Another full week ahead, spanning the spectrum: festivals, film, literature, music, theater and visual art … plus cake! Look ahead, you’ll see…
Wednesday, July 13
Art of the Piano, Michelle Cann + Thomas Mesa | 7 p.m. Werner Recital Hall, College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati. DETAILS: Week two of AOP brings even more musical diversity into the mix. CHANGE OF PLAN: Due to illness, pianist Michelle Cann is unable to perform, so AOP director Awadagin Pratt is jumping in to play with award-winning, Cuban-American cellist Thomas Mesa. And it’s also a totally new program; see below…
- Carlos Simon: “Silence”
- Ludwig van Beethoven: Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
- Andrea Casarrubios: “SEVEN”
- Johannes Brahms: Cello Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38
What’s next at AOP?
- July 14, 7 p.m. Stephen Prutsman (Memorial Hall)
- July 15, 7 p.m. Jeremy Ajani Jordan (Werner Recital Hall)
- July 16, 7 p.m. Mikael Darmanie (Werner Recital Hall)
- July 17, 2 p.m. Aaron Diehl (Memorial Hall) See below…
Clifton Cultural Arts Center, “Wednesdays in the Woods” | 7 p.m. Burnet Woods. 513-497-2860. DETAILS: One of our favorite things to do on Fridays is go hear The Burning Caravan play at Japp’s on Main from 5:30-9-ish. If you live in or near Clifton, you can hear this talented group al fresco tonight. If you live in Northern Kentucky, you can hear them Thursday at Behringer-Crawford Museum (also at 7 p.m.). Rest assured: They are ferociously talented and tons of fun, wherever you hear them.
Thursday, July 14
Bacon Bourbon and Brew Festival | 5-11 p.m. Newport’s Festival Park. DETAILS: If you are a fan of any of these Three Bs, you probably don’t need any other details. For those on the fence, here are some enticements: free admission, bourbon classes, bourbon trivia, limited-edition bourbons, Braxton brews, and a bunch of bands. (Yet another “B”!) And yes, there is bacon on almost everything on the menu, along with a healthy portion of BBQ. Healthy? Nope. But you should go anyway. Tell ’em I sent you. Continues Friday evening, plus Saturday, noon-11 p.m. and Sunday, noon-9 p.m.
cincinnatifestivalsandevents.com
The Well, Rumi Nights | 6:30-9 p.m. Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. DETAILS: An evening of poetry, song and friendship with poet and singer Haleh Liza Gafori and guests. This fundraiser for The Well and Mindful Poetry Moments also offers light bites, a cash bar, plus an arts and wellness auction. Gafori is a translator, vocalist, poet and educator born in New York City of Persian descent. Her recent book, “Gold” features her translations of poems by Rumi, the 13th century sage and mystic.
https://secure.qgiv.com/event/thewellauction
Cincinnati Pops, Brady Neighborhood Concert / Crown Jewels of Jazz | 6:30 p.m. Corinthian Baptist Church, Bond Hill. 513-381-3300. DETAILS: CSO Brady concerts meet Crown Jewels of Jazz for a program dedicated to women in jazz. Queen City vocalist Kathy Wade and Philadelphia violinist Diane Monroe team up with JMR for a wide ranging program that runs the gamut from Maurice Ravel to Duke Ellington to Quincy Jones. There is another Brady concert Saturday night – 7 p.m. at Laurel Park in the West End – with a (mostly) different program, soloists, etc. Indoor or outdoor – you decide!
Mercantile Library, The Science & Nature Lecture | 6 p.m. 414 Walnut St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. 513-621-0717. DETAILS: Cincinnati attorney Robert Bilott, a partner at Taft, wrote this book based on his work for clients in West Virginia and beyond, and inspired the recent movie, “Dark Waters,” starring Mark Ruffalo. Powerful stuff. $20 for non-Mercantile-members.
