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August 2008
O-H-I-O! Players, that is
KETTERING — The wait to hear Dayton’s pioneering funk band The Ohio Players give its first performance at Fraze Pavilion had to wait a little longer than expected Friday, Aug. 29, when first heavy rains, and then rain-damaged sound equipment, delayed the start of the much anticipated show.
While the influential group is a popular draw on the touring circuit, it rarely performs here, in the band’s hometown. Dayton’s United Way hosted Friday night’s concert as the kickoff to its annual fundraising campaign.
The arrival of a replacement soundboard at 10 p.m. enabled the 10-man veteran ensemble to take the stage by 10:20 p.m., raring to go.
Any remaining sound glitches got worked out as the group opened with an extended jam of “Skin Tight,” one of the original hit singles that helped launch the Players into the national spotlight in 1974.
And the hits just kept on coming, anchored by longtime members James “Diamond” Williams on the drums, Billy Beck on keyboards, Clarence “Chet” Willis on guitar and Robert Kuumba Jones on percussion.
“Jive Turkey,” also from 1974, came next, followed by the good-humored 1973 “Funky Worm,” featuring Beck’s vocals, silly-voiced intro and all.
A tight “Who’d She Coo?” featuring the group’s solid three-man horn section, followed, leading into a slow-grooved R&B medley, which concluded with a heartfelt “Heaven Must Be Like This.”
The tempo soon picked back up, however, with a horn-drenched “Sweet Sticky Thing,” an R&B chart-topper in 1975.
The rain delay prompted Fraze to ignore the neighborhood’s normal 11 p.m. curfew. Good thing, too, because the band was really starting to cook.
“You made us feel just absolutely wonderful up here today,” Williams, who has assumed leadership of the group, told the cheering crowd. “No rain can stop us.”
A soulful rendition of “I Want to be Free” segued into the familiar opening riff from the storied single “Roller Coaster.”
The popular song, which in 1975 topped both the R&B and pop charts, on Friday night featured a hot bass solo by Darwin Dortch and some extended improvisational passages by the horn section, before morphing into “O-H-I-O.”
The exuberant audience participation for “O-H-I-O,” including synchronized arm movements, was a highlight of the evening.
The show concluded with smoke filling the stage as the Players prepared to launch into their biggest hit, “Fire.”
But first Williams reflected on the song’s meaning.
“After 9/11, I thought differently about it,” he said. “I thought about what we should burn up. … Tonight, in our fire, we’re going to burn up hatred. Put it in the fire. We’re going to burn up segregation. Put it in the fire. Racism. Put it in the fire.”
The veteran musicians proceeded to burn up the place — metaphorically speaking, of course — before leaving the stage at 11:45 p.m.
Here’s hoping their next local show isn’t so long in coming.
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Ohio Players bring home the funk
KETTERING — We can’t know whether Dayton’s pioneering funk band the Ohio Players is any closer to attaining its long recommended place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
But 40 years after its official founding, the Players have earned first-time entry in an institution a little closer to home.
Friday evening, Aug. 29, marks the group’s debut at the 4,300-seat Fraze Pavilion, where they’re headlining the Fourth Annual United Live Concert for Community that kicks off this year’s local United Way campaign.
“It’s like being a boy coming home a hero,” said longtime drummer James “Diamond” Williams, who joined the group in 1974, just before it exploded onto the national scene with three consecutive platinum-selling albums, and such chart-topping hit singles as “Roller Coaster” and “Fire.”
Williams is the current leader of the 10-man ensemble taking the Fraze stage this evening.
Other veteran members include Billy Beck (keyboards), Clarence Willis (guitar) and Robert Kuumba Jones (percussion). Rounding out the group is Odeen Mays and Ronald Nooks, both on keyboards, and Darwin Dortch on bass, along with a Chicago-based horn section that’s been performing with the band for a number of years.
While longtime frontman Leroy “Sugarfoot” Bonner is now recording and touring separately, co-founding members Clarence “Satch” Satchell and Ralph “Pee Wee Middlebrook died in 1995 and ’96, respectively.
The last time the Players performed in their hometown was in 2004 as part of a Juneteenth celebration at Island MetroPark. They played the Ohio State Fair later that same summer; and in 2006, they headlined a high-profile show at the Rock Hall of Fame in Cleveland. “It was Black History Month,” Williams recalled.
