PROGRA OUR EMPLOYEES GO THROUGH, IT'S O WONDER THEY'RE SO HELPFUL.
Karen Cosgrove, Age 38. Coach, Team in Training, Cincinnati '93 <Si'94. Qualified for Olympic Trials in the marathon, '84<S2'88. Personal record in marathon ofZ: 39 •' 25. RunningSpot employee for the last 12 years.
Bart Anson, Age 68. World Triathlon Championships qualifier, '92, 93 <S2 '94. Ironman finisher, '92. One-man cross-country team at Depaul University, '40. Running Spot employee for 6 years.
Dan Rosenbaum, Age23. Track <S? Cross-Country teams at Roger Bacon High School <£? Xavier University (co-captain at X.U.). Holds X.U.'s record in the 1500 meter. Boston Marathon finisher, '91. Rocket City Marathon finisher, '90. Running Spot employee 3 years.
Whether yoi o a question al heat exhaustion, nutrition. sports bras, or shim splints, our pooplo are incredibly helpful. But them, considering all the training they do, they sure ought to bo. ^
BOB RONCKER'S RUNNING SPOT
AJo one goes farther to help you do the same 1993 Madison Rd. Cinti, OH 45208 - (513) 321-3006
editor/co-publisher
managing
contributing
contributing
ad
Burning Questions Do panhandlers have favorite comers? Did Cincinnati
CityBeat
PRINTED
DailyBrecf
Health & Fitness Being healthy is more than eating rice cakes and hitting the stairclimber 11
Technology Former Cincinnatian
Dan Mapes works for a better world where the Internet becomes a forum for solving problems 12
firefighter Paula Duncan and her lawyer have to go public with the details of her cancer in order to get help paying for a bone-marrow transplant? Do retailers gain much by starting the Christmas hype before Thanksgiving? 5 Putting It Together The resignation of Elaine King from the CAC could lead to the improvement of all the city’s arts institutions
UtterKiosk
Index to calendar listings 13
Music John James looks at national music and releases in “Positively Yeah
Yeah Yeah”; Mike Breen covers the local scene in “Spill It” 20, 21
Art Samuel Oppenheim’s paintings are of a style grown stale 25
Onstage Brown bag it and take in free classical concerts at lunch 27
ClassifiedAcfs
How to submit an ad 31
Classified Ads Help wanted, for sale, for rent, music, services 31
Back Beat Answer CityBeat’s question of the week 32
Taking a beating: Actress Debra to unnerve her when audiences would character was struck in Oleanna. it. She takes her Off-Broadway role play to the big screen. Film, 15
No room for individuals
our youth with political agendas than in training them to think.
We are not members of the “radical religious right.” We were agnostics, then Deists, and now Buddhists. But we recognize that the Christian right is not trying to impose their religion on us, or anyone else; they are only trying to restore morality, and the Ten Commandments are not that much different from the Buddha’s eightfold path.
We are not sexually inhibited, but we recognize that the welfare state encourages young people to copulate and procreate on a very low level of chakra.
We are not opponents of creativity in the arts. My own 20-year-career as a music critic should be proof enough of that; I have always striven to promote the best music, regardless of who produced it.
When I first picked up your premiere issue of Cincinnati CityBeat, I thought, Aha! Finally, a publication for us individualists to express our opinions! I even considered offering my talents as a critic to your pages.
But we recognize that those who produce ugly or profane art have a very low level of karma and a very low opinion of human life.
We are not sexist or racist or homophobic. We lived in a black neighborhood for years, not because we wanted to “prove" anything but because we were as poor as they were.
But then I turned to the Editorial Page, where I read your editorial and “This Modern World.” And I read the articles and reviews, which were all in praise of possession and cravings and perverted art. And I realized, more in sorrow than in anger, that there was no room for me at your inn.
We’ve had several gay friends, including the late Peter Pears whose lover, Benjamin Britten, wrote the War Requiem. But we opposed special rights for homosexuals, just as we oppose any “quota” law for minorities, because they are demeaning.
More to the point, we were liberals ourselves until about five years ago. My wife was a Communist. So we know how the game is played, and what ammunition is used, in order to promote your socio-political agenda. We know that “conservatives” have to be reduced to stereotypes, and those stereotypes hated unreasoningly, with no desire to meet or discuss the issues. You have to maintain that view of us in order to justify your own position.
I think what hurts more than anything is that you and your staff, like so many socalled “counterculture” publications, automatically assume that only a strong liberal bias is conducive to “art” or “freedom.” You are so quick to judge and condemn those on the other side, some of whom you’ve never even met. It is so easy for you to hate, with a blind, unreasoning hate, any of us who are individuals.
But my wife and I are living proof that you and your friends are wrong.
In your premiere issue, you gave us the demographics of your staff. Now allow me to give you the demographics of my wife and myself.
My advice to you, if you have even bothered to read this letter this far, is to open lines of communication rather than shutting us out. When we were young liberals, we shut the “right” out of our lives, because we were so convinced that they were merely selfish and greedy and cold-blooded towards their fellow-man. This
We are neither wealthy professionals nor entrepreneurs, even though my wife was a nurse and I have a college education. We have lowpaying, worker-drone jobs, but we are happy to do our tasks. My wife left nursing because she realized how thoroughly the Medicare-Medicaid system had ruined medicine, that it was really the Medicare systern that was causing greed and driving up health care costs. I gave up trying to find a job as a teacher when I realized that the NEA is more interested in indoctrinating
The Radical Was Right
is why it took us 25 years to discover the lie that we had lived.
Jerry Rubin's life and times were not so different from our own
BY JOHN FOX
Don’t make our mistake. Be open, not closed, to ideas different from your own. Who knows? You may even find, once you come to know us, that you (choke!) like us.
TStephen M. Strojf Cincinnati
Talking Back
he irony is so incredibly thick. Jerry Rubin one of the most famous rabble-rousers of the ’60s, center of the mayhem known as the Chicago Seven, radical leftist from right here in Cincinnati died this week after jaywalking.
Each week, Cincinnati CityBeat poses a question on its back page. Our staff selects the best responses to print the following week, with published responses meriting a CityBeat T-shirt.
The story goes that he was hit by a car in Los Angeles of course while darting across busy Wilshire Boulevard. He spent two weeks in the hospital trying to recover but died of cardiac arrest Monday evening. He was 56.
Here are some of the responses to last week’s question, “What’s your idea of a romantic night out?”:
The first thing that comes to mind is how strangely poetic a demise it is for Rubin, scorned by many for rejecting his Yippie past and becoming a Yuppie. After leading the anti-war movement on college campuses and in the streets, he moved through a series of worldly pursuits.
HOLLY EASTHAM: A quiet dinner in a dimly lit restaurant with my husband. With soft music in the background. And a walk on the riverfront.
In the 1970s he dabbled in the popular self-awareness, yoga, EST programs of the day. In the ’80s he dabbled in the popular Wall Street investment banking programs of the day. And in the ’90s he dabbled in the popular pyramid-style multilevel direct-sales programs of the day. Always current, always shifting with the winds of change, Rubin did not remain the same long-haired hippie that his fellow radical and friend Abbie Hoffman did. Rubin “sold out,” they said, and he was ridiculed for it.
KRISTY L. STEWART: Getting all dressed up and seeing just about any play at that ever so great theater known as the Playhouse in the Park.
And what did Jerry Rubin get for selling out? Well, what did Abbie Hoffman get for not selling out? He died long before Jerry did and, if you believe what you read, was not a happy man.
JOE GORMAN: Taking my wife for a brisk walk aross the Suspension Bridge; then hosting a small dinner party for six at home; sharing a poncho while naked on the counch; candlelit bath, then bed.
What Jerry Rubin got was what anyone who came of age in the ’60s got just a lot more of it.
He rebelled against the rigidity, complacency and conservatism of 1950s Cincinnati, which he called “stultifying.” He went to several colleges, including the University of California-Berkeley, but dropped out. He protested the war. He experimented with drugs, sex, everything. Then it all ended, and the world beckoned. Reality set in. He got old.
NANCY BROWN: Dinner at a nice restaurant, a trip to the Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo, a lot of hand holding and snuggling, hot chocolate, and a scenic view from the church in Mount Adams.
But he wasn’t just any former hippie trying to cope with lost youth. Rubin had met Che Guevara, who urged him to take
Letters policy
by TOM TOMORROW
CINCINNATI CITYBEAT accepts letters for publication.
mail to: Letters, Cincinnati CityBeat 23 E. Seventh St., Suite 617 Cincinnati, OH 45202 fax to: 513/665-4369
Please include the letter writer’s name, address and daytime phone number. Writers may request their names be withheld from publication. Letters may be edited for length. Please type letters if possible.
MIMING QUESTIONS
Know Your Panhandler
An Alternative Look at How and Why It Happened
Hey, Can You Spare $5 Million?
Over-the-Rhine developmentfund has money to loan but no takers
A familiar face behind a sign asking for money might make one wonder about the regular business of being homeless.
BY NANCY FIROR
Word-of-mouth information about “good work zones” is how many homeless people decide where they will stand with signs that ask for money, said Ray, a homeless man who works the corner of Fifth and Walnut streets Downtown.
Six months after a special loan fund was set up to aid market-rate housing development in Over-the-Rhine, no funds have been dispersed and the first applicant has turned to a bank for a conventional loan.
Then, he said, the area is staked out so that a relationship can develop between business people and the homeless person.
Ray said he makes about $15 a day.
The lack of loan activity is fueling concerns, among developers and neighborhood development proponents, that the fund is not accomplishing what it was set up to do: make $5 million in low-interest loans available to develop market-rate rental housing.
The fund manager says the concerns are based on unrealistic and inaccurate expectations.
But wouldn’t it be better to move around the city so people don't look down on the apparent "business” being conducted by homeless people?
“People are more likely to give you money if they see you regularly,” Ray said. “They don’t want you hassling them every day. They have problems of their own to deal with a wife, kids, jobs. A sign does it all.”
BRAD KING
Private Matters, Public Discussion
“Just because there’s a pot of money doesn’t mean somebody’s going to want to make a deal,” said David Wohl, director of the Cincinnati Development Fund, which manages the New Over-the-Rhine Housing Fund.
But some developers and Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce officials said it seemed that several deals could have gone forward by now had it not been for bureaucracy, inconsistent rules and an unwillingness by Wohl and others to cooperate or compromise.
“There needs to be some clarification,” said Mark Brunner, housing development director for the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce. “The perception of the applicants is that this loan fund is there to give them some incentive to invest in Over-the-Rhine.”
Yet instead of incentives, developers and chamber officials said, the loan fund is bogged down in obstacles that include:
Cincinnati Firefighter Paula Duncan is fighting for her life, and everyone who reads a newspaper or watches TV knows it.
An application process so bureaucratic that developers can get quicker answers from banks about conventional loans.
Mixed messages such as a developer, at one stage of the application process, being told his rent projection numbers were acceptable only to be told later that the numbers needed to be changed.
Duncan has health insurance through the city via Community Mutual, but the company's rules will not allow payment for the bone-marrow transplant her doctor recommends until her cancer reaches more critical stages.
Wohl’s past refusal to share information that would allow developers to obtain assistance in finding alternate housing for low-income tenants who would be displaced by development.
In asking City Council to approve payment for the procedure, which ultimately would be paid by city, Duncan’s personal business her fight against breast cancer has become public knowledge.
Bank on it
Was compromising Duncan’s privacy the only way to get the city’s attention?
Duncan probably would have liked more privacy, said her lawyer, John Burlew. But it was necessary.
“We were in a position of having to put this in the publie domain,” he said. “I think (city officials) handled it very sensitively."
NANCY FIROR-
Santa Gets Here Early
The New Over-the-Rhine Housing Fund was estabfished in June by a joint effort among Western-Southern Life Insurance Company, Fifth Third Bank, the City of Cincinnati and the Cincinnati Development Fund, a non-profit lender and financial consultant primarily for affordable housing development. Loans from the Over-the-Rhine fund are supposed to be used for the rehabilitation or construction of market-rate rental housing in the area bounded by Liberty, Main and Vine Streets and Central Parkway.
Developers and chamber-representatives, Wohl said, are incorrect in their perception that several deals have been deterred. Only five developers have formally applied for fund loans, he said, though he has had several informal discussions with developers inquiring about the fund.
Developer Michael Collins was the first to apply in June for a loan to develop market-rate apartments in two buildings on Main Street.
Every year, the holiday retail season seems to start earlier, prompting criticism from those who find Christmas hype before Thanksgiving distasteful.
But the sales are important to retailers.
“Apparently, it sat for two or three months,” he said.
Analysts believe retailers make about 25 percent of their yearly profits between Thanksgiving and Christmas, said Jerry Gafford, senior vice president of corporate affairs for Lazarus.
Some worry the loan development in Over-the-Rhine.
His application was approved its part of there was more discussion application as the city Collins said the city whether the property it, which Collins said property appraised.
August so he sought Wohl said Collins’ rejected. Instead, he Housing and Conservation approval pending the
“I am not approving terms submitted,”
Chapman
CAC on the Cutting Edge
Elaine King's resignation uncovers problems and opportunities for all of Cincinnati's arts institutions
ESSAY BY DANIEL BROWN
Elaine King’s abrupt resignation as Director of the Contemporary Arts Center two weeks ago presents opportunities as well as problems and paradoxes both for the CAC itself and, paradigmatically, for all of Cincinnati’s arts institutions.
The CAC, still recovering from the loss of corporate financial support due to the 1990 Mapplethorpe trial, can now reassess its missions and roles in the arts communities. It can take the lead through a self-analysis that all our cultural institutions require. And it can offer a model for downsizing as well as lay the groundwork for possible mergers.
Regional art collector and patron Jim Allen says “many corporations are downsizing and reassessing their futures; maybe the CAC should do something similar.” If the Center examines a transformative future a kind of internal “Art of Healing” its cutting-edge mission will take on new meanings.
Perhaps the time has come for all eight Find Arts Fund institutions to reexamine themselves and take stock; there but for the grace of God goes any of the Big Eight (CAC, Cincinnati Art Museum, Taft Museum, Cincinnati Symphony, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Playhouse in the Park, May Festival). The FAF, umbrella funding source for the eight institutions, has sent questionnaires to cultural and community leaders asking for assessments of the Big Eight; the CAC is now uniquely, if inadvertently, positioned to take the lead.
Negotiations and planning sessions sponsored by the FAF are underway among a myriad of smaller arts institutions. Concurrently, and with obvious areas of overlap, the City of Cincinnati is struggling with cutbacks regarding funding such groups; the very survival of The Arts Consortium is at stake.
All arts institutions are ripe for reevaluation. Barbara Gibbs, new Director of the Art Museum, has already begun cutting budget and staff; such was her mandate upon arrival. The Symphony’s blood-letting contractual arrangements reemerge with ominous regularity. The CAC has more experience with crisis situations; the law of unintended consequences could propel the Center into a real leadership role.
Size does matter
The CAC has 31 Board members, far too many for any institution’s ability to function. As such, its Executive Committee began to preempt its unruly Board first under Robert Bonini, then under Roger Ach. The Executive Committee tends to direct, manage, run away with the Center, acting on behalf of
Elaine King attends an opening at the CAC the night her resignation as director was made official.
an often-unwitting Board and staff.
Prior Center Directors Robert Steams and Dennis Barrie openly expressed bewilderment even contempt for these large, often acrimonious and disruptive boards. The CAC Board might be cut in half.
Arts boards must also determine whether they want arts-knowledgeable trustees in addition to fund-raisers. The CAC’s Exhibitions Subcommittee has rarely met, and directors and curators have historically resented aesthetic input from trustees, artists and collectors.
Exhibitions subcommittees can only assist if more trustees are arts knowledgeable.
If the CAC’s mission is to be clarified, the selection of trustees must be redefined. This situation exists at the Art Museum and Taft Museum as well, with new administrative/business directors.
Arts knowledge must become a critical criteria for reassessing trustee selection.
The need for strong curatorial direction at each of Cincinnati’s visual arts institutions is also obvious now. King probably overextended herself in naming herself Chief Curator (in addition to Executive Director). The Art Museum needs a Chief Curator, and the Taft needs new curatorial vision.
Couldn’t a Curator of Contemporary Art at the Art Museum serve multiple functions across institutional lines? What about Toni Birckhead, who will curate regional shows at the new Aronoff Center Gallery?
All of the city’s major arts institutions should stop mouthing pieties about the quality of regional talent and start using it. Exciting talent in visual and performing arts is chronically scorned; local artists are correct in their perception of
Putting It Together
indifference/hostility.
The perverse local snobbery that favors New York comes from institutional bias and myopia across the Boards. The premises and hopes of last year’s Art on the Square event remain appropriate and promising; its overzealous populist efforts were sneered at by Cincinnati’s obsession with “going East.”
As a major step toward correcting this slight, perhaps all of the Big Eight institutions could program together using local talent for a world premiere at the Aronoff Center. Again, the CAC could take the lead.
Term limits
Arts boards must also eliminate two other factors that hinder them in leading their institutions confidently into the future: length of service and nepotism.
Term limits for board members must be strictly observed, reflecting recent changes in America’s political process as well. The Art Museum finally instituted term limits in 1989; Emeritus Trustee John Warrington had served 50 years. Also in 1989, the maximum term for a CAC trustee was changed from nine years to seven.
Continuity and change are thus assured. The search for new blood, talent, ideas and money is a strong CAC Board tradition; other institutions should follow its lead.
But all institutions must avoid nepotism; “inheriting” board seats virtually guarantees inbreeding. The CAC Board currently includes father and son Larry and Andy Stillpass; trustee Richard Rosenthal’s daughter Jennie Berliant has just been nominated; husband and wife
Harris and Alice Weston have served on and off. Emeritus trustees, usually relieved to be “bumped up,” have remained unusually active at the CAC. Art Museum and Fine Arts Fund trustee nepotism is legendary: Closson, Sr. to Closson, Jr.; Kyte to Kyte; Schiff to Schiff. The Western-Southern Williams family pops up under Williams, Kyte, Niehoff, Barrett, Eynon, Greiwe, Frisbee, Clodder, Robinson, Hasson and Downey. Emery heirs are found on board seats under the names Steele, Ilyinsky, Moore and Lanier.
Trustee overlaps are also rampant: “B” Closson at the Art Museum, Taft and FAF; George Rieveschl, Stanley Kaplan, David Reichert, Tom Schiff, Manny Mayerson and Carl Strauss at the Art Museum and CAC. The Westons pop up all over, as do Dudley Taft, David Joseph, Lee Carter and Fred Lazarus, whose late wife Irma served on almost every arts board in town.
The CAC Board has often been perceived as a “training board” for potential Art Museum trustees. If CAC trustees are to be raided, perhaps the Center and Art Museum could have joint nominating committees and/or advisory boards. Some mutuality, some give and take, could then lead to joint policy on programming among the two organizations as well as the Taft and Fine Arts Fund. (The Taft Board, incidentally, consists solely of FAF trustees and includes a “citizen’s advisory board.”)
Board overlap can actually be beneficial if and when institutions work together.
One note of caution: Art dealers do not belong on art boards. Conflict of interest is too possible, and perceptions of conflict of interest will undermine an institution’s credibility. Board nepotism and overlap reflect a dysfunctionally pointless old/new money split paralyzing Greater Cincinnati’s gridlocked future. The CAC’s problems are little different from Procter & Gamble’s or Cincinnati Bell’s, merging hospitals or
CONTINUES ON PAGE 7
Kaffee Klatsch makes your holiday shopping easy. Ready made or made-to-order gift baskets are perfect gifts. We stuff our baskets with fresh-roasted coffee beans, delicious teas, designer mugs, flavoring syrups and fine, imported chocolates. And for your special friends, Kaffee Klatsch will help you create baskets that are sure to please. Call 721-2233.
PHOTO: JYMIBOLDEN
M PAGE 6
C A C FRO
panicky universities. Staffers become civil servants, bureaucrats with prior ties to each other and former board members. They also have sub-agendas. No director can work under such circumstances; like President Clinton, they’re doomed to fail caught in a squeeze between agenda-laden, bottom-line trustees and belligerent, undermining staffs. Former Taft Director Ruth Meyer was totally undermined by key staff members and a hostile, visionless board. Staffers do provide Tcnowledgeable continuity, however, and new directors must welcome their input. Sources maintain that King was hostile to existing CAC staff, and she often perceived her leadership diluted by the same staff.
Support for the Contemporary Arts Center as an independent institution remains solid among “the old guard.” Stalwarts such as Jane Steinfirst, “Founding Mother” Peggy Crawford, Harriet Rauh, Dorothy Reed, the Westons, Rieveschl and Strauss come directly to mind.
But the CAC’s by-laws and mission must be reexamined along with the other Big Eight members’ to determine the correct mix between cutting edge contemporary art and the more mainstream shows: “a broad range, a catholic cross-section,” in the view of CAC Board Chair Tony Covatta. As he put it (Covatta’s a former Shakespeare professor from Skidmore College), “Contemporary literature is written by any writer still alive.” So it goes with contemporary art.
Even hard-core art-world snobs admit the paltriness of much installation, video and Neo-Conceptual art. King’s curating reflected international trends in post-modernist art, an academic conceit stillborn from its ’80s inception. A better “mix” of shows and a well-defined mission statement would enchance a downscaled CAC. “Cutting-edge art’s been empty and silly,” Covatta believes.
The CAC, Art Museum and Taft cannot all be “collecting” institutions. The CAC has quietly acquired hundreds of works of modern and contemporary art with inappropriate, nonexistent storage and display facilities. The Taft also quietly has been accepting, if not soliciting, “gifts” of artwork with the same attendant problems.
These three institutions can and must evolve a joint, coherent acquisitions plan; logic and muselogical practice would toss the ball to the Art Museum, with input from the Taft and CAC.
The Harris and Alice Weston Collection was recently bequeathed to the Art Museum as acknowledgment and approval of its hiring its first Curator of Contemporary Art. Strained relationships between the Museum and CAC must be resolved. The very uneven, trend-by-trend, heavily minimalist and conceptual Weston collection may inadvertently have not been the Museum’s real choice, but the long-simmering lawsuits regarding the quirky contemporary RSM collection against the Museum (lent, then donated, by former Cincinnatian Robert Orton) may well
have cornered the Art Museum into accepting a modern/contemporary collection the Westons’ that reflects the very “cutting edge” art at the core of the CAC’s problematic aesthetic crisis.
Merger mania
The issue of institutional autonomy must finally be addressed, if not concluded. Undercurrents exist regarding a future merger between the Cincinnati Art Museum and Contemporary Arts Center; an informal committee from both boards has met, sporadically, on and off for five years to discuss “building bridges,” according to trustees.
The word “merger” has been'discussed in classic Cincinnati hush-hush style. (Typically, however, the idea for such meetings came from the CAC.)
But why single out the CAC? If mergers are proposed, myriad smaller art groups could and should band together as well. The Symphony, Ballet, Opera and May Festival could consider merging certain operations under an expanded Cincinnati Association for the Performing Arts Board, which already manages Music Hall, Memorial Hall and the under-construction Aronoff Center.
The Cincinnati Historical Society, the Museum Center Foundation and the Natural History Museum announced their merger on Nov. 30.
The arbitrary separation of the Big Eight from “smaller arts groups” need not exist. The Fine Arts Fund itself can create mechanisms for positive and constructive changes, working in tandem with the City of Cincinnati. Overlap already exists between the FAF and the city regarding funding of smaller arts groups.
