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April 2009
Stevens ousted as WTUE Beatles host
Ann Stevens’ 16-year run as host of Sunday morning’s “Breakfast with the Beatles” show on local radio has ended.
She was fired from the part-time position at WTUE-FM this week as part of a national payroll reduction at stations owned by Clear Channel Radio.
“WTUE told me it was for economic reasons, but I presume they are going to continue the show without me. The show is still on their website,” Stevens said.
“As far as I am concerned, it’s my baby. I started it at WING-FM and brought it to WTUE eight years ago after a format change.”
WTUE program director Tony Tilford didn’t return calls from the Dayton Daily News on Thursday, April 30.
“I’m honored to have been able to do the show for so long and become part of so many people’s lives as a result. What hurts the most is that I won’t be able to talk to those Beatles people anymore. They were my family,” Stevens said.
When asked what Beatles song she would like to hear for her exit, Stevens chose her favorite, “Sexy Sadie.” “It has always made me happy.”
“Breakfast with the Beatles’ aired from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays.
Stevens’ life outside radio includes serving as public information coordinator for Montgomery County Jobs and Family Services.
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TweetDayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra’s final program of its 2008-2009 season.
Now in its 71st season, the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra is one of the oldest orchestras of its kind in the United States. Founded in 1937 by Paul Katz, it brings together the area’s most gifted young orchestral talent and provides opportunities for the study and performance of a broad range of repertoire.
On Sunday, May 3 at 3 p.m. at Schuster Center, Patrick Reynolds, conductor of the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, will lead the group in its Spring Concert — the final program of its 2008-2009 season.
DPO education director Gloria Pugh said it will be “an exhilarating afternoon.”
The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra is proud to support the talented young musicians of the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra,” she said. “This dedicated group consistently presents concerts that are exciting and inspiring. I encourage anyone who has not had the privilege to hear the DPYO perform to attend the Spring Concert.”
The concert will consist of Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide,” Aaron Copland’s “Danzon Cubano” and Antonin Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 9 in E minor.”
Reynolds also serves as Assistant Conductor of the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, conducting more than two-dozen performances with the DPO each season. He has conducted the Philharmonic in classical and chamber subscription concerts, SuperPops and summer concerts, as well as for the Miracle of Mozart Festival with pianist Jon Nakamatsu.
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TweetVictoria announces summer films
The Victoria Theatre Association has announced its 2009 Michelob Ultra Cool Film Series.
Thirteen mostly classic Hollywood films from the silent era to the 1970s and beyond will be shown at the Victoria Theatre on weekends in July and August.
Here’s the schedule:
July 3-5: “The Seven Year Itch” (1955), with Marilyn Monroe as the hot new neighbor and Tom Ewell as a married man whose family has gone to the country.
July 10-12: “White Christmas” (1954), with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye as a song and dance due who fall for a sister act played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.
July 17-19: “The Sting” (1973). Robert Redford plays a small-time grifter and Paul Newman a master con man who team up to scam a crime boss.
July 24-26: Jimmy Stewart Weekend — “Vertigo” (1958), the Hitchcock thriller with Kim Novak on Friday; “Harvey” (1950), with Stewart as a man accompanied by an invisible 6-foot rabbit on Saturday, and “The Philadelphia Story” (1950), with Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, showing Sunday.
July 31-Aug. 2: “An American in Paris” (1951). Gene Kelly is a struggling American painter in France, but man can he dance. So can Leslie Caron in this great musical.
Aug. 7-9: “To Kill a Mockingbird”: (1962). The classic novel brought to the screen with Gregory Peck, Robert Duvall and others.
Aug. 14-16: “Funny Girl” (1968): Barbra Streisand with Omar Sharif in the musical about Fanny Brice.
Aug. 21-23: “American Graffiti” (1973): The teen coming-of-age classic directed by George Lucas takes us to the last night of summer in 1962.
Aug. 28-30: “Phantom of the Opera” Weekend: Three versions in three days. 1. the 1925 silent film with Lon Chaney (to live organ accompaniment), the 1943 Claude Rains version and the 2005 film musical.
How to Go
What: 2009 Michelob Ultra Cool Film Series.
When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, July 3-Aug. 20.