While the Ohio Players have never been a rock band, their contributions have inspired countless performers across musical genres. Such influence is a prime criteria for Hall of Fame inclusion.
“We like to think we’ve made an impact,” Williams said with understated modesty.
The group remains active as a touring band, continuing to perform everything live: “No samplers, no computers, or any of that gadgetry,” Williams said. “It’s a flash back to the old school.”
The sparseness of Dayton-area shows, however, sometimes leads locals to think the Ohio Players has disbanded.
“People ask me all the time: ‘Diamond, are you still playing?’ What band are you in?” Williams said.
What band, indeed.
“We’re still playing, and we’re doing fine,” he said.
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Get SmARTS
OK, a new offer from our local arts organizations has just officially blown my mind: For $88, you can get a premium ticket (in other words, Orchestra or Loge seats, not nose-bleed) to The Dayton Opera, The Dayton Ballet, The Human Race and The Dayton Philharmonic. It’s a great way for folks to explore the arts in town. Check out this flyer (click on it and it will open in a larger window) and see for yourself. Sounds like a heck of a deal to us!
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‘High School Musical’ stars make double-play
Concert review
DAYTON — Gabrielle and Chad, er, Vanessa Hudgens and Corbin Bleu — the singing-dancing actors who play Gabrielle and Chad in Disney’s popular “High School Musical” film series — brought their youthful charms to town Tuesday night, Aug. 26, for a joyfully exuberant co-headline concert at Fifth Third Field.
The pair, both already entertainment veterans at 19 years of age, performed individual one-hour sets on a simple stage situated along the second-base, infield line.
Bleu opened the early evening concert with a powerhouse show that seemed choreographed down to every quarter beat of the beat-heavy material. Backed by four instrumentalists — playing bass, keyboards, guitar and drums — and four dancers, Bleu thrilled the predominantly pre-adolescent audience with his athletic dance moves and magnetic personality.
Although his segment was plagued by various sound problems that made his speaking voice difficult to follow and cut out the lead vocals through the first half of what could have been a show-stopping “Marchin,’ ” Bleu never missed a beat.
In comparison, Hudgens’ set seemed less orchestrated, though no less appreciated by the adoring crowd, which danced and sang along to the pop-infused songs culled from Hudgens’ two album releases.
Backed by six dancers and no instrumentalists, Hudgens gave a looser performance than Bleu’s, and the heavy use of pre-recorded material made it difficult to tell from the stands when the singing was live. No matter. She was live and in person, and that’s what counted most with the crowd.
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Dayton Opera hosts film preview tonight
BEAVERCREEK — Dayton Opera spokesman Chuck Duritsch says that about 50 seats have been made available to the general public for a preview screening this evening, Aug. 26, of the independent film “The Streetsweeper” at Regal 20 Cinemas at Fairfield Commons.
The 7 p.m. showing, presented by Dayton Opera as a special event for its season subscribers, will be followed by a talk by the film’s writer and director, James Hill.
Hill agreed this week to open the event to nonsubscribers as well.
The R-rated film, scheduled for wide release in February 2009, tells the story of Enzo Morelli, a former opera singer who gave up a promising stage career to support his family as a streetsweeper.
According to the film’s promotional material, the film opens as Enzo is arranging the final payment on his son’s tuition at Harvard — keeping a promise made to his late wife. Meanwhile, the son thinks he attended the prestigious college on a scholarship and comes home with an attitude and a rich girlfriend.
Remaining seats to this evening’s screening will be filled first-come, first-served.
For more information about the Dayton Opera, call (937) 461-8282 or go online to www.daytonopera.org.
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Tickets to Hudgens/Bleu show still available
Vanessa Hudgens and Corbin Bleu, pop singers, actors and stars of Disney’s “High School Musical” franchise are a mere day away from their big Aug. 26 show at Dayton’s Fifth Third Field.
Owen Serey, a media relations assistant for the Dragons, reports that, “ticket sales have met expectations, and have really picked up in the last couple of weeks.” Still he says,” there are still some good seats available.”
Here is the seating chart. For those of you who have attended concerts at Fifth Third Field before, you’ll note that this time around the stage is going to be much closer to the infield, which is good for fans in seats.