Elaine King ultimately isn’t the issue at the CAC. King was probably the wrong director for the Center, the CAC wrong for her. Nor is the CAC itself any more or less systemically dysfunctional than many other institutions cultural, educational, corporate or medical.
Contemporary art and conservative Cincinnati can work together if and when the radical right, which induced the Mapplethorpe crisis in the first place, stops trying to infantilize our entire community. But the seeming crisis at the CAC which, contrary to popular belief, has been running in the black for three years, according to Covatta presents all arts institutions with opportunities, reasons and contexts to reexamine their goals, missions, boards and staffs.
The go-go days are over. The CAC has a tremendous opportunity to serve as the cutting-edge institution for all of Greater Cincinnati. Used as a model, new decisions made at and by the CAC could help forge a stronger, tighter arts" community.
Now’s the time to support the Contemporary Arts Center, not to trash it. Whatever it does next could be a model for future systemic adjustments across institutional boundaries.
DANIEL BROWN is a former member of the Contemporary Arts Center Board (1984-88) who chaired its Exhibitions Subcommittee.
FUND: FROM PAGE 5
were not to be used if low-income peopie would lose their homes.
Telling the chamber which developers were seeking funding to develop occupied buildings would have violated the developers’ right to confidentiality, Wohl said. “We are a business,” he said. “When someone comes to us to borrow money, it’s private.”
Because the chamber now is actively working with developers and owners of low-income housing to ensure that housing is found for those displaced, Wohl said he would contact the chamber in the future as long as the developer seeking a loan consented.
But chamber officials and others need to do a better job of understanding how development occurs and what the loan fund’s purpose is, Wohl said. The fund, he said, is not in business to “spur” the development of market-rate housing as some seem to think.
“What this fund was designed to do was make marginal projects feasible,” Wohl said.
Frank Dawson, finance director for the City of Cincinnati who is serving as interim NHC director, said he still was in the process of reviewing department operations.
Dawson, who took over in October after former Director Chapman resigned, said he had not yet scrutinized the department’s handling of Over-the-Rhine loan fund applications and, therefore, did not yet have an opin-
LOOKS GOOD ON PAPER
COMMENTARY
BY TERRY BROWN
Halfway through its construction phase, a year from opening, the Aronoff Center for the Arts (above) is the proud owner of a shaky past and a promising future.
As for the present, shop owners along Walnut Street (far right) see bricks, mud and concrete. Can they also see beyond the hard-hat site to a square block city officials have dubbed the Entertainment District?
The models have been built, the land acquired, the bids let, the work begun. Mistakes have been made along the way including, though not limited to, the facility’s very design but the process of building a new arts center for Cincinnati moves inexorably toward its exciting conclusion.
Will the center lead this region to the promised land of Broadway shows and tourist dollars? No one knows. But one thing’s for sure: It looks good on paper.
he Aronoff Center for the Arts is currently being built along Walnut Street in downtown Cincinnati, the first construetion of a brand new arts institution in this throbbing metropolis in nearly 125 years.
I have found many of my friends and clients asking me my opinion of this latest emerging jewel to adorn the Queen City’s crown. I’ve noticed the faces of my fellow citizens of the “most livable city in the U.S.” to contort with chagrin when they comment, and again and again I have heard the same words spew from their facial oriflee: “That building looks like a new high school!”
Hardly a resounding endorsement for our newest piece of glass and brick and stone that will proclaim to be the city’s new hub of nightly live entertainment... the newest cultural beacon in a downtown stuffed to the gills with “sound background architecture.”
Admittedly it is not entirely fair to judge a work prior to completion, but almost without exception my
Queenites seem to be quite disappointed with the results to date. Frankly, the construction that I have observed has been boring me to tears. And the promises of future potted plants and billboards hardly make me anxious.
So what’s the story here? Are my friends and I uneducated dolts who just don’t understand the sophisticated subtlety that is being displayed for our viewing pleasure? Or do we represent a newer breed that’s tired of a vanilla, white-bread town run by Burgomeisters who can’t jump? Time will expose us all.
Pelli’s past
Cesar Pelli and Associates, Inc., New Haven, Conn., are the design architects for the Arts Center. Our local star support firm, GBBN, handles the project’s paperwork.
Cesar Pelli and Associates, to be sure, represent an architectural firm of some note. Pelli is the former dean of the Yale School of Architecture, and
his firm has been involved in major office and housing development work internationally.
Perhaps the firm’s most noteworthy accomplishment is Battery Park City in Manhattan, a major influx of upper scale housing, office and commercial structures. Battery Park City, in many ways, has been a stunning extension of living and working (aka “pigpiling”) in New York City.
However, Pelli’s work could hardly be considered a jewel of New York in the spirit of the city’s cultural institutions such as the Guggenheim Museum or Lincoln Center. You see, Pelli’s firm is very successful at extending an urban fabric or solving commercial development demands. They are especially adroit at not making waves which is exactly what the design for the Aronoff Center does so well, sitting there quietly with its hands folded in its lap and its mouth shut.
An internationally known architect? Pelli is that. But a marquis architect known for creating significant cultural
works magnet buildings, the foreground to the background, buildings that become beacons, in the spirit of a Frank Gehry or I.M. Pei or Arata Isozaki Pelli is not. I have never heard of an architecture or design student who has traveled out of his or her way to study the work of Pelli.
But is this a problem with Pelli? No, not at all. Pelli’s firm performed its work very competently. As recently as four weeks ago Mitchell A. Hirsch, senior associate for Cesar Pelli and Associates, Inc., assured the good peopie of the Queen City that “the Aronoff Center will respond to the strong building traditions of Cincinnati.”
Our good Burgomeisters will sleep quietly tonight.
Plain vanilla
The Aronoff Center may be the most significant opportunity for a major Cincinnati cultural work in our lifetimes (unless you count a new downtown Lazarus store), and yet the
PHOTOS: JYMI BOLDEN
urban gesture embraced by the client and architect is to extend the fine tradition of “background Cincinnati architecture”?!
WHERE CAN I SIGN UP TO GET BEHIND SUCH A PASSIONATE MOVEMENT???
What a vanilla position. It’s a cop out! Pelli’s firm has given the meisters of this city exactly what they demanded: very little.
This building will be at best a “no comment” that arrives quietly with just enough notoriety that the Burgos of the city can pat themselves on the back for doing such a fine job once again. Time and time again I’ve witnessed the architectural work of Cincinnati succumb to timidity.
Reference the Westin Hotel, the history of Fountain Square West, the permanent stage on Fountain Square, the new bridge across the Ohio River, the entire skywalk system, Riverfront Stadium, the Coliseum, etc., etc. Cincinnati looks so ordinary that it is
CONTINUES ON PAGE 10
Beauty in the Eye of the Shopkeepers
BY NANCY FIROR
The manager of Batsakes Dry Cleaners on Walnut Street has been watching the construction of the Aronoff Center for the Arts across the street.
“I think it’s very pretty,” says Peter Batsakes, whose father, along with two other family members, owns the store’s building.
A few doors away, the owner of the Phoenix Cafe is reserving judgment on the arts center until construction is complete.
“The way it looks now, it looks like hell over there,” Bob Lameier says.
Like it or not, the $92 million center the centerpiece of a planned downtown entertainment district will open for business in 1995, and if city officials and business leaders are correct it’s going to change the entire area.
Downtown Cincinnati Inc. (DCI), a private, non-profit organization formed last year to spur downtown revitalization, held a meeting Nov. 3 to provide information on loan funds available for area property owners who want to boost the Gus Miller, proprietor of Batsakes Hat Shop entertainment district’s appearance by improving the appearance of their properties.
About 40 property owners, business owners and real estate brokers attended.
“It’s going to be up to the property owners to cooperate,” says Rick Greiwe, DCI’s chief operating officer. “We can’t force people to cooperate. As the owners see customers coming downtown for entertainment... they’ll make the decision on their own whether to take advantage of that or not.”
The planned entertainment district spans Sixth and Seventh streets from Main Street to Ruth Lyons Alley (between Vine and Walnut). The Aronoff Center is on the east side of Walnut Street between Sixth and Seventh.
Across Walnut, the owners of the building that houses Batsakes Dry Cleaners, Batsakes Hat Shop and other businesses are planning to rehabilitate the building front, Batsakes explains.
The new center, he says, will increase business throughout the area. To Gus Miller, proprietor at Batsakes Hat Shop, more business for everyone will mean more people with money to spend on hats.
“If (the arts center) brings in good shows, people will support them,” he says. “We need something like that.”
While the Aronoff Center’s appearance does not match what Miller would envision as a theater, “anything’s an improvement” over what was there before, he says.
Officials at Frisch’s Big Boy Restaurants also think that the new center will be good for downtown business. But Karen Maier, vice president of marketing, says the restaurant has not been given information on what improvements might be. in. order for the Frisch’s across the street from the center at Seventh and Walnut.
Back at the Phoenix Cafe, Lameier does not share his neighbors’ enthusiasm about revitalization that the new center might bring. It certainly is not likely to benefit his business, he says.
The bar, Lameier says, has been at the same address for 57 years, caters to “working class” people and is not likely to attract the type of people who will patronize the Aronoff Center.
He says he’s been wondering what business leaders and city officials envision for the Phoenix Cafe ever since several city workers came into the bar to take measurements.
“I told them if they want to buy the place they’re going to have to come up with some money,” Lameier says.
A city official says that the workers were at the Phoenix only to take measurements that had to do with sidewalk improvements.
People in their 20sface myriad obstacles , options when it comes to health insurance
BY BRAD KING
Paul Johnson is trying to start his own business. He doesn’t have health-care insurance and doesn’t know how to get it.
Terri Simpson, a single mother, has to pay her son’s routine doctor bills out of pocket.
Matt Colwell has insurance but didn’t know he’d have to pay a $300 annual deductible before a simple visit to the doctor would be covered.
Because universal coverage a once highly touted goal of national health care reform is nowhere on America’s political horizon, many young adults are simply taking their chances.
People in.their twenties who work for themselves or for others are finding health care to be too expensive or, at times, not even available. According to a report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 9.4 million twentysomethings or almost a third of American’s current work force are uninsured.
According to a report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 9.4 million twentysomethings or almost a third of American’s current work force are uninsured.
But for those who take time to do a little research, there are affordable health care options. Most involve gaining favorable premium rates through group coverage whether it’s with other small businesses, other young people or total strangers.
Compact needs
Johnson, 23, of Loveland quit his job at Fidelity Investments to start a car detailing and stereo installation business. He could not afford the $200-a-month premium for health insurance that Fidelity offered him on a temporary basis following his resignation.
So he decided to go without.
“I want to do something soon,” he said, “but I don’t know where to start.”
For Johnson, registering his business with the State of Ohio through the One Stop Business Permit Center and joining an association such as the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce might be a good place to start.
Chamber of Commerce membership is $315 annually for businesses with fewer than four employees plus a one time processing fee of $30 for new members, but the Chamber and ChoiceCare offer a health maintenance organization (HMO) policy called ChamberHouse. Chuck Hais, an associate broker for ChoiceCare, says that unlike traditional HMOs —which limit the patient’s choice of doctors and hospitals ChamberHouse contracts with 90 percent of the doctors in
explains it to you. They just send you a form and you start.”
When he went to a doctor for a check-up, Colwell said, he found his policy had a deductible that required him to pay the first $300 of his medical expenses.
“If I would have known that, I wouldn’t have bothered (with health care),” he said. “Where would I get hurt?”
Since some health insurance,companies agree with Colwell’s assessment, they have devised plans for younger, healthier people.
Cincinnati, allowing for a relatively wide-ranging selection.
Monthly premiums vary with the applicant’s age and gender. Traditional HMOs have no deductible the amount of money you must pay before the insurance company’s coverage kicks in and ChamberHealth is no different. There are small co-payments ranging'from $5 to $10 for doctor visits, prescriptions and emergency service.
A preferred provider organization (PPO) policy with indemnity coverage might be the best bet for young, healthy people, said Doug Kauffman, president of Benefit Concepts, Inc. of Middletown. Unlike HMOs, many PPOs are grouped by age brackets which allows younger peopie to receive lower rates. Indemnity coverage basically allows the insured person to receive full medical care from any doctor or hospital although the premiums are much higher than straight HMOs or PPOs.
“We work with the big guys like P&G, but we’re really set up for the smaller guys,” said Greg Shields, Chamber of Commerce membership development representative.
Simpson, 23, of Blue Ash works full time and is covered on her parents’ insurance policy. Her son Christian has only major medical coverage.
“I pay out of pocket for (routine) doctor bills for Christian now,” she said.
Jim Goodfellow, a broker for the Golden Rule Insurance Co. in Lawrenceville, Ill., said a major medical plan might be the best choice for both Simpson and her son when her parents can no longer cover her.
Major medical coverage is limited to hospital visits and surgery. As with an HMO, the insured person generally is limited to hospitals directly affiliated with the insurance firm offering the policy. Because the amount of services covered is smaller, the pool of hospitals working with a major medical policy is smaller than with an HMO.
However, the reduction in services yields lower monthly premiums. For a policy of this kind, Goodfellow said, Simpson can expect to pay around $150 a month for Christian and herself.
“If you’re healthy, it’s a great approach because you’ve covered the major things and haven’t had to pay out the larger
ARONOFF: FROM PAGE 9 quickly becoming the Des Moines of the eastern Midwest.
After adopting this fair city having grown up out West I admit that I may be able to make certain observations about Cincinnati... but I will never understand it.
This new arts center was a wonderful opportunity for Cincinnati to exhibit some life and self-confidence, but it was not meant to be.
I may comprehend why Downtown Cincinnati Inc.’s “Vision Committee” is mostly composed of those who have contributed to the current morass, but I will never understand it.
I may comprehend why town fathers are talking about turning Cincinnati into a mall “like no other,” but I will never understand it.
I may comprehend why the Queen City continues to slip and slide into a deeper hole while its sister to the north, Cleveland of all places, exhibits the will and vision to leap into the future, but I will never understand it.
One thing I do understand: if the Burgomeisters of the great city of Cincinnati cannot learn to jump, they may have to be pushed.
Time will expose us all.
TERRY BROWN is practicing architect and teaches architecture and design at the University of Cincinnati. /
WELL BEINGS
BY JOSH KATZ
Along the Health Continuum
It’s 5 p.m. and rush hour is at its peak. You're swilling a Diet Pepsi and jamming a Twinkie down your throat while simultaneously screaming at the person in front of you to get out of your way!
I’m sorry, but you’ll have to pull over; you’re in violation of Section .2.34 of the "Health Continuum,” as described by Dr. John Travis, MD, founder of the Wellness Resource Center in Ukiah, Calif.
On the left is a state of extreme illness and, in most cases, premature death. The right is a state of optimal health. The midpoint is a neutral point, no real illness, nor an exceptional state of well-being.
The traditional goal of medicine is to help people avoid premature death and discernible illness. However, once a person has reached that magical midpoint, medicine’s role is usually finished.
But what about those of us who want to feel better, not just well enough to get by? Optimal heath is achieved by balancing five dimensions of our lives:
Spiritual the quest for a higher quality of life achieved through the belief that there is a force that unites all human beings. While this force may include nature, science or religion, your morals, ethics and values play a significant role in health. This spiritual component enables us to grow, learn and meet new challenges.
Social the ability to interact successfully with peopie and the environment. Social health is the ability to develop and maintain intimacy with others and to respect different opinions and beliefs.
Emotional the ability to control stress and express emotions appropriately.
Intellectual the ability to use and process information for personal, family and career development.
Physical the ability to carry out daily tasks by improving cardiovascular and muscular strength, maintaining adequate nutrition and body composition levels, and abstaining from or avoiding the abuse of alcohol, drugs and tobacco products.
In other words, wellness is not just fitness. It is not just jumping on the stairclimber for 30 minutes a few times a week and eating rice cakes for lunch. The pursuit of optimal health entails a balance of many factors, including stress, family, friends, education, achievement, career, love, purpose, fitness, nutrition and self-care.
When we begin sacrificing one dimension for another, we compromise that pursuit as we continue to climb stairs that lead nowhere.
In upcoming issues of CityBeat, this monthly “Well Beings” column will focus primarily on the physical and emotional dimensions.
But before you decide to let this column change your life, let’s see just how ready (if at all) you are to change your lifestyle. Indicate “yes” or "no” to each of the following questions adapted from Wellness: Concepts and Applications, by David J. Anspaugh, Michael U. Hamrick and Frank D. Rosato:
Do you view lifestyle change as a lifetime goal rather than a temporary, short-term goal?
Are you willing to get personally involved in planning a lifestyle-change program?
Are you prepared for some setbacks?
Are you willing to experiment with different ideas?
Do you have the patience to accept success in small increments stretched over a long period?
Are you willing to set modest, realistic goals?
Are you willing to make changes in the way you live?
If you answered yes to all of the questions, you are probably ready to begin a lifestyle-change program. If you answered no, continue gathering information about overall wellness and increase your own awareness about your everyday habits and activities.
In our next issues we will discuss alternatives to formal exercise and how we can disguise physical activity.
JOSH KATZ
DailyBred
Visions of the
Future
nside the loft of San Francisco experimental media-production house CyberLab 7, kaleidoscopic images are projected on huge walls and ambient techno music fills the air. Young artists and programmers face computer monitors creating digital art while CyberLab’s founder, 48-year-old former Cincinnatian Dan Mapes, surveys the scene, smiling. Mapes was raised on a farm outside Kettering, Ohio. In the 1960s and 1970s, he studied economics, psychology and.other discourses at the University of Cincinnati and, later, cybernetics and systems theory at the University of California at Berkeley. All the while, Mapes traveled the world and eventually became an adviser to China, Australia and other countries on high technology.
Former Cincinnatian works to create virtual-reality environmentsfor Internet use to help a world
‘optimizing itselffor life
understanding of how the system might optimize itself. Up until now, these technologies have been used to make films like Jurassic Park. Ultimately, the prices will drop, and they’ll become tools that we can use to spread ideas. They’ll help us figure out ways to live together instead of wasting time and energy fighting among ourselves over scraps of food when everybody could have everything they need. Computers allow us to run simulations of possible futures, look at what those futures might be like and what is required to get to them. Out of that, policy will naturally fall out. The nature of the Internet, combined with virtual reality environments where people can collaborate, will lead to a world that’s optimizing itself for life, which clearly is the fundamental driving force behind the world.
CyberLab 7, formed in 1990 by Mapes and his partner, Claudia L’Amoreaux, another former Cincinnatian, has two aims. One is to create cutting-edge digital art most recently for Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD interactive pavilion and the Stone Temple Pilots’ summer tour. The second is to develop virtual reality environments for the Internet that they hope will aid in the creation of a peaceful Global Village.
CyberLab 7’s current projects include creating special effects for Virtuosity, a forthcoming virtual realitythemed action film starring Denzel Washington, and building informational interactive multimedia kiosks and installations for the United Nations.
CityBeat spoke with Mapes at CyberLab’s studio in the downtown San Francisco industrial neighborhood known as Multimedia Gulch.
CB: How will technology help create a global community?
Mapes: Western culture utilizes a tremendously unfair proportion of the world’s resources. Consequently, we create great disharmonies in the world. Clearly, it’s better to do everything more fairly from the beginning distribute the resources more evenly and optimize global systems. What’s limiting us is a lack of vision.
Our goal is to utilize technologies to bring about an
CB: Can you give a specific example of how this would be used?
Mapes: Let’s take a simple example: heart surgery. All of the heart surgeons in the world would be on-line and have access to a visual language model base of images of hearts with all anomalies and the procedures to correct them. You could query that database of doctors and have them vote on the best technique at this moment. Out of that you would get a bell curve with the generally accepted best procedure for heart surgery at the top and fringe techniques on the side. Ultimately, heart surgeons all over the world would be operating at the same level. That could also work with city management or other problems.
CB: How will you cross cultural boundaries?
Mapes: Virtual environments will use a visual language to convey ideas. The primary international language right now is music. But there’s a new visual language that’s emerging using 3D animation and virtual reality. That way anyone on the planet can interact and relate to them through a cohesi ve global language.
CB: What impact will that have on multiculturalism?
Mapes: Each culture has a gift to give, and that gift
CONTINUES ON PAGE 12
DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION:
Former Cincinnatian Dan Mapes puts himself one of CyberLab 7’s kaleidoscopic images. The experimental media-production house has created artwork for Peter Gabriel’s WOMAD pavilion and Stone Temple Pilots’ summer tour.
The Language of Love
Missionary to Bosniafinds the most patient teachers and ardent admirers
are the little ones hhhb
BY SUSAN KUXOLL
Greetings from BosniaHercegovinia.
My name is Susan Nuxoli, and I am a missionary for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Periodically I will be corresponding with readers of Cincinnati CityBeat about living and working in the former Yugoslavia.
The organization that I work for is St. David’s Relief Foundation. Our primary objective is the distribution of relief into central Bosnia particularly in areas that are suffering greatly from the war.
Because of their physical location and fighting, these areas are often overlooked or missed by larger organizations. We also help locally with several refugee camps, hospitals and by working with children who have been affected by the war.
Probably my favorite activity is working with the preschool-age refugee children. My grasp of the language here is absolutely atrocious. The beauty with small children is that they don’t care and are happy to teach me. When I first started working with them, I would say in their tongue “What is. ...”
At first they would took a little startied and confused that an adult would ask them what a rock or house was. After a startled expression and a funny look, it would occur to them that I don’t speak the same language as they do. From that point, it would be a source of amusement and fun as they would almost fight over who would’get to be my teacher and would march me around camp pointing to objects, pronouncing them and awaiting my less-than-adequate pronunciation of the word.
Usually, a chorus of laughter over a Kentucky accent attempting to muddle through the word immediately follows. Then my little friends will repeat the word very slowly, so that I can attempt another try. If it is better, they usually clap and cheer. If not more laughter and attempts. It is so incredulous to them that a big person would have such a hard time saying such simple words. They are such patient teachers.
The numbers game
Three of my favorite small friends Mariana, Irena and Zoki work quite diligently with me. On Saturday we were working on counting. As all of the volunteers who work at the camp are English-speaking, the preschoolers have been taught to count to 10 in English. First we counted in Hrvatski (Croatian), then we counted in English.
After I missed a few numbers in Hrvatski, much to Mariana’s amazement I rattled all the numbers off correctly in
dren from assorted camps and locally will have a new coat, shoes, underwear, socks, sweat suit, shoes and a Christmas present. The beauty of the project is that we will get to give all the stuff to their parents to give to them, so it isn’t just a better-than-usual handout. It is individualized for each of them, and everything is different and coming from their parents. Knowing that these kids will all be warm and have new shoes is a gift from God. These kids are treasures!
Letters Home
English and counted even further than 10. They were amazed I could speak English and get all the numbers right.
They did correct my English pronunciation a few times. I was laughing so hard I didn’t have the heart to try to tell them that “Engliski” is also “Americano” and that Americans speak English!
On Saturday I really wowed them. Mariana was sitting with me diligently working on my counting when I really threw her for a loop and said “Spanski,” and proceeded to count to 10 in Spanish. She and Irena were really impressed. So I started to teach them how. They catch on so quickly! The funniest thing is that I am picking up Spanish quickly as I have many Spanish-speaking friends here.
Life is kind of funny that way. I spent two years in high school and a semester in college trying to learn Spanish, dismally, dismally failing. So here I am a mission in Bosnia-Hercegovinia trying to learn to count in Hrvatski and rapidly learning Spanish.
