CincyFringe is to gain a mention on Channel Fringe Hard Hitting Action News.  As I will be missing several days of the festival, I would think this fact by itself would be news worthy.  I am going to need a press agent to get this mention.  The crack staff of the Fringe News Division is a hard team to understand. Here's hoping a few bribes or constant annoyance wears them down.

If you can't make it to the opening party, don't make me drive to your house to give you a postcard that highlights the 11 days of theatre that can't be missed!  Go to www.cincyfringe.com to find the full schedule and to buy tickets.  Buying tickets online ahead of time, is the best way to reserve your tickets to the hottest shows.

Stay tuned to this blog to find out the hottest shows.  As of now, you can assume they are all hot and a buy a ticket to all of them, just be sure.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

World Choir Games Song

Not my personal taste, but what do you think?


Some more previews of the games:

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

CincyFringe Buzz: Four Humors Returns With Bombus and Berrylinne

The gang from Minneapolis are returning to the Cincinnati Fringe Festival this year with Bombus and Berrylinne, or the Bumblebee and the Hummingbird. This will, if nothing else, compete for one of the longest titles of a CincyFringe performance ever. The show is the brain child of Rachel Petrie and Ryan Lear (The Finkles), who are newer to the Four Humors, but have brought a fresh energy to the group which was evident in last year's performance of You Only Live Forever Once:

The Show takes place at the Know Theatre and the performance schedule is:
Monday, June 4: 7:00 pm
Wednesday, June 6: 9:15 pm
Thursday, June 7: 7:00 pm
Saturday, June 9: 2:00 pm

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Rich Patrons Don't Rule the World, Even the Arts World

Reading this article from the Enquirer on a 'protest' at the Cincinnati Art Museum, I come up with many points lost in the article and on the people protesting:

  1. This article would not have been written if someone with pull hadn't tipped off the Enquirer that this was going to happen.  I really hope it wasn't the rich patron who appears to pushing the issue with the Museum, but it was likely someone connected to that person.
  2. The issue isn't about money, it is about power within the Museum.  It appears to me that this curator wants a promotion and wants more control over what goes on at the museum.  What has he done to warrant that? Whose job would be lost for him? Does the rich patron care about that?
  3. It this curator is so great, why did his exhibit get the criticism from one of the article's author's blog? If he were to counter and say that the elements criticized were beyond his control, well, then if he wants to move up in management, he needs to make
I really enjoy the Art Museum and I hope patrons continue to support it, but staging a stunt like this makes people look foolish and ignorant. I would instead hope they use their time lobbying their elected officials to fund the arts.  If they don't want to do that, I suggest spending more time just raising more money to help the Museum be able to afford new cutting age art exhibits.  Money is the main factor in getting new and vibrant art at the Museum, not just one curator.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

We Need a Tax to Support the Arts and Culture in Cincinnati

Sunday's Enquirer had an article detailing the movement to create a county sales tax to help fund arts and cultural organizations in the Cincinnati area. This or something like it needs to be done. We must continue Cincinnati's incredibly high quality level of arts and culture. We far out rank other cities of our size on the richness and depth of arts and culture and we have the potential of being so much more.

It has been long debated what is a better tax for this type of thing: property or sales tax. The problem with a sales tax is that it is dis-proportionally affects the poor. Property taxes don't directly hit the poor as much, but instead hit the wealthy and corporation more fairly. The rich and corporations (via their Republican representatives)don't like paying their fair share so they go nuts when anyone thinks about raising property taxes, and much of the middle class follow suit, no matter the cost to them in the long run.

We can't in this case use an income tax. Since the county has multiple municipalities and no ability to level a uniform tax, it is just not feasible.

The fight is going to end up being the typical anti-city struggle falling on geographic and political lines. County Commissioner and anti-arts Republican Chris Monzel puts that up front in this section from the article:
“The city owns those buildings, and they're trying to pass the cost of repairing them on to Hamilton County taxpayers,” said Commissioner Chris Monzel, referring to Music Hall and Union Terminal. “The city should pay for these buildings, not be building streetcars or atriums.”
Yes, Monzel blames the city for having all of the Cultural institutions, but forgets that two of the institutions included in this plan already have county wide property tax levies (Union Terminal and the Zoo). Monzel is just totally anti-city and anti-Urbanist. He appears to just want all art to die. I don't know how this guy pretends to be representative of the entire county. He only cares about helping Suburbanite Republicans, who I guess he thinks hates arts and culture. He may want to check the voter registration of the Board of nearly all of the major arts organization and he will find Republicans.

The Republicans in Hamilton County must wake up and understand that for a large metro city, like Cincinnati, to grow, it must have a vibrant urban core. You can't live by bread alone and you certainly can't live by Suburb or Exurb alone.  We need our arts and culture to thrive, not die off because of ignorance.

The urban areas have the history and have the culture that the suburbs don't have and do little to cultivate. It is almost a social/cultural belief by many that anything with history and depth is bad. I don't get where this comes from. I could guess rampant consumerism has pushed this along, but there must be something else. I hope it is not religion or politics or bigotry. It just seems like those are the only reasons for this anti-arts and culture attitude. Maybe it will change, but when the same people attack science as much they do the arts, don't expect any change.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Sin & Tonic YPCC Choral Concert on Valentine's Day at Below Zero

The Cincinnati Young Professionals' Choral Collective are staging a concert, Sin & Tonic, February 14th as an early start for Valentine's Day at Below Zero. From the Press Release:
Audience members will listen with martinis in hand to quality choral music that explores all aspects of love.  The doors (and the bar) will be open from 6-10pm, and the performance will take place from 6:45 – 7:30pm.  Audience members are invited to start their Valentine’s Day evening with bawdy English madrigals, sassy French chansons, gorgeous vocal jazz arrangements and soaring American spirituals…or to make a whole night of it!
 
Space is limited.  Free reservations (donations accepted) can be made at www.sinandtonic.eventbrite.com
For people with arts minded significant others, this would be a great prelude to your Valentine's day evening.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Gruesome Playground Injuries at Know Theatre


See this show! I saw it on opening night and it a great cast, great director, great staging, awesome use of video, and tremendous story. it's playing Thursday to Saturday until November 5th. Go to www.knowtheatre.com for more information.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Over-the-Rhine to Headline The Emery Theatre 11-11-11 Kickoff

Soapbox Cincinnati happily broke the story this morning that famed local band Over-the-Rhine will headline the 11-11-11 benefit event for the Emery Theatre restoration project.  Details on the event are here.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

CincyFringe Shows Get Noticed Across the Country

CityBeat's Rick Pender reports on the good review the Performance Gallery's IndyFringe performance of Fricative received.  The show is a provocative Dadaesque use of vocalisation that played CincyFringe in 2008. Here was my Review on TheConveyor.com.

Also getting some attention for the upcoming Chicago Fringe is Pones Inc whose production The Four Food Groups was the featured photo for this UpChicago Fringe article.

Chicago Fringe also features the amazing Artemis Exchange show Aberrant Reflections on the Barbarism of You & I.

If you happen to be in Chicago over the next week and a half, see both shows, they both were Conveyor.com award winners and are rousing fun.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

MidPoint Schedule Released

In case you still living in a cave, you should know that the 2011 (Tenth annual) Midpoint Music Festival Schedule and line-up was announced. This year there are some new interesting add-ons and what caught my eye was the MidPoint Midway that will close off part of 12 Street and include an Artworks box truck project which sounds very interesting.

For the full details, including the venue listing and showcase times, check out mpmf.com.

Friday, July 08, 2011

Countdown for 2012 Wold Choir Games Begins July 11th

The countdown clock will officially start for the 2012 World Choir Games at a Fountain Square event on Monday, July 11th. Cincinnati area native Drew Lachey will MC the 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM event.  Entertainment includes gospel recording artist Byron Cage, The Eleventh Hour Choir from Kettering, finalists in the NBC show “The Sing Off,” and singer and songwriter Kelly King.

There will be an actual clock, housed at Fountain Square that will provide a countdown to the event. I don't think everyone in Cincinnati understands how big of an event this is going to be. Organizers expect 20,000 participants and 200,000 spectators to attend over eleven days (July 4-14, 2012). Most of the spectators will be from out of town, including over 70 countries. That will mean a big boom to business. Hotel rooms will be hard to find. Restaurants will be busy. People from around the world will be enjoying our city.  We will have a chance to show off what an amazing place Cincinnati, OH is and has been for a long time.

The people of Cincinnati need to support this event.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Ladies & Gentleman: The VindleVoss Family Circus Spectacular!



See The VindleVoss Family Circus Spectacular! at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. This show opens on June 2nd. Go to www.cincyfringe.com for tickets and a listing of over 30 other productions.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Chapter 1 of Sir Derek of Snow vs. The Blue Suite #CincyFringe

Somewhere in this dazzling serial there rests a mystery that can only be solved by seeking out a web browser, going to www.cincyfringe.com, and buying as many tickets to Fringes shows as your credit card allows.

If you don't buy them, don't hold anyone but yourself responsible for what might happen...

Monday, May 16, 2011

Live Penguins at the Know Theatre!!!!!!!

DougScout out did himself for the final installment of the the Saga of DougScout.


Help the Know Theatre keep DougScout and the rest of the staff and company continuing to make amazing theatre right here in Over-the-Rhine. Head to their donate now page, click on the donate Today button and give what you can. The more you give, the happier you will feel, guaranteed!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

It's DougScout vs Tarbell: Give to the Know Theatre



If you were expecting King Kong vs Godzilla, you might be disappointed, but you can share the legendary view on who is who? DougScout has some King Kong qualities, but Tarbell does as well. The only way to solve the mystery is to go to see the Know's production of the Dragon! There you will have to ask a staff member: "Does DougScout symbolize King Kong or Godzilla?" You will need to ask more than one staff member, since you will certainly get more than one answer.

Help the Know Theatre keep DougScout out of trouble. A newspaper route doesn't keep wayward boys on the right track by itself.

Friday, April 22, 2011

DougScout: The Movie Will Blow You Away Like the Wind - Support the Know Theatre!



Help the Know Theatre make this movie into the best Theatre humanly possible for one person to write, produce, direct, stage manage, sound design, make cosumtes, and act in.  Give them some money!!!!!

Ok, excuse the next part of the this blog post as I gratuitously play for getting a quote on the DougScout movie poster:
You'll pee your pants if you see this movie. You'll poop your pant if you don't
B. Griffin - Cincinnati Blog

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Pones Inc 3rd B-Day Bash April 23rd at the Avenue

Move your ass on down to the Avenue in Covington this Saturday April 23rd to celebrate Pones Inc's third year of existence with a Red Hot, Off the Chain Birthday Extravaganza.

Support local theatre with a modest suggested $3 donation at the door. Details:
  • Launch of Pones Inc. NEW SWAG Line (including t-shirts & bumper stickers)
  • Launch of Pones Inc. Donation Feature on Website
  • Back to Back Local Bands and DJs
  • Pizza and Cake
  • Graffiti Wall
  • Party Favors
  • Videos and Projection
  • Dance Party and
  • Get your DRINK On
Saturday April 23rd 8pm -2am
The Avenue Lounge and Patio
411 Madison Ave.