There are five way to get your tickets according to a page on the Dayton Dragons Web site:
1) Ordering online at ticketmaster.com
2) Visiting any Ticketmaster location. For a complete list of locations, visit ticketmaster.com
3) Calling Ticketmaster at (937) 228-2323
4) Stopping by the Dayton Dragons Box Office near the main entrance to Fifth Third Field.
5) Calling the Dayton Dragons Box Office at (937) 228-2287.
Both have said that their individual sets at this particular concert will feature songs taken from their solo album debuts (Hudgens released “V” in 2006, while Bleu’s “Another Side” came out in 2007) as well as material from new records.
Can’t get enough of these Disney stars? Here’s a story that will help. And if it’s pictures you’re looking for we have those too …
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Def Leppard “Hysteria”
The tight leather pants … the killer power chords … the bangin’ drum solos … the sweaty guitarists on bended knee and most importantly … that crazy big hair.
Anyone wishing to bask in warm memories of the days when ‘80s hair metal ruled the Earth had their dreams answered at the Def Leppard/Billy Idol show that rolled into Wright State’s Nutter Center on Thursday, Aug. 21.
If you’ve ever been to the Nutter Center for a concert then you are familiar with the major challenges the acoustics present, so there’s no need for us to harp on the ricochet reverb and endless echoes. It’s there, it’s always been there and this show was no exception.
Venue acoustics aside, rock concerts never, ever seem to start on time, so imagine our surprise when Billy Idol took the stage a few minutes early to open the relatively well-attended 7:30 p.m. show with “Cradle of Love.”
Backed by a four piece band which included long time guitarist Steve Stevens who looks like he stepped right off of the cover of a metal magazine (from the ‘80s, natch) and seemed to play as well behind his head as in front of it, Idol wasted no time in showing us that famous sneer that was as cool now as it was back in the day.
Playing mostly well-known hits including “Dancing With Myself,” “Flesh for Fantasy,” “White Wedding, Part 1,” “Mony, Mony,” “Eyes Without a Face” and “Blue Highway,” midway through his set, Idol played the only new tracks (“John Wayne” and “New Future Weapon”) off of his most recent release, a best of compilation entitled “Idolize Yourself.”
For Idol’s rocking rendition of the Doors’ “L.A. Woman” he substituted Dayton for L.A. — a nice touch that the audience happily and positively responded to.
Idol ended his hour and 15-minute set with his shirt off singing “Rebel Yell.” He has the body of a 30-year-old and the face and the throaty vocal range of his more than 50 years. Still, he proved he continues to have what it takes.
A slick video homage of Def Leppard over the years did a striking job of announcing the headliner.
These impressive visuals played in one form or another behind the band throughout the evening. Say what you like, but it’s nearly impossible to resist the sweet licks these guys were laying out. The visual, energetic show, which lasted just under two hours, opened strong with “Rocket,” “Animal” and “Foolin’ ”
On tour pimping their 14th studio album “Songs from the Sparkle Lounge” which came out at the end of April, the band paraded out “Nine Lives,” a collaboration with country music superstar Tim McGraw of all people.
“Love Bites” and a cover of David Essex’s “Rock On” with a bass line to end all bass lines followed shortly after. The band took it down a notch with a predominately acoustic set for both “Two Steps Behind” and “Bringing on the Hearbreak” but the calm didn’t last for long with the band amping things back up for “Hysteria” and “Armageddon It.”
A camera mounted on the end of guitarist Phil Collen’s guitar on “Photograph” only added to the already visual show.
“Pour Some Sugar On Me” came at 10:30 p.m. and saw the audience eating it up by the time “Rock of Ages” was being played.
Def Leppard ended the evening’s entertainment with “Let’s Get Rocked” and made certain their fans knew before they left the stage how much they appreciated them coming out. Lead singer Joe Elliott, whose vocals just don’t seem to quite hit all the notes anymore, ended the evening saying, “until next time — and there will be a next time — do us a favor … don’t forget us and we won’t forget you.”
Billy Idol was the appetizer and Def Leppard was the main course in this British rock buffet. They came, they saw, the audience got rocked and, Elliott will be relieved to hear, likely won’t soon forget it.
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DayTony Awards a Lockwood lovefest
Master of ceremonies Greg Smith was only partially joking when he remarked during the 2007-8 DayTony Awards Sunday, Aug. 17, “This is the theater. You know some of these people hate each other.”