Now that I have regularly worked with them for a while (I should probably say they have worked with me), they usually forget that I don’t speak the language. So they talk and talk and talk, and I will nod my head and they are perfectly happy as their attentive audience listens to their stories.
If my Spanish teachers were to read this, they would not bet too highly on me learning Hrvatski. But with Mariana, Irena and Zoki, the sky is the limit. They know love is the best language of all.
God Bless. Until next month, Susan.
SUSAN NUXOLL, a native of Glencoe, Ky., graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a degree in fine arts.
Even though we don’t usually understand each others’ words, I think that we usually understand each others’ hearts. They know that I am pretty easy, and they can almost always have my full attention. Like" all children they are just happy to have a big person listen. I guess I am a pretty good listener (ha ha!) because when I go to visit them, they clap. Never in my life did I expect to get heartfelt applause.
Kinder, gentler Disney
The beauty of these little ones is how simple they are. As the war has stripped their families of relatives, homes and often times sanity, these little ones find such joy in the smallest things. When I drive into camp and they see me coming, I usually have to stop my van so that at least 20 kids can pile in for a ride down the driveway. This is a real treat to them. If I take them for a ride, on an errand or home with me for a visit, it is the equivalent of taking an American kid to Disney World.
A friend of mine sent me some money to use for the kids, and I have been taking them on trips to Medjugorje (where I live). We go to my house for candy or to bake cookies, then we go to lunch at one of the restaurants, then we go to church and pray a Hail Mary (they are veiy
MAPES: FROM PAGE 11
is the jewel of their own culture. Different cultures draw different pictures of how the world works. Those living in the rain forest have a very clear picture of their ecological environment. The average citygoer has a very distorted view of reality right now. There are Shamans in the rain forest who can help people in the city and vice versa. We think these new tools will allow us to cross-check our understanding of reality. Out of that will evolve shared reality views that can be carried out on a planetary level. The way you compare those views and argue about them and refine them is through technology. We’re heading toward a world of equality but differentiation.
CB: What does the future hold?
Mapes: We’re on the front edge of a potential renaissance, and we’re on the front edge of creating a planet that really is a community. My feeling is that the evolutionary tendencies in this direction are so strong, we’re going to get there anyway. All we’re doing at CyberLab is articulating this vision and describing technically how one would get to that state of global community. Once we get there, we have other problems. Like, how do we get to Alpha Centauri? (laughter).
To contact CYBERLAB 7, send e-mail to cyberlab7@aol.com.
^ ' Not Just an Entertainment Calendar... A State of Mind
Listings Index Film (capsule reviews, theater guide) 13 Music (concerts, clubs, varied venues) 16 Etc. (events, meetings) 20 Art (galleries, exhibits, museums) 23 Attractions (museums, historic homes) 24 Onstage (theater, dance, classical music) 25
(signings, events) 27
(recreational, spectator) 29 Upcoming (a look at what’s ahead) 29
Review Ratings
Recommendations
★ CityBeal staffs stamp of approval
To be included
Submit information for CityBeat calendar listings in writing by noon Thursday, seven days before publication. Mail to: Billie Jeyes, Listings Editor, Cincinnati CityBeat, 23 E. Seventh St., Suite 617, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Fax: 665-4369.
Please include a contact name and daytime phone number.
Frankenstein fall flat, Lawrence ofArabia becomes more
able than ever. It would be cliche to say that nobody makes movies like Lawrence anymore. It’s just that today’s grand productions (The Last Emperor, Farewell My Concubine) are few and far between.
Director Sir David Lean (The Bridge on the River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago) took home a Best Picture Oscar in 1962 for this grandiose take on the biography of T.E. Lawrence (Peter OToole). Don’t look to this film for insights about this complex British soldier who evolved into some strange type of messiah-character that leads the Arabs over the Turks. This film’s success lies at the level of entertainment more than education. Lawrence ofArabia remains one of the more beautiful and exciting works of post-war cinema. In some ways, Lean’s film is rooted to its past and is considered by many as an icon of the 1960s. At
This Week’s Theme: Numbers
The COUNTDOWN has begun; only (fill in the blank) days of holiday shopping to go! Hang in there, it’ll
^ be over soon. If you’re looking for a “classic” night out, head to Gabriel’s
Corner for the Fahrenheit Theatre production of Shakespeare’s TWELFTH Night. (See our Onstage listings for details.) On a broader scale there’s The Sisters Rosensweig the comical (but non-musical) tale of THREE bickering sisters presented by the Broadway Series. (Also see Onstage listings.)
A final theatrical offering of note this week is the opening ofA Christmas Carol, the Playhouse’s FOURTH annual presentation of Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the gang. (Stay in the Onstage listings for times and prices.)
Talking about annual holiday fun, make it to the K C.A.G.E. Holiday Bizarre. They say more than M 2,000 people attend the month-long shindig, so get B there early. Plenty of unusual, quirky, arty gift ideas. (See details in K Art.) Film buffs may want to ride their camels up to the Neon Movies in Dayton to catch the newly released “director’s cut” of Lawrence of Arabia in beautiful, glorious 70mm. (See Film capsules below.) And, finally, two Downtown Cincinnati seasonal attractions bring to mind Figure EIGHTS. Watch a few at the CG&E train exhibit, then do a few on the Fountain Square ice-skating rink. (Find the Etc. listings, then scroll down to “Events.”)
ten, nine, eight, seven, six
the same time, Lawrence of Arabia achieves a timeless quality and becomes more enjoyable with each passing year. Restored in 1989, Lean and his original editor Anne V. Coates crafted a final cut of the film at 216 minutes. Still, the greatest thrill about this showing is that the Neon Movies has acquired a rare 70mm print. This results in an image that is sharper and bolder than the industry standard. It is the type of Tiffany treatment that classic films deserve. For those who have only seen Lawrence on TV, this is a special chance to see this film at its best. Think of this showing of Lawrence sort of cinematic solar eclipse: You may never have another opportunity to see it again. With Omar Sharif, Alec Guinness and Jack Hawkins.
(Rated PG; opens Friday at New Neon Movies, Dayton, Ohio.)
CityBeat grade: A TRAPPED IN PARADISE Three
don’t see at Christmas time an adult, African-American actioncomedy. It looks like Low Down Duty Shame is high on car chases and shoot-outs. With funnyman Keenan Ivory Wayans in the lead, A Low Down Dirty Shame could turn out to be a Shaft with a sense of humor. Surrounded by all those kiddie flicks, A Low Down Dirty Shame may be your only adult choice at the multiplex. With Jada Pinkett, Charles S. Dutton and Sally Richardson. No screening. (Rated R; at area Showcase Cinemas.) ★ THE BRIDE WITH WHITE HAIR Damn that Dayton. They get fantastic Hong Kong action movies, and Cincinnati does not. Looks like another road trip up Interstate 75. Bride tells story about soldier (Leslie
small-time crooks from the Big Apple are soon overwhelmed by the sincerity and kindness from
Norwood, Forest Fair, Biggs Place Eastgate and Westwood.)
★
O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson.
(Rated R; at the Esquire Theatre.)
★ THE CLIENT Novelist John Grisham and Hollywood are made for each other. Both churn out mindless entertainment. Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon are two of the industry’s more intelligent actors. It’s fun to watch them in a no-brainer. Luckily, director Joe Schumacher’s film moves so fast that you do not realize there is nothing there. With Brad Renfro, Mary-Louise Parker and J.T. Walsh.
(Rated PG-13; at Norwood.)
★ CORRINA, CORRINA After a long drought, Whoopi Goldberg gets a role which is equal to her abilities and intelligence. This tender drama about love and loss is one of the best family movies of the year. Although the idea of an early ’60s, bi-racial romance brings a fantasy element to what might have been a more sober drama. With Ray Liotta. (Rated PG; at Norwood.)
★ DESTINY IN SPACE Sure, everything looks cooler when it’s blown-up super huge in the IMAX format, but too often the initial excitement fades fast. (Remember Antarctica?) This time, IMAX cameras follow the space shuttle as it repairs the Hubble, and the images are amazing. Move, over Star Trek Generations here’s a real out-of-space adventure.
(Unrated; at Robert D. Lindner Family Omnimax Theater.)
★ EROTIQUE Three female filmmakers come together to explore issues of sexuality, but with an emphasis on the woman. For the male-dominated movie industry, their project is legitimately unique. Erotique tells three separate stories: “Let’s Talk about Sex,” directed by Lizzie Borden; “Taboo Parlor," by the German director Monika Treut; and “Wonton Soup,” by Hong Kong director Clara Law.
To be honest, don’t bother looking for grand political statements in Erotique. Its pleasures are not that cerebral. They’re basically carnal. The sex scenes in Erotique are not any more graphic than the countless soft-pom titles that line the shelves at Blockbuster. The difference is that with Erotique women are not the victims but the victors. For that one quality alone, the film reaches above the level of base excitement. Sure, we’re not talking Last Tango in Paris, but Erotique offers women a chance to address a some topical issues with intelligence. Consider the fact that there are also gratuitous thrills as icing on the cake. With Kamala
Lopez-Dawson, Priscilla Barnes and Hayley Man. (Unrated; at Real Movies.)
★ FORREST GUMP The phenomenori continues. America never tires of Forrest Gump. Tom Hanks combines the right amount of syrupy pathos’with humor. Those people who complain about the movie’s glorification of the retarded are forcing politics where it does not belong. Let’s hope that the Christian Coalition does not use Gump as some kind of twisted poster boy. With Gary Sinese and Sally Field. (Rated PG-13; at area Loews Theatres and the Esquire Theatre.)
MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN All of actor/director Kenneth Branagh’s pomp and circumstance result in a monster movie that contemplates the metaphysical more than menace. Robert DeNiro’s spin on the monster is all makeup and little action. Branagh’s version stays truer to Mary Shelley’s vision than other movies. Unfortunately, it seldom scares. With Tom Hulce and Helena Bonham Carter (Rated R; at area Loews Theatres.)
★ INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE It still puzzles why Anne Rice took a full-page ad out in Variety (later reprinted by producer David Geffen in the New York Times) to praise Neil Jordan’s adaptation of her novel. Her grandiose, self-congratulatory stance outshines the movie which is just good, not great. Interview possesses a few scary moments, some horrific, blood-drenched sequences and one truly creepy scene. Unfortunately, these scenes unfold between long, dull stretches. In places where the novel speaks of loss, futility and longing, the film becomes tongue-tied. Tom Cruise is fine as Lestat, as is Brad Pitt as Louis. Thankfully, Interview ends on a wild scene that is both terrifying and hilarious. Too bad that tone was not held throughout the entire film. With Antonio Banderas, Stephen Rea and Christian Slater. (Rated R; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
IN THE ARMY NOW Whatever may be Pauly Shore’s appeal; let’s hope that it is fading fast. This latest stab at slapstick is easily his worst. The weasel should stay out of films and stick to MTV. With Lori Petty. (Rated PG; at Norwood, Forest Fair, Turfway and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
JUNIOR Director Ivan Reitman (Kindergarten Cop, Twins), than any other filmmaker, should know how to make Arnold Schwarzenegger funny. In Junior, he has the best sight gag, a preg
nant Schwarzenegger. Reitman blows this golden, comic opportunity by miscasting Danny DeVito as a straight man and Emma Thompson as some slapstick clown. Junior could have been hilarious instead ofjust being cute. With Pamela Reed and Frank Lange11a. (Rated PG-13; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
★ THE LION KING Hey, the kids were clamoring for it. So, nice folks at Disney brought this animated blockbuster back for the holidays. Right, let’s get one thing straight. Disney doesn’t have a new animated movie for Christmas, and this is a great opportunity to squeeze more money out of this popular tale. You’ve heard of the circle of life? Think of this as the circle of cash. With the voices of Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons and Whoopi Goldberg. (Rated G; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
LITTLE GIANTS Two brothers a former football hero (Ed O’Neil) and a nerd (Rick Moranis) coach separate football teams for the right to represent their small town. As a high concept comedy for kiddies, Little Giants works well enough. There may even be a valuable lesson learned. (Rated PG; at Loews Northgate, Florence.)
LITTLE RASCALS Fresh from The Beverly Hillbillies, director Penelope Spheeris moves further back in time with this rehash. Kids do not even know who Hal Roach and Our Gang were. Spheeris once made intelligent, avant-garde films. Now after going Hollywood, she churns out crap. With Travis Tedford and Bug Hall. (Rated PG; at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
★ THE MASK In this special-effects-laden comedy, Jim Carrey’s performance resembles a Tex Avery cartoon. Still, his manic contortions remain true to the spirit of the film. Of all the fluff from this past summer, The Mask possessed the most originality. With this hit, Carrey became a million dollar baby. With Dumb and Dumber coming out this Christmas, the pundits are waiting to see if he strikes gold again. With Peter Riegert and Cameron Diaz.
(Rated PG-13; at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair, Biggs Place Eastgate and Westwood.)
★ MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET
Sure, we have seen this tale of a department-store Santa Claus who insists he is the real thing before, but this version really shines. Give credit to the wonderful performances from its leads, Richard Attenborough and young Mara Wilson. It’s not often that
young girls experience strong role models such as Wilson at the movies. Of all the family-movie fare out there, this new take on the 1947 original really hits pay dirt. With Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott and Frasier’s Jane Leeves. (Rated PG; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
ONLY YOU Rehashes often appear tepid in comparison to the original. Director Norman Jewison and screenwriter Diane Drake would argue that their work is distinct and different from either Moonstruck or Roman Holiday. Still, Marisa Tomei’s misguided search for romance in Italy feels more like a travelogue than a movie. True love is far interesting than this. With Robert Downey Jr. and Bonnie Hunt.
(Rated PG; at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
THE PAGEMASTER The older Macaulay Culkin gets, the less kids like him. At least, that’s what Hollywood fears. Well, the folks at 20th Century Fox have found way to keep Mac just the way kids want him turn the child-star into a cartoon. A young boy, afraid ofjust about everything is transported off into a cartoon land, where he must battle with famous figures from classic novels. The Pagemaster teaches kids some great lessons about bravery, friendship and more importantly good reading skills. Unfortunately, this cool world is not that cool after all. His wacky new friends are more boring than wacky. What did the kiddies think? Well, this reviewer saw The Pagemaster with a couple hun
dred children one Saturday moming, and they cheered more during the trailer for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The Movie than the feature movie. The children have spoken. With the voices of Patrick Stewart and Whoopi Goldberg. (Rated G; at area Loews Theatres.)
★ THE PROFESSIONAL French filmmaker Luc Besson (La Femme Nikita, Subway) revolves his bloody action story around an unlikely protagonist, a young girl. Just as cinema violence begins to seem blase, Besson shakes things up by throwing a child in the mix. Did we also mention that she’s sexy? Besson’s The Professional thrills like few films this year. With Jean Reno and Natalie Portman. (Rated R; at area Showcase Cinemas.) ★ PULP
(From left) Dana Carvey, Jon Lovitz and Nicholas Cage are Trapped in Paradise.
The three bumbling crooks are ensnared by the kindness of strangers in 20th Century Fox’s family comedy that opens Friday.
UtterKiosk
show Twenty-One as trite. Through phenomenal performances from Ralph Fiennes as star contestant Charles Van Doren, Rob Morrow as Goodwin and John Turturro as discontent Herb Stempel, Quiz Show both entertains and educates. Sure, it’s not historically accurate, but that makes Quiz Show more pleasurable. With Mira Sorvino, David Paymer and Paul Scofield. (Rated R; at Loews Tri-County, Nort.hgate and Florence.)
★
(The
THE SANTA CLAUSE Tim Allen makes the leap from TV stardom to the big screen. His sense of ease for kiddie comedy is wasted on this unimaginative story. Hopefully, Disney has Allen in mind-for another Son ofFlubber. Kids may eat up the story about a grouchy dad who becomes Kris Kringle. Do they know what “tool time" even means? In film, quality and box-office draw do not always match. Moviegoers made this turkey the No. 1 film over Thanksgiving. Maybe next year, Tim Burton will make his Santa Claus movie. Now, that will be funky. With Judge Reinhold and Peter Boyle. (Rated PG; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
SPEED It is hard to explain how this blase, routine actioner became the unexpected hit of the summer. By now, you probably can recite the bus and bomb plot in your sleep. American movie audiences have elevated Keanu Reeves into box-office star. Now, audiences must accept responsibility for their actions. Of course, there are plans for Speed 2. I wonder where they will put the bomb this time. How about down Reeves’ pants? With Sandra Bullock, Jeff Danials and Joe Morton. (Rated R; at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
STARGATE Cutting-edge special effects wrap around a rather old-fashioned science-fiction epic. Unlike recent action films, Stargate takes nothing seriously. Its childlike innocence is refreshing. Consider Stargate as a hip Forbidden Planet. In true ’90s fashion, The Crying Game’s Jaye Davidson steals
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION Based on the Stephen King short story Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption directpr Frank Darabont (screenwriter of Kenneth Branagh’s Frankenstein) inspires more than frightens with his tale of friendship behind bars. What King’s tale lacks in depth, Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman make up with their performances. With William Sadler and Clancy Brown. (Rated R; at Loews Kenwood Towne Centre and Florence.)
OntemBMf "Female \ar\WslfmwW. great sex.w “W WASHINGTONJ^)ST
"Fasten your^Seatbelts^ for this journey into the" female sexual psyche." LOS ANGELES TIMES
"Plenty of sexy, hunky actors riveting awesome sex. FM Denver
"Deliciously raunchy and intellectually stimulating... seduction via food and wild acrobatic sex"
SEATTLE FILM FESTIVAL NO ONE UNDER 17 ADMITTED A FILM BY REAL MOVIES 7 i |1 race st EXCLUSIVE
Audiences Love a Good
Actress Debra Eisenstadtfinally takes it as a when she hears cheers at the hitting
n countless nights, actress Debra Eisenstadt has been beaten up onstage while audiences have cheered. For almost two years, she has played the student Carol in playwright David Mamet’s controversial drama Oleanna. Its story tackles issues of sexual politics between a college professor and his female student. After taking her role from theater to film, Eisenstadt is getting used to the anger.
of her victim-villain
trap that most people fall into. “It’s not about sexual harassment,” she says. “It’s a tragedy. It’s about language and miscommunication, a gap between the sexes and a gap between generations. It’s mocking political correctness and higher education.”
Her life was not always this stormy. An aspiring actress, Eisenstadt got by working as a toy demonstrator at F.A.O. Schwartz in Manhattan. Without an agent or manager, she would peruse the newspapers for open-calls. One of those ads led her to an audition for the female lead’s understudy in Oleanna. Although the play had already achieved great notoriety, Eisenstadt had neither seen nor read it when she auditioned in 1993. Still, she got the part in the Off-Broadway production,
For Eisenstadt, Oleanna’s story of a student-teacher relationship that escalates into violence felt strangely familiar.
“I have had my own experiences with teachers who have taken advantage of not just me, but other students,” says Eisenstadt, speaking by phone from her home in Los Angeles. “Acting teachers try to act like gurus or psychiatrists. There is all this psychodrama that goes on in classrooms.”
A good example is the “Intensive Workshop,” a month-long actor’s seminar in Massachusetts, which Eisenstadt had attended. “They would have people get up in front of a room of 60 people and reveal the most disgusting, sick things about themselves, then proceed to have a nervous breakdown. I witnessed this guy have a nervous breakdown. I had that anger of being taken advantage of in that way.”
Eisenstadt studied theater at Bennington College in Bennington, Vt. While she was there, an incident occurred where a student accused a teacher of sexual harassment. The teacher was immediately fired. Some people may find that very familiar to what happens between the character Carol and the professor in Oleanna. Eisenstadt has a different interpretation.
“It’s more a love story,” she says. “I think that she really does have feelings for this teacher, more than just wanting help from him about her grade. I think she is about to reveal something extremely personal to him. Why should she do that unless she felt close to him in some way? She says, ‘I never told anyone this,’ and then the phone rings. If the phone didn’t ring, who knows what would have happened? They might have ended up together in a whole other way.”
Few people, if any, see Oleanna as a love story. Most understand Mamet’s tale as a dialogue on sexual harassment. Eisenstadt sees that interpretation simply as a
Eisenstadt sympathizeswith Carol and feels that audiences should as well. “She does have a lot of good arguments and is right in a lot of ways, but she is, of course, wrong.”
Audiences have not sympathized at all with Carol. In fact, a lot of people see her as the story’s villain. This character makes them angry. At a point in the story when Carol gets hit, the audience breaks into cheers. Eisenstadt is always taken aback by audiences’ strong responses. “It’s sort of disconcerting when you’re getting beaten up onstage, and 1,500 people are cheering. It’s sort of like getting beaten up by a whole room of people. You have to separate yourself from it. You can’t take it personally. Now, I take it as a compliment.”
At some points in the story, many women may look upon Carol as a victim. Still, Eisenstadt feels that more women should see great strength in the character. “She goes in there and confronts this man. She says what he is, sees through him and speaks out.”
For Eisenstadt, feminists also should see Carol as strong, assertive and in control. “This character is strong enough to provoke this man with just her thoughts and her words. He responds violently. He responds physically, and she never touches him. It’s only her intellect and her words that provoke him.”
Eisenstadt knows that people respond to Oleanna in many different ways. She has seen young women cry and men yell in anger. Once, a man waited for her after a performance and menacingly accused her of raping the professor character. “If people are angry, that’s fine,” Eisenstadt says. “That’s part of the experience. I wouldn’t tell them not to have their feelings, but I would just say to look at what this movie is really about.”
Eisenstadt interprets every performance differently. “Good art is always changing. You just can’t repeat your performance. You have to move it along, and let it grow and progress.” It helps that jn this role Eisenstadt was surrounded by veterans. Bill Macy has performed the part of the professor for some time, and Mamet has been with the play through its entirety. Still, Eisenstadt was given free rein to play the character as she saw fit. She received technical direction from Mamet but little else.
With so much freedom, Eisenstadt found working with Mamet to be the equivalent of utopia. “He’s probably the most humble man I have ever met. He’s really CONTINUES ON PAGE 16
PHOTO: SAMUEL GOLDWYN
John (William H. Macy) confronts Carol (Debra Eisenstadt) in playwright David Mamet’s new film, Oleanna.
mediocre movie doesn’t seem to stop moviegoers from crowding the multiplexes. Then again, Star Trek Generations was the only familyadventure movie out this holiday. That doesn’t mean the rest of us have to follow the masses, espedally when they’re wrong. With Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes. (Rated PG; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
★ THE SWAN PRINCESS
Rather than seeing The Lion King for the umpteenth time, take the kids to this new take on the legend that inspired Swan Lake. Director Richard Rich’s 14 years at Disney are evident from Swan Princess’ high-quality animation. In this version, a prince’s sexism, more than an evil sorcerer’s spells becomes an obstacle to young love. How very modem. Parents, you may have some explaining to do. With the voices of John Cleese, Sandy Duncan and Steven Wright. (Rated G; at area Loews Theatres.)
★ TAI-CHI MASTER Hong Kong action cinema provides more thrills for the buck than most Hollywood special-effects extravaganzas. Long a secret pleasure for film buffs, these are movies that beg for a larger audience. The key is that these Asian filmmakers know that fight scenes pack a little bit more pow if the tongue is always kept firmly in the cheek. With Michelle Khan and Jet Li. (Unrated; closes Thursday at Little Arts Theatre, Yellow Springs.)