Friday, July 15
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Shakespeare in the Park | 7 p.m. Seasongood Pavilion, Eden Park. DETAILS: And so it begins… Dozens of performances of “Twelfth Night” are headed your way over the coming six weeks or so, from Maysville, Ky. to Richmond, Ind. and many ‘burbs in between. This Bard’s romantic comedy is full of cross-dressing, mistaken identities, misbegotten love triangles and tons of silliness. The series kicks off in Eden Park, but will eventually wind its way to a venue near you. Continues through Sept. 4.
Commonwealth Artists Student Theater, “Chicago” | 7:30 p.m. Highlands High School, 2400 Memorial Pkwy., Fort Thomas, KY 41075. 859-474-2811. DETAILS: This classic – penned by Kander & Ebb and Bob Fosse, who also directed and choreographed the original – should provide quite the test for these young thespians. CAST is an all-star high school regional summer theater program. If you’d like to see who’s next on area stages, check these kids out. Also Saturday night and Sunday at 2 p.m., then repeats next weekend.
Saturday, July 16
The Carnegie, “Rent” | 7:30 p.m. 1028 Scott Blvd., Covington, KY 41011. 859-491-2030. DETAILS: Second up in Carnegie’s new summer series is this modern adaptation the story of Puccini’s opera “La Bohème.” (Did you see it last month at Music Hall?) Winner of both the Tony and the Pulitzer, “Rent” became a pop culture phenomenon, with its rock score full of memorable songs, and its story still resonates today. Not for the kiddies, however. Runs in rotating repertoire with “Into the Woods,” and later, “George Remus,” through Aug. 26.
Kennedy Heights Arts Center, “Voices from CZECHIA” | 6-8 p.m. Kennedy Gallery, 6546 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45213. 513-631-4278. DETAILS: This show, presented in partnership with Tiger Lily Press, features prints by 31 contemporary printmakers from the Czech Republic curated by Saad Ghosn of SOS Art. The works reflect on cultural and social issues faced in the region. A printed book of all the works from the exhibition will be given free to visitors (while supplies last). On display through Sept. 17.
Sunday, July 17
Art of the Piano, Aaron Diehl | 2 p.m. Memorial Hall, Over-the-Rhine. DETAILS: You could say that Aaron Diehl is the “real deal” or as Wynton Marsalis called him “The Real Diehl.” Discovered by Marsalis at 17, Diehl has gone to make a unique mark in the pianistic universe, traversing jazz, classical and beyond. This program features jazz works inspired by Bud Powell and Roland Hanna, plus a prelude and fugue by the very first, great jazz composer (IMO), Johann Sebastian Bach.
National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, “Why We Walk” | 2 p.m. Harriet Tubman Theater, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202. 513-333-7500. DETAILS: This documentary follows the journey of three black men from across the globe, united to empower and de-stigmatize urban communities of color and their participation in the great outdoors. A Q&A with The Urban Hikers follows. No admission charge for Freedom Center or film.
Tuesday, July 19
Barnes & Noble, The Great British Bake Off’s Paul Hollywood | 7 p.m. Virtual. 513-972-5146. DETAILS: While only available online, this is still a special chance to hear from the baker man, himself, (and check out those piercing blue eyes) as he talks about his new book, “Bake: My Best Ever Recipes for the Classics,” with Melissa Clark from the New York Times. This is to be live-streamed from B&N in Union Square, Manhattan.
https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/store/3408
Broadway Across America, “The Band’s Visit” | 7:30 p.m. Procter & Gamble Hall, Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati, OH 45202. 513-721-3344. DETAILS: People have been telling me for several years now to see this show, so we are going next Tuesday. Why should you go? “The Band’s Visit” is one of only four musicals in Broadway history to win the unofficial “Big Six” Tony Awards, which include Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical, and Best Direction of a Musical. It also won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. Only runs through July 24, so don’t dawdle. Plus, I like the idea of a show that succeeded because it doesn’t take itself too seriously.