This truly remarkable production, directed with definitive skillfulness by Maria Friedman and filmed live at New York’s Hudson Theatre, features the Tony-winning portrayals of Jonathan Groff as composer Franklin Shepard and Daniel Radcliffe as lyricist Charley Kringas opposite the Tony-nominated portrayal of Lindsay Mendez as writer Mary Flynn.
Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
Credit: Charles Sykes/Invision/AP
“I love Stephen Sondheim!” said NEON Manager Jonathan McNeal in a press statement. “When this show was announced on Broadway, I was quick to get tickets... and it was sensational! I’m so glad that the team decided to professionally record this show — the stars aligned and it is the best staging ever... and now we can enjoy it on the big screen."
Tickets are $10. For tickets or more information, visit neonmovies.com. The NEON is located at 130 E. Fifth St.
‘Les Misérables’ shines at Schuster Center
The epic pop opera warhorse that is “Les Misérables” returns to Dayton in grand, diverse and vocally stunning fashion at the Schuster Center through Sunday courtesy of Dayton Live.
Superb tenor Nick Cartell is back as redemptive ex-convict Jean Valjean whose new lease on life in 19th century France involves caring for Cosette (adorable Lillian Castner in youth and lovely Alexa Lopez in adulthood) following the death of her mother Fantine (heartbreaking Lindsay Heather Pearce bringing beautifully nostalgic depth to her poignant rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream”).
Cartell has performed Valjean more than 1,500 times and he’s the real deal, particularly interpreting the prayerful “Bring Him Home,” among the most gorgeous ballads ever written for the stage, with masterful clarity, control, passion and purpose.
In addition to a terrifically authoritative Hayden Tee as unrelenting Inspector Javert (“Stars” is a dynamic Act 1 highlight), this outstanding, timely production — bolstering the importance of loving one’s neighbor and being willing to fight for a better world — includes Peter Neureuther (an endearing, handsome Marius), Christian Mark Gibbs (one of the most magnetic, vocally gifted actors I have ever seen portray Enjolras), Kyle Adams (an emotional Grantaire) and energetic 9-year-old knockout Cree-Silver Corley (scrappy Gavroche). Glenn Alexander II conducts a fantastic orchestra as well.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
In a post-show interview with this news outlet, Pearce, whose credits include Elphaba on Broadway in “Wicked” and Janis Sarkisian in the national tour of “Mean Girls,” spoke of the resonance of Fantine’s trajectory and the emotional beauty of “I Dreamed a Dream.”
“I think there’s a lot of Fantines in our lives and we know what it’s like to dream a dream and to remember good times and wish that times were better,” Pearce said. “I think that message in the story is so important, especially today. And I think (what) I like about my interpretation of Fantine is that she’s not angry. Life wasn’t always so hard and complicated. I think her hopefulness and her fight is one of my favorite things about her.”
She also finds the musical’s universality to be a key component of its enormous appeal.
“‘Les Mis’ is about the human condition,” Pearce said. “It’s about the human experience, struggling, hope, revolution, kindness and being able to make one decision that changes someone’s life forever.”
“Les Misérables” continues at 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Schuster Center, 1 W. Second St., Dayton. Tickets are $70-$180. Call 937-228-3630 or visit daytonlive.org.
Wil Haygood to discuss new book at Glass Center for the Arts
Acclaimed author and journalist Wil Haygood will discuss his new book, “The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home,” at the University of Dayton’s Roger Glass Center for the Arts from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25.
In his new book, Haygood “explores how the Vietnam War became a mirror for the struggle of Black Americans — fighting for freedom abroad while demanding equality at home — and a powerful lens through which to understand the racial and political divides that continue to shape American life."
Haygood, a Miami University graduate and Miami University Boadway Distinguished Scholar-in-Residence, was the 2022 recipient of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize’s Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award. His works include “The Butler” (2013), “In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis Jr.” (2003), the 2019 Dayton Literary Peace Prize nonfiction finalist “Tigerland: 1968-1969: A City Divided, A Nation Torn Apart, And a Magical Season of Healing” (2018) and “Colorization: One Hundred Years of Black Films in a White World” (2021).
He will be joined at the Glass Center in a one-on-one conversation with retired Air Force Lt. General Richard Reynolds, former vice commander of Air Force Materiel Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
The event is hosted by the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation in partnership with the Dayton Metro Library and the University of Dayton.
Complimentary tickets are available at daytonliterarypeaceprize.org/get-involved/#events.
Dayton Metro Library hosts Toni Morrison celebration
The enduring legacy of Ohio native and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison will be saluted in a yearlong, statewide celebration featuring signature events.
Presented by Ohio Humanities, “Beloved: Ohio Celebrates Toni Morrison” will run from Feb. 18, 2026 through Feb. 18, 2027, beginning on Morrison’s birthday with a kickoff event in Columbus and closing on her birthday in her hometown of Lorain.
Dayton Metro Library, 215 E. Third St., will present a screening of the 1998 film “Beloved,” based on Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel, at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26. Set in post–Civil War Ohio, “Beloved” tells the story of Sethe, a formerly enslaved woman haunted by her past and the choices she made in pursuit of freedom.
This screening is part of the Ohio Goes to the Movies — America 250 series and invites audiences to engage with Morrison’s work through film, history and shared viewing.
This event is free and open to adult audiences. For more information, visit ohiocelebratestonimorrison.org.
Dayton artists among Ohioans recognized with grants from Ohio Arts Council
Three artists from the Dayton region are among 77 Ohio artists who have been approved for grants through the Ohio Arts Council’s Individual Excellence Awards (IEA) program. Grant funding totals $375,000 for state fiscal year 2026.
The IEA program recognizes outstanding accomplishments by artists in a variety of disciplines. Awards give artists the resources to experiment and explore their art forms, develop skills and advance their careers and receive affirmation and acknowledgment for outstanding work.
The local recipients who have been awarded $5,000 grants are Kent De Spain of Dayton (choreography) and Erin Flanagan (fiction) and Brandon North (playwrighting/screenplays) of Kettering.
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
“Our communities are full of artists who make their livelihoods, hone their crafts, start their businesses, and share their talents right here in the Buckeye State,” said Donna S. Collins, executive director of the Ohio Arts Council in a press statement. “By supporting outstanding artists, the Ohio Arts Council recognizes the value of individual creativity and the essential role that arts and culture play in our lives.”
For more information about the OAC’s grant programs, visit oac.ohio.gov/grants.
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