TERMINAL VELOCITY Some ex-KGB agents come to America for fun, excitement and mayhem. Hey, mayhem is Charlie Sheen’s middle name. It’s perfect casting that he plays a sky-diver who gets caught up in all the chaos. Once an art-house darling, Nastassja Kinski decides to give the action genre a whirl. Guess she wants to branch out like Meryl Streep. With James Gandolfini and Christopher McDonald. (Rated PG-13; at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
TIMECOP Jean Claude Van Damme desperately wants to be another Sylvester Stallone. To his frustration, goals once considered easy quickly turn difficult. Timecop pales in comparison to Sly’s earlier take on sci-fi Demolition Man.
The Muscles of Brussels may be a second banana now, but Street Fighter is just around the comer. Looks like his banana status may be here to stay. With Mia Sara and Ron Silver. (Rated R; at Norwood, Turfway and Forest Fair.)
TRUE LIES Big Arnold Schwarzenegger does not save the
the
10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Main Library, Downtown. 369-6922.)
★ IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
Sixty years ago director Frank Capra (Meet John Doe, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington) won a Best Picture Oscar for this romantic comedy about a news reporter (Clark Gable) and a runaway heiress (Claudette Colbert). Class never goes out of style. Let’s hope that Hollywood never attempts a remake of this timeless story of opposites attracting. This is a special fund-raising showing for Goodwill Industries. With Alan Hale and Walter Connolly. (Unrated; 9:15 p.m. Saturday at the New Neon Movies, Dayton, Ohio.)
★ THE NUTCRACKER PRINCE It’s not enough that the Emery Theatre plays the animated family feature The Nutcracker Prince for the holidays. They had to take 120 child singers and dancers, an 80-voice choir and lump it all together with the Mighty Wurlitzer organ. It may be dangerously close to overkill, but it sounds like a great time. (Unrated; 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Emery Theatre.)
made Keanu Reeves an action hero, he was better known as Ted. Reeves’ portrayal of an emptyheaded California teen-ager feels frighteningly authentic. Can’t say the same about his performances in Dracida or Much Ado About Nothing. Now this would be excellent, Ted goes back in time to ancient Asia, meets Buddha and discovers that they are one and the same. In a way, it has already happened. With Alex Winter and Jane Wiedlin. (Rated PG; midnight Friday and Saturday at Westwood.)
day here. A better editor would have. Director James Cameron has made a movie so big that it needs two plots. The part that focuses on Arnold’s homelife bores. To no surprise, the action sequences excel. See if the theater manager will let you sneak in for the last 30 minutes; that is the only portion of the movie worth seeing. With Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold and Tia Carrere. .(Rated R; at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair, Eastgate and Westwood.)
★ HAIR You do not have to be a child of the ’60s to appreciate this lively film adaptation of the Broadway musical. Director Milos Forman (Amadeus, Valmont) keeps this story of an Oklahoma boy in New York City to enlist for the Vietnam War fresh and vibrant. Along the way, he gets tangled up with some flower children. The music holds up far better than the politics. With John Savage, Treat Williams and Beverly D’Angelo. (Rated R; 11:15 p.m. Friday at the New Neon Movies, Dayton, Ohio.)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. DISNEY
THE WAR First, Kevin Costner had to answer for Wyatt Earp, and now this. Well, there is not anything more difficult for actors to hold onto than superstar status. Hey, there’s always Waterworld.
Those nice folks at the Public Library are always offering free flicks for the kiddies. Children love birthdays, and they also love Disney cartoons. Sound like a perfeet match. Hey Mom and Dad, on your way out grab the little ones a book. You don’t want them watching movies all the time do you, then they might grow up to become a movie critic. (Rated G;
Director Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes) contemplates issues of poverty, racism and violence in the Deep South, circa 1970. The young stars of director Jon Avnet’s drama, Elijah Wood and Lexi Randall, shine. Its seasoned performers, Kevin Costner and Mare Winningham, languish. The disappointing result is a mixed film, which should have been great. With Christopher Fennell and Donald Sellers. (Rated PG-13; at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
BILL AND TED’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE —Before moviegoers
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW —Kids just love to do the time warp again and again and again. Sure, it gets a little old throwing toilet paper and toast around every weekend. Still, The Rocky Horror Picture Show offers the guilty pleasure of seeing Susan Sarandon at her worst. With Barry Bostwick and Nell Campbell. (Rated R; midnight Friday and Saturday, Real Movies, Downtown, and the New Neon Movies, Dayton, Ohio.)
★ SCHINDLER’S LIST This grand achievement by director Steven Spielberg becomes more poignant upon each showing. All the annoying hype and crass marketing have diminished. What remains is simply Schindler’s List, the movie. Don’t settle for watching this film on video. Schindler’s List loses too much of its potency on a TV set. Take advantage of seeing it again on the big screen. With Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes. (Rated R; 9:30 a.m. Friday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at the New Neon Movies, Dayton, Ohio.)
STOLEN MOMENTS: RED HOT COOL This project by the Red Hot Organization brings together Jazz and Hip-Hop for a concertfilm that supports AIDS awareness. Interspersed through the music are discussions by people with AIDS and commentary by cultural critic Cornell West. (Unrated; 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus. 614-2922354.)
EISENSTADT: FROM PAGE 15
open to other people’s ideas. People accuse him of being macho, but he has all these really strong women working for him, running his company."
Eisenstadt never dreamed that she would be involved in an acting utopia, but she wanted to act ever since she was a little girl. After Bennington, she interned at Circle-Rep Theatre in Manhattan. In addition to her performance in Oleanna, she has performed in The Sisters Rosensweig at Lincoln Center and is currently working on The Heidi Chronicles for TNT.
Although she has garnered recognition with the film version of Oleanna, Eisenstadt’s love remains the theater.
“You get to do a whole life from beginning to end in two hours as opposed to eight pages of script,” she says. “When you’re doing a film, the acting is inconsequential. They’re setting everything
CityBeat’s music listings of charge and are for as well as clubs which music on a regular basis-. information to MIKE 665-4700 or fax to 665-4369. listings are subject to following listings are
Concerts
BROOKS AND DUNN Thursday. Nutter Center, State University, Dayton, $19.50/ $22.50. 873-4789.
BOB OSTERTAG Wexner Center for the High Street at 15th Avenue, Columbus. $10. 614-292-3535.
KILLING JOKE WITH WESTWARD AND OVERLORDS 7:30 p.m. Friday. Bogart’s, Vine St., Corryville. $7.75/ of the show. 281-8400.
THE SAMPLES WITH ROOT 8 p.m. Saturday. Hall, Oxford. $10. 749-4949.
BOB BODLEY Jazz bass. 8 p.m. Friday. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Rookwood Madison and Edwards Norwood. Free. 396-8960.
up for an hour, and you go in, do your thing for 15 minutes and it’s done.”
Still, Eisenstadt knows movies are America’s favorite form of entertainment. Then again, is Oleanna entertaining? “I don’t think I would put it under entertainment,” she says. “The entertaining part of it is that you get to go home and have something to discuss. If you are entertained by intellectual discussion, yes, it is entertaining. And if you want to go and watch somebody get blown up, it’s not going to happen. This is all just two people in a room, and the fact that the writing is really the action, and in the writing is all the stuff that most writers cannot do. David Mamet is just a brilliant man. I don’t think that there’s anyone who writes like him.”
THE UPSET BANDOLEROS Eclectic. 8 p.m. Saturday. Beth Booksellers, Rookwood Pavilion, Madison and roads, Norwood. Free.
JOSHUA BREAKSTONE Jazz. Tuesday. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Rookwood Madison and Edwards Norwood. Free. 396-8960.
MR. JACK DANIELS
OLEANNA opens Dec. 9 at The Esquire Theatre.
PHOTO: FRANCOIS DUHAMEL
Tom Cruise, left, and Brad Pitt are out for blood at
box office in Interview With The Vampire.
SECRET Alternative Rock. Shady O’Grady’s. Cover.
BU BU KLAN Punk Rap. Top Cat’s. Cover.
THE DUKES Blues. Burbank’s Eastgate. No cover.
DURANGO Favorites. Jim and Jack’s. Free.
GONGKICKER WITH BLOODY DISCHARGE AND ESOTERICS
Alternative. Palace Club. Cover.
GREAT SPECKLED BAND
Eclectic. Arnold’s. Free.
GUIDED BY VOICES WITH COME AND THE TIGERLILIES
Underground Alternative. Sudsy Malone’s. Cover.
HAL MELIA WITH THE PHIL DEGREG QUARTET Jazz. Blue Wisp. Cover.
HIGH STREET RHYTHM ROCKERS Blues. Burbank’s Forest Park. No cover.
INNER CITY BLUES BAND Blues. Burbank’s Sharonville. No cover.
JENNI HUSS Jazz, Ivory's. Cover.
MAINSTREET Classic Rock. Ms. Kitty’s. Cover.
MISTER BLACK Rock. Local 1207. Cover.
OROBOROS Rock. Ripleys. Cover.
OVERDUE WITH ROBIN LACY Rock. Blue Note. Cover.
PHIL BLANK Blues. Burbank’s Florence. No cover.
PSYCHODOTS Original Pop Rock. Salamone’s. Cover.
SPIDERFOOT WITH IODINE Alternative Rock. Hurricane’s. Cover.
WONDERLAND Rock. Mt. Adams Pavilion. Cover.
SATURDAY
★ BABE THE BLUE OX WITH MERCY RULE Homestead recording artists BTBO play quirky, artsy Post-Punk exemplified best on the current release
Color Me Babe. BTBO is one of the best bands on the planet. Sudsy Malone’s. Cover.
BAD HABITS AND THE REMOTES Rock. Blue Note Cafe. Cover.
BATTERY WITH HOUSE ARREST Hard Rock. Annie’s. Cover.
angry hour
FRIDAYS 4-9 + +
DOLLAR NITE TUESDAYS
BLUE BIRDS Blues. Mansion Hill Tavern. Cover.
Where the 'Lines of Color Were Crossed’
BRIAN LOVELY AND THE SECRET Alternative Rock. Local 1207. Cover.
CINCINNATI DANCING PIGS
Eclectic. Arnold’s. Free. THE DUKES Blues. Burbank’s Eastgate. No cover.
Jazz brought blacks and whites together at and along Reading Road
the Cotton Club Music
PART 2 "CINCINNATI JAZZ" BY PAM ALLEN
DURANGO Favorites. Jim and Jack’s. Free.
HAL MELIA WITH THE PHIL DEGREG QUARTET Jazz. Blue Wisp. Cover.
Cincinnati, 1942. The Depression lifted, the war years here.
HIGH STREET RHYTHM ROCKERS Blues. Burbank’s Forest Park. No cover
Folks filled their new $395 Packards with gas at 25 cents a gallon.
INNER CITY BLUES BAND Blues. Burbank’s Sharonville. No cover.
Shiny silk stockings were a black-market commodity.
JENNI HUSS Jazz. Ivory’s. Cover.
And two bucks bought a fifth of Scotch and a pack of Chesterfields.
JERRY’S LITTLE BAND Hippie Rock. Top Cat’s. Cover.
Teens hung out at DruckePs Drug Store on Sixth Street Downtown to listen to the latest Jazz tunes.
MAINSTREET Classic Rock. Ms. Kitty’s. Cover.
OVERDUE Rock favorites. Salamone’s. Cover.
Fats Waller performed live every night on WLW’s “Moon River” program.
PHIL BLANK Blues. Burbank’s Florence. No cover.
PSYCHOLOGICAL VACATION Rock. First Run. Cover.
PSYCHODOTS Original Pop Rock. Hurricanes. Cover.
SHAG Funk. Ripleys. Cover.
And 700-WLW played the hot Big Band Jazz sounds of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller and Harry James every night at 11 live from places like Harlem’s Savoy Gardens and Long Island’s Glen Island Casino.
SHIRLEY JESTER JAZZ TRIO Jazz. Coco’s. Cover.
STACY THE BLUES DOCTOR AND BLUES U CAN USE Blues. Shady O’Grady’s. Cover.
Life was a series of compromises and make do, of heart-wrenching loss and bittersweet joy in the early years of the war. Folks wanted to chase those blues away.
TOM MARTIN Rock. Mt. Adams Pavilion. Cover.
-They needed to celebrate life. Big Band delivered.
In 1942, Jazz was Swing and the king of Swing was a Count.
SUNDAY
Swing was more than just music. It was a way of life.
BLUE BIRDS Blues. Allyn's. Cover.
BLUES JAM Blues. Mansion Hill Tavern. Cover.
CAT CITY Jazz. Blue Wisp. Cover.
JOHNNY SCHOTT WITH BOB CUSHING AND TROY BECKER Open mike. Tommy’s. Cover.
LOVE JONES WITH GREAT UNCLE SHORT FUSE
“College students couldn’t wait to see the latest dance steps at the clubs during Saturday matinee shows,” recalls Nelson Burton, drummer at Cincinnati’s Cotton Club for 14 years. “And if you were a Big Band musician, you had to drop everything to be home at 5:15 every day to hear the latest tunes coming from the New York bands on WLW’s ‘Jam For Supper’ program.”
Alternative Cocktail. Sudsy Malone’s. Cover.
MILHAUS Rock favorites. Blue Note Cafe. Cover.
OIL, LUBE AND FILTER Rockabilly. Mt. Adams Pavilion. Cover.
The sound of Swing and all it implied was a welcome respite to Cincinnati Jazz lovers’ lives. For followers of the Big Bands, it became imperative to hear the radio broadcasts of WLW and WKRC for the latest dance tunes, but it became more important to see the bands any time, any place.
★ STRETCH LINCOLN, SHARPSTONE, THE CINCINNATI BLUES ALLSTARS AND STEVE TRACY AND THE CRAWLING KING
SNAKES Some of Cincinnati’s best Blues artists join forces to help raise money for St. Vincent DePaul to help the poor and needy over the holidays. Stow’s. $7/$5 with canned good.
STACY THE BLUES DOCTOR AND BLUES U CAN USE Blues. Local 1207. Cover.
Downtown spots like the “exotic, mystic” Topper Supper Club, the Riviera Club, Castle Farm and the Florentine Room at the Hotel Gibson all east of Vine Street featured orchestras and national headliners seven nights a week. Dance fans could hear Duke Ellington at the Lookout House or the King Cole Trio and his All-Sepia Revue at The Latin Quarter. On the west side of Vine Street the only side of town where the black Jazz musicians of union Local 814 were allowed to play Cincinnatians could listen to Jazz at the Cat and Fiddle, one block west of Music Hall, or the Cotton Club at Sixth and Mound.
TRIXTER Hard Rock. Annie's. Cover.
MONDAY
FRED GARY AND DOTTIE WARN-
Heartbeat of Jazz
The Cotton Club played the Big Band sound for 20 years, and most of the big-name acts that passed through its doors are no longer with us. Likewise, the corner of Sixth and Mound doesn’t exist today, replaced by rivers of interstate asphalt and the memories of those still living.
Hundreds of musicians plucked bass strings, beat bongos, twirled drumsticks and blew horns at the Cotton Club during its tenure, but only two house-band musicians are alive today. The 72-year-old Burton refers to his longtime buddy, Christopher “C.W.” Perkins, as the “wise, old granddaddy of Cincinnati’s Cotton Club.”
As first trumpet, Perkins was one of the original members, beginning his career with the club in the late 1930s. His father, Constant Perkins, taught W.C. Handy, the “father of the blues,” how to play trumpet and passed his knowledge of the instrument to his son. The
ON PAGE 18
Nelson Burton is but one of two remaining members of the house band at Cincinnati’s Cotton Club. He was the club’s drummer for 14 years.
JAZZ: FROM PAGE 17
younger Perkins no longer plays his horn for audiences, but Burton still plays the private party circuit with his trio.
Both Burton and Perkins made their living playing Jazz, beginning with Big Band Swing at the Cotton Club and lasting through the decades. The Jazz tradition of the Cotton Club plays a significant role in the cultural heritage of both black and white Cincinnatians. The club was one of the first institutions in the city to publicly integrate.
Considered the heartbeat of the Cincinnati Jazz scene, the Cotton Club was one of the more colorful cultural centers for blacks. In the ’30s and ’40s Cincinnati was a segregated city, not unlike most American cities of that era.
Blacks lived Downtown and west of Vine Street; whites lived Uptown and east of Vine. Burton recalls:
“Back then, if you tried on a shoe, you bought it.”
Blacks couldn’t get served in restaurants unless they stood up. The Topper Supper Club sponsored dances for whites and blacks, but when the dances were black functions, the Topper was referred to as the Graystone.
The “color bar” was, for black musicians everywhere, a constant frustration, frequent humiliation and occasional danger. When Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughn or Ella Fitzgerald toured through Cincinnati, they played to white audiences at the Hotel Gibson at Walnut and Fifth but weren’t permitted to stay at the hotel. They had to cross Vine Street to the west side of Downtown and frequently stayed at the Hotel Sterling.
Located on the first floor of the Sterling, the Cotton Club was the mecca of SwingTn the 1940s. The Big Band sound pulsed off the walls and spilled into the streets seven nights a week, supposedly until 2 a.m., but more frequently until dawn. Whenever the big-name acts were in town, they brought their bands to the Cotton Club to sit in with the house band after their own shows were over at 2 a.m.
“It was the only way blacks in Cincinnati would get to hear Duke Ellington or Cab Callaway in person. Blacks weren’t allowed in the Beverly Hills Supper Club or the Hotel Gibson back then,” Burton recalls.
Whites joined their black brothers and sisters in celebration of the Big Band Jazz sound at the Cotton Club, a precedent set long before it became publicly acceptable in other facilities.
Racial ‘understanding’
“The white guys came to the club first because they wanted to learn the latest dance steps,” Burton recalls.
“And when they saw that we didn’t mind when they danced with the black women, why they started bringing their girlfriends along. Black and white couples sat together, danced together and shared a drink together. We had a great understanding there.”
In Burton’s long memory, the Cotton Club represented the first public institution in Cincinnati where the “lines of color were crossed.” White joined black in celebration of the music; the Cotton Club was merely the venue. Ray’s Music House at Fifth and Walnut carried the latest Big Band stock arrangements, and Cotton Club patrons would be certain to hear the current hits on weekends.
On a typical Friday or Saturday, couples stood iri line
UtterKiosk
for a seat at the 9 p.m. floor show. The club’s capacity was 500 and, as Burton recalls, “We had to turn folks away most nights, we filled up so quick.”
The men held tight to the hands of their partners, attired in flowery organdy summer dresses with wide skirts and the brightest lipstick they could find. As coupies entered the Hotel Sterling’s lobby on Sixth Street, they could hear the band warming up through the club’s doors flung wide open at the far end of the lobby.
He can’t recall her last name, but Burton does know that. Ruth was always present in the ticket booth right inside the lobby door selling floor-show tickets for 75 cents. The ticket taker, Arnold Helms, tore the tickets in half, while the couples’ eyes strayed to the open door.
Seating was open in the club, and the coupies who came to dance flew to the red-checker-covered tables up front. Amidst potted palms and gently swirling ceiling fans, waiters in starched white quarter-cut jackets, black pants and bow ties
were ready to take drink orders as soon as patrons sat down. After the floor show ended, and the hardwood dance floor pulled out from underneath the stage, the dancers’ excitement grew palpably the band was ready to play. From the opening sets, musicians inspired the dancers and the dancers inspired the players. “We weren’t there to play a concert,” Burton explains. “We were there to please the crowd.”
And the crowd demanded the music be not only faster but louder.
A piece of New York
Named after the original club in Harlem, the Cotton Club replicated the New York club’s style of Big Band, dance steps and floor shows. From the slippery hardwood dance floor echoing the staccato rhythm of jitterbugging feet, from the whirling crystal ball glittering off jewelry and buttons, to the elaborate floor shows featuring tap dancers, female impersonators and comedians, the Cotton Club offered live entertainment six days a week with two shows on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Cotton Club dancers were a colorful lot. One tap dancer, fondly referred to as Groundhog, used to dance barefoot on the hardwood dance floor. To get the tapping rhythm, he danced with pop bottle caps taped to the soles of his feet. Pegleg Bates wore peg legs that matched the color of his suits. Faye Dunaway (not the Faye Dunaway of Chinatown) danced onstage with a tree as her partner, and contortionist Baby Washington could “twist herself like a pretzel into almost any position,” Burton says.
Comedians well-known today such as Redd Fox, Moms Mabley and Nipsey Russell spent the early part of their careers in Cincinnati at the Cotton Club. “We had what were to become some of the top names in entertainment at the club, only we didn’t know it back then,” Burton recalls.
The club’s reputation was known far and wide among the entertainment set, and the names of those longdead who stopped by on their way through Cincinnati read like Your Star ofStars. Mae West, Peter Lorie, Scatman Crothers and Nat King Cole always made sure they stopped at the Cotton Club after their own shows at the Albee. And after completing a week’s training in West Baden, Ind., fighter Joe Lewis could be found sitting at a table up front, accompanied by his friend
Ezzard Charles.
Center shifts to Reading Road
The Cotton Club closed its doors in 1957. During the 1950s, its West End neighborhood deteriorated, no longer an attractive locale for Cincinnatians to spend an evening. Urban renewal set in; the personality and character of the club changed. The Cotton Club moved to Walnut Hills in the 1960s, but the essence of the place could not be duplicated. The wider availability of television made live entertainment less attractive. The Big Band era had not only lost its mass audience appeal but the Jazz sound was changing, too.
The reason for most of the Big Bands’ popularity was Swing. But as far back as the early years of Big Band there had always been a core of admirers who sat up front and heard more than the beat feet needed to dance to. These listeners responded to the call of the riff and demanded a new expression of Jazz. Smaller, avant garde clubs cropped up in town that catered to the “elitist” Jazz audience, those listeners who were “hip to the groove” of the Bebop improvisational sounds of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker and the free Jazz sounds of Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
Nightclubs the size and shape of shoe boxes lined both sides of Avondale’s Reading Road in the 1950s and 1960s. “Snookie” Gibson’s barber shop sits in a building located on that once famous strip of Reading Road. Says Gibson, a saxophonist and pianist: “This whole block was lit up like Times Square with the clubs and restaurants back then.”
Jazz blew free and hot from clubs like Babe Baker’s Jazz Corner, the Cabana Lounge, Billy’s Bar and the Key Club, featuring improvisational “free” Jazz every weekend. The strip compared with New York’s “Street of Swing,” 52nd Street, in the 1940s before Big Band’s popularity faded. Gibson played at the Cabana Lounge as a young man with Leo Cornett, Jamal Halbert and Slim Jackson. But Babe Baker’s brought the national Jazz artists to Cincinnati and is attributed by many to have kept the Jazz scene alive after the Cotton Club closed. In the late 1950s, Baker featured the original Jazz compositions of a local combo, the Modern Jazz Disciples. Apparently he knew national talent when he heard it. The Modern Jazz Disciples went on to record several albums with RCA and headline in New York. When Count Basie heard the combo play in Cincinnati, he offered them a gig with his orchestra. But the Disciples turned Basie down because he told them the offer stood only if they replaced their only white member, the drummer, with a black musician. Despite this missed chance at sure fame, the Disciples recorded and played for 10 years together.
The Jazz faithful wandered in and out of clubs to hear and compare the “new” Jazz sounds of Coltrane, Stanley Turrentine, “Cannonball” Adderley and Shirley Scott during the turbulent Civil Rights movement years. Melvin Broach a native Cincinnatian who has performed on drums with such national acts as Bob James, McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock says, “I was a young boy just learning drums in the early ’60s. Imagine being able to listen to Dizzy Gillespie and Clark Terry, or being able to sit in with Oscar Peterson and Miles Davis’ sidemen. These where everyday occurrences on the strip.”
