It’s the last of the first, Ladies and Gents. (Last Culture FIX of the first half of 2023). For those of you who are not fully consumed Swifties, here are some alternatives to the impending pop culture madness. Also, next week we are taking a brief holiday break, so you’ll see some bonus items for the following week, as well. Happy Independence Day, and thanks for reading!
Wednesday, June 28
keyboardist Mike Darrah, guitarist Brad Myers, trumpeter John Zappa, drummer Jason Smart and bassist Aaron Jacobs
Jazz Alive, Jazz in the Camp | 6:30 p.m. American Sign Museum | 1330 Monmouth Ave., Camp Washington. 513-280-8181. DETAILS: And just like that, this brief June-long series is over. But this collection of top-notch talent, known as Now Hear This, ensures that things will end on a high note.
Young Professionals Choral Collective, “Remembrance & Resolution” | 8 p.m. Christ Church Cathedral, downtown. DETAILS: In this final concert of the YPCC season, excerpts from groundbreaking Requiem settings by Gabriel Fauré and Johannes Brahms bookend a newly commissioned, secuilar “Requiem for Victims of a Pandemic” by emerging composer Yvonne Freckmann. The composer used responses by singers to their circumstances and restrictions during the pandemic as her framework and inspiration. Danielle Steele conducts members of YPCC.
Ziegler Park Cinema | 8:30 p.m. 1322 Sycamore St., Pendleton. DETAILS: The story may be a little thin, but it’s the music and the movement that make “Drumline” (2002) worth seeing. If you are a fan of drumming, these competing college bands are a blast to watch. Oh, and the movie stars young Nick Cannon and Zoe Saldana at the start of their careers.
Thursday, June 29
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, “Pride Month Brady Block Party” | 5:30 p.m. block party; 7:30 p.m. concert. ICON Festival Stage, Smale Park. 513-381-3300. DETAILS: If a rainbow is the symbol of Pride Month, then that’s exactly what this concert provides – a rainbow of music. From Vivaldi, Mozart and Cole Porter to Dolly Parton, Lada Gaga and Bruno Mars, anything goes, apparently, in the CSO’s desire to “funk you up.” Guests include Thorgy Thor of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Sarah Folsom and Matthew Umphries of Queen City Cabaret, and vocalist Ciara Harper.
Friday, June 30
Ascent Music, “Paris: City of Lights” | 7:30 p.m. Werner Recital Hall, UC College-Conservatory of Music. DETAILS: Paris has inspired a lot of music for centuries, including the four chamber works on this program by W.A. Mozart, César Franck, Germaine Tailleferre and Bohuslav Martinů. Festival hosts, husband and wife cellists Alan Rafferty and Sarah Kim, are joined by six world-class artists.
The Carnegie, “Kinky Boots” | 1028 Scott Blvd., Covington. 859-491-2030. DETAILS: Just in under the Pride Month wire, this technicolor, Tony-Award-winning musical by Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein opens The Carnegie’s summer season. It’s doubtful the programming of this drag-centric is an accident, given the current atmosphere condemning drag performances in certain parts of the country. Rest assured, this show is all heart and very positive. Seven more performances through Aug. 19
Cincinnati Art Museum, Art After Dark | 5-9 p.m. 953 Eden Park Dr., Eden Park. 513-721-2787. DETAILS: If it’s Final Friday, it must be Art After Dark. This month you get to experience the vivid, new exhibition “Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds,” while celebrating Pride Month’s theme of “Cubist Queens.” Evening features include DJ Castle, drag performances, cash bars and food for purchase from Pata Roja Taqueria, Defined Taste and the Terrace Café.
Commonwealth Artists Student Theater, “The Ferryman” | 7:30 p.m. Stained Glass Theater, Newport. 859-474-2811. DETAILS: Kids say and do amazing things, including high school theater. This production, and one more this summer, features an all-star cast of teen actors from across the region. “The Ferryman” is a 2017 play by Jez Butterworth. Set during “The Troubles” in Ireland, it tells the story of the family of a former IRA activist, living in their farmhouse in rural County Armagh, Northern Ireland in 1981. Five more performances through July 9.
Saturday, July 1
Art Beyond Boundaries, “Facing the Reality of my Procrastination” | 5-7 p.m. 1410 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-421-8726. DETAILS: This new exhibit offers paintings, sculptors, and other media by talented artists with disabilities. ABB receptions are always fun and full of surprising guests. Show continues through Aug. 18.
Art on Vine | Noon-6 p.m. Court Street Plaza, downtown. DETAILS: This monthly event showcases fine art and handmade goods from more than 80 regional artists. And this new location just south of Central Parkway gives you equal access to attractions or shopping in downtown or OTR.
Kennedy Heights Arts Center, All-Star Jazz Quintet | 7:30 p.m. KHAC Lindner Annex. 513-631-4278. DETAILS: This is a one-time performance of the All-Star Jazz Quintet, featuring Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame members: Mike Sharfe on bass, Wayne Yeager on piano, Art Gore on drums, Rick VanMatre on sax and Marc Fields on trombone.
Krohn Conservatory, “First Flowers” | 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Eden Park. 513-421-4086. DETAILS: This new summer show steps waaaay back in time to display man-made botanical sculptures from Applied Imagination of tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops, pterosaur and more, paired with prehistoric plants like cycads, horsetails, and ginkgo trees. Mondays, 3-8 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. On display through Oct. 22.