Debra Strauss meant what she said, although she meant to say something else a bit later when she introduced Jim Lockwood as a new inductee of the “Dayton Theatre Hall of Friends.”
He and Dodie Lockwood, the year’s other inductee into the Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame, were surrounded by friends during local theater’s annual gala of togetherness, held for the first time at the Mandalay Banquet Center.
Based on voting by representatives of participating theaters during the 2007-8 season, tens of awards for merit and excellence were presented for acting, directing and design in community, college and professional theater. Several honorees were absent, leaving representatives of some theaters to collect numerous medallions and certificates.
Serving as a surrogate for absent Human Race Theatre performers, actress Katie Pees posed with a neck burdened by others’ medals at one point, returning later to claim her own for the one-woman show, “The Divine Miss P.”
The Lockwoods, former spouses and ongoing parents of two adult offspring who are also active in local theater, were the main act. Daughter Jennifer Lockwood introduced mom Dodie, who’s an actress, director, choreographer, co-founder of the Dayton Playhouse’s Futurefest and former fund raising campaign chair for the Dayton Theatre Guild.
Jim Lockwood entered the theater via the orchestra pit as a musician before digging himself way deeper over the years as a performer in more than 150 local productions, a director of 41 more and an audience member for at least 50 shows a year.
Strauss, who has acted, volunteered and served on the board of the Dayton Playhouse, began her introduction with the line, “It’s a good night to be a Lockwood.”
It was also a good night to be a friend of the Lockwoods, even if you left without a medal. Arthur Jackson, a former Dayton judge and Dayton Playhouse board member, made the trip from Seattle to join the ovation. Brian Spitler, a former local music director who now works for the Disney company, came from Florida for the occasion.
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Oakwood artist speaks her mind
We recently ran in to Oakwood artist Julie Beyer at a Dayton Visual Arts Center Artist Palatte celebration. What’s an Artist Palate? DVAC’s Web site describes it as, “Artist Palate parties celebrate some of the finer things in life … friendship, art and food. Each party, whether held in an interesting home or artist’s studio, is a unique combination of people and activity celebrating the arts. Doors are thrown open, tables are filled, and guests are invited to experience interesting, not-often-seen places. Party themes range far and wide, but they always reflect the featured artwork and the menu.”
Julie Beyer (right) and DVAC’s Jane Black chat at DVAC’s August Artist Palatte held in Beyer’s Oakwood home.
Beyer’s work was recently showcased in her Oakwood home during a “Stratification Celebration” in which layers were the theme du jour. The food was layered and so were the whimsical, brightly colored collaged artwork done by Beyer which include paint, paper, fabric and occasionally drawings and pieces created by her kids. Also onhand was Beyers’ version of Wendy created for the Columbus-based hamburger chain by the same name.
A view of Julie Beyer’s “Wendy” and folks chatting during DVAC’s August Artist Palatte.
We took the opportunity to pick Beyer’s brain on her artwork, influences and impressions of the Dayton art scene. Here’s what we she had to say …
Q: Tell us briefly about yourself.
“I live in Oakwood with my husband Jim and our children Hank, Will, Jack, and Lydia. We also have an exchange student from France named Julien.”
Q: How would you describe your art?
“Hmmmm….that’s a good question. I think I would say it’s colorful, quirky, and happy.”
Q: Where do you get the inspiration for your work?
“When I was young, my parents and siblings were my inspiration. They are all artists of some kind. Creativity was always encouraged. Someone was always working on some kind of project. Today I’m inspired by my children’s art and the people and things I see in everyday life. I love going online and checking out art in galleries all over the world. I spend way too much time doing this … but it’s fun and I’m always impressed by what people can come up with. Looking at art is very inspirational.”
Julie Beyer’s painting entitled “Rose.”
Q: Who are your favorite artists?
“My list of favorite contemporary artists changes daily. My favorite masters are Modigliani and Picasso.”
Q: Where can folks see your art? (Do you have a Web site? Is there an upcoming show of any kind?)
“I do a lot of commissioned work so I don’t have a large inventory of paintings at any one time. I’d love to have enough paintings to have a show someday. I just need to learn to paint faster — or maybe not sleep.”
Q: We hear you created something for the Wendy’s fast food chain. Tell us about what you made, how this opportunity came about and when you’ll hear back about your submission?