Like the Cotton Club, blacks and whites together wandered Reading Road in search of the hottest Jazz, ate together at the Cup and Saucer and the Avon Restaurant. But after the music ended and the nightclubs closed, the two races went their separate ways.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ARTS CONSORTIUM OF CINCINNATI
The Cotton Club attracted many renowned performers and guests, including Nat King Cole (seated, front).
Every Sunday Is a Jazz Reunion at Sonny’s
dans to cut their teeth on straightahead Jazz.”
Sonny’s trio includes Brahm Sheray, a College-Conservatory of Music student, on acoustic bass;
can really let go. We can take risks. I grew up listening to my father play trombone in New York. Sonny’s captures that feeling.”
Through an elaborate system of eye contact, nods and finger cues, musicians approach the mike for their turn at solo improvisation. Owner Sonny Lewis does not permit egos to interfere with the open jam forum, and the courtesy among musicians is beautiful to witness. If you watch very carefully, you’ll be able to predict who will solo next.
Sonny’s attracts young and hungry students from CCM looking for a creative outlet outside the laboratory walls. “Every Sunday, it’s like a Jazz reunion at Sonny’s,” says Sheray. “It’s a chance for musicians to talk music, to play with different musicians with different traditions and learn from each other. Musicians know they’re going to have a really good time here.”
Graduates of CCM still hang out at Sonny’s now and then, even though they are performing professionally, because there are no other straight-ahead jam sessions. (The Avalon in Walnut Hills, which also used to hold open jam sessions, closed in 1989.)
There’s only one club in Cincinnati that each weekend promotes the straightahead Jazz jam session tradition so indigenous to the Jazz scene of New York. That’s Sonny’s Lounge & Cafe in Bond Hill.
The only-on-Sundays jam sessions allow local Jazz musicians and students to hone their craft and wow the crowd.
Located on tree-lined California Avenue, the storefront club is reminiscent of the dark, smoky Jazz clubs of the ’50s and ’60s where patrons came to listen and ambiance was forgotten.
The moment you walk in you get a smile. If the regulars have seen you in the club once or twice, you get a smile and a nod. Sonny’s is a comfortable place where the music is not segregated, and the only requirement for a great night of music is a love of hot Jazz.
Philip Burkhead, Jazz piano instructor at the School for the Creative and Performing Arts, on Fender Rhodes; and Jakubu, currently with Playhouse in the Park’s Beehive, on drums.
The first set, starting at 9 p.m., is usually rough while the trio warms up.
‘The older, more experienced players have forgotten more Jazz than any student thinks he’s learned.’
Sonny's in Bond Hill attracts young, world-famous and life-seasoned musicians. But nowhere is there room for egos; each gets a turn.
“There’s not much Jazz happening in Cincinnati on Sunday, at least straight-ahead Jazz,” says Steve Flora, acoustic bassist and CCM graduate. “Musicians try to support each other, so we like to stop in on Sunday to jam together.”
JAKUBU
Musicians file in continuously, look for a spot up front for themselves and their instruments, and warm up with the trio. By the end of the first set, no fewer than five horns and sometimes even an electric violin hold the crowd enthralled with the promise of hot, straight-up Jazz.
It is the last place in Cincinnati that offers the chance for young musicians to cut their teeth on straightahead Jazz.’
FRED BROWN
Fred Brown, substitute deejay at WAIF-FM, says, “I enjoy stopping in at Sonny’s on Sunday because it is the last place in Cincinnati that offers the chance for young musi-
In the second set, the jam session really cooks. From the standards of Duke Ellington and Count Basie, to the Bebop of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, to the free Jazz interpretation of Herbie Hancock and John Coltrane, the emphasis is always on improvisation. Every musician, young or old, is given a chance to showcase his or her talent.
Says Burkhead, “Sonny’s is one of the nicest places to play jazz to play what you feel and to please the crowd. Most musicians want to be in this kind of environment.”
Offers Jakubu, “Here at Sonny’s, no one tells you how to play. We
Some of the more experienced musicians who hang out at Sonny’s carry a resume that reads like a who’s who of band leaders. Louis Ware, formerly with the Ray Charles band and the Ed Sullivan Show, jams on trumpet. Hank Easlay, who just returned home from a 19-year stint in Los Angeles playing with Freddie Hubbard, John Mayall and others, swings on trumpet. And if you think the style of Billie Holiday is gone, wait until you hear Barbara Brown, home from Los Angeles, belt out “God Bless the Child.
“The older, more experienced players have forgotten more Jazz than any student thinks he’s learned,” says Jakubu.
Jazz artists in town with a night off stop in for a set or two. On any given night, you might hear LaVeeina Campbell, one of Cincinnati’s emerging vocalists, belt out a few tunes; or maybe get an introduction to “Slide” Hampton, .world-renowned Big Band trombonist, or Mark Fields, trombonist with Ray Charles for five years.
You could spend six successive Sundays at Sonny’s, and every session would be different.
PAM ALLEN
BRIAN LOVELY AND THE SECRET Alternative Rock. Tommy’s. Cover.
JOHNNY SCHOTT WITH REBECCA VIE AND T’KILA RHED Open mike. Zipper’s. Cover. THE JUNIOR CRUISERS Eclectic. Arnold’s. Free. MARK COOPER Rock. Club One. Free.
OVERDUE Rock favorites. Salamone’s. Cover.
PHIL BLANK BLUES BAND Blues. Burbank’s Sharonville. cover.
PHIL DEGREG QUARTET Blue Wisp. Cover. THE WEBSTERS, MILHAUS SHINDIG Christmas party. Note Cafe. Cover
FEATURED ON 1994 “AWARE” DISC 1993 TICKETMASTER NATIONAL SOUNDCHECK WINNERS
FRIDAY,
SATURDAY, DEC. 10: 4TH
PHOTO: 1994 BY JON HUGHES
Clubs Directory
MUSIC
ALLYN’S CAFE
GREENWICH TAVERN
2440 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills. 221-6764.
HURRICANE SURF CLUB
411 W. Pete Rose Way Downtown. 241-2263.
IVORY’S JAZZ CABARET
2469 W. McMicken, Over-the-Rhine. 684-0300.
JIM & JACK’S RIVERSIDE SPORTS BAR 3456 River Road, Riverside. 2517977.
3538 Columbia Parkway, East End. 871-5779.
ANNIE'S
KALDI'S COFFEE HOUSE & BOOKSTORE 1204 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 241-3070.
THE KELLOGG CLUB 4343 Kellogg Ave., East End. 321-9354.
ARNOLD'S BAR & GRILL
210 E. Eighth St., Downtown. 421-6234.
BLIND LEMON
KING TUT’S WA WA HUT 1338 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine. 241-6045.
LOCAL 1207 1207 Main St., Downtown. 651-1207.
936 Hatch St., Mount Adams. 241-3885.
LONGWORTH’S 1108 St. Gregory St., Mount Adams. 579-0900.
BLUE NOTE CAFE
4520 W. Eighth St., Price Hill. 921-8898.
MANSION HILL TAVERN 502 Washington St., Newport. 431-3538.
BLUE WISP JAZZ CLUB 19 Garfield Place, Downtown. 721-9801.
MOLLOY’S ON THE GREEN 10 Enfield Place, Greenhills. 851-5434.
BOBBY MACKEY’S MUSIC WORLD
44 Licking Pike, Wilder. 431-5588.
MS. KITTY’S SALOON 218 W. Third St., Downtown. 721-9520.
MT. ADAMS PAVILION 949 Pavilion St., Mount Adams. 721-7272,
SILKY SHANOHAN’S
1582 E. Kemper Road, Sharonville. 772-5955.
SOUTHGATE HOUSE
24 E. Third St., Newport. 431-2201.
STACHE’S
2404 N. High St., Columbus. 614-263-5318.
THE STADIUM
16 S. Poplar St., Oxford. 1-523-4661.
STOW’S ON MAIN 1142 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 684-0080.
SUDSY MALONE’S
2626 Vine St., Corryville. 751-2300.
TOMMY’S ON MAIN
1427 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 352-0502.
TOP CAT’S
2822 Vine St., Corryville. 281-2005.
ZIPPER’S
604 Main St., Covington. 2615639.
DANCE
THE CONSERVATORY
640 W. Third St., Covington. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday. 491-6400.
COOTER’S University Plaza, Vine Street, Corryville. 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Until 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday. 751-2642
Music
PHIL BLANK BLUES BAND Blues. Burbank’s Sharonville. No cover. PIGMEAT JARRETT Blues. Allyn’s. Cover.
SNOWSHOE CRABS Alternative Rock favorites. One Hundred West. Cover.
SOUL JAHS Reggae. Ripleys. Cover.
TRILOGY Classic Rock. Mt. Adams Pavilion. Cover. THE WEBSTERS Alternative favorites. Salamone’s. Cover.
BY MIKE BREEN
Chanting in Loveland
Last summer the Grail Singers, 19 women vocalists from all over the country, came to Loveland
Industrial Crew Gets Break
Classes & Exhibits
AFRIKAN AMERICAN DRUM AND DANCE ENSEMBLE
Offers classes every Saturday. 12:30-2 p.m. $5 adults; $2.50 children 12-16; $1 children under 12. West End YMCA, 821 Ezzard Charles Dr., West End. 281-7909 or 241-9622.
AT HOME WITH THE MASTERS
The local Industrial band Sound Mind has signed a managerial contract with Artie Karnfeld, co-organizer of the original Woodstock and current industry giant. He will be helping the band with bookings and shopping demos. If you can’t wait till the fellas get signed, there are some options. You can still find their EP Fire Escape in local hip record stores. And they are giving away copies of their cassingle of the song "Crave" at their shows while supplies last, of course.
Sound Mind’s next local performance will be Dec. 22 at Top Cat’s.
BOGART’S
2621 Vine St., Corryville. 2818400.
MURRAY’S PUB 2169 Queen City Ave., Fairmount. 661-6215.
ONE HUNDRED WEST
THE DOCK
603 W. Pete Rose Way, Downtown. Until 4 a.m. FridaySaturday. 241-5623.
100 W. Sixth St., Downtown. 431ROCK.
OZZIE’S PUB & EATERY
116 E. High St., Oxford. 1-523-3134.
PALACE CLUB 2346 Grange Hall Road, Dayton, Ohio. 1-426-9305.
14 Pete Rose Pier, Covington. 8:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday. 581-1414.
The 23rd annual slide lecture series presents Clowes Fund Collection curator Ian Fraser, on The Sistine Chapel 8 p.m. Thursday. DeBoest Lecture Hall, Indianapolis Museum of Art, 1200 W. 38th St., Indianapolis. $7 non-members. 317-923-1331.
★ BUILDING DIVERSE AUDIENCES A roundtable discussion focusing on building relationships with audiences traditionally underserved by museums and the arts community, such as persons with disabilities, seniors, teenagers, youths at risk and persons of color. Speakers include Marilyn J.S. Goodman, Executive Director of the Children’s Museum; E. Selean Holmes, Director of African-American Programs at the Cincinnati Historical Society; and Sister Joan Leonard, Founder and Director of the Arts and Humanities Resource Center for the Elderly. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday. $15 for members of the Ohio Museums Association; $20 for non-members. Fee includes lunch. Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., West End. 287-7065.
CONTEMPORARY KIDS Child Life Specialist Mary Kane will host a morning of stoiytelling and holiday activities. 10 a.m.-noon Saturday. Free to Contemporary Kids members; $5 non-members. Pre-registration required. Contemporary Arts Center, 115 E. Fifth St., Downtown. 345-8400.
CREATIVE KITCHEN CLASSES
Barbara Bond and Carol Tabone show how to make A Fabulous Hors D'oeuvres Party 6-9 p.m. Thursday. $34. Stephen Schmidt will cook up a A Sparkling English Christmas Dinnerfor the 90’s 6-9 p.m. Monday and 10:30 a.m.-l:30 p.m. Tuesday. $45. Lazarus Department Store, 699 Race St., Downtown. 369-7911.
FLYING CLOUD ACADEMY OF VINTAGE DANCE Offers classes in 19th and 20th century social dance every Wednesday at 8 p.m. $3 members; $5 non-members. University YMCA, 270 Calhoun, Clifton. 351-7462 or 733-3077.
Big Top Christmas
Afghan Whigs will play at Christmas-time again this year. Dec. 23 is the date; Bogart's is the place. Keep your fingers crossed for some new material as the band is about due for a new record in early ’95. Last year’s Christmas concert sold out, so get your tickets ($10) early: 749-4949.
Jazz Workshop at Kaldi’s
Starting Wednesday, Kaldi’s Coffee House & Bookstore (1204 Main St., Over-the-Rhine) will be the site of a new and unique Jazz workshop. On the first Wednesday of every month, various local jazz musicians will get together at the cozy little coffeehouse and perform individually and separately. Organizers describe the workshops as “innovative, one-of-a-kind collaborations and a forum for special musical projects.”
The December workshop is the Vocal Summit with singers Paula Owen, Katie Laur, Larry Kinley and Eugene Goss. On Jan. 4, the Jazz Guitar Summit will feature Joshua Breakstone, Cal Collins, Kenny Poole and Bob Roetker. Feb. 1 will be the Jazz Piano Summit featuring Roland Ashby, Phil DeGreg, Steve Schmidt and Charlie Wilson. Each evening, the artists will be backed by some of Cincinnati’s finest musicians.
Each event is free, and performances begin at 8:30 p.m. Call 241-3070 for more info.
Mimi Now a New Idol Son
Remember the Mimis? The wildly popular Alternative Metal band had a couple-year run in Cincinnati until singer Mike Davis moved to San Francisco to pursue tattooing and guitarist Chris Donelly formed the PFunk-inspired Shag.
Seems Mr. Davis couldn't keep away from the Hard Rock. He is currently enjoying success out West with Pavement Music/BMG recording artists New Idol Son. The band has more of a Metal sound than Davis’ former band and, unfortunately, Davis no longer sings as he did for the Mimis but merely plays guitar. NIS’ first disc, Reach, is available now.
Send all music related materials to MIKE BREEN, Cincinnati CityBeat, 23 E. Seventh St., Suite 617, Cincinnati, OH 45202.
New Tunes
POSIIIVEIY YEAH YEAH YEAH
BY JOHN M. JAMES
Cause and FX
Looking for some nifty sound effects to spice up home videos, computer functions, answering machine messages and other aural-needy projects? A zippy new CD collection of sound effects has just been released by Rhino Records direct from the vaults of the HannaBarbera studios. The 100-plus set, Cartoon Sound FX, has every kionk, bowangg, zing, sproing, kabong, bueupbonk and twang ever to put our inner child into a Saturday morning frenzy. Also included are a Fred and Barney fight scene, The Jetsons’ space traffic and an "Comic Caper” feature on how these effects are used.
World-beat Beatles
“Eleanor Rigby” in Latin? “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” in a polka style? Desmond Decker’s reggae “Come Together”? Or “We Can Work It Out” sung by animals?
All these delightfully twisted Beatles covers can be found alongside disturbingly delightful Malaysian, Romanian and Japanese folk renditions on The Exotic Beatles, an import collection (on two separate volumes) that shows how widespread Beatles mania conquered the globe. It’s the perfect bizarre Christmas gift for the beatles freak with a sense of humor.
‘SNL’ Lineup
Upcoming Saturday Night Live musical guests prove that the wretchedly loose term “alternative” is really what's mainstream: Green Day storms the stage Saturday; the Beastie Boys swing it Dec. 10; Hole slips in Dec. 17, and Luscious Jackson is scheduled Jan. 4.
Pranksters on the Phone
You either love ’em or hate ’em, but.the proof is in the prankster pudding that the cruel comedy of recorded phone frolics a la Jerky Boys is a new art form.
The newest batch of abusive and irritating crank calls comes from the “third Jerky.” Big Ant, an original member of the Jerky posse back in 1988, has just released his collection of equal-opportunity abuse on The Musacha Tapes on Detonator Records.
If a hard day at the office dealing with morons leaves you ready to climb the Bell Tower, relax and let the catharsis of such tracks as “Language Center” and “Defective Dog” wash over you in vicarious revenge. If your ears aren't too PC, you gotta check out the track “Mother F@*!er” in which the staccato cursing of the “confused caller” at a helpless VCR repairman leaves him dazed and wounded.
Releases Coming Tuesday
And like the winds are subject to change...
The Beatles Legendary BBC Recordings 1962-65 (Capitol), 69 tracks with 56 recorded live on double CD, cassette and LP; Pearl Jam Vitalogy (CBS), CD and cassette; Bryan Adams Live! Live! Live! (A&M), recorded in Belgium in 1988; Black Sheep Nonfiction (Mercury); KMFDM vs. Pig Sin, Sex and Salvation (Wax Trax / TVT), five-track EP; James & Brian Eno Wah Wah (Mercury); Vanessa Williams The Sweetest Day (Mercury); King Tee King Tee IV Life (MCA); various artists The Unplugged Collection (Warner Bros.), with Lenny Kravitz, Elvis Costello, Eric Clapton, k.d. lang and more; various artists It's Now or Never (Mercury), Elvis Presley tribute with U2, Aaron Neville, the Mavericks and more; B.B. King Got My Mojo Working (MCA), CD reissue; The O’Jays From the Beginning (MCA), CD reissue; The Bush Babees Ambushed (Warner Bros.).
JOHN JAMES can be found behind the counter at Wizard Records in Corryville.
CHRISTMAS AT GLENDOWER— Built between 1836 and 1840, the Greek Revival mansion celebrates the holiday season with a Victorian wedding theme, carolers, music and refreshments. 1-8 p.m. Saturday. Through Dec.l 1. $3 adults, $1 students. Glendower State Memorial, 105 Cincinnati Ave., Lebanon. 932-1817.
Bridges, Fruit and Me: Cezanne's Late Work on Paper by Theresa Leininger-Miller 2 p.m. Saturday. Cincinnati Art Museum, Eden Park. 721-5204.
FROM MOBY DICK TO PETER
CHRISTMAS FOR KIDS The Hamilton County Park District presents a holiday treat for children with balloon sculpting, entertainment, craft-making, refreshments and a visit from Mrs. Claus. 12-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visitor Center, Miami Whitewater Forest, Mt. Hope Rd., Harrison. Parking costs $1. 521-7275.
PAN Robert. L. Harris, Disabled Affairs Representative for the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission and CAC Trustee, will lecture on Illustrations ofPersons With Disabilities in Western Art and Literature 3 p.m. Saturday. Free. Contemporary Arts Center, 115 E. Fifth St., Downtown. 345-8400.
LOVELAND ART CENTER
CHRISTMAS IN MASON Live animal nativity, strolling carolers and visit from Santa among the highlights of the seasonal celebration. 6-9 p.m. Friday. Main Street, Mason. 398-2188.
POLICE OFFICERS WLW-AM’s Bill Cunningham will serve as the keynote speaker for the appreciation dinner Thursday. Open bar at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. $50. Hyatt Regencyl51 W. Fifth St., Downtown. 579-3191..
1994 INTERNATIONAL HOLIDAY FESTIVAL Come see arts and crafts from around the world. Musical highlights include Taylor Farley Jr. and the
VILLAGE OF OLDE MONTGOMERY
Offers classes in watercolors, oils, calligraphy, papermaking, acrylics and pastels for adults and children. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. $59 per 12-hour course. 118 Taylor St., Loveland. 683-1888.
EAST SIDE PLAYERS Holds auditions for their March 1995 production of The Diary ofAnne Frank 2-6 p.m. Sunday and 7-9:30 p.m. Monday. Callbacks will take place 7-9:30 p.m. Tuesday. Prepare dramatic monologue under four minutes in length. A monologue will be provided for those without. Blue Ash Recreation Center, 4433 Cooper Rd., Blue Ash. 852-0888.
GREAT AMERICAN TRAIN SHOW
More than 15 operating model train layouts will be on display, along with 350 tables from model train dealers. 12-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $5 adults; free for children under 12. Cincinnati Convention Center, Sixth and Elm Sts., Downtown. 261-9927.
NUTCRACKER CHRISTMAS BALL
OHIO ARTS COUNCIL Provides matching money grants to artists, arts programs and major institutions. Call for applications. Summer fellowships for teachers of the arts also are available. Contact Christy Farnbauch. Nominations for the Ohio Arts Council’s 1995 Governor’s Awards for the Arts are being accepted. Contact Bill Nordquist, Ohio Arts Council, 727 E. Main St., Columbus, OH 43205-1796. 614^66-2613.
PAINTING OF THE MONTH
The Flying Cloud Academy of Vintage Dance holds its 19th century Christmas ball 8:30 p.m. Saturday, and period attire is encouraged. $6 members; $8 non-members. A workshop will be offered 1-4 p.m. Saturday. $6 members; $8 non-members. University YMCA, 270 Calhoun, Clifton. 733-3077.
Groups & Programs
OHIO FARM BUREAU FEDERATION Holds its convention in Cincinnati Monday-Wednesday. Estimated attendance is 700. Cincinnati Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Downtown. 352-3750.
GALLERY TALK The Tendilla Retablo, by the studio of Jan Sandersvan Hemessen, with Caterina van Hemmessen. 2 p.m. Sunday. Cincinnati Art Museum, Eden Park. 721-5204.
PARTIES OF 1/2 NOTE
OHIO HOME WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM The convention begins Tuesday and continues through Dec. 9. Estimated attendance is 400. Westin Hotel, Fountain Square', Downtown. 621-7700.
Developed to increase awareness of and cultivate future audiences for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the fine arts for children aged 3-15, The Madcap Adventure shows children how to make their own souvenir angels. A harpist will entertain while Christmas treats will be enjoyed by all. 2-4 p.m.Sunday. 2622 Western Row Rd., Mainville. Reservations required. 793-6469.
OLD-FASHIONED CHRISTMAS STREET FESTIVAL Downtown Lebanon hosts a seasonal celebration with costumed street carollers and horse-drawn carriage rides. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and 12-5:30 p.m. Sunday. The parade takes place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Downtown Lebanon. 932-1100.
ST. NICHOLAS IN COVINGTON Jolly old St. Nick brings nuts, apples and goodies for children when he arrives on horseback at the Goose Girl Fountain 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. MainStrasse Village, Covington. 491-0458.
PUBLIC LIBRARY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY
Presents the exhibit Flags Fly High, historic flags and banners dating to 1788 collected by three generations of the Meyers/Locy family. Through Friday. An orientation tour of the library’s many services will be offered at 2 p.m. Saturday. Rabbi Ingber and the Yavneh Day School Choir and Dance Group will present the first in a series of programs showing how different faiths celebrate their holidays. Noon on Tuesday. Main branch hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday. 800 Vine St., Downtown. 369-6960.
SEVENTH ANNUAL BURLINGTON HOMETOWN DAYS Santa and his elves will assist the Hon. Judge Executive Ken Lucas in the lighting of the Christmas tree at 8 p.m. Saturday. The K-0 Connection, a barbershop singing group, and members of the Northern Kentucky chapter of the Sons of Dixie Chorus will provide the entertainment. Gary Greisser will give a solo performance and lead the community in carol-singing. A Christmas parade will begin at Boone Woods at 2 p.m. Sunday. Griesser wall close the weekend’s activities with a special performance at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 12-5 p.m. Sunday. Boone County Courthouse, Rt. 18, Burlington. 334-3129.