Where: Victoria Theatre, First and Main streets.
Tickets: $4.75 for single seats, $24 for a 10-ticket pass. Passes go on sale May 5. Free soda and popcorn in the lobby before the show and organ concerts before the cartoon.
Call: (937) 228-3630, (888) 228-3630, or made reservations online at www.ticketcenterstage.com. For more information, go to www.victoriatheatre.com.
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TweetMotown Idol semi-finalists revealed
Eleven semi-finalists in the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s Motown Idol talent search competition have been announced.
The search started with a karaoke contest on Thursday April 23 at Therapy Cafe, 452 East Third Street. Approximately 50 candidates showed up. MI judges were William Caldwell, professor of music at Central State University, Marina Miller of the DPO and DPO Music Director Neal Gittleman.
Semi-finalists ranged in age from 23 to 70. They are: • Nina Cooper, 70, Dayton, retired • Paul King Latham, Jr., 37, Dayton, schoolteacher • Tennille Carpenter, 32, Dayton, independent contractor • Yolanda Drake, 46, Dayton, family self-sufficiency coordinator • Tony Cavaletti, 32, Dayton, laborer • Brandon Harvey, 38, Huber Heights, heat-treat assistant • Abi Cook, 23, Kettering, full-time musician • April Amissah-Aidoo, 35, Dayton, customer service/sales rep. • Carl King, 50, Dayton, PM dietary manager • Janel Harrington, 36, Xenia, student • Lindsay Nutter, 25, Springboro, high school relations coordinator
The eleven singers will return to Therapy Cafe on Thursday, May 7 to audition for The Contours themselves. The six finalists will be announced that evening.
“I had a blast listening to the competitors,” Gittleman said. “There was a marvelous array of talent on display, and we chose 11 great semi-finalists. I think The Contours and their musical director will be blown away by what they hear on May 7, when they get to choose our six finalists.”
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TweetThe Contours ready to rock the house.
From a modest two-story, frame house in Detroit dubbed Hitsville USA, Barry Gordy created a musical empire that gave birth to a universally recognized brand of pop-soul music labeled the “Motown sound.”
And one of the first groups Gordy signed was a vibrant quartet called The Contours whose hit song “Do You Love Me? (Now That I Can Dance)” rocketed to the top of the R&B charts in 1962.
Now, 47 years later, the reconstituted Contours are still dazzling audiences with fancy footwork and silky harmonies. They will revive some unforgettable musical moments at the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s National City SuperPops Concert at Schuster Center, The Mighty Sounds of Motown, Friday and Saturday, May 8, 9.
“We’re looking forward to working with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra,” said Contours lead singer Sylvester Potts. “It’s been quite a while since we performed in Dayton. It’s always a pleasure to do a show there.”
In conjunction with the event, two winners of the DPO’s Motown Idol karaoke competition will perform “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” with The Contours each night of the concert.
“We did something like this a few years back when Neil Sedaka came to town,” said David Bukvic, DPO’s director of marketing and public relations. “It was a lot of fun. In the end, we’re going to put two people on stage — one of Friday and one on Saturday — and I want these people to be high grade and really top notch artists.”
HOW TO GO What: The Mighty Sounds of Motown featuring The Contours When: Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9 at 8 p.m. Where: Schuster Center How Much: Tickets $75, $27. Call (937) 228-3630
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TweetBob Dylan, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp to perform in Dayton
By Laura Dempsey Staff Writer
DAYTON — Fifth Third Field is one of 23 minor-league ballparks chosen to host The Bob Dylan Show, a concert featuring Dylan, John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson. The Dayton show is scheduled for July 10. The tour will hit 30 cities, seven of which will be in non-ballpark venues.
Tickets for the Fifth Third concert go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. May 2 at all Ticketmaster outlets, with pre-sale offers made available by mail to Dragons’ corporate sponsors and season ticket holders. All tickets will be $67.50, regardless of seat location.
“We’re excited about the show; we’re excited about the acts,” said Eric Deutsch, executive vice president of Mandalay Baseball/Dayton Dragons.