Sunday, July 2
Ascent Music, Rebecca Clarke and Brahms | 7:30 p.m. Werner Recital Hall, UC College-Conservatory of Music. DETAILS: Here’s a chance to tackle something famililar alongside something new, yet, somehow familiar. Most of us have a sense for the music of Johannes Brahms. But you may not be aware of violist/composer Rebecca Clarke, who was a pioneer in the world of symphonic and chamber music in the early 20th century. Duo Ingolfsson-Stoupel offers two sonatas by Clarke, and then five string players join Judith Ingolfsson for the expansive Brahms String Sextet No. 2.
Monday, July 3
Blue Ash Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, “Salute to the States” | 7:30 p.m. Montgomery Park, 10105 Montgomery Rd., Montgomery 513-549-2197. DETAILS: Michael Chertock leads the BAMSO bunch in music celebrating one or more of our United States; think “The Yellow Rose of Texas,” for example.
Tuesday, July 4
Cincinnati Pops, Red, White & Boom! | 8 p.m. Riverbend Music Center, Coney Island. 513-381-3300. DETAILS: It would not be an Independence Day without Pops Music Director JMR decked in red, white and blue and whipping the Pops into a patriotic fervor, followed by a truly impressive Rozzi Brothers fireworks show. Classically trained Morgan James headlines, in her unique soulful style, along with Grammy-nominated Ryan Shaw and others.
Wednesday, July 5
Cincinnati Landmark Productions, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” | 7:30 p.m. Incline Theater, East Price Hill. 513-241-6550. DETAILS: Nothing like a whole bunch of silliness to kick off the second half of summer. And there’s lots of room for improv in this script, so let’s hope CLP takes advantage. The premise is self-explanatory; the book won a Tony. An overall underrated show. Give it a shot – Wednesdays through Sundays until July 30.
Thursday, July 6
Cincinnati Opera, “The Barber of Seville” | 7:30 p.m. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-241-2742. DETAILS: Packed with glorious vocal showpieces (Listen above.) and wacky plot twists, this timeless tale from the pen of Giocchino Rossini is sure to please. But be warned: To have any idea of what’s going on, and to get all the jokes, you must pay attention. Thank goodness for surtitles. Repeats Saturday evening.
OTR International Film Festival, Opening Night Gala and Film | 6 p.m. Music Hall Ballroom, Over-the-Rhine. DETAILS: This three-day festival honors and raises the voices of those marginalized by society due to disability, race, gender-identification… The opening night features a party at 6 p.m., followed by the opening night film, “Okay, The ASD Band Film,” plus a performance by the ASD Band and guest appearances by actors Madison Tevlin and Kevin Ianucci of “Champions,” a movie released this past March. Tickets for opening night start at $150. Individual screenings and passes for multiple viewings are much less expensive. The festival continues with full-day and evening screenings on Friday and Saturday at several venues in OTR and downtown. There is also a virtual option.
Studio Kroner, “Intersection” | 6-9 p.m. 130 W. Court St., downtown. DETAILS: This two-person show features abstracts by architect Roy Robinson and indistrial designer Michael Roller that speak to the convergence of art and design. Additional events include an artists talk – July 15, 1 p.m. – and a closing reception, Aug. 5, 2-5 p.m.
Friday, July 7
ARTclectic Gallery, “A Room with Many Views” | 5-8 p.m. 6249 Stewart Ave., Silverton (just off I-71 north). 513-822-5200. DETAILS: Note that this exhibit actually opens July 1, in case that timing is better for you. This group show features artworks celebrating the cityscapes, landscapes and seascapes. Continues through August.
Saturday, July 8
Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, “Boogie Nights” | 7:30 p.m. Devou Park, Covington. 859-431-6216. DETAILS: Led by the always-creative James R. Cassidy, the KSO’s Boogie Band (a 21-piece studio orchestra), with eight vocalists and charts by KSO arranger Terry LaBolt (Welcome home, Terry!), will share 21 disco tunes by Donna Summer, Abba, Kool & the Gang, The BeeGees, The Village People, KC & the Sunshine Band and more. Repeats Sunday evening at Tower Park in Fort Thomas.
Wave Pool Gallery, “Encompassing” and The Welcome Project, “Spheres of Influence” | 6-9 p.m. 2940 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington. DETAILS: A dual opening at these adjacent spaces: “Encompassing,” curated by Kacie Finnegan, is a showcase of works from artists concerned with permaculture (self-sufficient and sustainbale agricultural ecosystems) and nurturing community. “Spheres of Influence,” by Rami George, explores the intersections between food and spirituality by way of the artist’s family history of immigration, loss and search for religion, the joining of disparate ideas and cuisines, cults and fringe communities, and what happens to a family along the way. Om display through Aug. 5.
Sunday, July 9
Second Sunday on Main, Pride, | Noon-5 p.m. Main Street, Over-the-Rhine. DETAILS: Since last month was rained out, the focus for this month’s eclectic street festival is Pride, in case you need just one more dose. Expect lots of colorful attire and some outlandish surprises among the arts, crafts, food, beverages and live entertainment.
Woodward Theater, “Behind The Uniform: A New Class” | 7:30 p.m. 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-345-7981. DETAILS: Hang around after Second Sunday for this sequel to a 2015 documentary about the Cincinnati Fire Department, which follows the 118th class through the entirety of its six-month training program showcasing the physical and mental challenges each class member faces. A portion of funds raised from raffle baskets will be donated to the Cincinnati Fire Museum. Repeats Monday.