1994 POLICE APPRECIATION DINNER FOR DISTRICT ONE
SAVE OUTDOOR SCULPTURE (SOS) A public/private initiative designed to document and increase public awareness of outdoor sculpture. Workshops are being planned for early 1995 in Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton. People interested in participating should contact Patricia Henahan at
Short Takes
BY MIKE BREEN
VARIOUS ARTISTS Lullaby: A Collection (Music For Little People, Box 1460, Redway, CA 95560-1460).
This is very nice. I know that’s not a good critical appraisal, but the sublime, innocent nature of this collection of lullabies from around the world begs for such a simple commentary. The only problem is making it through the whole disc without nodding off. Highlights include Ladysmith Black Mambazo’s “Be Still My Child,” the soothing harmonies of vocal group Take 6 on “Lullaby,” Ambient House band Deep Forest’s serene “Sweet Lullaby” and the Bobby McFerrin original composition “Common Thread.” Any of these mostly a cappella tracks could probably knock a sleepy baby out in about five seconds or would make great meditation music.
CityBeat grade: A.
WILLIAM CLARKE Groove Time (Alligator, Box 60234, Chicago, IL 60660).
Clarke is a master of Blues harmonica, and on his most recent release it’s clear he’s no egotist. While most of the songs are driven by his harp, he lets the songs develop and breathe allowing all the players to shine. But it’s Clarke’s playing that is brightest. The full, dirty sound of his soulful harp is throughout but stands out especially on the slow, sad “A Good Girl Is Hard To Find.” As a vocalist, Clarke is very capable and his voice exudes a raspy, gravely soul. But it’s pretty clear that playing the blues (not singing them) is his specialty.
CityBeat grade: B.
DIE HAUT Sweat Home Video (Triple X, Box 862529, Los Angeles, CA 90086-2529).
This German quartet is usually all instrumental, but on Sweat the members have embellished themselves by collaborating with such vocalists as Nick Cave, Lydia Lunch and Blix Bargeld of Einstuerzende Neubauten. The footage from Sweat consists of a live show and interviews with the band and their guests. Musically, Die Haut is a twisted mix of Can, early Devo and Gang of Four with an intense dual guitar approach and quirky, big grooves. The vocalists only add to the power of the band. Performance highlights include Lunch’s slither
ing psychotic Jazz diva/spoken word bit on “Doggin’,” Bargeld’s and Anita Lane’s out-of-tune duet on “Subterranean World/How Long” and the Bizarro “We Are the World”-like finale version of the Stooges “Little Doll.” Cave’s performance has the raw vitality of his early work with the Birthday Party. Visually, there’s nothing really spectacular here, but the true stars are the band and the music. The instrumental songs are incredibly powerful and should make Die Haut a hip name to drop as an influence for musicians in the future.
CityBeat grade: B.
SHADOWFAX Magic Theatre (EarthBeat!, 1144 Redway Drive, Redway, CA 95560).
Combining the tranquil qualities of New Age with the spontaneous nature of Jazz and even a tinge of World Beat, ShadowFax make music that would seem to defy categorization. Unfortunately, the placid nature of songs like “Hey! Your Hat’s On Backwards” occasionally pulls them into Kenny G-land with spacy, crystal-loving pretentiousness. Still, jazzier tunes such as “Secret Gathering” and “Baker’s Dozen” are the album’s saving grace.
This local quintet’s music, which is very unique for a Cincy band, runs from flashy melodrama to minor-key dissonance within the not-so-confined confines of a song. There are atmospheric swoops, piercing strings of cello lines and deep, warm vocals that fluctuate from a whisper to a scream. The rhythm section pulsates with driving urgency, and the guitar moves from subtle, heavy Rock mode to innovative tweaks throughout both of these dynamic and moody tunes. Roundhead writes epics under or around four minutes long and takes a more explorative route to song writing, jumping from part to part without much concern for the cookie-cutter, verse/chorus/verse method. Great recorded debut.
CityBeat grade: A.
Playing Grown-up Tricks
Eddi Reader stepsforward on her own with happy/sad Pop collection deserving of an audience
REVIEWED BV JEREMY SCHLOSBERG
he British band Fairground Attraction came and went before most Americans had the chance to appreciate its airy Folk-Jazz-Pop. “Perfect,” the band’s sparse, retro-y single, graced the alternative airwaves for a while in 1988, after which the group vanished without a trace. Lead guitarist and chief songwriter Mark E. Nevin resurfaced a few years later as one of Kirsty MacColl’s song-writing partners of choice, but the delightful vocalist Eddi Reader was, on this side of the ocean, nowhere to be seen.
Eddi Reader (Reprise) corrects this significant problem. Musically delightful from beginning to end, the album shows off Reader’s ardent but pliable voice, with its fetching Scottish nuances, through a strong, cohesive set of songs. Reader likes to sing about the fine line between yearning and resignation, yet does so with buoyant spirit. Setting melancholy lyrics to uplifting music can be one of Pop music’s great triumphs. Add Reader to a select list of Pop artists capable of this undeniably grown-up trick.
The album holds together better than it has any right to, given that song-writing duty has been split roughly three ways, between Boo Hewerdine, Teddy Borowiecki and former bandmate Nevin, with Reader getting a co-writing credit on half the tunes.
Producer Greg Penny, best-known for co-producing k.d. lang’s Ingenue deserves credit for the crisp but atmospheric sound that binds the work. The highlights are many and varied, from Hewerdine’s touching paean to suburban female isolation, “Patience of Angels,” to Nevin’s exultant faux-Latin “Exception,” which includes some of the album’s archest observations: “No pain no gain that’s what they’re saying/And it’s hard to disagree/But I thought somehow they weren’t including me.”
The subject matter wife leaves husband sounds ho-hummy on the one hand. On the other hand, how often has someone sung of it on a Rock record? Lots of big issues are hinted at here with few words, delivered via a lilting but plaintive melody that sticks in your head even without a traditional Pop verse-chorus-verse approach.
Best of all, perhaps, is “Scarecrow,” another happy/sad number with a glistening acoustic arrangement, an infectious melody and a memorable line: “You start out wanting life but you get hurried/You start out wanting love but you get worried.” Hewerdine, the co-writer here, in a tight contest over Nevin, probably wins the award as most valuable songwriter on the album.
All Eddi Reader is missing is support from the record company. While Reader’s brand of sophisticated British Pop may not seem an instant hit in the Alternative Rock landscape of recent years, neither should she be viewed as some unclassifiable alien.
Then again, Reprise Records is the same company that allowed the Jane Siberry masterpiece, When I Was a Boy, to all but evaporate last year. Funny that they know enough to put the records out but not enough to find a deserving audience. Another one of those happy/sad things I guess.
The subtler but affecting “Dear John” is a MacColl-Nevin collaboration. Reader, with her resolutely idealistic undertone, carries it off maybe even better than the charming but more world-weary MacColl might have.
CityBeat grade: A.
Openings
in the downstairs gallery. Opening reception is 5:30-10 p.m. Saturday. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 12-4 p.m. Saturday. 1028 Scott Blvd., Covington. 491-2030.
CHIDLAW GALLERY, ART ACADEMY OF CINCINNATI The students, faculty and alumni of the Art Academy bring together artwork, crafts and unusual objects in The Showflake Extravaganza for show and sale. Opening reception is 5:30-9 p.m. Saturday. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Art Academy of Cincinnati, Eden Park. 562-8777.
CINCINNATI ART GALLERIES Panorama of Cincinnati IX spotlights over 70 works by deceased regional artists such as Robert Duncanson, Edward Potthast, Elizabeth Nourse,Joseph Sharp and Henry Mosler; and living Cincinnatians Cole Carothers, Michael Scott, Tom Bacher and Margot Gotoff. Opening reception is 5-8 p.m. Friday. Through Dec. 31. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. 635 Main St., Downtown. 381-2128.
CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM In recognition of World AIDS Day, the CAM will install Divine Intervention a modem day memorial to AIDS victim Richard Allen Shiffler by artist Joel Otterson. Opens Thursday. Through Jan. 1.10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. $5 adults; $4 students and seniors;
McConaha’s New IN SITU Inside/Outside is
group exhibition featuring landscape multiples by national and regional artists Laurie Rousseau, Suzanne Caporael, Joan Nelson, Wade Hoefer, Ellen Phalen, Sterck/Rozo and The X-Art Foundation. Opening reception is 6-10 p.m. Friday. Through Jan. 21. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. 1435 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 651-4631.
INDIANAPOLIS MUSEUM OF ART Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Swarfs: An An in the Making opens Sunday in the Allen Whitehill Clowes Special Exhibitions Gallery and features more than 150 original animation drawings, watercolor backgrounds and cels. Through Feb. 5. The movie itself will be shown at 1 p.m. Sunday. Through Dec. 30. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. $4 adults; $3 students and seniors; children 12 & under free. 1200 W. 38th St., Indianapolis. 317-923-1331.
MARTA HEWETT GALLERY Solo show by Salvatore Ventura featuring large format architectural watercolors. Opening reception is 7-9 p.m. Friday. Through Jan. 15. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 12-5 p.m. Saturday. 1209 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 421-7883.
MILLER GALLERY Native Americans and the West features the works of W. Steve Selzer, Robert DeLeon and Hubert Wackermann. Preview reception is 6-9 p.m. Friday. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 2715 Erie Ave., Hyde Park. 871-4420.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY NKU offers its Senior Show with works by Millicent Straub, Chaz Schaffrier, Cynthia Schmid-Perry and Jeanette Vance in the Main Gallery. A collaborative effort by students in Professor Steven Fihke’s Special Topics class is presented in the Third Floor Gallery. Opening reception for both is 4-7 p.m. Thursday. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays; 1-5 p.m. weekends. Fine Arts Building, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights. 572-5148.
Paris Elevator is part of Panorama of Cincinnati Art IX at
★ ONE SHOT GALLERY
Presents new works by Cincinnati artist Mils, with vintage political cartoons by fellow Cincinnatian Claude Shafer. Opening reception is 6 p.m.-12 m. Friday. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays; weekends by appointment. 658 Main St., Downtown. 721-1193.
PENDLETON ART CENTER
Studio 701 holds its grand opening with fine art and graphic design 6-10 p.m. Friday and 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. A holiday-themed Final Friday Art Walk will be hosted at 6-10 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at the Pendleton Art Center, 1310 Pendleton St., Over-the-Rhine. 721-6311.
SUB.GRESSIVE Works by Peter Huttinger, Vicki Mansoor and Marion Wilson. Organized in conjunction with In Situ Gallery. Opening reception is 6-10 p.m. Friday. Through Dec. 24. By appointment only. 1412 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 651^1613.
XAVIER UNIVERSITY GALLERY
A mixed media exhibition by Xavier art students opens Friday and runs through Jan. 13. 12-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. 3800 Victory Parkway, Evanston. 745-3811.
★ YWCA WOMEN’S ART GALLERY Holiday High Tea honoring Toni Birckhead opens Celebrate! 2-5 p.m. Sunday. $15. Watercolors by Jane McCullock and an exhibition by members of Art Bank. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. 898 Walnut St., Downtown. 241-7090.
Galleries & Exhibits
★ ADAMS LANDING ART CENTER A thoughtful re-assessment of artwork from variety of each artist’s varied careers. Paintings by Stewart Goldman, photographs by Thomas Schiff and sculpture by Joel Otterson and Derrick Woodham. Through Dec. 30.11 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday or by appointment. 900 Adams Crossing, East End. 723-0737. ARTS CONSORTIUM OF CINCIN-
NATI An For City Walls is a year-long exhibit focusing on local artists. 1-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 12-5 p.m. weekends. Union Terminal, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate. 241-7408.
BEAR GRAPHICS AND ILLUSTRATION GALLERY Paintings, prints and sculptures by Jan Knoop feature constructions using animal bones and images of imaginary creatures. Also exhibited are illustrations by commemorative stamp designer C.F. Payne. Through Dec. 31. 12-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. 105 E. Main St., Mason. 398-2788.
CARL SOLWAY GALLERY Alan Rath: Recent Sculpture highlights new works by the San Franciscoarea artist. Through Dec. 31.9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; Saturday by appointment. 424 Findlay St., West End. 621-0069.
CINCINNATI ART CLUB Presents their annual Christmas Bazaar with works by over 15 artists. 1-5 p.m. weekends through Dec. 17. 1021 Parkside Place, Mount Adams. 241-4591.
CLOSSON’S GALLERY DOWNTOWN Continuing exhibition of maritime paintings and prints by Cincinnati favorite John Stobart. Paintings From Our Past features oils on canvas by Frank McElwain. Closson’s commemorates artist John Ruthven’s 30-year anniversary with a special print, “Cardinals on the Ohio." All through Dec. 31. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 12-5 p.m. Sunday. 401 Race St., Downtown. 762-5510.
CLOSSON’S GALLERY KENWOOD Continuing exhibition of maritime paintings and prints by Cincinnati favorite John Stobart. Through Dec. 31. Wildlife oils and prints by John Ruthven. Through Dec. 30. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 7866 Montgomery Road, Kenwood. 891-5531.
FITTON CENTER FOR CREATIVE ARTS Sculptures by Alan LeQuire and paintings by Louise LeQuire in the gallery. Painted silk angels by Margaret Agner in the first-floor lobby. Through Dec. 23. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9
GALLERY 48 New works by Cindy Matyi investigate images rooted in Celtic heritage and impressionist paintings. Through Jan. 2. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. 1223 Central Parkway, Over-the-Rhine. 381^033.
GALLERY 99 Features works by 20 gallery members. Through Dec. 31. 12-6 p.m. Thursday and Sunday; 12-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 1101 St. Gregory St., Mount Adams. 651-1441.
★ GOLDEN RAM GALLERY Features antique fishing equipment; sounds interesting. Through Dec. 25. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. 6810 Miami Ave., Madeira. 271-8000.
HEBREW UNION COLLEGE SKIRBALL MUSEUM Aishet Hayil: Woman of Valor features paintings, textiles and sculptures. Through Feb. 25. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 2-5 p.m. Sunday. 3101 Clifton Ave., Clifton. 221-1875.
★ HEIKE PICKETT GALLERY
A one-person show by Steve Armstrong featuring carved and painted wooden pieces with wooden gear mechanisms; one of the strongest faux naif carvers, combined with one of the oldest and most prestigious Kentucky folk art groups. Through Jan. 15. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. 522 W. Short St., Lexington, Ky. 606-233-1263.
★ HILLEL JEWISH STUDENT CENTER Survival in Sarajevo: How a Jewish Community Came to the Aid ofIts City by Berlin artist Edward Serotia. Activist photographs recontextualize an empowered Jewish community in Eastern Europe inverting Jew-as-victim; “political art” at its finest; photographs are both documentary and fine-art, with a genuine multi-faith relief program for Sarajevo. Through Dec. 9. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday. 2615 Clifton Ave., Clifton. 221-6728. -
JAMAR GALLERY Quietudes, realist paintings by Cincinnatian
Over-the-Rhine. 684-0102.
★ STUDIO SAN GIUSEPPE AT THE COLLEGE OF MOUNT ST. JOSEPH Gyorgy Kadar: Survivor ofDeath, Witness to Life features haunting images from a Hungarian Nazi concentration-camp survivor. The drawings are first-rate, reminding us of art’s potency to bear- witness; a real coup for Mount St. Joseph. Sponsored by Jewish Federation of Cincinnati. Closing reception features speaker and Holocaust rescuer Irene Opdyke at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 11. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays; 1:30-4:30 p.m. weekends. College of Mount St. Joseph, 5701 Delhi Road, Delhi Township. 244-4314.
TANGEMAN GALLERY The Harem Within: Fear of the Difference presents four female artists integrating photography, mixed media and pure text to explore the seclusion/exclusion of women in Arab culture. Through Friday. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Third floor of Tangeman Center, University of Cincinnati, Clifton. 556-2839.
TONI BIRCKHEAD GALLERY
Collaborative studio furniture by husband-and-wife team Rob Gartzka and Kathie Johnson, who jointly combine painting and sculpture, functional and sculptural “artiture.” Through Dec. 30. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays; Saturday by appointment. 342 W. Fourth St., Downtown. 241-0212.
UC CLERMONT COLLEGE ART GALLERY A two-person exhibition of Cincinnati artists with paintings by Yvette Lafollette Mazza and sculpture by John Leon. Through Friday. Student exhibit opens Monday and runs through Dec. 31. 4200 Clermont College Drive, Batavia. 732-5224.
★ UC MEDICAL SCIENCE LIBRARY Paper, Scissors, Rock features construction, watercolor, pastel and sculpture by Jerome dander and Diane Szczepaniak. A thoughtful look at the new abstraction and mixed media constructions. Through Jan. 13/231 Bethesda Ave., Clifton. 558-5627.
WENTWORTH GALLERY Architecture is a group show featuring the works of Ledan, McKnight and Armand. Through Monday. 10 a.m.-lO p.m. Monday-Saturday; 12—7 p.m. Sunday. Kenwood Towne Centre, 7875 Montgomery Road, Kenwood. 791-5023.
WOMEN’S ART CLUB OF CINCINNATI Group show by members through Jan. 2. Parisian Gallery, Forest Fair Mall, 1047 Forest Fair Drive, Fairfield. 922-3585.
WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERIES
Paintings by Diane Szczepaniak are included in Paper, Scissors, Rock at the University of Cincinnati
Health Sciences Library.
Impressionists to Post-Impressionist Prints and Drawings through March 5; Edward Potthast 1857-1927 featuring eight paintings by the native Cincinnatian through March 5; Richard Bitting: Nine Summer Haiku, a suite of nine color lithographs with music and text transformed into designs through April 9; The Questfor Quality highlighting museum acquisitions from the 20-year directorship of recently retired Millard F. Rogers, through Jan. 29; and Kurdish Tribal Rugs of the Senneh Tradition carpets and kilims from the CAM collection and the Markarian Foundation from Kurdistan through Dec. 11. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. $5 adults; $4 students and seniors; children free; free to all on Saturdays. Eden Park. 721-5204.
utilizes unusual materials to address the moral aesthetic contradictions of the Modem Age, through Jan. 15.
Through Jan. 8.11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday. $2 adults; $1 students and seniors; children 12 and under free; free to CAC members; free to all on Mondays. 115 E. Fifth St., Downtown. 721-0390.
DAYTON ART INSTITUTE —From Botticelli to Tiepolo: Three Centuries ofItalian Painting,' through Saturday. Childe Hassam: Etchings and Lithographs by the tum-of-the-century American artist; through Jan. 29. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Sunday; 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday. 465 Belmonte Park North, Dayton, Ohio. 1-223-5277.
original Cincinnati Probasco home as director Phillip Long attempts to make the Taft a living house once again. Through Jan. 15. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday. 316 Pike St., Downtown. $3 adults; $1 seniors and students; children 12 and under free. 241-0343.
WEXNER CENTER FOR THE ARTS House Rules pairs 10 teams of social critics with architects to re-examine the concept of the single-family dwelling through text, models and drawings; three visual artists also address images of “home.” Gallery A, through Dec. 11. Burning Beds features paintings, drawings and mattress sculptures by Argentinean artist examining identity and place, memory and loss. Galleries B-C, through Dec. 31. Between the Frames: The Forum features eight videos by installation artist Antonio Muntadas with more than 100 interviews from North Americans, Western Europeans and Japanese regarding how contemporary art is presented, created and interpreted among differing cultural institutions. Gallery D. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday; 12-5 p.m. Sunday, Ohio State University, North High Street at 15th Avenue, Columbus. 614-292-3535:
Indian Hill.
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF BREWING HISTORY AND ARTS
Houses the largest display of brewing and beer artifacts in the world. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekends. $4 adult tour and tasting; $2 under-21 tour and non-alcoholic tasting; $3 adult tour only; $2 beer tasting only. Oldenberg Complex, Interstate 75 at Buttermilk Pike, Fort Mitchell. 341-2802.
BB RIVERBOATS Lunch, dinner, sightseeing, Santa and holiday choral cruises with area high school choirs available. Cruises depart from BB Riverboats base at Covington Landing. $4.50-$27.95. 261-8500.
891-1873.
CAREW TOWER OBSERVATION
DECK Come to tallest building in Cincinnati breathtaking view of seven hills. 9:30 a.m.-5:30 weekdays, 10 a.m.-5:30 Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 $2 adults; $1 children children under 5. 441 Downtown. 579-9735.
CHRISTMAS IN THE Celebrate Christmas ioned way with horse-drawn riage rides and costumed strollers. 2-9 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Waynesville. 897-8855.
CINCINNATI CHILDREN’S UM Newly opened museum. Cincinnati columnist Mark Purdy H.O.T. Volunteers Newsletter Workshop Friday and free with admission. Wednesday, Thursday Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 12-5 p.m. Sunday. children under 5 pay dollars. Free parking. Hall, 700 W. Pete Rose Downtown. 421-5437.
CINCINNATI FIRE Featuring permanent Early Volunteer Fire Cincinnati. 10 a.m.-4 days; noon-4 p.m. adults; $1.50 children Court St., Downtown.
★ CG&E HOLIDAY The B&O model train into the CG&E lobby The Trains ofChristmas an annual event ever a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, p.m. Saturday, 12-5 139 E. Fourth St., Downtown. 287-2639.
Object/Environment showcases Arts Midwest grant winners Fred Bruney, Barbara Cooper (Chicago) and Judith Yourman (St. Paul, Minn.) in sculpture-as-environment-as-installation. Through Dec. 18. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 12-5 weekends. Creative Art
★ CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER Horizons: The Art of Healing includes paintings from psychologically or physically abused children utilizing art-as-therapy for healing; organized by Harlem Horizons Art Studio as part of Harlem Hospital’s Injury Prevention Program. A suecessful example of exhibitng artwork in a mainstream galleiy for alternative
INDIANAPOLIS MUSEUM OF ART Continuing exhibitions include Textiles by West African Nakunte Diarra, through Dec. 31; paintings by Indiana native-tumed-superstar Kay Rosen in Back Home in Indiana, through Jan. 8; Written on Stone with Garo Antreasian, through Jan. 15; Riley to Tarkington: Images ofIndiana Authors, through March 12. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday;
BEHRINGER-CRAWFORD MUSEUM Housed within the historic Devou family home, it is the only museum of Northern Kentucky natural and cultural heritage. Holiday Toy Trains opens Friday and features characters from Thomas The Train and the Lionel American Flyer. Opening reception 2^1 p.m. Friday. Through Jan. 8. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. weekends. $2 adults; $1 students and seniors. Devou Park, Covington. 491-4003.
BENNINGHOFFERN HOUSE
This restored Victorian mansion,
CINCINNATI HISTORICAL ETY MUSEUM Sponsored the Women’s Association CHS, Winter Light: from the Collection Cincinnati Historical Societytezlures paintings H. Myers, John H. Twachtman John Weis, and etchings Caroline Williams and Opens Thursday. Through Model Railroads loon-stack wood burners mid-1800s, like The Through Jan. 15. Modernist Visions of Urban Housing tures materials introduced Wessenhof housing nized in the 1920s Rohe. Permanent exhibits Cincinnati: Settlement re-creation of
MIMOSA
1-6
PROMONT
$6-$24.95.
Hans Christian Anderson’s classic tale of vanity and foolish pride. 7:30 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. Saturday. $3. Calico Theatre, 4200 Clermont College Dr., Batavia. 732—5224. ★ BROADWAY SERIES Presents The Sisters Rosensweig, the uproarious comedy by Pulitzer Prize winner Wendy Wasserstein, Tuesday through Dec. 11. TV actors Linda Thorson, Nancy Dussault. and Greg Mullavey star in the Broadway Series’ only non-musical for 1994-95. 8 p.m.