Fifth Third Field got into the concert business back in 2005, hosting Def Leppard and Bryan Adams in August of that year. That show saw the most people in the field to date — just less than 9,000 people came and rocked; for baseball games, Fifth Third can seat 7,250 people with room for about 1,000 more on the lawn and standing around. Total capacity for concerts is right around 11,000, with 4,000 seats available in the prized on-field position.
In August 2008, “High School Musical” stars Vanessa Hudgens and Corbin Bleu played to a healthy crowd of tween-aged fans.
Dylan and Nelson teamed up for a “ballpark tour” for the first time in 2004, hitting 22 fields during August and September. At the time, Dylan was quoted as saying, “What we aim to do with this tour is hit the ball out of the park, touch all the bases and get home safely.”
Bob Dylan last appeared in Dayton on Oct. 16, 2007, at Wright State’s Nutter Center, where he played to a half-full arena. Amos Lee and Elvis Costello opened that show — and FYI, Costello will be coming to Kettering’s Fraze Pavilion Aug. 27.
“Together through Life,” Dylan’s 46th release and 33rd studio album — the first new studio release since 2006 — will be in stores on Tuesday, April 28.
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TweetOxford film fest in top 25
MovieMaker Magazine has named Ohio’s Oxford International Film Festival as one of the top 25 festivals in the United States and Canada for being worth the entry fee. More than 3,000 other North American festivals were considered.
The third annual event will be held July 23-26, 2009, at the Savannah Center in West Chester. More than 70 short and feature-length independent and international films were part of the first one.
For more information on the festival, which includes four days of screenings, concerts and other events, go to www.oxfordfilms.com.
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TweetTheatre Guild paves way for move
The Dayton Theatre Guild, which purchased the former Dayton Gym Club on Wayne Avenue in the Oregon District, has sold its home of more than 40 years on Salem Avenue.
Board member Debra Kent said terms of the sale could not be announced until the closing in August.
Meanwhile, renovation will begin soon at the new location. “We should have our work permit shortly so that work can begin. The original amount we were quoted to complete all of the work there, minus carpeting and other items, is $344,000. We have about half that now and are confident we will be able to raise the rest,” Kent said.
Grand opening is planned for August with the 2009-10 season opener “Les Liaisons Dangereuses.”
“We may not have new seating, finished interior theater walls and everything else done by then, but we will be able to do theater,” Kent said.
The Theatre Guild is presenting “The Cashier” through April 31 at 2330 Salem Avenue, with a production of “Fuddy Meers” yet to come there this season as well. More information is available at www.daytontheatreguild.org or (937) 278-5993.
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TweetScripts chosen for Futurefest
Six previously unproduced scripts, including one by a Dayton area writer, have been chosen to be produced during Futurefest 2009, the Dayton Playhouse’s annual new play festival.
Selected from more than 200 submitted from around the country, they are:
“Night and Fog,” a World War II and journalism drama by M.J. Feely of Tarzana, Calif.; “Carve,” a play about artistic inspiration, family and memory by Molly Smith Metzler of Brooklyn, N.Y.; “Darkroom,” a drama about racial identity by Devon Boan of Franklin, Tenn.; “G-Man,” a story of humanity with a garbageman as protagonist, by Rosemary Toohey of Baltimore; “A Snake That Eats Itself,” a play about friendship, ambition and withdrawal from the rat race, by Chad Baker of Beavercreek, and “Quietus,” a drama about ethics and mining the human body, by Richard Manley of New York.
The event will be held July 24-26 at the Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave. Past weekend-ticket holders can buy tickets to this year’s festival beginning May 1. Sales open to the general public on May 19. Price is $85. Call (937) 424-8477 for more information.
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Tweet‘Color Purple’ tour delivers goods
DAYTON — A cast sprinkled with Broadway veterans brought the musical “The Color Purple” to Dayton for the first time Tuesday, April 21, at the Schuster Center.
Among the notables was Kenita R. Miller in the role of small, but indomitable Celie, who evolves from humble and downtrodden to become the gracious, confident center of her extended family over two acts and about 150 minutes, including intermission.
Like a cord threaded through the various elements, sublots and moods of the narrative, Miller’s clear voice and steady delivery pulled everything together by the conclusion of the surprisingly and consistently funny, but still endearing stage version of the Alice Walker novel.
