R&B on the hill
It’s been more than a year since the Playhouse in the Park’s Marx Theatre has hosted a live show.
That all changes April 30, with the opening of “Higher and Higher: A Rock ‘n Soul Party with Chester Gregory.”
It’s just a three-performance engagement. And instead of seating 626 people, the Playhouse is limited to 30 percent of capacity, meaning that just 187 (or so) tickets will be sold.
But there will be live performers; Broadway star Chester Gregory, along with a four-piece band and a pair of backup singers. And there will be oodles of songs made famous by R&B giants like Sam Cooke, James Brown and Otis Redding, among others.
No, it’s not a full-bodied return to “normal.” But it is a rousing first step on the way to a hoped-for 2021-2022 season.
Later in the month – on May 26-27 – the Marx will host “The Skivvies: Live and Literally In-Person!” The Skivvies are a pair of singer/instrumentalists – Lauren Molina and Fairfield native Nick Cearley – who were both featured in the 2019 production of “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown.” As their name suggests, they perform in their undies.
The Playhouse has a slew of other shows in the pipeline. Some will be performed outdoors. Some are for kids. Some will be streamed. There will even be a pair of new entries in the theater’s intriguing “Pod Plays Project.”
For information and tickets, check the Playhouse’s web site, cincyplay.com.
A Spring Serenade
Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra is moving outside, too. So far, though, it’s just for one tantalizing day. "Spring Serenade," they call it, with three groups of CCO musicians spread throughout Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park.
The price is right – FREE. But ticketing is necessary for the May 2 event. There are two time slots, with 100 attendees each for the 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. gatherings. If you go, wear comfy shoes. In order to hear all the music, you have to follow a one-mile route through the park’s rolling hills.
No details yet on CCO’s main event, Summermusik. But according to a CCO statement, “Summermusik will return this August on stages all around Cincinnati.”
To register for the Pyramid Hill event, go to www.pyramidhill.org/spring-serenade.
Art dogs
More than a quarter-million people have climbed the Cincinnati Art Museum’s 164-step Art Climb since its debut in May, 2020. It covers nine stories, stretching from the corner of Eden Park Drive and Gilbert Avenue up to the farthest reaches of the museum’s main parking lot.
Missing in all these numbers, though, are the many, many dogs who have made the climb with their owners. So the CAM decided it was finally time to give the canines their due.
“Top Dog of Art Climb” is a digital beauty contest for those ignored pooches. Take a photo of your dog on the Art Climb, upload it to the museum web site. Deadline for submissions is midnight April 18. Voting runs April 19-29 with the winner announced on April 30.
The winning submitter gets a one-year family membership to the museum. The winning pooch wins a $50 gift certificate to a local pet supply store and an option for a virtual training session with dog trainer Lisa Desatnik.
For information, go to cincinnatiartmuseum.org/topdog.
Theater on the Farm
Cincinnati Landmark Productions – the folks who run the Covedale Theatre, Madcap Puppets and the Incline Theatre – are launching a new collaboration with iconic West Side restaurant, the Farm.
It’s the classic dinner theater formula. A $40 ticket gets you dinner and a one-hour musical revue featuring performers from various CLP shows.
“Blast from the Past,” as they’re calling the show, runs April 11-May 30. For tickets, call the CLP box office at 513-241-6550.
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