Beehive is a musical tribute to nearly every girl group and female pop artist of the ’60s, with Cincinnati favorite Kathy Wade in the ensemble. Great music, too-hot singing and check out all the wigs! 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 5 and 9 p.m. Saturday; 2<and 7 p.m. Sunday. Through Dec. 23. $24-$31. Thompson Shelterhouse Theatre, Eden Park. The Playhouse presents its annual performance of Charles Dickens’ beloved tale, A Christmas Carol. Opening performance is 7 p.m. Saturday, with special 2 p.m. preview that follows the Playhouse’s annual Holiday Open House (begins at 11 a.m.). Through Dec. 31. Other shows this week are 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday and 7 p.m. Tuesday. Robert S. Marx Theatre. $21—$33 adults; $12.50 children 12 and under, Tickets to all shows are half-price when purchased noon-2 p.m. the day of the show. 421-3888.
ENSEMBLE THEATRE OF CINCINNATI Mark Mocahbee and Robert B. Rais have created Snow White: A British Pantomime with original music by David Kisor. For the uninitiated, a pantomime is a great family outing that allows for audience participation. Through Dec. 31. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $20 adults; $15 students and seniors. You can eat lunch in the enchanted forest and receive a Snow White coloring book and souvenir photo as part of ETC’s Panto Picnic Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. $10 children; $5 adults. 1127 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine. 421-3555.
★ FAHRENHEIT THEATRE Continues its with Shakespeare’s holiday classic Twelfth Night through Dec. 10. A mature, settled performance from an emerging company. 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday. $7.50 adults; $6 students and seniors. Group rates available. Gabriel’s Corner, 1425 Sycamore, Over-the-Rhine. 559-0642.
FALCON PRODUCTIONS Presents Psycho Beach Party an outrageous comedy by Charles Busch. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $7 adults; $5 students and seniors. Westwood Town Hall, Harrison and Montana Avenues, Westwood. 771-0571.
FOOTLIGHTERS Present Godspell, the 1960s musical based on the Gospel according to Matthew. Through Dec. 17. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday. $10. Stained Glass Theatre, 8th and York Sts., Newport. 793-1435.
FOREST VIEW GARDENS Sit down to a three-hour meal brought to you by singers-servers who perform Highlights From West Side Story. Through Saturday. Festival of Carols starts Sunday and continues through Dec. 30. 6 p.m. Thursday; 7 p.m. Friday; 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 5 p.m. Sunday. Reservations required. 4508 North Bend Road, Monfort Heights. 661-6434.
FOUNTAIN SQUARE FOOLS Perform The Gift of the Magi. 11 a.m. Saturday. Joseph Beth Booksellers, Roodwood Pavilion, Madison and Edwards Rds. 396-8960.
HAMILTON COUNTY PARK DISTRICT Presents The Nature of Christmas puppet show. 2:30 p.m. Saturday followed by a holiday concert by the Mt. Washington United Methodist Church Chorus at 3 p.m. Seasongood Nature Center, Woodland Mound, Norkyke Rd., Anderson Township. 521-7275.
MARIEMONT PLAYERS Follow the trials and tribulations of Della Juracko in the musical Blue Plate Special 7 p.m. Sunday. $10. Walton Creek Theatre, 4101 Walton Creek Road, Mariemont. 684-1236, 271-1661.
MIAMI UNIVERSITY THEATRE Presents Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s classic tale of MORE, PAGE 26
UtterKiosk
High-End Decorator Art
Oppenheim’sfine drawing, confident style cannot that paintings are Impressionist appropriations
REVIEWED BY PERIN MAHLER
The Impressionist movement continues to be, more than 100 years after its origin, the most popular of modern “isms.”
Retrospectives such as “The Origins of Impressionism,” now mounted at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, constantly bolster museum admission as well as gift-shop paraphernalia. Not surprisingly, this popularity has sustained a countless number of steady, if unambitious, contemporary painting careers.
Practitioners of such a long established (and long outdated) style, with its sun-saturated landscapes and pleasing pastel colors, are the bread and butter of certain galleries and interior designers; their selling power is all but guaranteed. The late Samuel Edmund Oppenheim was such a practitioner. His paintings are currently on view at the Miller Gallery in Hyde Park.
The paintings in this show are characterized by a confident, bravura style and are grounded in a firm knowledge of academic drawing. Oppenheim (19011991) is an artist relentlessly in the camp of his 19th century brethren. Genres are dutifully lifted from his forebears: dancers and musicians a la Degas, pastel landscapes from Monet and pretty ingenues from Renoir. His painting style is characterized by the brushiness and brevity of Impressionism, now formulated to a science by the confident hand of this artist.
Impressionist painters were originally criticized for the looseness and economy of their painting, considered by the French Academy, which rejected their work, to constitute unfinishedness and to depict unacceptable subjects. This aspect in fact belied a spontaneity that arose from the direct response to the subject before them (impressions) and from the belief that excess detail could obscure a complete experience of that subject.
By the time Oppenheim took up this style, however, the looseness of application became completely formulated, representing the way that Impressionist paintings are supposed to look, rather than any genuine aesthetic conviction.
The color in these paintings bears the same superficial relationship to Impressionism. The palette of Monet was considered shocking in 1885 no one had hitherto dared to use such saturated colors in combinations to form optical mixtures. His work retains this power today, despite his overexposure. Oppenheim’s palette represents a toned-down version of Monet’s the colors more mixed with white, the shadows the sienna browns of old-master paintings.
One is reminded of American portraitist John Singer Sargent, who dabbled in Impressionism during his lifelong European career but did not abandon the grayish palette and firm line of the established salon painters of the time.
Oppenheim has more in common with Sargent than with the true Impressionists, since he took few liberties in drawing the human form. Despite the fact that edges are blurred and details are subsumed, the artist displays prodigious academic drawing as practiced by Sargent and de rigeur later at the Art Student’s League of New York, where Oppenheim studied and taught.
There are no exaggerations as in Whistler’s wispy, attenuated dandies or Renoir’s voluptuous women. But even Sargent, with his genius for anatomical correctness, drew character from even the most recalcitrant of his subjects. Oppenheim’s figures seem generic Impressionist types. Oppenheim’s work should be compared with fashion illustration rather than fine art. One looks into the schematized dots and dabs the painter represents as features and finds absolutely nothing looking back but insipid caricature. Post-Modern ironists such as Sherrie Levine and the Starn Twins deliberately copy “appropriate” old-master paintings to investigate the concept of the “original” work of art. Oppenheim has inadvertently appropriated the Impressionist style with no sense of irony, for purely commercial reasons.
The exhibit is certainly not without its merits. It’s refreshing to see work that displays such a genuine gift for drawing. Oppenheim succeeds most when showcasing his gifts in works such as “Standing Ballerina in Studio.” But when, in his later works, he resorts to the formulaic looseness of brush and generalization of form typified by the worst of the Neo-Impressionists, these pieces become interchangeably bland.
The best artists build on tradition by transforming it to fit their own vision. Oppenheim has managed only a pale reflection of a great historical style. Perhaps Oppenheim’s popularity the popularity of NeoImpressionist decorator art represents a certain taste in paintings in which the viewer wants the work to please to the eye but not the mind.
Larry Gallagher’s
Samuel Edmund Oppenheim’s “Two Ballerinas,”
Onstage
star-crossed lovers. 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. $6 adults; $4 students and seniors. 131 Center for the Performing Arts, Oxford. 1-529-2247.
Performers include the Children’s Music Theatre of Kharkiv, May Festival Chorus, May Festival Youth Chorus, Queen City Brass, the Studio Dancers and Jerry Handorf and Madcap Productions Puppet Theater. 2 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 5 p.m. Sunday. $9 adults; $4.50 children 12 and under. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-theRhine. 381-3300.
CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL Tenor Dan Young. 12:10 p.m. Tuesday. Free; lunch $3. Christ Church Cathedral, 4th and Sycamore, Downtown. 621-1817.
MIAMI VALLEY DINNER THEATRE Presents the musical revue Memories of Christmas. 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. WednesdayThursday; 6 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 10:45 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday. Through Dec. 31. $26.95-434.95. Route 73, Springboro. 1-746-4554.
CHRISTMAS AFTER DARK The Hamilton County Park District presents a free concert with singers from Colerain High School and the St. Ursula Vocal Ensemble. 7 p.m. Friday. Free. Ellenwood Nature Bam, Farbach-Wemer Nature Preserve, Poole Rd., Colerain Township. 521-7275.
CINCINNATI CHAMBER
ORCHESTRA Eiji Hashimoto on harpsichord. Program includes Respighi: Three Boticelli Pictures Corelli: Concerto for Harpsichord and Strings in D Minor, and Haydn: Symphony No. 30 in C Major “Alleluhah.”
NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY The NKU Theatre Department presents Shakespeare’s last play, The Tempest. 8 p.m. ThursdaySaturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Main Stage Theatre. Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights. 572-5464.
7:30 Monday. $15 adults; $10 seniors; $6 students. Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-theRhine. 723-1182.
CINCINNATI SYMPHONY
★ SCHOOL FOR CREATIVE AND PERFORMING ARTS Presents Rodger and Hammerstein’s adaptation of Cinderella. 8 p.m.
Thursday and Friday; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday.- $15, $12, and $6. Taft Theatre, Fifth and Sycamore, Downtown. 632-5910.
VILLAGE PLAYERS OF FT. THOMAS Present the children’s play, The Mirrorman. 7:30 p.m. Friday; 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. weekends. $3 plus a 50-cent service charge. Village Players, Highland and Ft. Thomas Avenues, Ft. Thomas. 441-3257.
ORCHESTRA Presents guest conducter and violinist Pinchas Zukerman and cellist Erik Kim. Program includes Neikrug’s Flamenco Fanfare, Tchaikovsky’s Serenade melancolique for Violin and Orchestra, Variations on a Tococo Theme for Cello and Orchestra and Symphony No. 4 in F Minor. 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. Friday; 8 p.m. Saturday. $10-$26. Enjoy a free buffet at 6:30 p.m. in the lobby before the Thursday concert. Nancy Walker will speak about Fritz Reiner at 10 a.m. Friday. Free to all concertgoers. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. 381-3300.
★ COLLEGE-CONSERVATORY
OF MUSIC The annual Feast of Carols takes place 7 p.m. Saturday and 4 and 7 p.m. Sunday with performances by the Chamber Choir, Chorale, UC Men’s and Women’s Choruses and CCM’s Children’s Choir. Plus audience carol singing with organ and orchestra accompaniment. $10 adults, $5 seniors and students. Corbett Auditorium, University of Cincinnati, Clifton. 556-4183.
VILLAGE PUPPET THEATRE Presents The Elves and the Shoemaker. 4:30 and 8 p.m.Thursday and Friday; 2, 4:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 2 and 4 p.m. Sunday. Through Dec. 23. 606 Main St., Covington. 291-5566.
COLLEGE OF MOUNT ST.
WEXNER CENTER FOR THE ARTS Presents freewheeling punk anarchy from English troupe, Stomp; raves from Off-Broadway reviews. $16-$19 non-members. 8 p.m. Saturday. Mershon Auditorium, Ohio State University, North High St. at 15th Ave., Columbus. 614-292-2354.
Comedy
JOSEPH The Mount Community Band presents its annual Christmas concert 2 p.m. Sunday at the MSJ College Theatre, 5701 Delhi Rd., Delhi Township, and 8 p.m. Monday at Forest Fair Mall, 1047 Forest Fair Dr., Fairfield. The Western Cincinnati Chorale Concert takes place at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at MSJ's Mater Dei Chapel, 5701 Delhi Rd., Delhi Township. 244-4956.
GO BANANAS HBO comic Glen
Steer headlines with politics that make you laugh. Rod Paulette is the featured act. Through Sunday. The Gay Comedy Jam continues its U.S. tour Tuesday at 8 p.m. $12 at the door. Club 19's Michael Flannery headlines with A&E Evening at the Improv comic Hank McGill Wednesday. 8:30 and 10:45 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Call for prices. 8410 Market Place, Montgomery. 984-9288.
CSO CHAMBER PLAYERS SERIES Presents Spohr’s Duet in D Minorfor Two Violins, Opus 67; Hindemith’s Sonatafor Four Horns-, Beethoven’s Trio in C Majorfor Two Oboes and English Horn, Opus 87\ and Prokoviefs String Quartet, Opus 92. 8 p.m. Friday. $20 and $15. Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. 381-3300.
DAYTON PHILHARMONIC
ORCHESTRA Guest conducter
Sweet Treats’ Bitter Aftertaste
Use ofartificial sweeteners potentially can increase cravingsforfood
BY MERRETT CAREY
Like many people, you’re probably having the most popular of pre-holiday crises: All those hoiiday parties and not a thing to fit into.
And like many people, you’ll turn to the most popular diet aid around, artificial sweeteners in foods, and most especially, drinks. Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners, particularly aspartame which is marketed under the brand name NutraSweet, may do more harm than good and much less than expected when it comes to dieting.
Artificial sweeteners such as saccharin have been around since the turn of the century. In the book The Bitter Truth About Artificial Sweeteners, authors Dennis Remington and Barbara Higa say it was during the 1960s and 1970s that the use of artificial sweeteners came under suspicion. They-say laboratory studies concluded in 1975 that sacchawhen consumed in huge quanti-
nn ties led to increased chances of bladder cancer in rats. Soon afterward, the Food and Drug Administration proposed a ban on saccharin. The ban was later suspended largely in part to the popularity of artificially sweetened products.
Sugar use up
In the 1980s, attention was turned to the newest artificial sweetner, aspartame. It all started when it was noted that somehow even with the increased use of artificial sweeteners
American consumption Of sugar went up from 118.1 pounds per person to 126.8 pounds between 1975 and 1984. Researchers began to probe that and reports that NutraSweet users reported problems including headaches, nausea, irritability, sleeplessness or insomnia, and even seizures.
RAY COMBS CINCINNATI COMEDY CONNECTION Tonight
David Lockingham and violinist Ami Kavafian present Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216 Mendelssohn’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage;, Abels’ Global Warming-, and Elgar’s Enigma Variations. 8 p.m. Wednesday. $22-$ 12. Memorial Hall, 125 E. First St., Dayton, Ohio. 1-224-9000. Buffet begins at 5 p.m. and lecture by violinist and concertmaster Peter Ciaschini takes place at 7:15 p.m. at The Engineers Club, 110 E. Monument Ave., Dayton, Ohio. Call 1-228-2148 for prices.
Show guest Bert Challis headlines with Rod Paulette as the featured act. Through Sunday. 8 p.m. Thursday and Sunday; 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Friday. Over 21. $6.50 weekdays; $8.50 weekends. Carew Tower, 441 Vine St., Downtown.
DAYTON PHILHARMONIC YOUTH
ORCHESTRA Dr. William
hunger is still there, only more intensely, dieters crave more food than had they just eaten normally.
Another side effect is that NutraSweet caused many test subjects to crave sweets more. NutraSweet is 180 times as sweet as sugar. When people get used to the sweeter taste of the sweetner, regularly sweetened things just don’t taste as good. The craving for sometiling sweet is caused by trying to reach that same sweetness level in other foods.
But don’t blame artificial sweeteners for your bulging body parts. Weight gain is not all based on chemical impulses. Much of it also has to do with dieting logic.
Artificial sweetners, especially in diet soft drinks, work with the body to quench hunger pains. Chemicals in the body are produced after ingestion. In turn, the body ceases to feel hungry. The production of these chemicals, however, is only temporary. The signals triggered in the brain stop, and people end up hungrier than they were before. That brief soda rush of caffeine and sweetner leads inevitably to an even more vigorously growling stomach.
Many dismissed such claims as coincidence. After all, the FDA had approved aspartame’s use after extensive testing. What the FDA didn’t take into consideration was the extent to which NutraSweet would be used. Many of the studies were conducted under the premise that the use of NutraSweet would be moderate. No one imagined the virtual American addiction at low-cal sweeteners. (How many of us know someone who roufinely drinks a six pack to a case of diet soda a day?)
As independent researchers delved deeper, Remington and Higa say many concluded NutraSweet was doing no good for the diets of Americans. In fact, in many cases it was doing just the opposite of its intended effect.
Artificial sweeteners, especially in diet soft drinks, work with the body to quench hunger pains. Chemicals in the body are produced after ingestion. In turn, the body ceases to feel hungry. The production of these chemicals, however, is only temporary. The signals triggered in the brain stop, and people end up hungrier than they were before. That brief soda rush of caffeine and sweetner leads inevitably to an even more vigorously growling stomach.
Because of this, many researchers surmised artificial sweeteners caused dieters to eat more. Since the
Remember receiving your first diet tip? Mine came from my older sister “I’ll take a Big Mac, large fries, apple pie and a diet Coke.” The premise: If we’re saving so many calories in that diet soda, we can splurge on something else. Trading calories in sugar for calories in fat is robbing Peter to pay Paul, then paying back Peter with interest. Some researchers, most especially those connected with the Calorie Control Council (CCC), which represents the low-cal sweeteners’ interests, point to this logic as the main reason people tend not to lose weight while using artificial sweeteners.
Diet tips
“Some people think that because they have a ‘diet’ drink, they’re going to automatically lose weight,” the CCC’s Keith Kenney told Health magazine. “People say, ‘Aha! I’ve reduced my intake by having a diet drink, therefore, I earned a piece of pie or cake.’
It is the same kind of logic that tells us we’re actually saving money by buying something on sale we probably wouldn’t have bought in the first place.
So what does all this mean for you? Does this mean people who partake of diet soft drinks with holiday meals or use artificially sweetened products will all be sitting in front of the tube with migraines, or convulsing during the big game while eating Tootsie Rolls?
No. It’s just that research shows that there is a cycle involved in using low-cal sweeteners. Even if you were to replace half the sugar in your diet with artificial sweetner, you would still only be reducing your total caloric intake by a maximum of 5 percent. Moreover, you run the risk of craving sweet foods, such as cookies and cakes, that contain more fat which has twice the calories of sugar.
Above all of the diet suggestions, one stands clear: The best way to lose weight is to eat a healthy diet and to get plenty of exercise.
Steinoht conducts. 3 p.m. Sunday. Wright State University Concert Hall, Dayton, Ohio. 1-224-3521.
★ MUSE CINCINNATI’S
WOMEN’S CHOIR Presents
Seekers of Truth, Keepers of Faith a musical tribute to the incredible legacy of the African American Spiritual. Guest performers include Linda Tillery, John Santos and the Chamber Singers of The Cincinnati Men’s Chorus. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $12. Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church, 103 William Howard Taft, Mt. Auburn. 861-7002, 221-1118.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY Presents the Symphonic Winds Concert 8 p.m. Thursday. The Northern Kentucky Chamber Players Concert takes place at 8 p.m. Saturday. Join Frosty, Rudolph and Santa for the Christmas extravaganza Cocoa and Carols 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday. $4 adults; $2 students and seniors. AH events at Greaves Concert Hall, NKU, Highland Heights. 572-5464.
SORG OPERA COMPANY
Welcomes guest conductor
Kunihiko Makimura for its production of Mozart’s comic masterpiece, Cosi Fan Tutte 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $17-25 adult; $12.50-$8.50 students. Sorg Opera House, 63 S. Main St., Middletown. 1^125-0180.
Dance
COLLEGE-CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC The CCM Ballet
Ensemble presents a holiday concert of original choreography at 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Call for ticket info. Corbett Theater, University of Cincinnati, Clifton. 556^1183.
★ CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATER The arts community has lost many of its members to AIDS. In response, CDT presents its annual Concert for A Day Without Art 8 p.m. Friday. $12 adults; $8 students and seniors. The Dance Hall, Vine St. and E. Daniels, Corryville. 751-2800.
Booksellers, Rookwood Pavilion, Madison and Edwards roads, Norwood. 396-8960.
Singing for Your Supper
Feast upon a brown-bag lunch or hot meal as churches offer classical music at lunch time
★ WILL HILLENBRAND Both children and adults will enjoy a dramatic reading and slide show from the Terrace Park illustrator’s Hannukah tale Asher and the Capmakers. 11 a.m. Saturday. Register by Thursday. Oakley Blue Marble, 3054 Madison Road, Oakley. 731-2665.
BY PEGGY SCHMIDT
Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch? OK, maybe there’s a small charge for the actual food, but the noontime musical repast comes gratis.
★ CRAIG HOLDEN The Toledo native signs his riveting first novel, The River Sorrow. This chillingly realistic thriller comes highly recommended by James Ellroy. 7 p.m. Friday. Joseph-Beth Booksellers. 396-8960.
J. PATRICK LEWIS Signs and reads from his books Christmas of the Reddle Moon and The Frog Princess. 3 p.m. Sunday. The Blue Marble, 1356 S. Ft. Thomas Ave., Ft. Thomas. 781-0602.
Greater Cincinnati is home to several lunch-time concert series designed to whet the culinary and musical appetites and to provide a respite from the office grind. To give you a few minutes to arrive from work, the concerts start shortly after noon and wrap up in enough time to get you back behind the desk by 1 p.m. You can brown bag it or arrive a little early to get a lunch to munch while you partake of a little culture. Such a deal.
NANCY POFFENBERGER
Author of Instant Piano Fun For Christmas will teach children how to play keyboard. 1 p.m. Saturday. Barnes & Noble, 3802 Paxton Ave., Hyde Park. 871^300.
NORMA SCHOENWETTER
Signs and brings samples from her low-fat cookbook, Microwave to Your Heart’s Content. 7 p.m. Thursday. Joseph-Beth Booksellers. 396-8960.
These are the under-sung heroes in Cincinnati’s musical arena. Most have been around for a while, patiently offering an answer to the question that puzzles larger musical organizations: How can we encourage more people to appreciate classical music, folks who hesitate to commit time and/or money for subscriptions to the symphony, opera, etc.?
JEFF STAHLER Award-winning Cincinnati Post editorial cartoonist will sign his recently published book, Tooned-In. 8 p.m. Saturday. Borders Books and Music. 671-5852.
MARTHA STEPHENS UC pro fessor signs her novel, Children of the World. 2 p.m. Saturday. Joseph-Beth Booksellers. 396-8960.
Nix the “you get what you pay for” notion. You pay nothing, and you often get to hear some of the area’s finest musicians. From professional orchestral players and music-school faculty you expect quality and a number of them perform in the various noon series but participants also are drawn from the incredible pool of topnotch local free-lance musicians. The performers are paid little or nothing for their services but simply welcome the exposure and the chance to play.
DAMAINE VONADA Signs
Performers range from a solo pianist to a 20-piece chamber orchestra. The programs, lasting about a half-hour, might pair a singer and guitar, violin and piano, organ and strings, or present a wind or brass ensemble.
Sports: Matters ofFact, a treasury of facts and fables about Buckeye sports. 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Joseph-Beth Booksellers. 396-8960.
Ernie Hoffman, director of music and organist at Christ Church Cathedral, Downtown, coordinates the church’s “Music Live With Lunch” series. “We.see this as an outreach this parish can offer to the city,” he says.
ALLAN WINKLER The Miami University professor talks about Cassie’s War, his historical novel set in California during WWII. 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Blue Marble, Ft. Thomas. 781-0602.
Hoffman begins planning a year in advance for the biweekly October-through-May series, and the resulting roster of performers is impressive.
The series, which began in the 1970s, recently wel-
PAM WALKER Signs and discusses her self-help book, How to Find Mr. Right: Say Good-bye to the Mr. Wrongs in Your Life. 3 p.m. Monday. Joseph-Beth Booksellers. 396-8960.