She was at her best in “I’m Here,” the most important, but not necessarily best song in the show. “Hell No!” by the deserving audience favorite Lynette DuPree as no-nonsense Sofia, may have been more frivolous, but it came early when the show needed some fireworks.
“The Color Purple,” by Angela Robinson as juke joint singer and man-magnet Shug Avery, was another vocal highlight. The dances in “African Homeland,” choreographed by Donald Byrd, lifted the storytelling at a perfect time for imaginative embellishments.
The men in”The Color Purple” never earn much esteem. In the musical, they do redeem themselves a bit by the time the happy ending arrives in the form of Celie’s reunion with her long-lost sister Nettie (LaToya London).
Bad as his character was to 14-year-old Celie after grudgingly accepting her from her abusive father as his wife and servant, Rufus Bonds Jr. gave an impressive performance as the eventually humanized Mister. Brandon Victor Dixon was also vital as Harpo, who had no chance to follow his father’s example. Sofia made sure of that.
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TweetMiamisburg, Hamilton singers win scholarships
Jason Slattery, a Baldwin-Wallace College junior from Miamisburg, and high school student James C. Blanchard of Hamilton won the 2009 Stephen Schwartz Musical Theatre Scholarship Competition Saturday, April 18, at The Loft Theatre in Dayton.
Schwartz, the award-winning composer and lyricist of musicals “Wicked” and “Godspell” and films including “Enchanted,” attended and served as one of the four judges.
The winners were among eight finalists — six college musical theater majors and two high school students planning to major in musical theater — vying for two levels of scholarships: $3,500 for a college student and $1,500 for a high school performer.
The other six contestants, who each received $250, were: Will Hutcheson, a Wright State University junior from Kettering; Annabeth Kane, an Oakwood High School senior planning to attend Miami University; Brandon Michael Fleming, a Wright State junior from Euclid; Kelsey Celek, a WSU junior from Springboro; Lucian Smith, a WSU sophomore from Columbus, and Lindsay Flick, a WSU senior from Fairfield.
Each performer was required to sing one song written by Schwartz and another of their choosing from musical theater during the two rounds.
Slattery opened with “With You,” from “Pippin” and returned with an expressive rendition of “One-Track Mind” from the show “Sweet Smell of Success.”
Blanchard, a senior at Cincinnati Christian High School, sang “Make Someone Happy” and “Corner of the Sky,” also from “Pippin.”
The scholarship was established by The Human Race Theatre Company and was funded this year by Tim and Char Scroggins, Evelyn Burkins, Werner Triftshouser, Jerry and Rita Gallo Doerger, The Araca Group LLC and National City, which is now part of PNC.
In tribute to Schwartz, master of ceremonies Jake Lockwood unveiled “It’s All Stephen Schwartz,” an original parody to the tune of “It’s All for the Best,” from the musical Godspell.”
The other judges were Human Race executive director Kevin Moore and resident artists Patricia Linhart and Scott Stoney. More information is available at www.humanracetheatre.org
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TweetVictoria cans Elvis musical
The Victoria Theatre Association has replaced the musical “All Shook Up” on its 2009-10 Broadway series because producers have cancelled the tour of the show based on Elvis Presley songs.
“The Aluminum Show,” a production described as part “Blue Man Group,” “Cirque du Soleil” and “Stomp,” has been booked in its place. Dates will be March 9-21, 2010, at the Victoria Theatre.
Other productions in the lineup, which is sponsored by Miami Valley and Good Samaritan hospitals, will include “Broadway Holiday,” “Wicked,” “A Chorus Line,” “Talley’s Folly” and “The Phantom of the Opera.”
Season tickets are now on sale. Call (937) 228-3630 or (888) 228-3630, or go online at www.ticketcenterstage.com for more information.
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TweetDPO hosts American Idol-like talent search for Motown show.
If you’ve ever dreamed of channeling your inner Smoky Robinson in front of a packed house at Schuster Center, then Ooooh Baby Baby! here’s your chance.
For its Mighty Sounds of Motown concert featuring The Contours, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra is launching a regional “Motown Idol” talent search.
The two lucky winners (one each night) will join “Motown’s #1 party group” in “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” on the Meade Theatre stage Friday, May 8 and Saturday, May 9.
DPO director of marketing and public relations, David Bukvic, said the first round of competition begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 23 at Therapy Cafe, 452 E. Third St.
“We did something like this a few years back when Neil Sedaka came to town,” Bukvic said. “Anyone wishing to audition should arrive at the club early. Ryan Phillips of LITE 99.9 will be there to emcee. The auditions are free and video of the event will be posted on YouTube.”
After the April 23 auditions, judges will narrow the field to twelve semi-finalists. On May 7 the actual Contours will drop into Therapy Cafe to chose the final six singers.
“That gives us two teams of three,” Bukvic said. “Both teams are going to rehearse with The Contours and the orchestra Friday afternoon. Any of the six could win the slot at the end of the show.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2167 or kmoss@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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TweetDayton Philharmonic Orchestra to visit area school kids
As the month of April winds down, the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra is flexing its muscles in the community with a series of concerts designed for listeners of all ages.
DPO’s annual Magic Carpet Concerts begin on Monday, April 20. The program is a product of DPO’s educational outreach.
“The intent is to introduce orchestral music to the youngest of listeners,” said DPO education director, Gloria Pugh. “These concerts are scattered around the city and take place in informal settings. The themes appeal to young listeners. This years’s theme is Going Places. Assistant conductor Patrick Reynolds will take students on an imaginary journey to different countries around the world.”
The Magic Carpet ride begins at Wright State University on April 20 and continues to Christian Life Center April 21, Temple Israel April 22, Southminster Presbyterian Church April 23, Salem Church of God April 24, and Ginghamsburg Church April 28.
Concert times are 9:45 a.m. for Preschool kids and 11:00 a.m. for kids in the primary grades. Cost is $3.75 per person. For more information call (937) 224-3521 ext. 136.
For the older set, Music Director Neal Gittleman and the DPO welcome guest violinist Stephanie Chase on Thursday, April 30 and Saturday, May 2 at 8 p.m. for Vivid Passions.
The program features the music of Mozart, Shostakovich and Beethoven. It is the eighth concert in this season’s Miami Valley and Good Samaritan Hospitals’ Classical Series at Schuster Center. Tickets are $62 to $12 and are available by calling (937) 228-3630.
Read more about local arts events, news and reviews at www.daytondailynews.com/artsandentertainment
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2167 or kmoss@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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TweetBrown resigns as Dayton Playhouse head
Amy Brown, who was hired as executive director of the Dayton Playhouse in October 2007, has resigned the part-time position effective May 15.
She said she plans to begin work on a master’s degree in education, with an eventual goal of teaching drama in high school. “There’s no way I could do any of that if I stayed on at the Playhouse. It’s a big job. It has been taking over my life.”
Brown, who rekindled the Dayton Playhouse YouTheatre program and staged its first production, “Our Town,” earlier this year, said that experience “made me realize what I really loved, which is working with kids.” She also instituted an educational workshop series.
She is committed to direct a “season extra” production in December 2009, which has yet to be confirmed; is a member of the Futurefest finalist new play reading committee and will be a cast member of the spring musical “Footloose.”
The non-profit community theater’s board of trustees said it has begun seeking candidates to replace Brown, 36. Anyone interested should email a letter of interest and their resume to: search@daytonplayhouse.org or by regular mail to: Search Committee, Dayton Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton, Ohio 45405. Resumes will be accepted until May 1, 2009.
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TweetPBS airs Dayton arts story
The PBS television program “NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” aired a segment about the challenges facing Dayton’s performing arts organizations in the current tough economy on Friday, April 10. If you missed it, you can still see it on streaming video.
Go to this link: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/blog/
In the upper right of the Arts Beat website, click on a still frame of the Dayton Ballet dancers. A short sponsorship ad will precede the piece.
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TweetGrammy-nominated Reggie Calloway performs at Gilly’s
R&B singer/songwriter Reggie Calloway took a chance when he dropped out of Kentucky State University to form the group Midnight Star. But the five-time Grammy nominated artist has no regrets. Calloway— an Ohio native — led the group to international success producing and arranging a slew of ‘90s hits such as “No Parking on the Dance Floor,” “Freak-a-zoid,” and the anthem for prosperity of another era, “I Wanna Be Rich.”
Calloway — who has written songs for Gladys Knight, Natalie Cole and N’Sync — visits Dayton for the first time as solo artist on Saturday, April 18 for a 9 p.m. concert at Gilly’s, 132 S. Jefferson St.
“My music is hard to classify,” Calloway said from his home in California. “You can call it Pop R&B but I have a lot of different types of music. Midnight Star created the Techno-funk sound. But for this concert we are mixing R&B with jazz and classical music. We’ll also do a lot of our hits.”
Calloway recently performed at the Rock and Roll Hall-of Fame Museum in Cleveland where he was joined on stage by another A-list R&B artist.
“We were at the Hall of Fame for the hall’s Induction 2009 series,” Calloway said. “We had an incredible concert and were able to go to the ceremony and do the red carpet thing. During our show, Eddie Lavert of the O’Jays came on stage and joined us on ‘Casanova.’ It was a memorable experience.”
HOW TO GO Who: R&B singer Reggie Calloway Where: Gilly’s, 132 S. Jefferson St. When: Saturday, April 18 at 9 p.m. How Much: Tickets are $20 available at Gem City Records 318 E. Fifth St., Half Price Books, 2090 Miamisburg-Centerville Rd. and Huber Music and Video, 6569 Brandt Pike.
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TweetMUSICA! concludes 2008-2009 Tribute series
In the final two concerts of its 2008-2009 Tribute to Three Masters Series, MUSICA!, Dayton’s versatile professional choral ensemble, closes its season with a diverse selection of songs from all points on the musical map.
The first performance takes place Saturday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. at First Christian Church, 120 Columbus Ave., Wilmington, Ohio.
It will be repeated Sunday, April 19 at the Dayton Art Institute, 456 Belmonte Park North.
The program includes music from composer Vaughn Williams along with folk songs, jazz standards, Broadway hits and spirituals. The grand finale will feature a rousing, jam-session-like version of “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
MUSICA! was founded in January 1990 by singers from the Dayton Bach Society who so enjoyed singing together for a Christmas party they decided to continue to meet.
They soon expanded to sixteen singers and launched a subscription concert series. In 1993 after becoming frustrated with the rehearsal-by-committee process, they invited John Leman of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music to become their artistic director.
Robert Jones of the University of Dayton is MUSICA!’s current artistic director. General admission tickets are $15 adults, $12 seniors/students and are available at the door. For further ticket and season information call (937) 229-3909 or visit www.musicadayton.org.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2167 or kmoss@DaytonDailyNews.com.
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TweetDPO plays a video game for dudes and dudettes
If your idea of a video game is Pong, you’ll probably be on shaky ground at the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s next Special Events Concert on Saturday, April 18 at Schuster Center.
But if you’re a dude or dudette who grew up with Chrono Trigger, Halo or Final Fantasy, this might be the most awesome concert to come your way in quite some time. “ PLAY! A Video Game Symphony” is a collection of boss themes from blockbuster video games. To complete the illusion, video-game graphics appear on screens suspended above the full DPO orchestra and chorus. The images highlight memorable moments from popular video games. The only thing missing are joysticks.
The force behind this uber scheme is guest conductor Arnie Roth. Roth, a longtime member of Mannheim Steamroller is the principal conductor and music director of PLAY! and will guide the DPO through the portals, pitfalls and parallel worlds.
“I can’t tell you that I’m a gamer, but I have I played video games,” Roth said. “I played some of the early Nintendo games years ago.”
Roth said PLAY! features music from prominent video game composers such as Koji Kondo of Super Mario Bros. and Martin O’Donnell of HALO. The opening fanfare was orchestrated by Final Fantasy’s Nobuo Uematsu.
“When we started working with Uematsu, we brought in Final Fantasy VII and wanted to play it and get our hands on the music,” Roth explained. “This spectacular concert has attracted people of all generations to some of the worlds greatest concert halls.”
HOW TO GO What: “PLAY! A Video Game Symphony” featuring guest conductor Arnie Roth When: Saturday, April 18 at 8 p.m. Where: Schuster Center How Much: Tickets are $75 to $27 call (937) 228-3630
Read more about local arts events, news and reviews at www.daytondailynews.com/artsandentertainment for
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