“This summer Wendy’s is sponsoring a “My Wendy My Way” art contest as part of their 2008 Great Taste Tour. In each of the 22 cities Wendy’s stops for the tour, one art organization was chosen to select one artist to create a new version of the Wendy’s icon. Jane Black from the Dayton Visual Arts Center contacted me to see if I would be interested in doing this. Of course I was … and I had a lot of fun working on this project. At the end of the tour the favorite Wendy will be selected and the winning artist and art organization will each receive $25,000. I think we’ll find out in December of this year.”
Q: You dived into the Dayton art scene not all that long ago … What surprised you about the artists, opportunities and support that were out there and what advice would you have for other local aspiring artists?
“Honestly, the thing that surprised me the most was that people actually wanted to buy my art. I started painting with the intention of filling a blank space on a wall in my house. Winnie Cleavenger, a local interior designer, saw the painting and commissioned me to do a piece for one of her clients. It just kind of took off from there. I joined DVAC and that has been a great way for me to meet other local artists and stay informed about what’s going on in the local art scene.”
Q: What are you working on right now? (paintings, projects, etc.) What’s up next for you artwise?
“Always something. Can’t stop. It’s a sickness.”
Q: Tell us what it’s like when you paint.
“When I paint I’m in my laundry room. I am listening to my iPod and drinking coffee and I can hear the hum of the washing machine and dryer. There’s a mess of fabric scraps, old photos, pieces of paper and ripped up books all over the floor. I am using a palette knife or brush and acrylic or latex paint one minute — then scissors, mod podge and fabrics and paper the next. Kids are coming in and out of the room. They’re stopping to comment on what I’m doing or to make fun of my singing. Sometimes it’s chaotic sometimes quiet. I am happy. I feel lucky.”
Julie Beyer’s painting entitled “Pear.”
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It’s all blue skies for ‘Lawnchair Man’
“The Flight of the Lawnchair Man” was the little musical that could during the weekend of Aug. 8-10 at the Mathile Theatre in the Schuster Performing Arts Center.
It could have aborted takeoff, crashed, been diverted, or completed its route with empty seats, but did none of the above in the Encore Theater Company’s pleasing local premiere.
Here’s why: imaginative staging by Adam Leigh, high-rpm and unified ensemble energy, clever lines in the book by Peter Ullian that seem even wittier in juxtaposition with the expected predictable ones, and a couple of really nice songs by Robert Lindsey-Nassif. In or out of context, “The Air Is Free” is just wonderful.
Shawn Hooks played the central character, Jerry Gorman, a New Jersey nobody who goes from discount store snack bar manager to celebrity when he takes to the skies in a lawn chair borne by helium balloons. Leigh and company render that by seating Hooks high on a platform that wheels in and out, between the spectators.
Hooks, with a convincing hangdog expression while tethered by gravity, hit some sweet tenor notes in “I Want to Fly” during Saturday night’s performance, but others were just as crucial to the show’s spirit.
Robin Smith was a focal point for empathy as Gracie, the girlfriend who remains sweetly supportive and loyal even though Jerry leaves her on the ground. Errik Hood and Valerie Jonkoff were the over-the-top and sometimes operatic establishment aviation duo of pilot Big Jack Preston and flight attendant Blaire.
The supporting cast of many provided a squadron of versatility.
Anyone who converses with Leonardo Da Vinci, Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart in midair, as Jerry does, probably isn’t coming back. Rather than regrets, “Lawnchair Man” leaves behind a pleasant breeze.
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Playhouse announces people’s Futurefest, Blackburn winners
Unlike the judges, who anointed the drama “Heartland” as best play in the recent 18th annual Futurefest, the audience favored lighter fare. The Dayton Playhouse announced Monday, Aug. 11, that their pick for best play in the festival was “Coming Back to Jersey,” by Carl L. Williams, a comedy about marriage and jealousy. It closed the 18th annual new play festival Aug. 1 under Jim Lockwood’s direction.
In addition, the Playhouse has announced its annual in-house honors, the Blackburn Awards for the 2007-8 season.
Lifetime Achievement honors went to Marilyn Knox, longtime box office director, and actress Virginia Garcia, a member of the Dayton Theatre Hall of Fame.
The managing director’s award went to Fran Pesch, director, actor, dedicated Playhouse volunteer and founder of the senior acting troupe Young in Heart Players.