December, January series:
Music Live With Lunch, Christ Church Cathedral, 318 E. Fourth St., Downtown. 621-1817. Concerts start at 12:10 p.m.; lunches cost $3.
MADELYN WHITING Signs and discusses Madelyn Whiting’s Soul Food her inspirational book on aging. 7 p.m. Wednesday. Joseph-Beth Booksellers. 396-8960.
Tuesday Dan Young, tenor.
Dec. 20 Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols,” Treble Choir of Christ Church, Jude Mollenhauer, harp. Lunch will not be served.
Jan. 17 Tom Beningnus, tenor; Robert Funk, piano.
corned the College-Conservatory of Music’s Ensemble for 18th Century Music, directed from the harpsichord by Eiji Hashimoto. Sometimes the concerts are in the Christ Church chapel, but the ensemble performed in the larger sanctuary. Almost every pew was filled with listeners balancing lunch trays on their laps and soaking in the sounds. The appreciation they showed for the superb reading of three Baroque concertos was limited only by the need to applaud with fork or spoon still in hand.
At Trinity Episcopal Church in Covington, John Deaver, organist and director of music, has presided over the “Midday Classical Menu” concerts since their inception in 1981. He says the audience, as in the other series, regularly includes not only escapees from area offices, but retirees who prefer not to go out at night.
“The purpose is to create a green space in Covington for music and to provide some peace in the middle of the day,” he says.
The “Women of Trinity” group serves up some ereative menus, including pasta, crepes and a recent offering of “Portugese vegetable soup.”
The Dec. 21 concert at Trinity will be a showcase for the church’s newly installed organ, built by Carl Wilhelm of Montreal. Joining organist Deaver in presenting a “Christmas Carol Sing” will be trumpeters Lawton Daly and David Davidson.
CONTINUES ON PAGE 30
Readings, Signings Events
* JILL W. BLEY, PH.D. The Women’s City Club presents Female Sexuality: 80 Years
THE WILD IRIS The coffeehouse hosts an open poetry reading geared mainly towards women. 7.30 p.m. Tuesday. 4037 Hamilton Ave., Northside. 681-1500.
Jan. 31 Woodwind quintet.
Musica da Camera, Covenant-First Presbyterian Church, 717 Elm St., Downtown. 621-4144. Bring your own lunch; beverages free.
HOWARD ZUEFLE The Cincinnati Post columnist will host a free brown bag lunch program and speak about his recently published book, How to Start Your Oum Business. 12 noon Wednesday. Public Library of Cincinati & Hamilton County, 800 Vine St., Downtown. 369-6960.
Dec. 15 Concert runs 11:30 a.m.-l p.m., “Come when you can, leave when you must.”
Midday Classical Menu, Trinity Episcopal
PHOTO: Eiji Hashimoto directs the CollegeConservatory of Music’s Ensemble
18th Century Music during a recent
Church, 326 Madison Ave. Covington. 431-1786. Concerts begin at 12:15 p.m.; lunches $5, $4.50 seniors.
“Music Live With Lunch” concert.
Dec. 21 Lawton Daly and David Davidson, trumpets; John Deaver, organ.
Advent Series, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Walnut at Poplar Street, Oxford. 1-523-7559. Concerts begin at 12:10 p.m.; lunches $3.50.
Tuesday Betsey Hofeldt, violin; Mark Hofeldt, cello; Stephen Phillips, piano.
Dec. 13 Bill Busano and Alma Jean Smith, vocalists; Luanne Luce and Chris Church, poetry readers.
Midday Music At Trinity, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Walnut at Poplar Street, Oxford. 1-523-7559. Concerts begin at 12:10 p.m,; no lunch served.
Jan. 31 Sandra Seefeld, flute; Ron Matson, piano.
From Sigmund Freud to Dr. Ruth a lecture by clinical psychologist, certified se* therapist and author of the syndicated column.
Broadway Series Presents Three Sisters,
20th Century Style
BY RICK PENDER
Most of what we hear from the Broadway stage these days comes set to music. That’s all well and good we’ve all been moved by the likes of Les Mis and Phantom but these productions cost a mint to produce. Some would argue they sap the creativity of the commercial theater since works must be marketable to recoup the extravagant production costs.
All the more reason we should be grateful for the occasional success of a well-crafted play. The Broadway Series is presenting one of these, its only non-musical offering for the 1994-95 season. Wendy Wasserstein’s 1992 comedy, The Sisters Rosensweig, opens Dec. 6 for eight performances at the Taft Theatre.
Wasserstein, who has already won a Pulitzer Prize for her play writing, has put together a tale that’s both uproarious and insightful. After two years and nearly 600 performances on Broadway, the production has been on a successful road tour for most of 1994.
Wasserstein’s plays the best known are Isn’t It Romantic? and The Heidi Chronicles which won a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize strongly appeal to women. It has been noted that her characters are intelligent, funny, successful and slightly tinged with melancholy. Her plays often examine women’s issues with a sense of humor, hope and optimism.
The three bickering “sisters Rosensweig” are Sara, an American who has become successful as a banker in London; Gorgeous, who hosts a radio talk show in Boston and who is leading a tour group from her BethEl Sisterhood in Newton, Mass.; and Pfeni, an interna-
Borders Books & Music presents Getty mi see tint Jeff SfaUarjty elreeJyf
tional travel writer. Sara is played by Linda Thorson, a Canadian actress currently playing Julia Medina on the soap opera One Life to Live. Portraying Gorgeous is Nancy Dussault, the original co-host of Good Morning America, Ted Knight’s wife on the TV series Too Closefor Comfort and an established musical theater performer. (She was
Jeff Stahler
Tooned In Sat., Dec. 3 at 2 pm
The Cincinnati Post's editorial cartoonist
joins us to celebrate therelease ofhis new book Toonedln. Also, look for his framed printshanging in the Cafe Espresso all month.
Triset DeFonseka Easy Cooking with Herbs & Spices Sun., Dec. 4 at 3 pm
Triset, a native of Sri Lanka, brings samples of some of the delicious recipies in the book for you to enjoy. Learn some of the age-old traditions passed on from generations ofexperience.
Tuesday Tunes Dec 6,7pm Joshua Breakstone Duo - jazz with guitar As a special bonus in December, we will be bringing you music to make your Christmas shopping more enjoyable.
BORDERS
BOOKS AND MUSIC CINCINNATI
11711 Princeton Pk., across from Tri-County Mall
Books:(513)671-5852 Music:(513)671-5853
nominated for a Tony for David Merrick’s Do Re Mi.) Playing Pfeni is Stephanie Dunnam, who starred as Heidi in the touring version of The Heidi Chronicles. The touring production was directed by Daniel Sullivan, who staged the original Broadway production in 1992. He was recognized with a Tony Award nomination for his work.
The play is set in London on the occasion of Sara’s 54th birthday. Joining Sara and her sisters at the celebration are her daughter, Tess, and her boyfriend, a freedom fighter; Pfeni’s lover, Geoffrey, a theater director; a British businessman named Nick Pym; and an uninvited dealer in politically correct false furs, Mervyn Kent (Greg Mullavey, best remembered as Tom Hartman on the TV series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman'). Mervyn Kent, Mullavey has observed, is “the most Jewish character in the pjlay. He’s proud of his heritage. He owns it.”
That’s not the case with Sara, who has denied her background. Much of the action focuses on the uninvited Kent sparring with her. He finally breaks through her cold exterior, leading Sara to acknowledge the value of her family and her heritage. Of The Sisters Rosensweig, Mullavey has said, “It’s a wonderful comedy, and it has substance. Audiences like it because it’s got a lot of heart, and the characters are very lovable.”
The play, while dealing with identifiably Jewish themes such as self-loathing is also about the stresses and strains of family, adult sibling rivalry and the possibility of personal triumph and romance, even when you’ve reached middle age. Such themes make The Sisters Rosensweig appealing to a broad audience. Bernard Jacobs, president of the Shubert Organization, a theatrical production company, said it best: “The play is successful because the public likes it.”
THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG
Greg Mullavey and Linda Thorson star in The Sisters
Rosensweig, opening at the Taft Theatre Tuesday.
Sports Spectator
Concerts
CINCINNATI MEN'S CHORUS Presents the holiday Goncert, An Evening in December With CMC 8 p.m. Dec. 9-10. $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. 861-4042.
HELMET WITH QUICKSAND AND CASPAR BROTZMANN MASSAKER Heavy, syncopated Alternative. 7 p.m. Dec. 13. $15. Bogart’s, 2621 Vine St. 281-8400. AFGHAN WHIGS Cincinnati rockers, fronted by international superstar Greg Dulli, return for their first home concert since last Christmas. 7 p.m. Dec. 23. $10. Bogart’s, 2621 Vine St. 281-8400.
Theater
HOLIDAY HOUSE PARTY Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Bank One and Cincinnati CityBeat present an evening of live theater with A Christmas Carol Dec. 9 at 7 p.m., followed by a party with food by Donatos Pizza, music by Heavy Weather and a cash bar. Party included in price ofA Christmas Carol ticket ($21-$33; $2 off if you mention “House Party” when purchasing tickets). Playhouse in the Park, Eden Park. 421-3888. JOHN BODY PLAYERS Jesus-Man and Devil-Guy, Dec. 9-10 and 17-21 at The Dance Hall in Corryville. $4. 684-0774.
Events
CANDLELIGHT TOUR The Downtown Council will present its fourth annual home tour of Downtown residences at 6:30-9:30 p.m. Dec. 9-10. The School for Performing Arts Choir, led by Reginald Butler, will perform at 6:45-7:45 p.m. $8 for one tour, $14 for both tours. Advance tickets are $2 cheaper. Tickets go on sale Dec. 6. Call 241-8934 for information. CSO NEW YEAR’S EVE CONCERT AND BALL Celebrating its centennial, the Cincinnati Symphony offers its New Year’s Eve concert with of the Cincinnati Ballet, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 31. Dinner and dancing follow. $15 and up for concert only; $100 and up for the ball; combo packages available. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. 381-3300.
Greatness Needs No Apologies
Honeymooners’ Audrey Meadows with awe and affection
INTERVIEW BY BILLIE JEYES recalls Jackie Gleason
Audrey Meadows’ recently published memoir, Love, Alice (Crown, $22), is an affectionate recollection of her relationship with Jackie Gleason who was lambasted by William A. Henry III in his 1992 biography, The Great One.
“This is one of the reasons I really wanted to write my book,” she tells me. “To show the joy and the fun and the little boy that was in him, which I think is so appealing and so charming.”
The Great One, she claims, is “full of lies and errors.”
“It was Neil Simon who. said the terrible things about Jackie in that book,” continues Meadows, who played Alice Kramden to Gleason’s Ralph on The Honeymooners.
In The Great One, Simon is quoted as saying, “I did not want to get to be a middleaged man waiting for the phone to ring so I could go to work writing gags for some abusive, unappreciative shit like Jackie Gleason. It was my personal vision of hell.”
Explains Meadows: “Neil Simon worked for him, and it was not a happy thing so Jackie let him go. Now, that doesn’t take one little bit of ability away from Neil Simon. He’s had a brilliant career with the most hysterical comedies ever written, but that does not mean you can write for every comic. Each one has their own style, their own way of working and Jackie had very clear ideas.”
In Love, Alice she writes, “Jackie’s relationship with the writers could not have been too bad, because The Honeymooners had the least turnover of writers of any show. Most were with it for five to seven years.”
Memory work
Working with Gleason was a challenge, though. Determined to keep the live TV show spontaneous, he kept rehearsal to a minimum. This was unnerving for some actors, the ones he called “twitchers.” The ones who could take the pressure, the Gleason actors, were used over and over again. Meadows’ method of handling the situation was to memorize the whole script.
“1 always did that when I played in stock because it’s your own protection. If I’m playing a scene with you and you go up, I’m waiting for the line and it looks like my mistake. The person who’s forgotten just stands there wonderfully comfortable, and the one waiting looks like an idiot.”
“Jackie had a photographic memory and audio memory,” says Meadows, who also possesses a photographic memory. “They could read a script to him, and he knew it. Very seldom did they ever read it twice.”
Because she was always able to get back to the script, Meadows was known to some on the set as “The Rock.”
“One time, Jackie and Art (Carney) were in a very long scene and I was offstage outside the bedroom door
waiting for my next entrance, and they jumped about a page and a half. Now there’s nothing funnier and nothing more tragic for the one doing it because when you try to go back and pick up what you left out, you don’t remember what you’ve already said.
“And they really struggled
Audrey Meadows played the quintessential Alice on The Honeymooners. through but they managed to do it all, being such pros. After that, Jackie balled the writers out and said, ‘I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times, never write me a long scene unless Aud is on the stage.’ He got to depend on my memory.”
Gleason’s ability to time a laugh was legendary.
“Jackie would stand still forever,” she continues. “He was perfectly willing to wait for the big laugh. He used to say to me, ‘You know, so many comics get very nervous if they don’t keep getting continual laughs. And they get little laughs, which destroy the big one. If you build the scene to that point, then you get the big belly laugh and usually applause from the audience.’
Beginnings in 'Top Banana’
in the hit Top Banana with Phil Silvers.
“Top Banana had been open for six weeks, and I replaced Rose Marie who sang like Jimmy Durante. My voice was not so low then because I didn’t smoke and going in as a replacement makes you a little nervous.
“Just before I went on, Phil came to me and said, ‘You know something? You are going to be great in this. You are going to be so good. Everybody just loves the way you’re doing it. There’s only one person that may not be in your corner.’ And I said, ‘Oh my God, Phil who?’ And he said, ‘You.’ Then he walked out of the room.”
In fact, if it weren’t for Silvers, she would never have gotten the part of Alice. Top Banana was about to go on the road, but Silvers let her out of her contract and into the role of a lifetime, giving her the opportunity to work with perhaps the greatest comedian of them all, The Great One.
Her love for Gleason is apparent. If her book is an attempt to refute Henry’s smear job, she has succeeded.
Meadows started her career as a singer. By the time she won the part of Alice, she was a Broadway star and was appearing
Fahrenheit Settles, Appears
Comfortable in ‘Twelfth Night’
REVIEWED BY DALE DOERMAN
Fahrenheit Theatre Company returns to Gabriel’s Corner with the third presentation of its premiere season: Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
The set the same multipurpose Elizabethan one used in Fahrenheit’s summer production of The Taming of the Shrew provides ample and appropriate playing space for all of the antics the play inspires. Unlike Taming, the language in Twelfth has been slowed down to an understandable tempo. The company seems to have settled down and has brought that comfort and familiarity onstage. The result is a much improved and less frantic production.
Costumed in contemporary style, Jasson Minadakis plays Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, more like a corporate executive than contemporary royalty. Unable to convince Olivia (Sharon Polcyn) to abandon her self-imposed term of seven years of mourning for her dead brother, Orsino enlists Viola (Marni Penning), disguised as the man Caesario, to plead Orsino’s love to Olivia. The lovely Olivia, not knowing Caesario is actually a woman, falls hopelessly in love with him that is her.
Get the idea?
Polcyn’s Olivia is well-balanced at times alternating as the somber lady in mourning and then as the vivacious woman in love. Penning’s Viola/Caesario is pleasant and honest. She plays nicely with the audience in a direct but nonthreatening way and takes the time to communicate clearly the life of the character behind the lines and oft-twisted plot.
Richard L. Arthur offers a sporadically effective Sir Toby Belch, who shines during moments of gesticulated humor but founders during longer passages, by
Onstage
muffling the meaning and sound of the language. Glenn Becker portrays a Sir Andrew Aguecheek whose foppish costume more nearly resembles a country bumpkin than a tastelessly overdressed courtier. Becker is generally strong, but at times he misses the humor inherent in the character’s sincere, although undeserved, self-admiration.
Director Nicholas H. Rose (no relation to the Elizabethan theater) moves the story nicely and uses the space well. Various entrances through the aisles actually integrate the playing space with the audience. It becomes an inviting experience, and rather than violating the audience’s space, it expands the playing space.
This appears to work well because Fahrenheit policy calls for the house lights to remain up during the performance to more closely approximate original production conditions of natural illuruination during daylight hours. Light and shadow do not contain the action or reality as they do in the contemporary theater.
The production also makes good use of music in the performance, although a consistent use of either all live or recorded music throughout would be preferred.
All in all, Fahrenheit serves up a solid, entertaining and accessible Twelfth Night just right for putting the touch of the classics in your holiday celebration.
Fahrenheit Theatre Company's TWELFTH NIGHT continues through Dec. 10 at Gabriel’s Corner, 1425 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine. Performances: 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays and 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays. Tickets $7.50, $6 students and seniors. Reservations: 559-0642.
LUNCH CONCERTS: FROM PAGE 27
Also new is a series at CovenantFirst Presbyterian Church on Elm Street. Actually, the building itself is worth a visit; home to the city’s oldest congregation, it was built in 1875.
A group called Musica da Camera performs, whose members include recent Russian immigrant Yuri Maizel, a former oboist with the St. Petersburg Orchestra. He is joined by his son Mikhail (flute), Luba Fedorov (piano), Whitney Griggs (cello), Roger Heather (organ) and vocalists Esther Hyun and Yolanda Ortiz.
Complementing the many musical activities up in Oxford is a pair of series at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.
For 14 years, church organist Frank Jordan (and as of this year, pianist and teacher Eleanore Vail) put together lunch-time concerts on Tuesdays during the Advent and Lenten seasons;
Free Classifieds are available to private parties not advertising a commercial concern and non-profit organizations not charging for services. Limit one free ad per week. Free ads must be typed or neatly printed on a 3x5-size card. Ads are limited to 25 free words. Each additional 25 words (or portion thereof) costs $5, and payment must accompany ad. Examples of free ads include the selling of your personal items such as a bicycle, furniture, guitar, etc. and ads for roommates.
Deadline for receipt of free ads is Thursday, 5 p.m., 7 days prior to publication. Ads should be mailed to CityBeat Classifieds, 23 E. Seventh St., Suite 617, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Free ads run for 2 weeks.
Sorry, we cannot accept phone inquiries concerning free ads. Publisher reserves the right to categorize, edit or refuse classified ads
Paid Classifieds are for businesses, individuals and other ongoing, profit-making enterprises that charge for goods or services. All housing ads, with the exception of Roommates, must be placed at commercial classified rates. Rates and discounts will be quoted upon request by calling 665-4700 during regular business hours.
Deadline for receipt of paid classifieds is Friday, 5 p.m., 6 days prior to publication. To keep our rates as low as possible, payment must accompany all ad orders. We accept cash, local check, money orders, Visa or MasterCard. Ads can be placed by phone, in person or by mail.
(Note: Deadlines will likely be advanced during holiday weeks).
Please check your ad and report any errors to us within 1 week of publication so that corrections can be made. Publisher will not be responsible for errors or failure to run an ad except to the extent of the cost of the first insertion of the ad. Publisher reserves the right to categorize, edit, cancel or refuse ads.
BICYCLE
GUITAR Ibanez
guitar, korina wood, molded neck, original condition $395. Call (513)274-9190 or (513)746-5689.
MUSICIANS WANTED Society /Lounge Band Forming a small society, swing, smoky-bar lounge band (a strip down version of the big band sound). Need female vocalist, drummer, piano player (keyboard with midi/horns) and others. Please call James 721-6646. Serious inquiries only.
STRING MUSICIANS WANTED Pianist looking for string musicians to play weddings, parties,
BackHeaf
Classifieds 665-4700
“GO BELLY UP!”
3 pool tables, foosball, cheap drinks, no cover!
THE BELLY UP (formerly Kilgore’s) 2900 Jefferson Ave
CINCINNATI MEN’S CHORUS PRESENTS AN EVENING IN
DECEMBER
Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10; 8pm Memorial Hall. Tickets $10 advance. Call the CMC Hotline at 861-4042.
BUSINESS MEETING ROOM:
BOOK KALDI’S MEETING ROOM
For your next breakfast or lunch meeting. Accommodates up to 12. Call KALDI’S 241-3070
RECORDS WANTED
Cash paid for quality, jazz, soul, blues, alternative & 60’s rock LP’s. Clean used CD’s also wanted. Circle CD & Records 5975 Glenway Ave. (At Werk) West. Hills 451-9824
CLASSICAL THEATER
Cincinnati’s Classical Theater presents SHAKESPEARE’S “TWELFTH NIGHT” THROUGH DECEMBER 10
Thurs - Fri - Sat. 8pm/Sat. Matinees, 2pm Gabriel’s Comer Theater Liberty & Sycamore, Over the Rhine 559-0642
AVALON CLOTHING 230 W. McMillan. St. 651-3847
Welcome to Back Beat, the back page of Cincinnati CityBeat. This last page is your last chance to have the last word.
“COLLECTION OF SOUNDS” FROM JASON DENNIE Cincinnati’s most remarkable free form, acoustic guitarist. Presented by Queen’s Roari Records. Available at Everybody’s Records, Mole’s and Streetside Records
HO! HO! HO!
HOLIDAY GIFT BASKETS
Coffees, Teas, Mugs, Chocolates MADE TO ORDER
KAFFEE KLATSCH
120 E. 4th St., Mercantile Arcade, 721-2233
So talk back to us! Answer our sometimes silly, sometimes cerebral weekly question. Then beat it to the nearest mailbox, fax or modem. response in our letters section Cincinnati CityBeat T-shirt. cost of a stamp or fax, eh? This week’s question: What’s ifyou won the lottery? (Quitting
Gifts by nationally known folk artists Unique hand carved Santas, ornaments, angels & more.
ONLY ARTISTS, 1315 Main Street Over The Rhine Tues-Sat 11-5 241-6672
NERVENET INFO SYSTEMS
Largest free library for Techno Phreaks! Hacker *UFO*Magick*Pyro./Kaos*XXX US Robotics V.FC 28.8k*Helpfull SysOp -751-7515*24 HRS-
EXPERIENCE THE MUSEUM OF THE FUTURE LIGHT INTO ART
FROM VIDEO TO VIRTUAL REALITY
From Nov. 19, 1994 to Jan. 14, 1995
THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER
Call 345-8400 for hours and information
PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK
Needs creative, enthusiastic people to promote our best season ever. Fun team. Great boss. Free tix. Part-time eves. CALL 291-2216 TODAY!
MULLANE’S
PARKSIDE CAFE
Lunch & dinner. Great food. Art shows. 723 RACE ST. 381-1331
PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK PRESENTS THE BANK ONE HOLIDAY HOUSE PARTY. Friday, December 9 - immediately following the 7pm performance of A Christmas Carol. Free food, live music, cash bar,
Send responses by 5 p.m. Tuesday to: Back 23 E. Seventh St., Suite 617, Cincinnati, fax: 513/665-4369
Name:
Address: Daytime voice telephone number:
WALL OF T-SHIRTS
ROCK & ROLL AND ALTERNATIVE PUNK & CULTURAL ICONS SCENTIMENTS/ROCK CITY 2614 Vine St. University Village, 281-1667
THE GOOD DEED EXCHANGE
Send information about skills and services you can contribute. We’ll find a worthy match. Write: PO Box 9316 Cinti., OH 45209-0316
SEND NO MONEY OPEN YOUR HEARTS IPASS THE WORD
321-3006.
MOONSHINE SCREEN PRINTING T-Shirts, sweats, hats, bumper stickers. Full art staff.
FREE PICK-UP & FREE DELIVERY Give us a call at 523-7775
Bob Roncker's Running Spot: 1993 MAD I SON ROAD IN 0* BR YON VILLE. Phone:
