Each week, arts writer Meredith Moss shares news about the people and events making arts news in our region. If you have information you’d like to have included, contact Meredith: MMoss@coxohio.com
Please include a daytime phone number and a photo when available.
The Kennedy Center production of "Elephant & Piggie's We Are in a Play!" has launched its first national tour and will come to the Victoria Theatre on Saturday, March 12, as part of the Morris Furniture Company Family Series.
Commissioned by the Kennedy Center, the production is written by six-time Emmy Award-winner and popular children’s book author Mo Willems. Performances of the family-friendly musical are slated for 1 and 4 p.m. Tickets are $15.
At 3:45 p.m. there will be a free storytime program and there’s also a hands-on-workshop at 2:15 and 3:45 p.m. where the kids will make props to use to highlight their own special Elephant & Piggie moves. Tickets to the workshop are $5 per child .
Families are being asked to bring books to donate to Mayor Nan Whaley’s “Read On” book drive. Call Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or 888-228-3630 for tickets or to add a workshop to your ticket.
Jessica Hung featured at today’s concert at DAI
Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra Concertmaster Jessica Hung will present Concertmaster’s Choice, the fourth and final concert in the orchestra’s 2015-2016 Chamber Series at 3 p.m. today at the Dayton Art Institute.
Hung has selected the five pieces for this performance and has offered other members of the DPO to join her own stage. The program will include piano, oboe, clarinet, violin, viola and bass.
A pre-performance talk will be given by Discover Classical’s Larry Coressel beginning at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets for Concertmaster’s Choice are $22 for adults and $14 for students and children and are available at the door.
Stiver’s Julie Anderson named Houk award winner
At last week’s annual meeting of the Dayton Art Institute, Julie Anderson was named the recipient of the 2016 Pamela P. Houk Award for Excellence in Art Education. The award honors Pam Houk, the creator and first director of the DAI’s Experiencenter.
“Julie’s commitment to the arts, to teaching and to the urban students she serves has set her apart as an inspiration to her colleagues, students and the community,” said DAI education curator Susan Martis, when presenting the honor.
Julie, an instructor and Visual Arts Director for Stivers School for the Arts, was instrumental in the implementation of an Advanced Placement Studio Art curriculum for Stivers’ students. She has assisted in developing an Arts Extended Day program and coordinated Arts Summer Studio Intensives for Stivers; served as co-director of Region 12 for the Governor’s Youth Art Competition and coordinates the annual Stivers Celebrates live painting performances.
Julie is also a practicing artist whose work can be seen at area galleries. She is frequently recognized as a teacher of Congressional Art Award winners and was the recipient of a SURDNA Foundation Individual Artist Fellowship in 2009.
Bach Society plans concert
The Bach Society of Dayton will present an evening of choral works at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, March 13, at the Kettering Adventist Church, 3939 Stonebridge Road, Kettering.
Gabriel Fauré’s “Requiem” and J. S. Bach’s “Magnificat, Song of Mary” will be performed with music director John conducting the chorus and orchestra. Soloists will be Andrea Chenoweth Wells, soprano and artist-in-residence at the University of Dayton; Ryu-Kyung Kim, lecturer in Voice, University of Dayton; Errik Hood, adjunct professor of Voice, University of Dayton, and Jeremy Winston, assistant professor of Music, Central State University. The accompanist is R. Alan Kimbrough, professor, University of Dayton.
The concert preview starts one hour earlier at 6:30pm with host Nolan Long, Professor of Choral Music at Sinclair Community College.
Tickets are $18 for adults; $10 for students and free for children under 12. For information call 937-294-BACH (2224) or visit
Broadway in Cincinnati announces upcoming season
For those who can’t get enough of Broadway musicals, here’s the line-up of shows that will come to Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center in 2016-2017. The productions include three current New York hits: “Beautiful-The Carole King Musical;” “Matilda The Musical” and “Something Rotten!”
“The Sound of Music” Sept. 27 – Oct. 9, 2016
“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder” — Jan. 3-8, 2017
“Disney’s The Little Mermaid” Jan. 17-29, 2017
“Something Rotten!” Feb. 21 – March 5, 2017
“The Illusionists-Live from Broadway” March 21 – 26, 2017
“Matilda The Musical” April 4-16, 2017
“Beautiful-The Carole King Musical” May 2-14, 2017
In addition to these season shows, Broadway in Cincinnati will bring back “The Phantom of the Opera” on Nov. 15-27 and “Mama Mia” on March 10-12.
For ticket information, contact 800-294-1816.
Want to sing and dance in “1776?”
Here's your chance to become John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson! The Dayton Playhouse will hold open auditions for the historical musical "1776" at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 14, and Tuesday, March 15, at the theater. Director Tina McPhearson, musical director Ron Kindell and choreographer Allie Eder will be looking to fill a variety of roles.
Production dates are May 6-22 with the possibility of additional performances on May 12 and 19. Those auditioning are asked to bring 16-30 bars of music and dress comfortably for movement. An accompanist will be provided
The original Broadway production was nominated for five Tony Awards and won three, including Best Musical.
The Dayton Playhouse is located at 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton. For additional information and complete character descriptions, visit www.daytonplayhouse.com.
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