“Funny Girl” was named best musical and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” best play.
Design honors went to Christine Stewart, costumes; Terry Ronald, lighting, and Chris Harmon, sets, all for “Amadeus.”
Top directors were Craig Smith (play), “Virginia Woolf”; Chris Harmon (musical) and Lindsay Sherman (musical direction), both for “Funny Girl.”
Casts of “Woolf?” (play) and “Funny Girl” (musical) were voted best ensembles.
Pam McGinnis (best actress), Charles Larkowski (best actor) and Matt Beisner (supporting actor in a play) won individual honors for their work in “Virginia Woolf.”
Becky Barrett-Jones (best actress in a musical), Renee Franck-Reed (supporting actress in a musical) and Jason Collins (supporting actor in a musical) were named for “Funny Girl.” Malcolm Walker earned best actor in a musical for “Pippin” and Amy Brooks best supporting actress in a play for “Amadeus.”
Certificates of achievement were awarded to: Josh Hollister, Terry Ronald, Anita Bachmann, Chris Harmon, Jennifer Shaw, Doug Lloyd, Amy Brooks, Blaire Butler, Leo Geiger, Philip Smyth, Michael Wadham, Bradley Walker, Ron Weber, Terry Lupp, Katelyn Yeager, Alex Brundrett, Roger Watson, Marilyn Knox, Terri Voisard-Gshwender, Megan Cooper, Alex Carmichal, Andrea Young and Nate Stevens.
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Mind-changing leads Theatre Guild to new home
The Dayton Theatre Guild has been a bit like a shopper who buys one item, sees another he likes better on the way to the checkout and later drives past another offer that makes all previous choices seem not so desirable.
Its pending purchase of the Dayton Gym Club 430 Wayne Ave., has made both the former Foundry nightclub and its own vacant lot at Patterson and East Fourth streets expendable.
Leaders of the 63-year-old community theater expected they would be opening the 2008-9 season in the old Foundry, 26 Wyandot St., when they announced a season opening with “Outward Bound.” They had a verbal agreement to buy the place at the time, but no contract ever materialized.
It wasn’t the first time plans had to change during the 11 years they’ve been seeking a way to move downtown.
A placard has identified the lot at Fourth and Patterson as the DTG’s “future home” for more than four years. More than $700,000 was raised to build a new structure there, designed by Dayton architects Dale D. Smith and Joe Mitolo.
But as the cost of that building escalated more quickly than contributions did, the Guild kept looking.
When the Gym Club, with its “Bingo Tonite” sign out front and a façade bearing frescoes of a boxer, baseball player, weightlifter and baskeball player, became available, they jumped at the chance to hang their name on the outside, as shown here in a rendering.
That made sense for a number of reasons. If all goes well, the sale will be final on Thursday, Aug. 14. The Guild will be doing theater there as early as January 2009, or as late as the start of the 2009-10 season. But “Outward Bound” is going to be done at its home of 45 years on Salem Avenue at Elsmere Avenue.
The Guild suffered through a few lean years around the time it began planning its move. But attendance is on the upswing. It has developed a small but loyal audience willing to take chances with seasons dominated by local premieres, plus the occasional modern classic.
Intimacy, a much praised but rarely encountered quality in local theater, has been part of the charm. The building on Salem has just 92 seats, which surround a long, narrow stage on three sides. The new home one the eastern edge of the Oregon District may have as many as 120 in a similar configuration.
That’s a considerable leap that will likely present a challenge similar to the one in the plot for “Outward Bound,” in which a group of travelers board a cruise ship for an unknown destination.
It has already been a long, strange trip, but every stop and non-stop has paved the way. There will be a public open house and season preview at the Gym Club/Theatre Guild at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 23.
For more information about the Theatre Guild, call (937) 278-5993.
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Springboro dancer gets New York scholarship
Jeri Dickey has herself to blame and thank for the fact that her daughter Jenna has left home at 14 years old.
She did a great job as Jenna’s first and only dance teacher until four years ago, when Barbara Pontecorvo took over shaping the Springboro girl into a potential high-level performer.
Now Jenna has moved to New York City on full scholarship to the prestigious School of American Ballet, which doesn’t accept many.
Only a dozen of 200 students from the around the world who studied there this summer were asked to stay year-round. Only Jenna was awarded a full scholarship covering tuition, room and board. She’ll live at Lincoln Center in the Juilliard School dormitories. She has a great view of the city from her window.
