What a difference a week makes. The snow is a melted memory, and overeager daffodils are more than an inch tall in the front bed. If you were perfectly willing to wait winter out, you’ve succeeded. Time to get out and see what Cincinnati has to offer. Turns out it’s a lot. Read on.
Wednesday, Feb. 18
Jewish-Israeli Film Festival | 7 p.m. Mayerson JCC, Amberley Village. 513-761-7500. DETAILS: We told you last week about the first films in this year’s festival. This week is just as busy. First up on Wednesday is “Among Neighbors,” a documentary about a Polish village where Catholics and Jews lived in harmony for centuries … until World War II. Since then, the village has kept its dark secrets.
Rounding out this week’s schedule:
- “Midas Man,” a 2024 biopic about Brian Epstein, the mastermind behind the Beatles’ meteoric rise but who had a less golden touch in his private life. The cast includes some big names, but most, interestingly, are in secondary roles – like Jay Leno as Ed Sullivan. 3 p.m. Sunday at Mayerson JCC.
- Once Upon My Mother”: A mother’s unwavering devotion helps her son, born with a clubfoot in 1963, overcome physical challenges and social barriers. Leïla Bekhti stars in the 2025 film directed by Ken Scott. 7 p.m. Tuesday at Kenwood Theatre.
Thursday, Feb. 19
Longworth-Anderson Series, Esperanza Spalding | 8 p.m. Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-977-8838. DETAILS: The Longworth-Anderson Series continues with one of the greats of modern jazz. Esperanza Spalding is part instrumentalist (she’s a fine bass player), part singer, composer, poet and more. In short, she’s the whole package.
Cincinnati Ballet, “Swan Lake” | 7:30 p.m. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-381-3300. DETAILS: We told you about this last week, too, but Cincinnati Ballet’s production of this cornerstone of ballet repertoire (with a masterpiece of a score by Tchaikovsky, of course) is back for a second weekend. Additional performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, plus a Saturday matinee.
Friday, Feb. 20
Caffè Vivace, Pat Bianchi Trio | 7 p.m. 975 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills. 513-601-9897. DETAILS: Since winning Downbeat Magazine’s 2016 rising star poll, Grammy-nominated Pat Bianchi has established himself as one of the premier organists in jazz. (There’s nothing quite like that Hammond sound.) His group’s repertoire, intensity and sense of musical adventure set it apart. The trio also comprises Grammy-nominated saxophonist Troy Roberts and drummer Colin Stranahan, a winner of the 2012 Thelonious Monk Drum Competition. Additional show at 9 p.m.
Cincinnati World Cinema, Oscar Shorts 2026 | 7 p.m. Garfield Theatre, 719 Race St., downtown. 859-957-3456. DETAILS: Good things do come in small packages, but they can be harder to find. Witness the 2026 crop of short subjects nominated for Academy Awards. The fine folks at Cincinnati World Cinema are doing their part to make sure we have a chance to see these gems. The subjects are grouped into three categories – five documentaries, six animated shorts and five live action films – that will be shown in five screenings each weekend through March 14. Check CWC’s ticket page for a detailed breakdown.
Mutual Dance Theatre, Yue Yin Dance Company | 7:30 p.m. Jarson-Kaplan Theater, Aronoff Center, downtown. 513-621-2787 (ARTS). DETAILS: If Mutual Dance Theatre still doesn’t ring a bell, it’s time to make a mental note. MDT was created through the 2021 merger of two local contemporary dance companies. Now it not only offers its own performances, it also presents dance companies from around the country. This weekend’s guest troupe, New York-based Yue Yin Dance Company, has become a sensation in its eight-year life through a signature technique that combines ballet, contemporary dance and Asian influences. And this weekend features a the premiere of a solo work, “Echo,” danced by Yue Yin. Program repeats 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Saturday, Feb. 21
Great Parks, Maple Sugar Days | Noon. Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve, 3455 Poole Road, Colerain Township. 513-521-7275. DETAILS: February may seem a little early, but there already are hints of spring outside. One of the sweetest harbingers is the annual reawakening of sugar maples, as the sap starts running back up the trunk to prepare for the year’s leaves. Great Parks has quite a few of those magical trees, and it’s prepared a weekend of delicious tastes, crafts, demonstrations and hikes to celebrate one of nature’s best treats. Runs through Sunday.
Sunday, Feb. 22
Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Semi-Colon Club | 4 p.m. 2950 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills. 513-751-0651. DETAILS: Book clubs are hardly a recent innovation, and early Cincinnati was no exception. When young Harriet Beecher moved in 1832 to Cincinnati, she was soon invited to join the Semi-Colon Club, a literary group that included many of the city’s most prominent citizens. Nearly 200 years later, the club lives again, thanks to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, and it’s still dedicated to books on issues that Harriet would recognize. On Sunday, join the conversation on “Six Triple Eight,” the story of the only all-Black, all-female battalion to serve overseas during World War II. Space is limited, so you need to RSVP to get a spot.
Linton Chamber Music, Espressivo! Quartet | 4 p.m. First Unitarian Church, 536 Linton St., Avondale. 513-381-6868. DETAILS: The Espressivo! quartet returns to town for a program dubbed “Dvořák’s Bohemian Spirit.” Comprising pianist Anna Polonsky, violinist Jaime Laredo, violist Milena Pájaro-van de Stadt and cellist Sharon Robinson, the group offers works be Beethoven and Richard Danielpour before the keystone Piano Quartet No. 2 by Dvořák. Program repeats 7:30 p.m. Monday at Congregation Beth Adam, 10001 Loveland Madeira Road, Loveland.
Concertnova, “Alma Latina” | 4:30 p.m. ARCO, 3301 Price Ave., East Price Hill. 513-281-8750. DETAILS: This program focuses on Latino and Hispanic heritage (“Alma Latina” means “Latin soul”), and the experiences of Greater Cincinnati’s immigrant communities. The music spans a wide range of styles and time periods, with works by Heitor Villa-Lobos and Osvaldo Golijov in the mix. Cellist Nicholas Mariscal and his Red Door Quartet join forces with local favorites Michael Chertock and Christopher Philpotts (and more). The program is presented in partnership with several local organizations that serve local immigrants and will incorporate storytelling and visual art.
Monday, Feb. 23
FotoFocus presents “Steve Schapiro: Being Everywhere” | 8 p.m. Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine; 513-345-7981. DETAILS: Photographer Steve Schapiro hasn’t quite been everywhere, but he has been at a remarkable number of America’s pivotal moments of the last 60-something years, especially ones that involved the civil rights movement. Schapiro’s work has appeared in most magazines famed for their photography – Life, Look, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Sports Illustrated, to drop a few names – and his subjects have run the gamut from Muhammad Ali to James Baldwin, Samuel Beckett, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Andy Warhol. The film, presented by FotoFocus (yes, 2026 is a biennial year), is full of great commentary and great images.
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