She won’t be neglecting her academic work, after earning straight-A’s at Bishop Leibold School East and Springboro Junior High School. She has also been accepted into the Professional Children’s School in New York, which limits enrollment in grades six through 12 to 150.
“When I took her to study at Pontecorvo Ballet Studios, I just wanted her to do a ‘Nutcracker’ and take class from someone other than her mother,” her mother said. “She didn’t want to go, saying it was a ‘ballet’ studio. She was much more into jazz and competitive dancing. After one class with Miss Barbara, she begged me to study there and nowhere else.”
Dickey said Jenna is now passionate about “the Balanchine style and has the body for that choreography. I think that’s why they fell in love with her at SAB.”
The young dancer went to SAB this summer hoping to stay. “After they asked her to stay, I said the only way I would allow my 14-year-old to move to New York City is if they were going to pay her way. I never thought that would happen. I thought I was buying at least another year with her at home. But she will come home when she can, and I wasn’t going to stand in the way of her dream. I am very proud of her.”
Two of Jeri and husband Joe Dickey’s four children have cystic fibrosis and she has produced a fund-raising performance, Step Up 4 a Cure, for 10 years.
“We will all miss Jenna so much. We are a very close family,” she said.
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More ‘Rain’ the merrier for Victoria Theatre
The Victoria Theatre Association isn’t concerned that a PBS broadcast of “Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles” will steal any thunder from its Dec. 10-21 live presentation of the same show in the Chase Broadway Series. Dayton’s ThinkTV Channel 16 will air the show again at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6.
In fact, Victoria e-marketing and public relations director Eric Brockman is confident the television exposure will be good for box office business.
“There are perhaps some people who might say, ‘Saw it on TV, not going to see it live.’ But for the most part, we’ve found that videos and TV specials like this generate interest and make people want to see the show live. ‘Rain’ has been successfully doing this in other markets,” Brockman said.
A few years ago, a broadcast of “Three Mo’ Tenors” did “a great job of getting everyone excited about the show and buying tickets,” he said. “Also, the ‘Rain’ special is more of a ‘Best of Rain live’ than the complete show.”
“Rain” follows the Beatles from their beginnings to the psychedelic late 1960s and combines live performance and video with historical footage and television commercials from the era. Victoria season tickets are now on sale. Single seats will be available beginning Aug. 22 at (937) 228-3630.
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Hawthorne Heights releases new album
Popular Dayton band Hawthorne Heights’ third album, “Fragile Future,” drops today, Aug. 5, following two successful previous releases — 2004’s “The Silence in Black and White” and the 2006 release “If Only You Were Lonely.”
This is the first release since the death of the band’s guitarist, 26-year-old Middletown native Casey Calvert less than a year ago. In November of 2007, Calvert was discovered by bandmates unresponsive on their tour bus the afternoon before a scheduled performance Nov. 24 at Washington, D.C. Nightclub 9:30. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The death was later ruled due to complications from incompatible prescription drugs.
With the loss of Calvert, the band’s music has adapted. Much of the new album finds the band dealing with the loss. The track “Four Become One” details 5 members becoming 4. The album comes packaged with a sampler from bands including 1997, A Day To Remember, Bayside, Silverstein, Aiden and The Audition.
“This last batch (of songs) sums up where we are as a band, what we have been through and most importantly … where we want to be,” vocalist JT Woodruff said in a press release after Calvert’s death. “Through all the smoke and fire, we feel these songs are the best material we have ever released.”
The band said shortly after Calvert’s death last November that he will not be replaced.
The foursome will be touring the United States on Projekt Revolution with Linkin Park this summer, rocking nearby stages at Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati on Aug. 15 and the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Noblesville, Ind. on Aug. 17.
Have you heard the album? Are you planning on seeing the band play live? What do you think?
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Former stage Sophie gives ‘Mamma’ film thumbs up
Jill Paice has sort of gotten over the London critics’ savaging of the musical “Gone With the Wind” earlier this year. It didn’t help all that much that they ripped the show, not her portrayal of Scarlett O’Hara.
She has already landed a new featured role — on this side of the Atlantic. Even so, a little escapism never hurts.
The Beavercreek native, who originated the role of Sophie in the Las Vegas production of the musical “Mamma Mia!” several years ago, finally got to catch the film version. Here’s her brief review, which sounds nothing like a dispatch from a London critic:
“I thought it was terrific! They remained faithful to the story, the songs and the choreography. Meryl Streep was fantastic, but I really loved Amanda Seyfried as Sophie. She was the perfect Sophie — cute and bubbly and desperately wanting to learn who her father is.
“I saw the film with my mom and we both cried during ‘Slipping through My Fingers.’ Seeing the film brought back a lot of wonderful memories of the show and of the company I worked with in Las Vegas.
“The show there just celebrated its fifth anniversary at the beginning of this year and it’s continuing to play to packed audiences who are dancing in the aisles.
“The film is great, but it shouldn’t be substituted for a night in the theater. Make sure you see the live version of this musical if you haven’t. You won’t be disappointed … and you might get to hear a couple of extra songs which didn’t make it into the film.”
If you’d rather see Paice, she’ll be playing in the Signature Theatre Company’s production of “Ace” Aug. 26-Sept. 28 in Arlington, Va.
She’ll also be performing Aug. 18 at the Barnes and Noble store on Broadway at 68th Street in New York for the release of the cast album for “The Gig.” You can also hear her on the original cast albums for the musicals “Curtains” and “The Woman in White.”
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DPO taps new head administrator
DAYTON — The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will announce Monday, Aug. 4, that it has chosen a successor for former Executive Director Curt Long, who announced his resignation in June to take the top post with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.
Paul Helfrich (pictured below), the executive director of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra in Charleston, will begin his tenure with the DPO on Oct. 27.
The timing of Long’s resignation announcement — a week before the League of American Orchestra’s annual conference — allowed the Philharmonic board to move quickly in finding his replacement, said Dave Bukvic, the DPO’s marketing director. Board representatives returned from the conference with the names of three finalists, Bukvic said.
“On paper, (Helfrich) has all the skills; but the thing that struck me the most about him is a sense of how we’ll work together,” said DPO Music Director and Conductor Neal Gittleman. “He’s a person, like Curt, where we’ll have a very good collaborative relationship.”
Gittleman said Helfrich seems to be someone open to new ideas, but not one to “roll over and say, ‘Yes, Maestro,’ ” to everything.
Helfrich, for his part, says he’s excited about joining the Dayton team. “It’s a real honor to be coming to work with Neal Gittleman,” he said.
Helfrich, 45, will be taking on a $5.2 million operation that is generally perceived as an artistic and business success, despite a $250,000 deficit last year that was covered by unrestricted funds in the DPO’s endowment.
He said the DPO board has given him “no immediate charge” for the job, which “in a way reflects that the Philharmonic is basically in good shape.”
While the West Virginia Symphony is smaller, with a $3.3 million budget, Helfrich’s time there in many ways paralleled that of Long’s in Dayton, in that he led the orchestra through its move to a new concert hall and office space in 2003, oversaw an expansion of the orchestra’s concert schedule and guided it through budget growth and revenue increases.
He also oversaw a successful $8 million endowment and recapitalization campaign, and said he likely will be studying during his first months in Dayton whether an endowment campaign is appropriate here as well.
Helfrich’s salary in 2006-07 was $97,092, while Long’s was $140,749, according to orchestra management consultant Drew McManus, who compiles the tax returns of orchestras across the country each year and posts the results on his Web site.
A native of Philadelphia, Helfrich grew up in Upper Black Eddy, Penn. He plays tuba and earned a bachelor of music degree in 1984 from Indiana University in Bloomington, where he then completed a master’s degree in arts administration in 1986.
His tenure in West Virginia began in 1996, following administrative positions with Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J.; the IU School of Music; the Kalamazoo (Mich.) Symphony Society; and the Erie (Penn.) Philharmonic.
His position in Dayton will be that of DPO president, a change in title, but not responsibilities, adopted by the Philharmonic board at its June meeting. The trustees at the same time voted to change the titles of the board’s leaders, previously president and vice president, to that of chair and vice chair.
Helfrich, his wife, Geane, and their two sons, Donald, 9, and Gerald, 7, plan to move to the Dayton area before he settles into the new job.
“I have just a tremendous enthusiasm for music and musicians,” he said. “Administration can be a demanding profession, but for me it is worth it to be part of something very, very special.”
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